通勤學英語 15Mins Today
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每日英語跟讀 Ep.K503: 拜登政府將謹慎處理氣候補貼金發放
歡迎留言告訴我們你對這一集的想法: https://open.firstory.me/user/cl81kivnk00dn01wffhwxdg2s/comments 每日英語跟讀 Ep.K503: How to Hand Out Billions in Climate Subsidies? Very Carefully. John Podesta, President Joe Biden’s clean energy adviser, said the administration was working to ensure that a record $370 billion in new federal subsidies for electric vehicles, wind farms, batteries and other clean energy technologies is spent properly and avoids waste and abuse. 美國總統拜登的清潔能源顧問波德斯塔說,政府正努力確保創紀錄3700億美元的聯邦新補貼計畫,妥善的用於電動車、風電場、電池跟其他清潔能源技術,避免浪費和濫用。 Podesta said the White House would issue tax code guidelines by early next year to speed the delivery of the money and was meeting with inspectors general from across the federal government to get advice on ways to safeguard against fraud. 波德斯塔說,白宮將在明年年初前發布稅法指引,以加快資金發放,並跟聯邦政府各部門監察長會面,針對如何防止弊端獲得建議。 The internal watchdog at the Department of Energy, one of several agencies that is receiving an influx of money under the Inflation Reduction Act, has already warned that Secretary Jennifer Granholm's office does not have enough resources to properly monitor all the programs that will be created. 能源部是據「降低通膨法」獲得大量資金的幾個機構之一。能源部的內部監督機構已警告,部長葛蘭霍姆的辦公室沒有足夠資源來妥善監督所有即將創立的計畫。 Under the new law, the Department of Energy budget will grow from $45.3 billion to more than $100 billion in funds and $336 billion in loan authority. Another new law, the CHIPS and Science Act, will pump an additional $30.5 billion into the department. 根據新法律,能源部預算將從453億美元增加至超過1000億美元,以及3360億美元的貸款授權。另一項新法律「晶片與科學法」將為能源部額外注入305億美元。 Republicans, who will take control of the House in January, have suggested that they will investigate the Biden administration’s handling of the flood of tax rebates, loans and incentives under the landmark climate and tax law. 將於明年1月掌控眾議院的共和黨人說,他們將調查拜登政府如何根據這項具里程碑意義的氣候與稅務法,處理大量退稅、貸款與獎勵措施。 Podesta, who is responsible for overseeing the disbursement of the money, said complex rules expected from the Internal Revenue Service and other agencies would clarify who qualifies for various incentives and how the money will be doled out. 負責監督這筆錢發放的波德斯塔說,預計美國國稅局與其他機構將推出複雜規定,確定哪些人有資格獲得獎勵,以及這筆錢如何發放。 The federal dollars will be consequential to unleashing trillions of dollars in private-sector energy investments, he said. 他表示,這些聯邦資金將引發私人部門釋放數兆美元的能源投資。 “I’ve spent a fair amount of time listening to people who are anxious to invest in the United States as a result of this legislation and are preparing business plans assuming that those tax credits will have certainty,” Podesta said. He said the agencies were “on track” and would begin to issue official guidance “by the end of the year and early next year.” 波德斯塔說:「我花了相當多時間,傾聽因這項立法急於在美投資的人們意見,他們正準備營運計畫,並假定這些稅收抵免確定施行。」他表示,各機構正「按部就班」,並將在「年底跟明年初前」發布官方指引。 On Thursday, the White House made public a guidebook meant to help companies and consumers as well as state, local and tribal governments navigate the new law. Podesta said his aim was to create a road map that would especially help communities that disproportionately face pollution and climate hazards to take full advantage of the tax incentives. 白宮周四公布一份指引,目的是要幫助企業、消費者以及各州、地方與部落政府了解這項新法律。波德斯塔說,他的目標是擘劃一個路線圖,尤其要協助嚴重面臨汙染及氣候危害的社區,充分利用稅收獎勵措施。Source article: https://udn.com/news/story/6904/6877302

每日英語跟讀 Ep.K502: 時尚教母薇薇安魏斯伍德81歲辭世
歡迎留言告訴我們你對這一集的想法: https://open.firstory.me/user/cl81kivnk00dn01wffhwxdg2s/comments 每日英語跟讀 Ep.K502: Vivienne Westwood, influential fashion maverick, dies at 81 Vivienne Westwood, an influential fashion maverick who played a key role in the punk movement, died Thursday last week at age 81. 龐克運動關鍵人物、引領風騷的時尚教母薇薇安.魏斯伍德,於上週四去世,享壽81歲。 Westwood’s fashion career began in the 1970s when her radical approach to urban street style took the world by storm, but she went on to enjoy a long career highlighted by a string of triumphant runway shows and museum exhibitions. 魏斯伍德的時尚生涯始於1970年代,她激進的城市街頭風格當時風靡全球。之後她仍盛名不墜,一場場成功的時裝秀與博物館展覽即為最佳註腳。 The name Westwood became synonymous with style and attitude even as she shifted focus from year to year, her range vast and her work never predictable. 魏斯伍德這名字成了風格與態度的代名詞,即便她聚焦的重心年年都在轉變,範圍之廣,其作品也總是出人意料。 As her stature grew, she seemed to transcend fashion. The young woman who had scorned the British establishment eventually became one of its leading lights, even as she kept her hair dyed that trademark bright shade of orange. 隨著地位越來越高,她似乎也超越了時尚。這位蔑視英國當權派的年輕女性,最後卻成為其領軍人物之一,儘管她的頭髮一直是染成亮橙色招牌形象。 Andrew Bolton, curator of the Costume Institute at the Metropolitan Museum of New York, said Westwood and Sex Pistols manager Malcolm McLaren — her onetime partner — “gave the punk movement a look, a style, and it was so radical it broke from anything in the past.” 紐約大都會博物館服裝藝術部策展人安德魯.波頓表示,魏斯伍德和性手槍樂團經理馬康‧麥拉林——她的前任伴侶——「給了龐克運動一種外觀、一種風格,非常激進,因而打破了過去的任何事物」。 “The ripped shirts, the safety pins, the provocative slogans,” Bolton said. “She introduced postmodernism. It was so influential from the mid-70s. The punk movement has never dissipated — it’s become part of our fashion vocabulary. It’s mainstream now.” 「破爛的襯衫、別針、挑釁的口號」,波頓說;「她引入了後現代主義。從70年代中期開始,它就很有影響力。龐克運動從未消失——它已成為我們時尚語彙的一部分。現在已是主流」。 Westwood’s long career was full of contradictions: She was a lifelong rebel honored several times by Queen Elizabeth II. She dressed like a teenager even in her 60s and became an outspoken advocate of fighting climate change, warning of planetary doom. 魏斯伍德漫長的職業生涯充滿矛盾:她一生都是反叛者,多次受到伊麗莎白二世女王的嘉獎。六十多歲時仍穿得像青少年,她也大力倡導對抗氣候變化,警示地球的毀滅。 In her punk days, Westwood’s clothes were often intentionally shocking, but she was able to transition from punk to haute couture without missing a beat, keeping her career going without stooping to self-caricature. 龐克時代的魏斯伍德,她的衣服常刻意驚世駭俗。但魏斯伍德能夠從龐克過渡到高級時裝而不失節奏,讓她的職業生涯得以延續,卻不致自打嘴巴。 “She was always trying to reinvent fashion. Her work is provocative, it’s transgressive. It’s very much rooted in the English tradition of pastiche and irony and satire. She is very proud of her Englishness, and still she sends it up,” Bolton said.Westwood was self-taught, with no formal fashion training. She told Marie Claire magazine that she learned how to make her own clothes as a teenager by following patterns. When she wanted to sell 1950s-style clothes at her first shop, she found old clothes in markets and took them apart to understand the cut and construction. 「她一直在努力重塑時尚。她的作品挑釁而具有侵略性,在很大程度上根植於英國的模仿、反諷及諷刺傳統。對於自己的英國身份,她感到很自豪,卻仍對它加以嘲諷」,波頓說。 魏斯伍德是自學成才的,並未受過正規的時尚培訓。她告訴《美麗佳人》(Marie Claire)雜誌說,她在十多歲時便學會按圖版製作自己的衣服。她想在她第一家店銷售1950年代風格的衣服時,她在市場找到舊衣,將其拆解,以了解剪裁與結構。 It was also an important step in an ongoing rapprochement between Westwood and the fashion world. The rebel eventually became one of its most celebrated stars, known for reinterpreting opulent dresses from the past and often finding inspiration in 18th-century paintings. 這也是魏斯伍德與時尚界之間持續和解的重要一步。這位反叛者最終成為最著名的明星之一,以重新詮釋過去的華麗禮服而聞名,並經常從18世紀的繪畫中尋求靈感。 But she still found ways to shock: Her 1987 Statue of Liberty corset is remembered as the start of the “underwear as outerwear” trend. 但她仍找到了驚世駭俗的方式:她1987年的自由女神像緊身胸衣令人印象深刻,被認為是「內衣外穿」潮流的開端。Source article: https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/lang/archives/2023/01/03/2003791866

回顧星期天LBS - 法國相關時事趣聞 All about 2022 France
歡迎留言告訴我們你對這一集的想法: https://open.firstory.me/user/cl81kivnk00dn01wffhwxdg2s/comments Topic: France bans plastic packaging for fruit and veg A law banning plastic packaging for large numbers of fruits and vegetables has come into force in France as of New Year’s Day, to end what the government has called the “aberration” of overwrapped carrots, apples and bananas, as environmental campaigners and exasperated shoppers urged other countries to do the same. 法國一項於元旦生效的法律,禁止多種水果及蔬菜以塑膠包裝,讓政府所說的胡蘿蔔、蘋果與香蕉過度包裝的「脫軌現象」畫下句點。環保人士與惱怒的顧客也敦促其他國家採取同樣的措施。 Emmanuel Macron has called the ban on plastic packaging of fresh produce “a real revolution” and said France was taking the lead globally with its law to gradually phase out all single-use plastics by 2040. 法國總統艾曼紐‧馬克宏將生鮮蔬果的塑膠包裝禁令稱為「一場真正的革命」,他說法國領先全球制定了法律,要在二○四○年前逐步淘汰所有的一次性塑膠。 Spain will introduce a ban on plastic packaging of fruit and vegetables from 2023. For years, international campaigners have said unnecessary plastic packaging is causing environmental damage and pollution at sea. 西班牙將從二○二三年起,禁止使用塑膠包裝水果及蔬菜。國際倡議人士多年來不斷表示,不必要的塑膠包裝正造成環境破壞及海洋污染。 From New Year’s Day, France bans supermarkets and other shops from selling cucumbers wrapped in plastic, and peppers, courgettes, aubergines and leeks in plastic packaging. A total of 30 types of fruit and vegetables are banned from having any plastic wrapping, including bananas, pears, lemons, oranges and kiwis. 法國自元旦起禁止超市等商店銷售以塑膠包裹的黃瓜,以及用塑膠包裝的甜椒、櫛瓜、茄子與韭蔥。禁止使用任何塑膠包裝的共有三十種水果及蔬菜,包括香蕉、梨子、檸檬、柳橙與奇異果。 Packs over 1.5kg are exempt, as well as chopped or processed fruit. Some varieties, including cherry tomatoes or soft fruits such as raspberries and blueberries, are given longer for producers to find alternatives to plastic, but plastic packaging will be gradually phased out for all whole fruits and vegetables by 2026. 一點五公斤裝以上的蔬果,以及切成小塊或加工過的水果,則不受此限塑令規範。一些品種,包括櫻桃番茄,或是軟水果例如覆盆子及藍莓,其生產商可有較多的時間尋找塑膠替代品,但到了二○二六年,所有水果及蔬菜的塑膠包裝都將逐步淘汰。 With an estimated 37 percent of fruit and vegetables sold wrapped in plastic packaging in France in 2021, the government believes the ban will cut more than 1bn items of single-use plastic packaging a year. The environment ministry said there must be curbs on the “outrageous amount of single-use plastic in our daily lives.” 二○二一年在法國販售的水果及蔬菜,有百分之三十七是以塑膠包裝;法國政府據此估計,此禁塑令每年將減少十億件以上的一次性塑膠包裝。法國環境部表示,「我們日常生活中對一次性塑膠毫無節制的使用」必須加以約束。 Fruit and vegetables wrapped in layers of plastic have exasperated consumers not only in France but neighboring countries. Nearly three-quarters of British people have experienced “anxiety, frustration or hopelessness” at the amount of plastic that comes with their shopping and 59 percent think supermarkets and brands are not doing enough to offer refillable, reusable or packaging-free products, according to a poll commissioned by Friends of the Earth and City to Sea in June last year. 將水果及蔬菜以塑膠層層包裹,惹惱的不只是法國人,還有鄰近國家的消費者。去年六月由環保組織「地球之友」與「城市至海」所委託進行的一項民意調查發現,近四分之三的英國人對購物時用到的塑膠數量感到「焦慮、無力或絕望」,百分之五十九的人認為超市及品牌在提供可填充、可重複使用或無包裝產品方面做得不夠。Source Article: https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/lang/archives/2022/01/11/2003771107 Next Article Topic: France bans unlimited sugary drink refills Restaurants and other spaces catering to the public in France have been banned from offering unlimited sugary drinks in an effort to reduce obesity. It is now illegal to sell unlimited soft drinks at a fixed price or offer them unlimited for free. 在法國,餐廳以及其他對公眾提供餐飲服務的場所,已被禁止無限量供應含糖飲料,以致力減少肥胖。以固定價格販售無限量的非酒精飲料,或無限量地免費供應它們,現在皆屬違法。 The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends taxing sugary drinks, linking them to obesity and diabetes. The new law in France targets soft drinks, including sports drinks containing added sugar or sweeteners. All public eateries, from fast-food joints to school canteens, are affected. The aim of the law is to "limit, especially among the young, the risks of obesity, overweight and diabetes" in line with WHO recommendations. 世界衛生組織(WHO)建議對含糖飲料課稅,並將它們與肥胖及糖尿病建立關連。法國這項新法鎖定的非酒精飲料,包括添加糖或甜味劑的運動飲料。所有公眾餐飲店,從速食店到學校餐廳都受到影響。該法的目的是「限制,特別是年輕族群,肥胖、過重與糖尿病風險」,以符合WHO的建議。 A recent Eurostat survey of adult obesity put the French at 15.3%, which is just below the EU average of 15.9%. France was slimmer than the UK (20.1%) but fatter than Italy (10.7%). Past the age of 30, nearly 57% of French men are overweight or obese, according to a report published in October by the French medical journal Bulletin Epidemiologique Hebdomadaire. Some 41% of women in the same age category are also overweight or obese, the study found. 歐盟統計局近期針對成人肥胖的調查顯示,法國為15.3%,略低於歐盟平均值15.9%。法國比英國(20.1%)苗條,但比義大利肥胖(10.7%)。而根據法國醫學期刊「流行病學週報」去年10月刊登的一份報告,年過30歲後,近57%的法國男人過重或肥胖。同一年齡組有約41%女性也是過重或肥胖,該研究發現。 Next Article Topic: ’You’ve won your weight in oysters!’ - note in shells stops thieves(「你已贏得和你體重相當的生蠔!」 殼內放紙條阻偷竊) When thieves stole three tonnes of oysters from French 60-year-old shellfish farmer Christophe Guinot, he came up with a solution: planting secret notes inside oyster shells to help police track down the thieves. 在被小偷竊取3噸生蠔後,60歲的法國貝類養殖業者克里斯多福.朱諾特想出一

15Mins Live Podcast - 2023 Special Program 特別直播節目
歡迎留言告訴我們你對這一集的想法: https://open.firstory.me/user/cl81kivnk00dn01wffhwxdg2s/comments Hey hey 通勤家族!Happy New Year 新年快樂!今年第一集 Live Podcast,老師群終於在同一個空間合體還首次加入了影像直播。 這集我考了我們通勤家族以及現場來賓Kuma有關15Mins Live Podcast以及老師群的冷知識。一起來聽看看你能答對幾題 XD~ 喜歡這樣的內容嗎?加入15Mins通勤學英語直播室,每週一9pm等你一起來說英文 : https://15minsengcafe.pse.is/46hm8k

每日英語跟讀 Ep.K501: About New Zealand - 紐西蘭買房子送特斯拉與禁用塑膠袋
歡迎留言告訴我們你對這一集的想法: https://open.firstory.me/user/cl81kivnk00dn01wffhwxdg2s/comments 每日英語跟讀 Ep.K501: About New Zealand - New Zealand property owner stands out with “buy my house, get free Tesla”offer A New Zealand property owner is hoping to stand out from other sellers by offering a free Tesla to the person who buys their home. 紐西蘭1名屋主準備為買下其房屋的人免費提供1輛特斯拉電動汽車,希望這麼做可以令他有別於其他賣家。 The house - a seven-bedroom, five-bathroom property - has reportedly been on the market for weeks. The owner has thrown in the offer of a new car to try to sweeten the $1.8m deal. 據報導,這間7房5衛的房子已待售數週。賣家拋出送新車的提議,試圖讓180萬美元(約565萬台幣)的售價看起來更有甜頭。 New Zealand house prices have seen their biggest drop in 30 years and were down 10.9% in October - their 11th consecutive month of falling. 紐西蘭房價出現30年來最大降幅,10月跌價更達10.9%,已是連續11個月下滑。 "Rising mortgage rates continue to weigh on house prices and sale activity," said Kiwibank economists. 克威銀行經濟學家指出:「貸款利率攀高持續壓抑房價和買賣活動。」 After purchasing the property, the new owner would get to pick the car’s color - the Tesla Model Y has five options - and it will then be ordered and shipped straight from the manufacturer. 在買下房屋後,新屋主還得從特斯拉Model Y型號的5種顏色中挑出1種,製造商接獲訂單後就會直接把車送上門。 Next Article New Zealand to ban plastic shopping bags from next year - 紐西蘭明年起將禁用塑膠購物袋 New Zealand announced it will ban disposable plastic shopping bags by next July as the nation tries to live up to its clean-and-green image. 紐西蘭宣布,明年7月將禁用一次性塑膠購物袋,因為這個國家努力不辜負其乾淨且環保的形象。 Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said New Zealanders use hundreds of millions of the bags each year and that some of them end up polluting precious coastal and marine waterways. 總理阿爾登說,紐西蘭人每年使用數億個袋子,結果其中有些污染了珍貴的海岸與海運航道。 A number of countries and states have introduced bans or restrictions on single-use plastic bags, including France, Belgium, Hawaii and California. But a major supermarket chain in Australia changed course several times this year after customers got angry about its plans to start charging shoppers for bags. Under its latest plan, customers at Coles stores will start paying for bags on Aug. 29. 許多國家與州政府已禁止或限制單次使用的塑膠袋,包括法國、比利時、夏威夷與加州等。不過,由於開始向消費者收取塑膠袋費用的計畫引發顧客不滿,澳洲一家大型連鎖超市今年數度改變措施。根據其最新計畫,科爾斯超市的消費者將從8月29日開始支付塑膠袋費用。 In New Zealand, a host on a radio station was hoping to start a consumer crusade to keep the bags after being inspired by what happened at Coles. Heather du Plessis-Allan told listeners on Newstalk ZB that plastic bags were a great invention. 在紐西蘭,一名電台主持人受到科爾斯事件的啟發,希望發動一場保住塑膠袋的消費者運動。希瑟.杜.普萊西斯—艾倫告訴Newstalk ZB電台的聽眾,塑膠袋是很棒的發明。 However, New Zealand’s Associate Minister for the Environment Eugenie Sage said that in New Zealand, the government was taking the lead so that all retailers could make the move fairly and at the same time. 不過,紐西蘭環境部副部長薩齊說,在紐西蘭,政府身先士卒,因此所有零售業者都可以正當且同時採取行動。Source article: https://features.ltn.com.tw/english/article/paper/1559703 ; https://news.ltn.com.tw/news/world/paper/1228126

每日英語跟讀 Ep.K500: About Thailand - 耶誕老人在泰國騎大象分發禮物與漂浮觀光列車
歡迎留言告訴我們你對這一集的想法: https://open.firstory.me/user/cl81kivnk00dn01wffhwxdg2s/comments 每日英語跟讀 Ep.K500: About Thailand - In Thailand, Santa delivers presents on elephants A trunk, rather than a red nose, is what Rudolph would need to join a herd of elephants helping Santa Claus deliver presents in Thailand. 魯道夫需要象鼻而非紅鼻子,才能加入在泰國幫忙耶誕老人送禮物的象群。 Mahouts dressed as Santa led the gentle giants to a school in central Thailand to hand out Christmas presents to about 2,000 students this week, part of an annual tradition. 裝扮成耶誕老人的象夫們本週領著這些溫柔的大塊頭,來到泰國中部一所學校發禮物給將近2000名學生,這是年度傳統一環。 Students lined the school courtyard and hall while the elephants approached slowly and unfurled their trunks to give out balloons, toys and dolls. 學生們在學校庭院和禮堂排成一列,而大象們緩緩靠近並伸展牠們的鼻子,分發氣球、玩具和洋娃娃。 Next Article Thailand’s ’floating train’ a big hit as dam waters rise隨著大壩水位上升 泰國「漂浮列車」大受歡迎 Tickets have been selling out fast in Thailand for rides on a special "floating train", where passengers have been enjoying the illusion of aquatic rail travel due to a post-monsoon rise in water levels. 搭乘特殊「漂浮列車」的車票在泰國火速售罄,乘客在裡頭享受了因雨季後水位上升帶來的水上鐵路旅行幻覺。 The route starts in the capital Bangkok and passes through the Pasak Jolasid dam in Lop Buri province six hours away on an elevated track just above the water level, which officials say has been unusually high this year. 這條路線從首都曼谷起始,經過6小時穿越位於華富里府、高架軌道僅略高於水位的巴沙春拉西水壩,官員們說今年水位異常地高。 The train runs only at weekends between November and February and tickets have been sold out until New Year. 火車僅在11月和2月間的週末運行,到新年的車票已售罄。 "I’ve never seen anything like this before," said Bunyanuch Pahuyut, who was among 600 passengers who have travelled on the route on Sunday. 週日踏上這段旅程的600名乘客之一的布尼亞努克.帕胡尤特說,「我以前從沒看過這樣的東西。」
精選詞彙播客 Vocab Ep.150: 老師來評分網路教的八大搭訕語 Top eight pick-up lines
歡迎留言告訴我們你對這一集的想法: https://open.firstory.me/user/cl81kivnk00dn01wffhwxdg2s/comments Summary: Source: https://ltl-school.com/chinese-pick-up-lines/ For the first episode of Vocab in 2023, Angel and I will look at the top eight pick-up lines recommended by a blog post that works in Mandarin Chinese and English. Which is your favorite? Comment down below! Vocabulary: 1. Cheesy adj. 俗氣的 There are many forums online that shares a lot of cheesy pick-up lines. 網路上有很多論壇分享很多俗氣的搭訕語。 2. Urban myth n. 都市傳說 Rich people picking up flight attendants in flight is an urban myth. 有錢人搭訕空姐空少是個都市傳說。 3. Dating n. 交往 Pick-up lines when used wisely, can improve your dating game. 在交往的時候用對了搭訕語可以加強你的戀愛互動。 更多Vocab Podcast節目: https://www.15mins.today/vocab 歡迎主題投稿/意見回覆 : [email protected] 商業合作/贊助來信:[email protected]

