通勤學英語 15Mins Today

新的一季Vocab，我們會每週週三準時上架，讓大家收聽全英時事討論，吸收主題相關詞彙用語以及觀點~ 也開放聽眾來信或投稿主題喔！ Summary: Angel and I discuss the other uses of the word - "outlet" in situations other than in retail. Most Taiwanese people know the word "outlet" from "outlet malls". Today, the malls are mega parks for families. Mitsui corporation is now opening outlet parks all over Taiwan to tap into a new market for weekend domestic travellers. What are your favorite outlet malls? Come and write to us! Mitsui Outlet Park Tainan: https://www.mop.com.tw/tainan/tw/index.html Vocabulary: Power outlet 電源插座 With so many electronics at home, we need to install more power outlets. 家裏電器用品很多，我們需要安裝更多電源插座。 Flagship store 旗艦店 Luxury brands like to set their flagship stores in the major cities of the world. 精品品牌喜歡設置他們的旗艦店在世界各地的大城市裡。 Novel 新潮/新鮮的 Mitsui outlet park has many novel clothing and food stores. 三井Outlet台南有許多新潮服飾與餐廳。 更多Vocab Podcast節目: https://www.15mins.today/vocab 歡迎主題投稿/意見回覆 : [email protected] 商業合作/贊助來信：[email protected]

每日英語跟讀 Ep.K350: What to know about aphasia, Bruce Willis’ diagnosis The news that film star Bruce Willis has retired from acting due to aphasia has shone a spotlight on the poorly understood communication disorder. 電影明星布魯斯·威利斯（Bruce Willis）因失語症而退出演藝界的消息引起了人們對這種知之甚少的溝通障礙的關注。 “Aphasia just means that someone has a problem with language that they weren’t born with,” Hugo Botha, a neurologist at Mayo Clinic in Minnesota explained. “失語症只是意味著某人的語言有問題，而他們並不是天生的，”明尼蘇達州梅奧診所的神經學家Hugo Botha解釋。 The most common cause is stroke or head injury — and experts stress that while it can affect the production and comprehension of both speech and written words, it normally doesn’t impact intelligence. 最常見的原因是中風或頭部受傷 - 專家強調，雖然它會影響言語和書面文字的產生和理解，但它通常不會影響智力。 It affects some two million Americans, according to the National Aphasia Association, making it more common than Parkinson’s Disease, cerebral palsy or muscular dystrophy. 根據美國國家失語症協會的數據，它影響了大約200萬美國人，使其比帕金森病，腦癱或肌肉萎縮症更常見。 While it’s normally caused by a specific one-time event such as stroke, “there are other possibilities, such as from a neurodegenerative disease,” or a growing tumor, explained Brenda Rapp, a cognitive scientist at Johns Hopkins University. 雖然它通常是由特定的一次性事件引起的，如中風，但「還有其他可能性，例如來自神經退行性疾病」或不斷增長的腫瘤，約翰霍普金斯大學的認知科學家Brenda Rapp解釋說。 In such cases the damage is progressive and therapy focuses on preventing further loss of function. 在這種情況下，損傷是漸進的，治療的重點是防止進一步的功能喪失。 The brain system governing language is a “very complex machine” that involves selecting the right words, moving the mouth appropriately to vocalize them, and on the other end hearing and decoding their meaning, said Rapp. 拉普說，支配語言的大腦系統是一個「非常複雜的機器」，包括選擇正確的單詞，適當地移動嘴巴來發聲，另一端聽到和解碼它們的含義。 Everyone occasionally struggles to find the right word, “but you could imagine in aphasia, this happens a lot,” she added. 每個人偶爾都會努力尋找合適的詞，“但你可以想像在失語症中，這種情況經常發生，”她補充說。 Doctors sometimes split aphasia into broad clinical categories which correlate to where in the brain injury occurred. 醫生有時會將失語症分為廣泛的臨床類別，這些類別與腦損傷發生的地點相關。 In expressive aphasia, people “usually understand fairly well but have trouble getting words out,” said speech pathologist Brooke Hatfield, of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA). The brain is extremely plastic, and speech therapy can engage other parts of it to “bypass the roadblocks” of the damaged areas, and forge new connections, said Rapp. 在表達性失語症中，人們“通常理解得很好，但很難把單詞說出來，”美國言語 - 語言 - 聽力協會（ASHA）的言語病理學家Brooke Hatfield說。Rapp說，大腦的可塑性極強，言語治療可以讓大腦的其他部分參與進來，以「繞過受損區域的障礙」，並建立新的聯繫。 Such therapy also teaches people to talk around the subject if they get stuck on a specific word. Family members can also develop strategies to make themselves better understood: “Things like shorter sentences, and making sure that you’re talking to the person in full view instead of the other room, and minimizing background noise,” said Botha. 這種療法還教會人們在遇到特定單詞時圍繞該主題進行交談。 家庭成員也可以制定策略，讓自己更好地理解：「比如較短的句子，確保你在眾目睽睽之下而不是在另一個房間與人交談，並盡量減少背景噪音，“Botha說。 Some people do well with assistive devices because their ability to write isn’t affected in the same way. Over the horizon, there are experimental treatments that combine electrical stimulation of the brain with speech therapy that have shown promise in recovering function, said Rapp. 有些人在使用輔助設備時做得很好，因為他們的寫作能力不會受到同樣的影響。 Rapp說，在未來，有實驗性的治療方法將大腦的電刺激與言語治療相結合，這些療法在恢復功能方面顯示出希望。 In the case of progressive aphasia, developing drugs that target the build up of protein plaques and tangles in the brain that cause neurodegenerative disease are thought to be the way forward. 在進行性失語症的情況下，開發針對導致神經退行性疾病的蛋白質斑塊和纏結在大腦中積聚的藥物被認為是前進的方向。Source article: https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/lang/archives/2022/04/12/2003776424

每日英語跟讀 Ep.K349: About France - France bans unlimited sugary drink refills Restaurants and other spaces catering to the public in France have been banned from offering unlimited sugary drinks in an effort to reduce obesity. It is now illegal to sell unlimited soft drinks at a fixed price or offer them unlimited for free. 在法國，餐廳以及其他對公眾提供餐飲服務的場所，已被禁止無限量供應含糖飲料，以致力減少肥胖。以固定價格販售無限量的非酒精飲料，或無限量地免費供應它們，現在皆屬違法。 The World Health Organization （WHO） recommends taxing sugary drinks, linking them to obesity and diabetes. The new law in France targets soft drinks, including sports drinks containing added sugar or sweeteners. All public eateries, from fast-food joints to school canteens, are affected. The aim of the law is to "limit, especially among the young, the risks of obesity, overweight and diabetes" in line with WHO recommendations. 世界衛生組織（WHO）建議對含糖飲料課稅，並將它們與肥胖及糖尿病建立關連。法國這項新法鎖定的非酒精飲料，包括添加糖或甜味劑的運動飲料。所有公眾餐飲店，從速食店到學校餐廳都受到影響。該法的目的是「限制，特別是年輕族群，肥胖、過重與糖尿病風險」，以符合WHO的建議。 A recent Eurostat survey of adult obesity put the French at 15.3%, which is just below the EU average of 15.9%. France was slimmer than the UK （20.1%） but fatter than Italy （10.7%）. Past the age of 30, nearly 57% of French men are overweight or obese, according to a report published in October by the French medical journal Bulletin Epidemiologique Hebdomadaire. Some 41% of women in the same age category are also overweight or obese, the study found. 歐盟統計局近期針對成人肥胖的調查顯示，法國為15.3%，略低於歐盟平均值15.9%。法國比英國（20.1%）苗條，但比義大利肥胖（10.7%）。而根據法國醫學期刊「流行病學週報」去年10月刊登的一份報告，年過30歲後，近57%的法國男人過重或肥胖。同一年齡組有約41%女性也是過重或肥胖，該研究發現。 Next Article ’You’ve won your weight in oysters!’ - note in shells stops thieves（「你已贏得和你體重相當的生蠔！」 殼內放紙條阻偷竊） When thieves stole three tonnes of oysters from French 60-year-old shellfish farmer Christophe Guinot, he came up with a solution: planting secret notes inside oyster shells to help police track down the thieves. 在被小偷竊取3噸生蠔後，60歲的法國貝類養殖業者克里斯多福．朱諾特想出一個解決方案：在生蠔殼內放入秘密紙條，幫助警察追蹤竊賊。 The oysters are reared in cages, attached by wires to a metal frame that stops them drifting away. Thieves take a boat out to the cages and pluck them from the water. 生蠔被養在籠具內，籠具以線綁在金屬框架上，避免漂走。小偷會乘船到籠具，把籠具從水中拔走。 Guinot takes an empty oyster shell, insert a tiny rolled-up note, glue the shell back together and drop it into the cage. The note tells whoever opens the shell that they have won their own weight in oysters, and invites them to call to claim their prize. 於是朱諾特取來空的生蠔殼，放入一小張捲起來的紙條，再用膠水黏合放回籠內。紙條告訴打開的人，他們贏得和自己體重相當的生蠔，邀請他們致電領獎。 Anyone claiming their prize could be asked where they bought the oysters, and if it was not from somewhere that Guinot supplies, he could set the police on the trail of the thieves. 領獎的人會被詢問是在哪裡買生蠔，一旦不是從朱諾特供應的廠商購入，他就會報警提供竊賊線索。Source article: https://news.ltn.com.tw/news/world/paper/1091689 ; https://features.ltn.com.tw/english/article/paper/1511511

Topic: About animals - Treating wounds with insects: the strange habits of Gabon chimps How to treat a wound? For humans, the first instinct would be to disinfect it and then cover it with a bandage. But chimpanzees have invented a more creative method: catching insects and applying them directly to the open wound. 應該如何處理傷口呢？對於人類來說，第一個反應是對其進行消毒，然後用繃帶包紮。但黑猩猩發明了一種更有創意的方法：用昆蟲並將牠們直接塗抹在開放性傷口上。 Scientists observed this behavior in chimpanzees in the West African nation of Gabon, noticing that the apes not only use insects to treat their own wounds, but also those of their peers. 科學家們在西非國家加彭的黑猩猩身上觀察到這種行為，並注意到這些猿類不僅使用昆蟲來治療自己的傷口，還用來治療同伴。 The project began in 2019, when an adult female chimpanzee named Suzee was observed inspecting a wound on the foot of her adolescent son. Suzee then suddenly caught an insect out of the air, put it in her mouth, apparently squeezed it, and then applied it to her son’s wound. 這項研究計畫始於2019年，科學家當時觀察到一隻名叫蘇西（Suzee）的成年雌黑猩猩，正在檢查牠青少年兒子腳上的傷口。接著，蘇西突然從空中抓了一隻蟲子，放進嘴裡抿碎，然後敷在牠兒子的傷口上。 Next Article Topic: Deer runs into hospital, up escalator; later is euthanized 一隻鹿闖進醫院搭上電梯隨後被安樂死 News outlets reported that surveillance video showed a deer bounding into Our Lady of the Lake Hospital in Baton Rouge in Louisiana through an open door and stumbling on the slippery floor as stunned workers and visitors watched from a few feet away. 監視影片顯示，有一隻鹿從路易斯安那州巴頓魯治聖母湖醫院開放的大門跳進院內後，在易滑的地板上跌倒，震驚的工作人員和訪客在幾呎外目睹一切。 The deer regained its footing enough to climb up the escalator and reach the second floor, where it was finally corralled and held down by several people. 這隻鹿站穩腳步後爬進電梯搭到二樓，才終於被許多人一同壓制及捕捉。 The deer was loaded on a hospital bed that was rolled outside to a truck from the The Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Department. 這隻鹿被放置在醫院病床上，推往路易斯安那野生動物和漁業部的卡車。 The animal had to be euthanized because of injuries, the agency said, adding there were indications it may have been struck by a vehicle before entering the building. 該機構說，由於這隻動物傷重，必須被安樂死。他們也補充道，牠看起來應該是進入醫院前遭汽車撞擊。 "Patient care has not been interrupted and the area is being thoroughly sanitized," said a statement by the hospital. 醫院聲明指出：「病患照護未受干擾，事發區域也已徹底消毒。」Source article: https://features.ltn.com.tw/english/article/paper/1501725 ; https://features.ltn.com.tw/english/article/paper/1502232 Next Article Topic: Kangaroos can learn to communicate with humans, researchers say Kangaroos can learn to communicate with humans similar to how domesticated dogs do, by using their gaze to "point" and ask for help, researchers said in a study published on Wednesday. 研究人員在週三發表的一份研究中說，和被馴化的狗類似，袋鼠可以學習和人類溝通，利用凝視來「指向」並尋求協助。 The study involved 11 kangaroos that lived in captivity but had not been domesticated. Ten of the 11 marsupials intently gazed at researchers when they were unable to open a box with food, according to the report. Nine alternately looked at the human and at the container, as a way of pointing or gesturing toward the object. 這份研究涉及11隻圈養但未經馴化的袋鼠。根據這份報告，這11隻有袋動物的其中10隻，在打不開一個裝有食物的盒子時，專注凝視研究人員。9隻交替看著人和容器，做為指向或是朝該物體示意的一種方法。 "We interpreted this as a deliberate form of communication, a request for help," Alan McElligott, the Irish researcher who led the study, told Reuters in a call. 主導這起研究的愛爾蘭研究人員亞倫‧麥克利戈特在電話中告訴路透，「我們將之解釋為一種刻意的溝通形式，是一種求助。」 The findings challenge the notion that only domesticated animals such as dogs, horses or goats communicate with humans. 這項發現挑戰了只有諸如狗、馬或山羊這類被馴化的動物會和人類溝通的觀念。 Next Article Topic: 2 pythons weighing 100 pounds collapse ceiling in Australia （澳洲2條合計100磅的蟒蛇壓垮天花板） An Australian David Tait entered his home in Laceys Creek in Queensland state and was surprised to find a large chunk of the ceiling lying on his kitchen table. "I knew we hadn’t had rain, so I looked around to find what had caused it," Tait said. 一名澳洲民眾大衛．泰特回到位於昆士蘭州萊西溪市的家時，驚訝地發現一大片天花板躺在廚房餐桌上。泰特說：「我知道沒下雨，所以我四處張望尋找事發原因。」 He soon found two culprits, non-venomous carpet pythons 2.8 meters and 2.5 meters long, that had slithered into a bedroom and living room. The snakes have an estimated combined weight of 45 kilograms. 他很快發現2隻罪魁禍首，各為2.8公尺及2.5公尺的無毒地毯蟒爬進了臥室和客廳。這2隻蟒蛇合計重達45公斤。 Snake catcher Steven Brown was called to remove the two snakes. "I would assume that it was two males fighting over a female that was nearby in the roof," he said. He suspected the female could still be in the ceiling or nearby. 捕蛇專家史蒂芬．布朗被叫來抓2隻蟒蛇。他說：「我想是2隻公蟒為了待在天花板附近的1隻母蟒在打架。」他懷疑，那隻母蟒或許還待在天花板或附近一帶。 The males were returned to the wild, but the suspected third snake hasn’t been found. 2隻公蟒被野放，疑似還在屋內的第3隻蟒蛇下落不明。 Source article: https://features.ltn.com.tw/english/article/paper/1422528 ; https://features.ltn.com.tw/english/article/paper/1420019 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 Can

