通勤學英語 15Mins Today

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

每日英語跟讀 Ep.K317: 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, printed in Rome in 1526. 雖然該研究所的大多數頭銜不為公眾所認可，但它們對學者來說卻是珍貴的。它們包括一些卷，例如早期教會父親約翰·克裡斯托姆（John Chrysostom）的希臘語第一版禮儀，於1526年在羅馬印刷。 “The library is unique in the world,” said Gabriel Radle, a professor at the University of Notre Dame who studied at the institute. 曾在該學院研究的聖母大學教授拉德爾說：「這個圖書館在世上獨一無二。」 Its volumes cover the broad gamut that is Eastern Christianity, a term for the traditions and denominations developed in the first centuries of the church in Jerusalem and the Middle East, spreading through Greece, Turkey and Eastern Europe, north to Russia, south to Egypt and Ethiopia, and as far east as India. 它的經典涵蓋了東方基督教的廣泛範圍，東方基督教是耶路撒冷和中東教會最初幾個世紀發展起來的傳統和教派的術語，傳播到希臘，土耳其和東歐，北到俄羅斯，南到埃及和衣索比亞，東到印度。 The first set of books to be digitized were scanned by an eight-member team from a Long Island, New York, company, Seery Systems Group, using scanning technology from SMA of Germany. 第一套數位化的圖書是由紐約長島公司Seery Systems集團一個八人團隊，使用德國SMA公司掃描技術進行掃描。 The digitized books will be managed via ShelterZoom, a New York company. Chao Cheng-Shorland, CEO of ShelterZoom, said she visited the library this past year and got very excited about the project. 數位化書籍將通過紐約公司ShelterZoom進行管理。ShelterZoom首席執行官Chao Cheng-Shorland表示，她去年參觀了圖書館，並對該專案感到非常興奮。 “It’s unique, not just in the technology sense but also in the sense of contributing to such a wonderful piece of history,” she said. "這是獨一無二的，不僅在技術意義上，而且在為這樣一段美好的歷史做出貢獻的意義上，"她說。 Source article: https://udn.com/news/story/6904/6076914

Jeff Bezos offered Tom Hanks a ride to space on his Blue Origin rocket, but it came at a price. （亞馬遜創辦人）傑夫‧貝佐斯曾邀請（好萊塢男星）湯姆‧漢克搭乘他的「藍源」火箭上太空，但要付出代價。 The actor confirmed that Bezos had asked him during an appearance on "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" on Tuesday, saying if he accepted the offer he was expected to pay. 這名男星週二現身（電視節目）「吉米金默現場秀」時證實，貝佐斯曾邀約他（上太空），並說若他接受（邀約），應該要付錢。 "Well yeah, provided I pay," Hanks said. "It costs like $28 million or something like that. And I’m doing good, Jimmy — I’m doing good — but I ain’t paying $28 million. You know what, we could simulate the experience of going to space right now." 「是啊，若我付錢（就能上太空），」漢克說。「大概要2800萬美元左右。我算是事業有成，吉米—我混得還不錯—但我才不要付2800萬。你知道嗎，我們現在就可以模擬上太空的經驗。」 Hanks, who appeared to promote his new movie "Finch," mimicked shaking in a rocket while in his chair, saying, "I don’t need to spend 28 million bucks to do that." 上節目宣傳新片「芬奇的旅程」的漢克（語畢）便在椅子上模仿搭火箭（上太空時）身體抖動的模樣，並說「我才不要花2800萬來做這種事。」 Next Article William Shatner says Prince William is ’missing the point’ of space tourism 威廉沙特納說 威廉王子沒搞懂太空旅行的真諦 William Shatner is firing a rhetorical rocket back at Prince William after the future king criticized space tourism. 在（英國）威廉王子出言批評太空觀光後，（男星）威廉‧沙特納反唇相譏，還擊這位未來國王。 