通勤學英語 15Mins Today

每日英語跟讀 Ep.K227: ‘Free chips with your bag of air’ is good for you, says FDA

Have you ever felt like you have been conned when you joyfully open a bag of potato chips, only to find a mere handful of chips inside? The Taiwan Food and Drug Administration (TFDA) says that storage in a sealed bag filled with nitrogen is necessary to keep the chips fresh and tasty.

你是否曾經有過滿心歡喜打開洋芋片，卻發現裡面東西只有一點點，感覺像被騙呢？台灣食品藥物管理署表示，為了保持洋芋片的新鮮美味，密封包裝以及氮氣充填保存是必須的。

The TFDA shared a post on its Facebook page and an article on its Web site, in which it said that potato chips are fried at a high temperature during the manufacturing process, and when they come into contact with air they can easily become oxidized, which would tend to make them turn soft and crumble, and can even make them smell and taste rancid.

食藥署在臉書專頁「食用玩家-食藥署」及食藥好文網發文分享，洋芋片的製造過程會經高溫油炸，與空氣接觸後易氧化，導致洋芋片容易變軟、破碎，甚至還會產生油耗味，變得不好吃。

The TFDA explained that a sealed bag can prevent the chips from coming into contact with air, thus reducing oxidation and extending their shelf life. This it done by sealing them inside a plastic bag lined with a compound material such as tin foil or aluminum foil. As well as keeping out contamination by things like air, grease, damp and microbes, it can also help to prevent light exposure and reduce oxidation.

食藥署說明，密封包裝可以避免洋芋片接觸空氣，減少氧化的程度，延長保存期限。目前是運用內層有錫箔或鋁箔等複合性材質的塑膠包裝袋密封，不僅能阻擋空氣、油脂、潮濕、細菌微生物等外在汙染，錫箔或鋁箔的材質還可以輔助避光，減少氧化。

The TFDA says that food manufacturers pump the bags full of nitrogen to prevent the chips from being damaged and broken by knocking or crushing during transportation. Nitrogen is chemically stable and does not easily react with other substances. It is the most plentiful gas in the Earth’s atmosphere, comprising 78.09 percent of its total volume, which makes it easy and cheap to obtain. “Nitrogen flushing” technology can therefore be used to ensure the quality and safety of potato chips, making them look wholesome and taste good as well as keeping them free from contamination by bacteria or other microbes.

食藥署表示，為了避免洋芋片在運送的過程中因碰撞、擠壓而受損碎裂，食品製造業者會在包裝中填充足夠的氮氣量。氮氣的化學性質穩定，不容易與其他物質發生化學反應，也是地球大氣中含量最多的氣體，佔總體積的百分之七十八點零九，方便取得且成本較低，所以透過「氮氣充填」的技術，能確保洋芋片的品質與安全，使洋芋片外觀完整、口味好吃又不受細菌微生物汙染。 Source article: https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/lang/archives/2021/10/12/2003765925

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每日英語跟讀 Ep.K226: In Britain, Rising Prices and Shortages Evoke 1970s-Style Jitters

Long lines at gas stations, rising fuel prices, empty shelves in supermarkets and worries about runaway inflation.

加油站大排長龍，燃料價格上漲，超市貨架空無一物，大家憂心通貨膨脹失控。

Britons have emerged from 18 months of pandemic-imposed hibernation to find their country has many of the same afflictions it had during the 1970s. There is nothing Austin Powers-like about this time machine: Unlike the swinging '60s, the '70s were, by all accounts, some of the bleakest days in postwar Britain; even contemplating a return to them is enough to make leaders of the current government shiver.

英國人從疫情造成的18個月冬眠中醒來，發現國家遭遇許多與1970年代相同的痛苦。這次時光機器情節跟電影「王牌大賤諜」毫無相似之處：不同於動盪的1960年代，人們都說1970年代是戰後英國最淒涼的日子。只是想到要回到當時，就足以讓現任政府領導人不寒而慄。

The sudden burst of doomsaying in Britain is rooted at least as much in psychology as economics. While there is no question the country faces a confluence of problems — some caused by the pandemic, others by Brexit — experts said it was far too soon to predict that Britain was headed for the kind of economic malaise and political upheaval that characterized that decade.

