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14 Sep 2022
每日英語跟讀 Ep.K436: About movies - 獨行俠超越鐵達尼號票房與綠野仙蹤
00:03:27
每日英語跟讀 Ep.K436: About movies - Top Gun: Maverick Flies Past Titanic as Paramount’s Highest-Grossing Movie at Domestic Box Office
Top Gun: Maverick has officially become Paramount Pictures’ highest-grossing movie in the United States and Canada, surpassing Titanic. 「捍衛戰士:獨行俠」,正式成為派拉蒙影業在美加地區最高票房電影,超過「鐵達尼號」。
While the 1997 romance-disaster epic technically racked up close to $660 million at the domestic box office including both its original run and several subsequent re-releases, it earned $600.8 million on its first run — a number that has now been surpassed by Maverick. 儘管這部1997年的浪漫災難鉅作包括首輪上映和之後幾次重新發行,在國內的實際票房累計達到接近6億6000萬美元,但該片首輪上映賺進6億零80萬美元—這個數字現在被「獨行俠」超越了。
The sequel to 1986’s Top Gun has raked in $601.9 million domestically to date since its May 27 release, according to Box Office Mojo. 根據票房統計網站「票房魔酒」,這部1986年電影「捍衛戰士」的續集,自5月27日上映至今,國內票房累積達6億零190萬美元。
Internationally, the action flick has earned $587.9 million, for a global total of $1.19 billion. 在國際市場,這部動作片已賺進5億8790萬美元,全球總票房為11億9000萬美元。
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’The Wizard of Oz’ Is the Most Influential Movie of All Time-《綠野仙蹤》是史上最具影響力電影
The Wizard of Oz is the most influential film of all time, followed by Star Wars, Psycho and King Kong, according to a study. 一項研究顯示,《綠野仙蹤》是史上最具影響力的電影,其次是《星際大戰》、《驚魂記》及《金剛》。
Researchers at the University of Turin in Italy calculated an influence score for 47,000 films listed in the internet movie database (IMDb). The results showed that the top 20 most influential films were all produced before 1980, mostly in the US. 義大利都靈大學研究人員計算4萬7000部電影的影響力評分,這些作品列於網路電影資料庫(IMDb)。結果顯示,最具影響力的20部電影,都是在1980年前製作,主要集中在美國。
The Wizard of Oz, starring Judy Garland and premiered in 1939, topped the list. It has been referenced in almost 3000 other movies, including its iconic songs like Over The Rainbow, and its most famous line ’I’ve a feeling we’re not in Kansas anymore.’ 1939年首映由茱蒂‧嘉蘭主演的《綠野仙蹤》高居榜首。該片在近3000部其他電影中被引用,包括〈彩虹之上〉等經典歌曲,以及最著名的台詞「我有預感,我們已經不在堪薩斯州了。」
Applying the same algorithm to actors, it found that Samuel Jackson, Clint Eastwood and Tom Cruise, Arnold Schwarzenegger and John Wayne made up the top five. 這項研究對演員應用相同的演算法,發現山繆傑克森、克林伊斯威特、湯姆克魯斯、阿諾史瓦辛格及約翰韋恩為最具影響力的五大演員。Source article: https://features.ltn.com.tw/english/article/paper/1537363 ; https://news.ltn.com.tw/news/world/paper/1256544
每日英語跟讀 Ep.K435: About Zimbabwe - Zimbabwe to introduce gold coins as local currency tumbles
Zimbabwe’s central bank said it would start selling gold coins this month as a store of value to tame runaway inflation, which has considerably weakened the local currency. 辛巴威中央銀行本月即將開始販賣金幣作為價值儲存,以抑制失控的通貨膨脹,通膨已大幅削弱當地貨幣。
The central bank governor John Mangudya said in a statement that the coins will be available for sale from July 25 in local currency, U.S. dollars and other foreign currencies at a price based on the prevailing international price of gold and the cost of production. 央行行長強.曼谷迪亞在聲明中說:7月25日起,金幣將可以使用當地貨幣、美元和其他外幣來出售,價格則是基於當時的國際黃金價格和生產成本。
The "Mosi-oa-tunya" coin, named after Victoria falls, can be converted into cash and be traded locally and internationally, the central bank said. 央行表示,以維多利亞瀑布命名的莫西奧圖尼亞金幣可兌換成現金,並在當地和國際間交易買賣。
The gold coin will contain one troy ounce of gold and will be sold by Fidelity Gold Refinery, Aurex and local banks, it added. 央行補充說明,金幣含有一金衡盎司黃金,由Fidelity黃金鑄造廠、奧瑞和當地銀行出售。
Gold coins are used by investors internationally to hedge against inflation and wars. 金幣被國際投資客用來作為抵擋通膨和戰爭的避險手段。
Zimbabwe more than doubled its policy rate to 200% from 80% and outlined plans to make the U.S. dollar legal tender for the next five years to boost confidence. 辛巴威將其政策利率調整了一倍以上,從80%調升到200%,初步規劃五年內讓美元成為法定貨幣以提升信心。
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In Zimbabwe, a cemetery has become an exercise hotspot 在辛巴威,墓地成為運動熱門地點
Caroline Vumbunu believes that exercising among the dead helps prolong her life. 卡洛琳.馮布努相信在死人群中運動能夠幫助延長壽命。
Every morning, the 59-year-old takes power walks in the Warren Hills cemetery in Zimbabwe’s capital. 每天早上,59歲的馮布努在辛巴威首都的華倫丘墓地健走。
She’s not alone. The cemetery has become a workout site for dozens of other Zimbabweans due to a lack of gyms and other exercise venues in many Harare neighborhoods. 她並不孤單。由於在哈拉雷許多社區缺乏健身房與其他運動場所,墓地成為數十名辛巴威人的健身地點。
The dozens of men and women broke up into groups for routines led by instructors. Dressed in colorful tracksuits, they did pushups and crunches on a cemetery road bordered by countless graves. 數十名男女在教練的帶領下,分成幾隊進行例行訓練。他們身著五顏六色的運動服,在一條與數不清的墳墓接壤的墓地小徑上,做伏地挺身及仰臥起坐。
Those who come here in search of fitness among the more than 20,000 graves enjoy the serene environment. There are few distractions besides the occasional service vehicles or people driving by to visit the final resting places of their loved ones. 這些在超過2萬個墳墓間尋求健身的人,享受這種安詳的環境。除了偶爾經過的服務工作車或是前來至親愛人最後安歇地悼念的民眾外,很少有令人分心的事物。Source article: https://features.ltn.com.tw/english/article/paper/1530346 ; https://news.ltn.com.tw/news/world/paper/922698
Topic: JR East to raise fares by 10 yen to improve disabled accessibility
East Japan Railway Co. (JR East) will become the first railway operator to hike passenger fares and use the funds to improve accessibility for the disabled. 東日本旅客鐵道公司(JR東日本)將成為第一家調漲客運票價,並將這筆資金用來改善供殘障人士使用的無障礙設施的鐵道業者。
The plan is to tack on 10 yen (8 cents) to a ticket for JR East’s 16 major lines, including the Yamanote, Chuo and Keihin-Tohoku lines. The increase will go into effect from spring 2023. 該計畫是要將包括山手線、中央線與京濱東北線等16條JR東日本主要路線的票價調漲10日圓(8美分)。新的票價將自2023年春天起生效。
The transport ministry in December 2021 created a new system of adding fares to a ticket to pay for the installation of platform safety doors and elevators at train stations. (日本)國土交通省在2021年12月創設一項新制度,將調漲的票價金額用來支付在車站設置月台安全門與電梯的費用。
Ministry officials said JR East is the first railway company to announce a specific plan. 國土交通省官員說,JR東日本是第一個(因應該制度)宣布明確計畫的鐵道業者。
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Topic: Tasty TV: Japanese professor creates flavorful screen 美味的電視:日本教授發明有滋味的螢幕
Japan’s Meiji University professor Homei Miyashita has developed a prototype lickable TV screen that can imitate food flavors, another step towards creating a multi-sensory viewing experience. 日本明治大學教授宮下芳明發明出一款可舔式原型電視螢幕,具有模仿食物味道的功能,朝創造多感官收視體驗邁進另一步。
The device, called Taste the TV (TTTV), uses a carousel of 10 flavor canisters that spray in combination to create the taste of a particular food. The flavor sample then rolls on hygienic film over a flat TV screen for the viewer to try. 這個名為「品嚐電視」的裝置內部設置裝有10種口味的罐子,可噴出調製成特定食物的味道,再輸送到平面電視螢幕的衛生薄膜上,讓觀看者品嚐。
In the COVID-19 era, this kind of technology can enhance the way people connect and interact with the outside world, said Miyashita. 宮下說,在新冠肺炎流行時期,這樣的科技可改善人們與外界連結和互動的方式。
"The goal is to make it possible for people to have the experience of something like eating at a restaurant on the other side of the world, even while staying at home," he said. A commercial version would cost about 100,000 yen to make. 他說:「目標是讓人們即使待在家,也能擁有類似於在世界另一端上餐廳吃飯的體驗。」商業機製作成本約為10萬日圓(約2萬4300台幣)。Source article: https://features.ltn.com.tw/english/article/paper/1510384 ; https://features.ltn.com.tw/english/article/paper/1510139
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Topic: Shinzo Abe - Japan’s longest-serving prime minister
Shinzo Abe smashed records as Japan’s longest-serving prime minister, championing ambitious economic reform and forging key diplomatic relationships while weathering scandals. 安倍晉三打破了日本首相任期的最長紀錄,他支持雄心勃勃的經濟改革,並在經歷醜聞的同時建立了關鍵的外交關係。
Nearly two years after poor health forced him to leave office, the 67-year-old was shot during a campaign event in the western region of Nara on Friday last week. 在他因健康狀況不佳而被迫下台後兩年,六十七歲的他上週五在奈良西部地區一場競選活動中被槍殺。
Abe was a sprightly 52 when he first became prime minister in 2006, the youngest person to occupy the job in the postwar era. 安倍在二○○六年首次擔任首相時年僅五十二歲,是戰後日本最年輕的首相。
He was seen as a symbol of change and youth, but also brought the pedigree of a third-generation politician groomed from birth by an elite, conservative family. Abe’s first term was turbulent, plagued by scandals and discord, and capped by an abrupt resignation. 他被視為變革與年輕的象徵,但他也是出身精英保守家庭的政治家族第三代。 安倍的第一個任期動盪不安,飽受醜聞與不和的紛擾,並以突然辭職告終。 - They called it ‘Abenomics’ - He ran again, and Japan’s revolving prime ministerial door brought him back to office in 2012. It ended a turbulent period in which prime ministers sometimes changed at a rate of one a year. With Japan still staggering from the effects of the 2011 tsunami and subsequent nuclear disaster at Fukushima — and a brief opposition government lashed for flip-flopping and incompetence — Abe offered a seemingly safe pair of hands. 他再次參選,日本的首相旋轉門讓他在二○一二年再度擔任首相。 這終結了日本首相更替頻繁(有時只做了一年便下台)的動盪時期。 當時日本仍因二○一一年海嘯及之後福島核災的影響而步履蹣跚,以及短暫執政、被批評為政策出爾反爾及無能的反對黨政府——在此情況下,安倍看來是穩健的選擇。
And he had a plan: Abenomics. The scheme to revive Japan’s economy — the world’s third-biggest, but more than two decades into stagnation — involved vast government spending, massive monetary easing and cutting red tape. Abe also sought to boost the country’s flagging birth rate by making workplaces more friendly to parents, particularly mothers. 而且他有個計畫:「安倍經濟學」。 重振日本——這世界第三大經濟體,但已陷入停滯二十多年——經濟的計畫,有賴大量政府支出、大規模貨幣寬鬆,以及削減繁文縟節。
He pushed through controversial consumption tax hikes to help finance nurseries and plug gaps in Japan’s overstretched social security system. While there was some progress with reform, the economy’s bigger structural problems remained. Deflation proved stubborn and the economy was in recession even before the coronavirus struck in 2020. Abe’s star waned further during the pandemic, with his approach criticized as confused and slow, driving his approval ratings down to some of the lowest of his tenure. 安倍還試圖營造對父母,尤其是對母親更友善的工作環境,來提高日本不斷下降的出生率。 他推動調高消費稅這具爭議性的政策,以資助托兒所並補強日本負擔過重的社會福利系統。 雖然改革取得了一些進展,但更大的經濟結構性問題依然存在。 事實證明,通貨緊縮很頑強,甚至在二○二○年冠狀病毒來襲之前,經濟就已陷入衰退。 安倍的光環在疫情期間變得更加黯淡,他的做法被批評為混亂及緩慢,讓他的支持率降至任期內最低。
- Political storms - - 政治風暴 -
On the international stage, Abe took a hard line on North Korea, but sought a peacemaker role between the US and Iran. He prioritized a close personal relationship with Donald Trump in a bid to protect Japan’s key alliance from the then-US president’s “America First” mantra, and tried to mend ties with Russia and China. 在國際舞台上,安倍對北韓採取強硬立場,但又想在美國和伊朗之間扮演和平推手的角色。 他優先考慮跟美國總統唐納‧川普建立密切的個人關係,以保護日本的關鍵同盟免受當時川普口號「美國優先」的影響,並試圖修補與俄國及中國的關係。
But the results were mixed: Trump remained eager to force Japan to pay more for US troops stationed in the country, a deal with Russia on disputed northern islands stayed elusive, and a plan to invite Xi Jinping for a state visit fell by the wayside. Abe also pursued a hard line with South Korea over unresolved wartime disputes and continued to float plans to revise Japan’s pacifist constitution. 但結果好壞參半:川普仍急於迫使日本為駐紮在日本的美軍支付更多費用,日本與俄國對北部島嶼主權之糾紛仍難以達成協議,邀請習近平進行國事訪問的計畫也被擱置。 日本與南韓間懸而未決的戰時爭端,安倍也採強硬立場,並繼續提出修改日本和平憲法的計畫。
Throughout his tenure, he weathered political storms including cronyism allegations that dented approval ratings but did little to affect his power, in part thanks to the weakness of the opposition. Abe had been due to stay on until late 2021, giving him an opportunity to see out one final event in his historic tenure — the postponed Tokyo 2020 Olympics Games.But in a shock announcement, he stepped down in August 2020, with a recurrence of ulcerative colitis ending his second term, too. 在他整個任期內,他經受住了政治風暴,包括裙帶關係的指控,這些指控讓他的支持率降低,但對他的權力幾乎沒有影響,部分原因是反對派的軟弱。安倍原定留任至二○二一年底,讓他有機會在史上最長任期內看見最後一件大事——延期的二○二○年東京奧運。 然而,他令人震驚地宣布在二○二○年八月下台,潰瘍性結腸炎的復發也結束了他的第二個任期。Source article: https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/lang/archives/2022/07/12/2003781569
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Topic: Tokyo June heatwave worst since 1875 as power supply creaks under strain
Japan baked under scorching temperatures for a fourth successive day on Tuesday, as the capital’s heat broke nearly 150-year-old records for June and authorities warned power supply remained tight enough to raise the spectre of cuts. 日本週二連續第4天受炙熱高溫所苦,首善之地打破將近150年來的6月高溫紀錄,政府警告電力供應依然吃緊,增加斷電之虞。
Temperatures in Tokyo hit 35.1 C by 1 p.m local time on Tuesday. For a second day, authorities asked consumers in the Tokyo area to conserve electricity to avoid a looming power cut - but in moderation. 東京氣溫在週二下午1點達到攝氏35.1度。政府連續第二天要求東京地區用戶節約用電—但是適度地—以避免可能的斷電。
"Apparently there are some elderly people who have turned off their air conditioners because we are asking people to save energy, but please - it’s this hot - don’t hesitate about cooling off," trade and industry minister Koichi Hagiuda told a news conference. 經濟產業大臣萩生田光一在記者會上說,「顯然有一些老人因為我們要求民眾節約能源而關掉空調,但是,拜託,天氣這麼熱,請不要猶豫涼快一下」。
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Topic: Penguins at a Japanese aquarium are being fed cheaper fish - and they aren’t happy 日本水族館的企鵝被餵食較便宜的魚—牠們不開心
An aquarium employee waves a mackerel near a penguin - but there’s no reaction. When she moves the fish closer to its beak, the penguin turns away haughtily. An otter sniffs the fish, then runs away. 一名水族館員工拿著鯖魚在一隻企鵝身邊揮舞,但是企鵝沒反應。當她把魚靠近企鵝嘴邊,這隻企鵝倨傲地別過頭。一隻水獺聞了聞這隻鯖魚,然後游走。
Before, the Hakone-en Aquarium offered penguins and otters "aji," or Japanese horse mackerel, which the animals readily ate. 箱根園水族館之前給企鵝和水獺吃日本竹筴魚,牠們很樂意吃。
The price of aji has increased by 20% to 30% since last year, the aquarium said. So to cut costs, in May the aquarium switched to a cheaper alternative - "saba," or mackerel. 水族館說,自去年以來,竹夾魚價格已經上漲20%到30%。因此,為了削減成本,館方五月改用較便宜的替代品:鯖魚。
It has not been well received. The aquarium says penguins and otters have their preferred type of fish and the aquarium tries its best to accommodate their needs. 但是此舉並不很受到歡迎。水族館說,企鵝和水獺都有牠們偏好的魚種,館方設法盡量滿足他們的需要。Source article: https://features.ltn.com.tw/english/article/paper/1530996 ; https://features.ltn.com.tw/english/article/paper/1532193
每日英語跟讀 Ep.K436: Britain’s rules of succession for a new sovereign
Queen Elizabeth, Britain’s monarch for more than seven decades, died on Thursday last week aged 96. 英國在位逾七十年的君主伊麗莎白女王於上週四逝世,享耆壽九十六歲。
The following is an explanation of the rules of the British court regarding the accession of a new sovereign and a description of the powers and responsibilities of the monarch. 以下說明英國皇室新君主即位之規則,以及君主之權責。
Under the British constitution, a sovereign succeeds to the throne the moment his or her predecessor dies, before even being proclaimed to the people, and there is no interregnum.The new monarch is officially proclaimed king or queen by a special body called the Accession Council, to which members of the Privy Council — a group of several hundred selected royal advisers including members of the cabinet — are summoned. 根據英國憲法,君主在其前任去世的那一刻即繼承王位,沒有過渡期,即便尚未向人民宣布。新君主由名為「登基會議」的特殊機構正式宣佈為國王或女王,英國樞密院成員——包括內閣成員在內的數百名選定之皇家顧問——將出席。
A full Privy Council session is only called on the accession of a new sovereign or when the monarch announces an intention to marry, an event of great importance given the hereditary basis of the monarchy. 完整的樞密院會議只有在新君主即位或君主宣布結婚計畫時才會召開;君主制是以世襲為本,因此該會議非常重要。
Also invited to attend the Accession Council which proclaims the new sovereign are the Lords Spiritual and Temporal (that is bishops of the Church of England who sit in the House of Lords, together with the secular peers of the realm) and high commissioners from Commonwealth nations. 亦受邀出席宣布新君主之登基會議的,還有屬靈及世俗的上議院(即坐在上議院的英國國教會主教,以及上議院議員),和來自大英國協國家的政府高層。
The sovereign’s coronation, in effect just a formal ratification procedure, follows the accession after an interval of mourning. Queen Elizabeth II was crowned in June 1953, 16 months after George VI died. The coronation takes place at London’s Westminster Abbey in the presence of politicians, eminent public figures, and representatives from countries around the world. 君主的加冕典禮,實際上只是一個正式的批准程序,是在新君主即位後,經過一段哀悼期後才舉行。一九五三年六月舉行之伊麗莎白二世女王加冕,是在喬治六世去世十六個月後。加冕典禮在倫敦西敏寺教堂舉行,政治家、知名公眾人物和世界各國代表出席。
The sovereign reigns by grace of the 1701 Act of Settlement, which lays down the rules of succession, decreeing that only Protestant descendants of a granddaughter of James I of England (Princess Sophia the Electress of Hanover) can take the throne. 一七〇一年的《王位繼承法》制定了繼承規則,規定只有英格蘭詹姆斯一世孫女(漢諾威選帝侯夫人索菲亞公主)的新教徒後裔才能繼承王位。
Until a new law in 2013, being married to a Roman Catholic also barred a royal from a place in the line of succession. However, a Catholic can still not become monarch. 在二〇一三年一部新法律頒布前,與羅馬天主教徒結婚之皇室成員也被禁止繼承王位。然而,天主教徒仍無法成為君主。
The 2013 legislation also removed precedence being given to the male line, meaning that any royal born from Oct. 28, 2011, would not be discriminated against in succession to the throne based on gender. 這項二〇一三年的立法還取消了男性血統的優先權,這表示二〇一一年十月二十八日之後出生的任何皇室成員,其王位之繼承都不會受到性別歧視。
Traditionally, the sovereign is held to personify the state, which he or she heads, and to symbolize a common link between the countries making up the United Kingdom. In law, the sovereign is head of the executive, an integral part of the legislature, head of the judiciary, commander-in-chief of the armed forces, and supreme governor of the Church of England. 傳統上,君主被認為是所領導國家的人格化,並象徵大不列顛及北愛爾蘭聯合王國組成國家間的共同聯繫。在法律上,君主是行政首腦、立法機關的一部分、司法機關首腦、武裝部隊總司令,以及英國國教之最高領導人。
In reality, he or she rubber stamps government decisions and reigns through the will of parliament. The monarch summons and prorogues parliament, and invites the leader of the political party which has won a general election to be prime minister and form a government. 實際上,君主是在政府決策上蓋橡皮圖章,透過議會的意志進行統治。君主召集議會、休會,並邀請在大選中獲勝的政黨領袖出任首相並組建政府。
The British sovereign is also head of the Commonwealth of nations which grew out of the British empire and head of state of 14 other countries. 英國君主也是大英國協國家及其他十四個國家的元首。大英國協是由大英帝國發展而來。
These are Antigua and Barbuda, Australia, Bahamas, Belize, Canada, Grenada, Jamaica, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Solomon Islands and Tuvalu. 這十四個國家為安地卡及巴布達、澳洲、巴哈馬、貝里斯、加拿大、格瑞納達、牙買加、紐西蘭、巴布亞新幾內亞、聖克里斯多福及尼維斯、聖露西亞、聖文森及格瑞納丁、所羅門群島,以及吐瓦魯。
The monarchy is Britain’s oldest secular institution, with the royal family tracing its ancestry back to William the Conqueror in 1066 and even to Egbert of Wessex, generally recognized as the first king of the English, in the year 829. 君主制為英國最古老的世俗制度,王室之祖先可以追溯到西元一〇六六年的征服者威廉,甚至可追溯到西元八二九年威塞克斯的埃格伯特國王——咸認為英格蘭第一位國王。
The sovereign is addressed as “Your Majesty.”Queen Elizabeth’s official title was “Her Most Excellent Majesty Elizabeth the Second, by the Grace of God of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and of her other territories Queen, Head of the Commonwealth, Defender of the Faith.” 到西元八二九年威塞克斯的埃格伯特國王——咸認為英格蘭第一位國王。 對君主之稱呼為「陛下」。 伊麗莎白女王之官方頭銜為「承蒙上帝恩典,大不列顛及北愛爾蘭聯合王國及其其他領土之女王、大英國協元首、信仰之捍衛者伊麗莎白二世女王卓越的陛下」。Source article: https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/lang/archives/2022/09/13/2003785250
每日英語跟讀 Ep.K437: Philippines Returns to School, Ending One of World’s Longest Shutdowns
Millions of students throughout the Philippines headed to school Monday as in-person classes began to fully restart for the first time in more than two years, ending one of the world’s longest pandemic-related shutdowns in a school system already plagued by severe underinvestment. 全菲律賓數以百萬計的學生周一重新上學,這是兩年多來菲律賓首度全面恢復實體課程。原本就投資嚴重不足的學校系統,遭逢新冠疫情開始封校,時間之長在全球數一數二,現在終於結束了。
“We could no longer afford to delay the education of young Filipinos,” said Vice President Sara Duterte, who is also the education secretary, as she toured schools in the town of Dinalupihan, about 40 miles northwest of Manila. 副總統兼教育部長薩拉.杜特蒂到首都馬尼拉西北方65公里處的迪納路匹罕市巡視學校時表示:「我國年輕人的教育再經不起耽擱」。
Even before the pandemic, the Philippines had among the world’s largest education gaps, with more than 90% of students unable to read and comprehend simple texts by age 10, according to the World Bank. 甚至在新冠疫情爆發前,菲律賓的教育落差跟各國相比就十分巨大。世界銀行調查發現,菲國超過九成學童到了10歲仍無法閱讀和理解簡單的課文。
Schools in the Philippines have long suffered from shortages of classrooms and teachers, whose pay is low, leaving the vast numbers of poor children who cannot afford private schools and rely on the public system with inadequate teaching. 菲律賓的學校長期缺乏教室和師資。老師薪水低,導致念不起私立學校只能讀公立學校的眾多窮人家子女,無法接受適合的教導。
Now, after losing more than two years of in-person instruction, schools face the challenge of educating many students who have fallen even further behind. Although the Philippines offered online instruction during the pandemic, many students lacked access to computers or internet connections, and overburdened parents often found it hard to keep tabs on their children’s remote learning. 如今,在面對面授課停擺兩年多後,學校面臨的挑戰是學習進度落後更多的學生。雖然菲國政府在疫情期間提供線上課程,許多學生卻沒有電腦或網路連線,負擔過重的父母親經常發現付不起子女遠距學習費用。
In some cases, students’ already tenuous connection to school may have been severed entirely after so long away. 在某些個案,學生和學校的聯繫原本就斷斷續續,經過疫情封校這麼久的折騰,學生跟學校可能完全失聯。
In many other countries, as the negative effects of online learning became well documented, governments elected to send children back to classrooms even as the coronavirus continued to circulate widely. 在許多其他國家,線上學習的負面效應已經被詳細記載。縱然新冠疫情持續散布,政府仍決定讓學生返回教室。
But in the Philippines, government officials and parents remained hesitant, with fears that schoolchildren could bring the virus to homes crowded with multiple generations of family members, potentially overtaxing a creaky health care system. 但是在菲律賓,政府和父母親仍猶豫不決,擔心子女會把病毒從校園帶回家,殃及數代同擠一堂的家人,可能會讓已搖搖欲墜的健康照護體系負擔過重。
Starting in late 2021, the government began to experiment with conducting in-person classes in about 300 schools, but has begun expanding it to cover all primary and secondary schools. Currently only some schools are in-person all five weekdays; by November, all of the country’s roughly 47,000 schools will be. 從2021年晚期起,菲國政府從300間學校開始實驗師生面對面上課,現已擴及到全國小學和國中。目前只有部分學校一周五天都是實體上課。到11月的時候,菲律賓全國約4萬7千所學校都會恢復實體上課。Source article: https://udn.com/news/story/6904/6567634
每日英語跟讀 Ep.K438: About Florida - Hotter summers mean Florida’s turtles are mostly born female
Florida’s sea turtles are grappling with a gender imbalance made worse by climate change. 佛羅里達海龜奮力解決因氣候變遷導致惡化的性別失衡。
Recent heat waves have caused the sand on some beaches to get so hot that nearly every turtle born was female. 近期熱浪導致一些沙灘的沙粒變得過熱,以至於幾乎每隻新生海龜都是雌性。
"The frightening thing is the last four summers in Florida have been the hottest summers on record," said Bette Zirkelbach, manager of the Turtle Hospital. 海龜醫院經理貝特.齊克爾巴赫說,可怕的是,佛州過去4年夏天是有紀錄以來最熱的夏天。
"Scientists that are studying sea turtle hatchlings and eggs have found no boy sea turtles, so only female sea turtles for the past four years," Zirkelbach said,. 齊克爾巴赫說,研究海龜孵化和蛋的科學家已經發現過去4年沒有雄性海龜,只有雌性海龜。
Instead of determining sex during fertilization, the sex of sea turtles and alligators depends on the temperature of developing eggs. 海龜和鱷魚的性別取決於蛋孵化的溫度,而非受精。
When a female turtle digs a nest on a beach, the temperature of the sand determines the gender of the hatchlings. 當母海龜在沙灘上挖了一個巢穴,沙子的溫度決定孵化出殼的海龜性別。
If a turtle’s eggs incubate below 27.7 Celsius, the turtle hatchlings will be male, whereas if they incubate above 31C, they will be female. 一旦海龜蛋孵化的溫度低於攝氏27.7度,海龜就會是雄性;反之當溫度高於攝氏31度,就會是雌性。
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A Florida man paid off the past dues for 114 families at risk of having their utilities shut off 佛州男子為有斷水斷電斷瓦斯之虞的114個家庭繳逾期帳單
A Florida business owner who was once down on his luck is giving back by covering the utility bills of 114 families who were facing disconnection. (美國)佛羅里達州1名曾經時運不濟的老闆,以幫助114個有斷水斷電斷瓦斯之虞的家庭支付水電費,做為回報。
Michael Esmond’s generosity started in 2019 when he paid the utility bills of 36 households in his community of Gulf Breeze. Last year, with both Hurricane Sally and Covid-induced economic turmoil hitting the city, he thought he needed to up the ante. 邁可.艾斯蒙德的慷慨之舉始於2019年,他當時為微風灣社區的36個家戶繳納水電瓦斯費。去年,該市受到「莎莉」颶風與武漢肺炎所導致的經濟動盪之雙重夾擊,他覺得他必須加碼助人。
Esmond donated $7,615.40 to pay for the past-due bills of 114 households, according to Joanne Oliver, the city’s utility billing supervisor. 該市水電瓦斯帳單稽查員瓊安.奧利佛說,艾斯蒙德捐款7615.40美元,為114個家戶繳納逾期帳單。
While Esmond’s donation increased from the $4,600 he paid in 2019, he says he was able to help about three times as many households. 艾斯蒙德的捐款額高於2019年時的4600美元,他說,他能幫助到的家戶數量是(是2019年時)的3倍。Source article: https://features.ltn.com.tw/english/article/paper/1539454 ; https://news.ltn.com.tw/news/world/paper/1459618
每日英語跟讀 Ep.K439: About Spain - Wine theft of the century
A former Mexican beauty queen and a Romanian-Dutch accomplice have been arrested in Croatia over the theft of $1.7 million worth of prestige bottles of wine in Spain after a nine-month chase across Europe, police said on Wednesday. 警方週三表示,歷經9個月橫跨歐洲的追捕後,一位墨西哥前選美皇后和一位羅馬尼亞裔的荷蘭共犯因為在西班牙竊取價值170萬美元的高檔紅酒,在克羅埃西亞被捕。
In a statement, Spanish national police said that on Oct. 27, 2021 in the western city of Caceres, 45 wine bottles worth a total of 1.65 million euros, including one "unique" 19th-century vintage worth 310,000 euros, were spirited away in a meticulously planned theft from the cellars of the famous hotel-restaurant El Atrio. 西班牙國家警察在聲明中說,2021年10月27日在西部城市卡塞雷斯,45瓶價值165萬歐元的紅酒,當中包括一瓶「獨一無二」、要價31萬歐元的19世紀佳釀,在一場精心策劃的竊案中從知名旅店餐館El Atrio的酒窖中被竊走。
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Can I talk to a human? Spain presents customer service bill (我可以跟真人談嗎?西班牙提出客服法案)
Tired of speaking to a machine when you call the bank or power company? 對於打電話到銀行或電力公司,卻總是跟機器說話感到厭倦了嗎?
Spain’s government wants to end those nerve-shattering, one-sided conversations with a computerized answering service by making it obligatory for companies to offer a real, flesh-and-blood customer service worker when so requested by a caller. 西班牙政府希望終止那些單方面溝通、令人神經疲勞的機械化應答服務,要求企業必須在致電者請求下,提供真正有血有肉的顧客服務人員。
"Customer service far too often causes endless headaches for Spanish families because far too many companies create bureaucratic labyrinths to stop you from exercising your right to service," said Consumption Minister Alberto Garzón. 消費者事務部長阿爾貝托.加爾松說:「客服電話實在太常讓西班牙家庭頭痛不止,因為實在太多企業創造出官僚迷宮,阻止你行使接受服務的權利。」
The bill would also seek to do away with long wait times by forcing companies to answer calls within three minutes. 該法案也希望廢除久候的情況,要求企業在3分鐘內回應致電。
It will apply to all utility providers regardless of their size and all other companies with more than 250 workers or whose business exceeds 50 million euros a year. 法案將適用所有公用事業,不分規模大小;以及所有員工超過250人或1年營業額高於5000萬歐元的企業。Source article: https://features.ltn.com.tw/english/article/paper/1540527 ; https://features.ltn.com.tw/english/article/paper/1539968
每日英語跟讀 Ep.K440: How to Get Heart Patients to Take Their Pills? Give Them Just One.
Heart disease kills more people than any other condition, but despite advances in treatment and prevention, patients often do not stick to their medication regimens. Now researchers may have found a solution: a so-called polypill that combines three drugs needed to prevent cardiovascular trouble. 死於心臟病的人比死於其他任何疾病的人都多,儘管在治療和預防上取得進展,患者往往不能堅守他們的藥物治療方式。現在,研究人員可能已經找到一個解決方法:一種混合三種預防心血管疾病所需藥物的所謂複方製劑。
In what is apparently the largest and longest randomized controlled trial of this approach, patients who were prescribed a polypill within six months of a heart attack were more likely to keep taking their drugs and had significantly fewer cardiovascular events, compared with those receiving the usual assortment of pills. 在明顯是這種方法規模最大、時間最長的隨機對照試驗中,心臟病發作後6個月內服用複方製劑的患者,跟服用常規藥物患者相比,更有可能繼續服用藥物,心血管事件明顯減少。
The participants also experienced one-third fewer cardiovascular deaths, although their overall risk of death from all causes was not significantly changed. 參與者因心血管疾病死亡人數也減少三分之一,即便他們因為各種原因死亡的總體風險沒有顯著改變。
The study of more than 2,000 heart patients, who were followed for three years, was published Friday morning in The New England Journal of Medicine, as the findings were presented at the European Society of Cardiology Congress in Barcelona, Spain. 這項研究對2000多名心臟病患者進行三年追蹤調查,研究結果周五上午發表在《新英格蘭醫學雜誌》,並在西班牙巴塞隆納舉行的歐洲心臟病學會年會上發表。
The study is the culmination of 15 years of work by researchers led by Dr. Valentin Fuster, director of Mount Sinai Heart at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City and general director of the National Center for Cardiovascular Research in Spain. 這研究是紐約市西奈山醫院西奈山心臟中心主任、西班牙國立心血管研究中心總監瓦倫丁.福斯特博士帶領研究人員研究15年的結晶。
“Combination pills are easier for the physician and for the patient, and the data are pretty clear — it translates into a benefit,” said Dr. Thomas J. Wang, chair of the department of internal medicine at UT Southwestern Medical Center, who was not involved in the research but wrote an editorial accompanying the study. 未參與研究但為研究報告撰寫社評的德州大學西南醫學中心內科系主任湯瑪斯.王博士說:「複方藥物對醫生和病患來說更簡便,數據非常清楚,它轉化為一種好處。」
The polypill combines a blood-pressure medication, a cholesterol-lowering drug and aspirin, which helps prevent blood clots. 這種複方製劑結合了降壓藥、降膽固醇藥和阿斯匹林,有助防止血栓。
The polypill used in the study has not been approved by the Food and Drug Administration and is not available to patients in the United States right now. Fuster said the results of the new trial would be submitted to the agency shortly in an effort to obtain approval. 這項研究使用的複方製劑還未獲得美國食品藥物管理局批准,目前在美國還不能給患者使用。福斯特 說,這項新試驗結果很快會提交給該機構,以爭取獲得批准。
And since participants became even more likely to keep taking the polypill over time, he said, “The potential results could be even better with more follow-up.” Several studies have shown that only about half of patients, or even less, take all their medications as instructed. 他說,由於參與者會逐漸的更可能繼續服用複方製劑,「若有更多後續研究,潛在結果可能更好」。數項研究顯示,只有大約一半甚至更少患者按照指示服用所有藥物。
The new study, a randomized controlled clinical trial, enrolled just under 2,500 patients at 113 sites in Spain, Italy, France, Germany, Poland, the Czech Republic and Hungary. 這項研究是一項隨機對照臨床試驗,在西班牙、義大利、法國、德國、波蘭、捷克和匈牙利的113個地點招募到近2500名患者。Source article: https://udn.com/news/story/6904/6601708
每日英語跟讀 Ep.K441: NASA tests new moon rocket, 50 years after Apollo
Years late and billions over budget, NASA’s new moon rocket makes its debut this week in a high-stakes test flight before astronauts get on top. 遲來數年、預算超出數十億美元的美國太空總署(NASA)新型登月火箭,本週將首次啟航,進行一次高風險的試飛,以便為搭載太空人做準備。
The 98m (322ft) rocket will attempt to send an empty crew capsule into a far-flung lunar orbit, 50 years after NASA’s famed Apollo moonshots. If all goes well, astronauts could strap in as soon as 2024 for a lap around the moon, with NASA aiming to land two people on the lunar surface by the end of 2025. Liftoff is set for Monday morning at 8:33am to 10:33am EDT from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center. 在NASA著名的阿波羅登月計畫五十年後,這九十八公尺(三百二十二英尺)長的火箭,將嘗試把一個空的載人太空艙送入環月軌道遠端。如果一切順利,太空人最早可在二〇二四年啟程,環繞月球一圈;NASA的目標是在二〇二五年底前,將兩個人送上月球表面登陸。火箭預定在美東時間週一上午八點三十三分至十點三十三分之間自NASA甘迺迪太空中心發射。
ROCKET POWER The new rocket is shorter and slimmer than the Saturn V rockets that hurled 24 Apollo astronauts to the moon a half-century ago. But it’s mightier, packing 4 million kilograms (8.8 million pounds) of thrust. 火箭動力 新型火箭比半世紀前將二十四名阿波羅計畫太空人送上月球的火箭農神五號更短、更細,但更強大,具有四百萬公斤(八百八十萬磅)的推力。
Unlike the streamlined Saturn V, the new rocket has a pair of strap-on boosters refashioned from NASA’s space shuttles. The boosters will peel away after two minutes, just like the shuttle boosters did, but won’t be fished from the Atlantic for reuse. The core stage will keep firing before separating and crashing into the Pacific in pieces. Two hours after liftoff, an upper stage will send the capsule, Orion, racing toward the moon. 與流線型的農神五號不同,新型火箭有一對安裝在外的推進器,是由NASA太空梭改造而來的設計。推進器將在升空後兩分鐘脫落,如同太空梭的推進器,但不會再把它從大西洋打撈上來重複使用。核心節則將繼續前進,然後分離、墜入太平洋碎裂。升空兩小時後,火箭的上節將全速把獵戶座太空船送往月球。
MOONSHIP NASA’s high-tech, automated Orion capsule is named after the constellation, among the night sky’s brightest. At 3m (11ft) tall, it’s roomier than Apollo’s capsule, seating four astronauts instead of three. For this test flight, a full-size dummy in an orange flight suit will occupy the commander’s seat, rigged with vibration and acceleration sensors. Two other mannequins made of material simulating human tissue — heads and female torsos, but no limbs — will measure cosmic radiation, one of the biggest risks of spaceflight. One torso is testing a protective vest from Israel. 登月船 NASA的高科技自動化太空船獵戶座,是以夜空最亮的星座為名。它高三公尺(十一英尺),比阿波羅計畫的太空艙更寬敞,可乘坐四名太空人,而非三名。這次的試飛中,一個身著橙色飛行服的真人尺寸假人將置於指揮官座位,配備振動與加速度感測器。另外還有兩個以仿人體組織材料所製成的假人──有頭部和女性軀幹,但沒有四肢──將用來測量宇宙輻射;宇宙輻射是太空飛行最大的風險之一。另一軀幹則是測試一件以色列製的防護背心。
FLIGHT PLAN Orion’s flight is supposed to last six weeks from its Florida liftoff to Pacific splashdown — twice as long as astronaut trips in order to tax the systems. It will take nearly a week to reach the moon, 386,000km away. 航行計畫 獵戶座太空船預計航行六週,始自佛羅里達升空,終至濺落太平洋,是太空人旅行時間的兩倍,以便檢驗及評估系統。到達三十八萬六千公里外的月球,需要將近一週的時間。
The big test comes at mission’s end, as Orion hits the atmosphere at 40,000 kph on its way to a splashdown in the Pacific. The heat shield uses the same material as the Apollo capsules to withstand reentry temperatures of 2,750 degrees Celsius. But the advanced design anticipates the faster, hotter returns by future Mars crews. 大考驗是在任務結束時,獵戶座太空船會以每小時四萬公里的速度撞擊大氣層,掉落在太平洋。隔熱罩所使用的材料與阿波羅計畫的太空船相同,可承受再進入大氣層的高溫攝氏兩千七百五十度。但此先進的設計已預想了未來火星任務人員返回時更快的速度,以及更熱的溫度。Source article: https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/lang/archives/2022/08/30/2003784369
每日英語跟讀 Ep.K442: About Cambodia - Dozens of casino workers flee Cambodia by swimming to Vietnam
Dozens of Vietnamese casino workers allegedly forced to toil without pay in Cambodia have fled back to their homeland by swimming across a river, authorities in Phnom Penh said Friday. 金邊政府週五表示,數十名據稱被迫在柬埔寨賭場無薪工作的越南員工,游泳渡河逃回家鄉。
About 40 staff with the Golden Phoenix Entertainment Casino in Kandal province - which neighbours Vietnam - fought off security guards to escape, leaving one missing after being swept away by the current, Vietnamese state media reported. 越南國營媒體報導,毗鄰越南的柬國甘丹省金鳳娛樂城賭場約40名員工擊退守衛逃走,1人在渡河時被水流沖走失蹤。
"These people might have been here working illegally," Cambodian Interior Minister Sar Kheng told reporters. 柬國內政部長紹肯向記者說,「這些人或許是在這非法打工」。
"They were promised salaries, but they did not get what they were promised... They crossed back to Vietnam because they could not reach a deal. They fled the place." 「他們獲得承諾有薪水,但實際上沒有拿到…因為無法達成協議,就逃離這裡,渡河回去越南。」
He said Cambodian police had detained a casino manager and were investigating the incident. 他說,柬國警方已經拘押一名賭場經理,正在調查此事。
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Cambodia to ban elephant rides at Angkor Wat 柬埔寨禁止在吳哥窟騎大象
Following pressure from animal activist groups, Apsara, the management authority for the Angkor Archaeological Park in Siem Reap, Cambodia announced in June 2019 it would ban elephant rides in early 2020. 在許多動物活動組織的施壓下,負責管理吳哥遺址的暹粒地區「阿帕薩拉」保護管理局2019年6月表示,他們將從2020年初起禁止大象騎乘。
Local outlet the Khmer Times reports that on November 15, two of the 14 elephants currently at the park, have been relocated to the nearby Bos Thom community forest. An Apsara press representative told the Khmer Times that the remaining dozen animals would be relocated to the same forest by "early next year." 本地媒體「高棉時報」11月15日報導,該園區的14隻大象中,有2隻被重新安置在附近的「Bos Thom」社區森林。1名「阿帕薩拉」的發言人告訴「高棉時報」,剩下的12隻會在明年初被安置到同座森林。
In 2016, an elephant named Sambo died at Angkor, drawing worldwide attention. Her death was blamed on a combination of heat stroke and exhaustion from ferrying so many human beings around. 2016年,1隻名為珊寶的大象死在吳哥窟,引起了全世界的矚目。牠的死因被歸咎於因為載運了太多人而導致的中暑與過度勞累。
Two years later, the World Wildlife Fund published an in-depth look at the dwindling populations of the Asian elephant, noting that the species’ population had declined by 50% in just three generations. 兩年後,世界自然基金會發布關於亞洲大象數量減少的深入調查,發現該物種現今的數量比3代之前少了50%。Source article: https://features.ltn.com.tw/english/article/paper/1539968 ; https://news.ltn.com.tw/news/world/paper/1334758
每日英語跟讀 Ep.K443: About Japan - Japan’s cats and dogs get wearable fans to beat scorching heat
A Tokyo clothing maker has teamed up with veterinarians to create a wearable fan for pets, hoping to attract the anxious owners of dogs - or cats - that can’t shed their fur coats in Japan’s blistering summer weather. 一間東京製衣廠與獸醫組隊為寵物製造一款穿戴式風扇,希望能吸引焦慮不安的狗狗或貓咪飼主,因 為牠們無法在日本炎熱的夏季脫下毛皮大衣。
The device consists of a battery-operated, 80-gramme fan that is attached to a mesh outfit and blows air around an animal’s body. 這款裝置由電池供電運作,80公克重的風扇附著在網格服裝上,在動物的身體周圍吹風。
Rei Uzawa, president of maternity clothing maker Sweet Mommy, was motivated to create it after seeing her own pet exhausted every time it was taken out for a walk in the scorching summer heat. 成衣製造商Sweet Mommy負責人鵜澤璃看見她自己的寵物每次在炎熱夏天高溫下的戶外散步之後筋疲力盡,因而有了製作這款衣服的動機。
After the rainy season in Tokyo ended in late June, the Japanese capital suffered the longest heatwave on record with temperatures up to 35 degrees Celsius for nine days. 東京雨季在6月底結束之後,日本首都迎來史上最久的熱浪,連續9天氣溫高達攝氏35度。
"I usually use dry ice packs. But I think it’s easier to walk my dog if we have this fan," said Mami Kumamoto, 48, owner of a miniature poodle and a terrier. 飼養一隻迷你貴賓和一隻梗犬的48歲熊本麻美(譯音)說「我通常使用冰袋。但是我認為有了這款風扇,遛狗會比較輕鬆。」
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World’s oldest person dies in Japan aged 119 全球最年長人士在日本過世 享年119歲
A Japanese woman believed to have been the world’s oldest person has died aged 119, public broadcaster NHK said on Monday, reporting the death of Kane Tanaka. 公共廣播機構「日本放送協會」週一報導田中加子的死訊說,據信是全球最年長者的一位日本女性以119歲過世。
Born on Jan. 2, 1903 - the year of the Wright Brothers’ first controlled flight of their motor-driven airplane - Tanaka was confirmed by Guinness World Records in 2019 as the oldest living person. 田中生於1903年1月2日──萊特兄弟以他們的引擎驅動的飛機進行首次受控飛行的那年──在2019年獲金氏世界紀錄證實為還活著的最年老人士。
She died of old age at a hospital in Fukuoka city, western Japan, on April 19, NHK said. During her life, she had been partial to chocolate and fizzy drinks, NHK said. 日本放送協會說,她於4月19日在日本西部福岡市一家醫院因年邁過世。她這輩子特別喜歡巧克力和氣泡飲料。
Japan has a dwindling and rapidly ageing population. As of last September, the country had 86,510 centenarians, and nine out of every 10 were women. (Reuters) 日本人口不斷減少並快速老化。截至去年9月,該國有8萬6510名人瑞,而且每10人中有9人是女性。Source article: https://features.ltn.com.tw/english/article/paper/1538125 ; https://features.ltn.com.tw/english/article/paper/1514547
精選詞彙播客 Vocab Ep.137: 一點都不搖滾的哀瘋深紫 Is iPhone Deep Purple worth the upgrade ?