Source: https://www.insider.com/what-to-bring-to-disney-parks-someone-who-goes-frequently-2022-4#an-umbrella-is-a-must-in-rainy-climates-9 A reusable water bottle comes in handy and cuts costs 隨身水瓶好用又省錢 Bringing a reusable water bottle is an absolute necessity because buying bottled water in the parks is extremely overpriced and staying hydrated in the heat is so important. Many parks have water-bottle filling stations, but many dining locations also offer free cups of water if you forget a bottle. As parks become more environmentally friendly, you might want to bring your own straw 園區強調環保需要自帶吸管 The Disney parks have been reducing the amount of single-use plastics that are handed out to guests, including plastic straws. Dining and refreshment locations now hand out paper straws or none at all. A handheld fan can be a lifesaver on a hot day 手持風扇是你的救命稻草 A handheld fan is an absolute lifesaver to prevent overheating, especially in the summer. Standing in the scorching sun all day can be pretty brutal, so a small USB-rechargeable fan offers a welcome reprise from the heat. Wipes come in handy for many reasons 濕紙巾很能派上用場 I like to bring a variety of wipes with me to the parks. I use sanitizing wipes to clean surfaces, wipe my hands before eating, or wash up any spilled ice cream An umbrella is a must in rainy climates 雨傘在多雨的氣候下是必須的 When visiting a theme park in a climate that's prone to rain, like Disney World in Florida, I'll bring a compact, collapsible umbrella with me. 分享時間: What do you bring when you travel? What’s in your bag?

每日英語跟讀 Ep.K348: It’s Sitting Pretty in Ink To be a magazine reader these days is to lament — unless you are reading The World of Interiors, published since 1982 by Condé Nast Britain but widely available on American newsstands, where it sells for $9.99 per issue. 在這個時代身為雜誌讀者，如今就是在哀歎——除非你正在閱讀《室內設計世界》（The World of Interiors），該書自1982年以來由康泰納仕英國公司（Condé Nast Britain）出版，但在美國報攤上隨處可見，每期售價9.99美元。 The World of Interiors is essentially a decorating magazine, but this is like saying Vogue concerns itself with sewing. It showcases seemingly every facet of the decorative arts and crafts over centuries, from pop artist Roy Lichtenstein’s Manhattan studio to an antique dealer’s 16th-century Shropshire pile to a shepherd’s hut, while reviewing books like “The People’s Galleries: Art Museums and Exhibitions in Britain 1800-1914.” It’s intelligent, witty and wide-ranging in its curiosity: a bible. 《室內世界》本質上是一本裝飾雜誌，但這就像說《Vogue》是關注縫紉一樣。幾個世紀以來，它似乎展示了裝飾藝術和手工藝品的方方面面，從波普藝術家羅伊·利希滕斯坦（Roy Lichtenstein）的曼哈頓工作室到古董商的16世紀什羅普郡（Shropshire）堆垛，再到牧羊人的小屋，同時評論了“人民畫廊：英國藝術博物館和展覽1800-1914”等書籍。這本雜誌聰明、機智，好奇心廣泛：如同一本聖經。 And a rarity. 而且是罕見的。 Two decades after the internet changed everything, magazines mostly have yet to figure out how to thrive in a digital world. Details and Domino folded. Glamour, Seventeen, Vibe, Self and Playboy have either retreated from print altogether or appear on newsstands infrequently. Titles once so culturally influential they created mythologies around them — Time, Sports Illustrated, Rolling Stone — have been supplanted by social media and blog. 在網際網路改變一切的20年後，雜誌大多還沒有弄清楚如何在數位世界中茁壯成長。細節和多米諾骨牌摺疊。《魅力》、《十七歲》、《Vibe》、《Self》和《花花公子》要麼完全退出印刷品，要麼很少出現在報攤上。曾經在文化上如此有影響力的標題，以至於圍繞它們創造了神話 - 時代，體育畫報，滾石 - 已經被社交媒體和部落格所取代 Nicholas Coleridge, the outgoing chairman of Condé Nast Britain, recently published a memoir about the 30-year golden period for magazines, beginning in the 1980s, when ad revenue and circulation climbed year after year and editors brimmed with creative gusto. He titled it “The Glossy Years.” In 2017, the U.S. arm of Condé Nast lost more than $120 million and, to stem the bleeding, the publisher has closed or sold off several titles and subleased floors in its Lower Manhattan headquarters. Rivals Hearst and Meredith face similar challenges. 即將離任的康泰納仕英國公司（Condé Nast Britain）主席尼古拉斯·柯勒律治（Nicholas Coleridge）最近出版了一本回憶錄，講述了雜誌從1980年代開始的30年黃金時期，當時廣告收入和發行量逐年攀升，編輯們充滿了創造性的熱情。他將其命名為「光輝歲月」。2017年，康泰納仕（Condé Nast）的美國分公司損失了超過1.2億美元，為了阻止流血，該出版商已經關閉或出售了其曼哈頓下城總部的幾本書和轉租樓層。競爭對手赫斯特和梅雷迪思也面臨著類似的挑戰。 If one could even sell a magazine memoir of today, it might be called “The Getting-By Years”: slashed budgets, reduced staffs, a noticeable diminishing of not just financial resources but ambition and copy-editing. 如果有人現在能為雜誌出本回憶錄，書名可能會是「湊合著過的歲月」：預算大減，人員縮編，財源、企圖心和審稿人力明顯減少。 Except at The World of Interiors, which has lost none of its gloss and seems utterly unaffected by modern media trends. Other than a cursory if reasonably popular Instagram presence and website of inspirational indices, it’s not really on the internet, or trying limply to be “of” the internet as so many other legacy titles are. 除了《室內設計世界》，它沒有失去任何光輝，似乎完全不受現代媒體趨勢的影響。粗略經營就是說該雜誌的Instagram和指數網站，它並沒有真正在網路上，或者像許多其他傳統標題一樣跛腳地試圖成為互聯網的“人”。 “It enjoys a semi-indie status among our titles,” said Albert Read, the managing director of Condé Nast Britain. The people who produce it, he said, “are all artistic bohemian types. It’s the antithesis to the data-driven digital attitude that we have to embrace in other part of our business.” 英國康泰納仕總經理李德說：「室內世界在我們旗下雜誌裡，享有半獨立地位。」他說，製作這本刊物的「都是很有藝術造詣又豪放不羈的文化人，態度與我們處理其他業務必須有的『看數據說話』完全相反」。 Sitting in his wood-paneled office inside Vogue House, the publisher’s London headquarters, Read held up the October issue of The World of Interiors. It was thick as a phone book with ads and printed on heavy 100-gram wood-free coated paper, the most luscious, most expensive paper of any Condé title. The cover was a simple, enticing photo of the shaded veranda of a house in the Canary Islands, a Spanish archipelago off the coast of northwest Africa, with barely any typeface to muck it up. 李德坐在出版商倫敦總部Vogue House的木板辦公室里，舉起了十月刊《室內設計世界》。它厚厚如一本帶有廣告的電話簿，印在厚重的100克無木銅版紙上，這是所有康得書目中最甜美，最昂貴的紙張。封面是一張簡單而誘人的照片，描繪了加那利群島（加那利群島）一所房子的陰涼陽臺，加那利群島是非洲西北部海岸附近的一個西班牙群島，幾乎沒有任何字體來掩蓋它。 The magazine’s readership is small, with a circulation of 55,000, but influential. It’s beloved by those in the creative and visual arts especially. 這本雜誌發行5萬5000本，讀者群很小，但很有影響力，尤其受到創意及視覺藝術工作者喜愛。Source article: https://udn.com/news/story/6904/4255134

每日英語跟讀 Ep.K347: Venice Gets a Grip on a Star Architect’s Slippery Bridge As tourists wandered obliviously on the glass floor of the footbridge, locals proceeded with caution. Venetians made sure to walk on the narrow stone strip at the center, some lifting fogged glasses to keep their eyes on the ground. When a visitor tripped, they barely lifted their gaze. 當遊客在人行天橋的玻璃地板上徘徊時，當地人小心翼翼地繼續前進。威尼斯人確保走在中心的狹窄石帶上，有些人舉起霧玻璃，把眼睛放在地上。當一個訪客被絆倒時，他們幾乎沒有抬起目光。 “That is not a bridge,” said Angelo Xalle, 71, a retired port worker who recalled helping people with broken chins or foreheads get up from its sleek floor. “It’s a trap.” 「這不是座橋」，71歲退休港口員工薩爾說，他回想起幫助因滑溜橋面而跌斷下巴或額頭的人起身，「這是個陷阱」。 The bridge, Ponte della Costituzione, by star architect Santiago Calatrava, is a multimillion-dollar work of glass and steel that opened in 2008. Its smooth curve above the Grand Canal, near Venice’s train station, was meant to symbolize the city’s embrace of modernity, but it has become better known as a stage for ruinous tumbles and dangerous slips. 這座橋由明星建築師聖地牙哥·卡拉特拉瓦（Santiago Calatrava）設計，是一座價值數百萬美元的玻璃和鋼鐵作品，於2008年開放。它在威尼斯火車站附近的大運河上方的平滑曲線象徵著這座城市對現代性的擁抱，但它已成為一個眾所周知的毀滅性翻滾和危險滑倒的舞臺。 Now, after years of protests and problems, the city has decided to replace the translucent glass with less slippery — and less glamorous — trachyte stone. 現在，在多年的抗議和各種問題後，市政府決定以比較不滑、也沒那麼美麗的粗面岩，取代透明玻璃。 “People hurt themselves, and they sue the administration,” said Francesca Zaccariotto, Venice’s public works official. “We have to intervene.” 「民眾受傷，他們就告政府」，威尼斯公共事務官員札卡里歐托說，「我們必須介入」。 The city’s decision to allocate 500,000 euros, or about $565,000, to replace the bridge’s glass section comes after several failed attempts to limit slips with resin and nonslip stickers. Last month, as the winter cold and rains made the floor especially dangerous, officials placed keep-off signs on the glass portion of the bridge, which is most of it. 該市決定撥款50萬歐元，約合565000美元，以取代橋樑的玻璃部分，此前幾次嘗試用樹脂和防滑貼紙限制滑倒失敗。上個月，由於冬季的寒冷和降雨使地板特別危險，官員們在橋的玻璃部分放置了防範標誌，這是大部分。 Acclaimed around the world for work including the World Trade Center Transportation Hub in New York, Calatrava was commissioned to design the bridge in 1999. When it opened nine years later, after protests about delays and soaring costs, complaints about falls began quickly. 卡拉特拉瓦（Calatrava）的作品享譽全球，包括紐約的世界貿易中心交通樞紐，於1999年受委託設計這座橋。九年後，當它開業時，在抗議延誤和成本飆升之後，關於跌倒的抱怨迅速開始。 Protests intensified in 2013, when the city installed a cable car on the bridge to make it more accessible. The red, round cabin — not designed by Calatrava — cost about 1.5 million euros, was slow to cross the bridge and became unbearably hot in the summer. It was later dismantled. 抗議活動在2013年加劇，當時該市在橋上安裝了纜車，使其更容易進入。紅色的圓形機艙 - 不是由Calatrava設計的 - 耗資約150萬歐元，過橋的速度很慢，夏天變得難以忍受。它後來被拆除。 In 2018, the city replaced some of the slabs of glass with trachyte, but during the pandemic, when national television filmed people walking over the bridge to illustrate the return to normalcy after a lockdown, it inevitably caught someone slipping. Last year, the administration gathered the funds to fully replace the glass. 2018年，該市用粗面岩取代了一些玻璃板，但在疫情期間，當國家電視台拍攝人們走過橋以說明封鎖后恢復正常時，它不可避免地抓住了某人滑倒。去年，政府籌集資金以完全更換玻璃。 “We can’t always do poetry,” Zaccariotto said. “We must give security.” 「我們不能老是搞浪漫」，札卡里歐托說，「我們必須保障安全」。Source article: https://udn.com/news/story/6904/6076910

新的一季Vocab，每週週三準時上架，讓大家收聽全英時事討論，吸收主題相關詞彙用語以及觀點~ 也開放聽眾來信或投稿主題喔！ Summary: The cha chaan teng – or "tea restaurant" – is the Hong Kong equivalent of the "greasy spoon" cafe, or perhaps the American diner. Frequented by everyone from tough construction workers to sharp-suited bankers to roughing-it celebs craving the cheap dishes they were brought up on, offer East-West hybrid comfort foods that fuses the thriftier ends of the culinary traditions of two very different worlds. Article from BBC: https://www.bbc.com/travel/article/20220310-hong-kongs-greasy-spoon-cafes Vocabulary: Mom-and-pop stores 小型/家庭型店家 Mom-and-pop stores were everywhere in the countryside where I grew up. 我小時候長大的鄉下地方到處都可以看到家庭式雜貨店。 Affordable 可負擔的/負擔得起 Street food is usually the most affordable food in the city. 路邊攤食物通常在城市裡是最便宜的。 Thrifty 節儉 If you want to be thrifty, you have to try and cook more by yourself or only visit greasy spoon cafes. 如果你想省錢的話，只能試著自己煮，要不然就是去小吃店吃。 更多Vocab Podcast節目: https://www.15mins.today/vocab 歡迎主題投稿/意見回覆 : [email protected] 商業合作/贊助來信：[email protected]