英國突然爆發的末日預言，源自心理學的份量跟經濟學一樣多。無疑地，這個國家面臨一系列問題，一些由疫情引起，另一些由英國脫歐造成。專家們說，現在就預測英國將陷入那十年特有的經濟低迷與政治動盪，仍為時過早。

“It’s a combination of things that could, in principle, lead to that, but are quite survivable on their own,” said Jonathan Portes, a professor of economics at Kings College London. “We always talk about the 1970s, but it’s half a century later, and all sorts of things are different.”

倫敦國王學院經濟學教授波特斯說：「原則上來說，這樣的多種因素組合可能導致那種情況，但個別也能發揮作用。我們總是在談論1970年代，但已過去半個世紀了，一切都不一樣了。」

Britain’s economy, he noted, has bounced back faster from the pandemic than many experts predicted. The shortages in labor and some goods are likely a transitory effect of reopening much of the economy after prolonged lockdowns. Rising wages and supply bottlenecks are driving up the inflation rate, while the fuel shortages that have closed dozens of gas stations reflect a shortage of truck drivers, not of energy supplies.

他指，英國經濟從疫情中恢復的速度比許多專家預測還快。勞動力和一些商品短缺，可能是長期防疫封鎖後重新開放大部分經濟活動的短暫影響。工資上漲和供應瓶頸正在推升通膨率，而造成數十家加油站關閉的燃料短缺，反映的是卡車司機短缺，而非能源供應問題。

Nor does Britain have the aging industrial base and powerful unions it had in the 1970s. Labor unrest led to crippling strikes that brought down a Conservative prime minister, Edward Heath, and one of his Labour Party successors, James Callaghan, after what the tabloids called the winter of discontent, in 1979.

英國也沒有1970年代那樣老化的工業基礎與強大工會。1979年發生小報所稱的「不滿之冬」，勞工騷亂導致嚴重罷工，造成保守黨首相奚斯及他的工黨繼任者之一卡拉漢下台。

And yet the parallels are suggestive enough that the right-leaning Daily Mail warned that “Britain faces winter of woe” — a chilly welcome for Prime Minister Boris Johnson as he returned from the United States, having celebrated a new submarine alliance and rallied countries in advance of a U.N. climate change conference in Scotland in November.

然而，一些相似之處足以引發聯想，讓右傾的每日郵報發出「英國面臨災難冬天」警告。對訪美歸來的英國首相強生而言，這是個冷淡迎接，他才剛慶祝新的潛艦聯盟成立，並在11月蘇格蘭聯合國氣候變遷會議前團結各國。

“That is a very easy ghost to resurrect,” said Kim Darroch, a former British ambassador to Washington who now sits in the House of Lords. “But these are real problems. You can just see this perfect storm coming.”

英國駐華府前大使、現為上議院議員的達洛許說：「那是個很容易復活的鬼魂，但這些都是實實在在的問題。你可以看到這場完美風暴逼近。」Source article: https://udn.com/news/story/6904/5804159

Hi there!歡迎收聽Look Back Sunday回顧星期天，在這個節目John老師會彙整過去不同國家與主題的熱門跟讀文章，讓你可以在十五分鐘內吸收最精華的世界時事趣聞！我們這週聽聽日本相關的文章，Let's get started!

Topic: New mayor seeks 100-yen tax on visitors to Miyajima island

Taro Matsumoto campaigned in the mayoral race in Hatsukaichi-shi, Hiroshima Prefecture, on a pledge to institute an entrance tax for visitors to Miyajima island, home to Itsukushimajinja shrine, a World Heritage site.

松本太郎在（日本）廣島縣廿日市市的市長選舉競選期間，誓言（當選後）要開始對造訪世界遺產嚴島神社所在地宮島的遊客，徵收入島稅。

Matsumoto, who took office on Nov. 3, 2019, is determined to fulfill his campaign promise.

2019年11月3日就任的松本，打定主意要落實他的競選承諾。

Matsumoto told reporters a day after the election that he aims to introduce the tax in 2021 to fund infrastructure improvements to the increasingly popular tourist attraction.