00:26:09
Summary: Every year in September, Apple fans around the world gather online, hoping to witness the launch of another iPhone that would change the world. This year, Apple rolled out its first purple colored iPhone for its high-end model, the iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max. In this episode, Angel and I talk about how much of a fan I am and also whether the new phone is worth the upgrade. Are you going to upgrade to the new iPhone 14 ? Comment down below!
Vocabulary:
1. In the market for...sth idiom. 有興趣購買 If you are in the market for the new iPhone 14 Pro, you should buy the Deep Purple-colored iPhone. 如果你有興趣買新的iPhone14 Pro,你應當買深紫色的iPhone。
2. Mobile carrier n. 電信業者 Chungwha Telecom was the first mobile carrier to offer the iPhone 3GS back in the day. 中華電信當年是第一個電信業者提供iPhone 3GS。
3. Preorder n. 預購 iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max make up of 80% of the preorders. iPhone 14 Pro與Pro Max佔據8成iPhone預購。
15Mins Live Podcast - 地震來了如何做好保護 How to protect yourself during an earthquake
01:13:11
Article from CDC: https://www.cdc.gov/disasters/earthquakes/during.html
Drop. Cover. Hold on. 趴下、掩護、穩住 In most situations, you can protect yourself if you immediately:
DROPdown onto your hands and knees before the earthquake knocks you down. This position protects you from falling but allows you to still move if necessary.
COVERyour head and neck (and your entire body if possible) underneath a sturdy table or desk. If there is no shelter nearby, get down near an interior wall or next to low-lying furniture that won’t fall on you, and cover your head and neck with your arms and hands.
HOLD ON to your shelter (or to your head and neck) until the shaking stops. Be prepared to move with your shelter if the shaking shifts it around.
If you are inside, stay inside. 在室內時,待在室內
DO NOT run outside or to other rooms during an earthquake. You are less likely to be injured if you stay where you are.
DO NOT stand in a doorway.You are safer under a table. In modern houses, doorways are no stronger than any other part of the house. Doorways do not protect you from the most likely source of injury − falling or flying objects.
If you are in a high-rise building, drop, cover, and hold on. 在高樓時,趴下、掩護、穩住
Move away from windows and outside walls.
Stay in the building.
DO NOT use the elevators. The electricity may go out, and the sprinkler systems may come on.
If you are outside, stay outside. 在戶外時,待在戶外
Move away from buildings, utility wires, sinkholes, and fuel and gas lines. The greatest danger from falling debris is just outside doorways and close to outer walls of buildings.
Go to an open area away from trees, telephone poles, and buildings. Once in the open, get down low and stay there until the shaking stops.
If you are in a moving vehicle, stop as quickly and safely as possible. 在行車時,立刻停下找安全地方
Move your car to the shoulder or curb, away from utility poles, overhead wires, and under- or overpasses.
Stay in the car and set the parking brake. A car may jiggle violently on its springs, but it is a good place to stay until the shaking stops.
Turn on the radio for emergency broadcast information.
Topic: Coronavirus Is Battering Africa’s Growing Middle Class 新冠重創非洲新興中產階級
As the coronavirus surges in many countries in Africa, it is threatening to push as many as 58 million people in the region into extreme poverty, experts at the World Bank say. But beyond the devastating consequences for the continent’s most vulnerable people, the pandemic is also whittling away at one of Africa’s signature achievements: the growth of its middle class. 世界銀行專家指出,新冠肺炎疫情在非洲多國急遽加重,恐將使多達5800萬人陷入極端貧窮(赤貧)。而且疫情除了給非洲大陸最弱勢者帶來毀滅性後果之外,還逐步削弱非洲一項指標性成就,也就是中產階級的成長。
For the last decade, Africa’s middle class has been pivotal to the educational, political and economic development across the continent. New business owners and entrepreneurs have created jobs that, in turn, gave others a leg up as well. 過去這十年,非洲中產階級在非洲大陸全境教育、政治和經濟的發展上,扮演著關鍵性的角色。新的企業主和創業者創造出就業機會,也從而幫了別人一把。
Educated, tech-savvy families and young people with money to spare have fed the demand for consumer goods, called for democratic reforms, expanded the talent pool at all levels of society, and pushed for high-quality schools and health care. 受過教育、熟諳現代科技且有閒錢的家庭和年輕人支撐了消費品的市場,提出了對民主改革的要求,擴大了社會各層次的人才庫,並鼓吹高品質的學校和醫療照護服務。
About 170 million out of Africa’s 1.3 billion people are now classified as middle class. But about 8 million of them could be thrust into poverty because of the coronavirus and its economic fallout, according to World Data Lab, a research organization. 非洲13億人口中,約有1.7億人現在被歸類為中產階級,不過,根據研究機構「世界資料實驗室」的說法,其中約800萬人可能因新冠肺炎疫情及其經濟衝擊而淪為窮人。
It’s a setback that may be felt for years to come. 這個挫敗可在未來幾年內感受到。
“The tragedy is that because Africa is not growing fast, this collapse of the middle class could take several years to recover,” said Homi Kharas, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution and the co-founder of the World Data Lab. 華府智庫布魯金斯研究所高級研究員兼世界資料實驗室共同創辦人卡拉斯說:「不幸的是,非洲成長速度並不快,中產階級的潰縮可能得花上幾年才能恢復。」
Africa’s middle class tripled over the past 30 years, by some estimates, spurred by job opportunities in sectors like technology, tourism and manufacturing. 一些估計顯示,在科技、觀光和製造業等領域的就業機會帶動下,非洲中產階級人數過去30年間增為三倍。
But now that the region is facing its first recession in 25 years, millions of educated people living in urban centers could fall victim to the extreme income inequality that has defined Africa for decades. 不過,由於非洲遭逢25年來首次經濟衰退,數以百萬計住在都會區的受過教育者可能淪為極端收入不平等的受害者。極端收入不平等數十年來一直是非洲的特徵。
Kharas defined the middle class in Africa as households that spend anywhere between $11 and $110 per capita per day. 卡拉斯把非洲中產階級定義為,平均每人每天花費11美元到110美元(約台幣330元到3300元)的家庭。
The rising middle class has been “critical for the future prospects of African economies as they stimulate long-term growth, social progress, an inclusive and prosperous society and effective and accountable governance,” said Landry Signé, author of “Unlocking Africa’s Business Potential.” The coronavirus “will drastically delay wages and hold back the dreams of Africa’s middle class,” he said. 著有「解放非洲商業潛力」一書的賽恩說,中產階級崛起「對非洲的經濟前景至關重要,因為中產階級能促進長期成長、社會進步,造就具包容性且繁榮的社會,以及有效率且可問責的治理」。他說,新冠肺炎「將大幅延後薪水發放,並讓非洲中產階級難以圓夢」。
What distinguishes the middle class from the poor, said Razia Khan, chief economist for Africa and the Middle East at Standard Chartered bank, is the ability to earn a steady income. But because of the pandemic, many more people across Africa are at risk of being “knocked back into poverty” because of lack of jobs, unemployment benefits or any social safety net, she said. 渣打銀行非洲中東首席經濟學家拉奇雅.卡恩說,中產階級與窮人不同之處在於,他們有賺取穩定收入的能力。不過她說,由於疫情大流行,非洲各地有更多人可能因為缺乏就業機會、失業救濟金或任何社會安全網而被「打回貧窮」。
The pandemic is also posing a threat to nascent industries supported by governments in Africa in recent years to boost the number of middle-income earners. 疫情大流行還威脅到剛起步的一些產業。非洲各國政府近年來支持這些產業,冀以促進中所得人數的成長。 Source article: https://udn.com/news/story/6904/4712407
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Topic: South Africa is considering letting women have multiple husbands
South Africa’s government is considering allowing women to have multiple husbands, a possibility that has thrown the country’s conservatives into uproar. 南非政府正在考慮允許女性擁有多名丈夫,這種可能性使該國保守派一片譁然。
The proposal to allow polyandry was included in a green paper from South Africa’s Department of Home Affairs, which hopes to make marriage more inclusive. 這項允許一妻多夫的提議已經被納入南非內政部的綠皮書中,希望使婚姻更具包容性。
South Africa has one of the world’s most liberal constitutions, embracing same-sex marriages for all and polygamy for men. 南非有世界上最自由的憲法之一,接受所有性別的同性婚姻與男性的一夫多妻。
Businessman and TV personality Musa Mseleku - who has four wives - is among those opposed to polyandry. 有四名妻子的企業家兼電視名人穆薩.姆斯萊庫是反對一妻多夫制的其中一人。
’’This will destroy African culture.’’ Mseleku said. ’’The woman cannot now take the role of the man. It’s unheard of.’’ 「這會摧毀非洲文化。」姆斯萊庫說。「女性不能扮演男性的角色。這是前所未聞的。」
The idea that polyandry is not African was also prevalent among religious leaders, the Department of Home Affairs found. 內政部發現,一妻多夫「不非洲」的想法也流傳於宗教領袖中。
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Topic: S.African miners rescued, none still trapped 11 名南非礦工獲救,已無人受困
Eleven men who became trapped in an illegal gold mine in South Africa were rescued on Sunday, but an unknown number remained underground fearing arrest. 受困於南非非法金礦的11名男子在週日獲救,但仍有數目不詳的礦工因害怕被捕而待在地底。
The men, who were all uninjured, were immediately handed over to police. Rescue officials said many others were now able to leave the mine but had refused to come out while officials were present. 這些男子都未受傷,隨即轉交警方處理。救難人員說,其他許多人現在有能力自己離開礦井,但拒絕在警方在場的時候出來。
"We managed to retrieve 11 young men. We believe they are South Africans, they have been treated and handed over to the police," municipal emergency and rescue services official Rogger Mamaila told AFP. 「我們設法營救出11名年輕男子,我們認為他們是南非人,他們已經接受治療並轉交給警方。」緊急搜救官員馬梅拉告訴法新社。
Police spokesman Mack Mngomezulu told AFP a number of men remained in the abandoned mine east of Johannesburg and were refusing to come out. 警局發言人門戈彌祖魯告訴法新社,有一些男子還待在約翰尼斯堡東邊的廢棄礦井,而且拒絕出來。
The number of people still down there remains unclear -- around 30 miners who were trapped at a shallow level had earlier told rescuers from a private operator ER24 that there were 200 others stuck at a level underneath them. 仍待在地下的人數依舊不清楚--約30名受困在淺層地底的礦工早先告訴民營緊急救難隊ER24的救難人員,還有兩百人困在更下層。
That was never confirmed, however, with local municipal officials insisting there were only around 30 people trapped. 這項消息一直未獲證實,當地官員堅持只有大約30人受困。
Topic: South Africa launches the world’s biggest hydrogen-fueled truck
Mining giant Anglo American on Friday unveiled the world’s largest hydrogen-powered truck, a monster weighing in at 220 tonnes, at a platinum mine in northern South Africa. 礦業巨擘英美資源集團週五在南非北部一座白金礦場展示了全球最大的氫動力卡車,此一龐然巨獸重達220公噸。
Billed as the first of a fleet that will replace the firm’s diesel-powered trucks, the vehicle uses two-megawatt hydrogen fuel cells to haul up to 290 tonnes of ore. 它被宣傳為將取代該公司柴油動力卡車的車隊先鋒,該車使用2百萬瓦的氫燃料電池,來拖動多達290公噸的礦石。
"What we are launching is not merely an impressive piece of machinery, it is the genesis of an entire ecosystem powered by hydrogen," President Cyril Ramaphosa said. 南非總統西里爾.拉瑪佛沙說,「我們推出的不僅僅是一部令人印象深刻的機器,它是一個由氫氣驅動的完整生態系的起源。」
Comparable in size to a small house, the behemoth was shown off at Mogalakwena mine, about 250 kilometres from Johannesburg. 這部龐然大物的大小可匹敵一間小屋,在距離約翰尼斯堡約250公里處的莫加拉奎納礦場展示。
"This is a gigantic leap for South Africa’s hydrogen future economy," Ramaphosa declared. 拉瑪佛沙說,「對南非的氫能源未來經濟來說,這是一個巨大的跨越」。
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Topic: 潛逃中的獅子被關進南非大牢 Lion on the lam locked-up in South African jail
A young lion captured after being on the run for almost a month spent the night in a South African police cell before being moved back to its national park home. 一頭在逃將近一個月後被捕的幼獅,被運回位在國家公園的故鄉以前,先在南非一處警察局的拘留室度過長夜。
The juvenile male apparently escaped from the Karoo National Park through a hole in a perimeter fence. He was eventually tracked and darted on Wednesday before being moved by helicopter to the Sutherland police station where he ended up alone in a holding cell. 這個小男生明顯是從「乾旱台地高原國家公園」周邊圍欄一處洞口逃跑。牠最終還是在週三被發現蹤跡並遭標槍射中,後來被直升機運到薩瑟蘭警察局,獨自待在拘留室裡。
"I am sure this is the first time in the world that a lion is put in jail," said police station commander Marius Malan. 警局大隊長馬略斯‧馬蘭說:「我確定這是全球第一次獅子入獄。」
Curious residents of the village of Sutherland thronged outside the police station to catch a glimpse of the locked-up lion. 薩瑟蘭村好奇的居民們,在警局外爭相一窺這頭被囚禁的獅子。
"He is safe and healthy. We didn’t give him breakfast because he had enough to eat along the road," Malan told Reuters. 馬蘭告訴路透:「牠安全又健康。我們沒給牠早餐,因為牠一路上已經有足夠的東西可吃。」Source article: https://features.ltn.com.tw/english/article/paper/1518702 ; https://features.ltn.com.tw/english/article/paper/1274469?fbclid=IwAR0GOlDHNx4EL-iF8U3qURZl9hlX0ub6M5HGc7BDwb3IJcdbf0xDlnPNDeI
精選詞彙播客 Vocab Ep.138: 世足你看球員還是球賽 Who are you rooting for this World Cup?
00:26:25
Summary: For the first time in history, this year FIFA World Cup is going to be held in Qatar. Once every four years, soccer fans around the world gather and watch as the soccer titans around the world clash for the championship title. In this episode, Angel and I talk about the football stars and when the World Cup will take place. Who's your favorite team or player? Comment down below!
Vocabulary:
1. Bet n. & v. 賭注/打賭 My group of friend likes to make bets during FIFA World Cup. 我的一群朋友喜歡在世足賽時打賭。
2. Root for sb. phr. 替某人加油 If I am going to root for Lionel Messi this World Cup, who are you going to root for? 如果我這次世足賽替梅西加油,那你想替誰加油?
3. Go down in history phr. 留名青史 Qatar will go down in history as the first Middle East country to host the FIFA World Cup. 卡達是這次名留青史成為第一個主辦世足賽的中東國家。
Topic: Filipino salon owner uses own hair to create portraits
Every few months when Jesstoni Garcia takes electric clippers to his head, he’s not just giving himself a haircut, he’s also harvesting art materials. 每隔數月,當傑斯托尼‧賈西亞拿電剪推自己的頭時,不僅在為自己理髮,也在收集藝術材料。
Using a thin brush and clear, sticky resin, the co-owner of a Manila hair salon sprinkles these strands and clippings on a blank canvas, taking two to five hours to arrange them into striking images of musicians and actors. 這名馬尼拉一家美髮沙龍的共同老闆,用細刷子和透明、富黏性的樹脂,把剪下來的髮絲刷在空白的畫布上,再花2至5小時調整成惹人注目的音樂家和演員肖像。
The 32-year-old’s main job as a seaman involves spending up to eight months a year on cruise ships, and lacking adequate art supplies like paint and sketchpads at sea, Garcia in 2021 turned to using his own hair to create images. He started with self-portraits and eventually moved on to depicting celebrities. 32歲的賈西亞本職是航海員,一年有多達8個月在遊輪上,航海期間欠缺顏料和畫板等藝術材料,所以在2021年轉而用自己的頭髮創作肖像。他從自畫像著手,逐漸開始描繪名人。
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Topic: Top Philippine presidential candidates oppose legalising divorce 菲律賓主要總統候選人反對離婚合法化
The Philippines looks likely to remain one of the few countries where divorce is illegal, based on a survey of the four leading presidential candidates on Sunday. 根據週日一項針對排名領先的4名總統候選人進行的調查顯示,菲律賓看起來可能仍是離婚違法的極少數國家之一。
Vice President Jejomar Binay, Senator Grace Poe, veteran mayor Rodrigo Duterte and former interior secretary Mar Roxas were asked during a presidential debate to raise their hands if they favoured legalisation of divorce. 副總統畢乃、參議員柏吾、經歷豐富的市長杜特爾特,以及前內政部長羅哈斯,在總統候選人辯論會上被要求,若支持離婚合法化則舉手。
Not one raised a hand in the brief segment. They were not given time to explain their stance. 在這簡短片段中無人舉手,他們也沒獲得時間解釋立場。
The overwhelmingly Catholic Philippines is the only country aside from the Vatican that bans divorce. 絕大多數人口為天主教徒的菲律賓,是梵蒂岡以外唯一禁止離婚的國家。
Strong pressure from the Catholic church has stymied previous attempts to pass a divorce law even though a survey last year showed that about 60 percent of adult Filipinos support such a measure. 來自天主教教會的強大壓力,阻礙了此前試圖通過離婚法的努力,即使去年一項調查顯示,約60%菲律賓成人支持這類措施亦然。
In another portion of the debate, the four candidates were asked who supported restoration of the death penalty. 在辯論會的另一部分,4名候選人被問及誰支持恢復死刑。
Poe and Duterte, who openly boasts about killing criminals, both raised their hands despite the Catholic church’s opposition to capital punishment. 公開讚揚處決罪犯的柏吾與杜特爾特舉起手,儘管天主教會反對死刑。
The death penalty was abolished in the Philippines in 2006, partly due to lobbying by the church. 2006年菲律賓廢除死刑,部分原因在於教會的遊說。Source article: https://features.ltn.com.tw/english/article/paper/1529737 ; https://news.ltn.com.tw/news/world/paper/971329
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Topic: Growing ‘mermaiding’ subculture makes a splash
There was a pivotal moment in Queen Pangke Tabora’s life that eclipsed all others: It was the moment, she says, when she first slid her legs into a mermaid tail. 在潘奇.塔波拉皇后的生命中,有一個關鍵時刻令其它時刻都黯然失色:她說,就是當她第一次把雙腳滑進一個美人魚尾巴的時刻。
For the transgender Filipina woman approaching middle age, seeing her legs encased in vibrant, scaly-looking neoprene three years ago was the realization of a childhood dream. And it marked the beginning of her immersion into a watery world where she would find acceptance. 對這位即將步入中年的菲律賓跨性別女性來說,三年前看到她的雙腿被包覆在充滿活力、鱗片狀的紐普韌橡膠中,是兒時夢想的實現。代表著她開始沉浸在一個自己能夠獲得接受的水世界。
The former insurance company worker described the experience of gliding under water, half-human and half-fish, as “meditation in motion.”“The feeling was mermai-zing,”Tabora said one recent morning while lounging in a fiery red tail on a rocky beach south of Manila, where she now teaches mermaiding and freediving full-time. 這位保險公司前員工把在水下滑行、半人半魚的經驗描述成「運動中的冥想」。最近一個早晨在馬尼拉南方一處礁石海灘休息時,身著火紅魚尾服的塔波拉說,「這種美人魚的感覺太驚人了」,她在這裡全職教授如何像美人魚般游泳和自由潛水。
In recent years, a growing number have gleefully flocked to mermaid conventions and competitions, formed local groups called“pods,” launched mermaid magazines and poured their savings into a multimillion-dollar mermaid tail industry. 在最近幾年,越來越多人歡喜地湧向美人魚大會和競賽,形成各個叫做「pods」的地方團體,發行美人魚雜誌,把他們的積蓄投入這個價值數百萬美元的美人魚尾巴行業。
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Philippine collector amasses super-sized collection of fast-food restaurant toys 菲律賓收藏家蒐集極大量速食餐廳玩具 From the age of 5, Filipino graphic artist Percival Lugue has had a passion for collecting toys from fast-food restaurant chains like McDonald’s, Burger King and home-country favorite Jollibee. 菲律賓平面設計師帕西瓦爾‧魯格,從5歲開始就滿腔熱血地蒐集麥當勞、漢堡王及當地人最愛的快樂蜂等速食連鎖餐廳的玩具。
Now, the 50-year-old has about 20,000 toys packed from floor to ceiling in his home and holds a Guinness World Record from 2014, when his collection reached more than 10,000 items. 現在,50歲的魯格擁有約2萬組玩具,在家裡從地板堆到天花板,且2014年起持續保持金氏世界紀錄,當時他收藏的玩具已超過1萬組。
Lugue built his home especially to house his collection. He likens the excitement that getting new toys gives him to Christmas morning. "The toy is like a storyteller in itself." 魯格蓋了自己的房子就是為了放藏品,他把得到新玩具的興奮感比擬成耶誕節早晨,「玩具本身就像個說故事的人。」
While most of his toys were obtained through personal purchases, some were donated by friends and family. 儘管大部分玩具都是他自己花錢買的,但也有朋友和家人送的。
His dream now is to eventually put his collection on display for the public or even open a museum to "give others a chance to revisit their own childhood memories." 他現在的夢想是,最終可以向大眾展示他的藏品,甚至開一間博物館,「讓其他人有機會重溫自己的童年記憶。」Source article: https://features.ltn.com.tw/english/article/paper/1529024 ; https://news.ltn.com.tw/news/world/paper/1464916
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Topic: Philippines Returns to School, Ending One of World’s Longest Shutdowns
Millions of students throughout the Philippines headed to school Monday as in-person classes began to fully restart for the first time in more than two years, ending one of the world’s longest pandemic-related shutdowns in a school system already plagued by severe underinvestment. 全菲律賓數以百萬計的學生周一重新上學,這是兩年多來菲律賓首度全面恢復實體課程。原本就投資嚴重不足的學校系統,遭逢新冠疫情開始封校,時間之長在全球數一數二,現在終於結束了。
“We could no longer afford to delay the education of young Filipinos,” said Vice President Sara Duterte, who is also the education secretary, as she toured schools in the town of Dinalupihan, about 40 miles northwest of Manila. 副總統兼教育部長薩拉.杜特蒂到首都馬尼拉西北方65公里處的迪納路匹罕市巡視學校時表示:「我國年輕人的教育再經不起耽擱」。
Even before the pandemic, the Philippines had among the world’s largest education gaps, with more than 90% of students unable to read and comprehend simple texts by age 10, according to the World Bank. 甚至在新冠疫情爆發前,菲律賓的教育落差跟各國相比就十分巨大。世界銀行調查發現,菲國超過九成學童到了10歲仍無法閱讀和理解簡單的課文。
Schools in the Philippines have long suffered from shortages of classrooms and teachers, whose pay is low, leaving the vast numbers of poor children who cannot afford private schools and rely on the public system with inadequate teaching. 菲律賓的學校長期缺乏教室和師資。老師薪水低,導致念不起私立學校只能讀公立學校的眾多窮人家子女,無法接受適合的教導。
Now, after losing more than two years of in-person instruction, schools face the challenge of educating many students who have fallen even further behind. Although the Philippines offered online instruction during the pandemic, many students lacked access to computers or internet connections, and overburdened parents often found it hard to keep tabs on their children’s remote learning. 如今,在面對面授課停擺兩年多後,學校面臨的挑戰是學習進度落後更多的學生。雖然菲國政府在疫情期間提供線上課程,許多學生卻沒有電腦或網路連線,負擔過重的父母親經常發現付不起子女遠距學習費用。
In some cases, students’ already tenuous connection to school may have been severed entirely after so long away. 在某些個案,學生和學校的聯繫原本就斷斷續續,經過疫情封校這麼久的折騰,學生跟學校可能完全失聯。
In many other countries, as the negative effects of online learning became well documented, governments elected to send children back to classrooms even as the coronavirus continued to circulate widely. 在許多其他國家,線上學習的負面效應已經被詳細記載。縱然新冠疫情持續散布,政府仍決定讓學生返回教室。
But in the Philippines, government officials and parents remained hesitant, with fears that schoolchildren could bring the virus to homes crowded with multiple generations of family members, potentially overtaxing a creaky health care system. 但是在菲律賓,政府和父母親仍猶豫不決,擔心子女會把病毒從校園帶回家,殃及數代同擠一堂的家人,可能會讓已搖搖欲墜的健康照護體系負擔過重。
Starting in late 2021, the government began to experiment with conducting in-person classes in about 300 schools, but has begun expanding it to cover all primary and secondary schools. Currently only some schools are in-person all five weekdays; by November, all of the country’s roughly 47,000 schools will be. 從2021年晚期起,菲國政府從300間學校開始實驗師生面對面上課,現已擴及到全國小學和國中。目前只有部分學校一周五天都是實體上課。到11月的時候,菲律賓全國約4萬7千所學校都會恢復實體上課。Source article: https://udn.com/news/story/6904/6567634
02 Oct 2022
每日英語跟讀 Ep.K444: 經濟成長趨緩 台灣央行溫和升息Taiwan set for modest rate hike as growth slows
00:04:03
每日英語跟讀 Ep.K444: Taiwan set for modest rate hike as growth slows
Taiwan’s central bank increased its benchmark interest rate by a modest amount on Thursday last week, the third hike this year, as it tries to battle inflation without further weighing down its slowing economy. 台灣中央銀行上週四小幅調升基準利率,此為今年第三次升息,因央行試圖對抗通貨膨脹,但同時不讓趨緩的經濟雪上加霜。
The central bank raised its policy rate by 12.5 basis points to 1.625 percent, in line with forecasts of most economists surveyed by Bloomberg. The bank also raised its reserve requirement ratios by 0.25 percentage points. 央行將政策利率上調12.5個基本點至百分之1.625,與彭博社所調查大多數經濟學家之預測一致。央行還將存款準備率上調1碼(0.25個百分點)。
The central bank’s decision came hours after the US Federal Reserve hiked interest rates by 75 basis points, the fifth increase this year, to tame rampant inflation. Taiwan’s policy makers have been able to be more flexible in their rate hikes, with inflation peaking in the second quarter amid a slowdown in the economy. The central bank raises its rate by a smaller-than-expected 12.5 basis points in June and by 25 basis points in March. 台灣央行做出此決定,是在美國聯準會將利率提高75個基本點──今年以來的第五次升息以抑制猖獗的通貨膨脹──的數小時後。台灣在經濟放緩的情況下,通貨膨脹在第二季達到頂峰;台灣的政策制定者能夠更靈活地升息,央行六月升息12.5個基點,三月升息25個基點,幅度小於預期。
Higher interest rates may help to bolster Taiwan’s dollar, which has slumped this year on the back of a stronger US currency, weaker export demand and rising geopolitical tensions. The local dollar was down 4.8 percent against the greenback in the past month, the third-worst performer among Asian currencies. 由於美元走強、出口需求疲軟與地緣政治緊張局勢加劇,台幣今年已經下跌,利率的調升或能有助提振台幣。過去一個月,台幣兌美元下跌了百分之4.8,在亞洲貨幣中表現第三差。
Taiwanese officials have sought to balance tempering inflation without hurting its economy, which has been weighed down by sluggish demand from China, the impact of COVID-19 restrictions on supply chains, and other global headwinds. The government has already cut its 2022 growth forecast twice this year to 3.76 percent. 台灣官員試圖在不損害其經濟的情況下平衡緩和的通貨膨脹,台灣的經濟受到中國需求低迷、新冠疫情限制對供應鏈之衝擊,以及其他全球不利因素的拖累。台灣政府今年已將二○二二年的成長預測下修兩次,至百分之3.76。
“Taiwan’s economic slowdown is very apparent, with export growth only in the single digits and manufacturing PMI shrinking,” Ma Tieying, an economist at DBS Group Holdings Ltd, said before the rate decision. “The risk of Taiwan’s economic downturn is very high, so from this point of view, increasing by 12.5 basis points is a compromise option and the best option.” 「台灣經濟放緩非常明顯,出口成長只有個位數,製造業採購經理人指數(PMI)萎縮」,星展集團控股有限公司經濟學家馬鐵英在利率決定前表示。「台灣經濟下滑的風險很高,所以從這個角度來看,升息12.5個基點是個折中的選擇,也是最好的選擇」。
Economists surveyed by Bloomberg have also revised down Taiwan’s GDP to 3.2 percent for this year. Those polled also expect that Taiwan will raise interest rates again in the fourth quarter to 1.75 percent. 彭博社所訪問的經濟學家也將台灣今年的GDP下調至百分之3.2。受訪者還預計台灣將在第四季再次升息,至百分之1.75。
Export orders from the island have started to slow, gaining 2 percent in August from a year earlier, with orders from China and Hong Kong falling more than 25 percent. Manufacturing is also coming under pressure, with the purchasing managers index dropping in August to 42.7 — its lowest reading since May 2020. 來自台灣的出口訂單開始放緩,八月份比去年成長百分之2,其中來自中國大陸和香港的訂單減少超過百分之25。製造業也面臨壓力,採購經理人指數八月降至42.7,為二○二○年五月以來最低。Source article: https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/lang/archives/2022/09/27/2003785961
每日英語跟讀 Ep.K445: 烏克蘭突奪回大片失土 指揮官的新難題 After Big Gains, Ukrainians Face Critical Choices
00:04:03
每日英語跟讀 Ep.K445: After Big Gains, Ukrainians Face Critical Choices
After Ukraine’s stunning offensive in its northeast drove Russian forces into a chaotic retreat and reshaped the battlefield by hundreds of miles, Ukrainian leaders were weighing critical gambles that could determine the near-term course of the war. 在烏克蘭於東北部展開驚人攻擊,讓俄國軍隊混亂撤退數百哩並重新開闢戰場後,烏克蘭領袖正慎重考慮可能決定近期戰爭走向的重大賭注。
Stretching the Ukrainian forces too far could leave the troops vulnerable to attack. Moving too slow, or in the wrong place, could leave an opportunity squandered. And waiting too long could allow the front lines to freeze as winter sets in. 讓烏軍前進太遠,可能讓部隊難以抵禦攻擊。移動太慢或方向錯誤,可能錯失良機。還有待命太久,可能在冬季將臨之際讓前線受凍。
By expelling Russian troops from a large slice of strategic territory in the northeastern Kharkiv region, Ukrainian forces are now positioned to make a move on the Donbas, the industrialized eastern territory that President Vladimir Putin of Russia has made central to his war aims. Just before flooding troops across the border in February, Putin declared the Donbas independent from Ukraine, and he held up the region’s sovereignty as a key justification for the invasion. 在東北部哈爾科夫地區的一大片戰略領土上驅逐俄國部隊後,烏軍現在準備要在東部工業地區的頓巴斯採取行動,此處是俄國總統普亭戰爭目標的中心。就在大批俄國部隊今年2月跨越邊境之前,普亭宣稱頓巴斯從烏克蘭獨立,而且他將這個地區的主權作為正當化侵略行動的一項關鍵。
Russia now has control of nearly 90% of the Donbas, where its military shifted much of its focus after a staggering defeat around the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, in the spring. If Ukraine were to retake even a part of the region, it would be an embarrassing blow to the Kremlin. 俄國目前控制近九成頓巴斯地區,今年春季在烏克蘭首都基輔附近遭遇停滯的挫敗後,俄軍轉移大部分的焦點到此處。如果烏克蘭未來奪回這個地區,即使是一部分,也將是對克里姆林宮的一記難堪重擊。
Western analysts, including at the Pentagon, said that the Ukrainians were overall making gains as quickly as Russian forces were falling back. 包括五角大廈在內的西方分析家說,整體而言,烏克蘭有所斬獲的速度和俄軍節節敗退的速度一樣快。
But Ukraine faces potentially serious pitfalls if it pushes any farther. 但若烏克蘭向前推進,就會面臨潛在的巨大陷阱。
Any future advances would mean that Ukrainian forces would further extend their supply lines, straining convoys of fuel, ammunition and reinforcements as they have to move farther away from their established logistics hubs. 未來任何的推進,意味著烏軍需要進一步延伸他們的補給線,讓運送燃料、彈藥和援軍的車隊更吃力,他們必須從已經建立的後勤據點推進更多。
That could leave Ukrainian units vulnerable, said John Blaxland, a professor of security and intelligence studies at the Australian National University in Canberra. Although he added that a Russian counterattack was “not necessarily going to happen,” in part because the morale of Moscow’s troops appears to be foundering. 坎培拉的澳洲國立大學安全與情報研究教授布雷斯藍說,那可能讓烏克蘭部隊容易遭遇攻擊。他補充說,雖然俄國的反擊「不一定會發生」,部分是因為莫斯科的部隊士氣明顯受挫。
Russian officials face their own hard questions, especially with a growing backlash to their “special military operation” from pro-war voices at home. 俄國官員也面臨自家的艱難問題,特別是在家鄉支持戰爭的言論中,對於「特殊軍事行動」的反彈聲浪逐漸增加。
The current Ukrainian offensive “was a rapid breakthrough designed to take advantage of favorable positions and thinly manned Russian defenses,” said Michael Kofman, the director of Russian studies at CNA, a research institute in Arlington, Virginia. 美國維吉尼亞州阿靈頓的研究機構「海軍分析中心」俄國研究主任考夫曼說,現階段烏克蘭的攻擊「目的是利用有利位置和俄國防衛兵力薄弱,取得快速突破」。Source article: https://udn.com/news/story/6904/6636218
每日英語跟讀 Ep.K446: About the UK - UK bakery banned from using sprinkles which are legal in the US
The owner of a bakery in northern England has been left with a bitter taste in his mouth after authorities told him he had to stop using banned sprinkles sourced from the US. 在被當局告知必須停止使用來自美國的遭禁糖粉屑後,英格蘭北部的1家烘焙坊的老闆感到不悅。
West Yorkshire Trading Standards said the sprinkles contained an artificial coloring which isn’t approved for use in sprinkles in the UK. 西約克郡貿易標準局說,這些糖粉屑含有1種在英國未獲准可用於糖粉屑的人工色素。
But the owner of the bakery isn’t happy that his most popular product has lost out on its prize topping. 但這家烘焙坊的老闆很不滿,因為這讓他最暢銷的產品少了最完美的配料。
Rich Myers, director and founder of Get Baked bakery in Leeds, told CNN he had been using the sprinkles since opening the business in July. (位於該郡的)里茲市的Get Bake烘焙坊的執行長與創辦人瑞奇˙邁爾斯告訴美國有線電視新聞網,他打從7月開業以來就一直用這種糖粉屑。
Myers said he bought the offending sprinkles from a UK wholesaler, and said he had no idea there was any issue until West Yorkshire Trading Standards visited the business on September 30. 邁爾斯說,他向1名英國批發商買來這些違規的糖粉屑,完全不曉得會有什麼問題,直到9月30日西約克郡貿易標準局找上門來。
"I thought it was a joke at first, I thought it was someone pulling a prank," he said on Thursday. 「我一開始以為這是玩笑,我以為有人在惡搞,」他週四如是說。
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Researcher defends weight-loss device after it sparks ridicule on social media 研究人員為減重裝置辯護,在它於社群媒體上引起嘲笑後
Otago University and United Kingdom researchers developed the world-first device, which uses magnets to lock the mouth almost shut, to help fight the global obesity epidemic. 奧塔戈大學與英國研究人員研發了世界首款裝置,使用磁鐵鎖住嘴巴至幾乎閉上,幫助對抗全球肥胖流行。
DentalSlim Diet Control is an intra-oral device fitted by a dental professional to the upper and lower back teeth. 「牙科瘦身飲食控制」是一種口內裝置,會由牙科專業人員安裝至上下臼齒。
The device was being widely ridiculed after being shared on social media, with Twitter users calling it "creepy" and "bizarre". 這款裝置被分享至社群媒體後,受到大量嘲笑,推特用戶稱它「令人毛骨悚然」且「怪異」。
But Dunedin researchers who developed the device are defending the invention, saying those panning the weight loss tool have misunderstood its intention. 但開發這款裝置的達尼丁研究員為這項發明辯護,表示斥責這款減重工具的人們誤解了它的本意。
Lead researcher Prof Paul Brunton said it was not intended to be used for general weight loss purposes, but instead for specific cases where there was a clinical need to lose weight quickly. 首席研究員保羅.布倫頓教授表示,它不是為了用於普通的減重目的,而是針對臨床上需要快速減重的特殊案例。Source article: https://features.ltn.com.tw/english/article/paper/1537773 ; https://news.ltn.com.tw/news/world/paper/1460024
每日英語跟讀 Ep.K447: About Switzerland - Swiss ’zero star hotel’ offers sleepless nights to ponder world’s crises
"I couldn’t sleep," and "my room was too noisy," may be complaints hoteliers dread from guests, but for the Riklin brothers that is the entire point of their latest ’zero star hotel’ art installation. 「我睡不著」及「我房間太吵」可能是旅館業者害怕客人提出的抱怨,但對瑞克林兄弟來說,這正是他們的最新裝置藝術「零星級飯店」的重點。
The Swiss concept artists’ hotel room is essentially a double bed on a platform, with two bedside tables and lamps. There are no walls, ceiling or doors to provide any privacy or shelter. 這對瑞士概念藝術家的飯店房間,基本上是在一個平台上擺放一張雙人床,以及兩組床頭櫃和檯燈。房間沒有牆壁、天花板或門,毫無隱私或遮蔽。
The project to set up the zero star suite on a roadside next to a petrol station in the village of Saillon in the southern Swiss has been developed with hotelier Daniel Charbonnier 在瑞士南部薩永一間加油站旁設立這個零星級套房的企劃,是與旅館業者丹尼爾‧夏布尼的合作。
The intention is to make guests think about the problems in the world, like climate change and war, the twin brothers said, and inspire them to act differently. 這對雙胞胎兄弟說,目的是讓房客思考全球性問題,像是氣候變遷和戰爭,並啟發他們採取不同行動。
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Swiss Artist Sculpts Sprawling Model Castle on Dried River Bank瑞士地景藝術家在乾枯河岸雕塑散亂蔓延的城堡模型
Swiss artist Francois Monthoux’s annual project to build clay sculptures on the banks of Switzerland’s Toleure river has sprawled into a captivating castle complex this year as the drought afflicting Europe allows him to extend his dream world. 瑞士藝術家弗蘭索瓦.蒙圖在瑞士托勒爾河畔建造泥土雕塑的年度計畫,今年已經擴展成一座迷人的城堡群,因為折磨歐洲的乾旱使他得以擴張他的夢想世界。
Monthoux began this year’s project with modest ambitions six weeks ago but the drought allowed him to build an entire city of spires. 蒙圖六周前開始今年的計畫,原本野心不大,但是乾旱使他得以建造一整座尖頂城市。
Now he has mixed feelings: he wants it to rain, but is sad at the thought of his dream world disappearing when it does. 現在他的心情是複雜的:他希望能夠下雨,但是一想到他的夢想世界會因此消失就感到難過。
"I imagine the life of the people walking under the arches, under the bridge, looking at the monuments, looking at the city, so I enter a bubble, and I become a dreamer ... I see their world being created under my fingers " said Monthoux. 蒙圖說:「我想像民眾在橋下走過拱門,在橋下,看著紀念碑、看著這個城市的生活,所以我進入一個泡泡然後成為一位夢想家…我看見他們的世界在我的手指下被創造出來」。
Visitors to the sculpture are enjoying it while it lasts. 在這件雕刻還存在時,參觀的訪客都很喜歡它。
"I don’t have words to say what I feel, because it’s ... it’s just sublime," said Heidi Butty, a Vaud resident. 一位沃州居民海蒂.巴提說,她的感受難以言喻,因為它是…它是極美的。 Source article: https://features.ltn.com.tw/english/article/paper/1542772 ; https://features.ltn.com.tw/english/article/paper/1535534
精選詞彙播客 Vocab Ep.139: 百貨週年慶與他們的產地 Anniversary sale and where to find them
00:29:52
Summary: Every year from September through November, Department stores in Taiwan will have their year-end anniversary sale. These sales offer the biggest deals in the year where all the customers flock together in one place. In this episode, Angel and I talk about the anniversary sales and our previous shopping experience. What are you going to buy during the anniversary sale this year? Comment down below!
Vocabulary:
1. Anniversary sale n. 百貨週年慶 Anniversary sale of different department stores run from September through November. 不同百貨的週年慶從九月開始到十一月。
2. Brochure n. 宣傳本 Promotional material like brochures and pamphlets are called DM in Taiwan. 在台灣宣傳冊跟活頁傳單都叫DM。
3. NTx for every X dollar purchased n. 買X送X活動 Shinkong Mitsukoshi is going to offer NT300 cash voucher for every NT5000 purchased. 新光三越今年週年慶會提供買五千送三百活動。
1. A brush with death 與死神擦肩而過 If someone has a brush with death, they survived a situation where they could have died. Example: Paulo had a brush with death when he drove his car off the road.
2. One foot in the grave 一隻腳在墳墓裡 A less formal way to say that someone’s close to death is to say that they have one foot in the grave. Example: I wasn’t really surprised to hear that our neighbour had passed away; he’d had one foot in the grave for years.
3. Six Feet Under 六尺以下 It is customary to bury a coffin six feet in the ground. So when we say someone is six feet under, it means he/she is dead and buried. Example: Even though Michael Jackson is six feet under, his recordings are still making money.
4. Kick the bucket 翹辮子 From the people standing on buckets to commit suicide – the moment of death. Example: Sam achieved his goal of climbing Mount Everest before he kicked the bucket.
5. On your last legs 奄奄一息 Someone or something that is on its/their last legs is close to dying or failing to work. Example: I thought Granddad was on his last legs but he seems determined to stick around for a while!”
6. Over My Dead Body 除非我死了 It shows resistance in doing/ allowing to do something - under no circumstances. Example: You’re only 17! You’ll go to that party over my dead body!
練習時間: 請使用二到三個慣用語來分享自身小故事 Use two to three idioms to share a personal story about death.