每日英語跟讀 Ep.K346: Our Ever-Expanding Virus Vernacular The coronavirus pandemic has upended all kinds of human behavior, including speech. Conversations are mediated by masks and screens, their sentences strung together with new vocabulary: medical terms, political mandates and slang devised to take the clinical edge off. 新冠肺炎大流行顛覆了包括言語在內的各種人類行為。對話中都看到口罩和螢幕，他們的句子與新的詞彙串在一起：醫學術語，政治命令和俚語，旨在讓大眾更容易吸收。 This new vernacular has many people playing virologist in the group chat, with talk of contact tracing and antibody tests; planning “socially distant” activities like Zoom birthday parties and drive-by greetings; and tweeting about life under “quar,” a pet name for “quarantine”. 這些新的俚語讓很多人在社群中聊天時可以扮演病毒學家，談論接觸者追蹤和抗體測試，以及計劃「社交距離」活動，如在Zoom生日派對和駕車遠距問候;並在推特上發佈關於“quar”下的生活，“quar”是“隔離”的暱稱。 “‘Self-isolation,’‘social distancing,’‘abundance of caution’— pairs of words I'd never seen together in a sentence back in January have become ubiquitous,” she writes. These phrases are moving “even faster than the virus, eye to mind, ear to mouth, disseminated by our iPhone screens and televisions.” “'自我隔離'，'社交距離'，'大量的謹慎'——這些詞我在一月份時從未在一句話中看到過，現在開口兩句話些詞已經變得無處不在，”她寫道。這些片語正在以「比病毒更快，眼睛到思想，耳朵到嘴巴，通過我們的iPhone螢幕和電視傳播中。」 The proliferation of neologisms and jargon was significant enough to merit updates to the Oxford English Dictionary in April, beyond the dictionary's standard quarterly updates. 新詞和俚語的成長足以使牛津英語詞典在四月份進行更新，超出了原來該詞典的標準的季度更新。 “Social change brings about linguistic change,” said Fiona McPherson, a senior editor at the OED. “These are permanent additions to our vocabulary.” “社會變遷帶來了語言上的改變，”OED的高級編輯菲奧娜·麥克弗森（Fiona McPherson）說。“這些都是永久的加入我們詞彙中“。 She noted, though, that many of the words aren't new; rather, their use has become more frequent, their meanings shifted in the new context of the pandemic. “Social distancing,” “self-isolation” and “coronavirus” date back decades, even centuries. 不過，她指出，許多詞並不新鮮。相反，它們的使用變得更加頻繁，它們的含義在大流行的新背景下發生了變化。“社交距離”，“自我隔離”和“新冠病毒”可以追溯到幾十年前，甚至幾個世紀。 McPherson said a lexicographer's job is to be “descriptive, not prescriptive. We're telling the story of what the words mean, but they only mean that because that's how people are using them. And the stories are never completely finished.” 麥克弗森說，詞典編輯者的工作是“描述性的，而不是規範性的。我們講述的是這些詞的含義，但它們只是因為這就是人們使用它們的方式。故事永遠不會完全結束。 Gretchen McCulloch, a linguist and the author of “Because Internet,” raised the example of “face mask,” which a few months ago may have called to mind an at-home skin care treatment. Now, the phrase immediately evokes the protective mouth and nose covering people have been encouraged to wear to prevent viral transmission. 語言學家、《為何網際網路》（Why Internet）一書的作者格雷琴·麥卡洛克（Gretchen McCulloch）舉了一個“口罩”的例子，幾個月前，這種面膜可能讓人想起了一種家庭臉部護理。現在，這句話立即喚起了人們被鼓勵戴上保護性口鼻罩以防止病毒傳播的防護服。 This evolution in the language can be seen as well in the rhetoric of care providers and politicians, which varies by region. The states are“on pause”or working to“flatten the curve,”their residents told to“stay at home,”“shelter in place”or remain“healthy at home.” 這種語言的演變也可以從護理人員和政治家的言論中看到，這些言論因地區而異。各州正在「暫停」或努力「拉平曲線」，他們的居民被告知「留在家裡」，“就地避難”或保持“健康在家中”。 The World Health Organization has recommended that“physical distancing”replace“social distancing” because it more accurately describes the goal of keeping a physical distance while still encouraging safe, remote social connection, which is imperative for mental health. 世界衛生組織建議“保持身體距離”取代“社交距離”，因為它更準確地描述了保持身體距離的目標，同時仍然鼓勵安全，遠端的社交活動，這對心理健康至關重要。Source article: https://udn.com/news/story/6904/4602077

每日英語跟讀 Ep.K345: About Science - Ants have the ability to sniff out cancer in humans, study reveals Ants have the ability to sniff out cancerous cells in humans, a new study has discovered, suggesting they could be used for cancer diagnosis in future. 一項新研究發現，螞蟻能嗅出人體內的癌細胞，這表明螞蟻可用於未來對癌症的診斷。 Researchers from the French National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS) discovered that ant species Formica fusca has a well developed sense of smell. 法國國家科學研究中心（CNRS）的研究人員發現，「黑山蟻」（學名：Formica fusca ）這種螞蟻品種，嗅覺非常發達。 It was able to differentiate cancerous cells from healthy cells in humans, thanks to their sense of smell, limited trials revealed. But more clinical tests must be carried out before they could be used in clinical settings like hospitals, the team said. 有限的實驗顯示，這種螞蟻的嗅覺超強，能夠將人體的癌細胞與健康細胞區分開來。但是該研究團隊表示，還需要進行更多臨床測試，才能將黑山蟻用於醫院等臨床環境中。 They suggest that in future, ants could turn out to be better at dogs when it comes to locating cancerous cells in humans. 他們人員指出，未來在識別人體癌細胞方面，螞蟻可能會比狗做得更出色。 Next Article 科學家使用細胞再生技術讓老鼠回春 Scientists Reverse Aging In Mice Using Cell Rejuvenation Technique Researchers in the US treated healthy mice with a form of gene therapy that refreshed older cells, making the animals more youthful according to biological markers that are used to measure the effects of ageing. 美國研究人員對健康老鼠實施一種更新老化細胞的基因療法，他們透過用來衡量老化效應的生物標記法，測出這些老鼠變年輕了。 Repeating the trick in humans is far from straightforward, but the findings will fuel interest in radical new therapies that aim to slow or reverse the ageing process as a means of tackling age-related diseases such as cancer, brittle bones and Alzheimer’s. 儘管難以用同樣的方法讓人類返老還童，但這一發現將點燃人們對以延緩或逆轉衰老為目標的激進新療法的興趣，這種療法可以用來治療諸如癌症、骨質疏鬆和阿茲海默症等與年齡相關的疾病。 The scientists drew on previous work by the Japanese Nobel laureate Prof Shinya Yamanaka, who showed that a mixture of four molecules – known as Yamanaka factors – can rewind adult cells into youthful stem cells that are capable of forming almost any tissue in the body. 科學家這一療法借鑑日本諾貝爾獎得主山中伸彌教授先前的研究成果。山中伸彌向世人展示，被稱為「山中因子」的4種分子組合在一起，可以讓成人細胞逆生長為年輕的幹細胞，而幹細胞可以分化成人體的任何組織。Source article: https://features.ltn.com.tw/english/article/paper/1506995 ; https://features.ltn.com.tw/english/article/paper/1508339

Topic: About scientific research - Certain Junk Foods Could Be Messing With Your Brain’s Appetite Control, Study Finds Emerging evidence in humans suggests a typically Western high-fat, high-sugar ’junk food’ diet can quickly undermine your brain’s appetite control. 在人類中新發現的證據顯示，含有高脂高糖「垃圾食物」的典型西方飲食，可以快速破壞大腦對食慾的控制。 After indulging in a week-long binge of waffles, milkshakes and similarly rich foods, researchers in Australia found young and healthy volunteers scored worse on memory tests and experienced a greater desire to eat junk food, even when they were already full. 狂吃鬆餅、奶昔和類似的高脂食物一週後，澳洲研究人員發現，年輕健康的志願者在記憶力測試中成績欠佳，而且對垃圾食物更有食慾，甚至在吃飽之後還想吃。 The findings suggest something is amiss in the hippocampus - a region of the brain that supports memory and helps to regulate appetite. When we are full, the hippocampus is thought to quieten down our memories of delicious food, thereby reducing our appetite. 研究結果顯示問題出在海馬體，這個區域在大腦中支援記憶力，協助調節食慾。我們吃飽之後，海馬體被認為會使美食記憶不再活躍，從而降低食慾。 When it’s disrupted, this control can be seriously undermined. 當海馬體受到擾亂，對食慾的控制也會受到嚴重破壞。 Over the years, extensive research on juvenile mice has found the function of the hippocampus is very sensitive to ’junk food’ , but this has only recently been observed in young and healthy humans. 近年來對幼鼠進行的廣泛研究發現，海馬體對「垃圾食物」很敏感，但最近才在年輕健康的人群中發現這一問題。 Next Article Topic: Squatting or kneeling is better for your posture than sitting all day, anthropologists claim 人類學家：蹲姿或跪姿比坐一整天來得好 Resting postures such as squatting or kneeling may be better for health because they require more muscle activity than sitting on a chair, researchers claim. 研究人員聲稱，蹲或跪這類休息姿勢也許更有益於身體健康，因為它們比坐在椅子上需要更多的肌肉活動。 The findings are based on data gathered from a hunter-gatherer population in Tanzania who wore devices that measured physical activity as well as periods of rest. 這些發現是根據從坦尚尼亞一個狩獵採集部落收集來的數據，這個部落的人佩戴裝置來測量他們的體力活動和休息時間。 Anthropologists from the US found that despite being sedentary for almost 10 hours each day, equivalent to clocking a shift in the office at the desk, the Hazda people appeared to lack the markers of chronic diseases associated with long periods of sitting. 美國的人類學家發現，儘管哈茲達部落的人每天靜止不動的時間將近10個小時，相當於在辦公桌前上一天班，但他們似乎並未出現久坐帶來的慢性病跡象。 They believe this is down to the ‘active rest postures’ used by the tribe. 他們相信，這歸結於該部落使用的「主動休息姿勢」。Source article: https://features.ltn.com.tw/english/article/paper/1368761 ; https://features.ltn.com.tw/english/article/paper/1367176 Next Article Aboriginal canoe sets out on voyage to Japan for research An Aboriginal Amis canoe is set to sail from Taiwan’s Taitung County to Japan’s Yonaguni Island some time between Monday and July 13. Organized by Taiwan’s National Museum of Prehistory and Japan’s National Museum of Nature and Science (NMNS), the voyage is part of the NMNS’ research on people’s movement from Taiwan to Japan in ancient times. 一艘原住民阿美族的獨木舟，預計在週一至七月十三日間，從台灣的台東縣航向日本的與那國島。該活動是由國立台灣史前文化博物館，及日本的國立科學博物館合辦，此航行是科博館研究的一部分，旨在探討古代人們從台灣到日本的遷徙活動。 According to archaeologists, some of the early inhabitants of Japan most likely traveled from Taiwan to the Ryukyu Islands on similar wooden vessels during the Paleolithic, about 30,000 years ago. The canoe will have to cross the Kuroshio Current (the Black Current) and travel around 205km to Yonaguni Island, Japan’s westernmost island in Okinawa Prefecture. 根據考古學家們指出，日本的某些早期居民，極有可能是搭乘著類似的木筏，自台灣來到沖繩列島，當時大約是距今三萬年的舊石器時代。這艘獨木舟必須跨越「黑潮」洋流，航行約兩百零五公里至沖繩縣、位於全日本最西端的與那國島。 The research team failed to complete a voyage on an Amis bamboo raft last year and the year before that, because the boats used were not strong enough for the big waves. This time around, a canoe made of cedar will be used in the adventure, which is expected to take 2 to 3 days. 研究團隊去年、前年均嘗試以阿美族竹筏渡海，但因竹筏不夠堅固無法抵擋大浪沖擊，最終挑戰失敗。本次冒險則改用以雪松打造的獨木舟，預計需二到三天才能完成整趟航程。Source article: http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/lang/archives/2019/06/20/2003717213 Next Article Topic: Researchers ‘reboot’ pig brains hours after animals died The brains of decapitated pigs can be partially revived several hours after the animal has died, researchers have revealed, with some of the functions of cells booted back up when an oxygen-rich fluid is circulated through the organ. 研究人員近日指出，宰殺後的豬隻大腦在死亡數個小時之後，仍然可以被「部分復甦」──藉由一種富含氧氣的液體在器官中進行循環，死亡豬隻的腦細胞部分功能被重新啟動。 The scientists stress that the brains do not show any signs of consciousness — for example, there was no sign that different parts of the brain were sending signals to each other — and that it does not change the definition of death. “This is not a living brain. But it is a cellularly active brain,” said Prof Nenad Sestan from Yale University, who led the research. 科學家強調，實驗中的大腦並未顯示任何具有意識的徵兆──舉例而言，大腦不同部位並沒有出現互相傳遞訊號的跡象──而這項實驗也並未改變死亡的定義。耶魯大學的內納德‧塞斯坦教授是這篇研究的主持人，他表示：「這並不代表它是一個活的大腦，但確實是一個就細胞層面而言仍在活動中的大腦。」 A number of studies have suggested brain cells might not inevitably die after blood stops circulating. Writing in the journal Nature, researchers in the US reported how they sought to examine this further by taking brains from 32 pigs that ha

英語慣用語系列 旅遊相關慣用語 Travel related idioms To hit the road To hit the road means to start a journey or to leave. It can also be used in normal, daily life when you decide it’s time for you to go home. For example: “We have to be there by 10 am, so we’re hitting the road early tomorrow” or “I’ve been here long enough, it’s time I hit the road”. To catch the sun This idiom can be used whenever you go to the beach and someone gets sunburnt, so if you know anyone who gets burnt easily don’t miss the opportunity to use it with them! For example: “Be careful you don’t catch too much sun at the beach, remember to put on some sunscreen!” On a shoestring/ on the cheap This idiom is the complete opposite of the previous one. To do something on a shoestring or on the cheap, it means that you are doing it without spending a lot of money. For example: “I’m going to travel around Europe on a shoestring. I’ll be staying at hostels and buying food in supermarkets” At the crack of dawn To do something at the crack of dawn means that you’re doing it just as the sun is rising. It means you’re doing it at the earliest possible time. For example: “The plane leaves at 7.30 am, so we have to get up at the crack of dawn to get to the airport on time”. Off the beaten track If a place or something is off the beaten track, it means that it is far away from where many people live, or in a remote location . For example: “I want to stay on this island all summer because it’s off the beaten track, so there’s not many people here and it’s quiet and peaceful.” To catch the red-eye When a person says they have to catch the red-eye it means they have to take a plane which is leaving very late at night . For example: “I have to sleep during the day as I’m catching a red-eye tonight”. 慣用語小測驗: Q1: The explorers have just found a village …………. There weren’t many people living there, and it was quite isolated. To catch the red-eye Off the beaten track At the crack of dawn Q2: I need to ………… now. I have an appointment with the dentist this afternoon. Hit the road Live it up Travel light

