通勤學英語 15Mins Today

每日英語跟讀 Ep.K307: Japanese students invent ingenious ‘roach catcher’ to Taiwanese’s delight

For those living in Taiwan, cockroaches are definitely on the long list of pests that wreak havoc on people’s daily lives. These grotesque insects are seemingly everywhere and are hard to vanquish, leading to the rise of many “anti-cockroach” remedies; however, their effects are somewhat debatable.

蟑螂在台灣是令許多民眾感到頭痛的昆蟲，無所不在、生命力頑強也成了蟑螂的代稱。坊間也流傳著許多「滅蟑」偏方，但效果也是見仁見智。

An easy to assemble “cockroach catcher” has recently appeared on Amazon in Japan. The product was invented by a group of Japanese students, who developed it at an inexpensive price and has a very simple design. Priced at around 800 yen (about NT$200), the principle behind the cockroach catcher is also quite simple. Using the concept of a double box, the first covers the cockroach. Once it is inside the box, the user then pulls a handle, thereby effectively dragging the bug into a second box within the first one. The whole process will allow users to distance themselves from the cockroach so that they can also maintain “social distance” from the pests.

近期，日本Amazon出現了一款「抓蟑螂神器」，是由一群日本學生所開發出來的產品，外型十分簡約，價格也十分平易近人，只需800日圓（約台幣200元）就能將這個產品帶回家，抓蟲的原理也相當簡單，利用雙層盒子的概念，先將蟲子蓋住後，再拉把手，即可將蟲子困在盒子中，捕捉的全程都不會觸碰到昆蟲，讓民眾在捕捉昆蟲的過程中，也能跟昆蟲保持「社交距離」。

Assembling the product is also quite simple, as one only needs to fold up the transparent PET panels and follow the instructions to complete the product. In addition, this “cockroach catcher” has a thoughtful idea, designed for people who do not like to “see” bugs. Users can place stickers that come with the box on it, to avoid seeing them.

組裝方式也同產品的外形一般，十分的簡單易懂，包裝打開後只需將各個透明PET材質的板子順著摺痕折起、照著指示就能輕鬆將產品組裝完成。此外，這款「抓蟑螂神器」還有個貼心的巧思，專為不喜歡「看見」蟲子的人而設計，只要將內附的貼紙貼在箱子上，就能避免看見蟲子，可以說是怕蟲一族的福音。

The product became a sensation on its launch day on Amazon Japan, and it was the second best-selling product recorded in a single day. This led many social media users to comment what a wonderful product it was and voicing their desire to grab a couple for friends and family. Those deathly afraid of cockroaches also praised the design for helping distance users from the insects and added that they will be sure to stockpile some at home just in case.

產品開賣當日便在日本Amazon達到超高的購買潮，創下單日熱售第二的成績，引起了一票網友熱議，紛紛留言表示：「能抓蟑螂真的太棒了！」、「好想買！」、「能不碰到蟑螂就將牠抓走，簡直太棒了！」、「我超怕蟑螂的，這設計太棒了！」、「買爆！多囤幾盒在家裡！」

Some also joked that when they see cockroaches, their first reaction is to run the other way, while others mused whether they would be able to collect their wits and assemble the box when face to face with roaches. One social media also pointed out that perhaps, one day, cockroaches would evolve to be able to open boxes, leading another to comment it would be easier to just smack them dead with a slipper. Source Article: https://chinapost.nownews.com/20210831-2743383

更有網友逗趣的表示：「我看到蟑螂都直接逃跑」、「遇到蟑螂時真的有辦法閒下來折這個嗎？」、「用拖鞋打可能會比較快吧！」、「蟑螂之後搞不好會進化到能打開這個盒子」。

每日英語跟讀 Ep.K306: 10m long, 180 million years old ‘sea dragon’ fossil found in UK

A gigantic prehistoric “sea dragon” discovered in the Midlands, UK has been described as one of the greatest finds in the history of British palaeontology.

在英格蘭中部地區發現的巨大史前魚龍，又名「海龍」，被形容是英國古生物學史上最偉大的發現之一。

The ichthyosaur, which is about 180 million years old with a skeleton measuring about 10m in length and a skull weighing about a tonne, is the largest and most complete fossil of its kind ever found in the UK. Joe Davis of the Leicestershire and Rutland Wildlife Trust discovered it during the routine draining of a lagoon island at the Rutland Water reservoir in February last year.

這隻一億八千萬年前的魚龍，骨骼約有十公尺長，頭骨重約一公噸，是在英國所發現同類化石中最大、最完整的。二○二一年二月，拉特蘭水庫的潟湖島進行例行排水作業時，萊斯特郡與拉特蘭野生動物信託基金的喬‧戴維斯發現了它。

The first ichthyosaurs, which are called sea dragons because they tend to have very large teeth and eyes, were discovered by the fossil hunter and palaeontologist Mary Anning in the early 19th century.

魚龍也被稱為海龍，因其常有非常大的牙齒及眼睛，是在十九世紀初由化石採集者、古生物學家瑪麗‧安寧首次發現。

Dean Lomax, a palaeontologist who has studied the species, said: “Despite the many ichthyosaur fossils found in Britain, it is remarkable to think that the Rutland ichthyosaur is the largest skeleton ever found in the UK. It is a truly unprecedented discovery and one of the greatest finds in British palaeontological history.”