Topic: Ukrainian military long on morale but short on weaponry
When Russia annexed Ukraine’s Crimean Peninsula and threw its support behind separatists in the country’s east more than seven years ago, Kyiv’s underfunded and disorganized armed forces struggled to mount a credible response. 七年多前,當俄羅斯吞併烏克蘭的克里米亞半島並支援該國東部的分離主義分子時,基輔資金不足且組織混亂的武裝部隊努力做出可信的回應。
Now, amid fears that a Russian troop buildup near Ukraine’s border could signal a possible attack, military experts say Moscow would face stronger resistance this time. 現在,由於擔心俄羅斯軍隊在烏克蘭邊境附近的集結可能預示著可能的襲擊,軍事專家表示,莫斯科這次將面臨更強的抵抗。
But they emphasize that Ukraine would be well short of what it needs to counter Russia’s overwhelming superiority. 但他們強調,烏克蘭遠遠達不到對抗俄羅斯壓倒性優勢所需的水準。
Years of fighting the separatists have given Ukrainian veterans like Col. Viacheslav Vlasenko the battlefield experience for such a fight. "We Ukrainians are defending our land, and there is no place for us to retreat,’’ said Vlasenko. 分離主義分子多年的戰鬥為像維亞切斯拉夫·弗拉森科上校這樣的烏克蘭退伍軍人提供了這種戰鬥的戰場經驗。"我們烏克蘭人正在保衛我們的土地,我們沒有地方可以撤退,"弗拉森科說。
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Topic: Russia, US square off at UN over Ukraine crisis 俄美在聯合國就烏克蘭危機展開對決
Russia and the United States face off Monday at the UN Security Council over Moscow’s troop buildup on the Ukrainian border, as Western nations intensify their high-stakes diplomatic push to avert open conflict in Europe. 俄羅斯和美國週一在聯合國安理會就莫斯科在烏克蘭邊境的部隊集結對峙,因為西方國家加強了他們高風險的外交努力,以避免歐洲的公開衝突。
With tensions soaring, the United States has declared itself ready to push back against any "disinformation" Moscow put forward in what is expected to be one of the most closely watched United Nations sessions in years. 隨著緊張局勢的飆升,美國已宣佈準備反擊莫斯科在預計將是多年來最受關注的聯合國會議之一中提出的任何「虛假資訊」。
The US-requested Council meeting, at 1600 GMT, comes as fears grow of an imminent incursion into Ukraine, despite Kremlin denials. 美國要求在格林尼治標準時間1600點召開的安理會會議之際,儘管克裡姆林宮否認,但人們對即將入侵烏克蘭的擔憂日益加劇。
Russia was expected to try to block the 15-member Council from holding the meeting at all - with its envoy to the UN on Monday calling it part of a US bid to whip up "hysteria" over Ukraine. 預計俄羅斯將試圖阻止由15個成員組成的理事會舉行會議 - 其駐聯合國特使週一稱這是美國試圖煽動烏克蘭"歇斯底裡"的一部分。Source article: https://features.ltn.com.tw/english/article/paper/1494094 ; https://features.ltn.com.tw/english/article/paper/1499125
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Topic: Enemy at the gates: The background to the Ukraine crisis
At the core of the Ukraine crisis is a puzzle: Why would Russian President Vladimir Putin push Europe to the brink of war to demand the West not do something that it has no plan to do anyway? Russia says NATO, the American-led alliance that has on its hands the biggest European crisis in decades, must never offer membership to Ukraine, which gained independence as the Soviet Union broke apart about 30 years ago. Ukraine has long aspired to join NATO, but the alliance is not about to offer an invitation, due in part to Ukraine’s official corruption, shortcomings in its defense establishment and lack of control over its international borders. 烏克蘭危機的核心是一個謎:為什麼俄羅斯總統弗拉基米爾·普京(Vladimir Putin)要把歐洲推向戰爭的邊緣,要求西方不要做一些它無論如何都沒有計劃做的事情?俄羅斯表示,北約是美國領導的聯盟,幾十年來最大的歐洲危機,絕不能向烏克蘭提供成員資格,烏克蘭在大約30年前蘇聯解體時獲得了獨立。烏克蘭長期以來一直渴望加入北約,但該聯盟不打算發出邀請,部分原因是烏克蘭官員腐敗,國防機構存在缺陷以及缺乏對其國際邊界的控制。
Putin’s demands go beyond the question of Ukraine’s association with NATO, but that link is central to his complaint that the West has pushed him to the limits of his patience by edging closer to Russian borders. He asserts that NATO expansion years ago has enhanced its security at the expense of Russia’s. 普京的要求超出了烏克蘭與北約的聯繫問題,但這種聯繫是他抱怨西方通過靠近俄羅斯邊境將他推向耐心極限的核心。他斷言,北約多年前的擴張以犧牲俄羅斯為代價加強了其安全。
Why is Putin worried about Ukraine joining NATO? The stated reason is that a further eastward expansion of NATO would pose a security threat to Russia. Washington and its allies deny this is a valid worry, since no NATO country is threatening to use force against Russia. 普京為什麼擔心烏克蘭加入北約?聲明的原因是北約進一步東擴將對俄羅斯構成安全威脅。華盛頓及其盟國否認這是一個合理的擔憂,因為沒有北約國家威脅要對俄羅斯使用武力。
More broadly, Putin wants NATO to pull back its existing military presence in Eastern Europe, which includes a regularly rotating series of exercises in Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia, all former Soviet states. 更廣泛地說,普京希望北約撤回其在東歐的現有軍事存在,其中包括在立陶宛,拉脫維亞和愛沙尼亞等所有前蘇聯省份定期輪換的一系列演習。
Putin also opposes NATO’s missile defense presence in Romania, a former Soviet satellite state, and a similar base under development in Poland, saying they could be converted to offensive weapons capable of threatening Russia. 普京還反對北約在前蘇聯衛星國羅馬尼亞的導彈防禦存在,以及在波蘭正在開發的類似基地,稱它們可以轉化為能夠威脅俄羅斯的進攻性武器。
Ukraine has deep historical and cultural ties to Russia, and Putin has repeatedly asserted that Russians and Ukrainians are “one people.” He has said that large chunks of Ukrainian territory are historical parts of Russia that were arbitrarily granted to Ukraine by communist leaders under the Soviet Union. 烏克蘭與俄羅斯有著深厚的歷史和文化聯繫,普京一再斷言俄羅斯人和烏克蘭人是"一個民族"。他曾說過,烏克蘭的大部分領土是俄羅斯的歷史部分,是蘇聯領導下的共產主義領導人任意授予烏克蘭的。
Putin’s own actions, however, have served to strengthen Ukrainians’ sense of national identity. After Russia seized the Crimean Peninsula and instigated a rebellion in eastern Ukraine in 2014, Ukraine’s desire to align itself with the West and join NATO only grew. 然而,普京自己的行動有助於加強烏克蘭人的民族認同感。在俄羅斯佔領克里米亞半島並於2014年在烏克蘭東部煽動叛亂后,烏克蘭與西方結盟並加入北約的願望只會增長。Source article: https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/lang/archives/2022/02/15/2003773113
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Topic: In Europe, Doors Shut to Mideast Migrants Are Flung Open for Ukrainians
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has pushed tens of thousands of people out of their homes and fleeing across borders to escape violence. But unlike the refugees who have flooded Europe in crises over the past decade, they are being welcomed. 俄羅斯對烏克蘭的入侵已將數萬人趕出家園,並越過邊境逃離暴力。但與過去十年來湧入歐洲危機的難民不同,他們受到了歡迎。
Countries that have for years resisted taking in refugees from wars in Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan are now opening their doors to Ukrainians as Russian forces carry out a nationwide military assault. More than 2.4 million refugees have left Ukraine, according to United Nations estimates, and at least half of them have crowded onto trains, jammed highways or walked to get across their country’s borders in what officials warn could become the world’s next refugee crisis. 多年來一直拒絕接收來自敘利亞,伊拉克和阿富汗戰爭的難民的國家現在正在向烏克蘭人敞開大門,因為俄羅斯軍隊在全國範圍內進行軍事攻擊。據聯合國估計,已有超過240萬難民離開烏克蘭,其中至少有一半擠在火車上,堵塞高速公路或步行到烏克蘭。越過他們國家的邊界,官員們警告說,這可能成為世界上下一個難民危機。
U.N. and U.S. officials described their concerted diplomatic push for Ukraine’s neighbors and other European nations to respond to the outpouring of need. President Joe Biden “is certainly prepared” to accept refugees from Ukraine, Jen Psaki, the White House press secretary, said Thursday, but she noted that the majority of them would probably choose to remain in Europe so they could more easily return home once the fighting ended. 聯合國和美國官員描述了他們協調一致的外交努力,要求烏克蘭的鄰國和其他歐洲國家應對大量的需求。 白宮新聞秘書珍·普薩基(Jen Psaki)週四表示,總統喬·拜登(Joe Biden)"當然準備"接受來自烏克蘭的難民,但她指出,他們中的大多數人可能會選擇留在歐洲,這樣一旦戰鬥結束,他們就可以更容易地返回家園。
That means thousands will end up in countries led by nationalist governments that in past crises have been reluctant to welcome refugees or even blocked them. 這意味著成千上萬的人最終將進入由民族主義政府領導的國家,這些國家在過去危機中一直不願歡迎難民,甚至不願阻止他們。
In Poland, government officials assisted by American soldiers and diplomats have set up processing centers for Ukrainians. The Polish government is spending hundreds of millions of dollars on a border wall, a project it began after refugees and migrants from the Middle East tried to reach the country last year but ended up marooned in neighboring Belarus. 在波蘭,政府官員在美國士兵和外交官的協助下,為烏克蘭人建立了處理中心。波蘭政府正在花費數億美元修建邊境牆,該專案始於去年來自中東的難民和移民試圖到達該國,但最終被困在鄰國白俄羅斯。
The military in Hungary is allowing in Ukrainians through sections of the border that had been closed. Hungary’s hard-line prime minister, Viktor Orban, has previously called refugees a threat to his country, and his government has been accused of caging and starving them. 匈牙利軍方允許烏克蘭人通過已經關閉的部分邊界。匈牙利強硬派總理維克多·歐爾班(Viktor Orban)此前曾稱難民是對其國家的威脅,他的政府被指控將他們關在籠子里,使他們挨餓。
Farther west, Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer said that “of course we will take in refugees if necessary” in light of the crisis in Ukraine. 在更遠的西部,奧地利總理卡爾·內哈默爾(Karl Nehammer)表示,鑒於烏克蘭的危機,"如有必要,我們當然會接納難民"。
As recently as last fall, when he was serving as interior minister, Nehammer sought to block some Afghans seeking refuge after the Taliban overthrew the government in Kabul. 就在去年秋天,當他擔任內政部長時,內哈默爾試圖阻止一些阿富汗人在塔利班推翻喀布爾政府后尋求庇護。Source article: https://udn.com/news/story/6904/6158664
每日英語跟讀 Ep.K448: What to know about ‘buy now, pay later’
Since the start of the pandemic, the option to “buy now, pay later’” has skyrocketed in popularity, especially among young and low-income consumers who may not have ready access to traditional credit. If you shop online for clothes or furniture, sneakers or concert tickets, you’ve seen the option at checkout to break the cost into smaller installments over time. Companies like Afterpay, Affirm, Klarna, and Paypal all offer the service, with Apple due to enter the market later this year. 自疫情開始以來,「先買後付」的選項變得大受歡迎,尤其對可能無法獲得傳統信貸的年輕及低收入消費者而言更是如此。若上網購買衣服或家具、運動鞋或音樂會門票,會在結帳時看到分期付款的選項。Afterpay、Affirm、Klarna和Paypal等公司都提供這種服務,Apple將於今年稍晚進軍此市場。
But with economic instability rising, so are delinquencies. Here is what you should know: 但隨著經濟不穩定的狀況加劇,拖欠率也在上升。以下是該知道的幾件事:
HOW DOES BUY NOW, PAY LATER WORK? 「先買後付」如何運作?
Branded as “interest-free loans,” buy now, pay later services require you to download an app, link a bank account or debit or credit card, and sign up to pay in weekly or monthly installments. Scheduled payments are then automatically deducted from your account or charged to your card. The services generally don’t charge you more than you would have paid up front, meaning there’s technically no interest, so long as you make the payments on time. 被「先買後付」標榜「無息貸款」,要求使用者下載應用程式,綁定銀行帳戶或借記卡,或者信用卡,並註冊以每週或每月分期付款。然後,預定的付款會自動從您的帳戶中扣除或記入您的卡。這些服務通常不會收取比您之前所付款項更多的費用,這表示只要您按時付款,從技術上來講是沒有利息的。
But if you pay late, you may be subject to a flat fee or a fee calculated as a percentage of the total you owe. If you miss multiple payments, you may be shut out from using the service in the future, and the delinquency could hurt your credit score. 但若逾期付款,可能會需要支付一筆金額固定的費用,或是按欠款總額百分比所計算的費用。如果有多筆款項未繳,未來可能無法使用該服務,且拖欠可能有損您的信用評分。
ARE MY PURCHASES PROTECTED? 我的購買有保障嗎?
In the US, buy now, pay later services are not currently covered by the Truth in Lending Act, which regulates credit cards and other types of loans (those paid back in more than four installments). 在美國,「先買後付」服務目前並不在《誠實貸款法》的管轄範圍內,該法所監管的是信用卡和其他類型的貸款(分四期以上還款的借貸)。
That means you could find it more difficult to settle disputes with merchants, return items, or get your money back in cases of fraud. Companies can offer protections, but they don’t have to. 這表示您可能會發現要解決與商家的糾紛、退貨,或遇到詐欺要把錢取回來會更難。公司可以提供保障,但並無此義務。
WHY DO RETAILERS OFFER BUY NOW, PAY LATER? 零售商為何提供「先買後付」?
Retailers accept the backend fees of buy now, pay later services because the products increase cart sizes. When shoppers are given the option to pay off purchases in installments, they’re more likely to buy more goods in one go. 零售商接受先買後付的後端費用,因為先買後付增加了顧客的購物量。若購物者有分期付款的選項,就更可能一次購買更多商品。
WHO SHOULD USE BUY NOW, PAY LATER? 誰該使用「先買後付」?
If you have the ability to make all payments on time, buy now, pay later loans are a relatively healthy, interest-free form of consumer credit. 若您有能力按時支付所有款項,現在購買,以後支付貸款是一種相對健康、免息的消費信貸形式。
But if you’re looking to build your credit score, and you’re able to make payments on time, a credit card is a better choice. The same goes if you want strong legal protections from fraud, and clear, centralized reporting of loans. 但是,如果您希望建立自己的信用評分,且有能力按時付款,那麼信用卡會是更好的選擇;若您想要強有力的法律保障以避免詐欺,以及清楚、集中的借貸報告,也是如此。
If you’re uncertain whether you’ll be able to make payments on time, consider whether the fees charged by buy now, pay later companies will add up to higher charges than the penalties and interest a credit card company or other lender would charge. 如果您不確定是否能按時付款,請考慮先買後付公司所收取的費用是否會比信用卡公司或其他貸方收取的罰款和利息加起來更高。Source article: https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/lang/archives/2022/09/20/2003785582
每日英語跟讀 Ep.K449: Passage of Climate Bill Sparks a Surge in Clean Energy Projects
In the weeks since President Joe Biden signed a comprehensive climate bill devised to spur investment in electric cars and clean energy, corporations have announced a series of big-ticket projects to produce the kind of technology the legislation aims to promote. 自從美國總統拜登簽署一項全面性氣候法案,擬定刺激電動車和潔淨能源投資,數周以來企業已宣布一系列大規模計畫,大量研發法案設定要推廣的科技。
Toyota said it would invest an additional $2.5 billion in a factory in North Carolina to produce batteries for electric cars and hybrids. Honda and LG Energy Solution announced a joint venture to build a $4.4 billion battery factory at a location to be named. 豐田說,將在北卡羅來納州一間製造電動車和油電車電池的工廠,追加投資25億美元。本田和愛爾集新能源宣布一項合資案,以44億美元建造電池工廠,地點之後公布。
Piedmont Lithium, a mining company, said it would build a plant in Tennessee to process lithium for batteries, helping to ease America’s dependence on Chinese refineries — a key aim of the Biden administration. First Solar, a big solar panel manufacturer, said it would invest up to $1.2 billion to build its fourth factory in the United States, probably somewhere in the Southeast, largely because of renewable energy incentives in the climate bill. 礦業公司Piedmont Lithium說,將在田納西州建造工廠,加工用於電池的鋰,協助減少美國對中國精煉廠的依賴,這是拜登政府的一項主要目標。大型太陽能板製造商第一太陽能說,將投資高達12億美元,在美國建造第四座工廠,可能將在東南部,主因是氣候法案中的再生能源獎勵措施。
But those projects also illustrate how much work remains to be done. Factories take time to build, and until then electric vehicles are likely to remain scarce and expensive. Toyota’s factory in North Carolina and Honda’s venture with LG will not produce batteries until 2025. 但那些計畫也闡明了有多少工作等待完成。工廠要花時間建造,直到完工前,電動車可能仍然稀少且昂貴。豐田的北卡工廠和本田與愛爾集新能源的合資案,直到2025年才會開始製造電池。
Some of the projects were in the works before the federal legislation passed, and before California added an extra push by banning sales of new gasoline cars by 2035. The big climate bill, the Inflation Reduction Act, is the latest in a series of policy moves and geopolitical developments that have pushed automakers and suppliers to invest in the United States. The trade war with China, disruption of supply chains by the pandemic, changes in free-trade agreements with Canada and Mexico, and the bipartisan infrastructure law last year have all had a powerful impact on where companies decide to build factories. 這些計畫中的一些,早在聯邦法案通過前就已經開始作業了,並且也在加州追加「2035年之前禁止銷售新汽油車」的法令之前。這項巨大的氣候法案「降低通膨法」是一系列政治動作和地緣政治發展的最新舉措,催促汽車製造商和供應商在美國投資。和中國的貿易戰,疫情造成的供應鏈中斷,與加拿大及墨西哥的自由貿易協定更動,以及去年兩黨通過的基礎建設法案,全都對企業決定建造工廠有著強大影響。
At a time of economic uncertainty, the legislation gives companies more confidence that they can earn a return on their bets. The investments serve as affirmation of political leaders’ intent: to further accelerate America’s transition away from fossil fuels and to reduce dependence on foreign suppliers, especially those in China. 在經濟不確定的時期,這項立法讓企業更有信心,認為他們的賭注能有回報。這些投資對於政治領袖的意圖如同一種肯定,更進一步加速美國從化石燃料轉型,並且減少對於外國供應商的依賴,特別是中國。
Investment in renewable energy will total $1.2 trillion by 2035, analysts at Wood Mackenzie estimate, substantially more than would have been the case without the legislation. 伍德麥肯茲公司分析師估計,2035年之前投資再生能源總額將達到1.2兆美元,比沒有這項立法的情況下多很多。Source article: https://udn.com/news/story/6904/6636221
每日英語跟讀 Ep.K450: About Mexico - In age-old ritual, Mexican mayor weds alligator to secure abundance
A small town Mexican mayor married his alligator bride in a colorful ceremony as traditional music rang out and revelers danced while imploring the indigenous leader to seal the nuptials with a kiss. 墨西哥一個小鎮市長在一場多采多姿的儀式中,迎娶了他的鱷魚新娘,現場演奏傳統音樂、狂歡者翩翩起舞,同時懇求這位原住民領袖用一個吻來為婚禮封印。
San Pedro Huamelula Mayor Victor Hugo Sosa obliged more than once during Thursday’s wedding, bending down to plant his lips on the small alligator’s snout, which had been tied shut presumably to avoid unwanted biting. 在週四的婚禮上,聖.佩德羅.瓦米魯拉的市長維克多.雨果.索薩不只一次答應要求,彎腰把嘴唇湊上這隻小鱷魚的鼻子,而小鱷魚的鼻子被緊緊綁住,大概是為了避免不必要的咬傷。
The ritual marriage likely dates back centuries to pre-Hispanic times among Oaxaca state’s Chontal and Huave indigenous communities, like a prayer pleading for nature’s bounty. 在墨西哥瓦哈卡州Chontal及Huave的原住民社會中,這種婚禮儀式就像是一個祈禱,祈求大自然的恩賜,可能可以追溯好幾個世紀,一直到前西班牙時代。
Oaxaca, located in Mexico’s poor south, is arguably the country’s richest in indigenous culture and home to many groups that have stubbornly maintained their languages and traditions. 瓦哈卡州位在墨西哥貧窮的南部地區,可說是墨國原住民文化最豐富的地區,也是許多堅持維護他們的語言和傳統的群體的家鄉。
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In Mexico, those searching for missing relatives can vanish too 在墨西哥,尋找失蹤親友的人也會跟著消失
70-years-old Maria Herrera is scraping at the earth on a hill in the town of Huitzuco, in southern Mexico, looking for the mounds that indicate a decaying corpse. 70歲的瑪莉亞.赫雷拉在墨西哥南部威特蘇科鎮的山上四處挖掘,希望找到代表埋有腐爛屍體的土堆。
Digging in the dirt with a group of 100 other activists in the violent state of Guerrero, she wants to find her four missing son. 在暴力事件頻傳的格雷羅州,赫雷拉與100名行動人士一起挖土,想要找到4名失蹤的兒子。
More than 40,000 people are missing in Mexico, which has been swept by a wave of violence since the government declared war on the country’s powerful drug cartels in 2006. 2006年,墨西哥政府向勢力龐大的販毒集團宣戰後,這個國家就被暴力事件肆虐,目前已有逾4萬人失蹤。
At first, Herrera and her husband used the profits gained by selling household goods door to door to launch gold exchange business, which involved traveling the country to buy and sell gold. 起初,赫雷拉和丈夫用挨家挨戶賣居家用品的收入,展開黃金兌換生意,包括全國走透透買賣黃金。
They did not realize a bloody cartel turf war was just breaking out in the state. They believe a local cartel mistook the brothers, Jesus and Raul, for members of a rival group and were captured. Two more brothers started looking for them but disappeared too. 但他們沒料到,一場腥風血雨的毒梟地盤之爭已在國內爆發。他們相信,自家兒子赫塞斯和羅爾,是被一個地方販毒集團誤認為敵營的人,才被俘虜。另外2名兒子開始尋找兩人後,也下落不明。Source article: https://features.ltn.com.tw/english/article/paper/1539233 ; https://news.ltn.com.tw/news/world/paper/1292410
每日英語跟讀 Ep.K451: About India - Indian barber siblings turn heads into canvasses by giving unusual haircuts
In a small salon in a nondescript town in northern India, a haircut is not just a trim or a crew cut but an opportunity to get some art embossed on the back of your head. 在印度北部一處不起眼的小鎮的一間小沙龍裡,理髮不僅僅只是修剪或是剪平頭,而是一個在你後腦杓印上一些浮凸藝術的機會。
Brothers Rajwinder Singh Sidhu and Gurwinder Singh Sidhu in Dabwali town in India’s Punjab state are now famous in their small part of the world for giving haircuts shaped in images of the customer’s choice. 印度旁遮普邦的達布瓦利鎮的拉吉溫德和古爾溫德.辛格.席德胡兄弟在他們的小地方很出名,因為他們用顧客選擇的形象打理出髮型。
From the Taj Mahal, complete with its many turrets and towers, to a lifelike portrait of pop star Michael Jackson, the brothers use a range of trimmers, scissors and pencils, among other tools, to get every minute detail of hairdos correct. 從擁有眾多高樓與塔樓的泰姬瑪哈陵,再到栩栩如生的流行歌星麥克.傑克森的肖像,這對兄弟使用一系列修剪器、剪刀和鉛筆以及許多其他工具,確保髮型的每一個微小細節都不出差錯。
From requests of images of Bollywood stars to popular sportspersons and even an impression of Mickey Mouse, the brothers’ salon is seeing a steady stream of customers who want to draw attention to themselves at social gatherings or events but do not want something lasting, like traditional tattoos. 從寶萊塢明星的照片到受歡迎的運動員,甚至是米老鼠的印象,這對兄弟的沙龍的顧客源源不絕,他們希望在社交場合或活動中吸引人們的注意,卻又不希望像傳統刺青一樣那麼持久。
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Cheetahs make a comeback in India after 70 years 絕跡70年 獵豹重返印度
Eight big cats from Namibia made the long trek Saturday in a chartered cargo flight to the northern Indian city of Gwalior, part of an ambitious and hotly contested plan to reintroduce cheetahs to the South Asian country. 週六,來自納米比亞的8隻大型貓科動物乘坐包機長途跋涉,飛往印度北部城市瓜里爾,這是將獵豹重新引進這個南亞國家的雄心勃勃且備受爭議的計畫之一環。
Then they were moved to their new home: a sprawling national park in the heart of India where scientists hope the world’s fastest land animal will roam again. 隨後牠們被移入新家:位於印度中心一座寬廣的國家公園,科學家希望這種世界上跑最快的陸地動物能再次漫遊此間。
Cheetahs were once widespread in India and became extinct in 1952 from hunting and loss of habitat. They remain the first and only predator to die out since India’s independence in 1947. India hopes importing African cheetahs will aid efforts to conserve the country’s threatened and largely neglected grasslands. 獵豹曾經在印度廣泛分佈,但在1952年因狩獵和棲息地喪失而滅絕。自1947年印度獨立以來,牠們仍然是第一種也是唯一一種滅絕的掠食動物。印度希望輸入非洲獵豹,將有助於保護該國受到威脅且在很大程度上被忽視的草原。Source article: https://features.ltn.com.tw/english/article/paper/1541845 ; https://features.ltn.com.tw/english/article/paper/1542227
This year we are seeing a rise in human trafficking scams from Cambodia. According to government data, 250 people returned and another 393 people are stuck in Cambodia. Scammers prey on people's needs and greed. From love scams to job scams, scammers target all walks of life to find the right audience. In this episode, Angel and I talk about the latest job scams from Cambodia and the different businesses they run. Have you received any scam calls before? Comment down below!
Vocabulary:
1. Scam n. v. 詐騙 Job scams are the latest way people are scammed. 工作詐騙是現在看到最新詐騙人的方法。
2. Human trafficking ring n. 人蛇集團 Human trafficking rings are now abundant in Southeast Asia. 現在人蛇集團多數都在東南亞。
3. Lure v. 吸引 More and more people are lured to Cambodia by different scams. 越來越多人被不同的詐騙吸引到柬埔寨。
A three-minute pyrotechnic spectacle took place at the Southern Branch of the National Palace Museum (NPM) at 7:30 p.m. against the backdrop of music by Wu Bai (伍佰), a rock singer-songwriter born in Chiayi. 晚上 7 點 30 分,在故宮博物院南館舉行了一場三分鐘的煙火表演。 在嘉義出生的搖滾歌手伍佰的音樂背景下。
It has been 18 years since Chiayi last hosted the National Day fireworks display. Also to be featured in the nighttime celebrations on Oct. 10 is a drone show, the first on such an occasion that will beam patterns from a giant Taiwan flag to antiques from the NPM collection. 嘉義上一次舉辦國慶煙花匯演已經18年了。 在 10 月 10 日的夜間慶祝活動中,還有一場無人機表演,這是第一次在這樣的場合展示巨大的台灣國旗到 NPM 收藏的古董的圖案。
Multiple drone spectacles have been held in the run-up to Double Ten Day as warm-up events. The key visual for this year’s National Day celebrations was unveiled earlier this month, a design underscoring “defense” amid heightened cross-strait tensions. 作為熱身活動,在雙十日前舉行了多場無人機盛會。 今年國慶慶典的主視覺圖於本月初揭曉,該設計強調了兩岸緊張局勢加劇的“防禦”。
Pizza Hut Halloween pizza
Pizza Hut Taiwan, which has made its name after introducing a series of exotic and peculiar flavors in recent years, on Tuesday (Oct. 4) announced its new Halloween flavor for 2022: tangyuan garlic chicken. 台灣必勝客,因近年推出一系列異域奇特風味而名聲大噪,週二(10月4日)公佈了2022年萬聖節新口味:湯圓蒜香雞。
The pie features ten large tangyuans decorated to look like eyeballs on the pizza crust as well as a ‘spider web’ made of black-colored Caesar sauce on its surface. In a Facebook post, Pizza Hut Taiwan wrote, “Please beware, this party might be so scary that everyone’s eyes pop out.” 餡餅有十個大湯圓,在披薩皮上裝飾得像眼球,還有一個由黑色凱撒醬製成的“蜘蛛網”。 台灣必勝客在臉書上寫道:“請注意,這個派對可能會嚇到所有人的眼睛。”
According to the company, the pizza’s ingredients include chicken slowly stewed with fresh clams, garlic from local farmers in Yunlin, as well as sesame tangyuan. From the salt used in the clam chicken soup to the garlic, to the glutenous rice used to make tangyuan, are all used to ward off evil in various cultures. Pizza Hut Taiwan wrote that zombies and ghouls would be willing to risk “ascending” for the taste. 據該公司介紹,披薩的原料包括用新鮮蛤蜊慢燉的雞肉、雲林當地農民的大蒜以及芝麻湯圓。 從蛤蜊雞湯的鹽到大蒜,再到製作湯圓的糯米,在各種文化中都被用來辟邪。 台灣必勝客寫道,殭屍和食屍鬼願意冒險“攀登”以換取口味。
隨堂考 QUIZZ
How many years ago did Chiayi last host the National Day fireworks?
What is used as eye-balls and spider webs on the pizza?
Topic: Modi warns bitcoin could ’spoil’ young Indians
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday warned that bitcoin presents a risk to younger generations, sounding a hawkish tone as his government prepares to introduce legislation to regulate cryptocurrencies. 在他的政府準備立法規範加密貨幣之際,印度總理莫迪週四發出強硬論調,警告比特幣會對較年輕世代帶來風險。
Speaking at an online cybersecurity forum, Modi framed virtual money as a domain that needs to be closely policed. 莫迪在一場網路安全線上論壇發表談話,將虛擬貨幣稱為需要密切監管的領域。
"Take cryptocurrency or bitcoin, for example," he told a forum hosted by the Australian Strategic Policy Institute. "It is important that all democratic nations work together on this and ensure it does not end up in the wrong hands, which can spoil our youths." 「以加密貨幣或比特幣為例」,他告訴「澳洲戰略政策研究所」舉辦的一場論壇,「重要的是,所有民主國家在這方面共同努力,確保加密貨幣不會落入錯誤的人手裡,那樣有可能毀掉我們的年輕人。」
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An Indian couple is under investigation over a chartered flight linked to their wedding 一對印度夫妻因婚禮包機而遭調查 The authorities in southern India are investigating a couple who are reported to have chartered a plane and performed a marriage ritual in midair in front of scores of guests, a breach of Covid-19 guidelines in a country that is being devastated by a second wave of the coronavirus. 印度南部當局正在調查一對被舉報包下一架飛機並在數十名賓客面前舉行空中婚禮的夫妻,此舉違反這個正飽受第二波疫情襲擊的國家的武漢肺炎防疫指引。
The couple had intended to tie the knot in front of family and friends at a hotel in the southern state of Tamil Nadu, but coronavirus restrictions capped the guest list at 50 people. 這對夫妻原本打算在親友的見證下於南部泰米爾納德邦的一家飯店共結連理,但疫情限制規定賓客人數上限50人。
Instead, according to reports in the Indian news media, the couple chartered a commercial aircraft and boarded the plane on Sunday morning along with about 160 people. 根據印度新聞媒體的報導,這對夫妻因而改包下一架民航機,並於週日一早與大約160名賓客登機。Source article: https://features.ltn.com.tw/english/article/paper/1491482; https://features.ltn.com.tw/english/article/paper/1489242
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Topic: Water-Stressed India Seeks a Tap for Every Home
The pipes are laid, the taps installed and the village tank is under construction — all promising signs that, come spring, Girja Ahriwar will get water at her doorstep and finally shed a lifelong burden. 管子鋪好,水龍頭裝好,村子的水槽正在建造。這些充滿希望的跡象顯示,春季來臨時,吉爾嘉.艾里瓦可以在家門口取到水,而且終於解除長期以來的負擔。
“I go out and put the jerrycans in the queue at around 5 a.m. and wait there with the children,” Ahriwar, a mother of three who lives in the central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh, said about her routine of fetching from the village hand pump. “Sometimes it could take five or six hours. I have to stay there because if I leave, someone else moves ahead.” 「我大約在清晨5時出門,把大水桶排進隊伍,然後和孩子們一起等待」,住在印度中部中央邦、三個孩子的媽艾里瓦說,她的例行公事就是從村子的手動泵浦取水,「有時候得花五或六個小時,我必須一直留在這裡,因為如果我離開了,其他人就會搶先往前」。
India, one of the world’s most water-stressed countries, is halfway through an ambitious drive to provide clean tap water by 2024 to all of the roughly 192 million households across its 600,000 villages. About 18,000 government engineers are overseeing the $50 billion undertaking, which includes hundreds of thousands of contractors and laborers who are laying more than 2.5 million miles of pipe. 印度是全世界用水最吃緊的國家之一,在2024年之前提供60萬個村落共約1億9200萬戶乾淨自來水,這項宏大的計畫已進行到一半。約1萬8000名政府工程師監督規模500億美元的工程,包括數十萬名包商和工人,鋪設超過250萬哩的水管。
The project has a powerful champion in Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who has slashed through India’s notorious red tape and pushed aside thorny political divisions to see it through. His success thus far helps explain his dominance over the country’s political landscape. 這項計畫有個有力的擁護者:總理莫迪,他打破印度惡名昭彰的官僚作風,把棘手的政治分歧暫放一邊,推動計畫。目前為止他的成功也顯示他在這個國家政治版圖的主導力。
Modi has remained popular despite a weak economy and a bungled initial response to the coronavirus that left hundreds of thousands dead. He has increasingly relied on communal politics, continuing to consolidate a Hindu nationalist base he has worked for decades to rally. 即使經濟疲弱,且一開始對新冠病毒的笨拙反應造成數十萬人死亡,莫迪仍舊廣得人心。他日漸依賴宗教團體式政治,持續鞏固印度教國族主義基本盤,他投注數十年整合這些勢力。
But the mission to deliver water to every household combines two of Modi’s political strengths: his grasp of the day-to-day problems of hundreds of millions of India’s poor and his penchant for ambitious solutions. Modi, who grew up in a poor village, has spoken emotionally about his own mother’s hardship in fetching water. 不過,將水送到所有家戶的任務,結合莫迪的兩個政治力量:他對印度數億貧窮人口日常問題的理解,以及喜好採取極具雄心的解決方案。在貧窮村莊長大的莫迪,曾充滿感情的談到母親以前取水的困難。
About one-sixth of India’s households had a clean water tap when the program, called Jal Jeevan Mission, began in 2019. Now, almost half have one. 當這個「水生活任務」2019年開始時,印度家戶有潔淨自來水者約六分之一。現在,幾乎一半。
“You rarely have this drive from the government, the head of state, and it is well funded. Behind the concept, there is budget,” said Nicolas Osbert, who leads the UNICEF water and sanitation unit in India. “All social sectors were impacted by COVID. Not this one. This one was preserved.” 「你很少能從政府或國家領袖獲得這種推動力,而且資金充裕。在這個概念後面,重點是預算」,聯合國兒童基金會印度分部水資源和衛生主管歐斯柏特說,「所有社福單位都遭遇新冠病毒衝擊,但這個沒有,這個計畫保留下來」。
The country’s water problem speaks to the mismatch between its global economic ambitions and the dire conditions of much of its 1.4 billion population, two-thirds of whom still live in rural areas. 這個國家的用水問題顯示,其全球經濟野心和14億人口中許多人的悲慘情況,頗不相配。印度人口三分之二住在鄉村地區。Source article: https://udn.com/news/story/6904/6034821
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Topic: India’s Harnaaz Sandhu is crowned Miss Universe 2021
Harnaaz Sandhu of India was crowned Miss Universe 2021 on Sunday, marking the end of a controversial pageant hosted in southern Israel. 印度的哈娜茲‧桑德胡週日加冕成為2021年環球小姐,為這場在以色列南部舉行且爭議不斷的選美比賽劃下句點。
The pageant was held in the resort city of Eilat, with 80 women from around the world competing for the crown. Sunday night was the last day of the competition, with eliminations narrowing down the number of finalists until the last two remained. 這場選美賽在以國度假城市埃拉特舉行,有來自世界各地的80位佳麗爭奪后冠。週日晚間是比賽最後一天,決賽人數一路縮減至最後只剩下2人。
Nadia Ferreira of Paraguay and Lalela Mswane of South Africa were the first and second runners-up, respectively. 巴拉圭的娜蒂亞‧費瑞拉與南非的拉蕾拉‧恩史旺分別為亞軍與季軍。
The South African government withdrew its support and called on Mswane to drop out, citing Israeli treatment of Palestinians, calling it "apartheid," a charge Israel has vehemently denied. 南非政府曾撤回對這場選美賽的支持,並呼籲恩史旺退賽,理由是以色列對待巴勒斯坦人的方式有如「種族隔離」,但以國政府怒駁該指控。
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Topic: Elephants in India enjoy fruit feast ahead of World Elephant Day 印度大象在「世界大象日」前享用水果大餐
After an evening walk under overcast skies with rains not far away, elephants rescued from circuses and temples in India are treated to a feast of their favorite fruits and vegetables to celebrate World Elephant Day, which falls on Aug. 12. 在某一個烏雲密布、雨勢逼近的晚上步行之後,從馬戲團和寺廟中獲救的印度大象,被請吃一頓牠們最愛的蔬果大餐,慶祝8月12日的「世界大象日」。
A lavish spread of watermelons, bananas, papayas and pumpkins is laid out for the Asian elephants at a sanctuary near the banks of the Yamuna River. 大量的西瓜、香蕉、木瓜和南瓜被放置在這些亞洲象面前,地點位於靠近亞穆納河河堤的一處庇護所。
Most of the 28 elephants at the center suffer from chronic illness and various ailments ranging from abscesses, cataracts, blindness and joint pain, the result of years of abuse in captivity. 該庇護所的28頭大象中,大部分都有慢性疾病和各種病痛,包括膿瘡、白內障、失明和關節疼痛,那是長年被囚禁的後果。
The number of wild Asiatic elephants, primarily found in India and parts of South and Southeast Asia, has fallen to under 50,000, just 15% of its historic average, according to the World Wide Fund for Nature. 根據世界自然基金會,主要生活在印度、部分南亞和東南亞地區的亞洲象,數量已降至5萬頭以下,僅歷史平均數量的15%。Source article: https://features.ltn.com.tw/english/article/paper/1501152 ; https://news.ltn.com.tw/news/world/paper/1467645
每日英語跟讀 Ep.K452: A quick look at the 2022 Nobel Prizes
All the 2022 Nobel Prizes have now been announced. Here’s a look at which prizes have been announced, and what’s next for the winners. 二〇二二年諾貝爾獎所有獎項得主已經宣佈。以下是所公布的獎項,以及獲獎者的下一步。
MEDICINE The medicine or physiology prize is by tradition the first Nobel to be announced. This year’s award went to Swedish scientist Svante Paabo for discoveries about human evolution achieved through analyses of the DNA of Neanderthals and other ancient relatives of modern humans. 醫學獎 按照傳統,醫學或生理學獎是第一個公布的諾貝爾獎。今年的獎項授予瑞典科學家斯萬特‧帕博,以表彰他透過分析尼安德塔人及其他現代人類遠古親屬之DNA,對人類進化所得到的發現。
PHYSICS The Nobel Prize in Physics was awarded Tuesday last week to Frenchman Alain Aspect, American John F. Clauser and Austrian Anton Zeilinger. The trio shared the prize for discovering the way that particles known as photons can be linked, or ``entangled’’ with each other, even when they are separated by large distances.
