Topic: In Britain, Rising Prices and Shortages Evoke 1970s-Style Jitters   Long lines at gas stations, rising fuel prices, empty shelves in supermarkets and worries about runaway inflation. 加油站大排長龍，燃料價格上漲，超市貨架空無一物，大家憂心通貨膨脹失控。 Britons have emerged from 18 months of pandemic-imposed hibernation to find their country has many of the same afflictions it had during the 1970s. There is nothing Austin Powers-like about this time machine: Unlike the swinging '60s, the '70s were, by all accounts, some of the bleakest days in postwar Britain; even contemplating a return to them is enough to make leaders of the current government shiver. 英國人從疫情造成的18個月冬眠中醒來，發現國家遭遇許多與1970年代相同的痛苦。這次時光機器情節跟電影「王牌大賤諜」毫無相似之處：不同於動盪的1960年代，人們都說1970年代是戰後英國最淒涼的日子。只是想到要回到當時，就足以讓現任政府領導人不寒而慄。 The sudden burst of doomsaying in Britain is rooted at least as much in psychology as economics. While there is no question the country faces a confluence of problems — some caused by the pandemic, others by Brexit — experts said it was far too soon to predict that Britain was headed for the kind of economic malaise and political upheaval that characterized that decade. 英國突然爆發的末日預言，源自心理學的份量跟經濟學一樣多。無疑地，這個國家面臨一系列問題，一些由疫情引起，另一些由英國脫歐造成。專家們說，現在就預測英國將陷入那十年特有的經濟低迷與政治動盪，仍為時過早。 “It’s a combination of things that could, in principle, lead to that, but are quite survivable on their own,” said Jonathan Portes, a professor of economics at Kings College London. “We always talk about the 1970s, but it’s half a century later, and all sorts of things are different.” 倫敦國王學院經濟學教授波特斯說：「原則上來說，這樣的多種因素組合可能導致那種情況，但個別也能發揮作用。我們總是在談論1970年代，但已過去半個世紀了，一切都不一樣了。」 Britain’s economy, he noted, has bounced back faster from the pandemic than many experts predicted. The shortages in labor and some goods are likely a transitory effect of reopening much of the economy after prolonged lockdowns. Rising wages and supply bottlenecks are driving up the inflation rate, while the fuel shortages that have closed dozens of gas stations reflect a shortage of truck drivers, not of energy supplies. 他指，英國經濟從疫情中恢復的速度比許多專家預測還快。勞動力和一些商品短缺，可能是長期防疫封鎖後重新開放大部分經濟活動的短暫影響。工資上漲和供應瓶頸正在推升通膨率，而造成數十家加油站關閉的燃料短缺，反映的是卡車司機短缺，而非能源供應問題。 Nor does Britain have the aging industrial base and powerful unions it had in the 1970s. Labor unrest led to crippling strikes that brought down a Conservative prime minister, Edward Heath, and one of his Labour Party successors, James Callaghan, after what the tabloids called the winter of discontent, in 1979. 英國也沒有1970年代那樣老化的工業基礎與強大工會。1979年發生小報所稱的「不滿之冬」，勞工騷亂導致嚴重罷工，造成保守黨首相奚斯及他的工黨繼任者之一卡拉漢下台。 And yet the parallels are suggestive enough that the right-leaning Daily Mail warned that “Britain faces winter of woe” — a chilly welcome for Prime Minister Boris Johnson as he returned from the United States, having celebrated a new submarine alliance and rallied countries in advance of a U.N. climate change conference in Scotland in November. 然而，一些相似之處足以引發聯想，讓右傾的每日郵報發出「英國面臨災難冬天」警告。對訪美歸來的英國首相強生而言，這是個冷淡迎接，他才剛慶祝新的潛艦聯盟成立，並在11月蘇格蘭聯合國氣候變遷會議前團結各國。 “That is a very easy ghost to resurrect,” said Kim Darroch, a former British ambassador to Washington who now sits in the House of Lords. “But these are real problems. You can just see this perfect storm coming.” 英國駐華府前大使、現為上議院議員的達洛許說：「那是個很容易復活的鬼魂，但這些都是實實在在的問題。你可以看到這場完美風暴逼近。」Source article: https://udn.com/news/story/6904/5804159   Next Article   Topic: British hospitals use blockchain to track COVID-19 vaccines   Two British hospitals are using blockchain technology to keep tabs on the storage and supply of temperature-sensitive COVID-19 vaccines, the companies behind the initiative said on Tuesday, in one of the first such initiatives in the world. 英國有兩家醫院正以區塊鏈技術來監控武漢肺炎（新型冠狀病毒病，COVID-19）疫苗儲存與供應的動態，這些疫苗對溫度極其敏感。負責該計畫的公司上週二表示，這是此新做法的全球首例之一。 Two hospitals, in central England’s Stratford-upon-Avon and Warwick, are expanding their use of a distributed ledger, an offshoot of blockchain, from tracking vaccines and chemotherapy drugs to monitoring fridges storing COVID-19 vaccines. 這兩家分別位於英格蘭中部埃文河畔史特拉福及華威的醫院，將分散式帳本（區塊鏈的一種）技術的應用範圍擴大，從追蹤疫苗及化療藥物之動向，到監視儲存武漢肺炎疫苗的冰箱。 The technology will bolster record-keeping and data-sharing across supply chains, said Everyware, which monitors vaccines and other treatments for Britain’s National Health Service. Everyware發布聲明表示，這項技術將加強整個供應鏈的紀錄保存與數據共享。Everyware為英國國民保健署監控疫苗及其它藥物之動向。 Logistical hurdles are a significant risk to the speedy distribution of COVID-19 vaccines, but have resulted in booming business for companies selling technology for monitoring shipments from factory freezer to shots in the arm. 物流的障礙對快速配送武漢肺炎疫苗構成了威脅，但提供監控技術的公司卻因此大發利市──它們監控疫苗的運送，從藥廠冷凍庫開始，直到注射入手臂。 Pfizer Inc and BioNTech’s shot, for example, must be shipped and stored at ultra-cold temperatures or on dry ice, and can only last for up to five days at standard fridge temperatures. Other vaccines, such as Moderna Inc’s, do not need such cold storage and are therefore easier to deliver. 舉例來說，輝瑞公司及德國生物新技術公司所生產的疫苗，其運輸和儲存都必須處於超冷溫度或置於乾冰上，而且在標準冰箱溫度下最多只能保存五天。其他疫苗，例如莫德納公司所生產的疫苗，則不需要這樣的冷藏，因此更易於運送。 Firms from finance to commodities have invested millions of dollars to develop blockchain, a digital ledger that allows secure and real-time recording of data, in the hope of radical cost cuts and efficiency gains. 從金融公司到日用品公司，有許企業已投資數百萬美元來發展區塊鏈。區塊鏈是一種數位帳本，可以安全、即時地記錄數據，以期大幅度削減成本並提高效率。 Blockchain originated from Bitcoin, and it was created for the sake of Bitcoin — Bitcoin being blockchain’s first application. A blockchain is a growing list of records, called blocks, that are linked using cryptography. Each block contains a cryptographic hash of the previous block, a timestamp and transaction data. By design, a blockchain is resistant to modification of its data. 區塊鏈的起源為「比特幣」，為了比特幣而產生了區塊鏈──比特幣為區塊鏈的第一個應用。區塊鏈為以密碼學串接並保護內容的串連文字紀錄（又稱區塊）。每一個區塊包含了前一個區塊的加密雜湊、相應時間戳記以及交易資料，這樣的設計使得區塊內容具有難以篡改的特性。 Source article: https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/lang/archives/2021/01/25/2003751156   Next Article   Topic: Plastic-Bag Charge in England Prompts Applause, Anger and Humor Some critics predicted chaos, confusion and "bag rage." But while this week's introduction of a 5 pence charge for plastic shopping bags in England did not lead to a nationwide mutiny, as some had warned, it did prove polarizing. Environmentalists, for the most part, praised the government initiative introduced on Monday（Oct.5）, saying it would reduce pollution and waste. After all, it can take 1,000 years for a plastic bag to decompose, according to an estimate by Nick Clegg, who was deputy prime minister at the time the step was announced. Last year, major supermarkets in England handed out roughly 7.6 billion single-use plastic bags, about 140 per person, the government has estimated. 一些批評者預言此事必會引發混亂、困惑及「袋怒症」。實則，英格蘭本周開始每個塑膠購物袋收取5便士並未出現全境性反彈，然而正如部分人士所警告的，它的確引起了兩極化的反應。 環保派多半讚揚政府周一（10月5日）推出的這個行動，表示這將使汙染和廢棄物減少。畢竟，據措施宣布時擔任英國副首相的尼克．克萊格估計，一個塑膠袋可能要長達1千年才能分解。政府估計，英格蘭主要超市去年約發出76億個一次性塑膠袋，平均每人約拿140個。 The government hopes the fee, equivalent to about 8 cents, will help reduce the cost of cleaning up garbage by 60 million pounds, or about $80 million, over the next decade. Stores and supermarkets are being encouraged to donate the proceeds from the bag charge to charitable causes, and are expected to raise 730 million pounds for such endeavors. 政府希望，每個袋子收費約合8美分（台幣2.4元）的作法，能使未來10年的垃圾清理成本減少6千萬英鎊，約合8千萬美元（台幣24億元）。 當局鼓勵商店與超市將塑膠袋收入捐給慈善事業，如此預計可募得7.3億英鎊。 But critics of the new fee say it will stoke mayhem, given the long list of exemptions; shoppers can still get a free plastic bag if they are buying pet fish; raw fish, meat or poultry; unwrapped blades (including axes, knives and razor blades); takeout food; or loose seeds and flowers. There are also worries that customers might verbally abuse supermarket cashiers, and some retailers have provided members of their staff with training on how to cope with angry shoppers. 但批評新費用者說，一長串的豁免項目將引起混亂；若消費者購買寵物魚、生魚、肉或家禽、未包裝的刀片（包括斧頭、刀和刮鬍刀片）、外賣食物或零散的種子和花，仍可拿到免費塑膠袋。也有人擔心顧客會辱罵超市收銀員，有些零售業者已開始訓練員工如何應付憤怒的顧客。 Then there were worries that shoppers would throng the British capital’s already harried streets, clutching, for example, jars of tomato sauce. One man who didn’t want to pay for a plastic bag for a single item was seen walking down a street in North London holding a package of wrapped salmon. Yet another fear is that there will be a glut of eating at checkout counters as wily consumers try to scarf down food before paying for it. 然後令人憂心的是，消費者將把本已忙碌的英國首都街道擠滿，手上抓著罐裝番茄醬之類東西。有位老兄不想為單一物品付塑膠袋的錢，抱著一袋包裝好的鮭魚走在北倫敦街頭。另有件事讓人憂心，很多人會在結帳櫃檯吃將起來，精於盤算的消費者會試圖把食物吃掉再付帳。 That similar plastic-bag charges exist in the other parts of Britain — Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland — seems to not influence the critics. In Wales, use of plastic bags has dropped 79 percent since a 5 pence charge was put in effect in 2011. The new rules in England apply to retailers with more than 250 full-time employees. Retailers that fail to properly enforce the measure can be fined up to 5,000 pounds. 英國其他地區（威爾斯、北愛爾蘭及蘇格蘭）都收取類似塑膠袋費，但批評者似乎並未因而降低音量。威爾斯2011年開始收取5便士至今，塑膠袋用量減少了79%。 英格蘭新規定適用於全職員工超過250人的零售業者，未適切執行者最高可罰5千英鎊。 Similar efforts to regulate plastic bag have been put in place across the world. In 2002, Bangladesh became the first country to introduce a ban on thin plastic bags amid concerns that they were clogging drainage pipes and contributing to devastating flooding. 規範塑膠袋使用的類似努力已在全球各地實施。 孟加拉2002年成為第一個推出薄塑膠袋禁令的國家，因為擔心塑膠袋堵住排水管且造成毀滅性洪災。 In 2008, Rwanda banned plastic bags outright, helping to solidify its image as one of the most environmentally conscious nations in East Africa. In the United States, many communities have regulated or even prohibited the bags. Since 2007, they have been banned in nearly 100 municipalities in California, including Los Angeles. In 2014, California banned stores from giving out free plastic bags. The law was to take effect in July, but after lobbying by opponents of the bill, including the bag industry, a referendum on whether to repeal the ban is planned for November 2016. 盧安達在2008年完全禁用塑膠袋，鞏固了它東非環保意識模範國的形象。 在美國，許多社區已規範或甚至禁用塑膠袋。2007年起，塑膠袋已在加州洛杉磯等近百城市禁用。加州2014年立法禁止商店發放免費塑膠袋，原定當年7月生效，但在包括塑膠袋產業在內的反對者遊說下，計畫於2016年11月就是否廢除禁令進行公投。 Only a tiny fraction of plastic bags are recycled, while many end up in kitchen cupboards, floating through the air or wasting away slowly in landfills. "Plastic bags end up everywhere — stashed in cupboards, floating down canals, littering our streets or killing wildlife," Friends of the Earth, a British environmental group, said in a statement welcoming the new measure. However, the TaxPayers' Alliance, an anti-tax group, said the new measure would burden families who are already struggling to get by. 只有極小部分塑膠袋被回收再利用，卻有許多最後待在廚房櫥櫃內、飄浮在空中，或在垃圾掩埋場慢慢腐爛。英國環保團體「地球之友」在歡迎這項新措施的聲明中說：「塑膠袋落得到處都是 -- 藏身於櫥櫃內、飄流在運河中、散布在我們的街頭，或殺死了野生動物。」 然而，反稅團體「納稅人聯盟」說，新措施將使那些已在掙扎圖存的家庭負擔更重。 A 2013 study by the Washington-based National Center for Policy Analysis, which champions laissez-faire economics, argued that paper and reusable bags were worse for the environment than plastic bags when it came to energy and water use, and to greenhouse gas emissions. "Every type of grocery bag incurs environmental costs," wrote H. Sterling Burnett, the author of the study. 提倡自由放任經濟的華府美國國家政策分析中心在2013年的研究報告中主張，就能源和水的使用及溫室氣體排放而言，紙袋跟環保袋比塑膠袋更不環保。報告作者史特林．柏奈特寫道：「每種食品雜貨袋都有環境成本。」 Whatever the arguments, the rules have inspired a mix of applause, resentment, fear and no little humor. "Can England cope with the bag charge, or will there be a bagpocalypse?" Rhiannon Lucy Cosslett asked in the British daily The Guardian. "Plastic Bags Chaos Looms," read a headline in The Daily Mail. Chloe Metzger, a 21-year-old blogger and student, wrote on Twitter: "I understand the whole #plasticbags thing but it couldn't be more annoying." 無論主張為何，新規定已引發多種反應，掌聲，怨恨，憂懼，還有不少的幽默。雷亞儂．露西．科斯雷在英國衛報上問道：「英格蘭能處理好塑膠袋收費嗎，或是將出現袋之末日？」每日郵報的標題則寫道：「塑膠袋亂局一觸即發。」21歲的學生部落客克羅伊．梅茲傑在推特上寫道：「我完全明白塑膠袋這檔事，但它讓人煩透了。」 Source article: https://paper.udn.com/udnpaper/POH0067/287605/web/ Powered by Firstory Hosting