研究該物種的古生物學家迪恩‧洛馬克斯說：「雖然在英國所發現的魚龍化石為數不少，但一想到拉特蘭魚龍是有史以來在英國發現的最大骨骼，便覺非比尋常。這個發現的確是前所未有，也是英國古生物學史上最偉大的發現之一」。

Ichthyosaurs, which were marine reptiles, first appeared about 250 million years ago and went extinct 90 million years ago. They varied in size from 1m to more than 25m in length and resembled dolphins in their general body shape.

魚龍為海生爬蟲類動物，最早約在兩億五千萬年前出現，而在九千萬年前滅絕。其大小從一公尺到二十五公尺以上不等，其外形整體而言類似海豚。

The remains were dug out by a team of experts from around the UK in August and September last year.

來自英國各地的專家團隊，在去年八月和九月將這些遺骸挖掘出來。

Two incomplete and much smaller ichthyosaurs were found during the construction of Rutland Water in the 1970s, but the latest discovery is the first complete skeleton.

一九七○年代在建造拉特蘭湖時，發現過兩隻魚龍的化石，但不完整且小得多，這次的最新發現是第一副完整的魚龍骨骼。

Mark Evans of the British Antarctic Survey, who has been studying the Jurassic fossil reptiles of Rutland and Leicestershire for more than 20 years, said that even from the first glimpse of the partially exposed fossil it was clear that it was the largest ichthyosaur discovered in the region.

英國南極調查局的馬克‧艾文斯研究拉特蘭及萊斯特郡的侏羅紀爬蟲類動物化石已有二十多年，他表示，即便是第一眼看到化石暴露出來的部分，都能明顯得知它是該地區所發現最大的魚龍。

“However, it was only after our exploratory dig that we realized that it was practically complete to the tip of the tail,” he said. “It’s a highly significant discovery both nationally and internationally, but also of huge importance to the people of Rutland and the surrounding area.”

「但在進行探勘挖掘後，我們才察覺到它是如此完整，從頂部到尾尖」，他說。「這對英國國內與國際而言，都是非常重要的發現，對拉特蘭及周邊地區的民眾也是意義重大」。Source article: https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/lang/archives/2022/01/18/2003771551

Topic: About Technology - ’Smart crib’ aims to help rockabye baby

As every new parent knows, sleep can go out the window after the arrival of a newborn.

如每對剛生孩子的爸媽所知，新生兒到來後，再也沒有夜夜好眠。

That was certainly the case for parents Radhika and Bharath Patil, who seeking relief for their own disrupted sleep patterns, put their electronic engineering backgrounds together to create a "smart crib".

這確實就是拉德西卡和巴拉特‧帕蒂爾的狀況，這對父母正在補救自身混亂的睡眠模式，結合他們的電子工程背景，創造了一個「智慧嬰兒床」。

Their crib, powered by artificial intelligence, combines a baby monitor, rocker, bassinet and crib in one.

他們把一台嬰兒監視器、弧形搖桿、搖籃和嬰兒床合而為一，由人工智慧來驅動嬰兒床。

"It’s not the amount of work around the baby that tires the parents, it’s the lack of sleep," Radhika Patil, Cradlewise chief executive, told Reuters in an interview.

「智慧搖籃」執行長拉德西卡‧帕蒂爾在訪問中告訴路透，「並非圍繞著嬰兒的工作量累到父母，而是睡眠不足。」

Early detection is key, she said, adding that the sooner parents can detect the baby waking up, the easier it is to get the child to fall back asleep.

她說，早期偵測是關鍵，並補充指出，父母越早發現嬰兒醒來，就越容易讓他們的孩子再度入睡。

"Once you put the baby in, the crib takes care of everything. That’s the aim," Bharath Patil said.

巴拉特‧帕蒂爾說，「只要把嬰兒放進去，嬰兒床就顧好每件事。這就是目的。」

Next Article

Topic: New Thoughts on Math Of Effective Baby Talk

It has been nearly 20 years since a landmark education study found that, by age 3, children from low-income families have heard 30 million fewer words than more affluent children, putting them at an educational disadvantage before they have begun school.

將近20年前，一項具有里程碑意義的教育研究發現，低收入戶兒童到了3歲時，已比家庭較富裕的兒童少聽到3000萬個字彙，以致就學前即已處於教育上的劣勢。

Now, a growing body of research is challenging the notion that merely exposing poor children to more language is enough to overcome the deficits they face. The quality of the communication between children and their parents and caregivers, the researchers say, is of much greater importance than the number of words a child hears.

如今，越來越多的研究向此一觀念提出挑戰，不認為光是讓貧窮兒童暴露於更多語言，就能克服他們所面對的不足。這些研究人員指出，兒童與父母及看顧者之間的溝通品質，遠比兒童聽到多少字彙來得重要。

A study presented last month at a White House conference on “bridging the word gap” found that among 2-year-olds from low-income families, quality interactions involving words — the use of shared symbols (“Look, a dog!”); rituals (“Want a bottle after your bath?”); and conversational fluency (“Yes, that is a bus!”) — were a far better predictor of language skills at age 3 than any other factor .

