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通勤學英語 15Mins Today

通勤學英語 15Mins Today

1,303 episodes — Page 24 of 27

Ep 1878每日英語跟讀 Ep.K408: About aviation - 最快噴射超音速客機與少年跳機大難不死

每日英語跟讀 Ep.K408: About aviation - World’s fastest passenger jet goes supersonic in tests The race to resume supersonic passenger flights nearly two decades after the retirement of Concorde was offered a glimmer of excitement on Monday when plane manufacturer Bombardier revealed high speed achievements while confirming the launch of its new business jet. 飛機製造商龐巴迪週一揭露其最新商務噴射客機達到的高速度成果,同時證實上市時間,為協和號退役將近20年後,重拾超音速載客飛行的競賽,注入一絲興奮。 The Canadian company said the in-development Global 8000 will be "the world’s fastest and longest-range purpose-built business jet." 這家加拿大公司說,這款開發中的「環球8000型」客機,將是「全世界最快、最長程的特製商用噴射機」。 The news comes after a Global 7500 test vehicle broke the sound barrier during a demonstration flight last May, achieving speeds of more than Mach 1.015. 在發布這項消息前,一架環球7500型測試機,在去年5月一次試飛中突破音障,達到超過1.015馬赫的速度。 "The Global 8000 aircraft leverages the outstanding attributes of the Global 7500 aircraft, providing our customers with a flagship aircraft of a new era," Éric Martel, president and CEO for Bombardier, said. 龐巴迪總裁兼執行長馬泰爾說,「環球8000飛機利用環球7500型的優異特性,提供我們顧客一架新年代飛機的佼佼者」。 Next Article Teen survives flight in aircraft wheel in Nigeria 奈及利亞青少年躲起落架搭機 大難不死 A young teenager dashed across a runway at a Nigerian airport, hid in the wheel well of a jet and survived a 35-minute domestic flight, the airline and aviation authorities said Sunday. 航空公司和奈及利亞聯邦航空局週日表示,1名青少年橫衝機場跑道,躲進飛機起落架艙,飛了35分鐘的國內線航程。 Passengers and crew had alerted the pilots that a boy was seen running to the plane as it was taxiing to take off Saturday from southern Benin City, Arik Airline spokesman Ola Adebanji said. 阿里克航空公司發言人艾德班吉表示,這架班機週六從南部貝南市滑行準備起飛時,乘客和機組員看到1名青少年跑向飛機,並警告機師。 Despite the possible presence of the boy, the pilots opted to continue with their takeoff, Federal Aviation Agency of Nigeria spokesman Yakubu Dati said. 奈及利亞聯邦航空局發言人達蒂表示,儘管男孩可能在機上,機師仍選擇繼續起飛。 When the plane arrived in Lagos, Nigeria’s commercial capital, a boy aged 13 or 14 jumped to the ground from the wheel and was detained by Arik personnel, Adebanji said. He said the teenager probably survived because the flight was short and the plane probably didn’t rise above 7,620 meters. 艾德班吉表示,飛機抵達奈吉利亞商業大城拉哥斯時,1名年約13或14歲的男孩從起落架跳到地面,被地勤人員抓住。發言人說,男孩大難不死可能是因為飛行距離不長、飛行高度沒有超過7620公尺。 Most stowaways don’t survive. The body of a suspected stowaway fell from an Air France plane over Niger, also in West Africa, in July and was discovered lifeless in a western suburb of the capital, Niamey, officials said. 這類偷渡客大都不會生還。官員表示,7月間,法國航空公司1架班機飛經同樣也在西非的尼日時,1具疑似偷渡客的屍體從上空墜地,陳屍在首都尼阿美西部郊區。Source article: https://features.ltn.com.tw/english/article/paper/1526935 ; https://news.ltn.com.tw/news/world/paper/710523

Jul 28, 20223 min

Ep 1877每日英語跟讀 Ep.K407: About SKorea - 糞便變成電力和數位貨幣與南韓國人少一歲

每日英語跟讀 Ep.K407: About SKorea - South Korean toilet turns excrement into power and digital currency Cho Jae-weon, an urban and environmental engineering professor at the Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology(UNIST), has designed an eco-friendly toilet connected to a laboratory that uses excrement to produce biogas and manure. 南韓國立蔚山科學技術研究院的都市和環境工程教授趙宰元(譯音),設計出一種環境友善的馬桶,可透過與一間實驗室連線,將糞便製造成生物沼氣和肥料。 The BeeVi toilet - a portmanteau of the words bee and vision - uses a vacuum pump to send faeces into an underground tank, reducing water use. There, microorganisms break down the waste to methane, which becomes a source of energy for the building, powering a gas stove, hot-water boiler and solid oxide fuel cell. 這個馬桶名為BeeVi,為蜜蜂和視野的英文字詞的混成詞。它用真空幫浦將排泄物送至地下儲存槽,以減少用水。槽內的微生物將排泄物分解成沼氣,進而為大樓提供電力,點燃瓦斯爐、熱水器,以及做為固態氧化物燃料電池的燃料。 An average person defecates about 500g a day, which can be converted to 50 litres of methane gas. This gas can generate 0.5kWh of electricity or be used to drive a car for about 1.2km. 每人每天平均排便500公克,可轉換成50升沼氣,進而產生0.5千瓦時的電力,使汽車行進約1.2公里。 Next Article Why Koreans could soon become a year younger 為什麼韓國人可能即將年輕1歲 "How old are you"? It’s a simple question with a clear answer. But for those in South Korea, answering this question is anything but straightforward. 「你幾歲?」這是答案很清楚的簡單問題,但是對南韓人來說,回答這個問題一點也不簡單。 In South Korea, when a baby is born they are considered a year old. Come New Year’s Day, they gain another year. This means a baby born in December would be considered to be two years old in just a few weeks. 在南韓,寶寶一出生就被認為已經1歲。到了新年,他們又多了1歲。這意味著,12月出生的寶寶,僅僅幾週就會被認為已經2歲大。 But this "Korean age" method may soon change as the country’s president-elect Yoon Suk-yeol is pushing for this centuries-old method of counting to be abolished. 不過,這種「韓國年紀」算法或許即將改變,因為該國總統當選人尹錫悅正推動廢除這種已有幾世紀之久的年齡計算法。 Lee Yong-ho, the chief of the president-elect’s transition committee, said the incoming administration was looking to standardise the way age is counted in order to bring South Korea in line with the rest of the world. 總統當選人交接委員會主席李勇浩說,即將上任的新政府正準備將計算年齡方式標準化,讓南韓與世界其他地方一致。Soure article: https://news.ltn.com.tw/news/world/paper/1485239 ; https://features.ltn.com.tw/english/article/paper/1517919

Jul 27, 20223 min

Ep 1879精選詞彙播客 Vocab Ep.129: 華語流行歌王回來了?Is the King of Mandopop back?

Summary: It's been a while since Jay Chou released any music. This week, Jay chou released his new single, paying tribute to the greats in history. It is reported that Jay Chou spent NTD13m on this new music video. In this episode, Angel and I talk about the first time we listened to Jay and his musical influence. Vocabulary: King of Mandopop 華語流行歌王 Jay Chou has been named the King of Mandopop for many years. 周杰倫被稱為華語流行歌王許多年。 Genre n. 類別/類型 Although Jay's music is categorized as the pop genre, his music is uniquely different to other pop music. 雖然周董的音樂被歸類為流行音樂,他的音樂相較其他流行音樂還是與眾不同的。 Lyrics n. 歌詞 Most of the hit lyrics are written by Jay Chou's partner - Vincent Fang. 多數熱門歌的歌詞都是由周杰倫的夥伴- 方文山所寫。 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]

Jul 26, 202223 min

Ep 1876每日英語跟讀 Ep.K406:  歐美嚴管科技企業時代已來臨

每日英語跟讀 Ep.K406: The Hands-Off Tech Era Is Over It’s clear more than ever that governments will no longer leave technology alone. 情況比過去明顯,政府不會再對科技業放手不管了。 Europe mandated standard phone chargers for portable electronics while Texas passed a contested law to restrain social media companies’ policing of online speech. Tech companies can count on more changes like those as government minders wade into how they do business and how we use their products. 歐洲要求手持電子產品配備標準手機充電器,德州則通過一項有爭議的法律,限制社交媒體公司對網路言論的監管。隨著政府監管人員介入科技企業經營及我們使用其產品的方式,科技公司可以預期會有更多類似的變革。 That most likely means new technologies like driverless cars and facial recognition systems will take longer to spread into the world than they might have. For many tech proponents, more deliberation and oversight will slow invention. For others, that’s exactly the point. 這很可能意味著,像無人駕駛汽車與臉部識別系統這樣的新技術,將需要更長時間才能普及到世界各地。對於許多科技支持者來說,更多審查和監督將減緩發明的速度,但對其他人來說,這正是重點。 It’s easy to be overwhelmed by (or tune out) all the attempted government regulation. In just the past few weeks, journalists have written about pending congressional bills involving data privacy and tech antitrust; the employment classification of drivers for companies like Uber; multiple countries setting standards about how data can and cannot move around the globe. 這些政府試圖實施的監管,很容易讓人不知所措或者無視。就在過去幾周,記者們報導了國會審議中的法案涉及數據隱私與科技反壟斷;Uber等公司對司機的雇傭分類;多個國家制定數據能夠與不能在全球移動的標準。 Those are all the result of a still-evolving rethinking of what had been a relatively laissez-faire approach to tech since the 1990s. With exceptions, the prevailing attitude was that new internet technologies, including digital advertising, e-commerce, social media and gig employment through apps, were too novel, fringe and useful for governments to constrain them with many rules. 1990年代以來科技一直受到相對自由放任的對待,這些監管就是仍在演變中的反思結果。除了少數例外,主流態度是,包括數位廣告、電子商務、社交媒體與透過應用程式提供零工工作等新的網路技術,太過新穎、邊緣和有用,政府無法用許多規則來約束他們。 Just one example: A decade ago, Facebook said U.S. rules that require TV and radio to disclose who is paying for election-related ads shouldn’t apply to that company. The Federal Election Commission “should not stand in the way of innovation.” a Facebook lawyer said at the time. 就舉一例來說,十年前臉書表示,美國要求電視和廣播揭露誰是選舉相關廣告金主的規定,不應適用於該公司。臉書的一名律師當時說,聯邦選舉委員會「不應阻礙創新」。 Those ad disclosures aren’t always effective, but after Russia-backed propagandists spread social media ads and free posts to inflame American political divisions in 2016, Facebook voluntarily started to provide more transparency about political ads. 這些廣告的揭露不一定有效果,但俄羅斯支持的宣傳人員2016年散布社群媒體廣告與免費貼文,煽動美國政治分歧之後,臉書自願開始提供更多關於政治廣告的透明訊息。 Better laws or ad disclosures probably wouldn’t have prevented hostile foreign actors from abusing Facebook to wage information wars in the United States or other countries. But the hands-off conventional wisdom most likely contributed to a sense that people in charge of tech should be left alone to do what they wished. 更好的法律或廣告揭露,可能不會阻止敵國行動者濫用臉書在美國或其他國家發動資訊戰,但「放手」的傳統想法很可能助長一種觀念,亦即管理科技的人應不受干擾做自己想做的事。Source article: https://udn.com/news/story/6904/6464843

Jul 25, 20223 min

Ep 1875每日英語跟讀 Ep.K405: 日本任期最長首相安倍晉三

每日英語跟讀 Ep.K405: Shinzo Abe - Japan’s longest-serving prime minister Shinzo Abe smashed records as Japan’s longest-serving prime minister, championing ambitious economic reform and forging key diplomatic relationships while weathering scandals. 安倍晉三打破了日本首相任期的最長紀錄,他支持雄心勃勃的經濟改革,並在經歷醜聞的同時建立了關鍵的外交關係。 Nearly two years after poor health forced him to leave office, the 67-year-old was shot during a campaign event in the western region of Nara on Friday last week. 在他因健康狀況不佳而被迫下台後兩年,六十七歲的他上週五在奈良西部地區一場競選活動中被槍殺。 Abe was a sprightly 52 when he first became prime minister in 2006, the youngest person to occupy the job in the postwar era. 安倍在二○○六年首次擔任首相時年僅五十二歲,是戰後日本最年輕的首相。 He was seen as a symbol of change and youth, but also brought the pedigree of a third-generation politician groomed from birth by an elite, conservative family. Abe’s first term was turbulent, plagued by scandals and discord, and capped by an abrupt resignation. 他被視為變革與年輕的象徵,但他也是出身精英保守家庭的政治家族第三代。 安倍的第一個任期動盪不安,飽受醜聞與不和的紛擾,並以突然辭職告終。 - They called it ‘Abenomics’ - He ran again, and Japan’s revolving prime ministerial door brought him back to office in 2012. It ended a turbulent period in which prime ministers sometimes changed at a rate of one a year. With Japan still staggering from the effects of the 2011 tsunami and subsequent nuclear disaster at Fukushima — and a brief opposition government lashed for flip-flopping and incompetence — Abe offered a seemingly safe pair of hands. 他再次參選,日本的首相旋轉門讓他在二○一二年再度擔任首相。 這終結了日本首相更替頻繁(有時只做了一年便下台)的動盪時期。 當時日本仍因二○一一年海嘯及之後福島核災的影響而步履蹣跚,以及短暫執政、被批評為政策出爾反爾及無能的反對黨政府——在此情況下,安倍看來是穩健的選擇。 And he had a plan: Abenomics. The scheme to revive Japan’s economy — the world’s third-biggest, but more than two decades into stagnation — involved vast government spending, massive monetary easing and cutting red tape. Abe also sought to boost the country’s flagging birth rate by making workplaces more friendly to parents, particularly mothers. 而且他有個計畫:「安倍經濟學」。 重振日本——這世界第三大經濟體,但已陷入停滯二十多年——經濟的計畫,有賴大量政府支出、大規模貨幣寬鬆,以及削減繁文縟節。 He pushed through controversial consumption tax hikes to help finance nurseries and plug gaps in Japan’s overstretched social security system. While there was some progress with reform, the economy’s bigger structural problems remained. Deflation proved stubborn and the economy was in recession even before the coronavirus struck in 2020. Abe’s star waned further during the pandemic, with his approach criticized as confused and slow, driving his approval ratings down to some of the lowest of his tenure. 安倍還試圖營造對父母,尤其是對母親更友善的工作環境,來提高日本不斷下降的出生率。 他推動調高消費稅這具爭議性的政策,以資助托兒所並補強日本負擔過重的社會福利系統。 雖然改革取得了一些進展,但更大的經濟結構性問題依然存在。 事實證明,通貨緊縮很頑強,甚至在二○二○年冠狀病毒來襲之前,經濟就已陷入衰退。 安倍的光環在疫情期間變得更加黯淡,他的做法被批評為混亂及緩慢,讓他的支持率降至任期內最低。 - Political storms - - 政治風暴 - On the international stage, Abe took a hard line on North Korea, but sought a peacemaker role between the US and Iran. He prioritized a close personal relationship with Donald Trump in a bid to protect Japan’s key alliance from the then-US president’s “America First” mantra, and tried to mend ties with Russia and China. 在國際舞台上,安倍對北韓採取強硬立場,但又想在美國和伊朗之間扮演和平推手的角色。 他優先考慮跟美國總統唐納‧川普建立密切的個人關係,以保護日本的關鍵同盟免受當時川普口號「美國優先」的影響,並試圖修補與俄國及中國的關係。 But the results were mixed: Trump remained eager to force Japan to pay more for US troops stationed in the country, a deal with Russia on disputed northern islands stayed elusive, and a plan to invite Xi Jinping for a state visit fell by the wayside. Abe also pursued a hard line with South Korea over unresolved wartime disputes and continued to float plans to revise Japan’s pacifist constitution. 但結果好壞參半:川普仍急於迫使日本為駐紮在日本的美軍支付更多費用,日本與俄國對北部島嶼主權之糾紛仍難以達成協議,邀請習近平進行國事訪問的計畫也被擱置。 日本與南韓間懸而未決的戰時爭端,安倍也採強硬立場,並繼續提出修改日本和平憲法的計畫。 Throughout his tenure, he weathered political storms including cronyism allegations that dented approval ratings but did little to affect his power, in part thanks to the weakness of the opposition. Abe had been due to stay on until late 2021, giving him an opportunity to see out one final event in his historic tenure — the postponed Tokyo 2020 Olympics Games.But in a shock announcement, he stepped down in August 2020, with a recurrence of ulcerative colitis ending his second term, too. 在他整個任期內,他經受住了政治風暴,包括裙帶關係的指控,這些指控讓他的支持率降低,但對他的權力幾乎沒有影響,部分原因是反對派的軟弱。安倍原定留任至二○二一年底,讓他有機會在史上最長任期內看見最後一件大事——延期的二○二○年東京奧運。 然而,他令人震驚地宣布在二○二○年八月下台,潰瘍性結腸炎的復發也結束了他的第二個任期。Source article: https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/lang/archives/2022/07/12/2003781569

Jul 24, 20225 min

Ep 1874回顧星期天LBS - 雜誌相關時事趣聞 All about magazines

Topic: The Magazine Business, From the Coolest Place to the Coldest One I miss magazines. It’s a strange ache, because they are still sort of with us: staring out from the racks at supermarket checkout lines; fanned wanly around the table in hotel lobbies; showing up in your mailbox long after the subscription was canceled, like an ex who refuses to accept the breakup. 我懷念雜誌,這是一種奇怪的痛,因為它們在某種程度上仍與我們同在。超市排隊結帳時,它們從架上盯著我們;在飯店大廳桌子周圍憔悴晃動;取消訂閱很久後還會出現在信箱,像是拒絕接受分手的舊愛。 But they’re also disappearing. This accelerating erosion has not been big news during a time of pandemic, war and actual erosion, and yet the absence of magazines authoritatively documenting such events, or distracting from them, as they used to do with measured regularity, is keenly felt. 但它們也在消失。在疫情、戰爭與雜誌真的衰微的時期,這種加速衰微並不是什麼大新聞,但人們敏銳地感覺到,缺乏權威性雜誌來記錄這些事件,或像過去那樣定期的讓注意力從這些事情轉移。 Time marches on, or limps, but Life is gone. There’s no more Money. The print editions of their former sister publications Entertainment Weekly and InStyle, which once frothed with profit, stopped publishing in February. It’s been au revoir to Saveur and Marie Claire; shrouds for Playboy, Paper and O. (As I type this, people are tweeting about The Believer being bought by a sex-toy site.) 「時代」雜誌還在前進,或說蹣跚前行,但「生活」雜誌已經逝去。「金錢」雜誌沒了。它們以前的姊妹刊物「娛樂周刊」和「InStyle」印刷版曾獲利豐厚,但已在2月停止出版。大家向「Saveur」和「美麗佳人」告別,也讓「花花公子」、「紙」與O雜誌穿上壽衣。(就在我撰寫此文時,人們在推特上說「The Believer」被一個情趣用品網站收購了。) Two recent books — “Dilettante,” by Dana Brown, a longtime editor at Vanity Fair, and a new biography of Anna Wintour, by Amy Odell, formerly of cosmopolitan.com — are graveyards of dead or zombie titles that were once glowing hives of human whim. 最近出版的兩本書,「浮華世界」資深編輯達納.布朗的「Dilettante」及柯夢波丹前成員艾咪.歐德爾的安娜溫圖新傳記,有如亡者的墓地,或曾是人類奇想的光輝巢穴冠上了殭屍名號。 “There were so many magazines in 1994,” Brown writes. “So many new magazines, and so many great magazines. All the young talent of the moment was eschewing other industries and flocking to the business. It was the coolest place to be.” 布朗寫道:「1994年有很多雜誌。很多新雜誌,很多很棒的雜誌。當時所有年輕人才避開了其他行業,湧向這個行業。那是最酷的。」 Then suddenly the coldest. On the big fancy cruise ship that Brown had just boarded — Vanity Fair, where he’d been beckoned by Graydon Carter while a barback at the restaurant 44 — he and so many others then could only see the tip of an enormous iceberg they were about to hit: the internet. Smartphones, little self-edited monster magazines that will not rest until their owners die, were on the horizon. These may have looked like life rafts, but they were torpedo boats. 然後突然變成最冰冷的地方。布朗在44號餐廳吧檯用餐時,被總編輯卡特招攬,剛登上有如大型豪華郵輪的「浮華世界」,但他跟其他許多人只能看到他們即將撞上的巨大冰山一角:網路。智慧手機這種自我編輯、直到擁有者死去才會停止的小怪物雜誌也即將來臨。這些東西可能看起來像是救生艇,但它們其實是魚雷艦。 Every year, the American Society of Magazine Editors issues a handsome award, a brutalist-looking elephant called the Ellie, modeled after an Alexander Calder elephant sculpture. Any writer would be proud to have it on the mantelpiece. 每年,美國雜誌編輯協會都會頒發一項大獎,這是一頭野獸派風格、名叫「艾利」的大象獎座,模仿考爾德大象雕塑設計而成。作家都以把它放在壁爐上為榮。 The history of modern American literature is braided together with its magazines. The future can feel like a lot of loose threads, waving in the wind. 現代美國文學史與它的雜誌彼此交織在一起。未來就像是許多鬆散的線,在風中飄揚。Source article: https://udn.com/news/story/6904/6379678 Next Article Topic: The Not-So-Glossy Future of Magazines One evening in mid-September, a gaggle of writers and bon vivant editors gathered by the outdoor fireplace and ivy-covered trellis of a West Village tavern. Steak was served, and the toasts lasted late into the night, the revelry trickling out to the nearby sidewalk. 九月中旬的一個夜晚,在西村的一家小酒館,一群作家和喜歡享受生活的編輯們聚集在一個室外壁爐和常春藤覆蓋的格狀架子旁。牛排上桌後,眾人杯觥交錯直到深夜,歡鬧聲流瀉到鄰近的人行道上。 It could have been a scene from the Jazz Age heyday of the Manhattan magazine set — or even the 1990s, when glossy monthlies still soaked up millions of dollars in advertising revenue, and editors in chauffeured town cars told the nation what to wear, what to watch and who to read. 這幕場景可能來自爵士時代曼哈坦雜誌業全盛時期,甚至是90年代,以亮光紙印刷的月刊還是廣告收入淹腳目,編輯們坐在司機駕駛的豪華轎車內,告訴全國該穿些什麼、欣賞什麼、閱讀什麼人的年頭。 This night, however, had an elegiac tinge. The staff of Vanity Fair was saluting the magazine’s longtime editor, Graydon Carter, who had announced that he was departing after a 25-year run. In the back garden of Carter’s restaurant, the Waverly Inn, star writers like James Wolcott and Marie Brenner spoke of their gratitude and grief. 不過,這一晚透著一種悲傷的況味。《浮華世界》的員工正向雜誌的長期總編輯葛雷登.卡特致敬。卡特在任職25年後,宣布即將離職。在卡特自家餐廳「韋佛利餐廳」的後花園中,一些明星作家如詹姆士.沃科特、瑪麗.布倫納都表達了他們的謝意和感傷。 Carter has always had a knack for trends. Within two weeks, three other prominent editors — from Time, Elle and Glamour — announced that they, too, would be stepping down. Another titan of the industry, Jann S. Wenner, said he planned to sell his controlling stake in Rolling Stone after a half-century. 卡特一向走在趨勢前端。不出兩星期,又有3位知名雜誌總編,分別是《時代》、《ELLE她》、《魅力》的總編也宣布準備下台。另一個業界巨頭,《滾石》創刊人詹恩.溫納則表示,打算出售他在《滾石》已保有半個世紀的控制性持股。 Suddenly, it seemed, long-standing predictions about the collapse of magazines had come to pass. 突然之間,長久來有關雜誌業終將崩潰的預言,似乎成真了。 Magazines ha

