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通勤學英語 15Mins Today

通勤學英語 15Mins Today

1,268 episodes — Page 24 of 26

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

Ep 1828每日英語跟讀 Ep.K379: About Taiwan- 捍衛戰士2再現中華民國國旗與福隆沙雕藝術季

每日英語跟讀 Ep.K379: About Taiwan- Taiwanese flag on Tom Cruise’s bomber jacket in Top Gun: Maverick It has been 36 years since Tom Cruise’s high-flying blockbuster Top Gun graced our screens, and its long-awaited sequel Top Gun: Maverick is now playing in theaters. However, when the trailer of the sequel was released three years ago, the Taiwanese flag patch stitched on the bomber jacket that Cruise’s character wore was removed, but has now been restored for the theatrical release of the film. 好萊塢男星湯姆克魯斯主演的電影「捍衛戰士」續集,睽違三十六年回歸,但三年前電影預告首次釋出時,湯姆克魯斯飛行外套上的中華民國國旗一度被消失,沒想到正片竟被保留。 Last Monday, a test screening of Top Gun: Maverick was held in Taiwan. There was loud cheer and applause from the moviegoers when they spotted the blue-sky-with-white-sun Taiwanese flag back on Cruise’s jacket. 「捍衛戰士:獨行俠」上週一舉辦台灣媒體試片,「阿湯哥」湯姆克魯斯穿著的飛行員夾克上出現青天白日滿地紅「中華民國國旗」時,引起滿堂喝采。 The iconic jacket made its first appearance in the 1986 original, Top Gun. It was made to commemorate the US navy cruiser USS Galveston’s operation in the Far East off Japan and Taiwan from 1963 to 1964. Therefore, on the back of the leather jacket, there were patches of Taiwanese, Japanese, and American flags, along with the United Nations’ emblem. 阿湯哥穿著的這件經典外套,在一九八六年電影「捍衛戰士」首集就曾出現,是紀念美軍巡洋艦加爾維斯敦號一九六三到一九六四年遠東巡弋任務,由於行經日本、台灣等國家,繡有中華民國、日本、美國國旗與聯合國旗幟。 Back in 2019, the sequel trailer stirred up a controversy when viewers noticed the Taiwanese flag scrubbed from Cruise’s jacket, while the American and the United Nations’ flags remained intact. This led former US secretary of state Mike Pompeo to urge Hollywood to stop bowing to Chinese censorship in exchange for its market. 不過三年前,續集「捍衛戰士:獨行俠」預告釋出時,阿湯哥外套上的中華民國國旗一度「被消失」,只剩下美國國旗與聯合國旗幟的圖案,引發熱議,前美國國務卿蓬佩奧當時更呼籲好萊塢應挺直腰桿,不要為了票房屈服於中國審查。 Next Article Topic: 福隆沙雕藝術季開展Fulong sand sculpture festival starts tomorrow The Fullon Hotel Fulong has announced that this year’s Fulong International Sand Sculpture Art Festival will take place from tomorrow until Oct. 10 at the Fulong Beach Resort in New Taipei City’s Gongliao District. 福容大飯店宣布,今年的福隆國際沙雕藝術季將從名天開始到十月十日在新北市貢寮區的福隆海水浴場開展。 This year’s sand sculpture festival has joined hands with Taiwan’s classic Pili budaixi glove puppet theater to create 36 sand sculptures that depict more than 30 popular characters from the Pili puppet shows. The centerpiece is an 8 meter-high sculpture of one of the main characters, Su Huan-chen, displaying his martial skills. Transforming into three different styles on the beach, he will defeat his greatest foes. 今年沙雕展聯名本土經典霹靂布袋戲,打造三十六座沙雕作品,呈現超過三十名霹靂布袋戲人氣角色,其中主雕作品為高八公尺的「素還真」展現神技,在沙雕上化身三種不同造型,打敗最大反派。 In coordination with the Fulong sand sculpture festival, the Northeast and Yilan Coast National Scenic Area Administration will be holding the Fulong Beach Life Festival every weekend from June to October, including beach concerts, markets and delicious food, while also giving visitors an opportunity to try their hand at making sand sculptures. 配合福隆沙雕季,東北角暨宜蘭海岸國家風景區管理處將在六月至十月每週末舉辦福隆沙灘生活節,現場將有沙灘音樂會、市集、美食,還提供民眾親手體驗製作沙雕。Source article: https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/lang/archives/2022/05/25/2003778747; https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/lang/archives/2022/05/31/2003779032

Jun 8, 20223 min

Ep 1830精選詞彙播客 Vocab Ep.122: 為何女性玩家那麼少?Where are all the female gamers?

Summary: 主題參考文章: https://www.bbc.com/reel/playlist/female-innovators?vpid=p09v5xk8 As the professional gaming is growing in popularity, a new career path emerges. Casual gaming as a form of entertainment is now being built into a multi-billion dollar economy. Gone are the days where games are only for kids and leisure. In this episode, Angel and I talk about what it's like to be a gamer and why are there so few female gamers. Leave us a comment and tell us what games you play! Vocabulary: eSports n. 電子競技 eSports in the world, has become a multi-billion dollar industry. 電子競技現在是個全球總額億萬的產業。 Casual gamer n. 休閒玩家 Angel and I are casual gamers who occasionally play games to kill time. Angel與我都是偶而玩遊戲消磨時間的休閒玩家。 Trash talk n. 垃圾話 In competitive sports, players trash talk each other. 在競技性運動裡,運動員常常都互噴垃圾話。 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 7, 202229 min

Ep 1827每日英語跟讀 Ep.K378: 新墨西哥州提供州民免費讀大學

每日英語跟讀 Ep.K378: 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

Jun 6, 20223 min

Ep 1826每日英語跟讀 Ep.K377: 空汙可以讓颶風變多或變少

每日英語跟讀 Ep.K377: Research Ties Aerosol Levels To Frequency Of Hurricanes Global warming can affect hurricanes, in part because a warmer ocean provides more energy to fuel them. But it is not the only factor in play: A study confirms that, for the frequency of hurricanes, the effects of particulate air pollution are even greater. 全球暖化能影響颶風,部分是因為更溫暖的海水提供更多能量促進颶風形成。不過這不是唯一起作用的因素:一份研究證實,就颶風頻率而言,微粒空氣汙染的效應甚至更大。 Over the past four decades, the new research shows, the decline in pollution in the form of tiny aerosol particles from transportation, energy production and industry in North America and Europe was responsible for the increased numbers of hurricanes and other tropical cyclones in the North Atlantic. 這份新研究顯示,過去四十年,北美和歐洲源自運輸、發電與工業並以迷你氣膠粒子形式呈現的汙染減少,是北大西洋颶風和其他熱帶氣旋數量增加的原因。 Over the same period, increasing pollution from the growing economies of India and China had the opposite effect, reducing hurricane activity in the western North Pacific, the study found. 研究顯示,同一期間,崛起經濟體印度和中國大陸日漸嚴重的汙染,起了相反作用,使北太平洋西部颶風活動減少。 A growing body of research has shown links between tropical cyclones and global warming. 愈來愈多研究顯示,熱帶氣旋與全球暖化有關。 The new study looked at the numbers, not the strength, of these kinds of storms. Its author, Hiroyuki Murakami, said it shows that reducing or increasing anthropogenic aerosols “is the most important component” affecting frequency. 這份新研究關注這幾種風暴的數量而非強度。作者村上裕之說,研究顯示,人類活動引起的氣膠減少或增加,是影響颶風頻率「最重要的部分」。 In recent decades, aerosol pollution has declined, perhaps by as much as 50%, in North America and Europe as a result of laws and regulations that reduce emissions from sources like vehicles and power plants. Hurricane seasons in the North Atlantic over roughly the same period have been more active, with a greater number of storms, than in previous decades. 最近幾十年,北美和歐洲氣膠汙染減少,可能少了一半之多,原因是法律及規範減少了車輛與電廠等來源的排放。大約同一時期的北大西洋颶風季比先前數十年更活躍,生成更多風暴。 In the North Atlantic, Murakami found, the decline in aerosols led to warming that had two effects on tropical cyclones. First, less pollution resulted in more ocean warming, which meant there was more energy for storms to form. 村上發現,在北大西洋,氣膠減少引起暖化,對熱帶氣旋產生兩個效應。其一,汙染變少致海水更暖,意味有更多能量可供風暴形成。 The pollution decline led to warming of the land as well, and the combined warming affected atmospheric circulation, weakening winds in the upper atmosphere. That in turn led to less wind shear, the changes in wind speed and direction that can affect how cyclonic storms develop. Less wind shear meant that storms formed more readily. 汙染減少也使陸地變暖,而兩種暖化結合影響了大氣環流,削弱高層大氣的風,因此使風切變弱。風切就是能影響氣旋風暴如何發展的風速和風向。風切減弱意味風暴形成更迅速。 Murakami’s simulations showed a different mechanism at work in the Pacific. There, he found, increasing aerosol pollution, largely from China and India, led to cooling of the land surface. This reduced the temperature difference between the land and ocean, weakening the monsoonal winds that develop there. That, in turn, led to fewer tropical cyclones, including typhoons, the Pacific equivalent of hurricanes. 村上的模擬顯示,在太平洋有一種不同的機制在運作。他發現,主要來自大陸和印度日漸增加的氣膠汙染,使地表降溫。這減少了陸地與海洋的溫差,削弱了在當地發展的季風,因此導致熱帶氣旋變少,包括在太平洋地區等同於颶風的颱風。Source article: https://udn.com/news/story/6904/6329093

Jun 5, 20223 min

Ep 1825回顧星期天LBS - 水果相關時事趣聞 All about fruits

Topic: France bans plastic packaging for fruit and veg A law banning plastic packaging for large numbers of fruits and vegetables has come into force in France as of New Year’s Day, to end what the government has called the “aberration” of overwrapped carrots, apples and bananas, as environmental campaigners and exasperated shoppers urged other countries to do the same. 法國一項於元旦生效的法律,禁止多種水果及蔬菜以塑膠包裝,讓政府所說的胡蘿蔔、蘋果與香蕉過度包裝的「脫軌現象」畫下句點。環保人士與惱怒的顧客也敦促其他國家採取同樣的措施。 Emmanuel Macron has called the ban on plastic packaging of fresh produce “a real revolution” and said France was taking the lead globally with its law to gradually phase out all single-use plastics by 2040. 法國總統艾曼紐‧馬克宏將生鮮蔬果的塑膠包裝禁令稱為「一場真正的革命」,他說法國領先全球制定了法律,要在二○四○年前逐步淘汰所有的一次性塑膠。 Spain will introduce a ban on plastic packaging of fruit and vegetables from 2023. For years, international campaigners have said unnecessary plastic packaging is causing environmental damage and pollution at sea. 西班牙將從二○二三年起,禁止使用塑膠包裝水果及蔬菜。國際倡議人士多年來不斷表示,不必要的塑膠包裝正造成環境破壞及海洋污染。 From New Year’s Day, France bans supermarkets and other shops from selling cucumbers wrapped in plastic, and peppers, courgettes, aubergines and leeks in plastic packaging. A total of 30 types of fruit and vegetables are banned from having any plastic wrapping, including bananas, pears, lemons, oranges and kiwis. 法國自元旦起禁止超市等商店銷售以塑膠包裹的黃瓜,以及用塑膠包裝的甜椒、櫛瓜、茄子與韭蔥。禁止使用任何塑膠包裝的共有三十種水果及蔬菜,包括香蕉、梨子、檸檬、柳橙與奇異果。 Packs over 1.5kg are exempt, as well as chopped or processed fruit. Some varieties, including cherry tomatoes or soft fruits such as raspberries and blueberries, are given longer for producers to find alternatives to plastic, but plastic packaging will be gradually phased out for all whole fruits and vegetables by 2026. 一點五公斤裝以上的蔬果,以及切成小塊或加工過的水果,則不受此限塑令規範。一些品種,包括櫻桃番茄,或是軟水果例如覆盆子及藍莓,其生產商可有較多的時間尋找塑膠替代品,但到了二○二六年,所有水果及蔬菜的塑膠包裝都將逐步淘汰。 With an estimated 37 percent of fruit and vegetables sold wrapped in plastic packaging in France in 2021, the government believes the ban will cut more than 1bn items of single-use plastic packaging a year. The environment ministry said there must be curbs on the “outrageous amount of single-use plastic in our daily lives.” 二○二一年在法國販售的水果及蔬菜,有百分之三十七是以塑膠包裝;法國政府據此估計,此禁塑令每年將減少十億件以上的一次性塑膠包裝。法國環境部表示,「我們日常生活中對一次性塑膠毫無節制的使用」必須加以約束。 Fruit and vegetables wrapped in layers of plastic have exasperated consumers not only in France but neighboring countries. Nearly three-quarters of British people have experienced “anxiety, frustration or hopelessness” at the amount of plastic that comes with their shopping and 59 percent think supermarkets and brands are not doing enough to offer refillable, reusable or packaging-free products, according to a poll commissioned by Friends of the Earth and City to Sea in June last year. 將水果及蔬菜以塑膠層層包裹,惹惱的不只是法國人,還有鄰近國家的消費者。去年六月由環保組織「地球之友」與「城市至海」所委託進行的一項民意調查發現,近四分之三的英國人對購物時用到的塑膠數量感到「焦慮、無力或絕望」,百分之五十九的人認為超市及品牌在提供可填充、可重複使用或無包裝產品方面做得不夠。Source Article: https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/lang/archives/2022/01/11/2003771107 Next Article Topic: Daily bananas intake good, but not for kidney failure patients Bananas are one of the most commonly seen and eaten fruits. Eating bananas brings many benefits, such as replenishing energy and lowering blood pressure, and can even improve your mood. There is a rumor going around online that you should not eat bananas every day because they are a high-potassium food that can damage your kidneys if you eat too many, but the Health Promotion Administration (HPA) says only people with impaired kidney function have a metabolic deficiency that compels them to avoid eating bananas every day. 香蕉是平日最常見、又最常吃的水果之一。吃香蕉有很多好處,像是補充體力、降血壓、甚至能讓心情變好,而網傳香蕉是高鉀食物,吃多了會傷腎,不能天天吃;國民健康署表示,只有腎臟功能不全的人,因代謝功能不足,才不能天天吃。 Bananas are classified as a medium-potassium food, containing about 325 milligrams of potassium per 100 grams of banana flesh, or about 200 to 399 milligrams of potassium per serving (half a large banana or a whole small one). Research shows that bananas can regulate bowel movements, relieve depression, reduce oxidation, lower blood pressure, promote cardiovascular health and prevent stroke, among other things. 香蕉屬於中量鉀食物,每一百公克香蕉果肉,約含鉀三百二十五毫克,每份(大的半根,小的一根)約含鉀量兩百到三百九十九毫克。實證研究指出,香蕉能夠潤腸通便、解鬱、抗氧化、降血壓、促進心血管健康及防止中風等。 According to the HPA, for people with normal kidney function, consuming plenty of potassium ions from bananas or other food can regulate blood pressure and indirectly protect the kidneys. Only for people with impaired kidney function — those who have been diagnosed with kidney failure — can it be harmful to their health, as they cannot excrete potassium ions. 國健署表示,一般腎臟功能正常者,多攝取來自香蕉或其他食物中的鉀離子,不但能控制血壓,也能間接保護腎臟;但對於腎臟功能不全(被診斷為腎衰竭者),因無法將體內鉀離子排除,才會對人體造成傷害。 The best ways to prevent chronic kidney disease are lifestyle improvements, good control of blood pressure, blood sugar and blood fat, lowering urine protein and avoiding drugs that are toxic to the kidneys, as well as early screening and referral to a nephrologist when necessary. 最佳預防慢性腎臟病的方法有:生活型態的改善、良好的血壓、血糖及血脂肪控制

