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每日英語跟讀 Ep.K249: Even Nobel Winners Face Supply-Chain Problems

When Abdulrazak Gurnah released his 10th book, “Afterlives,” last year, his editor was sure it would become his first major bestseller. For more than three decades, he had drawn stellar reviews but never gained a large readership.

坦尚尼亞作家古納去年出版第十本書「死後」（暫譯）時，編輯確信這將成為他第一本重要暢銷書。30多年來，古納的書叫好不叫座。

“I have felt there’s a much bigger audience for him out there,” said Alexandra Pringle, executive publisher of Bloomsbury, who has worked with Gurnah for more than 20 years. “I thought, ‘This is it, this is going to be his moment.’ ”

與古納合作20多年的英國布魯姆斯伯里出版社總發行人亞歷珊卓．普林格爾說：「我一直覺得古納的讀者應該要多得多才對。我當時想，『這就是了，他要出名了』。」

“Afterlives,” which explores the brutality of Germany’s colonial rule in East Africa, came out in Britain in September 2020 and was hailed as a masterpiece. But it failed to reach a wide readership and wasn’t even published in the United States. Pringle wondered if Gurnah’s moment might never come.

探討德國在東非殘酷殖民統治的「死後」2020年9月在英國上市，被譽為經典之作，卻未能暢銷，甚至沒在美國出版。普林格爾當時猜想，古納是否永遠都不會成名。

A year later, it finally did. Gurnah was awarded the Nobel Prize in literature, landing him in the company of Gabriel García Márquez, Albert Camus and William Faulkner, and he became the first Black laureate since Toni Morrison in 1993. The news sent booksellers across the world scrambling to stock his novels and set off a frenzy to secure translation and reprint rights. His agent, Peter Straus, said foreign rights to his books have sold in “30 territories and rising.”

一年之後，古納終於紅了。他榮獲諾貝爾文學獎，與馬奎斯、卡繆和福克納等人並列世界知名作家，而且是自1993年美國小說家童妮．摩里森以來，首位獲得諾貝爾文學獎的非裔作家。這個消息讓全球各地書商連忙進他的小說，並引發爭搶翻譯和再版權的熱潮。古納的經紀人史特勞斯說，古納作品的外國版權已賣給「30個地區，而且還在增加」。

After the Nobel announcement, Straus began fielding bids from six American publishers for “Afterlives.” U.S. rights to the novel sold to Riverhead, an imprint of Penguin Random House, which plans to release it in August 2022. Riverhead also acquired North American rights to two older Gurnah books, “By the Sea” and “Desertion,” that had gone out of print.

古納摘下諾貝爾獎桂冠後，美國6家出版社向史特勞斯表明有意出版「死後」。這部小說的美國版權賣給「河口」，這是「企鵝藍燈書屋」印在書籍上的出版商名稱，河口打算2022年8月出版。河口還買下古納兩本絕版舊作「海邊」和「遺棄」的北美版權。

Rebecca Saletan, who acquired the books for Riverhead, said in a news release that she was drawn to the “combination of narrative magic and a deeply inhabited and often devastating portrayal of the colonial and postcolonial experience” in Gurnah's work.

為河口取得古納作品版權的麗貝卡．薩萊坦在新聞稿中說，她被古納作品吸引是因為「既有敘事魅力，又深刻且往往令人震撼地描述殖民與後殖民經驗」。

But as offers poured in from international publishing houses, many readers who were eager to sample Gurnah’s work were frustrated. The audience was suddenly there, but copies of his books were not — in several cases, even e-book and audiobook versions aren’t available.

但各國出版社爭相購買古納作品版權之際，許多急著一睹古納作品的讀者不免失望。廣大讀者突然出現，他的書卻印得不夠多，有時甚至連電子書和有聲書版本都沒有。

The reasons for the shortfall are manifold. Because of the low demand for Gurnah’s work over the decades, many of his titles were out of print in the United States and in low stock in Britain.

古納作品難買的原因很多。他的書數十年來乏人問津，許多已在美國絕版，在英國庫存也很少。Source article: https://udn.com/news/story/6904/5870567

每日英語跟讀 Ep.K248: About Tech - Apple, Google raise new concerns by yanking Russian app

Big Tech companies that operate around the globe have long promised to obey local laws and to protect civil rights while doing business.

在全球營運的科技巨頭公司向來承諾在做生意的同時，會遵守當地的法律，保障公民權利。

But when Apple and Google capitulated to Russian demands and removed a political-opposition app from their local app stores, it raised worries that two of the world’s most successful companies are more comfortable bowing to undemocratic edicts _ and maintaining a steady flow of profits _ than upholding the rights of their users.