Jul 23, 20229 min

Ep 187315Mins Live Podcast - 換句話說系列 – 緊張跟平靜還有什麼其他說法Other ways to say “Nervous” and “Calm”

Other ways to say: NERVOUS Tense 緊繃 There was a tense silence as everyone waited for his reaction. Uneasy 不安 He looks distinctly uneasy in interview situations. Shaky 動搖的 The news left me feeling a little shaky. Jittery 緊張不安 I always become jittery the morning before an exam. Agitated 激動 She became so agitated as the interview proceeded. Edgy 煩躁 She acted kinda edgy. Uptight 緊張 Don't get uptight about the exam - just do your best. Jumpy 神經敏感 My mother gets very jumpy when she's alone in the house. Other ways to say: CALM Cool 冷靜 He was very cool when we broke the window. Relaxed 放鬆的 She seemed relaxed and in control of the situation. Peaceful 安靜的 We had a peaceful afternoon with the family. Composed 沈著 She looked remarkably composed throughout the funeral. Chilled (informal) 冷靜 I'm feeling pretty chilled. Easygoing 隨和 It's very easy to see him as the easy-going weld/tad. Carefree 無憂無慮 I remember my carefree student days. 分享時間: Tell a personal experience related to "nervous" and "calm". Pick 4 words and make sentences.

Jul 22, 20221h 23m

Ep 1872每日英語跟讀 Ep.K404: About software - 微軟IE瀏覽器墓碑與虛擬記號App

每日英語跟讀 Ep.K404: About software - Internet Explorer gravestone goes viral in South Korea For Jung Ki-young, a South Korean software engineer, Microsoft Corp’s decision to retire its Internet Explorer web browser marked the end of a quarter-century love-hate relationship with the technology. 對南韓軟體工程師鄭其永(譯音)來說,微軟公司讓它的「網際網路探險家(IE)」網路瀏覽器退休的決定,代表著與這項科技愛恨交織四分之一個世紀的關係的結束。 To commemorate its demise, he spent a month and 430,000 won designing and ordering a headstone with Explorer’s "e" logo and the English epitaph: "He was a good tool to download other browsers." 為了紀念IE的隕落,他花了一個月和43萬韓元設計並訂製一個墓碑,上面有IE的「e」的商標,以及英文的墓誌銘:「他是個用來下載其他瀏覽器的好工具」。 After the memorial went on show at a cafe run by his brother in the southern city of Gyeongju, a photo of the tombstone went viral. 這個紀念碑在南方城市慶州由他的兄弟所經營的一家咖啡館展出後,墓碑的照片在網路上爆紅。 Jung said the memorial showed his mixed feelings for the older software, which had played such a big part in his working life. 鄭其永說,這個紀念碑顯示出他對這款在他的工作生活中發揮了重大作用的古老軟體的複雜感情。 "It was a pain in the ass, but I would call it a love-hate relationship because Explorer itself once dominated an era," he told Reuters. 他告訴路透:「它是個令人厭煩的東西,但我會稱之為愛恨交織的關係,因為探險家一度主導一個時代」。 Next Article App for leaving your virtual mark at physical places 讓你在實際地點留下虛擬記號的App Imagine standing at the Eiffel Tower and being able to see messages and videos overlaid through your smartphone from all visitors who have come before you. A new app called Wallit combines augmented reality, a virtual view of the real world that can be extended with graphics and other content, with a social experience. 想像自己站在艾菲爾鐵塔前,可以看到在你之前來的所有旅客所留的訊息與影片,撲天蓋地的出現在你的智慧型手機上。新應用程式Wallit能將擴增實境,也就是透過圖片等內容擴展的真實世界虛擬影像,與社交經驗相結合。 It allows users to post and view content at virtual walls in popular places, tourist attractions such as the Eiffel Tower, stadiums and stores. Wallit讓使用者在艾菲爾鐵塔、體育場或商店等熱門地點或景點的虛擬塗鴉牆上,張貼及觀看內容。 "Think of a virtual wall on the face of the Golden Gate Bridge from one end to the other where people can leave sentiments, photos, movies and even audio that are persistent at that location, even though the people who generate the content constantly keep changing," said Veysel Berk, the founder of Wallit. Wallit創辦人柏克表示:「想像一下金門大橋的一端到另一端有面虛擬塗鴉牆。民眾可以在上面留下會一直留在那裡的感想、照片、影片甚至是音檔,即便是內容提供者會一直改變。」 The goal, he said, is to record a cumulative, human experience at a location that exhibits the character of a place over time. 他表示,目標是記錄1個地點的累計人類體驗,展現1個地方經年累月的特性。Source article: https://features.ltn.com.tw/english/article/paper/1528843 ; https://features.ltn.com.tw/english/article/paper/595260

Jul 21, 20223 min

Ep 1871每日英語跟讀 Ep.K403: About heat waves - 海洋生物集體死於熱浪與北極熱浪

每日英語跟讀 Ep.K403: About heat waves - Heat Wave Killed Marine Wildlife en Masse An early estimate points to a huge die-off along the Pacific Coast, and scientists say rivers farther inland are warming to levels that could be lethal for some kinds of salmon. 一項初步估計顯示,(美國)太平洋沿岸海洋生物大量死亡;科學家則說,更內陸的河川的水溫,正升高到恐令某些鮭魚致命的程度。 Dead mussels and clams coated rocks in the Pacific Northwest, their shells gaping open as if they’d been boiled. Sea stars were baked to death. Sockeye salmon swam sluggishly in an overheated Washington river, prompting wildlife officials to truck them to cooler areas. 死掉的淡菜與蛤蜊佈滿西北太平洋沿岸地區的岩石上,牠們的殼有如被煮熟似地張開。海星被活活烤死。紅鉤吻鮭在過熱的華盛頓河中緩慢游動,促使野生動物官員將之載運到較涼爽的區域。 The combination of extraordinary heat and drought that hit the Western United States and Canada over the past two weeks has killed hundreds of millions of marine animals and continues to threaten untold species in freshwater, according to a preliminary estimate and interviews with scientists. 根據一項初步估計以及對科學家所進行的訪談,美加西部過去兩週來慘遭異常高溫與乾旱襲擊,導致數以億計的海洋生物死亡,並持續威脅無數淡水物種。 Next Article Arctic heatwave could break records 北極熱浪恐破紀錄 Temperatures at the North Pole could be up to 20 degrees higher than average this Christmas Eve. Temperatures are forecast to peak on Christmas Eve around the North Pole - at near-freezing. Climate scientists say these unseasonably warm weather patterns in the Arctic region are directly linked to man-made climate change. 今年耶誕夜的北極氣溫,恐將高出平均溫度達20度。氣溫預報顯示,北極周邊耶誕夜的溫度將升達高峰—接近冰點。氣象科學家說,北極地區這些不合時令的溫暖天氣模式,直接與人為造成的氣候變遷有關。 Temperatures throughout November and December were 5C higher than average. It follows a summer during which Arctic sea ice reached the second-lowest extent ever recorded by satellites. 整個11月與12月的溫度,要比同期平均溫度高出攝氏5度。而在夏季期間,北極海冰的規模達到衛星紀錄以來的第二低程度。 Dr Friederike Otto, a senior researcher at Oxford’s Environmental Change Institute said that in pre-industrial times "a heatwave like this would have been extremely rare - we would expect it to occur about every 1,000 years". 牛津大學環境變遷研究所資深研究員奧圖博士說,在工業化前時代「諸如此類的熱浪極為罕見—我們認為大概每1000年才發生一次。」 Dr Otto added that scientists are "very confident" that the weather patterns were linked to anthropogenic climate change. 奧圖博士補充說,科學家「非常確信」該氣溫模式與人為造成的氣候變遷有關。 "We have used several different climate modelling approaches," she said. "And in all our methods, we find the same thing; we cannot model a heatwave like this without the anthropogenic signal." 「我們使用好幾個不同的氣候模型途徑,」她說。「然而在我們的方法中,我們發現相同之處:在缺少人為導因下,我們無法形塑出如此的熱浪。」Source article: https://features.ltn.com.tw/english/article/paper/1527294 ; https://news.ltn.com.tw/news/world/paper/1066371

Jul 20, 20223 min

Ep 1870精選詞彙播客 Vocab Ep.128: 語音助理選男還選女 Are selecting voice assistants a sexist act?

Summary: 主題文章:https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20220614-why-your-voice-assistant-might-be-sexist GPS navigation systems are becoming more and more ubiquitous in our daily lives. Now bundled with AI, the use case for voice assistants are also becoming more diverse. In certain countries and cultures, male voices are preferred, however, it seems like female voices are more widespread. In this episode, Angel and I discuss whether it can be considered sexist to prefer a male or female voice. What do you think? Let us know down below! Vocabulary: 1. GPS Navigation system n. 衛星導航系統 All cars now have GPS navigation systems as a standard package. 現在所有的汽車的標配都有衛星導航系統。 2. Voice packs n. 語音包 Power users usually knows how to overwrite the voice packs on their navigation devices. 高級用戶通常都知道如何覆蓋他們導航儀器上面的語音包。 3. Announcer n. 播音員 Announcers for major events are mostly male. 大型活動播音員多數是男生。 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]

Jul 19, 202216 min

Ep 1869每日英語跟讀 Ep.K402: 為何墮胎在美國是如此分歧的政治議題?

每日英語跟讀 Ep.K402: How abortion became a divisive issue in US politics The US Supreme Court has ruled there is no constitutional right to abortion in the US, upending the landmark Roe v Wade case from nearly 50 years ago in a rare reversal of long-settled law that will fracture reproductive rights in America. 美國最高法院裁定,墮胎權不受美國憲法保障,推翻了近五十年前具里程碑意義的「羅訴韋德案」,這逆轉制定已久法律的罕見之舉,將破壞美國的生殖權利。 Since the US Supreme Court’s Roe v. Wade decision legalized abortion nationwide in 1973, the issue has become one of the defining fault lines in US politics, with Democratic politicians firmly supporting abortion rights and Republican lawmakers lining up in opposition. 自一九七三年美國最高法院對羅訴韋德案的裁決將墮胎在全美合法化以來,墮胎議題已成為美國政治的決定性斷層線之一,民主黨政客堅定支持墮胎權,而共和黨議員則是加入反對的行列。 In 1973 the lines were more blurred. Republican and Democratic voters were equally likely to say abortion should be legal, while it was easy to find Republican officials who supported abortion rights and Democrats who opposed the procedure. So what changed? 在一九七三年,這條分界線是模糊得多的。共和黨及民主黨的選民同樣可能認為墮胎應該合法,也很容易找到支持墮胎權的共和黨官員以及反對墮胎手術的民主黨人。那麼是發生了什麼變化? NOT A PARTISAN ISSUE AT FIRST Abortion on demand was legal in four states in the early 1970s, while 14 more allowed it under some circumstances. While the Catholic Church opposed abortion, the Southern Baptist Convention, the largest evangelical denomination, was on record saying it should be allowed in many circumstances. Neither party viewed abortion as a defining issue. Voters also did not see the issue along partisan lines. The General Social Survey opinion poll found in 1977 that 39 percent of Republicans said abortion should be allowed for any reason, compared to 35 percent of Democrats. 起初非關黨派 一九七○年代初期,應要求而墮胎在四個州是合法的,且還有十四州允許在某些情況下墮胎。 雖然天主教會反對墮胎,但最大的福音教派美南浸信會卻公開表示,墮胎在許多情況下都應被允許。 兩黨皆未將墮胎視為決定性的問題。 選民也沒有把此議題看做是黨派路線。一九七七年的美國社會概況調查發現,百分之三十九的共和黨員認為出於任何原因的墮胎皆應被允許,民主黨員持此觀點的比例為百分之三十五。 A CONSERVATIVE MOVEMENT MOBILIZES In the years that followed, conservative activists like Phyllis Schlafly seized on the issue as a threat to traditional values and enlisted evangelical churches, which had shown a new interest in politics following a series of court rulings that limited prayer in public settings. These groups portrayed abortion as a threat to the family structure, along with broader social developments like gay rights, rising divorce rates, and women working outside of the home. For pastors and parishioners, abortion became a proxy issue for concerns about a liberalizing society, said Mary Ziegler, a legal historian at University of California-Davis. “For many evangelicals, this was more about family and women and sex,” she said. In 1980, the Southern Baptist Convention passed a resolution opposing abortion, reversing its earlier position. 保守陣營動員起來 在隨後的幾年裡,像菲利斯‧斯拉夫萊這樣的保守派活動家抓住此議題,將之視為對傳統價值觀的威脅,並串聯了福音派教會,這些教會在法院一連串裁決限制在公共場合禱告後,對政治顯出新的興趣。 這些團體將墮胎與同性戀權利、離婚率上升、女性外出工作等更廣泛的社會發展,描述為對家庭結構的威脅。加州大學戴維斯分校法律史學家瑪麗‧齊格勒表示,對於牧師和教區居民來說,墮胎成為一個代罪問題,概括了對社會日益自由化的擔憂。「對於許多福音派人士來說,它實為攸關家庭、女性和性的問題」,她說。一九八○年,美南浸信會通過了一項決議,反對墮胎,一反先前之立場。 POLITICIANS PICK SIDES - VOTERS FOLLOW In the years that followed, the dividing lines became more apparent as political candidates found it increasingly necessary to align with activists who were becoming more influential within their parties. Since 1989, abortion-rights groups have donated US$32 million to Democrats and US$3 million to Republican candidates who support keeping abortion legal, according to OpenSecrets, which tracks money in politics. Groups that opposed abortion have given US$14 million to Republicans and only US$372,000 to Democrats over that time period. Partisan differences widened in the following years, however, as the issue became a staple of TV attack ads fundraising appeals and mass rallies by interest groups. Other opinion polls have consistently shown that most Americans support some restrictions on abortion but oppose an outright ban. At the same time, Democrats have grown more absolute in their support for abortion rights. 政治選邊站 選民隨之起舞 在隨後幾年,政治候選人愈發覺得有必要跟在黨內影響力日漸增大的活動家口徑一致,此分界線也隨之變得更加明顯。 根據追蹤政治獻金的組織OpenSecrets的資料,自一九八九年以來,墮胎權利組織已捐贈民主黨三千兩百萬美元,向支持墮胎維持合法的共和黨候選人捐獻了三百萬美元。與此同時,反墮胎團體捐獻了一千四百萬美元給共和黨,而捐給民主黨的金額僅有三十七萬兩千美元。然而,之後幾年墮胎議題成為電視廣告攻擊、募款與利益團體大型集會的主題,黨派分歧也隨之擴大。 其他民調皆顯示,大多數美國人支持對墮胎採取一些限制,但反對徹底禁止。與此同時,民主黨員對墮胎權的支持變得更加絕對。Source article: https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/lang/archives/2022/07/05/2003781133

Jul 18, 20225 min

Ep 1868每日英語跟讀 Ep.K401: 加速凋零中的雜誌產業

每日英語跟讀 Ep.K401: The Magazine Business, From the Coolest Place to the Coldest One I miss magazines. It’s a strange ache, because they are still sort of with us: staring out from the racks at supermarket checkout lines; fanned wanly around the table in hotel lobbies; showing up in your mailbox long after the subscription was canceled, like an ex who refuses to accept the breakup. 我懷念雜誌,這是一種奇怪的痛,因為它們在某種程度上仍與我們同在。超市排隊結帳時,它們從架上盯著我們;在飯店大廳桌子周圍憔悴晃動;取消訂閱很久後還會出現在信箱,像是拒絕接受分手的舊愛。 But they’re also disappearing. This accelerating erosion has not been big news during a time of pandemic, war and actual erosion, and yet the absence of magazines authoritatively documenting such events, or distracting from them, as they used to do with measured regularity, is keenly felt. 但它們也在消失。在疫情、戰爭與雜誌真的衰微的時期,這種加速衰微並不是什麼大新聞,但人們敏銳地感覺到,缺乏權威性雜誌來記錄這些事件,或像過去那樣定期的讓注意力從這些事情轉移。 Time marches on, or limps, but Life is gone. There’s no more Money. The print editions of their former sister publications Entertainment Weekly and InStyle, which once frothed with profit, stopped publishing in February. It’s been au revoir to Saveur and Marie Claire; shrouds for Playboy, Paper and O. (As I type this, people are tweeting about The Believer being bought by a sex-toy site.) 「時代」雜誌還在前進,或說蹣跚前行,但「生活」雜誌已經逝去。「金錢」雜誌沒了。它們以前的姊妹刊物「娛樂周刊」和「InStyle」印刷版曾獲利豐厚,但已在2月停止出版。大家向「Saveur」和「美麗佳人」告別,也讓「花花公子」、「紙」與O雜誌穿上壽衣。(就在我撰寫此文時,人們在推特上說「The Believer」被一個情趣用品網站收購了。) Two recent books — “Dilettante,” by Dana Brown, a longtime editor at Vanity Fair, and a new biography of Anna Wintour, by Amy Odell, formerly of cosmopolitan.com — are graveyards of dead or zombie titles that were once glowing hives of human whim. 最近出版的兩本書,「浮華世界」資深編輯達納.布朗的「Dilettante」及柯夢波丹前成員艾咪.歐德爾的安娜溫圖新傳記,有如亡者的墓地,或曾是人類奇想的光輝巢穴冠上了殭屍名號。 “There were so many magazines in 1994,” Brown writes. “So many new magazines, and so many great magazines. All the young talent of the moment was eschewing other industries and flocking to the business. It was the coolest place to be.” 布朗寫道:「1994年有很多雜誌。很多新雜誌,很多很棒的雜誌。當時所有年輕人才避開了其他行業,湧向這個行業。那是最酷的。」 Then suddenly the coldest. On the big fancy cruise ship that Brown had just boarded — Vanity Fair, where he’d been beckoned by Graydon Carter while a barback at the restaurant 44 — he and so many others then could only see the tip of an enormous iceberg they were about to hit: the internet. Smartphones, little self-edited monster magazines that will not rest until their owners die, were on the horizon. These may have looked like life rafts, but they were torpedo boats. 然後突然變成最冰冷的地方。布朗在44號餐廳吧檯用餐時,被總編輯卡特招攬,剛登上有如大型豪華郵輪的「浮華世界」,但他跟其他許多人只能看到他們即將撞上的巨大冰山一角:網路。智慧手機這種自我編輯、直到擁有者死去才會停止的小怪物雜誌也即將來臨。這些東西可能看起來像是救生艇,但它們其實是魚雷艦。 Every year, the American Society of Magazine Editors issues a handsome award, a brutalist-looking elephant called the Ellie, modeled after an Alexander Calder elephant sculpture. Any writer would be proud to have it on the mantelpiece. 每年,美國雜誌編輯協會都會頒發一項大獎,這是一頭野獸派風格、名叫「艾利」的大象獎座,模仿考爾德大象雕塑設計而成。作家都以把它放在壁爐上為榮。 The history of modern American literature is braided together with its magazines. The future can feel like a lot of loose threads, waving in the wind. 現代美國文學史與它的雜誌彼此交織在一起。未來就像是許多鬆散的線,在風中飄揚。Source article: https://udn.com/news/story/6904/6379678