Elden Ring 艾爾登法環   Elden Ring is an action role-playing game played in a third-person perspective with gameplay focusing on combat and exploration.Director Hidetaka Miyazaki explained that players start with a linear opening but eventually progress to freely explore the Lands Between, including its six main areas, as well as castles, fortresses, and catacombs scattered throughout the open world map. Combat in Elden Ring relies heavily on character-building elements found in previous Souls games and related intellectual properties, such as calculated and close-ranged melee-based combat with the use of skills, magic abilities, as well as blocking and dodging mechanics. Elden Ring introduces mounted combat and a stealth system, the latter being a core gameplay element from Sekiro; these features are expected to encourage players in strategizing their combat approach with each unique enemy they encounter. Elden Ring 艾爾登法環 是一款以第三人稱視角進行的動作角色扮演遊戲，遊戲玩法側重於戰鬥和探索。導演宮崎英孝解釋說，玩家從線性開場開始，但最終可以自由探索之間的土地，包括它的六個主要區域，以及散佈在整個開放世界地圖中的城堡，堡壘和地下墓穴。 遊戲中的戰鬥很大程度上依賴於之前黑魂《Souls》遊戲中的角色塑造元素和相關內容，例如使用技能、魔法能力以及格擋和閃避機制的計算和近距離近戰戰鬥。 艾爾登法環 引入了坐騎戰鬥和隱身系統，後者是Sekiro的核心遊戲元素;這些功能有望鼓勵玩家與他們遇到的每個獨特敵人制定戰鬥策略。   Volodymyr Zelensky 澤倫斯基   Like many people from Ukraine’s Dnipropetrovsk region, he grew up as a native Russian speaker, but he also acquired fluency in both Ukrainian and English. In 1995 he entered Kryvyy Rih Economic Institute, the local campus of Kyiv National Economic University, and in 2000 he graduated with a law degree. Although Zelensky was licensed to practice law, his career was already headed in a different direction. While still a student, he had become active in theatre, and this would become his primary focus. In addition to working in television during this period, Zelensky appeared in a number of feature films, including the historical farce Rzhevskiy Versus Napoleon (2012) and the romantic comedies 8 First Dates (2012) and 8 New Dates (2015). 像烏克蘭第聶伯羅彼得羅夫斯克地區的許多人一樣，他從小就以俄語為母語，但他也精通烏克蘭語和英語。1995年，他進入基輔國立經濟大學當地校區Kryvyy Rih經濟學院，並於2000年畢業，獲得法律學位。 雖然澤倫斯基獲得了執業執照，但他的職業生涯已經朝著不同的方向發展。當他還是一名學生時，他已經活躍在戲劇中，這將成為他的主要關注點。除了在此期間從事電視工作外，澤倫斯基還出演了許多故事片，包括歷史鬧劇《澤夫斯基與拿破崙》（2012年）和浪漫喜劇《8次第一次約會》（2012年）和《8次新約會》（2015年）。   延伸測驗:   1. What kind of game is Elden Ring? A. ACT B. RPG C. SIM   2. What are the languages President Zelensky is fluent in? A. Mandarin, English, Ukrainian B. Russian, English, Ukrainian C. Russian, Ukrainian, Romanian Powered by Firstory Hosting

每日英語跟讀 Ep.K335: Ukraine? Putin’s Bigger Fear May Lie in Poland   Tomasz Czescik, a Polish archaeologist and television journalist, walks his dog each morning through a forest near his home here on NATO’s eastern flank, wandering along the edge of a green chain-link fence topped with razor wire. 波蘭考古學家和電視記者 Tomasz Czescik 每天早上都會​​帶著他的狗穿過他家附近的森林，這裡位於北約東翼，沿著頂部是鐵絲網的綠色鏈環柵欄的邊緣徘徊。 He enjoys the fresh air and morning quiet — until loudspeakers on the other side of the fence, strung with “Keep Out” signs in Polish, English, German and Russian, start blasting “The Star-Spangled Banner” at high volume. 他喜歡清新的空氣和清晨的寧靜——直到另一邊的擴音器柵欄的一側，掛著波蘭語、英語、德語的“Keep Out”標誌和俄羅斯人，開始大音量播放美國國歌“星條旗”。 “I don’t know anyone who has ever been inside there,” Czescik said, pointing across the fence toward a cluster of haze-shrouded buildings in the distance. “我不知道有誰去過裡面，”切西克說，越過柵欄指向一簇被陰霾籠罩的建築物在遠處。 The fence is the outer perimeter, guarded by Polish soldiers, of a highly sensitive U.S. military installation, expected to be operational this year, which Washington insists will help defend Europe and the United States from ballistic missiles fired by rogue states like Iran. 圍欄是由波蘭士兵守衛的外圍外圍敏感的美國軍事設施，預計今年投入使用，華盛頓堅稱，這將有助於保護歐洲和美國免受伊朗等流氓國家發射的彈道導彈的攻擊。 But for President Vladimir Putin of Russia, the military base in Poland and another in Romania are evidence of what he sees as the threat posed by NATO’s eastward expansion — and part of his justification for his military encirclement of Ukraine. The Pentagon describes the two sites as defensive and unrelated to Russia, but the Kremlin believes they could be used to shoot down Russian rockets or to fire offensive cruise missiles at Moscow. 但對於俄羅斯總統弗拉基米爾·普京來說，波蘭的軍事基地和羅馬尼亞證明了他認為的威脅北約東擴——以及他為軍隊辯護的部分理由包圍烏克蘭。五角大樓將這兩個地點描述為防禦性的，與俄羅斯無關，但克里姆林宮認為它們可用於擊落俄羅斯火箭或向莫斯科發射進攻性巡航導彈。 As he threatens Ukraine, Putin has demanded that NATO reduce its military footprint in Eastern and Central Europe — which Washington and European leaders have refused to do. Putin has been fuming about U.S. missiles near Russia’s border since the Romanian site went into operation in 2016, but the Polish facility, located near the village of Redzikowo, is only about 100 miles from Russian territory and barely 800 miles from Moscow itself. 普京威脅烏克蘭，要求北約削減軍力在東歐和中歐的足跡——華盛頓和歐洲領導拒絕了。普京一直對附近的美國導彈感到憤怒自羅馬尼亞站點於 2016 年投入運營以來的俄羅斯邊境，但位於 Redzikowo 村附近的波蘭工廠距離距俄羅斯領土 100 英里，距莫斯科僅 800 英里。 “Are we deploying missiles near the U.S. border? No, we are not. It is the United States that has come to our home with its missiles and is already standing at our doorstep,” Putin said in December at his annual news conference. “我們是否在美國邊境附近部署導彈？不，我們不是。它是帶著導彈來到我們家的美國 站在我們家門口，”普京在去年 12 月的年度新聞中說會議。 Beata Jurys, the elected head of Redzikowo, said she had never been inside the facility, installed on the grounds of a former Polish air force base and a shuttered civilian airport. But the finger-pointing by Moscow and Washington has made her village a potential target in the event of war. Redzikowo 的民選負責人 Beata Jurys 說她從來沒有進去過該設施安裝在前波蘭空軍基地的場地上和一個關閉的民用機場。但是莫斯科的指責和華盛頓已將她的村莊作為發生戰爭的潛在目標。 “If something happens," she said, "we will be the first to know, unfortunately.” “如果發生什麼事，”她說，“不幸的是，我們將是第一個知道的。” Source article: https://udn.com/news/story/6904/6125264 Powered by Firstory Hosting

每日英語跟讀 Ep.K334: Pollution causing more deaths than COVID, action needed, says UN expert   Pollution by states and companies is contributing to more deaths globally than COVID-19, a UN environmental report published on Tuesday last week said, calling for “immediate and ambitious action” to ban some toxic chemicals. 上周二發佈的一份聯合國環境報告稱，國家和公司的污染導致全球死亡人數超過COVID-19，呼籲"立即採取雄心勃勃的行動"禁止一些有毒化學品。 The report said pollution from pesticides, plastics and electronic waste is causing widespread human rights violations and at least 9 million premature deaths a year, and that the issue is largely being overlooked. 該報告稱，農藥，塑膠和電子廢物的污染正在造成廣泛的侵犯人權行為，每年至少有900萬人過早死亡，這個問題在很大程度上被忽視了。 The coronavirus pandemic has caused close to 5.9 million deaths, according to data aggregator Worldometer. 根據數據聚合器Worldometer的數據，冠狀病毒大流行已造成近590萬人死亡。 “Current approaches to managing the risks posed by pollution and toxic substances are clearly failing, resulting in widespread violations of the right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment,” the report’s author, UN Special Rapporteur David Boyd, concluded. "目前管理污染和有毒物質構成的風險的方法顯然失敗了，導致清潔，健康和可持續環境的權利受到廣泛侵犯，"該報告的作者，聯合國特別報告員大衛博伊德總結道。 Due to be presented next month to the UN Human Rights Council, which has declared a clean environment a human right, the document was posted on the Council’s Web site on Tuesday last week. 該檔將於下個月提交給聯合國人權理事會，該理事會已宣佈清潔環境為人權，該檔已於上週二發佈在理事會的網站上。 It urges a ban on polyfluoroalkyl and perfluoroalkyl, man-made substances used in household products such as non-stick cookware that have been linked to cancer and dubbed “forever chemicals” because they don’t break down easily. 它敦促禁止多氟烷基和全氟烷基，這是家用產品中使用的人造物質，例如與癌症有關的不粘炊具，被稱為"永遠的化學物質"，因為它們不容易分解。 That term, originally used to describe nuclear test zones, was expanded in the report to include any heavily contaminated site or place rendered uninhabitable by climate change. 該術語最初用於描述核試驗區，在報告中已擴大到包括任何因氣候變化而無法居住的嚴重污染場地或地方。 It also seeks the clean-up of polluted sites and, in extreme cases, the possible relocations of affected communities — many of them poor, marginalized and indigenous — from so-called “sacrifice zones.” 它還尋求清理受污染的地點，在極端情況下，可能將受影響的社區——其中許多是貧窮、邊緣化和土著——從所謂的"犧牲區"遷移出去。 UN rights chief Michelle Bachelet has called environmental threats the biggest global rights challenge, and a growing number of climate and environmental justice cases are invoking human rights with success. 聯合國人權事務負責人蜜雪兒·巴切萊特（Michelle Bachelet）稱環境威脅是最大的全球人權挑戰，越來越多的氣候和環境正義案件成功地援引了人權。 Chemical waste is set to be part of negotiations at a UN environment conference in Nairobi, Kenya, starting on Monday next week, including a proposal to establish a devoted panel, similar to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. 化學廢物將成為下週一在肯亞內羅畢舉行的聯合國環境會議談判的一部分，其中包括一項建立類似於政府間氣候變化專門委員會的專門小組的提案。Source article: https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/lang/archives/2022/02/22/2003773512 Powered by Firstory Hosting

每日英語跟讀 Ep.K333: 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 Powered by Firstory Hosting

每日英語跟讀 Ep.K332: About Thailand - Woman cut rope holding painters 26 floors high   A resident of a high-rise condominium in Thailand cut the support rope for two painters, apparently angry she wasn’t told they would be doing work, and left them hanging above the 26th floor. 泰國一棟高層公寓大廈的一名住戶，剪斷2名外牆油漆工的支撐繩索，讓他們懸吊在26樓高，顯然是對未被告知施工一事動怒。 The woman is facing attempted murder and property destruction charges, and could face a prison term up to 20 years. 該名女性住戶面臨蓄意謀殺和財物毀損罪名，可能被判囚20年。 One of the painters, a Myanmar national named Song, told the Thai media that he and his friends had lowered themselves from the 32nd floor to repair a crack on the building. 其中一名緬甸籍宋姓油漆工向泰國媒體表示，他和朋友從32樓垂降，準備修復大廈的裂痕。 When he reached the 30th floor, he felt that the rope was heavier and when he looked down, he saw someone on the 21st floor open a window and cut his rope. He tried asking for help from other units, but nobody was in. The third colleague continued to support them from the top floor until a couple rescued them. 到達30樓外後，他感到繩索變重，往下竟看到有人從21樓打開窗戶剪斷繩索。他試著向其他住戶求救，但沒人在家，第3名同事則持續從頂樓支撐著他們，直到一對夫婦救了他們。   Next Article   Thai chain’s cannabis pizza: trendy but won’t get you high 泰國連鎖餐廳的大麻披薩：夠時髦卻不會讓人飄飄然   One of Thailand’s major fast food chains The Pizza Company has introduced "Crazy Happy Pizza", an under-the-radar product topped with a cannabis leaf. It’s legal but won’t get you high. 泰國大型連鎖餐廳之一「披薩公司」推出一款擺上一片大麻葉的低調新品「極樂披薩」，這是合法的產品，並不會讓人飄飄欲仙。 "It’s just a marketing campaign. And you can taste the cannabis and then if you have enough, you may get a bit sleepy," said the general manager. 餐廳總經理說：「這只是行銷方式，可以讓人品嚐大麻，只是如果吃太飽，可能會有點想睡覺。」 The Crazy Happy Pizza is a mashup of toppings evoking the flavors of Thailand’s famous Tom Yum Gai soup along with a deep-fried cannabis leaf on top. Cannabis is also infused into the cheese crust and there’s chopped cannabis in the dipping sauce. A 9-inch pie costs only 499 baht. 「極樂披薩」混搭各種食材，使人聯想到泰國著名的酸辣蝦湯，上頭再放上一片酥炸的大麻葉。不僅起司餅皮填入大麻，沾醬也加入碎葉片。一塊9吋披薩僅售499泰銖（約463台幣）。 Thailand became the first country in Southeast Asia to remove specific parts and extracts of cannabis from its controlled narcotics list in December 2020, and later allowed them to be used in foods and beverages. 泰國在2020年12月成為首個將大麻特定部位和萃取物移出致幻毒品的東南亞國家，之後更允許在菜品或飲料中使用大麻。Source article: https://features.ltn.com.tw/english/article/paper/1499658 ; https://features.ltn.com.tw/english/article/paper/1503512 Powered by Firstory Hosting