但是，當蘋果和Google公司屈從俄羅斯的要求，將一款政治反對派的應用程式從當地應用程式商店下架時，令人擔心這兩家全球最成功的企業，在維持穩定獲利的同時，輕易就向不民主的命令低頭，而非堅持維護用戶權利。

The ban galled supporters of free elections and free expression. ``This is bad news for democracy and dissent all over the world,`` said Natalia Krapiva, tech legal counsel for Access Now, an internet freedom group. (AP)

這項禁令激怒了選舉和言論自由的支持者。「這是對全世界民主和異議的壞消息」，網路自由倡議團體Access Now科技法務顧問克拉苾瓦說。

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Bitcoin fever reaches Honduras with first cryptocurrency ATM 首設加密貨幣自動提款機 比特幣熱潮傳到宏都拉斯

The first cryptocurrency ATM in Honduras opened this week as bitcoin backers sought to spur demand for virtual assets after neighboring El Salvador became the first country to establish bitcoin as legal tender.

在鄰國薩爾瓦多率先將比特幣列為法定貨幣，比特幣擁護者刺激虛擬資產的需求之際，宏都拉斯第一部加密貨幣自動提款機本週啟用。

The machine allows users to acquire bitcoin and ethereum using the local lempira currency and was installed in an office tower in the capital of Tegucigalpa by Honduran firm TGU Consulting Group.

這部ATM由宏國公司TGU諮詢集團裝設在首都德古西加巴一座辦公大樓內，可讓使用者利用當地倫皮拉幣換取比特幣和乙太幣。

Juan Mayen, 28, chief executive of TGU, led the effort to bring the ATM to Honduras in hopes of educating people about virtual assets through first-hand experience. (Reuters)

現年28歲的TGU執行長馬炎帶頭推動把這台ATM引入宏都拉斯，希望讓民眾透過親身體驗，認識虛擬資產。Source article: https://features.ltn.com.tw/english/article/paper/1481085 ; https://features.ltn.com.tw/english/article/paper/1475617

每日英語跟讀 Ep.K247: Can new variants of the virus keep emerging?

新的變種病毒會持續出現嗎？專家表示，只要病毒繼續感染人群，變種病毒會持續出現。但是這不代表這些變種病毒會定期的出現，也不代表它們傳染力會更強。

Can new variants of the coronavirus keep emerging? Yes, as long as the virus that caused the pandemic keeps infecting people. But that doesn’t mean new variants will keep emerging as regularly, or that they’ll be more dangerous.

由於全世界仍有一半以上的人尚未接種疫苗，該病毒可能會在未來幾個月或幾年內不斷地找到人感染，並在他們體內複製。病毒每次的複製，都可能出現小突變。這些變化將有助於病毒生存，成為新的變種病毒。

With more than half the world still not vaccinated, the virus will likely keep finding people to infect and replicating inside them for several months or years to come. And each time a virus makes a copy of itself, a small mutation could occur. Those changes could help the virus survive, becoming new variants.

但這並不代表自2019年年底出現的該病毒會以同樣的方式演變。

But that doesn’t mean the virus will keep evolving in the same way since it emerged in late 2019.

賓州大學的病毒專家安德魯．理德 (Andrew Read)表示，當一種病毒感染了一個新的物種時，它需要適應新的宿主以便更廣泛地傳播。

When a virus infects a new species, it needs to adapt to the new host to spread more widely, says Andrew Read, a virus expert at Pennsylvania State University.

根據美國疾病管制暨預防中心（CDC）所述，Delta變種病毒的傳染性是早期病毒的兩倍。密西根大學病毒和傳染病專家亞當．羅琳 (Adam Lauring)博士表示，雖然它可能會持續變種成傳染力更強的病毒，但傳染力可能頂多到達一倍那麼高，不會到兩倍。

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the delta variant is twice as contagious as earlier versions of the virus. And while it could still mutate to become more infectious, it probably won’t double its transmission rate again, says Dr. Adam Lauring, a virus and infectious disease expert at the University of Michigan.

羅琳補充道，「我們已經看到了該病毒的快速進化階段。它一直在感染弱勢族群，但它能做的事情並非沒有上限。」

“We’ve seen a stage of rapid evolution for the virus. It’s been harvesting the low-hanging fruit, but there’s not an infinite number of things it can do,” Lauring says.

病毒可能會變得更加致命，但目前並沒有進一步的因素讓這件事發生。病況很嚴重的人也不太可能進行社交活動將病毒傳染給其他人。

It’s possible that the virus could become more deadly, but there isn’t an evolutionary reason for that to happen. Extremely sick people are also less likely to socialize and spread the virus to others.

專家們也正在觀察新出現的變種病毒是否能更好地躲過人們從疫苗接種和感染中形成的保護。福瑞德·哈金森癌症研究中心 (Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center)病毒專家約書亞．希佛 (Joshua Schiffer)博士指出，隨著越來越多人接種疫苗，病毒必須能過通過有一定免疫力的人傳播，才能存活。

Experts are watching to see whether emerging variants could be better at evading the protection people develop from vaccination and infections. As more people get the shots, the virus would have to be able to spread through people who have some immunity for it to survive, says Dr. Joshua Schiffer, a virus expert at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center.

他揣測病毒有可能演變的下一步，表示「病毒可能會突變，讓免疫力反應沒有當初的有效。」

“The virus could take on a mutation that makes the immune response less effective,” he says.