Jul 17, 20223 min

Ep 1867回顧星期天LBS - 疫情相關時事趣聞 All about the pandemic

Topic: How the Wealthy World Has Failed Poor Countries During the Pandemic Like much of the developing world, Pakistan was alarmingly short of doctors and medical facilities long before anyone had heard of COVID-19. Then the pandemic overwhelmed hospitals, forcing some to turn away patients. As fear upended daily life, families lost livelihoods and struggled to feed themselves. 跟許多開發中國家一樣,早在人們聽聞新冠病毒一詞以前,巴基斯坦就極其缺乏醫生和醫療設施。然後,這場大流行疾情讓各醫院無力招架,迫使部分醫院拒絕收治病人。隨著恐懼顛覆了日常生活,一個個家庭失去了生計,為養活自己而掙扎。 On the other side of the world in Washington, two deep-pocketed organizations, the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund, vowed to spare poor countries from desperation. Their economists warned that immense relief was required to prevent a humanitarian catastrophe and profound damage to global prosperity. Emerging markets make up 60% of the world economy, by one IMF measure. A blow to their fortunes inflicts pain around the planet. 在世界另一頭的華盛頓,世界銀行和國際貨幣基金這兩個財力雄厚的組織誓言不讓貧窮國家陷入絕境。他們的經濟學家警告說,必須大力進行救濟,以防止人道災難和對全球繁榮的嚴重破壞。根據國際貨幣基金的一項衡量指標,新興市場占全球經濟60%。他們的財富遭受打擊,將給全球帶來痛苦。 Wages sent home to poor countries by migrant workers — a vital artery of finance — have diminished. The shutdown of tourism has punished many developing countries. So has plunging demand for oil. Billions of people have lost the wherewithal to buy food, increasing malnutrition. By next year, the pandemic could push 150 million people into extreme poverty, the World Bank has warned, in the first increase in more than two decades. 移工寄回窮國的薪水是這些國家經濟的命脈,如今已經減少。旅遊業的關閉使許多開發中國家受到重創。對石油的需求大幅下降,同樣極具殺傷力。數十億人失去購買食物的必要資金,營養不良加劇。世界銀行警告說,這場大流行疾情到明年恐將讓1.5億人陷入赤貧,是20多年來首度增加。 But the World Bank and IMF have failed to translate their concern into meaningful support, economists say. That has left less-affluent countries struggling with limited resources and untenable debts, prompting their governments to reduce spending just as it is needed to bolster health care systems and aid people suffering lost income. 而經濟學家們說,世界銀行和國際貨幣基金並未將自身的關切轉化為有意義的支持。這讓一些較不富裕國家在有限的資源與難以支應的債務中苦苦掙扎,迫使這些國家反而在必須加強醫療體系、救助收入減少的民眾之際,縮減支出。 “A lost decade of growth in large parts of the world remains a plausible prospect absent urgent, concerted and sustained policy response,” concluded a recent report from the Group of 30, a gathering of international finance experts, including Lawrence Summers, a former economic adviser to President Barack Obama, and Treasury secretary in the Clinton administration. 由曾任歐巴馬總統經濟顧問、柯林頓政府財政部長的桑默斯等國際金融專家組成的30人小組,最近在一份報告中總結道:「若無緊急、協調一致與持續的政策回應,世界大部分地區出現經濟空轉無成長的十年,仍是看來很可能的前景。」 The wealthiest nations have been cushioned by extraordinary surges of credit unleashed by central banks and government spending collectively estimated at more than $8 trillion. Developing countries have yet to receive help on such a scale. 那些最富裕的國家因有央行釋放巨額信貸,佐以政府的支出而獲得緩衝,總額合計逾8兆美元,開發中國家則未獲如此大規模的援助。 The IMF and World Bank have marshaled a relatively anemic response, in part because of the predilections of their largest shareholder, the United States. 國際貨幣基金與世界銀行做出的反應相對無力,部分原因是順應最大股東美國的意思。Source article: https://udn.com/news/story/6904/5015842 Next Article Topic: How the Wealthy World Has Failed Poor Countries During the Pandemic Like much of the developing world, Pakistan was alarmingly short of doctors and medical facilities long before anyone had heard of COVID-19. Then the pandemic overwhelmed hospitals, forcing some to turn away patients. As fear upended daily life, families lost livelihoods and struggled to feed themselves. 跟許多開發中國家一樣,早在人們聽聞新冠病毒一詞以前,巴基斯坦就極其缺乏醫生和醫療設施。然後,這場大流行疾情讓各醫院無力招架,迫使部分醫院拒絕收治病人。隨著恐懼顛覆了日常生活,一個個家庭失去了生計,為養活自己而掙扎。 On the other side of the world in Washington, two deep-pocketed organizations, the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund, vowed to spare poor countries from desperation. Their economists warned that immense relief was required to prevent a humanitarian catastrophe and profound damage to global prosperity. Emerging markets make up 60% of the world economy, by one IMF measure. A blow to their fortunes inflicts pain around the planet. 在世界另一頭的華盛頓,世界銀行和國際貨幣基金這兩個財力雄厚的組織誓言不讓貧窮國家陷入絕境。他們的經濟學家警告說,必須大力進行救濟,以防止人道災難和對全球繁榮的嚴重破壞。根據國際貨幣基金的一項衡量指標,新興市場占全球經濟60%。他們的財富遭受打擊,將給全球帶來痛苦。 Wages sent home to poor countries by migrant workers — a vital artery of finance — have diminished. The shutdown of tourism has punished many developing countries. So has plunging demand for oil. Billions of people have lost the wherewithal to buy food, increasing malnutrition. By next year, the pandemic could push 150 million people into extreme poverty, the World Bank has warned, in the first increase in more than two decades. 移工寄回窮國的薪水是這些國家經濟的命脈,如今已經減少。旅遊業的關閉使許多開發中國家受到重創。對石油的需求大幅下降,同樣極具殺傷力。數十億人失去購買食物的必要資金,營養不良加劇。世界銀行警告說,這場大流行疾情到明年恐將讓1.5億人陷入赤貧,是20多年來首度增加。 But the World Bank and IMF have failed to translate their concern into meaningful support, economists say. That has left less-affluent countries struggling with limited resources and untenable debts, prompting their governments to reduce spending just as it is ne

Jul 16, 20229 min

Ep 186615Mins Live Podcast - 捍衛戰士:獨行俠 與電影隨堂考 Maverick and movie trivia

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 Top Gun: Maverick 捍衛戰士: 獨行俠 After more than thirty years of service as one of the Navy’s top aviators, Pete “Maverick” Mitchell (Tom Cruise) is where he belongs, pushing the envelope as a courageous test pilot and dodging the advancement in rank that would ground him. When he finds himself training a detachment of Top Gun graduates for a specialized mission the likes of which no living pilot has ever seen, Maverick encounters Lt. Bradley Bradshaw (Miles Teller), call sign: “Rooster,” the son of Maverick’s late friend and Radar Intercept Officer Lt. Nick Bradshaw, aka “Goose”. Facing an uncertain future and confronting the ghosts of his past, Maverick is drawn into a confrontation with his own deepest fears, culminating in a mission that demands the ultimate sacrifice from those who will be chosen to fly it. 在作為海軍頂級飛行員之一服役了三十多年之後,彼特「獨行俠」米切爾(湯姆克魯斯飾)回到當年他所屬的地方,作為一名勇敢的試飛員挑戰極限,並迴避了會將他停飛軍銜提升。當他發現自己訓練一支由Top Gun畢業生組成的分遣隊去執行一項從未有過的飛行員從未見過的專業任務時,獨行俠遇到了布蘭得利·布蘭得肖中尉(邁爾斯·泰勒飾),呼號:“公雞”,他是獨行俠已故朋友和雷達攔截官尼克·布拉德肖中尉的兒子,又名“呆頭鵝”。面對不確定的未來,面對過去的幽靈,獨行俠被捲入了與自己最深的恐懼的對抗中,最終在一項任務中,需要那些被選中飛行的人做出最終的犧牲。 Movie Trivia 電影隨堂考 In the first Top Gun… What is the call sign of Val Kilmer? What is the call sign of the instructor played by Tom Skerritt? What song did Goose play in the bar? Top Gun serves under the Airforce (True/False) Take my ____ away and ______ Zone are songs in Top Gun Original Sound Track

Jul 15, 20221h 9m

Ep 1864每日英語跟讀 Ep.K400: 見錢眼開文化是職業高球界一大問題

每日英語跟讀 Ep.K400: Sellout Culture Is a Problem for Pro Golf Even if you don’t play or follow golf — which I don’t — you’re probably aware of the controversy now engulfing the game. A number of the world’s top-ranked pro players, notably Phil Mickelson, made extremely lucrative deals to play in a new tour, the LIV Golf International Series, sponsored by Saudi Arabia. The PGA Tour, which has traditionally dominated the sport, responded by suspending 17 of these players. 即便不打或不追高球新聞—我也沒追—你也可能知道現在這項運動捲入爭議。一些世界頂級職業球員,尤其是米克森,達成極其有利可圖的交易參加沙烏地阿拉伯贊助的新巡迴賽,即LIV高球國際系列賽。傳統上主導這項運動的職業高球美巡賽(PGA Tour)對此做出回應,將其中17名球員禁賽。 The Saudis are obviously engaged in reputation-laundering — greenswashing? — in an attempt to make people forget about the atrocities their regime has perpetrated. It’s less clear what motivated the PGA. Did it consider the LIV series flawed, not a proper golf tour? Was it attempting to squash competition? Or was the problem with the LIV series’ sponsors? 沙國顯然在清洗名聲—是在「漂白」嗎?試圖讓人們忘記他們政權所犯下的暴行。目前還不太清楚什麼原因驅使PGA這樣做。它是否認為LIV系列賽有缺陷,不是個像樣的高球巡迴賽?它會不會是在試圖壓制競爭嗎?或是LIV系列賽贊助者的問題? PGA attendees surveyed by ProGolf weekly were in no doubt: An overwhelming majority attributed Mickelson’s exclusion to “media/cancel culture.” And I hope they’re right. I mean, if getting paid big bucks to provide favorable PR to a regime that deals with critical journalists by killing them and dismembering them with a bone saw doesn’t warrant cancellation, what does? And yet Mickelson and others were willing to provide that PR. 接受《ProGolf》周刊調查的PGA與會者均無疑問,絕大多數將米克森遭剔除歸因於「媒體/取消文化」。我希望他們是對的。我的意思是,拿大錢幫一個政權提供公關服務,而這個政權把批評他們的記者殺掉還肢解,如果這不是一個取消的正當理由,那什麼才是?而米克森和其他人卻願意提供這種公關服務。 So if you ask me, the real story here isn’t that the PGA may (or may not) have found a line it won’t cross. It is that so many members of the American elite evidently have no such lines. 所以,若你問我,情況並非PGA可能(或可能沒有)找到一條不會跨越的線,而是這個美國菁英組織許多成員明顯沒有這樣的界線。 What explains the rise of sellout culture? Tax cuts may have played a role: Selling your soul becomes more attractive when you get to keep more of the proceeds. Soaring income inequality may inspire envy, a desire to keep up with the super-elite. And there is surely a process of normalization: Everyone else is selling out, so why shouldn’t I join the party? 如何解釋出賣文化興起?減稅可能起到一定作用:當你能保留更多收益時,出賣你的靈魂就變得更有吸引力。日益嚴重的收入不平等可能會引發嫉妒,讓人渴望跟超級菁英攀比。當然,這是一個正常過程:其他人都在出賣,那我為何不入群呢? Kids used to look up to public figures, sports stars in particular, as role models. Do they still? Can they, given what public figures will do if the checks are big enough? 以前孩子們常把受人尊敬的公眾人物作為榜樣,尤其是體育明星。他們還會嗎?考慮到支票夠大時公眾人物竟然這樣做,他們還能嗎?Source article: https://udn.com/news/story/6904/6413966

Jul 14, 20223 min

Ep 1863每日英語跟讀 Ep.K399: 不平等的地球暖化傷害

每日英語跟讀 Ep.K399: Unequal Toll From Climate Change’s Effects India has contributed little to climate change: Home to 18% of the world’s population, it has emitted just 3% of planet-warming greenhouse gases. 印度在促成氣候變遷方面幾乎沒做什麼:人口占全球18%,卻只排放3%使地球變暖的溫室氣體。 But India is suffering from climate change. Over the past three months, a heat wave has devastated north India and neighboring Pakistan. Temperatures surpassed 43.33 degrees Celsius. 但印度苦於氣候變遷。過去三個月,熱浪重創北印度和鄰國巴基斯坦。氣溫曾超過攝氏43.33度。 It is so hot that overheated birds fell out of the sky in Gurgaon, India, and a historic bridge in northern Pakistan collapsed after melting snow and ice at a glacial lake released a torrent of water. 天氣熱到讓印度古爾岡市的鳥類受不了暑氣從天空掉下,北巴基斯坦一座具歷史意義的橋梁因為冰河湖雪冰融化釋出洪水而倒塌。 Scientists say global warming almost certainly played a role in the heat wave. 科學家說,幾乎可以確定全球暖化在這波熱浪中起作用。 And rising temperatures stand to make unusually hotter weather more common not just in India and Pakistan but around the world, including in the U.S. 因氣溫逐步升高而將更常出現罕見熱天氣的不只是印度和巴基斯坦,還有全球各地,包括美國。 Indians have responded by staying indoors as much as possible, particularly during the afternoon hours. The government has encouraged this, pushing schools to close early and businesses to shift work schedules. 印度人回應的方式是盡可能待在室內,尤其在下午。政府鼓勵這樣做,逼學校早點關門,要企業改變工作時間表。 The measures have kept down deaths — with fewer than 100 recorded so far, an improvement from heat waves years ago that killed thousands. 這些措施壓低了死亡數,迄今記錄在案的死者不到百人,比多年前熱浪造成數千人喪命有進步。 But these measures have costs. School time is cut short, so students learn less. People do not travel to their jobs, so work is less productive. The heat kept some farmers inside and stunted harvests, so crop yields fell and global food prices increased. Social life is disrupted. 但這些措施有其代價。在校時間縮短,所以學生學得少。人們不必通勤去工作,因此生產力下降。炎熱讓一些農民待在室內,妨礙收成,因而農作物產量減少,全球食物價格上漲。社交生活受阻。 The situation could be likened to the mixed effects of COVID lockdowns: Measures for adapting to climate change can help prevent the worst health outcomes, but they come with real costs. 這種情形或許類似防疫封鎖措施的混合效應:適應氣候變遷措施也能避免最糟糕的公共衛生後果,但隨之而來的是真正的代價。 “We’re saving lives, but then livelihoods are lost,” said Roxy Koll, a climate scientist in India. 印度氣候科學家柯爾說:「我們挽救生命,但然後就沒了生計。」 The geography of poor countries — many are close to the equator — is not the only reason climate change is such a burden for them. Poverty is another factor, leaving them with fewer resources to adapt. 許多窮國靠近赤道,但位置並不是氣候變遷對這些國家造成負擔的唯一原因。貧困是另一個因素,讓這些國家可供調適的資源更少。 There is a paradox to the climate crisis. Because India never fully industrialized, it has not released as many greenhouse gases as the U.S., European nations and other rich countries. But because it has not industrialized, it also has fewer resources to adapt than the richer, polluting nations. 氣候危機有個自相矛盾的情況。由於印度從未完全工業化,排放的溫室氣體不像美國、歐洲國家等富國那麼多。不過也因為印度還沒工業化,可供調適的資源也比排放汙染的富國少。 There is a cycle here: To adapt, countries have to adopt modern technologies. But since these technologies often require planet-warming oil and coal, their use aggravates climate change and, consequently, extreme weather. 這裡有個循環:為了調適,各國必須採用現代技術。不過由於這些技術通常需要用到會使地球暖化的石油和煤,採用這些技術會加重氣候變遷,讓極端天氣更常出現。Source article: https://udn.com/news/story/6904/6396918

Jul 13, 20224 min

Ep 1865精選詞彙播客 Vocab Ep.127: 廚師為何都跑到鄉村去? Chef’s exodus to the countryside

Summary: 主題文章:https://www.bbc.com/travel/article/20220614-the-exodus-of-paris-chefs-to-the-countryside Chefs in the big cities are now moving to the countryside. Many reasons drive chefs to open up shop in the countryside where the customers, produce, and attractions are different. In this episode, Angel and I chat about whether this phenomenon is present in Taiwan, and why the chefs prefer running their business in the countryside. Any local farm to table restaurants that you would recommend? Let us know down below! Vocabulary: Farm-to-table 原生態餐廳/農場到餐桌 Restaurants that promote farm-to-table will use local, seasonal produce in their dishes. 餐廳提倡原生態飲食會使用當季、當地食材做料理。 Spoiled for choice phr. 選擇太多被寵壞 Taiwan is a foodie country. We are spoiled for choice when it comes to food. 台灣是美食國家。我們都有太多美食選擇,也被寵壞了。 Mahi Mahi n. 鬼頭刀魚 Taidong and Hualien are the only places where mahi mahi can be fished. 鬼頭刀魚只有台東跟花蓮有。 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]

Jul 12, 202223 min

Ep 1862每日英語跟讀 Ep.K398: Omicron 變異株較不易形成長新冠

每日英語跟讀 Ep.K398: Omicron less likely to cause long COVID — UK study The Omicron variant of coronavirus is less likely to cause long COVID than previous variants, according to the first peer-reviewed study of its kind from the UK. 英國一項研究顯示,冠狀病毒之Omicron變異株跟之前的變種相比,較不易導致「長新冠」後遺症。這是首件經同儕審查的此類研究。 Researchers at King’s College London, using data from the ZOE COVID Symptom study app, found the odds of developing long COVID after infection were 20 percent to 50 percent lower during the Omicron wave in the UK compared to Delta. The figure varied depending on the patient’s age and the timing of their last vaccination. 倫敦大學國王學院研究人員分析應用程式「ZOE新型冠狀病毒疾病症狀研究」之資料,發現與Delta變異株相比,在英國這波Omicron疫情期間,感染後發生COVID後遺症的機率低了百分之二十至百分之五十,數字因患者之年齡及上一次接種疫苗的時間而異。 Long COVID, which includes prolonged symptoms ranging from fatigue to “brain fog,” can be debilitating and continue for weeks or months. It is increasingly being recognized as a public health problem, and researchers have been racing to find out if Omicron presents as big a risk of long COVID as previously dominant variants. COVID後遺症包括從疲倦到「腦霧」的長期症狀,可使人虛弱,並持續數週或數月。它越來越被認為是公共衛生問題,研究人員一直在努力找出Omicron的後遺症風險是否跟先前的主要變異株一樣高。 The study from King’s is believed to be the first academic research to show Omicron does not present as great a risk of long COVID, but that does not mean long COVID patient numbers are dropping, the team said. 國王學院研究小組表示,此研究據信為第一項表明Omicron的COVID後遺症風險並不如此高的學術研究,但這不表示COVID後遺症患者的人數正在下降。 While the risk of long COVID was lower during Omicron, more people were infected, so the absolute number now suffering is higher. 雖然感染Omicron後導致COVID後遺症的風險較低,但因Omicron的感染人數更多,所以現在苦於此後遺症的絕對人數更高。 “It’s good news, but please don’t decommission any of your long COVID services,” lead researcher Dr Claire Steves told Reuters, appealing to health-service providers. 「這是個好消息,但請不要停止對COVID後遺症的任何治療」,研究計畫主持人克萊兒‧史帝芙斯博士在接受路透社訪問時,對醫療業提出此呼籲。 The UK’s Office for National Statistics said in May that 438,000 people in the country have long COVID after Omicron infection, representing 24 percent of all long COVID patients. 英國國家統計局在五月表示,有四十三萬八千人在感染Omicron後患有COVID後遺症,佔英國所有COVID後遺症患者的百分之二十四。 It also said the risk of lingering symptoms after Omicron was lower than with Delta, but only for double-vaccinated people. It found no statistical difference for those who were triple vaccinated. 它還表示,感染Omicron後有持續症狀的風險低於感染Delta,但這只是對接種兩劑疫苗的人而言,而接種三劑疫苗的人在統計上並無差異。 In the King’s research, 4.5 percent of the 56,003 people studied during Omicron’s peak, December 2021-March 2022, reported long COVID. That compared to 10.8 percent of 41,361 people during the Delta wave, June-November 2021. It did not compare vaccinated and unvaccinated individuals. 國王學院在二○二一年十二月至二○二二年三月Omicron疫情高峰期間所研究的五萬六千零三人中,有百分之四點五的人表示有COVID後遺症。而在二○二一年六月至十一月的Delta變異株疫情期間所研究的四萬一千三百六十一人,有COVID後遺症的比例則為百分之十點八。此研究並未對疫苗接種者及未接種者做比較。 While the study — published in The Lancet journal on Thursday last week — compared Delta and Omicron, Dr Steves said previous work had showed no substantial difference in long COVID risk between other variants.More work was needed to establish why Omicron may have a lower long COVID risk, the team added. 雖然這項上週四發表於《刺胳針》期刊的研究比較了Delta及Omicron變異株的情況,但史帝芙斯博士表示,先前的研究顯示,其他變異株之間的COVID後遺症風險並無實質差異。 該研究小組補充說,Omicron的COVID後遺症風險可能較低之原因,需要做更多研究才能確定。Source article: https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/lang/archives/2022/06/28/2003780674