每日英語跟讀 Ep.K331: Cherokee on a smartphone: Part of a drive to save a language   By itself, being able to read smartphone home screens in Cherokee won’t be enough to safeguard the Indigenous language, endangered after a long history of erasure. But it might be a step toward immersing younger tribal citizens in the language spoken by a dwindling number of their elders. 能夠閱讀切諾基的智能手機主屏幕並不足以保護Cherokee原住民語言，在長期歷史消除後瀕臨滅絕。但這可能是朝著讓年輕的部落居民沉浸在越來越少的長者所說的語言中邁出的一步 That’s the hope of Principal Chief Richard Sneed of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, who’s counting on more inclusive consumer technology — and the involvement of a major tech company — to help out. 這是Cherokee印第安人東部樂隊首席首席理查德斯尼德的希望，他指望更具包容性的消費者技術以及一家大型科技公司的參與來提供幫助。 Sneed and other Cherokee leaders have spent several months consulting with Lenovo-owned Motorola, which last week introduced a Cherokee language interface on its newest line of phones. Now phone users will be able to find apps and toggle settings using the syllable-based written form of the language first created by the Cherokee Nation’s Sequoyah in the early 1800s. 斯尼德和其他 Cherokee 領導人花了幾個月的時間諮詢聯想旗下的摩托羅拉，後者上週在其最新的手機系列中引入了 Cherokee 語言界面。現在，手機用戶將能夠使用 1800 年代初切諾基民族的 Sequoyah 首次創建的基於音節的語言的書面形式來查找應用程序和切換設置。 Several big tech companies have expressed interest in recent years in making their technology work better for endangered Indigenous languages, more to show their good will or advance speech recognition research than to fulfill a business imperative. Microsoft’s text translation service recently added Inuinnaqtun and Inuktitut, spoken in the Canadian Arctic, and grassroots artificial intelligence researchers are doing similar projects throughout the Americas and beyond. But there’s a long way to go before digital voice assistants understand these languages as well as they do English — and for some languages the time is running out. 近年來，幾家大型科技公司表示有興趣讓他們的技術更好用於瀕臨滅絕的原住民語言，更多的是為了表達他們的善意或推進語音識別研究，而不是為了滿足商業需求。微軟的文字翻譯服務最近增加了在加拿大北極地區使用的因紐納克頓語和因紐特語，基層人工智能研究人員正在整個美洲及其他地區開展類似的專案。但是，數位語音助手要像理解英語一樣理解這些語言還有很長的路要走——而對於某些語言來說，時間已經不多了。 Sneed and Benjamin Frey, a member of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians and professor at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, said they recognize that some Cherokee will have concerns about tech companies making a product feature of their work to preserve their language — whether it’s a text-based interface like Motorola’s or potential future projects that could record speech to build a voice assistant or real-time translator. 斯尼德和Cherokee印第安人東部樂隊成員、北卡羅來納大學教堂山分校教授 Benjamin Frey 表示，他們認識到，一些Cherokee人會擔心科技公司會擔心科技公司會在他們的工作中使用產品功能來保護他們的語言——無論是像摩托羅拉這樣的基於文本的界面，還是未來可能會錄製語音或語音助手或實時翻譯的項目。 Frey didn’t grow up speaking Cherokee, largely due to his grandmother’s experiences of being punished for speaking the language when she was sent to boarding school. For over 150 years, Indigenous children in the US and Canada were taken from their communities and forced into boarding schools that focused on assimilation. Frey長大後並沒有說Cherokee語，這主要是因為他的祖母在被送到寄宿學校時因為說這種語言而受到懲罰。 150 多年來，美國和加拿大的原住民兒童被帶離他們的社區，被迫進入專注於同化的寄宿學校。 She and others of her generation were beaten for speaking the language, had her mouth washed out with soap and was told that “English was the only way to get ahead in the world,” Frey said. 她和她那一代的其他人因為說這種語言而遭到毆打，用肥皂漱口，並被告知“英語是在世界上取得成功的唯一途徑” Frey 說。 Frey hopes the new tool will be a conversation-starter between older Cherokee language speakers and their tech-savvy grandkids. Frey 希望這個新工具能成為講Cherokee語的老人和他們精通技術的孫輩之間的對話開始者。Source article: https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/lang/archives/2022/03/08/2003774355 Powered by Firstory Hosting

Topic: Can Germany’s New Chancellor Revive the Left in Europe?   Last December, as he was plotting what most considered to be a hopeless bid to become Germany’s next chancellor, Olaf Scholz interrupted his campaign preparations for a video call with an American philosopher. 去年12月，蕭茲策畫競選德國下任總理，被多數人認為毫無希望之際，他為了與一名美國哲學教授視訊通話而暫停參選準備工作。 Scholz, a Social Democrat, wanted to talk to the philosopher, Michael J. Sandel of Harvard, about why center-left parties like his had been losing working-class voters to populists, and the two men spent an hour discussing a seemingly simple theme that would become the centerpiece of the Scholz campaign: “Respect.” 社會民主黨籍的蕭茲想跟美國哈佛大學哲學教授桑德爾談談，像他的黨這類中間偏左政黨為何失去勞動階級選民，眼看這些人轉而支持民粹主義者。兩人花了一小時討論一個看似簡單、後來成為蕭茲競選骨幹的主題「尊重」。 Scholz is Germany’s ninth postwar chancellor — and the first Social Democrat in 16 years — succeeding Angela Merkel and heading a three-party coalition government. Defying polls and pundits, he led his 158-year-old party from the precipice of irrelevance to an unlikely victory — and now wants to show that the center-left can again become a political force in Europe. 蕭茲是德國戰後第九位總理，也是16年來首位社民黨籍總理，接替梅克爾並領導三黨聯合政府。他打破民調和專家預測，帶領他那成立158年的政黨，走出被認為無關緊要的險境，取得難以置信的勝利，如今他希望展現中間偏左勢力能再度成為歐洲一支政治力量。 For the center-left in Europe, Scholz’s victory comes at a critical moment. Over the past decade, many of the parties that once dominated European politics have become almost obsolete, seemingly bereft of ideas and largely abandoned by their working-class base. 對歐洲中間偏左勢力而言，蕭茲勝選的時機很重要。過去十年來，許多一度主導歐洲政治的這類政黨變得幾乎被淘汰，他們看來沒有主張，而且大致被他們的勞動階級基本盤放棄。 The political energy has been on the right, especially the populist far right, with many American conservatives flocking to countries like Hungary to study the “illiberal democracy” of Viktor Orban, that nation’s far-right prime minister. 政治能量在右派這邊，尤其是民粹極右派，許多美國保守派人士湧入匈牙利這類國家，研究該國極右派總理奧班的「不自由民主思想」。 “The biggest concern in politics for me is that our liberal democracies are coming increasingly under pressure,” Mr. Scholz says about himself on the Social Democrats’ website. “We have to solve the problems so that the cheap slogans of the populists don’t catch.” 蕭茲在社民黨網站上描述自己：「對我而言政治上最大的憂慮是，我們的自由民主政體承受愈來愈大的壓力。我們必須解決這些問題，好讓民粹主義者的廉價口號無法打動人心。」 Last year, in the middle of the first Covid-19 lockdown, Mr. Scholz read Professor Sandel’s latest book, “The Tyranny of Merit” in which the Harvard philosopher argued that the meritocratic narrative of education as an engine of social mobility had fueled resentment and contributed to the rise of populists like Mr. Trump. 去年德國實施首次新冠肺炎防疫封鎖時，蕭茲閱讀了桑德爾教授最新著作「成功的反思」，這位哈佛哲學教授在書中主張，菁英領導體制陳述的「教育是社會流動的動力」，助長憤恨並促成美國前總統川普這種民粹政治人物崛起。 “The backlash of 2016 vividly expressed that simply telling people, ‘You can make it if you try,’ was not an adequate response to the wage stagnation and job loss brought about by globalization,” Professor Sandel said in an interview. “What Social Democratic elites missed was the insult implicit in this response to inequality, because what it said was, ‘If you’re struggling in the new economy, your failure is your fault.’” 桑德爾受訪時說：「2016年的強烈反應鮮明表達出，僅僅告訴人們『去嘗試就能做到』，並非對全球化造成的薪資停滯和失業的適切回應。社民黨菁英沒注意的是，這種對於不平等現象的回應隱含著侮辱，因為它說的是，『如果你在新經濟裡苦苦掙扎，你失敗是你自己的錯』。」Source article: https://udn.com/news/story/6904/5970225 Next Article   Topic: Europe’s COVID Culture War Plays Out in Pockets of Germany   Sven Müller is proudly unvaccinated. He thinks COVID-19 vaccines are neither effective nor safe but a way to make money for pharmaceutical companies and corrupt politicians who are taking away his freedom. 斯凡．穆勒對未接種疫苗感到自豪。他認為新冠疫苗既不有效也不安全，是幫製藥公司及剝奪他自由的腐敗政客賺錢的一種方式。 Under state rules to stem coronavirus infections, he is no longer allowed to go to restaurants, to the bowling alley, to the cinema or to the hairdresser. From next week, he will be barred from entering most shops, too. But that has only strengthened his resolve. 遏制新冠病毒感染的邦法規定，他不得進入餐館、保齡球館、電影院或找理髮師。從下周起，他還被禁止進入多數商店，但這只會堅定他的決心。 “They can’t break me,” said Müller, 40, a bar owner in the town of Annaberg-Buchholz, in the Ore Mountain region in the eastern state of Saxony where the vaccination rate is 44% — the lowest in Germany. 40歲的穆勒說：「他們打不倒我。」他是德東薩克森邦厄爾士山區安娜貝格布赫霍爾茨鎮的一名酒吧老闆，當地疫苗接種率是全德國最低的44%。 Müller personifies a problem that is as sharp in some parts of Europe as it is in the United States. If Germany had red and blue states, Saxony would be crimson. In places like this, pockets of unvaccinated people are driving the latest round of contagion, filling strained hospital wards, putting economic recoveries at risk and sending governments scrambling to head off a fourth wave of the pandemic. 歐洲某些地區，有個問題與美國一樣激烈，穆勒是此事化身。若德國有紅州和藍州，薩克森邦將是深紅。在這樣的地方，一小群未接種疫苗的人正引發最新一波疫情，使得捉襟見肘的醫院病房人滿為患，令經濟復甦面臨風險，並讓政府在阻止第四波疫情爆發上疲於奔命。 Western European governments are resorting increasingly to thinly veiled coercion with a mixture of mandates, inducements and punishments. 西歐國家政府正逐漸採取幾乎不加掩飾的強制手段，包括強制令、誘導及處罰。 In many countries, it is working. When President Emmanuel Macron announced in July that vaccine passports would be required to enter most social venues, France — where anti-vaccine sentiment was strong — was one of the least vaccinated countries in Europe. Today it has one of the highest vaccination rates in the world. 在許多國家，此舉正在發揮作用。今年7月，法國總統馬克宏宣布，進入大多數社交場所必須持有疫苗護照。當時，反疫苗情緒強烈的法國是歐洲接種疫苗最少的國家之一。如今它是世界上疫苗接種率最高國家之一。 Prime Minister Mario Draghi of Italy followed Macron’s lead with even tougher measures. There, and in Spain, too, attempts by populist parties to stoke a broad-based anti-vaccine backlash have largely been snuffed out. 義大利總理德拉吉跟隨馬克宏帶領，採取了更嚴厲措施。在西班牙，民粹主義政黨激起廣大反疫苗反對聲浪的企圖，基本上也被撲滅。 But regional resistance against the coronavirus vaccine remains. In Central and Eastern Europe — and in the German-speaking countries and regions bordering them — the problem is more stubborn. 但地區性抗拒疫苗的情況依舊存在。在中歐、東歐及相鄰的德語國家和地區，這個問題更棘手。 In Italy, the northern province of Bolzano — bordering Austria and Switzerland, where 70% of the population is German-speaking — has the country’s lowest vaccination rate. 在義大利，靠近奧地利與瑞士邊界的北部省分波爾察諾有70%人口講德語，該省疫苗接種率全國最低。 “There is some correlation with far-right parties, but the main reason is this trust in nature,” said Patrick Franzoni, a doctor who spearheads the inoculation campaign in the province. Especially in the Alps, he said, the German-speaking population trusts fresh air, organic produce and herbal teas more than traditional drugs. 在該省率先發起疫苗接種運動的醫師派崔克．佛蘭佐尼說：「這與極右翼政黨有些關係，但主要原因是對自然的信任。」他表示，尤其在阿爾卑斯山區，說德語的民眾更相信新鮮空氣、有機農產品與花草茶，而不是傳統藥物。Source article : https://udn.com/news/story/6904/5919791   Next Article   Topic: It's Election Season in Germany. No Charisma, Please!   The most popular politician who would like to be chancellor isn’t on the ballot. The leading candidate is so boring people compare him to a machine. Instead of “Yes, We Can!” voters are being fired up with promises of “Stability.” 可能成為總理的最受歡迎政客，不在選票上。居於領先的候選人太無趣，人們將他和機器相比。沒有「是的，我們能！」選民對各種「穩定」的承諾感到激憤。 Germany is having its most important election in a generation but you would never know it. The newspaper Die Welt recently asked in a headline: “Is this the most boring election ever?” 德國正舉行一個世代中最重要的一次選舉，但你可能不會知道。《世界報》最近在標題這樣問，「這是歷來最無聊的一次選舉嗎？」 Yes and no. 是，也不是。 The campaign to replace Chancellor Angela Merkel after 16 years of her dominating German and European politics is the tightest in Germany since 2005, and it just got tighter. The Social Democrats, written off as recently as a month ago, have overtaken Merkel’s conservatives for the first time in years. 在總理梅克爾主導德國和歐洲政治16年後，這場準備取代她的競選是2005年以來最激烈的，且會更緊繃。直到一個月前都還很邊緣的社會民主黨，已超前梅克爾的保守派系，是近年首見。 But the campaign has also revealed a charisma vacuum that is at once typical of postwar German politics and exceptional for just how bland Merkel’s two most likely successors are. No party is polling more than 25%, and for much of the race the candidate the public has preferred was none of the above. 不過這次競選也顯露領袖魅力的真空狀態，這是戰後德國政治的常態，尤其顯示最有可能接替梅克爾的兩個人有多平淡。沒有政黨在民調中支持率超過25%，而競選中大多數時間，大眾偏好的候選人也非上述兩位。 Whoever wins, however, will have the job of shepherding the continent’s largest economy, making that person one of Europe’s most important leaders, which has left some observers wondering if the charisma deficit will extend to a leadership deficit as well. 然而，不論誰會勝出，將負責帶領歐陸最大經濟體，成為歐洲最重要的領袖之一，這也讓一些觀察家想知道，欠缺領袖魅力是否也會延伸為欠缺領袖能力。 While the election outcome may be exciting, the two leading candidates are anything but. 選舉結果也許令人興奮，兩名領先的候選人卻不讓人這麼覺得。 Less than a month before the vote, the field is being led by two male suit-wearing career politicians — one balding, one bespectacled, both over 60 — who represent the parties that have governed the country jointly for the better part of two decades. 距離投票日不到一個月，選舉由兩個穿西裝男性職業政客領先，一個禿頭，一個戴眼鏡，兩人都年過60，他們代表的政黨在過去20年中大部分時候聯合治理國家。 There is Armin Laschet, the governor of the western state of North-Rhine Westphalia, who is running for Merkel’s conservative Christian Democrats. And then there is Olaf Scholz, a Social Democrat who is Merkel’s finance minister and vice chancellor. 北萊因–西伐利亞邦邦總理拉謝特，代表梅克爾的保守派基督教民主黨參選。社會民主黨的蕭茲，是梅克爾的財政部長及副總理。 The candidate of change, Annalena Baerbock, the 40-year-old co-leader of the Greens, has a bold reform agenda and plenty of verve — and has been lagging in the polls after a brief surge before the summer. 代表改變的候選人，是40歲的綠黨共同黨魁貝爾伯克，提出大膽的改革政見並充滿活力，她在夏季之前支持度短暫上升，目前落後。 It’s a nail-biter, German-style: Who can most effectively channel stability and continuity? Or put another way: Who can channel Merkel? 這是德式的緊張：誰能最有效引領穩定與延續，或者說，誰能複製梅克爾？ For now it seems to be Scholz — a man Germans have long known as the “Scholz-o-mat” or the “Scholz machine” — a technocrat and veteran politician who can seem almost robotically on message. Where others have slipped up in the campaign, he has avoided mistakes, mostly by saying very little. 目前看來似是蕭茲，德國人認識已久的「蕭茲機器人」或「蕭茲機器」，一名技術官僚及資深政客，傳達訊息時像是機器人。其他候選人在選戰中不小心失言時，他避免犯錯，大多數是因說得很少。Source article: https://udn.com/news/story/6904/5739953 Powered by Firstory Hosting