如果發生這種狀況，科學家可能會建議定期更新疫苗配方，如同每年的流感疫苗一樣。

If that happens, scientists may recommend that vaccine formulas be updated periodically, just as annual flu shots are. Source article: https://chinapost.nownews.com/20211022-2842894

歡迎通勤家族 週一晚上9pm，在Clubhouse上跟我與Peddy一同閒聊、練習英語！快加入 15Mins 通勤學英語直播室吧~

每日英語跟讀 Ep.K246: Hon Hai, Gogoro set to help Indonesia with EV development

鴻海集團23日發布聲明表示，董事長劉揚偉與Gogoro創辦人陸學森22日下午在台北與印尼投資部長巴赫理（Bahlil Lahadalia）進行短暫會晤。三人就未來在印尼投資佈局進行討論，巴赫理積極邀約鴻海以及Gogoro到印尼投資電動車，並且祭出相關獎勵措施。

Hon Hai Precision Industry Co (鴻海精密) issued a statement on Saturday announcing that Chairman Young Liu (劉揚偉) and Gogoro founder Horace Luke (陸學森) had a short meeting with Indonesian Minister of Investment Bahlil Lahadalia in Taipei on Oct. 22.

The three discussed their future investment plans in Indonesia, and Bahlil enthusiastically invited Hon Hai (also known as Foxconn) and Gogoro to invest in electric vehicles (EV) in Indonesia while also offering relevant incentives.

綜合媒體報導，鴻海聲明指出，印尼投資部長巴赫理在會晤時表示相當期待鴻海與Gogoro能到印尼投資，並且將祭出相關獎勵措施，支持鴻海未來到印尼投資事宜。巴赫理表示，若富士康在印尼投資，將能轉變經濟、創造附加價值，讓電池產業從上游至下游的發展能遵循正確途徑。

According to Chinese-language media, Hon Hai’s statement indicated that during the meeting, Bahlil said he was looking forward to Hon Hai and Gogoro investing in Indonesia and would offer relevant incentives to support Hon Hai’s future investment.

Bahlil said that once Foxconn invests in Indonesia, it could transform the economy, create added value, and allow the battery industry to follow the right path from upstream to downstream development.

巴赫理表示，電池產業是印尼政府未來建設綠色經濟和可持續藍色經濟的政策重要方向，印尼方面機與鴻海接觸，希望藉由鴻海的電動車實力，協助印尼產業轉型。巴赫理表示，「印尼政府認為合作是建設和發展電池產業的主要關鍵之一。」

The battery industry is an important direction for the Indonesian government’s future plans of building a green economy and a sustainable blue economy, Bahlil said.

He expressed hope that with Hon Hai’s collaboration, Indonesia can use Hon Hai’s electric vehicles to help the country’s industrial transformation.

“The Indonesian government believes that cooperation is one of the main keys to building and developing the battery industry,” said Bahlil.

巴赫理指出印尼是相當適合投資電池生態系統的地點，因為印尼擁有自然資源作為原材料的優勢、更公平的基礎設施發展，而中產階級的增長以及有潛力的人口，能成為生產高的勞動力和蓬勃的市場。

Bahlil noted that Indonesia is a good location to invest in battery ecosystems because of its natural resources of raw materials, more equitable infrastructure development, and a growing middle class with a potential population that can become a productive workforce and a thriving market.

劉揚偉坦言，正計劃在印尼建立一個綜合性的電池和電動車產業，將研發電動汽車以及電動機車。而陸學森也認為，未來使用電動車的趨勢無可避免，且將會在這十年內發生。

Liu acknowledged that they are currently planning to establish an integrated battery and electric vehicle industry in Indonesia, which will develop electric vehicles and scooters.

Luke added that he believes the future trend of electric vehicles is inevitable and will happen within this decade.

鴻海於今年 6 月宣布與 Gogoro 共同簽署合作意向書（MOU），雙方在技術與生產上形成策略夥伴。這項合作讓 Gogoro 能透過鴻海的高科技製造實力，提升電池交換技術及智慧電動機車生產的能力與規模。

In June 2021, Hon Hai announced that it had signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Gogoro to form a strategic partnership in technology and production.

This partnership will allow Gogoro to leverage Hon Hai’s high-tech manufacturing capabilities to enhance the capabilities and scale of battery switching technology and smart electric vehicle production.

根據了解，這一次的會面是由印尼政府提出，巴赫理親自來到台灣，除了當面進行交流之外，還帶來印尼總統佐科威的口信，表達對鴻海的重視。巴赫理也收到鴻海的Model C電動車模型做為禮物，並強調很希望把實車帶到印尼。

According to media reports, the meeting on Oct. 22 was proposed by the Indonesian government and Bahlil came to Taiwan in person. Source article: https://chinapost.nownews.com/20211025-2851356

About WFH - Microsoft to let employees work from home permanently

Software giant Microsoft will let employees work from home permanently if they choose to, US media reported on Friday, becoming the latest employer to expand work-from-home provisions prompted by the Covid-19 pandemic.

美國媒體週五報導，軟體業巨擘微軟將允許讓員工選擇永久在家工作，在武漢肺炎（新型冠狀病毒病，Covid-19）大流行疫情下，微軟成為最新擴大讓員工遠距上班的雇主。

US tech news website The Verge said most Microsoft employees are still at home as the health crisis drags on, and the company doesn’t expect to reopen its US offices until January of next year at the earliest.