松本在選後隔天告訴記者，他的目標是在2021年導入徵稅制度，以籌措經費來改善此一人氣漸增的觀光景點的基礎建設。

"The island needs maintenance and repair work, including placing power lines underground and repairing roads," he said. "I’m focused on introducing the tax as a stable source of income."

「這座島需要維護與修繕，包括電線地下化與修路，」他說。「我會專注於導入充作穩定收入來源的（入島）稅。」

Next Article

Topic: Apology does little to quell fury over Mori’s sexist remarks 道歉難以平息森喜朗的性別歧視發言所引發的怒火

Criticism over the sexist remarks uttered by Tokyo Olympic organizing committee chief Yoshiro Mori spread in the Cabinet and overseas after his apology fell flat and he rejected calls to resign.

就在日本東京奧運組織委員會主席森喜朗的道歉未獲預期效果以及他拒絕應外界要求下台後，針對他的性別歧視發言的批評，已在內閣與海外蔓延開來。

Cabinet ministers were in unison on Feb. 5 in blasting Mori’s contention that having a large number of women on sports associations’ committees would lead to prolonged meetings because they tend to talk too much.

日本閣員2月5日齊聲砲轟森喜朗的論點，即宣稱運動協會的委員會中若有太多女性委員，將會拉長會議時間，因為女性易於說個沒完。

Justice Minister Yoko Kamikawa, one of two women in Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga’s Cabinet, expressed concern that Mori’s remarks would set back the government’s plans to have women take up 30 percent of leadership positions in Japan.

（日本）首相菅義偉內閣中唯二女閣員之一的法務大臣上川陽子擔心，森喜朗的發言會導致政府的讓女性位居3成日本領導地位的計畫受挫。

Source article: https://features.ltn.com.tw/english/article/paper/1431209 ; https://features.ltn.com.tw/english/article/paper/1431912

Next Article

Topic: In Japan, the Elderly Often Live, and Die, Alone

Cicadas, every Japanese schoolchild knows, lie underground for years before rising to the earth’s surface in summer. They climb up the nearest tree, where they cast off their shells and start their short second lives. During their few days among us, they mate, fly and cry. They cry until their bodies are found on the ground, twitching in their last moments, or on their backs with their legs pointing upward.

每個日本學童都知道，蟬會在地下蟄伏多年，而後在夏天爬到地表。牠們會攀上最近的樹，在那裡脫殼並展開短促的第二段生命。在與我們人類共處的短短幾天內，牠們交配、飛翔並鳴叫。牠們鳴噪，直到身軀落地，在臨終時抽動，或背部貼地腳朝天。

Chieko Ito hated the din they made. They had just started shrieking, as they always did in early summer, and the noise would keep getting louder in the weeks to come, invading her third-floor apartment, making any kind of silence impossible. As one species of cicadas quieted down, another’s distinct cry would take over. Then, as the insects peaked in numbers, showers of dead and dying cicadas would rain down on her enormous housing complex, stopping only with the end of summer itself.

伊籐千惠子討厭蟬噪。蟬兒才剛開始呼噪，一如既往的初夏。喧噪聲會在未來幾周變得越來越吵，侵擾她的三樓寓所，並扼殺所有的寧靜。當一種蟬安靜時，另一種蟬又會接著聒噪。而後當蟬的數量達

到高峰，成批死掉或垂死的蟬就會灑落在她偌大的住宅社區中，直到夏天本身結束為止。

“You hear them from morning to evening,” she sighed.

「從早到晚都聽見牠們在鬧。」伊籐嘆道。

It was the afternoon of her 91st birthday, and unusually hot, part of a heat wave that had community leaders worried. Elderly volunteers had been winding through the labyrinth of footpaths, distributing leaflets on the dangers of heatstroke to the many hundreds of residents like Ito who lived alone in 171 nearly identical white buildings. With no families or visitors to speak of, many older tenants spent weeks or months cocooned in their small apartments, offering little hint of their existence to the world outside their doors. And each year, some of them died without anyone knowing, only to be discovered after their neighbors caught the smell.