Shatner, who blasted into space on one of Amazon founder Jeff Bezos’ rockets, said the British royal has "got the wrong idea" by saying that solving problems on Earth should be prioritized over tourist trips to space. 搭乘亞馬遜創辦人傑夫‧貝佐斯的一艘火箭上太空的沙特納說，宣稱解決地球上的問題應優先於太空旅行的這位英國王室成員，「搞錯了」。 The 90-year-old "Star Trek" actor said that a power generating base could be constructed 250 miles above the Earth and used to supply homes and businesses below. "The prince is missing the point," he added. 這位90歲「星際爭霸戰」男演員說，距離地表250英里的上空可以蓋一座發電基地，用來供應地面住家與建築（所需）。「王子沒搞懂（太空旅行的真諦），」他補充道。 Without mentioning names, William criticized billionaires focused on space tourism in an interview Thursday with the BBC, saying they should invest more time and money in saving Earth. 威廉週四接受英國廣播公司訪問時，在未指名道姓的情況下批評億萬富豪聚焦太空觀光的現象，指稱富豪們應將更多時間與金錢投資於拯救地球。Source article: https://features.ltn.com.tw/english/article/paper/1498987 ; https://features.ltn.com.tw/english/article/paper/1499857

Topic: Russia's Villages, and Their Culture, Are 'Melting Away' With its winding dirt lanes framed by lilacs, quaint wooden houses and graceful onion-domed church, the tiny farming hamlet of Baruta was once a postcard of Russian bucolic bliss. 俄國西北部普斯科夫區域的巴魯塔小農村曾是俄國田園的幸福象徵，蜿蜒的土路旁盡是丁香、古雅的木屋和優美的洋蔥圓頂教堂。 No longer. More people lie in the tightly packed church cemetery than inhabit the village. Agriculture is slowly withering, too. 此景不再。在擁擠不堪的教堂墓地安息的人，比住在村裡的多。農業也逐步衰退。 With Russia's natural population growth entering an extended period of decline, villages like Baruta are disappearing from across the country’s continental expanse. 由於俄國人口的自然增長進入長期衰退期，像巴魯塔這樣的村落正從廣袤的俄國大陸各地消失。 "We have not had a wedding or a baptism for quite some time — we mostly have funerals," said a resident, Alexander Fyodorov, 59, one of just 17 men left in what was a thriving collective of some 500 farmers. 59歲居民費奧多羅夫說：「我們好一段時間沒有婚禮或洗禮了——多半是喪禮。」他曾是一個約有500農民、蓬勃發展的集體農場的一分子，如今農場只剩下17個男人，他是其中之一。 President Vladimir Putin frequently cites hardy population growth as a pillar of restoring Russia's place atop the global order. There is a pronounced gap, however, between the positive terms in which Putin and his advisers habitually discuss demographic trends and the reality of the numbers. 俄國總統普亭常說，強勁的人口成長是讓俄國重居新全球之首的基礎。不過，普亭與顧問們討論人口趨勢時慣常使用的正面詞語，和真實人口數目差距甚大。 Russians are dying faster than they are being born, demographers said. Given the general hostility toward immigration, the question is to what degree the population of 146 million, including annexed Crimea, might shrink. 人口學者說，俄國人死亡的速度比出生快。在俄國人普遍對移民懷有敵意的情況下，俄國總數1億4600萬（包括兼併來的克里米亞）的人口勢將減少，問題只在減幅的大小。 The number of deaths exceeded the number of births in 2016 by a few thousand, and the prognosis for the years ahead is poor. From 2013-2015, extremely modest natural growth peaked in 2015 with just 32,038 more births than deaths. 去年俄國死亡人數超越出生人數幾千人，未來幾年前景也不樂觀。2013到2015年極微小的人口自然增長在2015年達到高峰，出生數只比死亡數多3萬2038人。 "The statistics and the propaganda are very different things," said Natalya V. Zubarevich, an expert in social and political geography at Moscow State University. 