通勤學英語 15Mins Today

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 age-old ritual, Mexican mayor weds alligator to secure abundance A small town Mexican mayor married his alligator bride in a colorful ceremony as traditional music rang out and revelers danced while imploring the indigenous leader to seal the nuptials with a kiss. 墨西哥一個小鎮市長在一場多采多姿的儀式中，迎娶了他的鱷魚新娘，現場演奏傳統音樂、狂歡者翩翩起舞，同時懇求這位原住民領袖用一個吻來為婚禮封印。 San Pedro Huamelula Mayor Victor Hugo Sosa obliged more than once during Thursday’s wedding, bending down to plant his lips on the small alligator’s snout, which had been tied shut presumably to avoid unwanted biting. 在週四的婚禮上，聖．佩德羅．瓦米魯拉的市長維克多．雨果．索薩不只一次答應要求，彎腰把嘴唇湊上這隻小鱷魚的鼻子，而小鱷魚的鼻子被緊緊綁住，大概是為了避免不必要的咬傷。 The ritual marriage likely dates back centuries to pre-Hispanic times among Oaxaca state’s Chontal and Huave indigenous communities, like a prayer pleading for nature’s bounty. 在墨西哥瓦哈卡州Chontal及Huave的原住民社會中，這種婚禮儀式就像是一個祈禱，祈求大自然的恩賜，可能可以追溯好幾個世紀，一直到前西班牙時代。 Oaxaca, located in Mexico’s poor south, is arguably the country’s richest in indigenous culture and home to many groups that have stubbornly maintained their languages and traditions. 瓦哈卡州位在墨西哥貧窮的南部地區，可說是墨國原住民文化最豐富的地區，也是許多堅持維護他們的語言和傳統的群體的家鄉。 Next Article Topic: In Mexico, those searching for missing relatives can vanish too 在墨西哥，尋找失蹤親友的人也會跟著消失 70-years-old Maria Herrera is scraping at the earth on a hill in the town of Huitzuco, in southern Mexico, looking for the mounds that indicate a decaying corpse. 70歲的瑪莉亞．赫雷拉在墨西哥南部威特蘇科鎮的山上四處挖掘，希望找到代表埋有腐爛屍體的土堆。 Digging in the dirt with a group of 100 other activists in the violent state of Guerrero, she wants to find her four missing son. 在暴力事件頻傳的格雷羅州，赫雷拉與100名行動人士一起挖土，想要找到4名失蹤的兒子。 More than 40,000 people are missing in Mexico, which has been swept by a wave of violence since the government declared war on the country’s powerful drug cartels in 2006. 2006年，墨西哥政府向勢力龐大的販毒集團宣戰後，這個國家就被暴力事件肆虐，目前已有逾4萬人失蹤。 At first, Herrera and her husband used the profits gained by selling household goods door to door to launch gold exchange business, which involved traveling the country to buy and sell gold. 起初，赫雷拉和丈夫用挨家挨戶賣居家用品的收入，展開黃金兌換生意，包括全國走透透買賣黃金。 They did not realize a bloody cartel turf war was just breaking out in the state. They believe a local cartel mistook the brothers, Jesus and Raul, for members of a rival group and were captured. Two more brothers started looking for them but disappeared too. 但他們沒料到，一場腥風血雨的毒梟地盤之爭已在國內爆發。他們相信，自家兒子赫塞斯和羅爾，是被一個地方販毒集團誤認為敵營的人，才被俘虜。另外2名兒子開始尋找兩人後，也下落不明。Source article: https://features.ltn.com.tw/english/article/paper/1539233 ; https://news.ltn.com.tw/news/world/paper/1292410 Next Article Topic: ‘We’re Living in Hell’: Inside Mexico’s Most Terrified City The violence was already terrifying, she said, when grenades exploded outside her church in broad daylight some five years ago. Then children in town were kidnapped, disappearing without a trace. Then the bodies of the executed were dumped in city streets. 她說，大約五年前，光天化日下手榴彈在她的教會外爆炸，這種暴力已經夠嚇人了。接著鎮上的孩子被綁架，消失得無影無蹤。然後他們被處刑的屍體丟棄在城市街道上。 And then came the day last month when armed men burst into her home, dragged her 15-year-old son and two of his friends outside and shot them to death, leaving Guadalupe — who didn’t want her full name published out of fear of the men — too terrified to leave the house. 接下來是上個月的那一天，武裝男子闖進她家，將她的15歲兒子和兒子兩個友人拖出屋外射殺，讓瓜達魯佩太過驚嚇以致於不敢離開家，因為害怕那些男子，她不希望刊出全名。 “I do not want the night to come,” she said, through tears. “Living with fear is no life at all.” 「我不希望黑夜來臨」，她流著淚說，「活在恐懼中完全不是人過的日子」。 For most of the population of Fresnillo, a mining city in central Mexico, a fearful existence is the only one they know; 96% of residents say they feel unsafe, the highest percentage of any city in Mexico, according to a recent survey from Mexico’s national statistics agency. 對於弗雷斯尼約這個墨西哥中部礦城的大多數人而言，他們知道的只有一項可怕現實。根據墨西哥國家統計局最近一項調查，96%居民說他們感覺不安全，是墨西哥所有城市比率最高者。 The economy can boom and bust, presidents and parties and their promises can come and go, but for the city’s 140,000 people, as for many in Mexico, there is a growing sense that no matter what changes, the violence endures. 經濟可以暴起大落，總統和政黨以及他們的承諾來來去去，但對這座城市的14萬人來說，如同墨西哥許多城市，不論有什麼改變，暴力依舊持續，這種意見正在增加。 In 2018, during his run for president, Andrés Manuel López Obrador offered a grand vision to remake Mexico. Instead of arresting and killing traffickers as previous leaders had done, he would focus on the causes of violence: “hugs not bullets,” he called it. He was swept to victory. 2018年總統選戰期間，羅培茲提出重塑墨西哥的遠大願景，他不像歷任領導人所做的逮捕並殺掉壞蛋，而是聚焦暴力的成因，他稱之為「擁抱而非子彈」。他壓倒式勝選。 But three years after his landslide win, and with his Morena party in control of Congress, the drumbeat of death continues, suggesting that López Obrador’s approach has failed, fueling in many a paralyzing helplessness. 但在他壓倒式勝利以及他的國家復興運動黨掌控國會三年後，死亡的鼓聲持續著，暗示羅培茲的方法已經失敗，激起許多人有如麻痹的無助感。 “We’re living in hell,” said Victor Piña, who ran for mayor of Fresnillo in the June elections and watched an aide gunned down beside him during a pre-campai

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 – 朋友相關的慣用語 Friend / Friendship related Idioms 1. Cross someone’s path This phrase originally implied that such a meeting included opposing a person or otherwise causing him trouble, but in the modern sense it doesn’t necessarily mean this. Example: Ann swore she would scream if a spider crossed her path. 2. Friends in high places This phrase means that one has friends who have important or influential positions. Example: Jim is very rude to other workers just because he has some friends in high places. 3. Be an item This is said about people who are dating, who have a romantic relationship with each other. Example: Kate and Richard began seeing each other and were an item for almost two years. 4. Birds of a feather A well-known expression which refers to people that have something in common, for example, interests, hobbies, or views about life. Example: My friend prefers the same clothes as me. Well, birds of a feather flock together. 5. Like two peas in a pod Two people or things that are very similar to each other, or go very well together. Example: Growing up with a pet dog, we were like two peas in a pod! 6. To hit it off To find yourself immediately and naturally friendly with someone Example: I totally hit it off with Peter after meeting him for the first time. 練習時間: 請使用二到三個慣用語來分享自身小故事 Use two to three idioms to share a personal story about your friendship.

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.K464: About Japan - Asahi joins other breweries to stop using ‘image girls’ in beer ads Asahi Breweries Ltd. has joined other major Japanese beer companies in halting their use of so-called “image girls” in their beer sales promotions in the wake of the pandemic and the changing times. 隨著武漢肺炎疫情大流行以及時代變遷，朝日啤酒加入其他日本主要啤酒公司的行列，停止在啤酒促銷活動上使用所謂的「形象女郎」。 “In the past two years, they were unable to do their primary activities," said an Asahi representative. "In the aftermath, we made a comprehensive evaluation and decided to pass on the hiring of (an image girl) starting next year.” 「她們（指宣傳女郎）過去2年來無法從事其主要活動，」朝日啤酒的一名代表說。「我們在這之後做了通盤評估，決定從明年起放棄聘用（宣傳女郎）。」 In the past, major beer companies hired image girls and sent them to travel across the country and participated in events to sell beer products to consumers. 以往，（日本）各大啤酒公司會聘請形象女郎，並將她們派往全國各地參加活動，將啤酒賣給消費者。 The COVID-19 pandemic hindered the image girl’s activities, and Asahi postponed new hires in 2021 and 2022. COVID-19疫情大流行阻礙形象女郎的活動，朝日啤酒在2021年與2022年延後招募新的形象女郎。 Next Article Kiko turns 56, yearns to take a stroll with daughter Mako 滿56歲的紀子妃渴望與女兒一同漫步 Crown Princess Kiko marked her 56th birthday on Sept. 11 by saying she looks forward to the day she can take a stroll with her daughter, the former Princess Mako, now known simply as Mrs. Komuro following her marriage to a commoner. （日本）皇子妃紀子9月11日歡度56歲生日時說，她期待有朝一日與因為下嫁平民、如今僅被稱為小室太太的前真子公主一同漫步。 “I cannot directly meet my daughter right now, but in the meantime I tend to the plants in our garden and want to create banksia rose arches in the hope of sauntering with her here one day,” Kiko said in a written reply to questions submitted by reporters prior to her birthday. 「我現在無法直接跟我女兒見面，但當我在花園裡拾花弄草時，我想打造一座木香花拱門，期盼有朝一日能與她在此溜達，」紀子以書面回覆記者在她壽辰前的提問時如是說。 Mako was obliged to relinquish her imperial title upon her marriage last October to her college sweetheart Kei Komuro. The couple live in New York. 真子去年10月嫁給大學男友小室圭後依規定放棄皇室頭銜。兩人如今定居紐約。 The Banksia rose was Mako’s signature mark when she was a princess and is a favorite flower of her parents, Crown Prince Fumihito and Kiko. 木香花是真子還是公主時的徽印圖案，也是其雙親文仁親王與紀子妃最喜歡的花。Source article: https://features.ltn.com.tw/english/article/paper/1546872 ; https://features.ltn.com.tw/english/article/paper/1544274

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.K463: About science - Cognitive decline linked to ultraprocessed food, study finds Too many daily calories from highly processed foods like lunch meats, frozen dinners, and packaged cookies may speed up cognitive decline, a new study suggests. 一項新的研究表明，每天從午餐肉、冷凍晚餐和包裝餅乾等高度加工食品攝入過多卡路里，可能會加速認知能力下降。 In the study, researchers examined the diets and cognitive function test results of more than 8,000 adults in Brazil. At the start of the study, participants consumed an average of about 2,850 calories a day. About 28 percent of their daily calories came from highly processed foods. 在這項研究中，研究人員檢視巴西8000多名成年人的飲食和認知功能測試結果。在研究開始時，參與者平均每天消耗約2850卡路里的熱量。他們每天有約28％的卡路里來自高度加工食物。 After about nine years of follow-up, cognitive test scores for memory and executive function declined the most for participants who ate the most highly processed foods. 經過約9年追蹤，吃加工食品最多的參與者，其記憶力和執行功能的認知測試分數下降幅度最大。 Ultraprocessed foods are defined as “industrial formulations of food substances (oils, fats, sugars, starch, and protein isolates) that contain little or no whole foods and typically include flavorings, colorings, emulsifiers, and other cosmetic additives,” according to the study. 根據這項研究，超加工食品被定義為「食品物質（油、脂肪、糖、澱粉和蛋白質分離物）的工業配方，含極少或不含全天然食品，通常包括調味劑、色素、乳化劑和其他化妝品添加劑」。 Next Article Study: Cats not bothered one bit if owners are treated badly 研究：貓根本懶得理會飼主是否被欺負 A study in Japan suggests there may be something after all to the old stereotype that pet cats are generally aloof and indifferent toward their owners while dogs are fiercely protective and loyal. 日本的一份研究暗示，（以下）這種老舊的刻板印象可能還是有些道理的：寵物貓通常對飼主漠不關心又冷淡，寵物狗則非常想保護飼主與忠心。 Researchers from Kyoto University and the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science wanted to understand how cats behave when their owners are being given a hard time. The same experiments using dogs seven years ago were referenced to gauge behavioral differences between the two species. 京都大學與日本學術振興會的研究人員想要了解貓在其飼主陷於困境時的行為反應，（他們）7年前以狗做過的相同實驗被當作參考，以衡量這兩種生物的行為差異。 Team members concluded that cats do not seem to care how people treat their owners, while dogs keep their distance from those who give their owners the cold shoulder. 研究小組成員得出的結論是，貓看似並不關心人們如何對待其飼主，狗則會與那些冷落怠慢其飼主的人保持距離。Source article: https://features.ltn.com.tw/english/article/paper/1547451 ; https://features.ltn.com.tw/english/article/paper/1539057

歡迎留言告訴我們你對這一集的想法： https://open.firstory.me/user/cl81kivnk00dn01wffhwxdg2s/comments Summary: The best way to start a conversation or make a party more interesting is by asking trivia questions. Trivial pursuit is a famous board game for people who love the world of trivia. In this episode, Angel and I talk share a few of the trivia questions we use at parties. Do you have any interesting trivia you use at parties? Comment down below! Vocabulary: 1. Trivia n. 冷知識/不重要的知識 If you don't know how to get a party going, perhaps you should try playing a game of trivia. 如果你不知道如何讓派對熱絡，可以嘗試玩個冷知識遊戲。 2. Hedgehog n. 刺蝟 Hedgehogs are becoming popular pets in Taiwan. 刺蝟現在在台灣是越來越搶手的寵物。 3. Phobia n. 恐懼症 It's best to not bring up reptile trivia if your friends have a phobia for reptiles. 如果你朋友有爬蟲恐懼症就別提爬蟲冷知識。 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]

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.K462: Apple Feels the Sting From an Oscar Slap Apple has a Will Smith problem. 蘋果有個威爾史密斯的麻煩。 Smith is the star of “Emancipation,” a film set during the Civil War era that Apple envisioned as a surefire Oscar contender when it wrapped filming earlier this year. But that was before Smith strode onto the stage at the Academy Awards in March and slapped comedian Chris Rock, who had made a joke about Smith’s wife, Jada Pinkett Smith. 史密斯是「解放」（暫譯）的主角，這部設定於南北戰爭期間的電影今年初拍攝殺青時，蘋果視為奧斯卡必勝參賽者，但那是在3月的奧斯卡頒獎典禮前。史密斯在典禮時走上舞台，掌摑喜劇演員克里斯洛克，因為他開了史密斯妻子、潔達蘋姬史密斯的玩笑。 Will Smith, who also won best actor that night, has since surrendered his membership in the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences and has been banned from attending any Academy-related events, including the Oscar telecast, for the next decade. 威爾史密斯那晚贏得最佳男主角獎，那之後他退回美國影藝學院會員資格，且被禁止未來十年參加所有學院相關活動，包括奧斯卡獎。 Now Apple finds itself left with a $120 million unreleased awards-style movie featuring a star no longer welcome at the biggest award show of them all and a big question: Can the film, even if it succeeds artistically, overcome the baggage that now accompanies Smith? 現在蘋果發現，它花1.2億美元拍攝這部符合奧斯卡得獎風格的未上映電影，片中明星在這個最大獎項會場卻已不再受歡迎。一個很大問題是：即使在藝術上成功了，這部電影如今能夠克服史密斯帶來的包袱嗎？ According to three people involved with the film who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the company’s planning, there have been discussions inside Apple to release “Emancipation” by the end of the year, which would make it eligible for awards consideration. Variety reported in May, however, that the film’s release would be pushed into 2023. 要求匿名談論蘋果公司計畫的三名參與電影人士說，蘋果內部曾討論在今年底前上映「解放」，好讓電影符合獎項考慮資格。然而，「綜藝」雜誌5月報導，電影上映可能推遲到2023年。 When asked for this article how and when it planned to release “Emancipation,” Apple declined to comment. 當被問到計畫如何及何時上映「解放」時，蘋果拒絕置評。 “Emancipation,” directed by Antoine Fuqua (“Training Day”) and with a script by William Collage, is based on the true story of a slave known as “Whipped Peter,”who joined the Union Army while still in the South. 「解放」由「震撼教育」導演安東尼法奎執導，編劇為比爾克爾吉，根據一名叫做「鞭傷彼得」的奴隸，在南方加入聯邦軍的真實故事改編。 Apple set up a general audience test screening of “Emancipation” in Chicago earlier this year, according to three people with knowledge of the event who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not permitted to discuss it publicly. They said it generated an overwhelmingly positive reaction, specifically for Smith’s performance, which one of the people called “volcanic.” Audience members, during the after-screening feedback, said they were not turned off by Smith’s recent public behavior. 根據三名知曉活動、但不被允許公開談論此事而匿名的人士表示，蘋果今年初在芝加哥進行一場針對一般大眾的「解放」試映。他們說，電影得到驚人的正面反應，特別是史密斯的演技，有人形容為「有如火山爆發」。在試映結束後的觀眾回饋中，有人說他們不會因為史密斯最近的公開行為而討厭他。 Smith largely disappeared from public view following the Oscars. But in July, he released a video on his YouTube channel in which he said he was “deeply remorseful” for his behavior and apologized directly to Rock and his family. 奧斯卡獎典禮後，史密斯幾乎自公眾目光中消失。但他7月在自己的YouTube頻道上傳一段影片，表示對自己的行為「深感悔恨」，並直接向洛克及其家人道歉。

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.K457: 5.3 billion cellphones to become waste in 2022 More than 5 billion of the estimated 16 billion mobile phones possessed worldwide will likely be discarded or stashed away in 2022, experts said Thursday last week, calling for more recycling of the often hazardous materials they contain. 專家上週四表示，二〇二二年全球人口所擁有的計160億支手機中，有超過50億支可能會被丟棄或束之高閣，呼籲加強回收這些手機所含的危險物質。 Stacked flat on top of each other, that many disused phones would rise 50,000 kilometers, more than 100 times higher than the International Space Station, the waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) research consortium found. 廢電子及電器設備處理指令（WEEE）研究聯盟發現，將這麼多的廢棄手機堆疊起來，會有五萬公里高，比國際太空站離地面的距離還高一百多倍。 Despite containing valuable gold, copper, silver, palladium and other recyclable components, almost all these unwanted devices will be hoarded, dumped or incinerated, causing significant health and environmental harm. 儘管這些不要的設備含有有價值的金、銅、銀、鈀及其他可回收成分，但幾乎全都會被囤積、丟棄或焚化，而對健康和環境造成重大危害。 “Smartphones are one of the electronic products of highest concern for us,” said Pascal Leroy, director-general of the WEEE Forum, a not-for-profit association representing 46 producer responsibility organizations. 「智慧手機是最令我們擔心的電子產品之一」，代表四十六個生產者責任組織的非營利協會 WEEE 論壇總幹事巴斯卡‧李若伊說。 “If we don’t recycle the rare materials they contain, we’ll have to mine them in countries like China or Congo,” Leroy told AFP. 「如果不回收這些手機裡的稀有材料，我們將不得不到中國或剛果等國家去開採」，李若伊對法新社表示。 Defunct cellphones are just the tip of the 44.48 million tonne iceberg of global electronic waste generated annually that is not recycled, according to the 2020 global e-waste monitor. 根據全球電子廢棄物監測機構二〇二〇年的數據，報廢的手機只是全球每年產生的4,448萬噸未回收電子廢棄物的冰山一角。 Many of the 5 billion phones withdrawn from circulation will be hoarded rather than dumped in the trash, according to a survey in six European countries from June to September 2022. 根據二〇二二年六月至九月在六個歐洲國家進行的一項調查，這五十億支不再使用的手機，其中有很多會被囤積起來，而不是丟進垃圾桶。 This happens when households and businesses forget cellphones in drawers, closets, cupboards or garages rather than bringing them in for repair or recycling. 家庭和企業將手機遺忘在抽屜、衣櫥、櫥櫃或車庫，而不是將它們拿去修理或回收，就是這種囤積的情況。 Up to five kilos of e-devices per person are currently hoarded in the average European family, the report found. 該報告發現，目前歐洲一般家庭中每人囤積的電子設備高達五公斤重。 According to the new findings, 46 percent of the 8,775 households surveyed considered potential future use as the main reason for hoarding small electrical and electronic equipment. 根據這項新發現，在接受調查的8,775戶家庭中，46%的家庭之所以囤積小型電器及電子設備，主要是因為覺得未來可能會用到它。 Another 15 percent stockpile their gadgets with the intention of selling them or giving them away, while 13 percent keep them due to “sentimental value”. 另有15%的人囤積他們的小裝置是為了要出售或是送人，而13%的人是因為「情感價值」而保留它。

