I n Taipei’s Dadaocheng, cats lounging in shops along Dihua Street do more than nap amid the scent of dried seafood. Many have become beloved fixtures who double as photo models, attracting visitors and helping boost sales in one of the capital’s most historic quarters.
在台北大稻埕迪化街上的商店裡，貓咪們不只是懶洋洋地睡在海鮮乾貨的香氣中。許多貓已經成為深受喜愛的定番角色，也兼任拍照模特兒，吸引遊客光顧，幫助提升首都最具歷史氛圍區域的營業額。
A recent photo contest featuring more than a dozen shop cats drew over 2,200 submissions, turning everyday cat-spotting into a friendly competition that attracted both amateur and professional photographers.
最近一場以十多隻店貓為主題的攝影比賽，吸引了超過2,200件投稿，將日常的貓咪觀察，變成了吸引業餘和專業攝影師參與的友好競賽。
“It’s rare to see cats standing, so when it suddenly did, it felt like a lucky cat,” said Sabrina Hsu, who won the NT$10,000 (US$326) top prize in the second “Meow Pie” Photo Contest in late August.
「很少看到貓咪站起來，所以當牠突然站起來的時候，感覺就像隻招財貓」，徐淳蔚說。她在8月底的第二屆「貓派」攝影比賽中贏得了新台幣1萬元（約326美元）首獎。
Her winning photo, titled Fortune Comes with You, shows “Money,” a fluffy white cat, standing upright with paws raised beside his ginger brother “Cola,” while their owner smiles in the background of his dried-goods shop.
她的獲獎照片名為《財來有你》，照片中一隻毛茸茸的白貓「Money」直立並舉起雙爪，站在牠的薑黃色兄弟「可樂」旁邊，而店主在乾貨店的背景中露出微笑。
“Cats in the shops along Dihua Street are very interactive and cute, and each one has its own unique character,” said Hsu, 30. “The old street and the cats create a blend of tradition and modern charm that makes the area distinctive.”
「迪化街商店裡的貓咪互動性高又可愛，每隻都有自己獨特的個性」，30歲的徐淳蔚說。「老街與貓咪結合了傳統與現代的魅力，讓這個地方與眾不同。」
Shop owner Ginseng Hsiao, who runs He-Shing Chinese Herbs and Groceries, said many Dihua Street merchants keep cats because warehouses of dried goods often attract rats.
合信蔘藥行老闆蕭錫座表示，迪化街上許多商家養貓，是因為倉庫的乾貨常會吸引老鼠。
“When their numbers grew, I decided to take Money in,” Hsiao said. “I saw the method working, so I later adopted Cola to help.”
「當老鼠數量增加，我就決定收養Money」，蕭錫座說。「我看到這個方法有效，所以後來又收養了可樂來幫忙。」
Asked what he would say to his cats if they could understand, the 54-year-old replied simply: “Thank you. It’s like they work at our shop, only they do the night shift, guarding the warehouse and keeping rats away.”
當被問及如果貓咪能聽懂人話，他會對牠們說什麼時，54歲的蕭錫座簡單回答：「謝謝你們。牠們就像在我們店裡工作，只是負責夜班，守護倉庫，趕走老鼠。」
Hsiao said he sometimes rewards them with dried scallops from the store or special cans of tuna.
蕭錫座表示，他有時會用店裡的干貝乾或特製鮪魚罐頭來獎勵牠們。
While Cola has proven an effective rat hunter, he once went missing for 22 days, leaving staff “heartbroken,” Hsiao said. Since then, he has fitted both cats with AirTags to prevent them from straying again.
雖然可樂證明自己是隻優秀的捕鼠好手，但牠曾一度失蹤22天，讓店員們「心碎」。從那之後，蕭錫座為兩隻貓都裝上AirTags，避免牠們再次走失。
Seeing the pair as his “sons,” Hsiao said they have also transformed his business. Traditionally focused on Chinese herbs and dried goods for older customers, his store now attracts younger visitors who come to see the cats -- and often leave with dried fruit, teas or nuts.
蕭錫座將這對貓咪視為自己的「兒子」，他說牠們為生意帶來了改變。原本是間專注於為年長顧客提供中藥材和乾貨的商店，現在吸引了年輕遊客前來看貓，這些遊客常在踏出店門前，買些乾果、茶葉或堅果。
“Most customers who buy Chinese medicinal herbs are older,” he said. “But after we got the cats, groups of younger people started coming in to see them and browse the products.”