每日英語跟讀 Ep.K344: Soap and water kills viruses better than alcohol During the COVID-19 pandemic, the government has been promoting frequent hand washing, so many people carry dry hand sanitizer or alcohol disinfectant around with them. Pulmonologist and critical care medicine physician Ooi Hean says that dry hand sanitizer or 75 percent alcohol cannot take the place of hand washing with soap, because alcohol cannot eliminate all viruses. 在COVID-19大流行期間，政府一直在推廣經常洗手，因此許多人隨身攜帶乾洗手液或酒精消毒劑。肺病學家和重症監護醫生Ooi Hean說，乾洗手液或75%的酒精不能代替用肥皂洗手，因為酒精不能消除所有病毒。 On his Facebook page, Ooi says that alcohol with a concentration of 70 percent to 95 percent can break down the viral membrane of SARS-CoV-2 and render it harmless. He recommends that when you cannot wash your hands properly, you can sanitize them with alcohol, but that does not mean that all viruses and bacteria will disappear by rubbing with 75 percent alcohol. 在他的Facebook頁面上，Ooi說，濃度為70%至95%的酒精可以分解SARS-CoV-2的病毒膜並使其無害。他建議，當你不能正確洗手時，你可以用酒精消毒它們，但這並不意味著所有的病毒和細菌都會通過用75%的酒精擦拭而消失。 Ooi says that enterovirus, norovirus, rhinovirus, poliovirus, hepatitis A virus, foot-and-mouth disease virus and human papillomavirus cannot be eliminated by alcohol, and neither can bacteria such as Bacillus or parasites such as Cryptosporidium. Ooi 說，腸道病毒，諾如病毒，鼻病毒，脊髓灰質炎病毒，甲型肝炎病毒，口蹄疫病毒和人瘤病毒不能被酒精消除，細菌如芽孢桿菌或寄生蟲如隱孢子蟲也不能被消除。 He says that “regular hand washing” means washing them with soap and water, which will help you avoid spreading the viruses and bacteria that alcohol cannot eliminate to your family members or other people. Ooi said that rubbing your hands with 75 percent alcohol is only for emergency use when there is no soap available, and it cannot completely replace washing your hands with soap in your daily life. 他說，「定期洗手」意味著用肥皂和水清洗它們，這將有助於你避免將酒精無法消除的病毒和細菌傳播給你的家人或其他人。Ooi說，用75%酒精搓手只有在沒有肥皂可用的情況下才有緊急使用，不能完全取代日常生活中用肥皂洗手。Source article: https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/lang/archives/2022/03/12/2003774604

每日英語跟讀 Ep.K343: Girls more likely to attribute failure to lack of talent Across the world, girls are more likely than boys to blame academic failure on a lack of talent, according to a large study on gender stereotypes published Wednesday last week. 根據上周三發表的一項關於性別刻板印象的大型研究，在世界各地，女孩比男孩更有可能將學業失敗歸咎於缺乏才能。 Paradoxically, the idea that males are inherently more brilliant was most entrenched in countries that are more egalitarian. 矛盾的是，男性天生更聰明的想法在更加平等的國家中最為根深蒂固。 Such stereotypes have been explored in the past, but the new work, published in the journal Science Advances, has the advantage of encompassing 500,000 students across the world, making it possible to compare between countries. 這種刻板印象過去曾被探索過，但發表在《科學進展》雜誌上的新工作的優勢在於，全世界有50萬名學生，可以在國家之間進行比較。 It used data from the 2018 Program for International Student Assessment (PISA), a study conducted every three years to learn more about the knowledge and skills of 15-year-old students in math, reading, and sciences. 該研究使用了2018年國際學生評估計劃（PISA）的數據，這是一項每三年進行一次的研究，旨在更多地瞭解15歲學生在數學，閱讀和科學方面的知識和技能。 The 2018 survey included the sentence: “When I am failing, I am afraid that I might not have enough talent.” 2018年的調查中有這樣一句話：「當我失敗時，我擔心我可能沒有足夠的天賦。 The result: in 71 of the 72 countries studied, even when performance was equal, girls were more inclined to attribute their failures to a lack of talent than boys, who were likelier to blame external factors. The sole exception was Saudi Arabia. 結果：在所研究的72個國家中，有71個國家，即使表現相同，女孩也比男孩更傾向於將失敗歸因於缺乏才能，男孩更有可能歸咎於外部因素。唯一的例外是沙烏地阿拉伯。 Contrary to what one may expect, the differences were most pronounced in wealthy nations. The less talented that girls believe they are compared to boys, the less confidence they have, the less they enjoy competition, and the less willing they are to work in male-dominated occupations such as information and communication technology. 與人們的預期相反，這種差異在富裕國家最為明顯。女孩認為她們與男孩相比天賦越差，她們的信心就越低，她們就越不喜歡競爭，她們就越不願意從事男性主導的職業，如資訊和通信技術。 The result “suggests that the glass ceiling is unlikely to disappear as countries develop or become more gender-egalitarian,” the authors said in the paper.A proposed solution: “Stop thinking in terms of innate talent,” said study co-author Thomas Breda, of CNRS and the Paris School of Economics. 結果提出，隨著各國的發展或變得更加性別平等，玻璃天花板不太可能消失，"作者在論文中說。 一個建議的解決方案：「停止從天生的天賦的角度思考，」CNRS和巴黎經濟學院的合著者Thomas Breda說。 “Success comes from learning through trial and error. If we deconstruct the concept of pure talent, we will also deconstruct the idea that girls are less naturally endowed with talent than boys.” "成功來自於通過反覆試驗的學習。如果我們解構了純粹天賦的概念，我們也會解構這樣一種觀念，即女孩比男孩更不自然地被賦予天賦。Source article: https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/lang/archives/2022/03/15/2003774776

大家敲碗的Vocab正式回歸！新的一季，我們會每週週三準時上架，一樣的進行時事討論，讓大家聽聽最擬真的全英對話，吸收主題相關詞彙用語以及觀點～ Summary: A recent high school incident went viral on social media and made headlines everywhere. The short clip that went viral showed a female music teacher expressing her disapproval of her student's presentation. In this episode, Angel and I discuss our high school years and how we behaved in class. Reference article: https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2022/03/14/2003774755 Vocabulary: 1.Have/throw a fit 大發脾氣 She'll throw a fit when she sees the mess you've made.她一旦看見你弄的這一團糟會大發脾氣的。 All-boys school 男校 John attended an all-boys primary and an all-boys high school. John老師上了一所全男生的小學和高中 Curriculum 課程 Teachers must follow the curriculum when delivering class content. 教師在上課時必須遵守課程編排 更多Vocab Podcast節目: https://www.15mins.today/vocab 歡迎主題投稿/意見回覆 : [email protected] 商業合作/贊助來信：[email protected]

每日英語跟讀 Ep.K342: Russia’s invasion is accelerating splinternet, French envoy says Russia’s war in Ukraine is hastening the arrival of the “splinternet” (also referred to as cyber-balkanization or Internet balkanization), a forced division of cyberspace under the control of competing political blocs, France’s digital affairs envoy, Henri Verdier said. 法國數位事務大使亨利·維迪爾（Henri Verdier）說，俄羅斯在烏克蘭的戰爭加速了"分裂網"（也稱為網路巴爾幹化）的到來，這是在相互競爭的政治集團控制下被迫分裂網路空間。 As Russia accelerates domestic online censorship and Ukraine calls for Russia to be taken offline, Verdier said any transition by Russia to move toward an independent Internet “would have very severe consequences.” He warned that nation-states might be more tempted to launch devastating cyberattacks they were sure they would be insulated from the results. 隨著俄羅斯加速國內在線審查，烏克蘭呼籲俄羅斯下線，Verdier表示，俄羅斯對於網路獨立的任何行為 "都將產生非常嚴重的後果"。他警告說，民族國家可能更傾向於發動毀滅性的網路攻擊，他們確信自己將與結果絕緣。 “Today if I break the Russian Internet, probably I will break my own Internet, because it’s the same,” Verdier said, arguing the shared nature of the World Wide Web protected all users from losing service. "今天，如果我打破了俄羅斯的互聯網，我可能會打破我自己的互聯網，因為它是一樣的，"Verdier說，他認為網際網路的共用性質保護了所有使用者免於失去服務。 “If we have two or three or four Internets, the temptation to disconnect the other will be very high,” warned Verdier, adding that authoritarian countries could try to take democratic countries offline if such mutual dependence were lost. "如果我們有兩個、三個或四個網際網路，斷開彼此的連接的誘惑將非常高，"Verdier警告說，並補充說，如果失去這種相互依賴，威權國家可能會試圖讓民主國家離線。 The comments from Verdier, who visited Washington to discuss the war with his counterparts at the US Department of State, the National Security Council, underscore growing concern that Russia could realize its suspected intention to establish a more “sovereign” Internet. Web policy experts, geopolitical analysts and individual web users in Moscow previously suggested that Russian leadership would use the war to advance such plans. Verdier訪問了華盛頓，與美國國務院國家安全委員會的同行討論戰爭，他的評論突顯了人們越來越擔心俄羅斯可能會實現其建立更"主權"網際網路的可疑意圖。莫斯科的網路政策專家、地緣政治分析人士和個人網路使用者此前曾表示，俄羅斯領導層將利用這場戰爭來推進此類計劃。 Since Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine, Russia has sped up its Internet isolation, increasing domestic online censorship by blocking Meta Inc.’s Facebook and Instagram, and limiting Twitter Inc., for example. Companies such as Apple Inc., Microsoft Corp. and Netflix Inc. have also limited their presence, while some foreign Internet service providers have started to withdraw services. 自莫斯科入侵烏克蘭以來，俄羅斯加快了對網路的孤立，通過阻止Meta Inc.的Facebook和Instagram以及限制Twitter Inc.來增加國內在線審查。蘋果公司（Apple Inc.）、微軟公司（Microsoft Corp.）和Netflix公司（Netflix Inc.）等公司也限制了他們的存在，而一些外國互聯網服務提供者已經開始撤回服務。 Verdier said he was worried by attempts “to weaponize institutional governance of the Internet.” “I feel we could be close to the fragmentation of the Internet,” he said. “My main concern is...will the unique, neutral, multi-stakeholder, free Internet survive this crisis? I’m not sure.” Verdier表示，他對試圖"將網路的治理制度武器化"的企圖感到擔憂。我覺得我們可能接近互聯網的碎片化，"他說：我主要擔心的是...獨特的、中立的、多方利益相關者的、自由的互聯網能否在這場危機中倖存下來？我不確定。 A senior US State Department official said the acceleration toward the splinternet was “everything that Putin has ever wanted,” saying his attempt to establish sovereign boundaries in cyberspace was intended to control his people. “He wanted a new Iron Curtain; that’s what he’s doing. He just found an easy way to do it, where everybody’s helping him.” 美國國務院一名高級官員表示，加速分裂是"普京一直想要的一切"，稱他試圖在網路空間建立主權邊界的目的是控制他的人民。"他想要一個新的鐵幕;這就是他正在做的事情。他只是找到了一個簡單的方法來做到這一點，每個人都在幫助他。 “A lot of authoritarian countries would quite like a ‘Great Firewall of China’ model but didn’t have that foresight; now some are trying to reverse-engineer it,” said Emily Taylor, research associate at the Oxford Internet Institute, referring to Beijing’s extensive ecosystem of controls that block online content. "許多威權主義國家非常喜歡'中國防火牆'模式，但沒有這種遠見;現在有些人正試圖對它進行逆向工程，「牛津網路研究所（Oxford Internet Institute）研究員艾米麗·泰勒（Emily Taylor）說，她指的是北京封鎖在線內容的廣泛控制生態系統。Source article: https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/lang/archives/2022/03/29/2003775607

每日英語跟讀 Ep.K341: Keelung lures visitors with rainy-day discounts Keelung is a rainy city, especially this year, but rain is also a selling point for Keelung. The city government has launched a creative marketing campaign called “a date in the rain,” whereby people can enjoy special rainy-day discounts by simply subscribing to the “ting-a-kha” Line instant messenger account. Keelung Mayor Lin Yu-chang invites everyone to savor a special kind of pleasure by sipping coffee on a rainy day. 基隆是一個多雨的城市，尤其是今年，但雨水也是基隆的賣點。市政府發起了一項名為「雨中約會」的創意行銷活動，人們只需訂閱「ting-a-kha」Line即時通訊帳戶即可享受特殊的雨天折扣。基隆市市長林玉昌邀請大家在雨天喝咖啡，享受一種特別的樂趣。 Lin says the “ting-a-kha” Line account is Taiwan’s first creative marketing campaign that takes rainfall as the benchmark for offering discounts, and the more it rains, the bigger the discount. He says the plan has received a good response from a large number of local businesses, including cafes, specialty restaurants and souvenir shops. 林說，「ting-a-kha」Line帳戶是臺灣第一個以降雨為基準提供折扣的創意行銷活動，雨越大，折扣就越大。他說，該計劃得到了大量當地企業的良好回應，包括咖啡館，特色餐廳和紀念品商店。 Lin says the Line account’s name “ting-a-kha” alludes to Keelungers’ habit of drinking coffee in covered walkways, where the romantic view of a rainy street forms a different kind of ambience. By touring Keelung on a rainy day, visitors can soak up this unusual atmosphere and get a discount at the same time. 林說，Line帳戶的名字"ting-a-kha"暗指基隆格人在有蓋人行道上喝咖啡的習慣，在那裡，下雨街道的浪漫景色形成了一種不同的氛圍。在雨天遊覽基隆，遊客可以沉浸在這種不尋常的氛圍中，同時享受折扣。 Director Tanya Tseng of Keelung City Government’s Department of Tourism and City Marketing says that the “ting-a-kha” Line account launched by the city government in cooperation with a local company combines communication software with rainfall data and uses a back-end database and system computing to transmit retailers’ discounts according to the current day’s rainfall, with discounts of up to 15 percent or special offers of free food items, but this kind of discount is not available if you visit on a sunny day. Consumers can simply scan a QR code to keep track of Keelung’s weather and use the “ting-a-kha” functions, she said. 基隆市政府旅遊和城市行銷部主任Tanya Tseng表示，市政府與當地公司合作推出的「ting-a-kha」Line帳戶將通信軟體與降雨量數據相結合，並使用後端資料庫和系統計算根據當天的降雨量傳輸零售商的折扣，折扣高達15%或免費食品的特別優惠， 但是，如果您在陽光明媚的日子里訪問，則無法獲得這種折扣。她說，消費者可以簡單地掃描二維碼來跟蹤基隆的天氣，並使用"ting-a-kha"功能。Source article: https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/lang/archives/2022/03/19/2003775029