歡迎留言告訴我們你對這一集的想法： https://open.firstory.me/user/cl81kivnk00dn01wffhwxdg2s/comments Topic: UK bakery banned from using sprinkles which are legal in the US The owner of a bakery in northern England has been left with a bitter taste in his mouth after authorities told him he had to stop using banned sprinkles sourced from the US. 在被當局告知必須停止使用來自美國的遭禁糖粉屑後，英格蘭北部的1家烘焙坊的老闆感到不悅。 West Yorkshire Trading Standards said the sprinkles contained an artificial coloring which isn’t approved for use in sprinkles in the UK. 西約克郡貿易標準局說，這些糖粉屑含有1種在英國未獲准可用於糖粉屑的人工色素。 But the owner of the bakery isn’t happy that his most popular product has lost out on its prize topping. 但這家烘焙坊的老闆很不滿，因為這讓他最暢銷的產品少了最完美的配料。 Rich Myers, director and founder of Get Baked bakery in Leeds, told CNN he had been using the sprinkles since opening the business in July. （位於該郡的）里茲市的Get Bake烘焙坊的執行長與創辦人瑞奇˙邁爾斯告訴美國有線電視新聞網，他打從7月開業以來就一直用這種糖粉屑。 Myers said he bought the offending sprinkles from a UK wholesaler, and said he had no idea there was any issue until West Yorkshire Trading Standards visited the business on September 30. 邁爾斯說，他向1名英國批發商買來這些違規的糖粉屑，完全不曉得會有什麼問題，直到9月30日西約克郡貿易標準局找上門來。 "I thought it was a joke at first, I thought it was someone pulling a prank," he said on Thursday. 「我一開始以為這是玩笑，我以為有人在惡搞，」他週四如是說。 Next Article Topic: Researcher defends weight-loss device after it sparks ridicule on social media 研究人員為減重裝置辯護，在它於社群媒體上引起嘲笑後 Otago University and United Kingdom researchers developed the world-first device, which uses magnets to lock the mouth almost shut, to help fight the global obesity epidemic. 奧塔戈大學與英國研究人員研發了世界首款裝置，使用磁鐵鎖住嘴巴至幾乎閉上，幫助對抗全球肥胖流行。 DentalSlim Diet Control is an intra-oral device fitted by a dental professional to the upper and lower back teeth. 「牙科瘦身飲食控制」是一種口內裝置，會由牙科專業人員安裝至上下臼齒。 The device was being widely ridiculed after being shared on social media, with Twitter users calling it "creepy" and "bizarre". 這款裝置被分享至社群媒體後，受到大量嘲笑，推特用戶稱它「令人毛骨悚然」且「怪異」。 But Dunedin researchers who developed the device are defending the invention, saying those panning the weight loss tool have misunderstood its intention. 但開發這款裝置的達尼丁研究員為這項發明辯護，表示斥責這款減重工具的人們誤解了它的本意。 Lead researcher Prof Paul Brunton said it was not intended to be used for general weight loss purposes, but instead for specific cases where there was a clinical need to lose weight quickly. 首席研究員保羅．布倫頓教授表示，它不是為了用於普通的減重目的，而是針對臨床上需要快速減重的特殊案例。Source article: https://features.ltn.com.tw/english/article/paper/1537773 ; https://news.ltn.com.tw/news/world/paper/1460024 Next Article Topic: BBC apologises for ’Manchester United are rubbish’ headline on ticker The BBC has apologised to viewers after the headline "Manchester United are rubbish" appeared on its ticker during a television news broadcast on Tuesday. 英國廣播公司（BBC）在電視新聞週二播出的新聞跑馬燈上，出現「曼聯隊是垃圾」的標題後，向觀眾道歉。 The headline appeared on the bottom of the screen during a report on the French Open tennis championship. 這個標題是在報導法國網球錦標賽時，出現在螢幕底部。 TV critic and broadcaster Scott Bryan, who works for the BBC, noticed the gaffe and posted a clip on Twitter which immediately went viral. 為BBC工作的電視評論家與播報員史考特．布萊恩注意到這個烏龍，把一個影片片段張貼在推特上，結果立即爆紅。 BBC presenter Annita McVeigh later issued the apology on air and explained that the headline was written when someone was learning how to use the ticker. BBC主播安妮塔．麥克維之後在直播時發表道歉聲明，並解釋該標題是一位正在學習如何使用新聞跑馬燈的人所寫的。 "Some of you may have noticed something pretty unusual on the ticker that runs along the bottom of the screen with news making a comment about Manchester United. I hope that Manchester United fans weren’t offended by it," she said. 她說：「你們當中有些人可能已經注意到，在螢幕下方新聞跑馬燈上出現有關曼聯隊的新聞評論的不尋常狀況。我希望不會冒犯到曼聯隊球迷。」 "Let me just explain what was happening: behind the scenes someone was training to learn how to use the ticker and to put text on the ticker. So they were just writing random things, not in earnest, and that comment appeared. 「讓我解釋一下發生了什麼事：幕後有人正在學習如何使用新聞跑馬燈以及放上文字，所以他們只是隨意寫些東西，並不是認真的，而那則評論出現了。」 Next Article Topic: Amateur Fossil Hunters Make Rare Find in U.K. 業餘化石獵人在英國有了罕見發現 Millions of years before the Cotswolds, in western England, became a popular vacation destination, it was a shallow, warm sea, home to a Jurassic marine ecosystem. 在英格蘭西部科茲窩成為熱門度假勝地的數百萬年前，它是一片淺而溫暖的海域，也是侏羅紀海洋生態系的家鄉。 Over 167 million years later, two amateur paleontologists, Neville and Sally Hollingworth, uncovered fossils in a limestone quarry there, the largest find of Jurassic starfish and their relatives ever to be made in Britain. 在1.67億年後，兩名業餘古生物學家內維爾與莎莉．霍林沃斯，在石灰採石場中挖掘出化石，這是在英國發現的最大一批侏羅紀海星及其親屬。 More than 1,000 scientifically significant specimens were unearthed at an undisclosed location during a three-day excavation in June, London’s Natural History Museum said. 倫敦自然歷史博物館表示，在6月的3天挖掘中，於一處未公開地點，出土了超過1000件具有科學意義的標本。 The find by the Hollingworths, a husband-and-wife team, includes three new species and an entire ecosystem of echinoderms. Fossils of such animals are extremely rare because they have fragile skeletons that are not often preserved. 霍林沃斯夫婦團隊發現3個新物種與1個完整的棘皮動物生態系統。這類動

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 Idioms about being busy 很忙的慣用語 1. Busy as a beaver It shows that you are busy indeed. Example: I am busy as a beaver these days; I couldn’t take out time for lunch. 2. A lot on one’s plate / A lot going on It shows that you have lot of work to do. Example: Today, there are a lot of things in my plate as I am supposed to do an extra work of my colleague who is on leave. 3. Slammed It is used to convey that you are being overloaded with work. Example: Because of yesterday’s pending work, I am slammed with a lot of work today. 4. Swamped This is a slang term used for describing yourself as being overworked. Example: I can’t take more projects as I am already swamped with lot of work. Expressions for saying “No” 說不的短例句 Saying no outright直接說不"Unfortunately, I have/am_________. I can help you another time."" Sorry, I have/am _______. I hope you understand.""No, I have/am_ this week.""Sadly, I cannot help with that. I'm not qualified for that type of work." Saying no politely 有禮貌的說不"I'm flattered by your offer, but no thank you.""That sounds fun, but I have a lot going on at home.""Thank you for thinking of me, but I can’t.""I would love to join you, but I'm feeling a little overwhelmed with work right now." 雙人對話時間Exchange dialogues: Work in pairs. Take turns to offer something and decline the offer.

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.K460: About Paris - The Parisian cat hotel that’s feline fairly full Much as they enjoyed their cats’company during two years of coronavirus lockdown, Parisians have enthusiastically taken up travel again if the reservation register at one Paris cat hotel is anything to go by. 如果巴黎一家貓旅館的預定登記本上有可供判斷的事情的話，那就是巴黎人又熱情擁抱旅行了，雖然冠狀病毒疫情封鎖的兩年期間，他們喜愛貓咪的陪伴。 At the Arbre a Chats (Cats’ Tree) hotel, prospective guests need to reserve well ahead, as all its 24 “contemporary and comfortable” cubicles are fully booked — although cats who know one another can double up and share a room. 在貓之樹旅館，想入住的賓客都老早預定，因為旅館所有24間「現代且舒服」的小房間都預定一空，雖然相熟的貓咪可以睡在一起，共享一間房。 “Unlike last year, this year we were fully booked for August from the end of February,” hotel owner Veronica Colson said. 「和去年不一樣的是，今年我們從2月底開始，8月份的預定就已經滿了」，旅館老闆薇蘿妮卡．柯爾森說。 With cats snoozing on couches, sitting high up in the tree-shaped wooden climbing structure in the center, or observing street life from a ledge by the window, the hotel is in full swing as cat owners rediscover the pleasure of travel. 貓咪有的在沙發上打盹，有的坐在中間的樹木形狀的木頭攀爬結構的高處，有的在窗邊的壁架上觀察街頭生活，因為貓主人們重新發現了旅遊的樂趣，這間旅館的生意正如火如荼。 Next Article Paris gets sausages and steaks 24/7 from vending machine 巴黎販賣機全天候販售香腸和牛排 With their beloved baguette already available 24 hours a day, it seems only logical that Parisians can now get the Bayonne ham and Basque pate that goes so well with the bread from the first meat vending machine installed in the French capital. 巴黎人鍾愛的棍子麵包一天24小時都有供應，而現在，和棍子麵包非常搭的巴約納火腿和Basque pate，可在巴黎首台肉品販賣機買得到，似乎也滿合理的。 In a city filled with small shops where long lunches remain a crucial part of the French "art de vivre," the gleaming red machine set up on the lively Rue de Charonne in eastern Paris seems a bit incongruous. 在一個小商店林立、午餐慢慢吃仍是法式「生活藝術」重要環節的城市，這台光鮮亮麗的紅色機器現身巴黎東區生氣勃勃的夏洪尼路，看起來有點不搭軋。 The area has at least two dozen butcher’s shops and no shortage of meat, but that didn’t deter the owners of one of those shops from investing 40,000 euros（$45,000）to set up their project, selling vacuum-packed meat from the refrigerated machine. 這個區域至少有24家肉鋪，沒有肉品短缺的問題，但其中一家店的老闆並未因此卻步，仍投入4萬歐元（約4萬5000美元）擬定計畫，從這台有冷藏功能的機器販售真空包裝肉品。 From their machine, which takes cash or credit cards, customers can also get a large choice of traditional delicatessen including duck confit and beef carpaccio. There are also faux-filet steaks on display, priced at 34 euros per kilogram. 他們的機器收現金也收信用卡，顧客也能買到許多傳統熟食，包括油封鴨和義式生牛肉，還有沙朗牛排，每公斤要價34歐元。Source article: https://features.ltn.com.tw/english/article/paper/1547057 ; https://news.ltn.com.tw/news/world/paper/971715

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.K459: About Canada - 36,000km in three days $8000 car rental charge shocks Canadian woman Car rental companies have long earned a reputation for gouging customers, penny-pinching on frills and finding new and unscrupulous ways to charge for add-ons. 租車公司長期以來以向顧客敲竹槓、吝於提供額外配備，以及用新的不誠實手法超收費用出名。 But a Canadian woman says she was billed thousands in extra mileage after a rental company claimed she drove a distance nearly the circumference of the Earth over a three-day period. 但是一名加拿大女子說，租車公司聲稱她在3天內行駛幾乎可繞地球1圈的距離，為此向她收取數千元的超額里程費。 Earlier this month, Giovanna Boniface flew from Vancouver to Toronto, where she rented an SUV at the airport. Her rental receipt, posted to Twitter, shows the company levied a charge of 25 cents per kilometre – for 36,000 additional kilometres. 喬凡娜‧邦尼費斯本月稍早從溫哥華搭機到多倫多，在機場租了1輛休旅車。她在「推特」上貼出的租車費收據顯示，租車公司針對3萬6000公里超額里程，收取每公里25美分的費用。 Even if she had travelled from Mexico City to Skagway, Alaska, over the three days, driving nonstop, she would still be nearly 30,000km short of what the company claimed she had travelled – enough to traverse the entire continent of North America three more times. 即使她在那3天內從墨西哥市開到阿拉斯加州的斯卡威，中途都不停，她也會比該公司宣稱的行駛里程數還少將近3萬公里—足以再穿越整個北美大陸3趟。 Next Article In Canada, one woman takes on stereotypes as a drag king挑戰刻板印象，加拿大女性扮「變裝國王」 33-year-old Canadian Melodie Rousseau is an actress by day, but at night, she makes herself up as a virile man － and takes the stage at Montreal’s cabaret halls as a drag king. 33歲的加拿大人梅樂蒂‧盧梭，白天是女演員，晚上卻喬裝成強健的男性，以變裝國王之姿，在蒙特婁的卡巴萊舞廳登台。 Performing in drag is not only a means of artistic expression － it’s a political statement by Rousseau and others looking to step out of the formidable shadow of drag queens. 變裝表演不僅是藝術表達方式之一，對盧梭及渴望踏出變裝皇后巨大陰影的其他人而言，也是一種政治表述。 Rousseau, who performs as Rock Biere, needs two and a half hours for her transformation. She would use a make-up brush to draw the eyebrows and contours that define her alter ego. 以「搖滾比爾」之名表演的盧梭，需花2小時半完成變裝。她會用化妝刷具畫眉毛及臉部輪廓，勾勒出另一個自我。 Little by little, Rock Biere’s more masculine jawline emerges. She straps down her breasts and sticks fake hair on her chest and chin. 漸漸地，「搖滾比爾」顯現出更具男子氣概的下巴輪廓。她束縛胸部，在胸口和下巴黏上假毛及假鬍鬚。 While drag queens have entered the mainstream thanks to shows like "RuPaul’s Drag Race," drag kings are still under the radar. In Quebec province, they can be counted on one hand, according to veteran Canadian drag king Charli Deville. 當變裝皇后拜《魯保羅變裝皇后秀》等節目之賜進入主流市場，變裝國王仍沒沒無聞。加拿大資深變裝國王恰莉‧戴維爾說，魁北克省的變裝國王一隻手就數得完。Source article: https://features.ltn.com.tw/english/article/paper/1544007 ; https://news.ltn.com.tw/news/world/paper/1336895

歡迎留言告訴我們你對這一集的想法： https://open.firstory.me/user/cl81kivnk00dn01wffhwxdg2s/comments Summary: 相關文章：https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-63363473 Anti-cheating headgear has gone viral in the Philippines and Thailand as students show their creativity in preventing themselves and others from cheating in tests. In this episode, Angel and I talk about cheating in our school days. Have you cheated and gotten caught before? Comment down below! Vocabulary: 1. Cheating n. v. 作弊 Peeking at other people's answers is considered cheating in a test. 偷看別人的答案在考試的時候是作弊。 2. If you can't beat them, join them idiom. 贏不過就一同加入 Your classmates cheated to get high scores. If you can't beat them, join them. 你同學都靠作弊高分，如果你贏不了，就加入他們。 3. Get caught phr. v. 被抓到 It's not cheating if you don't get caught. 沒被抓到作弊就不是作弊。 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]

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.K458: Troops at Front Offering Tanks For Launchers The Ukrainian sergeant slid the captured Russian rocket launcher into the center of a small room. He was pleased. The weapon was practically brand-new. It had been built in 2020, and its thermobaric warhead was deadly against troops and armored vehicles. 這名烏克蘭士官讓這具繳獲的俄羅斯火箭發射器滑進一個小房間中央。他很開心。這武器幾乎全新，在2020年製造，它的溫壓彈頭對軍隊跟裝甲車都是致命的。 But the sergeant, nicknamed Zmei, had no plans to fire it at advancing Russian soldiers or at a tank trying to burst through his unit’s front line in eastern Ukraine. 但這位綽號「茲梅」的士官，並不打算用它向前進的俄羅斯軍人開火，或向一輛試圖突破他所屬部隊在烏克蘭東部防線的戰車開火。 Instead, he was going to use it as a bargaining chip. 相反地，他打算用它當作討價還價的籌碼。 Within the 93rd Mechanized Brigade, Zmei was not just a lowly sergeant. He was the brigade’s point man for a wartime bartering system among Ukrainian forces. Prevalent along the front line, the exchange operates like a kind of shadow economy, soldiers say, in which units acquire weapons or equipment and trade them for supplies they need urgently. 在第93機械化旅，茲梅不只是一名階級低微的士官。他是該旅在烏克蘭軍隊間建立戰時以物易物系統的關鍵人物。軍人說，這種交易在前線普遍存在，就像一種地下經濟，各單位繳獲武器或裝備，然後用它們交換急需的物資。 Most of the bartering involves items captured from Russian troops. Ukrainian soldiers refer to them as “trophies.” 大多數以物易物的交換涉及從俄軍繳獲的物品。烏軍稱它們為「戰利品」。 “Usually, the trades are done really fast,” Zmei said last week during an interview in Ukraine’s mineral-rich Donbas region, where the 93rd is now stationed. “Let’s just call it a simplification of bureaucracy.” 茲梅上星期在烏克蘭礦產資源豐富的頓巴斯地區受訪時說：「通常交易很快就會完成。我們姑且稱之為官僚主義的簡化吧。」第93旅目前駐紮在當地。 Despite the influx of Western weapons and equipment in recent months, the Ukrainian military still relies heavily on arms and vehicles captured from their better-equipped Russian foe for the matériel needed to wage war; much of Ukraine’s aging Soviet-era arsenal is either destroyed, worn down or lacks ammunition. 儘管西方武器和裝備近幾個月大量湧入，但烏克蘭軍方仍極度仰賴從裝備更好的俄羅斯敵人繳獲的武器與車輛，來獲得戰爭所需物資。烏克蘭老舊的蘇聯時代軍備許多已被摧毀、用壞，或是缺乏彈藥。 That has left Ukrainian soldiers scrounging the battlefield for essentials as their own supply lines are strained. And the relatively small numbers of big-ticket foreign weapons, such as the U.S.-made M777 howitzer, are spread thinly on the sprawling 1,500-mile front. 這導致烏軍在戰場上四處尋找軍需品，因為他們的補給線已經吃緊。數量相對較少的高價外國武器，如美國製造的M777榴彈砲，則稀疏分散在綿延1500英里的戰線上。 “We have hopes for Kyiv,” said Fedir, one of the brigade’s supply sergeants and an understudy of Zmei, referring to military commanders in the capital. “But we rely on ourselves. We aren’t trying to just sit and wait like idiots until Kyiv sends us something.” 該旅補給士之一、茲梅的替補費德談到首都的軍事指揮官：「我們對基輔抱有希望，但我們要靠自己。我們不會像傻瓜一樣坐等基輔送東西給我們。」 The 93rd currently only possesses old Soviet-era artillery pieces that have worn out barrels and are low on ammunition. 第93旅目前只有蘇聯時代的舊火砲，砲管已經磨損，彈藥也不夠。 “I have to go and buy everything and trade things, and bring it all here,”a 28-year-old Ukrainian soldier who goes by the name of Michael said. 一個名叫麥可的28歲烏軍說：「我必須去買東西，交換東西，然後把東西都帶到這裡。」 “So what’s going on is a personal initiative,” he said. “You’re taking the risk, it’s criminal. Nobody will thank you. It’s a thankless job.” 他說道：「所以，目前情況是個人行動。你在冒險，這是犯罪。沒人會感謝你。這是吃力不討好的工作。」Source article: https://udn.com/news/story/6904/6618643

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.K457: What’s behind strained China-Japan relations Japan and China on Thursday last week marked the 50th anniversary of the 1972 normalization of their ties, but there isn’t much of a celebratory mood. Improved ties between Asia’s two biggest economies are considered vital to the region’s stability and prosperity, but they remain at odds over disputed East China Sea islands and China’s growing military and economic assertiveness in the region. Here are the key issues in the often strained relations between these powerhouse neighbors: 日本和中國上週四慶祝一九七二年兩國關係正常化五十週年，但並沒有太多慶祝的氣氛。亞洲最大的兩個經濟體間關係之改善，咸認攸關亞洲的穩定與繁榮，但對於有領土爭端的東海島嶼，以及中國軍事和經濟上在該區域愈趨強勢，兩國的立場仍然分歧。這兩個鄰近的強國經常處於緊張的關係，以下是其中幾個關鍵問題： TERRITORIAL DISPUTES A huge source of contention is an uninhabited group of Tokyo-controlled, Beijing-claimed East China Sea islands called Senkaku in Japan and Diaoyu in China. Japan insists that the islands, which once hosted a Japanese seafood factory, are part of its territory, both historically and by international law. China says they were stolen by Japan in 1895 and should have been returned at the end of World War II. The disputed islands are surrounded by rich fishing grounds and undersea oil deposits, and Japan accuses China of suddenly making its territorial claims after the undersea resources were found in a 1969 United Nations report. The 1972 normalization communique did not deal with the issue, but the dispute intensified after Japan’s government in 2012 nationalized the Senkaku islands, leading to violent protests across China. Chinese coast guard and fishing boats are regularly found in the area, routinely intruding on Japanese waters. 領土爭端 一個主要的爭論是東京所控制、北京聲稱擁有主權的東海無人島群，在日本稱為尖閣諸島，在中國稱為釣魚島。日本堅稱，日本曾在這些島嶼設有海產工廠，無論就歷史或國際法而言，這些島都是日本領土的一部分。中國說這些島是在一八九五年被日本偷走，日本應該在二戰結束時將其歸還。這些有爭端的島嶼，周圍環繞著富饒的漁場，海底石油儲量豐沛，日本指責中國是在一九六九年聯合國報告發現海底資源後才忽然提出領土主張。一九七二年的兩國關係正常化公報並未處理此問題，但日本政府二○一二年將尖閣諸島國有化後，爭端愈演愈烈，在中國各地引發了暴力抗議。中國海岸警衛隊及漁船常在此區域出現，經常侵犯日本水域。 FEAR OF TAIWAN EMERGENCY Japan, along with its security ally the US, has openly criticized increased Chinese activities in the South China Sea. Tokyo has also pushed for peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait. China claims Taiwan, a self-governing democracy, and has threatened to annex it by force if necessary. With a US-China trade war and naval tensions on the rise in the area, Japan is increasingly worried about Taiwan emergencies. China’s increased joint military drills with Russia near Japanese coasts have also irked Japan. Tokyo is shifting its military posture toward southwestern Japan, including Okinawa and remote islands just east of Taiwan. China staged major military drills in areas surrounding Taiwan in August in an angry response to US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s Taipei visit, and fired five ballistic missiles into waters near Okinawa. Fear of conflict over Taiwan adds to Japan’s urgent efforts to reinforce its military capabilities and boost its budget. Japan is currently revising its national security strategy, which is expected to call for the possession of preemptive strike capabilities that opponents say would violate the country’s pacifist constitution. With Japan’s westernmost island just east of Taiwan, “It is increasingly difficult to see how a Taiwan military contingency would not affect at a minimum the waters and airspace around Japanese territory,” said Amanda Hsiao, senior analyst for China at the Crisis Group. 對台灣緊急狀況的恐懼 日本及其安全盟友美國公開批評中國在南海的活動增加。東京也推動了台灣海峽的和平及穩定。中國聲稱擁有台灣──一個自治的民主國家──的主權，並威脅在必要時以武力吞併台灣。隨著中美貿易戰及該地區海軍緊張局勢的加劇，日本越來越擔憂台灣出現緊急狀況。中國在日本沿海附近增加與俄國的聯合軍演也激怒了日本。東京正將其軍事布局轉向日本西南部，包括沖繩及台灣以東的偏遠島嶼。八月，中國在台灣周邊舉行大規模軍事演習，做為美國眾議院議長南希．裴洛西訪問台北的憤怒回應，並向沖繩附近海域發射了五枚彈道飛彈。對台灣衝突的恐懼讓日本更急迫地加強其軍事能力及增加預算。日本目前正在修訂國家安全戰略，預計將要求擁有先發制人的攻擊能力，反對者稱這將違反日本的和平憲法。日本最西端的島嶼就在台灣以東，因此「越來越難看出台灣的軍事意外事件如何不會對日本領土周遭的水域及空域造成一丁點影響」，國際危機組織中國問題高級分析師蕭嫣然表示。 WARTIME HISTORY The two countries were at war, starting with clashes in the 1930s, until Japan’s defeat in 1945. Japanese atrocities during the Sino-Japanese war include the Rape of Nanking, the use of chemical and biological weapons and grisly human medical experiments in Manchuria, where Japan’s imperial army had a secret biological weapons unit. Japan also took nearly 40,000 Chinese laborers to Japanese mines and factories, where many died of malnutrition and abuse. In the 1972 communique, China waived the right to war compensation, which some experts say was in exchange for Japan’s apology and recognition of China as the only legal government. Japan, however, has provided official development aid totaling 3.6 trillion yen ($US25 billion) to China over the past four decades. 戰時歷史 從一九三○年代的衝突開始，直到一九四五年日本戰敗，中日兩國是處於戰爭狀態。中日戰爭期間日本的暴行包括南京大屠殺、使用化學及生物武器，以及在滿洲進行駭人的人體醫學實驗。日本帝國陸軍在滿洲有一個秘密的生物武器部隊。日本還將近四萬名中國勞工帶到日本的礦山及工廠，其中許多人死於營養不良和受虐。在一九七二年的公報中，中國放棄了獲得戰爭賠償的權利，一些專家稱這是為了換取日本的道歉及承認中共是唯一合法中國政府。然而，在過去四十年中，日本官方向中國提供了總計三點六兆日元（兩百五十億美元）的發展援助。 YASUKUNI SHRINE China considers Tokyo’s Yasukuni Shrine