「買中藥材的顧客大多是年長者」，他說。「但自從養了貓後，吸引很多群年輕人來看牠們，順便也參觀一下店內的商品。」
Hsiao added that young cat lovers who come to see them tend to buy something to support the shop.
蕭錫座補充，前來看貓的年輕愛貓人士通常會買些東西來支持藥行。
Other merchants have seen similar benefits. John Lee, president of century-old pastry brand Li Ting Xiang, said that in the past, passersby who found nothing of interest would simply walk away.
其他店家也看到了相似的好處。擁有百年歷史的糕點品牌李亭香總經理李佳陽表示，以前路過的人如果覺得沒什麼有趣的東西，就會直接離開。
“Now they often stop at the entrance or step inside, chatting with owners about cats while browsing the goods -- this naturally helps boost sales,” Lee said. Some shopkeepers even reported customers lining up outside to see the cats, he added.
「現在他們常常會在店門口停下來或走進店裡，一邊和店主聊貓咪，一邊逛商品，這自然有助於提升銷售額」，李佳陽說。他還補充，有些店家甚至表示有顧客在店外排隊就只是為了要看貓。
Although Lee’s shop has no cats, he launched a cat-themed product line five years ago. Sales have more than doubled in the past two years, a rise he partly attributes to exposure from contest entries.
雖然李佳陽的店裡沒有養貓，但他五年前曾推出一個以貓為主題的系列產品。過去兩年，銷售額增長了兩倍多，他認為這部分有賴於競賽帶來的曝光效應。
The craze, he said, began around five years ago when a local association partnered with photographer Erica Wu to promote cat photography tours, which grew in popularity.
他說，這股熱潮大約從五年前開始，當時當地一個協會與攝影師吳佳芳合作，推廣貓咪攝影之旅，後來這活動愈來愈受歡迎。
Lee said most old streets in Taiwan have beautiful historic buildings, but what sets Dadaocheng apart is the culture inside them.
李佳陽表示，台灣大多數的老街都有美麗的歷史建築，但大稻埕的特別之處在於其內含的文化。
“Visitors not only come to see the old streets and traditional culture, but also to meet the adorable cats,” he said. “That makes Dadaocheng different from other places.”
「遊客不單只是來看老街和傳統文化，也是為了見見可愛的貓咪」，他說。「這讓大稻埕與其他地方不同。」
Top entries from the contest are on display through Sept. 14 at Olympus Plaza Taipei on Dihua Street. Shopkeepers generally welcome visitors photographing their feline companions, though Lee advised asking permission first.
比賽的優秀作品將於9月14日前在迪化街的台北奧林巴斯廣場展出。店家通常歡迎遊客拍攝他們的貓咪夥伴，但李佳陽建議最好先徵求許可。
“Many owners are very accommodating -- some will even carry the cats over or offer dried scallops so you can feed them,” he said. “This kind of interaction is really special and full of warmth.”
「許多店主都非常隨和─有些甚至會把貓咪抱過來，或提供干貝乾讓你餵牠們」，他說。「這種互動真的既特別又充滿了溫暖。」
字詞解釋
lounging（形容詞）→懶散地躺著、閒逛。例句：On weekends, she enjoys lounging on the couch with a good book. 週末時，她喜歡懶散地躺在沙發上看一本好書。
amateur（名詞）→業餘、非專業。例句：Although he is an amateur photographer, his work is often mistaken for that of a professional. 雖然他是一名業餘攝影師，但他的作品常被誤認為是專業人士拍攝的。
distinctive（形容詞）→獨特的、與眾不同的。 例句：Taylor’s distinctive style of painting makes her artwork easily recognizable. 泰勒獨特的繪畫風格讓她的作品很容易被辨認出來。
straying（動詞）→走失、偏離。例句：The dog was fitted with a collar to prevent it from straying too far from home. 這隻狗被戴上了項圈，以防牠從家裡走失太遠。
attributes（動詞）→歸因於、歸於。例句：She attributes her success to hard work and a supportive team. 她將自己的成功歸因於努力工作和一個支持她的團隊。
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