這是她91歲生日的下午，天氣異常的熱，這波熱浪令社區主事者憂心。一些年長志工走過迷宮般的小徑，向171棟幾乎一樣白色大樓的數以百計像伊籐這樣獨居的住民發送傳單，提醒他們中暑的危險。許多年紀大的房客沒有家人或訪客可說話，繭居在小寓所幾周或幾個月，讓門外的世界幾乎察覺不到他們的存在。每年他們之中都有一些人在無人知曉的情況下死去，直到鄰居聞到屍臭才被發現。

The first time it happened, or at least the first time it drew national attention, the corpse of a 69-year-old man living near Ito had been lying on the floor for three years, without anyone noticing his absence. His monthly rent and utilities had been withdrawn automatically from his bank account. Finally, after his savings were depleted in 2000, the authorities came to the apartment and found his skeleton near the kitchen, its flesh picked clean by maggots and beetles, just a few feet from his next-door neighbors.

孤獨死第一次發生，或至少頭一次獲得全日本注意，是伊籐家附近一名69歲男子的屍體倒臥在地三年，沒有人發現他不見了。他的每月房租和水電瓦斯費都從個人銀行帳戶自動扣款。最後，他的存款在2000年耗盡，當局來到他家，在廚房附近發現他的骷髏，肉身已被蛆和甲蟲吃光，離隔壁鄰居只有幾英尺遠。

The huge government apartment complex where Ito has lived for nearly 60 years — one of the biggest in Japan, a monument to the nation’s postwar baby boom and aspirations for a modern, U.S. way of life — suddenly became known for something else entirely: the “lonely deaths” of the world’s most rapidly aging society.

伊籐住了近60年的龐大公家住宅社區是日本最大的公家住宅社區之一，標誌著日本戰後嬰兒潮與對現代美式生活方式的嚮往，突然間因為全然不同的事而聲名大噪：世界上老化速度最快社會的「孤獨死」。

“4,000 lonely deaths a week,” estimated the cover of a popular weekly magazine this summer, capturing the national alarm.

今年夏天，某暢銷周刊在封面標題上估計「每周有4000人孤獨死」，令舉國為之一驚。Source article: https://paper.udn.com/udnpaper/POH0067/321753/web/

Next Article

Topic: Japan to fund AI matchmaking to boost birth rate

Japan plans to boost its tumbling birth rate by funding artificial intelligence matchmaking schemes to help residents find love.

日本計畫透過資助人工智慧配對相親計畫，幫助國民尋找愛情，以提高該國不斷下降的出生率。

From next year it will subsidize local governments already running or starting projects that use AI to pair people up.

從明年開始，日本政府將提供補貼，資助地方政府已經在運行以及新啟動的人工智慧配對相親項目。

Last year the number of babies born in Japan fell below 865,000 - a record low.

去年，日本新生嬰兒數跌破86.5萬，創下歷史新低。

The fast-greying nation has long been searching for ways to reverse one of the world’s lowest fertility rates.

日本的生育率為全世界最低的國家之一，這個快速高齡化的國家長期以來一直在尋找扭轉局面的方法。

Boosting the use of AI tech is one of its latest efforts.

加強人工智慧技術的運用，是其最新舉措之一。

Next year the government plans to allocate local authorities 2bn yen to boost the birth rate, reported AFP news agency.

據法新社報導，日本政府計畫明年撥款20億日圓給地方政府，以提高出生率。

Many already offer human-run matchmaking services and some have introduced AI systems in the hope they will perform a more sophisticated analysis of the standardised forms where people submit their details.

許多企業已經提供了人工婚介服務，一些已經引入AI系統，希望能夠對民眾提交的標準化表格進行更精密的分析。

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Japan set to target zero emissions by 2050 in policy shift 日本政策轉變準備2050年達到零碳排

Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga is set to bind Japan to a target for carbon neutrality by 2050, a shift in stance that will bring the country in line with the European Union and more than 60 other nations in efforts to combat climate change.

首相菅義偉要訂出日本須在2050年前達到零碳排的目標，此立場轉移將使該國在力抗氣候變遷上，與歐盟和其他60多國一致。

Japan previously said it would aim to reduce emissions by 80% by 2050 and achieve net-zero emissions sometime in the latter half of the century.