上月在白宮「縮小字彙差距」會議中發表的一項研究結果發現，對2歲的低收入戶兒童而言，和字彙相關的優質互動，例如使用共通的符號（「看哪，一隻狗！」）；固定程序（「洗完澡想喝瓶奶？」）；流暢的對話（「是的，這是一輛公車！」），在預測3歲兒童語言技巧方面，是遠勝於其他因素的更好指標。

“It’s not just about shoving words in,” said Kathryn Hirsh- Pasek, a professor of psychology at Temple University in Philadelphia and lead author of the study. “It’s about having these fluid conversations around shared rituals and objects, like pretending to have morning coffee together or using the banana as a phone. ”

費城天普大學心理學教授、該研究報告主要作者凱瑟琳．赫許─巴塞克說：「它不光是塞進字彙而已，它與圍繞著共有的固定程序和物件的流暢對話有關，例如佯裝一起喝晨間咖啡，或是拿香蕉當電話打。」

In a related finding, published in April, researchers who observed 11- and 14-month-old children in their homes found that the prevalence of one-on-one interactions and frequent use of parentese — the slow, highpitched voice commonly used for talking to babies — were reliable predictors of language ability at age 2. The total number of words had no correlation with future ability.

四月發表的一項相關研究中，研究人員觀察11個月和14個月大孩子在家中的生活情形，發現經常一對一互動，以及頻繁使用「父母語」，也就是父母常用的，對嬰兒說話的那種緩慢、高音調聲音，是2歲兒童語言能力的可靠預測指標。字彙的總數量與兒童的未來能力無關。

Even the 1995 study that introduced the notion of the 30-million- word gap, conducted by the University of Kansas psychologists Betty Hart and Todd R. Risley, found that parental tone, responsiveness and use of symbols affected a child’s I.Q. and vocabulary.

引進3000萬字彙差距概念的那項研究發表於1995年，由堪薩斯大學心理學家貝蒂．哈特和陶德．Ｒ．里斯利所完成，即使那項研究也發現，父母的語氣、反應和符號的使用，對兒童的智商高低和詞彙多寡均有影響。

But this year’s studies are the first time researchers have compared the impact of word quantity with quality of communication.

不過，今年的研究，是研究人員首次將字彙數量和溝通品質的影響作比較。

For the new study, Dr. Hirsh- Pasek and colleagues selected 60 low-income 3-year-olds with varying degrees of language proficiency from a long-term study of 1,300 children from birth to age 15.

在新研究中，赫許─巴塞克和同事，在參與一項從出生到15歲長期研究的1300名兒童中，挑選出60名3歲的低收入戶兒童，語言能力程度各不相同。

The quality of communication accounted for 27 percent of variation in expressive language skills one year later, Dr. Hirsh-Pasek said.

赫許─巴塞克說，1年後，優質溝通占表達語言技巧差異的27％。

But those who urge parents to talk to their children more say increased quantity of language inevitably leads to better quality.

但是，那些呼籲家長多跟自己孩子說話的專家表示，提高語言數量，定會帶來更高的品質。

Anne Fernald, a developmental psychologist at Stanford University in California, said, “When you learn to talk more, you tend to speak in more diverse ways and elaborate more, and that helps the child’s cognitive development.”

加州史丹福大學發展心理學家安妮．費納德說：「當你學會說得更多時，你會以更多樣、更複雜的方式說話，這有助兒童的認知發展。」

Still, Ann O’Leary, director of Too Small to Fail, a joint effort of the nonprofit Next Generation and the Bill, Hillary & Chelsea Clinton Foundation that focuses on closing the word gap, acknowledged that messages to parents could do more to emphasize quality.

「小到不能失敗」計畫負責人安．奧利里說，在提供給家長的訊息上，確實可多強調質。「小到不能失敗」由非營利組織「下一代」和「比爾、希拉蕊、雀兒喜．柯林頓基金會」共同設置，致力於縮小兒童字彙差距。

“When we’re doing these campaigns to close the word gap, they do capture the imagination, they do get people understanding that we do need to do a lot more talking,” she said. “But we also need to be more mindful that part of what we need to do is model what that talking looks like.”

她說：「當我們從事縮小兒童字彙差距努力時，它確實引起我們注意，它也讓人們理解，我們確實需要多說點話。但我們同時需要更注意的是，在我們必須從事的工作中，有一部分是提供那種談話的模範，那種談話中該有的東西。」

Source article: https://paper.udn.com/udnpaper/POH0067/269227/web/#2L-5280944L

Next Article

Topic: Scientists identify ancient baby bottles ...and some are really cute

Ceramic vessels, sometimes fashioned in whimsical animal forms, were used thousands of years ago as baby bottles to feed infants animal milk, according to scientists, offering an intriguing look at how and what infants were fed in prehistoric times.

科學家指出，數千年前的人類有時會把陶製容器塑造成異想天開的動物形狀，將它們作為奶瓶使用，餵嬰兒喝動物的乳汁。這項發現提供一個有趣的觀點，讓人一窺史前時代人類如何、又是用什麼來餵食嬰兒。

Archaeologists said on Sept. 25 they confirmed the function of these ceramic objects by finding chemical traces of milk belonging to animals such as cows, sheep and goats in three such items found buried in child graves in Germany.