Jun 4, 20228 min

Ep 182415Mins Live Podcast - 職場系列 – 五大面試良句The best things you can say in a job interview

主題: 五大面試良句The best things you can say in a job interview 原參考文章:https://www.monster.com/career-advice/article/best_things_to_say_in_job_interview “I was so excited when I learned this position was open.” If you’re just “meh” about a job or a company, chances are you won’t make a lasting impression on an interviewer. To persuade an employer that you’re the best person for the job, you have to show enthusiasm. That means expressing upfront that you’re stoked about the position and the company. 如果你只是對工作或公司“meh”,你很可能不會給面試官留下持久的印象。 為了讓雇主相信你是這份工作的最佳人選,你必須表現出熱情。 這意味著要提前表達你對職位和公司的興趣。 “This job aligns well with my experience and qualifications, and here’s why.” It’s important to have anecdotes prepared that demonstrate your expertise. Choose stories that highlight your best strengths and core skills. For example, “I see that the job requires someone who thoroughly knows how to use XYZ software; I relied on XYZ software in my past two jobs, which helped me cut delivery time by 10%, so I’m very comfortable with it. I even trained new employees in how to use the program, which is something I could do for you here.” 準備好能證明你的專業知識的故事很重要。 選擇突出你的優勢和核心技能的故事。 例如,“我發現這項工作需要一個完全知道如何使用 XYZ 軟體的人; 我在過去的兩份工作中都依賴 XYZ 軟體,它幫助我將交貨時間縮短了 10%,所以我很滿意。 我甚至培訓了新員工如何使用該程式,這是我可以為公司做的事情。” “I read about that project on your website.” An informed, knowledgeable candidate is a powerful candidate. “Any time you can demonstrate you’ve done your homework is a way you set yourself apart,” says Marinelli. 一個消息靈通、知識淵博的候選人是一個強有力的候選人。 “任何時候你可以證明你已經完成了你對公司的了解,這就是你讓自己與眾不同的一種方式,”馬里內利說。 Keywords from the job description Job postings don’t just outline what the requirements are for a position—they provide you with buzzwords that you can use during a job interview to make you a more appealing candidate. For instance, if a job position uses the phrase “multichannel marketing initiatives,” reuse that phrase in one of your answers: “I know that problem solving is one of the crucial skills for this position. At my last job, I was working on developing multichannel marketing initiatives and relied on my problem solving daily. Let me give you a few examples.” 職位公告不僅概述了職位的要求 - 它們為您提供流行語,您可以在求職面試中使用這些流行語,使您成為更具吸引力的候選人。 例如,如果一個工作職位使用“全通路行銷計劃”這個短語,那麼在你的一個答案中重複使用這個短語:“我知道解決問題是這個職位的關鍵技能之一。 在我的上一份工作中,我致力於開發全通路行銷計劃,並依靠我每天解決的問題。 讓我給你舉幾個例子。” The interviewer’s name One way to forge a human connection with a hiring manager is to casually use the person’s name two or three times during the interview. It sounds simple, but it works. “Job interviews are very much about intuition and chemistry,” says Lynda Spiegel, resume writer and job search coach at Rising Star Resumes. “Saying the interviewer’s name can help you cement a relationship.” 與招聘經理建立人際關係的一種方法是在面試中隨意使用該人的名字兩到三遍。 這聽起來很簡單,但它確實有效。“求職面試非常注重直覺和化學反應,”Rising Star Resumes 的簡歷撰稿人和求職教練琳達·斯皮格爾 (Lynda Spiegel) 說。 “說出面試官的名字可以幫助你鞏固一段關係。”

Jun 3, 20221h 13m

Ep 1823每日英語跟讀 Ep.K376: About odd news - 韋伯致敬搖滾肉塊與世上最偏遠郵局

每日英語跟讀 Ep.K376: About odd news - Weber Grills says it didn’t know singer Meat Loaf died before it sent meatloaf recipe email Outdoor grill maker Weber apologized on Friday for sending a recipe-of-the-week email earlier that day featuring instructions on how to prepare“BBQ Meat Loaf.”The email coincided with news of the death of Marvin Lee Aday, best known as rock superstar Meat Loaf. 戶外烤架製造商韋伯週五致歉,因為該公司當天稍早寄發的「每週食譜」電子郵件,其內容包括指導如何準備「肉塊烤肉」。該電郵(寄發的時間)恰逢以藝名「肉塊」為人所知的搖滾巨星馬文.李.艾德傳出過世的消息。 Not long after sending out its recipe, Weber Grills followed up, offering its “sincerest apologies” to recipients. 「韋伯燒烤」在發出食譜電郵後不久跟進,向電郵收件人致上「最誠摯的歉意」。 Meat Loaf, who shot to fame on the back of anthems such as “Paradise By the Dashboard Light” and “Two Out of Three Ain’t Bad,” died Thursday, according to a family statement provided by his longtime agent Michael Greene. He was 74. 據其長期經紀人邁可.格林提供的一份家屬聲明,以Paradise By the Dashboard Light與Two Out of Three Ain’t Bad等名曲爆紅的「肉塊」,週四辭世,享壽七十四歲。 Next Article 世界上最偏遠郵局正在徵人 World’s most remote post office is hiring Hundreds of people around the world are applying for a coveted job to run the world’s most remote post office. The position is in Antarctica and one of the key specifications is the ability to count penguins. 全球有數百人正在申請一份夢寐以求的工作,經營世界上最偏遠的郵局。地點位於南極洲,其中一個關鍵的技術指標是數企鵝的能力。 Four candidates will be chosen to fill the five-month role at Port Lockroy – affectionately dubbed the “Penguin Post Office”. The nearly-80-year-old building is on British-owned Goudier Island, which is about the size of a football field and is populated by hundreds of penguins 4名候選人將被選為在「洛克羅伊港」 擔任為期5個月的職位,該港被暱稱為「企鵝郵局」。這座擁有近80年歷史的建築,位於英國所屬的古迪爾島上,該島約有一個足球場那麼大,棲息著數百隻企鵝。 Although employees each have unique roles, they are collectively responsible for maintaining the historic site and catering to the thousands of tourists who come by boat during the season. The staff is also in charge of wildlife monitoring — which includes tallying penguins — and environmental data collection. 雖然每個員工都有獨特的角色,但他們共同負責維護歷史遺跡,並為旺季期間乘船前來的數千名遊客提供服務。工作人員還負責野生動物監測—包括數企鵝—和蒐集環境數據。Source article: https://features.ltn.com.tw/english/article/paper/1518322 ; https://features.ltn.com.tw/english/article/paper/1517580

Jun 2, 20223 min

Ep 1822每日英語跟讀 Ep.K375: About South Africa - 南非推出全球最大氫燃料卡車與世界第一住監獄的獅子

每日英語跟讀 Ep.K375: About South Africa - South Africa launches the world’s biggest hydrogen-fueled truck Mining giant Anglo American on Friday unveiled the world’s largest hydrogen-powered truck, a monster weighing in at 220 tonnes, at a platinum mine in northern South Africa. 礦業巨擘英美資源集團週五在南非北部一座白金礦場展示了全球最大的氫動力卡車,此一龐然巨獸重達220公噸。 Billed as the first of a fleet that will replace the firm’s diesel-powered trucks, the vehicle uses two-megawatt hydrogen fuel cells to haul up to 290 tonnes of ore. 它被宣傳為將取代該公司柴油動力卡車的車隊先鋒,該車使用2百萬瓦的氫燃料電池,來拖動多達290公噸的礦石。 "What we are launching is not merely an impressive piece of machinery, it is the genesis of an entire ecosystem powered by hydrogen," President Cyril Ramaphosa said. 南非總統西里爾.拉瑪佛沙說,「我們推出的不僅僅是一部令人印象深刻的機器,它是一個由氫氣驅動的完整生態系的起源。」 Comparable in size to a small house, the behemoth was shown off at Mogalakwena mine, about 250 kilometres from Johannesburg. 這部龐然大物的大小可匹敵一間小屋,在距離約翰尼斯堡約250公里處的莫加拉奎納礦場展示。 "This is a gigantic leap for South Africa’s hydrogen future economy," Ramaphosa declared. 拉瑪佛沙說,「對南非的氫能源未來經濟來說,這是一個巨大的跨越」。 Next Article 潛逃中的獅子被關進南非大牢 Lion on the lam locked-up in South African jail A young lion captured after being on the run for almost a month spent the night in a South African police cell before being moved back to its national park home. 一頭在逃將近一個月後被捕的幼獅,被運回位在國家公園的故鄉以前,先在南非一處警察局的拘留室度過長夜。 The juvenile male apparently escaped from the Karoo National Park through a hole in a perimeter fence. He was eventually tracked and darted on Wednesday before being moved by helicopter to the Sutherland police station where he ended up alone in a holding cell. 這個小男生明顯是從「乾旱台地高原國家公園」周邊圍欄一處洞口逃跑。牠最終還是在週三被發現蹤跡並遭標槍射中,後來被直升機運到薩瑟蘭警察局,獨自待在拘留室裡。 "I am sure this is the first time in the world that a lion is put in jail," said police station commander Marius Malan. 警局大隊長馬略斯‧馬蘭說:「我確定這是全球第一次獅子入獄。」 Curious residents of the village of Sutherland thronged outside the police station to catch a glimpse of the locked-up lion. 薩瑟蘭村好奇的居民們,在警局外爭相一窺這頭被囚禁的獅子。 "He is safe and healthy. We didn’t give him breakfast because he had enough to eat along the road," Malan told Reuters. 馬蘭告訴路透:「牠安全又健康。我們沒給牠早餐,因為牠一路上已經有足夠的東西可吃。」Source article: https://features.ltn.com.tw/english/article/paper/1518702 ; https://features.ltn.com.tw/english/article/paper/1274469?fbclid=IwAR0GOlDHNx4EL-iF8U3qURZl9hlX0ub6M5HGc7BDwb3IJcdbf0xDlnPNDeI

Jun 1, 20223 min

Ep 1821精選詞彙播客 Vocab Ep.121: 端午回憶殺-小時候你們都在幹嘛? What did you used to do on Dragon Boat Festival?

Summary: Another important festival in Taiwan is upon us, and Angel and I chatted about our ways of celebrating the day growing up. What did you do on Dragon Boat Festival growing up? What was your best memories of the day? Leave us a comment or email us! Vocabulary: Activities n. 活動 On Dragon Boat Festival, the overseas Taiwanese community would organize many cultural activities. 在端午節,海外華僑會舉辦許多文化活動。 Egg balancing n. 立蛋 Egg balancing is a childhood activity for Taiwanese people on Dragon Boat Festival. 立蛋是台灣人小時候常見的端午節活動。 Activate v. 啟動/啟用 Fortune (noon) water has to be activated by boiling it. 招財(午時)水需要初開才能啟用。 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]

May 31, 202226 min

Ep 1820每日英語跟讀 Ep.K374: 科學家發覺限時飲食並無益處

每日英語跟讀 Ep.K374: Scientists Find No Benefit to Time-Restricted Eating The weight-loss idea is appealing: Limit your eating to a period of six to eight hours each day, during which you can have whatever you want. 減肥的方法很有吸引力:將你的飲食限制在每天六到八小時,在此期間你可以吃任何你想要的東西。 Studies in mice seemed to support so-called time-restricted eating, a form of the popular intermittent fasting diet. Small studies of people with obesity suggested it might help shed pounds. 對老鼠的研究似乎支持所謂的限時飲食,這是一種流行的間歇性禁食飲食。對肥胖人群的小型研究表明,它可能有助於減輕體重。 But now, a one-year study in which people followed a low-calorie diet between the hours of 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. or consumed the same number of calories anytime during the day has failed to find an effect. 但現在,一項為期一年的研究表明,人們在上午 8 點到下午 4 點之間遵循低熱量飲食。或在一天中的任何時間消耗相同數量的卡路里都沒有發現效果。 The bottom line, said Dr. Ethan Weiss, a diet researcher at the University of California, San Francisco: “There is no benefit to eating in a narrow window.” 最重要的是,舊金山加利福尼亞大學的飲食研究員 Ethan Weiss 博士說:“在狹窄的時間裡吃飯沒有任何好處。” The study, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, was led by researchers at Southern Medical University in Guangzhou, China, and included 139 people with obesity. Women ate 1,200 to 1,500 calories a day, and men consumed 1,500 to 1,800 calories daily. To ensure compliance, participants were required to photograph every bit of food they ate and to keep food diaries. 該研究發表在《新英格蘭醫學雜誌》上,由中國廣州南方醫科大學的研究人員領導,包括 139 名肥胖患者。女性吃了 1,200 到每天 1,500 卡路里,男性每天消耗 1,500 到 1,800 卡路里。為確保合規,參與者被要求拍攝他們吃的每一口食物並記錄食物日記。 Both groups lost weight — an average of about 14 to 18 pounds — but there was no significant difference in the amounts of weight lost with either diet strategy. There also were no significant differences between the groups in measures of waist circumference, body fat and lean body mass. 兩組都減輕了體重——平均約 14 至 18 磅——但兩種飲食策略的體重減輕量沒有顯著差異。也沒有顯著各組在腰圍、體脂和瘦體重方面的差異。 The scientists also found no differences in such risk factors as blood glucose levels, sensitivity to insulin, blood lipids or blood pressure. 科學家們還發現血糖水平、對胰島素的敏感性、血脂或血壓等風險因素沒有差異。 “These results indicate that caloric intake restriction explained most of the beneficial effects seen with the time-restricted eating regimen,” Weiss and his colleagues concluded. “這些結果表明,熱量攝取限制解釋了限時飲食方案的大部分有益效果,”Weiss 和他的同事總結道。 Christopher Gardner, director of nutrition studies at the Stanford Prevention Research Center, said he wouldn’t be surprised if time-restricted eating nonetheless worked on occasion. 斯坦福預防研究中心營養研究主任克里斯托弗·加德納(Christopher Gardner)表示,如果限時飲食偶爾奏效,他也不會感到驚訝。 “Almost every type of diet out there works for some people,” he said. “But the take-home supported by this new research is that when subjected to a properly designed and conducted study — scientific investigation — it is not any more helpful than simply reducing daily calorie intake for weight loss and health factors.” “幾乎所有類型的飲食都適用於某些人,”他說。 “但這項新研究支持的結論是,當進行適當設計和進行的研究——科學研究——它並沒有比簡單地減少每日卡路里攝入量來減輕體重和健康因素更有幫助。”Source article: https://udn.com/news/story/6904/6294472

May 30, 20223 min

Ep 1819每日英語跟讀 Ep.K373: 卡車燃料未來誰主導-電池或氫能?