之前日本說會設定2050年達到削減碳排量80%的目標，並且在本世紀後半葉某個時間點做到淨零碳排。

Japan is the world’s fifth-biggest emitter of carbon dioxide. Under pressure from many business sectors, moves are also afoot to increase the use of renewable energy as the government starts forcing the shutdown of older, dirtier coal plants.

日本目前是全球第五大二氧化碳排放國。在許多產業界的壓力下，政府著手強制老舊火力發電廠關閉的同時，也正增加採用可再生能源等措施。Source article: https://features.ltn.com.tw/english/article/paper/1416436 ; https://features.ltn.com.tw/english/article/paper/1421876

戀愛交往相關的慣用語 Love related idioms

to ask someone out: to invite someone on a date

He mustered up the courage to ask her out.

to go on a blind date: to go on a date with someone you’ve never met before

I’ve gone on a few blind dates, but there was never any chemistry.

a double date: a date with two couples

We’re going on a double date with them next weekend.

to flirt: to playfully show interest in someone

Our double date was a disaster! My date was flirting with my friend all night!

to break up/to split up (with someone): to end a romantic relationship

She broke up with her boyfriend because he cheated on her.

to fall for someone: to start to be in love with someone

She fell for him on their first date.

to cheat on someone: to be unfaithful (for example, by kissing someone else)

My boyfriend cheated on me.

to set/fix someone up: to arrange a date between two people who don’t know each other

After she turned him down, I fixed him up with one of my friends.

挑戰時間:

What would you say in the following situation 以下狀況你會如何說？

A. Ask someone out

B. Flirt

C. Set/fix someone up

D. Break up/to split up

每日英語跟讀 Ep.K225: California’s Plan to Make New Buildings Greener Will Also Raise Costs

California has led the nation in fighting climate change by encouraging the use of renewable energy and electric cars. Now the state is taking on an even harder challenge — reducing emissions from homes, businesses and other buildings that have to be heated, cooled and powered.

加州藉由鼓勵使用再生能源和電動車，成為美國對抗氣候變遷的領導者。如今加州挑戰更大的目標：使必須加熱、冷卻和供電的住宅、商店等建物減少溫室氣體排放量。

Last month, state regulators updated California’s building code to require new homes and commercial buildings to have solar panels and batteries and the wiring needed to switch from heaters that burn natural gas to heat pumps that run on electricity. Energy experts say it is one of the most sweeping single environmental updates to building codes ever attempted by a government agency.

加州立法機構上月更新建築法規，要求新住宅和商業大樓安裝太陽能板和電池，而且電路布線必須從燃燒天然氣的加熱器改為用電的熱泵。能源專家說，這是政府機關對建築法規最大刀闊斧的環保變革之一。

But some energy and building experts warn that California may be taking on too much, too quickly and focusing on the wrong target — new buildings, rather than the much larger universe of existing structures. Their biggest fear is that these new requirements will drive up the state’s already high construction costs, putting new homes out of reach of middle- and lower-income families that cannot as easily afford the higher upfront costs of cleaner energy and heating equipment, which typically pays for itself over years through savings on monthly utility bills.

不過，一些能源和建築專家警告，加州可能野心太大、過於急切，而且鎖定新建物而非數目多得多的既有建物，也是找錯目標。他們最擔心的是，這些新要求會把加州已經很高的建築成本推得更高，使中低收入戶買不起新屋，他們難以負擔潔淨能源和加熱設備較高的前期成本，雖然這些成本通常能透過每月節省電費而在幾年後抵銷。

The median single-family home in California sells for more than $800,000 compared to about $360,000 nationwide, and businesses pay more for rent in cities like San Francisco and San Jose than anywhere else in the country. A big reason costs are higher in California is that the state is not building enough homes, something lawmakers tried to address this past week by advancing legislation that would allow more than one home on each parcel of land.

加州單戶住宅售價中位數為80多萬美元，全美則約36萬美元，而且舊金山、聖荷西等城市的商業租金比美國其他地方都貴。加州房價高的一大原因是房屋建量不足，州議員過去一周企圖透過推動立法，允許每個單位土地蓋不只一間房子，來解決這個問題。

Adding solar panels and a battery to a new home can raise its cost by $20,000 or more. While that might not matter to somebody buying a million-dollar property, it could be a burden on a family borrowing a few hundred thousand dollars to buy a home.