每日英語跟讀 Ep.K499: 義度假小島違建引發全國關注
歡迎留言告訴我們你對這一集的想法: https://open.firstory.me/user/cl81kivnk00dn01wffhwxdg2s/comments 每日英語跟讀 Ep.K499: Deadly Disaster Turns Italy’s Focus to Illegal Construction A bulldozer paused and everything went silent in the night as a firefighter, spotting a pink sweater in a generator’s light, reached into the mud-caked debris. This time, it was only a sweater. 一台推土機停了下來,夜裡一片寂靜,消防員在發電機燈光下發現一件粉紅色毛衣,把手伸到泥濘的廢墟中。這次,它只是件毛衣。 Torrential rains last weekend sent a powerful landslide plowing through Casamicciola Terme, a port town on the southern Italian island of Ischia, killing 12 residents — including a newborn baby and two small children — and washing away houses and burying streets. This past week, rescue workers and volunteers continued to dig for survivors and to unearth the town from thick rivers of mud. 上周末的暴雨,導致義大利南部伊斯契亞島港口小鎮卡薩米喬拉泰爾梅發生土石流,造成12個居民死亡,包括1名新生兒與2名兒童,沖走了房屋還掩蓋街道。過去一周,救援人員與志工持續挖掘生還者,並從厚厚泥水中挖出城鎮。 But as some evacuees came back to search for their belongings, many felt an unwelcome scrutiny from a nation that was asking whether the island’s abundance of illegally constructed houses had increased the vulnerability of a town that sits in a geologically fragile zone across the bay from Naples. 但一些被撤離的人回來尋找他們的物品時,許多人感受到令人不快的檢視,整個國家都在質問,島上大量違建房屋,是否讓這座位於地質脆弱地帶、隔著海灣與那不勒斯相望的城鎮更容易受傷害。 Authorities have not clarified which buildings, if any, may have been illegally built. But a series of amnesties over decades from various Italian governments may have rendered most of them legal in any case. That has set off hand-wringing among politicians, including the far-right party of Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, and a bitter round of finger pointing over who was to blame. 當局還未確認哪些建築可能是違建,如果有的話。數十年來義大利歷任政府的一系列特赦,恐令它們當中的大多數都已合法。這讓政治人物不安,包含總理梅洛尼的極右派政黨,並就誰該為此負責展開激烈相互指責。 “We have no zoning plan since the 1960s,” Vincenzo Capuano, 64, a town resident, said as friends emptied his basement of mud one bucket at a time. “Politicians have never decided where residents can build here. There is no way to build legally.” 64歲鎮民卡普阿諾在朋友們一桶又一桶清理他的地下室泥漿時說:「自1960年代以來,我們就毫無區域規劃。政治人物從未決定可在哪裡蓋房。根本沒辦法合法建造。」 Illegal construction has blighted Italy’s coastlines, hilly landscapes and cities, but the practice is especially endemic in the poorer southern regions, including Campania. On Ischia, an island of 63,000 famous for its thermal baths, 27,000 requests for amnesty on illegal works are pending, from altered windows to entire homes. 違建破壞義大利的海岸線、丘陵景觀和城市,這種行為在較窮的南部地區尤其盛行,包括坎帕尼亞大區。在居民6萬3000人、以溫泉浴聞名的伊斯契亞島,目前有2萬7000份針對非法工程的赦免申請正等待處理,從修改窗戶到整棟房。 Italy has a long history of condoning these illegal constructions, and the anticipation that another amnesty will always arrive has prompted offenders to keep building illegally, marring some of the country’s most pristine beaches with shoddy, and unsightly, homes. 義大利長期縱容這些違建,人們對另一次特赦總會到來的預期,促使違法者繼續蓋違建,以粗製濫造、難看的房屋破壞該國一些最原始的海灘。 On the night of the landslide, mud pounded Via Celario and Via Santa Barbara, the most damaged residential streets, washing away about 10 homes. Within them, four children slept. The youngest, a 22-day-old infant, was found dead in his dead mother’s arms. 土石流當晚,塞拉里歐和聖巴巴拉是受災最嚴重的住宅區街道,約10棟房舍被土石流沖走,裡面睡著4個孩子。當中最小的是22天大的嬰兒,被發現死在他死去母親懷裡。Source article: https://udn.com/news/story/6904/6845044

每日英語跟讀 Ep.K498: 博物館很難從遊客中找出破壞者
歡迎留言告訴我們你對這一集的想法: https://open.firstory.me/user/cl81kivnk00dn01wffhwxdg2s/comments 每日英語跟讀 Ep.K498: Art Museums Are Struggling to Weed Out the Vandals From the Visitors For Hans-Peter Wipplinger, the director of Vienna’s Leopold Museum, the past few weeks have been challenging. As climate protesters across Europe stepped up their attacks against art, Wipplinger took measures to protect his storied collection, which includes famous paintings by Gustav Klimt and Egon Schiele. Bags were banned; coats, too. The museum hired extra guards to patrol its five floors. 對維也納立奧波德博物館館長維普林格來說,過去幾周充滿挑戰。隨著歐洲各地氣候抗議者加大對藝術品的攻擊力道,維普林格採取措施保護他的著名收藏,包括克林姆和席勒的名畫。禁止包包,外套也是。博物館雇用額外警衛巡視五個樓層。 It didn’t work. Last week, members of a group called Last Generation walked into the museum and threw black liquid at one of Klimt’s major works, “Death and Life.” A protester had sneaked the liquid into the museum in a hot water bottle strapped to his chest, Wipplinger said. 但沒有成功,上周一個名為「最後一代」團體的成員走進博物館,向克林姆主要作品之一《死亡與生命》潑灑黑色液體。維普林格說,一名抗議者將這種液體裝在一個熱水瓶內偷偷帶進博物館。 The Klimt, protected by glass, was unharmed. But Wipplinger said his security team could only have stopped the attack by subjecting visitors to invasive body searches, “like at the airport.” He didn’t want to even consider that prospect, he added. 受玻璃保護的克林姆作品雖毫髮無損,但維普林格說,他的保安團隊恐怕只能對訪客進行侵入式搜身 來阻止攻擊,「就像在機場一樣」。他還表示,他甚至不想考慮這一可能性。 With the attacks showing no sign of abating, museum directors across Europe are settling into a nervous new equilibrium, fearful for the works in their care but unwilling to compromise on making visitors feel welcome. So far, nothing has been permanently damaged. But many fear that an accident or an escalation in the protesters’ tactics could result in a masterpiece being destroyed. 由於攻擊沒有減弱跡象,歐洲各地博物館館長正陷入一種緊張的新平衡狀態,擔心自己照顧的作品受到損害,但又不願在讓訪客感覺賓至如歸的問題上妥協。到目前為止,還沒有任何永久性的損壞,但許多人擔心,若發生意外或抗議者升級策略,恐導致名作被毀。 The actions, which began in Britain in June, are already increasing in frequency and daring. At first, protesters glued themselves to the frames of famous paintings, but since footage of activists splattering Vincent Van Gogh’s “Sunflowers” with tomato soup spread rapidly on social media in October, masterpieces have been doused in pea soup, mashed potatoes and flour. 這些行動於6月在英國開始,如今已日益頻繁,愈來愈大膽。最初,抗議者將自己黏在名畫畫框上,但自從10月活動人士向梵谷《向日葵》潑灑番茄湯影片在社群媒體上迅速傳播以來,名作陸續被潑上豌豆湯、馬鈴薯泥以及麵粉。 Those works were all protected by glass, and the protesters’ projectiles never touched an artist’s brushstroke. Yet, last month, protesters in Paris poured orange paint directly onto a silver Charles Ray sculpture outside the Bourse de Commerce contemporary art space. (A Bourse de Commerce spokesperson said the sculpture was cleaned within a few hours.) 這些作品都有玻璃保護,抗議者的投擲物從未接觸到藝術家的畫作。然而,巴黎的抗議者上月將橘色油漆直接倒在商業交易所當代藝術空間外查爾斯.雷的銀色雕像上。(法國商業交易所一名發言人說,這座雕像在數小時內就被清理乾淨了。) In a statement last month signed by the leaders of more than 90 of the world’s largest art institutions, museum administrators said they were “deeply shaken” by the protesters’ “risky endangerment” of artworks. 在全球90多間最大藝術機構負責人上月簽署的一份聲明中,這些博物館管理人員表示,抗議者對藝術品的「危險危害」,令他們「深感震驚」。 Yet, few museums appear to have taken bold steps to protect their collections. Norway’s National Museum and the Barberini Museum in Potsdam, Germany, have banned visitors from taking bags or jackets into their exhibition halls. Others have made no changes. 然而,似乎很少博物館採取大膽措施保護館藏。挪威國家博物館及德國波茨坦巴貝里尼博物館禁止遊客攜包包或夾克進入展覽廳,其他博物館則未做出任何改變。Source article: https://udn.com/news/story/6904/6828062

回顧星期天LBS - 2022重點時事趣聞 All about major news
歡迎留言告訴我們你對這一集的想法: https://open.firstory.me/user/cl81kivnk00dn01wffhwxdg2s/comments Topic: In Europe, Doors Shut to Mideast Migrants Are Flung Open for Ukrainians Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has pushed tens of thousands of people out of their homes and fleeing across borders to escape violence. But unlike the refugees who have flooded Europe in crises over the past decade, they are being welcomed. 俄羅斯對烏克蘭的入侵已將數萬人趕出家園,並越過邊境逃離暴力。但與過去十年來湧入歐洲危機的難民不同,他們受到了歡迎。 Countries that have for years resisted taking in refugees from wars in Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan are now opening their doors to Ukrainians as Russian forces carry out a nationwide military assault. More than 2.4 million refugees have left Ukraine, according to United Nations estimates, and at least half of them have crowded onto trains, jammed highways or walked to get across their country’s borders in what officials warn could become the world’s next refugee crisis. 多年來一直拒絕接收來自敘利亞,伊拉克和阿富汗戰爭的難民的國家現在正在向烏克蘭人敞開大門,因為俄羅斯軍隊在全國範圍內進行軍事攻擊。據聯合國估計,已有超過240萬難民離開烏克蘭,其中至少有一半擠在火車上,堵塞高速公路或步行到烏克蘭。越過他們國家的邊界,官員們警告說,這可能成為世界上下一個難民危機。 U.N. and U.S. officials described their concerted diplomatic push for Ukraine’s neighbors and other European nations to respond to the outpouring of need. President Joe Biden “is certainly prepared” to accept refugees from Ukraine, Jen Psaki, the White House press secretary, said Thursday, but she noted that the majority of them would probably choose to remain in Europe so they could more easily return home once the fighting ended. 聯合國和美國官員描述了他們協調一致的外交努力,要求烏克蘭的鄰國和其他歐洲國家應對大量的需求。 白宮新聞秘書珍·普薩基(Jen Psaki)週四表示,總統喬·拜登(Joe Biden)"當然準備"接受來自烏克蘭的難民,但她指出,他們中的大多數人可能會選擇留在歐洲,這樣一旦戰鬥結束,他們就可以更容易地返回家園。 That means thousands will end up in countries led by nationalist governments that in past crises have been reluctant to welcome refugees or even blocked them. 這意味著成千上萬的人最終將進入由民族主義政府領導的國家,這些國家在過去危機中一直不願歡迎難民,甚至不願阻止他們。 In Poland, government officials assisted by American soldiers and diplomats have set up processing centers for Ukrainians. The Polish government is spending hundreds of millions of dollars on a border wall, a project it began after refugees and migrants from the Middle East tried to reach the country last year but ended up marooned in neighboring Belarus. 在波蘭,政府官員在美國士兵和外交官的協助下,為烏克蘭人建立了處理中心。波蘭政府正在花費數億美元修建邊境牆,該專案始於去年來自中東的難民和移民試圖到達該國,但最終被困在鄰國白俄羅斯。 The military in Hungary is allowing in Ukrainians through sections of the border that had been closed. Hungary’s hard-line prime minister, Viktor Orban, has previously called refugees a threat to his country, and his government has been accused of caging and starving them. 匈牙利軍方允許烏克蘭人通過已經關閉的部分邊界。匈牙利強硬派總理維克多·歐爾班(Viktor Orban)此前曾稱難民是對其國家的威脅,他的政府被指控將他們關在籠子里,使他們挨餓。 Farther west, Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer said that “of course we will take in refugees if necessary” in light of the crisis in Ukraine. 在更遠的西部,奧地利總理卡爾·內哈默爾(Karl Nehammer)表示,鑒於烏克蘭的危機,"如有必要,我們當然會接納難民"。 As recently as last fall, when he was serving as interior minister, Nehammer sought to block some Afghans seeking refuge after the Taliban overthrew the government in Kabul. 就在去年秋天,當他擔任內政部長時,內哈默爾試圖阻止一些阿富汗人在塔利班推翻喀布爾政府后尋求庇護。Source article: https://udn.com/news/story/6904/6158664 Next Article Topic: Political football: War and peace by other means at the World Cup As Iran prepares to play diplomatic arch-rivals the US in the World Cup today, AFP looks at how geopolitics have spilled onto the pitch in previous World Cups: 伊朗準備在今天的世界盃足球賽跟外交宿敵美國交手,法新社檢視過去的世足賽,看看地緣政治如何蔓延到球場上: Mussolini’s ‘Blackshirts’: France v Italy, 1938 墨索里尼的「黑衫軍」:法國對義大利,1938年 Just a year before World War II broke out, defending champions Italy arrived in France with politics taking center stage in their clash with the hosts. Championed by Italy’s then-leader, fascist dictator Benito Mussolini, the team were booed when they came onto the pitch at the stadium near Paris. Undeterred, the Italians gave the fascist salute to the crowd and played in black shirts, a nod to the uniform worn by Mussolini’s notorious “Blackshirts” militia. Italy won the clash 3-1 and went on to win the competition. 就在第二次世界大戰爆發前一年,衛冕者義大利隊抵達法國,在與主辦國的衝突中,政治佔據了中心位置。義大利隊受當時義大利領導人、法西斯獨裁者貝尼托‧墨索里尼所支持,他們在巴黎近郊的球場上場時,被喝倒采。 義大利隊沒被嚇倒,向群眾行了法西斯式的敬禮,並身穿黑衣出賽,這是向墨索里尼臭名昭著的「黑衫軍」民兵制服致敬。 義大利以3-1擊敗法國,且之後贏得了冠軍。 Maradona’s moment: England v Argentina, 1986 馬拉度納的時刻:英格蘭對阿根廷,1986年 This highly charged clash took place in Mexico four years after Argentina’s defeat to Britain in the Falklands War. To the joy of their fans, Argentina took symbolic revenge, winning the quarter-final 2-1 with Diego Maradona scoring twice. His first goal was the infamous “Hand of God” goal, in which he punched the ball past England goalkeeper Peter Shilton. Then a superb solo effort dubbed the goal of the century sealed victory. “It was a final for us. It was not about winning a match, it was about eliminating the English,” Maradona said. 這場發生在墨西哥的激烈衝突,是阿根廷在福克蘭戰爭敗給英國四年後。 令阿根廷球迷欣喜的是,阿根廷隊進行了象徵性的報復,在八強賽中以2-1擊敗英格蘭,迪亞哥‧馬拉度納進了兩球。他的第一個進球便是聲名狼藉的「上帝之手」進球──他用手擊球,讓球越過英格蘭守門員彼得‧希爾頓。

15Mins Live Podcast - 職場系列 – 公司年度派對禮儀The Dos and Don’ts of Christmas Office Party Etiquette
歡迎留言告訴我們你對這一集的想法: https://open.firstory.me/user/cl81kivnk00dn01wffhwxdg2s/comments 即刻加入15Mins通勤學英語直播室,每週一9pm等你來說英文 : https://15minsengcafe.pse.is/46hm8k 主題: 職場系列 –公司年度派對禮儀 The Dos and Don’ts of Christmas Office Party Etiquette 1. Do: Dress Appropriately 著裝得體 If you need help deciding what to wear to your company Christmas party, check in with your colleagues first to find out the dress code. You'll most likely receive an email from the HR department with all the details. Maybe the CEO wants everyone to wear ugly sweaters, so naturally, you would want to wear your ugliest sweater. 2.Don't: Eat or Drink Excessively 暴飲暴食 If you're tempted to overindulge in the free open bar, hors d'oeuvres, and buffet at your office holiday party, we strongly advise against it. Knocking back too many free-flowing cocktails or having your cup in the punch bowl all night equals a lot of trouble. 3. Do: Work the Room and Network 盡量與屋內的人互動聯誼 Your Christmas office party is an excellent opportunity to mingle with people you may otherwise never see in the office, so use your time wisely. Before you show up to the event, practice your elevator pitch because you never know who you could bump into. 4. Don't: Talk About Sensitive or Inappropriate Subjects 不討論敏感話題 When networking at your Christmas office party, there are certain subjects you should stay away from at all costs. Firstly, avoid controversial topics such as religion, politics, and off-color jokes. Secondly, don't complain or whine about anything. 5.Do: Time Your Entrance and Exit 計算你的入場與離場 Unless you're one of the organizers, we suggest you don't show up to your Christmas office party early or perfectly on time. Even if the event is at the office, take a break after work, freshen up, and come back. Arriving 15 to 30 minutes after it begins is totally acceptable. 6. Do: Say Your Goodbyes 與大家道謝說再見 It may seem suspicious if you sneak out of your Christmas office party without saying goodbye to your colleagues and new connections. While you won't have time to say goodbye to everyone, especially if it's a company-wide event, do your best to weave your way through the crowd and acknowledge the people you feel most comfortable with. 分享時間 Do you like company year-end dinner parties? Why or why not?What was your most memorable party?