每日英語跟讀 Ep.K373: Truck Makers Face Choice: Go Battery or Hydrogen? Even before war in Ukraine sent fuel prices through the roof, the trucking industry was under intense pressure to kick its addiction to diesel, a major contributor to climate change and urban air pollution. But it still has to figure out which technology will best do the job. 在烏克蘭戰爭導致燃料價格飆漲之前,卡車運輸業就面臨擺脫柴油成癮的巨大壓力,但它仍須弄清楚哪種技術最能勝任此事。柴油是氣候變遷與城市空汙的主要原因。 Truck makers are divided into two camps. One faction, which includes Traton, Volkswagen’s truck unit, is betting on batteries because they are widely regarded as the most efficient option. The other camp, which includes Daimler Truck and Volvo, the two largest truck manufacturers, argues that fuel cells that convert hydrogen into electricity — emitting only water vapor — make more sense because they would allow long-haul trucks to be refueled quickly. 卡車製造商分為兩個陣營,包括福斯卡車部門Traton在內的一派看好電池,因電池被廣泛認為是最有效率的選項。另一個陣營則包括戴姆勒卡車和富豪這兩家最大的卡車製造公司,他們認為將氫轉化為電能僅排放水蒸氣的燃料電池更有意義,因為它們可讓長途卡車快速充電。 The choice companies make could be hugely consequential, helping to determine who dominates trucking in the electric vehicle age and who ends up wasting billions of dollars on the Betamax equivalent of electric truck technology, committing a potentially fatal error. It takes years to design and produce new trucks, so companies will be locked into the decisions they make now for a decade or more. 這些公司做出的選擇可能會帶來重大影響,並且有助於確認在電動車時代,誰將主宰卡車運輸業以及誰最終會在電動卡車版的Betamax技術浪費數十億美元,犯下潛在致命錯誤。設計和生產新的卡車需耗時數年,因此企業在未來10年或更長時間裡,將受制於現在做出的決定。 “It’s obviously one of the most important technology decisions we have to make,” said Andreas Gorbach, a member of the management board of Daimler Truck, which owns Freightliner in the United States and is the largest truck maker in the world. 全球卡車製造龍頭戴姆勒卡車的管理層成員哥爾巴赫說:「這顯然是我們必須做出的最重要技術決策之一。」該公司在美國擁有福萊納卡車品牌。 The stakes for the environment and for public health are also high. If many truck makers wager incorrectly, it could take much longer to clean up trucking than scientists say we have to limit the worst effects of climate change. In the United States, medium- and heavy-duty trucks account for 7% of greenhouse gas emissions. 環境和公眾健康面臨的風險也很高。若許多卡車製造商押錯寶,清理卡車運輸業所需的時間,恐比科學家所說人類必須限制氣候變遷最壞影響的時限還要長。在美國,中型與重型卡車占溫室氣體排放量的7%。 Although sales of electric cars are exploding, large truck makers have only begun to mass-produce emission-free vehicles. Daimler Truck, for example, began producing an electric version of its heavy-duty Actros truck, with a maximum range of 240 miles, late last year. Tesla unveiled a design for a battery-powered semitruck in 2017 but has not set a firm production date. 儘管電動車銷量爆炸性成長,但大型卡車製造商才剛開始大規模生產零碳排車輛,例如戴姆勒卡車公司去年底開始生產重型卡車Actros的電動版本,最大行駛里程達240英里。特斯拉在2017年發布一款電池動力的卡車Semi,但具體生產日期未定。 Cost will be a decisive factor. Unlike car buyers, who might splurge on a vehicle because they like the way it looks or the status it conveys, truck buyers carefully calculate how much a rig is going to cost them to buy, maintain and refuel. 價格將會是一項決定性因素。卡車買家會仔細計算整套配備的價格、維護及補充燃料費用,不像汽車買家,可能會因為喜歡車的外觀或者能夠顯示他們的地位而揮霍。Source article: https://udn.com/news/story/6904/6260402

May 29, 20223 min

Ep 1818回顧星期天LBS - 房屋相關時事趣聞 All about homes

Topic: In Amsterdam, Floating Homes That Only Look Like Ships When Karen Bosma first moved her boat to the Borneokade, northeast of Amsterdam’s bustling city center, in 1999, the neighborhood was barely more than a cluster of commercial docks and underused warehouses. 凱倫.博斯馬1999年剛把她的船移到荷蘭首都阿姆斯特丹熱鬧市中心東北方的波諾卡德時,這一帶幾乎只有成排商船船席和不常使用的倉庫。 “It was for poor people — a lot of artists lived on boats,” she said, sitting in her neat, cozy living room just below the waterline. 博斯馬坐在她整潔舒適的客廳裡回憶說:「當時這是窮人聚居區,很多藝術家住在船上。」客廳就在吃水線下方。 In the quarter century since, Bosma, a 62-year-old social worker, and her husband have raised two sons on the Distel, a 1912 82-foot freighter, which — stripped of its engine, fuel tanks and cargo hold — is one of Amsterdam’s iconic houseboats, with a seagoing hull, wheelhouse and curtained windows. 此後的四分之一個世紀,現年62歲的社工博斯馬和先生,在這艘船上把兩個兒子帶大。這艘船名叫「迪斯特爾」,是1912年打造的貨船,長25公尺,引擎、燃料槽和貨艙都已去除,是阿姆斯特丹著名船屋之一,具備遠洋船船體、舵手室和裝上窗簾的窗子。 Three boats down lies the B18, an elegant 131-foot, 2 1/2-story floating mansion (with more than 3,000 square feet of interior space) that shows just how perfectly the soul of a luxury yacht combines with open-space living and elegant living quarters. 三艘船以外停泊著B18,是雅緻的兩層半水上豪宅,長40公尺,室內面積超過279平方公尺(約84坪),顯示奢華遊艇的精髓如何與室外生活和優美的室內起居空間完美結合。 “It has to be a ship on the outside and a house on the inside,” said Gijs Haverkate, 53, who created the vessel and lives on it with his family. 53歲的哈福卡特造了B18,並與家人住在船上,他說:「B18必須外觀是艘船,內部是個家。」 In the Dutch capital, houseboats have gone upmarket. The new owners are wealthy and discerning, interested in new designs, upgraded comfort and sustainability. 在阿姆斯特丹,船屋已變得高檔了。新一批船屋主人富裕且有品味,對新設計、更高的舒適感和永續性都很感興趣。 Haverkate, a designer by trade, hopes his boat will inspire others to build on the water. He runs UrbanShips, a company that builds customized houseboats designed to look like ships. 哈福卡特以設計為業,希望他的船能激勵別人在水上蓋房子。他經營「都市船」公司,依照客戶需求打造看來像船隻的船屋。 After years of serving as a relatively cheap place to live in an expensive city, Amsterdam’s houseboats — or rather the spaces they float — have become popular and expensive, with prices increasing 30% to 40% over the past five years alone, according to Jon Kok, one of the city’s best known houseboat real estate agents. 阿姆斯特丹的船屋(更確切地說,是承載船屋的水面),原本的功用是在這昂貴的城市中作為相對廉價的住所,多年下來卻變得大受歡迎且價格高漲,阿姆斯特丹最知名船屋仲介公司之一「約翰科克」資料顯示,單單這五年來,船屋價格就漲了三到四成。 The whale’s share of the price increase comes from the value of the berth, not the ship. 船屋價格上漲,主要是因為船席變得更值錢,而不是船體本身。 A typical Amsterdam canal berth might be worth close to a half-million dollars, depending on its location and how big a ship it will allow; some of the older, unrenovated ships in those berths might be worth only $20,000 (building a new ship, of course, is much more expensive). 一個典型的阿姆斯特丹運河船席,可能就要近50萬美元,視地點和可容下多大船隻而定。停在這種船席上的一些老舊未翻新船隻,可能只值兩萬美元。(當然,造新船貴得多。) But in this gentrification debate, the cost of new berths is less important than the architecture of the ship — and whether they ever served as actual commercial ships. 不過,在討論船屋愈來愈高級的話題時,新船席的價格並不如船隻的設計美感和是否曾作為真正的商船來得重要。 Once populated by converted working boats, the canal now holds an increasing number of floating houses designed to look like oceangoing vessels but with hardly any of the working features of a real boat. 阿姆斯特丹的運河曾經滿是工作船改造後的船屋,現在有愈來愈多的水上房屋,設計成外觀像遠洋船,但實際上幾乎不具備真正船隻的功能。 Source article: https://paper.udn.com/udnpaper/POH0067/348587/web/#2L-16188816L Next Article Topic: Japan has so many vacant homes it’s giving them away Four years ago, Naoko and Takayuki Ida were given a house in the small town of Okutama, in Tokyo prefecture. For free. 4年前,井田直子與孝之得到一棟位於東京都小鎮奧多摩的房子。不用錢。 A free house may sound like a scam. But Japan faces an unusual property problem: it has more homes than people to live in them. 免費的房子聽起來像是騙局。但日本正面臨一項不尋常的房地產問題:房屋數量多於入住人數。 In 2013, there were 61 million houses and 52 million households, according to the Japan Policy Forum. And the situation is poised to get worse. 「日本政策論壇」指出,2013年時有6100萬間房子與5200萬戶家庭。而且,這種情況還會日益惡化。 Japan’s population is expected to decline from 127 million to about 88 million by 2065, according to the National Institute of Population and Social Security, meaning even fewer people will need houses. As young people leave rural areas for city jobs, Japan’s countryside has become haunted by deserted "ghost houses." 根據(日本)「國立社會保障、人口問題研究所」,預料日本人口到了2065年,會從1億2700萬減至約8800萬,意味需要房屋的人會更少。隨著年輕人為了在都市工作離開鄉間,日本鄉間已充斥遭棄置的「鬼屋」。 It’s predicted that by 2040, nearly 900 towns and villages across Japan will no longer exist - and Okutama is one of them. In that context, giving away property is a bid for survival. 預料到了2040年,全日本將近900座小鎮與村莊將不復存在—奧多摩便是其中之一。在此情況下,贈送房地產便成為一種求生之道。 Next Article Topic: Part Office Building , Part Homeless Shelter A year ago, when Amazon let a homeless shelter for families move into a former motel it owned, it was viewed as a nice but fleeting gesture. The motel was on a chunk of downtown property where Amazon planned to eventually erect yet another set of sparkling buildings to meet its insati

May 28, 20229 min

Ep 181715Mins Live Podcast - 換句話說系列 – 跑跟走還有什麼其他說法Other ways to say “walk” and “run”

主題: 換句話說系列 – 跑跟走還有什麼其他說法Other ways to say “walk” and “run” Other ways to say: RUN (v) Rush 急速行進/趕緊 - Someone inside the building rushed out. Jog 慢跑 - He could scarcely jog around the block that first day. Dash 猛衝 -Maria came dashing down the stairs. Race 賽跑 - I excused myself and raced back to the telephone. Hurry 加快 - Claire hurried along the road. Sprint 衝刺 - He sprinted to the car. Gallop 騎馬奔馳 - They were galloping around the garden playing football. Other ways to say: WALK (v) Stroll 散步 - I was strolling along the river when I saw an incredible thing. Mince 做作的小步走 - He minced across the room in a pair of tight pink trousers. Stride 闊步走 - A tall dark figure was striding up the path. Pad 小聲走 - He got out of bed and padded across the carpet. Stumble 跌跌撞撞走 - He pulled on his clothes and stumbled into the kitchen. Wander 漫步 - My sister likes wandering around the city at night. Hike 健行 - Soldiers had to hike nearly 20 km through the swamps. Saunter 悠閒漫步 - He sauntered by, looking very pleased with himself. 分享時間: Tell a story / personal experience related to run and walk Pick 4 words and make sentences

May 27, 20221h 3m

Ep 1815每日英語跟讀 Ep.K372: About Japan - 日本還沒歡迎遊客與中銀膠囊拆除

每日英語跟讀 Ep.K372: 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 Dismantling work begins on iconic Nakagin Capsule Tower 代表性的中銀膠囊塔開始拆除 Built a half-century ago as a futuristic architectural marvel that would permanently house tenants, the Nakagin Capsule Tower in Tokyo’s Ginza district failed to stand the test of time. 建於半世紀前、以容納承租客為宗旨的未來主義建築奇蹟的(日本東京)銀座區的「中銀膠囊塔」,沒能挺過時代的考驗。 Dismantling work started on the aging structure on April 12, much to the sadness of the building’s legions of fans across the world and former tenants. 拆除這幢老舊建築的工作在4月12日展開,令該大樓在全球各地的粉絲與過去的房客深感哀傷。 The building, designed by famed architect Kisho Kurokawa (1934-2007), looks like a jumble of blocks stacked at odd angles high in the sky. 該大樓由知名建築師黑川紀章(1934-2007) 設計,看似有如一堆亂七八糟的積木以奇怪的角度堆疊聳天。 The tower has been known as a representative work of the “Metabolism” architecture movement, which started in 1960. The building was designed to evolve further by replacing spaces and functions in accordance with societal changes. 這座塔以作為始於1960年代的建築運動「代謝派」的代表作而聞名,被設計成能根據社會變遷來替換空間與功能以進一步演化。Source article: https://features.ltn.com.tw/english/article/paper/1511719 ; https://features.ltn.com.tw/english/article/paper/1514361