美國科技新聞網站The Verge稱，在這場健康危機拖延之際，大多數微軟員工仍在家辦公，微軟預期最早明年1月才會重新開放在美國的辦公室。

But when it does, workers can choose to work from home permanently with their manager’s approval, although they will have to give up their office space.

但當它重開，員工經主管批准，可以選擇常態性在家工作，儘管他們將必須放棄他們在辦公室的空

間。

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Working parents’ woes deepen as schools shut down again 學校再次關閉 在職父母的麻煩加深

Working parents of kindergarten and elementary school students are struggling again to find suitable childcare options, as all schools in the Seoul metropolitan area have been ordered to move classes online until Sept. 11.

（南韓）幼兒園和小學學生的在職父母，正再次努力尋找合適的育兒選項。因為首都圈的所有學校，均已被通令將課程改為線上，直到9月11日。

Although the measure was in response to the recent surge in the number of infections among students, teachers and other education workers, remote learning poses a burden to working parents as younger children are less likely to stay focused on lectures for a longer time.

儘管這些措施旨在因應最近在學生、教師與其他教育工作者中，感染人數激增的疫情，但遠距學習對在職父母造成負擔，因為較年幼的孩童，比較不可能長時間專注於課程。

The only option for working parents is sending their children to "emergency child care" classes, set up at schools for kindergarteners and younger elementary students who are in need of care during the day.

在職父母的唯一選項，是將他們的小孩送到「緊急托兒」班，學校的緊急托兒班是為了有日間照顧需求的幼兒園生及低年級小學生而設。

Source article: https://features.ltn.com.tw/english/article/paper/1410043 ; https://features.ltn.com.tw/english/article/paper/1396438

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Topic: The New, Hip Co-Working Spaces

Technology has upended where we work. The line between work and play has been blurred, and the difference between the office and home has all but disappeared.

As a result, there's a new class of white-collar workers who roam the earth looking for places to get their jobs done.

科技顛覆了我們工作的場所。工作與玩樂之間的界線模糊了，辦公室和家的區別也幾乎消失了。

因此，出現了新一類的白領工作者，他們在地球上四處遊走，尋找完成他們工作的地方。

Some of them work from home, curled up on the couch or in a home office — maybe with a drone hovering nearby. Others camp out at expensive cafes, refilling their mugs of fancy coffee throughout the day.

But increasingly, these untethered employees are gathering in a new kind of office known as the co-working space.

他們當中有些人在家工作，蜷縮在沙發上或是家庭辦公室裡，或許還有架無人機在附近盤旋。其他人則是在昂貴的咖啡店內紮營，整天將他們的昂貴咖啡不斷續杯。

然而，這些不受束縛的員工正聚集在一種被稱為共同工作空間的新的辦公室，而且此風日盛。

Surely, you've heard of these places. But their numbers have multiplied across the country in the past few years, filling a niche for those who need more than a cafe but less than an office.

They now come in a wide range of options. Some are fancy; some are not. Some require memberships; some do not. Some target technology workers; others are for writers or small businesses. And in the Los Angeles area, there seems to be a co-working option for every neighborhood and every profession.

你肯定聽說過這些地方，然而它們的數量過去幾年裡在全國卻呈倍數成長，滿足了那些需要一處不只是咖啡店，卻又不像辦公室的場所的小眾的需求。

這種場所如今可有多樣的選擇。有些很昂貴，有些則不會。有些需要是會員，有些則不用。有些瞄準科技業員工，也有些針對作家或小企業。而在洛杉磯地區，每個區里和行業似乎有都共同工作空間可供選擇。

Before you rush out to join a co-working space, there are pros and cons to consider.

Some believe working away from a traditional office improves productivity. A study published last year in The Quarterly Journal of Economics examined Ctrip, a 16,000-employee Chinese travel agency, where call-center employees were randomly assigned to work in either the office or the home. Those who worked from home were 13 percent more productive, the report found. When Ctrip gave all its workers the option to work from home, productivity grew even further, to 22 percent.

在你急著加入共同工作空間前，必須考量其中利弊。

有些人認為不在傳統辦公室工作能提高生產力。去年發表在經濟學季刊的一項研究報告對於攜程進行了研究。攜程是家有1萬6000名員工的中國大陸旅行社，其客服中心員工被隨機分配到辦公室或是在家工作。這篇報告發現，在家工作的員工生產力多了13%。當攜程讓所有員工在家工作時，生產力更進一步成長22%。

Another study published last year in the journal Sleep Health, found that people who had flexible work schedules slept better than those who had to report to the office at specific times.

But there are studies that raise doubts about working remotely. "How Effective Is Telecommuting?" published last year in the journal Psychological Science in the Public Interest, found that working from home can make people feel sad. The report says this is likely because of the social and professional isolation experienced from being home alone for too long.