CHEMISTRY The Nobel Prize in Chemistry was jointly awarded on Wednesday last week to Americans Carolyn R. Bertozzi and K. Barry Sharpless and Danish scientist Morten Meldal for their work on click chemistry, a field of research that can be used to design better medicines. Sharpless is a repeat winner: He won the chemistry prize also in 2001. 化學獎 諾貝爾化學獎於上週三聯合授予美國籍的凱洛琳‧柏托西、卡爾‧巴里‧沙普利斯,以及丹麥科學家莫滕‧莫代爾,以表彰他們在點擊化學方面的研究,點擊化學可用來設計更好的藥物。沙普利斯並非第一次得諾貝爾獎:他在二〇〇一年已獲得諾貝爾化學獎。
LITERATURE The Swedish Academy on Thursday last week gave the Nobel Prize in Literature to French writer Annie Ernaux for “the courage and clinical acuity with which she uncovers the roots, estrangements and collective restraints of personal memory.” Ernaux, 82, has written more than 20 books, most of them very short, chronicling events in her life and the lives of those around her. Her work paints uncompromising portraits of sexual encounters, abortion, illness and the deaths of her parents. 文學獎 瑞典學院上週四將諾貝爾文學獎授予法國作家安妮‧艾諾,以表彰她「以勇氣和手術般的精準,從個人記憶挖掘根源、隔閡與集體壓抑」。八十二歲的艾諾寫了超過二十本書,多數都很短,記錄她及周遭人生命中的事件。她的作品毫不妥協地描繪了性邂逅、墮胎、疾病,以及她父母的死亡。
PEACE This year’s Nobel Peace Prize was shared Friday last week by jailed Belarus rights activist Ales Bialiatski, the Russian group Memorial and the Ukrainian organization Center for Civil Liberties. The Norwegian Nobel Committee said the laureates “have made an outstanding effort to document war crimes, human right abuses and the abuse of power. Together they demonstrate the significance of civil society for peace and democracy.” The prize was seen as a strong rebuke to the authoritarian rule of Russian President Vladimir Putin. 和平獎 今年的諾貝爾和平獎得主於上週五公布,由被監禁的白俄羅斯維權人士阿列斯‧畢亞利亞茨基、俄國人權組織「紀念」,以及烏克蘭組織「公民自由中心」共同獲得。挪威諾貝爾委員會表示,獲獎者「在記錄戰爭罪、人權侵犯和權力濫用方面做出了重要的努力。它們共同彰顯了公民社會對和平及民主的重要性」。此獎項被視為對俄國總統弗拉迪米爾‧普亭獨裁統治的強烈譴責。
ECONMICS The final announcement came on Monday with the Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences, which is not an original Nobel Prize but was established by the Swedish central bank in 1968. Former US Federal Reserve Chair Ben Bernanke, who put his academic expertise on the Great Depression to work reviving the American economy after the 2007-2008 financial crisis, won the Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences along with two other US-based economists, Douglas Diamond and Philip Dybvig, for their research into the fallout from bank failures. 經濟學獎 最後宣布的獎項,是週一公佈的諾貝爾經濟學獎,最初諾貝爾獎並未有此獎項,這是瑞典中央銀行在一九六八年設立的。前美國聯準會主席班‧伯南奇在二〇〇七—二〇〇八年金融危機後,將其在大蕭條方面的學術專長用於重振美國經濟,他與另外兩位美國經濟學家──道格拉斯‧戴蒙和菲利普‧戴柏維格,對銀行倒閉之後果的研究,共同獲得諾貝爾經濟學獎。
WHAT DO THE WINNERS RECEIVE? Nobel Prize laureates are invited to receive their awards at prize ceremonies held on Dec. 10, the anniversary of award founder Alfred Nobel’s death in 1896. The prize includes a diploma, a gold medal and a monetary award of 10 million Swedish kronor (about US$900,000). The Nobel Peace Prize is handed out in the Norwegian capital, Oslo, while the other awards are presented in Stockholm, the capital of Sweden, in line with Nobel’s wishes. 諾貝爾獎得主會獲得什麼? 諾貝爾獎得主受邀出席十二月十日所舉行的頒獎典禮領獎,這是諾獎創辦人阿弗烈‧諾貝爾一八九六年逝世的紀念日。獲獎者會領到一張證書、一枚金牌和獎金一千萬瑞典克朗(約合九十萬美元)。諾貝爾和平獎在挪威首都奧斯陸頒發,其他獎項則是在瑞典首都斯德哥爾摩頒發,這是依據貝爾的意願。Source article: https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/lang/archives/2022/10/11/2003786775
每日英語跟讀 Ep.K453: While You’re Up in the Air, Dispatchers May Be Home
Two years ago, the Federal Aviation Administration allowed a handful of airlines to let some aircraft dispatchers work remotely to keep travel running smoothly as coronavirus cases ran rampant. Two carriers, Republic Airways and SkyWest Airlines, took the agency up on the offer. But critics say it is long past time to end that practice, arguing that it exposes dispatchers to disruptions and distractions, shields them from oversight and raises concerns about flight safety. 兩年前,美國聯邦航空管理局允許少數航空公司讓一些航機簽派員遠距工作,以便在新冠病例暴增情況下,保持旅行順利進行。共和以及天西兩家航空公司接受了該機構提議。但批評人士說,這種做法早該結束,他們認為這會讓簽派員受到干擾跟分心,讓他們免受監督,並引發對飛行安全的擔憂。
Dispatchers typically work from secure facilities known as airline operations centers. There, they play a crucial role, sharing operational authority over flights with pilots. Dispatchers put together comprehensive flight plans, charting routes, accounting for weather and turbulence, and ensuring that a given plane is ready and safe to fly. If an emergency arises or weather patterns change, they work with pilots to adjust course or address any problems. 簽派員通常在被稱為航空作業中心的安全設施內工作。他們在那裡發揮至關重要作用,與機長分享飛航操作權限。簽派員制定全面的飛行計畫、繪製航線圖、考量天氣和亂流,確保簽派的飛機準備就緒並能安全飛行。若出現緊急情況或天氣模式發生變化,他們會跟機長一同調整航線或解決問題。
Since first allowing dispatchers at some airlines to work remotely in the summer of 2020, the FAA has expanded the policy, permitting as many as 60% of the dispatchers at Republic to do so. SkyWest allows remote work when local coronavirus cases are high or when the airline deems it necessary, the FAA said. United Airlines was also given the option but hasn’t used it. 自2020年夏天首次允許一些航空公司簽派員遠距工作後,美國聯邦航空管理局擴大這一政策,允許共和航空多達60%簽派員遠距工作。美國聯邦航空管理局表示,天西航空也獲准在當地新冠病毒病例增多或航空公司認為有必要時,進行遠距工作。聯合航空也獲得這一選擇,但一直沒有使用。
SkyWest did not say how many dispatchers it employed; Republic said it employs more than 80. The Transport Workers Union, which has fought the FAA on the remote working practice since the beginning, estimated that about eight Republic dispatchers work from home on a typical day, managing about 150 flights. (The SkyWest dispatchers are not unionized.) 天西航空並未透露雇用多少簽派員,共和航空則稱雇用超過80人。從一開始就反對美國聯邦航空管理局遠距工作做法的運輸工人工會估計,共和航空每天約8位簽派員居家上班,管理大約150個航班。(天西航空的簽派員未加入該工會)。
The union and other critics say that while the number of dispatchers working remotely is limited, the practice sets a dangerous precedent. The Airline Dispatchers Federation, a national advocacy group composed of working dispatchers, and many experts say the job should be done only from the secure confines of an operations center. 工會及其他批評人士說,儘管遠距工作的簽派員數量有限,但這種做法開創一個危險先例。由現職簽派員組成的全國性倡議組織航空簽派員協會和許多專家說,這項工作只能在作業中心的安全區域內完成。
Republic and SkyWest defended the practice, saying that safety remains a top priority and that they have worked closely with the FAA to ensure that dispatchers who work remotely are held to high standards. 共和航空跟天西航空則為這一做法辯護,稱安全仍是首要任務,他們與美國聯邦航空管理局密切合作,以確保遠距工作的簽派員遵守高標準。
Both airlines fly typically short routes for American Airlines, Delta Air Lines and United. SkyWest also flies for Alaska Airlines. Together, they carried nearly 53 million passengers within the United States last year, according to federal data. 這兩家航空公司通常為美國航空、達美航空和聯合航空提供短程航班。天西航空也為阿拉斯加航空公司提供服務。聯邦數據顯示,這些航班去年在美國境內共運送近5300萬名乘客。Source article: https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/lang/archives/2022/10/11/2003786775
18 Oct 2022
每日英語跟讀 Ep.K454: About Netherlands - 荷蘭城市禁肉食廣告與珠寶大盜
每日英語跟讀 Ep.K454: About Netherlands - Dutch city becomes world’s first to ban meat adverts in public
A Dutch city will become the first in the world to ban meat adverts from public spaces in an effort to reduce consumption and greenhouse gas emissions. 荷蘭的一座城市將在全球率先禁止在公共場所投放肉食廣告,以減少消費和溫室氣體排放。
Haarlem, which lies to the west of Amsterdam and has a population of about 160,000, will enact the prohibition from 2024 after meat was added to a list of products deemed to contribute to the climate crisis. 位於阿姆斯特丹以西、擁有約16萬人口的哈勒姆市,將從2024年開始頒布肉食廣告禁令。此前肉食被加入導致氣候危機的產品清單。
Adverts will not be allowed on Haarlem’s buses, shelters and screens in public spaces, prompting complaints from the meat sector that the municipality is “going too far in telling people what’s best for them”. 哈勒姆市將禁止巴士、候車亭和公共場所的螢幕上出現肉食廣告,引發肉食產業的抱怨,他們聲稱市政府「在告訴人們什麼對他們最有利方面,做得太過份了。」
Recent studies suggest global food production is responsible for one-third of all planet-heating emissions, with the use of animals for meat accounting for twice the pollution of producing plant-based foods. 最近的研究指出,全球3分之1的溫室氣體排放源自世界各地的食品生產,其中養殖肉用家畜造成的污染,是生產植物性食物的2倍。
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Jewel thieves in brazen Dutch art fair heist 珠寶大盜在荷蘭藝品展上大膽行搶
Flat-cap wearing armed robbers staged a brazen daylight raid on an international art fair in the Netherlands Tuesday, smashing a jewellery case with a sledgehammer in front of terrified visitors. 戴著鴨舌帽的武裝搶匪,週二在荷蘭的一場國際藝品展上,當著一群驚恐的參觀者面前,用大榔頭砸破一個珠寶箱,在光天化日下大膽搶劫。
Police said they pulled over a car and arrested two Belgians in their twenties after the four smartly dressed thieves held up the TEFAF (The European Fine Art Fair) in the southern city of Maastricht. 警方說,這4名打扮時髦的竊賊在南部馬斯垂特的歐洲精品藝術展行搶後,警方攔下一輛車,逮捕2名20幾歲的比利時人。
Dramatic social media images showed the robbers threatening people with what appeared to be handguns before running off with an undisclosed amount of what police called "loot". 令人看了驚心動魄的社群媒體影像顯示,這批搶匪用看來是手槍的武器威脅民眾,然後帶著一批警方所稱數量不明的「掠奪品」逃之夭夭。Source article: https://features.ltn.com.tw/english/article/paper/1540909 ; https://news.ltn.com.tw/news/world/paper/1533450
每日英語跟讀 Ep.K455: About Hong Kong - Hong Kong scraps quarantine measures after economy takes a beating
Hong Kong will ditch its stringent hotel quarantine for incoming travellers(譯註:英式拼法) that has eroded the city’s status as a financial hub, hammered its economy and sparked an exodus of residents. 香港將取消針對入境旅客的嚴格的飯店檢疫措施,該措施已損及這座城市作為金融樞紐的地位、重創其經濟,以及引爆居民大舉出走。
The policy, which at one point required visitors and residents to quarantine in a hotel for as long as three weeks, had been in place for two and a half years, effectively cutting the city off from the rest of the world as well as from mainland China. 這項一度要求訪客與居民在飯店內檢疫長達3週的政策已實施2年半,有效斬斷香港與世界其他地方以及與中國大陸的聯繫。
John Lee, the city’s chief executive, said that the quarantine requirement would be eliminated from Monday, but travellers would be subject to testing and monitoring for three days after landing. 香港特區行政長官李家超表示,將自下週一起取消該檢疫要求,但旅客抵港後仍得接受篩檢與3天的醫學監測。
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Hong Kong litterbugs shamed in billboard portraits made using DNA from trash 從垃圾中找出DNA製成肖像公布令香港亂丟垃圾者蒙羞
A campaign that used DNA analysis to give a face to anonymous Hong Kong litterbugs, then posted representations of the faces on billboards across the city, has been a big hit on social media. 一項行動藉由分析去氧核醣核酸,為香港匿名的亂丟垃圾者建立一張面貌,然後將這些面貌圖像張貼在全市公告欄,已成為社群網站熱門話題。
The Face of Litter campaign was launched on Global Earth Day for the Hong Kong Cleanup Initiative, organised by online magazine Ecozine and the Nature Conservancy. It was aimed at raising awareness of the extent of littering in the city by pinpointing those responsible and encouraging people to change their behaviour. 這項「亂丟垃圾的面貌」行動是為網路雜誌「生態誌」和自然保育協會所主辦「清潔香港運動」,在世界地球日啟動,旨在透過點出該負起責任之人,提高民眾注意香港亂丟垃圾程度,鼓勵民眾改變行為。
Last year, NGO Hong Kong Cleanup rallied 418 teams for a six-week challenge that saw 3,894 tonnes of litter from streets, coastlines and country trails, according to co-founder and CEO Lisa Christensen. 根據非政府組織「清潔香港」共同創辦人暨執行長麗莎克里斯汀森說法,去年該組織號召418團隊進行六週挑戰,從街頭、岸邊和鄉村小徑撿了3894噸垃圾。
Marketing communications agency Ogilvy & Mather Hong Kong came up with the idea for the billboard campaign and enlisted US-based Parabon Nanolabs. 行銷傳播公司「香港奧美」提出這項公佈欄行動的點子,並且找來設於美國的生物科技公司「帕拉本奈米實驗室」協助。
Christensen says the purpose of the campaign was not to point fingers at specific individuals. 克里斯汀森說,這項行動的目的不是要指責特定個人。
Reed Collins, the Ogilvy chief creative officer who led the campaign, says he is not aware of any other city launching such a campaign to tackle the scourge of littering. 領導這項行動的奧美創意長柯林斯說,就他所知,沒有其他城市展開這樣的行動來處理亂丟垃圾之患。Source article: https://features.ltn.com.tw/english/article/paper/1542943 ; https://news.ltn.com.tw/news/world/paper/887382
每日英語跟讀 Ep.K456: About Norway - Ikea Norway offers help with baby names after COVID-19 boom
Have you thought about Malm, Kivik or Trotten? 你可曾想過以馬爾姆、奇維克或卓登來命名?
Swedish retailer Ikea is known for the distinctive names of its flat-pack home products. The company’s Norway branch wants to use the experience to help parents. 瑞典家具零售商宜家家居的組合式家具,因擁有特殊名字而出名。挪威分公司希望運用這個經驗幫助天下父母。
Ikea Norway has built "a name bank" with more than 800 listings available on its website. The names are drawn from ones Ikea has given to its furniture since 1948. 挪威宜家家居已創建「名字銀行」網站,收錄超過800組名字,而這些名字都是該公司1948年後為家具產品取的名字。
Ikea usually names its products after Swedish towns, lakes and other geographical features instead of product numbers. 宜家家居經常以瑞典城鎮、湖泊和其他地理特徵為產品命名,而非使用編號。
The branch noted that while retailers saw both a shortage of raw materials and challenges with delivery times during the COVID-19 pandemic, "there is at least no shortage of children" in Norway. 挪威分公司提到,雖然零售業者在新冠肺炎期間遭遇原料短缺和配送時間挑戰,「但在挪威至少沒出現缺少小孩的狀況。」
Norway registered the births of 56,060 babies last year, or 3,081 more than in 2020. 挪威去年增加5萬6060名新生兒,比2020年多3081名。
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Norway tells conscripts to return underwear after service 挪威要士兵服役結束後歸還內衣褲
Conscripts in Norway have been ordered to return their underwear, bras and socks after the end of their military service so that the next group of recruits can use them. 挪威下令義務役人員在役期結束後歸還內衣褲、胸罩和襪子,以便下一梯次可以使用。
The Norwegian military said that it is struggling with dwindling supplies, in part due to the pandemic. 挪威軍方說,他們正苦於庫存減少的狀況,部分原因是疫情造成。
Until recently, the roughly 8,000 young men and women who every year do their military service returned their outer clothing but were allowed to leave barracks with the underwear and socks they were issued. 此前,每年約8000名年輕男、女性在服完兵役後,都被要求歸還外衣,但可以帶著獲配發的內衣褲和襪子離開軍營。
Military service is mandatory for both men and women in Norway and lasts between 12 and 19 months. 挪威的男、女性都有義務當兵,役期介於12至19個月之間。
NATO-member Norway’s national defense magazine, Forsvarets Forum, reported that it was not the first time that the Armed Forces had struggled with such shortcomings, with a spokesman saying it "has been a recurring problem" for years. 挪威是北大西洋公約組織(NATO)成員,其國防期刊Forsvarets Forum報導,這不是挪威軍隊第一次遭遇物品短缺,一名發言人還表示,這是多年來不斷發生的問題。Source article: https://features.ltn.com.tw/english/article/paper/1541446 ; https://news.ltn.com.tw/news/world/paper/1516836
21 Oct 2022
15Mins Live Podcast - 換句話說系列 – 最好與危險還有什麼其他說法Other ways to say “Best” and “Dangerous”
Topic: Cambodia to ban elephant rides at Angkor Wat temples
柬埔寨的世界文化遺產吳哥窟每年都吸引數百萬國內外觀光客造訪,其中許多很多遊客會選擇騎大象遊覽園區,這項服務多年來一直招受批評,批評者認為利用動物大賺觀光財是相當殘酷也不人道的。面對一波波討伐聲浪,負責管理園區的吳哥暨暹羅地區保護管理局(Aspar Authority)上週五宣布,將在明年初起全面禁止吳哥窟園區騎大象遊園的服務。 Cambodia will ban elephant rides at Angkor Wat temples by early next year in response to pressure from animal groups, a spokesperson of the Aspar Authority said last week. The Angkor Wat temple complex attracts millions of tourists each year. In 2018 for instance, the number of tourists topped six million, and many of them enjoyed elephant rides around the temples, according to Agence France-Presse (AFP). Against this backdrop, animal rights groups have expressed concerns at the risk of mistreating animals.
美聯社報導,三年前,一頭在吳哥窟工作的母象,因為不堪在酷暑中長時間工作而導致心臟衰竭,最終死亡。母象的死亡在社交媒體上引起輿論撻伐,民眾更在網站change.org聯署請願管理局停止大象騎乘服務。 The death of a female elephant in 2016 of heart failure after working in extremely hot weather triggered outrage on social media. A petition was launched on change.org to ask the Aspar Authority to cease elephant riding in archeological sites, according to Associated Press.
面對群眾壓力,吳哥窟園區也在今年做出回應,承諾讓14頭在吳哥窟服務的大象在2020年全數除役。 Three years after the elephant’s death, Aspar Authority promised to stop the services and release all 14 elephants into their natural habitat by early 2020.
管理局發言人Long Kosal向法新社說道:「利用大象來營利是不適當的。」並強調許多大象都已經相當年邁。 The authority’s spokesperson, Long Kosal, told the AFP that “using elephants for business is not appropriate anymore,” adding that the elephants are already old.
Long Kosal指出,14頭在吳哥窟服務的大象中,已經有五頭被轉移到附近的保育森林,「他們會在那裡過著自然的生活」Long Kosal說道,並表示擁有這些大象的公司會持續照養牠們。 Long Kosal said five of the 14 elephants had been transported to nearby community forests. “They will live out their natural lives there,” Long Kosal told the AFP, adding that the company owning these elephants will keep looking after them.
柬埔寨媒體The Phnom Penh Post報導,Long Kosal表示,儘管園區內不會再有大象騎乘服務,遊客仍然可以到附近的保育區與大象近距離接觸並拍照。 Long Kosal added that the Aspar Authority aims to stop elephant riding in the park, but tourists can still visit their protected habitat to get a close look and take a photo with the elephants, according to The Phnom Penh Post. Source article: https://chinapost.nownews.com/20191118-859822
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Topic: Dozens of casino workers flee Cambodia by swimming to Vietnam
Dozens of Vietnamese casino workers allegedly forced to toil without pay in Cambodia have fled back to their homeland by swimming across a river, authorities in Phnom Penh said Friday. 金邊政府週五表示,數十名據稱被迫在柬埔寨賭場無薪工作的越南員工,游泳渡河逃回家鄉。
About 40 staff with the Golden Phoenix Entertainment Casino in Kandal province - which neighbours Vietnam - fought off security guards to escape, leaving one missing after being swept away by the current, Vietnamese state media reported. 越南國營媒體報導,毗鄰越南的柬國甘丹省金鳳娛樂城賭場約40名員工擊退守衛逃走,1人在渡河時被水流沖走失蹤。
"These people might have been here working illegally," Cambodian Interior Minister Sar Kheng told reporters. 柬國內政部長紹肯向記者說,「這些人或許是在這非法打工」。
"They were promised salaries, but they did not get what they were promised... They crossed back to Vietnam because they could not reach a deal. They fled the place." 「他們獲得承諾有薪水,但實際上沒有拿到…因為無法達成協議,就逃離這裡,渡河回去越南。」
He said Cambodian police had detained a casino manager and were investigating the incident. 他說,柬國警方已經拘押一名賭場經理,正在調查此事。
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Topic: Cambodia to ban elephant rides at Angkor Wat 柬埔寨禁止在吳哥窟騎大象
Following pressure from animal activist groups, Apsara, the management authority for the Angkor Archaeological Park in Siem Reap, Cambodia announced in June 2019 it would ban elephant rides in early 2020. 在許多動物活動組織的施壓下,負責管理吳哥遺址的暹粒地區「阿帕薩拉」保護管理局2019年6月表示,他們將從2020年初起禁止大象騎乘。
Local outlet the Khmer Times reports that on November 15, two of the 14 elephants currently at the park, have been relocated to the nearby Bos Thom community forest. An Apsara press representative told the Khmer Times that the remaining dozen animals would be relocated to the same forest by "early next year." 本地媒體「高棉時報」11月15日報導,該園區的14隻大象中,有2隻被重新安置在附近的「Bos Thom」社區森林。1名「阿帕薩拉」的發言人告訴「高棉時報」,剩下的12隻會在明年初被安置到同座森林。
In 2016, an elephant named Sambo died at Angkor, drawing worldwide attention. Her death was blamed on a combination of heat stroke and exhaustion from ferrying so many human beings around. 2016年,1隻名為珊寶的大象死在吳哥窟,引起了全世界的矚目。牠的死因被歸咎於因為載運了太多人而導致的中暑與過度勞累。
Two years later, the World Wildlife Fund published an in-depth look at the dwindling populations of the Asian elephant, noting that the species’ population had declined by 50% in just three generations. 兩年後,世界自然基金會發布關於亞洲大象數量減少的深入調查,發現該物種現今的數量比3代之前少了50%。Source article: https://features.ltn.com.tw/english/article/paper/1539968 ; https://news.ltn.com.tw/news/world/paper/1334758
Japan and China on Thursday last week marked the 50th anniversary of the 1972 normalization of their ties, but there isn’t much of a celebratory mood. Improved ties between Asia’s two biggest economies are considered vital to the region’s stability and prosperity, but they remain at odds over disputed East China Sea islands and China’s growing military and economic assertiveness in the region. Here are the key issues in the often strained relations between these powerhouse neighbors:
TERRITORIAL DISPUTES A huge source of contention is an uninhabited group of Tokyo-controlled, Beijing-claimed East China Sea islands called Senkaku in Japan and Diaoyu in China. Japan insists that the islands, which once hosted a Japanese seafood factory, are part of its territory, both historically and by international law. China says they were stolen by Japan in 1895 and should have been returned at the end of World War II. The disputed islands are surrounded by rich fishing grounds and undersea oil deposits, and Japan accuses China of suddenly making its territorial claims after the undersea resources were found in a 1969 United Nations report. The 1972 normalization communique did not deal with the issue, but the dispute intensified after Japan’s government in 2012 nationalized the Senkaku islands, leading to violent protests across China. Chinese coast guard and fishing boats are regularly found in the area, routinely intruding on Japanese waters.
FEAR OF TAIWAN EMERGENCY Japan, along with its security ally the US, has openly criticized increased Chinese activities in the South China Sea. Tokyo has also pushed for peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait. China claims Taiwan, a self-governing democracy, and has threatened to annex it by force if necessary. With a US-China trade war and naval tensions on the rise in the area, Japan is increasingly worried about Taiwan emergencies. China’s increased joint military drills with Russia near Japanese coasts have also irked Japan. Tokyo is shifting its military posture toward southwestern Japan, including Okinawa and remote islands just east of Taiwan. China staged major military drills in areas surrounding Taiwan in August in an angry response to US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s Taipei visit, and fired five ballistic missiles into waters near Okinawa. Fear of conflict over Taiwan adds to Japan’s urgent efforts to reinforce its military capabilities and boost its budget. Japan is currently revising its national security strategy, which is expected to call for the possession of preemptive strike capabilities that opponents say would violate the country’s pacifist constitution. With Japan’s westernmost island just east of Taiwan, “It is increasingly difficult to see how a Taiwan military contingency would not affect at a minimum the waters and airspace around Japanese territory,” said Amanda Hsiao, senior analyst for China at the Crisis Group.
WARTIME HISTORY The two countries were at war, starting with clashes in the 1930s, until Japan’s defeat in 1945. Japanese atrocities during the Sino-Japanese war include the Rape of Nanking, the use of chemical and biological weapons and grisly human medical experiments in Manchuria, where Japan’s imperial army had a secret biological weapons unit. Japan also took nearly 40,000 Chinese laborers to Japanese mines and factories, where many died of malnutrition and abuse. In the 1972 communique, China waived the right to war compensation, which some experts say was in exchange for Japan’s apology and recognition of China as the only legal government. Japan, however, has provided official development aid totaling 3.6 trillion yen ($US25 billion) to China over the past four decades.
YASUKUNI SHRINE China considers Tokyo’s Yasukuni Shrine — which honors 2.5 million war dead, including convicted war criminals — as a symbol of Japan’s wartime militarism. Beijing views visits by Japanese ministers and lawmakers to the Tokyo shrine as indicative of a lack of remorse over Japan’s wartime aggression. China, along with South Korea, which Japan colonized from 1910 to 1945, routinely protests against such visits.
ECONOMIC SECURITY As a top US ally and a major trade partner with China, Japan is in a delicate situation and must balance its position between the two superpowers. China has been more assertive about pressing other governments to embrace Chinese-led initiatives, including a trade group called the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership. Japan, along with the US, is seeking ways to stand up to increasing Chinese economic influence in the region. Tokyo also wants to reinforce economic security with other democracies in areas such as supply chains and the protection of sensitive technologies, apparently as a counter to China. Yasuo Fukuda, a former Japanese prime minister who is an active proponent of better ties with China, says friction between Japan and China largely stems from US-China trade issues. “The question is whether global trade works better by excluding China,” he said.
每日英語跟讀 Ep.K458: Troops at Front Offering Tanks For Launchers
The Ukrainian sergeant slid the captured Russian rocket launcher into the center of a small room. He was pleased. The weapon was practically brand-new. It had been built in 2020, and its thermobaric warhead was deadly against troops and armored vehicles. 這名烏克蘭士官讓這具繳獲的俄羅斯火箭發射器滑進一個小房間中央。他很開心。這武器幾乎全新,在2020年製造,它的溫壓彈頭對軍隊跟裝甲車都是致命的。
But the sergeant, nicknamed Zmei, had no plans to fire it at advancing Russian soldiers or at a tank trying to burst through his unit’s front line in eastern Ukraine. 但這位綽號「茲梅」的士官,並不打算用它向前進的俄羅斯軍人開火,或向一輛試圖突破他所屬部隊在烏克蘭東部防線的戰車開火。
Instead, he was going to use it as a bargaining chip. 相反地,他打算用它當作討價還價的籌碼。
Within the 93rd Mechanized Brigade, Zmei was not just a lowly sergeant. He was the brigade’s point man for a wartime bartering system among Ukrainian forces. Prevalent along the front line, the exchange operates like a kind of shadow economy, soldiers say, in which units acquire weapons or equipment and trade them for supplies they need urgently. 在第93機械化旅,茲梅不只是一名階級低微的士官。他是該旅在烏克蘭軍隊間建立戰時以物易物系統的關鍵人物。軍人說,這種交易在前線普遍存在,就像一種地下經濟,各單位繳獲武器或裝備,然後用它們交換急需的物資。
Most of the bartering involves items captured from Russian troops. Ukrainian soldiers refer to them as “trophies.” 大多數以物易物的交換涉及從俄軍繳獲的物品。烏軍稱它們為「戰利品」。
“Usually, the trades are done really fast,” Zmei said last week during an interview in Ukraine’s mineral-rich Donbas region, where the 93rd is now stationed. “Let’s just call it a simplification of bureaucracy.” 茲梅上星期在烏克蘭礦產資源豐富的頓巴斯地區受訪時說:「通常交易很快就會完成。我們姑且稱之為官僚主義的簡化吧。」第93旅目前駐紮在當地。
Despite the influx of Western weapons and equipment in recent months, the Ukrainian military still relies heavily on arms and vehicles captured from their better-equipped Russian foe for the matériel needed to wage war; much of Ukraine’s aging Soviet-era arsenal is either destroyed, worn down or lacks ammunition. 儘管西方武器和裝備近幾個月大量湧入,但烏克蘭軍方仍極度仰賴從裝備更好的俄羅斯敵人繳獲的武器與車輛,來獲得戰爭所需物資。烏克蘭老舊的蘇聯時代軍備許多已被摧毀、用壞,或是缺乏彈藥。
That has left Ukrainian soldiers scrounging the battlefield for essentials as their own supply lines are strained. And the relatively small numbers of big-ticket foreign weapons, such as the U.S.-made M777 howitzer, are spread thinly on the sprawling 1,500-mile front. 這導致烏軍在戰場上四處尋找軍需品,因為他們的補給線已經吃緊。數量相對較少的高價外國武器,如美國製造的M777榴彈砲,則稀疏分散在綿延1500英里的戰線上。
“We have hopes for Kyiv,” said Fedir, one of the brigade’s supply sergeants and an understudy of Zmei, referring to military commanders in the capital. “But we rely on ourselves. We aren’t trying to just sit and wait like idiots until Kyiv sends us something.” 該旅補給士之一、茲梅的替補費德談到首都的軍事指揮官:「我們對基輔抱有希望,但我們要靠自己。我們不會像傻瓜一樣坐等基輔送東西給我們。」
The 93rd currently only possesses old Soviet-era artillery pieces that have worn out barrels and are low on ammunition. 第93旅目前只有蘇聯時代的舊火砲,砲管已經磨損,彈藥也不夠。
“I have to go and buy everything and trade things, and bring it all here,”a 28-year-old Ukrainian soldier who goes by the name of Michael said. 一個名叫麥可的28歲烏軍說:「我必須去買東西,交換東西,然後把東西都帶到這裡。」
“So what’s going on is a personal initiative,” he said. “You’re taking the risk, it’s criminal. Nobody will thank you. It’s a thankless job.” 他說道:「所以,目前情況是個人行動。你在冒險,這是犯罪。沒人會感謝你。這是吃力不討好的工作。」Source article: https://udn.com/news/story/6904/6618643
每日英語跟讀 Ep.K459: About Canada - 36,000km in three days $8000 car rental charge shocks Canadian woman
Car rental companies have long earned a reputation for gouging customers, penny-pinching on frills and finding new and unscrupulous ways to charge for add-ons. 租車公司長期以來以向顧客敲竹槓、吝於提供額外配備,以及用新的不誠實手法超收費用出名。
But a Canadian woman says she was billed thousands in extra mileage after a rental company claimed she drove a distance nearly the circumference of the Earth over a three-day period. 但是一名加拿大女子說,租車公司聲稱她在3天內行駛幾乎可繞地球1圈的距離,為此向她收取數千元的超額里程費。
Earlier this month, Giovanna Boniface flew from Vancouver to Toronto, where she rented an SUV at the airport. Her rental receipt, posted to Twitter, shows the company levied a charge of 25 cents per kilometre – for 36,000 additional kilometres. 喬凡娜‧邦尼費斯本月稍早從溫哥華搭機到多倫多,在機場租了1輛休旅車。她在「推特」上貼出的租車費收據顯示,租車公司針對3萬6000公里超額里程,收取每公里25美分的費用。
Even if she had travelled from Mexico City to Skagway, Alaska, over the three days, driving nonstop, she would still be nearly 30,000km short of what the company claimed she had travelled – enough to traverse the entire continent of North America three more times. 即使她在那3天內從墨西哥市開到阿拉斯加州的斯卡威,中途都不停,她也會比該公司宣稱的行駛里程數還少將近3萬公里—足以再穿越整個北美大陸3趟。
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In Canada, one woman takes on stereotypes as a drag king挑戰刻板印象,加拿大女性扮「變裝國王」
33-year-old Canadian Melodie Rousseau is an actress by day, but at night, she makes herself up as a virile man - and takes the stage at Montreal’s cabaret halls as a drag king. 33歲的加拿大人梅樂蒂‧盧梭,白天是女演員,晚上卻喬裝成強健的男性,以變裝國王之姿,在蒙特婁的卡巴萊舞廳登台。
Performing in drag is not only a means of artistic expression - it’s a political statement by Rousseau and others looking to step out of the formidable shadow of drag queens. 變裝表演不僅是藝術表達方式之一,對盧梭及渴望踏出變裝皇后巨大陰影的其他人而言,也是一種政治表述。
Rousseau, who performs as Rock Biere, needs two and a half hours for her transformation. She would use a make-up brush to draw the eyebrows and contours that define her alter ego. 以「搖滾比爾」之名表演的盧梭,需花2小時半完成變裝。她會用化妝刷具畫眉毛及臉部輪廓,勾勒出另一個自我。
Little by little, Rock Biere’s more masculine jawline emerges. She straps down her breasts and sticks fake hair on her chest and chin. 漸漸地,「搖滾比爾」顯現出更具男子氣概的下巴輪廓。她束縛胸部,在胸口和下巴黏上假毛及假鬍鬚。
While drag queens have entered the mainstream thanks to shows like "RuPaul’s Drag Race," drag kings are still under the radar. In Quebec province, they can be counted on one hand, according to veteran Canadian drag king Charli Deville. 當變裝皇后拜《魯保羅變裝皇后秀》等節目之賜進入主流市場,變裝國王仍沒沒無聞。加拿大資深變裝國王恰莉‧戴維爾說,魁北克省的變裝國王一隻手就數得完。Source article: https://features.ltn.com.tw/english/article/paper/1544007 ; https://news.ltn.com.tw/news/world/paper/1336895
25 Oct 2022
精選詞彙播客 Vocab Ep.141: 考試如何不作弊? Anti-cheating headgear gone viral on internet
Anti-cheating headgear has gone viral in the Philippines and Thailand as students show their creativity in preventing themselves and others from cheating in tests. In this episode, Angel and I talk about cheating in our school days. Have you cheated and gotten caught before? Comment down below!
Vocabulary: 1. Cheating n. v. 作弊 Peeking at other people's answers is considered cheating in a test. 偷看別人的答案在考試的時候是作弊。
2. If you can't beat them, join them idiom. 贏不過就一同加入 Your classmates cheated to get high scores. If you can't beat them, join them. 你同學都靠作弊高分,如果你贏不了,就加入他們。
3. Get caught phr. v. 被抓到 It's not cheating if you don't get caught. 沒被抓到作弊就不是作弊。
1. Busy as a beaver It shows that you are busy indeed. Example: I am busy as a beaver these days; I couldn’t take out time for lunch.
2. A lot on one’s plate / A lot going on It shows that you have lot of work to do. Example: Today, there are a lot of things in my plate as I am supposed to do an extra work of my colleague who is on leave.
3. Slammed It is used to convey that you are being overloaded with work. Example: Because of yesterday’s pending work, I am slammed with a lot of work today.
4. Swamped This is a slang term used for describing yourself as being overworked. Example: I can’t take more projects as I am already swamped with lot of work.
Expressions for saying “No” 說不的短例句
Saying no outright直接說不
"Unfortunately, I have/am_________. I can help you another time."
" Sorry, I have/am _______. I hope you understand."
"No, I have/am_ this week."
"Sadly, I cannot help with that. I'm not qualified for that type of work."
Saying no politely 有禮貌的說不
"I'm flattered by your offer, but no thank you."
"That sounds fun, but I have a lot going on at home."
"Thank you for thinking of me, but I can’t."
"I would love to join you, but I'm feeling a little overwhelmed with work right now."
雙人對話時間Exchange dialogues: Work in pairs. Take turns to offer something and decline the offer.
每日英語跟讀 Ep.K460: About Paris - The Parisian cat hotel that’s feline fairly full
Much as they enjoyed their cats’company during two years of coronavirus lockdown, Parisians have enthusiastically taken up travel again if the reservation register at one Paris cat hotel is anything to go by. 如果巴黎一家貓旅館的預定登記本上有可供判斷的事情的話,那就是巴黎人又熱情擁抱旅行了,雖然冠狀病毒疫情封鎖的兩年期間,他們喜愛貓咪的陪伴。
At the Arbre a Chats (Cats’ Tree) hotel, prospective guests need to reserve well ahead, as all its 24 “contemporary and comfortable” cubicles are fully booked — although cats who know one another can double up and share a room. 在貓之樹旅館,想入住的賓客都老早預定,因為旅館所有24間「現代且舒服」的小房間都預定一空,雖然相熟的貓咪可以睡在一起,共享一間房。
“Unlike last year, this year we were fully booked for August from the end of February,” hotel owner Veronica Colson said. 「和去年不一樣的是,今年我們從2月底開始,8月份的預定就已經滿了」,旅館老闆薇蘿妮卡.柯爾森說。
With cats snoozing on couches, sitting high up in the tree-shaped wooden climbing structure in the center, or observing street life from a ledge by the window, the hotel is in full swing as cat owners rediscover the pleasure of travel. 貓咪有的在沙發上打盹,有的坐在中間的樹木形狀的木頭攀爬結構的高處,有的在窗邊的壁架上觀察街頭生活,因為貓主人們重新發現了旅遊的樂趣,這間旅館的生意正如火如荼。
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Paris gets sausages and steaks 24/7 from vending machine 巴黎販賣機全天候販售香腸和牛排
With their beloved baguette already available 24 hours a day, it seems only logical that Parisians can now get the Bayonne ham and Basque pate that goes so well with the bread from the first meat vending machine installed in the French capital. 巴黎人鍾愛的棍子麵包一天24小時都有供應,而現在,和棍子麵包非常搭的巴約納火腿和Basque pate,可在巴黎首台肉品販賣機買得到,似乎也滿合理的。
In a city filled with small shops where long lunches remain a crucial part of the French "art de vivre," the gleaming red machine set up on the lively Rue de Charonne in eastern Paris seems a bit incongruous. 在一個小商店林立、午餐慢慢吃仍是法式「生活藝術」重要環節的城市,這台光鮮亮麗的紅色機器現身巴黎東區生氣勃勃的夏洪尼路,看起來有點不搭軋。
The area has at least two dozen butcher’s shops and no shortage of meat, but that didn’t deter the owners of one of those shops from investing 40,000 euros($45,000)to set up their project, selling vacuum-packed meat from the refrigerated machine. 這個區域至少有24家肉鋪,沒有肉品短缺的問題,但其中一家店的老闆並未因此卻步,仍投入4萬歐元(約4萬5000美元)擬定計畫,從這台有冷藏功能的機器販售真空包裝肉品。
From their machine, which takes cash or credit cards, customers can also get a large choice of traditional delicatessen including duck confit and beef carpaccio. There are also faux-filet steaks on display, priced at 34 euros per kilogram. 他們的機器收現金也收信用卡,顧客也能買到許多傳統熟食,包括油封鴨和義式生牛肉,還有沙朗牛排,每公斤要價34歐元。Source article: https://features.ltn.com.tw/english/article/paper/1547057 ; https://news.ltn.com.tw/news/world/paper/971715
Topic: UK bakery banned from using sprinkles which are legal in the US
The owner of a bakery in northern England has been left with a bitter taste in his mouth after authorities told him he had to stop using banned sprinkles sourced from the US. 在被當局告知必須停止使用來自美國的遭禁糖粉屑後,英格蘭北部的1家烘焙坊的老闆感到不悅。
West Yorkshire Trading Standards said the sprinkles contained an artificial coloring which isn’t approved for use in sprinkles in the UK. 西約克郡貿易標準局說,這些糖粉屑含有1種在英國未獲准可用於糖粉屑的人工色素。
But the owner of the bakery isn’t happy that his most popular product has lost out on its prize topping. 但這家烘焙坊的老闆很不滿,因為這讓他最暢銷的產品少了最完美的配料。
Rich Myers, director and founder of Get Baked bakery in Leeds, told CNN he had been using the sprinkles since opening the business in July. (位於該郡的)里茲市的Get Bake烘焙坊的執行長與創辦人瑞奇˙邁爾斯告訴美國有線電視新聞網,他打從7月開業以來就一直用這種糖粉屑。
Myers said he bought the offending sprinkles from a UK wholesaler, and said he had no idea there was any issue until West Yorkshire Trading Standards visited the business on September 30. 邁爾斯說,他向1名英國批發商買來這些違規的糖粉屑,完全不曉得會有什麼問題,直到9月30日西約克郡貿易標準局找上門來。
"I thought it was a joke at first, I thought it was someone pulling a prank," he said on Thursday. 「我一開始以為這是玩笑,我以為有人在惡搞,」他週四如是說。
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Topic: Researcher defends weight-loss device after it sparks ridicule on social media 研究人員為減重裝置辯護,在它於社群媒體上引起嘲笑後
Otago University and United Kingdom researchers developed the world-first device, which uses magnets to lock the mouth almost shut, to help fight the global obesity epidemic. 奧塔戈大學與英國研究人員研發了世界首款裝置,使用磁鐵鎖住嘴巴至幾乎閉上,幫助對抗全球肥胖流行。
DentalSlim Diet Control is an intra-oral device fitted by a dental professional to the upper and lower back teeth. 「牙科瘦身飲食控制」是一種口內裝置,會由牙科專業人員安裝至上下臼齒。
The device was being widely ridiculed after being shared on social media, with Twitter users calling it "creepy" and "bizarre". 這款裝置被分享至社群媒體後,受到大量嘲笑,推特用戶稱它「令人毛骨悚然」且「怪異」。
But Dunedin researchers who developed the device are defending the invention, saying those panning the weight loss tool have misunderstood its intention. 但開發這款裝置的達尼丁研究員為這項發明辯護,表示斥責這款減重工具的人們誤解了它的本意。
Lead researcher Prof Paul Brunton said it was not intended to be used for general weight loss purposes, but instead for specific cases where there was a clinical need to lose weight quickly. 首席研究員保羅.布倫頓教授表示,它不是為了用於普通的減重目的,而是針對臨床上需要快速減重的特殊案例。Source article: https://features.ltn.com.tw/english/article/paper/1537773 ; https://news.ltn.com.tw/news/world/paper/1460024
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Topic: BBC apologises for ’Manchester United are rubbish’ headline on ticker
The BBC has apologised to viewers after the headline "Manchester United are rubbish" appeared on its ticker during a television news broadcast on Tuesday. 英國廣播公司(BBC)在電視新聞週二播出的新聞跑馬燈上,出現「曼聯隊是垃圾」的標題後,向觀眾道歉。
The headline appeared on the bottom of the screen during a report on the French Open tennis championship. 這個標題是在報導法國網球錦標賽時,出現在螢幕底部。
TV critic and broadcaster Scott Bryan, who works for the BBC, noticed the gaffe and posted a clip on Twitter which immediately went viral. 為BBC工作的電視評論家與播報員史考特.布萊恩注意到這個烏龍,把一個影片片段張貼在推特上,結果立即爆紅。
BBC presenter Annita McVeigh later issued the apology on air and explained that the headline was written when someone was learning how to use the ticker. BBC主播安妮塔.麥克維之後在直播時發表道歉聲明,並解釋該標題是一位正在學習如何使用新聞跑馬燈的人所寫的。
"Some of you may have noticed something pretty unusual on the ticker that runs along the bottom of the screen with news making a comment about Manchester United. I hope that Manchester United fans weren’t offended by it," she said. 她說:「你們當中有些人可能已經注意到,在螢幕下方新聞跑馬燈上出現有關曼聯隊的新聞評論的不尋常狀況。我希望不會冒犯到曼聯隊球迷。」
"Let me just explain what was happening: behind the scenes someone was training to learn how to use the ticker and to put text on the ticker. So they were just writing random things, not in earnest, and that comment appeared. 「讓我解釋一下發生了什麼事:幕後有人正在學習如何使用新聞跑馬燈以及放上文字,所以他們只是隨意寫些東西,並不是認真的,而那則評論出現了。」
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Topic: Amateur Fossil Hunters Make Rare Find in U.K. 業餘化石獵人在英國有了罕見發現
Millions of years before the Cotswolds, in western England, became a popular vacation destination, it was a shallow, warm sea, home to a Jurassic marine ecosystem. 在英格蘭西部科茲窩成為熱門度假勝地的數百萬年前,它是一片淺而溫暖的海域,也是侏羅紀海洋生態系的家鄉。
Over 167 million years later, two amateur paleontologists, Neville and Sally Hollingworth, uncovered fossils in a limestone quarry there, the largest find of Jurassic starfish and their relatives ever to be made in Britain. 在1.67億年後,兩名業餘古生物學家內維爾與莎莉.霍林沃斯,在石灰採石場中挖掘出化石,這是在英國發現的最大一批侏羅紀海星及其親屬。
More than 1,000 scientifically significant specimens were unearthed at an undisclosed location during a three-day excavation in June, London’s Natural History Museum said. 倫敦自然歷史博物館表示,在6月的3天挖掘中,於一處未公開地點,出土了超過1000件具有科學意義的標本。
The find by the Hollingworths, a husband-and-wife team, includes three new species and an entire ecosystem of echinoderms. Fossils of such animals are extremely rare because they have fragile skeletons that are not often preserved. 霍林沃斯夫婦團隊發現3個新物種與1個完整的棘皮動物生態系統。這類動物的化石極為罕見,因為牠們具有脆弱的骨骼,很少被保存下來。Source article: https://features.ltn.com.tw/english/article/paper/1519882 ; https://news.ltn.com.tw/news/world/paper/1464064
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Topic: UK watchdog fines facial recognition firm £7.5m over image collection
The UK’s data watchdog has fined a facial recognition company £7.5m (about US$9.47 million) for collecting images of people from social media platforms and the web to add to a global database. 英國資料監管機構針對一家人臉辨識公司罰款七百五十萬英鎊,因爲該公司收集社群媒體平台及網路上的人像納入他們私有的全球資料庫。
The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) also ordered US-based Clearview AI to delete the data of UK residents from its systems. Clearview AI has collected more than 20bn images of people’s faces from Facebook, other social media companies and from scouring the Web. 英國的資料保護組織資訊委員會(ICO)下令美國的Clearview AI公司將其公司系統中的英國人民資料刪除。Clearview AI 已由臉書及其他社群媒體公司與網路搜尋中收集了超過兩百億張人臉圖像。
John Edwards, the UK information commissioner, said Clearview’s business model was unacceptable. “Clearview AI Inc has collected multiple images of people all over the world, including in the UK, from a variety of Web sites and social media platforms, creating a database with more than 20bn images,” he said. 英國資訊委員會主管約翰‧愛德華茲表示,Clearview AI的商業模式是令人無法接受的。「Clearview AI公司從各式網站及社群媒體平台收集了包括英國在內的世界各地人們的許多圖像,來創建一個有超過兩百億張圖像的資料庫」,他說。
“The company not only enables identification of those people, but effectively monitors their behavior and offers it as a commercial service. That is unacceptable. That is why we have acted to protect people in the UK by both fining the company and issuing an enforcement notice.” 「該公司不僅可以辨識這些人,還能有效監控其行為並當做將商品來賣。這令人無法接受。這就是為什麼我們採取行動保護英國人民,對公司處以罰款並發出強制執行令」。
Announcing its provisional decision last year, the ICO said Clearview AI’s technology had been offered on a “free trial basis” to UK law enforcement agencies, although that trial has been discontinued. 當ICO在去年宣布禁止時,便表示Clearview AI已提供技術給英國執法機構「免費試用」,雖然該試用已停止。
Clearview AI customers can upload an image of a person to the company’s app, which is then checked against a database. The app then provides a list of images deemed similar to the photo provided by the customer, with a link to the websites where the images came from. Clearview AI的客戶可將人的影像上傳到該公司的應用程式,該程式便會根據資料庫進行檢查,然後提供一個清單,列出與客戶所提供照片相似的影像,以及該影像來源網站之連結。
The ICO said Clearview AI broke UK data protection laws in several ways, including: failing to use information of UK residents in a fair and transparent way; failing to have a lawful reason for collecting that information; and failing to have a process in place to stop the data being retained indefinitely. ICO表示,Clearview AI在許多方面都違反了英國資料保護法,包括:未能以公平和透明的方式使用英國民眾的資訊、沒有收集該資訊的合法理由,以及未能制定流程來防止資料被無限期保留。
Hoan Ton-That, Clearview AI’s chief executive, said: “I am deeply disappointed that the UK Information Commissioner has misinterpreted my technology and intentions … I would welcome the opportunity to engage in conversation with leaders and lawmakers so the true value of this technology, which has proven so essential to law enforcement, can continue to make communities safe.” Clearview AI 執行長表示:「我對英國資訊委員會主管誤解我的技術和意圖深感失望……我希望能有機會與領導人和立法者進行對話,讓他們了解這項技術的真正價值,讓它可以繼續確保社區安全;這技術已證明對執法至關重要」。Source article: https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/lang/archives/2022/05/31/2003779033
每日英語跟讀 Ep.K457: 5.3 billion cellphones to become waste in 2022
More than 5 billion of the estimated 16 billion mobile phones possessed worldwide will likely be discarded or stashed away in 2022, experts said Thursday last week, calling for more recycling of the often hazardous materials they contain. 專家上週四表示,二〇二二年全球人口所擁有的計160億支手機中,有超過50億支可能會被丟棄或束之高閣,呼籲加強回收這些手機所含的危險物質。
Stacked flat on top of each other, that many disused phones would rise 50,000 kilometers, more than 100 times higher than the International Space Station, the waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) research consortium found. 廢電子及電器設備處理指令(WEEE)研究聯盟發現,將這麼多的廢棄手機堆疊起來,會有五萬公里高,比國際太空站離地面的距離還高一百多倍。
Despite containing valuable gold, copper, silver, palladium and other recyclable components, almost all these unwanted devices will be hoarded, dumped or incinerated, causing significant health and environmental harm. 儘管這些不要的設備含有有價值的金、銅、銀、鈀及其他可回收成分,但幾乎全都會被囤積、丟棄或焚化,而對健康和環境造成重大危害。
“Smartphones are one of the electronic products of highest concern for us,” said Pascal Leroy, director-general of the WEEE Forum, a not-for-profit association representing 46 producer responsibility organizations. 「智慧手機是最令我們擔心的電子產品之一」,代表四十六個生產者責任組織的非營利協會 WEEE 論壇總幹事巴斯卡‧李若伊說。
“If we don’t recycle the rare materials they contain, we’ll have to mine them in countries like China or Congo,” Leroy told AFP. 「如果不回收這些手機裡的稀有材料,我們將不得不到中國或剛果等國家去開採」,李若伊對法新社表示。
Defunct cellphones are just the tip of the 44.48 million tonne iceberg of global electronic waste generated annually that is not recycled, according to the 2020 global e-waste monitor. 根據全球電子廢棄物監測機構二〇二〇年的數據,報廢的手機只是全球每年產生的4,448萬噸未回收電子廢棄物的冰山一角。
Many of the 5 billion phones withdrawn from circulation will be hoarded rather than dumped in the trash, according to a survey in six European countries from June to September 2022. 根據二〇二二年六月至九月在六個歐洲國家進行的一項調查,這五十億支不再使用的手機,其中有很多會被囤積起來,而不是丟進垃圾桶。
This happens when households and businesses forget cellphones in drawers, closets, cupboards or garages rather than bringing them in for repair or recycling. 家庭和企業將手機遺忘在抽屜、衣櫥、櫥櫃或車庫,而不是將它們拿去修理或回收,就是這種囤積的情況。
Up to five kilos of e-devices per person are currently hoarded in the average European family, the report found. 該報告發現,目前歐洲一般家庭中每人囤積的電子設備高達五公斤重。
According to the new findings, 46 percent of the 8,775 households surveyed considered potential future use as the main reason for hoarding small electrical and electronic equipment. 根據這項新發現,在接受調查的8,775戶家庭中,46%的家庭之所以囤積小型電器及電子設備,主要是因為覺得未來可能會用到它。
Another 15 percent stockpile their gadgets with the intention of selling them or giving them away, while 13 percent keep them due to “sentimental value”. 另有15%的人囤積他們的小裝置是為了要出售或是送人,而13%的人是因為「情感價值」而保留它。
每日英語跟讀 Ep.K462: Apple Feels the Sting From an Oscar Slap
Apple has a Will Smith problem. 蘋果有個威爾史密斯的麻煩。
Smith is the star of “Emancipation,” a film set during the Civil War era that Apple envisioned as a surefire Oscar contender when it wrapped filming earlier this year. But that was before Smith strode onto the stage at the Academy Awards in March and slapped comedian Chris Rock, who had made a joke about Smith’s wife, Jada Pinkett Smith. 史密斯是「解放」(暫譯)的主角,這部設定於南北戰爭期間的電影今年初拍攝殺青時,蘋果視為奧斯卡必勝參賽者,但那是在3月的奧斯卡頒獎典禮前。史密斯在典禮時走上舞台,掌摑喜劇演員克里斯洛克,因為他開了史密斯妻子、潔達蘋姬史密斯的玩笑。
Will Smith, who also won best actor that night, has since surrendered his membership in the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences and has been banned from attending any Academy-related events, including the Oscar telecast, for the next decade. 威爾史密斯那晚贏得最佳男主角獎,那之後他退回美國影藝學院會員資格,且被禁止未來十年參加所有學院相關活動,包括奧斯卡獎。
Now Apple finds itself left with a $120 million unreleased awards-style movie featuring a star no longer welcome at the biggest award show of them all and a big question: Can the film, even if it succeeds artistically, overcome the baggage that now accompanies Smith? 現在蘋果發現,它花1.2億美元拍攝這部符合奧斯卡得獎風格的未上映電影,片中明星在這個最大獎項會場卻已不再受歡迎。一個很大問題是:即使在藝術上成功了,這部電影如今能夠克服史密斯帶來的包袱嗎?