May 26, 20223 min

Ep 1814每日英語跟讀 Ep.K371: About the US - 最佳地段的最糟房屋賣200萬美元與看電影292次的男人

每日英語跟讀 Ep.K371: About the US - ’Worst house on best block’ of San Francisco sells for $2M In a deal that one Instagram user called "peak San Francisco," a 120-year-old home sold in mid-January for just shy of $2 million. 一名Instagram用戶稱為「舊金山之巔」的屋齡一二○年房產交易案,在一月中旬以近二○○萬美元售出。 According to its listing, the property has one bathroom, and a kitchen that appears to date to World War II, but zero bedrooms. 根據清單,這間房屋內含一間浴室、一間似乎可追溯至第二次世界大戰的廚房,但一間臥室都沒有。 It is "the worst house on the best block making it a fantastic opportunity," the real-estate agents Todd and Kim Wiley wrote. 不動產經紀人塔德及金‧威立寫道,這是一間「最佳地段的最糟房屋,因此具有絕佳機會。」 Todd Wiley indicated the conservatorship sale, which is a process that involves the California probate court, helped push the price to more than double what they had proposed at the outset. 塔德‧威立指出,加利福尼亞州遺囑檢驗法院也參與這筆託管出售案,促使最終定價比他們最初出價高出逾一倍。 We thought the property would sell at $1.6 million, but then the human spirit of competition took over. 我們以為該房會以一六○萬美元賣出,結果民眾的競爭心態發揮推波助瀾之效。 The house is in the Noe Valley neighborhood, which is peppered with multimillion-dollar homes. Single-family homes there sell for a median price of about $2.7 million. 該房位於數百萬美元民宅比比皆是的諾古社區。該區獨戶住宅售價中位數約為二七○萬美元。 Next Article Florida man saw ’Spider-Man: No Way Home’ 292 times in theaters 佛羅里達州男子在電影院看了292次《蜘蛛人:無家日》 A super hero super fan in Florida recaptured a Guinness World Records title when he went to see Spider-Man: No Way Home in theaters 292 times. 佛羅里達州一名超級英雄的超級粉絲去電影院看了292次的《蜘蛛人:無家日》,重新奪回金氏世界紀錄保持人頭銜。 Ramiro Alanis originally earned the Guinness title in 2019, when he attended 191 screenings of Avengers: Endgame, but his record was broken in 2021 when Arnaud Klein went to see Kaamelott: First Instalment 204 times. 拉米羅‧阿蘭尼斯最早在2019年贏得金氏世界紀錄,當時他看了191次的《復仇者聯盟:終局之戰》,但紀錄在2021年被看了《卡美洛:第一部曲》204次的阿諾‧克萊因打破。 Guinness confirmed Alanis recaptured the record when he attended 292 showings of the latest Spider-Man film between Dec. 16, 2021, and March 15, 2022. 金氏世界紀錄證實,阿蘭尼斯在2021年12月16日至2022年3月15日間,共看了最新的蜘蛛人電影292次,重奪這項紀錄殊榮。 Alanis said he is hoping the high number will keep his title safe. 阿蘭尼斯說,他希望這麼高的觀看次數足以捍衛頭銜。 Guinness’s rules required Alanis to remain in his seat with his attention on the screen for the entire film, including the credits. He was not allowed to look at his phone or take bathroom breaks during the showings. 金氏世界紀錄規則要求阿蘭尼斯坐在椅子上專心觀賞整部電影,包括幕後人員介紹。在播映期間,他不能看手機或上廁所。Source article: https://features.ltn.com.tw/english/article/paper/1518117 ; https://features.ltn.com.tw/english/article/paper/1512839

May 25, 20223 min

Ep 1816精選詞彙播客 Vocab Ep.120: 馬斯克買了Twitter後你會用嗎? What is a tweet ?

Summary: Elon Musk is speaking to investors who could partner with him on a bid for Twitter, sources close to the matter told The Post. A new plan that includes partners could be announced within days, those sources said. One possibility, the sources said: teaming with private-equity firm Silver Lake Partners, which was planning to co-invest with him in 2018 when he was considering taking Tesla private. In turn, Twitter board of directors adopted a so-called poison pill — a corporate move that prevents Musk from acquiring more than 15% of the company. But that pill may not stop other entities or people from acquiring their own shares of up to 15% of the company. Those owners could partner with Musk to force a sale, make changes in the executive ranks or push for other overhauls of the company. Vocabulary: Tweet v. n. A message on Twitter 推特文 Millions of people are following Elon Musk's tweets. 數以百萬的人還在追蹤馬斯克的推特文。 Poison pill n. 毒藥丸計畫 Twitter board of directors adopted a poison pill plan to prevent Musk from acquiring more than 15% of the company. 推特董事會啟動了毒藥丸計畫來預防馬斯克取得推特15%的股份。 Public company vs. private company 上市公司 與 私營公司 Elon Musk wants to take Twitter, a public company, private. 馬斯克想把推特,一間上市公司變成私營的。 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]

May 24, 202229 min

Ep 1813每日英語跟讀 Ep.K370: 研究指狗狗個性與品種無關

每日英語跟讀 Ep.K370: Study finds personality for a dog is not a matter of breed People usually have stereotypes about different breeds of dogs: Rottweilers and pit bulls are aggressive, while Labradors and golden retrievers are extra friendly. 人們通常對不同品種的狗有刻板印象:羅威納犬和鬥牛犬具有攻擊性,而拉布拉多犬和金毛獵犬則更加友好。 However, a genetic study published recently in the journal Science involving more than 2,000 dogs and paired with 200,000 survey answers from owners demonstrates that the widespread assumptions are mostly unfounded. 然而,最近發表在《科學》雜誌上的一項基因研究涉及 2,000 多隻狗,並與飼主的 200,000 份調查回答配對,表明普遍的假設大多是沒有根據的。 Undeniably, many behavioral traits can be inherited, but the modern concept of breed offers only partial predictive value for most types of behavior, and has nothing to do with how affectionate or quick-tempered a dog can be. 不可否認,許多行為特徵可以遺傳,但現代的品種概念僅對大多數類型的行為提供部分預測價值,與狗的深情或脾氣暴躁無關。 “While genetics plays a role in the personality of any individual dog, a specific dog breed is not a good predictor of those traits,” said Elinor Karlsson, director of the Vertebrate Genomics Group at the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard. 麻省理工學院和哈佛大學布羅德研究所脊椎動物基因組學組主任埃莉諾·卡爾森說:“雖然遺傳學在任何一隻狗的個性中都發揮著作用,但特定的狗品種並不能很好地預測這些特徵。” The team sequenced the DNA of 2,155 purebred and mixed-breed dogs to search for common genetic variations that could predict behavior, and combined this information with surveys from 18,385 pet-owner surveys from Darwin’s Ark, an open-source database of owner-reported canine traits and behaviors. 該團隊對 2,155 只純種和混種狗的 DNA 進行了測序,以尋找可以預測行為的常見遺傳變異,並將這些信息與來自達爾文方舟的 18,385 名寵物主人調查的調查相結合,達爾文方舟是主人報告的犬類的開源數據庫特徵和行為。 Overall, breed explained just 9 percent of variation in behavior, with age a better predictor of some traits. Source article: https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/lang/archives/2022/05/09/2003777906 總體而言,品種僅解釋了 9% 的行為變異,而年齡是某些特徵的更好預測指標。

May 23, 20222 min

Ep 1812每日英語跟讀 Ep.K369: 推特私有化後的可能改變

每日英語跟讀 Ep.K369: What Twitter could do as a privately held company If Elon Musk and Twitter get their way, the company will soon be privately held and under his control. The most obvious immediate change would likely be Twitter’s stock being taken off the New York Stock Exchange. But the company would also likely get freed from having to give regular updates about its business to US regulators and to Wall Street. One important change for Twitter users is that the company would likely have more freedom to make big or unpopular changes. That’s because it wouldn’t have to worry about potential blowback from Wall Street. 如果埃隆馬斯克和推特如願以償,該公司很快就會私有化並在他的控制之下。最明顯的直接變化可能是 Twitter 的股票從紐約證券交易所撤出。但該公司也可能不必定期向美國監管機構和華爾街提供有關其業務的最新信息。對於 Twitter 用戶來說,一項重要的變化是,該公司可能有更多的自由來做出重大或不受歡迎的改變。那是因為它不必擔心來自華爾街的潛在反擊。 Here’s a look at what it means for a company to go private. WHAT WILL HAPPEN TO ITS STOCK? If the merger closes as planned, Twitter investors would get US$54.20 in cash for each share they own. 下面來看看公司私有化意味著什麼。它的庫存會怎樣?如果合併按計劃完成,Twitter 投資者將獲得每股 54.20 美元的現金。 Those shares would then be canceled and cease to exist. WHAT DIFFERENCE DOES THAT MAKE? Twitter would likely no longer have to file documents with US regulators every three months to show how much money it`s making. It also likely wouldn’t have to announce changes to its strategy or operations that are big enough to materially change its fortunes. Now, it risks getting sued if it doesn’t make such disclosures. 然後這些股份將被取消並不復存在。這有什麼不同? Twitter 可能不再需要每三個月向美國監管機構提交文件以顯示它賺了多少錢。它也可能不必宣布對其戰略或運營進行大到足以改變其命運的改變。現在,如果不進行此類披露,它就有被起訴的風險。 ”The biggest distinction is that Musk as an owner would be beholden to his own desires or to his and whatever remaining shareholders are still around, rather than to the wide investor base that it has now,’’ said Eric Talley, a law professor at Columbia University. “最大的區別在於,馬斯克作為所有者將受制於他自己的願望,或者他和其他仍然存在的股東,而不是現在擁有的廣泛的投資者基礎,”埃里克·塔利 (Eric Talley) 哥倫比亞大學法律教授說,。 WHO WOULD BE IN CHARGE? The company would still have a board of directors, Talley said. It would also need to still follow state-level corporate governance rules, as well as all applicable tax, environmental and other laws. 誰來負責?塔利說,該公司仍將有一個董事會。它還需要遵守州級公司治理規則,以及所有適用的稅收、環境和其他法律。 WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF BEING PRIVATELY HELD? Going private removes the possibility of Twitter having to answer to angry shareholders if it makes big changes to its business. Musk has already floated the idea of depending less on advertising, which is Twitter’s main way of making money. Investors often send a stock price lower if they think a company’s decision is wrong, or at least being made at the wrong time. And the fiduciary duty of the board of directors for a publicly traded company is to generate a return for its investors. A privately held company, meanwhile, doesn’t need to worry about short-term drops for its stock price. It can also jump more whole heartedly into plans, say by hiring slews of new workers to transform it, without having to explain the jump in expenses to shareholders in its next quarterly report. Source article: https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/lang/archives/2022/05/03/2003777588 私人持有有什麼好處?如果 Twitter 對其業務做出重大改變,私有化消除了 Twitter 不得不回應憤怒的股東的可能性。馬斯克已經提出減少對廣告的依賴的想法,這是 Twitter 的主要賺錢方式。如果投資者認為公司的決定是錯誤的,或者至少是在錯誤的時間做出的,他們通常會降低股價。上市公司董事會的受託責任是為其投資者創造回報。與此同時,一家私營公司無需擔心其股價的短期下跌。它還可以更全心全意地投入計劃,例如通過僱用大量新員工來改造它,而無需在下一個季度報告中向股東解釋費用的增長。

May 22, 20223 min

Ep 1811回顧星期天LBS - 健康相關時事趣聞 All about health

Topic: Drinking any amount of alcohol causes damage to the brain There is no such thing as a "safe" level of drinking, with increased consumption of alcohol associated with poorer brain health, according to a new study. 根據一項新研究,沒有所謂的「安全」飲酒量,飲酒量增加與大腦健康狀況較差有關。 In an observational study, which has not yet been peer-reviewed, researchers from the University of Oxford studied the relationship between the self-reported alcohol intake of some 25,000 people in the UK, and their brain scans. 在一項尚未經過同行評審的觀察性研究中,牛津大學的研究人員,研究英國約2萬5000人報告的飲酒量,和與他們的大腦掃描圖像之間的關係。 The researchers noted that drinking had an effect on the brain’s gray matter - regions in the brain that make up "important bits where information is processed," according to lead author Anya Topiwala, a senior clinical researcher at Oxford. 研究人員指出,飲酒對大腦的灰質有影響,灰質是構成「重要資訊處理位元」的大腦部位,牛津大學高級臨床研究員托皮瓦拉說。 The team also investigated whether certain drinking patterns, beverage types and other health conditions made a difference to the impact of alcohol on brain health. 研究團隊還調查了特定的飲酒習慣、酒精飲料類型和其他健康狀況,是否會改變酒精對大腦健康的影響程度。 Next Article Topic: Scientists have taught bees to smell the coronavirus 科學家教導蜜蜂嗅出冠狀病毒 Scientists in the Netherlands have trained bees to identify COVID-19 through their sense of smell, according to a press release from Wageningen University. 瓦赫寧恩大學發布新聞稿聲稱,荷蘭科學家已訓練蜜蜂透過嗅覺,識別2019冠狀病毒病(COVID-19,武漢肺炎)。 The research was conducted on more than 150 bees in Wageningen University’s bio-veterinary research laboratory. 這項研究是在瓦赫寧恩大學生物獸醫研究實驗室對150多隻蜜蜂進行的。 The scientists trained the bees by giving them a treat — a sugar-water solution — every time they were exposed to the scent of a mink infected with COVID-19. Each time the bees were exposed to a non-infected sample, they wouldn’t get a reward. 科學家透過獎勵糖水溶液來訓練蜜蜂,每次蜜蜂在聞到感染COVID-19的貂身上氣味時,都會獲得獎勵。如果蜜蜂聞到的是沒被感染病毒的氣味樣本,則不會獲得獎勵。 Eventually, the bees could identify an infected sample within a few seconds — and would then stick out their tongues like clockwork to collect the sugar water. 最終,這些蜜蜂可以在幾秒鐘內識別出感染的樣本,而且牠們的舌頭會像發條一樣,伸出來吸取糖水。 Bees aren’t the first animals to detect COVID-19 by scent. Researchers have also trained dogs to distinguish between positive and negative COVID-19 samples from human saliva or sweat with fairly high levels of accuracy. 蜜蜂不是第一種透過氣味識別COVID-19的動物。研究人員也曾訓練狗區分來自人類唾液或汗液的陽性和陰性COVID-19樣本 ,準確率相當高。 Topic: Whale of a time: NYC offers walk-up vaccinations for all Appointments are no longer mandatory at any of the coronavirus vaccination sites run by New York City, including its newest and maybe coolest location: beneath the giant blue whale at the Museum of Natural History. 任何紐約市設立的新型冠狀病毒疫苗接種處,不再強制要求預約,包括最新設立、或許也是最酷的地點:位於自然歷史博物館巨大藍鯨下的接種處。 Mayor Bill de Blasio announced Friday that the city will now be accepting walk-ins at all its vaccination sites. "You can just walk up and get vaccinated," he said. 市長白思豪週五宣布,該市所有接種站現在接受隨到隨登記接種,「你可以直接進來接種疫苗」。 The expansion of walk-in service comes as supplies of the vaccine have increased. 擴大實施現場登記接種,是在疫苗供應量已經增加之際推出。 Just weeks ago, most people trying to get an appointment for a vaccination in the nation’s biggest city had to game online appointment systems in which scarce slots would be snapped up in moments. 僅在數週之前,在這個全美最大城市,大多數要預約接種時間的人還得在網路預約系統上賭運氣,稀少的名額一下子就會被搶光。 Next Article Topic: Serbian diner thanks those getting COVID shots with plates of roast meat (感謝客人打新冠疫苗 塞爾維亞餐館請吃烤肉) Get a COVID-19 vaccine and you will be served a plate of spit-roast ox or wild game goulash for free - in the Serbian city of Kragujevac. 塞爾維亞「米盧廷圖書館」餐廳招待接種疫苗的顧客吃牛肉大餐。(路透資料照) 在塞爾維亞克拉古耶瓦茨,只要接種新冠肺炎疫苗,就能免費獲得一盤烤牛肉串或野味燉牛肉。 Restaurateur Stavro Raskovic offered the popular local dishes as his way of promoting vaccination and campaigning for the full reopening of the country’s restaurants, cafes and bars. 餐館老闆斯塔夫羅.拉斯科維奇端出這2道受歡迎的本地菜餚,作為推廣疫苗及推動該國餐廳、咖啡廳、酒吧全面重新營業的方式。 Lockdowns in 2020 and partial restrictions this year have driven Biblioteka kod Milutina (Milutin’s Library) restaurant to the brink of closure, he said. 他說,2020年的封城及今年的局部封鎖措施,讓「米盧廷圖書館」餐廳瀕臨停業。 "Our trade, catering, has been particularly hit... and if this (vaccination) is the way out, then we wanted to contribute." 「我們的生意、外燴服務尤其受到影響…若這(疫苗)是解決方法,我們想要出一份力。」 Local health authorities turned the restaurant into a vaccination point to deliver shots made by Pfizer/BioNtech, and China’s Sinopharm. 當地衛生當局把餐廳變成疫苗接種點,提供輝瑞/BNT疫苗和中國國藥集團疫苗。 "Today we have vaccines from both East and West on the menu, to everybody’s taste," said Raskovic. 拉斯科維奇說:「今天我們的菜單上有來自東方和西方的疫苗,任君挑選。」 Next Article Topic: Dracula’s castle’ offers tourists Covid shots 「德古拉的城堡」提供觀光客武漢肺炎疫苗接種 Visitors to Romania’s forbidding Bran Castle are being jabbed with needles rather than vampiric fangs this weekend in a coronavirus vaccination drive. 造訪羅馬尼亞令人生畏的布蘭城堡的遊客,在本週末的冠狀病毒疫苗接種活動中,將會被針頭而不是吸血鬼的毒牙扎刺。 Those who take the jab are handed a certificate hailing their"boldness and responsibility"promising they will be welcome at the castle"for the coming 100 years" - as well as offered a free tour of the"torture cha