另個去年發表於睡眠健康期刊的研究報告發現，享有彈性工作時間的人比那些必須在特定時間向辦公室報到的人睡得更好。

但也有研究對於遠距工作提出了質疑。去年發表於公共利益心理科學期刊的研究報告「電子通勤效果如何？」發現，在家工作會讓人感到悲傷。報告稱，這很可能是孤獨在家太久而產生的社會與職業隔離感造成的。Source article: https://paper.udn.com/udnpaper/POH0067/293698/web/

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Topic: What can employers do if workers avoid COVID-19 vaccines?

若員工不想打疫苗，雇主可以採取哪些措施應對？

What can employers do if workers avoid COVID-19 vaccines?

美國企業雇主可以要求全體員工打疫苗並開除那些不願意配合的人，或是取消公司福利、加收健康保險金等。

They can require vaccination and fire employees who don’t comply or take other actions such as withholding company perks or charging extra for health insurance.

企業在過去數個月以來一直鼓勵員工打疫苗，有時更會祭出休假、發放禮卡等獎勵措施。不過，現在有更多企業採取強硬的立場要求還沒施打的員工完成接種，這種做法在輝瑞疫苗獲得美國食藥署（FDA）核准通過後變得更加普遍。

Businesses for months have been encouraging workers to get vaccinated, in some cases offering incentives like time off or gift cards. But more are taking a harder stance and requiring vaccinations for any remaining holdouts, a push that has gained momentum since Pfizer’s vaccine recently received full approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

美世諮詢公司（Mercer）的合夥人西蒙斯（Wade Symons）表示，「雇主認為除非公司採取重大的措施，否則這些員工不會去施打疫苗」。

Employers “feel like they’ve sort of hit that point where the unvaccinated are not going to do it unless there’s something significant making them do it,” said Wade Symons, a partner with Mercer, a benefits consultant.

目前，雇主要求員工打疫苗在美國是合法的，他們也有權開除不願意配合的員工。在一些企業裡，未接種疫苗的員工會被要求戴口罩並定期接受篩檢，有的公司則考慮提高未接種者的健康保險金額。

It’s legal for businesses to require the shots, and they could fire employees who don’t comply. In other cases, workers might be required to wear masks or get regular tests for the virus. Some companies also are considering making the unvaccinated pay more for their health insurance.

在達美航空，公司的健康計畫則針對未接種疫苗的員工加收一個月200美金的費用，以分擔未來可能染疫住院所需的開銷。

At Delta Air Lines, unvaccinated employees on the company health plan will be charged $200 a month to help cover costs for possible COVID-19 hospital stays.

西蒙斯表示，其他公司則多會從員工每個月的薪水中小額扣款20-25美金費用(約等同於新台幣600元至750元)，並在員工接種完疫苗後將款項退還。

Symons said other employers will more likely add smaller charges of $20 or $25 per paycheck that might be refunded once the employee is vaccinated.

雇主也可能限制公司的公共空間使用權，只允許打過疫苗的員工上公司健身房運動，或進行商務旅行。在拉斯維加斯，美高梅國際酒店集團（MGM Resorts International）則規定未接種疫苗的員工若被確診出染疫，公司將不會在其隔離期間給薪。

Employers might also restrict the use of office space, company gyms or business travel only for the vaccinated. In Las Vegas, MGM Resorts International has said unvaccinated employees will not be paid for time off to quarantine if they test positive for the virus.

西蒙斯也指出，這類強制員工打疫苗的規定大多來自需要員工在辦公室工作的企業。

Vaccine requirements will mainly come from businesses that need workers on a job site, Symons said.

不過，針對一些因醫療或宗教因素不打疫苗的員工，雇主必須提出豁免或調解方案。

Employers have to offer exemptions or accommodations from vaccine requirements for some who don’t get the shots for medical or religious reasons.

迪士尼和俄亥俄州立大學（The Ohio State University）是強制員工打疫苗的機構中規模較大的集團，他們表示輝瑞疫苗已經得到食藥署的完整批准，因此將強制要求員工施打。美國國防部長奧斯丁

（Lloyd Austin）也表示，軍人必須立刻開始接種疫苗。

Walt Disney World and Ohio State University are among the large employers that said they’ll make vaccination mandatory since Pfizer’s shot was given the FDA’s full approval. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin also has said that military troops must immediately begin to get the vaccine. Source article: https://chinapost.nownews.com/20210903-2749357

主題: 語音/線上會議用的句子Phrases for con-calls / Zoom meetings

如何開場 HOW TO START A CONFERENCE/ZOOM CALL?

• I would like to welcome everybody here today.

如何插入話題 HOW TO INTERRUPT A CONFERENCE/ZOOM CALL?

• Sorry, would you mind if I asked a question?

聽不清楚時 HOW TO ASK FOR CLARIFICATION?

• Could you repeat that last bit, please?

OTHER USEFUL PHRASES

• I won't keep you long

小測驗時間：

如果遇到以下情境，你會如何說:

1. 老闆要你為你的部門每月例會開場

每日英語跟讀 Ep.K245: Bicycle helmets can prevent injury and death

While riding a bicycle in New Taipei City’s Tamsui District on Oct. 15, author Chen Ro-jinn was hit from behind by a scooter courier. Chen was alive when paramedics arrived but she was unconscious and had a fractured skull. After being taken to hospital, she died of her injuries on Monday last week at the age of 57.