考古學家在九月二十五日表示，他們在埋入德國兒童墳墓裡面的三個同類型物件中，發現殘留動物乳汁的化學痕跡──包括母牛、綿羊、山羊等──因此確認了這些陶製物品的用途。

The oldest of the three vessels described in the study was made between 2,800 and 3,200 years ago during the Bronze Age. Other similar objects dating back as far as about 7,000 years ago during Neolithic times have been found in various other locations, the researchers said.

在研究描述的三個容器中，年代最早的製造於兩千八百年前到三千兩百年前的青銅器時代。研究人員指出，其他許多地點都曾經發現類似的物件，最遠可追溯到大約七千年前的新石器時期。

“I think this has provided us the first direct evidence of what foods babies were eating or being weaned on in prehistory,” said biomolecular archaeologist Julie Dunne of the University of Bristol in the UK and lead author of the study, published in the journal Nature. “I think this shows us the love and care these prehistoric people had for their babies.”

該篇研究發表於期刊《自然》，主要作者為英國布里斯托大學的生物分子考古學家茱莉‧鄧恩，她表示：「我認為這項發現提供第一手直接證據，顯示史前時代的小寶寶吃什麼食物，或是用什麼食物斷奶。」她也指出：「我想，這項發現也向我們展現這些史前時代人類對小嬰兒的愛與關懷。」

These objects, little enough to fit into a baby’s hands, served as vessels for milk, with a narrow spout for the baby to suckle liquid. While the three objects examined for the study were somewhat plain, others boasted lively shapes including animal heads with long ears or horns and human-looking feet.

這些物件小到能夠放進嬰兒的小手中，是用來盛裝奶水的容器，瓶身上附有一個狹長的壺嘴，讓小寶寶能夠從中吸吮液體。雖然研究檢驗用的三個物件外觀稍嫌平淡無奇，但其他同類陶器形狀卻相當生動，有著動物的頭，附著長長的耳朵或是犄角，以及像人類的腳。

“I find them incredibly cute. And prehistoric people may have thought so, too — they would certainly have a dual function of entertaining the children just like modern stuffed animals,” said archaeologist Katharina Rebay-Salisbury of the Austrian Academy of Sciences’ Institute for Oriental and European Archaeology, and a co-author of the study. “They testify to the creativity and playfulness we often forget to attribute to our ancestors,” Rebay-Salisbury added.

研究的共同作者、奧地利科學院東方與歐洲考古研究所的考古學家凱瑟琳娜‧雷貝─索爾斯伯里表示：「我覺得這些陶器難以置信地可愛。而且搞不好史前的人們也是這樣覺得──這些陶器很可能還具備另一項娛樂小孩的雙重功能，就像是現代的填充玩具。」她補充說：「這些陶器證實老祖先們具備的創意和愛開玩笑的個性，那都是我們經常忘記的。」

Life at the time was not easy, Rebay-Salisbury added, with many people living in unhygienic conditions, experiencing famine and disease and facing low life expectancy. During the Bronze Age and subsequent Iron Age in Europe, perhaps about a third of all newborns died before their first birthday and only about half of children reached adulthood, Rebay-Salisbury said.

雷貝─索爾斯伯里還指出，當時的生活並不容易，原因在於許多人都居住在不衛生的環境中、遭受饑荒與疾病，還要面臨很短的預期壽命。她表示，在青銅器時代以及接下來的鐵器時代，歐洲地區可能有大約三分之一的新生兒在一歲之前死亡，而且大概只有一半的小孩能夠順利長大成人。

These feeding vessels may have made life easier for mothers, as animal milk could substitute for breastfeeding, the researchers said. “Duties of mothering — amongst which feeding is an important one — can also be undertaken by other members of the community when children are fed with feeding vessels,” Rebay-Salisbury said.

研究人員表示，這些餵食用的容器會讓母親們的生活輕鬆一些，因為動物的乳汁可以代替親餵母乳。雷貝─索爾斯伯里指出：「當小孩可以用器具餵食的時候，為人母的諸多責任──其中，最重要的一項是餵食嬰兒──也就可以由部落的其他成員接手幫忙。」Source article: http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/lang/archives/2019/10/06/2003723440

主題：英文數字 PARTII 說出價格、小數點、與百分比，幾分之幾 Money, decimals, percentages and fractions

How to Say Percentages 

You read percentages as the number followed by "percent:"

37% - thirty-seven percent

12% - twelve percent

87% - eighty-seven percent

3% - three percent

How to Say Numbers With Decimals 

You read decimals as the number followed by "point." Next, say each number beyond the point individually:

14.82 - fourteen point eight two

9.7841 -nine point seven eight four one

3.14159 - three point one four one five nine (that's Pi!)

You read the top number as a single number, followed by the ordinal number + "s:"

1/2 - one-half

1/3, 2/3 - one third, two-thirds

1/4, 3/4 - one-quarter (one-fourth), three quarters (three-fourths)

3/8 - three-eighths

5/16 - five-sixteenths

7/8 - seven-eighths

Talking About Money 

When you see a price such as $60, read the currency first then the number: Sixty dollars.