歡迎留言告訴我們你對這一集的想法： https://open.firstory.me/user/cl81kivnk00dn01wffhwxdg2s/comments Topic: Cambodia to ban elephant rides at Angkor Wat temples 柬埔寨的世界文化遺產吳哥窟每年都吸引數百萬國內外觀光客造訪，其中許多很多遊客會選擇騎大象遊覽園區，這項服務多年來一直招受批評，批評者認為利用動物大賺觀光財是相當殘酷也不人道的。面對一波波討伐聲浪，負責管理園區的吳哥暨暹羅地區保護管理局（Aspar Authority）上週五宣布，將在明年初起全面禁止吳哥窟園區騎大象遊園的服務。 Cambodia will ban elephant rides at Angkor Wat temples by early next year in response to pressure from animal groups, a spokesperson of the Aspar Authority said last week. The Angkor Wat temple complex attracts millions of tourists each year. In 2018 for instance, the number of tourists topped six million, and many of them enjoyed elephant rides around the temples, according to Agence France-Presse (AFP). Against this backdrop, animal rights groups have expressed concerns at the risk of mistreating animals. 美聯社報導，三年前，一頭在吳哥窟工作的母象，因為不堪在酷暑中長時間工作而導致心臟衰竭，最終死亡。母象的死亡在社交媒體上引起輿論撻伐，民眾更在網站change.org聯署請願管理局停止大象騎乘服務。 The death of a female elephant in 2016 of heart failure after working in extremely hot weather triggered outrage on social media. A petition was launched on change.org to ask the Aspar Authority to cease elephant riding in archeological sites, according to Associated Press. 面對群眾壓力，吳哥窟園區也在今年做出回應，承諾讓14頭在吳哥窟服務的大象在2020年全數除役。 Three years after the elephant’s death, Aspar Authority promised to stop the services and release all 14 elephants into their natural habitat by early 2020. 管理局發言人Long Kosal向法新社說道：「利用大象來營利是不適當的。」並強調許多大象都已經相當年邁。 The authority’s spokesperson, Long Kosal, told the AFP that “using elephants for business is not appropriate anymore,” adding that the elephants are already old. Long Kosal指出，14頭在吳哥窟服務的大象中，已經有五頭被轉移到附近的保育森林，「他們會在那裡過著自然的生活」Long Kosal說道，並表示擁有這些大象的公司會持續照養牠們。 Long Kosal said five of the 14 elephants had been transported to nearby community forests. “They will live out their natural lives there,” Long Kosal told the AFP, adding that the company owning these elephants will keep looking after them. 柬埔寨媒體The Phnom Penh Post報導，Long Kosal表示，儘管園區內不會再有大象騎乘服務，遊客仍然可以到附近的保育區與大象近距離接觸並拍照。 Long Kosal added that the Aspar Authority aims to stop elephant riding in the park, but tourists can still visit their protected habitat to get a close look and take a photo with the elephants, according to The Phnom Penh Post. Source article: https://chinapost.nownews.com/20191118-859822 Next Article Topic: Dozens of casino workers flee Cambodia by swimming to Vietnam Dozens of Vietnamese casino workers allegedly forced to toil without pay in Cambodia have fled back to their homeland by swimming across a river, authorities in Phnom Penh said Friday. 金邊政府週五表示，數十名據稱被迫在柬埔寨賭場無薪工作的越南員工，游泳渡河逃回家鄉。 About 40 staff with the Golden Phoenix Entertainment Casino in Kandal province － which neighbours Vietnam － fought off security guards to escape, leaving one missing after being swept away by the current, Vietnamese state media reported. 越南國營媒體報導，毗鄰越南的柬國甘丹省金鳳娛樂城賭場約40名員工擊退守衛逃走，1人在渡河時被水流沖走失蹤。 "These people might have been here working illegally," Cambodian Interior Minister Sar Kheng told reporters. 柬國內政部長紹肯向記者說，「這些人或許是在這非法打工」。 "They were promised salaries, but they did not get what they were promised... They crossed back to Vietnam because they could not reach a deal. They fled the place." 「他們獲得承諾有薪水，但實際上沒有拿到…因為無法達成協議，就逃離這裡，渡河回去越南。」 He said Cambodian police had detained a casino manager and were investigating the incident. 他說，柬國警方已經拘押一名賭場經理，正在調查此事。 Next Article Topic: Cambodia to ban elephant rides at Angkor Wat 柬埔寨禁止在吳哥窟騎大象 Following pressure from animal activist groups, Apsara, the management authority for the Angkor Archaeological Park in Siem Reap, Cambodia announced in June 2019 it would ban elephant rides in early 2020. 在許多動物活動組織的施壓下，負責管理吳哥遺址的暹粒地區「阿帕薩拉」保護管理局2019年6月表示，他們將從2020年初起禁止大象騎乘。 Local outlet the Khmer Times reports that on November 15, two of the 14 elephants currently at the park, have been relocated to the nearby Bos Thom community forest. An Apsara press representative told the Khmer Times that the remaining dozen animals would be relocated to the same forest by "early next year." 本地媒體「高棉時報」11月15日報導，該園區的14隻大象中，有2隻被重新安置在附近的「Bos Thom」社區森林。1名「阿帕薩拉」的發言人告訴「高棉時報」，剩下的12隻會在明年初被安置到同座森林。 In 2016, an elephant named Sambo died at Angkor, drawing worldwide attention. Her death was blamed on a combination of heat stroke and exhaustion from ferrying so many human beings around. 2016年，1隻名為珊寶的大象死在吳哥窟，引起了全世界的矚目。牠的死因被歸咎於因為載運了太多人而導致的中暑與過度勞累。 Two years later, the World Wildlife Fund published an in-depth look at the dwindling populations of the Asian elephant, noting that the species’ population had declined by 50% in just three generations. 兩年後，世界自然基金會發布關於亞洲大象數量減少的深入調查，發現該物種現今的數量比3代之前少了50%。Source article: https://features.ltn.com.tw/english/article/paper/1539968 ; https://news.ltn.com.tw/news/world/paper/1334758

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 換句話說系列 – 最好與危險還有什麼其他說法Other ways to say “Best” and “Dangerous” Other ways to say: BEST Greatest 最大/最好 New Yorkers think they live in the greatest city on earth. Finest 最好/最棒 Hemingway was the finest American writer of his generation. Top (before noun) 頂尖 He is definitely one of the world's top golfers. First-rate/ First class 第一等 The service is first-rate. Second to none 無二 We provide a service that is second to none. Premier 首位 It's the island's premier resort. Top-of-the-range/ Top of the line 旗艦款/最好最貴的 She has top-of-the-range kitchen appliances. Other ways to say: DANGEROUS Harmful 有害的 Smoking is harmful to smokers and non-smokers. Risky 有風險的 I wouldn't do it if I were you - it's too risky. Unsafe 不安全的 The heating systems were unsafe to use. Damaging 有破壞性的 Many chemicals have a damaging effect on the environment. Threatening 有威脅性的 He has a threatening look. Nasty 不好的 Some really nasty people are looking for him. 分享時間:Tell a personal experience related to best and dangerousPick 4 words and make sentences

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.K456: About Norway - Ikea Norway offers help with baby names after COVID-19 boom Have you thought about Malm, Kivik or Trotten? 你可曾想過以馬爾姆、奇維克或卓登來命名？ Swedish retailer Ikea is known for the distinctive names of its flat-pack home products. The company’s Norway branch wants to use the experience to help parents. 瑞典家具零售商宜家家居的組合式家具，因擁有特殊名字而出名。挪威分公司希望運用這個經驗幫助天下父母。 Ikea Norway has built "a name bank" with more than 800 listings available on its website. The names are drawn from ones Ikea has given to its furniture since 1948. 挪威宜家家居已創建「名字銀行」網站，收錄超過800組名字，而這些名字都是該公司1948年後為家具產品取的名字。 Ikea usually names its products after Swedish towns, lakes and other geographical features instead of product numbers. 宜家家居經常以瑞典城鎮、湖泊和其他地理特徵為產品命名，而非使用編號。 The branch noted that while retailers saw both a shortage of raw materials and challenges with delivery times during the COVID-19 pandemic, "there is at least no shortage of children" in Norway. 挪威分公司提到，雖然零售業者在新冠肺炎期間遭遇原料短缺和配送時間挑戰，「但在挪威至少沒出現缺少小孩的狀況。」 Norway registered the births of 56,060 babies last year, or 3,081 more than in 2020. 挪威去年增加5萬6060名新生兒，比2020年多3081名。 Next Article Norway tells conscripts to return underwear after service 挪威要士兵服役結束後歸還內衣褲 Conscripts in Norway have been ordered to return their underwear, bras and socks after the end of their military service so that the next group of recruits can use them. 挪威下令義務役人員在役期結束後歸還內衣褲、胸罩和襪子，以便下一梯次可以使用。 The Norwegian military said that it is struggling with dwindling supplies, in part due to the pandemic. 挪威軍方說，他們正苦於庫存減少的狀況，部分原因是疫情造成。 Until recently, the roughly 8,000 young men and women who every year do their military service returned their outer clothing but were allowed to leave barracks with the underwear and socks they were issued. 此前，每年約8000名年輕男、女性在服完兵役後，都被要求歸還外衣，但可以帶著獲配發的內衣褲和襪子離開軍營。 Military service is mandatory for both men and women in Norway and lasts between 12 and 19 months. 挪威的男、女性都有義務當兵，役期介於12至19個月之間。 NATO-member Norway’s national defense magazine, Forsvarets Forum, reported that it was not the first time that the Armed Forces had struggled with such shortcomings, with a spokesman saying it "has been a recurring problem" for years. 挪威是北大西洋公約組織（NATO）成員，其國防期刊Forsvarets Forum報導，這不是挪威軍隊第一次遭遇物品短缺，一名發言人還表示，這是多年來不斷發生的問題。Source article: https://features.ltn.com.tw/english/article/paper/1541446 ; https://news.ltn.com.tw/news/world/paper/1516836

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.K455: About Hong Kong - Hong Kong scraps quarantine measures after economy takes a beating Hong Kong will ditch its stringent hotel quarantine for incoming travellers（譯註：英式拼法） that has eroded the city’s status as a financial hub, hammered its economy and sparked an exodus of residents. 香港將取消針對入境旅客的嚴格的飯店檢疫措施，該措施已損及這座城市作為金融樞紐的地位、重創其經濟，以及引爆居民大舉出走。 The policy, which at one point required visitors and residents to quarantine in a hotel for as long as three weeks, had been in place for two and a half years, effectively cutting the city off from the rest of the world as well as from mainland China. 這項一度要求訪客與居民在飯店內檢疫長達3週的政策已實施2年半，有效斬斷香港與世界其他地方以及與中國大陸的聯繫。 John Lee, the city’s chief executive, said that the quarantine requirement would be eliminated from Monday, but travellers would be subject to testing and monitoring for three days after landing. 香港特區行政長官李家超表示，將自下週一起取消該檢疫要求，但旅客抵港後仍得接受篩檢與3天的醫學監測。 Next Article Hong Kong litterbugs shamed in billboard portraits made using DNA from trash 從垃圾中找出DNA製成肖像公布令香港亂丟垃圾者蒙羞 A campaign that used DNA analysis to give a face to anonymous Hong Kong litterbugs, then posted representations of the faces on billboards across the city, has been a big hit on social media. 一項行動藉由分析去氧核醣核酸，為香港匿名的亂丟垃圾者建立一張面貌，然後將這些面貌圖像張貼在全市公告欄，已成為社群網站熱門話題。 The Face of Litter campaign was launched on Global Earth Day for the Hong Kong Cleanup Initiative, organised by online magazine Ecozine and the Nature Conservancy. It was aimed at raising awareness of the extent of littering in the city by pinpointing those responsible and encouraging people to change their behaviour. 這項「亂丟垃圾的面貌」行動是為網路雜誌「生態誌」和自然保育協會所主辦「清潔香港運動」，在世界地球日啟動，旨在透過點出該負起責任之人，提高民眾注意香港亂丟垃圾程度，鼓勵民眾改變行為。 Last year, NGO Hong Kong Cleanup rallied 418 teams for a six-week challenge that saw 3,894 tonnes of litter from streets, coastlines and country trails, according to co-founder and CEO Lisa Christensen. 根據非政府組織「清潔香港」共同創辦人暨執行長麗莎克里斯汀森說法，去年該組織號召418團隊進行六週挑戰，從街頭、岸邊和鄉村小徑撿了3894噸垃圾。 Marketing communications agency Ogilvy & Mather Hong Kong came up with the idea for the billboard campaign and enlisted US-based Parabon Nanolabs. 行銷傳播公司「香港奧美」提出這項公佈欄行動的點子，並且找來設於美國的生物科技公司「帕拉本奈米實驗室」協助。 Christensen says the purpose of the campaign was not to point fingers at specific individuals. 克里斯汀森說，這項行動的目的不是要指責特定個人。 Reed Collins, the Ogilvy chief creative officer who led the campaign, says he is not aware of any other city launching such a campaign to tackle the scourge of littering. 領導這項行動的奧美創意長柯林斯說，就他所知，沒有其他城市展開這樣的行動來處理亂丟垃圾之患。Source article: https://features.ltn.com.tw/english/article/paper/1542943 ; https://news.ltn.com.tw/news/world/paper/887382

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.K454: About Netherlands - Dutch city becomes world’s first to ban meat adverts in public A Dutch city will become the first in the world to ban meat adverts from public spaces in an effort to reduce consumption and greenhouse gas emissions. 荷蘭的一座城市將在全球率先禁止在公共場所投放肉食廣告，以減少消費和溫室氣體排放。 Haarlem, which lies to the west of Amsterdam and has a population of about 160,000, will enact the prohibition from 2024 after meat was added to a list of products deemed to contribute to the climate crisis. 位於阿姆斯特丹以西、擁有約16萬人口的哈勒姆市，將從2024年開始頒布肉食廣告禁令。此前肉食被加入導致氣候危機的產品清單。 Adverts will not be allowed on Haarlem’s buses, shelters and screens in public spaces, prompting complaints from the meat sector that the municipality is “going too far in telling people what’s best for them”. 哈勒姆市將禁止巴士、候車亭和公共場所的螢幕上出現肉食廣告，引發肉食產業的抱怨，他們聲稱市政府「在告訴人們什麼對他們最有利方面，做得太過份了。」 Recent studies suggest global food production is responsible for one-third of all planet-heating emissions, with the use of animals for meat accounting for twice the pollution of producing plant-based foods. 最近的研究指出，全球3分之1的溫室氣體排放源自世界各地的食品生產，其中養殖肉用家畜造成的污染，是生產植物性食物的2倍。 Next Article Jewel thieves in brazen Dutch art fair heist 珠寶大盜在荷蘭藝品展上大膽行搶 Flat-cap wearing armed robbers staged a brazen daylight raid on an international art fair in the Netherlands Tuesday, smashing a jewellery case with a sledgehammer in front of terrified visitors. 戴著鴨舌帽的武裝搶匪，週二在荷蘭的一場國際藝品展上，當著一群驚恐的參觀者面前，用大榔頭砸破一個珠寶箱，在光天化日下大膽搶劫。 Police said they pulled over a car and arrested two Belgians in their twenties after the four smartly dressed thieves held up the TEFAF (The European Fine Art Fair) in the southern city of Maastricht. 警方說，這4名打扮時髦的竊賊在南部馬斯垂特的歐洲精品藝術展行搶後，警方攔下一輛車，逮捕2名20幾歲的比利時人。 Dramatic social media images showed the robbers threatening people with what appeared to be handguns before running off with an undisclosed amount of what police called "loot". 令人看了驚心動魄的社群媒體影像顯示，這批搶匪用看來是手槍的武器威脅民眾，然後帶著一批警方所稱數量不明的「掠奪品」逃之夭夭。Source article: https://features.ltn.com.tw/english/article/paper/1540909 ; https://news.ltn.com.tw/news/world/paper/1533450

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.K453: While You’re Up in the Air, Dispatchers May Be Home Two years ago, the Federal Aviation Administration allowed a handful of airlines to let some aircraft dispatchers work remotely to keep travel running smoothly as coronavirus cases ran rampant. Two carriers, Republic Airways and SkyWest Airlines, took the agency up on the offer. But critics say it is long past time to end that practice, arguing that it exposes dispatchers to disruptions and distractions, shields them from oversight and raises concerns about flight safety. 兩年前，美國聯邦航空管理局允許少數航空公司讓一些航機簽派員遠距工作，以便在新冠病例暴增情況下，保持旅行順利進行。共和以及天西兩家航空公司接受了該機構提議。但批評人士說，這種做法早該結束，他們認為這會讓簽派員受到干擾跟分心，讓他們免受監督，並引發對飛行安全的擔憂。 Dispatchers typically work from secure facilities known as airline operations centers. There, they play a crucial role, sharing operational authority over flights with pilots. Dispatchers put together comprehensive flight plans, charting routes, accounting for weather and turbulence, and ensuring that a given plane is ready and safe to fly. If an emergency arises or weather patterns change, they work with pilots to adjust course or address any problems. 簽派員通常在被稱為航空作業中心的安全設施內工作。他們在那裡發揮至關重要作用，與機長分享飛航操作權限。簽派員制定全面的飛行計畫、繪製航線圖、考量天氣和亂流，確保簽派的飛機準備就緒並能安全飛行。若出現緊急情況或天氣模式發生變化，他們會跟機長一同調整航線或解決問題。 Since first allowing dispatchers at some airlines to work remotely in the summer of 2020, the FAA has expanded the policy, permitting as many as 60% of the dispatchers at Republic to do so. SkyWest allows remote work when local coronavirus cases are high or when the airline deems it necessary, the FAA said. United Airlines was also given the option but hasn’t used it. 自2020年夏天首次允許一些航空公司簽派員遠距工作後，美國聯邦航空管理局擴大這一政策，允許共和航空多達60%簽派員遠距工作。美國聯邦航空管理局表示，天西航空也獲准在當地新冠病毒病例增多或航空公司認為有必要時，進行遠距工作。聯合航空也獲得這一選擇，但一直沒有使用。 SkyWest did not say how many dispatchers it employed; Republic said it employs more than 80. The Transport Workers Union, which has fought the FAA on the remote working practice since the beginning, estimated that about eight Republic dispatchers work from home on a typical day, managing about 150 flights. (The SkyWest dispatchers are not unionized.) 天西航空並未透露雇用多少簽派員，共和航空則稱雇用超過80人。從一開始就反對美國聯邦航空管理局遠距工作做法的運輸工人工會估計，共和航空每天約8位簽派員居家上班，管理大約150個航班。（天西航空的簽派員未加入該工會）。 The union and other critics say that while the number of dispatchers working remotely is limited, the practice sets a dangerous precedent. The Airline Dispatchers Federation, a national advocacy group composed of working dispatchers, and many experts say the job should be done only from the secure confines of an operations center. 工會及其他批評人士說，儘管遠距工作的簽派員數量有限，但這種做法開創一個危險先例。由現職簽派員組成的全國性倡議組織航空簽派員協會和許多專家說，這項工作只能在作業中心的安全區域內完成。 Republic and SkyWest defended the practice, saying that safety remains a top priority and that they have worked closely with the FAA to ensure that dispatchers who work remotely are held to high standards. 共和航空跟天西航空則為這一做法辯護，稱安全仍是首要任務，他們與美國聯邦航空管理局密切合作，以確保遠距工作的簽派員遵守高標準。 Both airlines fly typically short routes for American Airlines, Delta Air Lines and United. SkyWest also flies for Alaska Airlines. Together, they carried nearly 53 million passengers within the United States last year, according to federal data. 這兩家航空公司通常為美國航空、達美航空和聯合航空提供短程航班。天西航空也為阿拉斯加航空公司提供服務。聯邦數據顯示，這些航班去年在美國境內共運送近5300萬名乘客。Source article: https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/lang/archives/2022/10/11/2003786775

