How Sweet It Is QQ 小熊軟糖 照片來源：Razvan Iosif / Shutterstock.com
For nearly a century, they have been one of the world's favorite sweet treats. They are also the planet's best-known, bear-shaped snack. Of course, we're talking about gummy bears, a candy enjoyed the world over. The origins of the gummy bear can be traced to the city of Bonn, Germany. A candy maker named Hans Riegel started the Haribo Company in 1920. Riegel was a big fan of the trained bears he had seen performing in carnivals around Europe. So, he made a candy called the Dancing Bear, and later he made a smaller version of it and called it the Gold Bear. By the late 1960s, the bears could be found in candy shops across the globe. Over the years, people have come up with countless ways to enjoy gummy bears. Some use them as ingredients in cookies or cakes. Others freeze them in ice cubes to put in their drinks. Artist Leon Keer made a giant 3D painting of three gummy bears for the Malta Street Art Festival. Kevin Champeny turned 8,500 gummy bears into the world's sweetest chandelier. Whether as a simple treat or a work of fine art, gummy bears are still finding ways to make us smile.
近一世紀以來，它們正是世上最受喜愛的甜點之一。它們也是世上最有名的小熊形狀點心。當然，我們說的是小熊軟糖，一種廣受全世界喜愛的糖果。 小熊軟糖的起源可以追溯至德國的波昂市。1920 年時，一位名叫漢斯•黎格的糖果製造商創立了哈利波公司。黎格非常喜歡他所看到在歐洲巡迴演出、馬戲團裡訓練有素的熊。所以，他製作了一款叫作『跳舞小熊』的糖果，之後他做了『跳舞小熊』的較小型版本，並叫它『黃金熊』。在六○年代晚期之前，小熊軟糖便遍布全球的糖果店裡了。 多年來，人們想出無數的方法來享用小熊軟糖。有些人把它們用來做為餅乾或蛋糕的素材。其他人把它們冰成冰塊放入他們的飲料內。藝術家里昂•基爾為馬爾他街頭藝術節打造了三隻小熊軟糖的巨型 3D 畫作。凱文•錢普尼把八千五百個小熊軟糖變成了世上最甜的吊燈。無論是簡單的甜點或是精緻的藝術品，小熊軟糖仍在想辦法讓我們微笑。
planet n. 行星 Many people believe that life exists on other planets. 許多人相信其他星球上有生物存在。
the world over 全世界 = around the world Everyone the world over has thought of traveling in space. 全世界的人都想過要去太空旅行。
origin n. 起源 The origin of this ghost story dates back 50 years. 這個鬼故事始於五十年前。
version n. 版本 Our company plans to launch a new version of the software in September. 我們公司預計在九月發行該軟體的新版本。
globe n. 地球 Dan has traveled all over the globe. 阿丹到過全球各地。
countless a. 無數的 I flipped through countless magazines as I waited for the nurse to call my name. 在等候護士叫我的名字時，我翻閱了無數本雜誌。
ingredient n. 成分，原料 The ingredients of sponge cake are eggs, sugar, and flour. 海綿蛋糕的成分是蛋、糖和麵粉。
freeze vt. & vi.（使）冰凍 The water froze on the road, making it dangerous to drive. 水在馬路上結成冰，使得在上面開車很危險。