Jul 11, 20224 min

Ep 1861每日英語跟讀 Ep.K397: 這西班牙小村書店比學生多

每日英語跟讀 Ep.K397: Bookstores Are Keeping This Tiny Spanish Village Alive Standing on a hilltop in northwestern Spain, Urueña overlooks a vast and windswept landscape of sunflower and barley fields, as well as a famous winery. The walls of some shops are built directly into the 12th-century ramparts of the village. 位處西班牙西北部一座山頂上的烏魯艾尼亞村,俯瞰一片廣袤且常有強風侵襲的向日葵與大麥田,以及一家知名的釀酒廠。一些店家的牆壁直接建在這個村莊12世紀的防禦土牆裡。 Despite its rugged beauty, Urueña, like many villages in the Spanish countryside, has struggled over recent decades with an aging and dwindling population that has left it stagnant at about only 100 full-time residents. There is no butcher and no baker; both retired in the past few months. The local school has just nine students. 儘管烏魯艾尼亞有種粗獷的美,但就像西班牙鄉間許多村落一樣,近幾十年苦於人口老化與減少,這已使村莊停滯,常住居民僅約百人。沒有肉販和麵包師傅,這兩人都在過去數月退休。當地學校只有9個學生。 But for the past decade or so, one business has been thriving in Urueña: books. There are 11 stores that sell books, including nine dedicated bookshops. 但大約這十年來,有一種生意在烏魯艾尼亞欣欣向榮,就是書店。村裡有11家店賣書,其中9家只賣書。 “I was born in a village that didn’t have a bookstore and where people certainly cared a lot more about farming their land and their animals than about books,” said Francisco Rodríguez, the 53-year-old mayor of Urueña. “This change is a bit strange, but it’s a source of pride for a tiny place to have become a cultural center, which now also certainly makes us different and special compared to the other villages around us.” 烏魯艾尼亞53歲村長羅德里格斯說:「我出生的時候,村裡沒有書店,大家關心耕種土地和畜養動物當然遠勝過看書。這個變化有點奇怪,不過一個小地方變成文化中心讓我們自豪,跟周邊其他村莊相較之下,當然讓我們顯得不同且特別。」 The attempt to turn Urueña into a literary hub dates to 2007, when provincial authorities invested about 3 million euros to help restore and convert village buildings into bookstores and to construct an exhibition and conference center. They offered a symbolic rental fee of 10 euros per month to people interested in running a bookstore. 把烏魯艾尼亞變成書香重鎮的努力始於2007年,當時政府投入300萬歐元,修復村內建物轉作書店,並興建一座會議展覽中心。他們對有意經營書店的人,每月只收象徵性的10歐元租金。 The plan was to keep Urueña alive with book tourism, modeling it after other rural literary hubs across Europe — notably, Montmorillon in France and Hay-on-Wye in Britain. Hay has long hosted one of the continent’s most famous literary festivals. 這個計畫是用書店旅遊維持烏魯艾尼亞的生機,仿效歐洲各地其他農村的書香重鎮,特別是法國的蒙莫里永和英國的瓦伊河畔海伊。海伊長久以來是歐洲最出名書展之一的舉辦地。 Spain has one of Europe’s biggest book-publishing markets, feeding a network of about 3,000 independent bookstores — and double that number if stationery shops and other places that sell books are counted. But about 40% of bookstores have less than 90,000 euros in annual revenue, which amounts to operating “a subsistence business,” according to Álvaro Manso, spokesperson for CEGAL, an association that represents Spain’s independent bookstores. 西班牙是歐洲最大書籍出版市場之一,養活約3000家獨立書店,如果把賣書的文具店和其他地方算在內,數字是兩倍。不過,代表西班牙獨立書店的「西班牙圖書行業協會」發言人曼索說,約40%書店年營收不到9萬歐元,相當於在經營「只夠老闆溫飽的生意」。 “The trend is one in which size matters and more of the very small bookstores will disappear” as they have in other countries where book sectors have consolidated, Manso said. 曼索說,「如今趨勢是規模很重要,更多小書店會消失」,就像其他國家書店業整併一樣。Source article: https://udn.com/news/story/6904/6362727

Jul 10, 20224 min

Ep 1860回顧星期天LBS - 汽車相關時事趣聞 All about cars

Autobahn Speed Limits? Voting With Lead Feet It seemed like a no-brainer: Lower Germany’s embarrassingly high carbon emissions at no cost, and save some lives in the process. 這聽起來是個不費腦筋的好主意:不須付出成本,便減低德國高得使人羞愧的碳排放量,還可以順道拯救人命。 But when a government-appointed commission in January dared to float the idea of a speed limit on the autobahn, the country’s storied highway network, it almost caused rioting. Irate drivers took to the airwaves. Union leaders menacingly put on their yellow vests, hinting at street protests. And the far-right opposition used the opportunity to rage against the “stranglehold” of the state. 然而,當政府指派的委員會元月大膽提出在德國名聞全球的高速公路上設速限的構想時,卻幾乎引發暴動。 暴怒的開車族在廣播裡抱怨,工會領袖意帶威脅地穿上黃背心,暗示將上街抗議。極右派反對黨趁機對國家的「箝制」大事撻伐。 A highway speed limit was “contrary to every common sense,” the transport minister, Andreas Scheuer, swiftly declared, contradicting his own experts.And that was that. 德國運輸部長安德烈・舒爾很快就宣布,給高速公路設速限「完全違反常情」,立場和自己的專家團隊相牴觸。此事就此打消。 As far as quasi-religious national obsessions go for large portions of a country’s population, the German aversion to speed limits on the autobahn is up there with gun control in America, whaling in Japan and sovereignty in Britain. 就一國高比例人口近乎宗教信仰式的執念而言,德國人對高速公路限速的反感之深,一如美國人對於槍枝管制,日本人對於捕鯨,和英國人對於主權。 With few exceptions, like Afghanistan and the Isle of Man, there are highway speed limits essentially everywhere else in the world. 世界上除了阿富汗和英國曼島等極少數例外,其他地方的公路基本上都有速限。 But this is Germany, the self-declared “auto nation,” where Carl Benz built the first automobile and where cars are not only the proudest export item but also a symbol of national identity. 但這可是自詡為「汽車王國」的德國,卡爾·賓士在這裡造出第一輛汽車,汽車不僅是令人驕傲的出口品,還是國家身分的象徵。 It’s also the country where, in darker times, Hitler laid the groundwork for a network of multilane highways that in the postwar years came to epitomize economic success — and freedom. 同樣的這個國家,在它較黯淡的時代,希特勒打下多車道高速公路系統的基礎,而這系統在戰後年月裡成為經濟成就和自由的典範。 Call it Germany’s Wild West: The autobahn is the one place in a highly regulated society where no rule is the rule — and that place is sacred. 把它想成德國的「大西部」吧:在一個受到高度規制的社會裡,高速公路是唯一沒有規矩就是它的規矩的地方,而此處神聖不可侵犯。 “It’s a very emotional topic,” confided Stefan Gerwens, head of transport and mobility at ADAC, an automobile club with 20 million members, which is opposed to any speed limit. So emotional, apparently, that facts and figures count for little. 「這是個高度情緒化的議題。」全德汽車俱樂部的運輸流動主任史帝芬・葛文如此坦承。全德汽車俱樂部是有兩千萬會員的汽車社團,他們徹底反對給高速公路設下速限。這個議題顯然太具情緒性,以致事實和數據都變得無關痛癢。 Germany is woefully behind on meeting its 2020 climate goals, so the government appointed a group of experts to find ways to lower emissions in the transport sector. Cars account for 11 percent of total emissions, and their share is rising. 德國距離達成2020年的氣候目標已大幅落後,因此政府指派了專家團隊以找出減低運輸方面碳排放的方法。車輛的碳排放量佔去總排放量的一成一,而且比例還在增高。 A highway speed limit of 120 kph, or 75 mph, could cover a fifth of the gap to reach the 2020 goals for the transport sector, environmental experts say. 環境專家說,給高速公路設置時速120公里(或75英里)的速限,可以在交通方面填補五分之一的缺口,協助達成2020年的氣候目標。 “Of all the individual measures, it is the one that would be the most impactful — and it costs nothing,” said Dorothee Saar, of Deutsche Umwelthilfe, a nonprofit environmental organization that has lobbied for a speed limit. 「在所有個人可以達成的事項裡,這是最具影響力,也不須花費成本的方法。」非營利環保組織「德國環境救援」的朵樂絲・薩爾說,此組織長年力促給高速公度限速。 “But when it comes to cars,” Saar sighed, “the debate tends to become irrational.” 「可是一談到車,」薩爾嘆息道:「辯論往往就變得不理性了。」 Source article: https://paper.udn.com/udnpaper/POH0067/337656/web/ Next Article About cars - Man in Germany drives to driving test A man in Germany has discovered the hard way that it’s best to get a driving license first before trying to use it. 德國一名男子從教訓中學到:在試圖使用駕駛執照之前,最好先拿到它。 Police in Bergheim, near Cologne, said Tuesday that the 37-year-old drove himself to his driving test, parking an Opel Zafira outside the test center in front of an astonished examiner. 科隆附近的貝格海姆警方週二說,這名37歲民眾自己開車赴駕駛執照考試,在一名驚訝的監考官面前,把一台歐寶Zafira車款停在考試中心外。 They said he told police officers who were called to the scene on Monday that he had only driven because he wanted to make sure to get to the driving test on time. 他們說,他告訴週一被叫到現場的警官們說,他開車只是因為想要確保及時抵達那場駕駛執照考試。 His test was immediately called off. The man now faces an investigation for driving without a license. Police also opened an investigation of the car’s owner. 他的考試立刻被取消。這名男子現在因無照駕駛面臨調查。警方也對車主展開調查。 Next Article Danish police confiscate luxury sports car caught speeding 丹麥警方沒收超速的豪華跑車 Danish police have confiscated a high-performance luxury car after its new owner was caught speeding as he drove it home from Germany to Norway. 丹麥警方沒收了一輛高性能的豪華汽車,在它的新車主超速被逮以後,當時他開著它從德國回挪威家。 The man, an Iraqi citizen resident in Norway who was not identified, was registered Thursday as driving at 236 kph in his Lamborghini Huracán on a stretch of highway where the top speed is 130 kph. 這名男子是個居住於挪威的伊拉克公民,身分未明,週四在一段最高時速130公里的高速公路上,被紀錄到以每小時236公里速度駕著他的藍寶堅尼「颶風」。 Under a new Danish law, police can seize the vehicles of reckless drivers and auction them off, with the m

Jul 9, 20229 min

Ep 185815Mins Live Podcast - 料理相關慣用語 Cooking related Idioms

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 – 料理相關慣用語 Cooking related Idioms Half-baked ideas:Ideas which have not been thought out very well. My assistant usually has half-baked ideas but I never discourage her because once in a while she thinks of something brilliant. I have to admit my suggestion was a half-baked idea. I didn't think of the complications or downsides and it's cost me a lot of headaches and money. Stir the pot: To deliberately try to make a situation/people more tense and upset. My annoying friend was always trying to stir the pot and I really hated the drama. Please don't invite the marketing director to this meeting. He's very critical and always tries to stir the pot. Cook the books: To falsify the financial figures of a company's accounting books. She used to work in our finance department but she was convicted of fraud and cooking the books. I think our company is being investigated for cooking the books. Believe me, if you cook the books it will only get worse later on. Butter someone up: To praise, flatter or be very nice to someone so they will do something you want. Stop trying to butter me up. I already told you that I'm not buying you a new iPhone. It's embarrassing how Sandra keeps trying to butter up our boss. She would be better off if she just did her work. I have to admit I love it when my boyfriend butters me up. Grill someone: To interrogate or intensely question someone in order to try to get a confession or answers. My parents keep grilling me about what we did Saturday night but I keep telling them that we stayed at your house and watched movies. Doesn't it annoy you that your boyfriend is always grilling you about what you do when you're apart? 練習時間: 哪個慣用語跟你生活經驗有關,請分享 Where would you use the idiom in your daily life? Please share~

Jul 8, 20221h 18m

Ep 1857每日英語跟讀 Ep.K396: About health - 牙醫稱聲稱接吻與刷牙一樣與一包洋芋片的熱量

每日英語跟讀 Ep.K396: About health - Dentist claims kissing is as good for your teeth as brushing A dentist claims that smooching is excellent for dental health as it boosts saliva production and clears the mouth of bacteria and acids that cause decay. 一位牙醫聲稱,咬唇接吻可以促進唾液分泌,清除口腔中腐蝕牙齒的有害細菌和酸,極有益於牙齒健康。 Orthodontist Khaled Kasem thinks that people should spend four minutes a day locking lips on top of the traditional brushing and flossing. 齒顎矯正醫生卡里德‧卡西姆認為,人們在傳統刷牙和使用牙線之外,應每天熱吻4分鐘。 A daily snog also reduces infection risk because bacteria from your partner’s saliva boost your immune system. 每天接吻還可以降低感染風險,因為伴侶唾液中的細菌會增強你的免疫系統。 Other health benefits include stress relief, thanks to love hormones, and more youthful looks from exercising the face muscles. 接吻的其他健康益處還包括緩解壓力,這要歸功於愛情荷爾蒙,鍛鍊臉部肌肉還會讓你看起來更年輕。 But lovers might swap bad bacteria and boost the risk of decay if one of them already has dental problems. 但如果戀人之間已經有1人的牙齒出現問題,那麼接吻可能會交換壞細菌,增加蛀牙風險。 Next Article A pack of crisps a day could lead to one stone weight gain每天1包洋芋片體重恐增加1英石 People drastically underestimate the number of calories in their snacks, with experts warning that eating a bag of crisps every day could lead to a stone of weight gain in a year. 人們大大低估了零食中的卡路里,專家警告,每天吃1包洋芋片可能會導致體重在1年內增加1英石(約6.4公斤)。 A survey of around 2,000 adults found that around three quarters underestimated the impact of a small reduction could have. One in ten believed that cutting 200 calories a day would not affect weight. 一項對大約2000名成年人的調查發現,約4分之3的人低估了少吃一點可能產生的影響。10分之1的人認為,1天減少200卡路里熱量不會影響體重。 When it came to snacks, people struggled, with 95 percent guessing that half a sharing bag of tortilla chips had 214 calories on average, almost half the true figure of 447. 零食讓人們難以琢磨,95%的人猜測半包墨西哥玉米薄餅的平均熱量為214卡路里,幾乎是真實數字447的一半。 New rules coming into force in October will restrict promotions on foods high in fat, sugar and salt in big shops. 10月生效的新規定將限制大型商店對高脂肪、高糖和高鹽食品的促銷活動。Source article: https://features.ltn.com.tw/english/article/paper/1521331 ; https://features.ltn.com.tw/english/article/paper/1522621

Jul 7, 20222 min

Ep 1856每日英語跟讀 Ep.K395: About Sweden - 瑞典垃圾桶愉悅喊叫與搶匪的尿液

每日英語跟讀 Ep.K395: About Sweden - Seductive rubbish: Swedish dustbins scream with pleasure "Aaah that was really good", "come back soon and do it again" and "Mmmm, thank you". 「啊,真是太棒了」、「快回來再做一 次」和「嗯,謝謝你。」 It’s not what you think. They are audio messages broadcast by rubbish bins in the southern Swedish city of Malmo, where authorities recently changed the voice from a man’s to that of a sensual female, hoping it would be more soothing. 別想歪了。它們是瑞典南部城市馬爾默的垃圾桶播放的語音訊息,當局最近將聲音從男人的聲音,改成充滿慾望的女性聲音,希望讓人感覺更為舒服。 Previously the voice thanking people for disposing their garbage was a male, barking out no-nonsense messages from the public bins. 原本感謝民眾丟垃圾的是男性聲音,這些公共垃圾桶會大聲說出嚴肅的話。 But in a bid to make the experience of throwing out garbage more pleasant, the voice is now a husky timbre delivering double entendres. 但為了讓丟垃圾的體驗更愉快,聲音現在變成了沙啞的音色,語句還帶有雙關意涵。 The dustbins were installed a few years ago in Sweden’s third largest city. A detector triggers the messages every time someone opens a dustbin. 這座瑞典第三大城幾年前設置這些垃圾桶,每當有民眾打開垃圾桶時,感應器就會觸發這種語音訊息。 Next Article Swedish bank robber busted by forgotten urine 瑞典銀行劫匪被被遺忘的尿液搗毀 A Swedish bank robber forgot to cover his tracks and left three bottles of urine behind after hiding inside a bank vault in Copenhagen for three days. 一名瑞典銀行劫匪忘了掩蓋自己的蹤跡,在哥本哈根的銀行金庫里躲藏了三天后,留下了三瓶尿液。 The 27-year-old man and his accomplice used the bottles to relieve themselves after sneaking into the vault on a Friday in May and remaining there until the bank opened again the following Monday. 這名27歲的男子和他的同夥在5月的一個星期五潛入金庫後用這些瓶子來緩解自己,並留在那裡,直到下週一銀行再次開放。 While inside, the robbers emptied 140 safety deposit boxes of at least $500,000 in cash and jewellery. But Prosecutor Frederik Larsen said Wednesday they forgot to take the urine when they left "so we were able to get their DNA samples from the bottles." 在裡面,劫匪清空了140個保險箱,裡面至少有50萬美元的現金和珠寶。但檢察官弗雷德里克·拉森(Frederik Larsen)週三表示,他們離開時忘記取尿,“所以我們能夠從瓶子里取出他們的DNA樣本。 The evidence helped prosecutors win a 21-month prison sentence for the Swede on Tuesday. His accomplice is still at large and the loot hasn't been recovered. 這些證據説明檢察官在週二為瑞典人贏得了21個月的監禁。他的同夥仍然逍遙法外,贓物尚未找到。 Source article: https://features.ltn.com.tw/english/article/paper/1523911 ; https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/swedish-bank-robber-busted-by-forgotten-urine-449545

Jul 6, 20223 min

Ep 1859精選詞彙播客 Vocab Ep.126: 職涯延長賽-該不該斜槓 Can we reinvent our careers?