每日英語跟讀 Ep.K452: A quick look at the 2022 Nobel Prizes All the 2022 Nobel Prizes have now been announced. Here’s a look at which prizes have been announced, and what’s next for the winners. 二〇二二年諾貝爾獎所有獎項得主已經宣佈。以下是所公布的獎項，以及獲獎者的下一步。 MEDICINE The medicine or physiology prize is by tradition the first Nobel to be announced. This year’s award went to Swedish scientist Svante Paabo for discoveries about human evolution achieved through analyses of the DNA of Neanderthals and other ancient relatives of modern humans. 醫學獎 按照傳統，醫學或生理學獎是第一個公布的諾貝爾獎。今年的獎項授予瑞典科學家斯萬特‧帕博，以表彰他透過分析尼安德塔人及其他現代人類遠古親屬之DNA，對人類進化所得到的發現。 PHYSICS The Nobel Prize in Physics was awarded Tuesday last week to Frenchman Alain Aspect, American John F. Clauser and Austrian Anton Zeilinger. The trio shared the prize for discovering the way that particles known as photons can be linked, or ``entangled’’ with each other, even when they are separated by large distances. 物理學獎 諾貝爾物理學獎於週二授予法國籍的阿蘭‧阿斯佩、約翰‧克勞澤及奧地利籍的安東‧蔡林格。三人因研究發現看不見的粒子（稱為光子）可以相互連接或互相「糾纏」──即便相距很遠──而共同獲獎。 CHEMISTRY The Nobel Prize in Chemistry was jointly awarded on Wednesday last week to Americans Carolyn R. Bertozzi and K. Barry Sharpless and Danish scientist Morten Meldal for their work on click chemistry, a field of research that can be used to design better medicines. Sharpless is a repeat winner: He won the chemistry prize also in 2001. 化學獎 諾貝爾化學獎於上週三聯合授予美國籍的凱洛琳‧柏托西、卡爾‧巴里‧沙普利斯，以及丹麥科學家莫滕‧莫代爾，以表彰他們在點擊化學方面的研究，點擊化學可用來設計更好的藥物。沙普利斯並非第一次得諾貝爾獎：他在二〇〇一年已獲得諾貝爾化學獎。 LITERATURE The Swedish Academy on Thursday last week gave the Nobel Prize in Literature to French writer Annie Ernaux for “the courage and clinical acuity with which she uncovers the roots, estrangements and collective restraints of personal memory.” Ernaux, 82, has written more than 20 books, most of them very short, chronicling events in her life and the lives of those around her. Her work paints uncompromising portraits of sexual encounters, abortion, illness and the deaths of her parents. 文學獎 瑞典學院上週四將諾貝爾文學獎授予法國作家安妮‧艾諾，以表彰她「以勇氣和手術般的精準，從個人記憶挖掘根源、隔閡與集體壓抑」。八十二歲的艾諾寫了超過二十本書，多數都很短，記錄她及周遭人生命中的事件。她的作品毫不妥協地描繪了性邂逅、墮胎、疾病，以及她父母的死亡。 PEACE This year’s Nobel Peace Prize was shared Friday last week by jailed Belarus rights activist Ales Bialiatski, the Russian group Memorial and the Ukrainian organization Center for Civil Liberties. The Norwegian Nobel Committee said the laureates “have made an outstanding effort to document war crimes, human right abuses and the abuse of power. Together they demonstrate the significance of civil society for peace and democracy.” The prize was seen as a strong rebuke to the authoritarian rule of Russian President Vladimir Putin. 和平獎 今年的諾貝爾和平獎得主於上週五公布，由被監禁的白俄羅斯維權人士阿列斯‧畢亞利亞茨基、俄國人權組織「紀念」，以及烏克蘭組織「公民自由中心」共同獲得。挪威諾貝爾委員會表示，獲獎者「在記錄戰爭罪、人權侵犯和權力濫用方面做出了重要的努力。它們共同彰顯了公民社會對和平及民主的重要性」。此獎項被視為對俄國總統弗拉迪米爾‧普亭獨裁統治的強烈譴責。 ECONMICS The final announcement came on Monday with the Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences, which is not an original Nobel Prize but was established by the Swedish central bank in 1968. Former US Federal Reserve Chair Ben Bernanke, who put his academic expertise on the Great Depression to work reviving the American economy after the 2007-2008 financial crisis, won the Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences along with two other US-based economists, Douglas Diamond and Philip Dybvig, for their research into the fallout from bank failures. 經濟學獎 最後宣布的獎項，是週一公佈的諾貝爾經濟學獎，最初諾貝爾獎並未有此獎項，這是瑞典中央銀行在一九六八年設立的。前美國聯準會主席班‧伯南奇在二〇〇七—二〇〇八年金融危機後，將其在大蕭條方面的學術專長用於重振美國經濟，他與另外兩位美國經濟學家──道格拉斯‧戴蒙和菲利普‧戴柏維格，對銀行倒閉之後果的研究，共同獲得諾貝爾經濟學獎。 WHAT DO THE WINNERS RECEIVE? Nobel Prize laureates are invited to receive their awards at prize ceremonies held on Dec. 10, the anniversary of award founder Alfred Nobel’s death in 1896. The prize includes a diploma, a gold medal and a monetary award of 10 million Swedish kronor (about US$900,000). The Nobel Peace Prize is handed out in the Norwegian capital, Oslo, while the other awards are presented in Stockholm, the capital of Sweden, in line with Nobel’s wishes. 諾貝爾獎得主會獲得什麼？ 諾貝爾獎得主受邀出席十二月十日所舉行的頒獎典禮領獎，這是諾獎創辦人阿弗烈‧諾貝爾一八九六年逝世的紀念日。獲獎者會領到一張證書、一枚金牌和獎金一千萬瑞典克朗(約合九十萬美元)。諾貝爾和平獎在挪威首都奧斯陸頒發，其他獎項則是在瑞典首都斯德哥爾摩頒發，這是依據貝爾的意願。Source article: https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/lang/archives/2022/10/11/2003786775 歡迎留言告訴我們你對這一集的想法： https://open.firstory.me/user/cl81kivnk00dn01wffhwxdg2s/comments

Topic: Modi warns bitcoin could ’spoil’ young Indians Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday warned that bitcoin presents a risk to younger generations, sounding a hawkish tone as his government prepares to introduce legislation to regulate cryptocurrencies. 在他的政府準備立法規範加密貨幣之際，印度總理莫迪週四發出強硬論調，警告比特幣會對較年輕世代帶來風險。 Speaking at an online cybersecurity forum, Modi framed virtual money as a domain that needs to be closely policed. 莫迪在一場網路安全線上論壇發表談話，將虛擬貨幣稱為需要密切監管的領域。 "Take cryptocurrency or bitcoin, for example," he told a forum hosted by the Australian Strategic Policy Institute. "It is important that all democratic nations work together on this and ensure it does not end up in the wrong hands, which can spoil our youths." 「以加密貨幣或比特幣為例」，他告訴「澳洲戰略政策研究所」舉辦的一場論壇，「重要的是，所有民主國家在這方面共同努力，確保加密貨幣不會落入錯誤的人手裡，那樣有可能毀掉我們的年輕人。」 Next Article: An Indian couple is under investigation over a chartered flight linked to their wedding 一對印度夫妻因婚禮包機而遭調查 The authorities in southern India are investigating a couple who are reported to have chartered a plane and performed a marriage ritual in midair in front of scores of guests, a breach of Covid-19 guidelines in a country that is being devastated by a second wave of the coronavirus. 印度南部當局正在調查一對被舉報包下一架飛機並在數十名賓客面前舉行空中婚禮的夫妻，此舉違反這個正飽受第二波疫情襲擊的國家的武漢肺炎防疫指引。 The couple had intended to tie the knot in front of family and friends at a hotel in the southern state of Tamil Nadu, but coronavirus restrictions capped the guest list at 50 people. 這對夫妻原本打算在親友的見證下於南部泰米爾納德邦的一家飯店共結連理，但疫情限制規定賓客人數上限50人。 Instead, according to reports in the Indian news media, the couple chartered a commercial aircraft and boarded the plane on Sunday morning along with about 160 people. 根據印度新聞媒體的報導，這對夫妻因而改包下一架民航機，並於週日一早與大約160名賓客登機。Source article: https://features.ltn.com.tw/english/article/paper/1491482; https://features.ltn.com.tw/english/article/paper/1489242 Next Article Topic: Water-Stressed India Seeks a Tap for Every Home The pipes are laid, the taps installed and the village tank is under construction — all promising signs that, come spring, Girja Ahriwar will get water at her doorstep and finally shed a lifelong burden. 管子鋪好，水龍頭裝好，村子的水槽正在建造。這些充滿希望的跡象顯示，春季來臨時，吉爾嘉．艾里瓦可以在家門口取到水，而且終於解除長期以來的負擔。 “I go out and put the jerrycans in the queue at around 5 a.m. and wait there with the children,” Ahriwar, a mother of three who lives in the central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh, said about her routine of fetching from the village hand pump. “Sometimes it could take five or six hours. I have to stay there because if I leave, someone else moves ahead.” 「我大約在清晨5時出門，把大水桶排進隊伍，然後和孩子們一起等待」，住在印度中部中央邦、三個孩子的媽艾里瓦說，她的例行公事就是從村子的手動泵浦取水，「有時候得花五或六個小時，我必須一直留在這裡，因為如果我離開了，其他人就會搶先往前」。 India, one of the world’s most water-stressed countries, is halfway through an ambitious drive to provide clean tap water by 2024 to all of the roughly 192 million households across its 600,000 villages. About 18,000 government engineers are overseeing the $50 billion undertaking, which includes hundreds of thousands of contractors and laborers who are laying more than 2.5 million miles of pipe. 印度是全世界用水最吃緊的國家之一，在2024年之前提供60萬個村落共約1億9200萬戶乾淨自來水，這項宏大的計畫已進行到一半。約1萬8000名政府工程師監督規模500億美元的工程，包括數十萬名包商和工人，鋪設超過250萬哩的水管。 The project has a powerful champion in Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who has slashed through India’s notorious red tape and pushed aside thorny political divisions to see it through. His success thus far helps explain his dominance over the country’s political landscape. 這項計畫有個有力的擁護者：總理莫迪，他打破印度惡名昭彰的官僚作風，把棘手的政治分歧暫放一邊，推動計畫。目前為止他的成功也顯示他在這個國家政治版圖的主導力。 Modi has remained popular despite a weak economy and a bungled initial response to the coronavirus that left hundreds of thousands dead. He has increasingly relied on communal politics, continuing to consolidate a Hindu nationalist base he has worked for decades to rally. 即使經濟疲弱，且一開始對新冠病毒的笨拙反應造成數十萬人死亡，莫迪仍舊廣得人心。他日漸依賴宗教團體式政治，持續鞏固印度教國族主義基本盤，他投注數十年整合這些勢力。 But the mission to deliver water to every household combines two of Modi’s political strengths: his grasp of the day-to-day problems of hundreds of millions of India’s poor and his penchant for ambitious solutions. Modi, who grew up in a poor village, has spoken emotionally about his own mother’s hardship in fetching water. 不過，將水送到所有家戶的任務，結合莫迪的兩個政治力量：他對印度數億貧窮人口日常問題的理解，以及喜好採取極具雄心的解決方案。在貧窮村莊長大的莫迪，曾充滿感情的談到母親以前取水的困難。 About one-sixth of India’s households had a clean water tap when the program, called Jal Jeevan Mission, began in 2019. Now, almost half have one. 當這個「水生活任務」2019年開始時，印度家戶有潔淨自來水者約六分之一。現在，幾乎一半。 “You rarely have this drive from the government, the head of state, and it is well funded. Behind the concept, there is budget,” said Nicolas Osbert, who leads the UNICEF water and sanitation unit in India. “All social sectors were impacted by COVID. Not this one. This one was preserved.” 「你很少能從政府或國家領袖獲得這種推動力，而且資金充裕。在這個概念後面，重點是預算」，聯合國兒童基金會印度分部水資源和衛生主管歐斯柏特說，「所有社福單位都遭遇新冠病毒衝擊，但這個沒有，這個計畫保留下來」。 The country’s water problem speaks to the mismatch between its global economic ambitions

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: 跟讀挑戰 – 雙十煙火與必勝客出怪餅 National Day fireworks and exotic pizza 摘取文章：https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/cate/10 ; https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/4676673 National Day fireworks A three-minute pyrotechnic spectacle took place at the Southern Branch of the National Palace Museum (NPM) at 7:30 p.m. against the backdrop of music by Wu Bai (伍佰), a rock singer-songwriter born in Chiayi. 晚上 7 點 30 分，在故宮博物院南館舉行了一場三分鐘的煙火表演。 在嘉義出生的搖滾歌手伍佰的音樂背景下。 It has been 18 years since Chiayi last hosted the National Day fireworks display. Also to be featured in the nighttime celebrations on Oct. 10 is a drone show, the first on such an occasion that will beam patterns from a giant Taiwan flag to antiques from the NPM collection. 嘉義上一次舉辦國慶煙花匯演已經18年了。 在 10 月 10 日的夜間慶祝活動中，還有一場無人機表演，這是第一次在這樣的場合展示巨大的台灣國旗到 NPM 收藏的古董的圖案。 Multiple drone spectacles have been held in the run-up to Double Ten Day as warm-up events. The key visual for this year’s National Day celebrations was unveiled earlier this month, a design underscoring “defense” amid heightened cross-strait tensions. 作為熱身活動，在雙十日前舉行了多場無人機盛會。 今年國慶慶典的主視覺圖於本月初揭曉，該設計強調了兩岸緊張局勢加劇的“防禦”。 Pizza Hut Halloween pizza Pizza Hut Taiwan, which has made its name after introducing a series of exotic and peculiar flavors in recent years, on Tuesday (Oct. 4) announced its new Halloween flavor for 2022: tangyuan garlic chicken. 台灣必勝客，因近年推出一系列異域奇特風味而名聲大噪，週二（10月4日）公佈了2022年萬聖節新口味：湯圓蒜香雞。 The pie features ten large tangyuans decorated to look like eyeballs on the pizza crust as well as a ‘spider web’ made of black-colored Caesar sauce on its surface. In a Facebook post, Pizza Hut Taiwan wrote, “Please beware, this party might be so scary that everyone’s eyes pop out.” 餡餅有十個大湯圓，在披薩皮上裝飾得像眼球，還有一個由黑色凱撒醬製成的“蜘蛛網”。 台灣必勝客在臉書上寫道：“請注意，這個派對可能會嚇到所有人的眼睛。” According to the company, the pizza’s ingredients include chicken slowly stewed with fresh clams, garlic from local farmers in Yunlin, as well as sesame tangyuan. From the salt used in the clam chicken soup to the garlic, to the glutenous rice used to make tangyuan, are all used to ward off evil in various cultures. Pizza Hut Taiwan wrote that zombies and ghouls would be willing to risk “ascending” for the taste. 據該公司介紹，披薩的原料包括用新鮮蛤蜊慢燉的雞肉、雲林當地農民的大蒜以及芝麻湯圓。 從蛤蜊雞湯的鹽到大蒜，再到製作湯圓的糯米，在各種文化中都被用來辟邪。 台灣必勝客寫道，殭屍和食屍鬼願意冒險“攀登”以換取口味。 隨堂考 QUIZZHow many years ago did Chiayi last host the National Day fireworks?What is used as eye-balls and spider webs on the pizza?Name a few of the pizza’s ingredients 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.K451: About India - Indian barber siblings turn heads into canvasses by giving unusual haircuts In a small salon in a nondescript town in northern India, a haircut is not just a trim or a crew cut but an opportunity to get some art embossed on the back of your head. 在印度北部一處不起眼的小鎮的一間小沙龍裡，理髮不僅僅只是修剪或是剪平頭，而是一個在你後腦杓印上一些浮凸藝術的機會。 Brothers Rajwinder Singh Sidhu and Gurwinder Singh Sidhu in Dabwali town in India’s Punjab state are now famous in their small part of the world for giving haircuts shaped in images of the customer’s choice. 印度旁遮普邦的達布瓦利鎮的拉吉溫德和古爾溫德．辛格．席德胡兄弟在他們的小地方很出名，因為他們用顧客選擇的形象打理出髮型。 From the Taj Mahal, complete with its many turrets and towers, to a lifelike portrait of pop star Michael Jackson, the brothers use a range of trimmers, scissors and pencils, among other tools, to get every minute detail of hairdos correct. 從擁有眾多高樓與塔樓的泰姬瑪哈陵，再到栩栩如生的流行歌星麥克．傑克森的肖像，這對兄弟使用一系列修剪器、剪刀和鉛筆以及許多其他工具，確保髮型的每一個微小細節都不出差錯。 From requests of images of Bollywood stars to popular sportspersons and even an impression of Mickey Mouse, the brothers’ salon is seeing a steady stream of customers who want to draw attention to themselves at social gatherings or events but do not want something lasting, like traditional tattoos. 從寶萊塢明星的照片到受歡迎的運動員，甚至是米老鼠的印象，這對兄弟的沙龍的顧客源源不絕，他們希望在社交場合或活動中吸引人們的注意，卻又不希望像傳統刺青一樣那麼持久。 Next Article Cheetahs make a comeback in India after 70 years 絕跡70年 獵豹重返印度 Eight big cats from Namibia made the long trek Saturday in a chartered cargo flight to the northern Indian city of Gwalior, part of an ambitious and hotly contested plan to reintroduce cheetahs to the South Asian country. 週六，來自納米比亞的8隻大型貓科動物乘坐包機長途跋涉，飛往印度北部城市瓜里爾，這是將獵豹重新引進這個南亞國家的雄心勃勃且備受爭議的計畫之一環。 Then they were moved to their new home: a sprawling national park in the heart of India where scientists hope the world’s fastest land animal will roam again. 隨後牠們被移入新家：位於印度中心一座寬廣的國家公園，科學家希望這種世界上跑最快的陸地動物能再次漫遊此間。 Cheetahs were once widespread in India and became extinct in 1952 from hunting and loss of habitat. They remain the first and only predator to die out since India’s independence in 1947. India hopes importing African cheetahs will aid efforts to conserve the country’s threatened and largely neglected grasslands. 獵豹曾經在印度廣泛分佈，但在1952年因狩獵和棲息地喪失而滅絕。自1947年印度獨立以來，牠們仍然是第一種也是唯一一種滅絕的掠食動物。印度希望輸入非洲獵豹，將有助於保護該國受到威脅且在很大程度上被忽視的草原。Source article: https://features.ltn.com.tw/english/article/paper/1541845 ; https://features.ltn.com.tw/english/article/paper/1542227   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.K450: About Mexico - In age-old ritual, Mexican mayor weds alligator to secure abundance A small town Mexican mayor married his alligator bride in a colorful ceremony as traditional music rang out and revelers danced while imploring the indigenous leader to seal the nuptials with a kiss. 墨西哥一個小鎮市長在一場多采多姿的儀式中，迎娶了他的鱷魚新娘，現場演奏傳統音樂、狂歡者翩翩起舞，同時懇求這位原住民領袖用一個吻來為婚禮封印。 San Pedro Huamelula Mayor Victor Hugo Sosa obliged more than once during Thursday’s wedding, bending down to plant his lips on the small alligator’s snout, which had been tied shut presumably to avoid unwanted biting. 在週四的婚禮上，聖．佩德羅．瓦米魯拉的市長維克多．雨果．索薩不只一次答應要求，彎腰把嘴唇湊上這隻小鱷魚的鼻子，而小鱷魚的鼻子被緊緊綁住，大概是為了避免不必要的咬傷。 The ritual marriage likely dates back centuries to pre-Hispanic times among Oaxaca state’s Chontal and Huave indigenous communities, like a prayer pleading for nature’s bounty. 在墨西哥瓦哈卡州Chontal及Huave的原住民社會中，這種婚禮儀式就像是一個祈禱，祈求大自然的恩賜，可能可以追溯好幾個世紀，一直到前西班牙時代。 Oaxaca, located in Mexico’s poor south, is arguably the country’s richest in indigenous culture and home to many groups that have stubbornly maintained their languages and traditions. 瓦哈卡州位在墨西哥貧窮的南部地區，可說是墨國原住民文化最豐富的地區，也是許多堅持維護他們的語言和傳統的群體的家鄉。 Next Article In Mexico, those searching for missing relatives can vanish too 在墨西哥，尋找失蹤親友的人也會跟著消失 70-years-old Maria Herrera is scraping at the earth on a hill in the town of Huitzuco, in southern Mexico, looking for the mounds that indicate a decaying corpse. 70歲的瑪莉亞．赫雷拉在墨西哥南部威特蘇科鎮的山上四處挖掘，希望找到代表埋有腐爛屍體的土堆。 Digging in the dirt with a group of 100 other activists in the violent state of Guerrero, she wants to find her four missing son. 在暴力事件頻傳的格雷羅州，赫雷拉與100名行動人士一起挖土，想要找到4名失蹤的兒子。 More than 40,000 people are missing in Mexico, which has been swept by a wave of violence since the government declared war on the country’s powerful drug cartels in 2006. 2006年，墨西哥政府向勢力龐大的販毒集團宣戰後，這個國家就被暴力事件肆虐，目前已有逾4萬人失蹤。 At first, Herrera and her husband used the profits gained by selling household goods door to door to launch gold exchange business, which involved traveling the country to buy and sell gold. 起初，赫雷拉和丈夫用挨家挨戶賣居家用品的收入，展開黃金兌換生意，包括全國走透透買賣黃金。 They did not realize a bloody cartel turf war was just breaking out in the state. They believe a local cartel mistook the brothers, Jesus and Raul, for members of a rival group and were captured. Two more brothers started looking for them but disappeared too. 但他們沒料到，一場腥風血雨的毒梟地盤之爭已在國內爆發。他們相信，自家兒子赫塞斯和羅爾，是被一個地方販毒集團誤認為敵營的人，才被俘虜。另外2名兒子開始尋找兩人後，也下落不明。Source article: https://features.ltn.com.tw/english/article/paper/1539233 ; https://news.ltn.com.tw/news/world/paper/1292410 歡迎留言告訴我們你對這一集的想法： https://open.firstory.me/user/cl81kivnk00dn01wffhwxdg2s/comments