Suck (verb)   字典內容：https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/suck#suck-it-up   Definition定義: a: to draw (something, such as liquid) into the mouth through a suction force produced by movements of the lips and tongue - sucked milk from his mother's breast b: to draw something from or consume by such movements - suck an orange suck a lollipop c: to apply the mouth to in order to or as if to suck out a liquid - sucked his burned finger   其他片語： 縮小腹 Suck in While I served in the army, I was told to suck in my stomach. 接受不好的事 Suck it up We were very sad losing the game, but my coach told us to suck it up. 馬屁精Suck-up Whenever I compliment the teacher, other students all me a suck-up. Slang 俚語   很爛/不好 You suck! This tv show sucks. The LA Lakers sucked this whole season.   小測驗: Which sentence below is NOT correct? His performance sucked during the game. I sucked up to my boss to keep my job. The clerk sucked it up to make me buy the bag from him. Powered by Firstory Hosting

每日英語跟讀 Ep.K330: About food - Food is more expensive than it has been in decades     Bad news for American consumers: It’s getting more expensive to dine out, and it’s getting more expensive to eat at home. 美國消費者有一個壞消息：在外用餐愈來愈貴，在家吃也愈來愈貴。 Restaurant prices spiked 5.8% over the 12 months ending in November without seasonal adjustments, the Bureau of Labor Statistics said Friday. That’s the largest 12-month increase since the year ended January 1982. 美國勞工統計局週五表示，截至去年11月的過去12個月，餐廳價格在無季節性調價的情況下飆升5.8%，為自在1982年1月結束的一年以來的12個月最大增幅。 And unfortunately for those hoping to curb spending by turning to home cooking, grocery prices are also at record highs. 不幸的是，對那些想在家煮飯以控制支出的人來說，食物與雜貨價格也處於歷史新高。 The sharp increases underscore the fact that restaurants and food makers are not immune to supply chain and labor pressures contributing to pricing increases across the board. 價格暴漲凸顯此一事實，即餐廳與食物製造廠商也無法不受到導致價格全面上漲的供應鏈斷鏈與缺工壓力的影響。     Next Article     Giant strawberry earns Israeli farmer a Guinness World Record 大草莓替以色列農夫贏得金氏世界紀錄     Israeli farmer Chahi Ariel has grown the world’s heaviest strawberry, according to Guinness World Records.   根據《金氏世界紀錄大全》，以色列農夫查希．埃里兒種出全世界最重的草莓。   At 289 grams, the strawberry was about five times the average weight of a regular berry of the local Ilan variety, said Nir Dai, a researcher at Israel’s Volcani Institute where the strain was developed.   重達289公克，服務於研發該品種的以色列「火山中心」研究人員尼爾．戴說，這顆草莓約是當地「伊蘭」品種正常苺果平均重量的5倍。   The strawberry was 18 cm long and 34 cm in circumference, the online Guinness entry said.   網路上的金氏登錄資料說，這顆草莓18公分長、圓周為34公分。   Ariel had been hoping he was onto a winner when they saw how big the fruit were growing on his family farm last year. He has been waiting for confirmation it was a record while keeping the giant strawberry in the freezer as proof.   埃里兒去年看到家族農場的水果生長尺寸後，一直期盼成為贏家。等著紀錄確認的同時，他把這顆大草莓放進冰箱保存當證據。   Unusually cold weather in early 2021 slowed the strawberry’s ripening process, allowing it to continue gaining weight, according to the record book’s website.   根據這本紀錄冊的網站，2021年初不尋常的寒冷天氣延緩了這顆草莓的熟化過程，讓它得以繼續變重。Source article: https://features.ltn.com.tw/english/article/paper/1502493 ; https://features.ltn.com.tw/english/article/paper/1502680 Powered by Firstory Hosting

每日英語跟讀 Ep.K329: About animals - Treating wounds with insects: the strange habits of Gabon chimps   How to treat a wound? For humans, the first instinct would be to disinfect it and then cover it with a bandage. But chimpanzees have invented a more creative method: catching insects and applying them directly to the open wound. 應該如何處理傷口呢？對於人類來說，第一個反應是對其進行消毒，然後用繃帶包紮。但黑猩猩發明了一種更有創意的方法：用昆蟲並將牠們直接塗抹在開放性傷口上。 Scientists observed this behavior in chimpanzees in the West African nation of Gabon, noticing that the apes not only use insects to treat their own wounds, but also those of their peers. 科學家們在西非國家加彭的黑猩猩身上觀察到這種行為，並注意到這些猿類不僅使用昆蟲來治療自己的傷口，還用來治療同伴。 The project began in 2019, when an adult female chimpanzee named Suzee was observed inspecting a wound on the foot of her adolescent son. Suzee then suddenly caught an insect out of the air, put it in her mouth, apparently squeezed it, and then applied it to her son’s wound. 這項研究計畫始於2019年，科學家當時觀察到一隻名叫蘇西（Suzee）的成年雌黑猩猩，正在檢查牠青少年兒子腳上的傷口。接著，蘇西突然從空中抓了一隻蟲子，放進嘴裡抿碎，然後敷在牠兒子的傷口上。   Next Article   Deer runs into hospital, up escalator; later is euthanized 一隻鹿闖進醫院搭上電梯隨後被安樂死   News outlets reported that surveillance video showed a deer bounding into Our Lady of the Lake Hospital in Baton Rouge in Louisiana through an open door and stumbling on the slippery floor as stunned workers and visitors watched from a few feet away. 監視影片顯示，有一隻鹿從路易斯安那州巴頓魯治聖母湖醫院開放的大門跳進院內後，在易滑的地板上跌倒，震驚的工作人員和訪客在幾呎外目睹一切。 The deer regained its footing enough to climb up the escalator and reach the second floor, where it was finally corralled and held down by several people. 這隻鹿站穩腳步後爬進電梯搭到二樓，才終於被許多人一同壓制及捕捉。 The deer was loaded on a hospital bed that was rolled outside to a truck from the The Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Department. 這隻鹿被放置在醫院病床上，推往路易斯安那野生動物和漁業部的卡車。 The animal had to be euthanized because of injuries, the agency said, adding there were indications it may have been struck by a vehicle before entering the building. 該機構說，由於這隻動物傷重，必須被安樂死。他們也補充道，牠看起來應該是進入醫院前遭汽車撞擊。 "Patient care has not been interrupted and the area is being thoroughly sanitized," said a statement by the hospital. 醫院聲明指出：「病患照護未受干擾，事發區域也已徹底消毒。」Source article: https://features.ltn.com.tw/english/article/paper/1501725 ; https://features.ltn.com.tw/english/article/paper/1502232 Powered by Firstory Hosting

每日英語跟讀 Ep.K328: Online scammer sold electronic gadgets, sent rotten bananas   A man surnamed Fang has been charged with concocting several nicknames to sell consumer electronics goods on social networking platforms concerned with second-hand items such as cellphones and game consoles. After one of his victims remitted payment for a graphics card, the buyer actually received a bunch of bananas, while someone else bought a Sony Playstation 5 game console but instead received tubes of toothpaste. The Kaohsiung City Police Department Criminal Investigation Corps (CIC) set up a task force, which traveled to Yilan County to search premises rented by Fang. Fang vehemently denied any involvement, but his denial was contradicted by evidence provided by the victims and a friend whose account had been used for the transaction. The police transferred him to the Yilan District Prosecutors’ Office on suspicion of fraud and a court granted the prosecutors’ request to hold him in detention. 一名姓方的男子被指控編造多個綽號，在與手機和遊戲機等二手商品有關的社交網絡平台上銷售消費電子產品。在他的一個受害者支付了顯卡費用後，買家實際上收到了一堆香蕉，而其他人購買了索尼 Playstation 5 遊戲機，卻收到了幾管牙膏。高雄市公安局刑偵總隊成立專案組，前往宜蘭縣搜查方某租用的房屋。方極力否認與此事有任何牽連，但他的否認與受害者提供的證據以及賬戶被用於交易的朋友提供的證據相矛盾。警方以涉嫌詐騙罪將他移送宜蘭區檢察院，法院批准了檢察機關拘留他的請求。 Speaking on Feb. 17, a spokesperson for the Kaohsiung CIC’s Eighth Detective Team said that a chip shortage and the COVID-19 pandemic have caused a worldwide shortage of PS5 game consoles, and this has forced people to buy them from second-hand device sales platforms instead, where they may even have to pay more than the recommended retail price. Realizing that many gamers were seeking to buy these devices through certain Facebook groups, 36-year-old Fang cooked up Facebook identities with nicknames like “Chou Chieh-lun,” “Chou Yu-min” and “Yang Lai-kuo” and offered to sell PS5 consoles, hot-selling second-hand cellphones and other consumer electronics goods at 10 percent off the market price. This attracted many people to place orders, but they ended up getting swindled. 2 月 17 日，高雄刑大八組發言人表示，晶片短缺和 COVID-19 大流行導致全球 PS5 遊戲機短缺，這迫使人們從二手設備銷售中購買它們相反，他們甚至可能不得不支付超過建議零售價的費用。意識到許多遊戲玩家正在通過某些 Facebook 群組尋求購買這些設備，36 歲的方方在 Facebook 上編造了“周杰倫”、“周玉敏”和“楊來國”等暱稱，並提供以低於市價 10% 的價格出售 PS5 遊戲機、熱銷的二手手機和其他消費電子產品。這吸引了很多人下訂單，但最終都被騙了。 The CIC estimates that at least 60 people fell victim to this scam between July last year and February this year, and were defrauded by a total of at least NT$1.2 million. Fang denied everything. He said he did not know “Chou Chieh-lun,” “Chou Yu-min” and “Yang Lai-kuo” and claimed that these three Facebook accounts did not belong to him. 刑大估計，去年7月至今年2月間，至少有60人受騙，被騙金額至少新台幣120萬元。方否認一切。他說他不認識“周杰倫”、“周玉敏”和“楊來國”，並聲稱這三個臉書賬號不屬於他。 The police believe that the suspect used this technique not only to evade the law by throwing up a smokescreen of civil disputes, but also to make his victims believe that the items had been mistakenly sent to the wrong recipients. This would make it take longer for his account to be put on a watch list, thus giving him more time to make his ill-gotten gains. After being arrested, Fang claimed that the cellphone was not his, but the police still handed him over to the prosecutors’ office on suspicion of fraud. 警方認為，犯罪嫌疑人利用這種技術不僅通過引發民事糾紛的煙幕來逃避法律，而且還使他的受害者相信這些物品被錯誤地發送給了錯誤的收件人。這將使他的帳戶被列入觀察名單的時間更長，從而使他有更多時間來賺取不義之財。被捕後，方稱手機不是他的，但警方仍以涉嫌詐騙罪將其移交檢察院。Source article: https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/lang/archives/2022/03/05/2003774192 Powered by Firstory Hosting