新屋加裝太陽能板和電池，價格會提高2萬美元甚至更多。對買得起百萬美元房產的人來說，這可能不算什麼，但對貸款數十萬美元買房的家庭，則會構成負擔。

“You’re going to see the impact in office rents. You’re going to see it in the cost of the milk in your grocery store,” said Donald J. Ruthroff, a principal at Dahlin Group Architecture Planning in Pleasanton, California. “There’s no question this is going to impact prices across the board.”

加州普萊森頓市道林建築設計公司總監魯斯羅夫表示：「你會看到這對辦公室租金的影響。你會在食品雜貨店牛奶價格上看到它所造成的衝擊。這勢必會波及到各類商品的價格。」Source article: https://udn.com/news/story/6904/5754437

每日英語跟讀 Ep.K224: Facebook aware of Instagram’s harmful effect on teenagers, leak reveals IG

Facebook has kept internal research secret for two years that suggests its Instagram app makes body image issues worse for teenage girls, according to a leak from the tech firm.

根據所洩漏之科技公司臉書密件，該公司旗下之Instagram 應用程式，讓少女對身體形象問題更加擔憂。臉書已經將此內部研究保密了兩年。

Since at least 2019, staff at the company have been studying the impact of their product on its younger users’ states of mind. Their research has repeatedly found that it is harmful for a large proportion, and particularly teenage girls.

起碼自二○一九年起，該公司員工就在研究其產品對年輕用戶心理狀態之影響。其研究一再發現它對很多人有害，尤其是少女。

“We make body image issues worse for one in three teen girls,” said a slide from one internal presentation in 2019, seen by the Wall Street Journal.

「三個少女中，就有一個因為我們的產品而加劇了對身體形象的擔憂」，華爾街日報所掌握的二○一九年該公司內部簡報中一張投影片顯示。

Comprised of findings from focus groups, online surveys and diary studies in 2019 and 2020, the Instagram research shows for the first time how aware the company is of its product’s impact on the mental health of teenagers. And yet, in public, executives at Facebook, which has owned Instagram since 2012, have consistently downplayed its negative impact on teenagers.

此項Instagram之研究，為二○一九及二○二○年所進行的焦點團體訪談、線上調查與日誌研究之結果，首次顯露該公司非常明白其產品對青少年心理健康所造成之衝擊。但在公開場合，自二○一二年已將Instagram收編旗下的臉書公司，其高級主管一直在淡化Instagram對青少年的負面影響。

Pressure to share only the best moments and to look perfect could pitch teenagers into depression, low self-esteem and eating disorders, said one internal report.

一份內部報告寫道，只分享最佳時刻及看起來完美，這種壓力可能會使青少年陷入憂鬱、自卑和飲食失調症的境地。

A spokesperson for 5Rights Foundation, which campaigns for changes to digital services to make them more suitable for children and young people, said: “Facebook’s own research is a devastating indictment of the carelessness with which it, and the tech sector more broadly, treats children.

致力於改變數位服務，使其更適合兒童及少年的5Rights基金會，其發言人表示：「臉書公司自己的研究，是對該公司及更廣泛的科技業對兒童草菅人命的最嚴厲控訴」。

“In pursuit of profit, these companies are stealing children’s time, self-esteem and mental health, and sometimes tragically their lives … This is an entirely human-made world, largely privately owned, designed to optimize for commercial purposes — it does not have to be like this. It is time to optimize for the safety, rights and wellbeing of kids first — and then, only then — profit.”

「為了追求利潤，這些公司正竊取兒童的時間、自尊和心理健康，有時可悲地甚至是他們的生命......這是一個完全人造的世界，大部分是私有的，旨在極大化商業利潤——它可以不必如此。現在該把兒童安全、權利及福祉擺在第一位了——只有做到了這點，才能去考慮獲利」。Source article: https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/lang/archives/2021/09/20/2003764638

每日英語跟讀 Ep.K223: About Japan - Japanese salmon-lover creates realistic fish-inspired tape

一名日本網友因為熱愛鮭魚，無法自拔的於近日推出自己首創的「鮭魚膠帶」，沒想到竟意外引來網友瘋搶。

A Japanese social media user whose love for salmon just couldn’t be contained recently launched his own brand of “salmon-colored” tape to the delight of many.