Summary: 相關文章：https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2022/09/28/2003786058 This year we are seeing a rise in human trafficking scams from Cambodia. According to government data, 250 people returned and another 393 people are stuck in Cambodia. Scammers prey on people's needs and greed. From love scams to job scams, scammers target all walks of life to find the right audience. In this episode, Angel and I talk about the latest job scams from Cambodia and the different businesses they run. Have you received any scam calls before? Comment down below! Vocabulary: 1. Scam n. v. 詐騙 Job scams are the latest way people are scammed. 工作詐騙是現在看到最新詐騙人的方法。 2. Human trafficking ring n. 人蛇集團 Human trafficking rings are now abundant in Southeast Asia. 現在人蛇集團多數都在東南亞。 3. Lure v. 吸引 More and more people are lured to Cambodia by different scams. 越來越多人被不同的詐騙吸引到柬埔寨。 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] 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.K449: Passage of Climate Bill Sparks a Surge in Clean Energy Projects In the weeks since President Joe Biden signed a comprehensive climate bill devised to spur investment in electric cars and clean energy, corporations have announced a series of big-ticket projects to produce the kind of technology the legislation aims to promote. 自從美國總統拜登簽署一項全面性氣候法案，擬定刺激電動車和潔淨能源投資，數周以來企業已宣布一系列大規模計畫，大量研發法案設定要推廣的科技。 Toyota said it would invest an additional $2.5 billion in a factory in North Carolina to produce batteries for electric cars and hybrids. Honda and LG Energy Solution announced a joint venture to build a $4.4 billion battery factory at a location to be named. 豐田說，將在北卡羅來納州一間製造電動車和油電車電池的工廠，追加投資25億美元。本田和愛爾集新能源宣布一項合資案，以44億美元建造電池工廠，地點之後公布。 Piedmont Lithium, a mining company, said it would build a plant in Tennessee to process lithium for batteries, helping to ease America’s dependence on Chinese refineries — a key aim of the Biden administration. First Solar, a big solar panel manufacturer, said it would invest up to $1.2 billion to build its fourth factory in the United States, probably somewhere in the Southeast, largely because of renewable energy incentives in the climate bill. 礦業公司Piedmont Lithium說，將在田納西州建造工廠，加工用於電池的鋰，協助減少美國對中國精煉廠的依賴，這是拜登政府的一項主要目標。大型太陽能板製造商第一太陽能說，將投資高達12億美元，在美國建造第四座工廠，可能將在東南部，主因是氣候法案中的再生能源獎勵措施。 But those projects also illustrate how much work remains to be done. Factories take time to build, and until then electric vehicles are likely to remain scarce and expensive. Toyota’s factory in North Carolina and Honda’s venture with LG will not produce batteries until 2025. 但那些計畫也闡明了有多少工作等待完成。工廠要花時間建造，直到完工前，電動車可能仍然稀少且昂貴。豐田的北卡工廠和本田與愛爾集新能源的合資案，直到2025年才會開始製造電池。 Some of the projects were in the works before the federal legislation passed, and before California added an extra push by banning sales of new gasoline cars by 2035. The big climate bill, the Inflation Reduction Act, is the latest in a series of policy moves and geopolitical developments that have pushed automakers and suppliers to invest in the United States. The trade war with China, disruption of supply chains by the pandemic, changes in free-trade agreements with Canada and Mexico, and the bipartisan infrastructure law last year have all had a powerful impact on where companies decide to build factories. 這些計畫中的一些，早在聯邦法案通過前就已經開始作業了，並且也在加州追加「2035年之前禁止銷售新汽油車」的法令之前。這項巨大的氣候法案「降低通膨法」是一系列政治動作和地緣政治發展的最新舉措，催促汽車製造商和供應商在美國投資。和中國的貿易戰，疫情造成的供應鏈中斷，與加拿大及墨西哥的自由貿易協定更動，以及去年兩黨通過的基礎建設法案，全都對企業決定建造工廠有著強大影響。 At a time of economic uncertainty, the legislation gives companies more confidence that they can earn a return on their bets. The investments serve as affirmation of political leaders’ intent: to further accelerate America’s transition away from fossil fuels and to reduce dependence on foreign suppliers, especially those in China. 在經濟不確定的時期，這項立法讓企業更有信心，認為他們的賭注能有回報。這些投資對於政治領袖的意圖如同一種肯定，更進一步加速美國從化石燃料轉型，並且減少對於外國供應商的依賴，特別是中國。 Investment in renewable energy will total $1.2 trillion by 2035, analysts at Wood Mackenzie estimate, substantially more than would have been the case without the legislation. 伍德麥肯茲公司分析師估計，2035年之前投資再生能源總額將達到1.2兆美元，比沒有這項立法的情況下多很多。Source article: https://udn.com/news/story/6904/6636221 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.K448: What to know about ‘buy now, pay later’ Since the start of the pandemic, the option to “buy now, pay later’” has skyrocketed in popularity, especially among young and low-income consumers who may not have ready access to traditional credit. If you shop online for clothes or furniture, sneakers or concert tickets, you’ve seen the option at checkout to break the cost into smaller installments over time. Companies like Afterpay, Affirm, Klarna, and Paypal all offer the service, with Apple due to enter the market later this year. 自疫情開始以來，「先買後付」的選項變得大受歡迎，尤其對可能無法獲得傳統信貸的年輕及低收入消費者而言更是如此。若上網購買衣服或家具、運動鞋或音樂會門票，會在結帳時看到分期付款的選項。Afterpay、Affirm、Klarna和Paypal等公司都提供這種服務，Apple將於今年稍晚進軍此市場。 But with economic instability rising, so are delinquencies. Here is what you should know: 但隨著經濟不穩定的狀況加劇，拖欠率也在上升。以下是該知道的幾件事： HOW DOES BUY NOW, PAY LATER WORK? 「先買後付」如何運作？ Branded as “interest-free loans,” buy now, pay later services require you to download an app, link a bank account or debit or credit card, and sign up to pay in weekly or monthly installments. Scheduled payments are then automatically deducted from your account or charged to your card. The services generally don’t charge you more than you would have paid up front, meaning there’s technically no interest, so long as you make the payments on time. 被「先買後付」標榜「無息貸款」，要求使用者下載應用程式，綁定銀行帳戶或借記卡，或者信用卡，並註冊以每週或每月分期付款。然後，預定的付款會自動從您的帳戶中扣除或記入您的卡。這些服務通常不會收取比您之前所付款項更多的費用，這表示只要您按時付款，從技術上來講是沒有利息的。 But if you pay late, you may be subject to a flat fee or a fee calculated as a percentage of the total you owe. If you miss multiple payments, you may be shut out from using the service in the future, and the delinquency could hurt your credit score. 但若逾期付款，可能會需要支付一筆金額固定的費用，或是按欠款總額百分比所計算的費用。如果有多筆款項未繳，未來可能無法使用該服務，且拖欠可能有損您的信用評分。 ARE MY PURCHASES PROTECTED? 我的購買有保障嗎？ In the US, buy now, pay later services are not currently covered by the Truth in Lending Act, which regulates credit cards and other types of loans (those paid back in more than four installments). 在美國，「先買後付」服務目前並不在《誠實貸款法》的管轄範圍內，該法所監管的是信用卡和其他類型的貸款（分四期以上還款的借貸）。 That means you could find it more difficult to settle disputes with merchants, return items, or get your money back in cases of fraud. Companies can offer protections, but they don’t have to. 這表示您可能會發現要解決與商家的糾紛、退貨，或遇到詐欺要把錢取回來會更難。公司可以提供保障，但並無此義務。 WHY DO RETAILERS OFFER BUY NOW, PAY LATER? 零售商為何提供「先買後付」？ Retailers accept the backend fees of buy now, pay later services because the products increase cart sizes. When shoppers are given the option to pay off purchases in installments, they’re more likely to buy more goods in one go. 零售商接受先買後付的後端費用，因為先買後付增加了顧客的購物量。若購物者有分期付款的選項，就更可能一次購買更多商品。 WHO SHOULD USE BUY NOW, PAY LATER? 誰該使用「先買後付」？ If you have the ability to make all payments on time, buy now, pay later loans are a relatively healthy, interest-free form of consumer credit. 若您有能力按時支付所有款項，現在購買，以後支付貸款是一種相對健康、免息的消費信貸形式。 But if you’re looking to build your credit score, and you’re able to make payments on time, a credit card is a better choice. The same goes if you want strong legal protections from fraud, and clear, centralized reporting of loans. 但是，如果您希望建立自己的信用評分，且有能力按時付款，那麼信用卡會是更好的選擇；若您想要強有力的法律保障以避免詐欺，以及清楚、集中的借貸報告，也是如此。 If you’re uncertain whether you’ll be able to make payments on time, consider whether the fees charged by buy now, pay later companies will add up to higher charges than the penalties and interest a credit card company or other lender would charge. 如果您不確定是否能按時付款，請考慮先買後付公司所收取的費用是否會比信用卡公司或其他貸方收取的罰款和利息加起來更高。Source article: https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/lang/archives/2022/09/20/2003785582   歡迎留言告訴我們你對這一集的想法： https://open.firstory.me/user/cl81kivnk00dn01wffhwxdg2s/comments

Topic: Ukrainian military long on morale but short on weaponry When Russia annexed Ukraine’s Crimean Peninsula and threw its support behind separatists in the country’s east more than seven years ago, Kyiv’s underfunded and disorganized armed forces struggled to mount a credible response. 七年多前，當俄羅斯吞併烏克蘭的克里米亞半島並支援該國東部的分離主義分子時，基輔資金不足且組織混亂的武裝部隊努力做出可信的回應。 Now, amid fears that a Russian troop buildup near Ukraine’s border could signal a possible attack, military experts say Moscow would face stronger resistance this time. 現在，由於擔心俄羅斯軍隊在烏克蘭邊境附近的集結可能預示著可能的襲擊，軍事專家表示，莫斯科這次將面臨更強的抵抗。 But they emphasize that Ukraine would be well short of what it needs to counter Russia’s overwhelming superiority. 但他們強調，烏克蘭遠遠達不到對抗俄羅斯壓倒性優勢所需的水準。 Years of fighting the separatists have given Ukrainian veterans like Col. Viacheslav Vlasenko the battlefield experience for such a fight. "We Ukrainians are defending our land, and there is no place for us to retreat,’’ said Vlasenko. 分離主義分子多年的戰鬥為像維亞切斯拉夫·弗拉森科上校這樣的烏克蘭退伍軍人提供了這種戰鬥的戰場經驗。"我們烏克蘭人正在保衛我們的土地，我們沒有地方可以撤退，"弗拉森科說。 Next Article Topic: Russia, US square off at UN over Ukraine crisis 俄美在聯合國就烏克蘭危機展開對決 Russia and the United States face off Monday at the UN Security Council over Moscow’s troop buildup on the Ukrainian border, as Western nations intensify their high-stakes diplomatic push to avert open conflict in Europe. 俄羅斯和美國週一在聯合國安理會就莫斯科在烏克蘭邊境的部隊集結對峙，因為西方國家加強了他們高風險的外交努力，以避免歐洲的公開衝突。 With tensions soaring, the United States has declared itself ready to push back against any "disinformation" Moscow put forward in what is expected to be one of the most closely watched United Nations sessions in years. 隨著緊張局勢的飆升，美國已宣佈準備反擊莫斯科在預計將是多年來最受關注的聯合國會議之一中提出的任何「虛假資訊」。 The US-requested Council meeting, at 1600 GMT, comes as fears grow of an imminent incursion into Ukraine, despite Kremlin denials. 美國要求在格林尼治標準時間1600點召開的安理會會議之際，儘管克裡姆林宮否認，但人們對即將入侵烏克蘭的擔憂日益加劇。 Russia was expected to try to block the 15-member Council from holding the meeting at all － with its envoy to the UN on Monday calling it part of a US bid to whip up "hysteria" over Ukraine. 預計俄羅斯將試圖阻止由15個成員組成的理事會舉行會議 - 其駐聯合國特使週一稱這是美國試圖煽動烏克蘭"歇斯底裡"的一部分。Source article: https://features.ltn.com.tw/english/article/paper/1494094 ; https://features.ltn.com.tw/english/article/paper/1499125 Next Article Topic: Enemy at the gates: The background to the Ukraine crisis At the core of the Ukraine crisis is a puzzle: Why would Russian President Vladimir Putin push Europe to the brink of war to demand the West not do something that it has no plan to do anyway? Russia says NATO, the American-led alliance that has on its hands the biggest European crisis in decades, must never offer membership to Ukraine, which gained independence as the Soviet Union broke apart about 30 years ago. Ukraine has long aspired to join NATO, but the alliance is not about to offer an invitation, due in part to Ukraine’s official corruption, shortcomings in its defense establishment and lack of control over its international borders. 烏克蘭危機的核心是一個謎：為什麼俄羅斯總統弗拉基米爾·普京（Vladimir Putin）要把歐洲推向戰爭的邊緣，要求西方不要做一些它無論如何都沒有計劃做的事情？俄羅斯表示，北約是美國領導的聯盟，幾十年來最大的歐洲危機，絕不能向烏克蘭提供成員資格，烏克蘭在大約30年前蘇聯解體時獲得了獨立。烏克蘭長期以來一直渴望加入北約，但該聯盟不打算發出邀請，部分原因是烏克蘭官員腐敗，國防機構存在缺陷以及缺乏對其國際邊界的控制。 Putin’s demands go beyond the question of Ukraine’s association with NATO, but that link is central to his complaint that the West has pushed him to the limits of his patience by edging closer to Russian borders. He asserts that NATO expansion years ago has enhanced its security at the expense of Russia’s. 普京的要求超出了烏克蘭與北約的聯繫問題，但這種聯繫是他抱怨西方通過靠近俄羅斯邊境將他推向耐心極限的核心。他斷言，北約多年前的擴張以犧牲俄羅斯為代價加強了其安全。 Why is Putin worried about Ukraine joining NATO? The stated reason is that a further eastward expansion of NATO would pose a security threat to Russia. Washington and its allies deny this is a valid worry, since no NATO country is threatening to use force against Russia. 普京為什麼擔心烏克蘭加入北約？聲明的原因是北約進一步東擴將對俄羅斯構成安全威脅。華盛頓及其盟國否認這是一個合理的擔憂，因為沒有北約國家威脅要對俄羅斯使用武力。 More broadly, Putin wants NATO to pull back its existing military presence in Eastern Europe, which includes a regularly rotating series of exercises in Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia, all former Soviet states. 更廣泛地說，普京希望北約撤回其在東歐的現有軍事存在，其中包括在立陶宛，拉脫維亞和愛沙尼亞等所有前蘇聯省份定期輪換的一系列演習。 Putin also opposes NATO’s missile defense presence in Romania, a former Soviet satellite state, and a similar base under development in Poland, saying they could be converted to offensive weapons capable of threatening Russia. 普京還反對北約在前蘇聯衛星國羅馬尼亞的導彈防禦存在，以及在波蘭正在開發的類似基地，稱它們可以轉化為能夠威脅俄羅斯的進攻性武器。 Ukraine has deep historical and cultural ties to Russia, and Putin has repeatedly asserted that Russians and Ukrainians are “one people.” He has said that large chunks of Ukrainian territory are historical parts of Russia that were arbitrarily granted to Ukraine by communist leaders under the Soviet Union. 烏克蘭與俄羅斯有著深厚的歷史和文化聯繫，普京一再斷言俄羅斯人和烏克蘭人是"一個民族"。他曾說過，烏克蘭的大部分領土是俄羅斯的歷史部分，是蘇聯領導下的共產主義領導人任意授予烏克蘭的。 Putin’s own actions, however, have served to strengthen Ukrainians’ sense of national iden

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 – 死亡相關慣用語 Death related Idioms 1. A brush with death  與死神擦肩而過 If someone has a brush with death, they survived a situation where they could have died. Example: Paulo had a brush with death when he drove his car off the road. 2. One foot in the grave 一隻腳在墳墓裡 A less formal way to say that someone’s close to death is to say that they have one foot in the grave. Example: I wasn’t really surprised to hear that our neighbour had passed away; he’d had one foot in the grave for years. 3. Six Feet Under 六尺以下 It is customary to bury a coffin six feet in the ground. So when we say someone is six feet under, it means he/she is dead and buried. Example: Even though Michael Jackson is six feet under, his recordings are still making money. 4. Kick the bucket 翹辮子 From the people standing on buckets to commit suicide – the moment of death. Example: Sam achieved his goal of climbing Mount Everest before he kicked the bucket. 5. On your last legs 奄奄一息 Someone or something that is on its/their last legs is close to dying or failing to work. Example: I thought Granddad was on his last legs but he seems determined to stick around for a while!” 6. Over My Dead Body 除非我死了 It shows resistance in doing/ allowing to do something - under no circumstances. Example: You’re only 17! You’ll go to that party over my dead body! 練習時間: 請使用二到三個慣用語來分享自身小故事 Use two to three idioms to share a personal story about death. 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.K447: About Switzerland - Swiss ’zero star hotel’ offers sleepless nights to ponder world’s crises "I couldn’t sleep," and "my room was too noisy," may be complaints hoteliers dread from guests, but for the Riklin brothers that is the entire point of their latest ’zero star hotel’ art installation. 「我睡不著」及「我房間太吵」可能是旅館業者害怕客人提出的抱怨，但對瑞克林兄弟來說，這正是他們的最新裝置藝術「零星級飯店」的重點。 The Swiss concept artists’ hotel room is essentially a double bed on a platform, with two bedside tables and lamps. There are no walls, ceiling or doors to provide any privacy or shelter. 這對瑞士概念藝術家的飯店房間，基本上是在一個平台上擺放一張雙人床，以及兩組床頭櫃和檯燈。房間沒有牆壁、天花板或門，毫無隱私或遮蔽。 The project to set up the zero star suite on a roadside next to a petrol station in the village of Saillon in the southern Swiss has been developed with hotelier Daniel Charbonnier 在瑞士南部薩永一間加油站旁設立這個零星級套房的企劃，是與旅館業者丹尼爾‧夏布尼的合作。 The intention is to make guests think about the problems in the world, like climate change and war, the twin brothers said, and inspire them to act differently. 這對雙胞胎兄弟說，目的是讓房客思考全球性問題，像是氣候變遷和戰爭，並啟發他們採取不同行動。 Next Article Swiss Artist Sculpts Sprawling Model Castle on Dried River Bank瑞士地景藝術家在乾枯河岸雕塑散亂蔓延的城堡模型 Swiss artist Francois Monthoux’s annual project to build clay sculptures on the banks of Switzerland’s Toleure river has sprawled into a captivating castle complex this year as the drought afflicting Europe allows him to extend his dream world. 瑞士藝術家弗蘭索瓦．蒙圖在瑞士托勒爾河畔建造泥土雕塑的年度計畫，今年已經擴展成一座迷人的城堡群，因為折磨歐洲的乾旱使他得以擴張他的夢想世界。 Monthoux began this year’s project with modest ambitions six weeks ago but the drought allowed him to build an entire city of spires. 蒙圖六周前開始今年的計畫，原本野心不大，但是乾旱使他得以建造一整座尖頂城市。 Now he has mixed feelings: he wants it to rain, but is sad at the thought of his dream world disappearing when it does. 現在他的心情是複雜的：他希望能夠下雨，但是一想到他的夢想世界會因此消失就感到難過。 "I imagine the life of the people walking under the arches, under the bridge, looking at the monuments, looking at the city, so I enter a bubble, and I become a dreamer ... I see their world being created under my fingers " said Monthoux. 蒙圖說：「我想像民眾在橋下走過拱門，在橋下，看著紀念碑、看著這個城市的生活，所以我進入一個泡泡然後成為一位夢想家…我看見他們的世界在我的手指下被創造出來」。 Visitors to the sculpture are enjoying it while it lasts. 在這件雕刻還存在時，參觀的訪客都很喜歡它。 "I don’t have words to say what I feel, because it’s ... it’s just sublime," said Heidi Butty, a Vaud resident. 一位沃州居民海蒂．巴提說，她的感受難以言喻，因為它是…它是極美的。 Source article: https://features.ltn.com.tw/english/article/paper/1542772 ; https://features.ltn.com.tw/english/article/paper/1535534   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.K446: About the UK - UK bakery banned from using sprinkles which are legal in the US The owner of a bakery in northern England has been left with a bitter taste in his mouth after authorities told him he had to stop using banned sprinkles sourced from the US. 在被當局告知必須停止使用來自美國的遭禁糖粉屑後，英格蘭北部的1家烘焙坊的老闆感到不悅。 West Yorkshire Trading Standards said the sprinkles contained an artificial coloring which isn’t approved for use in sprinkles in the UK. 西約克郡貿易標準局說，這些糖粉屑含有1種在英國未獲准可用於糖粉屑的人工色素。 But the owner of the bakery isn’t happy that his most popular product has lost out on its prize topping. 但這家烘焙坊的老闆很不滿，因為這讓他最暢銷的產品少了最完美的配料。 Rich Myers, director and founder of Get Baked bakery in Leeds, told CNN he had been using the sprinkles since opening the business in July. （位於該郡的）里茲市的Get Bake烘焙坊的執行長與創辦人瑞奇˙邁爾斯告訴美國有線電視新聞網，他打從7月開業以來就一直用這種糖粉屑。 Myers said he bought the offending sprinkles from a UK wholesaler, and said he had no idea there was any issue until West Yorkshire Trading Standards visited the business on September 30. 邁爾斯說，他向1名英國批發商買來這些違規的糖粉屑，完全不曉得會有什麼問題，直到9月30日西約克郡貿易標準局找上門來。 "I thought it was a joke at first, I thought it was someone pulling a prank," he said on Thursday. 「我一開始以為這是玩笑，我以為有人在惡搞，」他週四如是說。 Next Article Researcher defends weight-loss device after it sparks ridicule on social media 研究人員為減重裝置辯護，在它於社群媒體上引起嘲笑後 Otago University and United Kingdom researchers developed the world-first device, which uses magnets to lock the mouth almost shut, to help fight the global obesity epidemic. 奧塔戈大學與英國研究人員研發了世界首款裝置，使用磁鐵鎖住嘴巴至幾乎閉上，幫助對抗全球肥胖流行。 DentalSlim Diet Control is an intra-oral device fitted by a dental professional to the upper and lower back teeth. 「牙科瘦身飲食控制」是一種口內裝置，會由牙科專業人員安裝至上下臼齒。 The device was being widely ridiculed after being shared on social media, with Twitter users calling it "creepy" and "bizarre". 這款裝置被分享至社群媒體後，受到大量嘲笑，推特用戶稱它「令人毛骨悚然」且「怪異」。 But Dunedin researchers who developed the device are defending the invention, saying those panning the weight loss tool have misunderstood its intention. 但開發這款裝置的達尼丁研究員為這項發明辯護，表示斥責這款減重工具的人們誤解了它的本意。 Lead researcher Prof Paul Brunton said it was not intended to be used for general weight loss purposes, but instead for specific cases where there was a clinical need to lose weight quickly. 首席研究員保羅．布倫頓教授表示，它不是為了用於普通的減重目的，而是針對臨床上需要快速減重的特殊案例。Source article: https://features.ltn.com.tw/english/article/paper/1537773 ; https://news.ltn.com.tw/news/world/paper/1460024 歡迎留言告訴我們你對這一集的想法： https://open.firstory.me/user/cl81kivnk00dn01wffhwxdg2s/comments