According to three people involved with the film who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the company’s planning, there have been discussions inside Apple to release “Emancipation” by the end of the year, which would make it eligible for awards consideration. Variety reported in May, however, that the film’s release would be pushed into 2023. 要求匿名談論蘋果公司計畫的三名參與電影人士說,蘋果內部曾討論在今年底前上映「解放」,好讓電影符合獎項考慮資格。然而,「綜藝」雜誌5月報導,電影上映可能推遲到2023年。
When asked for this article how and when it planned to release “Emancipation,” Apple declined to comment. 當被問到計畫如何及何時上映「解放」時,蘋果拒絕置評。
“Emancipation,” directed by Antoine Fuqua (“Training Day”) and with a script by William Collage, is based on the true story of a slave known as “Whipped Peter,”who joined the Union Army while still in the South. 「解放」由「震撼教育」導演安東尼法奎執導,編劇為比爾克爾吉,根據一名叫做「鞭傷彼得」的奴隸,在南方加入聯邦軍的真實故事改編。
Apple set up a general audience test screening of “Emancipation” in Chicago earlier this year, according to three people with knowledge of the event who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not permitted to discuss it publicly. They said it generated an overwhelmingly positive reaction, specifically for Smith’s performance, which one of the people called “volcanic.” Audience members, during the after-screening feedback, said they were not turned off by Smith’s recent public behavior. 根據三名知曉活動、但不被允許公開談論此事而匿名的人士表示,蘋果今年初在芝加哥進行一場針對一般大眾的「解放」試映。他們說,電影得到驚人的正面反應,特別是史密斯的演技,有人形容為「有如火山爆發」。在試映結束後的觀眾回饋中,有人說他們不會因為史密斯最近的公開行為而討厭他。
Smith largely disappeared from public view following the Oscars. But in July, he released a video on his YouTube channel in which he said he was “deeply remorseful” for his behavior and apologized directly to Rock and his family. 奧斯卡獎典禮後,史密斯幾乎自公眾目光中消失。但他7月在自己的YouTube頻道上傳一段影片,表示對自己的行為「深感悔恨」,並直接向洛克及其家人道歉。
每日英語跟讀 Ep.K463: About science - Cognitive decline linked to ultraprocessed food, study finds
Too many daily calories from highly processed foods like lunch meats, frozen dinners, and packaged cookies may speed up cognitive decline, a new study suggests. 一項新的研究表明,每天從午餐肉、冷凍晚餐和包裝餅乾等高度加工食品攝入過多卡路里,可能會加速認知能力下降。
In the study, researchers examined the diets and cognitive function test results of more than 8,000 adults in Brazil. At the start of the study, participants consumed an average of about 2,850 calories a day. About 28 percent of their daily calories came from highly processed foods. 在這項研究中,研究人員檢視巴西8000多名成年人的飲食和認知功能測試結果。在研究開始時,參與者平均每天消耗約2850卡路里的熱量。他們每天有約28%的卡路里來自高度加工食物。
After about nine years of follow-up, cognitive test scores for memory and executive function declined the most for participants who ate the most highly processed foods. 經過約9年追蹤,吃加工食品最多的參與者,其記憶力和執行功能的認知測試分數下降幅度最大。
Ultraprocessed foods are defined as “industrial formulations of food substances (oils, fats, sugars, starch, and protein isolates) that contain little or no whole foods and typically include flavorings, colorings, emulsifiers, and other cosmetic additives,” according to the study. 根據這項研究,超加工食品被定義為「食品物質(油、脂肪、糖、澱粉和蛋白質分離物)的工業配方,含極少或不含全天然食品,通常包括調味劑、色素、乳化劑和其他化妝品添加劑」。
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Study: Cats not bothered one bit if owners are treated badly 研究:貓根本懶得理會飼主是否被欺負
A study in Japan suggests there may be something after all to the old stereotype that pet cats are generally aloof and indifferent toward their owners while dogs are fiercely protective and loyal. 日本的一份研究暗示,(以下)這種老舊的刻板印象可能還是有些道理的:寵物貓通常對飼主漠不關心又冷淡,寵物狗則非常想保護飼主與忠心。
Researchers from Kyoto University and the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science wanted to understand how cats behave when their owners are being given a hard time. The same experiments using dogs seven years ago were referenced to gauge behavioral differences between the two species. 京都大學與日本學術振興會的研究人員想要了解貓在其飼主陷於困境時的行為反應,(他們)7年前以狗做過的相同實驗被當作參考,以衡量這兩種生物的行為差異。
Team members concluded that cats do not seem to care how people treat their owners, while dogs keep their distance from those who give their owners the cold shoulder. 研究小組成員得出的結論是,貓看似並不關心人們如何對待其飼主,狗則會與那些冷落怠慢其飼主的人保持距離。Source article: https://features.ltn.com.tw/english/article/paper/1547451 ; https://features.ltn.com.tw/english/article/paper/1539057
每日英語跟讀 Ep.K464: About Japan - Asahi joins other breweries to stop using ‘image girls’ in beer ads
Asahi Breweries Ltd. has joined other major Japanese beer companies in halting their use of so-called “image girls” in their beer sales promotions in the wake of the pandemic and the changing times. 隨著武漢肺炎疫情大流行以及時代變遷,朝日啤酒加入其他日本主要啤酒公司的行列,停止在啤酒促銷活動上使用所謂的「形象女郎」。
“In the past two years, they were unable to do their primary activities," said an Asahi representative. "In the aftermath, we made a comprehensive evaluation and decided to pass on the hiring of (an image girl) starting next year.” 「她們(指宣傳女郎)過去2年來無法從事其主要活動,」朝日啤酒的一名代表說。「我們在這之後做了通盤評估,決定從明年起放棄聘用(宣傳女郎)。」
In the past, major beer companies hired image girls and sent them to travel across the country and participated in events to sell beer products to consumers. 以往,(日本)各大啤酒公司會聘請形象女郎,並將她們派往全國各地參加活動,將啤酒賣給消費者。
The COVID-19 pandemic hindered the image girl’s activities, and Asahi postponed new hires in 2021 and 2022. COVID-19疫情大流行阻礙形象女郎的活動,朝日啤酒在2021年與2022年延後招募新的形象女郎。
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Kiko turns 56, yearns to take a stroll with daughter Mako 滿56歲的紀子妃渴望與女兒一同漫步
Crown Princess Kiko marked her 56th birthday on Sept. 11 by saying she looks forward to the day she can take a stroll with her daughter, the former Princess Mako, now known simply as Mrs. Komuro following her marriage to a commoner. (日本)皇子妃紀子9月11日歡度56歲生日時說,她期待有朝一日與因為下嫁平民、如今僅被稱為小室太太的前真子公主一同漫步。
“I cannot directly meet my daughter right now, but in the meantime I tend to the plants in our garden and want to create banksia rose arches in the hope of sauntering with her here one day,” Kiko said in a written reply to questions submitted by reporters prior to her birthday. 「我現在無法直接跟我女兒見面,但當我在花園裡拾花弄草時,我想打造一座木香花拱門,期盼有朝一日能與她在此溜達,」紀子以書面回覆記者在她壽辰前的提問時如是說。
Mako was obliged to relinquish her imperial title upon her marriage last October to her college sweetheart Kei Komuro. The couple live in New York. 真子去年10月嫁給大學男友小室圭後依規定放棄皇室頭銜。兩人如今定居紐約。
The Banksia rose was Mako’s signature mark when she was a princess and is a favorite flower of her parents, Crown Prince Fumihito and Kiko. 木香花是真子還是公主時的徽印圖案,也是其雙親文仁親王與紀子妃最喜歡的花。Source article: https://features.ltn.com.tw/english/article/paper/1546872 ; https://features.ltn.com.tw/english/article/paper/1544274
01 Nov 2022
精選詞彙播客 Vocab Ep.142: 打開話匣子的冷知識競猜 Trivia questions for parties
The best way to start a conversation or make a party more interesting is by asking trivia questions. Trivial pursuit is a famous board game for people who love the world of trivia. In this episode, Angel and I talk share a few of the trivia questions we use at parties. Do you have any interesting trivia you use at parties? Comment down below!
Vocabulary:
1. Trivia n. 冷知識/不重要的知識 If you don't know how to get a party going, perhaps you should try playing a game of trivia. 如果你不知道如何讓派對熱絡,可以嘗試玩個冷知識遊戲。
2. Hedgehog n. 刺蝟 Hedgehogs are becoming popular pets in Taiwan. 刺蝟現在在台灣是越來越搶手的寵物。
3. Phobia n. 恐懼症 It's best to not bring up reptile trivia if your friends have a phobia for reptiles. 如果你朋友有爬蟲恐懼症就別提爬蟲冷知識。
主題: 英語慣用語系列 – 朋友相關的慣用語 Friend / Friendship related Idioms
1. Cross someone’s path This phrase originally implied that such a meeting included opposing a person or otherwise causing him trouble, but in the modern sense it doesn’t necessarily mean this. Example: Ann swore she would scream if a spider crossed her path.
2. Friends in high places This phrase means that one has friends who have important or influential positions. Example: Jim is very rude to other workers just because he has some friends in high places.
3. Be an item This is said about people who are dating, who have a romantic relationship with each other. Example: Kate and Richard began seeing each other and were an item for almost two years.
4. Birds of a feather A well-known expression which refers to people that have something in common, for example, interests, hobbies, or views about life. Example: My friend prefers the same clothes as me. Well, birds of a feather flock together.
5. Like two peas in a pod Two people or things that are very similar to each other, or go very well together. Example: Growing up with a pet dog, we were like two peas in a pod!
6. To hit it off To find yourself immediately and naturally friendly with someone Example: I totally hit it off with Peter after meeting him for the first time.
練習時間: 請使用二到三個慣用語來分享自身小故事 Use two to three idioms to share a personal story about your friendship.
Topic: In age-old ritual, Mexican mayor weds alligator to secure abundance
A small town Mexican mayor married his alligator bride in a colorful ceremony as traditional music rang out and revelers danced while imploring the indigenous leader to seal the nuptials with a kiss.
San Pedro Huamelula Mayor Victor Hugo Sosa obliged more than once during Thursday’s wedding, bending down to plant his lips on the small alligator’s snout, which had been tied shut presumably to avoid unwanted biting.
The ritual marriage likely dates back centuries to pre-Hispanic times among Oaxaca state’s Chontal and Huave indigenous communities, like a prayer pleading for nature’s bounty.
Oaxaca, located in Mexico’s poor south, is arguably the country’s richest in indigenous culture and home to many groups that have stubbornly maintained their languages and traditions.
Topic: In Mexico, those searching for missing relatives can vanish too 在墨西哥,尋找失蹤親友的人也會跟著消失
70-years-old Maria Herrera is scraping at the earth on a hill in the town of Huitzuco, in southern Mexico, looking for the mounds that indicate a decaying corpse.
70歲的瑪莉亞.赫雷拉在墨西哥南部威特蘇科鎮的山上四處挖掘,希望找到代表埋有腐爛屍體的土堆。
Digging in the dirt with a group of 100 other activists in the violent state of Guerrero, she wants to find her four missing son.
在暴力事件頻傳的格雷羅州,赫雷拉與100名行動人士一起挖土,想要找到4名失蹤的兒子。
More than 40,000 people are missing in Mexico, which has been swept by a wave of violence since the government declared war on the country’s powerful drug cartels in 2006.
2006年,墨西哥政府向勢力龐大的販毒集團宣戰後,這個國家就被暴力事件肆虐,目前已有逾4萬人失蹤。
At first, Herrera and her husband used the profits gained by selling household goods door to door to launch gold exchange business, which involved traveling the country to buy and sell gold.
起初,赫雷拉和丈夫用挨家挨戶賣居家用品的收入,展開黃金兌換生意,包括全國走透透買賣黃金。
They did not realize a bloody cartel turf war was just breaking out in the state. They believe a local cartel mistook the brothers, Jesus and Raul, for members of a rival group and were captured. Two more brothers started looking for them but disappeared too.
Topic: ‘We’re Living in Hell’: Inside Mexico’s Most Terrified City
The violence was already terrifying, she said, when grenades exploded outside her church in broad daylight some five years ago. Then children in town were kidnapped, disappearing without a trace. Then the bodies of the executed were dumped in city streets.
And then came the day last month when armed men burst into her home, dragged her 15-year-old son and two of his friends outside and shot them to death, leaving Guadalupe — who didn’t want her full name published out of fear of the men — too terrified to leave the house.
“I do not want the night to come,” she said, through tears. “Living with fear is no life at all.”
「我不希望黑夜來臨」,她流著淚說,「活在恐懼中完全不是人過的日子」。
For most of the population of Fresnillo, a mining city in central Mexico, a fearful existence is the only one they know; 96% of residents say they feel unsafe, the highest percentage of any city in Mexico, according to a recent survey from Mexico’s national statistics agency.
The economy can boom and bust, presidents and parties and their promises can come and go, but for the city’s 140,000 people, as for many in Mexico, there is a growing sense that no matter what changes, the violence endures.
In 2018, during his run for president, Andrés Manuel López Obrador offered a grand vision to remake Mexico. Instead of arresting and killing traffickers as previous leaders had done, he would focus on the causes of violence: “hugs not bullets,” he called it. He was swept to victory.
But three years after his landslide win, and with his Morena party in control of Congress, the drumbeat of death continues, suggesting that López Obrador’s approach has failed, fueling in many a paralyzing helplessness.
“We’re living in hell,” said Victor Piña, who ran for mayor of Fresnillo in the June elections and watched an aide gunned down beside him during a pre-campaign event.
Zacatecas, the state Fresnillo is in, has the country’s highest murder rate, with 122 deaths in June, according to the Mexican government. Across Mexico, murders have dropped less than 1% since López Obrador took office, according to the country’s statistics agency. That was enough for the president to claim that there had been an improvement on a problem his administration inherited.
“‘Hugs not bullets’ doesn’t work,” said Javier Torres Rodríguez, whose brother was shot and killed in 2018. “We’re losing the ability to be shocked.” 「擁抱而非子彈沒有用」,哈維耶.托雷斯.羅里奎茲說,他的兄弟2018年遭槍擊死亡,「我們正失去感到震驚的能力」。Source article: https://udn.com/news/story/6904/5704988
06 Nov 2022
每日英語跟讀 Ep.K465: 英相特拉斯閃電下台 Why was Truss’ tenure so short - and now what?
每日英語跟讀 Ep.K465: Why was Truss’ tenure so short - and now what?
British Prime Minister Liz Truss took office last month with hopes and promises of reinvigorating the British economy and putting it on the path to long-term success. It did not go to plan.
英國首相莉茲·特拉斯上個月就任,滿懷希望與承諾要重振英國經濟,讓它邁向長久繁榮。事情並未如其所願。
Instead, Truss’ tenure was scarred by turmoil as her economic policies threatened the country’s financial stability, driving the pound to record lows, sparking chaos on bond markets and increasing mortgage costs for millions of people.
Though Truss took office amid a cost-of-living crisis, the war in Ukraine and the lingering effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, her decision to announce £105 billion ($US116 billion) of tax cuts and spending increases without providing details on how she would pay for it unnerved investors, who warned of soaring public debt.
That undermined confidence in the government’s ability to pay its bills and raised questions about the economic credentials of a new prime minister who took office after a deeply divisive contest for leadership of the governing Conservative Party.
這削弱了人們對政府支付帳單能力的信心,並引發了對新首相經濟問題處理能力的質疑。新首相是執政的保守黨經過嚴重分歧的激烈角逐後所產生的黨魁。 The disarray surrounding the economic plan weakened Truss’ authority as prime minister, and ultimately led to her decision to resign on Thursday last week.
經濟計畫方面的混亂削弱了特拉斯作為首相的權威,並最終導致她決定在上週四辭職。
WHAT HAPPENS NOW? The party said it would select a new leader and prime minister by Oct. 28. Truss will remain prime minister until then.
現在情況如何? 保守黨表示,將在十月二十八日前選出新黨魁,即首相。在此之前特拉斯將繼續擔任首相。
To avoid the need for a lengthy election campaign that could have left the country without an effective government for weeks, party leaders decided that lawmakers would have greater say in the choice and without weeks of hustings around the country.
Under the expedited process, challengers for the leadership had to garner the support of 100 other Conservative lawmakers — out of a total 357 — by Monday afternoon. That meant a maximum field of three for lawmakers to vote on. The last-placed candidate would then be eliminated and the top two candidates will face an online vote of the party membership.
Conservative leaders are hoping that this lightning contest will produce a consensus candidate who can unite the party behind the tax and spending priorities that Treasury chief Jeremy Hunt has already outlined.
Growing up in the Netherlands, with its network of pathways, its flat landscape and its bicycle-friendly traffic laws, brothers Ties and Taco Carlier were commuting with their parents on bikes by age 4. Many families in the country didn’t own cars.
But traveling to New York and other cities as adults, the Carliers realized that few people commuted on bikes in the same way they did back home, turned off by the sprawl, the hills and the weather. The experience planted the seed for what would become one of the world’s hottest bicycle brands.
In a bike market remade by the pandemic, VanMoof, the Dutch e-bike company started by the brothers, has been among the biggest winners. With a simple and stylish design and clever integration of technology, the company has drawn comparisons to Apple and Tesla and has attracted a loyal and fast-growing customer base among urban professionals in Europe and the United States.
Sales of the battery-powered bikes more than tripled during the pandemic, and the company has raised more than $150 million from venture capitalists who don’t typically bet on bicycles.
“We wanted to change the bike in the way it functions, but also from a technology perspective,” Ties Carlier said in a video interview from the company’s headquarters in the Netherlands.
台斯.卡利爾在荷蘭公司總部接受視訊專訪時說:「我們想改變自行車的運作方式,但也想從科技角度著手。」
“Amsterdam is very small and flat, but most cities in the rest of the world are very hilly and can be really hot in the summer, and the distances are much further,” he said. “But those limitations really change completely when you have electric bikes.”
Once seen by consumers as unreliable, expensive and ugly, battery-powered bikes are now one of the fastest-growing forms of urban transportation. With simplified designs, new corporate and government incentive policies and more awareness about the environmental benefits of cycling versus driving, VanMoof estimates industry sales will hit $46 billion by 2026, double pre-pandemic predictions.
Changes to urban transportation prompted by the coronavirus pandemic can be seen around the world, with commuters having abandoned public transit because of COVID fears. Paris roads are crowded with cyclists taking advantage of new bike lanes and lower automobile speed limits. Berlin is building a cycling “superhighway” across the city. And in New York, home to the largest urban bike network in the nation, ridership soared so much, there was even a problem finding places to park a bicycle.
每日英語跟讀 Ep.K467: About animals - Are you kidding? Baby goat wows fans with 22-inch ears
Some social media stars win their fame through their looks, others through their jokes. Simba the baby goat has won over the web with his astonishingly long ears - 22 inches (56cm) and growing.
When Simba was born, his ears were 48cm long. They have grown another 7 cm in just over a month and are showing no signs of stopping.
辛巴出生時耳朵就有48公分,1個月後又長了7公分,且沒有停止生長的跡象。
His breeder, Mohammad Hassan Narejo, has great plans for Simba to preserve Simba’s semen for artificial insemination.
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狗不會笑 但牠們用其他方式表現開心 Dogs can’t smile or laugh - but they show happiness in other ways
Some dogs just look like they’re smiling all the time - but that huge grin on their face may not actually mean they’re happy. Carolyn Menteith, a canine behaviorist, said that "unlike us, dogs don’t usually smile with their mouths."
When a dog smiles, their tail is relaxed but waving (or in some breeds or individuals, wagging crazily), their eyes are soft, their ears relaxed and their body is often wiggling with their happiness.
Some dogs are noisier than others and so if they get really excited and playful, they might well bark, yip, or even huff - especially in an attempt to get another dog or a person to play - but this isn’t laughter.
Interestingly, dogs do seem to recognize laughter in humans and know that it is positive - and some dogs seem to go out of their way to encourage their owners to laugh.
每日英語跟讀 Ep.K468: About Philippines - Filipino athlete skips his way to second jump-rope record
Filipino athlete Ryan Alonzo has set a second Guinness World Record in the high-intensity activity of jump rope, the organization said in October. 「金氏世界紀錄」組織10月說,菲律賓運動員瑞安.阿朗佐在高強度跳繩活動中,締造了第2個金氏世界紀錄。
Nicknamed "Skipman," the 35-year old completed 3,731 consecutive crossovers, which are done by crossing the arms in and out while skipping over the rope as it goes around the body. The previous record was 2,405 consecutive crossovers.
Alonzo’s earlier record was set in 2021, when he performed 40,980 double-under skips in 12 hours. That involves the rope passing around the body twice in a single jump.
Endurance was a common factor in setting the two records, he said, crediting previous marathon training with helping him prepare both physically and mentally.
他說,耐力是締造這2項紀錄的共同因素,歸功於之前馬拉松訓練幫他做好了身心準備。
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Top Philippine presidential candidates oppose legalising divorce 菲律賓主要總統候選人反對離婚合法化
The Philippines looks likely to remain one of the few countries where divorce is illegal, based on a survey of the four leading presidential candidates on Sunday.
Vice President Jejomar Binay, Senator Grace Poe, veteran mayor Rodrigo Duterte and former interior secretary Mar Roxas were asked during a presidential debate to raise their hands if they favoured legalisation of divorce.
Not one raised a hand in the brief segment. They were not given time to explain their stance.
在這簡短片段中無人舉手,他們也沒獲得時間解釋立場。
The overwhelmingly Catholic Philippines is the only country aside from the Vatican that bans divorce.
絕大多數人口為天主教徒的菲律賓,是梵蒂岡以外唯一禁止離婚的國家。
Strong pressure from the Catholic church has stymied previous attempts to pass a divorce law even though a survey last year showed that about 60 percent of adult Filipinos support such a measure.
每日英語跟讀 Ep.K469: Teenagers Keep Vaping Despite Crackdowns on E-Cigarettes
High school students resumed taking the annual National Youth Tobacco Survey in school this year and 14% of them reported using e-cigarettes, underscoring how an upstart industry is dodging regulators’ efforts to spare a generation from nicotine addiction.
The number shows a slight change from 11% last year, but researchers cautioned against drawing comparisons to 2021’s survey, which was conducted differently because it took place when many schools were closed during the pandemic. The latest results were released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Thursday.
Although the age-old force of peer pressure may still be encouraging use, the percentage of high school students who reported vaping in the past 30 days was still far lower than record-high levels reached in 2019 of nearly 28%.
Overall, the survey found that 2.5 million middle and high school students, or about 9%, used e-cigarettes in the past 30 days. That puts their overall rate of use several times higher than that of adults, which is estimated at about 3%.
The survey, which was conducted from January through May of this year, showed that 85% of adolescent e-cigarette users favored vapes in fruit, dessert and candy flavors. Some mentioned PuffBar, Vuse and Juul as their favorite brand among those on the survey’s list.
But many said their favored e-cigarette brand was not one of the 13 listed. That finding highlights how nimble the industry has been in stamping an array of brand names on vapes with flavors like strawberry ice cream and fresh vanilla that are largely made in China and shipped from warehouses to corner stores and into e-commerce.
One stark finding was that 1 in 4 of the high school students who were e-cigarette users reported vaping every day. Groups opposed to e-cigarettes and tobacco products were particularly troubled by one other result that reflected the highest frequency-of-use to date: Nearly half of the high school students who were vaping said they were doing so 20 to 30 days a month.
“That’s a real signal of addiction and setting up young people for a lifetime of addiction which they don’t want, they didn’t choose and they don’t like,” said Robin Koval, president of the Truth Initiative, a nonprofit organization aimed at eliminating youth tobacco use.
每日英語跟讀 Ep.K469: What makes a nuclear weapon ‘tactical’?
From the war in Ukraine to North Korea’s recent missile testing spree, tactical nuclear weapons are being debated and developed in a way not seen since the Cold War. There is no universal definition of such weapons, and analysts note that the use of any type of nuclear device would break the “nuclear taboo” in place since the United States dropped atomic bombs on Japan in 1945, the only time they have been deployed in war. Here are the characteristics of tactical nuclear weapons and why they have drawn so much attention.
WHAT IS A TACTICAL NUCLEAR WEAPON? Tactical nuclear weapons are often characterized by their size, their range, or their use for limited military targets.
什麼是「戰術核子武器」? 戰術核武之特點,通常依其大小、射程,或用於較小的軍事標的來界定。
They are often referred to as “non-strategic weapons,” in contrast with strategic weapons, which the US military defines as designed to target “the enemy’s warmaking capacity and will to make war,” including manufacturing, infrastructure, transportation and communication systems, and other targets.
Tactical weapons, by contrast, are designed to accomplish more limited and immediate military goals that win a battle. The term is often used to describe weapons with a lower “yield,” or the amount of power released during an explosion.
They are typically many times larger than conventional bombs, cause radioactive fallout and other deadly effects beyond the explosion itself, and there is no agreed upon size that defines tactical weapons.
Tactical weapons are often mounted on as missiles, air-dropped bombs, or even artillery shells that have a relatively short range, far less than the huge intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) designed to travel thousands of kilometers and strike targets across oceans. However, many of these delivery systems can also deliver strategic nuclear weapons
WILL THEY BE USED? President Vladimir Putin, who rules the world’s biggest nuclear power, has repeatedly cautioned the West that any attack on Russia could provoke a nuclear response.
US President Joe Biden said on Wednesday last week he doubted that Putin would use a nuclear weapon, and analysts have said tactical weapons could have limited military use in the vast and dispersed battlefields in Ukraine.
Earlier Biden noted that the use of even small nuclear weapons could spiral out of control. “I don’t think there’s any such thing as the ability to easily (use) a tactical nuclear weapon and not end up with Armageddon,” he said last week.
North Korea’s pursuit of the weapons, meanwhile, could represent a dangerous change in the way North Korea deploys and plans to use nuclear weapons, analysts say.
分析人士說,與此同時,北韓對核武的追求可能意味北韓部署和計劃使用核武的方式發生了危險的變化。
It has also prompted renewed debate in South Korea over redeploying American tactical nuclear weapons, which were withdrawn from the peninsula in the 1990s, or pursuing its own nuclear program.
這也在南韓引發辯論,重新討論部署在一九九○年代撤出朝鮮半島的美國戰術核武,或是追求自己的核武計畫。
North Korea says its nuclear weapons are for self-defence. 北韓稱,其核子武器是為了自衛。
11 Nov 2022
15Mins Live Podcast - 故宮文物與台灣KTV前十歌 National Palace Museum artifacts and top 10 KTV songs
After confirming that three items in its archive had been damaged, the National Palace Museum has released more details about the incidents, including photos of the broken porcelain pieces.
在確認其檔案中的三件物品被損壞後,故宮博物院發布了有關該事件的更多細節,包括破碎瓷片的照片。
In a press conference, Wu said on Feb. 3, 2021 and April 7, 2022, while staff members were organizing artifacts, they discovered upon opening packages that a Ming dynasty (1368-1644) “yellow teacup with two green dragons” and a Qing dynasty (1636–1911) "yellow teacup with dragon pattern” were damaged. Additionally, on May 19, 2022, due to staff mishandling, a Qing dynasty “blue-and-white floral plate” fell and broke.
Wu said the broken pieces were classified as “ordinary artifacts” and not “important artifacts” or “national treasure,” which was why the incidents did not warrant public announcements. The museum had been waiting to confirm liabilities before reporting that the “blue-and-white floral plate” had been broken due to mishandling.
While checking the latest list of the top 10 most popular KTV Mandopop songs in Taiwan, a PTT user noticed that an old Jay Chou (周杰倫) song is No. 7 on the list. The song is "Step Aside" (擱淺), which was first released in 2004.
The list is based on the 10 most requested songs at Party World KTV clubs in Taiwan for Oct. 25-31. The PTT member also observed that half of the songs are by artists from China.
Chinese singer Xiao Ah Qi (小阿七) seized the No. 1 spot with her song "Once upon a time" (從前說). In second place was "Red Scarf" (如果可以) by WeiBird (韋禮安), followed by Power Station's (動力火車) "Love me true" (我很好騙), Zhang Yuan's (張遠) "Jia Bin" (嘉賓), Ren Ran's (任然) "Fei Niao He Chan" (飛鳥和蟬) rounding out the top five.
In sixth place was Crowd Lu's (盧廣仲) "Your Name Engraved Herein" (刻在我心底的名字), followed by the aforementioned "Step Aside" by Jay Chou, and Jing Long's (井朧) "Bu Shan" (不刪). In ninth place was the rap song "50 Yuan Betel nut" (50元的檳榔) by Taiwanese Indigenous rapper CZ Dogg (潮州土狗), who is of Atayal and Paiwan descent.
Taking the 10th spot was A Rong (阿冗) with his song "Yu Wo Wu Guan" (與我無關).
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What is your go-to song at KTVs?
What’s your favorite memory of the National Palace Museum?
Topic: 5.3 billion cellphones to become waste in 2022
More than 5 billion of the estimated 16 billion mobile phones possessed worldwide will likely be discarded or stashed away in 2022, experts said Thursday last week, calling for more recycling of the often hazardous materials they contain. 專家上週四表示,二〇二二年全球人口所擁有的計160億支手機中,有超過50億支可能會被丟棄或束之高閣,呼籲加強回收這些手機所含的危險物質。
Stacked flat on top of each other, that many disused phones would rise 50,000 kilometers, more than 100 times higher than the International Space Station, the waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) research consortium found. 廢電子及電器設備處理指令(WEEE)研究聯盟發現,將這麼多的廢棄手機堆疊起來,會有五萬公里高,比國際太空站離地面的距離還高一百多倍。
Despite containing valuable gold, copper, silver, palladium and other recyclable components, almost all these unwanted devices will be hoarded, dumped or incinerated, causing significant health and environmental harm. 儘管這些不要的設備含有有價值的金、銅、銀、鈀及其他可回收成分,但幾乎全都會被囤積、丟棄或焚化,而對健康和環境造成重大危害。
“Smartphones are one of the electronic products of highest concern for us,” said Pascal Leroy, director-general of the WEEE Forum, a not-for-profit association representing 46 producer responsibility organizations. 「智慧手機是最令我們擔心的電子產品之一」,代表四十六個生產者責任組織的非營利協會 WEEE 論壇總幹事巴斯卡‧李若伊說。
“If we don’t recycle the rare materials they contain, we’ll have to mine them in countries like China or Congo,” Leroy told AFP. 「如果不回收這些手機裡的稀有材料,我們將不得不到中國或剛果等國家去開採」,李若伊對法新社表示。
Defunct cellphones are just the tip of the 44.48 million tonne iceberg of global electronic waste generated annually that is not recycled, according to the 2020 global e-waste monitor. 根據全球電子廢棄物監測機構二〇二〇年的數據,報廢的手機只是全球每年產生的4,448萬噸未回收電子廢棄物的冰山一角。
Many of the 5 billion phones withdrawn from circulation will be hoarded rather than dumped in the trash, according to a survey in six European countries from June to September 2022. 根據二〇二二年六月至九月在六個歐洲國家進行的一項調查,這五十億支不再使用的手機,其中有很多會被囤積起來,而不是丟進垃圾桶。
This happens when households and businesses forget cellphones in drawers, closets, cupboards or garages rather than bringing them in for repair or recycling. 家庭和企業將手機遺忘在抽屜、衣櫥、櫥櫃或車庫,而不是將它們拿去修理或回收,就是這種囤積的情況。
Up to five kilos of e-devices per person are currently hoarded in the average European family, the report found. 該報告發現,目前歐洲一般家庭中每人囤積的電子設備高達五公斤重。
According to the new findings, 46 percent of the 8,775 households surveyed considered potential future use as the main reason for hoarding small electrical and electronic equipment. 根據這項新發現,在接受調查的8,775戶家庭中,46%的家庭之所以囤積小型電器及電子設備,主要是因為覺得未來可能會用到它。 Another 15 percent stockpile their gadgets with the intention of selling them or giving them away, while 13 percent keep them due to “sentimental value”. 另有15%的人囤積他們的小裝置是為了要出售或是送人,而13%的人是因為「情感價值」而保留它。
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Topic: The ‘Right to Repair’ Movement Gains Ground
If you buy a product — a car, a smartphone, or even a tractor — and it breaks, should it be easier for you to fix it yourself? 如果你買了一個產品,例如一輛汽車、一部智慧型手機,甚至是一台拖拉機,結果它壞了,是不是應該讓你自己修理起來更容易些呢?