每日英語跟讀 Ep.K497: About air travel - 成田機場疫情中另闢蹊徑與名人氣候罪犯
歡迎留言告訴我們你對這一集的想法: https://open.firstory.me/user/cl81kivnk00dn01wffhwxdg2s/comments 每日英語跟讀 Ep.K497: About air travel - Narita Airport branching out as COVID stalls air travel demand Tours of off-limits areas, wedding photos and a specialty craft beer are some ways in which Narita Airport, a key gateway to Japan, is trying to deal with sluggish demand for international flights. 參訪禁區、拍婚紗照,以及精釀啤酒特產,都是日本一大主要門戶成田機場試圖解決國際線需求疲軟的因應之道。 The operating company expects people who have refrained from traveling overseas during the novel coronavirus pandemic to forge connections with the airport in other ways than through flights. (成田機場)營運公司期待,在武漢肺炎疫情大流行期間避免出國的民眾,以搭機飛行以外的方式與該機場有所聯繫。 One morning in May, 36 people got off a double-decker bus on Runway A, the longest in the nation at 4,000 meters, at around 4:30 a.m. 今年5月某日清晨約4時30分,1輛雙層巴士上的36名乘客,在4千公尺長的全日本最長跑道的成田機場A跑道下車。 Tour participants walked 500 meters down the runway, which was lit up with aeronautical lights. Some posed for photos by lying down on the strip. 這群團客在亮著航空燈的跑道上走了500公尺,有些人還躺在跑道上擺姿勢拍照。 The first flight of the day landed just past 6 a.m., and the visitors watched by the side of the runway as airplanes landed and took off. 當天的頭一班航班在早上6點剛過降落,而且這群訪客便在跑道旁看著飛機起降。 Next Article ’Climate criminal’: Celebrities rapped over jet use「氣候罪犯」:名人被嚴厲批評過度使用噴射機 From a 14-minute flight by Drake’s private plane to Taylor Swift’s carbon footprint, celebrities are struggling to shake off a firestorm over their jet emissions amid the climate crisis. 從德瑞克一趟14分鐘的私人飛機旅行到泰勒絲的碳足跡,名人們正努力擺脫在氣候危機中他們的噴射機排放量帶來的風暴。 Fury erupted in July when reality star Kylie Jenner shared a picture to her 364 million Instagram users of her and her partner, rapper Travis Scott, in front of two jets with the caption: "you wanna take mine or yours?" 真人秀明星凱莉.珍娜7月與Instagram 3億6400萬用戶分享一張她和搭檔饒舌歌手崔維斯.史考特站在兩台噴射機前面的照片,圖說寫著,「你想要搭我的還是你的?」,引爆眾怒。 Critics on social media swiftly attacked Jenner, calling her a "climate criminal". 社群媒體上的批評者迅速攻擊珍娜,稱她「氣候罪犯」。 Then British sustainability marketing firm Yard named and shamed the "worst private jet CO2 emission offenders" among celebrities. 接著英國永續行銷公司雅德列舉了社會名流中「最糟糕的私人飛機二氧化碳排放罪犯」,使他們蒙羞。 Normally used to topping music charts, US pop star Taylor Swift headlined the unenviable list, prompting a torrent of social media outrage, memes and jokes that she was using her jet to pick up food. 過去通常在音樂排行榜名列前茅的美國流行音樂明星泰勒絲成為這份不值得稱羨的清單頭條,她之前使用噴射機取餐,在社群媒體上引發連續不斷的憤慨、迷因和玩笑。Source article: https://features.ltn.com.tw/english/article/paper/1558565 ; https://features.ltn.com.tw/english/article/paper/1557627

每日英語跟讀 Ep.K496: About France - 免費保險套與六點後無mail
歡迎留言告訴我們你對這一集的想法: https://open.firstory.me/user/cl81kivnk00dn01wffhwxdg2s/comments 每日英語跟讀 Ep.K496: About France - France to make condoms free at pharmacies for those aged 18-25 French President Emmanuel Macron said Thursday that condoms would be made available for free in pharmacies for 18- to 25-year-olds in a bid to reduce unwanted pregnancies among young people. 法國總統馬克宏週四表示,將在藥局免費為18至25歲的年輕人提供保險套,以減少年輕人意外懷孕。 "It’s a small revolution for contraception," Macron said during a health debate with young people in Fontaine-le-Comte, a suburb of Poitiers in western France. 「這是避孕方面的一場小革命」,馬克宏在法國西部普瓦捷市郊區楓丹勒孔特與年輕人進行健康辯論時說。 The move comes as health authorities have observed an increase in sexually transmitted infections, such as chlamydia and gonorrhea, in recent years. But it is also part of a broader public health campaign that has led France to expand free access to contraception and screening for sexually transmitted diseases. 近年來,衛生當局觀察到衣原體和淋病等性傳播感染有所增加,因此採取這項措施。但它也是更廣泛公衛運動的一環,該運動促使法國擴大免費獲得避孕藥具和篩查性病的範圍。 Next Article France bans work email after 6 p.m. 法國禁止晚上6點後處理公務電子郵件 France has long been seen as something of a paradise when it comes to labour rights, with it’s 35-hour week, long lunches and generous holidays. 說到勞工權益,法國長期以來被視為天堂,每週工作35小時、午休時間長,假期又多。 Now, a new legally-binding agreement effectively banning workers from after-hours work emails could be the icing on the gateau. 現在,一項具有法律約束力的新協議可能讓這個天堂好上加好:禁止員工下班後處理公務電子郵件。 The deal signed between employers’ federations and unions representing workers in the digital and consultancy fields stipulates that employees should switch off work emails after 6pm and employers must not pressure them to be electronically available after this time. 這項由數位與顧問產業雇主聯合會與工會簽訂的協議規定,員工應該在晚上6點後關閉工作用電子郵件,雇主不得施壓他們在這個時間後保持電子聯繫管道暢通。 Employees will no longer check their work-related email before 9 a.m. or after 6 p.m., according to the agreement. The deal upholds the spirit of the 35-hour work week that France implemented in 1999. 員工將不再於上午9時前或晚上6時後查看工作相關電子郵件,根據這份協議。這項協議支持法國自1999年起實施的每週35小時工時精神。 1 million employees in the tech and consulting sectors will be covered by the new rule, the Guardian reports, including workers at the French offices of Google and Facebook. 這項新規定將適用於科技和顧問產業的100萬名受僱人員,衛報報導,包括法國的Google和Facebook員工。Source article: https://features.ltn.com.tw/english/article/paper/1557826 ; https://news.ltn.com.tw/news/world/paper/774325

精選詞彙播客 Vocab Ep.149: 年底Spotify與PS數據回顧 Spotify and PS wrapped for 2022
歡迎留言告訴我們你對這一集的想法: https://open.firstory.me/user/cl81kivnk00dn01wffhwxdg2s/comments Summary: In the last week of the year, both Spotify and PS network are offering a glimpse of your listening and gaming habits in 2022. In this episode, Angel and I discuss some of the interesting data points we received from Spotify and PS. What is your PS stats and Spotify wrapped like? Comment down below! Vocabulary: 1. Playlist n. 歌單 Spotify allows users to share and browse user playlists. Spotify讓使用者可以分享以及遊覽其他使用者的歌單。 2. Rat race n. 永無止盡的競爭 Life is just like a big rat race. 人生就是一個永無止盡的競爭。 3. Annual fee n. 年費 PS plus charges an annual fee. PS plus是個需要付年費服務。 更多Vocab Podcast節目: https://www.15mins.today/vocab 歡迎主題投稿/意見回覆 : [email protected] 商業合作/贊助來信:[email protected]

每日英語跟讀 Ep.K495: 聊天機器人ChatGPT將掀起人工智慧革命
歡迎留言告訴我們你對這一集的想法: https://open.firstory.me/user/cl81kivnk00dn01wffhwxdg2s/comments 每日英語跟讀 Ep.K495: Is ChatGPT the start of the AI revolution? Have you heard of ChatGPT yet? It’s a thrilling, vexing, ontologically mesmerizing new technology created by the research group OpenAI. It can solve all your problems and answer all your questions. Or at least it will try to. 你聽過ChatGPT嗎?這是OpenAI研究小組創建的令人興奮、令人煩惱、在本體論上令人著迷的新技術。它可以解決你所有的問題、回答你所有疑問。或者說,它至少會試試看。 In essence, ChatGPT is a bot trained to generate human-like responses to user inputs. Through the wonders of machine learning, it’s acquired a remarkably expansive skillset. On request, it can produce basic software code, rudimentary financial analysis, amusing poems and songs, spot-on imitations, reflective essays on virtually any topic, natural-language summaries of technical papers or scientific concepts, chat-based customer service, informed predictions, personalized advice, and answers — for better or worse — to just about any question. Unusually for a chatbot, it can learn as it goes, and thus sustain engaging open-ended conversations. It is, to borrow Arthur C. Clarke’s old formulation, “indistinguishable from magic.” 本質上而言,ChatGPT是一種機器人,經訓練後,對用戶的輸入可產生像人類般的回應。透過機器學習的奇妙機制,它習得非常廣泛的技能。它可以應要求生成簡單的軟體程式、基本的財務分析、有趣的詩和歌曲、準確的模仿、幾乎任何主題的反思性文章、用自然語言對技術論文或科學概念做出摘要、以聊天進行的客戶服務、有見識的預測、個人化的建議,以及回答幾乎所有的問題(無論好壞)。跟一般的聊天機器人所不同的是,它可以邊做邊學,因而維持引人入勝的開放式對話。借用科幻小說家亞瑟.C.克拉克所說的話來說,它「跟魔法沒什麼兩樣」。 Almost, anyway. One problem, which its creators concede, is that ChatGPT sometimes offers answers that are precise, authoritative and utterly wrong. A request for an obituary of Mussolini that prominently mentions skateboarding yields a disquisition on the dictator’s interest in the sport that happens to be entirely fictitious. Another soliciting advice for the Federal Reserve returns an essay that cites ostensibly legitimate sources, but that doctors the data to suit the bot’s purposes. Stack Overflow, a forum for coders, has temporarily banned responses from ChatGPT because its answers “have a high rate of being incorrect.” Students looking for a homework assistant should proceed with care. 總之差不多是這樣。其創建者承認的一個問題是,ChatGPT有時會提供準確、權威且完全錯誤的答案。要求在一篇墨索里尼的訃告中顯著提到滑板運動,結果是關於這位獨裁者對此運動之興趣的討論剛好是完全是虛構的。另一篇為美國聯準會徵求建議的文章,其中引用的出處表面上合法,但其數據已按機器人的目的被篡改。程式設計師論壇Stack Overflow暫時禁止來自ChatGPT的回覆,因為它的答案「錯誤率很高」。想要以它來協助家庭作業的學生應該小心。 The bot also seems easily confused. Try posing a classic riddle: “In total, a bat and a ball cost $1.10. If the bat costs $1.00 more than the ball, how much does the ball cost?” Haplessly for a robot, ChatGPT responds with the instinctive but wrong answer of $0.10. (The correct solution is $0.05.) The Internet’s hive mind has been joyfully cataloging other examples of the bot’s faults and frailties. 該機器人看來也很容易被搞糊塗。用一個經典的謎題試試:「一支球棒和一個球總共花費1.10美元。若球棒比球貴1.00美元,那麼球要多少錢」?對於機器人來說不幸的是,ChatGPT以0.10美元這直觀但錯誤的答案做出回應。(正確答案為 0.05美元。)網路的蜂群思維一直在愉快地記錄機器人錯誤及弱點的其他例子。 Such criticism feels misplaced. The fact is, ChatGPT is a remarkable achievement. Not long ago, a conversational bot of such sophistication seemed hopelessly out of reach. As the technology improves — and, crucially, grows more accurate — it seems likely to be a boon for coders, researchers, academics, policymakers, journalists and more, presuming that it doesn’t put them all out of work. Its effect on the knowledge economy could be profound. In previous eras, wars might’ve been fought for access to such a seemingly enchanted tool — and with good reason. 這樣的批評感覺是錯誤的。事實上,ChatGPT是一項了不起的成就。不久前,如此複雜的對話機器人似乎遙不可及。隨著技術的改進——且至關重要的是,它變得更加準確——它似乎有可能成為程式設計師、研究人員、學者、政策制定者、記者等的福音。(假設ChatGPT不會讓他們全都失業。)它對知識經濟的影響可能是深遠的。在過去的時代,戰爭可能是為了獲得這種看似迷人的工具而進行的——而且有充分的理由。Source article: https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/lang/archives/2022/12/13/2003790595

每日英語跟讀 Ep.K494: 線上辭典公布年度詞彙
歡迎留言告訴我們你對這一集的想法: https://open.firstory.me/user/cl81kivnk00dn01wffhwxdg2s/comments 每日英語跟讀 Ep.K494: Dictionary.com announces word of the year: ‘woman’ The Web site Dictionary.com has named its word of the year for 2022: woman. 辭典網站Dictionary.com 選出了2022年之年度詞彙:「woman」(女人)。 In a statement, the Web site said: “Our selection of woman … reflects how the intersection of gender, identity and language dominates the current cultural conversation and shapes much of our work as a dictionary.” The Guardian在一份聲明中表示:「我們選擇『女人』一詞……反映出這性別、身份和語言的交集,是如何在當今的文化對話中佔據主要部分,並形塑了我們字典編纂工作的一大部分」。 It also said: “Searches for the word woman on Dictionary.com spiked significantly multiple times in relation to separate high-profile events, including the moment when a question about the very definition of the word was posed on the national stage.” 它還說:「好幾次在備受關注的個別事件發生後,在Dictionary.com上查詢「woman」一詞的次數顯著增加了,包括那次在國家殿堂要求定義此詞」。 That was a reference to a US Supreme Court confirmation hearing in March, when the nominee, Ketanji Brown Jackson, was asked by Marsha Blackburn, a Republican senator from Tennessee, to define the word woman. 這指的是三月舉行的美國最高法院大法官確認聽證會,來自田納西州的共和黨參議員瑪夏‧布萊克本要求大法官被提名人凱坦吉‧ 布朗‧傑克森為「女人」一詞下定義。 Jackson said: “No I can’t.” 傑克森說:「不,我沒辦法」。 Soon after, Jackson became the first Black woman confirmed to the court. 不久之後,傑克森成為第一位黑人女性大法官。 Searches for woman increased by 1,400 percent after the hearing, Dictionary.com said, the highest spike for the word this year. Dictionary.com表示,在聽證會後,在聽證會後,對「女人」一詞的查詢次數增加了1,400%,這是今年查詢該詞的最高峰。 According to Dictionary.com, the definition of woman is “an adult female person.” 根據Dictionary.com,「woman」一詞的定義為「成年女性」。 Other key moments that led to the word being chosen included the Supreme Court voting to overturn Roe v Wade and thereby revoke the constitutional right to abortion; the death of Queen Elizabeth II; tennis player Serena Williams’ retirement announcement; freedom protests led by women in Iran; and more. 其他讓「woman」一詞雀屏中選的關鍵時刻,還包括最高法院投票推翻羅訴韋德案,而使美國憲法不再保障墮胎權,伊麗莎白二世女王去世、網球運動員小威廉絲宣布退休、伊朗婦女要求自由的抗議活動等等。 Referring to the Supreme Court abortion decision, Dictionary.com said: “Unsurprisingly, it resulted in both polarization and galvanization. That dynamic played out in November’s midterm elections, which upended trends and expectations.” 談到最高法院關於墮胎的裁決,Dictionary.com表示:「不出所料,它導致了兩極分化與激化。這種動能在十一月的期中選舉發揮了作用,顛覆了趨勢及預期。 “The outcome has been attributed in part to an electorate, and particularly women, voting in reaction to the Dobbs ruling. The election also added to the ranks of the nation’s women governors, resulting in what will be a record number of women – 12 – serving as governors in 2023.”Dictionary.com’s senior director of editorial, John Kelly, said that to qualify as word of the year, a word must see “a significant increase in searches” and “capture the major cultural themes and trends in language” for the 12 months in question. 「結果部分歸因於選民,尤其是女性選民,對多布斯訴傑克森婦女健康組織案的裁決做出了反應。此次選舉還增加了全國女性州長的人數,而使2023年擔任州長的女性人數達到創紀錄的十二人」。 Dictionary.com的高級編輯總監約翰‧凱利表示,要成為年度詞彙,該詞必須在十二個月內「檢索次數顯著增加」,並且「捕捉到主要的文化主題及語言趨勢」。 In 2022, shortlisted words included inflation, quiet quitting, democracy, the Ukraine flag emoji and Wordle — the last a popular word game bought by the New York Times.In 2021, Dictionary.com named allyship as its word of the year. Previous words of the year were pandemic (2020), existential (2019), misinformation (2018), complicit (2017), xenophobia (2016), identity (2015), exposure (2014), privacy (2013), bluster (2012), tergiversate (2011), and change (2010). 入圍2022年度詞彙的,還包括inflation(通貨膨脹)、quiet quitting(安靜辭職)、democracy(民主)、烏克蘭國旗表情符號,以及Wordle(被紐約時報收購的一款受歡迎的文字遊戲)。 2021年,Dictionary.com將allyship(盟友關係)一字選為年度詞彙。之前的年度詞彙為2020年的pandemic(大流行病)、2019年的existential(攸關存亡的)、2018年的misinformation(錯誤訊息)、2017年的complicit(共謀)、2016年的xenophobia(仇外心理)、2015年的identity(身份)、2014年的exposure(揭發)、2013年的privacy(隱私)、2012年的bluster(虛張聲勢、咆哮恫嚇)、2011年的tergiversate(變節),以及2010年的change(改變)。Source article: https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/lang/archives/2022/12/20/2003791007

回顧星期天LBS - 英國脫歐相關時事趣聞 All about Brexit
歡迎留言告訴我們你對這一集的想法: https://open.firstory.me/user/cl81kivnk00dn01wffhwxdg2s/comments 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: Brexit ‘done’ at last: Now for the hard part The United Kingdom left the EU on Friday, its most significant change of course since the loss of its empire — and a major blow to 70 years of efforts to forge European unity from the ruins of two world wars. 英國上週五脫離了歐盟,這是自大英帝國解體以來英國最重大的改變,這對自兩次世界大戰廢墟中重建、經七十年整合努力的歐洲來說,也是重大的打擊。 After the numerous twists and turns of a three-and-a-half-year crisis, the final parting is an anticlimax of sorts: Britain steps into the twilight zone of a transition period that preserves membership in all but name until the end of this year. 這場危機歷時三年半、經過無數迂迴曲折,最後的脫歐似乎有些太過平靜:英國進入了過渡期的模糊地帶,雖名義上已脫離歐盟,但到年底前這段過渡期仍享有原先歐盟成員國之待遇。 At a stroke, the EU will lose 15 percent of its economy, its biggest military spender and the world’s international financial capital — London. “This is the moment when the dawn breaks and the curtain goes up on a new act,” said UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson, one of the leaders of the “Leave” campaign in the 2016 referendum. “It is a moment of real national renewal and change.” 英國一脫歐,歐盟即會損失百分之十五的經濟、其最大的軍事開支國,以及國際金融重鎮──倫敦。 英國首相波里斯‧強生說:「這是黎明破曉、揭開新篇章的時刻」,強生曾是二○一六年公投中「脫歐」派的領導人之一。「這是真正的民族復興與變革的一刻。」 DISUNITED KINGDOM The EU cautioned that leaving meant losing the benefits of membership, though the US said Britons wanted to escape the “tyranny of Brussels.” While Britons either side of the Brexit (a portmanteau of “British” and “exit”) divide expressed either sadness or delight. 國內嚴重的分歧 歐盟警告說,英國脫歐意味失去歐盟成員國所享有的利益,雖然美國表示英國人想逃離「布魯塞爾的暴政」。而對於脫歐,英國贊成與反對的兩方皆表達出其喜與悲。〔「Brexit」(英國脫歐)一字為「Britain」與「 exit」所合成。〕 For proponents

15Mins Live Podcast - 換句話說系列 – 聰明與笨的其他說法 Other ways to say “Clever” and “Stupid”
歡迎留言告訴我們你對這一集的想法: https://open.firstory.me/user/cl81kivnk00dn01wffhwxdg2s/comments 主題: 換句話說系列 – 聰明與笨的其他說法Other ways to say “Clever” and “Stupid” Other ways to say: SMART Clever 聰明的 Example: My sister has always been the clever one in our family. Bright (informal) 聰慧的 Example: I was convinced that he was brighter than average. Intelligent 高智商的 Example: Surely an intelligent person like you can deal with this. Brilliant 傑出的 Example: He was a brilliant scientist. Canny 精明的 Example: He was far too canny to risk giving himself away. Brainy (informal) 聰明(高智商/靈活) Example: Sarah is beautiful and brainy. No/nobody's fool 不傻 Example: Her eyes shone with intelligence: she was nobody's fool. Other ways to say: STUPID Dumb 笨 Example: Are they brave or just dumb? Silly 傻(不明智) Example: It sounds a bit silly to me. Foolish 愚蠢的 Example: It would be foolish to change your mind now. Idiotic 笨蛋行為 Example: Stop asking idiotic questions! Thick (informal) 腦筋不靈活 Example: He's rich, but a bit thick. Daft 愚蠢的 (英式) Example: I think it's a daft idea. Dorky (informal) 呆呆的 Example: She's always being embarrassed by her dorky cousins. 分享時間:Tell a personal experience related to clever and stupidPick 4 words and make sentence

每日英語跟讀 Ep.K493: About Germany - 公牛搶劫案求援與關閉室友呼吸器被捕
歡迎留言告訴我們你對這一集的想法: https://open.firstory.me/user/cl81kivnk00dn01wffhwxdg2s/comments 每日英語跟讀 Ep.K493: About Germany - German police seek help in solving bull sperm heist Police in western Germany are appealing for help in cracking a potentially very cold case. 德國西部警方正呼籲幫助破獲一宗可能非常難解的懸案。 Authorities say about 60 containers of bull sperm were stolen from a farm in the town of Olfen, 90 kilometers northeast of Cologne, late Monday or early Tuesday. 當局說,週一晚間或週二早上有大約60箱公牛精液從位於科隆東北方90公里的奧爾芬鎮一處農場被偷了。 Police said in a statement Wednesday that while it’s unclear how the rustle happened, the precious cargo needs to be supercooled with liquid nitrogen at –196 Celsius degrees so it isn’t spoiled. 警方週三在一份聲明中說道,雖還不清楚整件事如何偷偷進行,但這批珍貴的貨物需以液態氮過冷到攝氏零下196度,以免變質作廢。 They are seeking tips from the public that might lead to the recovery of the sperm, which was intended for artificial insemination. 他們正向公眾尋求可能找回這些原本打算用於人工授精的精液線索。 Next Article German woman arrested for shutting roommate’s ventilator 德國女子因關閉室友的人工呼吸器被捕 A 72-year-old woman has been arrested after she allegedly switched off a hospital roommate’s ventilator - twice - because she was annoyed by the sound it made, authorities in Germany said Thursday. 德國當局週四表示,一名72歲女子據稱關掉醫院同房病人一台人工呼吸器2次,因為她被它製造的聲音惹惱,隨後被捕。 The woman was jailed on suspicion of attempted manslaughter following the incident at a hospital in the southwestern city of Mannheim on Tuesday evening. 在這起週二晚間發生於西南部曼海姆市一家醫院的事件後,這名女子因涉嫌殺人未遂罪入獄。 Police and prosecutors said in a statement that the suspect is alleged to have switched off a 79-year-old woman’s ventilator and, despite then being told by staff that it was vital for the patient, switched it off again later in the evening. 警方和檢察官在聲明中說,這名嫌犯據稱關掉一名79歲婦女的人工呼吸器,儘管職員後來告知,那對這名病人非常重要,她在稍後晚間又關了一次。 The older patient had to be revived and, while her life is not in danger, still requires intensive care, authorities said. 當局說,那位比較年長的病人必須使其甦醒,雖然沒有生命危險,但仍需要加護照顧。 The suspect was brought before a judge on Wednesday and taken to jail. 這名嫌犯週三被送交法官並關進大牢。Source article: https://features.ltn.com.tw/english/article/paper/1556133 ; https://features.ltn.com.tw/english/article/paper/1554828