作家陳柔縉十月十五日在新北市淡水區騎腳踏車時，遭後方騎機車的外送員追撞。救護人員抵達時，陳柔縉仍有生命跡象，但意識不清、頭部骨折，送醫急救後仍於上週一傷重不治，享年五十七歲。

At present, Taiwan has no legal requirement for bicyclists to wear helmets, but the Ministry of Health and Welfare’s Health Promotion Administration (HPA) has in the past called, as well as mandatory wearing of helmets by motorcycle and scooter riders, for cyclists to also take safety seriously and put on a cycle helmet when riding on the road.

目前國內法規並未要求騎自行車須戴安全帽，但衛生福利部國民健康署過去即曾呼籲，除了機車族強制戴安全帽外，單車族更應重視安全，配戴單車專用安全帽才上路。

The HPA says people often wrongly believe that because bicycles are human-powered they must be safer than motor vehicles. What they fail to consider is that bicycles and motorized vehicles do not have separate lanes, and bicycles lack protective structures, making cyclists prone to physical injury in the event of a crash, especially during rush hour.

國健署強調，一般人常誤認自行車是人力車，要比機動車輛來得安全；殊不知自行車與機動車未分道行駛，及缺乏保護裝置，導致自行車騎士在車禍時，易發生身體創傷，尤以上下班尖峰時間最為常見。

According to a 2016 study by Taipei Medical University, the number of bicycle accidents in Taiwan grew from 7,213 in 2005 to 14,874 in 2013, and the proportion of bicycle accident deaths among all traffic accident deaths grew from 3.55 percent to 6.74 percent. The likelihood of an accident resulting in death, coma or disability was 2.4 times higher for those who did not wear a helmet while cycling than for those who did. 20.7 percent of those who did not wear helmets were in moderate to severe condition when they were admitted to hospital, compared to 2.3 percent of those who wore helmets. Those wore helmets stayed for fewer days in hospital than those who did not.

根據台北醫學大學二○一六年的研究發現，二○○五年至二○一三年，台灣腳踏車事故從七千二百一十三件成長到一萬四千八百七十四件，腳踏車事故死亡佔交通事故死亡率也從百分之三點五五提升到百分之六點七四。而騎乘腳踏車未戴安全帽者預後結果為死亡、植物人、殘障狀態為有戴安全帽者二點四倍。未戴安全帽者有百分之二十點七入院時嚴重度為中重度，戴安全帽者為百分之二點三。配戴安全帽者住院天數也比未配戴安全帽者短。

There are geographical and age differences in bicycle accidents. In urban areas, more accidents occur during commuting periods, whereas in rural areas the accident rate is higher in the afternoon. The number of bicycle accident patients with moderate to severe head trauma is about 3.2 times higher among those aged 65 years or older than those under 18 years old.

腳踏車意外事故也有地域性及年齡差異，都市較多是在上下班通勤時段發生事故，鄉鎮則是下午時段較高；腳踏車事故頭部外傷病人年齡六十五歲以上，嚴重程度為中重度的人數，高於十八歲以下病人約三點二倍。

The HPA says that the number of deaths due to head trauma in motorcycle accidents in Taiwan fell sharply after the 1997 passage of a law mandating wearing a helmet when riding motorcycles and scooters. In contrast, in recent years, with the trend of saving energy and reducing carbon emissions, more and more people are riding bicycles, but most of them have not gotten into the habit of wearing helmets, so when an accident happens it can easily cause irreparable damage and regret.

國健署指出，自一九九七年立法強制騎乘機車須戴安全帽之後，國內因機車肇事頭部外傷死亡人數急遽減少；反而近年來在節能減碳的風潮下，騎自行車的人越來越多，卻大多未養成戴安全帽的習慣；一旦發生事故，容易造成無可彌補的遺憾。Source article: https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/lang/archives/2021/10/26/2003766749

每日英語跟讀 Ep.K244: About business - Victoria’s Secret is overhauling its image

Less than two years after Victoria’s Secret pulled the plug on its star-studded annual fashion show, known for runway looks that combined strappy lingerie with enormous wings, the brand is retiring its supermodel "Angels" for good.

眾星雲集、伸展台上以結合綁帶內衣與巨大翅膀（的天使）聞名的「維多利亞的秘密」年度時裝秀喊卡不到2年後，該品牌要讓超級名模（扮演的）「天使們」永遠退休。

Taking their place is a new group of seven ambassadors, called the "VS Collective," who are known for their advocacy work in gender equality and body positivity, and who represent a wider range of body types and sexual and gender identities.

取而代之的是一個被稱為「維密組合」的7人大使新團體，成員皆以致力倡導性別平等與正面身體價值觀聞名，以及代表各種身體類型、性向認同與性別認同。

The collective － which includes soccer player Megan Rapinoe, actress Priyanka Chopra Jonas and plus-size model Paloma Elsesser － will work on new product lines and multimedia content, as well as supporting women’s causes for the company, according to a press release.