Manufacturers of a wide range of products have made it increasingly difficult over the years to repair things, for instance by limiting availability of parts or by putting prohibitions on who gets to tinker with them. It affects not only game consoles or farm equipment, but cellphones, military gear, refrigerators, automobiles and even hospital ventilators, the lifesaving devices that have proved crucial this year in fighting the COVID-19 pandemic. 多年來,許多種產品的製造商都讓維修變得愈來愈困難,比如限制零件的取得,或對何人有權動手維修施加限制。受影響的產品不止於遊戲主機或農用機具,還有手機、軍用設備、冰箱、汽車,甚至包括今年對抗新冠病毒疫情發揮關鍵作用的救生設備—醫院裡的呼吸器。
Now, a movement known as “right to repair” is starting to make progress in pushing for laws that prohibit restrictions like these. 現在,一項名為「維修權」的運動在推動禁止此類限制的立法上,正取得進展。
In August, Democrats introduced a bill in Congress to block manufacturers’ limits on medical devices, spurred by the pandemic. In Europe, the European Commission announced plans in March for new right-to-repair rules that would cover phones, tablets and laptops by 2021. 今年8月,美國民主黨因防疫需要而在國會提出一項法案,旨在阻止製造商對醫療裝置設下限制。在歐洲,歐盟執行委員會3月宣布了新的維修權規定計畫,在2021年以前實施,涵蓋手機、平板電腦和筆記型電腦。
And in more than 20 statehouses nationwide, right-to-repair legislation has been introduced in recent years by both Republicans and Democrats. 近年來,在全美國20多個州的議會裡,共和黨和民主黨都提出了維修權法案。
Over the summer, the House advanced a funding bill that includes a requirement that the Federal Trade Commission complete a report on anti-competitive practices in the repair market and present its findings to Congress and the public. 今年夏天,眾議院推動了一項資助法案,其中責成聯邦貿易委員會做成一份關於維修市場反競爭行為的報告,並向國會和民眾提交調查結果。
The goal of right-to-repair rules, advocates say, is to require companies to make their parts, tools and information available to consumers and repair shops in order to keep devices from ending up in the scrap heap. They argue that the rules restrict people’s use of devices that they own and encourage a throwaway culture by making repairs too difficult. 倡議人士表示,維修權規定的目的是要求企業向消費者和維修商家提供零組件、工具及資訊,以免這些裝置最終被扔進垃圾堆。他們主張,目前的慣例對人們使用自己的裝置設下限制,並透過讓維修變得太過困難的方式,助長了一種用完即丟的文化。
They also argue that it’s part of a culture of planned obsolescence — the idea that products are designed to be short-lived in order to encourage people to buy more stuff. That contributes to wasted natural resources and energy use at a time when climate change requires movement in the opposite direction to rein in planet-warming emissions. 他們還認為,這是一種計畫性淘汰文化的一部分,即為了鼓勵人們購買更多東西,產品被設計成短命的。在氣候變遷需要採取反向行動來控制溫室氣體排放的此際,這助長了自然資源的浪費以及能源的使用。
Manufacturing a new device or appliance is still largely reliant on polluting sources of energy — electricity generated from burning fossil fuels, for instance — and constitutes the largest environmental impact for most products. 製造一種新設備或裝置在很大程度上,仍仰賴會造成汙染的能源,例如燃燒化石燃料產生的電力,對大多數產品而言,這正是構成最大環境影響的因素。 Source article: https://udn.com/news/story/6904/5015841
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Topic: Help for Curing The Phone Addiction
Like pretty much everyone, Susan Butler stares at her smartphone too much. But unlike most everyone, she took action, buying a $195 ring from a company called Ringly, which promises to “let you put your phone away and your mind at ease.” 和大多數人一樣,蘇珊.巴特勒盯著智慧手機看的時間太長了。不一樣的是,她採取了行動,從Ringly公司買了一只195美元的戒指,保證可「讓你手機放一旁,腦袋放輕鬆」。
Ringly does this by connecting its rings to a smartphone filter so that users can silence Gmail or Facebook notifications while preserving crucial alerts, which cause the ring to light up or vibrate. Ringly透過將戒指連接一個篩選程式辦到這一點,因此使用者可以讓Gmail或Facebook通知改為靜音,同時保留重要提示,這時戒指會發光或震動。
“Hopefully it will keep some distance between my phone and my hand,” said Ms. Butler, 27, a technology consultant who lives in Austin, Texas. 住在德州奧斯汀、27歲的科技顧問巴特勒說:「希望它能讓我的手機和我的手之間保持些距離。」
Given how quickly cellphones have taken over, it’s easy to forget that they are still a relatively new technology. The first iPhone came out eight years ago. 手機快速地主導了人們的生活,很容易讓我們忘了它仍是相當新的科技。第一支iPhone問世不過是8年前的事。
Yet already people spend close to three hours a day looking at a mobile screen – and that excludes the time they spend actually talking on the phones. 然而已有人每天花近3小時看手機-這還不算實際用手機講電話的時間。
In a recent survey of smartphone use by Bank of America, about a third of respondents said they were “constantly” checking their smartphones, and a little more than two-thirds said that they went to bed with a smartphone by their side. New companies see a business opportunity in helping people cut back. 美國銀行最近一項智慧手機使用調查發現,約三分之一受訪者表示「不斷」查看手機;略多於三分之二的人說,睡覺時把手機放在身旁。一些新公司在幫助人們少用手機這件事上看到了商機。
“Technology has evolved so quickly that we have spiraled out of control and nobody has stopped to think about how this is going to impact our lives,” said Kate Unsworth, the founder of a British company, Kovert, that also makes high-tech jewelry to filter out everything but the most urgent stuff. 英國Kovert公司製造的高科技首飾能濾除最緊急資訊以外的所有訊息,創辦人凱特.安茲沃斯說:「科技發展飛快,讓我們失去掌控,沒有人停下來思考這一切會如何影響我們的生活。」
Smartwatches like the Apple Watch are designed to encourage more glancing and less phone checking. In June, Google and Levi’s announced plans for a line of high-tech clothes that will allow people to do things like turn off a ringing phone by swiping their jacket cuff. Apple Watch之類智慧手表設計宗旨在於讓人多簡單過目,少滑手機。谷歌和Levi’s六月宣布一項高科技服飾系列的合作計畫,讓人們能做拍打外套袖口就關掉手機響鈴之類的事。
Offtime limits customers’ access to apps they overuse and produce charts on how much time they spend on their phones. Moment encourages people to share their phone use with friends to compete in a game of who can look at their phone the least. And Light Phone, a credit-card-size phone that does nothing but make and receive phone calls. Offtime程式限制顧客開啟過度使用的應用程式,並製作圖表顯示他們花在手機上的時間。Moment鼓勵人們和朋友分享自己使用手機的狀況並互相比賽,看看誰能最少看手機。還有信用卡大小的手機Light Phone,只能撥打及接聽電話。
NoPhone is a $12 piece of plastic that looks like a smartphone but actually does nothing. “Most people don’t think about phone addiction as a real thing until you’re like, ‘O.K., they’re buying a piece of plastic because they are worried about their friend,’ ” said Van Gould, head of the nascent venture that had sold close to 3,200 NoPhones. NoPhone是塊12美元的塑膠,看來像支智慧手機,實際上啥也不能做。這家新興公司已售出近3200支NoPhone,老闆范恩.古德說:「多數人沒把手機成癮真當個問題,直到你覺得『是的,他們買了一件塑膠,因為他們擔心朋友。』」
Adam Gazzaley, a neurologist and neuroscience professor at the University of California, San Francisco, said, “You have a population that is starting to say, ‘Wait, we love all this technology but there seems to be a cost – whether it’s my relationship or my work or my safety because I’m driving and texting.’ ” 舊金山加州大學神經病學家暨神經科學教授亞當.加札利說:「有一群人開始說『等等,我們愛這些科技,但似乎要付代價-無論是我的感情、工作或安全,因為我邊開車邊打簡訊。」
Some products are trying to find a balance. Google Now uses data to bother you only when you need it. “If I’m about to forget my kid’s birthday I want the phone to scream at me until I do something about it,” said Sundar Pichai, Google’s senior vice president of products. 有些產品試著尋求平衡。Google Now只在你需要時用數據打擾你。Google產品資深副總裁桑達.皮柴說:「在我將要忘記孩子的生日時,我要手機對我尖叫,直到我讓它停止。」
Smartphones are a potent delivery mechanism for two fundamental human impulses, according to Paul Atchley, a psychology professor at the University of Kansas: our quest to find new and interesting distractions, and our desire to feel that we have checked off a task. 堪薩斯大學心理學教授保羅.艾區利表示,對於兩項基本的人類衝動而言,智慧手機是有力的傳遞機制:尋求新鮮有趣的娛樂,以及感覺自己檢查過一項工作的欲望。
“The brain gets literally rewired to switch – to constantly seek out novelty, which makes putting the phone down difficult,” he said. 他說:「大腦實際上會重新連接以轉變,持續尋求新奇事物,這使得放下手機很困難。」
Addiction or not, Ms. Butler still sought help from Ringly. 無論成癮與否,巴特勒仍持續自Ringly尋求幫助。
Mr. Atchley is skeptical. Successful treatment, he said, is about controlling our demons – not outsourcing them. 艾區利表示懷疑。他說,成功的治療在於控制自己的心魔-而非將此事外包。
In technology, as in life, a little willpower goes a long way. 面對科技,一如面對生活,一點點意志力就很有用。 Source article: https://paper.udn.com/udnpaper/POH0067/282793/web/#2L-6186766L
每日英語跟讀 Ep.K471: South Africa Details Plans to Fight Corruption
South Africa’s president has introduced long-anticipated measures to tackle endemic corruption, subjecting even himself and his Cabinet to closer scrutiny of their personal spending and lifestyles. But some analysts question whether reforms that would help the government regain the trust of a fed-up public will ever be carried out. 南非總統推出各界期待已久的措施,以解決普遍存在的貪腐問題,連他本人跟他的內閣個人支出與生活方式都要接受更仔細的審查。這項改革意在協助政府重新取得受夠一切的大眾信任,但一些分析人士質疑是否能夠落實。
President Cyril Ramaphosa, speaking on national television Sunday evening, said his government would, among other things, establish a permanent anti-corruption unit in the national prosecutor’s office, create transparency in the granting of public contracts and increase protections for whistleblowers. 南非總統拉瑪佛沙周日晚間在國家電視台發表談話時表示,他的政府還將在國家檢察官辦公室設立一個常設的反貪腐部門,在批准公共合約方面創造透明度,並加強對舉報人的保護。
“As a country,” he said, “we are emerging from a dark and difficult period.” 他說:「作為一個國家,我們正在走出一個黑暗和困難的時期。」
But Ramaphosa deferred much of the work to root out corruption to Parliament and other government entities. He also did not say how he would tackle some of the most controversial issues closest to home, including what to do about senior officials within his government who have been accused of corruption. 但拉瑪佛沙將根除貪腐的大部分工作交給國會和其他政府機構。他也沒說自己將如何處置一些最具爭議的問題,包括如何處理他政府內遭指控貪腐的高官。
“It’s so unserious, it’s almost a joke,” William Gumede, a professor of public management at the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg, said of Ramaphosa’s proposals. If he wanted to show that he was serious about dealing with corruption in his orbit, Gumede added, Ramaphosa should have suspended the ministers accused of corruption. 約翰尼斯堡金山大學公共管理學教授古梅德談到拉瑪佛沙的提議時說,「太不認真了,簡直是個笑話」,並稱拉瑪佛沙若想展現自己認真看待他身邊貪腐問題,應該將遭指控貪腐的部長停職。
Ramaphosa’s proposals came in response to hundreds of recommendations by a judicial commission that spent three years hearing evidence from more than 300 witnesses about how officials had gutted public enterprises to enrich themselves and their friends. The commission, led by South Africa’s chief justice, Raymond Zondo, focused mostly on the nine years that Ramaphosa’s predecessor, Jacob Zuma, led the country. 拉瑪佛沙的提議,是回應一個司法委員會提出的數百項建議。該委員會花了三年聽取300多名證人證詞,他們講述官員如何破壞公共企業來圖利自己跟朋友。委員會由南非首席大法官桑多領導,主要聚焦在拉瑪佛沙前任朱瑪領導南非的9年。
But the current president’s reform efforts also come at a particularly fraught time, with Ramaphosa facing his own corruption scandal. 但這位現任總統的改革行動,是在一個特別令人憂心的時刻進行,因拉瑪佛沙自己也面臨貪腐醜聞。
As the country confronts a breakdown in public life, with frequent blackouts because of an overwhelmed electricity grid and increasing water outages, several investigations are underway into whether the president had sought to cover up the theft of potentially millions of dollars in cash from a game farm he owns. 隨著電網超過負載導致頻繁停電及愈來愈常停水,該國公眾生活面臨崩潰,幾項關於總統的調查也正進行中,以釐清他是否試圖掩蓋從他擁有的狩獵農場竊取數百萬美元現金。
During a news conference last week, Zuma said Ramaphosa, his staunch foe, was corrupt, while another former president, Thabo Mbeki, questioned Ramaphosa’s future as a leader amid the farm theft inquiry. 朱瑪在上周的記者會上說他的死對頭拉瑪佛沙貪腐,另一位前總統姆貝基在農場盜竊案調查中,質疑拉瑪佛沙作為領導人的前途。Source article: https://udn.com/news/story/6904/6740698
每日英語跟讀 Ep.K472: About Japan - Asakusa-based gang decides to call it quits after a century
An organized crime syndicate in Tokyo with roots dating to around a century ago has finally decided to call it quits, a victim of changing times and social mores, police crackdowns and a membership that is ... well past its prime. 受時代與社會習俗改變、警察鎮壓,以及幫眾人數遠不及全盛時期所苦,東京的一個起源於約一世紀前的組織犯罪集團,終於決定告一段落。
The Anegasaki-kai, based in the old downtown Asakusa district of the capital, survived primarily by scalping tickets for concerts and running stalls at summer festivals, according to investigative sources. 根據調查單位的消息人士,以首都淺草區老街為根據地的姉崎會,其生存之道主要是靠賣演唱會黃牛票以及在夏日祭典擺攤。
It notified other yakuza groups in the capital that it decided to disband on July 25, the sources said. 消息人士說,該幫派通知首都內的其他黑幫,決定在7月25日解散。
Tokyo’s Metropolitan Police Department said it learned that the notice was sent to the Kyokuto-kai, a designated crime syndicate, and other gangs, and is now trying to verify it. 東京都警視廳表示,已知悉(姉崎會將解散)通知送至指定暴力團極東會與其他幫派,如今正試圖核實。
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Dream job: the Japanese man who gets paid to do nothing夢幻工作:一位日本人藉由無所事事賺錢
Shoji Morimoto has what some would see as a dream job: he gets paid to do pretty much nothing. 森本祥司擁有一個看似夢幻的工作:他以無所事事賺錢。
The 38-year-old Tokyo resident charges 10,000 yen per booking to accompany clients and simply exist as a companion. 這位38歲東京居民每次對預約的客戶收費一萬日圓,僅作為陪伴存在。
"Basically, I rent myself out. My job is to be wherever my clients want me to be and to do nothing in particular," Morimoto told, adding that he had handled some 4,000 sessions in the past four years. 森本說,「基本上,我把自己出租,我的工作是出現在客戶希望我出現的地方,特別是不用做任何事情」。他並補充說明,過去4年已處理4000場次。
His job has taken him to a park with a person who wanted to play on a see-saw. He has also beamed and waved through a train window at a complete stranger who wanted a send-off. 他的工作讓他陪一個想玩蹺蹺板的人去公園。他也透過火車車窗對一個想要被送行、完全不認識的人瞇眼微笑。
Before Morimoto found his true calling, he worked at a publishing company and was often chided for "doing nothing". 森本找到他真正的天職之前,在一間出版社公司工作,時常被訓斥「無所事事」。
"I started wondering what would happen if I provided my ability to ’do nothing’ as a service to clients," he said. 他說,「我開始思考,要是我將『無所事事』的能力作為一項服務提供給客戶,會發生什麼事。」Source article: https://features.ltn.com.tw/english/article/paper/1550844 ; https://features.ltn.com.tw/english/article/paper/1549877
17 Nov 2022
每日英語跟讀 Ep.K473: About the US - 二手店找到2千年前的羅馬遺物與薪資揭露法
每日英語跟讀 Ep.K473: About the US - Texas woman’s Goodwill find turns out to be 2,000-year-old Roman relic
A Texas woman got a bang for her buck when her purchase of a $34.99 marble bust from a Goodwill thrift store turned out to be a relic from ancient Rome. (美國)德州1名婦女日前挖到寶,她在Goodwill二手店以34.99美元買下的一樽大理石半身像,竟是古羅馬時代的遺物。
Laura Young, who has been reselling antiques for 11 years, came across a 52lb marble bust in an Austin Goodwill in 2018. 從事古董轉賣生意11年的蘿拉.楊恩2018年在奧斯汀的1家Goodwill二手店,偶然發現這樽52磅重的大理石半身像。
"I was just looking for anything that looked interesting," Young told CNN. She added: "It was a bargain at $35 – there was no reason not to buy it." 「我當時只是在找些看起來有趣的東西,」楊恩告訴美國有線電視新聞網。她補充說,「35塊真的很划算--沒理由不買。」
After purchasing the bust, Young reached out to various auction houses and experts to find out more about the sculpture. 楊恩買下半身像後聯繫多家拍賣公司與專家,以便更進一步瞭解該雕塑。
Sotheby’s eventually confirmed that the bust was estimated to be about 2,000 years old, and came from ancient Rome. 蘇富比拍賣行最後證實,該半身像估計有2千年歷史,而且來自古羅馬時代。
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Many employers will soon have to advertise salary thanks to two new laws 多虧2項新法 許多雇主很快將得在求才廣告上揭露薪資
Job seekers will start to get a much better grasp on what many employers are willing to pay – and so will a company’s existing employees. (美國的)求職者將開始更清楚知道雇主願意付多少薪水--該公司現有員工亦然。
While there is already a patchwork of state and local laws aimed at improving pay transparency, many companies still do not advertise what they pay up front. But two new laws that will soon take effect may have the biggest impact yet on employers and job seekers across the country. 儘管現有旨在改善薪資透明度的各種州級與地方法律,許多公司仍不願在徵才廣告上坦率寫出願意支付多少薪水。但即將生效的2項新法,或許會對全美國的雇主與求職者造成迄今最大的影響。
On November 1, New York City will require employers that have four or more people on the payroll – with at least one of them working in the city – to provide a “good faith” pay range listing the minimum and maximum base salary or hourly wage in all job advertisements. 紐約市在11月1日將要求有至少4名支薪員工--其中至少一人任職於紐約市--的雇主,在所有求才廣告上提供「真誠」的薪資範疇,列出最低與最高的基礎薪資或時薪。Source article: https://features.ltn.com.tw/english/article/paper/1545580 ; https://features.ltn.com.tw/english/article/paper/1549517
15 Nov 2022
精選詞彙播客 Vocab Ep.143: 肉食主義的和牛天花板 Wagyu beef yay or nay?
00:22:21
Summary:
Since Costco introduced soft and tender USDA beef to Taiwan, the Taiwanese shoppers are now after the next best thing - Wagyu beef. Wagyu beef is now making its way to hotpot and bbq restaurants. In this episode, Angel and I talk about how we feel about Wagyu beef and steaks in general. Do you like Wagyu beef? Comment down below!
Vocabulary:
1. Cost an arm and a leg idiom. 非常昂貴/近乎賣手賣腳 A5 Wagyu steak will cost you an arm and a leg. A5 和牛的價位非常昂貴。
2. Sizzle adj. 滋滋聲 When cooking steak, Gordon Ramsay always says "Listen to the sizzle". 煮牛排時,Gordon廚神都說要聽到"滋滋聲“。
3. Portion n. 份量 If you are not sure how much steak you can finish, you want to order the smaller portion on the menu. 如果你不確定你可以吃完多少牛排,可以點菜單上比較小的份量。
Topic: About space - NASA and Tide team up to do laundry in space
Tide is going to outer space. The Procter & Gamble brand is partnering with NASA to keep astronauts’ spacesuits fresh, even on Mars. 汰漬正在前往外太空。這個寶鹼公司的品牌正與美國航太總署合作,維持太空人太空服的乾淨,即便是在火星。
Company and NASA scientists have created a fully degradable detergent that will clean clothes without wasting water. 該公司與NASA科學家已經創造一款完全可自然分解的洗滌劑,不用浪費水就能潔淨衣物。
Over the next decade, they’ll be testing fabric care products, including Tide pens and wipes, at the International Space Station and on missions to the moon and Mars. 在未來10年中,他們將在國際太空站與登月、登火星的任務中,測試織物照護產品,包括汰漬的筆與濕紙巾。
The months or even years that astronauts spend away from Earth means that their spacesuits and clothes can become smelly and stained. Clothes have to be reworn several times before they are ejected with other waste into the atmosphere or sent back to Earth as trash. A crew member will receive 160 pounds of clothes per year through resupply shipments. 太空人離開地球數月,甚至數年的時間,意味著他們的太空服與衣物會變臭且染色。這些衣物與其他廢物被拋入大氣層或當成垃圾送回地球前,必須重複穿著許多次。1名組員每年將透過補給,拿到160磅重的衣物。
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Topic: Russia wants to return to Venus, build reusable rocket 俄羅斯希望重返金星,打造可重複使用的火箭
The head of Russia’s space agency said Friday that Roscosmos wants to return to Venus and bring back soil samples and build spacecraft that will surpass Elon Musk’s rockets. 俄羅斯太空機構負責人週五說,俄羅斯航太太空活動國有公司(Roscosmos)想重返金星 ,帶回土壤樣本,並打造超越(太空探索科技公司)創辦人穆斯克的火箭的太空船。
"We are making a methane rocket to replace the Soyuz-2," Roscosmos chief Dmitry Rogozin said in an interview with state news agency RIA Novosti. 「我們正在打造一種甲烷火箭取代聯合2號火箭(Soyuz-2)」,俄羅斯航太總裁羅戈辛在接受國營「俄羅斯新聞社」訪問時說。
He said it will be a reusable space complex, noting that it will be possible to use its first stage at least 100 times. 他說,新火箭將是可以重複使用的太空綜合體,並強調第一節將有望重複使用至少100次。
"Of course we are looking at what our American colleagues are doing," said Rogozin. "But our engineers are trying to take a shortcut - not to repeat what our SpaceX colleagues are doing but surpass them." 「我們當然有在關注美國同業的進展」,羅戈辛說。「但我們的工程師正試圖抄近路—不是重複SpaceX在做的事,而是超越他們。」Source article: https://features.ltn.com.tw/english/article/paper/1457274; https://news.ltn.com.tw/news/world/paper/1395146
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Topic: Why Tom Hanks turned down Jeff Bezos’ offer to go to space
Jeff Bezos offered Tom Hanks a ride to space on his Blue Origin rocket, but it came at a price. (亞馬遜創辦人)傑夫‧貝佐斯曾邀請(好萊塢男星)湯姆‧漢克搭乘他的「藍源」火箭上太空,但要付出代價。
The actor confirmed that Bezos had asked him during an appearance on "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" on Tuesday, saying if he accepted the offer he was expected to pay. 這名男星週二現身(電視節目)「吉米金默現場秀」時證實,貝佐斯曾邀約他(上太空),並說若他接受(邀約),應該要付錢。
"Well yeah, provided I pay," Hanks said. "It costs like $28 million or something like that. And I’m doing good, Jimmy — I’m doing good — but I ain’t paying $28 million. You know what, we could simulate the experience of going to space right now." 「是啊,若我付錢(就能上太空),」漢克說。「大概要2800萬美元左右。我算是事業有成,吉米—我混得還不錯—但我才不要付2800萬。你知道嗎,我們現在就可以模擬上太空的經驗。」
Hanks, who appeared to promote his new movie "Finch," mimicked shaking in a rocket while in his chair, saying, "I don’t need to spend 28 million bucks to do that." 上節目宣傳新片「芬奇的旅程」的漢克(語畢)便在椅子上模仿搭火箭(上太空時)身體抖動的模樣,並說「我才不要花2800萬來做這種事。」
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Topic: William Shatner says Prince William is ’missing the point’ of space tourism 威廉沙特納說 威廉王子沒搞懂太空旅行的真諦
William Shatner is firing a rhetorical rocket back at Prince William after the future king criticized space tourism. 在(英國)威廉王子出言批評太空觀光後,(男星)威廉‧沙特納反唇相譏,還擊這位未來國王。
Shatner, who blasted into space on one of Amazon founder Jeff Bezos’ rockets, said the British royal has "got the wrong idea" by saying that solving problems on Earth should be prioritized over tourist trips to space. 搭乘亞馬遜創辦人傑夫‧貝佐斯的一艘火箭上太空的沙特納說,宣稱解決地球上的問題應優先於太空旅行的這位英國王室成員,「搞錯了」。
The 90-year-old "Star Trek" actor said that a power generating base could be constructed 250 miles above the Earth and used to supply homes and businesses below. "The prince is missing the point," he added. 這位90歲「星際爭霸戰」男演員說,距離地表250英里的上空可以蓋一座發電基地,用來供應地面住家與建築(所需)。「王子沒搞懂(太空旅行的真諦),」他補充道。
Without mentioning names, William criticized billionaires focused on space tourism in an interview Thursday with the BBC, saying they should invest more time and money in saving Earth. 威廉週四接受英國廣播公司訪問時,在未指名道姓的情況下批評億萬富豪聚焦太空觀光的現象,指稱富豪們應將更多時間與金錢投資於拯救地球。Source article: https://features.ltn.com.tw/english/article/paper/1498987 ; https://features.ltn.com.tw/english/article/paper/1499857
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Topic: Ex-official: Space station ‘largely isolated’ from tensions
Tensions in eastern Ukraine and heightened Western fears of a Russian invasion should not have a significant impact on the International Space Station or US-Russia cooperation in space, the former head of the National Space Council told The Associated Press. 烏克蘭東部的緊張局勢以及西方對俄羅斯入侵的擔憂加劇,不應該對國際空間站或美俄太空合作產生重大影響,國家太空委員會前負責人告訴美聯社。
That was before Russia launched an invasion of Ukraine on Thursday last week, however. 然而,那是在俄羅斯上週四入侵烏克蘭之前。
Four NASA astronauts, two Russian cosmonauts and one European astronaut are currently on the space station. 四名NASA宇航員,兩名俄羅斯宇航員和一名歐洲宇航員目前正在空間站上。
Scott Pace, who served as executive secretary of the space council under US President Donald Trump and is now the director of the Space Policy Institute at George Washington University, said the space station “has been largely isolated” from political events. 斯科特·佩斯(Scott Pace)曾擔任美國總統唐納德·特朗普太空委員會執行秘書,現在是喬治華盛頓大學空間政策研究所所長,他說,空間站"在很大程度上與政治事件隔離"。
“It’s possible to imagine a break with Russia that would endanger the space station, but that would be at the level of a dropping diplomatic relations,” said Pace. “That would be something that would be an utterly last resort so I don’t really see that happening unless there is a wider military confrontation.” The space station, an international partnership of five space agencies from 15 countries, including Canada, several countries in Europe, Japan, Russia and the United States, launched in 1998 and morphed into a complex that’s almost as long as a football field, with 13km of electrical wiring, an acre of solar panels and three high-tech labs. "可以想象與俄羅斯的決裂會危及空間站,但那將是外交關係下降的水準,"佩斯說。"這將是完全最後的手段,所以除非有更廣泛的軍事對抗,否則我真的不會看到這種情況發生。該空間站由來自15個國家的五個航太機構組成,包括加拿大,歐洲的幾個國家,日本,俄羅斯和美國,於1998年發射,並演變成一個幾乎與足球場一樣長的綜合體,擁有13公里的電線,一英畝的太陽能電池板和三個高科技實驗室。
It marked two decades of people continuously living and working in orbit in 2020. 它標誌著2020年人們在軌道上持續生活和工作的二十年。
The first crew — American Bill Shepherd and Russians Sergei Krikalev and Yuri Gidzenko — blasted off from Kazakhstan on Oct. 31, 2000. 第一批船員——美國人比爾·謝潑德(Bill Shepherd)和俄羅斯人謝爾蓋·克里卡列夫(Sergei Krikalev)和尤里·吉岑科(Yuri Gidzenko)——於2000年10月31日從哈薩克起飛。
The three astronauts got along fine but tension sometimes bubbled up with the two mission controls, in Houston and outside Moscow. 三名宇航員相處得很好,但有時在休士頓和莫斯科郊外的兩個任務控制中心會引發緊張局勢。
Russia kept station crews coming and going after NASA’s Columbia disaster in 2003 and after the space shuttles retired in 2011. 俄羅斯在2003年美國宇航局的哥倫比亞號災難和2011年航太飛機退役后,讓空間站的工作人員來來去去。
There have been concerns raised in US Congress about the impact that conflict over Ukraine could have on the International Space Station. 美國國會一直擔心烏克蘭衝突可能對國際空間站產生的影響。
Lawmakers have specifically exempted space cooperation from previous sanctions and can be expected to make similar arguments against targeting it as the administration considers its next steps over Ukraine. 立法者已經明確將太空合作從以前的制裁中豁免,並且可以預期,隨著政府考慮其對烏克蘭的下一步行動,將提出類似的論點反對針對太空合作。Source article: https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/lang/archives/2022/03/01/2003773937
每日英語跟讀 Ep.K474: French Strike May Presage a Winter of Discontent
Across France, a third of the gas stations are fully or partly dry, victims of a fast-widening strike that has spread to most of the country’s major oil refineries, as well as some nuclear plants and railways, offering a preview of a winter of discontent as inflation and energy shortages threaten to undercut Europe’s stability and its united front against Russia for its war in Ukraine.
At the very least the strike — pitting refinery workers seeking a greater share of the surging profits against oil giants TotalEnergies and Exxon Mobil — has already emerged as the first major social crisis of Emmanuel Macron’s second term as president, as calls grow for a general strike.
The widening social unrest is just what European leaders fear as inflation hits its highest level in decades, driven in part by snarls in pandemic global supply chains, but also by the mounting impact of the tit-for-tat economic battle between Europe and Russia over its invasion of Ukraine.
Economic anxiety is palpable across Europe, driving large protests in Prague, Britain’s biggest railway strike in three decades, as well as walkouts by bus drivers, call center employees and criminal defense lawyers, and causing many governments to introduce relief measures to cushion the blow and ward off still more turbulence. Airline workers in Spain and Germany went on strike recently, demanding wage increases to reflect the rising cost of living.
Workers at half of France’s eight refineries are continuing to picket for higher wages in line with inflation, as well as a cut of the sky-high profits their companies made over recent months, as the price of gasoline has surged.
Earlier last week, Exxon Mobil announced that it had come to an agreement with two of four unions working at its sites. But the wage increase was 1 percentage point less, and half the bonus, that Confédération Générale du Travail, or CGT, France’s second-largest union, had demanded.
In its own news release, TotalEnergies said the company continued to aim for “fair compensation for the employees” and to ensure they benefited “from the exceptional results generated” by the company.
On Friday, two unions at TotalEnergies announced they had reached a deal for a 7% wage increase and a bonus. But CGT, which has demanded a 10% hike, walked out of the negotiation and said it would continue the strike. 道達爾的兩個工會周五宣布,他們已就加薪7%與獎金達成協議,但要求加薪10%的法國總工會退出談判,並表示將繼續罷工。Source article: https://udn.com/news/story/6904/6722930
每日英語跟讀 Ep.K476: About Science - Scientists grow plants in lunar dirt, next stop moon
Scientists grow plants in lunar dirt, next stop moon 科學家從月球土壤中種出植物 下一步登月種植
For the first time, scientists have grown plants in soil from the moon collected by NASA’s Apollo astronauts. 科學家從美國航太總署阿波羅登月計畫太空人收集的月球土壤中,成功種出植物,這是史上首見。
Researchers wanted to see if the moon soil could be used to grow food by the next generation of lunar explorers. The results stunned them. 研究員希望了解月球土壤能否被下一個世代的月球探索者用於栽培糧食作物,而實驗結果令他們大為驚喜。
"Holy cow. Plants actually grow in lunar stuff. Are you kidding me?" said Robert Ferl of the University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences. 佛羅里達大學食物和農業科學研究所的羅伯特‧費爾讚嘆:「我的天啊,月球土壤居然真的長出植物,不是在說笑吧?」
Ferl and his colleagues planted thale cress in moon soil returned by Apollo 11’s Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin, and other moonwalkers, and all of the seeds sprouted. 費爾和同事從阿波羅11號計畫的尼爾‧阿姆斯壯、伯茲‧艾德林和其他登月者帶回的土壤中栽種阿拉伯芥,而且所有種子都發芽了。
The downside was that after the first week, the coarseness and other properties of the lunar soil stressed the small, flowering weeds so much that they grew more slowly than seedlings planted in fake moon dirt from Earth. Most of the moon plants ended up stunted.
Do spiders sleep? Study suggests they may snooze like humans蜘蛛會睡覺嗎?研究表明牠們可能像人類一樣打盹
It’s a question that keeps some scientists awake at night: Do spiders sleep? 這是一個讓一些科學家夜不能寐的問題:蜘蛛會睡覺嗎?
Daniela Roessler and her colleagues trained cameras on baby jumping spiders at night to find out. The footage showed patterns that looked a lot like sleep cycles: The spiders’ legs twitched and parts of their eyes flickered. 丹妮拉‧羅斯勒和她的同事在夜間用相機對準跳蛛幼蛛拍攝,以找出答案。畫面顯示的模式看起來很像睡眠週期:蜘蛛的腿抽搐,部分眼睛來回轉動。
The researchers described this pattern as a “REM sleep-like state.” In humans, REM, or rapid eye movement, is an active phase of sleep when parts of the brain light up with activity and is closely linked with dreaming. 研究人員用「快速眼動睡眠狀態」形容他們觀察到的這種模式」。人類睡眠的快速眼動(REM)指的是睡眠過程中的活躍階段,大腦有一部分處於清醒活動狀態,與作夢有密切關係。
Other animals, including some birds and mammals, have been shown to experience REM sleep. But creatures like the jumping spider haven’t gotten as much attention so it wasn’t known if they got the same kind of sleep, said Roessler, an evolutionary biologist at the University of Konstanz in Germany. 其他動物,包括一些鳥類和哺乳動物,已被證明會經歷快速眼動睡眠。但德國康斯坦茨大學的進化生物學家羅斯勒說,像跳蛛這樣的生物並沒有受到太多關注,所以不知道牠們是否有同樣的睡眠。Source article: https://features.ltn.com.tw/english/article/paper/1536258 ; https://features.ltn.com.tw/english/article/paper/1538995
每日英語跟讀 Ep.K477: About the UK - One in 7 Britons skipping meals in cost of living crisis
One in seven people in the UK are skipping meals or going without food, according to new polling data released by the Trades Union Congress (TUC). 英國工會大會(TUC)發布的最新民調數據顯示,7分之1的英國人選擇少吃幾頓飯,甚至不吃飯。
The data from an MRP poll by Opinium reveals that more than half of British people are cutting back on heating, hot water and electricity in the cost of living squeeze, and one in 12 have missed the payment of a household bill. 英國調查機構Opinium公布的物資需求計畫(MRP)民調數據顯示,隨著生活成本不斷上漲,超過半數英國人削減取暖、熱水和用電開支,每12人中就有1人負擔不起家庭開支。
With inflation running at 10%, the polling found that one in seven people are skipping meals but that rises to one in five people in nearly 50 constituencies across the country. 在通貨膨脹率飆升至10%的情況下,民調發現,7分之1的人選擇少用餐,但在全國近50個選區中,這一比例達5分之1。
The proportion of people across the UK skipping meals is the same for people in and out of work at 14%, while about 44% say they are having to cut back on food spending. 英國各地為省錢選擇少吃飯的人,與工作不穩定的人比例相同,為14%,而大約44%的人表示他們不得不削減食品支出。
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Romanian migrant becomes star in Britain 羅馬尼亞移民在英國成明星
The British media had warned of a flood of new Bulgarian and Romanian migrants arriving on January 1, but judging by this week’s coverage, they only appeared to have found one. 英國媒體之前警告1月1日將湧入大批保加利亞與羅馬尼亞新移民,但由本週的報導判斷,他們似乎只發現1人。
Victor Spirescu, a 30-year-old Romanian, has become an unexpected star after flying into Luton airport, north of London, on the day EU labour market restrictions on his nation and Bulgaria were lifted. 30歲的羅馬尼亞人史皮瑞斯庫,在歐盟對其母國與保國的勞工解除市場管制當日,飛抵北倫敦的魯頓機場後,意外成名。
He has become the face of the new arrivals, featuring in several national newspapers in Britain -- including for a double-page spread in The Times -- appearing on Sky News and has been interviewed by the Romanian media back home. 他成為新移民的代表人物,英國一些全國性報紙加以特別報導,包括泰晤士報的跨頁專題,他也在「天空新聞」露面,並接受家鄉羅國媒體採訪。
The Daily Telegraph newspaper even travelled to Romania to interview his 19-year-old fiancee, Catalina Curcean, in what it called their "ramshackle" house outside the village of Pelisor in Transylvania. 「每日電訊報」甚至走訪羅國,在外西凡尼亞佩利索村外一棟被稱為「搖搖欲墜」的房子內,訪問他的19歲未婚妻卡塔莉娜。
A gaggle of journalists had gathered to greet Spirescu’s flight on January 1, in hopes of a story about hordes of migrants arriving to seek work and possibly to abuse Britain’s welfare system. 一群喧嚷的記者1月1日齊聚迎接史皮瑞斯庫的班機,希望獲得移民成群結隊抵達找工作,並可能濫用英國福利系統的報導。
Media panic about the new influx and fears about ’benefits tourism’ had led the British government to rush through measures in December restricting access to unemployment hand-outs to new EU migrants. 媒體對新移民潮的恐慌與對「福利旅遊」的畏懼,促使英國政府急於在12月通過失業救濟不得延及歐盟新移民的措施。
But of the 140 passengers on board the 180-seat plane from Tirgu Mures in central Romania, most were already working in Britain and were returning from their Christmas holidays. 然而,來自羅馬尼亞中部特爾古穆列什的一架180人座客機中的140名乘客,大多數都已在英國就業,只是結束耶誕假期返回。Source article: https://features.ltn.com.tw/english/article/paper/1550077 ; https://news.ltn.com.tw/news/world/paper/744973
Music makes you lose control, Missy Elliott once sang on a hit that is almost impossible to hear without bopping along. Now scientists have discovered that rats also find rhythmic beats irresistible, showing how they instinctively move in time to music.
This ability was previously thought to be uniquely human and scientists say the discovery provides insights into the animal mind and the origins of music and dance.
“Rats displayed innate — that is, without any training or prior exposure to music — beat synchronization,” said Dr Hirokazu Takahashi of the University of Tokyo.
“Music exerts a strong appeal to the brain and has profound effects on emotion and cognition,” he added.
「音樂對大腦有很強的吸引力,對情緒和認知有深遠的影響」,他補充道。
While there have been previous demonstrations of animals dancing along to music — TikTok has a wealth of examples — the study is one of the first scientific investigations of the phenomenon.
In the study, published in the journal Science Advances, 10 rats were fitted with wireless, miniature accelerometers to measure the slightest head movements. They were then played one-minute excerpts from Mozart’s Sonata for Two Pianos in D Major, at four different tempos: 75 percent, 100 percent, 200 percent and 400 percent of the original speed. 20 human volunteers also participated. The scientists thought it possible that rats would prefer faster music, as their bodies, including heartbeat, work at a faster pace. By contrast, the time constant of the brain is surprisingly similar across species.
However, the results showed that both the rat and human participants had optimal beat synchronicity when the music was in the 120 to 140 beats per minute (bpm) range — close to the Mozart composition’s original 132bpm — suggesting we share a “sweet spot” for hitting the beat. The team also found that rats and humans jerked their heads to the beat in a similar rhythm, and that the level of head jerking decreased the more that the music was sped up.
“Our results suggest that the optimal tempo for beat synchronization depends on the time constant in the brain,” said Takahashi.
「我們的結果顯示,節拍同步的最佳節奏取決於大腦中的時間常數」,高橋說。
The team now plans to investigate how other musical properties such as melody and harmony relate to the dynamics of the brain. “Also, as an engineer, I am interested in the use of music for a happy life,” said Takahashi.
Summary: As of October 13th, the CDC has eased the border controls for arrivals in Taiwan. Now that the pandemic is over, airlines are scrambling to meet the travel demands around the world. Until the airline industry returns to its glory days, the ticket prices remain high and out of reach for certain routes. In this episode, Angel shares where one can get tickets for cheap. Why don't you tell us how you usually bargain hunt for airtickets? Comment down below!
Vocabulary:
1. Self-initiated disease prevention 自主防疫 As of October 13th, all arrivals must undergo self-initiated disease prevention. 從十月十三日起,入境人士都需進行自主防疫。
2. Clearance tickets 清倉促銷機票 There are Facebook pages dedicated to selling clearance tickets to the public. 臉書粉專有專門提供促銷機票的。
3. The world is your oyster 世界任你翱翔 If you happen to be between jobs, you can take the opportunity to travel and make the world your oyster. 如果你在待業中,你可以藉由這個機會讓世界任你翱翔。
French fries and hamburgers are popular with teenagers. Everyone knows that these high-calorie foods can lead to chronic illnesses such as heart disease and high blood pressure, but, according to a report published by Medical Xpress, a study led by the University of Queensland in Australia has found that eating too much junk food can also have an impact on teenagers’ sleep quality.
According to the research results, teenagers who drink more than three soft drinks per day were 55 percent more likely to report sleep disturbance than those who only drink one cup per day. Males who ate fast foods on more than four days per week were 55 percent more likely to report sleep disturbance than those who ate them only once a week, while females were 49 percent more likely to do so.
This global study examined unhealthy diets and stress-related sleep disturbance in high school students from 64 countries. The study found that 7.5 percent of adolescents reported having stress-related sleep disturbance, which was more common among females than males and increased with more frequent consumption of carbonated soft drinks, as did the occurrence of sleep problems. Because carbonated drinks often contain caffeine and large amounts of sugar, while fast foods are high in energy but poor in nutrients, long-term consumption can cause nutritional imbalances.
These data were collected from global health surveys conducted by the WHO between 2009 and 2016, which included about 170,000 students aged 12 to 15 years from 64 low, middle and high-income countries in Southeast Asia, Africa, South America and the eastern Mediterranean.
The research team said that frequent intake of soft drinks and eating of fast foods is closely associated with sleep problems in teenagers, and that this phenomenon is particularly clear in high-income countries. The research team said that these findings are worrying because poor-quality sleep has an adverse impact on adolescent health and cognitive development. They suggested that policies should be formulated that target these unhealthy behaviors.
Topic: Cognitive decline linked to ultraprocessed food, study finds
Too many daily calories from highly processed foods like lunch meats, frozen dinners, and packaged cookies may speed up cognitive decline, a new study suggests.
In the study, researchers examined the diets and cognitive function test results of more than 8,000 adults in Brazil. At the start of the study, participants consumed an average of about 2,850 calories a day. About 28 percent of their daily calories came from highly processed foods.
After about nine years of follow-up, cognitive test scores for memory and executive function declined the most for participants who ate the most highly processed foods.
經過約9年追蹤,吃加工食品最多的參與者,其記憶力和執行功能的認知測試分數下降幅度最大。
Ultraprocessed foods are defined as “industrial formulations of food substances (oils, fats, sugars, starch, and protein isolates) that contain little or no whole foods and typically include flavorings, colorings, emulsifiers, and other cosmetic additives,” according to the study.
Topic: Taiwan gourmets shocked at Pizza Hut’s newest cilantro, century egg-flavored delight
必勝客最近傳出將推出「香菜皮蛋豬血糕比薩」,交雜台式料理讓最勇猛的台灣人都震驚。
Pizza Hut is about to release a new “cilantro, century egg pig’s blood cake pizza” (香菜皮蛋豬血糕比薩) whose chaotic combination of flavors is poised to shock even the most daring Taiwanese gourmet.
據網友所述,此比薩將結合台灣各式道地美食,而這個消息也引來熱議。
According to social media users, the new pizza will combine many well-known traditional Taiwanese street foods, and The announcement sparked intense discussions online.
許多人表示當每道口味都那麼重的時候就不會那麼美味,也有人開玩笑的問必勝客「到底有多討厭義大利」。
Many thought that the flavors were too strong and would clash. Social media users even teased Pizza Hut, commenting “how much do you hate Italy?”
必勝客之前也已推出過眾多奇特的口味,其中包括臭豆腐、麻辣鍋、拉麵、榴槤和湯圓等。
Pizza Hut had launched many unusual pizza flavors in the past, including stinky tofu, spicy hot pot, ramen, durian, boba, and fried tangyuan.
最近也因為端午節特別推出了粽子口味的「北皇粽比薩」,如今依舊在菜單上。
Their recent Dragon Boat Festival series, which includes Zongzi flavored pizza, is still on the menu.
根據網友分享,新口味的DM上寫著此比薩內含「香菜、花生粉、豬血糕和Q彈皮蛋」。
According to the poster provided by social media users, the cilantro century egg pig’s blood cake pizza is made with four key ingredients: cilantro and peanut powder from Yunlin, braised pig’s blood cake and chewy century eggs.
網友表示這個口味對於不敢吃香菜、皮蛋、豬血糕或是對花生過敏的人都是極大的挑戰。
Some commented that this flavor is challenging people who dislike cilantro, century eggs, and pig’s blood cake, or are allergic to peanuts.
也有人點出這四種材料單看起來都好,但是被混搭在一起後胃口全沒了。
Others expressed their strong dislike over the idea of mixing those four ingredients together.
然而,還是有勇者表示自己想試試看,並稱「這個口味還是比鳳梨好」。
However, many were still willing to give the pizza a try, commenting “this new flavor is better than pineapple on pizza.”
更有人建議必勝客應該試做「辣味鴨血」或是「銀絲卷」口味。
Another suggested adding “spicy duck blood” or “silver thread buns” (銀絲卷).
Some also joked that Pizza Hut is challenging Italy with this outrageous flavor, with one questioning“Does Pizza Hut want Italy to declare war?” while another said, “If Italy attacks Taiwan, I wouldn’t be surprised.”
根據網友所述,此新口味將在六月底登場。
According to social media users, this flavor will be released at the end of June.
每日英語跟讀 Ep.K478: Who will pay for climate ‘loss and damage’?
The COP27 summit of nearly 200 countries agreed on Sunday to set up a “loss and damage” fund to support poorer countries that are being ravaged by climate impacts, overcoming decades of resistance from wealthy nations whose historic emissions have fueled climate change. 參與《聯合國氣候變化框架公約》締約方大會第27次會議(COP27)的近兩百個國家,上週日同意設立「損失與損害」基金,以援助受氣候變化衝擊、慘遭蹂躪的較貧窮國家,克服了富裕國家數十年來的抵制,這些富國過去的碳排放助長了氣候變化。
Pakistan’s climate minister Sherry Rehman, who was part of the campaign by developing nations to win the commitment at the two-week UN summit in Egypt, hailed the landmark decision as “downpayment on climate justice.” 巴基斯坦氣候部長雪莉‧雷曼,在為期兩週、在埃及舉行的聯合國峰會上為發展中國家發聲,讓大會做出此承諾,她稱讚此具有里程碑意義的決定是「氣候正義的頭期款」。
However, the text of the agreement leaves open a number of crucial details to be worked out next year and beyond, including who would contribute to the fund and who would benefit.
Here is what you need to know about the agreement: 但該協議的內容有些關鍵細節並未釐清,有待明年及之後決定,包括該基金之出資者以及受益者。 以下為該協議之重點:
WHAT IS ‘LOSS AND DAMAGE’?
In UN climate talks, “loss and damage” refers to costs incurred from climate-fueled weather extremes or impacts, like rising sea levels. 什麼是「損失及損害」?在聯合國氣候談判中,「損失及損害」是指因受到氣候引發的極端天氣或衝擊──例如海平面上升──所影響,而產生的成本。
Climate funding so far has focused mostly on cutting carbon dioxide emissions in an effort to curb global warming, while about a third of it has gone toward projects to help communities adapt to future impacts. 氣候資金到目前主要都集中在減少二氧化碳排放以遏制全球暖化,其中約三分之一用於幫助社群適應未來衝擊的計畫。
Loss and damage funding is different, specifically covering the cost of damage that countries cannot avoid or adapt to. 損失及損害資金則不同,它特別支付國家無法避免或無法調適因應的損害成本。
But there is no agreement yet over what should count as “loss and damage” caused by climate change — which could include damaged infrastructure and property, as well as harder-to-value natural ecosystems or cultural assets. 但是,對於何者該計入氣候變化所造成的「損失及損害」,目前尚未有一致看法──這可能包括受損的基礎設施與財產,以及更難以估價的自然生態系統或文化資產之破壞。
A report by 55 vulnerable countries estimated that their combined climate-linked losses over the last two decades totaled US$525 billion, or 20 percent of their collective GDP. Some research suggests that by 2030 such losses could reach US$580 billion per year. 五十五個易受氣候變化衝擊的脆弱國家所做的一份報告估計,過去二十年他們與氣候相關的損失總計5,250億美元,佔其總GDP的20%。一些研究顯示,到了二○三○年,此類損失可能會達到每年5,800億美元。
WHO PAYS WHOM? Vulnerable countries and campaigners in the past argued that rich countries that caused the bulk of climate change with their historical greenhouse gas emissions should pay.
The US and EU had resisted the argument, fearing spiraling liabilities, but changed their position during the COP27 summit. The EU has argued that China — the world’s second-biggest economy, but classified by the UN as a developing country — should also pay into it. 美國和歐盟一直抗拒此論點,擔心會負債累累,但在COP27峰會期間改變了立場。歐盟認為,中國──世界第二大經濟體,但被聯合國列為發展中國家──也應為此付出代價。
A few governments have made relatively small but symbolic funding commitments for loss and damage: Denmark, Belgium, Germany and Scotland, plus the EU. China has not committed any payment. 一些國家的政府為損失及損害承諾了相對較小但具象徵意義的資助:丹麥、比利時、德國與蘇格蘭,以及歐盟。中國並未承諾支付任何款項。
Also remaining to be worked out are the details on which countries or disasters qualify for compensation. 仍有待確定的,是哪些國家或災害有獲賠償資格之細節。Source article: https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/lang/archives/2022/11/22/2003789352
每日英語跟讀 Ep.K479: Could India Help Broker Peace in Ukraine?