Summary: In modern society, having a fixed skillset and hyper-focused experience may not help us weather the ever-changing economic cycles and market changes. As our careers get longer, we need to think about reinventing, or at least, pivoting to alternate viable career paths. In this episode, Angel and I speak about what is needed to reinvent oneself, and share what we think is the next leg of our careers. What do you think are the key components to reinventing your career? Let us know down below! Vocabulary: Go through the hoops idiom. 面對種種障礙 As you get older and the job market becomes more competitive, you would need to go through the hoops to find a good job. 當你變老和就業市場變得更競爭的時候,找工作就更加困難。 Entrepreneurialism n. 創業家思維 Everyone will get to a phase in their careers where entrepreneurialism will push them further. 每個人的職涯都會走到一個創業家思維階段做更近一步的發展。 Next leg of phr. 下一段 John started podcasting to prepare for the next leg of his career. John開始做podcast來為他的下一段職涯做準備。 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]

Jul 5, 202229 min

Ep 1855每日英語跟讀 Ep.K394: 地主冠軍荒讓法國選手在紅土失存在感

每日英語跟讀 Ep.K394: Of Red Clay and French Existentialism The most prominent feature of the French Open is that this Grand Slam tournament takes place on the rusty red clay of Roland Garros, a beloved detail that is as much a part of local culture and tradition as the bouquinistes that sell art and used books along the Seine. 法國網球公開賽最突出的特點,就是這項大滿貫賽事在羅蘭蓋洛球場鏽紅色的紅土上舉行。如同塞納河畔販賣藝術品與二手書的舊書攤一樣,這是一個令人喜愛的細節,也是當地文化與傳統的一部分。 And yet, as it so often is in the country that claims Albert Camus and Simone de Beauvoir, the relationship between France and its “terre bateau” is a little more complicated. 然而,就像這個擁有卡繆和西蒙波娃的國家過去經常發生的那樣,法國與自家「紅土球場」之間的關係有點複雜。 This red clay that comes from a small brick factory in Oise, north of Paris, elicits so much love. 來自巴黎北方瓦茲一家小型磚廠的這種紅土深受眾人喜愛。 But the clay has also become a symbol of deep frustration. A Frenchwoman has not won the singles championship that this country so treasures, the one that requires more grit but also more thought than any other, since Mary Pierce in 2000. A Frenchman has not won it in 39 years, since Yannick Noah in 1983. 但這種紅土也成為深刻挫折的象徵。自2000年的瑪麗.皮爾絲以來,還沒有一位法國女子贏得這個國家如此珍視的單打冠軍,這個冠軍需要更多的意志力,也需要更多思考。自1983年的諾亞之後,法國男人已有39年未獲男單冠軍。 Why? 為什麼? The answer likely has a lot to do with a central contradiction in the home of red clay’s biggest stage. Just 11.5% of the tennis courts in France are made of the traditional red clay and most of those are in private clubs. Another 16.5% of courts are made of an imitation clay surface that is similar to the terre bateau but plays harder and faster than the softer traditional clay. 答案跟這個紅土賽事最高舞台主場的重要矛盾可能有很大關係。法國只有11.5%網球場使用傳統紅土,且大多數都是私人俱樂部的網球場,另有16.5%的球場表面由仿紅土製成,雖跟紅土球場類似,但比較軟的傳統紅土打起來更硬且更快。 Winning on clay requires a Ph.D. in what coaches and players call point construction, which is shorthand for playing tennis like chess, thinking not only about this next shot but three shots down the line. Learning that to the point where it is instinctual can take years, and like most things, the earlier one starts training the brain to think that way, the better. 想在紅土賽場上取勝,必須精通教練和球員所稱點的建構,這是像下棋一樣打網球的簡單表達,不僅是想著下一次擊球,還要考慮接下來的三次擊球。將此學習到如同直覺恐需數年時間,而且就像大多數事情一樣,越早開始訓練大腦以這種方式思考越好。 “On clay, the fight really goes on and on,” said Aurelio Di Zazzo, a coach at the Tennis Club of Paris. “The longer the effort, the more you have to use your mind.” 巴黎網球俱樂部教練迪扎佐這麼說:「在紅土球場,比賽真的是沒完沒了。努力的時間愈久,就愈需要動腦筋。」 The club, which is less than 1 mile from Roland Garros, tries to carry red clay’s torch as best it can. That torch is not cheap. Maintaining the courts requires four full-time employees, and new clay costs more than $2,000 a year for each court. Each court must be entirely dug up and redone every 15 years, costing more than $30,000 per court. 這家距離羅蘭蓋洛球場不到一英里的俱樂部,盡其所能地傳承著紅土比賽的火炬。這個火炬可不便宜。維護球場需要四名全職員工,每個球場每年鋪新紅土的費用超過2,000美元。每隔15年,每個球場都必須徹底挖掉重鋪一次,每個球場花費超過30,000美元。 Levy said it is worth it. 勒維表示,這是值得的。 “This clay is a part of France,” he said. 他說:「紅土球場是法國的一部分。」Source article: https://udn.com/news/story/6904/6379673

Jul 4, 20223 min

Ep 1854每日英語跟讀 Ep.K393: 最值得投資的五大法式女性風格

每日英語跟讀 Ep.K393: Ageless beauty the French way: five best lifestyle tips from French women Regardless of age, French women are always spontaneous, elegant, dazzling and candid. Their charisma and charm are always turning heads on the street. Such charm has even earned them the title “the most beautiful people in the world.” However, to exude a classic French style from head to toe takes some learning. The following five points teach you how to become a chic French lady. 法國女人不論幾歲都隨興優雅,瀟灑且率性,卻總能散發個人特質,讓人頻頻回頭欣賞,甚至被譽為「全世界最美麗的人種」。從內到外的法式風情,可不容易輕易模仿,以下便歸納法國女子五大風格重點。 Minimalist skin care with natural formula treatments There is a saying that the essence of French women’s skin care is moisturizer. For them, skin care is a daily routine. Building a minimalist skin care regimen, French women use top-quality formula treatments to achieve gorgeous glowing skin. 極簡保養注重天然配方 有一句話說法國女人的保養,就是「保濕」。對她們來說保養是一種生活習慣,選擇簡單程序卻擁有高質量的成分配方,達到真正的有效保養。 Using scent to exude personality Coco Chanel once quoted the French poet Paul Valery: “A woman who doesn’t wear perfume has no future.” A woman can always tell her own personal story with her signature scent. 用香味述說個人特質 香奈兒女士也曾引述法國詩人保羅‧瓦勒里的一句話:「不擦香水的女人沒有未來」不妨試試用香氣說話、用香味述說你的故事。 Exuding personality with lipstick French women always have a lipstick in their handbags. Whether it is bright red, wine red or characteristic purple, they can always pick the best color for themselves. 紅唇講述我的態度 法國女人的包包裡永遠有一支代表她們的唇膏,不管是鮮紅色、復古酒紅色,又或是充滿個性的紫紅色,都能駕馭的很好。 Accepting imperfection and embracing beauty French women have always led an enviable, spontaneous life. The most important tip is to be true to oneself. 接納不完美,擁抱愛情美麗 法國女性活出的態度總讓人羨慕,率性又灑脫,不妨學學法式女子忠於自己的態度吧。 Enjoy reading with an aroma diffuser Filled with character and depth, books are the best treatment for the mind. While sinking into a reverie, French women love a bit of scent to go with their sacred and relaxing moment of reading. 點燃薰香享受閱讀時光 充滿魅力的性格與深度的特質,書籍就是心靈最好的保養。神聖又放鬆的閱讀時刻,法國女子喜歡點著薰香,沉澱思緒。Source article: https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/lang/archives/2022/06/14/2003779832

Jul 3, 20222 min

Ep 1853回顧星期天LBS - 運動相關時事趣聞 All about sports

Topic: LeBron James Laughs at Your ‘Old’ Lakers Memes. After His Nap. LeBron James has seen the memes and read the punch lines. 詹姆斯看過那些迷因且讀了笑哏。 “The narrative about our age,” he said, “I kind of laugh at it. I actually do really laugh. I’m not just saying that.” 「這些內容都在嘴我們的年齡」,他說,「我有點發噱。事實上我真的有笑,我不是說說而已。」 The Los Angeles Lakers are old. They are the NBA’s Traveling Wilburys, an aging rock star collective hoping to produce one more chart-topping album. Dwight Howard and DeAndre Jordan have more mileage between them than a 2003 Honda Civic. Carmelo Anthony, 37, recalled first getting to know James, 36, when they were high school standouts — way back in the previous millennium. At 32, Russell Westbrook is comparatively spry. 洛杉磯湖人隊老了。他們是美國職籃NBA的「漂泊合唱團」,一個老邁搖滾明星的組合,期望再出一張排行榜冠軍專輯。霍華德和德安德魯喬丹的哩程數比一輛2003年本田喜美還多。37歲的安東尼回想初識現年36歲詹姆斯時,兩人是高中球星,而那已是上一個千禧年的往事。相較之下,32歲的衛斯布魯克有活力多了。 “I don’t think it’s going to be like peanut butter and jelly to start the season,” James told reporters ahead of training camp. “But that’s all part of the process.” 「我不認為開季會一帆風順。」詹姆斯在訓練營開始前告訴記者,「不過這都是過程的一部分。」 In his own small way, James reinvented himself, too, by slightly slimming down at this august stage of his career. 詹姆斯也以他的小方法改造自己,在他職業生涯年高德劭的階段瘦一點。 “He’s made the decision to come back a little bit leaner,” Rob Pelinka, the team’s general manager, said. “And I think that’s going to translate in his explosiveness and his quickness.” 「他決定以苗條一點點的狀態回來」,湖人隊總經理佩林卡說,「我認為這將轉化在他的爆發力和速度上面」。 Westbrook, a former league MVP, spent last season with the Washington Wizards before he was traded to the Lakers in August. Westbrook called it a “blessing” to be playing in Los Angeles, where he grew up. 得過最有價值球員的衛斯布魯克,上個球季為華盛頓巫師隊效力,今年8月被交易至湖人。衛斯布魯克說,能在他長大的洛杉磯打球是種「賜福」。 “I think it’s because we both understand and know what it takes in order to win, and obviously LeBron knows what it takes to get to that next level,” Westbrook said. 「我認為,因為我們兩個都知道並了解贏球需要什麼,顯然詹姆斯也清楚更上一層樓需要什麼。」衛斯布魯克說。 But the aging process is undefeated, and there are obvious concerns about the Lakers’ durability. James, so indestructible for much of his career, has been hampered by injuries in recent years, and Davis limped through the team’s abridged playoff appearance last season. For his part, Pelinka sought to downplay the suggestion that the Lakers were brittle by citing the example of Tom Brady, who, at 44, is still quarterbacking football teams to Super Bowls. 但老化的過程難以克服,外界對湖人的續航力也有顯而易見的憂慮。生涯大部分時間都堅不可摧的詹姆斯,近幾年傷痛纏身,戴維斯上個賽季也因傷在季後賽出場時間大減。佩林卡以44歲的美式足球四分衛布雷迪仍能帶隊拿下超級盃冠軍為例,企圖淡化湖人戰力脆弱的聯想。 Amid the doubts and the questions about the Lakers, Anthony can make out a path that leads to a championship ring, which would be his first. There were moments in his career, he said, when he considered the possibility of teaming up with James, one of his closest friends. The opportunity never materialized. Perhaps neither player was ready for that to happen, Anthony said. 在有關湖人的懷疑和疑問中,安東尼有能耐闖出一條通往冠軍戒之路,也將是他的第一枚。他說,生涯中數度考慮和密友詹姆斯同隊的可能性,但從未實現。安東尼說,也許兩人都沒做好準備。 “But here we are now,” he said. “Timing is everything.” 「不過我們現在是隊友了。」他說,「時機比什麼都重要」。Source article: https://udn.com/news/story/6904/5820559 Next Article Topic: Tom Daley knits away in between dives at Tokyo Olympics Tom Daley’s way of relaxing between dives off the 10-meter tower at the Olympics keeps him in stitches. Not the laughing kind, but the knitting and crocheting kind. 湯姆.戴利在奧運每場10公尺跳台跳水比賽之間的放鬆方式,讓他笑個不停。這裡說的不是笑,而是埋首針線中。 The 27-year-old Brit took up the hobbies just before the coronavirus pandemic began in March 2020. During lockdown, he had plenty of time to perfect his skills. 這名27歲的英國人在2020年3月新型冠狀病毒疫情爆發前不久,開始有了這個嗜好。在防疫封鎖期間,有的是時間精進他的技巧。 Daley knits only during the preliminaries of competitions, when there are long stretches between dives, as a way to switch off his mind. 戴利只有在每場比賽間隔時間都很久的初賽階段,藉由織毛線放空。 ’’If you stay all the way up here with your energy levels and thinking about the dives,’’ he said, ’’it ends up becoming quite draining by the end of it.’’ 「如果你在這裡一直全神貫注想著跳水的事」,他說,「結果會讓人比到最後相當疲憊。」 Next Article Topic: Hungarians grab their partners in nation’s wife-carrying contest 匈牙利人在該國背老婆大賽中抓住另一半 Some 40 Hungarian husbands, with their wives on their backs, clambered over rough terrain on Saturday in the nation’s second wife-carrying contest. 近40位匈牙利老公週六在該國第二屆背老婆大賽中,把他們的老婆扛在背上,攀越崎嶇地形。 A previous race in October attracted only a dozen couples. 前一場辦在10月的比賽,只吸引到12對伴侶。 "We have just emerged from a difficult period due to the coronavirus and we need to go and have fun in the open air," Gergely Guraly, who organised the race, told Reuters. 組織這場競賽的格格利.古拉雷告訴路透,「我們才剛擺脫起於冠狀病毒的一段困難時期,我們需要到戶外開心玩。」 Guraly began preparations in January for the contest, which is said to have origins dating back to the Viking age. 古拉雷1月開始為這場據說起源可追溯到維京時代的比賽做準備。 In modern times, the tradition is particularly established in Finland, where it has taken place since the 1990s. 在現代,這項傳統在芬蘭尤其確立,當地從1990年代開始舉辦。 Estonian races have lent their name to the Estonian style of wife-carrying, with the

Jul 2, 20228 min

Ep 185215Mins Live Podcast - 7大Zoom會議用詞 7 Powerful Zoom Meeting Phrases

主題: 職場系列 – 7大Zoom會議用詞 7 Powerful Zoom Meeting Phrases 原文章連結: https://www.gtntechnicalstaffing.com/zoom-meeting-phrases/ “Thanks for being here.” 謝謝你的參與 Zoom fatigue has proven very real. All of us are more than ready to be done with isolation. And while we understand that virtual work meetings are necessary until the world gets back to in-person work, that doesn’t mean we are thrilled to be once again staring at boxes full of faces. If you are the host of a Zoom meeting, be sure to express your understanding of these feelings and your appreciation to everyone for showing up and participating. “Tell me more about that.” 請跟我們多分享一點 If you want to show interest in what someone is saying, there’s no better way to do so than asking them to say more. An open-ended invitation to keep on sharing will make others feel valued and important. “My apologies for interrupting. Please continue.” 不好意思打斷你,請繼續 One of the more frustrating elements of conference calls and Zoom meetings is people’s tendency to talk over each other, even when they have no intention of interrupting. When that happens, you can show others respect by apologizing for any such missteps and inviting them to keep speaking. “You did a great job on ____.” 上次做的真不錯 Everyone likes and appreciates a compliment. Positive reinforcement and recognition of achievement always generate good feelings about the person dispensing the praise. “Why don’t you go ahead and take this one.” 我們為何不從你開始 Even if you are the font of wisdom or the focus of a meeting, throwing a question directed to you over to one of your colleagues shows that you trust them and want to give them their moment to shine. “I appreciate that.” 感謝你的資訊/參與 When people do or say something nice for a colleague, they may do so for altruistic and selfless reasons. But that doesn’t mean they don’t expect acknowledgement or appreciation for their efforts. Be sure to express your thanks for what others have done for you or your organization.

Jul 1, 20221h 14m

Ep 1850每日英語跟讀 Ep.K392: About Australia - 全球最大的植物與限購衛生紙

每日英語跟讀 Ep.K392: About Australia - World’s biggest plant discovered off Australian coast The largest known plant on Earth - a seagrass roughly three times the size of Manhattan - has been discovered off the coast of Australia. 地球上已知的最大植物-大約是曼哈頓面積3倍大的一種海草-已在澳洲海岸外被發現。 Using genetic testing, scientists have determined a large underwater meadow in Western Australia is in fact one plant. 使用基因測定,科學家已判定在西澳洲的一片大型水下草甸其實是一棵植物。 It is believed to have spread from a single seed over at least 4,500 years. The seagrass covers about 200 sq km , researchers from the University of Western Australia said. 據信這片草甸從一顆種子擴散而成,歷時至少4500年。西澳洲大學的研究人員說,這棵海草覆蓋的面積約200平方公里。 The team stumbled upon the discovery by accident at Shark Bay, about 800km north of Perth. They had set out to understand the genetic diversity of the species - also known as ribbon weed - which is commonly found along parts of Australia’s coast. 研究團隊在伯斯北方約800公里的鯊魚灣意外找到這發現。他們先是著手了解這些常在澳洲部份海岸被發現的物種-也被稱為絲帶海草-的基因多樣性。 Researchers collected shoots from across the bay and examined 18,000 genetic markers to create a "fingerprint" from each sample. They had aimed to discover how many plants made up the meadow. 研究人員從整個鯊魚灣蒐集幼芽,並且檢視了1萬8000個基因標記來為每個樣本製造「指紋」。他們原本目標是要找出有多少棵植物構成這片草甸。 "The answer blew us away - there was just one!" said Jane Edgeloe, the study’s lead author. 該研究主要作者珍.艾吉羅說:「這個答案讓我們大吃一驚,居然只有一棵!」 Next Article Not a square to spare: Australian shops ration toilet paper amid coronavirus panic 一張都不分:澳洲商店在冠狀病毒恐慌中限購衛生紙 Australia’s major grocers put strict limits on purchases of toilet paper on Wednesday, after shoppers stripped shelves in a rush of panic buying spurred by fears over a coronavirus. 在購物者因冠狀病毒掀起的恐慌而倉皇大肆搶購,將貨架上商品一掃而空後,澳洲大型零售商店週三對購買衛生紙祭出嚴格限制。 The demand for toilet paper, in particular, has sparked the trending hashtags #toiletpapergate and #toiletpapercrisis on Twitter, along with photographs of overloaded shopping trolleys, and calls for calm from baffled officials. 尤其,對衛生紙的需求已經在「推特」掀起「衛生紙門」和「衛生紙危機」熱門話題標籤,以及一張張堆到爆滿的購物車照片,和對此難以理解的官員喊話呼籲冷靜。 The biggest grocery chain, Woolworths Group Ltd, limited sales to four packs a shopper, to keep up stock levels while suppliers ramp up production. 在供應商加速生產的同時,最大連鎖零售商Woolworths集團為了維持存貨量,限制每人最多購買4袋。 Shoppers have swooped on other products also. Costco has put limits on purchases of milk, eggs, rice, disinfectants and soap. 購物者也搶購其他商品。好市多限制牛奶、雞蛋、米、消毒殺菌品和肥皂的購買量。Source article: https://features.ltn.com.tw/english/article/paper/1523717 ; https://features.ltn.com.tw/english/article/paper/1361291?fbclid=IwAR3kVmMFa5gdommS4R4Ftm8HzoQ7DeQzQ5yjoI0jTvkQDeAtMfTFjDfgQCI

Jun 30, 20223 min

Ep 1849每日英語跟讀 Ep.K391: About Italy - 義大利咖啡店被罰與盜賊大卸運鈔車八塊

每日英語跟讀 Ep.K391: About Italy - Italian coffee shop fined $1,050 for failing to display price of espresso An Italian coffee shop owner is in hot water after being fined $1,050 for failing to display the cost of a $2.12 espresso. 義大利一家咖啡店老闆因為未標示一杯2.12美元的濃縮咖啡價格而惹上麻煩,被罰款1050美元。 The owner of the Ditta Artigianale cafe in Florence has been punished by police after a customer reported him at the end of April for not advertising his prices as legally required. 4月底一名顧客檢舉佛羅倫斯Ditta Artigianale咖啡店沒有依照法律要求標示價目後,該店老闆遭警方處罰。 Inspector Leonardo Magnolfi, of Florence local police, told CNN Thursday that a male customer reported the cafe for not displaying the price of the coffee behind the counter - as law dictates. 佛羅倫斯當地警方督察梅諾菲週四向美國有線電視新聞網(CNN)說,一名男性顧客檢舉這家咖啡店,沒有按照法律規定,在櫃台後方公布咖啡的價格。 Police followed up the complaint and fined the shop $1,050 after verifying that the price was indeed absent. 警方針對這起投訴採取行動,在確認店家確實沒有出示價目表後,對這家商店開罰1050美元。 Next Article Thieves use mechanical diggers to tear open Italian security van 盜賊用機械挖土機把義大利運鈔車大卸八塊 Thieves used mechanical diggers on Wednesday to prise open an armored van on a highway in southern Italy and made off with more than 2 million euros in cash, police said. 警方說,小偷週三利用機械挖土機,在義大利南部公路上撬開一輛運鈔車,帶著超過200萬歐元現金逃離。 The blue security van had left the city of Bari and was carrying pensions to be distributed in post offices in nearby Matera when it was blocked on the road by two lorries. 這輛藍色運鈔車從巴里市出發,在路上被兩輛貨車圍堵時,運著附近馬泰拉市各郵局有待發放的退休金。 Two diggers then tore open the vehicle, using their mechanical arms like can openers to gain access to the cash. 兩台挖土機接著用它們宛如開罐器的機器手臂,把那輛車大卸八塊,以拿取那些現金。 The lorries were then set ablaze as the hooded thieves escaped with their loot in a waiting car. The three guards in the van were unharmed. 蒙面盜賊對貨車縱火後,帶著掠奪的物品搭上接應車潛逃。那台運鈔車的3名保全並未受傷。Source article: https://features.ltn.com.tw/english/article/paper/1524281 ; https://news.ltn.com.tw/news/world/paper/1259107

Jun 29, 20222 min

Ep 1851精選詞彙播客 Vocab Ep.125: 夏天到了小島小鎮還可以躲哪裡 Smallest and most secluded places

Summary: Summer is all about travel. With current travel policies, most people would opt to travel domestically and stay away from the crowds. What are the real secluded places in Taiwan that's good for a holiday? Where would you like to go this summer? Let us know in the comments below ! Vocabulary: Secluded adj. 偏僻/隱密 Chang-bin is a selcuded township in Taidong that is great for a holiday. 長濱是個適合渡假的偏僻台東鄉鎮。 Quarantine policy n. 隔離政策 All arrivals in Taiwan must follow the new 3+4 quarantine policy. 台灣入境人士必須遵守隔離政策。 Omakase n. 無菜單/主廚配的料理 (日) While on vacation, Angel would order omakase to enjoy local cuisine. 當Angel度假時,她都點Omakase來享受當地美食。 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]