根據新聞稿，這個包括足球員梅根．拉皮諾、女星皮豔卡．喬普拉以及大尺碼模特兒芭洛瑪．艾爾賽斯的組合，將從事新的產品線與多媒體內容等方面的工作，以及支援該公司的女性理念。

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Company seeks candidate to make $1,300 by watching 13 horror movies 企業開價1300美元 徵求候選人看13部恐怖片

FinanceBuzz, a financial advice website, announced it is seeking a "Horror Movie Heart Rate Analyst" to watch 13 horror films with varying budgets and compare the scares from big-budget movies to their low-budget counterparts.

美國理財建議網站FinanceBuzz宣布，將徵求一名「恐怖片心率分析師」觀看13部預算相異的恐怖片，從而比較大成本和小成本電影的恐怖效果。

The chosen candidate will use a FitBit device to track heart rates while watching the movies and will get paid $1,300.

獲選者看電影時將穿戴FitBit智慧裝置，以追蹤心率變化，並將獲得1300美元報酬。

The films selected by the website are Amityville Horror, A Quiet Place, A Quiet Place Part 2, Candyman, Insidious, The Blair Witch Project, Sinister, Get Out, The Purge, Paranormal Activity, Saw, Annabelle and the 2018 remake of Halloween.

該網站挑選的電影包括《陰宅》、《噤界》、《噤界II》、《糖果人》、《陰兒房》、《厄夜叢林》、《凶兆》、《逃出絕命鎮》、《國定殺戮日》、《靈動：鬼影實錄》、《奪魂鋸》、《安娜貝爾》和2018年拍攝續集的《月光光新慌慌》等。

Applications are being accepted through Sept. 26. The winning candidate will be announced Oct. 1.

申請開放受理至9月26日，並在10月1日公布中選者。Source article: https://features.ltn.com.tw/english/article/paper/1473267; https://features.ltn.com.tw/english/article/paper/1475804

每日英語跟讀 Ep.K243: When is the best time to ask for a raise?

如果你原先希望可以在今年年底前加薪，那你可能要再等一會兒了。

If you are hoping for a pay raise before the end of the year, you should brace yourselves for some bad news.

根據一家網路銀行最新調查，儘管台灣近年經濟狀況表現佳，大多數的台灣上班族收入卻沒有增加。

Most Taiwan workers haven’t seen their income increase in recent years despite Taiwan’s strong economic performance, according to a new survey by an online job bank.

更令人擔心的是，分析師預計公司會等到業務恢復到疫情前水準後才會給員工應有的加薪。

Even more worrisome, analysts expect companies to wait until after business returns to pre-pandemic levels before giving staff the financial push they deserve.

就業網站1111週二表示，百貨公司、超市和大賣場的零售商員工報告顯示他們的工資凍結時間最長，平均為四年三個月之久。

Retail workers in department stores, supermarkets and hypermarkets, for instance, reported the lengthiest salary freeze at four years and three months on average, employment website 1111 reported on Tuesday.

同時，服務業 (大部分為食物和飲料攤販)平均也等了三年八個月才會看到月收入的增加。

Workers in the service sector — mostly food and beverage vendors — also waited for an average of three years and eight months before seeing a hike in their monthly income.

台灣在5月中旬至8月中旬，因疫情不斷升溫而開始實施三級警戒，對當地零售業的打擊更是大。許多企業別無選擇只能解雇員工並削減營運成本以求生存。

The implementation of the Level 3 epidemic warning after a case surge from mid-May to mid-August hit the local and retail sectors even harder. Many business owners had no choice but to furlough employees and cut operating costs in a bid to survive.

另一方面，從事金融業的人「未加薪」的時期明顯較短，為兩年三個月；這表明儘管疫情的出現，金融業仍持續蓬勃發展。

Workers in the pan-finance sector, on the other hand, reported the shortest period without a raise at two years and three months, indicating that financial services continued to boom despite the pandemic.

然而1111發言人黃若薇表示，鑒於不樂觀的經濟前景，雇主不太可能在明年增加工資。原因很簡單，公司會希望先了解他們的業務是否能恢復到疫情前的水平。

The problem is that employers are unlikely to increase pays next year given the uncertain economic outlook. The reason is simple, companies want to know if their business will return to pre-pandemic levels first, according to 1111 spokesperson Vivi Huang (黃若薇).

台灣的鄰國日本、新加坡和香港皆因本土疫情案例增加經濟受到嚴重影響，相較起來，台灣經濟成長勝出鄰國3%。

Taiwan’s economy grew last year 3% higher than that of its neighboring countries Japan, Singapore and Hong Kong, all of which fell sharply amid spikes in local infections.

既使在全球經濟蕭條的情況下，因為各地開始在家上班和上課，相關電子產品需求也隨之飆升，台灣的出口量也創下了輝煌紀錄。

Even in a weak global economy, Taiwan has seen record exports thanks to soaring global demand for the technology components and products needed to work and study at home.

在此背景嚇，勞動部上週表示，從2022年1月1日起，台灣基本月薪和時薪將增加5.21%，成連續六年調升基本薪資。

Against this backdrop, the Ministry of Labor (MOL, 勞動部) said last week that Taiwan’s minimum monthly and hourly wage will increase by 5.21 percent from Jan. 1, 2022 — the sixth consecutive year it has been increased.