Topic: Online scammer sold electronic gadgets, sent rotten bananas A man surnamed Fang has been charged with concocting several nicknames to sell consumer electronics goods on social networking platforms concerned with second-hand items such as cellphones and game consoles. After one of his victims remitted payment for a graphics card, the buyer actually received a bunch of bananas, while someone else bought a Sony Playstation 5 game console but instead received tubes of toothpaste. The Kaohsiung City Police Department Criminal Investigation Corps (CIC) set up a task force, which traveled to Yilan County to search premises rented by Fang. Fang vehemently denied any involvement, but his denial was contradicted by evidence provided by the victims and a friend whose account had been used for the transaction. The police transferred him to the Yilan District Prosecutors’ Office on suspicion of fraud and a court granted the prosecutors’ request to hold him in detention. 一名姓方的男子被指控編造多個綽號，在與手機和遊戲機等二手商品有關的社交網絡平台上銷售消費電子產品。在他的一個受害者支付了顯卡費用後，買家實際上收到了一堆香蕉，而其他人購買了索尼 Playstation 5 遊戲機，卻收到了幾管牙膏。高雄市公安局刑偵總隊成立專案組，前往宜蘭縣搜查方某租用的房屋。方極力否認與此事有任何牽連，但他的否認與受害者提供的證據以及賬戶被用於交易的朋友提供的證據相矛盾。警方以涉嫌詐騙罪將他移送宜蘭區檢察院，法院批准了檢察機關拘留他的請求。 Speaking on Feb. 17, a spokesperson for the Kaohsiung CIC’s Eighth Detective Team said that a chip shortage and the COVID-19 pandemic have caused a worldwide shortage of PS5 game consoles, and this has forced people to buy them from second-hand device sales platforms instead, where they may even have to pay more than the recommended retail price. Realizing that many gamers were seeking to buy these devices through certain Facebook groups, 36-year-old Fang cooked up Facebook identities with nicknames like “Chou Chieh-lun,” “Chou Yu-min” and “Yang Lai-kuo” and offered to sell PS5 consoles, hot-selling second-hand cellphones and other consumer electronics goods at 10 percent off the market price. This attracted many people to place orders, but they ended up getting swindled. 2 月 17 日，高雄刑大八組發言人表示，晶片短缺和 COVID-19 大流行導致全球 PS5 遊戲機短缺，這迫使人們從二手設備銷售中購買它們相反，他們甚至可能不得不支付超過建議零售價的費用。意識到許多遊戲玩家正在通過某些 Facebook 群組尋求購買這些設備，36 歲的方方在 Facebook 上編造了“周杰倫”、“周玉敏”和“楊來國”等暱稱，並提供以低於市價 10% 的價格出售 PS5 遊戲機、熱銷的二手手機和其他消費電子產品。這吸引了很多人下訂單，但最終都被騙了。 The CIC estimates that at least 60 people fell victim to this scam between July last year and February this year, and were defrauded by a total of at least NT$1.2 million. Fang denied everything. He said he did not know “Chou Chieh-lun,” “Chou Yu-min” and “Yang Lai-kuo” and claimed that these three Facebook accounts did not belong to him. 刑大估計，去年7月至今年2月間，至少有60人受騙，被騙金額至少新台幣120萬元。方否認一切。他說他不認識“周杰倫”、“周玉敏”和“楊來國”，並聲稱這三個臉書賬號不屬於他。 The police believe that the suspect used this technique not only to evade the law by throwing up a smokescreen of civil disputes, but also to make his victims believe that the items had been mistakenly sent to the wrong recipients. This would make it take longer for his account to be put on a watch list, thus giving him more time to make his ill-gotten gains. After being arrested, Fang claimed that the cellphone was not his, but the police still handed him over to the prosecutors’ office on suspicion of fraud. 警方認為，犯罪嫌疑人利用這種技術不僅通過引發民事糾紛的煙幕來逃避法律，而且還使他的受害者相信這些物品被錯誤地發送給了錯誤的收件人。這將使他的帳戶被列入觀察名單的時間更長，從而使他有更多時間來賺取不義之財。被捕後，方稱手機不是他的，但警方仍以涉嫌詐騙罪將其移交檢察院。Source article: https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/lang/archives/2022/03/05/2003774192   Next Article   Topic: A Global Effort to Bring Rare Books In Rome to an Online Audience Modern-day church scholars may find the going easier. Some of the texts at the library of the Pontifical Oriental Institute, a graduate school in Rome dedicated to the study of the Eastern branch of Christianity, have just been digitized and will soon be at the fingertips of a global audience. 現代教會學者可能會發現這件事變得更容易。羅馬宗座東方學院（一所致力於研究基督教東方分支的研究生院）圖書館的一些文本剛剛被數位化，很快就會被全球觀眾所接受。 The first digitized versions will be available to the public in mid-2022, the product of a charitable initiative that connected the institute with technology companies in the United States and Germany. 第一批數位化版本將於2022年年中向公眾開放，這是一項慈善活動的產物，該計劃將該研究所與美國和德國的科技公司結合起來。 The companies, said the Rev. David Nazar, the institute’s rector, understood the project's value. Many of the books come from countries such as Syria, Lebanon and Iraq, where turmoil put entire collections at risk. Others come from countries where authoritarian censorship was equally threatening. 該研究所的校長大衛·納扎爾（David Nazar）牧師說，這些公司瞭解該項目的價值。許多書來自敘利亞、黎巴嫩和伊拉克等國，那裡的動盪使整個藏品處於危險之中。其他人則來自威權審查制度同樣具有威脅性的國家。 “We’re not a hospital, we’re not in the fields of Syria,” he said, “but we have students that come from there, who study here because our resources haven’t been destroyed by war.” "我們不是醫院，我們不是在敘利亞的田野裡，"他說，"但我們有來自那裡的學生，他們在這裡學習，因為我們的資源沒有被戰爭摧毀。 Although most of the institute’s titles are not recognizable to the general public, they are precious to scholars. They include volumes such as a Greek first edition of liturgies of John Chrysostom, an early church father, print

胖跟聰明還有什麼說法 Other ways to say fat and smart Other ways to say: FAT Bulky John is a bulky man with balding hair. Heavy He was short and heavy. Plump He's got rather plump since I last saw him Overweight He used to be very overweight. Obese She was not just overweight; she was clinically obese. Chubby Do you think I'm too chubby? Roly-poly He was a roly-poly little man. Other ways to say: SMART Clever My sister has always been the clever one in our family. Bright (informal) I was convinced that he was brighter than average. Intelligent Surely an intelligent person like you can deal with this. Brilliant He was a brilliant scientist. Canny He was far too canny to risk giving himself away. Brainy (informal) Sarah is beautiful and brainy. No/nobody's fool Her eyes shone with intelligence: she was nobody's fool. 開口說說故事時間： 用fat 與smart同義字來分享自己/親人/朋友/同事的故事

每日英語跟讀 Ep.K340: In Europe, Doors Shut to Mideast Migrants Are Flung Open for Ukrainians Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has pushed tens of thousands of people out of their homes and fleeing across borders to escape violence. But unlike the refugees who have flooded Europe in crises over the past decade, they are being welcomed. 俄羅斯對烏克蘭的入侵已將數萬人趕出家園，並越過邊境逃離暴力。但與過去十年來湧入歐洲危機的難民不同，他們受到了歡迎。 Countries that have for years resisted taking in refugees from wars in Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan are now opening their doors to Ukrainians as Russian forces carry out a nationwide military assault. More than 2.4 million refugees have left Ukraine, according to United Nations estimates, and at least half of them have crowded onto trains, jammed highways or walked to get across their country’s borders in what officials warn could become the world’s next refugee crisis. 多年來一直拒絕接收來自敘利亞，伊拉克和阿富汗戰爭的難民的國家現在正在向烏克蘭人敞開大門，因為俄羅斯軍隊在全國範圍內進行軍事攻擊。據聯合國估計，已有超過240萬難民離開烏克蘭，其中至少有一半擠在火車上，堵塞高速公路或步行到烏克蘭。越過他們國家的邊界，官員們警告說，這可能成為世界上下一個難民危機。 U.N. and U.S. officials described their concerted diplomatic push for Ukraine’s neighbors and other European nations to respond to the outpouring of need. President Joe Biden “is certainly prepared” to accept refugees from Ukraine, Jen Psaki, the White House press secretary, said Thursday, but she noted that the majority of them would probably choose to remain in Europe so they could more easily return home once the fighting ended. 聯合國和美國官員描述了他們協調一致的外交努力，要求烏克蘭的鄰國和其他歐洲國家應對大量的需求。 白宮新聞秘書珍·普薩基（Jen Psaki）週四表示，總統喬·拜登（Joe Biden）"當然準備"接受來自烏克蘭的難民，但她指出，他們中的大多數人可能會選擇留在歐洲，這樣一旦戰鬥結束，他們就可以更容易地返回家園。 That means thousands will end up in countries led by nationalist governments that in past crises have been reluctant to welcome refugees or even blocked them. 這意味著成千上萬的人最終將進入由民族主義政府領導的國家，這些國家在過去危機中一直不願歡迎難民，甚至不願阻止他們。 In Poland, government officials assisted by American soldiers and diplomats have set up processing centers for Ukrainians. The Polish government is spending hundreds of millions of dollars on a border wall, a project it began after refugees and migrants from the Middle East tried to reach the country last year but ended up marooned in neighboring Belarus. 在波蘭，政府官員在美國士兵和外交官的協助下，為烏克蘭人建立了處理中心。波蘭政府正在花費數億美元修建邊境牆，該專案始於去年來自中東的難民和移民試圖到達該國，但最終被困在鄰國白俄羅斯。 The military in Hungary is allowing in Ukrainians through sections of the border that had been closed. Hungary’s hard-line prime minister, Viktor Orban, has previously called refugees a threat to his country, and his government has been accused of caging and starving them. 匈牙利軍方允許烏克蘭人通過已經關閉的部分邊界。匈牙利強硬派總理維克多·歐爾班（Viktor Orban）此前曾稱難民是對其國家的威脅，他的政府被指控將他們關在籠子里，使他們挨餓。 Farther west, Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer said that “of course we will take in refugees if necessary” in light of the crisis in Ukraine. 在更遠的西部，奧地利總理卡爾·內哈默爾（Karl Nehammer）表示，鑒於烏克蘭的危機，"如有必要，我們當然會接納難民"。 As recently as last fall, when he was serving as interior minister, Nehammer sought to block some Afghans seeking refuge after the Taliban overthrew the government in Kabul. 就在去年秋天，當他擔任內政部長時，內哈默爾試圖阻止一些阿富汗人在塔利班推翻喀布爾政府后尋求庇護。Source article: https://udn.com/news/story/6904/6158664

每日英語跟讀 Ep.K339: About USA - 74% of NYC Voters Say Crime Is a Serious Problem in the City, an All-Time High As much as 74 percent of voters in New York City say crime is a very serious problem in the city, reaching the highest level since the topic was included in the Quinnipiac University Poll in 1999. 紐約市多達74％的選民表示，犯罪是該市一個非常嚴重的問題，這是自1999年昆尼皮亞克大學民意調查納入該主題以來的最高紀錄。 Crime ranks as the most urgent issue facing New York City, according to the survey. As much as 46 percent of respondents say crime is the most urgent issue facing the mega city making it the top issue while affordable housing and homelessness issues have 14 percent and 9 percent in favor, respectively. 根據這項調查，犯罪是紐約市面臨的最緊迫問題。多達46％的受訪者表示，犯罪是這座巨型城市面臨的最緊迫問題，使其成為首要問題，而負擔得起的住房和無家可歸問題，分別有14％ 和9％ 的受訪者表示認同。 Meanwhile, 43 percent of voters say New York City is less safe compared with other big cities, which is the highest level since the question was first asked by Quinnipiac in 2003. 與此同時，43％的選民表示，相較於其他大城市，紐約市更不安全，這是自2003年昆尼皮亞克大學提出這項問題以來的最高紀錄。 Next Article 堪薩斯州女子在傳統鬆餅賽贏了英格蘭 Kansas woman wins traditional pancake race against England A woman from Liberal, Kansas, is this year’s champion of the traditional Pancake Day Race against women in Olney, England. 一名來自堪薩斯州利伯勒爾的女性，在傳統「鬆餅日大賽」力抗英格蘭奧爾尼女子組，是今年的冠軍。 Whitney Hay won the U.S. leg of the race in Liberal on Tuesday with a time of 1:07. That beat Katie Godof of Olney, England, who ran her race in 1:10. 惠特尼．海伊週二以1分7秒的時間，在利伯勒爾舉行的美國賽程中獲勝。這擊敗了英格蘭奧爾尼的凱蒂．戈多夫，她以1分10秒完賽。 The race returned after a hiatus in 2021 because of the coronavirus pandemic. 這場比賽在2021年因武漢肺炎大流行喊卡之後重新回歸。 Contestants must carry a pancake in a frying pan and flip it at the beginning and end of the 380-meter race. The event began in Olney in the 15th century. In 1950, Liberal challenged Olney to an international competition. 參賽者必須在煎鍋中攜帶煎餅，並在380米比賽的開始和結束時翻轉。該事件始於15世紀的奧爾尼。1950年，Liberal鎮向奧爾尼鎮發起了國際競爭。Source article: https://features.ltn.com.tw/english/article/paper/1504336 ; https://features.ltn.com.tw/english/article/paper/1503943