Jun 28, 202226 min

Ep 1848每日英語跟讀 Ep.K390: 好萊塢最後的真正巨星

每日英語跟讀 Ep.K390: Hollywood’s Last Real Movie Star The helicopter had the star’s name painted on it, the letters coming into focus as it landed on the retired aircraft carrier, which was adorned for the occasion with an expansive red carpet and a smattering of fighter jets. Tom Cruise. Top Gun. Maverick. 直升機上漆有這位明星的名字,當它降落在舖有寬闊紅地毯及數架戰機停放的退役航空母艦上時,湯姆克魯斯。捍衛戰士。獨行俠。幾個大字映入眼簾。 It couldn’t have been anyone else. 就是他,不作第二人想。 Decked out in a slim-fitting suit, his hair a little shaggier and his face a little craggier than when he first played Lt. Pete “Maverick” Mitchell more than three decades ago, Cruise took the stage on the USS Midway while Harold Faltermeyer’s iconic theme music played in the background. 比起30多年前首次扮演彼得「獨行俠」米契爾上尉,阿湯哥的頭髮更厚長,臉上皺紋也更多。在哈洛德.佛特邁爾的經典音樂中,穿著合身西裝的阿湯哥登上航空母艦「中途島」號的舞台。 Gesturing to the spectacle around him, including the crowd of fans and media members, Cruise said: “This moment right here, to see everybody at this time, no masks. Everyone. This is, this is pretty epic.” 阿湯哥指著周圍的盛大場面,包括大群粉絲和媒體記者說:「此時此刻,在這看到所有人都沒戴口罩。每個人。這真是太好了。」 It also felt like a time capsule. The three-hour promotional escapade — which included a batch of F-18 fighter jets executing a flyover to the sound of a Lady Gaga song from the film — harkened back to the halcyon days of Hollywood glamour. Days when Disney didn’t think twice about shuttling an aircraft carrier from San Diego to Hawaii for the premiere of Michael Bay’s “Pearl Harbor” in 2001. That kind of extravagance seems almost unthinkable today, when the streaming algorithm and its accompanying digital marketing efforts have replaced the old-fashioned boots-on-the-ground publicity tour with stars circumnavigating the globe, and studios spending millions to turn movie openings into cultural events. 這也讓人感覺像是個時間膠囊。這場長達3小時的宣傳活動,包括一批F-18戰機伴著電影中「女神卡卡」唱的歌曲飛越上空,讓人回想起好萊塢的美好輝煌歲月。2001年,為了麥可貝的《珍珠港》首映會,迪士尼毫不猶豫地從聖地牙哥安排一艘航空母艦前往夏威夷。這種大手筆在今天看來幾乎無法想像,串流媒體演算法及其隨之而來的數位行銷活動,已取代了老式的明星周遊列國親身宣傳,以及製片公司花數百萬美元將電影首映變成文化活動。 Making these events go were the film’s megastars. They are the kind of stars who no longer really exist. Now, it’s the characters that count. Three actors have portrayed Spider-Man and six have donned the Batman cowl for the big screen. Audiences have shown up for all of them. The Avengers may unite to huge box office returns but how much does it matter who’s wearing the tights? 促成這些活動的是主演電影的天王巨星,不復存在的巨星。現在,重要的是角色。演過蜘蛛人的有三人,六名演員曾在大銀幕上披上蝙蝠俠的蒙頭斗篷。觀眾為了他們進電影院。《復仇者聯盟》也許合力帶來巨大的票房營收,但穿上緊身衣的是誰又有多大的差別呢? Yet there is Cruise, trundling along as if the world hasn’t changed at all. He’s the last remaining global star who still only makes movies for movie theaters. He hasn’t ventured into streaming. 然而,阿湯哥還在,緩緩走來,彷彿世界一點都沒有改變。他是專為電影院拍攝電影,碩果僅存,尚未涉足串流媒體的國際巨星。 There is a moment in “Top Gun: Maverick” where Ed Harris, playing Maverick’s superior, tells him, “The end is inevitable. Your kind is headed to extinction.” 《捍衛戰士:獨行俠》中有一幕,扮演獨行俠上司的艾德哈里斯告訴他:「結局無可避免。你們這類飛官遲早會被淘汰。」 And Cruise, still holding on to that brash self-confidence that made him a movie star four decades ago, grins at him and replies, “Maybe so, sir. But not today.” 依然保持40年前讓自己成為電影明星那種傲慢自信的阿湯哥,露齒而笑:「也許是,長官,但不是今天。」 There are plenty of people in the movie industry who hope he’s right. 電影業有很多人希望他是對的。Source article: https://udn.com/news/story/6904/6346289

Jun 27, 20224 min

Ep 1847每日英語跟讀 Ep.K389: 谷歌員工稱AI有感情被停職

每日英語跟讀 Ep.K389: Google has more pressing AI problems than ‘sentient’ bots A Google software engineer was suspended after going public with his claims of encountering “sentient” artificial intelligence on the company’s servers — spurring a debate about how and whether AI can achieve consciousness. Researchers say it’s an unfortunate distraction from more pressing issues in the industry. 谷歌一名軟體工程師遭停職主要是因為聲稱他在公司伺服器上遇到「有感情」的人工智慧──這引起了熱議,到底人工智慧如何及是否能夠有意識。研究人員說,很不幸這分散了對人工智慧中更迫切問題的注意。 The engineer, Blake Lemoine, said he believed that Google’s AI chatbot was capable of expressing human emotion, and that the company would need to address the resulting ethical ramifications. Google put him on leave for sharing confidential information and said his concerns had no basis in fact — a view widely held in the AI community. What’s more important, researchers say, is addressing issues like whether AI can engender real-world harm and prejudice, whether actual humans are exploited in the training of AI, and how the major technology companies act as gatekeepers of the development of the tech. 工程師布萊克‧勒莫因説,他相信谷歌的人工智慧聊天機器人能夠表達人類的情感,谷歌需要解決由此產生的道德後果。谷歌命令布萊克休假,理由是他分享了機密資訊,並表示他的擔憂其實並無根,是現在人工智慧業界之普遍觀點。研究人員說,更重要的是解決人工智慧是否會在現實世界中造成傷害與偏見、訓練人工智慧時是否有真人被剝削,以及大型科技公司如何作為技術發展的守門人等問題。 Lemoine’s stance may also make it easier for tech companies to abdicate responsibility for AI-driven decisions, said Emily Bender, a professor of computational linguistics at the University of Washington. “Lots of effort has been put into this sideshow,” she said. “The problem is, the more this technology gets sold as artificial intelligence — let alone something sentient — the more people are willing to go along with AI systems” that can cause real-world harm. 華盛頓大學電腦語言學教授艾蜜莉‧班德說到,勒莫因的立場也可能讓科技公司對人工智慧所做的決策更容易卸責。她說:「這個枝節問題花了大家很多力氣」。「問題是,這項技術被當做人工智慧出售得越多──更不用說是有感情的東西──就有越多人願意接受(這可對現實世界造成傷害的)人工智慧系統」。 Bender pointed to examples in job hiring and grading students, which can carry embedded prejudice depending on what data sets were used to train the AI. If the focus is on the system’s apparent sentience, Bender said, it creates a distance from the AI creators’ direct responsibility for any flaws or biases in the programs. 班德以徵才及學生評分為例,說明這可能帶有嵌入的偏見,要看用於訓練人工智慧的資料集為何。班德說,如果把焦點集中在系統有明顯的感知力,它就會讓人工智慧創建者與程式中任何缺陷或偏見所需負的直接責任脫鉤。 The debate over sentience in robots has been carried out alongside science fiction portrayal in popular culture, in stories and movies with AI romantic partners or AI villains. So the debate had an easy path to the mainstream. “Instead of discussing the harms of these companies,” such as sexism, racism and centralization of power created by these AI systems, everyone “spent the whole weekend discussing sentience,” Timnit Gebru, formerly co-lead of Google’s ethical AI group, said on Twitter. “Derailing mission accomplished.” 關於機器人感知能力的爭論,與流行文化中的科幻小說、故事及電影對AI情人或AI惡棍的描繪並行。因而論辨很容易成為主流 ,「而沒有討論這些公司的危害」,例如這些人工智慧系統所造成的性別歧視、種族主義和權力集中,每個人「整個週末都在討論感知」,前谷歌人工智慧倫理小組聯合負責人蒂姆尼特‧蓋布魯在推特上說道,「轉移注意力的任務完成」。 Putting an emphasis on AI sentience would have given Google the leeway to blame the issue on the intelligent AI making such a decision, Bender said. “The company could say, ‘Oh, the software made a mistake,’” she said. “Well no, your company created that software. You are accountable for that mistake. And the discourse about sentience muddies that in bad ways.” 班德說,將重點放在 AI 感知上會讓谷歌有迴旋餘地,將問題歸咎於智慧AI做出此決定。「公司可能會說,『喔,是軟體出錯了』」,她說。「嗯,不對,你的公司創建了那個軟體。你要為這個錯誤負責。但關於感知的討論很糟糕地讓這一點模糊掉了」。

Jun 26, 20224 min

Ep 1846回顧星期天LBS - 大學相關時事趣聞 All about college

Topic: In Race for Tuition-Free College, New Mexico Stakes a Claim As universities across the United States face steep enrollment declines, New Mexico’s government is embarking on a pioneering experiment to fight that trend: tuition-free higher education for all state residents. 隨著美國各地大學入學人數急劇下滑,新墨西哥州政府正著手進行一項開創性實驗來應對這一趨勢:為全州居民提供免學費高等教育。 After President Joe Biden’s plan for universal free community college failed to gain traction in Congress, New Mexico, one of the nation’s poorest states, has emerged with perhaps the most ambitious plans as states scramble to come up with their own initiatives. 在美國總統拜登的全民免費社區大學計畫未能獲得國會支持後,美國最窮的州之一新墨西哥州提出的計畫,可能是各州爭相提出行動倡議中最具雄心的一個。 A new state law approved in a rare show of bipartisanship allocates almost 1% of the state’s budget toward covering tuition and fees at public colleges and universities, community colleges and tribal colleges. All state residents from new high school graduates to adults enrolling part-time will be eligible regardless of family income. The program is also open to immigrants regardless of their immigration status. 一項新的州法在兩黨罕見合作下通過,將州預算的1%用於支付公立大學、社區大學與部落學院的學費。所有州民,從剛畢業的高中生到參加兼職教育的成人都有資格參加,無論家庭收入。該計畫也向移民開放,無論他們的移民身分如何。 Some legislators and other critics question whether there should have been income caps and whether the state, newly flush with oil and gas revenue, can secure long-term funding to support the program beyond its first year. The legislation, which seeks to treat college as a public resource similar to primary and secondary education, takes effect in July. 一些議員和其他批評人士質疑是否應設所得限制,以及剛獲大量石油與天然氣收入的該州是否能在計畫實施第一年後,獲得長期資金支持。這項立法將於7月生效,旨在將大學視為與中小學教育類似的公共資源。 Although nearly half the states have embraced similar initiatives that seek to cover at least some tuition expenses for some students, New Mexico’s law goes further by covering tuition and fees before other scholarships and sources of financial aid are applied, enabling students to use those other funds for expenses such as lodging, food or child care. 儘管近半的州已採取類似舉措,想幫一些學生支付至少部分學費和雜費,新墨西哥州法律更進一步,在申請其他獎學金和學費補助前,先支付學雜費,讓學生能使用其他資金,支付如住宿、食物或兒童照顧等費用。 “The New Mexico program is very close to ideal,” said Michael Dannenberg, vice president of strategic initiatives and higher education policy at the nonprofit advocacy group Education Reform Now. Considering the state’s income levels and available resources, he added that New Mexico’s program is among the most generous in the country. 非營利倡議組織Education Reform Now策略倡議暨高教政策副總裁丹能貝格說:「新墨西哥的計畫非常貼近理想。」他表示,考量收入水準與可用資源,新墨西哥州的計畫是全美最慷慨的。 Dannenberg emphasized that New Mexico is going beyond what larger, more prosperous states like Washington and Tennessee have already done. Programs in other states often limit tuition assistance to community colleges, exclude some residents because of family income or impose conditions requiring students to work part time. 丹能貝格強調,新墨西哥州正超越華盛頓和田納西這些更大、更繁榮的州所做的事。其他州通常限制對社區大學的學費補助,因家庭收入排除一些州民,或要求學生兼職。Source article: https://udn.com/news/story/6904/6329103 Next Article Topic: Colleges Slash Budgets in the Pandemic,With ‘Nothing Off-Limits’ Ohio Wesleyan University is eliminating 18 majors. The University of Florida’s trustees last month took the first steps toward letting the school furlough faculty. The University of California, Berkeley, has paused admissions to its doctoral programs in anthropology, sociology and art history. 美國俄亥俄衛斯理大學取消了18個科系。佛州大學董事會9月採取初步措施,目標是讓校方有權放教師無薪假。柏克萊加州大學則暫停招收人類學、社會學和藝術史的博士班學生。 As it resurges across the country, the coronavirus is forcing universities large and small to make deep and possibly lasting cuts to close widening budget shortfalls. By one estimate, the pandemic has cost colleges at least $120 billion, with even Harvard University, despite its $41.9 billion endowment, reporting a $10 million deficit that has prompted belt tightening. 由於全美各地新冠肺炎疫情再度惡化,美國各大學不論規模大小,都被迫大砍支出,以彌補逐漸擴大的預算缺口,刪減的支出可能長期都不會恢復。有人估計,疫情至少使美國各大學合計損失1200億美元,就連坐擁419億美元辦學基金的哈佛大學也出現1000萬美元預算赤字,被迫勒緊褲帶。 The persistence of the economic downturn is taking a devastating financial toll, pushing many to lay off or furlough employees, delay graduate admissions and even cut or consolidate core programs like liberal arts departments. 經濟持續疲軟造成極其嚴重的財務災情,迫使許多大學裁員或放無薪假,推遲研究所學生入學,甚至取消或合併文科等核心學程。 The University of South Florida announced last month that its College of Education would become a graduate school only, phasing out undergraduate education degrees to help close a $6.8 million budget gap. In Ohio, the University of Akron, citing the coronavirus, successfully invoked a clause in its collective-bargaining agreement in September to supersede tenure rules and lay off 97 unionized faculty members. 南佛州大學上個月宣布,其教育學院將只留下研究所,分階段取消大學部,以彌補680萬美元的預算缺口。在俄亥俄州,艾克朗大學以疫情為由,在9月成功援用團體協約一項條款取代任期規則,裁掉97名加入工會的教師。 “We haven’t seen a budget crisis like this in a generation,” said Robert Kelchen, a Seton Hall University associate professor of higher education who has been tracking the administrative response to the pandemic. “There’s nothing off-limits at this poi

Jun 25, 202210 min

Ep 184515Mins Live Podcast - 非常好跟非常多還有什麼其他說法Other ways to say “Very good” and “Very Much”

主題: 換句話說系列 – 非常好跟非常多還有什麼其他說法Other ways to say “Very good” and “Very Much” Other ways to say: VERY GOOD Top-notch 頂尖 That restaurant's really top-notch. Great 好棒 You looked great in that outfit. Splendid 優 She is a splendid painter, Terrific 好棒 I feel terrific today. Excellent 優秀/良好 Her car is in excellent condition. Wonderful 美好 We had a wonderful time in Italy last summer. Grand 豐盛/豪華 We've been having a grand time. Other ways to say: VERY MUCH Deeply 深深的 The comment had offended him deeply. Greatly 廣大的 Your support is greatly appreciated. Immensely 龐大的 The visitors had enjoyed the game immensely. A lot 很多 I liked her a lot. Really (spoken) 真的 She really enjoys working with young children. Thoroughly 徹底的 The children thoroughly enjoyed the show. Extremely 極端的 He knows the area extremely well. 分享時間: Tell a personal experience related to very good and very much Pick 4 words and make sentences

Jun 24, 20221h 6m

Ep 1843每日英語跟讀 Ep.K388: 看不見的全球暖化代價

每日英語跟讀 Ep.K388: The Unseen Toll of a Warming World Experts and psychologists are racing to understand how a volatile, unpredictable planet shapes our minds and mental health. In February, a major new study of climate change highlighted the mental health effects for the first time, saying that anxiety and stress from a changing climate were likely to increase in the coming years. 專家和心理學家正加速想要了解,一個劇烈變化且無法預測的星球如何形塑我們的心智和心理健康。在2月,新的一項氣候變遷重要研究首度強調心理健康的影響,它指出變遷中氣候造成的焦慮和壓力未來幾年可能增加。 In addition to those who have lost their homes to floods and megafires, millions have endured record-breaking heat waves. The crisis also hits home in subtle, personal ways — withered gardens, receding lakeshores and quiet walks without the birdsong that once accompanied them. 除了那些在洪水和大火中失去家園的人,還有數百萬人曾經歷破紀錄的熱浪。這個危機也以微小、個人化的方式打擊家庭;枯萎的花園,後退中的湖岸,還有曾經相伴現在卻沒有的鳥鳴的寂寥散步。 To understand what the effects of climate change feel like in America today, we listened to hundreds of people. In cities already confronting the long-term effects of climate change, and in drought-scarred ranches and rangeland, many are trying to cope with the strains of an increasingly precarious future. As temperatures rise, extreme weather events will become more and more common. 為了解今日在美國,氣候變遷的影響是何種光景,我們聽取數百人的想法。在已經對抗氣候變遷長期影響的都市,還有因旱災受害的牧場和放牧地,許多人正嘗試應對一連串益發不穩定的未來。當氣溫上升之際,極端天氣事件將愈來愈常見。 The feelings are complex. 大家的感受相當複雜。 Some people grieve the loss of serene hiking trails that have been engulfed by wildfire smoke while others no longer find the same joy or release from nature. Some are seeking counseling. Others are harnessing their anxiety for change by protesting or working to slow the damage. 有些人對被野火煙霧吞沒的寧靜健行步道消失覺得感傷,也有些人再也找不到在大自然的相同喜悅或放鬆。有些人尋求諮商,也有些人利用自己的焦慮轉為抗議或投入減緩損害工作。 “This is becoming a No. 1 threat to mental health,” said Britt Wray, a Stanford University researcher and author of “Generation Dread,” a forthcoming book about grappling with climate distress. “It can make day-to-day life incredibly hard to go on.” 「這已成為心理健康的頭號威脅」,史丹福大學研究者雷伊說,他在即將出版的新書「憂慮世代」(暫譯)提到處理氣候導致的憂慮,「它可能讓日常生活很難過下去。」 Psychologists and therapists say the distress of a changing climate can cause fleeting anxiety for some people but trigger much darker thoughts for others. In a 2020 survey, more than half of Americans reported feeling anxious about the climate’s effect on their mental health, and more than two-thirds said they were anxious about how climate change would affect the planet. 心理學家和治療師說,氣候變遷的煩惱對一些人可能會造成短暫焦慮,但對其他人可能會刺激出更黑暗的念頭。在2020年一項調查中,超過半數美國人表示,對於氣候變遷影響他們的心理健康感到焦慮,而超過三分之二的人說,他們對氣候變遷會如何影響地球感到憂心。 Young people say they are especially upset. 年輕人說,他們覺得特別不安。 A survey of people 16 to 25 in 10 countries published in The Lancet found that three-quarters were frightened of the future. More than half said humanity was doomed. Some feel betrayed by older generations and leaders. They say they feel angry but helpless as they watch people in power fail to act swiftly. 一項訪問10個國家16至25歲民眾、刊載於「刺胳針」期刊的調查發現,四分之三的人對未來感到驚恐,過半數說人類難逃毀滅。有些人感覺被年長世代和領袖背叛。他們說,眼看著有權力的人未能迅速行動,感到憤怒卻無助。 Almost 40% of young people say they are hesitant about having children. If nature feels this unmoored today, some ask, why bring children into an even grimmer future? 將近40%年輕人說,對於生小孩感到遲疑。有些人問,如果現在的自然如此失序,為何還要把孩子帶到一個更令人憂心的未來?Source article: https://udn.com/news/story/6904/6260390

Jun 23, 20224 min

Ep 1842每日英語跟讀 Ep.K387: 英國人臉辨識技術公司侵犯隱私

每日英語跟讀 Ep.K387: UK watchdog fines facial recognition firm £7.5m over image collection The UK’s data watchdog has fined a facial recognition company £7.5m (about US$9.47 million) for collecting images of people from social media platforms and the web to add to a global database. 英國資料監管機構針對一家人臉辨識公司罰款七百五十萬英鎊,因爲該公司收集社群媒體平台及網路上的人像納入他們私有的全球資料庫。 The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) also ordered US-based Clearview AI to delete the data of UK residents from its systems. Clearview AI has collected more than 20bn images of people’s faces from Facebook, other social media companies and from scouring the Web. 英國的資料保護組織資訊委員會(ICO)下令美國的Clearview AI公司將其公司系統中的英國人民資料刪除。Clearview AI 已由臉書及其他社群媒體公司與網路搜尋中收集了超過兩百億張人臉圖像。 John Edwards, the UK information commissioner, said Clearview’s business model was unacceptable. “Clearview AI Inc has collected multiple images of people all over the world, including in the UK, from a variety of Web sites and social media platforms, creating a database with more than 20bn images,” he said. 英國資訊委員會主管約翰‧愛德華茲表示,Clearview AI的商業模式是令人無法接受的。「Clearview AI公司從各式網站及社群媒體平台收集了包括英國在內的世界各地人們的許多圖像,來創建一個有超過兩百億張圖像的資料庫」,他說。 “The company not only enables identification of those people, but effectively monitors their behavior and offers it as a commercial service. That is unacceptable. That is why we have acted to protect people in the UK by both fining the company and issuing an enforcement notice.” 「該公司不僅可以辨識這些人,還能有效監控其行為並當做將商品來賣。這令人無法接受。這就是為什麼我們採取行動保護英國人民,對公司處以罰款並發出強制執行令」。 Announcing its provisional decision last year, the ICO said Clearview AI’s technology had been offered on a “free trial basis” to UK law enforcement agencies, although that trial has been discontinued. 當ICO在去年宣布禁止時,便表示Clearview AI已提供技術給英國執法機構「免費試用」,雖然該試用已停止。 Clearview AI customers can upload an image of a person to the company’s app, which is then checked against a database. The app then provides a list of images deemed similar to the photo provided by the customer, with a link to the websites where the images came from. Clearview AI的客戶可將人的影像上傳到該公司的應用程式,該程式便會根據資料庫進行檢查,然後提供一個清單,列出與客戶所提供照片相似的影像,以及該影像來源網站之連結。 The ICO said Clearview AI broke UK data protection laws in several ways, including: failing to use information of UK residents in a fair and transparent way; failing to have a lawful reason for collecting that information; and failing to have a process in place to stop the data being retained indefinitely. ICO表示,Clearview AI在許多方面都違反了英國資料保護法,包括:未能以公平和透明的方式使用英國民眾的資訊、沒有收集該資訊的合法理由,以及未能制定流程來防止資料被無限期保留。 Hoan Ton-That, Clearview AI’s chief executive, said: “I am deeply disappointed that the UK Information Commissioner has misinterpreted my technology and intentions … I would welcome the opportunity to engage in conversation with leaders and lawmakers so the true value of this technology, which has proven so essential to law enforcement, can continue to make communities safe.” Clearview AI 執行長表示:「我對英國資訊委員會主管誤解我的技術和意圖深感失望……我希望能有機會與領導人和立法者進行對話,讓他們了解這項技術的真正價值,讓它可以繼續確保社區安全;這技術已證明對執法至關重要」。Source article: https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/lang/archives/2022/05/31/2003779033

Jun 22, 20223 min

Ep 1844精選詞彙播客 Vocab Ep.124: 還記得你人生第一份工作嗎 What was your first job?