每日英語跟讀 Ep.K492: About Japan - 默剪理髮服務與療養院招娉嬰兒
歡迎留言告訴我們你對這一集的想法: https://open.firstory.me/user/cl81kivnk00dn01wffhwxdg2s/comments 每日英語跟讀 Ep.K492: About Japan - Covid-Inspired ‘Silent Cut Haircutting Service Gains Popularity in Japan Devised by a Tokyo hair salon during the Covid-19 pandemic to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, the ‘Silent Cut’ service is becoming increasingly popular in Japan. 在武漢肺炎(Covid-19)疫情期間,日本東京一家髮廊為防止病毒傳播而推出「無聲剪髮」服務,在日本愈來愈受歡迎。 As a way of curbing the spread of the coronavirus during the Covid-19 pandemic, authorities in Japan started promoting “no conversation” or “less conversation” policies in schools, shops and supermarkets. One Tokyo salon decided to implement the ‘silent cut’ service and it proved so popular that others quickly followed suit. 做為在Covid-19大流行期間遏制冠狀病毒傳播的一種方式,日本當局開始提倡在學校、商店和超市「不交談」或「少交談」。東京一家髮廊決定實施「無聲剪髮」服務。事實證明,這項服務非常受歡迎,其他髮廊也紛紛跟進。 As it turns out, hairstylists prefer the silent cut as well, with many claiming that they were taught to chat up clients in their apprenticeship. 事實證明,髮型師也更喜歡無聲剪髮,許多髮型師表示,他們在學徒期間需要學習如何與客人搭訕。 Next Article We’re hiring: Babies wanted for Japan nursing home 我們正在招聘:日本療養院需要嬰兒 A nursing home in southern Japan is “hiring” babies for a very important job — to keep its elderly residents company and make them smile. 日本南部一間療養院正在招聘嬰兒,擔任非常重要的職位──陪伴年長居民、讓他們開心。 A job advert pinned to the wall informs would-be workers they will be compensated for their services in diapers and powdered milk. 一個釘在牆上的工作廣告告知未來的員工,他們將會收到尿布和配方奶做為服務報酬。 New recruits at the facility in Kitakyushu must be under four years old, and their guardians have to sign a contract stipulating that the babies and toddlers can show up for work “whenever they feel like it.” 這間北九州機構的新成員必須小於4歲,而且他們的監護人必須簽署一份合約,明文規定嬰兒和學步幼童可以依照他們的意願,想上班的時候再出現。 More than 30 babies have been signed up so far, tasked with lifting the spirits of more than 100 residents who are mostly in their 80s. 至今已有超過30名嬰兒報名,他們被賦予提升逾百名居民興致的任務,這些居民大多超過80歲。Source article: https://features.ltn.com.tw/english/article/paper/1555385

精選詞彙播客 Vocab Ep.148: 十大聖誕交換禮品 Most common Christmas gifts for exchange in Taiwan
歡迎留言告訴我們你對這一集的想法: https://open.firstory.me/user/cl81kivnk00dn01wffhwxdg2s/comments Summary: Christmas is closing in and your friends want to organize a gift exchange party. So, what should you get? In this episode, Angel and I discuss our favorite lunch spot and what we eat and don't eat. What is your favorite dish from Bafang? Comment down below! Vocabulary: 1. Regift v. 轉送 In most cultures, it is impolite to regift a gift that was given to you. 在多數文化裡,轉送人家送你的禮物是不禮貌的。 2. Bath hamper n. 沐浴套組 Bath hampers are very common gifts amongst ladies. 沐浴套組是女性們常送的禮品。 3. Gag gift n. 搞笑禮物 Christmas toilet paper (TP) roll is a classic gag gift. 聖誕衛生紙捲是經典的耶誕搞笑禮物。 更多Vocab Podcast節目: https://www.15mins.today/vocab 歡迎主題投稿/意見回覆 : [email protected] 商業合作/贊助來信:[email protected]

每日英語跟讀 Ep.K491: FTX閃電破產 慈善業前景黯淡 FTX’s Collapse Casts a Pall on a Philanthropy Movement
歡迎留言告訴我你對這一集的想法: https://open.firstory.me/user/cl81kivnk00dn01wffhwxdg2s/comments 每日英語跟讀 Ep.K491: FTX’s Collapse Casts a Pall on a Philanthropy Movement In short order, the extraordinary collapse of the cryptocurrency exchange FTX has vaporized billions of dollars of customer deposits, prompted investigations by law enforcement and destroyed the fortune and reputation of the company’s founder and CEO, Sam Bankman-Fried. 加密貨幣交易所FTX崩盤,短時間內讓客戶數十億美元存款蒸發,促使執法部門展開調查,並摧毀該公司創辦人兼執行長班克曼佛瑞德的財富與名聲。 It has also dealt a significant blow to the corner of philanthropy known as effective altruism, a philosophy that advocates applying data and evidence to doing the most good for the many and that is deeply tied to Bankman-Fried, one of its leading proponents and donors. Now nonprofits are scrambling to replace millions in grant commitments from Bankman-Fried’s charitable vehicles, including the FTX Future Fund, whose grant recipients’ work includes pandemic preparedness and artificial intelligence safety. 此事還嚴重打擊被稱為「有效利他主義」的慈善領域,這種哲學主張利用數據與證據為大多數人帶來最大益處,與其主要支持者和捐贈者之一班克曼佛瑞德密切相關。現在,非營利組織正忙著找錢,取代班克曼佛瑞德旗下慈善工具的數百萬美元贈款承諾,其中包括FTX未來基金。該基金的贈款接受者工作項目包括流行病防範與人工智慧安全。 Through a nonprofit called Building a Stronger Future, Bankman-Fried also gave to groups including news organizations ProPublica, Vox and the Intercept. 透過一個名叫「建設更強大未來」的非營利組織,班克曼佛瑞德還捐款給ProPublica、Vox和「攔截」等新聞機構。 In a note to staff members Friday, ProPublica’s president, Robin Sparkman, and editor-in-chief, Stephen Engelberg, wrote that the remaining two-thirds of a $5 million grant for reporting on pandemic preparedness and biothreats were on hold. “Building a Stronger Future is assessing its finances and, concurrently, talking to other funders about taking on some of its grant portfolio,” they wrote. 在周五寫給員工的一份通知中,ProPublica總裁史帕克曼及總編輯恩格伯格寫道,用於報導疫情防範和生物威脅的500萬美元贈款,剩下三分之二已遭擱置,「『建設更強大未來』正評估其財務狀況,並跟其他金主討論承擔其部分資助組合」。 Bankman-Fried’s fall from grace may have cost effective altruist causes billions of dollars in future donations. For a relatively young movement that was wrestling over its growth and focus, such a high-profile scandal implicating one of the group’s most famous proponents represents a significant setback. 班克曼佛瑞德的沉淪,恐讓有效利他主義事業未來的捐款損失數十億美元。對一個相對年輕的運動來說,它正努力發展壯大和集中精力,如此引人矚目的醜聞牽涉到該團體最知名支持者之一,這代表著一個重大的挫折。 Effective altruism focuses on the question of how individuals can do as much good as possible with the money and time available to them. 有效利他主義關注的是,個人如何利用自己的金錢和時間盡可能多多行善。 In a few short years, effective altruism went from a somewhat obscure corner of charity favored by philosophy students and social workers to a leading approach to philanthropy for an increasingly powerful cohort of millennial and Gen-Z givers, including Silicon Valley programmers and hedge fund analysts. 有效利他主義在短短幾年內,從哲學系學生跟社會工作者青睞的慈善領域中一個鮮為人知角落,變成一個日益強大的千禧世代與Z世代捐贈群體做慈善的主要方式,包括矽谷程式工程師與避險基金分析師在內。 Facebook and Asana co-founder Dustin Moskovitz and his wife, Cari Tuna, have said they are devoting much of their fortune to effective altruist causes. 臉書與Asana共同創辦人莫斯科維茨及妻子卡莉.圖納表示,他們將把大部分財富用於有效利他主義事業。 “I don’t know yet how we’ll repair the damage Sam did and harden EA against other bad actors,” Moskovitz wrote in a tweet Saturday. “But I know that we’re going to try, because the stakes remain painfully high.” 莫斯科維茨周六發推文說:「我還不知道我們將怎樣補救山姆造成的傷害,並強化有效利他主義對抗其他壞人,但我知道我們會嘗試,因為一旦失敗風險高到令人痛苦。」Source article: https://udn.com/news/story/6904/6793867

每日英語跟讀 Ep.K490: 英國經濟危機嚴重 開始後悔脫歐 In Slumping U.K., Feelings Of ‘Bregret’ Toward Brexit
歡迎留言告訴我們你對這一集的想法: https://open.firstory.me/user/cl81kivnk00dn01wffhwxdg2s/comments 每日英語跟讀 Ep.K490: In Slumping U.K., Feelings Of ‘Bregret’ Toward Brexit Six and a half years after voting to leave the European Union, three years after the formal departure, two years after signing a post-Brexit trade deal with Brussels and one month after installing its fourth prime minister since the 2016 referendum, Britain is caught in — what else? — another debate over Brexit. 公投脫歐6年半後、正式脫歐3年後、與布魯塞爾簽署脫歐後貿易協議2年後,以及任命2016年公投以來第四任首相滿月後,英國正陷入,還會有別的嗎?另一場關於英國脫歐的辯論。 Brexit may be in the history books, but “Bregret,” as the British newspapers have called it, is back in the air. 英國脫歐可能已載入史冊,但英國報紙所說的「後悔脫歐」又重新浮上水面。 The cause of the remorse is clear: Britain’s economic crisis, which is the gravest in a generation and worse than those of its European neighbors. Not all — or even most — of the problems are because of Brexit, but Britain’s vexed trade relationship with the rest of Europe indisputably plays a role. That makes it a ripe target for an anxious public casting about for something to blame. 後悔的原因很明顯是英國的經濟危機,這是一個世代以來最嚴重的一次,比歐洲鄰國情況還要糟。並非所有問題都因為英國脫歐,甚至大部分問題都不是,但英國跟歐洲其他國家之間棘手的貿易關係,無疑發揮了一定作用。這讓它成為焦慮民眾追究責任的現成目標。 The latest eruption of this never-ending drama began last week with an opinion poll that showed support for Brexit had fallen to its lowest level yet. Only 32% of those surveyed in the poll, by the firm YouGov, said that they thought leaving the European Union was a good idea; 56% said it was a mistake. 這場永無止盡的鬧劇最近一次上演是在上星期,一項民調顯示英國脫歐支持率已降至最低水位。根據YouGov公司民調,僅32%受訪者認為離開歐盟是個好主意,56%的人則稱這是個錯誤。 The Brexit second-guessing grew louder this week, after The Sunday Times of London published a report that Prime Minister Rishi Sunak was considering pursuing a closer arrangement with the European Union, modeled on that of Switzerland. The Swiss have access to the single market and fewer border checks, in return for paying into the bloc’s coffers and accepting some of its rules. 質疑英國脫歐的聲浪本周變得更大,因為倫敦的《周日泰晤士報》刊出報導稱英相蘇納克正考慮仿效瑞士,跟歐盟建立更緊密關係。瑞士能進入歐洲單一市場和享有較少邊境檢查,代價是必須付款給歐盟並接受歐盟一些規範。 Sunak quickly shot down the report, which was attributed to “senior government sources.” 蘇納克迅速駁斥這篇宣稱來自「政府高層消息人士」的報導。 “Under my leadership,” Sunak told business executives Monday, “the United Kingdom will not pursue any relationship with Europe that relies on alignment with EU laws.” 蘇納克周一告訴企業主管表示:「在我的領導下,英國不會尋求與歐洲建立任何仰賴於遵守歐盟法律的關係。」 “I voted for Brexit, I believe in Brexit,” Sunak added. “I know that Brexit can deliver, and is already delivering, enormous benefits and opportunities for the country.” 蘇納克還說:「我投票支持英國脫歐,我相信脫歐。我知道英國脫歐能夠實現,且已在為我國帶來巨大利益和機會。」 While nobody is predicting that Britain will seek to rejoin the European Union, political analysts said that the Sunday Times report, on top of the dismal economic data and growing popular sentiment against Brexit, would open a fresh chapter in Britain’s search for a new relationship with the rest of Europe. Where that would lead, they cautioned, was impossible to predict. 雖然沒人預測英國將尋求重新加入歐盟,但政治分析人士表示,《周日泰晤士報》的報導,加上黯淡經濟數據及日益高漲的反對脫歐民眾情緒,將為英國開啟尋求與歐洲其他國家建立新關係的篇章。他們提醒說,這將導致什麼結果無法預測。Source article: https://udn.com/news/story/6904/6811142

回顧星期天LBS - 世界經濟相關時事趣聞 All about 2021 World Economy
歡迎留言告訴我們你對這一集的想法: https://open.firstory.me/user/cl81kivnk00dn01wffhwxdg2s/comments Topic: Surging shipping rates pose new headwind for the global economy Shocks to supply chains are engulfing a wider swath of the global economy as the pandemic rages on, threatening to stifle Asia’s trade-led recovery just as soaring freight rates make it harder for businesses to weather another year like 2020. 疫情肆虐,衝擊供應鏈,全球經濟受創幅度加巨;高昂的運費,讓企業更難再熬過如二○二○年般艱難的一年,以貿易為主導之亞洲經濟,復甦之路恐窒礙難行。 Shortages of consumer goods like paper towels and work-from-home gear early in the COVID-19 crisis have given way to parts shortfalls in one of the most globally integrated of industries: auto manufacturing. 武漢肺炎(新型冠狀病毒病,COVID-19)危機初期的紙巾與在家工作用品等消費品之短缺,已轉為汽車製造業的零件短缺──造車業為全球整合程度最高的工業之一。 Compounding the industrial imbalances are transport woes plaguing consumer and healthcare sectors still dealing with a dearth of available shipping containers to move components and finished products out of China, Taiwan, South Korea and Asia’s other export powers. 消費與醫療保健業所面臨之運輸困難,使工業的失衡狀況加劇──由於貨櫃短缺,零組件及製成品很難由中國、台灣、韓國及亞洲其他出口大國運出。 Nerijus Poskus, vice president for global ocean at San Francisco-based freight forwarder Flexport Inc, reckons the world needs the equivalent of 500,000 more 20-foot containers — roughly enough to fill 25 of the largest ships in operation — to satisfy the current demand. In the meantime, standard container rates on transpacific routes are quadruple what they were a year ago. And that is before equipment surcharges and premiums for guaranteed loading are added. 總部設於舊金山的運輸公司「飛協博」全球海洋副總裁奈瑞尤斯‧帕司克斯估計,若要滿足當前需求,全世界需要再增加五十萬個二十呎貨櫃──大約可裝滿二十五艘目前最大的船舶。而且現在跨太平洋航線的標準貨櫃運價是一年前的四倍,這還不包括設備附加費及保證裝載的額外費用。 “Anyone paying the freight bills in 2020 though knows the true cost of shipping is much higher than even the recently increased rates,” Poskus said. “We expect that to only increase in 2021.” 「雖然在二○二○年支付運費的人都知道,真正的運輸成本甚至比最近上漲的運費還要高」,帕司克斯表示。「我們預計在二○二一年只會繼續上漲」。 The unstoppable rise in container shipping costs is borne out by December figures recently announced by Taiwan’s three major shipping companies — Evergreen Marine Corp, Yang Ming Marine Transport Corp and Wan Hai Lines Ltd — which saw a record-breaking year-on-year surge of revenue at 58.8 percent, 35.19 percent and 75.71 percent respectively. 貨櫃海運運價一路走高,勢不可擋,台灣貨櫃三雄──長榮、陽明、萬海──近日公布二○二○年十二月營收,分別年增百分之五十八點八、百分之三十五點一九、百分之七十五點七一,皆同步創下歷史新高。 Source article: https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/lang/archives/2021/01/18/2003750759 Next Article Topic: The world is dependent on Taiwan for semiconductors As China pushes the world to avoid official dealings with Taiwan, leaders across the globe are realizing just how dependent they have become on the island democracy. 中國迫使世界斷絕與台灣的正式往來,此時全球的領導人卻了解到,他們對這民主島國的依賴程度已如此之深。 Taiwan is being courted for its capacity to make leading-edge computer chips. That is mostly down to Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC), the world’s largest foundry and go-to producer of chips for Apple Inc smartphones, artificial intelligence and high-performance computing. 台灣以其製造先進電腦晶片的能力而備受青睞。這主要歸功於台灣積體電路製造公司﹝簡稱台積電﹞。台積電是全球最大的晶圓代工廠,也是蘋果公司智慧型手機、人工智慧及高效能運算晶片的首選製造商。 Taiwan’s role in the world economy largely existed below the radar until it came to recent prominence as the auto industry suffered shortfalls in chips used for everything from parking sensors to reducing emissions. With carmakers including Germany’s Volkswagen AG, Ford Motor Co of the US and Japan’s Toyota Motor Corp forced to halt production and idle plants, Taiwan’s importance has suddenly become too big to ignore. 台灣在世界經濟中的角色大多不為人所注意,直到最近由於汽車工業的晶片短缺(由倒車雷達至減少排放等皆須用到晶片),台灣才成為全世界眾所矚目之地。包括德國福斯汽車、美國福特汽車及日本豐田汽車在內的汽車製造商被迫停止生產、將工廠閒置,台灣的重要性因此也突然變得不可忽視。 That is not to say Taiwan is the only player in the semiconductor supply chain. The US still holds dominant positions, notably in chip design and electronic software tools; ASML Holding NV of the Netherlands has a monopoly on the machines needed to fabricate the best chips; Japan is a key supplier of equipment, chemicals and wafers. 這並不是說台灣是半導體供應鏈中的唯一角色。美國仍居主導地位,特別是在晶片設計和電子軟體工具方面;製造最佳晶片所需之機器是由荷蘭的艾司摩爾所壟斷;日本則是設備、化學品和晶圓的主要供應國。 However, as the emphasis shifts to ever smaller, more powerful chips that require less energy, TSMC is increasingly in a field of its own. It has also helped Taiwan form a comprehensive ecosystem around it: ASE Technology Holding is the world’s top chip assembler, while MediaTek has become the largest smartphone chipset vendor. 但是,隨著重點轉移到體積更小、功能更強大且用電更少的晶片上,台積電便愈發自成體系。台積電也幫助台灣建構了一個全面的生態系統,以台積電為中心:日月光是世界頂尖的晶片封測廠,而聯發科技已成為智慧型手機晶片組最大的供應商。 A big worry is that TSMC’s chip factories could become collateral damage if China were to make good on threats to invade Taiwan if it moves toward independence. 一大隱憂是,若台灣邁向獨立、中國果真入侵台灣,則台積電晶片廠恐受牽連,成為附帶損害。 “Taiwan is the center of gravity of Chinese security policy,” said Mathieu Duchatel, director of the Asia program at the Institut Montaigne in Paris. Preserving the world’s most advanced fabs “is in the interests of everyone.” 「台灣是中國安全政策的重中之重」,

15Mins Live Podcast - 跟讀挑戰 – 世界第一台積電與光陽電動車 iPhone makes TSMC No.1 and Ionex to unseat Gogoro
歡迎留言告訴我們你對這一集的想法: https://open.firstory.me/user/cl81kivnk00dn01wffhwxdg2s/comments 主題: 跟讀挑戰 – 世界第一台積電與光陽電動車 iPhone makes TSMC No.1 and Ionex to unseat Gogoro 摘取文章:https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/biz/archives/2022/12/12/2003790546 https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/biz/archives/2022/12/09/2003790373 iPhone orders lift TSMC market share TSMC’s market share rose to 56.1 percent from 53.4 percent in the previous quarter, TrendForce, the Taipei-based market information advisory firm said. 總部位於台北的市場調查公司 TrendForce 表示,台積電的市場份額從上一季度的 53.4% 上升至 56.1%。 Its sales rose 11.1 percent from the second quarter to US$20.16 billion in the third quarter after Apple released its latest iPhone 14 series in September. 在蘋果於 9 月發布其最新款 iPhone 14 系列後,其第三季度銷售額較第二季度增長 11.1% 至 201.6 億美元。 TSMC is reportedly the sole supplier of the A16 processor used in the iPhone 14 series. 據報導,台積電是 iPhone 14 系列中使用的 A16 處理器的唯一供應商。 In the third quarter, TSMC’s 7-nanometer process and more advanced technologies accounted for 54 percent of its total revenue. 第三季度,台積電的 7 納米工藝和更先進的技術佔其總收入的 54%。 Kwang Yang looking to unseat Gogoro by 2024 Kwang Yang Motor Co (光陽工業) aims to unseat Gogoro Inc (睿能創意) as the nation’s No. 1 electric scooter vendor by 2024 on the back of rising brand awareness among consumers, company chairman Allen Ko told a media gathering on Wednesday. Kwang Yang Motor Co(光陽工業)董事長 Allen Ko 在周三的一次媒體聚會上表示,在消費者品牌知名度不斷提高的背景下,光陽工業的目標是到 2024 年取代 Gogoro Inc(睿能創意)成為全國第一大電動機車供應商。 The company outsold its closest rival Aeon Motor Co (宏佳騰) in September and last month, becoming the second-biggest electric scooter vendor in Taiwan with a market share of 11.7 percent last month and 17 percent so far this month, thanks to robust sales of its new Ionex Air model, it said. 該公司在 9 月和上個月的銷量超過了其最接近的競爭對手宏佳騰,成為台灣第二大電動踏板車供應商,上月和本月迄今的市場份額分別為 11.7% 和 17%,這得益於強勁的銷售 其新的 Ionex Air 模型。 The company’s fully owned Ionex Taiwan Co (台灣光捷) is responsible for producing and selling Ionex-brand electric scooters. Kwang Yang also operates its own battery swapping system, called Ionex. 該公司全資擁有的 Ionex Taiwan Co(台灣光捷)負責生產和銷售 Ionex 品牌電動滑板車。 Kwang Yang 還運營著自己的電池更換系統,稱為 Ionex。 The company expects to deploy about 2,000 battery-swapping stations this year and more next year. 該公司預計今年將部署約 2,000 個電池交換站,明年將部署更多。 About 6,000 people have purchased Ionex scooters since the system’s launch in 2018, Ko said. Ko 說,自該系統於 2018 年推出以來,已有約 6,000 人購買了 Ionex 滑板車 分享時間 Do you use an iPhone? What are the names of the chips used?Have you ridden an electric scooter before?

