by Christopher MacDonald) As night comes on, despite the roar of firecrackers from homes all around, perfect silence reigns within an air force base in Hsinchu, where not a trace of the festive atmosphere of Chinese New Year's Eve is to be felt.
黃昏時分，儘管四周人家一片砲竹聲，新竹空軍基地內卻靜靜悄悄，感覺不出絲毫農曆除夕的氣氛。