Summary: Every year from September through November, Department stores in Taiwan will have their year-end anniversary sale. These sales offer the biggest deals in the year where all the customers flock together in one place. In this episode, Angel and I talk about the anniversary sales and our previous shopping experience. What are you going to buy during the anniversary sale this year? Comment down below! Vocabulary: 1. Anniversary sale n. 百貨週年慶 Anniversary sale of different department stores run from September through November. 不同百貨的週年慶從九月開始到十一月。 2. Brochure n. 宣傳本 Promotional material like brochures and pamphlets are called DM in Taiwan. 在台灣宣傳冊跟活頁傳單都叫DM。 3. NTx for every X dollar purchased n. 買X送X活動 Shinkong Mitsukoshi is going to offer NT300 cash voucher for every NT5000 purchased. 新光三越今年週年慶會提供買五千送三百活動。 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] 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.K445: After Big Gains, Ukrainians Face Critical Choices After Ukraine’s stunning offensive in its northeast drove Russian forces into a chaotic retreat and reshaped the battlefield by hundreds of miles, Ukrainian leaders were weighing critical gambles that could determine the near-term course of the war. 在烏克蘭於東北部展開驚人攻擊，讓俄國軍隊混亂撤退數百哩並重新開闢戰場後，烏克蘭領袖正慎重考慮可能決定近期戰爭走向的重大賭注。 Stretching the Ukrainian forces too far could leave the troops vulnerable to attack. Moving too slow, or in the wrong place, could leave an opportunity squandered. And waiting too long could allow the front lines to freeze as winter sets in. 讓烏軍前進太遠，可能讓部隊難以抵禦攻擊。移動太慢或方向錯誤，可能錯失良機。還有待命太久，可能在冬季將臨之際讓前線受凍。 By expelling Russian troops from a large slice of strategic territory in the northeastern Kharkiv region, Ukrainian forces are now positioned to make a move on the Donbas, the industrialized eastern territory that President Vladimir Putin of Russia has made central to his war aims. Just before flooding troops across the border in February, Putin declared the Donbas independent from Ukraine, and he held up the region’s sovereignty as a key justification for the invasion. 在東北部哈爾科夫地區的一大片戰略領土上驅逐俄國部隊後，烏軍現在準備要在東部工業地區的頓巴斯採取行動，此處是俄國總統普亭戰爭目標的中心。就在大批俄國部隊今年2月跨越邊境之前，普亭宣稱頓巴斯從烏克蘭獨立，而且他將這個地區的主權作為正當化侵略行動的一項關鍵。 Russia now has control of nearly 90% of the Donbas, where its military shifted much of its focus after a staggering defeat around the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, in the spring. If Ukraine were to retake even a part of the region, it would be an embarrassing blow to the Kremlin. 俄國目前控制近九成頓巴斯地區，今年春季在烏克蘭首都基輔附近遭遇停滯的挫敗後，俄軍轉移大部分的焦點到此處。如果烏克蘭未來奪回這個地區，即使是一部分，也將是對克里姆林宮的一記難堪重擊。 Western analysts, including at the Pentagon, said that the Ukrainians were overall making gains as quickly as Russian forces were falling back. 包括五角大廈在內的西方分析家說，整體而言，烏克蘭有所斬獲的速度和俄軍節節敗退的速度一樣快。 But Ukraine faces potentially serious pitfalls if it pushes any farther. 但若烏克蘭向前推進，就會面臨潛在的巨大陷阱。 Any future advances would mean that Ukrainian forces would further extend their supply lines, straining convoys of fuel, ammunition and reinforcements as they have to move farther away from their established logistics hubs. 未來任何的推進，意味著烏軍需要進一步延伸他們的補給線，讓運送燃料、彈藥和援軍的車隊更吃力，他們必須從已經建立的後勤據點推進更多。 That could leave Ukrainian units vulnerable, said John Blaxland, a professor of security and intelligence studies at the Australian National University in Canberra. Although he added that a Russian counterattack was “not necessarily going to happen,” in part because the morale of Moscow’s troops appears to be foundering. 坎培拉的澳洲國立大學安全與情報研究教授布雷斯藍說，那可能讓烏克蘭部隊容易遭遇攻擊。他補充說，雖然俄國的反擊「不一定會發生」，部分是因為莫斯科的部隊士氣明顯受挫。 Russian officials face their own hard questions, especially with a growing backlash to their “special military operation” from pro-war voices at home. 俄國官員也面臨自家的艱難問題，特別是在家鄉支持戰爭的言論中，對於「特殊軍事行動」的反彈聲浪逐漸增加。 The current Ukrainian offensive “was a rapid breakthrough designed to take advantage of favorable positions and thinly manned Russian defenses,” said Michael Kofman, the director of Russian studies at CNA, a research institute in Arlington, Virginia. 美國維吉尼亞州阿靈頓的研究機構「海軍分析中心」俄國研究主任考夫曼說，現階段烏克蘭的攻擊「目的是利用有利位置和俄國防衛兵力薄弱，取得快速突破」。Source article: https://udn.com/news/story/6904/6636218   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.K444: Taiwan set for modest rate hike as growth slows Taiwan’s central bank increased its benchmark interest rate by a modest amount on Thursday last week, the third hike this year, as it tries to battle inflation without further weighing down its slowing economy. 台灣中央銀行上週四小幅調升基準利率，此為今年第三次升息，因央行試圖對抗通貨膨脹，但同時不讓趨緩的經濟雪上加霜。 The central bank raised its policy rate by 12.5 basis points to 1.625 percent, in line with forecasts of most economists surveyed by Bloomberg. The bank also raised its reserve requirement ratios by 0.25 percentage points. 央行將政策利率上調12.5個基本點至百分之1.625，與彭博社所調查大多數經濟學家之預測一致。央行還將存款準備率上調1碼（0.25個百分點）。 The central bank’s decision came hours after the US Federal Reserve hiked interest rates by 75 basis points, the fifth increase this year, to tame rampant inflation. Taiwan’s policy makers have been able to be more flexible in their rate hikes, with inflation peaking in the second quarter amid a slowdown in the economy. The central bank raises its rate by a smaller-than-expected 12.5 basis points in June and by 25 basis points in March. 台灣央行做出此決定，是在美國聯準會將利率提高75個基本點──今年以來的第五次升息以抑制猖獗的通貨膨脹──的數小時後。台灣在經濟放緩的情況下，通貨膨脹在第二季達到頂峰；台灣的政策制定者能夠更靈活地升息，央行六月升息12.5個基點，三月升息25個基點，幅度小於預期。 Higher interest rates may help to bolster Taiwan’s dollar, which has slumped this year on the back of a stronger US currency, weaker export demand and rising geopolitical tensions. The local dollar was down 4.8 percent against the greenback in the past month, the third-worst performer among Asian currencies. 由於美元走強、出口需求疲軟與地緣政治緊張局勢加劇，台幣今年已經下跌，利率的調升或能有助提振台幣。過去一個月，台幣兌美元下跌了百分之4.8，在亞洲貨幣中表現第三差。 Taiwanese officials have sought to balance tempering inflation without hurting its economy, which has been weighed down by sluggish demand from China, the impact of COVID-19 restrictions on supply chains, and other global headwinds. The government has already cut its 2022 growth forecast twice this year to 3.76 percent. 台灣官員試圖在不損害其經濟的情況下平衡緩和的通貨膨脹，台灣的經濟受到中國需求低迷、新冠疫情限制對供應鏈之衝擊，以及其他全球不利因素的拖累。台灣政府今年已將二○二二年的成長預測下修兩次，至百分之3.76。 “Taiwan’s economic slowdown is very apparent, with export growth only in the single digits and manufacturing PMI shrinking,” Ma Tieying, an economist at DBS Group Holdings Ltd, said before the rate decision. “The risk of Taiwan’s economic downturn is very high, so from this point of view, increasing by 12.5 basis points is a compromise option and the best option.” 「台灣經濟放緩非常明顯，出口成長只有個位數，製造業採購經理人指數（PMI）萎縮」，星展集團控股有限公司經濟學家馬鐵英在利率決定前表示。「台灣經濟下滑的風險很高，所以從這個角度來看，升息12.5個基點是個折中的選擇，也是最好的選擇」。 Economists surveyed by Bloomberg have also revised down Taiwan’s GDP to 3.2 percent for this year. Those polled also expect that Taiwan will raise interest rates again in the fourth quarter to 1.75 percent. 彭博社所訪問的經濟學家也將台灣今年的GDP下調至百分之3.2。受訪者還預計台灣將在第四季再次升息，至百分之1.75。 Export orders from the island have started to slow, gaining 2 percent in August from a year earlier, with orders from China and Hong Kong falling more than 25 percent. Manufacturing is also coming under pressure, with the purchasing managers index dropping in August to 42.7 — its lowest reading since May 2020. 來自台灣的出口訂單開始放緩，八月份比去年成長百分之2，其中來自中國大陸和香港的訂單減少超過百分之25。製造業也面臨壓力，採購經理人指數八月降至42.7，為二○二○年五月以來最低。Source article: https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/lang/archives/2022/09/27/2003785961  歡迎留言告訴我們你對這一集的想法： https://open.firstory.me/user/cl81kivnk00dn01wffhwxdg2s/comments

Topic: Filipino salon owner uses own hair to create portraits Every few months when Jesstoni Garcia takes electric clippers to his head, he’s not just giving himself a haircut, he’s also harvesting art materials. 每隔數月，當傑斯托尼‧賈西亞拿電剪推自己的頭時，不僅在為自己理髮，也在收集藝術材料。 Using a thin brush and clear, sticky resin, the co-owner of a Manila hair salon sprinkles these strands and clippings on a blank canvas, taking two to five hours to arrange them into striking images of musicians and actors. 這名馬尼拉一家美髮沙龍的共同老闆，用細刷子和透明、富黏性的樹脂，把剪下來的髮絲刷在空白的畫布上，再花2至5小時調整成惹人注目的音樂家和演員肖像。 The 32-year-old’s main job as a seaman involves spending up to eight months a year on cruise ships, and lacking adequate art supplies like paint and sketchpads at sea, Garcia in 2021 turned to using his own hair to create images. He started with self-portraits and eventually moved on to depicting celebrities. 32歲的賈西亞本職是航海員，一年有多達8個月在遊輪上，航海期間欠缺顏料和畫板等藝術材料，所以在2021年轉而用自己的頭髮創作肖像。他從自畫像著手，逐漸開始描繪名人。 Next Article Topic: Top Philippine presidential candidates oppose legalising divorce 菲律賓主要總統候選人反對離婚合法化 The Philippines looks likely to remain one of the few countries where divorce is illegal, based on a survey of the four leading presidential candidates on Sunday. 根據週日一項針對排名領先的4名總統候選人進行的調查顯示，菲律賓看起來可能仍是離婚違法的極少數國家之一。 Vice President Jejomar Binay, Senator Grace Poe, veteran mayor Rodrigo Duterte and former interior secretary Mar Roxas were asked during a presidential debate to raise their hands if they favoured legalisation of divorce. 副總統畢乃、參議員柏吾、經歷豐富的市長杜特爾特，以及前內政部長羅哈斯，在總統候選人辯論會上被要求，若支持離婚合法化則舉手。 Not one raised a hand in the brief segment. They were not given time to explain their stance. 在這簡短片段中無人舉手，他們也沒獲得時間解釋立場。 The overwhelmingly Catholic Philippines is the only country aside from the Vatican that bans divorce. 絕大多數人口為天主教徒的菲律賓，是梵蒂岡以外唯一禁止離婚的國家。 Strong pressure from the Catholic church has stymied previous attempts to pass a divorce law even though a survey last year showed that about 60 percent of adult Filipinos support such a measure. 來自天主教教會的強大壓力，阻礙了此前試圖通過離婚法的努力，即使去年一項調查顯示，約60％菲律賓成人支持這類措施亦然。 In another portion of the debate, the four candidates were asked who supported restoration of the death penalty. 在辯論會的另一部分，4名候選人被問及誰支持恢復死刑。 Poe and Duterte, who openly boasts about killing criminals, both raised their hands despite the Catholic church’s opposition to capital punishment. 公開讚揚處決罪犯的柏吾與杜特爾特舉起手，儘管天主教會反對死刑。 The death penalty was abolished in the Philippines in 2006, partly due to lobbying by the church. 2006年菲律賓廢除死刑，部分原因在於教會的遊說。Source article: https://features.ltn.com.tw/english/article/paper/1529737 ; https://news.ltn.com.tw/news/world/paper/971329 Next Article Topic: Growing ‘mermaiding’ subculture makes a splash There was a pivotal moment in Queen Pangke Tabora’s life that eclipsed all others: It was the moment, she says, when she first slid her legs into a mermaid tail. 在潘奇．塔波拉皇后的生命中，有一個關鍵時刻令其它時刻都黯然失色：她說，就是當她第一次把雙腳滑進一個美人魚尾巴的時刻。 For the transgender Filipina woman approaching middle age, seeing her legs encased in vibrant, scaly-looking neoprene three years ago was the realization of a childhood dream. And it marked the beginning of her immersion into a watery world where she would find acceptance. 對這位即將步入中年的菲律賓跨性別女性來說，三年前看到她的雙腿被包覆在充滿活力、鱗片狀的紐普韌橡膠中，是兒時夢想的實現。代表著她開始沉浸在一個自己能夠獲得接受的水世界。 The former insurance company worker described the experience of gliding under water, half-human and half-fish, as “meditation in motion.”“The feeling was mermai-zing,”Tabora said one recent morning while lounging in a fiery red tail on a rocky beach south of Manila, where she now teaches mermaiding and freediving full-time. 這位保險公司前員工把在水下滑行、半人半魚的經驗描述成「運動中的冥想」。最近一個早晨在馬尼拉南方一處礁石海灘休息時，身著火紅魚尾服的塔波拉說，「這種美人魚的感覺太驚人了」，她在這裡全職教授如何像美人魚般游泳和自由潛水。 In recent years, a growing number have gleefully flocked to mermaid conventions and competitions, formed local groups called“pods,” launched mermaid magazines and poured their savings into a multimillion-dollar mermaid tail industry. 在最近幾年，越來越多人歡喜地湧向美人魚大會和競賽，形成各個叫做「pods」的地方團體，發行美人魚雜誌，把他們的積蓄投入這個價值數百萬美元的美人魚尾巴行業。 Next Article Philippine collector amasses super-sized collection of fast-food restaurant toys 菲律賓收藏家蒐集極大量速食餐廳玩具 From the age of 5, Filipino graphic artist Percival Lugue has had a passion for collecting toys from fast-food restaurant chains like McDonald’s, Burger King and home-country favorite Jollibee. 菲律賓平面設計師帕西瓦爾‧魯格，從5歲開始就滿腔熱血地蒐集麥當勞、漢堡王及當地人最愛的快樂蜂等速食連鎖餐廳的玩具。 Now, the 50-year-old has about 20,000 toys packed from floor to ceiling in his home and holds a Guinness World Record from 2014, when his collection reached more than 10,000 items. 現在，50歲的魯格擁有約2萬組玩具，在家裡從地板堆到天花板，且2014年起持續保持金氏世界紀錄，當時他收藏的玩具已超過1萬組。 Lugue built his home especially to house his collection. He likens the excitement that getting new toys gives him to Christmas morning. "The toy is like a storyteller in itself." 魯格蓋了自己的房子就是為了放藏品，他把得到新玩具的興奮感比擬成耶誕節早晨，「玩具本身就像個說故事的人。」 While most of his toys were obtained through personal purchases, some were donated by friends and family. 儘管大部分玩具都是他自己花錢買的，但也有朋友和家人送的。 His d