5.21%的增長將使基本薪資每月新台幣2.4萬提高到新台幣2.525萬元，而時薪也從新台幣160元提高到168元。這對於在台灣從事一些困難工作的數百萬人來說是好消息。

The 5.21 percent increase will raise the minimum monthly wage from NT$24,000 (US$857) at present to NT$25,250 and the minimum hourly wage from NT$160 to NT$168. This is great news for millions of people who survive by doing some of the most difficult jobs in Taiwan.

明年調薪後，教育程度較低的求職者收入將與目前大學畢業生月收入僅為28,000到32,000元相近。

Regretfully, the move is likely to lower the gap between workers with little or no qualification and young college graduates who earn merely NT$28,000 to NT$32,000 per month. Source article: https://chinapost.nownews.com/20211017-2830275

每日英語跟讀 Ep.K242: Done With Bond, Craig Will Play Macbeth on Broadway

Daniel Craig is veering from James Bond to Shakespeare.

丹尼爾．克雷格要從詹姆士．龐德轉向莎士比亞了。

The 53-year-old actor, who has said that his tenure as Bond will come to an end with the release of “No Time to Die,” on Oct. 8, plans to return to Broadway next spring to star in the title role of “Macbeth.”

這位53歲的演員說，他扮演龐德的任期將隨「007：生死交戰」於10月8日上映後告終，計畫明年春天回百老匯，主演「馬克白」。

Famous for his film career, especially as the rakish spy, Craig is also an accomplished stage actor.

克雷格雖以電影出名，特別是扮演這位瀟灑間諜，不過也是出色的舞台劇演員。

He has starred in two previous Broadway plays, the 2009 production of “A Steady Rain” and a 2013 revival of “Betrayal.” And he played the villainous Iago in a 2016 off-Broadway production of Shakespeare’s “Othello” at New York Theater Workshop, opposite David Oyelowo in the title role.

他曾主演兩齣百老匯戲劇，2009年的「連綿之雨」，以及2013年再度上演的「背叛」。他也在2016年紐約戲劇工坊的外百老匯莎士比亞作品「奧賽羅」中飾演惡名昭彰的伊阿古，和演對手戲的大衛．歐洛沃共同主演。

The lead producer for the Broadway production will be Barbara Broccoli, who has a long collaboration with Craig: She and her brother produce the Bond films, and they also coproduced “A Steady Rain” and supported the nonprofit “Othello” production.

這齣戲劇主製作人是芭芭拉．布洛克里，她和克雷格合作多年，她和她的兄弟製作龐德系列電影，他們也製作過「連綿之雨」以及支援非營利的奧賽羅製作。

Broccoli said she had been talking with Craig about Macbeth for several years, ever since he expressed an interest in playing the role.

布洛克里說，自從克雷格表達有意演出馬克白以來，她們已討論此劇多年。

“I’m thrilled that it’s coming after Bond, because, obviously, after 16 years of working with this man, the thought of it all coming to an end has been really difficult to take,” she said. “And so it’s really heartwarming for me that we’re going to be working on something else so soon after the wrapping up of his James Bond cycle.”

她說：「對於這齣戲能接在龐德之後演出，我很興奮。因為和這個男人合作16年之後，想到這即將告一段落，實在讓人難以接受。所以當他的詹姆士．龐德時代結束後，我們馬上合作另一齣戲，讓我很感動。」

Broccoli said that she and Craig also thought it was important to stage the play this season, as Broadway seeks to recover after a long shutdown prompted by the coronavirus pandemic.

布洛克里和克雷格也認為，百老匯因疫情長期關閉，如今試圖復甦之際，讓這齣戲在這一季上演很重要。

“It’s been a horrendous 18 months for everyone, and live theater has been damaged tremendously,” she said. “He really wants to come back and be on the stage and encourage people to come back to Broadway — it’s important to all of us from a cultural point of view and from a social point of view.”

她說，「對所有人來說，這18個月很可怕，現場演出的戲劇受傷慘重。他很希望回來站上舞台，鼓勵大家造訪百老匯，從文化觀點以及社會觀點來說，這對我們所有人都很重要。」

“Macbeth” is scheduled to run for 15 weeks, beginning previews March 29 and opening April 28 at Broadway’s Lyceum Theater. The production is to be directed by Sam Gold, who also directed the off-Broadway “Othello” in which Craig appeared, and who in 2019 directed a Broadway revival of “King Lear.” The production will feature original music by Gaelynn Lea.

馬克白預定演出15周，於明年3月29日預演，4月28日在百老匯蘭心戲院演出。這齣戲將由山姆．戈德執導，他也執導過克雷格演出的外百老匯「奧賽羅」。他在2019年執導百老匯再度上演的「李爾王」，這齣劇搭配格琳．里亞的原創音樂。

There have been 47 previous Broadway productions of “Macbeth,” according to the Internet Broadway Database; the most recent was in 2013, starring Ethan Hawke and Anne-Marie Duff.

根據網路百老匯資料庫，「馬克白」曾在百老匯上演47次，最近一次是2013年，由伊森．霍克和安－瑪麗．達芙主演。Source article: https://udn.com/news/story/6904/5804162