If the amount includes cents, express the dollar amount first, followed by the cents:

$43.35 - forty-three dollars and thirty-five cents

$120.50 - one hundred twenty dollars and fifty cents

Native speakers often just say the dollar number and then the cents number and drop "dollars" and "cents"

$35.80 - thirty-five eighty

$175.50 - one hundred seventy-five fifty

每日英語跟讀 Ep.K305: Italian man tattoos COVID-19 vaccine passport QR code on arm

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to spread, European countries have launched COVID-19 vaccine passports so that fully vaccinated people can swiftly enter and exit public places with a QR code.

因新型冠狀病毒（COVID-19）疫情持續延燒，歐盟國家陸續推出「健康通行證」，民眾須掃QR code才能進出各公共場所。

Against this backdrop, a 22-year-old Italian student, Andrea Colonnetta, shared photos of himself received a tattoo of his COVID-19 vaccine passport’s QR code, also called “Green Pass Certificate,” on his left arm on Instagram. He later posted the video on TikTok. In both the video and photos, the QR code was successfully scanned by authorities, inspiring many social media users to do the same.

義大利一名22歲學生柯隆內塔（Andrea Colonnetta）近日突發其想將COVID-19（2019冠狀病毒疾病）健康證書的二維條碼（QR Code）紋於手臂上並將照片分享在網上。經過實際測試後，發現居然可以成功完成掃描，此舉也在社群媒體引起熱議。

According to NEWSWEEK, Colonnetta said he didn’t think much about the tattoo, but wanted something original and different. After discussing with the tattoo artist, he decided to get a thematic and practical tattoo: the black QR code of his official “Green Pass” issued by the Italian government.

《NEWSWEEK》報導中提到，柯隆內塔表示，他在刺青前並沒有考慮太多，初衷是想要些原創和與眾不同的設計，與刺青師討論過後，決定刺上有主題性且實用的紋身，也就是關於義大利政府推出的官方「綠色通行證」（Green Pass）的黑色二維碼。

Despite receiving two shots of the vaccine, he added that his parents still asked him to avoid rushing through the matter. He has since received a lot of attention on social media for his digital “Green Pass” tattoo.

不過已經完成接種兩劑疫苗的他也補充，雖然他因為數位健康通行證紋身而在社群媒體獲得許多關注，但父母仍然希望他不要衝動行事。

Since Aug. 6, Italy has required citizens to have a digital green pass to enter and exit theaters, museums and indoor stadiums or to eat in restaurants. The certificate can be acquired in the form of a QR code, which shows the status of the vaccination, including whether the vaccinated recently recovered from the disease and whether a test result taken within 48 hours was negative.

自8月6日開始，義大利規定出入戲院、博物館和室內體育館或於餐廳室內用餐都須出示數位健康通行證。而健康通行證採QR code（快速反應二維碼）形式，顯示新冠疫苗接種狀況、是否已染疫康復或過去48小時採檢是否呈陰性。Source article: https://chinapost.nownews.com/20210826-2734602

每日英語跟讀 Ep.K304: Microsoft’s Activision buy could shake up gaming

Microsoft stunned the gaming industry when it announced on Jan. 18 it would buy game publisher Activision Blizzard for US$68.7 billion, a deal that would immediately make it a larger video-game company than Nintendo.

微軟一月十八日宣布，將以六百八十七億美元（約新台幣一點九兆元）收購遊戲發行商動視暴雪，震撼遊戲業。這筆交易將使微軟一躍成為比任天堂更大的電子遊戲公司。

Microsoft, maker of the Xbox gaming system, said acquiring the owner of Candy Crush, Call of Duty, Overwatch and Diablo would be good for gamers and advance its ambitions for the metaverse — a vision for creating immersive virtual worlds for both work and play.

Xbox遊戲主機製造商微軟表示，收購這家擁有Candy Crush、《決勝時刻》、《鬥陣特攻》及《暗黑破壞神》等遊戲的公司，對遊戲玩家來說是有利的，也可讓微軟對「元宇宙」的雄心再跨出一步——元宇宙的願景是為工作及娛樂創造身歷其境的虛擬世界。

But what does the deal really mean for the millions of people who play video games, either on consoles or their phones? And will it actually happen at a time of increased government scrutiny over giant mergers in the US and elsewhere?

但對在遊戲機或手機上玩電子遊戲的數百萬人來說，此交易的意義究竟是什麼？當美國及其他國家政府對大型併購之審查愈趨嚴格的此時，此併購案是否真會成交？

Is this really about the metaverse? Microsoft says so. And there are some ways Activision could help the tech giant compete with rivals like Meta, which renamed itself from Facebook last year to signal its new focus on leading its billions of social media users into the metaverse.

此併購之目的是否真是為了元宇宙？微軟說是的。而且動視可在某些方面幫助微軟這科技巨頭與Meta等對手競爭。Meta之前身為Facebook，在去年更名，以表明該公司之新重點是將其數十億社群媒體用戶引入虛擬世界。

Metaverse enthusiasts describe the concept as a new and more immersive version of the Internet, but to work it will require a lot of people to actually want to spend more time in virtual worlds. Microsoft’s metaverse ambitions have focused on work tools such as its Teams video chat applications, but online multiplayer games such as Call of Duty and World of Warcraft have huge followings devoted to interacting with each other virtually for fun.