Other ways to say: HELP (v.)Assist 協助These measures were designed to assist people with disabilities.Support 支援My friends have supported me through the entire trial.Reach out to 提供援助/伸出手We are reaching out to the most vulnerable members of the community.Give (lend) a hand 提供援手I'll be happy to lend a hand.Guide 引導She guided her team to victory.Aid 協助A list of technical terms is included here to aid the reader. Other ways to say: SCARY (adj.)Frightening 可怕的The number of youngsters involved in crime is frightening.Creepy 怪異的，讓人毛骨悚然This place is really creepy at night.Shocking 驚嚇I must have been in a shocking state last night.Chilling 令人恐懼的，令人不寒而慄The chilling truth is that the killers are still out there.Alarming 令人驚恐/震驚The disease has spread at an alarming rate.Hairy (slang) 驚險的His driving was a bit hairy.Spooky 陰森可怕的The whole place had a slightly spooky atmosphere. 分享時間:Tell a personal experience related to help and scaryPick 4 words and make sentences 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.K443: About Japan - Japan’s cats and dogs get wearable fans to beat scorching heat A Tokyo clothing maker has teamed up with veterinarians to create a wearable fan for pets, hoping to attract the anxious owners of dogs - or cats - that can’t shed their fur coats in Japan’s blistering summer weather. 一間東京製衣廠與獸醫組隊為寵物製造一款穿戴式風扇，希望能吸引焦慮不安的狗狗或貓咪飼主，因 為牠們無法在日本炎熱的夏季脫下毛皮大衣。 The device consists of a battery-operated, 80-gramme fan that is attached to a mesh outfit and blows air around an animal’s body. 這款裝置由電池供電運作，80公克重的風扇附著在網格服裝上，在動物的身體周圍吹風。 Rei Uzawa, president of maternity clothing maker Sweet Mommy, was motivated to create it after seeing her own pet exhausted every time it was taken out for a walk in the scorching summer heat. 成衣製造商Sweet Mommy負責人鵜澤璃看見她自己的寵物每次在炎熱夏天高溫下的戶外散步之後筋疲力盡，因而有了製作這款衣服的動機。 After the rainy season in Tokyo ended in late June, the Japanese capital suffered the longest heatwave on record with temperatures up to 35 degrees Celsius for nine days. 東京雨季在6月底結束之後，日本首都迎來史上最久的熱浪，連續9天氣溫高達攝氏35度。 "I usually use dry ice packs. But I think it’s easier to walk my dog if we have this fan," said Mami Kumamoto, 48, owner of a miniature poodle and a terrier. 飼養一隻迷你貴賓和一隻梗犬的48歲熊本麻美（譯音）說「我通常使用冰袋。但是我認為有了這款風扇，遛狗會比較輕鬆。」 Next Article World’s oldest person dies in Japan aged 119 全球最年長人士在日本過世 享年119歲 A Japanese woman believed to have been the world’s oldest person has died aged 119, public broadcaster NHK said on Monday, reporting the death of Kane Tanaka. 公共廣播機構「日本放送協會」週一報導田中加子的死訊說，據信是全球最年長者的一位日本女性以119歲過世。 Born on Jan. 2, 1903 - the year of the Wright Brothers’ first controlled flight of their motor-driven airplane - Tanaka was confirmed by Guinness World Records in 2019 as the oldest living person. 田中生於1903年1月2日──萊特兄弟以他們的引擎驅動的飛機進行首次受控飛行的那年──在2019年獲金氏世界紀錄證實為還活著的最年老人士。 She died of old age at a hospital in Fukuoka city, western Japan, on April 19, NHK said. During her life, she had been partial to chocolate and fizzy drinks, NHK said. 日本放送協會說，她於4月19日在日本西部福岡市一家醫院因年邁過世。她這輩子特別喜歡巧克力和氣泡飲料。 Japan has a dwindling and rapidly ageing population. As of last September, the country had 86,510 centenarians, and nine out of every 10 were women. （Reuters） 日本人口不斷減少並快速老化。截至去年9月，該國有8萬6510名人瑞，而且每10人中有9人是女性。Source article: https://features.ltn.com.tw/english/article/paper/1538125 ; https://features.ltn.com.tw/english/article/paper/1514547 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.K442: About Cambodia - Dozens of casino workers flee Cambodia by swimming to Vietnam Dozens of Vietnamese casino workers allegedly forced to toil without pay in Cambodia have fled back to their homeland by swimming across a river, authorities in Phnom Penh said Friday. 金邊政府週五表示，數十名據稱被迫在柬埔寨賭場無薪工作的越南員工，游泳渡河逃回家鄉。 About 40 staff with the Golden Phoenix Entertainment Casino in Kandal province － which neighbours Vietnam － fought off security guards to escape, leaving one missing after being swept away by the current, Vietnamese state media reported. 越南國營媒體報導，毗鄰越南的柬國甘丹省金鳳娛樂城賭場約40名員工擊退守衛逃走，1人在渡河時被水流沖走失蹤。 "These people might have been here working illegally," Cambodian Interior Minister Sar Kheng told reporters. 柬國內政部長紹肯向記者說，「這些人或許是在這非法打工」。 "They were promised salaries, but they did not get what they were promised... They crossed back to Vietnam because they could not reach a deal. They fled the place." 「他們獲得承諾有薪水，但實際上沒有拿到…因為無法達成協議，就逃離這裡，渡河回去越南。」 He said Cambodian police had detained a casino manager and were investigating the incident. 他說，柬國警方已經拘押一名賭場經理，正在調查此事。 Next Article Cambodia to ban elephant rides at Angkor Wat 柬埔寨禁止在吳哥窟騎大象 Following pressure from animal activist groups, Apsara, the management authority for the Angkor Archaeological Park in Siem Reap, Cambodia announced in June 2019 it would ban elephant rides in early 2020. 在許多動物活動組織的施壓下，負責管理吳哥遺址的暹粒地區「阿帕薩拉」保護管理局2019年6月表示，他們將從2020年初起禁止大象騎乘。 Local outlet the Khmer Times reports that on November 15, two of the 14 elephants currently at the park, have been relocated to the nearby Bos Thom community forest. An Apsara press representative told the Khmer Times that the remaining dozen animals would be relocated to the same forest by "early next year." 本地媒體「高棉時報」11月15日報導，該園區的14隻大象中，有2隻被重新安置在附近的「Bos Thom」社區森林。1名「阿帕薩拉」的發言人告訴「高棉時報」，剩下的12隻會在明年初被安置到同座森林。 In 2016, an elephant named Sambo died at Angkor, drawing worldwide attention. Her death was blamed on a combination of heat stroke and exhaustion from ferrying so many human beings around. 2016年，1隻名為珊寶的大象死在吳哥窟，引起了全世界的矚目。牠的死因被歸咎於因為載運了太多人而導致的中暑與過度勞累。 Two years later, the World Wildlife Fund published an in-depth look at the dwindling populations of the Asian elephant, noting that the species’ population had declined by 50% in just three generations. 兩年後，世界自然基金會發布關於亞洲大象數量減少的深入調查，發現該物種現今的數量比3代之前少了50%。Source article: https://features.ltn.com.tw/english/article/paper/1539968 ; https://news.ltn.com.tw/news/world/paper/1334758 歡迎留言告訴我們你對這一集的想法： https://open.firstory.me/user/cl81kivnk00dn01wffhwxdg2s/comments

Summary: For the first time in history, this year FIFA World Cup is going to be held in Qatar. Once every four years, soccer fans around the world gather and watch as the soccer titans around the world clash for the championship title. In this episode, Angel and I talk about the football stars and when the World Cup will take place. Who's your favorite team or player? Comment down below! Vocabulary: 1. Bet n. & v. 賭注/打賭 My group of friend likes to make bets during FIFA World Cup. 我的一群朋友喜歡在世足賽時打賭。 2. Root for sb. phr. 替某人加油 If I am going to root for Lionel Messi this World Cup, who are you going to root for? 如果我這次世足賽替梅西加油，那你想替誰加油？ 3. Go down in history phr. 留名青史 Qatar will go down in history as the first Middle East country to host the FIFA World Cup. 卡達是這次名留青史成為第一個主辦世足賽的中東國家。 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] 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.K441: NASA tests new moon rocket, 50 years after Apollo Years late and billions over budget, NASA’s new moon rocket makes its debut this week in a high-stakes test flight before astronauts get on top. 遲來數年、預算超出數十億美元的美國太空總署（NASA）新型登月火箭，本週將首次啟航，進行一次高風險的試飛，以便為搭載太空人做準備。 The 98m (322ft) rocket will attempt to send an empty crew capsule into a far-flung lunar orbit, 50 years after NASA’s famed Apollo moonshots. If all goes well, astronauts could strap in as soon as 2024 for a lap around the moon, with NASA aiming to land two people on the lunar surface by the end of 2025. Liftoff is set for Monday morning at 8:33am to 10:33am EDT from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center. 在NASA著名的阿波羅登月計畫五十年後，這九十八公尺（三百二十二英尺）長的火箭，將嘗試把一個空的載人太空艙送入環月軌道遠端。如果一切順利，太空人最早可在二〇二四年啟程，環繞月球一圈；NASA的目標是在二〇二五年底前，將兩個人送上月球表面登陸。火箭預定在美東時間週一上午八點三十三分至十點三十三分之間自NASA甘迺迪太空中心發射。 ROCKET POWER The new rocket is shorter and slimmer than the Saturn V rockets that hurled 24 Apollo astronauts to the moon a half-century ago. But it’s mightier, packing 4 million kilograms (8.8 million pounds) of thrust. 火箭動力 新型火箭比半世紀前將二十四名阿波羅計畫太空人送上月球的火箭農神五號更短、更細，但更強大，具有四百萬公斤（八百八十萬磅）的推力。 Unlike the streamlined Saturn V, the new rocket has a pair of strap-on boosters refashioned from NASA’s space shuttles. The boosters will peel away after two minutes, just like the shuttle boosters did, but won’t be fished from the Atlantic for reuse. The core stage will keep firing before separating and crashing into the Pacific in pieces. Two hours after liftoff, an upper stage will send the capsule, Orion, racing toward the moon. 與流線型的農神五號不同，新型火箭有一對安裝在外的推進器，是由NASA太空梭改造而來的設計。推進器將在升空後兩分鐘脫落，如同太空梭的推進器，但不會再把它從大西洋打撈上來重複使用。核心節則將繼續前進，然後分離、墜入太平洋碎裂。升空兩小時後，火箭的上節將全速把獵戶座太空船送往月球。 MOONSHIP NASA’s high-tech, automated Orion capsule is named after the constellation, among the night sky’s brightest. At 3m (11ft) tall, it’s roomier than Apollo’s capsule, seating four astronauts instead of three. For this test flight, a full-size dummy in an orange flight suit will occupy the commander’s seat, rigged with vibration and acceleration sensors. Two other mannequins made of material simulating human tissue — heads and female torsos, but no limbs — will measure cosmic radiation, one of the biggest risks of spaceflight. One torso is testing a protective vest from Israel. 登月船 NASA的高科技自動化太空船獵戶座，是以夜空最亮的星座為名。它高三公尺（十一英尺），比阿波羅計畫的太空艙更寬敞，可乘坐四名太空人，而非三名。這次的試飛中，一個身著橙色飛行服的真人尺寸假人將置於指揮官座位，配備振動與加速度感測器。另外還有兩個以仿人體組織材料所製成的假人──有頭部和女性軀幹，但沒有四肢──將用來測量宇宙輻射；宇宙輻射是太空飛行最大的風險之一。另一軀幹則是測試一件以色列製的防護背心。 FLIGHT PLAN Orion’s flight is supposed to last six weeks from its Florida liftoff to Pacific splashdown — twice as long as astronaut trips in order to tax the systems. It will take nearly a week to reach the moon, 386,000km away. 航行計畫 獵戶座太空船預計航行六週，始自佛羅里達升空，終至濺落太平洋，是太空人旅行時間的兩倍，以便檢驗及評估系統。到達三十八萬六千公里外的月球，需要將近一週的時間。 The big test comes at mission’s end, as Orion hits the atmosphere at 40,000 kph on its way to a splashdown in the Pacific. The heat shield uses the same material as the Apollo capsules to withstand reentry temperatures of 2,750 degrees Celsius. But the advanced design anticipates the faster, hotter returns by future Mars crews. 大考驗是在任務結束時，獵戶座太空船會以每小時四萬公里的速度撞擊大氣層，掉落在太平洋。隔熱罩所使用的材料與阿波羅計畫的太空船相同，可承受再進入大氣層的高溫攝氏兩千七百五十度。但此先進的設計已預想了未來火星任務人員返回時更快的速度，以及更熱的溫度。Source article: https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/lang/archives/2022/08/30/2003784369 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 每日英語跟讀 Ep.K440: How to Get Heart Patients to Take Their Pills? Give Them Just One. Heart disease kills more people than any other condition, but despite advances in treatment and prevention, patients often do not stick to their medication regimens. Now researchers may have found a solution: a so-called polypill that combines three drugs needed to prevent cardiovascular trouble. 死於心臟病的人比死於其他任何疾病的人都多，儘管在治療和預防上取得進展，患者往往不能堅守他們的藥物治療方式。現在，研究人員可能已經找到一個解決方法：一種混合三種預防心血管疾病所需藥物的所謂複方製劑。 In what is apparently the largest and longest randomized controlled trial of this approach, patients who were prescribed a polypill within six months of a heart attack were more likely to keep taking their drugs and had significantly fewer cardiovascular events, compared with those receiving the usual assortment of pills. 在明顯是這種方法規模最大、時間最長的隨機對照試驗中，心臟病發作後6個月內服用複方製劑的患者，跟服用常規藥物患者相比，更有可能繼續服用藥物，心血管事件明顯減少。 The participants also experienced one-third fewer cardiovascular deaths, although their overall risk of death from all causes was not significantly changed. 參與者因心血管疾病死亡人數也減少三分之一，即便他們因為各種原因死亡的總體風險沒有顯著改變。 The study of more than 2,000 heart patients, who were followed for three years, was published Friday morning in The New England Journal of Medicine, as the findings were presented at the European Society of Cardiology Congress in Barcelona, Spain. 這項研究對2000多名心臟病患者進行三年追蹤調查，研究結果周五上午發表在《新英格蘭醫學雜誌》，並在西班牙巴塞隆納舉行的歐洲心臟病學會年會上發表。 The study is the culmination of 15 years of work by researchers led by Dr. Valentin Fuster, director of Mount Sinai Heart at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City and general director of the National Center for Cardiovascular Research in Spain. 這研究是紐約市西奈山醫院西奈山心臟中心主任、西班牙國立心血管研究中心總監瓦倫丁．福斯特博士帶領研究人員研究15年的結晶。 “Combination pills are easier for the physician and for the patient, and the data are pretty clear — it translates into a benefit,” said Dr. Thomas J. Wang, chair of the department of internal medicine at UT Southwestern Medical Center, who was not involved in the research but wrote an editorial accompanying the study. 未參與研究但為研究報告撰寫社評的德州大學西南醫學中心內科系主任湯瑪斯．王博士說：「複方藥物對醫生和病患來說更簡便，數據非常清楚，它轉化為一種好處。」 The polypill combines a blood-pressure medication, a cholesterol-lowering drug and aspirin, which helps prevent blood clots. 這種複方製劑結合了降壓藥、降膽固醇藥和阿斯匹林，有助防止血栓。 The polypill used in the study has not been approved by the Food and Drug Administration and is not available to patients in the United States right now. Fuster said the results of the new trial would be submitted to the agency shortly in an effort to obtain approval. 這項研究使用的複方製劑還未獲得美國食品藥物管理局批准，目前在美國還不能給患者使用。福斯特 說，這項新試驗結果很快會提交給該機構，以爭取獲得批准。 And since participants became even more likely to keep taking the polypill over time, he said, “The potential results could be even better with more follow-up.” Several studies have shown that only about half of patients, or even less, take all their medications as instructed. 他說，由於參與者會逐漸的更可能繼續服用複方製劑，「若有更多後續研究，潛在結果可能更好」。數項研究顯示，只有大約一半甚至更少患者按照指示服用所有藥物。 The new study, a randomized controlled clinical trial, enrolled just under 2,500 patients at 113 sites in Spain, Italy, France, Germany, Poland, the Czech Republic and Hungary. 這項研究是一項隨機對照臨床試驗，在西班牙、義大利、法國、德國、波蘭、捷克和匈牙利的113個地點招募到近2500名患者。Source article: https://udn.com/news/story/6904/6601708 歡迎留言告訴我們你對這一集的想法： https://open.firstory.me/user/cl81kivnk00dn01wffhwxdg2s/comments

Topic: Coronavirus Is Battering Africa’s Growing Middle Class 新冠重創非洲新興中產階級 As the coronavirus surges in many countries in Africa, it is threatening to push as many as 58 million people in the region into extreme poverty, experts at the World Bank say. But beyond the devastating consequences for the continent’s most vulnerable people, the pandemic is also whittling away at one of Africa’s signature achievements: the growth of its middle class. 世界銀行專家指出，新冠肺炎疫情在非洲多國急遽加重，恐將使多達5800萬人陷入極端貧窮（赤貧）。而且疫情除了給非洲大陸最弱勢者帶來毀滅性後果之外，還逐步削弱非洲一項指標性成就，也就是中產階級的成長。 For the last decade, Africa’s middle class has been pivotal to the educational, political and economic development across the continent. New business owners and entrepreneurs have created jobs that, in turn, gave others a leg up as well. 過去這十年，非洲中產階級在非洲大陸全境教育、政治和經濟的發展上，扮演著關鍵性的角色。新的企業主和創業者創造出就業機會，也從而幫了別人一把。 Educated, tech-savvy families and young people with money to spare have fed the demand for consumer goods, called for democratic reforms, expanded the talent pool at all levels of society, and pushed for high-quality schools and health care. 受過教育、熟諳現代科技且有閒錢的家庭和年輕人支撐了消費品的市場，提出了對民主改革的要求，擴大了社會各層次的人才庫，並鼓吹高品質的學校和醫療照護服務。 About 170 million out of Africa’s 1.3 billion people are now classified as middle class. But about 8 million of them could be thrust into poverty because of the coronavirus and its economic fallout, according to World Data Lab, a research organization. 非洲13億人口中，約有1.7億人現在被歸類為中產階級，不過，根據研究機構「世界資料實驗室」的說法，其中約800萬人可能因新冠肺炎疫情及其經濟衝擊而淪為窮人。 It’s a setback that may be felt for years to come. 這個挫敗可在未來幾年內感受到。 “The tragedy is that because Africa is not growing fast, this collapse of the middle class could take several years to recover,” said Homi Kharas, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution and the co-founder of the World Data Lab. 華府智庫布魯金斯研究所高級研究員兼世界資料實驗室共同創辦人卡拉斯說：「不幸的是，非洲成長速度並不快，中產階級的潰縮可能得花上幾年才能恢復。」 Africa’s middle class tripled over the past 30 years, by some estimates, spurred by job opportunities in sectors like technology, tourism and manufacturing. 一些估計顯示，在科技、觀光和製造業等領域的就業機會帶動下，非洲中產階級人數過去30年間增為三倍。 But now that the region is facing its first recession in 25 years, millions of educated people living in urban centers could fall victim to the extreme income inequality that has defined Africa for decades. 不過，由於非洲遭逢25年來首次經濟衰退，數以百萬計住在都會區的受過教育者可能淪為極端收入不平等的受害者。極端收入不平等數十年來一直是非洲的特徵。 Kharas defined the middle class in Africa as households that spend anywhere between $11 and $110 per capita per day. 卡拉斯把非洲中產階級定義為，平均每人每天花費11美元到110美元（約台幣330元到3300元）的家庭。 The rising middle class has been “critical for the future prospects of African economies as they stimulate long-term growth, social progress, an inclusive and prosperous society and effective and accountable governance,” said Landry Signé, author of “Unlocking Africa’s Business Potential.” The coronavirus “will drastically delay wages and hold back the dreams of Africa’s middle class,” he said. 著有「解放非洲商業潛力」一書的賽恩說，中產階級崛起「對非洲的經濟前景至關重要，因為中產階級能促進長期成長、社會進步，造就具包容性且繁榮的社會，以及有效率且可問責的治理」。他說，新冠肺炎「將大幅延後薪水發放，並讓非洲中產階級難以圓夢」。 What distinguishes the middle class from the poor, said Razia Khan, chief economist for Africa and the Middle East at Standard Chartered bank, is the ability to earn a steady income. But because of the pandemic, many more people across Africa are at risk of being “knocked back into poverty” because of lack of jobs, unemployment benefits or any social safety net, she said. 渣打銀行非洲中東首席經濟學家拉奇雅．卡恩說，中產階級與窮人不同之處在於，他們有賺取穩定收入的能力。不過她說，由於疫情大流行，非洲各地有更多人可能因為缺乏就業機會、失業救濟金或任何社會安全網而被「打回貧窮」。 The pandemic is also posing a threat to nascent industries supported by governments in Africa in recent years to boost the number of middle-income earners. 疫情大流行還威脅到剛起步的一些產業。非洲各國政府近年來支持這些產業，冀以促進中所得人數的成長。 Source article: https://udn.com/news/story/6904/4712407 Next Article Topic: South Africa is considering letting women have multiple husbands South Africa’s government is considering allowing women to have multiple husbands, a possibility that has thrown the country’s conservatives into uproar. 南非政府正在考慮允許女性擁有多名丈夫，這種可能性使該國保守派一片譁然。 The proposal to allow polyandry was included in a green paper from South Africa’s Department of Home Affairs, which hopes to make marriage more inclusive. 這項允許一妻多夫的提議已經被納入南非內政部的綠皮書中，希望使婚姻更具包容性。 South Africa has one of the world’s most liberal constitutions, embracing same-sex marriages for all and polygamy for men. 南非有世界上最自由的憲法之一，接受所有性別的同性婚姻與男性的一夫多妻。 Businessman and TV personality Musa Mseleku - who has four wives - is among those opposed to polyandry. 有四名妻子的企業家兼電視名人穆薩．姆斯萊庫是反對一妻多夫制的其中一人。 ’’This will destroy African culture.’’ Mseleku said. ’’The woman cannot now take the role of the man. It’s unheard of.’’ 「這會摧毀非洲文化。」姆斯萊庫說。「女性不能扮演男性的角色。這是前所未聞的。」 The idea that polyandry is not African was also prevalent among religious leaders, the Department of Home Affairs found. 內政部發現，一妻多夫「不非洲」的想法也流傳於宗教領袖中。 Next Topic: S.African miners rescued, none still trapped 11 名南非礦工獲救，已無人受困 Eleven men who became trapped in an illegal gold mine in South

