The Mystery of Lottery

Anchor (Jean): Welcome to Fu Jen Feature News Report Series. The program for today is “Mystery of the Lottery ”. Since the inception of lottery in Taiwan on Jan. 16, the computerized lotto has caught widespread attention even from abroad. It sounds like the magic spell. Lots of people can’t resist its charm and even get addicted to buying lottery. The lottery mania sweeps over the whole island wide. It even becomes the new greeting by saying “have you brought the lottery this week?” Today, we will focus on the issue of lottery craze, invite guest speakers and you to evaluate its effects upon Taiwanese people. Before the discussion, we would like to have our reports on the spot to investigate peoples’ reactions and attitude toward lottery. Natalie, are you on the line?

Reporter 1(Natalie): Yes, Jean! This is Natalie speaking.

Act 2

Reporter 1 (Natalie): Hi! Everyone. I am now standing in front of a betting station in Tainan. Several  people rush to buy tickets. Let me interview the merchant and buyers to share their views toward the lottery fever. Hello, Sir, how is your business?

Owner of Betting Station (Peter) : Oh! My god. The paper is running out. (shout to the people who are waiting at the end of the line )You can leave. I’ll close the shop and ask the Taipei bank for the paper to print out lottery tickets. 

The rational person (Camille): I want to buy three tickets. One lot will be chosen by myself and others will be selected by the computer.

Owner of Betting Station (Peter): (talk to the person behind her) Sorry. We run out the paper for printing lottery tickets. You can only buy one ticket.

The crazy person (Lois): Damn it！How can you treat me like this? I want to buy fifty lottery tickets and you dare tell me only one ticket left. (shout to the rational person) It’s all because you…you wan to buy so much. You ruin my great dream of being a millionaire. Imagine if I were the lucky winner to hit the jackpot prize, I could travel around the world, go shopping every day, what is more, do not need to worry about my living expense any more. But now…you destroy my dream. (cry aloud)

Reporter 1 (Natalie): Can you interview you for saying opinions about the lottery?

The rational person (Camille): Sure, yet, Madam, Please lower down your voice. Stop your threatening and complaining.  Take it easy. If you buy fifty lottery tickets, it doesn’t mean you would become a millionaire overnight. The launched of “public-interest computerized lottery” is to support government’s policy to get a small amount of money to finance social welfare programs. You should be aware that buying lottery is to help those in need of money, not to make fortune.

The crazy person (Lois): Oh! No. You can’t understand how important money means to me. You just don’t understand.

The rational person (Camille): You need to be aware: the chance to hit the jackpot prize is actually low. People like you should get rid of the illusion to make fortune by buying lotteries and devote more efforts in their work. 

Reporter 1 (Natalie): (turn to the crazy person) Are you all right? (the crazy guy continue her murmuring) (the other merchant run to the reporter)

The shop owner (Simon): I am an owner of food stand next door. When Peter moves to my stand, instead coming to my shop to eat, every Tuesday and Friday, many of my customers stay at home to watch news report of lottery drawing or line up in front of Peter’s betting station to buy tickets. That causes the decrease of my customers. (Sigh) I almost can’t survive by only being a stand seller. I don’t like the lottery!!!

Reporter 1(Natalie): (make the conclusion) It seems many people are indulged in the dream of becoming millionaires except some rational buyers. The lotto epidemic continues stirs people’s greed of being rich.  As Premier You states last Friday, the game is to raise funds for the charity organization. And we would like to remind the pubic keep cool to participate in it, to prevent their money from being gambled away. Now, let’s back to the anchor, Jean.

(light extinguishes and focus on the anchor) 

Anchor (Jean): Thank you, Natalie! Now let’s move to another report on another spot. Carol, are you there? 

Reporter 2 (Carol): Yes, Jean! This is Carol reporting.

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