May 21, 202210 min

Ep 181015Mins Live Podcast - 跟讀挑戰 – Dyson 空氣清淨耳機 與 舒壓泡泡玩具 Dyson purifying headphones and Bubble pop fidget toy

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 – Dyson 空氣清淨耳機 與 舒壓泡泡玩具 Dyson purifying headphones and Bubble pop fidget toy Dyson 空氣清淨耳機 Dyson has announced its most unusual product yet; a wearable air purifier with a pair of noise-cancelling headphones built in. 戴森宣布了其最不尋常的產品。內置一副降噪耳機的可穿戴式空氣淨化器。 Dyson said it started having internal conversations in 2016 about developing some kind of "purification on the move" technology, based on its existing air purification technology. 戴森表示,它在 2016 年開始就基於其現有空氣淨化技術開發某種“行動淨化”技術進行內部討論。 During initial trials in the smoggy city of Beijing the company struck upon the idea of integrating noise-cancelling headphones. 在霧霾籠罩的北京進行初步試驗時,該公司萌生了集成降噪耳機的想法。 Doing this also meant the company was able to design the headset so the air filters could be placed in the earcups, minimising some of the unusual bulkiness in previous prototypes. 這樣做還意味著該公司能夠設計耳機,以便可以將空氣過濾器放置在耳罩中,從而最大限度地減少以前原型中的一些不尋常的體積。 舒壓泡泡玩具 The popping bubbles were initially designed to provide a sensory and tactile experience to help children who may benefit from extra assistance to focus. But, like the fidget spinner, these Pop Its are quickly becoming a favorite toy for kids and adults. 舒壓泡泡最初旨在提供感官和触覺體驗,以幫助可能受益於額外幫助的兒童集中註意力。但是,就像指尖陀螺一樣,這些 Pop It 正迅速成為兒童和成人最喜歡的玩具。 A pop bubble is a fidget toy where users repeatedly pop dimples in and out – similar to bubble wrap. Unlike bubble wrap, they offer unlimited popping enjoyment. 舒壓泡泡是一種舒壓的玩具,用戶可以在其中反覆彈出荳荳——類似於泡泡紙。與泡泡紙不同,它們可以提供無限的彈出享受。 Push pop fidget toy is made of 100% silicone, non-toxic and no odor completely corresponds to the safety standards. It’s soft, comfortable, washable, durable, and it can be repeatedly pressed for a long time. 舒壓泡泡玩具由 100% 矽膠製成,無毒無味,完全符合安全標準。柔軟、舒適、耐洗、耐用,可長時間反覆按壓。 The poppers are safe to use in the dishwasher, wash the push pop fidget toy with warm water and soap if needed. Poppers 可以安全的在洗碗機中使用,洗的時候只要用溫水和肥皂清洗。

May 20, 20221h 10m

Ep 1808每日英語跟讀 Ep.K368: About Germany - 德國消防員解救高中考試與普廷豬

每日英語跟讀 Ep.K368: About Germany - German firefighters ‘free’ high-school exam from locked safe Firefighters in the western German town of Bocholt received an unusual distress call Friday from a local high school after teachers were unable to open a safe containing the questions for a final-year exam that students were due to take. 德國西部博霍爾特鎮的消防員週五接到一通來自當地一所中學的不尋常求救電話,在教師們無法打開裝有學生們預定參加之畢業考題的保險箱後。 Firefighters raced to the scene to find that the lock had jammed and set about sawing open the safe, the Bocholt fire department said. 博霍爾特消防局說,消防員趕到現場,發現鎖卡住了,開始鋸開保險箱。 “That way the students were able to sit their exam with about an hour’s delay,” it said. 它說:「這樣一來,這些學生能在延遲1小時後參加考試。」 While teachers cheered the firefighters for saving the day, the reaction from students was mixed. 教師們為消防員化險為夷而歡呼,學生們則是反應不一。 “Some of them would probably have enjoyed a sunny day off instead,” said fire department spokesman Matthias Hanne. 消防局發言人馬蒂亞斯.漢恩說:「他們當中一些人可能本來想要享受一個陽光明媚休息日來替代。」 Next Article 德國野生動物園為一隻叫普廷的豬重新命名 German wildlife park renames Putin the pig An animal park in Bavaria that had named one of its wild boars Putin due to its Russian genetic heritage held a ceremony to rechristen the hairy hog with a German name following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. 在俄羅斯入侵烏克蘭後,巴伐利亞邦一間動物園舉行儀式,為一隻有著俄國基因而被叫做普廷的毛茸茸野豬,重新取一個德國名字。 Eckard Mickish, operator of the park, said he named the boar after Russian President Vladimir Putin three years ago upon its arrival. At nearly 200 kg, the hog weighed around three times as much as those typically found in Germany. 動物園負責人艾卡德‧密奇許說,在這隻野豬3年前入園時,他以俄國總統普廷的名字為牠命名。牠體重近200公斤,是德國常見野豬的約3倍。 But lately whenever Mickish had to do a roll call of the boar for visitors, a shiver went down his spine when mentioning Putin. He also worried how Ukrainian visitors would feel. 但近來當密奇許必須為遊客逐一介紹野豬而提到普廷時,他感到背脊發涼。烏克蘭遊客的感受也令他掛慮。 He soon came to the conclusion that no pig deserved this name so the park announced on social media a search for a new name. About 2,700 suggestions poured in, and Eberhofer - the name of a policeman from a popular Bavarian book series - won the vote. 他很快就決定,沒有任何豬應該被叫做這個名字,因此園方在社群媒體公開徵求新名字。約2700則建議蜂擁而入,而艾伯霍弗—巴伐利亞一本暢銷書裡面一名警察的名字—雀屏中選。Source article: https://features.ltn.com.tw/english/article/paper/1517176 ; https://features.ltn.com.tw/english/article/paper/1514187

May 19, 20223 min

Ep 1807每日英語跟讀 Ep.K367: About Japan - 日本剝香蕉皮機器人與好吃筷子

每日英語跟讀 Ep.K367: About Japan - Japanese robot can peel bananas cleanly Robots in Japan are found on factory floors carrying out simple tasks or delivering food to restaurant patrons but researchers have now unveiled a robot capable of executing the delicate task of peeling a banana without squashing the fruit inside. 日本的機器人常見到在工廠裡執行簡單的工作或是分送食物給餐廳顧客,但研究人員如今展示一種機器人,它能夠執行剝香蕉皮且不會壓壞裡面水果的細緻工作。 While the dual-armed machine is only successful 57% of the time, banana peeling points to a future where machines undertake more subtle operations than moving metal parts or delivering coffee. 雖然這種雙臂機器只有57%的時間是成功的,但剝香蕉皮顯示未來機器能夠從事比搬運金屬零件或送上咖啡更精巧的行動。 Video from researchers at the University of Tokyo showed the robot pick up and peel a banana with both hands in about three minutes. 東京大學研究人員的影片顯示,這款機器人用雙手在3分鐘內撿起一根香蕉並完成剝皮。 Researchers Heecheol Kim, Yoshiyuki Ohmura and Yasuo Kuniyoshi trained the robot using a "deep imitation learning" process where they demonstrated the banana-peeling action hundreds of times to produce sufficient data for the robot to learn the actions and replicate it. 研究人員金希哲、大村吉幸和國吉康夫利用「深度模仿學習」過程訓練機器人,他們展示剝香蕉皮的動作好幾百次來產生足夠的資料給機器人學習並複製這個動作。 Yasuo Kuniyoshi hopes the better-trained robots can alleviate Japan’s labour shortage problems, for example at bento lunch box or food processing factories that are highly dependent on human labour. 國吉康夫希望這些訓練有素的機器人可以減緩日本的勞動力短缺問題,例如在高度依賴人力的便當店或食品加工廠。 Next Article: Japanese ‘smart’ chopsticks enhance food flavours to make them more savoury日本「智能」筷子增強食物味道 使它們更美味 Japanese researchers have developed computerised chopsticks that enhance salty tastes, potentially helping those who need to reduce sodium in their diets. 日本研究人員開發出一款可提升鹹味的電腦化筷子,有機會幫助那些飲食需要減少鈉攝取量的民眾。 Co-developed by Meiji University professor Homei Miyashita and beverage maker Kirin Holdings Co., the chopsticks enhance tastes using electrical stimulation and a mini-computer worn on a wristband. 這款筷子由明治大學教授宮下芳明及飲料製造商麒麟控股公司共同開發,可利用電流刺激和佩戴在腕帶上的迷你電腦來提升口味。 The device uses a weak electrical current to transmit sodium ions from food, through the chopsticks, to the mouth where they create a sense of saltiness, said Miyashita. "As a result, the salty taste enhances 1.5 times," he said. 宮下說,該設備使用微弱電流,將食物中的鈉離子通過筷子傳輸到嘴巴,在那裡它們會產生鹹味。他說,「結果,鹹味提升了1.5倍。」 The taste-enhancing chopsticks may have particular relevance in Japan, where the traditional diet favours salty tastes. The average Japanese adult consumes about 10 grams of salt per day, double the amount recommended by the World Health Organisation. 增味筷子在日本可能特別重要,因為日本的傳統飲食偏愛鹹味。日本成年人平均每天攝取約10克鹽,是世界衛生組織(WHO)建議量的2倍。Source article: https://features.ltn.com.tw/english/article/paper/1516060 ; https://features.ltn.com.tw/english/article/paper/1514949

May 18, 20223 min

Ep 1809精選詞彙播客 Vocab Ep.119: 你是收藏家還是二手愛好者? Is it second-hand fashion or vintage fashion?