In July, when a critical deal was brokered by the United Nations and Turkey to free up millions of pounds of desperately needed Ukrainian grain, India played an important behind-the-scenes role in helping sell the plan to Russia, which had been blockading the grain ships. 今年七月,當聯合國與土耳其斡旋達成一項關鍵協議,釋放數百萬磅急需的烏克蘭穀物時,印度在幕後扮演了重要角色,協助向俄羅斯推銷該計畫。俄羅斯一直在封鎖這些穀物船。
Two months later, when Russian forces were shelling the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant in Ukraine, leaving the world anxious about a nuclear catastrophe, India stepped in again and asked Russia to back off. 兩個月之後,當俄軍砲轟烏克蘭札波羅熱核電廠,令世界對核災感到焦慮時,印度再次介入,要求俄羅斯後退。
Throughout the Ukraine war, India has quietly assisted during a few pivotal moments such as these. Last week, India’s foreign minister traveled to Moscow for meetings with Russian officials on economic and political issues. Diplomats and foreign-policy experts are watching closely to see if India can use its unique leverage as one of the world’s largest countries that is a friend to both East and West to press Russia to end its war in Ukraine. 整個烏克蘭戰爭期間,印度在諸如此類的幾個關鍵時刻默默提供協助。印度外長上周前往莫斯科,與俄羅斯官員就經濟和政治問題舉行會談。外交官與外交政策專家正密切關注,印度能否利用身為世界最大國家之一並跟東西方友好的獨特影響力,迫使俄羅斯結束在烏克蘭的戰爭。
Russia and Ukraine are far from negotiating with each other; Ukraine feels it has momentum on the battlefield and is in no mood to talk, and Russia is hardly relenting either. But the widespread belief is that if the fighting reaches a stalemate, and the energy crisis makes life really miserable in Ukraine and across Europe this winter, the prospect of a negotiated settlement or at least a cease-fire may arise. 俄羅斯和烏克蘭完全不談判;烏克蘭覺得自己在戰場上擁有氣勢,無心談判,俄羅斯也幾乎沒有鬆懈下來。但人們普遍認為,若戰鬥陷入僵局,能源危機讓烏克蘭跟整個歐洲今冬生活變得非常悲慘,以談判來解決或是至少停火的機會可能出現。
India’s leader, Narendra Modi, seems to enjoy a good rapport with Russia’s leader, Vladimir Putin, with whom he shares certain strongman characteristics. 印度領導人莫迪似乎與俄羅斯領導人普亭關係融洽,兩人都擁有某些強人特徵。
But the Ukraine crisis and the escalating tensions between Russia and the West are testing India’s tightrope act. It continues to buy Russian oil, lots of it, which angers Ukraine and the United States. And it has refused to support resolutions at the United Nations that have condemned Russia’s aggression. 但烏克蘭危機以及俄國與西方不斷升級的緊張關係,正考驗印度的走鋼索行為。該國繼續大量購買俄羅斯石油,激怒了烏克蘭跟美國。它還拒絕支持聯合國譴責俄羅斯侵略的決議。
Yuri Makarov, chief editor of the Ukrainian national broadcasting company and a popular commentator based in Kyiv, was surprised to hear that Indian officials had been contemplating peace efforts. 當得知印度官員一直在考慮和平行動時,烏克蘭國家廣播公司主編、基輔頗受歡迎的評論員馬卡洛夫感到驚訝。
“I wonder if they have their own idea of the real Ukrainian situation,” he said, adding that he had yet to meet any Indian diplomats, intellectuals or journalists in Kyiv. 他說,「我好奇他們是否對烏克蘭真實情況有自己的看法」,並稱自己還沒在基輔見到任何印度外交官、知識分子或記者。
His instinct, he said, was that Israel or Turkey would be better-informed mediators. 他表示,他的直覺是以色列或土耳其會成為消息較為靈通的調解人。
Still, Makarov said, “Russia doesn’t want Ukraine to exist.” 不過,馬卡洛夫說:「俄羅斯不希望烏克蘭存在。」
He added, “So I don’t see an option for talks, sadly.” 他接著說:「所以很遺憾,我看不到有談判的選項。」Source article: https://udn.com/news/story/6904/6776438
30 Nov 2022
每日英語跟讀 Ep.K480: About School - 最老學生完成學業與法律學院寄出錯誤通知
每日英語跟讀 Ep.K480: About School - Italy’s oldest student graduates again aged 98
Giuseppe Paterno, who is 98, has become Italy’s oldest graduate - again. 98歲的朱塞佩‧帕特諾成為義大利最年長的畢業生,這是他第二次創紀錄。
Paterno has added a masters in history and philosophy from the University of Palermo to an initial degree in the same subjects he earned there two years ago. 帕特諾2年前先在巴勒莫大學歷史與哲學系取得學士學位後,又在同系修畢碩士學位。
Paterno passed the latest degree with top marks, again, his proud family said on Facebook. 為帕特諾感到自豪的家人在「臉書」表示,他再次以高分通過最新的學位考試。
He has no plans to rest and wants to write a novel using his trusty typewriter. 他沒有休息的計畫,反而想用他那台可靠的打字機寫一部小說。
Born in 1923, Paterno grew up in a poor family in Sicily and despite his love of books and studying, he wasn’t able to go to university as a young man. 帕特諾1923年生於西西里島,在貧困家庭中長大,儘管熱愛閱讀和學習,但他年輕時無法上大學。
Instead he served in the navy during World War Two from the age of 20 and went on to be a railway worker. 相反地,他在第二次世界大戰期間服役於海軍,當時20幾歲,之後成為一名鐵路工人。(路透)
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Guilty! Law school sends out erroneous admissions emails 法律學院寄出錯誤的入學通知電郵
The Northeastern University School of Law in Boston, Massachusetts, said in a statement it’s guilty of accidentally sending acceptance emails to former and current applicants. 麻薩諸塞州波士頓的東北大學法律學院在聲明中表示,他們犯下疏失,意外寄送錄取通知書電子郵件給歷屆及當屆的申請人。
The School blamed a "technical error" for the glitch, saying the erroneous emails went to more than 200 people who applied for admission starting next fall, as well as to nearly 4,000 former applicants, some of whom are already enrolled. 該院將這個疏失歸咎於「技術性失誤」,坦言錯誤的電郵已寄給預定明年秋季入學的200多名申請人,以及近4000名歷屆申請人,其中還有人已註冊入學。
Lakisha Papoutsakis, a single mother, who received the acceptance email, said that she has dreamed of going to law school since she was a child. 收到入學通知的單親媽媽拉奇莎‧帕波薩琪斯說,她從小就憧憬進入法學院就讀。
She shared the good news with her loved ones before noticing the follow-up email. "I was like, ’Oh my God this is so amazing,’ and then it was like, ’Oh no, sorry, April Fool’s Day,’" she said. 她跟親愛的人們分享喜訊後,才注意到後續的電郵。她說:「我本來心想,『我的天啊,這太驚喜了』,然後又覺得,『喔不,真遺憾,這是愚人節吧』。」Source article: https://features.ltn.com.tw/english/article/paper/1546670 ; https://features.ltn.com.tw/english/article/paper/1545424
每日英語跟讀 Ep.K481: About Golf - Tiger Woods turned down $700-800M to play LIV Golf
Tiger Woods turned down an offer worth approximately $700-$800 million to join the Saudi-backed LIV Golf series, according to the tour’s CEO Greg Norman. 根據利夫高球巡迴賽首席執行長格雷格.諾曼表示,老虎伍茲拒絕以約7到8億美元的報酬報價,參加這個由沙烏地阿拉伯贊助的高球系列賽。
During an interview on Fox News that aired on Monday, former world No. 1 Norman was asked by Tucker Carlson if it was true that Woods was offered $700-$800 million to join the LIV Golf series. 在福斯新聞週一播出的一段訪問中,曾是男子高球世界排名第一的諾曼被(福斯新聞主播)塔克.卡爾森問到,伍茲是否真的被以7到8億美元的報酬受邀參加利夫高球系列賽。
"That number was out there before I became CEO," Norman replied. "So, that number’s been out there, yes. Look, Tiger’s a needle mover, right? 「在我成為執行長前,就提出這個金額了,」諾曼回道。「所以,是的,這金額早就提出來了。你知道的,老虎是關鍵要人,是吧?」
"So, of course, you’re going to look at the best of the best. They had originally approached Tiger before I became CEO, so, yes, that number is somewhere in that neighborhood." 「所以,當然,你會想找強棒中的強棒。他們在我成為執行長前,一開始就接觸過老虎,所以,沒錯,金額差不多就是這樣。」
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Golf balls raining down on an...airport and it’s a big problem 高爾夫球遍佈…機場,問題大了
Over the past 30 days the Elizabethton Municipal Airport in Carter County, Tennessee, has been dealing with a major safety issue:golf balls all over the runway. The problem is worrying airport officials, reports WJHL News Channel 11. 過去30天來,田納西州卡特郡的伊莉莎白市立機場一直在處理一個重大飛安議題:機場跑道上遍佈高爾夫球。這個問題讓機場官員相當擔憂,WJHL新聞11頻道報導說。
Dan Cogan, the airport manager said, "Four different occasions we found golf balls out there and the total is well over 100 golf balls." The closest golf course is seven miles away but the balls are being found on the airport’s east end runway. 該機場經理丹.寇根說,「我們在4個不同的地方發現高爾夫球,總數遠超過100個。」距離該機場最近的高爾夫球場位於7英里外,但這些高爾夫球是在該機場的東端跑道上發現的。
There have been no injuries and the balls have hit no planes, but Carter County Sheriff Chris Mathes says there could be a case for "reckless endangerment, you’re putting people’s lives in danger." 這些高爾夫球並未造成人員受傷,也沒有飛機被擊中,但卡特郡警長克里斯.馬西斯說,本案可能構 成「危害他人安全,讓其他人的生命陷於險境」。
Authorities are asking for the public’s help in finding the golfer behind this act. 當局請求大眾協助尋找此事幕後的高球手。Source article: https://features.ltn.com.tw/english/article/paper/1548180 ; https://news.ltn.com.tw/news/world/paper/810601
29 Nov 2022
精選詞彙播客 Vocab Ep.145: 有聽出來我們過去都遠端錄音嗎?Could you tell we recorded remotely?
Summary: Toward the end of the year, the growing workload made Angel and I adjust the way we used to record. For the past couple months, we've been recording remotely. During this time, we noticed the changes in the way we record our sessions and the little things we care about. In this episode, Angel and I is finally back in the studio, recording face to face. Why don't you tell us how you usually prepare for your Zoom sessions? Comment down below!
Vocabulary:
1. Nuance n. 細緻差別 When remote recording without video, you have to listen to the nuances in the voice. 當遠端錄音沒有影像輔助時,得聽聲音裡細微的差別。
2. Blur v. 模糊化 Most people choose to blur their background in Zoom meetings. 多數人在遠端會議時會選擇模糊化他們的背景。
3. Post-pandemic era n. 後疫情時代 In the post-pandemic era, you have to be ready for all hybrid work situations. 後疫情時代你必須準備好各種彈性工作的情境。
See is a verb of perception, it is a sense. It is automatic and doesn't require a decision to use this sense. It is associated with things that we can't avoid.
Look and Watch are action verbs that require a decision for you to use them. They never happen automatically.
Look is used to suggest a direction for your eyes. Usually we use this verb when the things we look at doesn't move. Look - camera, prices, mirror, sky.
Look at this picture.
I like to look at the stars at night.
Watch is when we talk about concentrating on something, like a movie or sports. Using watch suggests there is a movement involved, so you can use that for TV or movies. Watch - a movie, a TV program, a football match.
I like to sit on the verandah and watch people walk by.
I watch The Simpsons every day on TV.
Examples
I can see the mountains in the distance. 我可以看到遠處的山脈
Can you see the whiteboard from your seat? 從你的位子看得到白板嗎?
Look at the map to find where we are. 看地圖上找不找得到你的地點
Don't look at him for the answer - I asked you! 我再問你!不要看他要答案
I love to watch Game of Thrones on Sunday night. 我週日時段超愛看冰與火
My husband watches the replays of the football on the weekend. 我老公超愛看體育台重播
Smith is the star of “Emancipation,” a film set during the Civil War era that Apple envisioned as a surefire Oscar contender when it wrapped filming earlier this year. But that was before Smith strode onto the stage at the Academy Awards in March and slapped comedian Chris Rock, who had made a joke about Smith’s wife, Jada Pinkett Smith. 史密斯是「解放」(暫譯)的主角,這部設定於南北戰爭期間的電影今年初拍攝殺青時,蘋果視為奧斯卡必勝參賽者,但那是在3月的奧斯卡頒獎典禮前。史密斯在典禮時走上舞台,掌摑喜劇演員克里斯洛克,因為他開了史密斯妻子、潔達蘋姬史密斯的玩笑。
Will Smith, who also won best actor that night, has since surrendered his membership in the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences and has been banned from attending any Academy-related events, including the Oscar telecast, for the next decade. 威爾史密斯那晚贏得最佳男主角獎,那之後他退回美國影藝學院會員資格,且被禁止未來十年參加所有學院相關活動,包括奧斯卡獎。
Now Apple finds itself left with a $120 million unreleased awards-style movie featuring a star no longer welcome at the biggest award show of them all and a big question: Can the film, even if it succeeds artistically, overcome the baggage that now accompanies Smith? 現在蘋果發現,它花1.2億美元拍攝這部符合奧斯卡得獎風格的未上映電影,片中明星在這個最大獎項會場卻已不再受歡迎。一個很大問題是:即使在藝術上成功了,這部電影如今能夠克服史密斯帶來的包袱嗎?
According to three people involved with the film who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the company’s planning, there have been discussions inside Apple to release “Emancipation” by the end of the year, which would make it eligible for awards consideration. Variety reported in May, however, that the film’s release would be pushed into 2023. 要求匿名談論蘋果公司計畫的三名參與電影人士說,蘋果內部曾討論在今年底前上映「解放」,好讓電影符合獎項考慮資格。然而,「綜藝」雜誌5月報導,電影上映可能推遲到2023年。
When asked for this article how and when it planned to release “Emancipation,” Apple declined to comment. 當被問到計畫如何及何時上映「解放」時,蘋果拒絕置評。
“Emancipation,” directed by Antoine Fuqua (“Training Day”) and with a script by William Collage, is based on the true story of a slave known as “Whipped Peter,”who joined the Union Army while still in the South. 「解放」由「震撼教育」導演安東尼法奎執導,編劇為比爾克爾吉,根據一名叫做「鞭傷彼得」的奴隸,在南方加入聯邦軍的真實故事改編。
Apple set up a general audience test screening of “Emancipation” in Chicago earlier this year, according to three people with knowledge of the event who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not permitted to discuss it publicly. They said it generated an overwhelmingly positive reaction, specifically for Smith’s performance, which one of the people called “volcanic.” Audience members, during the after-screening feedback, said they were not turned off by Smith’s recent public behavior. 根據三名知曉活動、但不被允許公開談論此事而匿名的人士表示,蘋果今年初在芝加哥進行一場針對一般大眾的「解放」試映。他們說,電影得到驚人的正面反應,特別是史密斯的演技,有人形容為「有如火山爆發」。在試映結束後的觀眾回饋中,有人說他們不會因為史密斯最近的公開行為而討厭他。
Smith largely disappeared from public view following the Oscars. But in July, he released a video on his YouTube channel in which he said he was “deeply remorseful” for his behavior and apologized directly to Rock and his family. 奧斯卡獎典禮後,史密斯幾乎自公眾目光中消失。但他7月在自己的YouTube頻道上傳一段影片,表示對自己的行為「深感悔恨」,並直接向洛克及其家人道歉。
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Topic: Apple’s Eye-Catching New Home Disrupts Silicon Valley
Things change when a spaceship comes to town. Tourists stroll by, whipping out their iPhones to get a photo. New businesses move in. And real estate prices go up even more. 當太空船來到城裡,許多事情都變了。遊客在這裡流連,迅速拿出iPhone拍照。新商家進駐。房地產價格漲得更高。
Apple’s new home in Cupertino — the centerpiece being a $5 billion, four-story, 2.8 million-square-foot ring that can be seen from space and that locals call the spaceship — is still getting some final touches, and employees have just started to trickle in. The full squadron, about 12,000 people, will arrive in several months. But the development of the headquarters, a 175-acre area officially called Apple Park, has already helped transform the surrounding area. 蘋果公司在加州古柏迪諾市的新家——核心是耗資50億美元(合台幣約1500億元),面積280萬平方英尺(約7萬9000坪)的4層樓環狀建物,能從太空中看到,當地人稱為太空船——仍處在最後裝修階段,員工才剛開始陸續遷入。總計1萬2000人將在數月內入駐。 不過,蘋果新總部修建已推動周邊地區的變化。新總部占地175英畝(約21萬坪),正式名稱是蘋果園區。
In Sunnyvale, a town just across the street, 95 development projects are in the planning stages. The city manager, Deanna J. Santana, said she had never seen such action before. In Cupertino, a Main Street Cupertino living and dining complex opened in early 2016. This downtown enclave includes the Lofts, a 120-unit apartment community opening this fall; small shops; and numerous restaurants and cafes. Other local businesses are also gearing up in anticipation. A Residence Inn at Main Street Cupertino, expected to open in September, has been slightly customized to meet the needs of Apple employees. Guests will have access to Macs and high-speed internet connections, said Mark Lynn, a partner with Sand Hill Hotel Management, which operates the hotel and consulted with Apple about what its employees need at a hotel. 在蘋果園區對街的桑尼維爾市,有95個開發案正規劃中。市經理迪安娜.桑塔納說,她未曾見過這樣的發展。在古柏迪諾,居住和餐飲綜合建築「古柏迪諾大街」在2016年初開幕。這個商業區包括有120戶公寓的社區Lofts,將於今秋推出;還有小商店、大量的餐廳和咖啡館。 其他本地企業也滿懷期待在做準備。古柏迪諾大街一間長住型飯店預計9月開幕,飯店稍微調整過,以滿足蘋果員工的需求。經營飯店的沙丘飯店管理公司向蘋果諮詢過其員工對飯店有什麼需求,公司合夥人林恩說,飯店客人有麥金塔電腦和高速網路可用。
“All the things we have, lined up with what they needed,” Lynn said. “They will represent a large part of our business.” Tech companies are nothing new for Cupertino. Apple has called the city home for decades, and Hewlett-Packard had a campus in Apple’s new spot, employing 9,000 people. The surrounding towns have been remade as well in the last decade, as giant tech companies have transformed Silicon Valley’s real estate into some of the most expensive in the country. 林恩說:「我們所有事物都配合蘋果員工的需求,他們會在我們業務中占很大比重。」 對古柏迪諾而言,科技公司並不新鮮。蘋果把這個城市當成家已有數十年,而蘋果新總部所在地曾是惠普一個雇用9000人的園區。過去10年,古柏迪諾周遭城鎮的風貌也翻新了,因為科技巨頭已使矽谷轉變為全美房地產最貴的地方之一。
But city officials and residents say this project is like nothing they’ve seen before. It is even bringing tourists. Onlookers snap pictures of the spaceship from the streets. TV helicopters circle above. Amateur photographers ask residents if they can stand on driveways to operate their drones, hoping to get a closer look at Apple Park. “I just say, ‘Hey, go ahead,'” said Ron Nielsen, who lives in Birdland, a Sunnyvale neighborhood across the street from the spaceship. “Why not?” 但城市官員和居民說,蘋果園區跟他們看過的其他開發案不一樣。園區甚至帶來了遊客。 遊客在街頭拍攝太空船的照片。電視台的直升機在它上方盤旋。業餘攝影師問居民可否站在他們的私家車道上操作無人機,以便更近一點看看蘋果園區。 尼爾森住在桑尼維爾市伯德蘭德地區,就在太空船對街,他說:「我就說,『好啊,行』,為什麼不可以呢?」 Source: https://paper.udn.com/udnpaper/POH0067/315730/web/
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Topic: New Apple Watch heralds ‘smart healthcare’ revolution for aging societies
The new model iPhone was released mid-last month to a somewhat muted reaction from the market. However, at the same event Apple Inc also released an updated Apple Watch, called the Apple Watch Series 4, which showed that the company is working furiously behind the scenes to break into a new field, as it quietly builds an eco-system around “smart healthcare.” Due to the importance of safeguarding human life, the entry threshold into the healthcare market is high, but the potential rewards are significant. As humans live longer, we are becoming ever more reliant on technology and artificial intelligence as a means to look after our health. 新款iPhone在上個月中發表,市場反應是無甚驚奇。不過從同場發表的Apple Watch,可看出蘋果已在另一個領域鴨子划水,悄悄建起了生態系「智慧醫療」。因為人命關天,這是一個門檻極高的市場,但商機也很大,尤其在人類壽命愈來愈長的未來,勢必仰賴更多科技和人工智慧來照顧我們的健康。
The definition of “smart healthcare” is extremely broad. Starting with the da Vinci surgical robot, already on the market for over a decade, the area now includes specialist fields such as the automatic transfer of patient blood pressure monitoring data to hospitals and AI-assisted artificial gene synthesis (gene printing), which is able to rapidly compile DNA sequences and produce biopharmaceuticals. While attending a discussion forum by the Industrial Technology Research Institute in Taiwan last month, major pharmaceutical company Merck & Co predicted that revenue from AI-related health care alone — which currently stands at about US$600 million — will grow to around US$20 billion by 2026. Furthermore, AI constitutes just one small piece of the overall smart healthcare market. 智慧醫療的定義廣泛,從問世十幾年的達文西手術機器人、將數據自動回傳醫院的血壓機、到基因合成學借助AI及機器學習,能快速編寫DNA序列,製造生物藥劑來治療疾病等等。國際大藥廠默克上個月來台出席工研院產業創新論壇時就估計,目前光是與AI相關的醫療保健產值,全球約六億美元,二零二六年將達兩百億美元;而AI不過是智慧醫療的一小塊領域。
Humanity is on the cusp of an imminent medical care crisis. According to US research, there is a positive correlation between the patient-to-nurse ratio and patient mortality rate: For every additional patient that a nurse has to care for, the 30-day mortality rate for hospitalized patients increases by 7 percent. 人類面臨的醫療窘境,已迫在眉睫。美國研究指出,每位護理師照顧的病人數,和病人死亡率呈現正相關:護理師每多照顧一名病人,病人住院三十天的死亡風險增加百分之七。
As a result of various background factors, “smart healthcare” will be an unstoppable force in the future. As such, global manufacturers, whether involved in communications, machinery, pharmaceuticals or consumer technology, are all getting involved, and Apple naturally wants to claim a piece of the pie for itself. At last month’s launch of the updated Apple Watch, Apple revealed that the device now supports a heart rate monitor and wrist sensor and represents a significant step forward for the wearable device. Previously, the watch was only able to record a wearer’s heart rate, but the technology has been upgraded so that Apple Watch can now monitor a user’s heart condition in a way that provides real medical value. 在種種背景下,智慧醫療是必然之勢;因此全球廠商不論其專長是通訊、機械、製藥或3C,都在積極投入,蘋果當然也不缺席。上個月發表的Apple Watch,能支援心律檢測及手腕感應,這讓穿戴裝置邁進了一大步,從以往只能記錄心跳幾下,升級到可監測具有醫療價值的心律狀況。
In addition to the above new hardware functionality, Apple is also building a health eco-system. Last year, Apple embarked on a partnership with Stanford University Medical Center to found the Apple Heart Study program, which uses Apple Watch to collect large amounts of data on heart rate activity from volunteers. This year Apple has signed agreements with more than 90 hospitals across the US so that patients can use their mobile phones to access their own medical records, making it possible for users to bring their medical history with them wherever they go. If the results are successful, it may well create a snowball effect and spread to other medical institutions. 蘋果不只推出上述的硬體新功能,也在建構生態系。去年它和史丹佛醫學中心合作啟動「Apple Heart Study」計畫,透過Apple Watch收集自願者的心律大數據。今年又與全美逾九十家醫院簽約,病人可透過手機看到自己的醫療紀錄,落實病歷帶著走。若成效良好,未來很可能產生滾雪球效應,擴及更多醫療機構。 Source article: http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/lang/archives/2018/10/09/2003701979/2
每日英語跟讀 Ep.K482: CEOs Are Talking More About Recession
Despite a surprisingly resilient labor market, talk of an economic downturn is on the lips of corporate leaders. 儘管勞動市場意外展現韌性,企業領導人仍在談論經濟衰退。
James S. Tisch, CEO of Loews, the hotel, insurance and industrial conglomerate, said on an earnings call with analysts last week that his “fearless forecast” was for recession, but not one that would be as “cataclysmic as ’08 or ’09.” 飯店、保險與工業集團Loews執行長堤許上周在財報電話會議上對分析師說,他的「大膽預測」是經濟陷入衰退,但不會像2008年或09年那樣「災難性」。
And William J. Hornbuckle, CEO of MGM Resorts International, told analysts last week that he and his executives were “not blind,” and that they “remain keenly aware of the impact of inflation” and the potential that the economy was headed for a downturn. 米高梅國際酒店集團執行長洪巴克上周告訴分析師,他跟他的主管們「沒瞎」,他們「仍敏銳地意識到通膨影響」,以及經濟走向衰退的潛在風險。
Recession has been an increasingly hot topic. It’s customary for large public companies to hold conference calls with analysts after they report their earnings. Of the 409 companies listed on the S&P 500-stock index that have held analyst calls to discuss the most recent quarter, the R-word came up as a topic 165 times, according to Sentieo, a market data provider. 經濟衰退已成為一個愈來愈熱門的話題。公布財報後,大型上市公司通常會跟分析師舉行電話會議。根據市場數據供應商Sentieo的數據,舉行分析師電話會議討論最新一季財報的標普500股指上市公司中,衰退一字被其中409家公司當成討論主題165次。
A year ago, “recession” was uttered on 42 earnings calls by S&P 500 firms for the third quarter. Discussions about a recession have been elevated throughout this year, with big year-over-year jumps in the first and second quarters as well. 一年前,標普500指數公司中有42家在第三季財報電話會議上提到「衰退」。今年以來,有關衰退的討論一直在升溫,第一季和第二季的熱度均較一年前大幅增加。
Two weeks ago, Federal Reserve officials made a fourth supersize interest rate increase in an effort to tame inflation, heightening fears of an economic slump. The Fed chair, Jerome H. Powell, said he thought there was still a window for a so-called soft landing, in which inflation dissipates but the economy does not fall into a recession. 兩周前,美國聯準會官員第四次大幅升息抑制通膨,加劇對經濟衰退的擔憂情緒。聯準會主席鮑爾說,他認為仍有實現所謂軟著陸的可能性,也就是通膨消散,但經濟不會陷入衰退。
“Has it narrowed? Yes,” Powell told reporters. “Is it still possible? Yes.” 鮑爾告訴記者:「降溫了嗎?是的。還有可能嗎?是的。」
Some economic indicators released last week seemed to back Powell’s view. Last quarter, the gross domestic product rose at a better-than-expected annual pace of 2.6%. On Friday, the government reported that employers added 261,000 jobs to their payrolls in October, which was also above expectations. 上周公布的部分經濟指標似乎支持鮑爾的觀點。美國上一季國內生產毛額年增率2.6%,優於預期。根據政府周五的報告,十月新增就業人數26萬1,000人,也超出預期。
Nonetheless, CEOs on 88 third-quarter conference calls said that the Fed’s raising of interest rates to fight inflation was either a major factor slowing their business, or that they expected it to be, according to Sentieo. Last week, Steven Roth, real estate developer and CEO of Vornado Realty Trust, told analysts that because the Fed was “deadly serious” in fighting inflation, “the economy is clearly slowing.” 儘管如此,Sentieo指出,在第三季88場電話會議上,執行長們稱聯準會升息抗通膨,不是自家業績放緩的一項主因,就是他們預期的一項因素。房地產開發商Vornado Realty Trust執行長羅斯上周告訴分析師,由於聯準會在抗通膨上「非常認真」,「經濟明顯正在走緩」。Source article: https://udn.com/news/story/6904/6776445
每日英語跟讀 Ep.K483: Rocketing Prices Of Foods Elevate Company Profits
A year ago, a bag of potato chips at the grocery store cost an average of $5.05. These days, that bag costs $6.05. A dozen eggs that could have been picked up for $1.83 now average $2.90. A 2-liter bottle of soda that cost $1.78 will now set you back $2.17. 一年以前,雜貨店內一袋洋芋片平均售價為5.05美元。如今一袋是6.05美元。一打雞蛋本可以用1.83美元買到,現在平均價格為2.9美元。一瓶售價1.78美元的2公升汽水,如今要價2.17美元。
Something else is also much higher: corporate profits. 其他東西也在走高,如企業獲利。
In mid-October, PepsiCo, whose prices for its drinks and chips were up 17% in the latest quarter from year-earlier levels, reported that its third-quarter profit grew more than 20%. Likewise, Coca-Cola reported profit up 14% from a year earlier, thanks in large part to price increases. 10月中旬,百事公司公布第3季獲利成長超過20%,該季飲料和洋芋片價格較一年前上漲17%。此外,可口可樂公布的獲利年增14%,主要歸因於價格上漲。
Restaurants keep getting more expensive, too. Chipotle Mexican Grill, which said prices by the end of the year would be nearly 15% higher than a year earlier, reported $257.1 million in profit in the latest quarter, up nearly 26% from a year earlier. 上館子用餐也愈來愈貴。年底時售價將比一年前上漲近15%的墨西哥燒烤快餐公司說,該公司上季獲利2億5710億美元,較一年前成長近26%。
For years, food companies and restaurants generally raised prices in small steps, worried that big increases would frighten consumers and send them looking for cheaper options. But over the past year, as wages increased and the cost of the raw ingredients used to make treats like cookies, chips, sodas and the materials to package them soared, food companies and restaurants started passing along those expenses to customers. 多年來,食品公司和餐館通常都是小幅漲價,擔心大幅漲價會嚇到消費者,使得他們尋找更便宜的選擇。但在過去一年,隨著工資調漲,以及製作餅乾、洋芋片、汽水等食品原料跟包裝材料的價格飆升,食品公司和餐廳開始將這些費用轉嫁給顧客。
But amid growing concerns that the economy could be headed for a recession, some food companies and restaurants are continuing to raise prices even if their own inflation-driven costs have been covered. Coca-Cola, PepsiCo and Chipotle did not respond to requests for comment. 但在人們日益擔心經濟可能走向衰退之際,一些食品公司和餐廳仍在繼續漲價,即便它們受通膨帶動的成本已得到彌補。可口可樂、百事可樂與墨西哥燒烤快餐等公司均未回覆記者的置評請求。
“The recent earnings calls have only reinforced the familiar and unwelcome theme that corporations did not need to raise their prices so high on struggling families,” said Kyle Herrig, the president of Accountable.US, an advocacy organization. “The calls tell us corporations have used inflation, the pandemic and supply chain challenges as an excuse to exaggerate their own costs and then nickel and dime consumers.” 倡議組織Accountable US總裁海瑞格說:「最近的財報電話會議只是強化了一個熟悉且不受歡迎的主題,也就是企業面對苦苦掙扎的家庭,沒必要把價格漲到這麼高。這些會議告訴我們,企業以通膨、疫情及供應鏈挑戰為藉口,誇大自身成本,然後一點一滴榨乾消費者。」
Over the past year, the price of food eaten at home has soared 13%, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, with some items spiking even higher. Cereals and bakery goods are up 16.2% from a year ago, closely followed by dairy, which has risen 15.9%. 根據美國勞工統計局數據,過去一年家用食品價格飆升13%,有些品項甚至漲更多。穀物和烘焙食品較一年前上漲16.2%,緊追在後的是漲幅15.9%的乳製品。
The cost of eating at restaurants has risen 8.5% over the same period. 同一時期,在餐廳用餐的價格漲了8.5%。Source article: https://udn.com/news/story/6904/6758886
07 Dec 2022
每日英語跟讀 Ep.K484: About Russia - 機器人弄斷對手的手指與記者從軟禁中脫逃
每日英語跟讀 Ep.K484: About Russia - Chess robot grabs and breaks finger of seven-year-old opponent
A chess-playing robot fractured the finger of its 7-year-old opponent during a tournament in Moscow. 一台下棋機器人在莫斯科錦標賽折斷它7歲對手的手指。
Video of the incident, which occurred at the Moscow Chess Open competition, went viral on social media. 這起在莫斯科西洋棋公開賽發生的意外事故影片在社群平台上竄紅。
It shows the machine reaching for and grabbing one of the boy’s chess pieces, and quickly discarding it from the board. 影片顯示這台機器伸手夾起男孩的一個棋子,然後快速地將它從棋盤上扔掉。
Before the robot’s arm retracted, the boy attempted to make another move, pushing one of his rooks into the same place as the recently removed piece. 在機器人的手臂縮回之前,這位男孩試圖做出另一步走棋,推進其中一個車棋到跟剛被去除的棋子同樣的位置。
The video then shows the robot’s mechanical claws descending back toward the board, this time grabbing the boy’s index finger instead of a chess piece. 這部影片接著顯示機器人的機械爪子下降回到棋盤,這次抓住男孩的中指,而不是棋子。
The video shows the robot holding the finger in place for at least 15 seconds before two bystanders were able to pry open the claws and release the boy. 這部影片顯示,在2位旁觀者得以撬開爪子釋放這位男孩之前,機器人在原地握著手指至少15秒。
"We will discuss additional protection and safety measures with its operators," Moscow Chess Federation chief Sergey Lazarov said. 莫斯科西洋棋聯合會主席謝爾蓋.拉扎瑞夫說,「我們會跟它的操作人員討論額外的保護和安全措施」。
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Russian journalist who protested on live television escapes house arrest 在電視現場直播中抗議的俄羅斯記者從軟禁中脫逃
Marina Ovsyannikova, a Russian journalist who staged a daring protest live on state-run television, has been declared a fugitive after going on the run, Russian media reported. 之前在國營電視台現場直播中大膽抗議的俄羅斯記者瑪琳娜‧奧斯雅尼可娃逃跑了,現在已被列為逃犯,俄國媒體報導。
Ovsyannikova was placed under house arrest in August. She had been charged with disseminating false information about the Russian military. Her detention was supposed to last until Sunday. 奧斯雅尼可娃被控散布有關俄國軍方的假資訊,在8月遭到軟禁,原定被拘禁到週日。
Ovsyannikova’s ex-husband said that she had escaped house arrest with her daughter on Saturday, TASS reported. Her lawyer said he could not confirm those allegations.
「塔斯社」報導,她的前夫說,她已經在週六帶著女兒逃跑。她的律師說無法證實這些說法。
The 44-year-old journalist shot to international fame in March when, as an editor at Russia’s state-controlled Channel One television station, she stood behind an anchor and held up a sign that read “No War” during a live broadcast. 這名44歲記者3月擔任俄國政府控制的「第一頻道」電視台編輯時,在一次現場播報期間,站在主播後方舉起一張牌子,上面寫著「不要戰爭」,因而在國際上聲名大噪。Source article: https://features.ltn.com.tw/english/article/paper/1551198 ; https://features.ltn.com.tw/english/article/paper/1551839
每日英語跟讀 Ep.K485: About US - ’Guard cat’ credited with preventing would-be robbery
68-year-old Fred Everitt from Mississippi said his pet cat Bandit helped prevent a robbery at his home, and he credits the calico with possibly saving his life. 來自密西西比的68歲弗雷德‧艾弗里特說,他的寵物貓班迪特幫忙防範家中被強盜闖入,且他可能因此保住一命,也得歸功於這隻花斑貓。
When at least two people tried to break into their home sometime between 2:30 and 3 a.m. on July 25, Bandit did everything she could to alert Everitt of the danger. 在7月25日凌晨2時30分至3時之間,當至少2名強盜試圖闖入他們家時,班迪特盡其所能警告艾弗里特危險將至。
He was first awoken by Bandit’s meows in the kitchen. Then, she raced into the bedroom, jumped onto the bed and began pulling the comforter off of him and clawing at his arms. Everitt knew something was wrong. 他先被廚房裡班迪特的喵叫聲喚醒,之後貓就跑進他的房間、跳到床上,開始拉開他的被子、抓他的手臂。艾弗里特於是察覺不對勁。
He got up to investigate and saw two young men outside his back door. One had a handgun, and the other was using a crowbar to try and pry the door open. 他起身查看,發現2名年輕男子在後門外頭,其中一人拿著手槍,另一人正用鐵橇試圖撬開門。
He said by the time he retrieved a handgun and returned to the kitchen, the would-be intruders had already fled. 他說,在他去拿手槍回到廚房前,那兩個即將成為強盜的人就逃走了。
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Woman sues over ban on feeding homeless people in parks 女子針對禁止在公園提供食物給街友的法令提訟
Norma Thornton, who was arrested in March for feeding homeless people, is suing over a local ordinance that regulates food-sharing events in public parks. 3月間因提供食物給街友而遭逮捕的諾瑪‧桑頓,針對一條規範公園食物分享活動的當地法令提起訴訟。
78-year-old Thornton became the first person arrested under Bullhead City’s ordinance for distributing prepared food from a van. Criminal charges against her were eventually dropped, but she’s seeking an injunction to stop the city from enforcing the ordinance that took effect in May 2021. 78歲的桑頓是布爾海德市相關法令下首名遭逮捕的居民,她在貨車上發送準備好的食物。雖然對她的刑事控訴已被撤銷,但她正尋求法院頒布禁令,停止該市執行2021年5月生效的法令。
"The City Council passed an ordinance that makes it a crime punishable by four months imprisonment to share food in public parks for charitable purposes," said Thornton’s attorney. 桑頓的代表律師說:「市議會通過一條法令,讓出於慈善目的而在公園分享食物的行為,成為會被監禁4個月的罪行。」
Bullhead City Mayor Tom Brady said the ordinance applies only to public parks. Churches, clubs and private properties are free to serve food to the homeless without a permit. 布爾海德市市長湯姆‧布拉迪則說,該法令僅適用於公園,教會、俱樂部和私人場所都能自由向街友提供食物,毋須尋求許可。Source article: https://features.ltn.com.tw/english/article/paper/1551932; https://features.ltn.com.tw/english/article/paper/1553230
06 Dec 2022
精選詞彙播客 Vocab Ep.146: 運動飲料到底是在喝什麼 When should you drink sports drinks?
Summary: With the weather becoming ever more erratic, fluid intake is something we should all be concerned of. Water has long been the best form of fluid for your body, but what if the water you drink contains too little of the minerals you need? In this episode, Angel and I discuss our water drinking habits and what's in a sports drink like Fin. What is your favorite sports drink and when do you drink it? Comment down below!
Vocabulary:
1. Heatstroke n. 中暑 One of the major symptoms of heatstroke is headache. 中暑其中最主要的症狀是頭痛。
2. Sports drink n. 運動飲料 Super Supau is the no.1 sports drink in Taiwan. 舒跑是台灣第一運動飲料。
3. Colorant n. / Flavorant n. 色素 / 增味劑 Major sports drink brands in the west are filled with colorant and flavorant. 國外大的運動飲料品牌都添加很多色素或增味劑。
主題: 英語慣用語系列 – 年底感恩相關的慣用語 Thanksgiving Related Idioms
1.To be stuffed – To be full and can’t eat anymore. 撐了 Example: The meal was absolutely delicious. I’m afraid I can’t eat one morsel more. I’m stuffed.
2. To talk turkey (mainly American English) – to discuss a problem in a serious way with a real intention to solve it 講正事 Example: The politicians need to stop messing around and start talking turkey.
3. To go cold turkey – to suddenly stop a bad habit and suffer from it at the beginning. 戒斷症狀 Example: Many people who attempt to quit smoking do so by going cold turkey rather than by gradually cutting down.”
4. To count your blessings – to be grateful for the good things in your life 抱著感恩的心 Example: We have a lovely home, healthy children and each other – we should count our blessings.
5. A blessing in disguise– something that at first appears to be bad or unlucky but is actually good. 因禍得福 Example: I was really upset when I was first made redundant but when I look back now, it was a blessing in disguise. I’ve never been happier with my current work.
6. To be a mixed blessing – something that has bad effects as well as advantages 喜憂參半 Example: Being beautiful can be a mixed blessing. On the one hand, you receive a lot of attention, but on the other hand, people don’t always take you seriously.
練習時間: 請使用二到三個慣用語來分享自身小故事 Use two to three idioms to share your Thanksgiving or festive season experience.