每日英語跟讀 Ep.K327: How European Royals Once Shared Their Most Important Secrets   To safeguard the most important royal correspondence against snoops and spies in the 16th century, writers employed a complicated means of security. They’d fold the letter, then cut a dangling strip, using that as an improvised thread to sew stitches that locked the letter and turned the flat writing paper into its own envelope. To get inside, a spy would have to snip the lock open, an act impossible to go undetected. 為了保護16世紀最重要的皇家信件免受窺探和 間諜的侵害，作家們採用了一種複雜的安全手段 。他們會摺疊這封信，然後剪下一條懸空的條帶，用它 作為即興的線縫合縫合線，鎖住這封信， 把扁平的書寫紙變成自己的信封。要進入內部， 間諜必須將鎖剪開，這是不可能 不被發現的行為。 Catherine de’ Medici used the method in 1570 — a time she governed France while her ill son, King Charles IX, sat on its throne. Queen Elizabeth I did so in 1573 as the sovereign ruler of England and Ireland. And Mary Queen of Scots used it in 1587 just hours before her long effort to unite Britain ended in her beheading. 凱薩琳·德·美第奇在1570年使用了這種方法——當時她統治法國，而她生病的兒子查理九世坐在王位上。伊莉莎白一世女王於1573年作為英格蘭和愛爾蘭的主權統治者這樣做。蘇格蘭的瑪麗女王在1587年使用了它，就在她長期團結英國的努力以斬首告終之前的幾個小時。 “These people knew more than one way to send a letter, and they chose this one,” said Jana Dambrogio, lead author of a study that details Renaissance-era politicians’ use of the technique, and a conservator at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Libraries. “You had to be highly confident to make a spiral lock. If you made a mistake, you’d have to start all over, which could take hours of rewriting and restitching. It’s fascinating. They took great pains to build up their security.” "這些人知道不止一種寄信的方式，他們選擇了 這種方式，"Jana Dambrogio說，她是一項研究的主要作者，該研究詳細介紹了 文藝復興時期政治家對該技術的使用，也是 麻省理工學院圖書館的保護員。"你必須 非常自信才能做出螺旋鎖。如果你犯了一個錯誤，你必須 從頭開始，這可能需要幾個小時的重寫和 重新拼接。這真是令人著迷。他們煞費苦心地建立了自己的安全機制。 Disclosure of the method’s wide use among European royalty is the latest venture of a group of scholars, centered at MIT, into a vanished art they call letterlocking — an early form of communications security that they’re busy resurrecting. Early last year, they reported their development of a virtual-reality technique that let them peer into locked letters without tearing them apart and damaging the historical record. 揭露該方法在歐洲皇室中的廣泛使用是 一群以麻省理工學院為中心的學者的最新冒險， 他們稱之為字母鎖定 - 一種他們忙於復活的早期通信安全形式 。去年年初，他們報告了他們 開發的一種虛擬現實技術，這種技術可以讓他們窺視鎖定 的信件，而不會撕裂它們並破壞歷史記錄。 Now, in a detailed article that appeared last December in the Electronic British Library Journal, the scholars lay out their expanding universe of discoveries and questions. They showcase instances of spiral letterlocking among the queens and posit that the method “spread across European courts through royal correspondence.” 在去年12月發表在《電子大英圖書館雜誌》（Electronic British Library Journal）上的一篇詳細文章中，學者們列出了他們不斷擴大的發現和問題。他們展示了女王之間螺旋式字母鎖定的例子，並假設這種方法"通過皇室信件傳播到整個歐洲宮廷"。 Although the use of locked letters faded in the 1830s with the emergence of mass-produced envelopes and improved systems of mail delivery, it’s now seen as a fascinating precursor to the widespread encryption used globally in electronic communications. 雖然鎖定信件的使用在19世紀30年代隨著大規模生產的信封和郵件傳遞系統的改進而逐漸消失，但它現在被視為全球電子通信中廣泛使用的加密的迷人先驅。Source article: https://udn.com/news/story/6904/6092287 Powered by Firstory Hosting

每日英語跟讀 Ep.K326: About NFT - Bored Ape NFT worth $284,495 accidentally sells for just $2,844   A distracted trader accidentally sold a non-fungible token (NFT) for a hundredth of its market price. 一位分心的虛擬幣交易員意外地以市價百分之一的價格賣出一枚非同質化代幣（ NFT ）。 NFTs are the latest cryptocurrency phenomenon to go mainstream. In the simplest terms, NFTs transform digital works of art and other collectibles into one-of-a-kind, verifiable assets that are easy to trade on the blockchain. 非同質化代幣是最新走向主流的加密貨幣。簡單的話來說，非同質化代幣把數位藝術作品和其他可收藏的物品轉換成獨一無二，可以驗證的資產，方便在區塊鍊上交易。 The Bored Ape Yacht Club is a collection of 10,000 pieces of digital NFT art living on the ethereum (eth) blockchain. 無聊猿遊艇俱樂部是由一萬件存在於以太坊區塊鍊上的數位NFT藝術作品的集合。 Max, who goes by the username maxnaut , said the mistake happened after "a lapse of concentration" when he accidentally listed the NFT for 0.75 eth ($2,844) instead of 75 eth ($284,495). 用戶名稱為maxnut的麥克斯說，這個錯誤是因為「注意力不集中」而發生。當時他不小心把這個NFT價格列成0.75以太幣（2844美元）而非75以太幣（28萬4495美元）。 He said that the NFT was instantly bought by an automated account, which later resold the piece for 59.99 eth ($227,558). 他說這個NFT瞬間被一個自動帳戶買下，之後被以59.99以太幣（22萬7558美元）的價格轉售。   Next Article   Hermès suing American artist over NFTs inspired by its Birkin bags NFTs創作靈感來自柏金包 愛馬仕控告美國藝術家   French luxury group Hermès has started legal proceedings against an American artist over virtual versions inspired by its famous Birkin bags. 法國精品集團愛馬仕對受其知名柏金包所啟發而設計出虛擬版的一位美國藝術家展開訴訟程序。 Mason Rothschild creates digital art that he sells as non-fungible tokens, or NFTs, which can be traded online but ownership cannot be forged. 梅森．羅斯柴爾德創造出這個他以非同質化代幣（NFTs）出售的數位藝術品，NFTs可以在網路上交易，且無法偽造所有權。 He named the works depicting fanciful furry Birkin bags “MetaBirkins” and sold them on websites dedicated to selling NFTs. 他把這些描繪奇異毛皮柏金包的作品命名為「MetaBirkins」，並在專門販賣NFTs的網站上出售。 “Defendant’s MetaBirkins brand simply rips off Hermès’ famous Birkin trademark by adding the generic prefix ‘meta’to the famous trademark Birkin,” it said in its complaint filed in New York. 愛馬仕在紐約提起的訴狀中說，被告的MetaBirkins品牌對知名的柏金商標加上通用前綴「meta」，根本就是剽竊愛馬仕知名的柏金商標。 Rothschild said in an online post that he was not creating or selling fake Birkin bags. 羅斯柴爾德在一篇網路貼文說，他不是創造或販售假的柏金包。 “I’ve made art works that depict imaginary, fur-covered Birkin bags,” he said, adding that as art it was freedom of expression protected by the US constitution, “just as it gave Andy Warhol the right to make and sell art depicting Campbell’s soup cans”. 他說：「我所創造的藝術作品是描繪想像中包覆毛皮的柏金包」，並補充說，作為藝術，它是受美國憲法保障的言論自由，「就像它給予安迪．沃荷權利，來製造與和販售描繪康寶濃湯罐的藝術作品一樣。」Source article: https://features.ltn.com.tw/english/article/paper/1493495 ; https://features.ltn.com.tw/english/article/paper/1500237 Powered by Firstory Hosting

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   Next Article   Topic: Typhoonless year brings water shortage in fall/winter   Most years, Taiwan is hit by typhoons during the summer and fall, but we have yet to see a typhoon this year. This unusual situation has put pressure on water supply levels in reservoirs around Taiwan. 台灣每年夏、秋兩季颱風頻繁，但詭異的是，今年截至目前為止，竟無任何一個颱風登陸台灣，造成水庫缺水問題。 Due to global warming, the typhoons generated in the Pacific Ocean this year have all moved northward, bypassing Taiwan. Although successive fronts and afternoon showers have brought rainfall, it was only fragmented, covering limited areas and did little to replenish reservoirs. As a result, the reservoir storage this year is lower than in previous years. 這是因為全球暖化之影響，今年大平洋生成的颱風往北移，導致沒有任何一個颱風進來台灣，雖然陸續有鋒面及午後陣雨帶來雨量，但下雨範圍多為局部地區，導致水庫蓄水量較往年低。 According to the Water Resource Agency, as of 2pm yesterday, the Shihmen Reservoir’s water storage was 44 percent of capacity, the Feicuei Reservoir’s was 62.3 percent and the Zengwen Reservoir’s was 31.3 percent. Two of the three major water reservoirs have less than 50 percent of their water storage capacity. 水利署資料顯示，截至昨日下午二時為止，石門水庫蓄水量為百分之四十四，翡翠水庫蓄水量百分之六十二點三，曾文水庫蓄水率百分之三十一點三，三大水庫中有兩座儲水量低於五成。 In order to prepare for demand for water next year, the government has decided to implement three measures to control water usage. Firstly, starting from last Wednesday, night water pressure in the Taoyuan, Hsinchu and Miaoli areas was to be lowered from 11pm through to 5am the following day. Secondly, the irrigation of some areas of Taoyuan, Hsinchu and Miaoli was to be suspended, and farmers affected by the measures will receive government compensation. Thirdly, the Ministry of Economic Affairs is setting up a central drought response center to better respond to the crisis and to distribute water resources according to needs. Taiwanese are advised to take water-saving measures. 為審慎因應明年用水需求，政府實施三項因應措施。第一，桃竹苗中自上週三起，每天晚上十一點至隔日清晨五點實施減壓供水；第二，桃竹苗部分地區的農田，將停止供灌，政府也會給予補償，維持農民生活；第三，經濟部將成立抗旱中央應變中心，拉高應變層級，做好調度節水，更請全民配合省水。Source article: https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/lang/archives/2020/10/19/2003745390   Next Article   Topic: Gel-like ice is the lightest form of water ever discovered 迄今發現最輕盈的水形態，凝膠般的冰   The frosty cubes we pull from our freezers are just one of 17 possible types of ice, and an 18th type isn’t far from being made real. 我們從冰箱裡拿出來的冰塊，只是17種可能出現的冰類型之一，而第18種冰類型的出現，距離也不遠了。 Hexagonal ice, and the occasional cubic ice in our upper atmosphere, are the only two forms that occur naturally on Earth. Other ices might be found on exoplanets or in the atmospheres of the outer planets. 「六角形晶體結構冰」和偶爾出現的「立方體構冰」存在於我們的上層大氣，是唯二能在地球上自然形成的冰類型。其他類型的冰，則可見於系外行星或外行星的大氣層中。 Under atmospheric pressure or higher, water molecules get squeezed and freeze into a solid denser than normal ice. But when the pressure drops below this, water molecules become a less-dense, lightweight crystal that’s more air than molecule – like an icy candy floss. So far, we only know of two kinds of low-density ice: space fullerenes and zeolitic ices. But lighter ice structures hadn’t been spotted until now. 在一般大氣壓力或更高壓的情況下，被擠壓的水分子凝固成比正常水冰更密集的固體。不過，當大氣壓力降低，水分子會轉變成輕盈、密度較低的晶體，分子內含有更多空氣，就像是冰的棉花糖。目前，我們只知道兩種低密度的冰：「富勒烯冰」和「沸石冰」。更輕盈的冰結構，迄今仍未被辨識。 Masakazu Matsumoto at Okayama University in Japan and his team played molecular Jenga to find this new type of ice, removing and reconfiguring existing zeolitic ice structures to make them lighter. They found more than 300 different nanoscale structures through computer simulations. 日本岡山理科大學的松本正和研究團隊，透過分子疊疊樂，發現這款新類型的冰；他們移除並重新配置既存的「沸石冰」結構，使其更加輕盈。研究團隊透過電腦模擬，找出超過300種不同的奈米尺度結構。 Source article: http://iservice.ltn.com.tw/Service/english/english.php?engno=1161164&day=2017-12-18 Powered by Firstory Hosting

Reference article from Business Insider : Questions to kickstart meaningful conversations with new people If you could change one thing in the world, what would it be? 如果你可以改變世界上的一件事，那會是什麼？ This question can reveal where someone stands with their passions or social causes they care about.   Alternative / 也可以說: If you could only keep one thing in the world, what would it be? If you could only … what/who would it be?   Who were you closest to growing up? 小時候，你最親的人是誰？ Get a peek into someone's childhood by asking about their relationships when they were younger. Learning the answer to this may tell you a lot about their relationship with their family — or lack thereof.   When you ask questions like this, don't forget to reciprocate and open up in return, especially when your friend has shared something that was difficult for them to talk about.   Alternative / 也可以說: What did you do the most growing up? Where did you spend the most time growing up?   Where do you feel the most comfortable? 什麼人事物讓你感到最舒適 This will invite someone to share a bit deeper about their social tendencies, which can help you understand how well you relate.   "When you're getting to know a new friend, you want to know what makes them feel comfortable or where they like to spend their time. This shows you a lot about their hobbies and preferences, without feeling too invasive,"   Alternative / 也可以說: What activities do you feel the most comfortable doing? Who do you feel most comfortable working with?   What do you dream about? 你的夢想是什麼 ? If people share their dreams for the future, it will give you an idea of what they value and strive for, which may benefit you both.   For example, if you both have similar dreams, such as moving to another country, you can help each other and push one another towards achieving that goal.   Alternative / 也可以說: What did you dream about growing up? Did you ever imagine or dream about XYZ? What moment shaped you most this far in life? 哪段時刻對你影響最大?   Oftentimes, there are pivotal moments or certain hardships that make people who they are today. Understanding this formative time in a friend's life is very powerful.   Alternative / 也可以說: Who influenced you the most in life? What are the driving forces that made you successful? Powered by Firstory Hosting