每日英語跟讀 Ep.K489: About running - 英國男子24小時橫越愛爾蘭與跑步可降癌症機率
歡迎留言告訴我們你對這一集的想法: https://open.firstory.me/user/cl81kivnk00dn01wffhwxdg2s/comments 每日英語跟讀 Ep.K489: About running - British man runs the width of Ireland in under 24 hours Ultramarathon runner Robert Pope of Liverpool, England, drank a pint of Guinness right before setting off on the run that would make him the first person to successfully run the width of Ireland in under 24 hours. 來自英格蘭利物浦的超級馬拉松跑者羅伯特.波普,在喝了一品脫的健力士啤酒後邁步起跑,最後成為在24小時內成功跑完愛爾蘭國土寬度路程的第一人。 44-year-old Pope ran from Galway City on Ireland’s west coast to the capital Dublin in just 23 hours and 39 minutes. 44歲的波普從愛爾蘭西岸戈爾韋市啟程,僅花費23小時39分就抵達首都都柏林。 He ran a total of 133.5 miles and celebrated with a second pint of Guinness. 他總共跑了133.5英哩,抵達後又喝了一品脫的健力士啤酒加以慶祝。 Pope said the project was born out of a conversation he had with some fellow runners at an event in Britain. 波普說,這項計畫是某次在英國一場路跑活動上與其他跑者聊天時誕生的。 "I gave myself a 40 percent chance of actually pulling it off. I actually was surprised when I just couldn’t find any record of anyone having done it." 「我覺得我大概有40%的機率可以圓滿達成。我其實很驚訝以前竟然沒有人創下這個紀錄。」 Next article 以色列科學家發現,跑步可將患某些癌症的機率降低72% Running reduces chance of some cancers by 72%, Israeli scientists find People who regularly run or engage in other aerobic exercise cut their chance of developing some cancers by 72 percent, according to research from Tel Aviv University 根據特拉維夫大學的研究,經常跑步或從事其他有氧運動的人,罹患某些癌症的機率降低了72%。 Aerobic exercise makes some organs so efficient at grabbing sugar that is in the body that tumors are left starved of glucose, and often unable to grow and spread, the peer-reviewed study published last week suggested. 上週發表、經過同儕審查的研究表明,有氧運動使一些器官有效吸收體內糖分,以至於腫瘤缺乏葡萄糖,往往無法生長和擴散。 It focused on metastatic cancer, meaning cancer that has spread from its original location in the body. Researchers believe there are also strong benefits in preventing primary tumors, but focused on metastatic cancer as it is Israel’s leading cause of death. 該研究專注於轉移性癌症,即從體內原位擴散的癌症。研究人員認為,對於預防原發性腫瘤也有很大好處,但重點是轉移性癌症,因為它是以色列的主要死因。Source article: https://features.ltn.com.tw/english/article/paper/1554468 ; https://features.ltn.com.tw/english/article/paper/1555202

每日英語跟讀 Ep.K488: About San Francisco - 允許警方使用致命機器人與雇用鳥類嚇跑鴿子
歡迎留言告訴我們你對這一集的想法: https://open.firstory.me/user/cl81kivnk00dn01wffhwxdg2s/comments 每日英語跟讀 Ep.K488: About San Francisco - San Francisco Considers Allowing Use of Deadly Robots by Police The San Francisco police could use robots to deploy lethal force under a policy advanced by city supervisors on Tuesday that thrust the city into the forefront of a national debate about the use of weaponized robots in American cities. 根據舊金山市監事會週二提出的一項政策,舊金山警方可以使用機器人來部署致命武力,一舉把舊金山推向關於在美國城市使用武器化機器人的全國性辯論的風口浪尖。 In 2016, the Dallas Police Department ended a standoff with a gunman suspected of killing five officers by blowing him up with a bomb attached to a robot in what was believed to be the first lethal use of the technology by an American law enforcement agency. 在2016年,達拉斯警察局結束了與一名涉嫌殺害5名警察的槍手的對峙,就是利用一具綁上炸彈的機器人將其炸死,咸認這是美國執法機關對該技術的首次致命使用。 Supporters of the policy, advanced by the San Francisco Board of Supervisors by an 8-to-3 vote, said it would allow the police to deploy a robot with deadly force in extraordinary circumstances, such as when a mass shooter or a terrorist is threatening the lives of officers or civilians. 由舊金山市監事會以8比3的投票通過的該政策的支持者說,這將允許警方在極端情況下部署致命武力機器人,例如當一名大規模濫射槍手或是一名恐怖份子正在威脅警察或平民的生命時。 To become law, the policy must be approved again by the board — which is slated to consider it on Dec. 6 — and be signed by Mayor London Breed, a Democrat who has expressed support for the proposal. 要成為法律,這項政策必須再次獲得監事會通過,預定在12月6日審議,然後由市長倫敦.布里德簽署。他是民主黨人,曾表示支持該提案。 Next Article San Francisco metro system hires bird of prey to scare pigeons away舊金山捷運系統雇用鳥類天敵嚇跑鴿子 Metro system riders in California’s San Francisco Bay Area may have noticed a new station guard in recent months. 加州舊金山灣區捷運系統乘客近幾個月可能已經注意到一位新的車站守衛。 A 5-year-old Harris’s hawk named Pac-Man has taken up the perch at El Cerrito del Norte station, where he’s on the look out - not for fare evaders, but pigeons. 一隻名叫小精靈的5歲栗翅鷹佔據北艾爾賽里托車站的棲木,牠在那裡正搜尋著-不是逃票者,而是鴿子。 Ricky Ortiz, a falconer, began patrolling with the bird at the station this summer, contracting with the Bay Area Rapid Transit system, or BART, to keep the pigeons at bay and protect commuters from pigeon poop. 獵鷹訓練師瑞奇.歐提茲,今年夏天開始帶著這隻鳥在車站巡邏,他和舊金山灣區捷運系統(BART)簽約,來阻止鴿子並保護通勤者免受鴿糞波及。 The team patrols three days a week, starting their day at the bottom level entrance before scoping out the platforms, scaring away any pigeons who are resting on a ledge or on the interior scaffolding of the station. 這組團隊一週巡邏3次,每天從最底層的入口開始,然後再仔細查看月台,嚇跑停留在窗台或是車站室內鷹架的任何一隻鴿子。 "There was probably less than half of the pigeons here after the week of us flying," so far Ortiz has noticed a big difference and said. 目前為止,歐提茲注意到一個很大的差別並說,「小精靈在這裡巡邏一週之後,鴿子數量可能已不到一半」。Source article: https://features.ltn.com.tw/english/article/paper/1555023 ; https://features.ltn.com.tw/english/article/paper/1553771

精選詞彙播客 Vocab Ep.147: 哪裡吃財富自由餐? Where can you dine and experience financial freedom?
歡迎留言告訴我們你對這一集的想法: https://open.firstory.me/user/cl81kivnk00dn01wffhwxdg2s/comments Summary: In the business districts of Taipei, you can always see a red and yellow sign that attracts the attention and foot traffic of the working class. Bafang has been a lunch and dinner staple for many Taiwanese people. Their signature potstickers and dumplings are now available across the globe. In this episode, Angel and I discuss our favorite lunch spot and what we eat and don't eat. What is your favorite dish from Bafang? Comment down below! Vocabulary: 1. Go-to adj. 必須去/必須找 Bafang is my go-to restaurant for an affordable meal. 八方是我必吃的實惠餐廳。 2. Pair v. 搭配(食物) At first I couldn't understand why dumplings are paired with soymilk, but I later began to enjoy it. 一開始我不能理解為何豆漿是配水餃,不過我後來就開始享受這個的搭配了。 3. Potsticker n. 煎餃 Angel does not like the residual smell of leek potstickers in one's breath. Angel不喜歡韭菜鍋貼殘留的口氣。 更多Vocab Podcast節目: https://www.15mins.today/vocab 歡迎主題投稿/意見回覆 : [email protected] 商業合作/贊助來信:[email protected]

每日英語跟讀 Ep.K487: 政治足球:世界盃賽場上的戰爭與和平
歡迎留言告訴我們你對這一集的想法: https://open.firstory.me/user/cl81kivnk00dn01wffhwxdg2s/comments 每日英語跟讀 Ep.K487: Political football: War and peace by other means at the World Cup As Iran prepares to play diplomatic arch-rivals the US in the World Cup today, AFP looks at how geopolitics have spilled onto the pitch in previous World Cups: 伊朗準備在今天的世界盃足球賽跟外交宿敵美國交手,法新社檢視過去的世足賽,看看地緣政治如何蔓延到球場上: Mussolini’s ‘Blackshirts’: France v Italy, 1938 墨索里尼的「黑衫軍」:法國對義大利,1938年 Just a year before World War II broke out, defending champions Italy arrived in France with politics taking center stage in their clash with the hosts. Championed by Italy’s then-leader, fascist dictator Benito Mussolini, the team were booed when they came onto the pitch at the stadium near Paris. Undeterred, the Italians gave the fascist salute to the crowd and played in black shirts, a nod to the uniform worn by Mussolini’s notorious “Blackshirts” militia. Italy won the clash 3-1 and went on to win the competition. 就在第二次世界大戰爆發前一年,衛冕者義大利隊抵達法國,在與主辦國的衝突中,政治佔據了中心位置。義大利隊受當時義大利領導人、法西斯獨裁者貝尼托‧墨索里尼所支持,他們在巴黎近郊的球場上場時,被喝倒采。 義大利隊沒被嚇倒,向群眾行了法西斯式的敬禮,並身穿黑衣出賽,這是向墨索里尼臭名昭著的「黑衫軍」民兵制服致敬。 義大利以3-1擊敗法國,且之後贏得了冠軍。 Maradona’s moment: England v Argentina, 1986 馬拉度納的時刻:英格蘭對阿根廷,1986年 This highly charged clash took place in Mexico four years after Argentina’s defeat to Britain in the Falklands War. To the joy of their fans, Argentina took symbolic revenge, winning the quarter-final 2-1 with Diego Maradona scoring twice. His first goal was the infamous “Hand of God” goal, in which he punched the ball past England goalkeeper Peter Shilton. Then a superb solo effort dubbed the goal of the century sealed victory. “It was a final for us. It was not about winning a match, it was about eliminating the English,” Maradona said. 這場發生在墨西哥的激烈衝突,是阿根廷在福克蘭戰爭敗給英國四年後。 令阿根廷球迷欣喜的是,阿根廷隊進行了象徵性的報復,在八強賽中以2-1擊敗英格蘭,迪亞哥‧馬拉度納進了兩球。他的第一個進球便是聲名狼藉的「上帝之手」進球──他用手擊球,讓球越過英格蘭守門員彼得‧希爾頓。隨後,被稱為世紀進球的馬拉度納絕妙個人秀讓阿根廷勝券在握。 「這對我們來說就是決賽。我們不是為了贏得一場比賽,而是為了淘汰英格蘭人」,馬拉度納說。 An eagle lands: Switzerland v Serbia, 2018 老鷹降臨:瑞士對塞爾維亞,2018年 This clash caused a huge outcry in Serbia after two Swiss players of Albanian origins (Kosovo and Labnai) celebrated their goals with a two-handed eagle gesture to mimic the black eagle in Albania’s flag, considered by Serbia as a nationalist provocation. The double eagle symbol is viewed as a symbol of defiance in Kosovo, which declared independence in 2008 in a move Serbia refuses to recognize. Granit Xhaka, who was born in Kosovo, made the gesture after he scored Switzerland’s first goal, and Xherdan Shaqiri repeated it following his last-gasp winner that clinched a 2-1 victory. FIFA fined the players, although they escaped a ban. 衝突的起因,是兩名阿爾巴尼亞裔(科索沃和拉布奈)的瑞士球員在進球後,以兩手做出老鷹的手勢模仿阿爾巴尼亞國旗上的黑鷹慶祝,這在塞爾維亞引起了強烈抗議,因塞爾維亞認為這是一種民族主義挑釁。 雙鷹符號在科索沃被視為反抗的象徵,該國於2008年宣布獨立,而塞爾維亞拒絕承認科索沃的獨立。 出生在科索沃的格蘭尼特‧扎卡在為瑞士隊踢進第一球後做了這手勢,而傑爾丹‧沙奇里在他最後的致勝球以 2-1 獲勝後重複了這個手勢。 國際足總對這些球員處以罰款,雖然他們躲過了禁令。Source article: https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/lang/archives/2022/11/29/2003789757

每日英語跟讀 Ep.K486: 法國長棍麵包獲列為文化遺產
歡迎留言告訴我們你對這一集的想法: https://open.firstory.me/user/cl81kivnk00dn01wffhwxdg2s/comments 每日英語跟讀 Ep.K486: French baguettes listed as cultural heritage by UNESCO The humble baguette — the crunchy ambassador for French baking around the world — is being added to the UN’s list of intangible cultural heritage as a cherished tradition to be preserved by humanity. 不起眼的法式長棍麵包——法國烘焙聞名世界的鬆脆大使——被收錄為聯合國非物質文化遺產,列為需受人保護的珍貴傳統。 The French staple has been deemed eligible to join UNESCO’s “Intangible Cultural Heritage” list, an award given to practices or traditions that have been passed down from generation to generation. It includes rituals, performing arts, traditional crafts, and specific food dishes. UNESCO, which is part of the UN, said in a statement on Wednesday last week that baguettes held cultural importance given the “artisanal know-how” needed to make them, as well as the rituals around eating them — not to mention, their “crisp crust around a fluffy center.” 這項法國主食被認可足以列入聯合國教科文組織「非物質文化遺產」名錄,這是授予代代相傳的習俗或傳統,包括儀式、表演藝術、傳統工藝和特定的食物菜餚。隸屬於聯合國的聯合國教育、科學及文化組織〔簡稱為聯合國教科文組織〕,上週三發表聲明說,長棍麵包具有文化重要性,是因其製作需要「職人技術」,以及相關的食用儀式——更別說它「包裹鬆軟內部的酥脆外皮」了。 The organization said that baguettes are special among other kinds of bread due to the “modes of consumption and social practices” around them, including daily visits to the bakery to pick one up. French President Emmanuel Macron expressed his joy at the award in a tweet, describing the baguette as “250 grams of magic in our daily lives.” 該組織表示,長棍麵包跟別種麵包比起來很特別的是圍繞它的「消費模式與社會習俗」,包括每天去麵包店買一個。 法國總統伊曼紐‧馬克宏在一則推文中表達了他對獲選的喜悅,稱法式長棍麵包是「我們日常生活中的250公克魔法」。 “If there’s no baguette, you can’t have a proper meal. In the morning you can toast it, for lunch it’s a sandwich, and then it accompanies dinner.” 「如果沒有長棍麵包,你就無法好好吃一頓餐。長棍麵包早上可以用烤的當早餐,午餐用做三明治,然後晚餐用來佐餐」。 A baguette normally costs just over 90 euro cents (just over $1), seen by some as an index on the health of the French economy. 一個長棍麵包的價格通常略高於90歐分(略高於1美元),一些人將其視為法國經濟健康狀況的指標。 Although it seems like the quintessential French product, the baguette was said to have been invented by Vienna-born baker August Zang in 1839. Zang put in place France’s steam oven, making it possible to produce bread with a brittle crust yet fluffy interior. 雖然長棍麵包像是典型的法國產品,但據說它是由維也納出生的麵包師奧古斯特‧臧在一八三九年發明的。他發明了法國蒸汽烤箱,所以才有辦法生產外皮酥脆、內部蓬鬆的麵包。 The baguette joins other traditional foods on UNESCO’s list, including Ukrainian borscht, kimchi, flatbread, Belgian beer culture and Neapolitan pizza. Other “intangible” traditions to have been given the status in the past include Chinese acupuncture, dry stone walling and capoeira. 跟長棍麵包一樣也列為非物質文化遺產的傳統食物,還包括烏克蘭羅宋湯、泡菜、薄餅、比利時啤酒文化及那不勒斯披薩。其他被賦予非物質文化遺產地位的「無形」傳統還有中國針灸、乾石牆和巴西戰舞卡波耶拉。 Baguettes are not the first French food to join the list. The “gastronomic meal of the French” was awarded the honor in 2010, with UNESCO specifying that it must begin with aperitifs before dinner, followed by “at least” four courses, then liqueurs. It should also preferably include local foods, and be served with carefully paired wines and on a beautifully set table. 長棍麵包並不是第一個上榜的法國食物。「法國美食料理」於二〇一〇年獲此殊榮,聯合國教科文組織詳述它必須以晚餐前的開胃酒開始,接著「至少」要有四道菜,然後是利口酒;最好還應包括當地食物,佐以精心搭配的葡萄酒和擺設精美的餐桌。Source article: https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/lang/archives/2022/12/06/2003790170

回顧星期天LBS - 自然科學相關時事趣聞 All about 2021 Science
歡迎留言告訴我們你對這一集的想法: https://open.firstory.me/user/cl81kivnk00dn01wffhwxdg2s/comments Topic: Ants have the ability to sniff out cancer in humans, study reveals Ants have the ability to sniff out cancerous cells in humans, a new study has discovered, suggesting they could be used for cancer diagnosis in future. 一項新研究發現,螞蟻能嗅出人體內的癌細胞,這表明螞蟻可用於未來對癌症的診斷。 Researchers from the French National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS) discovered that ant species Formica fusca has a well developed sense of smell. 法國國家科學研究中心(CNRS)的研究人員發現,「黑山蟻」(學名:Formica fusca )這種螞蟻品種,嗅覺非常發達。 It was able to differentiate cancerous cells from healthy cells in humans, thanks to their sense of smell, limited trials revealed. But more clinical tests must be carried out before they could be used in clinical settings like hospitals, the team said. 有限的實驗顯示,這種螞蟻的嗅覺超強,能夠將人體的癌細胞與健康細胞區分開來。但是該研究團隊表示,還需要進行更多臨床測試,才能將黑山蟻用於醫院等臨床環境中。 They suggest that in future, ants could turn out to be better at dogs when it comes to locating cancerous cells in humans. 他們員指出,未來在識別人體癌細胞方面,螞蟻可能會比狗做得更出色。 Next Article Topic: 科學家使用細胞再生技術讓老鼠回春 Scientists Reverse Aging In Mice Using Cell Rejuvenation Technique Researchers in the US treated healthy mice with a form of gene therapy that refreshed older cells, making the animals more youthful according to biological markers that are used to measure the effects of ageing. 美國研究人員對健康老鼠實施一種更新老化細胞的基因療法,他們透過用來衡量老化效應的生物標記法,測出這些老鼠變年輕了。 Repeating the trick in humans is far from straightforward, but the findings will fuel interest in radical new therapies that aim to slow or reverse the ageing process as a means of tackling age-related diseases such as cancer, brittle bones and Alzheimer’s. 儘管難以用同樣的方法讓人類返老還童,但這一發現將點燃人們對以延緩或逆轉衰老為目標的激進新療法的興趣,這種療法可以用來治療諸如癌症、骨質疏鬆和阿茲海默症等與年齡相關的疾病。 The scientists drew on previous work by the Japanese Nobel laureate Prof Shinya Yamanaka, who showed that a mixture of four molecules – known as Yamanaka factors – can rewind adult cells into youthful stem cells that are capable of forming almost any tissue in the body. 科學家這一療法借鑑日本諾貝爾獎得主山中伸彌教授先前的研究成果。山中伸彌向世人展示,被稱為「山中因子」的4種分子組合在一起,可以讓成人細胞逆生長為年輕的幹細胞,而幹細胞可以分化成人體的任何組織。Source article: https://features.ltn.com.tw/english/article/paper/1506995 ; https://features.ltn.com.tw/english/article/paper/1508339 Next Article Topic: World’s oldest DNA sequenced from million-year-old mammoths Teeth from mammoths buried in the Siberian permafrost for more than a million years have yielded the world’s oldest DNA ever sequenced, according to a study published on Wednesday, shining the genetic searchlight into the deep past. 據週三公布的研究,埋在西伯利亞永凍土層超過100萬年的猛獁象牙齒,提供全球最古老的去氧核醣核酸(DNA)定序,讓基因研究的探照燈指向遙遠的過去。 Researchers said the three specimens, one roughly 800,000 years old and two over a million years old, provide important insights into the giant Ice Age mammals, including the ancient heritage of the woolly mammoth. 研究人員表示,這3個樣本,一個約有80萬年歷史,另2個來自超過100萬年前,為現代人瞭解冰河時代猛獁象,包括「真長毛象」(woolly mammoth)的古老傳承,提供重要觀察角度。 The genomes far exceed the oldest previously sequenced DNA - a horse dating between 780,000 to 560,000 years ago. 此前,最古老的DNA定序來自78萬年前到56萬年前的一匹馬,而這些猛獁象基因組的年代更久遠得多。 The mammoths were originally discovered in the 1970s in Siberia and held at the Russian Academy of Sciences in Moscow. 這幾頭猛獁象起初於1970年代在西伯利亞地區被發現,由莫斯科的俄羅斯科學院保管。 Next Article Topic: Comet from edge of solar system killed the dinosaurs: study 研究:來自太陽系邊緣的彗星讓恐龍滅絕 Sixty-six million years ago, a huge celestial object struck off the coast of what is now Mexico, triggering a catastrophic "impact winter" that eventually wiped out three-quarters of life on Earth, including the dinosaurs. 6600萬年前,一個巨大星體撞上現在的墨西哥外海,引發釀成巨災的「衝擊性寒冬」,最後導致恐龍在內的地球上4分之3物種滅絕。 A pair of astronomers at Harvard say they have now resolved long standing mysteries surrounding the nature and origin of the "Chicxulub impactor." 哈佛大學2位天文學家表示,他們已經解開長久以來關於「希克蘇魯伯衝擊體」(Chicxulub impactor)的本質和來源之謎。 Their analysis suggests it was a comet that originated in a region of icy debris on the edge of the solar system, that Jupiter was responsible for it crashing into our planet, and that we can expect similar impacts every 250 million to 750 million years. 他們的分析顯示,這是源自太陽系邊緣冰冷碎片區域的一顆彗星,且木星也要為此彗星撞上地球負責。類似規模的彗星撞地球頻率為每2億5000萬年到7億5000萬年。 The duo’s paper, published in the journal Scientific Reports this week, pushes back against an older theory that claims the object was a fragment of an asteroid that came from our solar system’s Main Belt. 2人的論文本週在《科學報告》期刊發表,推翻了之前認為這個物體是來自太陽系「主小行星帶」小行星碎片的理論。 Source article: https://features.ltn.com.tw/english/article/paper/1435663 ; https://features.ltn.com.tw/english/article/paper/1437161 Topic: Spanking may affect brain development in children Spanking may affect a child’s brain development in similar ways to more severe forms of violence, according to a new study led by Harvard researchers. 哈佛大學研究人員領導的一項新研究表明,打屁股對兒童大腦發育的影響,可能與更嚴重的暴力虐待造成的後果類似。 The research, published recently in the journal Child Development, builds on existing studies that show heightened activity i