Topic: Ants have the ability to sniff out cancer in humans, study reveals
Ants have the ability to sniff out cancerous cells in humans, a new study has discovered, suggesting they could be used for cancer diagnosis in future. 一項新研究發現,螞蟻能嗅出人體內的癌細胞,這表明螞蟻可用於未來對癌症的診斷。
Researchers from the French National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS) discovered that ant species Formica fusca has a well developed sense of smell. 法國國家科學研究中心(CNRS)的研究人員發現,「黑山蟻」(學名:Formica fusca )這種螞蟻品種,嗅覺非常發達。
It was able to differentiate cancerous cells from healthy cells in humans, thanks to their sense of smell, limited trials revealed. But more clinical tests must be carried out before they could be used in clinical settings like hospitals, the team said. 有限的實驗顯示,這種螞蟻的嗅覺超強,能夠將人體的癌細胞與健康細胞區分開來。但是該研究團隊表示,還需要進行更多臨床測試,才能將黑山蟻用於醫院等臨床環境中。
They suggest that in future, ants could turn out to be better at dogs when it comes to locating cancerous cells in humans. 他們員指出,未來在識別人體癌細胞方面,螞蟻可能會比狗做得更出色。
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Topic: 科學家使用細胞再生技術讓老鼠回春 Scientists Reverse Aging In Mice Using Cell Rejuvenation Technique
Researchers in the US treated healthy mice with a form of gene therapy that refreshed older cells, making the animals more youthful according to biological markers that are used to measure the effects of ageing. 美國研究人員對健康老鼠實施一種更新老化細胞的基因療法,他們透過用來衡量老化效應的生物標記法,測出這些老鼠變年輕了。
Repeating the trick in humans is far from straightforward, but the findings will fuel interest in radical new therapies that aim to slow or reverse the ageing process as a means of tackling age-related diseases such as cancer, brittle bones and Alzheimer’s. 儘管難以用同樣的方法讓人類返老還童,但這一發現將點燃人們對以延緩或逆轉衰老為目標的激進新療法的興趣,這種療法可以用來治療諸如癌症、骨質疏鬆和阿茲海默症等與年齡相關的疾病。
The scientists drew on previous work by the Japanese Nobel laureate Prof Shinya Yamanaka, who showed that a mixture of four molecules – known as Yamanaka factors – can rewind adult cells into youthful stem cells that are capable of forming almost any tissue in the body. 科學家這一療法借鑑日本諾貝爾獎得主山中伸彌教授先前的研究成果。山中伸彌向世人展示,被稱為「山中因子」的4種分子組合在一起,可以讓成人細胞逆生長為年輕的幹細胞,而幹細胞可以分化成人體的任何組織。Source article: https://features.ltn.com.tw/english/article/paper/1506995 ; https://features.ltn.com.tw/english/article/paper/1508339
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Topic: World’s oldest DNA sequenced from million-year-old mammoths
Teeth from mammoths buried in the Siberian permafrost for more than a million years have yielded the world’s oldest DNA ever sequenced, according to a study published on Wednesday, shining the genetic searchlight into the deep past. 據週三公布的研究,埋在西伯利亞永凍土層超過100萬年的猛獁象牙齒,提供全球最古老的去氧核醣核酸(DNA)定序,讓基因研究的探照燈指向遙遠的過去。
Researchers said the three specimens, one roughly 800,000 years old and two over a million years old, provide important insights into the giant Ice Age mammals, including the ancient heritage of the woolly mammoth. 研究人員表示,這3個樣本,一個約有80萬年歷史,另2個來自超過100萬年前,為現代人瞭解冰河時代猛獁象,包括「真長毛象」(woolly mammoth)的古老傳承,提供重要觀察角度。
The genomes far exceed the oldest previously sequenced DNA - a horse dating between 780,000 to 560,000 years ago. 此前,最古老的DNA定序來自78萬年前到56萬年前的一匹馬,而這些猛獁象基因組的年代更久遠得多。
The mammoths were originally discovered in the 1970s in Siberia and held at the Russian Academy of Sciences in Moscow. 這幾頭猛獁象起初於1970年代在西伯利亞地區被發現,由莫斯科的俄羅斯科學院保管。
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Topic: Comet from edge of solar system killed the dinosaurs: study 研究:來自太陽系邊緣的彗星讓恐龍滅絕
Sixty-six million years ago, a huge celestial object struck off the coast of what is now Mexico, triggering a catastrophic "impact winter" that eventually wiped out three-quarters of life on Earth, including the dinosaurs. 6600萬年前,一個巨大星體撞上現在的墨西哥外海,引發釀成巨災的「衝擊性寒冬」,最後導致恐龍在內的地球上4分之3物種滅絕。
A pair of astronomers at Harvard say they have now resolved long standing mysteries surrounding the nature and origin of the "Chicxulub impactor." 哈佛大學2位天文學家表示,他們已經解開長久以來關於「希克蘇魯伯衝擊體」(Chicxulub impactor)的本質和來源之謎。
Their analysis suggests it was a comet that originated in a region of icy debris on the edge of the solar system, that Jupiter was responsible for it crashing into our planet, and that we can expect similar impacts every 250 million to 750 million years. 他們的分析顯示,這是源自太陽系邊緣冰冷碎片區域的一顆彗星,且木星也要為此彗星撞上地球負責。類似規模的彗星撞地球頻率為每2億5000萬年到7億5000萬年。
The duo’s paper, published in the journal Scientific Reports this week, pushes back against an older theory that claims the object was a fragment of an asteroid that came from our solar system’s Main Belt. 2人的論文本週在《科學報告》期刊發表,推翻了之前認為這個物體是來自太陽系「主小行星帶」小行星碎片的理論。 Source article: https://features.ltn.com.tw/english/article/paper/1435663 ; https://features.ltn.com.tw/english/article/paper/1437161
Topic: Spanking may affect brain development in children
Spanking may affect a child’s brain development in similar ways to more severe forms of violence, according to a new study led by Harvard researchers. 哈佛大學研究人員領導的一項新研究表明,打屁股對兒童大腦發育的影響,可能與更嚴重的暴力虐待造成的後果類似。
The research, published recently in the journal Child Development, builds on existing studies that show heightened activity in certain regions of the brains of children who experience abuse in response to threat cues. 這篇最近發表在《兒童發育》期刊上的研究,以現有的一些研究為基礎,這些研究發現,遭受虐待的兒童在回應威脅提示時,大腦的特定區域活動會增強。
The group found that children who had been spanked had a greater neural response in multiple regions of the prefrontal cortex (PFC). These areas of the brain respond to cues in the environment that tend to be consequential, such as a threat, and may affect decision-making and processing of situations. 研究團隊發現,打屁股會增強兒童大腦前額葉皮層(PFC)多個區域的神經反應。大腦的這些區域會根據環境中的威脅等重要線索做出反應,並可能影響兒童的決策,以及對局勢的分析能力。
According to the study’s authors, corporal punishment has been linked to the development of mental health issues, anxiety, depression, behavioral problems, and substance use disorders. 研究作者指出,體罰一直和心理健康問題、焦慮、憂鬱、行為問題及藥物濫用有關。
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Topic: Coffee before exercise increases fat-burning/運動前喝咖啡增加燃脂
If you’re looking to maximize the amount of fat burned in your next workout, think about having a coffee half an hour before you get started – as a new study suggests it can make a significant difference to fat burning, especially later on in the day. 如果你希望在下次運動健身時最大程度地燃燒脂肪,不妨考慮在開始之前半小時喝咖啡—因為有新研究表明,它可以使脂肪燃燒量明顯變化,尤其是在下午。
Researchers found that 3 milligrams of caffeine per kilogram of body weight can boost the rate of fat burning during aerobic exercise, based on results gathered from 15 male volunteers. 研究人員發現,根據從15名男性志願者收集到的結果,按每公斤體重3毫克的量來攝取咖啡因,就可以提高有氧運動期間的脂肪燃燒率。
The coffee dose was shown to increase maximal fat oxidation rate(MFO, a measure of how efficiently the body burns off fat)by an average of 10.7 percent in the morning and 29 percent in the afternoon. 研究表明,這個咖啡攝取量可以增加最大脂肪氧化率(MFO,衡量人體燃燒脂肪效率的指標),上午平均增加10.7%,下午增加29%。
This is a study with a fairly small sample of participants, so it’s important not to jump to too broad a conclusion, but the results are clear enough to suggest that there is some kind of association there. 由於該研究的參與者樣本數很少,因此重要的是不要過於廣泛下結論,但結果足夠清楚,表明存在某種關聯。
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Topic: Study Shows Baldness Can Be a Business Advantage 研究:光頭可成職場優勢
Men with shaved heads are perceived to be more masculine, dominant and, in some cases, to have greater leadership potential than those with longer locks or with thinning hair, according to a recent study out of the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School. 賓州大學華頓商學院最近的一項研究顯示,剃光頭的男人讓人覺得更有男人味和支配地位,在某些情況下,他們比頭髮較長或者頭髮稀疏的男人看起來更具領導潛力。
Some executives say the style makes them appear younger—or at least, makes their age less evident—and gives them more confidence than a comb-over or monk-like pate. 一些主管認為,光頭的髮型讓他們看起來更年輕,至少沒那麼顯老,而且相較於將頭髮梳向一邊或像修道士一樣的腦袋瓜,這種髮型能讓他們感到更自信。
The study found that men with thinning hair were viewed as the least attractive and powerful of the bunch, a finding that tracks with other studies showing that people perceive men with typical male-pattern baldness as older and less attractive. For those men, the solution could be as cheap and simple as a shave. 該研究發現,頭髮稀疏的男人被認為最沒有魅力、最沒有力量的一群人。這一結果也與其他研究相符,這些研究表明,人們認為典型的雄性禿頭讓男人看上去更老,更缺乏魅力。對於這些男人來說,既便宜又簡單的解決辦法就是剃個頭。
每日英語跟讀 Ep.K486: French baguettes listed as cultural heritage by UNESCO
The humble baguette — the crunchy ambassador for French baking around the world — is being added to the UN’s list of intangible cultural heritage as a cherished tradition to be preserved by humanity. 不起眼的法式長棍麵包——法國烘焙聞名世界的鬆脆大使——被收錄為聯合國非物質文化遺產,列為需受人保護的珍貴傳統。
The French staple has been deemed eligible to join UNESCO’s “Intangible Cultural Heritage” list, an award given to practices or traditions that have been passed down from generation to generation. It includes rituals, performing arts, traditional crafts, and specific food dishes. UNESCO, which is part of the UN, said in a statement on Wednesday last week that baguettes held cultural importance given the “artisanal know-how” needed to make them, as well as the rituals around eating them — not to mention, their “crisp crust around a fluffy center.” 這項法國主食被認可足以列入聯合國教科文組織「非物質文化遺產」名錄,這是授予代代相傳的習俗或傳統,包括儀式、表演藝術、傳統工藝和特定的食物菜餚。隸屬於聯合國的聯合國教育、科學及文化組織〔簡稱為聯合國教科文組織〕,上週三發表聲明說,長棍麵包具有文化重要性,是因其製作需要「職人技術」,以及相關的食用儀式——更別說它「包裹鬆軟內部的酥脆外皮」了。
The organization said that baguettes are special among other kinds of bread due to the “modes of consumption and social practices” around them, including daily visits to the bakery to pick one up. French President Emmanuel Macron expressed his joy at the award in a tweet, describing the baguette as “250 grams of magic in our daily lives.” 該組織表示,長棍麵包跟別種麵包比起來很特別的是圍繞它的「消費模式與社會習俗」,包括每天去麵包店買一個。 法國總統伊曼紐‧馬克宏在一則推文中表達了他對獲選的喜悅,稱法式長棍麵包是「我們日常生活中的250公克魔法」。
“If there’s no baguette, you can’t have a proper meal. In the morning you can toast it, for lunch it’s a sandwich, and then it accompanies dinner.” 「如果沒有長棍麵包,你就無法好好吃一頓餐。長棍麵包早上可以用烤的當早餐,午餐用做三明治,然後晚餐用來佐餐」。
A baguette normally costs just over 90 euro cents (just over $1), seen by some as an index on the health of the French economy. 一個長棍麵包的價格通常略高於90歐分(略高於1美元),一些人將其視為法國經濟健康狀況的指標。
Although it seems like the quintessential French product, the baguette was said to have been invented by Vienna-born baker August Zang in 1839. Zang put in place France’s steam oven, making it possible to produce bread with a brittle crust yet fluffy interior. 雖然長棍麵包像是典型的法國產品,但據說它是由維也納出生的麵包師奧古斯特‧臧在一八三九年發明的。他發明了法國蒸汽烤箱,所以才有辦法生產外皮酥脆、內部蓬鬆的麵包。
The baguette joins other traditional foods on UNESCO’s list, including Ukrainian borscht, kimchi, flatbread, Belgian beer culture and Neapolitan pizza. Other “intangible” traditions to have been given the status in the past include Chinese acupuncture, dry stone walling and capoeira. 跟長棍麵包一樣也列為非物質文化遺產的傳統食物,還包括烏克蘭羅宋湯、泡菜、薄餅、比利時啤酒文化及那不勒斯披薩。其他被賦予非物質文化遺產地位的「無形」傳統還有中國針灸、乾石牆和巴西戰舞卡波耶拉。
Baguettes are not the first French food to join the list. The “gastronomic meal of the French” was awarded the honor in 2010, with UNESCO specifying that it must begin with aperitifs before dinner, followed by “at least” four courses, then liqueurs. It should also preferably include local foods, and be served with carefully paired wines and on a beautifully set table. 長棍麵包並不是第一個上榜的法國食物。「法國美食料理」於二〇一〇年獲此殊榮,聯合國教科文組織詳述它必須以晚餐前的開胃酒開始,接著「至少」要有四道菜,然後是利口酒;最好還應包括當地食物,佐以精心搭配的葡萄酒和擺設精美的餐桌。Source article: https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/lang/archives/2022/12/06/2003790170
每日英語跟讀 Ep.K487: Political football: War and peace by other means at the World Cup
As Iran prepares to play diplomatic arch-rivals the US in the World Cup today, AFP looks at how geopolitics have spilled onto the pitch in previous World Cups: 伊朗準備在今天的世界盃足球賽跟外交宿敵美國交手,法新社檢視過去的世足賽,看看地緣政治如何蔓延到球場上:
Mussolini’s ‘Blackshirts’: France v Italy, 1938 墨索里尼的「黑衫軍」:法國對義大利,1938年
Just a year before World War II broke out, defending champions Italy arrived in France with politics taking center stage in their clash with the hosts. Championed by Italy’s then-leader, fascist dictator Benito Mussolini, the team were booed when they came onto the pitch at the stadium near Paris. Undeterred, the Italians gave the fascist salute to the crowd and played in black shirts, a nod to the uniform worn by Mussolini’s notorious “Blackshirts” militia. Italy won the clash 3-1 and went on to win the competition. 就在第二次世界大戰爆發前一年,衛冕者義大利隊抵達法國,在與主辦國的衝突中,政治佔據了中心位置。義大利隊受當時義大利領導人、法西斯獨裁者貝尼托‧墨索里尼所支持,他們在巴黎近郊的球場上場時,被喝倒采。 義大利隊沒被嚇倒,向群眾行了法西斯式的敬禮,並身穿黑衣出賽,這是向墨索里尼臭名昭著的「黑衫軍」民兵制服致敬。 義大利以3-1擊敗法國,且之後贏得了冠軍。
Maradona’s moment: England v Argentina, 1986 馬拉度納的時刻:英格蘭對阿根廷,1986年
This highly charged clash took place in Mexico four years after Argentina’s defeat to Britain in the Falklands War. To the joy of their fans, Argentina took symbolic revenge, winning the quarter-final 2-1 with Diego Maradona scoring twice. His first goal was the infamous “Hand of God” goal, in which he punched the ball past England goalkeeper Peter Shilton. Then a superb solo effort dubbed the goal of the century sealed victory. “It was a final for us. It was not about winning a match, it was about eliminating the English,” Maradona said. 這場發生在墨西哥的激烈衝突,是阿根廷在福克蘭戰爭敗給英國四年後。 令阿根廷球迷欣喜的是,阿根廷隊進行了象徵性的報復,在八強賽中以2-1擊敗英格蘭,迪亞哥‧馬拉度納進了兩球。他的第一個進球便是聲名狼藉的「上帝之手」進球──他用手擊球,讓球越過英格蘭守門員彼得‧希爾頓。隨後,被稱為世紀進球的馬拉度納絕妙個人秀讓阿根廷勝券在握。 「這對我們來說就是決賽。我們不是為了贏得一場比賽,而是為了淘汰英格蘭人」,馬拉度納說。
An eagle lands: Switzerland v Serbia, 2018 老鷹降臨:瑞士對塞爾維亞,2018年
This clash caused a huge outcry in Serbia after two Swiss players of Albanian origins (Kosovo and Labnai) celebrated their goals with a two-handed eagle gesture to mimic the black eagle in Albania’s flag, considered by Serbia as a nationalist provocation. The double eagle symbol is viewed as a symbol of defiance in Kosovo, which declared independence in 2008 in a move Serbia refuses to recognize. Granit Xhaka, who was born in Kosovo, made the gesture after he scored Switzerland’s first goal, and Xherdan Shaqiri repeated it following his last-gasp winner that clinched a 2-1 victory. FIFA fined the players, although they escaped a ban. 衝突的起因,是兩名阿爾巴尼亞裔(科索沃和拉布奈)的瑞士球員在進球後,以兩手做出老鷹的手勢模仿阿爾巴尼亞國旗上的黑鷹慶祝,這在塞爾維亞引起了強烈抗議,因塞爾維亞認為這是一種民族主義挑釁。 雙鷹符號在科索沃被視為反抗的象徵,該國於2008年宣布獨立,而塞爾維亞拒絕承認科索沃的獨立。 出生在科索沃的格蘭尼特‧扎卡在為瑞士隊踢進第一球後做了這手勢,而傑爾丹‧沙奇里在他最後的致勝球以 2-1 獲勝後重複了這個手勢。 國際足總對這些球員處以罰款,雖然他們躲過了禁令。Source article: https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/lang/archives/2022/11/29/2003789757
14 Dec 2022
每日英語跟讀 Ep.K488: About San Francisco - 允許警方使用致命機器人與雇用鳥類嚇跑鴿子
每日英語跟讀 Ep.K488: About San Francisco - San Francisco Considers Allowing Use of Deadly Robots by Police
The San Francisco police could use robots to deploy lethal force under a policy advanced by city supervisors on Tuesday that thrust the city into the forefront of a national debate about the use of weaponized robots in American cities. 根據舊金山市監事會週二提出的一項政策,舊金山警方可以使用機器人來部署致命武力,一舉把舊金山推向關於在美國城市使用武器化機器人的全國性辯論的風口浪尖。
In 2016, the Dallas Police Department ended a standoff with a gunman suspected of killing five officers by blowing him up with a bomb attached to a robot in what was believed to be the first lethal use of the technology by an American law enforcement agency. 在2016年,達拉斯警察局結束了與一名涉嫌殺害5名警察的槍手的對峙,就是利用一具綁上炸彈的機器人將其炸死,咸認這是美國執法機關對該技術的首次致命使用。
Supporters of the policy, advanced by the San Francisco Board of Supervisors by an 8-to-3 vote, said it would allow the police to deploy a robot with deadly force in extraordinary circumstances, such as when a mass shooter or a terrorist is threatening the lives of officers or civilians. 由舊金山市監事會以8比3的投票通過的該政策的支持者說,這將允許警方在極端情況下部署致命武力機器人,例如當一名大規模濫射槍手或是一名恐怖份子正在威脅警察或平民的生命時。
To become law, the policy must be approved again by the board — which is slated to consider it on Dec. 6 — and be signed by Mayor London Breed, a Democrat who has expressed support for the proposal. 要成為法律,這項政策必須再次獲得監事會通過,預定在12月6日審議,然後由市長倫敦.布里德簽署。他是民主黨人,曾表示支持該提案。
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San Francisco metro system hires bird of prey to scare pigeons away舊金山捷運系統雇用鳥類天敵嚇跑鴿子
Metro system riders in California’s San Francisco Bay Area may have noticed a new station guard in recent months. 加州舊金山灣區捷運系統乘客近幾個月可能已經注意到一位新的車站守衛。
A 5-year-old Harris’s hawk named Pac-Man has taken up the perch at El Cerrito del Norte station, where he’s on the look out - not for fare evaders, but pigeons. 一隻名叫小精靈的5歲栗翅鷹佔據北艾爾賽里托車站的棲木,牠在那裡正搜尋著-不是逃票者,而是鴿子。
Ricky Ortiz, a falconer, began patrolling with the bird at the station this summer, contracting with the Bay Area Rapid Transit system, or BART, to keep the pigeons at bay and protect commuters from pigeon poop. 獵鷹訓練師瑞奇.歐提茲,今年夏天開始帶著這隻鳥在車站巡邏,他和舊金山灣區捷運系統(BART)簽約,來阻止鴿子並保護通勤者免受鴿糞波及。
The team patrols three days a week, starting their day at the bottom level entrance before scoping out the platforms, scaring away any pigeons who are resting on a ledge or on the interior scaffolding of the station. 這組團隊一週巡邏3次,每天從最底層的入口開始,然後再仔細查看月台,嚇跑停留在窗台或是車站室內鷹架的任何一隻鴿子。
"There was probably less than half of the pigeons here after the week of us flying," so far Ortiz has noticed a big difference and said. 目前為止,歐提茲注意到一個很大的差別並說,「小精靈在這裡巡邏一週之後,鴿子數量可能已不到一半」。Source article: https://features.ltn.com.tw/english/article/paper/1555023 ; https://features.ltn.com.tw/english/article/paper/1553771
15 Dec 2022
每日英語跟讀 Ep.K489: About running - 英國男子24小時橫越愛爾蘭與跑步可降癌症機率
每日英語跟讀 Ep.K489: About running - British man runs the width of Ireland in under 24 hours
Ultramarathon runner Robert Pope of Liverpool, England, drank a pint of Guinness right before setting off on the run that would make him the first person to successfully run the width of Ireland in under 24 hours. 來自英格蘭利物浦的超級馬拉松跑者羅伯特.波普,在喝了一品脫的健力士啤酒後邁步起跑,最後成為在24小時內成功跑完愛爾蘭國土寬度路程的第一人。
44-year-old Pope ran from Galway City on Ireland’s west coast to the capital Dublin in just 23 hours and 39 minutes. 44歲的波普從愛爾蘭西岸戈爾韋市啟程,僅花費23小時39分就抵達首都都柏林。
He ran a total of 133.5 miles and celebrated with a second pint of Guinness. 他總共跑了133.5英哩,抵達後又喝了一品脫的健力士啤酒加以慶祝。
Pope said the project was born out of a conversation he had with some fellow runners at an event in Britain. 波普說,這項計畫是某次在英國一場路跑活動上與其他跑者聊天時誕生的。
"I gave myself a 40 percent chance of actually pulling it off. I actually was surprised when I just couldn’t find any record of anyone having done it." 「我覺得我大概有40%的機率可以圓滿達成。我其實很驚訝以前竟然沒有人創下這個紀錄。」
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以色列科學家發現,跑步可將患某些癌症的機率降低72% Running reduces chance of some cancers by 72%, Israeli scientists find
People who regularly run or engage in other aerobic exercise cut their chance of developing some cancers by 72 percent, according to research from Tel Aviv University 根據特拉維夫大學的研究,經常跑步或從事其他有氧運動的人,罹患某些癌症的機率降低了72%。
Aerobic exercise makes some organs so efficient at grabbing sugar that is in the body that tumors are left starved of glucose, and often unable to grow and spread, the peer-reviewed study published last week suggested. 上週發表、經過同儕審查的研究表明,有氧運動使一些器官有效吸收體內糖分,以至於腫瘤缺乏葡萄糖,往往無法生長和擴散。
It focused on metastatic cancer, meaning cancer that has spread from its original location in the body. Researchers believe there are also strong benefits in preventing primary tumors, but focused on metastatic cancer as it is Israel’s leading cause of death. 該研究專注於轉移性癌症,即從體內原位擴散的癌症。研究人員認為,對於預防原發性腫瘤也有很大好處,但重點是轉移性癌症,因為它是以色列的主要死因。Source article: https://features.ltn.com.tw/english/article/paper/1554468 ; https://features.ltn.com.tw/english/article/paper/1555202
13 Dec 2022
精選詞彙播客 Vocab Ep.147: 哪裡吃財富自由餐? Where can you dine and experience financial freedom?
Summary: In the business districts of Taipei, you can always see a red and yellow sign that attracts the attention and foot traffic of the working class. Bafang has been a lunch and dinner staple for many Taiwanese people. Their signature potstickers and dumplings are now available across the globe. In this episode, Angel and I discuss our favorite lunch spot and what we eat and don't eat. What is your favorite dish from Bafang? Comment down below!
Vocabulary:
1. Go-to adj. 必須去/必須找 Bafang is my go-to restaurant for an affordable meal. 八方是我必吃的實惠餐廳。
2. Pair v. 搭配(食物) At first I couldn't understand why dumplings are paired with soymilk, but I later began to enjoy it. 一開始我不能理解為何豆漿是配水餃,不過我後來就開始享受這個的搭配了。
3. Potsticker n. 煎餃 Angel does not like the residual smell of leek potstickers in one's breath. Angel不喜歡韭菜鍋貼殘留的口氣。
TSMC’s market share rose to 56.1 percent from 53.4 percent in the previous quarter, TrendForce, the Taipei-based market information advisory firm said. 總部位於台北的市場調查公司 TrendForce 表示,台積電的市場份額從上一季度的 53.4% 上升至 56.1%。
Its sales rose 11.1 percent from the second quarter to US$20.16 billion in the third quarter after Apple released its latest iPhone 14 series in September. 在蘋果於 9 月發布其最新款 iPhone 14 系列後,其第三季度銷售額較第二季度增長 11.1% 至 201.6 億美元。
TSMC is reportedly the sole supplier of the A16 processor used in the iPhone 14 series. 據報導,台積電是 iPhone 14 系列中使用的 A16 處理器的唯一供應商。
In the third quarter, TSMC’s 7-nanometer process and more advanced technologies accounted for 54 percent of its total revenue. 第三季度,台積電的 7 納米工藝和更先進的技術佔其總收入的 54%。
Kwang Yang looking to unseat Gogoro by 2024
Kwang Yang Motor Co (光陽工業) aims to unseat Gogoro Inc (睿能創意) as the nation’s No. 1 electric scooter vendor by 2024 on the back of rising brand awareness among consumers, company chairman Allen Ko told a media gathering on Wednesday. Kwang Yang Motor Co(光陽工業)董事長 Allen Ko 在周三的一次媒體聚會上表示,在消費者品牌知名度不斷提高的背景下,光陽工業的目標是到 2024 年取代 Gogoro Inc(睿能創意)成為全國第一大電動機車供應商。
The company outsold its closest rival Aeon Motor Co (宏佳騰) in September and last month, becoming the second-biggest electric scooter vendor in Taiwan with a market share of 11.7 percent last month and 17 percent so far this month, thanks to robust sales of its new Ionex Air model, it said. 該公司在 9 月和上個月的銷量超過了其最接近的競爭對手宏佳騰,成為台灣第二大電動踏板車供應商,上月和本月迄今的市場份額分別為 11.7% 和 17%,這得益於強勁的銷售 其新的 Ionex Air 模型。
The company’s fully owned Ionex Taiwan Co (台灣光捷) is responsible for producing and selling Ionex-brand electric scooters. Kwang Yang also operates its own battery swapping system, called Ionex. 該公司全資擁有的 Ionex Taiwan Co(台灣光捷)負責生產和銷售 Ionex 品牌電動滑板車。 Kwang Yang 還運營著自己的電池更換系統,稱為 Ionex。
The company expects to deploy about 2,000 battery-swapping stations this year and more next year. 該公司預計今年將部署約 2,000 個電池交換站,明年將部署更多。
About 6,000 people have purchased Ionex scooters since the system’s launch in 2018, Ko said. Ko 說,自該系統於 2018 年推出以來,已有約 6,000 人購買了 Ionex 滑板車
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Do you use an iPhone? What are the names of the chips used?
Have you ridden an electric scooter before?
17 Dec 2022
回顧星期天LBS - 世界經濟相關時事趣聞 All about 2021 World Economy
Topic: Surging shipping rates pose new headwind for the global economy
Shocks to supply chains are engulfing a wider swath of the global economy as the pandemic rages on, threatening to stifle Asia’s trade-led recovery just as soaring freight rates make it harder for businesses to weather another year like 2020. 疫情肆虐,衝擊供應鏈,全球經濟受創幅度加巨;高昂的運費,讓企業更難再熬過如二○二○年般艱難的一年,以貿易為主導之亞洲經濟,復甦之路恐窒礙難行。
Shortages of consumer goods like paper towels and work-from-home gear early in the COVID-19 crisis have given way to parts shortfalls in one of the most globally integrated of industries: auto manufacturing. 武漢肺炎(新型冠狀病毒病,COVID-19)危機初期的紙巾與在家工作用品等消費品之短缺,已轉為汽車製造業的零件短缺──造車業為全球整合程度最高的工業之一。
Compounding the industrial imbalances are transport woes plaguing consumer and healthcare sectors still dealing with a dearth of available shipping containers to move components and finished products out of China, Taiwan, South Korea and Asia’s other export powers. 消費與醫療保健業所面臨之運輸困難,使工業的失衡狀況加劇──由於貨櫃短缺,零組件及製成品很難由中國、台灣、韓國及亞洲其他出口大國運出。
Nerijus Poskus, vice president for global ocean at San Francisco-based freight forwarder Flexport Inc, reckons the world needs the equivalent of 500,000 more 20-foot containers — roughly enough to fill 25 of the largest ships in operation — to satisfy the current demand. In the meantime, standard container rates on transpacific routes are quadruple what they were a year ago. And that is before equipment surcharges and premiums for guaranteed loading are added. 總部設於舊金山的運輸公司「飛協博」全球海洋副總裁奈瑞尤斯‧帕司克斯估計,若要滿足當前需求,全世界需要再增加五十萬個二十呎貨櫃──大約可裝滿二十五艘目前最大的船舶。而且現在跨太平洋航線的標準貨櫃運價是一年前的四倍,這還不包括設備附加費及保證裝載的額外費用。
“Anyone paying the freight bills in 2020 though knows the true cost of shipping is much higher than even the recently increased rates,” Poskus said. “We expect that to only increase in 2021.” 「雖然在二○二○年支付運費的人都知道,真正的運輸成本甚至比最近上漲的運費還要高」,帕司克斯表示。「我們預計在二○二一年只會繼續上漲」。
The unstoppable rise in container shipping costs is borne out by December figures recently announced by Taiwan’s three major shipping companies — Evergreen Marine Corp, Yang Ming Marine Transport Corp and Wan Hai Lines Ltd — which saw a record-breaking year-on-year surge of revenue at 58.8 percent, 35.19 percent and 75.71 percent respectively. 貨櫃海運運價一路走高,勢不可擋,台灣貨櫃三雄──長榮、陽明、萬海──近日公布二○二○年十二月營收,分別年增百分之五十八點八、百分之三十五點一九、百分之七十五點七一,皆同步創下歷史新高。 Source article: https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/lang/archives/2021/01/18/2003750759
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Topic: The world is dependent on Taiwan for semiconductors
As China pushes the world to avoid official dealings with Taiwan, leaders across the globe are realizing just how dependent they have become on the island democracy. 中國迫使世界斷絕與台灣的正式往來,此時全球的領導人卻了解到,他們對這民主島國的依賴程度已如此之深。
Taiwan is being courted for its capacity to make leading-edge computer chips. That is mostly down to Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC), the world’s largest foundry and go-to producer of chips for Apple Inc smartphones, artificial intelligence and high-performance computing. 台灣以其製造先進電腦晶片的能力而備受青睞。這主要歸功於台灣積體電路製造公司﹝簡稱台積電﹞。台積電是全球最大的晶圓代工廠,也是蘋果公司智慧型手機、人工智慧及高效能運算晶片的首選製造商。
Taiwan’s role in the world economy largely existed below the radar until it came to recent prominence as the auto industry suffered shortfalls in chips used for everything from parking sensors to reducing emissions. With carmakers including Germany’s Volkswagen AG, Ford Motor Co of the US and Japan’s Toyota Motor Corp forced to halt production and idle plants, Taiwan’s importance has suddenly become too big to ignore. 台灣在世界經濟中的角色大多不為人所注意,直到最近由於汽車工業的晶片短缺(由倒車雷達至減少排放等皆須用到晶片),台灣才成為全世界眾所矚目之地。包括德國福斯汽車、美國福特汽車及日本豐田汽車在內的汽車製造商被迫停止生產、將工廠閒置,台灣的重要性因此也突然變得不可忽視。
That is not to say Taiwan is the only player in the semiconductor supply chain. The US still holds dominant positions, notably in chip design and electronic software tools; ASML Holding NV of the Netherlands has a monopoly on the machines needed to fabricate the best chips; Japan is a key supplier of equipment, chemicals and wafers. 這並不是說台灣是半導體供應鏈中的唯一角色。美國仍居主導地位,特別是在晶片設計和電子軟體工具方面;製造最佳晶片所需之機器是由荷蘭的艾司摩爾所壟斷;日本則是設備、化學品和晶圓的主要供應國。
However, as the emphasis shifts to ever smaller, more powerful chips that require less energy, TSMC is increasingly in a field of its own. It has also helped Taiwan form a comprehensive ecosystem around it: ASE Technology Holding is the world’s top chip assembler, while MediaTek has become the largest smartphone chipset vendor. 但是,隨著重點轉移到體積更小、功能更強大且用電更少的晶片上,台積電便愈發自成體系。台積電也幫助台灣建構了一個全面的生態系統,以台積電為中心:日月光是世界頂尖的晶片封測廠,而聯發科技已成為智慧型手機晶片組最大的供應商。
A big worry is that TSMC’s chip factories could become collateral damage if China were to make good on threats to invade Taiwan if it moves toward independence. 一大隱憂是,若台灣邁向獨立、中國果真入侵台灣,則台積電晶片廠恐受牽連,成為附帶損害。
“Taiwan is the center of gravity of Chinese security policy,” said Mathieu Duchatel, director of the Asia program at the Institut Montaigne in Paris. Preserving the world’s most advanced fabs “is in the interests of everyone.” 「台灣是中國安全政策的重中之重」,巴黎蒙田研究所亞洲計畫主任杜懋之表示;保護世界上最先進的晶圓廠「符合所有人的利益」。 Source article: https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/lang/archives/2021/02/01/2003751534
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Topic: Reinventing Workers for the Post-COVID Economy
The nation’s economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic will hinge to some extent on how quickly show managers can become electricians, whether taxi drivers can become plumbers, and how many cooks can manage software for a bank. 美國經濟能否從新冠疫情影響下復甦,將在一定程度上取決於表演經理們要多久才能變成電工,計程車司機能否化身為水管匠,以及有多少廚師能替銀行管理軟體。
This is likely to prove especially problematic for millions of low-paid workers in service industries like retailing, hospitality, building maintenance and transportation, which may be permanently impaired or fundamentally transformed. What will janitors do if fewer people work in offices? What will waiters do if the urban restaurant ecosystem never recovers its density? 這對零售業、餐旅業、建築維修和運輸業等服務業數百萬低薪工人來說,問題恐怕特別大。這些行業可能受到永久性損害或發生根本性改變。若辦公室裡人變少了,工友要做什麼呢?若都市餐廳生態系統繁盛不再,服務生又該如何?
Their prognosis is bleak. Marcela Escobari, an economist at the Brookings Institution, warns that even if the economy adds jobs as the coronavirus risk fades, “the rebound won’t help the people that have been hurt the most.” 他們的前景是黯淡的。布魯金斯學會經濟學家艾思科巴里警告說,即使就業機會隨新冠肺炎風險消退而增加,「經濟反彈也幫不了那些受創最重的人」。
Looking back over 16 years of data, Escobari finds that workers in the occupations most heavily hit since the spring will have a difficult time reinventing themselves. Taxi drivers, dancers and front-desk clerks have poor track records moving to jobs as, say, registered nurses, pipe layers or instrumentation technicians. 艾思科巴里檢視16年來的數據發現,今春以來受衝擊最大的一些職業,勞工將很難自我改造。計程車司機、舞者和櫃檯人員轉行從事護理師、舖管工或儀器技工等工作者十分有限。
COVID is abruptly taking out a swath of jobs that were thought to be comparatively resilient, in services that require personal contact with customers. And the jolt has landed squarely on workers with little or no education beyond high school, toiling in the low-wage service economy. 新冠肺炎疾病突然帶走了一大批原本被認為較不容易永久消失的工作,即需與客戶面對面接觸的服務工作。這一衝擊直接打擊到那些僅受過高中教育、在低薪服務經濟區塊中掙扎的勞工。
“The damage to the economy and particularly to workers will probably be longer lasting than we think it is going to be,” said Peter Beard, senior vice president at the Greater Houston Partnership, an economic development group. 經濟發展組織大休士頓商會資深副總裁畢爾德表示:「經濟、尤其是勞工們受害的時間,可能比我們預期的還要更長。」
What’s more, he said, COVID will intensify underlying dynamics that were already transforming the workplace. Automation, for one, will most likely accelerate as employers seek to protect their businesses from future pandemics. 他說,更重要的是,新冠肺炎將強化已經在改變職場的潛在動力,自動化即為一例,由於雇主力求讓自己的企業未來不受大疫情影響,自動化極可能加速。
The challenge is not insurmountable. Yet despite scattered success stories, moving millions of workers into new occupations remains an enormous challenge. 這項挑戰並非不能克服。然而,儘管有少數成功的例子,讓數百萬勞工轉業仍是巨大的挑戰。
“We need a New Deal for skills,” said Amit Sevak, president of Revature, a company that hires workers, trains them to use digital tools and helps place them in jobs. “President Roosevelt deployed the massive number of workers unemployed in the Great Depression on projects that created many of the dams and roads and bridges we have. We need something like that.” 雇用勞工後培訓他們使用數位工具,並幫他們找到工作的Revature公司總裁塞瓦克說:「我們需要一項針對職業技能的新政。小羅斯福總統大蕭條時期把大量失業勞工投入工程計畫,興建了我們現在使用的水壩、道路與橋樑。我們需要這樣的東西。」
18 Dec 2022
每日英語跟讀 Ep.K490: 英國經濟危機嚴重 開始後悔脫歐 In Slumping U.K., Feelings Of ‘Bregret’ Toward Brexit
每日英語跟讀 Ep.K490: In Slumping U.K., Feelings Of ‘Bregret’ Toward Brexit
Six and a half years after voting to leave the European Union, three years after the formal departure, two years after signing a post-Brexit trade deal with Brussels and one month after installing its fourth prime minister since the 2016 referendum, Britain is caught in — what else? — another debate over Brexit.
Brexit may be in the history books, but “Bregret,” as the British newspapers have called it, is back in the air.
英國脫歐可能已載入史冊,但英國報紙所說的「後悔脫歐」又重新浮上水面。
The cause of the remorse is clear: Britain’s economic crisis, which is the gravest in a generation and worse than those of its European neighbors. Not all — or even most — of the problems are because of Brexit, but Britain’s vexed trade relationship with the rest of Europe indisputably plays a role. That makes it a ripe target for an anxious public casting about for something to blame.
The latest eruption of this never-ending drama began last week with an opinion poll that showed support for Brexit had fallen to its lowest level yet. Only 32% of those surveyed in the poll, by the firm YouGov, said that they thought leaving the European Union was a good idea; 56% said it was a mistake.
The Brexit second-guessing grew louder this week, after The Sunday Times of London published a report that Prime Minister Rishi Sunak was considering pursuing a closer arrangement with the European Union, modeled on that of Switzerland. The Swiss have access to the single market and fewer border checks, in return for paying into the bloc’s coffers and accepting some of its rules.
Sunak quickly shot down the report, which was attributed to “senior government sources.”
蘇納克迅速駁斥這篇宣稱來自「政府高層消息人士」的報導。
“Under my leadership,” Sunak told business executives Monday, “the United Kingdom will not pursue any relationship with Europe that relies on alignment with EU laws.”
蘇納克周一告訴企業主管表示:「在我的領導下,英國不會尋求與歐洲建立任何仰賴於遵守歐盟法律的關係。」
“I voted for Brexit, I believe in Brexit,” Sunak added. “I know that Brexit can deliver, and is already delivering, enormous benefits and opportunities for the country.”
While nobody is predicting that Britain will seek to rejoin the European Union, political analysts said that the Sunday Times report, on top of the dismal economic data and growing popular sentiment against Brexit, would open a fresh chapter in Britain’s search for a new relationship with the rest of Europe. Where that would lead, they cautioned, was impossible to predict.
每日英語跟讀 Ep.K491: FTX’s Collapse Casts a Pall on a Philanthropy Movement
In short order, the extraordinary collapse of the cryptocurrency exchange FTX has vaporized billions of dollars of customer deposits, prompted investigations by law enforcement and destroyed the fortune and reputation of the company’s founder and CEO, Sam Bankman-Fried.
It has also dealt a significant blow to the corner of philanthropy known as effective altruism, a philosophy that advocates applying data and evidence to doing the most good for the many and that is deeply tied to Bankman-Fried, one of its leading proponents and donors. Now nonprofits are scrambling to replace millions in grant commitments from Bankman-Fried’s charitable vehicles, including the FTX Future Fund, whose grant recipients’ work includes pandemic preparedness and artificial intelligence safety.
Through a nonprofit called Building a Stronger Future, Bankman-Fried also gave to groups including news organizations ProPublica, Vox and the Intercept.
In a note to staff members Friday, ProPublica’s president, Robin Sparkman, and editor-in-chief, Stephen Engelberg, wrote that the remaining two-thirds of a $5 million grant for reporting on pandemic preparedness and biothreats were on hold. “Building a Stronger Future is assessing its finances and, concurrently, talking to other funders about taking on some of its grant portfolio,” they wrote.
Bankman-Fried’s fall from grace may have cost effective altruist causes billions of dollars in future donations. For a relatively young movement that was wrestling over its growth and focus, such a high-profile scandal implicating one of the group’s most famous proponents represents a significant setback.
Effective altruism focuses on the question of how individuals can do as much good as possible with the money and time available to them.
有效利他主義關注的是,個人如何利用自己的金錢和時間盡可能多多行善。
In a few short years, effective altruism went from a somewhat obscure corner of charity favored by philosophy students and social workers to a leading approach to philanthropy for an increasingly powerful cohort of millennial and Gen-Z givers, including Silicon Valley programmers and hedge fund analysts.
Facebook and Asana co-founder Dustin Moskovitz and his wife, Cari Tuna, have said they are devoting much of their fortune to effective altruist causes.
臉書與Asana共同創辦人莫斯科維茨及妻子卡莉.圖納表示,他們將把大部分財富用於有效利他主義事業。
“I don’t know yet how we’ll repair the damage Sam did and harden EA against other bad actors,” Moskovitz wrote in a tweet Saturday. “But I know that we’re going to try, because the stakes remain painfully high.”
每日英語跟讀 Ep.K492: About Japan - Covid-Inspired ‘Silent Cut Haircutting Service Gains Popularity in Japan
Devised by a Tokyo hair salon during the Covid-19 pandemic to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, the ‘Silent Cut’ service is becoming increasingly popular in Japan. 在武漢肺炎(Covid-19)疫情期間,日本東京一家髮廊為防止病毒傳播而推出「無聲剪髮」服務,在日本愈來愈受歡迎。
As a way of curbing the spread of the coronavirus during the Covid-19 pandemic, authorities in Japan started promoting “no conversation” or “less conversation” policies in schools, shops and supermarkets. One Tokyo salon decided to implement the ‘silent cut’ service and it proved so popular that others quickly followed suit. 做為在Covid-19大流行期間遏制冠狀病毒傳播的一種方式,日本當局開始提倡在學校、商店和超市「不交談」或「少交談」。東京一家髮廊決定實施「無聲剪髮」服務。事實證明,這項服務非常受歡迎,其他髮廊也紛紛跟進。
As it turns out, hairstylists prefer the silent cut as well, with many claiming that they were taught to chat up clients in their apprenticeship. 事實證明,髮型師也更喜歡無聲剪髮,許多髮型師表示,他們在學徒期間需要學習如何與客人搭訕。
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We’re hiring: Babies wanted for Japan nursing home 我們正在招聘:日本療養院需要嬰兒
A nursing home in southern Japan is “hiring” babies for a very important job — to keep its elderly residents company and make them smile. 日本南部一間療養院正在招聘嬰兒,擔任非常重要的職位──陪伴年長居民、讓他們開心。
A job advert pinned to the wall informs would-be workers they will be compensated for their services in diapers and powdered milk. 一個釘在牆上的工作廣告告知未來的員工,他們將會收到尿布和配方奶做為服務報酬。
New recruits at the facility in Kitakyushu must be under four years old, and their guardians have to sign a contract stipulating that the babies and toddlers can show up for work “whenever they feel like it.” 這間北九州機構的新成員必須小於4歲,而且他們的監護人必須簽署一份合約,明文規定嬰兒和學步幼童可以依照他們的意願,想上班的時候再出現。
More than 30 babies have been signed up so far, tasked with lifting the spirits of more than 100 residents who are mostly in their 80s. 至今已有超過30名嬰兒報名,他們被賦予提升逾百名居民興致的任務,這些居民大多超過80歲。Source article: https://features.ltn.com.tw/english/article/paper/1555385
20 Dec 2022
精選詞彙播客 Vocab Ep.148: 十大聖誕交換禮品 Most common Christmas gifts for exchange in Taiwan
Summary: Christmas is closing in and your friends want to organize a gift exchange party. So, what should you get? In this episode, Angel and I discuss our favorite lunch spot and what we eat and don't eat. What is your favorite dish from Bafang? Comment down below!
Vocabulary:
1. Regift v. 轉送 In most cultures, it is impolite to regift a gift that was given to you. 在多數文化裡,轉送人家送你的禮物是不禮貌的。
2. Bath hamper n. 沐浴套組 Bath hampers are very common gifts amongst ladies. 沐浴套組是女性們常送的禮品。
3. Gag gift n. 搞笑禮物 Christmas toilet paper (TP) roll is a classic gag gift. 聖誕衛生紙捲是經典的耶誕搞笑禮物。
每日英語跟讀 Ep.K493: About Germany - German police seek help in solving bull sperm heist
Police in western Germany are appealing for help in cracking a potentially very cold case. 德國西部警方正呼籲幫助破獲一宗可能非常難解的懸案。
Authorities say about 60 containers of bull sperm were stolen from a farm in the town of Olfen, 90 kilometers northeast of Cologne, late Monday or early Tuesday. 當局說,週一晚間或週二早上有大約60箱公牛精液從位於科隆東北方90公里的奧爾芬鎮一處農場被偷了。
Police said in a statement Wednesday that while it’s unclear how the rustle happened, the precious cargo needs to be supercooled with liquid nitrogen at –196 Celsius degrees so it isn’t spoiled. 警方週三在一份聲明中說道,雖還不清楚整件事如何偷偷進行,但這批珍貴的貨物需以液態氮過冷到攝氏零下196度,以免變質作廢。
They are seeking tips from the public that might lead to the recovery of the sperm, which was intended for artificial insemination. 他們正向公眾尋求可能找回這些原本打算用於人工授精的精液線索。
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German woman arrested for shutting roommate’s ventilator 德國女子因關閉室友的人工呼吸器被捕
A 72-year-old woman has been arrested after she allegedly switched off a hospital roommate’s ventilator - twice - because she was annoyed by the sound it made, authorities in Germany said Thursday. 德國當局週四表示,一名72歲女子據稱關掉醫院同房病人一台人工呼吸器2次,因為她被它製造的聲音惹惱,隨後被捕。
The woman was jailed on suspicion of attempted manslaughter following the incident at a hospital in the southwestern city of Mannheim on Tuesday evening. 在這起週二晚間發生於西南部曼海姆市一家醫院的事件後,這名女子因涉嫌殺人未遂罪入獄。
Police and prosecutors said in a statement that the suspect is alleged to have switched off a 79-year-old woman’s ventilator and, despite then being told by staff that it was vital for the patient, switched it off again later in the evening. 警方和檢察官在聲明中說,這名嫌犯據稱關掉一名79歲婦女的人工呼吸器,儘管職員後來告知,那對這名病人非常重要,她在稍後晚間又關了一次。
The older patient had to be revived and, while her life is not in danger, still requires intensive care, authorities said. 當局說,那位比較年長的病人必須使其甦醒,雖然沒有生命危險,但仍需要加護照顧。
The suspect was brought before a judge on Wednesday and taken to jail. 這名嫌犯週三被送交法官並關進大牢。Source article: https://features.ltn.com.tw/english/article/paper/1556133 ; https://features.ltn.com.tw/english/article/paper/1554828
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