每日英語跟讀 Ep.K337: How the Coronavirus Steals the Sense of Smell Few of COVID-19’s peculiarities have piqued as much interest as anosmia, the abrupt loss of smell that has become a well-known hallmark of the disease. COVID patients lose this sense even without a stuffy nose; the loss can make food taste like cardboard and coffee smell noxious, occasionally persisting after other symptoms have resolved. 很少有COVID-19的特殊性像嗅覺喪失那樣引起人們的興趣，嗅覺喪失已成為該疾病的一個眾所周知的標誌。 即使沒有鼻塞，COVID患者也會失去這種感覺;這種損失會使食物嘗起來像紙板和咖啡一樣有毒，偶爾會在其他癥狀消退後持續存在。 Scientists are now beginning to unravel the biological mechanisms, which have been something of a mystery: The neurons that detect odors lack the receptors that the coronavirus uses to enter cells, prompting a long debate about whether they can be infected at all. 科學家們現在開始解開生物學機制，這一直是一個謎：檢測氣味的神經元缺乏冠狀病毒用來進入細胞的受體，引發了關於它們是否可以被感染的長期爭論。 Insights gleaned from new research could shed new light on how the coronavirus might affect other types of brain cells, leading to conditions like “brain fog,” and possibly help explain the biological mechanisms behind long COVID — symptoms that linger for weeks or months after the initial infection. 從新研究中收集的見解可以揭示冠狀病毒如何影響其他類型的腦細胞，導致"腦霧"等疾病，並可能有助於解釋長期COVID背後的生物學機制 - 這些癥狀在最初感染後持續數周或數月。 The new work, along with earlier studies, settles the debate over whether the coronavirus infects the nerve cells that detect odors: It does not. But the virus does attack other supporting cells that line the nasal cavity, the researchers found. 這項新工作以及早期的研究解決了關於冠狀病毒是否會感染檢測氣味的神經細胞的爭論：它沒有。但研究人員發現，這種病毒確實會攻擊鼻腔內的其他支持細胞。 The infected cells shed virus and die, while immune cells flood the region to fight the virus. The subsequent inflammation wreaks havoc on smell receptors, proteins on the surface of the nerve cells in the nose that detect and transmit information about odors. 受感染的細胞脫落並死亡，而免疫細胞則淹沒該區域以對抗病毒。隨後的炎症對嗅覺受體造成嚴重破壞，嗅覺受體是鼻子神經細胞表面的蛋白質，可以檢測和傳遞有關氣味的資訊。 The process alters the sophisticated organization of genes in those neurons, essentially short-circuiting them, the researchers reported. 研究人員報告說，這個過程改變了這些神經元中基因的複雜組織，基本上使它們短路。 Their paper significantly advances the understanding of how cells critical to the sense of smell are affected by the virus, despite the fact that they are not directly infected, said Dr. Sandeep Robert Datta, an associate professor of neurobiology at Harvard Medical School, who was not involved in the study. 他們的論文顯著推進了對嗅覺至關重要的細胞如何受到病毒影響的理解，儘管它們沒有直接感染，哈佛醫學院神經生物學副教授Sandeep Robert Datta博士說，他沒有參與這項研究。 “It’s clear that indirectly, if you affect the support cells in the nose, lots of bad things happen,” Datta said. “The inflammation in the adjacent cells triggers changes in the sensory neurons that prevent them from working properly.” "很明顯，間接地，如果你影響鼻子中的支持細胞，就會發生很多不好的事情，"達塔說。 "相鄰細胞中的炎症觸發了感覺神經元的變化，使它們無法正常工作。" Indeed, many complications of COVID appear to be caused by the immune system’s friendly fire as it responds to infection by flooding the bloodstream with inflammatory proteins called cytokines. 事實上，COVID的許多併發症似乎是由免疫系統的友好之火引起的，因為它通過用稱為細胞因數的炎症蛋白淹沒血液來應對感染。Source article: https://udn.com/news/story/6904/6158661

每日英語跟讀 Ep.K337: Not using a password manager? Here’s why you should be… In a competitive field, passwords are one of the worst things about the Internet. Long and complex passwords are more secure but difficult to remember, leaving many people using weak and easy-to-guess credentials. One study by the UK’s National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) revealed how millions are using their pet’s name, football team names, “password” and “123456” to access online services. 在競爭激烈的領域，密碼是網際網路最麻煩的事情之一。長而複雜的密碼更安全，但難以記住，使許多人使用弱且易於猜測的憑據。英國國家網路安全中心（NCSC）的一項研究揭示了數百萬人如何使用寵物的名字，足球隊名稱，"密碼"和"123456"來訪問在線服務。 But this leaves you wide open to attack: cybercriminals can crack weak passwords in seconds using automated tools. “A hacker needs roughly two seconds to crack an 11-character password made up of numbers,” says Alex Balan, director of security research at security company Bitdefender. If the password is more complex, containing numbers, symbols and uppercase and lowercase letters, the time needed to break it jumps to 400 years. 但是，這讓您容易受到攻擊：網路犯罪分子可以使用自動化工具在幾秒鐘內破解弱密碼。"駭客大約需要兩秒鐘才能破解由數字組成的11個字符的密碼，"安全公司Bitdefender的安全研究主管Alex Balan說。如果密碼更複雜，包含數位，符號以及大寫和小寫字母，則破解密碼所需的時間將跳到400年。 Experts say a good password should be unique and contain a combination of letters, numbers and special characters. The key to a strong one is length, says independent security researcher Sean Wright. “While password complexity does help, the length matters far more.” Experts recommend a minimum of 11 characters, more if possible. 專家說，一個好的密碼應該是唯一的，並包含字母，數位和特殊字元的組合。強密碼的關鍵是長度，獨立安全研究員肖恩·賴特（Sean Wright）說。"雖然密碼複雜性確實有説明，但長度更重要。專家建議至少使用 11 個字元，如果可能的話，可以多加個字元。 The typical internet user has about 100 sets of login details — memorizing this number of complex passwords is well beyond most people’s powers of recall. 典型的網際網路用戶有大約100組登錄詳細資訊 - 記住這麼多複雜的密碼遠遠超出了大多數人的回憶能力。 Password manager apps can resolve this problem by creating long and complex credentials for you, and remembering them the next time you log in. Yet only about one in five people in the UK use one, according to recent estimates. 密碼管理員應用程式可以通過為你建立冗長而複雜的密碼，並在下次登錄時記住它們來解決此問題。然而，根據最近的估計，英國只有大約五分之一的人使用一種。 Many people are put off by the hassle, while others are suspicious about allowing one company to store all of their passwords. How do you know which one is trustworthy, and what if the company is hacked? 許多人被麻煩勸退了，而另一些人則對允許一家公司存儲所有密碼持懷疑態度。你如何知道哪一個是值得信賴的，如果公司被駭客入侵怎麼辦？ It might seem daunting at first, but a password manager, such as 1Password, LastPass, Bitwarden or Dashlane, will make your life a lot easier. 乍一看似乎令人畏懼，但是密碼管理器（例如1Password，LastPass，Bitwarden或Dashlane）將使你的生活更加輕鬆。 If this all seems too technical, or you are managing passwords for an elderly parent or grandparent, there is another option. While they’re sometimes mocked, physical password books aren’t a bad idea, as long as you follow the guidelines in creating strong, unique logins, and the book is kept somewhere secure and doesn’t leave the house. 如果這一切看起來都太技術性，或者您正在管理年邁的父母或祖父母的密碼，那麼還有另一種選擇。雖然它們有時會被嘲笑，但實體密碼簿並不是一個壞主意，只要你遵循建立強大，獨特的登錄的準則，並且該書保存在安全的地方並且不會離開家。Source article: https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/lang/archives/2022/03/22/2003775199

每日英語跟讀 Ep.K336: About UK - London’s smallest microflat sells for 80% above asking price A 7-square-metre microflat, cramming in a bed, toilet, shower, sink and a microwave tucked under the pillow, has sold for 80% above its minimum listing price at £90,000. 一間7平方公尺的微型公寓，以比開出的底價高80％的9萬英鎊售出；這間微型公寓塞進一張床、廁所、淋浴間、水槽和一台收在枕頭下方的微波爐。 The microflat, located in a Victorian conversion in Lower Clapton, east London, is believed to be the capital’s smallest-ever property, marking a turn towards tiny homes driven by the UK’s housing crisis of soaring rent and property prices. 這間位於倫敦東區下克萊普頓維多利亞時代建築改建的微型公寓，據信是這座首都歷來最小的房子，代表英國租金和房價高漲的居住危機，帶動轉向迷你住宅的趨勢。 The apartment had a minimum price at auction of £50,000, but sold at 80% higher at £90,000. 這間公寓的拍賣底價是5萬英鎊，卻以高出80％的9萬英鎊賣出。 It was bought for £103,500 in May 2017. But the owner has already recouped their investment by receiving £800 a month in rent. 屋主在2017年5月以10萬3500英鎊購入，但這筆資金已透過每月收取800英鎊租金回收。 Next Article Topic: 英國數千座紅色電話亭將不被淘汰 Thousands of red UK phone boxes to be protected from closure Britain’s iconic red payphone boxes may look like obsolete relics in an age of ubiquitous smartphones, but regulator Ofcom said they can still be a "lifeline" for people. 在智慧型手機隨處可見的時代，英國標誌性紅色付費電話亭或許看似過時產物，但英國通訊管理局說，這些電話亭也可以成為人們的「生命線」。 Ofcom is proposing rules to prevent 5,000 call boxes in areas with poor mobile coverage from being closed down. It said that phone booths in areas considered accident or suicide hotspots, and those that have had more than 52 calls made from them in the past 12 months, would also meet the criteria. 英國通訊管理局正提出新規定，避免手機普及率較低地區的5000座電話亭被關閉。該局說，常發生意外或自殺事件的地區，以及過去12個月撥打次數超過52次的電話亭，都符合留存標準。 BT Group says nearly half of the phone boxes in the U.K. have been removed due to the growth of the mobile phone industry. It said more than 6,500 call boxes have so far been converted into mini community libraries, art galleries or storage units for public defibrillators under a plan called "Adopt a Kiosk." 英國電信集團表示，由於行動電話產業的成長，英國近半數電話亭已被移除，另有6500座在「認養一座電話亭」計畫下，被改造成小型社區圖書館、藝廊或放置公用去顫器的空間。Source article: https://features.ltn.com.tw/english/article/paper/1507341 ; https://features.ltn.com.tw/english/article/paper/1500928

Topic: In Britain, Rising Prices and Shortages Evoke 1970s-Style Jitters Long lines at gas stations, rising fuel prices, empty shelves in supermarkets and worries about runaway inflation. 加油站大排長龍，燃料價格上漲，超市貨架空無一物，大家憂心通貨膨脹失控。 Britons have emerged from 18 months of pandemic-imposed hibernation to find their country has many of the same afflictions it had during the 1970s. There is nothing Austin Powers-like about this time machine: Unlike the swinging '60s, the '70s were, by all accounts, some of the bleakest days in postwar Britain; even contemplating a return to them is enough to make leaders of the current government shiver. 英國人從疫情造成的18個月冬眠中醒來，發現國家遭遇許多與1970年代相同的痛苦。這次時光機器情節跟電影「王牌大賤諜」毫無相似之處：不同於動盪的1960年代，人們都說1970年代是戰後英國最淒涼的日子。只是想到要回到當時，就足以讓現任政府領導人不寒而慄。 The sudden burst of doomsaying in Britain is rooted at least as much in psychology as economics. While there is no question the country faces a confluence of problems — some caused by the pandemic, others by Brexit — experts said it was far too soon to predict that Britain was headed for the kind of economic malaise and political upheaval that characterized that decade. 英國突然爆發的末日預言，源自心理學的份量跟經濟學一樣多。無疑地，這個國家面臨一系列問題，一些由疫情引起，另一些由英國脫歐造成。專家們說，現在就預測英國將陷入那十年特有的經濟低迷與政治動盪，仍為時過早。 “It’s a combination of things that could, in principle, lead to that, but are quite survivable on their own,” said Jonathan Portes, a professor of economics at Kings College London. “We always talk about the 1970s, but it’s half a century later, and all sorts of things are different.” 倫敦國王學院經濟學教授波特斯說：「原則上來說，這樣的多種因素組合可能導致那種情況，但個別也能發揮作用。我們總是在談論1970年代，但已過去半個世紀了，一切都不一樣了。」 Britain’s economy, he noted, has bounced back faster from the pandemic than many experts predicted. The shortages in labor and some goods are likely a transitory effect of reopening much of the economy after prolonged lockdowns. Rising wages and supply bottlenecks are driving up the inflation rate, while the fuel shortages that have closed dozens of gas stations reflect a shortage of truck drivers, not of energy supplies. 他指，英國經濟從疫情中恢復的速度比許多專家預測還快。勞動力和一些商品短缺，可能是長期防疫封鎖後重新開放大部分經濟活動的短暫影響。工資上漲和供應瓶頸正在推升通膨率，而造成數十家加油站關閉的燃料短缺，反映的是卡車司機短缺，而非能源供應問題。 Nor does Britain have the aging industrial base and powerful unions it had in the 1970s. Labor unrest led to crippling strikes that brought down a Conservative prime minister, Edward Heath, and one of his Labour Party successors, James Callaghan, after what the tabloids called the winter of discontent, in 1979. 英國也沒有1970年代那樣老化的工業基礎與強大工會。1979年發生小報所稱的「不滿之冬」，勞工騷亂導致嚴重罷工，造成保守黨首相奚斯及他的工黨繼任者之一卡拉漢下台。 And yet the parallels are suggestive enough that the right-leaning Daily Mail warned that “Britain faces winter of woe” — a chilly welcome for Prime Minister Boris Johnson as he returned from the United States, having celebrated a new submarine alliance and rallied countries in advance of a U.N. climate change conference in Scotland in November. 然而，一些相似之處足以引發聯想，讓右傾的每日郵報發出「英國面臨災難冬天」警告。對訪美歸來的英國首相強生而言，這是個冷淡迎接，他才剛慶祝新的潛艦聯盟成立，並在11月蘇格蘭聯合國氣候變遷會議前團結各國。 “That is a very easy ghost to resurrect,” said Kim Darroch, a former British ambassador to Washington who now sits in the House of Lords. “But these are real problems. You can just see this perfect storm coming.” 英國駐華府前大使、現為上議院議員的達洛許說：「那是個很容易復活的鬼魂，但這些都是實實在在的問題。你可以看到這場完美風暴逼近。」Source article: https://udn.com/news/story/6904/5804159 Next Article Topic: British hospitals use blockchain to track COVID-19 vaccines Two British hospitals are using blockchain technology to keep tabs on the storage and supply of temperature-sensitive COVID-19 vaccines, the companies behind the initiative said on Tuesday, in one of the first such initiatives in the world. 英國有兩家醫院正以區塊鏈技術來監控武漢肺炎（新型冠狀病毒病，COVID-19）疫苗儲存與供應的動態，這些疫苗對溫度極其敏感。負責該計畫的公司上週二表示，這是此新做法的全球首例之一。 Two hospitals, in central England’s Stratford-upon-Avon and Warwick, are expanding their use of a distributed ledger, an offshoot of blockchain, from tracking vaccines and chemotherapy drugs to monitoring fridges storing COVID-19 vaccines. 這兩家分別位於英格蘭中部埃文河畔史特拉福及華威的醫院，將分散式帳本（區塊鏈的一種）技術的應用範圍擴大，從追蹤疫苗及化療藥物之動向，到監視儲存武漢肺炎疫苗的冰箱。 The technology will bolster record-keeping and data-sharing across supply chains, said Everyware, which monitors vaccines and other treatments for Britain’s National Health Service. Everyware發布聲明表示，這項技術將加強整個供應鏈的紀錄保存與數據共享。Everyware為英國國民保健署監控疫苗及其它藥物之動向。 Logistical hurdles are a significant risk to the speedy distribution of COVID-19 vaccines, but have resulted in booming business for companies selling technology for monitoring shipments from factory freezer to shots in the arm. 物流的障礙對快速配送武漢肺炎疫苗構成了威脅，但提供監控技術的公司卻因此大發利市──它們監控疫苗的運送，從藥廠冷凍庫開始，直到注射入手臂。 Pfizer Inc and BioNTech’s shot, for example, must be shipped and stored at ultra-cold temperatures or on dry ice, and can only last for up to five days at standard fridge temperatures. Other vaccines, such as Moderna Inc’s, do not need such cold storage and are therefore easier to deliver. 舉例來說，輝瑞公司及德國生物新技術公司所生產的疫苗，其運輸和儲存都必須處於超冷溫度或置於乾冰上，而且在標準冰箱溫度下最多只能保存五天。其他疫苗，例如莫德納公司所生產的疫苗，則不需要這樣的冷藏，因此更易於