15Mins Live Podcast - 英語慣用語系列 – 年底感恩相關的慣用語 Thanksgiving Related Idioms
歡迎留言告訴我們你對這一集的想法: https://open.firstory.me/user/cl81kivnk00dn01wffhwxdg2s/comments 即刻加入15Mins通勤學英語直播室,每週一9pm等你來說英文 : https://15minsengcafe.pse.is/46hm8k 主題: 英語慣用語系列 – 年底感恩相關的慣用語 Thanksgiving Related Idioms 1.To be stuffed – To be full and can’t eat anymore. 撐了 Example: The meal was absolutely delicious. I’m afraid I can’t eat one morsel more. I’m stuffed. 2. To talk turkey (mainly American English) – to discuss a problem in a serious way with a real intention to solve it 講正事 Example: The politicians need to stop messing around and start talking turkey. 3. To go cold turkey – to suddenly stop a bad habit and suffer from it at the beginning. 戒斷症狀 Example: Many people who attempt to quit smoking do so by going cold turkey rather than by gradually cutting down.” 4. To count your blessings – to be grateful for the good things in your life 抱著感恩的心 Example: We have a lovely home, healthy children and each other – we should count our blessings. 5. A blessing in disguise– something that at first appears to be bad or unlucky but is actually good. 因禍得福 Example: I was really upset when I was first made redundant but when I look back now, it was a blessing in disguise. I’ve never been happier with my current work. 6. To be a mixed blessing – something that has bad effects as well as advantages 喜憂參半 Example: Being beautiful can be a mixed blessing. On the one hand, you receive a lot of attention, but on the other hand, people don’t always take you seriously. 練習時間: 請使用二到三個慣用語來分享自身小故事 Use two to three idioms to share your Thanksgiving or festive season experience.

每日英語跟讀 Ep.K485: About US - 看門貓與禁止在公園提供食物給街友
歡迎留言告訴我們你對這一集的想法: https://open.firstory.me/user/cl81kivnk00dn01wffhwxdg2s/comments 每日英語跟讀 Ep.K485: About US - ’Guard cat’ credited with preventing would-be robbery 68-year-old Fred Everitt from Mississippi said his pet cat Bandit helped prevent a robbery at his home, and he credits the calico with possibly saving his life. 來自密西西比的68歲弗雷德‧艾弗里特說,他的寵物貓班迪特幫忙防範家中被強盜闖入,且他可能因此保住一命,也得歸功於這隻花斑貓。 When at least two people tried to break into their home sometime between 2:30 and 3 a.m. on July 25, Bandit did everything she could to alert Everitt of the danger. 在7月25日凌晨2時30分至3時之間,當至少2名強盜試圖闖入他們家時,班迪特盡其所能警告艾弗里特危險將至。 He was first awoken by Bandit’s meows in the kitchen. Then, she raced into the bedroom, jumped onto the bed and began pulling the comforter off of him and clawing at his arms. Everitt knew something was wrong. 他先被廚房裡班迪特的喵叫聲喚醒,之後貓就跑進他的房間、跳到床上,開始拉開他的被子、抓他的手臂。艾弗里特於是察覺不對勁。 He got up to investigate and saw two young men outside his back door. One had a handgun, and the other was using a crowbar to try and pry the door open. 他起身查看,發現2名年輕男子在後門外頭,其中一人拿著手槍,另一人正用鐵橇試圖撬開門。 He said by the time he retrieved a handgun and returned to the kitchen, the would-be intruders had already fled. 他說,在他去拿手槍回到廚房前,那兩個即將成為強盜的人就逃走了。 Next Article Woman sues over ban on feeding homeless people in parks 女子針對禁止在公園提供食物給街友的法令提訟 Norma Thornton, who was arrested in March for feeding homeless people, is suing over a local ordinance that regulates food-sharing events in public parks. 3月間因提供食物給街友而遭逮捕的諾瑪‧桑頓,針對一條規範公園食物分享活動的當地法令提起訴訟。 78-year-old Thornton became the first person arrested under Bullhead City’s ordinance for distributing prepared food from a van. Criminal charges against her were eventually dropped, but she’s seeking an injunction to stop the city from enforcing the ordinance that took effect in May 2021. 78歲的桑頓是布爾海德市相關法令下首名遭逮捕的居民,她在貨車上發送準備好的食物。雖然對她的刑事控訴已被撤銷,但她正尋求法院頒布禁令,停止該市執行2021年5月生效的法令。 "The City Council passed an ordinance that makes it a crime punishable by four months imprisonment to share food in public parks for charitable purposes," said Thornton’s attorney. 桑頓的代表律師說:「市議會通過一條法令,讓出於慈善目的而在公園分享食物的行為,成為會被監禁4個月的罪行。」 Bullhead City Mayor Tom Brady said the ordinance applies only to public parks. Churches, clubs and private properties are free to serve food to the homeless without a permit. 布爾海德市市長湯姆‧布拉迪則說,該法令僅適用於公園,教會、俱樂部和私人場所都能自由向街友提供食物,毋須尋求許可。Source article: https://features.ltn.com.tw/english/article/paper/1551932; https://features.ltn.com.tw/english/article/paper/1553230

每日英語跟讀 Ep.K484: About Russia - 機器人弄斷對手的手指與記者從軟禁中脫逃
歡迎留言告訴我們你對這一集的想法: https://open.firstory.me/user/cl81kivnk00dn01wffhwxdg2s/comments 每日英語跟讀 Ep.K484: About Russia - Chess robot grabs and breaks finger of seven-year-old opponent A chess-playing robot fractured the finger of its 7-year-old opponent during a tournament in Moscow. 一台下棋機器人在莫斯科錦標賽折斷它7歲對手的手指。 Video of the incident, which occurred at the Moscow Chess Open competition, went viral on social media. 這起在莫斯科西洋棋公開賽發生的意外事故影片在社群平台上竄紅。 It shows the machine reaching for and grabbing one of the boy’s chess pieces, and quickly discarding it from the board. 影片顯示這台機器伸手夾起男孩的一個棋子,然後快速地將它從棋盤上扔掉。 Before the robot’s arm retracted, the boy attempted to make another move, pushing one of his rooks into the same place as the recently removed piece. 在機器人的手臂縮回之前,這位男孩試圖做出另一步走棋,推進其中一個車棋到跟剛被去除的棋子同樣的位置。 The video then shows the robot’s mechanical claws descending back toward the board, this time grabbing the boy’s index finger instead of a chess piece. 這部影片接著顯示機器人的機械爪子下降回到棋盤,這次抓住男孩的中指,而不是棋子。 The video shows the robot holding the finger in place for at least 15 seconds before two bystanders were able to pry open the claws and release the boy. 這部影片顯示,在2位旁觀者得以撬開爪子釋放這位男孩之前,機器人在原地握著手指至少15秒。 "We will discuss additional protection and safety measures with its operators," Moscow Chess Federation chief Sergey Lazarov said. 莫斯科西洋棋聯合會主席謝爾蓋.拉扎瑞夫說,「我們會跟它的操作人員討論額外的保護和安全措施」。 Next Article Russian journalist who protested on live television escapes house arrest 在電視現場直播中抗議的俄羅斯記者從軟禁中脫逃 Marina Ovsyannikova, a Russian journalist who staged a daring protest live on state-run television, has been declared a fugitive after going on the run, Russian media reported. 之前在國營電視台現場直播中大膽抗議的俄羅斯記者瑪琳娜‧奧斯雅尼可娃逃跑了,現在已被列為逃犯,俄國媒體報導。 Ovsyannikova was placed under house arrest in August. She had been charged with disseminating false information about the Russian military. Her detention was supposed to last until Sunday. 奧斯雅尼可娃被控散布有關俄國軍方的假資訊,在8月遭到軟禁,原定被拘禁到週日。 Ovsyannikova’s ex-husband said that she had escaped house arrest with her daughter on Saturday, TASS reported. Her lawyer said he could not confirm those allegations. 「塔斯社」報導,她的前夫說,她已經在週六帶著女兒逃跑。她的律師說無法證實這些說法。 The 44-year-old journalist shot to international fame in March when, as an editor at Russia’s state-controlled Channel One television station, she stood behind an anchor and held up a sign that read “No War” during a live broadcast. 這名44歲記者3月擔任俄國政府控制的「第一頻道」電視台編輯時,在一次現場播報期間,站在主播後方舉起一張牌子,上面寫著「不要戰爭」,因而在國際上聲名大噪。Source article: https://features.ltn.com.tw/english/article/paper/1551198 ; https://features.ltn.com.tw/english/article/paper/1551839

精選詞彙播客 Vocab Ep.146: 運動飲料到底是在喝什麼 When should you drink sports drinks?
歡迎留言告訴我們你對這一集的想法: https://open.firstory.me/user/cl81kivnk00dn01wffhwxdg2s/comments Summary: With the weather becoming ever more erratic, fluid intake is something we should all be concerned of. Water has long been the best form of fluid for your body, but what if the water you drink contains too little of the minerals you need? In this episode, Angel and I discuss our water drinking habits and what's in a sports drink like Fin. What is your favorite sports drink and when do you drink it? Comment down below! Vocabulary: 1. Heatstroke n. 中暑 One of the major symptoms of heatstroke is headache. 中暑其中最主要的症狀是頭痛。 2. Sports drink n. 運動飲料 Super Supau is the no.1 sports drink in Taiwan. 舒跑是台灣第一運動飲料。 3. Colorant n. / Flavorant n. 色素 / 增味劑 Major sports drink brands in the west are filled with colorant and flavorant. 國外大的運動飲料品牌都添加很多色素或增味劑。 更多Vocab Podcast節目: https://www.15mins.today/vocab 歡迎主題投稿/意見回覆 : [email protected] 商業合作/贊助來信:[email protected]

每日英語跟讀 Ep.K483: 食物物價飆漲企業荷包跟著賺滿滿
歡迎留言告訴我們你對這一集的想法: https://open.firstory.me/user/cl81kivnk00dn01wffhwxdg2s/comments 每日英語跟讀 Ep.K483: Rocketing Prices Of Foods Elevate Company Profits A year ago, a bag of potato chips at the grocery store cost an average of $5.05. These days, that bag costs $6.05. A dozen eggs that could have been picked up for $1.83 now average $2.90. A 2-liter bottle of soda that cost $1.78 will now set you back $2.17. 一年以前,雜貨店內一袋洋芋片平均售價為5.05美元。如今一袋是6.05美元。一打雞蛋本可以用1.83美元買到,現在平均價格為2.9美元。一瓶售價1.78美元的2公升汽水,如今要價2.17美元。 Something else is also much higher: corporate profits. 其他東西也在走高,如企業獲利。 In mid-October, PepsiCo, whose prices for its drinks and chips were up 17% in the latest quarter from year-earlier levels, reported that its third-quarter profit grew more than 20%. Likewise, Coca-Cola reported profit up 14% from a year earlier, thanks in large part to price increases. 10月中旬,百事公司公布第3季獲利成長超過20%,該季飲料和洋芋片價格較一年前上漲17%。此外,可口可樂公布的獲利年增14%,主要歸因於價格上漲。 Restaurants keep getting more expensive, too. Chipotle Mexican Grill, which said prices by the end of the year would be nearly 15% higher than a year earlier, reported $257.1 million in profit in the latest quarter, up nearly 26% from a year earlier. 上館子用餐也愈來愈貴。年底時售價將比一年前上漲近15%的墨西哥燒烤快餐公司說,該公司上季獲利2億5710億美元,較一年前成長近26%。 For years, food companies and restaurants generally raised prices in small steps, worried that big increases would frighten consumers and send them looking for cheaper options. But over the past year, as wages increased and the cost of the raw ingredients used to make treats like cookies, chips, sodas and the materials to package them soared, food companies and restaurants started passing along those expenses to customers. 多年來,食品公司和餐館通常都是小幅漲價,擔心大幅漲價會嚇到消費者,使得他們尋找更便宜的選擇。但在過去一年,隨著工資調漲,以及製作餅乾、洋芋片、汽水等食品原料跟包裝材料的價格飆升,食品公司和餐廳開始將這些費用轉嫁給顧客。 But amid growing concerns that the economy could be headed for a recession, some food companies and restaurants are continuing to raise prices even if their own inflation-driven costs have been covered. Coca-Cola, PepsiCo and Chipotle did not respond to requests for comment. 但在人們日益擔心經濟可能走向衰退之際,一些食品公司和餐廳仍在繼續漲價,即便它們受通膨帶動的成本已得到彌補。可口可樂、百事可樂與墨西哥燒烤快餐等公司均未回覆記者的置評請求。 “The recent earnings calls have only reinforced the familiar and unwelcome theme that corporations did not need to raise their prices so high on struggling families,” said Kyle Herrig, the president of Accountable.US, an advocacy organization. “The calls tell us corporations have used inflation, the pandemic and supply chain challenges as an excuse to exaggerate their own costs and then nickel and dime consumers.” 倡議組織Accountable US總裁海瑞格說:「最近的財報電話會議只是強化了一個熟悉且不受歡迎的主題,也就是企業面對苦苦掙扎的家庭,沒必要把價格漲到這麼高。這些會議告訴我們,企業以通膨、疫情及供應鏈挑戰為藉口,誇大自身成本,然後一點一滴榨乾消費者。」 Over the past year, the price of food eaten at home has soared 13%, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, with some items spiking even higher. Cereals and bakery goods are up 16.2% from a year ago, closely followed by dairy, which has risen 15.9%. 根據美國勞工統計局數據,過去一年家用食品價格飆升13%,有些品項甚至漲更多。穀物和烘焙食品較一年前上漲16.2%,緊追在後的是漲幅15.9%的乳製品。 The cost of eating at restaurants has risen 8.5% over the same period. 同一時期,在餐廳用餐的價格漲了8.5%。Source article: https://udn.com/news/story/6904/6758886

每日英語跟讀 Ep.K482: 美企執行長對經濟衰退憂心
歡迎留言告訴我們你對這一集的想法: https://open.firstory.me/user/cl81kivnk00dn01wffhwxdg2s/comments 每日英語跟讀 Ep.K482: CEOs Are Talking More About Recession Despite a surprisingly resilient labor market, talk of an economic downturn is on the lips of corporate leaders. 儘管勞動市場意外展現韌性,企業領導人仍在談論經濟衰退。 James S. Tisch, CEO of Loews, the hotel, insurance and industrial conglomerate, said on an earnings call with analysts last week that his “fearless forecast” was for recession, but not one that would be as “cataclysmic as ’08 or ’09.” 飯店、保險與工業集團Loews執行長堤許上周在財報電話會議上對分析師說,他的「大膽預測」是經濟陷入衰退,但不會像2008年或09年那樣「災難性」。 And William J. Hornbuckle, CEO of MGM Resorts International, told analysts last week that he and his executives were “not blind,” and that they “remain keenly aware of the impact of inflation” and the potential that the economy was headed for a downturn. 米高梅國際酒店集團執行長洪巴克上周告訴分析師,他跟他的主管們「沒瞎」,他們「仍敏銳地意識到通膨影響」,以及經濟走向衰退的潛在風險。 Recession has been an increasingly hot topic. It’s customary for large public companies to hold conference calls with analysts after they report their earnings. Of the 409 companies listed on the S&P 500-stock index that have held analyst calls to discuss the most recent quarter, the R-word came up as a topic 165 times, according to Sentieo, a market data provider. 經濟衰退已成為一個愈來愈熱門的話題。公布財報後,大型上市公司通常會跟分析師舉行電話會議。根據市場數據供應商Sentieo的數據,舉行分析師電話會議討論最新一季財報的標普500股指上市公司中,衰退一字被其中409家公司當成討論主題165次。 A year ago, “recession” was uttered on 42 earnings calls by S&P 500 firms for the third quarter. Discussions about a recession have been elevated throughout this year, with big year-over-year jumps in the first and second quarters as well. 一年前,標普500指數公司中有42家在第三季財報電話會議上提到「衰退」。今年以來,有關衰退的討論一直在升溫,第一季和第二季的熱度均較一年前大幅增加。 Two weeks ago, Federal Reserve officials made a fourth supersize interest rate increase in an effort to tame inflation, heightening fears of an economic slump. The Fed chair, Jerome H. Powell, said he thought there was still a window for a so-called soft landing, in which inflation dissipates but the economy does not fall into a recession. 兩周前,美國聯準會官員第四次大幅升息抑制通膨,加劇對經濟衰退的擔憂情緒。聯準會主席鮑爾說,他認為仍有實現所謂軟著陸的可能性,也就是通膨消散,但經濟不會陷入衰退。 “Has it narrowed? Yes,” Powell told reporters. “Is it still possible? Yes.” 鮑爾告訴記者:「降溫了嗎?是的。還有可能嗎?是的。」 Some economic indicators released last week seemed to back Powell’s view. Last quarter, the gross domestic product rose at a better-than-expected annual pace of 2.6%. On Friday, the government reported that employers added 261,000 jobs to their payrolls in October, which was also above expectations. 上周公布的部分經濟指標似乎支持鮑爾的觀點。美國上一季國內生產毛額年增率2.6%,優於預期。根據政府周五的報告,十月新增就業人數26萬1,000人,也超出預期。 Nonetheless, CEOs on 88 third-quarter conference calls said that the Fed’s raising of interest rates to fight inflation was either a major factor slowing their business, or that they expected it to be, according to Sentieo. Last week, Steven Roth, real estate developer and CEO of Vornado Realty Trust, told analysts that because the Fed was “deadly serious” in fighting inflation, “the economy is clearly slowing.” 儘管如此,Sentieo指出,在第三季88場電話會議上,執行長們稱聯準會升息抗通膨,不是自家業績放緩的一項主因,就是他們預期的一項因素。房地產開發商Vornado Realty Trust執行長羅斯上周告訴分析師,由於聯準會在抗通膨上「非常認真」,「經濟明顯正在走緩」。Source article: https://udn.com/news/story/6904/6776445