Summary: Vintage designer pieces have always been desirable in the secondhand market, especially if they’re rare or archive pieces. Vivienne Westwood, Versace and Tom Ford-era Gucci are among some of the most popular brands among vintage lovers. Angel and I discuss why second-hand fashion should be seen different to vintage fashion. What does it take to be collector? Check this episode out! Vocabulary: Vintage adj. 復古 Vintage cars that are in working condition can be auctioned for millions of dollars. 還能開的復古(經典)汽車可以拍賣到百萬美元。 Collector n. 收藏家 If you are a collector, you will keep the boxes of all your goodies. 如果你是收藏家,你很可能會留下你寶貝的盒子。 Mint in the box 全新未拆(線上賣東西術語) Many collectors prefer to buy vintage toys mint in the box. 許多玩具收藏家都喜歡買全新未拆的復古(古董)玩具。 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]

May 17, 202233 min

Ep 1806每日英語跟讀 Ep.K366: 睡眠不足可能導致復胖

每日英語跟讀 Ep.K366: Poor sleep may hinder attempts to maintain weight loss, study finds Poor sleep may undermine attempts to maintain weight loss, research has suggested. 研究說明,睡眠不足可能會破壞保持減肥的努力。 Millions of people who are overweight or obese manage to lose weight every year. But many often then face a struggle to keep the pounds creeping back. 每年有數百萬超重或肥胖的人設法減輕體重。但許多人通常會面臨保持體重回升的困擾。 Now results from a randomised trial, which was conducted by the University of Copenhagen and presented at the European Congress on Obesity, suggests better and longer sleep patterns could help keep the weight off for good. 現在,由哥本哈根大學進行並在歐洲肥胖大會上發表的一項隨機試驗的結果表明,更好和更長的睡眠模式可以幫助永久減輕體重。 It is well known that not getting enough or poor quality sleep increases the risk of high blood pressure, high cholesterol and fatty deposits building up in the arteries. 眾所周知,睡眠不足或質量差會增加高血壓、高膽固醇和脂肪沉積在動脈中的風險。 Not getting enough sleep has also been linked to diabetes, inflammation and heart disease. Scientists now increasingly believe poor sleep may be a contributing factor in weight regain after weight loss. In the study, 195 adults who were obese and aged between 18 and 65 followed a very low-calorie diet (800 kcal/day) for eight weeks, losing on average 12 percent of their bodyweight. 睡眠不足也與糖尿病、炎症和心髒病有關。科學家們現在越來越相信睡眠不足可能是減肥後體重反彈的一個因素。在這項研究中,195 名年齡在 18 至 65 歲之間的肥胖成年人連續 8 週採用極低熱量飲食(每天 800 大卡),平均減掉 12% 的體重。 They were then tracked for a year. Their sleep duration was measured using data from wearable monitors and their sleep quality was measured with the Pittsburgh sleep quality index (PSQI), a self-rated questionnaire. 然後他們被跟踪了一年。他們的睡眠時間是使用來自可穿戴監視器的數據來測量的,他們的睡眠質量是使用匹茲堡睡眠質量指數 (PSQI) 來測量的,這是一種自評問卷。 Those who slept for less than six hours a night were found to have, on average, increased their body mass index (BMI) by 1.3 points after a year compared with those who slept for more than six hours. Similarly, the BMI for those who had poor quality sleep increased by 1.2 points after a year compared with those whose sleep was of a good quality. The authors noted the study was observational and could not prove that poor sleep caused weight changes, but suggested that it was likely to contribute. “The fact that sleep health was so strongly related to weight loss maintenance is important since many of us don’t get the recommended amount of sleep needed for optimal health and functioning,” said Prof Signe Torekov, of the University of Copenhagen. 與睡眠時間超過 6 小時的人相比,每晚睡眠時間少於 6 小時的人在一年後的體重指數(BMI)平均增加了 1.3 個百分點。同樣,與睡眠質量好的人相比,睡眠質量差的人一年後的 BMI 增加了 1.2 個百分點。作者指出,這項研究是觀察性的,無法證明睡眠不足會導致體重變化,但說明它可能會有所貢獻。哥本哈根大學的 Signe Torekov 教授說:“睡眠健康與減肥維持密切相關這一事實很重要,因為我們中的許多人沒有獲得最佳健康和功能所需的推薦睡眠量。” More than a third of adults in the UK and the US do not frequently get enough sleep, previous research has found, largely owing to a host of factors in modern life including stress, computers, smart devices and the blurring of work-life boundaries. 先前的研究發現,在英國和美國,超過三分之一的成年人經常睡眠不足,這主要是由於現代生活中的許多因素,包括壓力、電腦、智能設備以及工作與生活界限的模糊。 The study also found about two hours of vigorous physical activity a week could help maintain better sleep. 該研究還發現,每周大約兩個小時的劇烈體育活動有助於保持更好的睡眠。 “Future research examining possible ways of improving sleep in adults with obesity will be an important next step to limit weight regain,” said Torekov. “Weight loss maintained with exercise seems promising in improving sleep.” Torekov 說:“未來的研究檢查改善肥胖成年人睡眠的可能方法將是限制體重反彈的重要下一步。” “通過運動保持體重減輕似乎對改善睡眠很有希望。” Source article: https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/lang/archives/2022/05/10/2003777959

May 16, 20224 min

Ep 1805每日英語跟讀 Ep.K365: 帕大英博物館挨告德嫩神廟雕像禁掃描

每日英語跟讀 Ep.K365: British Museum facing legal action over Parthenon sculptures 3D scan refusal The British Museum is facing legal action from one of the UK’s leading heritage preservation organizations over its refusal to allow the 3D scanning of a piece in its Parthenon sculptures collection. 大英博物館正面臨英國領導遺產保護組織的法律訴訟,該組織拒絕允許對其帕台農神廟雕塑系列中的一件作品進行 3D 掃描。 The Institute for Digital Archaeology (IDA) said it would serve an injunction against the museum imminently, raising the stakes in the dispute between the two. 數位考古研究所 (IDA) 表示,它將立即對博物館發出禁令,這增加了兩者之間爭端的風險。 “We will be filing a complaint by the end of the week requesting the court to order the British Museum to grant our request,” Roger Michel, the IDA’s executive director, told the Guardian. “We want them to treat our application in exactly the same fashion that they would treat similar requests. Their refusal has been capricious and arbitrary.” “我們將在本週末提出申訴,要求法院命令大英博物館批准我們的請求,”IDA 執行董事羅傑米歇爾告訴衛報。 “我們希望他們以與處理類似請求完全相同的方式處理我們的申請。他們的拒絕是反复無常和武斷的。” The Oxford-based institute had hoped, with the museum’s blessing, to reproduce one of the high relief metopes from the Acropolis temple’s south facade as “proof of concept.” In 2016 it reconstructed Syria’s Palymyra arch of triumph out of Egyptian marble based on photographs following the monument’s destruction by Islamic State. 這家位於牛津的研究所曾希望在博物館的支持下,複製雅典衛城神廟南立面的高浮雕牆面之一,作為“概念證明”。 2016 年,它根據紀念碑被伊斯蘭國摧毀後的照片,用埃及大理石重建了敘利亞的 Palymyra 凱旋門。 Advocates believe 3D imaging could be employed to not only create replicas of the classical treasures but help resolve the longstanding row between Athens and London over patrimony of the Parthenon sculptures. Scans would allow a robot sculptor to reproduce the artworks with sub-millimetre accuracy using the same Pentelic marble from which the originals were chiselled, according to the IDA, a supporter of the sculptures’ repatriation to Greece. 支持者認為,3D 成像不僅可以用來製作古典珍品的複製品,還可以幫助解決雅典和倫敦之間關於帕台農神廟雕塑遺產的長期爭執。支持將雕塑送回希臘的 IDA 表示,掃描將允許機器人雕塑家使用與雕刻原件相同的 Pentelic 大理石以亞毫米精度複製藝術品。 The antiquities, regarded as the high point of classical art, have been in the British Museum’s possession since 1816 after their removal from the Parthenon at the behest of Lord Elgin, the British ambassador to the Ottoman empire, which then controlled what is now modern Greece. 這些古物被視為古典藝術的最高點,自 1816 年根據英國駐奧斯曼帝國大使埃爾金勳爵的要求從帕台農神廟移走後,這些古物一直由大英博物館收藏,當時奧斯曼帝國控制著現在的現代希臘. Successive Greek governments have argued that the antiquities were illegally hacked from the temple at a time when it was a subject nation without voice or sovereignty. The British Museum says they were legally acquired. 歷屆希臘政府都爭辯說,當它是一個沒有發言權或主權的附屬國時,這些文物是從神廟中非法盜取的。大英博物館稱它們是合法獲得的。 Source article: https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/lang/archives/2022/04/05/2003776008

May 15, 20223 min

Ep 1804回顧星期天LBS - 拉丁美洲相關時事趣聞 All about Latin America

Topic: 對現狀不滿拉美從傾右變傾左 Leftists Replacing Right-Wing Leaders Across Latin America In the final weeks of 2021, Chile and Honduras voted decisively for leftist presidents to replace leaders on the right, extending a significant, multiyear shift across Latin America. 在2021年的最後幾周,智利和宏都拉斯果斷地投票支援 左翼總統取代右翼領導人,延續 了整個拉丁美洲長達數年的重大轉變。 This year, leftist politicians are the favorites to win presidential elections in Colombia and Brazil, taking over from right-wing incumbents, which would put the left and center-left in power in the six largest economies in the region, stretching from Tijuana to Tierra del Fuego. 今年,左翼政客是贏得哥倫比亞和巴西總統選舉的最愛,他們接替了右翼現任者,這將使左翼和中左翼在該地區從蒂華納到火地島的六大經濟體中掌權。 Economic suffering, widening inequality, fervent anti-incumbent sentiment and mismanagement of COVID-19 have all fueled a pendulum swing away from the center-right and right-wing leaders who were dominant a few years ago. 經濟困境、不斷擴大的不平等、狂熱的反現任情緒以及對COVID-19的管理不善,都助長了幾年前佔主導地位的中右翼和右翼領導人的鐘擺擺動。 The left has promised more equitable distribution of wealth, better public services and vastly expanded social safety nets. But the region’s new leaders face serious economic constraints and legislative opposition that could restrict their ambitions — and restive voters who have been willing to punish whoever fails to deliver. 左翼承諾更公平地分配財富,提供更好的公共服務,並大大擴展社會安全網。但該地區的新領導人面臨著嚴重的經濟限制和立法反對,這可能會限制他們的野心-以及願意懲罰任何未能兌現承諾的人的不安分選民。 The left’s gains could buoy China and undermine the United States as they compete for regional influence, analysts say, with a new crop of Latin American leaders who are desperate for economic development and more open to Beijing’s global strategy of offering loans and infrastructure investment. The change could also make it harder for the United States to continue isolating authoritarian leftist regimes in Venezuela, Nicaragua and Cuba. 分析人士說,左翼的收益可能會提振中國,削弱美國,因為他們在爭奪地區影響力時,新一批拉丁美洲領導人迫切希望經濟發展,並對北京的全球戰略持更開放的態度, 提供貸款和 基礎設施投資。這一變化還可能使美國更難繼續孤立委內瑞拉、尼加拉瓜和古巴的獨裁左翼政權。 With rising inflation and stagnant economies, Latin America’s new leaders will find it hard to deliver real change on profound problems, said Pedro Mendes Loureiro, a professor of Latin American studies at the University of Cambridge. To some extent, he said, voters are “electing the left simply because it is the opposition at the moment.” 隨著通貨膨脹率上升和經濟停滯,拉丁美洲的新領導人將發現很難在深刻的問題上實現真正的變革,劍橋大學拉丁美洲研究教授佩德羅·門德斯·洛雷羅(Pedro Mendes Loureiro)說。他說,在某種程度上,選民正在"選舉左翼,僅僅是因為它目前是反對派。" Unlike the early 2000s, when leftists won critical presidencies in Latin America, the new officeholders are saddled by debt, lean budgets, scant access to credit and, in many cases, vociferous opposition. 與2000年代初不同,當時左翼分子在拉丁美洲贏得了關鍵的總統職位 ,而新的官員則背負著債務,預算緊張, 信貸匱乏以及在許多情況下大聲反對的負擔。 Eric Hershberg, director of the Center for Latin American and Latino Studies at American University, said the left’s winning streak is born out of widespread indignation. 美國大學拉丁美洲和拉丁裔研究中心主任埃裡克·赫什伯格(Eric Hershberg )表示,左翼的連勝源於 廣泛的憤怒。 “This is really about lower-middle-class and working-class sectors saying, ‘Thirty years into democracy, and we still have to ride a decrepit bus for two hours to get to a bad health clinic,’”Hershberg said. "這實際上是關於中下層階層和工人階層部門說,'民主三十年後,我們仍然必須乘坐破舊的公共汽車兩個小時才能到達一個糟糕的健康診所,'"赫什伯格說。Source article: https://udn.com/news/story/6904/6092284 Next Article Topic : Venezuela, Once an Oil Giant, Reaches the End of an Era For the first time in a century, there are no rigs searching for oil in Venezuela. 百年來,委內瑞拉首次沒有鑽油平台在鑽探石油。 Wells that once tapped the world’s largest crude reserves are abandoned or left to flare toxic gases that cast an orange glow over depressed oil towns. 曾自全球最大原油礦藏採油的油井,不是廢棄,就是任由洩漏的毒性氣體逕自燃燒,使附近蕭條的石油城鎮蒙上一層橘光。 Refineries that once processed oil for export are rusting hulks, leaking crude that blackens shorelines and coats the water in an oily sheen. 先前把石油加工出口的煉油廠成了生鏽的殘骸,洩漏的原油染黑了海岸線,並在海面形成一層油光。 Fuel shortages have brought the country to a standstill. At gas stations, lines go on for miles. 燃料短缺使這個國家陷入癱瘓。在加油站,排隊加油的車輛綿延數哩。 Venezuela’s colossal oil sector, which shaped the country and the international energy market for a century, has come to a near halt, with production reduced to a trickle by years of gross mismanagement and U.S. sanctions. The collapse is leaving behind a destroyed economy and a devastated environment and, many analysts say, bringing to an end the era of Venezuela as an energy powerhouse. 委內瑞拉龐大的石油業曾形塑這個國家和國際能源市場長達百年,如今卻幾近停頓,由於多年來管理不善和遭受美國制裁,產量只剩一丁點。石油業崩潰導致經濟慘淡,環境重創,且如許多分析家所言,為委國作為能源大國的時代畫下句點。 The country that a decade ago was the largest producer in Latin America, earning about $90 billion a year from oil exports, is expected to net about $2.3 billion by this year’s end — less than the aggregate amount that Venezuelan migrants who fled the country’s economic devastation will send back home to support their families, according to Pilar Navarro, a Caracas, Venezuela-based economist. 長駐委國首都卡拉卡斯的經濟學家納瓦洛說,當地10年前是拉丁美洲最大產油國,每年出口石油賺進900億美元,但到今年年底,預計可進帳23億美元,還不及為逃避經濟崩潰而出國的國民匯回養家的金錢總額。 Production is the lowest in nearly

May 14, 20226 min

Ep 180315Mins Live Podcast - 讓兒時夢想成真 Make your childhood dream come true

主題: 讓兒時夢想成真 Make your childhood dream come true 畫的動詞: Draw - 畫 Doodle - 塗鴉/亂畫 Sketch - 素描/速寫 圖畫呈現: Illustration - 插畫 Comic strip - 四格漫畫 Manga - 漫畫 Graphic novel - 圖像小說 猜一猜,這個漫畫英文名是什麼 Kamehameha (Dragon Ball) High school student kills criminals by writing names into a notebook (Death Note) Young ninjas go on an adventure to become the greatest ninja of all time (Naruto) A young captain with the power to stretch like rubber on a journey to become the greatest pirate in history (One Piece) 不對稱漫畫名 犬夜叉 - Inuyasha 單車宅男 - Yowamushi Pedal 鋼之鍊金術師 - Fullmetal Alchemist 美少女戰士 - Sailor Moon 【 圖像到故事|掌握創作力的關鍵課程 】 期待你的意見 ▶️ https://hankmax.co/15minsZhiZhi 超精實 3 大系列主題課程:圖像繪畫 × 故事心法 × 直播示範 從基礎練習到視覺溝通、劇本架構,帶你從 0 到 1,開啟全方位的圖像故事創作之路! 不論是喜歡漫畫的朋友、想經營圖文社群的專業工作者,這組豐富好入門的課程,推薦給喜歡畫畫的你 : )