莫斯科國立大學社會與政治地理學專家祖巴列維奇說：「統計數字和宣傳大不相同。」 In terms of population loss, Pskov, which borders Latvia and parts of Estonia, is among the worst hit regions in Russia. The population peaked at around 1.8 million in the 1920s, said Andrei Manakov, a demographer at Pskov State University. It is down to 642,000, and projected to drop to about 513,000 by 2033. 普斯科夫與拉脫維亞和愛沙尼亞部分地區接壤，是俄國人口減少最嚴重的區域之一。普斯科夫國立大學人口學者馬納科夫說，1920年代這裡的人口達到高峰，約180萬。現在降到64萬2千人，料將在2033年前降到大約51萬3千人。 Researchers estimate that out of 8,300 area villages in 1910, 2,000 no longer have permanent residents. 研究人員估計，1910年這裡的8300個地區村落中，2000個不再有常住居民。 Under the most optimistic projections by demographers, Russia’s population by 2050 will stay the same, about 146 million, if immigration from Central Asia — which has also been dropping — balances out low birthrates. Less optimistic figures put the population around 130 million by 2050, and the most pessimistic say fewer than 100 million. 人口學者最樂觀的預測是，如果來自中亞的移民（也正在逐漸減少）能彌補俄國的低出生率，2050年俄國人口會跟現在一樣，大約1億4600萬。較不樂觀的數據是2050年人口約為1億3000萬，最悲觀的是不到1億。 Source article: https://paper.udn.com/udnpaper/POH0067/318780/web/ Next Article Topic: Russia reaches out to OPEC as Riyadh opens oil taps The COVID-19 coronavirus outbreak in China and its rapid spread has taken its toll on the global economy, driving down demand for oil in the first weeks of 2020. 在中國爆發的武漢肺炎冠狀病毒迅速蔓延，讓全球經濟遭受巨大損失，對石油的需求在二〇二〇年開年數週便降低了。 In response, in the scheduled meeting on March 5-6 in Vienna, Saudi Arabia and other OPEC (Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries) states called for OPEC+ to a make drastic cut of 1.5 million barrels per day to reduce supply by a total of 3.6 million barells per day — insisting on a non-OPEC agreement. However, Russia rejected the plan. When the OPEC+ talks collapsed, the OPEC oil cartel scrapped all output limits. A dispute then broke out. 因應此情況，沙烏地阿拉伯與其他石油輸出國組織（OPEC）國家三月五日至六日在維也納所舉行的例行會議中，便要求OPEC+國家每日大幅減產一百五十萬桶，讓石油每日供應總量減少三百六十萬桶，並堅持非屬OPEC之產油國也須共同遵守此協議。但俄羅斯拒絕了此計畫，談判破裂，OPEC這石油壟斷利益集團便取消了所有產量限制，爭端於焉爆發。 Russian oil companies had opposed such cuts, fearing loss of market share and of competitiveness against US shale production. They had previously in December agreed on a milder production cut of 500,000 barrels in 2020, and Russia wanted this to continue. 俄羅斯的石油公司曾對這種減產措施加以反對，擔心會失去市佔率，也會失去對美國頁岩油的競爭力。他們去年十二月曾同意一項較溫和的減產計畫，將在二〇二〇年減產五十萬桶，俄羅斯希望維持此計畫。 Saudi Arabia, the world’s biggest crude exporter, responded on March 8 by announcing unilateral price cuts with its biggest price cut in 20 years in a bid to win market share. This prompted the oil price to plummet and fueled huge drops on stock markets the following day. 三月八日星期日，世界最大的原油出口國沙烏地阿拉伯對此做出回應，單方面宣佈降低油品價格，以贏得市佔率，此為二十年來最大降幅。這使得油價暴跌，並引發了三月九日星期一的股市大跌。 By March 9, oil had fallen to as low as US$31 from about US$66 at the end of 2019 as Riyadh said it would lift production to record highs, their biggest one-day move s