回顧星期天LBS - 蘋果公司相關時事趣聞 All about Apple
歡迎留言告訴我們你對這一集的想法: https://open.firstory.me/user/cl81kivnk00dn01wffhwxdg2s/comments Topic: Apple Feels the Sting From an Oscar Slap Apple has a Will Smith problem. 蘋果有個威爾史密斯的麻煩。 Smith is the star of “Emancipation,” a film set during the Civil War era that Apple envisioned as a surefire Oscar contender when it wrapped filming earlier this year. But that was before Smith strode onto the stage at the Academy Awards in March and slapped comedian Chris Rock, who had made a joke about Smith’s wife, Jada Pinkett Smith. 史密斯是「解放」(暫譯)的主角,這部設定於南北戰爭期間的電影今年初拍攝殺青時,蘋果視為奧斯卡必勝參賽者,但那是在3月的奧斯卡頒獎典禮前。史密斯在典禮時走上舞台,掌摑喜劇演員克里斯洛克,因為他開了史密斯妻子、潔達蘋姬史密斯的玩笑。 Will Smith, who also won best actor that night, has since surrendered his membership in the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences and has been banned from attending any Academy-related events, including the Oscar telecast, for the next decade. 威爾史密斯那晚贏得最佳男主角獎,那之後他退回美國影藝學院會員資格,且被禁止未來十年參加所有學院相關活動,包括奧斯卡獎。 Now Apple finds itself left with a $120 million unreleased awards-style movie featuring a star no longer welcome at the biggest award show of them all and a big question: Can the film, even if it succeeds artistically, overcome the baggage that now accompanies Smith? 現在蘋果發現,它花1.2億美元拍攝這部符合奧斯卡得獎風格的未上映電影,片中明星在這個最大獎項會場卻已不再受歡迎。一個很大問題是:即使在藝術上成功了,這部電影如今能夠克服史密斯帶來的包袱嗎? According to three people involved with the film who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the company’s planning, there have been discussions inside Apple to release “Emancipation” by the end of the year, which would make it eligible for awards consideration. Variety reported in May, however, that the film’s release would be pushed into 2023. 要求匿名談論蘋果公司計畫的三名參與電影人士說,蘋果內部曾討論在今年底前上映「解放」,好讓電影符合獎項考慮資格。然而,「綜藝」雜誌5月報導,電影上映可能推遲到2023年。 When asked for this article how and when it planned to release “Emancipation,” Apple declined to comment. 當被問到計畫如何及何時上映「解放」時,蘋果拒絕置評。 “Emancipation,” directed by Antoine Fuqua (“Training Day”) and with a script by William Collage, is based on the true story of a slave known as “Whipped Peter,”who joined the Union Army while still in the South. 「解放」由「震撼教育」導演安東尼法奎執導,編劇為比爾克爾吉,根據一名叫做「鞭傷彼得」的奴隸,在南方加入聯邦軍的真實故事改編。 Apple set up a general audience test screening of “Emancipation” in Chicago earlier this year, according to three people with knowledge of the event who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not permitted to discuss it publicly. They said it generated an overwhelmingly positive reaction, specifically for Smith’s performance, which one of the people called “volcanic.” Audience members, during the after-screening feedback, said they were not turned off by Smith’s recent public behavior. 根據三名知曉活動、但不被允許公開談論此事而匿名的人士表示,蘋果今年初在芝加哥進行一場針對一般大眾的「解放」試映。他們說,電影得到驚人的正面反應,特別是史密斯的演技,有人形容為「有如火山爆發」。在試映結束後的觀眾回饋中,有人說他們不會因為史密斯最近的公開行為而討厭他。 Smith largely disappeared from public view following the Oscars. But in July, he released a video on his YouTube channel in which he said he was “deeply remorseful” for his behavior and apologized directly to Rock and his family. 奧斯卡獎典禮後,史密斯幾乎自公眾目光中消失。但他7月在自己的YouTube頻道上傳一段影片,表示對自己的行為「深感悔恨」,並直接向洛克及其家人道歉。 Next Article Topic: Apple’s Eye-Catching New Home Disrupts Silicon Valley Things change when a spaceship comes to town. Tourists stroll by, whipping out their iPhones to get a photo. New businesses move in. And real estate prices go up even more. 當太空船來到城裡,許多事情都變了。遊客在這裡流連,迅速拿出iPhone拍照。新商家進駐。房地產價格漲得更高。 Apple’s new home in Cupertino — the centerpiece being a $5 billion, four-story, 2.8 million-square-foot ring that can be seen from space and that locals call the spaceship — is still getting some final touches, and employees have just started to trickle in. The full squadron, about 12,000 people, will arrive in several months. But the development of the headquarters, a 175-acre area officially called Apple Park, has already helped transform the surrounding area. 蘋果公司在加州古柏迪諾市的新家——核心是耗資50億美元(合台幣約1500億元),面積280萬平方英尺(約7萬9000坪)的4層樓環狀建物,能從太空中看到,當地人稱為太空船——仍處在最後裝修階段,員工才剛開始陸續遷入。總計1萬2000人將在數月內入駐。 不過,蘋果新總部修建已推動周邊地區的變化。新總部占地175英畝(約21萬坪),正式名稱是蘋果園區。 In Sunnyvale, a town just across the street, 95 development projects are in the planning stages. The city manager, Deanna J. Santana, said she had never seen such action before. In Cupertino, a Main Street Cupertino living and dining complex opened in early 2016. This downtown enclave includes the Lofts, a 120-unit apartment community opening this fall; small shops; and numerous restaurants and cafes. Other local businesses are also gearing up in anticipation. A Residence Inn at Main Street Cupertino, expected to open in September, has been slightly customized to meet the needs of Apple employees. Guests will have access to Macs and high-speed internet connections, said Mark Lynn, a partner with Sand Hill Hotel Management, which operates the hotel and consulted with Apple about what its employees need at a hotel. 在蘋果園區對街的桑尼維爾市,有95個開發案正規劃中。市經理迪安娜.桑塔納說,她未曾見過這樣的發展。在古柏迪諾,居住和餐飲綜合建築「古柏迪諾大街」在2016年初開幕。這個商業區包括有120戶公寓的社區Lofts,將於今秋推出;還有小商店、大量的餐廳和咖啡館。 其他本地企業也滿懷

15Mins Live Podcast - 常混淆英文字Often confusing verbs-看見 看 觀看See Look and Watch
歡迎留言告訴我們你對這一集的想法: https://open.firstory.me/user/cl81kivnk00dn01wffhwxdg2s/comments See vs. Look vs. Watch 看見/看/觀看 See is a verb of perception, it is a sense. It is automatic and doesn't require a decision to use this sense. It is associated with things that we can't avoid. Look and Watch are action verbs that require a decision for you to use them. They never happen automatically. Look is used to suggest a direction for your eyes. Usually we use this verb when the things we look at doesn't move. Look - camera, prices, mirror, sky.Look at this picture.I like to look at the stars at night. Watch is when we talk about concentrating on something, like a movie or sports. Using watch suggests there is a movement involved, so you can use that for TV or movies. Watch - a movie, a TV program, a football match.I like to sit on the verandah and watch people walk by.I watch The Simpsons every day on TV. ExamplesI can see the mountains in the distance. 我可以看到遠處的山脈Can you see the whiteboard from your seat? 從你的位子看得到白板嗎?Look at the map to find where we are. 看地圖上找不找得到你的地點Don't look at him for the answer - I asked you! 我再問你!不要看他要答案I love to watch Game of Thrones on Sunday night. 我週日時段超愛看冰與火My husband watches the replays of the football on the weekend. 我老公超愛看體育台重播 小測驗時間 – 翻譯你從你家看得到台北101嗎?你每天都給小孩看多久電視?看看你!都弄的髒兮兮的!平日我們都愛看Netflix 影集當初你是看上你男人的哪一點?我不喜歡做功課時有人盯著!

每日英語跟讀 Ep.K481: About Golf - 老虎伍茲拒絕打利夫高球賽與機場莫名高球
歡迎留言告訴我們你對這一集的想法: https://open.firstory.me/user/cl81kivnk00dn01wffhwxdg2s/comments 每日英語跟讀 Ep.K481: About Golf - Tiger Woods turned down $700-800M to play LIV Golf Tiger Woods turned down an offer worth approximately $700-$800 million to join the Saudi-backed LIV Golf series, according to the tour’s CEO Greg Norman. 根據利夫高球巡迴賽首席執行長格雷格.諾曼表示,老虎伍茲拒絕以約7到8億美元的報酬報價,參加這個由沙烏地阿拉伯贊助的高球系列賽。 During an interview on Fox News that aired on Monday, former world No. 1 Norman was asked by Tucker Carlson if it was true that Woods was offered $700-$800 million to join the LIV Golf series. 在福斯新聞週一播出的一段訪問中,曾是男子高球世界排名第一的諾曼被(福斯新聞主播)塔克.卡爾森問到,伍茲是否真的被以7到8億美元的報酬受邀參加利夫高球系列賽。 "That number was out there before I became CEO," Norman replied. "So, that number’s been out there, yes. Look, Tiger’s a needle mover, right? 「在我成為執行長前,就提出這個金額了,」諾曼回道。「所以,是的,這金額早就提出來了。你知道的,老虎是關鍵要人,是吧?」 "So, of course, you’re going to look at the best of the best. They had originally approached Tiger before I became CEO, so, yes, that number is somewhere in that neighborhood." 「所以,當然,你會想找強棒中的強棒。他們在我成為執行長前,一開始就接觸過老虎,所以,沒錯,金額差不多就是這樣。」 Next Article Golf balls raining down on an...airport and it’s a big problem 高爾夫球遍佈…機場,問題大了 Over the past 30 days the Elizabethton Municipal Airport in Carter County, Tennessee, has been dealing with a major safety issue:golf balls all over the runway. The problem is worrying airport officials, reports WJHL News Channel 11. 過去30天來,田納西州卡特郡的伊莉莎白市立機場一直在處理一個重大飛安議題:機場跑道上遍佈高爾夫球。這個問題讓機場官員相當擔憂,WJHL新聞11頻道報導說。 Dan Cogan, the airport manager said, "Four different occasions we found golf balls out there and the total is well over 100 golf balls." The closest golf course is seven miles away but the balls are being found on the airport’s east end runway. 該機場經理丹.寇根說,「我們在4個不同的地方發現高爾夫球,總數遠超過100個。」距離該機場最近的高爾夫球場位於7英里外,但這些高爾夫球是在該機場的東端跑道上發現的。 There have been no injuries and the balls have hit no planes, but Carter County Sheriff Chris Mathes says there could be a case for "reckless endangerment, you’re putting people’s lives in danger." 這些高爾夫球並未造成人員受傷,也沒有飛機被擊中,但卡特郡警長克里斯.馬西斯說,本案可能構 成「危害他人安全,讓其他人的生命陷於險境」。 Authorities are asking for the public’s help in finding the golfer behind this act. 當局請求大眾協助尋找此事幕後的高球手。Source article: https://features.ltn.com.tw/english/article/paper/1548180 ; https://news.ltn.com.tw/news/world/paper/810601

每日英語跟讀 Ep.K480: About School - 最老學生完成學業與法律學院寄出錯誤通知
歡迎留言告訴我們你對這一集的想法: https://open.firstory.me/user/cl81kivnk00dn01wffhwxdg2s/comments 每日英語跟讀 Ep.K480: About School - Italy’s oldest student graduates again aged 98 Giuseppe Paterno, who is 98, has become Italy’s oldest graduate - again. 98歲的朱塞佩‧帕特諾成為義大利最年長的畢業生,這是他第二次創紀錄。 Paterno has added a masters in history and philosophy from the University of Palermo to an initial degree in the same subjects he earned there two years ago. 帕特諾2年前先在巴勒莫大學歷史與哲學系取得學士學位後,又在同系修畢碩士學位。 Paterno passed the latest degree with top marks, again, his proud family said on Facebook. 為帕特諾感到自豪的家人在「臉書」表示,他再次以高分通過最新的學位考試。 He has no plans to rest and wants to write a novel using his trusty typewriter. 他沒有休息的計畫,反而想用他那台可靠的打字機寫一部小說。 Born in 1923, Paterno grew up in a poor family in Sicily and despite his love of books and studying, he wasn’t able to go to university as a young man. 帕特諾1923年生於西西里島,在貧困家庭中長大,儘管熱愛閱讀和學習,但他年輕時無法上大學。 Instead he served in the navy during World War Two from the age of 20 and went on to be a railway worker. 相反地,他在第二次世界大戰期間服役於海軍,當時20幾歲,之後成為一名鐵路工人。(路透) Next Article Guilty! Law school sends out erroneous admissions emails 法律學院寄出錯誤的入學通知電郵 The Northeastern University School of Law in Boston, Massachusetts, said in a statement it’s guilty of accidentally sending acceptance emails to former and current applicants. 麻薩諸塞州波士頓的東北大學法律學院在聲明中表示,他們犯下疏失,意外寄送錄取通知書電子郵件給歷屆及當屆的申請人。 The School blamed a "technical error" for the glitch, saying the erroneous emails went to more than 200 people who applied for admission starting next fall, as well as to nearly 4,000 former applicants, some of whom are already enrolled. 該院將這個疏失歸咎於「技術性失誤」,坦言錯誤的電郵已寄給預定明年秋季入學的200多名申請人,以及近4000名歷屆申請人,其中還有人已註冊入學。 Lakisha Papoutsakis, a single mother, who received the acceptance email, said that she has dreamed of going to law school since she was a child. 收到入學通知的單親媽媽拉奇莎‧帕波薩琪斯說,她從小就憧憬進入法學院就讀。 She shared the good news with her loved ones before noticing the follow-up email. "I was like, ’Oh my God this is so amazing,’ and then it was like, ’Oh no, sorry, April Fool’s Day,’" she said. 她跟親愛的人們分享喜訊後,才注意到後續的電郵。她說:「我本來心想,『我的天啊,這太驚喜了』,然後又覺得,『喔不,真遺憾,這是愚人節吧』。」Source article: https://features.ltn.com.tw/english/article/paper/1546670 ; https://features.ltn.com.tw/english/article/paper/1545424

精選詞彙播客 Vocab Ep.145: 有聽出來我們過去都遠端錄音嗎?Could you tell we recorded remotely?
歡迎留言告訴我們你對這一集的想法: https://open.firstory.me/user/cl81kivnk00dn01wffhwxdg2s/comments Summary: Toward the end of the year, the growing workload made Angel and I adjust the way we used to record. For the past couple months, we've been recording remotely. During this time, we noticed the changes in the way we record our sessions and the little things we care about. In this episode, Angel and I is finally back in the studio, recording face to face. Why don't you tell us how you usually prepare for your Zoom sessions? Comment down below! Vocabulary: 1. Nuance n. 細緻差別 When remote recording without video, you have to listen to the nuances in the voice. 當遠端錄音沒有影像輔助時,得聽聲音裡細微的差別。 2. Blur v. 模糊化 Most people choose to blur their background in Zoom meetings. 多數人在遠端會議時會選擇模糊化他們的背景。 3. Post-pandemic era n. 後疫情時代 In the post-pandemic era, you have to be ready for all hybrid work situations. 後疫情時代你必須準備好各種彈性工作的情境。 更多Vocab Podcast節目: https://www.15mins.today/vocab 歡迎主題投稿/意見回覆 : [email protected] 商業合作/贊助來信:[email protected]

每日英語跟讀 Ep.K479: 印度能幫忙促成烏克蘭和平嗎?
歡迎留言告訴我們你對這一集的想法: https://open.firstory.me/user/cl81kivnk00dn01wffhwxdg2s/comments 每日英語跟讀 Ep.K479: Could India Help Broker Peace in Ukraine? In July, when a critical deal was brokered by the United Nations and Turkey to free up millions of pounds of desperately needed Ukrainian grain, India played an important behind-the-scenes role in helping sell the plan to Russia, which had been blockading the grain ships. 今年七月,當聯合國與土耳其斡旋達成一項關鍵協議,釋放數百萬磅急需的烏克蘭穀物時,印度在幕後扮演了重要角色,協助向俄羅斯推銷該計畫。俄羅斯一直在封鎖這些穀物船。 Two months later, when Russian forces were shelling the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant in Ukraine, leaving the world anxious about a nuclear catastrophe, India stepped in again and asked Russia to back off. 兩個月之後,當俄軍砲轟烏克蘭札波羅熱核電廠,令世界對核災感到焦慮時,印度再次介入,要求俄羅斯後退。 Throughout the Ukraine war, India has quietly assisted during a few pivotal moments such as these. Last week, India’s foreign minister traveled to Moscow for meetings with Russian officials on economic and political issues. Diplomats and foreign-policy experts are watching closely to see if India can use its unique leverage as one of the world’s largest countries that is a friend to both East and West to press Russia to end its war in Ukraine. 整個烏克蘭戰爭期間,印度在諸如此類的幾個關鍵時刻默默提供協助。印度外長上周前往莫斯科,與俄羅斯官員就經濟和政治問題舉行會談。外交官與外交政策專家正密切關注,印度能否利用身為世界最大國家之一並跟東西方友好的獨特影響力,迫使俄羅斯結束在烏克蘭的戰爭。 Russia and Ukraine are far from negotiating with each other; Ukraine feels it has momentum on the battlefield and is in no mood to talk, and Russia is hardly relenting either. But the widespread belief is that if the fighting reaches a stalemate, and the energy crisis makes life really miserable in Ukraine and across Europe this winter, the prospect of a negotiated settlement or at least a cease-fire may arise. 俄羅斯和烏克蘭完全不談判;烏克蘭覺得自己在戰場上擁有氣勢,無心談判,俄羅斯也幾乎沒有鬆懈下來。但人們普遍認為,若戰鬥陷入僵局,能源危機讓烏克蘭跟整個歐洲今冬生活變得非常悲慘,以談判來解決或是至少停火的機會可能出現。 India’s leader, Narendra Modi, seems to enjoy a good rapport with Russia’s leader, Vladimir Putin, with whom he shares certain strongman characteristics. 印度領導人莫迪似乎與俄羅斯領導人普亭關係融洽,兩人都擁有某些強人特徵。 But the Ukraine crisis and the escalating tensions between Russia and the West are testing India’s tightrope act. It continues to buy Russian oil, lots of it, which angers Ukraine and the United States. And it has refused to support resolutions at the United Nations that have condemned Russia’s aggression. 但烏克蘭危機以及俄國與西方不斷升級的緊張關係,正考驗印度的走鋼索行為。該國繼續大量購買俄羅斯石油,激怒了烏克蘭跟美國。它還拒絕支持聯合國譴責俄羅斯侵略的決議。 Yuri Makarov, chief editor of the Ukrainian national broadcasting company and a popular commentator based in Kyiv, was surprised to hear that Indian officials had been contemplating peace efforts. 當得知印度官員一直在考慮和平行動時,烏克蘭國家廣播公司主編、基輔頗受歡迎的評論員馬卡洛夫感到驚訝。 “I wonder if they have their own idea of the real Ukrainian situation,” he said, adding that he had yet to meet any Indian diplomats, intellectuals or journalists in Kyiv. 他說,「我好奇他們是否對烏克蘭真實情況有自己的看法」,並稱自己還沒在基輔見到任何印度外交官、知識分子或記者。 His instinct, he said, was that Israel or Turkey would be better-informed mediators. 他表示,他的直覺是以色列或土耳其會成為消息較為靈通的調解人。 Still, Makarov said, “Russia doesn’t want Ukraine to exist.” 不過,馬卡洛夫說:「俄羅斯不希望烏克蘭存在。」 He added, “So I don’t see an option for talks, sadly.” 他接著說:「所以很遺憾,我看不到有談判的選項。」Source article: https://udn.com/news/story/6904/6776438