Article from CDC: https://www.cdc.gov/disasters/earthquakes/during.html Drop. Cover. Hold on.  趴下、掩護、穩住 In most situations, you can protect yourself if you immediately: DROP down onto your hands and knees before the earthquake knocks you down. This position protects you from falling but allows you to still move if necessary.COVER your head and neck (and your entire body if possible) underneath a sturdy table or desk. If there is no shelter nearby, get down near an interior wall or next to low-lying furniture that won’t fall on you, and cover your head and neck with your arms and hands.HOLD ON to your shelter (or to your head and neck) until the shaking stops. Be prepared to move with your shelter if the shaking shifts it around. If you are inside, stay inside. 在室內時，待在室內DO NOT run outside or to other rooms during an earthquake. You are less likely to be injured if you stay where you are.DO NOT stand in a doorway. You are safer under a table. In modern houses, doorways are no stronger than any other part of the house. Doorways do not protect you from the most likely source of injury − falling or flying objects. If you are in a high-rise building, drop, cover, and hold on. 在高樓時，趴下、掩護、穩住Move away from windows and outside walls.Stay in the building.DO NOT use the elevators. The electricity may go out, and the sprinkler systems may come on. If you are outside, stay outside. 在戶外時，待在戶外Move away from buildings, utility wires, sinkholes, and fuel and gas lines. The greatest danger from falling debris is just outside doorways and close to outer walls of buildings.Go to an open area away from trees, telephone poles, and buildings. Once in the open, get down low and stay there until the shaking stops. If you are in a moving vehicle, stop as quickly and safely as possible. 在行車時，立刻停下找安全地方Move your car to the shoulder or curb, away from utility poles, overhead wires, and under- or overpasses.Stay in the car and set the parking brake. A car may jiggle violently on its springs, but it is a good place to stay until the shaking stops.Turn on the radio for emergency broadcast information. 隨堂考 What should you do when an earthquake hits ?When you are in your bedroom?When you are in the mall?When you are in your car?  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.K439: About Spain - Wine theft of the century A former Mexican beauty queen and a Romanian-Dutch accomplice have been arrested in Croatia over the theft of $1.7 million worth of prestige bottles of wine in Spain after a nine-month chase across Europe, police said on Wednesday. 警方週三表示，歷經9個月橫跨歐洲的追捕後，一位墨西哥前選美皇后和一位羅馬尼亞裔的荷蘭共犯因為在西班牙竊取價值170萬美元的高檔紅酒，在克羅埃西亞被捕。 In a statement, Spanish national police said that on Oct. 27, 2021 in the western city of Caceres, 45 wine bottles worth a total of 1.65 million euros, including one "unique" 19th-century vintage worth 310,000 euros, were spirited away in a meticulously planned theft from the cellars of the famous hotel-restaurant El Atrio. 西班牙國家警察在聲明中說，2021年10月27日在西部城市卡塞雷斯，45瓶價值165萬歐元的紅酒，當中包括一瓶「獨一無二」、要價31萬歐元的19世紀佳釀，在一場精心策劃的竊案中從知名旅店餐館El Atrio的酒窖中被竊走。 Next Article Can I talk to a human? Spain presents customer service bill （我可以跟真人談嗎？西班牙提出客服法案） Tired of speaking to a machine when you call the bank or power company? 對於打電話到銀行或電力公司，卻總是跟機器說話感到厭倦了嗎？ Spain’s government wants to end those nerve-shattering, one-sided conversations with a computerized answering service by making it obligatory for companies to offer a real, flesh-and-blood customer service worker when so requested by a caller. 西班牙政府希望終止那些單方面溝通、令人神經疲勞的機械化應答服務，要求企業必須在致電者請求下，提供真正有血有肉的顧客服務人員。 "Customer service far too often causes endless headaches for Spanish families because far too many companies create bureaucratic labyrinths to stop you from exercising your right to service," said Consumption Minister Alberto Garzón. 消費者事務部長阿爾貝托．加爾松說：「客服電話實在太常讓西班牙家庭頭痛不止，因為實在太多企業創造出官僚迷宮，阻止你行使接受服務的權利。」 The bill would also seek to do away with long wait times by forcing companies to answer calls within three minutes. 該法案也希望廢除久候的情況，要求企業在3分鐘內回應致電。 It will apply to all utility providers regardless of their size and all other companies with more than 250 workers or whose business exceeds 50 million euros a year. 法案將適用所有公用事業，不分規模大小；以及所有員工超過250人或1年營業額高於5000萬歐元的企業。Source article: https://features.ltn.com.tw/english/article/paper/1540527 ; https://features.ltn.com.tw/english/article/paper/1539968 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.K438: About Florida - Hotter summers mean Florida’s turtles are mostly born female Florida’s sea turtles are grappling with a gender imbalance made worse by climate change. 佛羅里達海龜奮力解決因氣候變遷導致惡化的性別失衡。 Recent heat waves have caused the sand on some beaches to get so hot that nearly every turtle born was female. 近期熱浪導致一些沙灘的沙粒變得過熱，以至於幾乎每隻新生海龜都是雌性。 "The frightening thing is the last four summers in Florida have been the hottest summers on record," said Bette Zirkelbach, manager of the Turtle Hospital. 海龜醫院經理貝特．齊克爾巴赫說，可怕的是，佛州過去4年夏天是有紀錄以來最熱的夏天。 "Scientists that are studying sea turtle hatchlings and eggs have found no boy sea turtles, so only female sea turtles for the past four years," Zirkelbach said,. 齊克爾巴赫說，研究海龜孵化和蛋的科學家已經發現過去4年沒有雄性海龜，只有雌性海龜。 Instead of determining sex during fertilization, the sex of sea turtles and alligators depends on the temperature of developing eggs. 海龜和鱷魚的性別取決於蛋孵化的溫度，而非受精。 When a female turtle digs a nest on a beach, the temperature of the sand determines the gender of the hatchlings. 當母海龜在沙灘上挖了一個巢穴，沙子的溫度決定孵化出殼的海龜性別。 If a turtle’s eggs incubate below 27.7 Celsius, the turtle hatchlings will be male, whereas if they incubate above 31C, they will be female. 一旦海龜蛋孵化的溫度低於攝氏27.7度，海龜就會是雄性；反之當溫度高於攝氏31度，就會是雌性。 Next Article A Florida man paid off the past dues for 114 families at risk of having their utilities shut off 佛州男子為有斷水斷電斷瓦斯之虞的114個家庭繳逾期帳單 A Florida business owner who was once down on his luck is giving back by covering the utility bills of 114 families who were facing disconnection. （美國）佛羅里達州1名曾經時運不濟的老闆，以幫助114個有斷水斷電斷瓦斯之虞的家庭支付水電費，做為回報。 Michael Esmond’s generosity started in 2019 when he paid the utility bills of 36 households in his community of Gulf Breeze. Last year, with both Hurricane Sally and Covid-induced economic turmoil hitting the city, he thought he needed to up the ante. 邁可．艾斯蒙德的慷慨之舉始於2019年，他當時為微風灣社區的36個家戶繳納水電瓦斯費。去年，該市受到「莎莉」颶風與武漢肺炎所導致的經濟動盪之雙重夾擊，他覺得他必須加碼助人。 Esmond donated $7,615.40 to pay for the past-due bills of 114 households, according to Joanne Oliver, the city’s utility billing supervisor. 該市水電瓦斯帳單稽查員瓊安．奧利佛說，艾斯蒙德捐款7615.40美元，為114個家戶繳納逾期帳單。 While Esmond’s donation increased from the $4,600 he paid in 2019, he says he was able to help about three times as many households. 艾斯蒙德的捐款額高於2019年時的4600美元，他說，他能幫助到的家戶數量是（是2019年時）的3倍。Source article: https://features.ltn.com.tw/english/article/paper/1539454 ; https://news.ltn.com.tw/news/world/paper/1459618 歡迎留言告訴我們你對這一集的想法： https://open.firstory.me/user/cl81kivnk00dn01wffhwxdg2s/comments

Summary: Every year in September, Apple fans around the world gather online, hoping to witness the launch of another iPhone that would change the world. This year, Apple rolled out its first purple colored iPhone for its high-end model, the iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max. In this episode, Angel and I talk about how much of a fan I am and also whether the new phone is worth the upgrade. Are you going to upgrade to the new iPhone 14 ? Comment down below! Vocabulary: 1. In the market for...sth idiom. 有興趣購買 If you are in the market for the new iPhone 14 Pro, you should buy the Deep Purple-colored iPhone. 如果你有興趣買新的iPhone14 Pro，你應當買深紫色的iPhone。 2. Mobile carrier n. 電信業者 Chungwha Telecom was the first mobile carrier to offer the iPhone 3GS back in the day. 中華電信當年是第一個電信業者提供iPhone 3GS。 3. Preorder n. 預購 iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max make up of 80% of the preorders. iPhone 14 Pro與Pro Max佔據8成iPhone預購。 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] 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.K437: Philippines Returns to School, Ending One of World’s Longest Shutdowns Millions of students throughout the Philippines headed to school Monday as in-person classes began to fully restart for the first time in more than two years, ending one of the world’s longest pandemic-related shutdowns in a school system already plagued by severe underinvestment. 全菲律賓數以百萬計的學生周一重新上學，這是兩年多來菲律賓首度全面恢復實體課程。原本就投資嚴重不足的學校系統，遭逢新冠疫情開始封校，時間之長在全球數一數二，現在終於結束了。 “We could no longer afford to delay the education of young Filipinos,” said Vice President Sara Duterte, who is also the education secretary, as she toured schools in the town of Dinalupihan, about 40 miles northwest of Manila. 副總統兼教育部長薩拉．杜特蒂到首都馬尼拉西北方65公里處的迪納路匹罕市巡視學校時表示：「我國年輕人的教育再經不起耽擱」。 Even before the pandemic, the Philippines had among the world’s largest education gaps, with more than 90% of students unable to read and comprehend simple texts by age 10, according to the World Bank. 甚至在新冠疫情爆發前，菲律賓的教育落差跟各國相比就十分巨大。世界銀行調查發現，菲國超過九成學童到了10歲仍無法閱讀和理解簡單的課文。 Schools in the Philippines have long suffered from shortages of classrooms and teachers, whose pay is low, leaving the vast numbers of poor children who cannot afford private schools and rely on the public system with inadequate teaching. 菲律賓的學校長期缺乏教室和師資。老師薪水低，導致念不起私立學校只能讀公立學校的眾多窮人家子女，無法接受適合的教導。 Now, after losing more than two years of in-person instruction, schools face the challenge of educating many students who have fallen even further behind. Although the Philippines offered online instruction during the pandemic, many students lacked access to computers or internet connections, and overburdened parents often found it hard to keep tabs on their children’s remote learning. 如今，在面對面授課停擺兩年多後，學校面臨的挑戰是學習進度落後更多的學生。雖然菲國政府在疫情期間提供線上課程，許多學生卻沒有電腦或網路連線，負擔過重的父母親經常發現付不起子女遠距學習費用。 In some cases, students’ already tenuous connection to school may have been severed entirely after so long away. 在某些個案，學生和學校的聯繫原本就斷斷續續，經過疫情封校這麼久的折騰，學生跟學校可能完全失聯。 In many other countries, as the negative effects of online learning became well documented, governments elected to send children back to classrooms even as the coronavirus continued to circulate widely. 在許多其他國家，線上學習的負面效應已經被詳細記載。縱然新冠疫情持續散布，政府仍決定讓學生返回教室。 But in the Philippines, government officials and parents remained hesitant, with fears that schoolchildren could bring the virus to homes crowded with multiple generations of family members, potentially overtaxing a creaky health care system. 但是在菲律賓，政府和父母親仍猶豫不決，擔心子女會把病毒從校園帶回家，殃及數代同擠一堂的家人，可能會讓已搖搖欲墜的健康照護體系負擔過重。 Starting in late 2021, the government began to experiment with conducting in-person classes in about 300 schools, but has begun expanding it to cover all primary and secondary schools. Currently only some schools are in-person all five weekdays; by November, all of the country’s roughly 47,000 schools will be. 從2021年晚期起，菲國政府從300間學校開始實驗師生面對面上課，現已擴及到全國小學和國中。目前只有部分學校一周五天都是實體上課。到11月的時候，菲律賓全國約4萬7千所學校都會恢復實體上課。Source article: https://udn.com/news/story/6904/6567634   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 每日英語跟讀 Ep.K436: Britain’s rules of succession for a new sovereign Queen Elizabeth, Britain’s monarch for more than seven decades, died on Thursday last week aged 96. 英國在位逾七十年的君主伊麗莎白女王於上週四逝世，享耆壽九十六歲。 The following is an explanation of the rules of the British court regarding the accession of a new sovereign and a description of the powers and responsibilities of the monarch. 以下說明英國皇室新君主即位之規則，以及君主之權責。 Under the British constitution, a sovereign succeeds to the throne the moment his or her predecessor dies, before even being proclaimed to the people, and there is no interregnum.The new monarch is officially proclaimed king or queen by a special body called the Accession Council, to which members of the Privy Council — a group of several hundred selected royal advisers including members of the cabinet — are summoned. 根據英國憲法，君主在其前任去世的那一刻即繼承王位，沒有過渡期，即便尚未向人民宣布。新君主由名為「登基會議」的特殊機構正式宣佈為國王或女王，英國樞密院成員——包括內閣成員在內的數百名選定之皇家顧問——將出席。 A full Privy Council session is only called on the accession of a new sovereign or when the monarch announces an intention to marry, an event of great importance given the hereditary basis of the monarchy. 完整的樞密院會議只有在新君主即位或君主宣布結婚計畫時才會召開；君主制是以世襲為本，因此該會議非常重要。 Also invited to attend the Accession Council which proclaims the new sovereign are the Lords Spiritual and Temporal (that is bishops of the Church of England who sit in the House of Lords, together with the secular peers of the realm) and high commissioners from Commonwealth nations. 亦受邀出席宣布新君主之登基會議的，還有屬靈及世俗的上議院（即坐在上議院的英國國教會主教，以及上議院議員），和來自大英國協國家的政府高層。 The sovereign’s coronation, in effect just a formal ratification procedure, follows the accession after an interval of mourning. Queen Elizabeth II was crowned in June 1953, 16 months after George VI died. The coronation takes place at London’s Westminster Abbey in the presence of politicians, eminent public figures, and representatives from countries around the world. 君主的加冕典禮，實際上只是一個正式的批准程序，是在新君主即位後，經過一段哀悼期後才舉行。一九五三年六月舉行之伊麗莎白二世女王加冕，是在喬治六世去世十六個月後。加冕典禮在倫敦西敏寺教堂舉行，政治家、知名公眾人物和世界各國代表出席。 The sovereign reigns by grace of the 1701 Act of Settlement, which lays down the rules of succession, decreeing that only Protestant descendants of a granddaughter of James I of England (Princess Sophia the Electress of Hanover) can take the throne. 一七〇一年的《王位繼承法》制定了繼承規則，規定只有英格蘭詹姆斯一世孫女（漢諾威選帝侯夫人索菲亞公主）的新教徒後裔才能繼承王位。 Until a new law in 2013, being married to a Roman Catholic also barred a royal from a place in the line of succession. However, a Catholic can still not become monarch. 在二〇一三年一部新法律頒布前，與羅馬天主教徒結婚之皇室成員也被禁止繼承王位。然而，天主教徒仍無法成為君主。 The 2013 legislation also removed precedence being given to the male line, meaning that any royal born from Oct. 28, 2011, would not be discriminated against in succession to the throne based on gender. 這項二〇一三年的立法還取消了男性血統的優先權，這表示二〇一一年十月二十八日之後出生的任何皇室成員，其王位之繼承都不會受到性別歧視。 Traditionally, the sovereign is held to personify the state, which he or she heads, and to symbolize a common link between the countries making up the United Kingdom. In law, the sovereign is head of the executive, an integral part of the legislature, head of the judiciary, commander-in-chief of the armed forces, and supreme governor of the Church of England. 傳統上，君主被認為是所領導國家的人格化，並象徵大不列顛及北愛爾蘭聯合王國組成國家間的共同聯繫。在法律上，君主是行政首腦、立法機關的一部分、司法機關首腦、武裝部隊總司令，以及英國國教之最高領導人。 In reality, he or she rubber stamps government decisions and reigns through the will of parliament. The monarch summons and prorogues parliament, and invites the leader of the political party which has won a general election to be prime minister and form a government. 實際上，君主是在政府決策上蓋橡皮圖章，透過議會的意志進行統治。君主召集議會、休會，並邀請在大選中獲勝的政黨領袖出任首相並組建政府。 The British sovereign is also head of the Commonwealth of nations which grew out of the British empire and head of state of 14 other countries. 英國君主也是大英國協國家及其他十四個國家的元首。大英國協是由大英帝國發展而來。 These are Antigua and Barbuda, Australia, Bahamas, Belize, Canada, Grenada, Jamaica, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Solomon Islands and Tuvalu. 這十四個國家為安地卡及巴布達、澳洲、巴哈馬、貝里斯、加拿大、格瑞納達、牙買加、紐西蘭、巴布亞新幾內亞、聖克里斯多福及尼維斯、聖露西亞、聖文森及格瑞納丁、所羅門群島，以及吐瓦魯。 The monarchy is Britain’s oldest secular institution, with the royal family tracing its ancestry back to William the Conqueror in 1066 and even to Egbert of Wessex, generally recognized as the first king of the English, in the year 829. 君主制為英國最古老的世俗制度，王室之祖先可以追溯到西元一〇六六年的征服者威廉，甚至可追溯到西元八二九年威塞克斯的埃格伯特國王——咸認為英格蘭第一位國王。 The sovereign is addressed as “Your Majesty.”Queen Elizabeth’s official title was “Her Most Excellent Majesty Elizabeth the Second, by the Grace of God of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and of her other territories Queen, Head of the Commonwealth, Defender of the Faith.” 到西元八二九年威塞克斯的埃格伯特國王——咸認為英格蘭第一位國王。 對君主之稱呼為「陛下」。 伊麗莎白女王之官方頭銜為「承蒙上帝恩典，大不列顛及北愛爾蘭聯合王國及其其他領土之女王、大英國協元首、信仰之捍衛者伊麗莎白二世女王卓越的陛下」。Source article: https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/lang/archives/2022/09/13/2003785250

Topic: JR East to raise fares by 10 yen to improve disabled accessibility East Japan Railway Co. (JR East) will become the first railway operator to hike passenger fares and use the funds to improve accessibility for the disabled. 東日本旅客鐵道公司（JR東日本）將成為第一家調漲客運票價，並將這筆資金用來改善供殘障人士使用的無障礙設施的鐵道業者。 The plan is to tack on 10 yen (8 cents) to a ticket for JR East’s 16 major lines, including the Yamanote, Chuo and Keihin-Tohoku lines. The increase will go into effect from spring 2023. 該計畫是要將包括山手線、中央線與京濱東北線等16條JR東日本主要路線的票價調漲10日圓（8美分）。新的票價將自2023年春天起生效。 The transport ministry in December 2021 created a new system of adding fares to a ticket to pay for the installation of platform safety doors and elevators at train stations. （日本）國土交通省在2021年12月創設一項新制度，將調漲的票價金額用來支付在車站設置月台安全門與電梯的費用。 Ministry officials said JR East is the first railway company to announce a specific plan. 國土交通省官員說，JR東日本是第一個（因應該制度）宣布明確計畫的鐵道業者。 Next Article Topic: Tasty TV: Japanese professor creates flavorful screen 美味的電視：日本教授發明有滋味的螢幕 Japan’s Meiji University professor Homei Miyashita has developed a prototype lickable TV screen that can imitate food flavors, another step towards creating a multi-sensory viewing experience. 日本明治大學教授宮下芳明發明出一款可舔式原型電視螢幕，具有模仿食物味道的功能，朝創造多感官收視體驗邁進另一步。 The device, called Taste the TV (TTTV), uses a carousel of 10 flavor canisters that spray in combination to create the taste of a particular food. The flavor sample then rolls on hygienic film over a flat TV screen for the viewer to try. 這個名為「品嚐電視」的裝置內部設置裝有10種口味的罐子，可噴出調製成特定食物的味道，再輸送到平面電視螢幕的衛生薄膜上，讓觀看者品嚐。 In the COVID-19 era, this kind of technology can enhance the way people connect and interact with the outside world, said Miyashita. 宮下說，在新冠肺炎流行時期，這樣的科技可改善人們與外界連結和互動的方式。 "The goal is to make it possible for people to have the experience of something like eating at a restaurant on the other side of the world, even while staying at home," he said. A commercial version would cost about 100,000 yen to make. 他說：「目標是讓人們即使待在家，也能擁有類似於在世界另一端上餐廳吃飯的體驗。」商業機製作成本約為10萬日圓（約2萬4300台幣）。Source article: https://features.ltn.com.tw/english/article/paper/1510384 ; https://features.ltn.com.tw/english/article/paper/1510139 Next Article   Topic: Shinzo Abe - Japan’s longest-serving prime minister Shinzo Abe smashed records as Japan’s longest-serving prime minister, championing ambitious economic reform and forging key diplomatic relationships while weathering scandals. 安倍晉三打破了日本首相任期的最長紀錄，他支持雄心勃勃的經濟改革，並在經歷醜聞的同時建立了關鍵的外交關係。 Nearly two years after poor health forced him to leave office, the 67-year-old was shot during a campaign event in the western region of Nara on Friday last week. 在他因健康狀況不佳而被迫下台後兩年，六十七歲的他上週五在奈良西部地區一場競選活動中被槍殺。 Abe was a sprightly 52 when he first became prime minister in 2006, the youngest person to occupy the job in the postwar era. 安倍在二○○六年首次擔任首相時年僅五十二歲，是戰後日本最年輕的首相。 He was seen as a symbol of change and youth, but also brought the pedigree of a third-generation politician groomed from birth by an elite, conservative family. Abe’s first term was turbulent, plagued by scandals and discord, and capped by an abrupt resignation. 他被視為變革與年輕的象徵，但他也是出身精英保守家庭的政治家族第三代。 安倍的第一個任期動盪不安，飽受醜聞與不和的紛擾，並以突然辭職告終。 - They called it ‘Abenomics’ - He ran again, and Japan’s revolving prime ministerial door brought him back to office in 2012. It ended a turbulent period in which prime ministers sometimes changed at a rate of one a year. With Japan still staggering from the effects of the 2011 tsunami and subsequent nuclear disaster at Fukushima — and a brief opposition government lashed for flip-flopping and incompetence — Abe offered a seemingly safe pair of hands. 他再次參選，日本的首相旋轉門讓他在二○一二年再度擔任首相。 這終結了日本首相更替頻繁（有時只做了一年便下台）的動盪時期。 當時日本仍因二○一一年海嘯及之後福島核災的影響而步履蹣跚，以及短暫執政、被批評為政策出爾反爾及無能的反對黨政府——在此情況下，安倍看來是穩健的選擇。 And he had a plan: Abenomics. The scheme to revive Japan’s economy — the world’s third-biggest, but more than two decades into stagnation — involved vast government spending, massive monetary easing and cutting red tape. Abe also sought to boost the country’s flagging birth rate by making workplaces more friendly to parents, particularly mothers. 而且他有個計畫：「安倍經濟學」。 重振日本——這世界第三大經濟體，但已陷入停滯二十多年——經濟的計畫，有賴大量政府支出、大規模貨幣寬鬆，以及削減繁文縟節。 He pushed through controversial consumption tax hikes to help finance nurseries and plug gaps in Japan’s overstretched social security system. While there was some progress with reform, the economy’s bigger structural problems remained. Deflation proved stubborn and the economy was in recession even before the coronavirus struck in 2020. Abe’s star waned further during the pandemic, with his approach criticized as confused and slow, driving his approval ratings down to some of the lowest of his tenure. 安倍還試圖營造對父母，尤其是對母親更友善的工作環境，來提高日本不斷下降的出生率。 他推動調高消費稅這具爭議性的政策，以資助托兒所並補強日本負擔過重的社會福利系統。 雖然改革取得了一些進展，但更大的經濟結構性問題依然存在。 事實證明，通貨緊縮很頑強，甚至在二○二○年冠狀病毒來襲之前，經濟就已陷入衰退。 安倍的光環在疫情期間變得更加黯淡，他的做法被批評為混亂及緩慢，讓他的支持率降至任期內最低。 - Political storms - - 政治風暴 - On the international stage, Abe took a hard line on North Korea, but sought a pe