元宇宙迷將元宇宙之概念描述為一種新的、更身歷其境的網路，但要讓它發揮作用，得要有很多人確實想花更多時間在虛擬世界才行。微軟對元宇宙的目標先前是在工作軟體上，例如Teams視訊聊天應用程式等，但《決勝時刻》和《魔獸世界》等線上多人遊戲有大批玩家追隨，在虛擬世界中互動遊樂。

Pushing more people into such virtual social networks will not be all fun and games, however, and could amplify existing problems with online harassment, trolling and identity theft, according to Elizabeth Renieris, founding director of the Technology Ethics Lab at the University of Notre Dame.

Will it actually happen? That’s a big unknown. Regulators and rivals could turn up the pressure to block the deal.

然而，美國聖母大學技術倫理實驗室的創辦者兼主任伊麗莎白‧雷尼利斯表示，把更多人拉進這些虛擬社群網路，所牽涉的不是只有娛樂和遊戲，現已出現的線上騷擾、網路仇恨言論及身分盜竊等問題可能也會加劇。

Other tech giants such as Meta, Google, Amazon and Apple have all attracted increasing attention from antitrust regulators in the US and Europe. But the Activision deal is so big — potentially the priciest-ever tech acquisition — that Microsoft will also be putting itself into the regulatory spotlight.

此併購案會成真嗎？這是一大未知數。監管機構與競爭對手可能會施加更多壓力來阻止此案成交。

Meta、谷歌、亞馬遜和蘋果等科技巨頭，在美國與歐洲所受到反壟斷監管機構的關注越來越多。動視的交易規模如此之大——可能是有史以來最昂貴的技術收購——微軟因此也會置身於監管的聚光燈下。Source article: https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/lang/archives/2022/01/25/2003771986

每日英語跟讀 Ep.K303: France bans plastic packaging for fruit and veg

A law banning plastic packaging for large numbers of fruits and vegetables has come into force in France as of New Year’s Day, to end what the government has called the “aberration” of overwrapped carrots, apples and bananas, as environmental campaigners and exasperated shoppers urged other countries to do the same.

法國一項於元旦生效的法律，禁止多種水果及蔬菜以塑膠包裝，讓政府所說的胡蘿蔔、蘋果與香蕉過度包裝的「脫軌現象」畫下句點。環保人士與惱怒的顧客也敦促其他國家採取同樣的措施。

Emmanuel Macron has called the ban on plastic packaging of fresh produce “a real revolution” and said France was taking the lead globally with its law to gradually phase out all single-use plastics by 2040.

法國總統艾曼紐‧馬克宏將生鮮蔬果的塑膠包裝禁令稱為「一場真正的革命」，他說法國領先全球制定了法律，要在二○四○年前逐步淘汰所有的一次性塑膠。

Spain will introduce a ban on plastic packaging of fruit and vegetables from 2023. For years, international campaigners have said unnecessary plastic packaging is causing environmental damage and pollution at sea.

西班牙將從二○二三年起，禁止使用塑膠包裝水果及蔬菜。國際倡議人士多年來不斷表示，不必要的塑膠包裝正造成環境破壞及海洋污染。

From New Year’s Day, France bans supermarkets and other shops from selling cucumbers wrapped in plastic, and peppers, courgettes, aubergines and leeks in plastic packaging. A total of 30 types of fruit and vegetables are banned from having any plastic wrapping, including bananas, pears, lemons, oranges and kiwis.

法國自元旦起禁止超市等商店銷售以塑膠包裹的黃瓜，以及用塑膠包裝的甜椒、櫛瓜、茄子與韭蔥。禁止使用任何塑膠包裝的共有三十種水果及蔬菜，包括香蕉、梨子、檸檬、柳橙與奇異果。

Packs over 1.5kg are exempt, as well as chopped or processed fruit. Some varieties, including cherry tomatoes or soft fruits such as raspberries and blueberries, are given longer for producers to find alternatives to plastic, but plastic packaging will be gradually phased out for all whole fruits and vegetables by 2026.

一點五公斤裝以上的蔬果，以及切成小塊或加工過的水果，則不受此限塑令規範。一些品種，包括櫻桃番茄，或是軟水果例如覆盆子及藍莓，其生產商可有較多的時間尋找塑膠替代品，但到了二○二六年，所有水果及蔬菜的塑膠包裝都將逐步淘汰。

With an estimated 37 percent of fruit and vegetables sold wrapped in plastic packaging in France in 2021, the government believes the ban will cut more than 1bn items of single-use plastic packaging a year. The environment ministry said there must be curbs on the “outrageous amount of single-use plastic in our daily lives.”

二○二一年在法國販售的水果及蔬菜，有百分之三十七是以塑膠包裝；法國政府據此估計，此禁塑令每年將減少十億件以上的一次性塑膠包裝。法國環境部表示，「我們日常生活中對一次性塑膠毫無節制的使用」必須加以約束。

Fruit and vegetables wrapped in layers of plastic have exasperated consumers not only in France but neighboring countries. Nearly three-quarters of British people have experienced “anxiety, frustration or hopelessness” at the amount of plastic that comes with their shopping and 59 percent think supermarkets and brands are not doing enough to offer refillable, reusable or packaging-free products, according to a poll commissioned by Friends of the Earth and City to Sea in June last year.