每日英語跟讀 Ep.K478: 聯合國氣候峰會達協議設立賠償基金
歡迎留言告訴我們你對這一集的想法: https://open.firstory.me/user/cl81kivnk00dn01wffhwxdg2s/comments 每日英語跟讀 Ep.K478: Who will pay for climate ‘loss and damage’? The COP27 summit of nearly 200 countries agreed on Sunday to set up a “loss and damage” fund to support poorer countries that are being ravaged by climate impacts, overcoming decades of resistance from wealthy nations whose historic emissions have fueled climate change. 參與《聯合國氣候變化框架公約》締約方大會第27次會議(COP27)的近兩百個國家,上週日同意設立「損失與損害」基金,以援助受氣候變化衝擊、慘遭蹂躪的較貧窮國家,克服了富裕國家數十年來的抵制,這些富國過去的碳排放助長了氣候變化。 Pakistan’s climate minister Sherry Rehman, who was part of the campaign by developing nations to win the commitment at the two-week UN summit in Egypt, hailed the landmark decision as “downpayment on climate justice.” 巴基斯坦氣候部長雪莉‧雷曼,在為期兩週、在埃及舉行的聯合國峰會上為發展中國家發聲,讓大會做出此承諾,她稱讚此具有里程碑意義的決定是「氣候正義的頭期款」。 However, the text of the agreement leaves open a number of crucial details to be worked out next year and beyond, including who would contribute to the fund and who would benefit. Here is what you need to know about the agreement: 但該協議的內容有些關鍵細節並未釐清,有待明年及之後決定,包括該基金之出資者以及受益者。 以下為該協議之重點: WHAT IS ‘LOSS AND DAMAGE’? In UN climate talks, “loss and damage” refers to costs incurred from climate-fueled weather extremes or impacts, like rising sea levels. 什麼是「損失及損害」?在聯合國氣候談判中,「損失及損害」是指因受到氣候引發的極端天氣或衝擊──例如海平面上升──所影響,而產生的成本。 Climate funding so far has focused mostly on cutting carbon dioxide emissions in an effort to curb global warming, while about a third of it has gone toward projects to help communities adapt to future impacts. 氣候資金到目前主要都集中在減少二氧化碳排放以遏制全球暖化,其中約三分之一用於幫助社群適應未來衝擊的計畫。 Loss and damage funding is different, specifically covering the cost of damage that countries cannot avoid or adapt to. 損失及損害資金則不同,它特別支付國家無法避免或無法調適因應的損害成本。 But there is no agreement yet over what should count as “loss and damage” caused by climate change — which could include damaged infrastructure and property, as well as harder-to-value natural ecosystems or cultural assets. 但是,對於何者該計入氣候變化所造成的「損失及損害」,目前尚未有一致看法──這可能包括受損的基礎設施與財產,以及更難以估價的自然生態系統或文化資產之破壞。 A report by 55 vulnerable countries estimated that their combined climate-linked losses over the last two decades totaled US$525 billion, or 20 percent of their collective GDP. Some research suggests that by 2030 such losses could reach US$580 billion per year. 五十五個易受氣候變化衝擊的脆弱國家所做的一份報告估計,過去二十年他們與氣候相關的損失總計5,250億美元,佔其總GDP的20%。一些研究顯示,到了二○三○年,此類損失可能會達到每年5,800億美元。 WHO PAYS WHOM? Vulnerable countries and campaigners in the past argued that rich countries that caused the bulk of climate change with their historical greenhouse gas emissions should pay. 誰該為誰買單? 脆弱國家及運動人士以前主張,富裕國家過去所排放的溫室氣體,是導致氣候變化的一大因素,因此富國應為此付出代價。 The US and EU had resisted the argument, fearing spiraling liabilities, but changed their position during the COP27 summit. The EU has argued that China — the world’s second-biggest economy, but classified by the UN as a developing country — should also pay into it. 美國和歐盟一直抗拒此論點,擔心會負債累累,但在COP27峰會期間改變了立場。歐盟認為,中國──世界第二大經濟體,但被聯合國列為發展中國家──也應為此付出代價。 A few governments have made relatively small but symbolic funding commitments for loss and damage: Denmark, Belgium, Germany and Scotland, plus the EU. China has not committed any payment. 一些國家的政府為損失及損害承諾了相對較小但具象徵意義的資助:丹麥、比利時、德國與蘇格蘭,以及歐盟。中國並未承諾支付任何款項。 Also remaining to be worked out are the details on which countries or disasters qualify for compensation. 仍有待確定的,是哪些國家或災害有獲賠償資格之細節。Source article: https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/lang/archives/2022/11/22/2003789352
回顧星期天LBS - 垃圾食物相關時事趣聞 All about 2021 junk food
歡迎留言告訴我們你對這一集的想法: https://open.firstory.me/user/cl81kivnk00dn01wffhwxdg2s/comments Topic: Junk food habit affects sleep quality French fries and hamburgers are popular with teenagers. Everyone knows that these high-calorie foods can lead to chronic illnesses such as heart disease and high blood pressure, but, according to a report published by Medical Xpress, a study led by the University of Queensland in Australia has found that eating too much junk food can also have an impact on teenagers’ sleep quality. 薯條、漢堡等速食及飲料很受青少年喜愛。眾所皆知這些高熱量食物會導致慢性疾病,如心臟病和高血壓等。不過,「醫療快訊」報導,澳洲昆士蘭大學帶領的一項研究發現,吃過多的垃圾食品還會影響青少年的睡眠品質。 According to the research results, teenagers who drink more than three soft drinks per day were 55 percent more likely to report sleep disturbance than those who only drink one cup per day. Males who ate fast foods on more than four days per week were 55 percent more likely to report sleep disturbance than those who ate them only once a week, while females were 49 percent more likely to do so. 根據研究結果,每天喝三杯以上飲料的青少年自稱有睡眠障礙的機率,比每天只喝一杯軟飲料的青少年高百分之五十五。每週吃四天以上速食的男性自稱有睡眠障礙的機率,比那些每週只吃一次速食的男性高百分之五十五,而女性的機率高出百分之四十九。 This global study examined unhealthy diets and stress-related sleep disturbance in high school students from 64 countries. The study found that 7.5 percent of adolescents reported having stress-related sleep disturbance, which was more common among females than males and increased with more frequent consumption of carbonated soft drinks, as did the occurrence of sleep problems. Because carbonated drinks often contain caffeine and large amounts of sugar, while fast foods are high in energy but poor in nutrients, long-term consumption can cause nutritional imbalances. 這是一項針對全球不健康飲食和與壓力有關的睡眠障礙研究,涉及來自六十四個國家的高中生。研究表明,百分之七點五的青少年自稱有壓力相關的睡眠障礙,其中女性比男性更常見,且隨著碳酸飲料的頻繁飲用而增加,睡眠障礙的比率也愈高。因為碳酸飲料通常含有咖啡因和高糖分,而快餐食品高熱量但較缺乏營養,長期攝取會營養不均衡。 These data were collected from global health surveys conducted by the WHO between 2009 and 2016, which included about 170,000 students aged 12 to 15 years from 64 low, middle and high-income countries in Southeast Asia, Africa, South America and the eastern Mediterranean. 這些數據收集自二○○九年至二○一六年世界衛生組織的全球健康調查,其中包括來自東南亞、非洲、南美部分地區和地中東海東部地區的六十四個低、中、高收入國家的約十七萬名十二至十五歲的學生。 The research team said that frequent intake of soft drinks and eating of fast foods is closely associated with sleep problems in teenagers, and that this phenomenon is particularly clear in high-income countries. The research team said that these findings are worrying because poor-quality sleep has an adverse impact on adolescent health and cognitive development. They suggested that policies should be formulated that target these unhealthy behaviors. 研究團隊表示,青少年經常喝飲料、吃速食與睡眠障礙之間關聯密切,這現象尤其在高收入國家特別明顯。研究團隊指出,這些發現令人擔憂,因為睡眠品質差會對青少年的健康和認知發展產生不利影響。他們建議應針對這些不健康的行為制定相關政策,使青少年能健康成長。 Source article: https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/lang/archives/2021/01/05/2003749938 Next Article Topic: Cognitive decline linked to ultraprocessed food, study finds Too many daily calories from highly processed foods like lunch meats, frozen dinners, and packaged cookies may speed up cognitive decline, a new study suggests. 一項新的研究表明,每天從午餐肉、冷凍晚餐和包裝餅乾等高度加工食品攝入過多卡路里,可能會加速認知能力下降。 In the study, researchers examined the diets and cognitive function test results of more than 8,000 adults in Brazil. At the start of the study, participants consumed an average of about 2,850 calories a day. About 28 percent of their daily calories came from highly processed foods. 在這項研究中,研究人員檢視巴西8000多名成年人的飲食和認知功能測試結果。在研究開始時,參與者平均每天消耗約2850卡路里的熱量。他們每天有約28%的卡路里來自高度加工食物。 After about nine years of follow-up, cognitive test scores for memory and executive function declined the most for participants who ate the most highly processed foods. 經過約9年追蹤,吃加工食品最多的參與者,其記憶力和執行功能的認知測試分數下降幅度最大。 Ultraprocessed foods are defined as “industrial formulations of food substances (oils, fats, sugars, starch, and protein isolates) that contain little or no whole foods and typically include flavorings, colorings, emulsifiers, and other cosmetic additives,” according to the study. 根據這項研究,超加工食品被定義為「食品物質(油、脂肪、糖、澱粉和蛋白質分離物)的工業配方,含極少或不含全天然食品,通常包括調味劑、色素、乳化劑和其他化妝品添加劑」。 Next Article Topic: Taiwan gourmets shocked at Pizza Hut’s newest cilantro, century egg-flavored delight 必勝客最近傳出將推出「香菜皮蛋豬血糕比薩」,交雜台式料理讓最勇猛的台灣人都震驚。 Pizza Hut is about to release a new “cilantro, century egg pig’s blood cake pizza” (香菜皮蛋豬血糕比薩) whose chaotic combination of flavors is poised to shock even the most daring Taiwanese gourmet. 據網友所述,此比薩將結合台灣各式道地美食,而這個消息也引來熱議。 According to social media users, the new pizza will combine many well-known traditional Taiwanese street foods, and The announcement sparked intense discussions online. 許多人表示當每道口味都那麼重的時候就不會那麼美味,也有人開玩笑的問必勝客「到底有多討厭義大利」。 Many thought that the flavors were too strong and would clash. Social media users even teased Pizza Hut, commenting “how much do you hate Italy?” 必勝客之前也已推出過眾多奇特的口味,其中包括臭豆腐、麻辣鍋、拉麵、榴槤和湯圓等。 Pizza Hut had launched many unusual pizza flavors in the past, including stinky tofu, spicy hot pot, ram

15Mins Live Podcast - 職場系列 – 如何開啟職場場合的閒聊 Small talk openers for the workplace
歡迎留言告訴我們你對這一集的想法: https://open.firstory.me/user/cl81kivnk00dn01wffhwxdg2s/comments 即刻加入15Mins通勤學英語直播室,每週一9pm等你來說英文 : https://15minsengcafe.pse.is/46hm8k Points to remember about initiating small talkIt’s not about gossip in the workplace 不是八卦Your response need not be exact or specific 無需太認真It’s about warming up to the other person 讓互動慢慢加溫Start from broad, generic topics down to narrow, specific topics 宏觀到微觀 大綱主題Topics: Topic : Work and location 工作或地點 So, is this your first time here? I work in (city), and where are you based? How often do you have to travel for work? How long have you been working here/there? What do you like most/least about your job? Topic : Transport for work 交通 Do you commute to work, or do you live nearby? How long does it take you to get to work? Do you think the public transport here is better than in (city)? Topic : Holidays 度假假期 Where do you like to go on holiday? What is the one of the best places you've visited? Do you prefer to fly or take the car? Topic : Free time, Hobbies, Sport 休閒活動 What do you usually do at the weekend? Do you like to watch/play football? Topic : Education and training 教育相關 Where did you go to college/university? What did you study at college/university? Would you recommend that course to others? Do you speak any other languages? Topic : Food and drinks 飲食相關 Have you tried/Do you like the food here? Do you know any good restaurants around here? What is your favorite type of food? 雙人對話時間Exchange dialogues: Work in pairs. Take turns to initiate small talk.

每日英語跟讀 Ep.K477: About the UK - 英國人選擇少用餐與羅馬尼牙移民變巨星
歡迎留言告訴我們你對這一集的想法: https://open.firstory.me/user/cl81kivnk00dn01wffhwxdg2s/comments 每日英語跟讀 Ep.K477: About the UK - One in 7 Britons skipping meals in cost of living crisis One in seven people in the UK are skipping meals or going without food, according to new polling data released by the Trades Union Congress (TUC). 英國工會大會(TUC)發布的最新民調數據顯示,7分之1的英國人選擇少吃幾頓飯,甚至不吃飯。 The data from an MRP poll by Opinium reveals that more than half of British people are cutting back on heating, hot water and electricity in the cost of living squeeze, and one in 12 have missed the payment of a household bill. 英國調查機構Opinium公布的物資需求計畫(MRP)民調數據顯示,隨著生活成本不斷上漲,超過半數英國人削減取暖、熱水和用電開支,每12人中就有1人負擔不起家庭開支。 With inflation running at 10%, the polling found that one in seven people are skipping meals but that rises to one in five people in nearly 50 constituencies across the country. 在通貨膨脹率飆升至10%的情況下,民調發現,7分之1的人選擇少用餐,但在全國近50個選區中,這一比例達5分之1。 The proportion of people across the UK skipping meals is the same for people in and out of work at 14%, while about 44% say they are having to cut back on food spending. 英國各地為省錢選擇少吃飯的人,與工作不穩定的人比例相同,為14%,而大約44%的人表示他們不得不削減食品支出。 Next Article Romanian migrant becomes star in Britain 羅馬尼亞移民在英國成明星 The British media had warned of a flood of new Bulgarian and Romanian migrants arriving on January 1, but judging by this week’s coverage, they only appeared to have found one. 英國媒體之前警告1月1日將湧入大批保加利亞與羅馬尼亞新移民,但由本週的報導判斷,他們似乎只發現1人。 Victor Spirescu, a 30-year-old Romanian, has become an unexpected star after flying into Luton airport, north of London, on the day EU labour market restrictions on his nation and Bulgaria were lifted. 30歲的羅馬尼亞人史皮瑞斯庫,在歐盟對其母國與保國的勞工解除市場管制當日,飛抵北倫敦的魯頓機場後,意外成名。 He has become the face of the new arrivals, featuring in several national newspapers in Britain -- including for a double-page spread in The Times -- appearing on Sky News and has been interviewed by the Romanian media back home. 他成為新移民的代表人物,英國一些全國性報紙加以特別報導,包括泰晤士報的跨頁專題,他也在「天空新聞」露面,並接受家鄉羅國媒體採訪。 The Daily Telegraph newspaper even travelled to Romania to interview his 19-year-old fiancee, Catalina Curcean, in what it called their "ramshackle" house outside the village of Pelisor in Transylvania. 「每日電訊報」甚至走訪羅國,在外西凡尼亞佩利索村外一棟被稱為「搖搖欲墜」的房子內,訪問他的19歲未婚妻卡塔莉娜。 A gaggle of journalists had gathered to greet Spirescu’s flight on January 1, in hopes of a story about hordes of migrants arriving to seek work and possibly to abuse Britain’s welfare system. 一群喧嚷的記者1月1日齊聚迎接史皮瑞斯庫的班機,希望獲得移民成群結隊抵達找工作,並可能濫用英國福利系統的報導。 Media panic about the new influx and fears about ’benefits tourism’ had led the British government to rush through measures in December restricting access to unemployment hand-outs to new EU migrants. 媒體對新移民潮的恐慌與對「福利旅遊」的畏懼,促使英國政府急於在12月通過失業救濟不得延及歐盟新移民的措施。 But of the 140 passengers on board the 180-seat plane from Tirgu Mures in central Romania, most were already working in Britain and were returning from their Christmas holidays. 然而,來自羅馬尼亞中部特爾古穆列什的一架180人座客機中的140名乘客,大多數都已在英國就業,只是結束耶誕假期返回。Source article: https://features.ltn.com.tw/english/article/paper/1550077 ; https://news.ltn.com.tw/news/world/paper/744973

每日英語跟讀 Ep.K476: About Science - 月球土壤種出植物與蜘蛛會睡覺
歡迎留言告訴我們你對這一集的想法: https://open.firstory.me/user/cl81kivnk00dn01wffhwxdg2s/comments 每日英語跟讀 Ep.K476: About Science - Scientists grow plants in lunar dirt, next stop moon Scientists grow plants in lunar dirt, next stop moon 科學家從月球土壤中種出植物 下一步登月種植 For the first time, scientists have grown plants in soil from the moon collected by NASA’s Apollo astronauts. 科學家從美國航太總署阿波羅登月計畫太空人收集的月球土壤中,成功種出植物,這是史上首見。 Researchers wanted to see if the moon soil could be used to grow food by the next generation of lunar explorers. The results stunned them. 研究員希望了解月球土壤能否被下一個世代的月球探索者用於栽培糧食作物,而實驗結果令他們大為驚喜。 "Holy cow. Plants actually grow in lunar stuff. Are you kidding me?" said Robert Ferl of the University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences. 佛羅里達大學食物和農業科學研究所的羅伯特‧費爾讚嘆:「我的天啊,月球土壤居然真的長出植物,不是在說笑吧?」 Ferl and his colleagues planted thale cress in moon soil returned by Apollo 11’s Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin, and other moonwalkers, and all of the seeds sprouted. 費爾和同事從阿波羅11號計畫的尼爾‧阿姆斯壯、伯茲‧艾德林和其他登月者帶回的土壤中栽種阿拉伯芥,而且所有種子都發芽了。 The downside was that after the first week, the coarseness and other properties of the lunar soil stressed the small, flowering weeds so much that they grew more slowly than seedlings planted in fake moon dirt from Earth. Most of the moon plants ended up stunted. 壞消息是,1週過後,月球土壤的粗糙和其他特性,讓這種小型開花植物承受極大壓力,其生長速度比人造月球土中的幼苗還慢,且大多數發育不良。 Next Article Do spiders sleep? Study suggests they may snooze like humans蜘蛛會睡覺嗎?研究表明牠們可能像人類一樣打盹 It’s a question that keeps some scientists awake at night: Do spiders sleep? 這是一個讓一些科學家夜不能寐的問題:蜘蛛會睡覺嗎? Daniela Roessler and her colleagues trained cameras on baby jumping spiders at night to find out. The footage showed patterns that looked a lot like sleep cycles: The spiders’ legs twitched and parts of their eyes flickered. 丹妮拉‧羅斯勒和她的同事在夜間用相機對準跳蛛幼蛛拍攝,以找出答案。畫面顯示的模式看起來很像睡眠週期:蜘蛛的腿抽搐,部分眼睛來回轉動。 The researchers described this pattern as a “REM sleep-like state.” In humans, REM, or rapid eye movement, is an active phase of sleep when parts of the brain light up with activity and is closely linked with dreaming. 研究人員用「快速眼動睡眠狀態」形容他們觀察到的這種模式」。人類睡眠的快速眼動(REM)指的是睡眠過程中的活躍階段,大腦有一部分處於清醒活動狀態,與作夢有密切關係。 Other animals, including some birds and mammals, have been shown to experience REM sleep. But creatures like the jumping spider haven’t gotten as much attention so it wasn’t known if they got the same kind of sleep, said Roessler, an evolutionary biologist at the University of Konstanz in Germany. 其他動物,包括一些鳥類和哺乳動物,已被證明會經歷快速眼動睡眠。但德國康斯坦茨大學的進化生物學家羅斯勒說,像跳蛛這樣的生物並沒有受到太多關注,所以不知道牠們是否有同樣的睡眠。Source article: https://features.ltn.com.tw/english/article/paper/1536258 ; https://features.ltn.com.tw/english/article/paper/1538995

精選詞彙播客 Vocab Ep.144: 旅行貴到爆哪裡搶便宜?Where to get cheap tickets?
歡迎留言告訴我們你對這一集的想法: https://open.firstory.me/user/cl81kivnk00dn01wffhwxdg2s/comments Summary: As of October 13th, the CDC has eased the border controls for arrivals in Taiwan. Now that the pandemic is over, airlines are scrambling to meet the travel demands around the world. Until the airline industry returns to its glory days, the ticket prices remain high and out of reach for certain routes. In this episode, Angel shares where one can get tickets for cheap. Why don't you tell us how you usually bargain hunt for airtickets? Comment down below! Vocabulary: 1. Self-initiated disease prevention 自主防疫 As of October 13th, all arrivals must undergo self-initiated disease prevention. 從十月十三日起,入境人士都需進行自主防疫。 2. Clearance tickets 清倉促銷機票 There are Facebook pages dedicated to selling clearance tickets to the public. 臉書粉專有專門提供促銷機票的。 3. The world is your oyster 世界任你翱翔 If you happen to be between jobs, you can take the opportunity to travel and make the world your oyster. 如果你在待業中,你可以藉由這個機會讓世界任你翱翔。 更多Vocab Podcast節目: https://www.15mins.today/vocab 歡迎主題投稿/意見回覆 : [email protected] 商業合作/贊助來信:[email protected]

每日英語跟讀 Ep.K475: 老鼠也對節奏魅力無法擋
歡迎留言告訴我們你對這一集的想法: https://open.firstory.me/user/cl81kivnk00dn01wffhwxdg2s/comments Music makes you lose control, Missy Elliott once sang on a hit that is almost impossible to hear without bopping along. Now scientists have discovered that rats also find rhythmic beats irresistible, showing how they instinctively move in time to music. 音樂讓你情不自禁,蜜西艾莉特唱紅的一首歌,便是說聽音樂幾乎無法不跟著一起打拍子。現在科學家發現老鼠對有節奏的拍子也無法抗拒,表示老鼠是本能地配合音樂節拍擺動。 This ability was previously thought to be uniquely human and scientists say the discovery provides insights into the animal mind and the origins of music and dance. 這種能力以前被認為是人類所獨有,科學家說這一發現能讓我們對動物的頭腦以及音樂和舞蹈的起源有更深入的了解。 “Rats displayed innate — that is, without any training or prior exposure to music — beat synchronization,” said Dr Hirokazu Takahashi of the University of Tokyo. 東京大學的高橋宏知博士說:「老鼠所展現的節拍同步是天生的——也就是說,未經任何訓練,也未曾接觸過音樂」。 “Music exerts a strong appeal to the brain and has profound effects on emotion and cognition,” he added. 「音樂對大腦有很強的吸引力,對情緒和認知有深遠的影響」,他補充道。 While there have been previous demonstrations of animals dancing along to music — TikTok has a wealth of examples — the study is one of the first scientific investigations of the phenomenon. 雖然之前已經有動物隨音樂起舞的例子——抖音上有很多這樣的影片——但這項研究是對此現象的首批科學研究之一。 In the study, published in the journal Science Advances, 10 rats were fitted with wireless, miniature accelerometers to measure the slightest head movements. They were then played one-minute excerpts from Mozart’s Sonata for Two Pianos in D Major, at four different tempos: 75 percent, 100 percent, 200 percent and 400 percent of the original speed. 20 human volunteers also participated. The scientists thought it possible that rats would prefer faster music, as their bodies, including heartbeat, work at a faster pace. By contrast, the time constant of the brain is surprisingly similar across species. 發表在期刊《科學前緣》的這項研究,將十隻老鼠戴上無線微型加速計,以測量最輕微的頭部運動。然後將節選自莫札特D大調雙鋼琴奏鳴曲的一分鐘樂段,以原始速度的75%、100%、 200%和400%等四種不同的速度播放給老鼠聽。二十名人類志願者也參加了此實驗。科學家以為老鼠可能偏好更快的音樂,因為老鼠的身體,包括心跳,是以更快的速度運作。相反地,不同物種生物的大腦時間常數卻是驚人地相似。 However, the results showed that both the rat and human participants had optimal beat synchronicity when the music was in the 120 to 140 beats per minute (bpm) range — close to the Mozart composition’s original 132bpm — suggesting we share a “sweet spot” for hitting the beat. The team also found that rats and humans jerked their heads to the beat in a similar rhythm, and that the level of head jerking decreased the more that the music was sped up. 然而,研究結果顯示,當音樂在每分鐘120-140次(bpm)範圍內時——接近莫札特原曲的132bpm,老鼠和人類受試者與節拍都最能同步。這表示我們打拍子有一個共同的「甜蜜點」。研究小組還發現,老鼠和人類會以相似的韻律對節奏搖頭晃腦,且隨著音樂加速,頭部擺動的程度會降低。 “Our results suggest that the optimal tempo for beat synchronization depends on the time constant in the brain,” said Takahashi. 「我們的結果顯示,節拍同步的最佳節奏取決於大腦中的時間常數」,高橋說。 The team now plans to investigate how other musical properties such as melody and harmony relate to the dynamics of the brain. “Also, as an engineer, I am interested in the use of music for a happy life,” said Takahashi. 該團隊現在計劃研究旋律及和聲等其他音樂屬性與大腦動態的關係。「此外,身為工程師,我對用音樂來讓生活變得幸福這件事很感興趣」,高橋表示。Source article: https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/lang/archives/2022/11/15/2003788908