Hi hi!昨天伺服器系統當機,John老師這邊也跟著當機了XD,很想念我們Vocab嗎?請在Apple Podcast給我們五星評論與留言鼓勵喔~ Summary: Angel and I share our first jobs. We traced back a couple of good pointers for high school and college students looking to venture into the world. Do you remember your first job? What first job do you want? Let us know in the comments below ! Vocabulary: Side hustle n. 兼職/副業 Angel took up a newspaper route as a side hustle in her high school years. Angel高中時找了一個送報的兼職工作。 Career n. 職涯/職業 Doing part-time jobs can help you figure out what careers you like. 打工兼職工作可以幫助你找出自己喜歡什麼樣的職業。 Inter-personal relationship n. 人際關係 John's opportunities came from his good inter-personal relationships. John的機會都來自他的好的人際關係。 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]

Jun 22, 202236 min

Ep 1841每日英語跟讀 Ep.K386: About UK - 英國廣播公司為標題新聞跑馬燈顯示「曼聯隊是垃圾」而道歉

每日英語跟讀 Ep.K386: About UK - 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 Amateur Fossil Hunters Make Rare Find in U.K. 業餘化石獵人在英國有了罕見發現 Millions of years before the Cotswolds, in western England, became a popular vacation destination, it was a shallow, warm sea, home to a Jurassic marine ecosystem. 在英格蘭西部科茲窩成為熱門度假勝地的數百萬年前,它是一片淺而溫暖的海域,也是侏羅紀海洋生態系的家鄉。 Over 167 million years later, two amateur paleontologists, Neville and Sally Hollingworth, uncovered fossils in a limestone quarry there, the largest find of Jurassic starfish and their relatives ever to be made in Britain. 在1.67億年後,兩名業餘古生物學家內維爾與莎莉.霍林沃斯,在石灰採石場中挖掘出化石,這是在英國發現的最大一批侏羅紀海星及其親屬。 More than 1,000 scientifically significant specimens were unearthed at an undisclosed location during a three-day excavation in June, London’s Natural History Museum said. 倫敦自然歷史博物館表示,在6月的3天挖掘中,於一處未公開地點,出土了超過1000件具有科學意義的標本。 The find by the Hollingworths, a husband-and-wife team, includes three new species and an entire ecosystem of echinoderms. Fossils of such animals are extremely rare because they have fragile skeletons that are not often preserved. 霍林沃斯夫婦團隊發現3個新物種與1個完整的棘皮動物生態系統。這類動物的化石極為罕見,因為牠們具有脆弱的骨骼,很少被保存下來。Source article: https://features.ltn.com.tw/english/article/paper/1519882 ; https://news.ltn.com.tw/news/world/paper/1464064

Jun 20, 20223 min

Ep 1840每日英語跟讀 Ep.K385: 美國國會50年來首次幽浮聽證會

每日英語跟讀 Ep.K385: US Congress dives into UFOs, but no signs of extraterrestrials US Congress held its first hearing in half a century Tuesday last week on unidentified flying objects. And no, there is still no government confirmation of extraterrestrial life. Congress last held a hearing on reports of UFOs — unidentified flying objects synonymous with space aliens — in the 1960s, and even in the realm of fiction, Scully and Mulder of The X-Files seem to have retired. 上週二,美國國會針對不明飛行物舉行了聽證會,這是半世紀以來首次。政府仍未證實外星生命的存在。國會上次就UFO(「不明飛行物」,外星人的代名詞,或音譯為「幽浮」)的報導舉行聽證會是在一九六○年代。甚至在虛構情節的領域,「X檔案」的史卡利與穆德似乎也已退隱。 Testifying before a House Intelligence subcommittee, Pentagon officials did not disclose additional information from their ongoing investigation of hundreds of unexplained sightings in the sky. But they said they had picked a director for a new task force to coordinate data collection efforts on what the government has officially labeled “unidentified aerial phenomena” (UAP). Ronald Moultrie, the undersecretary of defense for intelligence, said the Pentagon was also trying to destigmatize the issue and encourage pilots and other military personnel to report anything unusual they see. “We want to know what’s out there as much as you want to know what’s out there,” Moultrie told lawmakers, adding that he was a fan of science fiction himself. 對於在空中所目擊到數百起無法解釋的事件,五角大廈官員在眾議院情報小組委員會作證時,並未對他們持續進行的調查多加透露。但他們表示,已為一個新的工作小組指派了主管,負責協調政府正式名為「不明空中現象」(unidentified aerial phenomena, UAP)的資料收集工作。負責情報的國防部副部長羅納‧莫特里表示,五角大樓還嘗試將此問題去汙名化,並鼓勵飛行員及其他軍事人員呈報所看到的任何異狀。「我們想知道外面有什麼,就像你們想知道外面有什麼一樣」,莫特里告訴國會議員,並補充說他自己也是科幻小說的粉絲。 Lawmakers from both parties say UFOs are a national security concern. Sightings of what appear to be aircraft flying without discernible means of propulsion have been reported near military bases and coastlines, raising the prospect that witnesses have spotted undiscovered or secret Chinese or Russian technology. 兩黨的議員都表示,不明飛行物是攸關國家安全的問題。在軍事基地與海岸線附近所目擊到、看來像是沒有明顯推進裝置的飛行器,讓其為中國或俄羅斯秘密技術之可能性大為增加。 But the sightings are usually fleeting. Some appear for no more than an instant on camera — and then sometimes end up distorted by the camera lens. The US government is believed to hold additional technical information on the sightings that it has not disclosed publicly. An interim report released by intelligence officials last year counted 144 sightings of aircraft or other devices apparently flying at mysterious speeds or trajectories. In all but one of the sightings investigated, there was too little information for investigators to even broadly characterize the nature of the incident. 但目擊事件通常是稍縱即逝的。有些在相機上出現的時間是一瞬間,然後有時會被鏡頭扭曲。對於這些目擊事件,人們相信美國政府握有未公開揭露的更多技術資料。情報官員去年發布的一份期中報告統計,飛行器或其他裝置明顯以神秘的速度或軌跡飛行,被目擊到一百四十四次。在所有調查的目擊事件中,調查人員所提供的資訊太少,連將該事件的性質大致歸類都無法辦到。 “Finding UAP is harder than you may think,” said Scott Bray, deputy director of naval intelligence, using the acronym for “unidentified aerial phenomena.” Rep. Andre Carson, an Indiana Democrat who chaired the hearing, called on investigators to show they “are willing to follow the facts where they lead.” Rick Crawford, an Arkansas Republican, noted that the investigations were not “about finding alien spacecraft but about delivering dominant intelligence.” 「尋找 UAP 比你想像的要難」,海軍情報局副局長史考特‧布雷表示,他用「UAP」這首字母縮寫來代表「不明空中現象」。主持聽證會的印第安納州民主黨眾議員安德烈‧卡森呼籲調查人員表明他們「願意遵循其所導向的事實」。阿肯色州共和黨眾議員里克‧克勞福指出,調查並不是「為了尋找外星飛船,而是為了提供重要的情報」。Source article: https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/lang/archives/2022/05/24/2003778678

Jun 19, 20224 min

Ep 1839回顧星期天LBS - 旅行相關時事趣聞 All about travel

Topic: About Japan - Asia Welcomes Travelers, but Japan Says, Not Yet In a normal year, this would be peak season for tourism to Japan. But as the cherry blossoms burst into bloom along Kyoto’s ancient, temple-lined alleys and boat tours ply the waters of Tokyo’s flower-lined rivers, Japanese tourists largely have the spectacular display to themselves. 在正常情況的年份,此時正是日本旅遊旺季。但隨著櫻花盛開於古剎林立的京都巷弄,以及遊覽船往返花卉夾道的東京河川的水域,這些盛況大抵上僅限日本的遊客獨享。 The country sealed its borders to most foreign travelers early in the pandemic and has only recently begun to allow a slow drip of students and business people to return. 該國在武漢肺炎疫情大流行之初就對大多數外國旅客封鎖邊境,直到最近才允許留學生與商務客慢慢回流。 Those hoping to visit Japan for fun, shouldn’t hold their breath. Despite the national tourism organization’s wishful thinking, Koichi Wada, the head of Japan’s tourism agency, told parliament last month that“it’s exceedingly difficult to forecast the long-term trends for inbound tourism.” 那些希望能赴日觀光旅遊的人可有得等了。儘管日本國家旅遊局想得很美,日本觀光廳長官和田浩一上個月告訴國會,「很難預測入境觀光的長期趨勢。」 Next Article Topic: Vietnam plans border reopening, includes Taiwanese among list of potential travelers 越南因應疫情暫停國際觀光客到訪已逾一年半,慶和省近日研擬重新恢復國際旅遊,並將台灣旅客視為潛在目標族群。越南知名渡假景點芽莊市就位於慶和省。 Taiwan is on the list of potential countries allowed to send travelers to Vietnam as the nation’s Khanh Hoa Province (慶和省) recently released plans to reopen borders for international travelers. 網路媒體越南快訊(VnExpress)引述越南政府網報導,慶和省(Khanh Hoa)政府昨天向越南文化體育旅遊部遞交兩階段的疫苗護照計畫草案,歡迎外國旅客搭乘包機前來旅遊。 According to VnExpress, Khanh Hoa’s local government submitted a draft of a two-stage vaccine passport program to the Vietnamese Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism (越南文化體育旅遊部) on Oct. 5 hoping to welcome foreign travelers into the region. 第一階段從11月起至年底,外國旅客須搭乘包機抵達,並待在金蘭市(Cam Ranh)的渡假村裡。第二階段則是明年初至明年3月,屆時旅客將能造訪更多景點與芽莊市的渡假村。 The first stage is scheduled to begin near the end of November, and travelers need to take charter flights to the country and stay at the resort at Cam Ranh (金蘭市), the proposal stated. The second stage is planned to start from January to March 2022, during which visitors will be able to visit more attractions and resorts in Nha Trang (芽莊市). 慶和省將鎖定來自COVID-19(2019冠狀病毒疾病)疫情防範得宜且疫苗施打率高的國家與地區的旅客,例如中國、日本、韓國、台灣、俄羅斯、澳洲、法國、德國以及部分北美國家。 Khanh Hoa Province currently welcomes travelers from countries whose COVID-19 situation has been successfully controlled and have a high vaccination rate for its population. As of Tuesday, countries that fit both categories according to the local government include China, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Russia, Australia, France, Germany, and some areas in North America. 旅客必須要持有完整的疫苗接種證書,且所施打的疫苗廠牌必須獲越南核可。 Travelers need to show vaccination proof and the vaccine manufacturers need to be recognized by the Vietnamese government. 目前越南共計核准8款疫苗緊急使用,包括阿斯特捷利康(AstraZeneca,AZ)、嬌生(Johnson & Johnson)、莫德納(Moderna)、輝瑞BNT(Pfizer-BioNTech)、俄羅斯衛星-V(Sputnik V)、中國國藥(Sinopharm)、Hayat-Vax、阿布達拉(Abdala)。 As of press time, Vietnam has authorized 8 types of vaccines, including AstraZeneca (AZ), Johnson & Johnson, Moderna, Pfizer-BioNTech, Sputnik V, Sinopharm, Hayat-Vax and Abdala. Source article: https://chinapost.nownews.com/20211008-2813742 Next Article Topic: Airlines targeting post-pandemic ‘revenge travel’ The blow caused to the airline industry by the COVID-19 pandemic has been especially felt by budget airlines, which mostly operate narrow-bodied passenger jets and have therefore been unable to develop a sideline in air freight during the pandemic. According to one academic’s analysis, when the outbreak stabilizes, businesses are targeting a trend in so-called “revenge travel.” However, she also hopes that, rather than the pre-pandemic price wars between budget airlines, the consolidation that has taken place during the pandemic will restore healthy competition in the industry. 疫情衝擊航空界,其中廉航受限於機隊多為窄體客機,無法發展貨運,受疫情衝擊更大。學者分析,業者瞄準疫情穩定後的「報復性出遊」,但也希望疫情前廉航削價競爭的情況,能因疫情重整,回歸良性競爭。 According to associate professor Melody Dai of National Cheng Kung University’s Department of Transportation and Communication Management Science, costs per flight have not changed during the pandemic, but if carriers are required to implement social-distancing seating plans, leaving empty seats between passengers, this would eat into airlines’ profit margins, causing a fresh headache for the industry. Dai says she hopes that budget airlines will manage to survive, since they help stimulate Taiwan’s domestic tourism sector as well as the wider economy. 成大交通管理學系副教授戴佐敏說,每航班成本不變、但座位未來若須採間隔座導致收入減少,確實是疫後的難題,希望廉航仍有生存空間,對促進觀光與經濟有正面幫助。 Dai says that choosing to operate flights during the pandemic is a test of airlines’ ability to sustain losses, but the crisis may also prove to be a turnaround for the industry. Dai says there are many variables to the pandemic. She says that once the outbreak stabilizes, if the demand for “revenge travel” exceeds supply, this could resolve the pre-pandemic situation of supply exceeding demand, which led to price wars among budget airlines. The consolidat

Jun 18, 20226 min

Ep 183815Mins Live Podcast - 跟讀挑戰 – 炎上脫口秀 與 無酒精啤酒 Comedy roast and non-alcoholic beer

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 – 炎上脫口秀 與 無酒精啤酒 Comedy roast and non-alcoholic beer Comedy Roast A roast is a form of humor in which a specific individual, a guest of honor, is subjected to jokes at their expense, intended to amuse the event's wider audience. Such events are intended to honor a specific individual in a unique way. The implication is that the roastee is able to take the jokes in good humor and not as serious criticism or insult. The party and presentation itself are both referred to as a "roast". The host of the event is called the "roastmaster". Anyone who is mocked in such a way is said to have been "roasted". 炎上喜劇 炎上是一種幽默形式,其中特定個人,即榮譽嘉賓,以犧牲他們為代價受到笑話的影響,旨在娛樂活動更廣泛的受眾。此類活動旨在以獨特的方式尊重特定個人。這意味著被炎上者能夠以良好的幽默感接受笑話,而不是嚴肅的批評或侮辱。派對和演示本身都被稱為“炎上”。活動的主持人被稱為“炎上大師”。任何以這種方式被嘲笑的人都被稱為「烤」。 Non-alcoholic Beer Low-alcohol beer is also known as light beer, non-alcoholic beer, small beer, small ale, or near-beer. Low-alcoholic brews such as small beer date back at least to medieval Europe, where they served as a less risky alternative to water and were less expensive than the full strength brews used at festivals. Positive features of non-alcoholic brews include the ability to drive after consuming several drinks, the reduction in alcohol-related illness, and less severe hangover symptoms.Low-alcohol and alcohol-free beers are usually lower in calories than equivalent full-strength beers. 無酒精啤酒 低酒精啤酒也被稱為淡啤酒,無酒精啤酒,小啤酒,小啤酒或近啤酒。低酒精度的啤酒,如小啤酒,至少可以追溯到中世紀的歐洲,在那裡它們是水的風險較小的替代品,並且比節日中使用的全濃度啤酒便宜。 非酒精啤酒的積極特徵包括飲用幾種飲料後開車的能力,酒精相關疾病的減少以及不太嚴重的宿醉癥狀。低酒精和無酒精啤酒的卡路里通常低於同等的全強度啤酒。

Jun 17, 20221h 9m

Ep 1836每日英語跟讀 Ep.K384: 嚴防光害!合歡山暗空公園停車三分鐘未熄燈罰一千

每日英語跟讀 Ep.K384: Lights out for darker skies at Hehuanshan Hehuanshan, which is more than 3,000m above sea level, has excellent conditions for gazing stars and the Milky Way. In 2019, it was certified by the International Dark-Sky Association (IDA) and became the first internationally-recognized dark-sky park in Taiwan. 海拔三千多公尺的合歡山,是觀賞星空、銀河的絕佳環境,二○一九年獲得國際暗空協會(IDA)認證,成為台灣首座國際暗空公園。 There are only three IDA-certified dark-sky parks in Asia so far: Taiwan’s Hehuanshan, Iriomote-Ishigaki National Park in Okinawa, Japan, and South Korea’s Yeongyang Firefly Park. 目前在亞洲地區,僅有台灣合歡山、沖繩西表石垣國立公園、韓國英陽郡螢火蟲生態公園等三處通過國際暗空協會的認證,拿到「暗黑公園」之認可。 To protect the night sky resource and maintain a safe environment for facilities and personnel in the park, Nantou County Government Department of Tourism has drawn up the Nantou County Hehuanshan Dark-Sky Park Management and Autonomy Regulations. The regulations are expected to take effect after a review by Nantou County Council scheduled for later this month, and following approval by the Ministry of Transportation and Communications. 南投縣政府觀光處為保護星空資源,並維護公園內環境設施及人員安全,制定「南投縣合歡山暗空公園管理自治條例」,預計在本月的議會審議通過,報請交通部核定後即可公布實施。 According to the eight-article regulations, the scope of the dark-sky park, which is defined in Article 2, starts at the 22.1km mark along Provincial Highway 14 (2km further along the highway from Yuanfeng Parking Lot), ends at the 27.5km mark, and extends 500m either side of the median line of the road. 「南投縣合歡山暗空公園管理自治條例」共有八條,第二條界定暗空公園範圍為台14甲線22.1公里處(鳶峰停車場以下兩公里)至台14甲線27.5公里處,以道路中心向兩側延伸五百公尺。 Article 5 of the Regulation stipulates that inside the dark-sky park, all external light from vehicles should be turned off within 3 minutes after parking, except for in cases of disaster relief or other emergencies. The luminous flux of portable lighting is limited to 500 lumens or under, must have a color temperature no higher than 3000K, and the irradiation angle should not be higher than the horizontal line of the light source. The use of a star pointer pen is limited to educational purposes, and must have a power rating not higher than 30 mW. Violations of the above regulations may be punished with a fine up to NT$1,000, and may be levied on a case-by-case basis. 自治條例第五條也明訂車輛在暗空公園停妥後三分鐘內應關閉對外所有光源,但涉及救災或其他緊急情況者,不在此限;使用可攜式照明之光通量限500流明以下、色溫3000K以下、照射角度不得高於光源水平線;指星筆限教學目的,並應使用30毫瓦以下之低功率類型。違反以上規定者可處一千元以下罰鍰,並得按次處罰。 In addition, Article 6 regulates the prohibition of campfires, picnics, camping, setting up tents, making noise, irregular parking, setting up stalls, operating aerial photography equipment, peddlers or engaging in performance activities in the park. 此外,第六條則規範禁止在園區有營火、野炊、露營、搭設棚帳、製造噪音及任意停車、設立攤位、操作空拍機、流動兜售或從事展演活動等行為。Source article: https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/lang/archives/2022/06/07/2003779454

Jun 16, 20224 min

Ep 1835每日英語跟讀 Ep.K383: About Spain - 潛水夫救了受困的鯨魚與工程師從稀薄空氣中取水

每日英語跟讀 Ep.K383: About Spain - ’Best birthday present ever!’ says Spanish diver after saving trapped whale In a gripping underwater rescue, Spanish divers have freed a 12-metre long humpback whale entangled in an illegal drift net off the Balearic island of Mallorca. 在一起扣人心弦的水下營救中,西班牙潛水夫在巴利亞利的馬約卡島外海釋放了一隻纏繞在非法流刺網中的12公尺長的座頭鯨。 One of the divers, 32-year-old marine biologist Gigi Torras, said last Friday’s rescue and a little gesture of appreciation from the giant mammal were also a birthday present for her - the ’best ever’ in her words. 其中一名潛水夫,32歲的海洋生物學家吉吉.托利斯說,上週五的營救和來自這隻巨大哺乳類的一些謝意表現,也是給她的生日禮物-用她的話說就是「歷來最棒」。 The weakened whale had been spotted by a ship about three miles off the eastern coast of Mallorca, prompting Palma de Mallorca’s Aquarium marine rescue centre into action. 一艘船隻在馬約卡東岸外海3英里處瞥見這頭衰弱的鯨魚,促使馬約卡島的水族館海洋營救中心投入行動。 After initial attempts to cut the net from a boat failed, divers plunged into the sea to remove the mesh with their knives in a daring 45-minute operation. 在最初從船上切斷漁網的嘗試失敗後,潛水夫潛入海中,在45分鐘的大膽行動中,用他們的刀子移除漁網。 Nicknamed "walls of death" for the quantity of other sea life they catch in addition to the fish they are set for, drift nets were banned by the United Nations 30 years ago. 流刺網有「死亡之牆」的綽號,30年前就遭到聯合國禁用,因為它們除了捕撈目標魚類之外,還能捕撈其他大量海洋生物。 Next Article Spanish engineers extract drinking water from thin air 西班牙工程師從稀薄空氣中取水 A Spanish company has devised a system to extract drinking water from thin air to supply arid regions where people are in desperate need. 一家西班牙公司設計出一套系統,可從稀薄空氣中提取出飲用水,供應乾旱地區民眾急需的用水。 "The goal is to help people," said Enrique Veiga, the 82-year-old engineer who invented the machine during a harsh drought in southern Spain in the 1990s. "The goal is to get to places like refugee camps that don’t have drinking water." 82歲工程師安立奎‧韋加表示:「我的目標就是幫助別人。」他在1990年代西班牙南部大旱期間,發明這部機器,「目標就是供水給難民營這類缺乏飲用水的地方。」 The devices made by his company, Aquaer, are already delivering clean, safe water to communities in Namibia and a Lebanese refugee camp. 他的公司生產名為「Aquaer」的設備,已在納米比亞和黎巴嫩的難民營投入使用,提供潔淨、安全的飲用水。 The machines use electricity to cool air until it condenses into water, harnessing the same effect that causes condensation in air-conditioning units. 這種裝置的運作原理類似冷氣機的冷凝作用,利用電力將空氣降溫,直到凝結成水。Source article: https://features.ltn.com.tw/english/article/paper/1521149 ; https://news.ltn.com.tw/news/world/paper/1467078

Jun 15, 20223 min

Ep 1837精選詞彙播客 Vocab Ep.123: 有人天生愛遲到嗎?Why are people always late?