每日英語跟讀 Ep.K325: Leftists Replacing Right-Wing Leaders Across Latin America   In the final weeks of 2021, Chile and Honduras voted decisively for leftist presidents to replace leaders on the right, extending a significant, multiyear shift across Latin America. 在2021年的最後幾周，智利和宏都拉斯果斷地投票支援 左翼總統取代右翼領導人，延續 了整個拉丁美洲長達數年的重大轉變。 This year, leftist politicians are the favorites to win presidential elections in Colombia and Brazil, taking over from right-wing incumbents, which would put the left and center-left in power in the six largest economies in the region, stretching from Tijuana to Tierra del Fuego. 今年，左翼政客是贏得哥倫比亞和巴西總統選舉的最愛，他們接替了右翼現任者，這將使左翼和中左翼在該地區從蒂華納到火地島的六大經濟體中掌權。 Economic suffering, widening inequality, fervent anti-incumbent sentiment and mismanagement of COVID-19 have all fueled a pendulum swing away from the center-right and right-wing leaders who were dominant a few years ago. 經濟困境、不斷擴大的不平等、狂熱的反現任情緒以及對COVID-19的管理不善，都助長了幾年前佔主導地位的中右翼和右翼領導人的鐘擺擺動。 The left has promised more equitable distribution of wealth, better public services and vastly expanded social safety nets. But the region’s new leaders face serious economic constraints and legislative opposition that could restrict their ambitions — and restive voters who have been willing to punish whoever fails to deliver. 左翼承諾更公平地分配財富，提供更好的公共服務，並大大擴展社會安全網。但該地區的新領導人面臨著嚴重的經濟限制和立法反對，這可能會限制他們的野心-以及願意懲罰任何未能兌現承諾的人的不安分選民。 The left’s gains could buoy China and undermine the United States as they compete for regional influence, analysts say, with a new crop of Latin American leaders who are desperate for economic development and more open to Beijing’s global strategy of offering loans and infrastructure investment. The change could also make it harder for the United States to continue isolating authoritarian leftist regimes in Venezuela, Nicaragua and Cuba. 分析人士說，左翼的收益可能會提振中國，削弱美國，因為他們在爭奪地區影響力時，新一批拉丁美洲領導人迫切希望經濟發展，並對北京的全球戰略持更開放的態度， 提供貸款和 基礎設施投資。這一變化還可能使美國更難繼續孤立委內瑞拉、尼加拉瓜和古巴的獨裁左翼政權。 With rising inflation and stagnant economies, Latin America’s new leaders will find it hard to deliver real change on profound problems, said Pedro Mendes Loureiro, a professor of Latin American studies at the University of Cambridge. To some extent, he said, voters are “electing the left simply because it is the opposition at the moment.” 隨著通貨膨脹率上升和經濟停滯，拉丁美洲的新領導人將發現很難在深刻的問題上實現真正的變革，劍橋大學拉丁美洲研究教授佩德羅·門德斯·洛雷羅（Pedro Mendes Loureiro）說。他說，在某種程度上，選民正在"選舉左翼，僅僅是因為它目前是反對派。" Unlike the early 2000s, when leftists won critical presidencies in Latin America, the new officeholders are saddled by debt, lean budgets, scant access to credit and, in many cases, vociferous opposition. 與2000年代初不同，當時左翼分子在拉丁美洲贏得了關鍵的總統職位 ，而新的官員則背負著債務，預算緊張， 信貸匱乏以及在許多情況下大聲反對的負擔。 Eric Hershberg, director of the Center for Latin American and Latino Studies at American University, said the left’s winning streak is born out of widespread indignation. 美國大學拉丁美洲和拉丁裔研究中心主任埃裡克·赫什伯格（Eric Hershberg ）表示，左翼的連勝源於 廣泛的憤怒。 “This is really about lower-middle-class and working-class sectors saying, ‘Thirty years into democracy, and we still have to ride a decrepit bus for two hours to get to a bad health clinic,’”Hershberg said. "這實際上是關於中下層階層和工人階層部門說，'民主三十年後，我們仍然必須乘坐破舊的公共汽車兩個小時才能到達一個糟糕的健康診所，'"赫什伯格說。Source article: https://udn.com/news/story/6904/6092284 Powered by Firstory Hosting

每日英語跟讀 Ep.K324: Billionaires and Big Checks Shape Battle for Congress   Billionaires cut giant checks to super PACs. Small donors gave online in mass quantities. And both political parties announced record-setting hauls in 2021. 億萬富翁向超級政治行動委員會削減巨額支票。小捐助者在網上大量捐贈數量。兩個政黨都宣布了 2021 年創紀錄的成果。 The 2022 midterm elections were awash in political money even before the year began, according to new Federal Election Commission campaign disclosures. 根據聯邦選舉委員會新的競選活動披露，2022 年中期選舉甚至在年初之前就已經充斥著政治資金。 With control of both chambers up for grabs, the two parties were almost equally matched when it came to fundraising last year. The Democratic and Republican national committees, as well as the main House and Senate committees, pulled in nearly identical sums — about $400 million each. 由於兩院的控制權都在爭奪中，在去年的籌款方面，兩黨幾乎勢均力敵。民主黨和共和黨的全國委員會，以及眾議院和參議院的主要委員會，獲得了幾乎相同的金額——各約 4 億美元。 On the Republican side, several primary contests in the coming months will pit the Trump wing of the party against more traditional Republicans. Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, the only Republican up for reelection in 2022 to have voted for former President Donald Trump’s impeachment, faces a right-wing challenge from Kelly Tshibaka, a Trump-endorsed rival. 在共和黨方面，未來幾個月的幾場初選將使該黨的特朗普派與更傳統的共和黨人展開較量。 阿拉斯加州參議員麗莎·穆爾科夫斯基（Lisa Murkowski）是唯一一位在 2022 年競選連任並投票支持彈劾前總統唐納德·特朗普的共和黨人，她面臨著一場 來自特朗普支持的競爭對手凱利·齊巴卡的右翼挑戰。 Among Murkowski’s donors in December was George W. Bush, who listed his occupation as “former president.” Overall, Murkowski raised nearly $1.4 million and reported entering 2022 with $4.2 million cash on hand. Tshibaka raised $602,000 and had $634,000 cash on hand. 去年 12 月，穆爾科夫斯基的捐助者中有布希，他將自己的職業列為“前總統”。總體而言，Murkowski 籌集了近 140 萬美元，並報告說進入 2022 年時手頭有 420 萬美元的現金。 Tshibaka 籌集了 602,000 美元，手頭有 634,000 美元現金。 Bush made one other symbolic donation: the legal maximum of $5,800 to Rep. Liz Cheney of Wyoming, one of the most outspoken anti-Trump Republicans in Congress. 布希還做了另一項象徵性的捐贈：向懷俄明州眾議員利茲切尼提供法定最高 5,800 美元，他是國會中最直言不諱的反特朗普共和黨人之一。 Like Murkowski, Cheney outraised her Trump-backed challenger, Harriet Hageman, collecting $2 million to Hageman’s $443,000 last quarter. 像穆爾科夫斯基一樣，切尼募資兩百萬美元，超過川普支持的挑戰者哈麗特上個季度的 443,000 美元。 The battleground contests expected to determine which party is in the Senate majority are shaping up to be especially expensive. In Georgia, Sen. Raphael Warnock, a Democrat, was the top 2022 Senate fundraiser, collecting $9.8 million in the fourth quarter. Warnock had nearly $23 million at the end of the year. 預計將決定哪個政黨在參議院多數席位的戰場競爭正變得尤為昂貴。在佐治亞州，民主黨參議員拉斐爾·沃諾克是 2022 年參議院籌款人最多的人，第四季度籌集了 980 萬美元。到年底，沃諾克擁有近 2300 萬美元。 His likely Republican opponent, former football player Herschel Walker, was urged to run by Trump. Walker has emerged as one of the strongest new Republican fundraisers, raising $5.4 million, with $5.4 million in the bank. 他可能的共和黨對手，前足球運動員赫歇爾沃克是敦促特朗普競選。沃克已經成為最強大的新人之一 共和黨籌款活動，籌集 540 萬美元，其中 540 萬美元存入銀行。 Big money flowed, in particular, to super PACs focused on control of Congress. 尤其是大筆資金流向了專注於控制國會的超級政治行動委員會。 In the House, the leading Republican super PAC and linked nonprofit announced raising twice as much money as the equivalent House Democratic groups, $110 million compared with $55 million last year. 在眾議院，領先的共和黨超級政治行動委員會和相關的非營利組織宣布籌集的資金 1.1 億美元是同等眾議院民主黨團體的兩倍，去年為 5500 萬美元，。 Source article: https://udn.com/news/story/6904/6125265 Powered by Firstory Hosting

每日英語跟讀 Ep.K323: ‘Baby Shark’ becomes first video with 10 bn views   Hit children’s song “Baby Shark Dance” has set a new record by becoming the first YouTube video with 10 billion views. The catchy singalong by Pinkfong, a South Korean educational brand, was uploaded in June 2016. The song is so popular that it has inspired celebrity singalongs around the world and been adapted into an animated preschool series. 洗腦兒歌《Baby Shark Dance》近日再度刷新紀錄，成為YouTube平台首支觀看次數突破一百億的影片！這首動聽神曲由韓國教育公司碰碰狐所製作，於二○一六年六月上傳該平台。因為太受歡迎，引發全球名人模仿潮，還被改編成幼兒動畫。 According to the Guinness World Records, the hit most likely originated as a campfire song dating back to the previous century. During the chant, campers use their arms to imitate the jaw shapes of the Baby, Mommy and Daddy Sharks. While Pinkfong’s version has the sharks go hunting and run away, some versions may involve eating sailors and other humans. 據《金氏世界紀錄》報導，這首歌的起源可能是露營歌曲，時間上至少可追朔至上個世紀。唱露營歌曲時，人們會用手臂擺出鯊魚寶寶、媽媽、爸爸的嘴型。碰碰狐的版本提到鯊魚去打獵並逃跑，有些版本則提到鯊魚會吃水手和人類。 Other most-viewed YouTube videos include: “Despacito” by Luis Fonsi (7.71 billion views), “Johny Johny Yes Papa” by LooLoo Kids (6.12 billion views), “Shape of You” by Ed Sheeran (5.59 billion views) and “See You Again” by Wiz Khalifa (5.39 billion views). 其它觀看次數最高的影片包括︰歌手路易斯馮西的《Despacito》（約七十七億次）、兒童影音頻道的兒歌《Johny Johny Yes Papa》（約六十一億次）、歌手紅髮艾德的《Shape of You》（約五十五億次）、歌手威茲可利法的《See You Again》（約五十三億次）。Source article: https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/lang/archives/2022/02/09/2003772770 Powered by Firstory Hosting

每日英語跟讀 Ep.K322: 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 Powered by Firstory Hosting

每日英語跟讀 Ep.K321: With new home for strays, Keelung pushes pet-friendly plans   Keelung City Government has in recent years been promoting animal-friendly city policies. To reduce the number of stray dogs, it has been promoting measures such as pet registration, birth control and vaccinations. Statistics from the end of last year show that the number of registered pets in the city had reached 30,665. According to Director Chen Jui-pin of the Keelung City Animal Protection and Health Inspection Office, this shows that the city’s residents are gaining greater awareness about animal protection and that animal owners are becoming more willing to bear the responsibilities of ownership. 基隆市政府近年推動動物友善城市政策，為有效降低流浪犬族群，推動寵物登記、節育、預防針等措施。據去年底統計登記寵物已達到三萬六百六十五隻。動物防疫保護所所長陳瑞濱指出，這代表市民動保意識提升，飼主更願意承擔飼養責任。 Director Huang Chien-feng of Keelung’s Department of Economic Affairs says that in order to promote Keelung as an animal-friendly city, subsidies have been provided through the local Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program to encourage local businesses to invest in pet-related business opportunities, thus increasing local production value and creating job opportunities. Moou Boss, one of the companies selected for the SBIR program last year, has set up a “love pets research and development center” in Keelung. Using Keelung’s locally produced yams, gelidium jelly and spear shrimp as ingredients, during the Lunar New Year period it came up with dishes specially made for pets and sold them through convenience stores so that pets could enjoy different flavors from the usual fare, while spending the festival with their families. 基隆產業發展處長黃健峰表示，為推動動物友善城市，目前已透過地方型「小型企業創新研發計畫」（SBIR）補助，催生在地業者投入寵物商機，增加地方產值創造工作機會；去年獲選SBIR的業者萌老大也在基隆設立寵愛毛孩研發中心，以基隆在地的山藥、石花凍、劍蝦為原料，於過年推出適合寵物食用的專屬年菜，並上架到便利商店通路，讓毛孩過年時也能吃到不一樣的年味，跟著家人們一起圍爐過年。 In order to provide better care facilities for stray animals, the new Pet Bank Animal Shelter will be completed and opened in the middle of this year. The new shelter will be able to accommodate 150 dogs and 50 cats, with each dog’s shelter space greatly increased to 7.5 square meters. As well as putting into practice the idea of adopting instead of buying, the management will connect with schools and community colleges to turn the Pet Bank into a place for “life education.” It will create an environment that combines medical care, life education, human-animal interaction and communication, thus establishing a venue with multiple functions that include care for animal’s lives and cognitive learning. 為了提供流浪動物更好的照顧場所，新的寵物銀行動物收容所將於今年中完工啟用，將可收容一百五十隻狗、五十隻貓，每隻犬隻的收容空間將大幅增加為七點五平方公尺，落實「以領養代替購買」，也將結合學校教育及社會大學，把寵物銀行變成「生命教育」場域，打造出兼具醫療照護、生命教育、人與動物交流環境，建立具有關懷動物生命與認知教育等多功能場所。 Huang said that the city government will have new plans for developing as a pet-friendly city this year. With regard to the pet parks that many city residents have been longing for, a contractor was selected before the Lunar New Year to plan the project. The authorities have decided to find suitable locations to set up two pet parks. There are also plans to link up schools and neighborhoods to organize animal protection activities, and to work with civic groups to encourage communities to get involved in animal protection. 黃健峰指出，今年市府將有新計畫推動寵物友善城市，許多市民期待的寵物公園已在過年前評選出廠商進行規畫，預定將找適當的處所設立兩處寵物公園，也規畫結合學校，鄰里籌畫動保活動，與民間團體一起輔導社區投入動保。Source article: https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/lang/archives/2022/02/26/2003773772 Powered by Firstory Hosting

