Laura: The east coast is home to many indigenous people. If you’re lucky, you might get to experience one of their festivals.
Ethan:Tell me a little about the indigenous people. Do they have much cultural influence in Taiwan?
Laura: Well, they definitely have more of a presence on the east coast. So much so that indigenous festivals are often celebrated in schools there.
Ethan: I imagine that these festivals include coming-of-age rites.
Laura: Yes. It is interesting to note that there are several tribes on the east coast. The Bunun were the only tribe to develop icons for marking important events during the year.
Ethan: Really? You mean that they had their own calendar?
Laura: That’s right. They had their own calendar long before the Chinese came. They also have a festival with a strange name. It’s called the "ear-shooting ceremony."
Ethan: Does it have any particular purpose?
Laura: It’s meant to teach boys how to become good hunters.
Ethan: Are there any islands off the east coast? I want to go on a boat ride.
Laura: Yes, Lanyu is in Taitung County. That is where the Tao tribe is from.
Ethan:A tribe that lives on a small island? That must mean that their culture
has survived better than some of the tribes from the main island.
Laura: That was true for a long time, but it’s hard to fight off the modern world nowadays.
Ethan: You’re right of course. It’s the same story everywhere now.
Laura:Yeah. Apparently the government even made the Tao people live in concrete houses above ground. They traditionally lived in underground houses that were better suited to the climate.
Ethan: I bet they have deep basements! They must have managed to keep that part of their culture.

蘿拉：東部是許多原住民的家鄉。你運氣好的話說不定可以體驗到他們的慶典喔。
伊森：跟我多說些原住民的事。他們對台灣文化有很大的影響嗎？
蘿拉：在東部的確是的，原住民的慶典常常就在那裡的學校舉行。
伊森：我猜這些慶典包含成年禮。
蘿拉：是的。很有意思的是，東部有好多部落。布農族是唯一發展出以圖像標示一年中重要活動的部落。
伊森：真的嗎？你是說他們有自己的曆法？
蘿拉：沒錯，他們早在中國移民來到之前就有自己的曆法。他們也有個名稱特殊的慶典，叫作「打耳祭」。
伊森：這個祭典有什麼特殊的目的嗎？
蘿拉：用意在教導男孩如何成為好的獵人。
伊森：東部有什麼離島嗎？我想搭船旅行。
蘿拉：有，蘭嶼在台東縣，是達悟族的家鄉。
伊森：住在小島上的部落？那表示說他們的文化保存得比一些本島部落要好囉。
蘿拉：有很長一段時間的確是這樣，但要抵擋現代社會也是很難的。
伊森：你說的是沒錯。現在，全世界的情況都是如此。
蘿拉：是的。顯然，政府甚至要達悟族人住在地上的混凝土房屋裡。他們傳統上住在比較適合當地氣候的深穴式地下建築。
伊森：我敢說他們有很深的地下室！他們一定設法保留了這部分的文化。