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

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

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

每日英語跟讀 Ep.K333: Enemy at the gates: The background to the Ukraine crisis At the core of the Ukraine crisis is a puzzle: Why would Russian President Vladimir Putin push Europe to the brink of war to demand the West not do something that it has no plan to do anyway? Russia says NATO, the American-led alliance that has on its hands the biggest European crisis in decades, must never offer membership to Ukraine, which gained independence as the Soviet Union broke apart about 30 years ago. Ukraine has long aspired to join NATO, but the alliance is not about to offer an invitation, due in part to Ukraine’s official corruption, shortcomings in its defense establishment and lack of control over its international borders. 烏克蘭危機的核心是一個謎：為什麼俄羅斯總統弗拉基米爾·普京（Vladimir Putin）要把歐洲推向戰爭的邊緣，要求西方不要做一些它無論如何都沒有計劃做的事情？俄羅斯表示，北約是美國領導的聯盟，幾十年來最大的歐洲危機，絕不能向烏克蘭提供成員資格，烏克蘭在大約30年前蘇聯解體時獲得了獨立。烏克蘭長期以來一直渴望加入北約，但該聯盟不打算發出邀請，部分原因是烏克蘭官員腐敗，國防機構存在缺陷以及缺乏對其國際邊界的控制。 Putin’s demands go beyond the question of Ukraine’s association with NATO, but that link is central to his complaint that the West has pushed him to the limits of his patience by edging closer to Russian borders. He asserts that NATO expansion years ago has enhanced its security at the expense of Russia’s. 普京的要求超出了烏克蘭與北約的聯繫問題，但這種聯繫是他抱怨西方通過靠近俄羅斯邊境將他推向耐心極限的核心。他斷言，北約多年前的擴張以犧牲俄羅斯為代價加強了其安全。 Why is Putin worried about Ukraine joining NATO? The stated reason is that a further eastward expansion of NATO would pose a security threat to Russia. Washington and its allies deny this is a valid worry, since no NATO country is threatening to use force against Russia. 普京為什麼擔心烏克蘭加入北約？聲明的原因是北約進一步東擴將對俄羅斯構成安全威脅。華盛頓及其盟國否認這是一個合理的擔憂，因為沒有北約國家威脅要對俄羅斯使用武力。 More broadly, Putin wants NATO to pull back its existing military presence in Eastern Europe, which includes a regularly rotating series of exercises in Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia, all former Soviet states. 更廣泛地說，普京希望北約撤回其在東歐的現有軍事存在，其中包括在立陶宛，拉脫維亞和愛沙尼亞等所有前蘇聯省份定期輪換的一系列演習。 Putin also opposes NATO’s missile defense presence in Romania, a former Soviet satellite state, and a similar base under development in Poland, saying they could be converted to offensive weapons capable of threatening Russia. 普京還反對北約在前蘇聯衛星國羅馬尼亞的導彈防禦存在，以及在波蘭正在開發的類似基地，稱它們可以轉化為能夠威脅俄羅斯的進攻性武器。 Ukraine has deep historical and cultural ties to Russia, and Putin has repeatedly asserted that Russians and Ukrainians are “one people.” He has said that large chunks of Ukrainian territory are historical parts of Russia that were arbitrarily granted to Ukraine by communist leaders under the Soviet Union. 烏克蘭與俄羅斯有著深厚的歷史和文化聯繫，普京一再斷言俄羅斯人和烏克蘭人是"一個民族"。他曾說過，烏克蘭的大部分領土是俄羅斯的歷史部分，是蘇聯領導下的共產主義領導人任意授予烏克蘭的。 Putin’s own actions, however, have served to strengthen Ukrainians’ sense of national identity. After Russia seized the Crimean Peninsula and instigated a rebellion in eastern Ukraine in 2014, Ukraine’s desire to align itself with the West and join NATO only grew. 然而，普京自己的行動有助於加強烏克蘭人的民族認同感。在俄羅斯佔領克里米亞半島並於2014年在烏克蘭東部煽動叛亂后，烏克蘭與西方結盟並加入北約的願望只會增長。Source article: https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/lang/archives/2022/02/15/2003773113

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

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

Topic: Can Germany’s New Chancellor Revive the Left in Europe? Last December, as he was plotting what most considered to be a hopeless bid to become Germany’s next chancellor, Olaf Scholz interrupted his campaign preparations for a video call with an American philosopher. 去年12月，蕭茲策畫競選德國下任總理，被多數人認為毫無希望之際，他為了與一名美國哲學教授視訊通話而暫停參選準備工作。 Scholz, a Social Democrat, wanted to talk to the philosopher, Michael J. Sandel of Harvard, about why center-left parties like his had been losing working-class voters to populists, and the two men spent an hour discussing a seemingly simple theme that would become the centerpiece of the Scholz campaign: “Respect.” 社會民主黨籍的蕭茲想跟美國哈佛大學哲學教授桑德爾談談，像他的黨這類中間偏左政黨為何失去勞動階級選民，眼看這些人轉而支持民粹主義者。兩人花了一小時討論一個看似簡單、後來成為蕭茲競選骨幹的主題「尊重」。 Scholz is Germany’s ninth postwar chancellor — and the first Social Democrat in 16 years — succeeding Angela Merkel and heading a three-party coalition government. Defying polls and pundits, he led his 158-year-old party from the precipice of irrelevance to an unlikely victory — and now wants to show that the center-left can again become a political force in Europe. 蕭茲是德國戰後第九位總理，也是16年來首位社民黨籍總理，接替梅克爾並領導三黨聯合政府。他打破民調和專家預測，帶領他那成立158年的政黨，走出被認為無關緊要的險境，取得難以置信的勝利，如今他希望展現中間偏左勢力能再度成為歐洲一支政治力量。 For the center-left in Europe, Scholz’s victory comes at a critical moment. Over the past decade, many of the parties that once dominated European politics have become almost obsolete, seemingly bereft of ideas and largely abandoned by their working-class base. 對歐洲中間偏左勢力而言，蕭茲勝選的時機很重要。過去十年來，許多一度主導歐洲政治的這類政黨變得幾乎被淘汰，他們看來沒有主張，而且大致被他們的勞動階級基本盤放棄。 The political energy has been on the right, especially the populist far right, with many American conservatives flocking to countries like Hungary to study the “illiberal democracy” of Viktor Orban, that nation’s far-right prime minister. 政治能量在右派這邊，尤其是民粹極右派，許多美國保守派人士湧入匈牙利這類國家，研究該國極右派總理奧班的「不自由民主思想」。 “The biggest concern in politics for me is that our liberal democracies are coming increasingly under pressure,” Mr. Scholz says about himself on the Social Democrats’ website. “We have to solve the problems so that the cheap slogans of the populists don’t catch.” 蕭茲在社民黨網站上描述自己：「對我而言政治上最大的憂慮是，我們的自由民主政體承受愈來愈大的壓力。我們必須解決這些問題，好讓民粹主義者的廉價口號無法打動人心。」 Last year, in the middle of the first Covid-19 lockdown, Mr. Scholz read Professor Sandel’s latest book, “The Tyranny of Merit” in which the Harvard philosopher argued that the meritocratic narrative of education as an engine of social mobility had fueled resentment and contributed to the rise of populists like Mr. Trump. 去年德國實施首次新冠肺炎防疫封鎖時，蕭茲閱讀了桑德爾教授最新著作「成功的反思」，這位哈佛哲學教授在書中主張，菁英領導體制陳述的「教育是社會流動的動力」，助長憤恨並促成美國前總統川普這種民粹政治人物崛起。 “The backlash of 2016 vividly expressed that simply telling people, ‘You can make it if you try,’ was not an adequate response to the wage stagnation and job loss brought about by globalization,” Professor Sandel said in an interview. “What Social Democratic elites missed was the insult implicit in this response to inequality, because what it said was, ‘If you’re struggling in the new economy, your failure is your fault.’” 桑德爾受訪時說：「2016年的強烈反應鮮明表達出，僅僅告訴人們『去嘗試就能做到』，並非對全球化造成的薪資停滯和失業的適切回應。社民黨菁英沒注意的是，這種對於不平等現象的回應隱含著侮辱，因為它說的是，『如果你在新經濟裡苦苦掙扎，你失敗是你自己的錯』。」Source article: https://udn.com/news/story/6904/5970225 Next Article Topic: Europe’s COVID Culture War Plays Out in Pockets of Germany Sven Müller is proudly unvaccinated. He thinks COVID-19 vaccines are neither effective nor safe but a way to make money for pharmaceutical companies and corrupt politicians who are taking away his freedom. 斯凡．穆勒對未接種疫苗感到自豪。他認為新冠疫苗既不有效也不安全，是幫製藥公司及剝奪他自由的腐敗政客賺錢的一種方式。 Under state rules to stem coronavirus infections, he is no longer allowed to go to restaurants, to the bowling alley, to the cinema or to the hairdresser. From next week, he will be barred from entering most shops, too. But that has only strengthened his resolve. 遏制新冠病毒感染的邦法規定，他不得進入餐館、保齡球館、電影院或找理髮師。從下周起，他還被禁止進入多數商店，但這只會堅定他的決心。 “They can’t break me,” said Müller, 40, a bar owner in the town of Annaberg-Buchholz, in the Ore Mountain region in the eastern state of Saxony where the vaccination rate is 44% — the lowest in Germany. 40歲的穆勒說：「他們打不倒我。」他是德東薩克森邦厄爾士山區安娜貝格布赫霍爾茨鎮的一名酒吧老闆，當地疫苗接種率是全德國最低的44%。 Müller personifies a problem that is as sharp in some parts of Europe as it is in the United States. If Germany had red and blue states, Saxony would be crimson. In places like this, pockets of unvaccinated people are driving the latest round of contagion, filling strained hospital wards, putting economic recoveries at risk and sending governments scrambling to head off a fourth wave of the pandemic. 歐洲某些地區，有個問題與美國一樣激烈，穆勒是此事化身。若德國有紅州和藍州，薩克森邦將是深紅。在這樣的地方，一小群未接種疫苗的人正引發最新一波疫情，使得捉襟見肘的醫院病房人滿為患，令經濟復甦面臨風險，並讓政府在阻止第四波疫情爆發上疲於奔命。 Western European governments are resorting increasingly to thinly veiled coercion with a mixture of mandates, inducements and punishments. 西歐國家政府正逐漸採取幾乎不加掩飾的強制手段，包括強制令、誘導及處罰。 In many countries, it is working. When President Emmanuel Macron announced in July that vaccine passp