Topic: Restaurants Have Lavish Setups for Outdoor Winter Dining   A Latin fusion restaurant in Queens will serve crispy arepa cups and ropa vieja at an outdoor dining chalet with rustic wood beams and sparkling chandeliers. 紐約皇后區一間拉丁無國界料理餐廳，將在有鄉村風木梁和閃亮枝形吊燈的戶外用餐木屋裡，提供杯裝的酥脆玉米餅和燉手撕牛肉。 In the Bronx, an Italian place has winter-proofed its back patio with Plexiglas walls and electric heaters, along with festive vines with pink flowers. 在布朗克斯區，一間義大利餐廳在後院築起塑膠玻璃牆並放上電熱器防寒，同時飾以帶有節慶氣氛的粉紅花朵藤蔓。 And a Manhattan bistro is handing out silver space blankets to shivering diners. 曼哈坦區一家餐酒館還發放銀色太空毯，讓冷得發抖的客人保暖。 A pandemic that has upended much of life in New York is now ushering in something the city has never really tried: dining by snow and ice. Or, as some restaurants are telling customers, the new BYOB is bring your own blanket. 新冠肺炎疫情大大顛覆紐約人的生活，如今又把這座城市從未真正試過的東西引了進來，就是在冰天雪地中用餐，或者就像一些餐廳告訴客人的，「請自帶酒水」變成了「請自備毛毯」。 The explosion of outdoor dining has been a savior for more than 10,000 restaurants and bars that have taken over sidewalks, streets and public spaces to try to keep their businesses afloat. It has been so popular that Mayor Bill de Blasio and the City Council are making outdoor dining permanent. 戶外用餐激增，拯救了紐約逾萬家餐廳和酒吧，這些店家占用人行道、大街和公共空間以求生。戶外用餐大受歡迎，以致市長白思豪和市議會決定讓它合法化。 But year-round dining outside is untested in the city’s bone-chilling winters, and has created daunting challenges for an industry fighting to survive. 不過，戶外用餐還沒接受紐約寒冬的考驗，對奮力求存的餐飲業是可怕的挑戰。 “Are we going to have a mild winter or a harsh one?” said Andrew Rigie, executive director of the New York City Hospitality Alliance, an industry group. “It’s a gamble. With so much uncertainty about the weather and diner behavior, it’s a risk.” 同業團體紐約市餐飲業聯合會主席里吉說：「今年冬天會溫和還是很冷？只能賭一賭。關於天氣和客人行為有這麼多不確定性，這是在冒險。」 While a financial imperative for restaurants, enclosing outdoor areas for winter has raised health concerns as coronavirus cases in New York have started to rise again. Protecting patrons from the elements has led some restaurants to create shelters that lack sufficient ventilation, raising the risk of transmission. 餐廳把戶外用餐區圍起來以免客人受寒，雖然對生意非常重要，卻在紐約新冠病例再度激增之際引發公共衛生疑慮。一些餐廳為保護客人不受惡劣天氣影響而圍出通風不良的區域，提高了疫情傳播的風險。 Outdoor heaters — including propane heaters that had been banned in the city but are now permitted as a way to help restaurants — could also pose fire hazards. 戶外暖爐，包括紐約原本禁用、為幫助餐廳經營而暫且開放使用的丙烷暖爐，還可能引起火災。 Still, with restaurants having few options to make money, New York and other cities are forging ahead with winter outdoor dining.Chicago held a design challenge that drew ideas like a Japanese-style heated table and a modular cabin inspired by ice-fishing huts that fits on a parking spot. 不過，由於餐廳賺錢方式非常有限，紐約等城市仍大力發展冬季戶外用餐。芝加哥辦了場戶外用餐設計比賽，吸引的點子包括：日式暖爐桌和模組小屋，以冰釣小屋為靈感，占地相當於一個停車位。 In New York, the multibillion-dollar restaurant industry, one of the city’s most important economic pillars, has been decimated by the pandemic. Indoor dining has resumed, but at only 25% capacity. 營業額數十億美元的餐館業是紐約經濟支柱，受到疫情重創，雖然已恢復內用，但只能開放25%的座位。 Source article: https://paper.udn.com/udnpaper/POH0067/359491/web/   Next Article   Topic: A Scary Energy Winter Is Coming. Don’t Blame the Greens.   Every so often the tectonic geopolitical plates that hold up the world economy suddenly shift in ways that can rattle and destabilize everything on the surface. That’s happening right now in the energy sphere. 有時候，承載世界經濟的地緣政治板塊會突然移動，把地表每樣東西搖得嘎嘎作響。這種事現在就在能源領域發生。 Several forces are coming together that could make Vladimir Putin the king of Europe, enable Iran to thumb its nose at America and build an atomic bomb, and disrupt European power markets enough that the upcoming United Nations climate conference in Glasgow, Scotland, could suffer blackouts owing to too little clean energy. 有幾股勢力正在匯聚，能使俄國總統普亭成為歐洲之王，使伊朗有本錢不把美國放在眼裡，進而造出原子彈，並足以打亂歐洲能源市場，讓即將登場的英國蘇格蘭格拉斯哥聯合國氣候大會可能會因為潔淨能源太少而停電。 Yes, this is a big one. 沒錯，問題很大。 Natural gas and coal prices in Europe and Asia just hit their highest levels on record, oil prices in America hit a seven-year high and U.S. gasoline prices are up $1 a gallon from last year. If this winter is as bad as some experts predict — with some in the poor and middle classes unable to heat their homes — I fear we’ll see a populist backlash to the whole climate/green movement. You can already smell that coming in Britain. 歐亞兩洲的天然氣和煤價剛剛達到史上最高，美國原油價格創七年新高，而汽油價格每加侖比去年上漲1美元。如果今年冬天跟一些專家預測的一樣糟，一些貧窮和中產階級人家負擔不起取暖費用，我擔心會出現針對整個氣候和綠能運動的民粹反彈。在英國已經可以嗅到這個跡象。 How did we get here? In truth, it’s a good-news-bad-news story. 我們怎會走到這一步？其實，這是個好消息壞消息都有的故事。 The good news is that every major economy has signed onto reducing its carbon footprint by phasing out dirtier fuels like coal to heat homes and to power industries. The bad news is that most nations are doing it in totally uncoordinated ways, from the top down, and before the market has produced sufficient clean renewables like wind, solar and hydro. 好消息是，每個主要經濟體都已同意，透過逐步淘汰煤炭這類比較髒的燃料給家庭取暖和給產業供電，減少碳足跡。壞消息則是，多數國家這麼做的時候完全沒有互相協調，由上而下執行，而且市場還沒製造出足夠多的風力、太陽能和水力等清潔能源。 But how did the bad-news side of this story emerge so fast? 這個故事的壞消息面為何這麼快出現？ Blame COVID-19. First, the pandemic erupted and signaled to every major economy that we were headed for a deep recession. This sent prices of all kinds of commodities, including oil and gas, into downward spirals. 要怪新冠肺炎。首先，疫情爆發，對每個重要經濟體而言意味我們正走向深度衰退，使原油、天然氣等各類大宗商品價格走軟。 This, in turn, led banks to choke off investment in new natural gas capacity and crude wells after seven years of already declining investments in these hydrocarbons because of lousy returns. 這進而使銀行停止投資擴充天然氣產能和油井。銀行已減少投資這些碳氫化合物達七年，因為報酬率很差。 As Bill Gates points out in his smart book “How to Avoid a Climate Disaster,” the only way to reach our climate targets is to shift production of all the big heavy industries, like steel, cement and automobiles, as well as how we heat our homes and power our cars, to electricity generated from clean energy. Safe and affordable nuclear power has to be part of our mix because, Gates argues, “it is the only carbon-free, scalable energy source that’s available 24 hours a day.” 就像微軟創辦人蓋茲在他那本睿智的書「如何避免氣候災難」指出的，達成氣候目標的唯一方法是，改變所有重工業如鋼鐵、水泥、汽車業等的生產方式，以及我們在家取暖和為愛車提供動力的方式，轉而用潔淨能源發電。蓋茲主張必須接納安全可負擔的核能，因為「這是唯一不產生二氧化碳又能擴增的能源來源，每天24小時供應」。Source article: https://udn.com/news/story/6904/5820545   Next Article   Topic: About Winter - Alaska faces ’Icemageddon’ as temperatures swing wildly   Extreme weather in Alaska that has brought record high temperatures and torrential downpours has left authorities in the far northern US state warning of "Icemageddon". 阿拉斯加出現的極端天氣帶來破紀錄的高溫和豪雨，使這個美國遙遠北方州的政府警告「冰雪末日」。 Hours after thermometers on Kodiak Island in the south reached 19.4 degrees Celsius － the warmest December temperature ever recorded in Alaska － the interior of the state saw 25 millimeters of rain fall in just a few hours, a downpour unseen in decades. 在南部科迪亞克島的溫度計達到攝氏19.4度（阿拉斯加有記錄以來最溫暖的12月溫度）數小時后，該州內部在短短幾個小時內就下了25毫米的降雨，這是幾十年來從未見過的傾盆大雨。 Then when temperatures plummeted again, it all froze. The state’s transportation department has coined the neologism － a play on "Armageddon" － to describe the chilly impasse. 然後，當氣溫再次驟降時，一切都凍結了。該州的交通部門創造了這個新詞 - 一個關於"世界末日"的戲劇 - 來描述寒冷的僵局。 "We’re experiencing an unprecedented series of winter storms," the department tweeted. "我們正在經歷一系列前所未有的冬季風暴，"該部門在推特上寫道。   Next Article   Topic: In Denmark, a snow storm means people overnight in an IKEA 在丹麥，一場暴風雪讓民眾在一間「宜家家居」過夜 In northern Denmark, an IKEA showroom turned into a vast bedroom. Six customers and about two dozen employees were stranded by a snowstorm and spent the night in the store, sleeping in the beds that are usually on show. 在丹麥北部，宜家的陳列室變成了一個巨大的臥室。六名顧客和大約二十多名員工被暴風雪困住，在商店裡過夜，睡在通常展示的床上。 Up to 30 centimeters of snow fell, trapping the customers and employees when the department store in Aalborg closed on Wednesday evening. 週三晚上，奧爾堡的百貨公司關閉時，高達30釐米的積雪困住了顧客和員工。 “We slept in the furniture exhibitions and our showroom on the first floor, where we have beds, mattresses and sofa beds,” store manager Peter Elmose told the Ekstra Bladet tabloid. People could “pick the exact bed they always have wanted to try.” "我們睡在傢俱展和一樓的陳列室里，那裡有床，床墊和沙發床，"商店經理Peter Elmose告訴Ekstra Bladet小報。人們可以「選擇他們一直想嘗試的確切床」。 Elmose said they spent the evening watching television and eating, adding it went “super well. It’s been a good night. All fun.” 埃爾莫斯說，他們晚上看電視和吃飯，並補充說它「超級順利」。這是一個美好的夜晚。一切都很有趣。Source article: https://features.ltn.com.tw/english/article/paper/1497858 ; https://features.ltn.com.tw/english/article/paper/1488145 Powered by Firstory Hosting

主題: 食物相關慣用語 Food related idioms   COOL AS A CUCUMBER 冷靜 Meaning: This is another way to say that someone is calm and composed. Example: "The exam is next week and I'm as cool as a cucumber."   BIG CHEESE 大人物 Meaning: An influential person. Example: "Tony is the boss of the whole sales and marketing department. He is a big cheese."   BRING HOME THE BACON 賺錢回家 Meaning: The person who “brings home the bacon” is someone who is earning the most money. Example: "Simon took another job so he could bring home the bacon."   HARD NUT TO CRACK 很難解決的問題 Meaning: A problem that is difficult to solve is also known as “a hard nut to crack.” Example: "That grammar question in the test was a hard nut to crack, don't you think?"   WITH A PINCH OF SALT 不可盡信 Meaning: Taking something “with a pinch of salt” means that you are listening to a story or an explanation with a sense of doubt or uncertainty. Example: "You have to take this data with a pinch of salt until the correct data is released."   練習時間: 請選用四個慣用語來造句     Powered by Firstory Hosting