May 13, 20221h 8m

Ep 1801每日英語跟讀 Ep.K364: 歐洲教師很難向學生解釋俄烏戰爭

每日英語跟讀 Ep.K364: Hard Questions From Students Across Europe As they returned from playing tag at recess on a recent sunny morning, the red-cheeked children had lots of questions. 在最近一個陽光明媚的早晨,當他們在課間休息時玩完抓鬼回來時,玩的滿臉通紅的孩子們問很多問題。 “Russia is big enough; why does he want more land?” Max, 11, his eyes on an atlas, asked his teacher about President Vladimir Putin of Russia. 俄羅斯足夠大那他為什麼想要更多的土地?11歲的馬克斯盯著一本地圖集,向他的老師詢問了俄羅斯總統Vladimir Putin的情況。 Jessica, 11, stood with a knee on her chair. “Why are most crazy people men?” she wondered. 11歲的潔西卡(Jessica)跪在椅子上。“為什麼大多數瘋子都是男人?”她想知道。 Issy, 11, turned to the teacher: “Would you stay and fight for your country?” 11歲的伊西轉向老師:“你會留下來為你的國家而戰嗎?” Tara Harmer, a teacher of 36 years, paused to think. “It’s a difficult one, isn’t it?” she said in her elementary school classroom in Horsham, a town in southern England. “My instinct would be to protect you,” she reasoned. “Yes, I think I would fight for my country.” 36歲的塔拉·哈默(Tara Harmer)停下來想了下。“這是個很難回答的問題,不是嗎?” 她在英格蘭南部小鎮霍舍姆(Horsham)的小學教室里說。“我的本能是保護你,”她解釋。“是的,我想我會為我的國家而戰。 As Europeans have grappled with the shock of facing a war on their doorstep and a frenzied news cycle, many teachers have had little time to process what was happening; they had to provide answers, and fast. 當歐洲人努力應對家門口的戰爭和瘋狂的新聞周期的衝擊時,許多教師幾乎沒有時間處理正在發生的事情,他們必須提供答案,而且速度要快。 “I have had 100 questions,” said Sandro Pellicciotta, who teaches geography at a high school in the northern Italian city of Bologna. “And to be honest, I am quite afraid of saying some nonsense.” “我有100個問題,”在義大利北部城市博洛尼亞的一所高中教地理的桑德羅·佩利喬塔(Sandro Pellicciotta)說。“說實話,我很害怕說一些廢話。 Schoolchildren today were born long after the Balkan conflicts of the 1990s, and some were toddlers when the war in Syria was at its height. No conflict they are old enough to remember has been so widely displayed on their TikTok feeds as the war in Ukraine, or so close to home. 今天的學童是在1990年代巴爾幹衝突之後很久才出生的,有些人在敘利亞戰爭達到頂峰時還是蹣跚學步的孩子。可是在他們的時代,在他們的TikTok提要上如此廣泛地顯示為烏克蘭戰爭,或者離家這麼近。 The distance between their world and that of geopolitics has telescoped, and teachers have struggled to assuage fears that this war might affect them all. After two years of a pandemic, they also say the war has undermined their efforts to convince children that the world is not a hostile place. 他們的世界與地緣政治之間的距離已經大大增加,教師們一直在努力緩解人們對這場戰爭可能影響他們所有人的擔憂。經過兩年的大流行,他們還說,戰爭破壞了他們說服兒童相信世界不是一個充滿敵意的地方的努力。 Teachers across Europe described the challenges they were facing in the classroom and the questions they had been asked. 歐洲各地的教師描述了他們在課堂上面臨的挑戰以及他們被問到的問題。 Governments around Europe have acknowledged the challenges that the war in Ukraine poses for teachers and have drafted guidelines for them. 歐洲各國政府已經認識到烏克蘭戰爭給教師帶來的挑戰,併為他們擬了指導方針。 In France, the government said teachers should explain the common history of Russia and Ukraine, but make clear that it “does not substantiate the thesis that Ukraine, a sovereign state, does not have the right to independence.” According to the guidelines, teachers should also not insist on discussing the war if students are reluctant to do so. 在法國,政府表示,教師應該解釋俄羅斯和烏克蘭的共同歷史,但明確表示,這“並不能證實烏克蘭這個主權國家沒有獨立權的論點”。根據指導方針,如果學生不願意討論戰爭,教師也不應該堅持討論戰爭。Source article: https://udn.com/news/story/6904/6242895

May 12, 20223 min

Ep 1800每日英語跟讀 Ep.K363: About health - 睡前看螢幕不好與舉重好處多

每日英語跟讀 Ep.K363: About health - Screen-Time Before Bed Can Disrupt Sleep Digital screen time before bed can have a negative impact on the quality of your sleep. A US study found that as little as eight minutes of exposure to blue light keeps you mentally stimulated for over one hour, which tends to throw off the body’s circadian rhythm or biological clock. 睡前花時間看數位螢幕會對你的睡眠品質產生負面影響。美國一項研究發現,只要暴露在藍光下短短8分鐘,就能讓你在1個多小時內保持精神興奮,這往往會擾亂身體的晝夜節律或生物時鐘。 Exposure to blue light suppresses the production of melatonin, a hormone that induces sleepiness. Melatonin release in the evening helps you relax before bedtime. Suppression of melatonin can cause you to stay up later and sleep less than you normally would. 暴露在藍光下會抑制褪黑激素的產生,褪黑激素是一種會導致嗜睡的激素。晚間釋放褪黑激素可幫助睡前放鬆。抑制褪黑激素會導致你熬夜,睡眠時間比平時少。 Seeing something right before bed that either makes you upset or happy can trigger a response that prolongs falling sleep, which consequently delays REM (rapid eye movement) sleep. These emotions can leave you staring at the ceiling for hours feeling wide awake. 睡前看到讓你心煩意亂或快樂的事情,會引發延長入睡時間的反應,從而延遲快速眼動(REM)睡眠。這些情緒會讓你盯著天花板看幾個小時,感覺完全清醒。 Next Article Want to sleep better? Lift some weights 想要睡好點?練些舉重吧 Struggling to sleep? Put some muscle into your efforts by adding resistance training, otherwise known as weight training, to your weekly exercise routine. 難以成眠?將阻力訓練、也就是重量訓練,納入每週例行運動,再多試試看吧。 In fact, resistance training may even beat aerobic exercise in the race for best sleep aid, according to a new preliminary study presented Thursday at the American Heart Association’s Epidemiology, Prevention, Lifestyle & Cardiometabolic Health Conference. 事實上,根據週四「美國心臟學會流行病學、預防、生活型態和心臟代謝健康會議」上發表的一份新的初步研究,以最能幫助睡眠來說,阻力訓練或許甚至比有氧運動還好。 "In our study, we found that resistance exercise appeared to go above and beyond aerobics or even a combined aerobic and resistance routine on several different sleep outcomes," said study author Angelique Brellenthin, an assistant professor of kinesiology at Iowa State University in Ames, Iowa. 「我們在研究中發現,在數個不同的睡眠結果上,阻力運動比有氧運動、甚至是有氧加阻力運動的效果還要好」,研究報告作者、愛荷華州立大學人體運動學助理教授布雷倫森說。Source article: https://features.ltn.com.tw/english/article/paper/1509615 ; https://features.ltn.com.tw/english/article/paper/1509987

May 11, 20222 min

Ep 1802精選詞彙播客 Vocab Ep.118: 國外知名的亞洲酌料 Taiwan’s signature soy sauce

本集節目由五十年醬油品牌 豆油伯贊助播出,好醬油 豆油伯直接幫你送到家 Summary: Soy sauce is arguably the most important seasoning in Asian cooking. Its well-balanced, salty-sweet taste and deep layer of umami richness make nearly all foods taste more delicious and satisfying. Its uses range from a dab on sushi to a splash into noodle soups and stir-fries, as well as the featured flavour of glazed dishes like teriyaki. The now-beloved condiment came about soon after a Japanese Buddhist monk named Shinchi Kakushin returned from a trip to China and became the abbot at Kokoku-ji Temple near Yuasa. He brought with him a recipe for making Kinzanji miso, a uniquely chunky type of miso made from whole soybeans, various other grains (such as barley and rice) and vegetables. Vocabulary: Condiment n. 調味品/醬料 Uncle Soy Sauce is now the hottest condiment in town. 豆油伯是現下最受歡迎的醬料。 Umami n. 鮮味(源於日本用語) Dipping your sashimi in soy sauce would elevate the umami of the fish 生魚片沾點醬油會提升鮮味。 Season v. 調味 If you season your food with soy sauce, you will easily create Chinese food 如果你用醬油來調味食物,馬上可以創造中華風味的料理。 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]

May 10, 202216 min

Ep 1799每日英語跟讀 Ep.K362: 駐外記者的時代過去了

每日英語跟讀 Ep.K362: The Era of the Foreign Correspondent Is Over It will be named for a word that is the same in dozens of languages. It will recruit English-speaking journalists from countries like India and Singapore to cover the news. And according to its cofounder, “The era of the foreign correspondent is over.” 它將會是在幾十種語言中相同的單詞。它將從印度和新加坡等國招募講英語的記者來報導 新聞。根據其聯合創始人的說法, 外國記者的時代已經結束。“ These are among the ideas in store for the new media venture led by Justin Smith, the former chief executive of Bloomberg Media, and Ben Smith, the former editor of BuzzFeed and media columnist for The New York Times, according to remarks by Justin Smith during an online seminar. 根據賈斯汀·史密斯(Justin Smith)在一次在線研討會上的言論,這些都是由彭博媒體(Bloomberg Media)前首席執行官賈斯汀·史密斯(Justin Smith)和BuzzFeed前主編、《紐約時報》媒體專欄作家本·史密斯(Ben Smith)領導的新媒體企業的想法之一。 The Smiths, who are not related, have been tight-lipped about plans for their new company, which has captured the fascination of the media industry because of its high-profile founders and their ambitious pledge to compete with international outlets like Reuters, The Associated Press and The Times. 史密斯夫婦沒有血緣關係,他們對新公司的計劃守口如瓶,該公司因其備受矚目的創始人以及他們雄心勃勃的承諾與路透社,美聯社和泰晤士報等國際媒體競爭而吸引了媒體行業的魅力。 The Smiths are seeking tens of millions of dollars in funding from prominent investors. They announced the hiring of Gina Chua, a top editor at Reuters who will serve as executive editor. 史密斯夫婦正在尋求知名投資者的數千萬美元資金 。他們宣佈聘請路透社的頂級編輯Gina Chua, 她將擔任執行編輯。 Justin Smith offered some new details during an hourlong Zoom interview sponsored by the Harvard Business School Club of New York. 賈斯汀·史密斯(Justin Smith)在紐約哈佛商學院俱樂部(Harvard Business School Club of New York)贊助的長達一小時的Zoom採訪中提供了一些新的細節。 “We’ve chosen a brand that we’re going to be unveiling in a couple of months that is the same word in 25 or 35 different languages,” Smith told the moderator. “It is very intentionally going to be able to live in Asia or Europe or the Middle East or America.” “我們選擇了一個我們將在幾個月內推出的品牌,這是25或35種不同語言的同一個詞,”史密斯告訴主持人。 “這是非常有意的,能夠生活在亞洲、歐洲、中東或美洲。“ Smith did not reveal the name that he had selected. English words that are the same or similar in many other languages include taxi, tea, coffee, chai, sugar, pajama, radio and soup. 史密斯沒有透露他選擇的名字。 在許多其他語言中相同或相似的英語單詞包括計程車,茶,咖啡,柴, 糖,睡衣,收音機和湯。 Smith also shared his thoughts about what he called the end of an era where news outlets based in London, New York or Washington dispatched journalists to foreign countries to report on the goings-on there. He asked why foreign readers would not prefer a homegrown English-speaking native to report the news in their region. 史密斯還分享了他對自己所謂的時代結束的看法,在這個時代 ,倫敦、紐約或華盛頓的新聞媒體派遣記者 到國外報導那裡發生的事情。他問為什麼外國 讀者不喜歡一個土生土長的講英語的人來報導 他們所在地區的新聞。 “The idea that you send some well-educated young graduate from the Ivy League to Mumbai to tell us about what’s going on in Mumbai in 2022 is sort of insane,” Smith said. “你派一些受過良好教育的年輕畢業生從常春藤盟校到孟買告訴我們2022年孟買發生的事情,其實有點瘋狂,”史密斯說。 Instead, he said he would pursue “very educated, English-language-educated journalists all around the world,” describing an opportunity “for scaling local and regional newsrooms at a lower cost.” 相反的,他說他將在世界各地追求「受過良好教育,受過英語教育的記者」,並描述了一個“以較低的成本擴大本地和區域新聞編輯室的機會。” Source article: https://udn.com/news/story/6904/6210011