將水果及蔬菜以塑膠層層包裹，惹惱的不只是法國人，還有鄰近國家的消費者。去年六月由環保組織「地球之友」與「城市至海」所委託進行的一項民意調查發現，近四分之三的英國人對購物時用到的塑膠數量感到「焦慮、無力或絕望」，百分之五十九的人認為超市及品牌在提供可填充、可重複使用或無包裝產品方面做得不夠。Source Article: https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/lang/archives/2022/01/11/2003771107

每日英語跟讀 Ep.K302: A feast fit for ‘furry friends:’ sticky rice and lucky bags

With more and more people keeping pets in Taiwan, a pet school has catered to the market by introducing Lunar New Year dishes for “furry friends,” such as eight-flavored sticky rice, “Buddha jumps over the wall” soup, “happy tiger buns” — to celebrate the Year of the Tiger — and edible “lucky bags,” which all look like food to die for.

台灣養貓狗的人愈來愈多，寵物安親班業者瞄準商機，配合農曆春節推出毛小孩年菜，連人看了都想吃。除了八寶飯、佛跳牆、還有因應虎年的「幸虎肉包」及可食用的福袋。

The owner of the school said that dishes designed for furry companions cannot include seasoning such as salt, sugar or soy sauce. Instead, it is better to retain the original taste of the food and avoid using ingredients not suitable for pets, like onions, raw eggs, nuts, grapes and chocolate.

業者說，毛孩料理最重要的是不要用鹽、糖、醬油等調味料，維持天然原味，並避免洋蔥、生雞蛋、堅果、葡萄、巧克力等不適合毛小孩食用的食材。

A version of “Buddha jumps over the wall” soup for pets was also meticulously prepared by the school. The ingredients include old hen, pork tendons, fish skin, scallops, pork, white beech mushrooms, white clamshell mushrooms, bok choy, carrots, wood ear fungus, Chinese wolfberries and lotus seeds.

這家寵物安親班為毛孩準備的「五福臨門佛跳牆」一點也不馬虎，採用老母雞、蹄筋、魚皮、干貝、豬肉、鴻禧菇、美白菇、白菜、紅蘿蔔、黑木耳、枸杞、蓮子。

To celebrate the Year of the Tiger, one of the New Year dishes is “happy tiger buns.” The bun dough is first made with plain flour, virgin olive oil and yeast, then a natural food coloring is added to imitate a tiger’s fur coat, and finally the buns are stuffed with locally-reared chicken breast.

今年生肖年是虎年，毛孩年菜中有一道「幸虎肉包」，外皮是以中筋麵粉、初榨橄欖油、酵母製作，以天然色素粉做出虎皮外形，內含國產雞胸肉。Source article: https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/lang/archives/2022/01/24/2003771932

快來在Clubhouse上跟我，Peddy，與通勤家族們一同開口說英語！快加入 15Mins 通勤學英語直播室吧~

每日英語跟讀 Ep.K301: 員工回歸 辦公室支出增加 Air Filters and Outdoor Spaces

The cost of office maintenance dropped significantly in the pandemic when workers went remote, as companies saved money on services like cleaning and security, as well as perks like dry cleaning and endless pantry snacks.

疫情期間當員工遠距上班時，辦公室維護的費用顯著減少，在清潔和保全等服務，以及乾洗衣服和無止盡的架上零食方面，公司省下了錢。

But as employees begin to head back to the office, the cost of running the workplace is increasing.

但是當員工開始回歸辦公室之際，維持工作場域的花費也在增加。

By December, about 40% of workers had returned at least part time, although the omicron variant of the coronavirus has put a chill on return-to-office plans. And developers still expect that employees will be back on site in the long run, even if hybrid work becomes more common. CP Group, which owns

and manages 32 office buildings, mostly in the Southeast and Southwest, has bought $1.2 billion of office space since May, a wager that staffs will return.

迄12月時，約四成勞工至少部分時間已回到辦公室，雖然新冠病毒Omicron變異株已影響回歸辦公室計畫。而開發商仍然期待，長期下來員工將返回工作場所，即使混合工作型態愈來愈普遍。擁有並管理32棟辦公大樓，多數位於東南部和西南部的CP集團，去年5月以來已買下價值12億美元的辦公空間，賭的是員工會回來。

More robust air filtration and newly installed outdoor spaces are among the items that will add to developers’ costs when more employees return. New cleaning practices may make those services more expensive, and landlords are offering new amenities to lure tenants back.

當更多員工回歸之際，更強力的空氣清淨器和新裝設的室外空間，都在增加開發商花費的項目中。新的清潔方式可能讓這些服務更貴，房東也提供新的便利措施以吸引租戶回流。

“Operating expenses were down a bit in 2020,” said Kristin Mueller, chief operating officer for property management at JLL, a real estate services company that oversees more than 1,000 office buildings across the United States. “For 2022 properties budgets, we are anticipating modest overall increases.”

「營運支出在2020年有些微減少」，在全美各地管理超過1000棟辦公大樓的房地產服務公司JLL，物業管理營運長克莉絲汀．穆勒說，「關於2022年的預算，我們預期會有適度的整體增加」。

The cost to run the office today remains lower than pre-pandemic levels but not as significantly as many managers expected, because each savings area has a factor that can complicate or offset it, Mueller said.