每日英語跟讀 Ep.K320: About COVID - COVID-19 creates dire US shortage of teachers, school staff   One desperate California school district is sending flyers home in students’ lunchboxes, telling parents it’s "now hiring." Elsewhere, principals are filling in as crossing guards and schools are moving back to online learning. 一個絕望的加州學區正在學生的便當盒裡寄傳單回家，告訴家長它"現在正在招聘"。在其他地方，校長們正在填補過境警衛，學校正在恢復在線學習。 Now that schools have welcomed students back to classrooms, they face a new challenge: a shortage of teachers and staff the likes of which some districts say they have never seen. 現在學校已經歡迎學生回到教室，他們面臨著一個新的挑戰：教師和工作人員短缺，一些地區說他們從未見過。 Public schools have struggled for years with teacher shortages, particularly in math, science, special education and languages. But the coronavirus pandemic has exacerbated the problem. 多年來，公立學校一直在努力解決教師短缺的問題，特別是在數學、科學、特殊教育和語言方面。但冠狀病毒大流行加劇了這個問題。 The stress of teaching in the COVID-19 era has triggered a spike in retirements and resignations. Schools also need to hire staffers like tutors and special aides to make up for learning losses and more teachers to run online school for those not ready to return. COVID-19時代的教學壓力引發了退休和辭職的激增。學校還需要聘請導師和特殊助手等工作人員來彌補學習損失，並聘請更多的教師為那些還沒有準備好返回的人開設在線學校。   Next Article   Covid-19 can temporarily diminish male fertility Covid-19 病毒可暫時降低男性生育能力   Getting vaccinated against Covid-19 won’t affect a couple’s chances of getting pregnant, but contracting the coronavirus could impair male fertility. 接種Covid-19疫苗不會影響夫妻懷孕的機會，但感染這種冠狀病毒可能會損害男性的生育能力。 Those are the main conclusions of a study funded by the National Institutes of Health, refuting a common myth about the vaccine and sending a warning to men who avoid it. 這些是由美國國立衛生研究院資助的一項研究的主要結論，該研究駁斥了關於疫苗的常見神話，並向避免接種疫苗的男性發出警告。 Researchers at Boston University studied more than 2,000 couples and found no differences in their chances of conception if either partner was vaccinated compared to unvaccinated couples. 波士頓大學的研究人員研究2000多對夫妻，發現如果任何一方接種疫苗，與未接種疫苗的夫妻相比，他們的受孕機會沒有差異。 But the couples’ chances of conceiving decreased slightly if the male partner had contracted the virus 60 days or less before a menstrual cycle, an indication of diminished male fertility. 波士頓大學的研究人員研究了2000多對夫婦，發現如果任何一方接種疫苗與未接種疫苗的夫婦相比，他們的受孕機會沒有差異。 One possible reason for that, researchers theorised, is the likelihood coronavirus infection would cause a fever, which has been known to reduce sperm count. 但是，如果男性伴侶在月經週期前60天或更短時間內感染了病毒，這對夫婦受孕的機會會略有下降，這表明男性生育能力下降。Source article: https://features.ltn.com.tw/english/article/paper/1494273 ; https://features.ltn.com.tw/english/article/paper/1499190 Powered by Firstory Hosting

每日英語跟讀 Ep.K319: Hollywood Tests the Limit of Marquee Names a Single Film Can Hold Last December, Netflix began streaming “Don’t Look Up,” a big-budget satire starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Jennifer Lawrence, Tyler Perry, Ariana Grande, Jonah Hill, Meryl Streep, Cate Blanchett and Timothée Chalamet. 去年12月，Netflix開始播放大預算的"Don't Look Up"。 主演者包括李奧納多迪卡皮歐、珍妮佛勞倫斯、泰勒派瑞、亞莉安娜、喬納希爾、梅莉史翠普、凱特布蘭琪和提摩西夏勒梅。 One star playing Spider-Man? How quaint. “Spider-Man: No Way Home,” has three A-listers in Spidey spandex: Tom Holland, Andrew Garfield and Tobey Maguire. About 43% of opening-weekend viewers in the United States cited the cast as the reason they bought tickets, according to PostTrak surveys. 一個明星扮演蜘蛛俠？多麼老派。「蜘蛛人：無家日」有三位一線明星：湯姆·霍蘭，安德魯·加菲爾德 和托比·馬奎爾。 約43%的開幕周末觀眾美國引用演員作為他們買票的原因，根據PostTrak調查。 “Someday, someone will decide to make one movie with two Batmans — oh, wait, it’s happening,” Terry Press, one of Hollywood’s top marketers, said with signature dryness. She was referring to “The Flash,” a superhero movie from Warner Bros. that is scheduled for late this year; Ben Affleck’s Batman will appear alongside Michael Keaton’s Batman. "總有一天，有人會決定用兩個蝙蝠俠拍一部電影—— 哦，等等，它正在發生，「好萊塢頂級之一特裡·普雷斯（Terry Press）營銷人員，用標誌性的乾澀說。她說的是華納兄弟超級英雄電影「閃電俠」，定2022年接近年底時上映，由班艾佛列克飾演的蝙蝠俠將與米高基頓飾演的蝙蝠俠同台。 Taken one film at a time, star amassment is nothing new. “Grand Hotel” (1932), “Thousands Cheer” (1943), and the entire “Ocean’s 11” franchise come to mind, not to mention Marvel’s recent “Avengers” movies. 讓一部電影眾星雲集並非新鮮事，1932年「大飯店」、1943年「千萬喝采」和整個「瞞天過海」系列電影都是，更不用說漫威最近的「復仇者聯盟」電影。 All of a sudden, though, they are everywhere. 然而，突然之間，它們無所不在。 Why? 為什麼？ “Stars matter — always have, always will — and Hollywood retreats to them, leans harder on them, when it gets nervous about a wandering audience,” said Jeanine Basinger, a film scholar and the author of Hollywood histories such as “The Star Machine,” which examines the old studio system. "明星很重要—— 永遠重要，永遠重要——好萊塢退縮到 他們，更用力地依靠他們，當它對流浪感到緊張時 觀眾，"珍妮·貝辛格（Jeanine Basinger）說，她是電影學者，也是《公約》的作者，如"星際機器"，它考察了舊的工作室系統。 Basinger, who founded Wesleyan University’s film studies department, noted that individual star power has faded. Studios have become fixated on intellectual property — preexisting franchises and characters. 貝辛格，衛斯理大學電影研究系的創始人， 注意到個別明星的力量已經消退。電影工作室已成為專注於智慧財產權 - 預先存在的特許經營權和角色。 “In the old days, movie stars were the brands,” she said. “They reached the whole audience. Not a slice of the audience. Everybody. But that all fell apart. Now, it’s about adding up niches.” And don’t forget Hollywood’s favorite game: Follow the leader. “The Avengers: Endgame,” which packed its cast with Robert Downey Jr., Don Cheadle, Chris Hemsworth, Scarlett Johansson, Chadwick Boseman, Jeremy Renner, Paul Rudd, Elizabeth Olsen and a dozen other boldface names, became one of the highest-grossing movies of all time in 2019. 在過去，電影明星是品牌，"她說。"他們覆蓋了整個觀眾。不是一部分觀眾。大家。但這一切都分崩離析了。現在，這是關於增加利基市場。別忘了好萊塢最喜歡的遊戲：跟隨領導者。"該《復仇者聯盟4：終局之戰》（Avengers： Endgame），其中演員陣容中加入了小羅伯特·唐尼（Robert Downey Jr.， Don）。 錢德爾，克裡斯海姆斯沃斯，斯嘉麗詹森，查德威克博斯曼，傑里米 Renner，Paul Rudd，Elizabeth Olsen， 成為2019年有史以來票房最高的電影之一。 “It’s trendy at the moment,” Tim Palen, a producer and former studio marketing chief, said of what he called an “all skate” approach to casting. “Not new but certainly symptomatic of the battle for attention that’s raging.” "目前很時髦，"製片人兼前工作室蒂姆·帕倫（Tim Palen）說。行銷主管在談到他所謂的"全滑板"方法時說。 鑄造。"不是新的，但肯定是爭奪注意力的癥狀這太肆虐了。 Source article: https://udn.com/news/story/6904/6068852 Powered by Firstory Hosting

每日英語跟讀 Ep.K318: About Germany - Inmates fined over prison potato mash fight   Two female inmates at a German prison have been served a hefty fine for a brawl that began with a food fight. 德國一所監獄的兩名女囚犯因一場始於食物大戰的鬥毆而被處以巨額罰款。 German news agency dpa reported Wednesday that the cellmates at a prison in Augsburg began throwing potato mash at each other following a disagreement. Then one woman threw her entire plate at the other, who responded in kind. 德國新聞社dpa週三報導說，奧格斯堡一所監獄的獄友在發生分歧后開始互相投擲薯泥。然後一個女人把她的整個盤子扔給另一個女人，後者以同樣的方式回應。 The situation then escalated into a brawl in which both inmates were injured, dpa reported. 據dpa報導，情況隨後升級為鬥毆，兩名囚犯都受傷。 A court in the southern town of Augsburg sentenced one defendant to pay a fine of 2,700 euros while the other received a fine of 1,800 euros. If they fail to pay, the women can spend another 180 or 120 days behind bars, respectively. 南部城鎮奧格斯堡的一家法院判處一名被告支付2700歐元的罰款，而另一名被告則被處以1800歐元的罰款。如果她們不付錢，這些女性可以分別在監獄里再呆180天或120天。   Next Article   Dogs help German rail firm sniff out protected species 狗狗協助德國鐵路公司嗅出受保護物種   At the side of a railway track on the outskirts of Frankfurt, Cocker Spaniel Monte is enthusiastically sniffing the ground, his long furry ears flopping around his nose. 在法蘭克福郊區的一條鐵軌邊，可卡犬蒙特（Cocker Spaniel Monte）熱情地嗅著地面，他長長的毛茸茸的耳朵在他的鼻子上翻來覆去。 When he finds what he is looking for, he obediently stops, sits and is delighted to receive a treat from his trainer. 當他找到他想要的東西時，他乖乖地停下來，坐下來，很高興得到他的教練的款待。 Monte is one of six dogs being trained by German rail company Deutsche Bahn to identify the presence of protected species in potential construction sites. Monte是德國鐵路公司Deutsche Bahn訓練的六隻狗之一，以識別潛在建築工地中是否存在受保護的物種。 The dogs "can take us directly to where the animals are" and can work all year round in any weather conditions, says Jens Bergmann, director of infrastructure projects at Deutsche Bahn’s network subsidiary. 這些狗"可以直接帶我們到動物所在的地方"，並且可以在任何天氣條件下全年工作，德國鐵路網路子公司基礎設施項目總監Jens Bergmann說。 Having them on board reduces the timeframe to less than two months, and is much less invasive. 讓他們加入可以將時間縮短到不到兩個月，並且侵入性要小得多。Source article: https://features.ltn.com.tw/english/article/paper/1498452 ; https://features.ltn.com.tw/english/article/paper/1488918 Powered by Firstory Hosting

每日英語跟讀 Ep.K317: A Global Effort to Bring Rare Books In Rome to an Online Audience   Modern-day church scholars may find the going easier. Some of the texts at the library of the Pontifical Oriental Institute, a graduate school in Rome dedicated to the study of the Eastern branch of Christianity, have just been digitized and will soon be at the fingertips of a global audience. 現代教會學者可能會發現這件事變得更容易。羅馬宗座東方學院（一所致力於研究基督教東方分支的研究生院）圖書館的一些文本剛剛被數位化，很快就會被全球觀眾所接受。 The first digitized versions will be available to the public in mid-2022, the product of a charitable initiative that connected the institute with technology companies in the United States and Germany. 第一批數位化版本將於2022年年中向公眾開放，這是一項慈善活動的產物，該計劃將該研究所與美國和德國的科技公司結合起來。 The companies, said the Rev. David Nazar, the institute’s rector, understood the project's value. Many of the books come from countries such as Syria, Lebanon and Iraq, where turmoil put entire collections at risk. Others come from countries where authoritarian censorship was equally threatening. 該研究所的校長大衛·納扎爾（David Nazar）牧師說，這些公司瞭解該項目的價值。許多書來自敘利亞、黎巴嫩和伊拉克等國，那裡的動盪使整個藏品處於危險之中。其他人則來自威權審查制度同樣具有威脅性的國家。 “We’re not a hospital, we’re not in the fields of Syria,” he said, “but we have students that come from there, who study here because our resources haven’t been destroyed by war.” "我們不是醫院，我們不是在敘利亞的田野裡，"他說，"但我們有來自那裡的學生，他們在這裡學習，因為我們的資源沒有被戰爭摧毀。 Although most of the institute’s titles are not recognizable to the general public, they are precious to scholars. They include volumes such as a Greek first edition of liturgies of John Chrysostom, an early church father, printed in Rome in 1526. 雖然該研究所的大多數頭銜不為公眾所認可，但它們對學者來說卻是珍貴的。它們包括一些卷，例如早期教會父親約翰·克裡斯托姆（John Chrysostom）的希臘語第一版禮儀，於1526年在羅馬印刷。 “The library is unique in the world,” said Gabriel Radle, a professor at the University of Notre Dame who studied at the institute. 曾在該學院研究的聖母大學教授拉德爾說：「這個圖書館在世上獨一無二。」 Its volumes cover the broad gamut that is Eastern Christianity, a term for the traditions and denominations developed in the first centuries of the church in Jerusalem and the Middle East, spreading through Greece, Turkey and Eastern Europe, north to Russia, south to Egypt and Ethiopia, and as far east as India. 它的經典涵蓋了東方基督教的廣泛範圍，東方基督教是耶路撒冷和中東教會最初幾個世紀發展起來的傳統和教派的術語，傳播到希臘，土耳其和東歐，北到俄羅斯，南到埃及和衣索比亞，東到印度。 The first set of books to be digitized were scanned by an eight-member team from a Long Island, New York, company, Seery Systems Group, using scanning technology from SMA of Germany. 第一套數位化的圖書是由紐約長島公司Seery Systems集團一個八人團隊，使用德國SMA公司掃描技術進行掃描。 The digitized books will be managed via ShelterZoom, a New York company. Chao Cheng-Shorland, CEO of ShelterZoom, said she visited the library this past year and got very excited about the project. 數位化書籍將通過紐約公司ShelterZoom進行管理。ShelterZoom首席執行官Chao Cheng-Shorland表示，她去年參觀了圖書館，並對該專案感到非常興奮。 “It’s unique, not just in the technology sense but also in the sense of contributing to such a wonderful piece of history,” she said. "這是獨一無二的，不僅在技術意義上，而且在為這樣一段美好的歷史做出貢獻的意義上，"她說。 Source article: https://udn.com/news/story/6904/6076914 Powered by Firstory Hosting