Summary: 主題參考文章: https://www.bbc.com/reel/playlist/mind-control?vpid=p0br82qr It is interesting why some people can't seem to be on time. We might have it in our natures to procratinate, but as you grow older, you realize it can be about how you view time. Different cultures share different perspectives of time. This episode, Angel and I share some stories about our friends and also the concept of "African Time". How do you view time and punctuality? Leave us a comment or email us! Vocabulary: Punctuality n. 守時 Angel's job as a flight attendant is all about punctuality. Angel的空服員工作的核心就是守時。 Procrastinate v. 拖延 When you procrastinate, you often rush and end up late for appointments or dates. 當你拖延,你常常必須匆匆了事導致約會遲到。 Stickler n. 固執瑣事的人 It is really difficult to be friends with people who are sticklers for punctuality. 很難跟龜毛在守時上的人做朋友。 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]

Jun 14, 202229 min

Ep 1834每日英語跟讀 Ep.K382: 強尼戴普勝訴後感激重獲新生

每日英語跟讀 Ep.K382: Truth never perishes Johnny Depp wins defamation case against Amber Heard The trial of the century between 58-year-old Johnny Depp and 36-year-old Amber Heard has finally come to a close. The court has ruled in favor of Depp. Heard has been ordered to pay Depp US$10.35 million — about NT$ 300.2 million — in damages, while the jury also found in favor of Heard in her counter-suit against Depp and awarded her US$2 million. After winning the case, Depp issued a statement, saying that “the jury gave me my life back.” 五十八歲好萊塢巨星「強哥」強尼戴普和小他二十二歲的前妻安柏赫德互告的「世紀官司」,最後由強哥正式勝訴,安柏須賠償一千零三十五萬美金(約三點零二億台幣),安柏的反訴也獲得兩百萬美金(約台幣五千八百三十八萬元)賠償,強哥也在勝訴後發表聲明,直呼自己「重獲新生」。 The trial has attracted attention from fans worldwide. In the statement, Depp acknowledged the work of the judge, jurors, court staff and sheriffs, and closed his statement with “The best is yet to come and a new chapter has finally begun“ and “Veritas numquam perit. Truth never perishes.” 此次判決引發全世界粉絲關注,強哥不忘感謝法官、陪審團、法院工作人員和治安官的崇高工作,最後堅定表示:「最好的還沒有到來,新的篇章終於開始」,並說「真理永不滅」。 In contrast, Amber Heard, who kept breaking down in court, has been ordered to pay US$10.35 million to Depp. The lawsuit has dealt a huge blow to her acting career, with her roles and scenes having been cut from movies. Her statement on her Instagram account did not garner much attention either. While she has 4.82 million followers, her statement only received 400 thousand likes, in sharp contrast to the attention showered on her ex-husband. 反觀在法庭上屢屢失控的安柏赫德,她敗訴後須賠償一千零三十五萬美金,自己的演藝生涯更將大受打擊,不僅主演的電影被砍戲份,連在IG的聲明也無人問津,雖然她有四百八十二萬粉絲追蹤,該聲明文卻只有四十萬人按讚,對比前夫下場相當悽慘。Source article: https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/lang/archives/2022/06/07/2003779455

Jun 13, 20222 min

Ep 1833每日英語跟讀 Ep.K381: 雖然提前放暑假 NBA超級球隊熱潮不減

每日英語跟讀 Ep.K381: Superteams? More Like Super Flops. The game was over, and the crowd at Barclays Center in New York was chanting “M-V-P.” The fans wore NBA jerseys in all of the team’s colors, and their star raised his arms to acknowledge their praise. 比賽結束,紐約巴克萊中心的人群高呼“M-V-P”。球迷們穿著球隊所有顏色的 NBA 球衣,他們的球星舉起雙臂表示感謝。 But Kyrie Irving was already headed to the locker room. So, too, was Kevin Durant. Ben Simmons wasn’t even in the building. This was not a celebration for the Brooklyn Nets, who play their home games here. It was for the Boston Celtics, for their star Jayson Tatum and for the team that had just accomplished a once-unthinkable feat: a four-game sweep of the Nets in the first round of the playoffs. The Nets superteam the Celtics faced, built around Irving and Durant to win a championship in June, didn’t even make it to May. 但凱里歐文已經前往更衣室了。凱文杜蘭特也是如此。本西蒙斯甚至不在大樓裡。對於在這裡打主場比賽的布魯克林籃網來說,這不是一個慶祝活動。這是為了波士頓賽兒迪克隊,為了他們的球星傑森·塔圖姆,也為了這支剛剛完成了一次不可思議的壯舉的球隊:季后賽首輪四場橫掃籃網隊。 賽兒迪克面對的籃網隊超級球隊,圍繞歐文和杜蘭特打造,在 6 月贏得總冠軍,甚至沒有進入 5 月。 It was a dismal scene to end a season that started with outsize expectations in October. The Nets had three of the best players on the planet, a cast of characters that was the NBA’s version of “Ocean’s Eleven.” Team executives around the league feared them. In fact, in a preseason poll by NBA.com, 72% of the league’s general managers predicted that the Nets would win the title. The Los Angeles Lakers finished second, with 17% of the vote, proving that nobody knew much of anything: The Lakers did not make the playoffs at all. 結束一個在 10 月開始的充滿期望的賽季是一個令人沮喪的場景。籃網隊擁有這個星球上最好的三名球員,他們的角色是 NBA 版的“海洋十一人”。聯盟中的球隊高管都害怕他們。事實上,在 NBA.com 的一項季前賽民意調查中,72% 的聯盟總經理預測籃網隊將贏得總冠軍。洛杉磯湖人隊以 17% 的得票率位居第二,證明沒人知道很多事情:湖人隊不知道完全打進季后賽。 Yet when the season started, there was a big question: What could prevent those two teams from meeting in the NBA Finals? Who else but LeBron James could possibly stop Durant from delivering the Nets their first NBA title? And who besides Durant could impede James’ march to a fifth championship? 然而,當賽季開始時,有一個大問題:什麼會阻止這兩支球隊在總決賽相遇?除了勒布朗詹姆斯,還有誰能阻止杜蘭特送出籃網隊獲得他們的第一個NBA總冠軍?除了杜蘭特,還有誰能阻止詹姆斯向第五個總冠軍進軍? It turned out, plenty would get in their way. 事實證明,有很多事情會阻礙他們。 The Nets and the Lakers failed — spectacularly — at creating successful superteams, although the failures had different roots. For the Nets, it was a mix of the absurd: a star who wouldn’t get vaccinated against the coronavirus; another star who wanted out after forcing his way to the Nets in the first place; a replacement star who didn’t even show up for the elimination game. 網隊和湖人隊在創建成功的超級球隊方面失敗了——儘管失敗的根源不同。對於籃網來說,這是一種荒謬的混合:一個不會接種冠狀病毒疫苗的球星;另一位一開始就被迫進入籃網後想要離開的球星;一個連淘汰賽都沒有出現的替補明星。 For the Lakers, it was pure Hollywood: an aging former All-Star who wanted the ball for himself when his coach wanted him to share; a crew of has-beens hoping for one last hurrah; the A-list star trying to carry the team, but unable to do it the way he had so many times before. Young opponents laughed at them, openly, and reveled in precipitating their demise. 對湖人來說,那是純粹的好萊塢:一位年邁的前全明星球員,當教練想讓他分享球時,他想要自己的球;一群老玩家希望最後一次歡呼; A-list 球星試圖帶隊,但無法像以前那樣做很多次。年輕的對手公開地嘲笑他們,並陶醉於加速他們的滅亡。

Jun 12, 20223 min

Ep 1832回顧星期天LBS - 飲料相關時事趣聞 All about drinks

Topic: Junk food habit affects sleep quality French fries and hamburgers are popular with teenagers. Everyone knows that these high-calorie foods can lead to chronic illnesses such as heart disease and high blood pressure, but, according to a report published by Medical Xpress, a study led by the University of Queensland in Australia has found that eating too much junk food can also have an impact on teenagers’ sleep quality. 薯條、漢堡等速食及飲料很受青少年喜愛。眾所皆知這些高熱量食物會導致慢性疾病,如心臟病和高血壓等。不過,「醫療快訊」報導,澳洲昆士蘭大學帶領的一項研究發現,吃過多的垃圾食品還會影響青少年的睡眠品質。 According to the research results, teenagers who drink more than three soft drinks per day were 55 percent more likely to report sleep disturbance than those who only drink one cup per day. Males who ate fast foods on more than four days per week were 55 percent more likely to report sleep disturbance than those who ate them only once a week, while females were 49 percent more likely to do so. 根據研究結果,每天喝三杯以上飲料的青少年自稱有睡眠障礙的機率,比每天只喝一杯軟飲料的青少年高百分之五十五。每週吃四天以上速食的男性自稱有睡眠障礙的機率,比那些每週只吃一次速食的男性高百分之五十五,而女性的機率高出百分之四十九。 This global study examined unhealthy diets and stress-related sleep disturbance in high school students from 64 countries. The study found that 7.5 percent of adolescents reported having stress-related sleep disturbance, which was more common among females than males and increased with more frequent consumption of carbonated soft drinks, as did the occurrence of sleep problems. Because carbonated drinks often contain caffeine and large amounts of sugar, while fast foods are high in energy but poor in nutrients, long-term consumption can cause nutritional imbalances. 這是一項針對全球不健康飲食和與壓力有關的睡眠障礙研究,涉及來自六十四個國家的高中生。研究表明,百分之七點五的青少年自稱有壓力相關的睡眠障礙,其中女性比男性更常見,且隨著碳酸飲料的頻繁飲用而增加,睡眠障礙的比率也愈高。因為碳酸飲料通常含有咖啡因和高糖分,而快餐食品高熱量但較缺乏營養,長期攝取會營養不均衡。 These data were collected from global health surveys conducted by the WHO between 2009 and 2016, which included about 170,000 students aged 12 to 15 years from 64 low, middle and high-income countries in Southeast Asia, Africa, South America and the eastern Mediterranean. 這些數據收集自二○○九年至二○一六年世界衛生組織的全球健康調查,其中包括來自東南亞、非洲、南美部分地區和地中東海東部地區的六十四個低、中、高收入國家的約十七萬名十二至十五歲的學生。 The research team said that frequent intake of soft drinks and eating of fast foods is closely associated with sleep problems in teenagers, and that this phenomenon is particularly clear in high-income countries. The research team said that these findings are worrying because poor-quality sleep has an adverse impact on adolescent health and cognitive development. They suggested that policies should be formulated that target these unhealthy behaviors. 研究團隊表示,青少年經常喝飲料、吃速食與睡眠障礙之間關聯密切,這現象尤其在高收入國家特別明顯。研究團隊指出,這些發現令人擔憂,因為睡眠品質差會對青少年的健康和認知發展產生不利影響。他們建議應針對這些不健康的行為制定相關政策,使青少年能健康成長。 Source article: https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/lang/archives/2021/01/05/2003749938 Next Article Topic: Philippines store rolls out ingenious face masks for bubble tea lovers 珍珠奶茶在國際舞台上幾乎與台灣劃上等號,在台灣時常能看到人手一杯手搖飲。然而礙於疫情,戴著口罩要喝飲料變得麻煩許多,一間菲律賓飲料店為了解決這個問題,最近推出了一款讓人無需脫口罩就能吸到珍奶的超神口罩。 In recent years, bubble tea has become synonymous with Taiwan among members and friends of the foreign community, and many locals can often be seen drinking hand-shaken beverages wherever they go. With the COVID-19 outbreak and the subsequent requirements of wearing face masks in crowded areas, however, drinking soft drinks has become a bit of a hassle. To solve this problem, a beverage store in the Philippines recently released a new line of face masks that you won’t need to take off to enjoy a sip from your favorite drink. 此店Gallontea將口罩命名為「吸吸罩」(Sippy Mask) ,表面看起來與一般布口罩差不多,但是口罩的嘴巴邊卻有一個小開口,上面附著一個蓋子讓喜愛喝珍奶的人可以邊喝邊防疫。 The “Sippy Mask” released by Gallontea looks like an ordinary cloth face mask, but if you look closely, you’ll find that there is a small opening near the mouth, with a small-cap for bubble-tea lovers to enjoy a safe drink. 店家也特別在官網上表示,只要消費有達1,000披索(約新台幣605.56元)就會贈送此口罩。而雖然口罩預購期已於昨日截止,目前也只在菲律賓販售,然而因為銷量不賴,期望未來有機會進軍台灣;不過大家需特別注意,喝完飲料要再將開口關上,才不會白帶口罩。 On their official Instagram page, Gallontea announced that customers can receive a free face mask with a minimum purchase of 1,000 pesos (US$20.59). Although the pre-order time was only till Aug. 18 and the masks are currently only being sold in the Philippines, with the way it’s selling out, many people have expressed hope that customers will see this ingenious invention on Taiwan racks very soon. However, users of the face masks should be mindful of closing the opening once they’ve taken a sip from the drinks or else the act of wearing face masks would be rendered useless. Source article: https://chinapost.nownews.com/20200819-1696789 Next Article Topic: South Korea bans coffee in schools to curb overconsumption South Korea will introduce a new law tomorrow banning the sale of coffee in primary and secondary schools to prevent students from consuming too much caffeine. This means that nobody, including teachers, will be able to buy caffeinated drinks on campus. The South Korean government hopes the ban will help promote healt

Jun 11, 20226 min

Ep 183115Mins Live Podcast - 氣候相關慣用語 Weather related Idioms

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 Weather the storm 渡過難關 This one can be a little confusing. When we say “weather” in English, we’re usually talking about how hot or cold it is outside, or whether it’s rainy, snowy, windy or sunny. “Weather” can also be a verb (action word), though. This idiom means to survive a difficult challenge. Example Sentence: “Fred is going through a hard time right now, but he’ll weather the storm.” This means that Fred will overcome whatever problems he has. Take a rain check 下次吧,以後再說 Here, a “check” means a “ticket”—similar to a “hat check” or a “coat check” that you’d use to claim your hat or coat after it was hung up for you at a restaurant. A “rain check” would let you claim another chance to do something at a later time. Example Sentence: If you tell someone, “I’ll take a rain check,” It’s another way of saying, “I understand the delay. We’ll do this later.” Chasing rainbows 追求不現實的幻想 Even though rainbows are real, they seem to disappear as you get close to them. If you know someone who’s trying to reach an impossible goal, you can say that they’re “chasing rainbows.” It’s a breeze 小菜一碟 A “breeze” is air that blows lightly and gently. It doesn’t move with force; it moves easily. Example Sentence: “No! It’s a breeze.” In other words, it’s easy! Snowball into (something) 滾雪球 If something in your life “snowballs,” it means that it keeps growing larger. This happens quickly, gaining momentum (energy that keeps increasing). “Snowballing” can be good or bad. Here’s a positive example: “Her first few sales of the new product snowballed into a permanent sales job with the company.” And a negative example: “One late night snowballed into many more late nights, and soon he struggled to get out of bed.” 練習時間: 那個慣用語跟你生活經驗有關,請分享 Think about a situation where you would use the idiom in your life and share it with us.

Jun 10, 20221h 18m

Ep 1829每日英語跟讀 Ep.K379: About Finland - 英國醫院試芬蘭嬰兒箱與北約啤酒

每日英語跟讀 Ep.K379: About Finland - Finnish Baby Boxes: Scandinavian Tradition To Be Trialled In UK Hospital The tradition is credited for decreasing Finland’s infant mortality rate. 芬蘭的嬰兒箱傳統以降低夭折率享譽國際。 A Scandinavian baby trend, that involves expectant mothers being given a ’starter kit’ baby box, is being piloted in the UK. 斯堪地那維亞的育嬰時尚,包括贈予待產母親「新手包」嬰兒箱,已在英國試行。 About 600 women who give birth at the London hospital will be given one of the boxes. 約600名選在倫敦醫院分娩的孕婦可獲贈嬰兒箱。 Since the 1930s, the Finnish government has given mums-to-be a box before they give birth, which contains clothes, sheets, handbooks and toys. 從1930年代開始,芬蘭政府贈予待產媽媽一個箱子,裡面裝有衣物、被單、育兒手冊及玩具。 The box also has a mattress at the bottom, so it can be used as a baby’s cot. 箱底還有鋪墊,可做為嬰兒床。 The tradition is credited with helping to decrease Finland’s infant mortality rate. 這項傳統因有助於降低芬蘭的嬰兒夭折率而馳名。 The country had 65 deaths per 1,000 children born in 1938. This reduced to three deaths per 1,000 births in 2013, according to the World Bank data. 世界銀行資料顯示,芬蘭1938年每1000名嬰兒中有65人夭折。這項數據在2013年降為千分之3。 Publicity in the UK surrounding the Finnish baby boxes spiralled when the government sent one of their boxes to the Duchess of Cambridge when she was pregnant with Prince George. 劍橋公爵夫人(凱特王子妃)身懷喬治王子時,芬蘭政府送給她這種嬰兒箱,因而在英國聲名大噪。 Next Article Topic: 芬蘭釀酒廠推出有「安全感滋味」的北約啤酒 Finland brewery launches NATO beer with ’taste of security’ A small brewery in Finland has launched a NATO-themed beer to mark the Nordic country’s bid to join the Western military alliance. 芬蘭一家小釀酒廠推出北大西洋公約組織(NATO)主題的啤酒,做為這個北歐國家有意加入西方軍事聯盟的紀念。 Olaf Brewing’s OTAN lager features a blue label with a cartoon version of a beer-drinking medieval knight in metal armor emblazoned with NATO’s compass symbol. 奧雷夫釀酒廠的OTAN拉格啤酒的包裝除了有藍色商標外,還有一個穿戴金屬盔甲、喝著啤酒的卡通版中世紀騎士,其胸口處還有北約的指南針標誌。 The beer’s name is a play on the Finnish expression "Otan olutta," which means "I’ll have a beer," and the French abbreviation for NATO, which is "OTAN." The North Atlantic Treaty Organization has two official languages, English and French. 啤酒之名大玩雙關,不僅意味芬蘭語的「我要來杯啤酒」,也意味北約在法語中的縮寫。英語和法語為北約的兩個官方語言。 CEO Petteri Vanttinen described the new lager as having "a taste of security, with a hint of freedom."

Jun 9, 20223 min