May 9, 20223 min

Ep 1798每日英語跟讀 Ep.K361: 兒童認為養殖場動物與人類應受平等對待

每日英語跟讀 Ep.K361: Farm animals and humans should be treated the same, children say Children think farm animals deserve to be treated as well as human beings but lose this belief in adolescence, a groundbreaking study has found. 一項開創性的研究發現,孩子們認為農場動物應該像人類一樣受到對待,但在青春期就失去了這種信念。 Researchers from the universities of Exeter and Oxford asked a group of British children aged nine to 11, young adults aged 18 to 21 and older men and women about their attitudes to different sorts of animals. 來自埃克塞特大學和牛津大學的研究人員詢問了一組9至11歲的英國兒童,18至21歲的年輕人以及年齡較大的男性和女性,以了解他們對不同種類動物的態度。 In general, the children said farm animals and human beings should be treated the same and found eating animals less morally acceptable than both sets of adults. The findings suggest that “speciesism” — a moral hierarchy that gives different value to different animals — is learned during adolescence, according to the study. 普遍來說,孩子們說農場動物和人類應該得到同樣的對待,並且發現吃動物在道德上不如兩組成年人。研究結果表明,「物種主義」——一種賦予不同動物不同價值的道德等級制度——是在青春期學習的。 “Humans’ relationship with animals is full of ethical double standards,” said the lead author, Luke McGuire, a lecturer at the University of Exeter who specializes in social and moral development. “Some animals are beloved household companions, while others are kept in factory farms for economic benefit. Judgments seem to largely depend on the species of the animal in question: dogs are our friends, pigs are food.” “人類與動物的關係充滿了道德雙重標準,”主要作者,埃克塞特大學(University of Exeter)專門研究社會和道德發展的講師盧克·麥奎爾(Luke McGuire)說。“有些動物是心愛的家庭伴侶,而另一些則為了經濟利益而被飼養在工廠化農場。判斷似乎在很大程度上取決於所討論動物的種類:狗是我們的朋友,豬是食物。 The report says an important aspect of the human mind is “moral acrobatics”: people can hold ethical values that contradict each other and employ moral double standards. But the origins of moral acrobatics relating to animals is poorly understood and the researchers say this new study provides some of the first evidence examining the differences in how children and adults think about animal treatment. 報告說,人類思維的一個重要方面是“道德雜技”:人們可以持有相互矛盾的道德價值觀,並採用道德雙重標準。但是,與動物有關的道德雜技的起源知之甚少,研究人員表示,這項新研究提供了一些初步證據,檢查了兒童和成人如何看待動物治療的差異。 Among other tasks, participants in the study were presented with pictures including a farm animal and companion animals and asked to categorize them as “food”, “pet” or “object”. They were asked how animals were treated, and how they should be treated. 除其他任務外,該研究的參與者還獲得了包括農場動物和伴侶動物在內的圖片,並被要求將它們歸類為“食物”,“寵物”或“物體”。他們被問及如何對待動物,以及應該如何對待它們。 Children did not judge all animals to be equal. They concluded, in fact, that dogs ought to be treated better than pigs — but also that pigs ought not to be treated differently from humans. The two sets of adult groups said pigs ought to be treated less well than dogs, while humans and dogs ought to be treated the same. 孩子們並沒有判斷所有的動物都是平等的。事實上,他們得出的結論是,狗應該比豬受到更好的對待,但也不應該對豬的待遇與人類不同。這兩組成年群體表示,豬應該比狗受到的待遇要差,而人類和狗應該受到同樣的對待。 McGuire said the study suggests that while children think farm animals and humans ought to be treated equally well, by adulthood people believe that companion animals and humans ought to be treated better. He said children rated eating animals as significantly less permissible than young adults and adults did. McGuire說,這項研究表明,雖然孩子們認為農場動物和人類應該得到同等的對待,但到了成年人,人們認為伴侶動物和人類應該得到更好的對待。他說,兒童認為吃動物比年輕人和成年人的允許性要低得多。 The paper, published in the journal Social Psychological and Personality Science, is titled “The development of speciesism: age-related differences in the moral view of animals.” 這篇論文發表在《社會心理與人格科學》(Social Psychological and Personality Science)雜誌上,題目是“物種主義的發展:動物道德觀中與年齡相關的差異”。Source article: https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/lang/archives/2022/04/19/2003776807

May 8, 20224 min

Ep 1797回顧星期天LBS - 加拿大相關時事趣聞 All about Canada

Topic: About Canada - Quebec unlocks world’s only maple syrup strategic reserve Quebec Maple Syrup Producers(QMSP)is releasing more than half of the world’s only strategic reserve of 45 million kg of maple syrup to keep up with soaring demand - avoiding a sticky situation for pancake lovers. 魁北克楓糖漿商會(QMSP)正釋出全球僅有的4500萬公斤楓糖漿戰略儲備的逾半儲量,以滿足高漲的需求,避免鬆餅迷無楓糖可吃。 Sales of maple syrup have climbed since the pandemic spread in 2019 and led to more people eating at home. Adding to the syrup squeeze, Quebec’s harvest in 2020 was the smallest in three years due to unusually warm weather. 自2019年疫情蔓延、導致人們更常在家吃飯以來,楓糖漿銷量一飛衝天。由於不尋常的溫暖氣候影響,魁北克省2020年的收成量創下3年新低,也使楓糖漿更加缺貨。 The Global Strategic Maple Syrup Reserve spans 24,805 square meters, the equivalent of five football fields, securing syrup in sterilized 170-liter barrels. 「全球策略性楓糖漿保留計畫」的儲備廠佔地2萬4805平方公尺,相當於5座足球場,楓糖漿則密封在170公升的滅菌桶中。 QMSP is also approving 7 million new taps during the next three years, a 14% increase, to bolster production. QMSP也同意在3年內增採700萬棵楓樹,約增加14%,以提升楓糖漿生產量。 Next Article Topic: To keep coronavirus out, Canada’s smallest province kept the rest of the country away 為了不讓新冠病毒進入 加拿大最小省分與全國其他地方保持距離 In the winter months, when icy conditions keep most people from traveling by sea, there are only two ways to enter Prince Edward Island: by plane or an eight-mile bridge. 在(因海面)冰凍以致大多數人無法搭船(上島)的冬季月份,只有兩種方式可以進入愛德華王子島:搭機或(開車走)8英里長的橋。 When the novel coronavirus started spreading around the world early this year, Canada’s smallest province, off the country’s eastern coast north of Nova Scotia, found itself at a geographical advantage. The island’s remoteness, paired with an aggressive isolation campaign that restricted nonessential travel and enforced two-week quarantines for those arriving in the province, paid dividends. 當今年稍早新冠病毒開始蔓延全球之際,這個位於加拿大東岸外海、新斯科舍省以北的加國最小省分,發現自己享有地理上的優勢。該島的偏僻性,再加上限制非必要旅遊以及蒞臨該省者強制檢疫2週的激進隔離活動,獲致良好效果。 By late April, as death counts were ticking upward in other parts of Canada and soaring in the United States, the province had confirmed just 27 cases of the virus — all of them linked to off-island travel. None of those patients was hospitalized, and no one died. 到了4月底,當加拿大其他地區的死亡人數向上攀升,美國的死亡人數也一飛沖天之際,該省只有27起新冠病毒確診病例─所有病例都與島外差旅有關。這些患者中無人住院,也無人死亡。Source article: https://features.ltn.com.tw/english/article/paper/1506234 ; https://features.ltn.com.tw/english/article/paper/1388474 Next Article Topic: Fly south or roost? Canadian ’snowbirds’ weigh Florida mid-pandemic Birds of a feather normally flock together, but the pandemic has divided Canada’s "snowbird" warm weather migrants into two camps:those staying home this winter and those heading to Florida no matter the cost. 通常來說,物以類聚,但是這場疫情已經使加拿大每年遷徙到氣候溫暖區的「雪鳥族」分成兩陣營:待在家鄉過冬,以及不計代價前往佛州者。 Nearly a million Canadians make the annual pilgrimage, fleeing to the southern United States to pass what would otherwise be gray and snowy months with their toes tucked in the sand and ocean breeze in their hair. 每年有將近100萬名加拿大人飛奔到美國南方,享受漫步沙灘、和煦海風吹過髮梢,度過在家鄉會是滿是灰白雪世界的幾個月。 The coronavirus has led a majority to forgo the trip this year - but for those flouting Canada’s repeated calls to stay put, the price tag on winter at the beach has skyrocketed. 新型冠狀病毒導致今年大多數人放棄這趟旅程,但是對那些不顧加拿大一再呼籲不要旅行的人來說,到南方沙灘過冬的代價飛漲。 Each plane ticket costs Can$500 and hauling the vehicle 55 miles across the border sets customers back $1,000. 每張機票要500加幣,把車子運送55英里越過邊境,則要花上1000加幣。 Next Article Topic: Canadian officials warn drivers not to let moose lick their cars 加拿大官員警告駕駛 不要讓駝鹿舔他們的車 Officials in Jasper, an alpine town in Canada’s Alberta province, have put up signs asking motorists to avoid allowing moose to lick the salt off their cars. 加拿大亞伯達省高山小鎮賈斯柏的官員們,已經張貼標語要求駕駛人不得允許駝鹿舔他們車外的鹽。 "They’re obsessed with salt, it’s one of the things they need for the minerals in their body," Jasper National Park spokesman Steve Young told CNN. "They usually get it from salt lakes in the park, but now they realized they can also get road salt that splashes onto cars." 「他們癡迷於鹽,鹽是其中一種牠們身體必需的礦物質」,賈斯柏國家公園發言人史蒂夫.楊告訴美國有線電視新聞網,「他們通常會從公園的湖鹽獲取它(礦物質),但現在他們知道,他們也能從濺在車上的路鹽得到」。 At the Jasper National Park, where people often park on the side of the road in hopes of catching a glimpse of the moose, letting the animals near your car is actually a serious danger. 賈斯柏國家公園內時常有人停車在路邊,希望能得到駝鹿的注意,但讓動物接近你的車,其實是非常危險的。 By allowing moose to lick the salt off your car, they will become habituated with being around cars. That poses a risk to both the animals and the drivers who can accidentally crash into them. 允許駝鹿舔你的車外的鹽,將會讓牠們習慣徘徊於車子旁邊。對動物及可能意外與牠們相撞的駕駛人都構成風險。 Source article: https://features.ltn.com.tw/english/article/paper/1422097 Topic: In Canada, Unraveling Centuries of Indigenous Land Claims Whenever Prime Minister Justin Trudeau or his Cabinet ministers speak in certain parts of Ontario or Quebec, they begin by acknowledging they are on “unceded Algonquin territory.” 每當總理賈斯汀.杜魯多或他的內閣部長在安大略或魁北克省的特定地方發表演說時,都會以承認他們是站在「未讓渡的阿岡昆領土上」開場。 That recognition is just one of the ways Trudeau’s government ha

May 7, 20228 min

Ep 179615Mins Live Podcast - 家用品相關慣用語 Household Items Idioms

主題: 英語慣用語系列 – 家用品相關慣用語 Household Items Idioms (No) Strings Attached 無條件 Meaning: Without additional obligations, without conditions Example: I’m giving you the money. Pay me back if you can, but don’t worry about it. There are no strings attached. A Needle in a Haystack 大海撈針 Meaning: Trying to find something that is mixed in with many similar items Example: There must be 300 bags on this carousel. We’ll be searching for a needle in a haystack. In the Toilet 不好的狀況 Meaning: In disastrous condition Example: Sales have been in the toilet all year. What can we do to make people want to buy our products? Push the Envelope 挑戰創新/極限 Meaning: Go beyond common ways of doing something, be innovative Example: Vera Wang has become well known because her clothing designs consistently push the envelope. Sweep Under the Rug 眼不見為淨 Meaning: Attempt to temporarily conceal a problem or error Example: You can sweep your mistake under the rug, but the audit will make clear what you did. 練習分享時間: 你可以用全部慣用語來造句嗎?挑戰下自己看可以用多少個。

May 6, 20221h 20m

Ep 1795每日英語跟讀 Ep.K360:  芭蕾舞者失去了巨大的一年

每日英語跟讀 Ep.K360: Ballet is hard enough. What Happens When You Lose a Year? In ballet when you lose a year, you lose a lot. It takes years of sacrifice and training to become a professional, and the performing life of a dancer is short. 在芭蕾的世界,你失去一年,你的損失可就大了。經過多年犧牲訓練才能成為一個專業舞者,表演生涯卻頗為短暫。 For elite ballet dancers, a solid career lasts around 15 years — and that comes after roughly a decade of schooling. Could this pause alter the evolution of dance generations? 對菁英芭蕾舞者而言,穩定的職涯約可維持15年,唯須先經10年左右正式學習。這波疫情中斷會改變舞蹈界的世代演進嗎? “They’re losing a year to a year and a half of their career that they’re not going to get back,” Jonathan Stafford, New York City Ballet’s artistic director, said. “It’s not like they can make it up on the back end. Everyone eventually is going to age out.” 「他們損失一年至一年半的職涯,而且無法追回。」紐約市芭蕾舞團藝術總監強納森‧史代佛說。「這並非他們之後能補上的事,到頭來每個人都會不再適齡。」 Ballet dancers need mental toughness to prevail in ordinary times. But this collective timeout is unlike anything they have experienced in their careers. 芭蕾舞者平時就需有堅強的心智方能出類拔萃,碰上這波疫情被迫集體性暫停卻跟他們原來職涯中任何經歷都大不相同。 “It has to be brutal — physically and psychologically,” Mikhail Baryshnikov said in an email. He recalled having “tough tests” — times in his career when injuries had forced him to take off a few months. “But it’s hard to imagine what it’s been like for dancers sidelined by the pandemic.” 「這對身心肯定都是嚴苛考驗。」米夏‧巴瑞辛尼可夫在電郵中表示。他回憶職涯中多次因受傷被迫休息數月,遭遇「嚴酷試煉」。「但是,很難想像舞者因為疫情無法表演是何種光景。」 How does a dancer stay motivated and challenged? Some won’t have jobs to return to, and those who do don’t know when performances will return to normal. And the clock keeps ticking. 舞者如何維持積極向上和接受挑戰的心志?一些人將回不去原來的工作崗位,回得去的也不知演出何時能恢復正常。而時光繼續流逝。 “I can’t imagine any point in my career being dealt this card,” said Wendy Whelan, the associate artistic director of City Ballet where she was a leading dancer for 30 years. “You are taking up steps — up, up, up, up, up — and you don’t want to get knocked off of any one of those steps at any point. Then, when you get there, you want to hang on to it as long as you can.” 「我無法想像職涯中任何時間點碰上這種情況。」曾任紐約市芭蕾舞團首席舞者30年的該團副藝術總監溫蒂‧韋倫說。「你順著台階往上爬,一階階往上攻頂,不想在任何時刻從任何一階上被打下來。然後當你登頂後,會想在那兒待得愈久愈好。」 Stafford said he wasn’t worried about dancers regaining their athleticism and movement quality; he even thinks their technique will be better, a result of working more slowly and focusing on the basics. But it will take time — months of classes and then rehearsals — to get them back to where they were last March. 史代佛說,他並不擔心舞者無法回復運動能力與動作品質,甚至認為他們的技巧會更好,因為能以較慢步調練習及專注於基礎。但需要相當時間,數月課程再加上排練,才能讓他們重回去年三月的狀態。 Dancers are practical; this year has shown that they are also incredibly resilient. While the shutdown has meant time away from performing, it has also given dancers an opportunity to experience life beyond their art, and many have relished the pause. They are taking college classes or teaching or having surgery they have put off, knowing there is time to recover. There are lots of babies on the way. 舞者是務實的,這一年顯示他們也極具韌性。封城雖意味無法表演,卻也給舞者體驗舞蹈以外人生的機會,許多人很享受這段空檔。他們去大學上課、教課或接受擱置的手術,因為知道有時間可以休養。另外也會有許多新生命即將誕生。 “I am convinced that they’re going to come back more well rounded, more interesting, softer in a way,” Whelan said, adding: “This time has been so healthy. Unfortunate, yet healthy.” 「我確信他們再回來時會更全面而完整,更有趣,或者也可以說更柔軟。」韋倫說,她又說:「這段時光十分健康,雖不幸」Source article: https://udn.com/news/story/6904/5348793

May 5, 20224 min