穆勒說，今日維持辦公室的費用水平仍比疫情前低，但未如許多經理人預期的顯著，因為每個能省錢的方面都有個會變複雜或抵消的因素在。

Having fewer employees on site translates to less daily cleaning and trash collection, for instance, but those reduced janitorial services are often countered by directives for deep disinfecting, as well as higher labor costs for maintenance. And spending on supplies like coffee filters, pens and paper towels may be down, but they have been replaced by purchases like hand sanitizer and masks.

舉例來說，辦公室較少員工意味著較少的每日清潔和收垃圾，但這些減少的清潔服務常常和深度殺菌的指令衝突，以及更高的維修人力費用。而且，花在咖啡濾紙、筆和紙巾等日用品的費用可能減少了，但是它們被購買乾洗手和口罩取代。

Because the coronavirus is spread through airborne transmission, one of the most significant changes in building operation has been a focus on air quality. Many companies are scrutinizing their ventilation, which could involve installing more robust air filters to screen out virus particles, for example, or replacing the building’s air more frequently.

因為新冠病毒透過空氣傳播擴散，大樓營運最顯著的改變之一就是著重空氣品質。例如，許多公司檢查他們的換氣系統，其中可能包括裝設更強效的空氣濾網，擋住病毒分子，或是更頻繁的讓大樓換氣。Source article: https://udn.com/news/story/6904/6017981

更多通勤學英語Podcast單元:

每日英語跟讀Podcast，就在http://www.15mins.today/daily-shadowing

精選詞彙 VOCAB Podcast，就在https://www.15mins.today/vocab

語音直播 15mins Live Podcast, 就在https://www.15mins.today/15mins-live-podcast

文法練習 In-TENSE Podcast，就在https://www.15mins.today/in-tense

歡迎到官網用email訂閱我們節目更新通知。

每日英語跟讀 Ep.K237: Here’s why Taiwanese eat pomelos during Mid-Autumn Festival

剛來台灣不久的外籍人士即將於今年九月迎接第一個台式中秋節，然而雖然大部分的人可能有聽說過中秋節的由來和為什麼該吃月餅，當聽到在中秋節期間要吃柚子和讓孩子將柚子皮戴在頭上應該會讓許多人感到匪夷所思。

If you’ve just settled in Taiwan, you’re going to be celebrating your first “Taiwanese Mid-Autumn Festival” in September. Although most of you probably know the origin story behind this festival and the reason why we eat moon cakes, some might be surprised upon hearing of another tradition of eating pomelos, and seeing children don their peels on their heads may bring about some questions.

所以中秋節到底跟柚子有什麼關係呢？統整網上資訊可見，大部分的解釋都和諧音有關。中文字裡，「柚」和保佑的「佑」字有相同的音，而柚子的盛產期又恰巧在中秋節前後，因此台灣人將這水果納入慶祝此節慶的應節食物之一，希望在這個家庭團聚的節日中，可以保佑全家人。

So, what does Mid-Autumn Festival have to do with pomelos? According to various sources, the most common explanations lie in the pronunciation of the fruit in Mandarin.

In the Chinese language, the first character for pomelos sounds like the second character in the Chinese characters for “bless.” Given that pomelos are also in season during the festival, there is little wonder that many have taken to adding the fruit as a “must-eat” this time of year, in the hopes that as family members gather together, they can be “blessed together.”

除此之外，也有人表示「柚子」因為和「遊子」的音雷同，中秋節也正是一個全家團圓節慶，在國外的遊子當然也會回家，因此也成了一個吉祥的代表。

Besides this, many also say that pomelos also sound like the Chinese character for those living or traveling overseas, far away from home. As the Mid-Autumn Festival is a time for families to get together, relatives will usually take the time to journey home and celebrate; thus, pomelos serve as a lucky symbolism for their safe return home.

更有人認為柚子和「有子」的音相近，吃柚子就算是討一個好彩頭，隱含著早生貴子的寓意。

Some also believe that pomelos sound like “having children” in Chinese, which means that when you eat them, it will be seen as good luck and a wish for expecting family members to have a child soon.

至於為什麼要將柚子皮頂在頭上呢？有人認為因為柚子與「佑子」聽起來雷同，將剝完的柚子皮戴在孩子的頭上可以保佑孩童，期許未來都能平平安安，快樂成長。

As for why children wear the pomelo skin (or peels) on their heads? The most common answer lies in the sound of the Chinese characters again. Pomelos are also pronounced similarly to “bless children” in Chinese, which is why adults place the pomelo skins on children’s heads to protect them from evil and wish for their safety and happiness.

然而，專家也提醒，即便看起來可愛，過節期間不應讓家中的毛小孩配戴柚子皮，而若要讓孩子戴柚子帽，也應控制好時間，不應過久。其主要原因為柚子皮中含有柑桔精油和補骨脂素，光只是接觸到，就可能造成毛小孩不適，而柚子皮若接觸到孩子的皮膚恐生成咖啡色班點，釀皮膚發炎。

One thing to note of that tradition is though it looks adorable, experts call on the public every year to ask them not to place pomelo skins on pets while adding that if children are to wear them, it shouldn’t be for too long. The main reason is pomelo skins contain citrus oil and Psoralen. Direct contact with human skin could prove harmful to pets and make them dangerously sick. If pomelo skins are placed for too long on children’s heads, brown spots may appear after extended contact, resulting in skin inflammation. Source article: https://chinapost.nownews.com/20210919-2770625