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■6月1日是國際兒童節，內地不同民族的兒童會以各種活動歡度佳節。資料圖片
When is the Children's Day? Why, it's April 4, of course, you may answer. But in fact, all over the world, Hong Kong and Taiwan seem to be the only two places that celebrate Children's Day on this date; and actually, Taiwan now celebrates both Women's Day and Children's Day on the same day, making Hong Kong the only awkward(= embarrassing) city that celebrates Children's Day on April 4.
Many Children's Days
Is there anything more 'objective' called the International Children's Day then? Yes, indeed it is on June 1 - that is today! The People's Republic of China celebrates this every year, and even makes it a holiday. This day was announced in 1925 by the World Conference for the Well-being of Children in Geneva, Switzerland. But to make things even more complicated, there is another day called the Universal Children's Day, celebrated on November 20, first proclaimed(= announced) by the United Nations General Assembly in 1954.
Juno or Hera
Can you think of any Cantopop singer whose name is related to June? Any name you can think of that starts with Jun-? Yes, it's Juno Mak. In fact, the month of June is probably named after Juno, the wife of Jupiter. Since, according to Roman mythology(= a system of ancient myths), Jupiter is the King of all gods, Juno is the Queen of the gods. If translated to Greek mythological terms, Juno is called Hera, and Jupiter is called Zeus.
June is often regarded as the beginning of summer, and the month when flowers and plants in general are most wondrous and soothing. Nathaniel Parker Willis (1806-1867), an American poet, writer and editor, and indeed the highest-paid magazine writer of his day, wrote a little poem called The Month of June: "It is the month of June, / The month of leaves and roses, / When pleasant sights salute the eyes / And pleasant scents the noses." The last two lines mean: "When the beautiful things that we see express respect and admiration(= a feeling of respect and liking) to our eyes, and the sweet fragrance(= nice smells) that we smell express respect and admiration to our noses."
Agate the birthstone
Every month has a birthstone(= a semi-precious stone that is associated with the month of somebody's birth), and do you know what the traditional birthstone for June is? It's the agate(pronounced 'AG-gut'), which is m�α n�αo in Chinese. The Gregorian calendar has a poem matching each month, and the one for June runs like this: "Who comes with summer to this earth, / And owes to June her hour of birth, / With ring of agate on her hand / Can health, wealth, and long life command." Here's the poem written in prose form: "The person who came to this earth in summer, and who was born in June, with a ring of agate on her hand, will enjoy health, wealth and longevity." I'd like to dedicate this poem to my lovely friend Yanny, who was born on June 1, the International Children's Day. May you remain childlike and innocent, and stay young at heart no matter what your physical age is!
Questions:
1. Which astrological sign does June 1 lie in?
2. Refer to Question 1: What does this word mean? And how do we pronounce it?
3. Add two letters in front of 'June' to make a word. What does it mean?
Answers:
1. Gemini.
2. Gemini means 'the twins', and is pronounced 'JEM-mi-nai' or 'JEM-mi-nee'.
3. 'Jejune', too simple or not interesting.
■MT Ness
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