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

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

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

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

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

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

Topic: Water-Stressed India Seeks a Tap for Every Home The pipes are laid, the taps installed and the village tank is under construction — all promising signs that, come spring, Girja Ahriwar will get water at her doorstep and finally shed a lifelong burden. 管子鋪好，水龍頭裝好，村子的水槽正在建造。這些充滿希望的跡象顯示，春季來臨時，吉爾嘉．艾里瓦可以在家門口取到水，而且終於解除長期以來的負擔。 “I go out and put the jerrycans in the queue at around 5 a.m. and wait there with the children,” Ahriwar, a mother of three who lives in the central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh, said about her routine of fetching from the village hand pump. “Sometimes it could take five or six hours. I have to stay there because if I leave, someone else moves ahead.” 「我大約在清晨5時出門，把大水桶排進隊伍，然後和孩子們一起等待」，住在印度中部中央邦、三個孩子的媽艾里瓦說，她的例行公事就是從村子的手動泵浦取水，「有時候得花五或六個小時，我必須一直留在這裡，因為如果我離開了，其他人就會搶先往前」。 India, one of the world’s most water-stressed countries, is halfway through an ambitious drive to provide clean tap water by 2024 to all of the roughly 192 million households across its 600,000 villages. About 18,000 government engineers are overseeing the $50 billion undertaking, which includes hundreds of thousands of contractors and laborers who are laying more than 2.5 million miles of pipe. 印度是全世界用水最吃緊的國家之一，在2024年之前提供60萬個村落共約1億9200萬戶乾淨自來水，這項宏大的計畫已進行到一半。約1萬8000名政府工程師監督規模500億美元的工程，包括數十萬名包商和工人，鋪設超過250萬哩的水管。 The project has a powerful champion in Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who has slashed through India’s notorious red tape and pushed aside thorny political divisions to see it through. His success thus far helps explain his dominance over the country’s political landscape. 這項計畫有個有力的擁護者：總理莫迪，他打破印度惡名昭彰的官僚作風，把棘手的政治分歧暫放一邊，推動計畫。目前為止他的成功也顯示他在這個國家政治版圖的主導力。 Modi has remained popular despite a weak economy and a bungled initial response to the coronavirus that left hundreds of thousands dead. He has increasingly relied on communal politics, continuing to consolidate a Hindu nationalist base he has worked for decades to rally. 即使經濟疲弱，且一開始對新冠病毒的笨拙反應造成數十萬人死亡，莫迪仍舊廣得人心。他日漸依賴宗教團體式政治，持續鞏固印度教國族主義基本盤，他投注數十年整合這些勢力。 But the mission to deliver water to every household combines two of Modi’s political strengths: his grasp of the day-to-day problems of hundreds of millions of India’s poor and his penchant for ambitious solutions. Modi, who grew up in a poor village, has spoken emotionally about his own mother’s hardship in fetching water. 不過，將水送到所有家戶的任務，結合莫迪的兩個政治力量：他對印度數億貧窮人口日常問題的理解，以及喜好採取極具雄心的解決方案。在貧窮村莊長大的莫迪，曾充滿感情的談到母親以前取水的困難。 About one-sixth of India’s households had a clean water tap when the program, called Jal Jeevan Mission, began in 2019. Now, almost half have one. 當這個「水生活任務」2019年開始時，印度家戶有潔淨自來水者約六分之一。現在，幾乎一半。 “You rarely have this drive from the government, the head of state, and it is well funded. Behind the concept, there is budget,” said Nicolas Osbert, who leads the UNICEF water and sanitation unit in India. “All social sectors were impacted by COVID. Not this one. This one was preserved.” 「你很少能從政府或國家領袖獲得這種推動力，而且資金充裕。在這個概念後面，重點是預算」，聯合國兒童基金會印度分部水資源和衛生主管歐斯柏特說，「所有社福單位都遭遇新冠病毒衝擊，但這個沒有，這個計畫保留下來」。 The country’s water problem speaks to the mismatch between its global economic ambitions and the dire conditions of much of its 1.4 billion population, two-thirds of whom still live in rural areas. 這個國家的用水問題顯示，其全球經濟野心和14億人口中許多人的悲慘情況，頗不相配。印度人口三分之二住在鄉村地區。Source article: https://udn.com/news/story/6904/6034821 Next Article Topic: Typhoonless year brings water shortage in fall/winter Most years, Taiwan is hit by typhoons during the summer and fall, but we have yet to see a typhoon this year. This unusual situation has put pressure on water supply levels in reservoirs around Taiwan. 台灣每年夏、秋兩季颱風頻繁，但詭異的是，今年截至目前為止，竟無任何一個颱風登陸台灣，造成水庫缺水問題。 Due to global warming, the typhoons generated in the Pacific Ocean this year have all moved northward, bypassing Taiwan. Although successive fronts and afternoon showers have brought rainfall, it was only fragmented, covering limited areas and did little to replenish reservoirs. As a result, the reservoir storage this year is lower than in previous years. 這是因為全球暖化之影響，今年大平洋生成的颱風往北移，導致沒有任何一個颱風進來台灣，雖然陸續有鋒面及午後陣雨帶來雨量，但下雨範圍多為局部地區，導致水庫蓄水量較往年低。 According to the Water Resource Agency, as of 2pm yesterday, the Shihmen Reservoir’s water storage was 44 percent of capacity, the Feicuei Reservoir’s was 62.3 percent and the Zengwen Reservoir’s was 31.3 percent. Two of the three major water reservoirs have less than 50 percent of their water storage capacity. 水利署資料顯示，截至昨日下午二時為止，石門水庫蓄水量為百分之四十四，翡翠水庫蓄水量百分之六十二點三，曾文水庫蓄水率百分之三十一點三，三大水庫中有兩座儲水量低於五成。 In order to prepare for demand for water next year, the government has decided to implement three measures to control water usage. Firstly, starting from last Wednesday, night water pressure in the Taoyuan, Hsinchu and Miaoli areas was to be lowered from 11pm through to 5am the following day. Secondly, the irrigation of some areas of Taoyuan, Hsinchu and Miaoli was to be suspended, and farmers affected by the measures will receive government compensation. Thirdly, the Ministry of Economic Affairs

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

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

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

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

每日英語跟讀 Ep.K322: Ex-official: Space station ‘largely isolated’ from tensions Tensions in eastern Ukraine and heightened Western fears of a Russian invasion should not have a significant impact on the International Space Station or US-Russia cooperation in space, the former head of the National Space Council told The Associated Press. 烏克蘭東部的緊張局勢以及西方對俄羅斯入侵的擔憂加劇，不應該對國際空間站或美俄太空合作產生重大影響，國家太空委員會前負責人告訴美聯社。 That was before Russia launched an invasion of Ukraine on Thursday last week, however. 然而，那是在俄羅斯上週四入侵烏克蘭之前。 Four NASA astronauts, two Russian cosmonauts and one European astronaut are currently on the space station. 四名NASA宇航員，兩名俄羅斯宇航員和一名歐洲宇航員目前正在空間站上。 Scott Pace, who served as executive secretary of the space council under US President Donald Trump and is now the director of the Space Policy Institute at George Washington University, said the space station “has been largely isolated” from political events. 斯科特·佩斯（Scott Pace）曾擔任美國總統唐納德·特朗普太空委員會執行秘書，現在是喬治華盛頓大學空間政策研究所所長，他說，空間站"在很大程度上與政治事件隔離"。 “It’s possible to imagine a break with Russia that would endanger the space station, but that would be at the level of a dropping diplomatic relations,” said Pace. “That would be something that would be an utterly last resort so I don’t really see that happening unless there is a wider military confrontation.” The space station, an international partnership of five space agencies from 15 countries, including Canada, several countries in Europe, Japan, Russia and the United States, launched in 1998 and morphed into a complex that’s almost as long as a football field, with 13km of electrical wiring, an acre of solar panels and three high-tech labs. "可以想象與俄羅斯的決裂會危及空間站，但那將是外交關係下降的水準，"佩斯說。"這將是完全最後的手段，所以除非有更廣泛的軍事對抗，否則我真的不會看到這種情況發生。該空間站由來自15個國家的五個航太機構組成，包括加拿大，歐洲的幾個國家，日本，俄羅斯和美國，於1998年發射，並演變成一個幾乎與足球場一樣長的綜合體，擁有13公里的電線，一英畝的太陽能電池板和三個高科技實驗室。 It marked two decades of people continuously living and working in orbit in 2020. 它標誌著2020年人們在軌道上持續生活和工作的二十年。 The first crew — American Bill Shepherd and Russians Sergei Krikalev and Yuri Gidzenko — blasted off from Kazakhstan on Oct. 31, 2000. 第一批船員——美國人比爾·謝潑德（Bill Shepherd）和俄羅斯人謝爾蓋·克里卡列夫（Sergei Krikalev）和尤里·吉岑科（Yuri Gidzenko）——於2000年10月31日從哈薩克起飛。 The three astronauts got along fine but tension sometimes bubbled up with the two mission controls, in Houston and outside Moscow. 三名宇航員相處得很好，但有時在休士頓和莫斯科郊外的兩個任務控制中心會引發緊張局勢。 Russia kept station crews coming and going after NASA’s Columbia disaster in 2003 and after the space shuttles retired in 2011. 俄羅斯在2003年美國宇航局的哥倫比亞號災難和2011年航太飛機退役后，讓空間站的工作人員來來去去。 There have been concerns raised in US Congress about the impact that conflict over Ukraine could have on the International Space Station. 美國國會一直擔心烏克蘭衝突可能對國際空間站產生的影響。 Lawmakers have specifically exempted space cooperation from previous sanctions and can be expected to make similar arguments against targeting it as the administration considers its next steps over Ukraine. 立法者已經明確將太空合作從以前的制裁中豁免，並且可以預期，隨著政府考慮其對烏克蘭的下一步行動，將提出類似的論點反對針對太空合作。Source article: https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/lang/archives/2022/03/01/2003773937

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

Topic: Restaurants Have Lavish Setups for Outdoor Winter Dining A Latin fusion restaurant in Queens will serve crispy arepa cups and ropa vieja at an outdoor dining chalet with rustic wood beams and sparkling chandeliers. 紐約皇后區一間拉丁無國界料理餐廳，將在有鄉村風木梁和閃亮枝形吊燈的戶外用餐木屋裡，提供杯裝的酥脆玉米餅和燉手撕牛肉。 In the Bronx, an Italian place has winter-proofed its back patio with Plexiglas walls and electric heaters, along with festive vines with pink flowers. 在布朗克斯區，一間義大利餐廳在後院築起塑膠玻璃牆並放上電熱器防寒，同時飾以帶有節慶氣氛的粉紅花朵藤蔓。 And a Manhattan bistro is handing out silver space blankets to shivering diners. 曼哈坦區一家餐酒館還發放銀色太空毯，讓冷得發抖的客人保暖。 A pandemic that has upended much of life in New York is now ushering in something the city has never really tried: dining by snow and ice. Or, as some restaurants are telling customers, the new BYOB is bring your own blanket. 新冠肺炎疫情大大顛覆紐約人的生活，如今又把這座城市從未真正試過的東西引了進來，就是在冰天雪地中用餐，或者就像一些餐廳告訴客人的，「請自帶酒水」變成了「請自備毛毯」。 The explosion of outdoor dining has been a savior for more than 10,000 restaurants and bars that have taken over sidewalks, streets and public spaces to try to keep their businesses afloat. It has been so popular that Mayor Bill de Blasio and the City Council are making outdoor dining permanent. 戶外用餐激增，拯救了紐約逾萬家餐廳和酒吧，這些店家占用人行道、大街和公共空間以求生。戶外用餐大受歡迎，以致市長白思豪和市議會決定讓它合法化。 But year-round dining outside is untested in the city’s bone-chilling winters, and has created daunting challenges for an industry fighting to survive. 不過，戶外用餐還沒接受紐約寒冬的考驗，對奮力求存的餐飲業是可怕的挑戰。 “Are we going to have a mild winter or a harsh one?” said Andrew Rigie, executive director of the New York City Hospitality Alliance, an industry group. “It’s a gamble. With so much uncertainty about the weather and diner behavior, it’s a risk.” 同業團體紐約市餐飲業聯合會主席里吉說：「今年冬天會溫和還是很冷？只能賭一賭。關於天氣和客人行為有這麼多不確定性，這是在冒險。」 While a financial imperative for restaurants, enclosing outdoor areas for winter has raised health concerns as coronavirus cases in New York have started to rise again. Protecting patrons from the elements has led some restaurants to create shelters that lack sufficient ventilation, raising the risk of transmission. 餐廳把戶外用餐區圍起來以免客人受寒，雖然對生意非常重要，卻在紐約新冠病例再度激增之際引發公共衛生疑慮。一些餐廳為保護客人不受惡劣天氣影響而圍出通風不良的區域，提高了疫情傳播的風險。 Outdoor heaters — including propane heaters that had been banned in the city but are now permitted as a way to help restaurants — could also pose fire hazards. 戶外暖爐，包括紐約原本禁用、為幫助餐廳經營而暫且開放使用的丙烷暖爐，還可能引起火災。 Still, with restaurants having few options to make money, New York and other cities are forging ahead with winter outdoor dining.Chicago held a design challenge that drew ideas like a Japanese-style heated table and a modular cabin inspired by ice-fishing huts that fits on a parking spot. 不過，由於餐廳賺錢方式非常有限，紐約等城市仍大力發展冬季戶外用餐。芝加哥辦了場戶外用餐設計比賽，吸引的點子包括：日式暖爐桌和模組小屋，以冰釣小屋為靈感，占地相當於一個停車位。 In New York, the multibillion-dollar restaurant industry, one of the city’s most important economic pillars, has been decimated by the pandemic. Indoor dining has resumed, but at only 25% capacity. 營業額數十億美元的餐館業是紐約經濟支柱，受到疫情重創，雖然已恢復內用，但只能開放25%的座位。 Source article: https://paper.udn.com/udnpaper/POH0067/359491/web/ Next Article Topic: A Scary Energy Winter Is Coming. Don’t Blame the Greens. Every so often the tectonic geopolitical plates that hold up the world economy suddenly shift in ways that can rattle and destabilize everything on the surface. That’s happening right now in the energy sphere. 有時候，承載世界經濟的地緣政治板塊會突然移動，把地表每樣東西搖得嘎嘎作響。這種事現在就在能源領域發生。 Several forces are coming together that could make Vladimir Putin the king of Europe, enable Iran to thumb its nose at America and build an atomic bomb, and disrupt European power markets enough that the upcoming United Nations climate conference in Glasgow, Scotland, could suffer blackouts owing to too little clean energy. 有幾股勢力正在匯聚，能使俄國總統普亭成為歐洲之王，使伊朗有本錢不把美國放在眼裡，進而造出原子彈，並足以打亂歐洲能源市場，讓即將登場的英國蘇格蘭格拉斯哥聯合國氣候大會可能會因為潔淨能源太少而停電。 Yes, this is a big one. 沒錯，問題很大。 Natural gas and coal prices in Europe and Asia just hit their highest levels on record, oil prices in America hit a seven-year high and U.S. gasoline prices are up $1 a gallon from last year. If this winter is as bad as some experts predict — with some in the poor and middle classes unable to heat their homes — I fear we’ll see a populist backlash to the whole climate/green movement. You can already smell that coming in Britain. 歐亞兩洲的天然氣和煤價剛剛達到史上最高，美國原油價格創七年新高，而汽油價格每加侖比去年上漲1美元。如果今年冬天跟一些專家預測的一樣糟，一些貧窮和中產階級人家負擔不起取暖費用，我擔心會出現針對整個氣候和綠能運動的民粹反彈。在英國已經可以嗅到這個跡象。 How did we get here? In truth, it’s a good-news-bad-news story. 我們怎會走到這一步？其實，這是個好消息壞消息都有的故事。 The good news is that every major economy has signed onto reducing its carbon footprint by phasing out dirtier fuels like coal to heat homes and to power industries. The bad news is that most nations are doing it in totally uncoordinated ways, from the top down, and before the market has produced sufficient clean renewables like wind, solar and hydro. 好消息是，每個主要經濟體都已同意，透過逐步淘汰煤炭這類比較髒的燃料給家庭取暖和給產業供電，減少碳足跡。壞消息則是，多數國家這麼做的時候完全沒有互相協調，由上而下執行，而且市場還沒製造出足夠多的風力、太陽能和水力等清潔能源。 But how did t

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

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

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

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