這膠帶因為唯妙唯肖的呈現出鮭魚鮮肉的顏色和細緻紋路，甚至還附上警語告訴客人膠帶不能食用，深怕產品被誤認成鮮嫩的鮭魚生魚片。

The tape, which managed to mimic the patterns and white lines in salmon meat to perfection, also came with a warning note that it’s not edible, as the realistic tape could easily be mistaken for mouth-watering fish.

推特網友MoetMatsuzake解釋到因為自己一嚮很愛吃鮭魚，一直努力構思如何以自己最愛的食物做出產品。

The Twitter user, MoetMatsuzake, explained that he has always loved eating salmon, and had always wanted to create something based on his favorite food.

有一天，他靈光乍現突然決定製作「鮭魚膠帶」，而經過漫長的修正過程，讓紋路看起來和真的一樣美，他終於完成了這項巨作。

One day, the idea to make salmon into a tape came to his mind, and after the laborious process of adjusting the patterns so they look as realistic as possible, they finally finished the product.

為了確保鮭魚膠帶看起來夠逼真，他甚至請教養魚業者，獲得他們的肯定後才秀出這個新產品。

The inventor even reached out to mariculturists who confirmed that the creation is as close to the real thing as it gets.

根據販售網站所述，一捲膠帶要價390日圓(約新台幣98元)，而一次買兩捲還能省10日圓，要價僅需770日圓(約新台幣193元)。

According to his website, one roll of tape is priced at 390 yens (around NT$98) while two are sold at a discounted price of 770 yen (NT$193).

Next Article

最畸形的企鵝「寵物」誕生　日本網友見玩具蛋成果嚇哭 Japanese left terrified after children’s toy hatches into weirdly-shaped penguin

泡水後就能孵出小恐龍的扭蛋是許多人熟悉的童年玩具，但近期一位日本推特網友在孵化完動物玩具蛋後卻驚見一個變形的版本，讓他嚇傻。

Most people are familiar with dinosaur eggs that “hatch” when soaked in water.A Japanese Twitter user, however, found himself faced with a distorted version of what was promised of the toy egg.

根據網友Tamasamburo在推特上所述，他從一家商店購買了一個玩具企鵝蛋，原本為即將成為可愛小企鵝的「飼主」感到興奮。

According to a tweet shared by Japanese social media user Tamasamburo (@kshioriri), he purchased a penguin egg toy from a shop and was excited to be the proud owner of an adorable penguin.

然而，成果出來卻不如預期，他也在推特上附上了孵化後的企鵝樣貌，只見玩具表面看似乾枯，搭配一張龜裂的臉和變形的身體，彷彿企鵝正在融化似的。

However, the result was less than satisfactory as he attached an “after” picture of the toy, showing a cracked and dry face along with a distorted body that looked as if it were melting.

Tamasamburo 也在貼文中寫道看到企鵝後他真的直接嚇哭，因為「實在太驚悚了」。

In the caption, Tamasamburo exclaimed that he “cried” upon seeing the penguin because “it was so creepy.”

根據日本媒體Grape報導，Tamasamburo 坦言或許是因為他沒有將玩具放在水中夠久，導致其外型扭曲。

According to Japanese media Grape, Tamasamburo admitted that it may have become “deformed” because he hadn’t left it in the water for the recommended amount of time.

他補充道，因為使用的容器也比較小，企鵝也可能無意間被「抑制成長」所以才呈現最後較為畸形的樣貌。

In addition, the small glass that was tasked with hatching the penguin may have also inadvertently squished it so that it could not “grow” probably.

驚悚的照片逗樂許多網友，其中一也貼上了YouTube一則影片連結，聲稱影片中有一位孩子也是因為看到這隻恐怖的企鵝而被嚇哭。

The terrifying photo amused many social media users, with one sharing a link to a YouTube video that allegedly showed a child crying after seeing the scary penguin.

另一位網友建議將企鵝泡久一點讓他「膨脹」，這樣也會有一個看起來較為健康的身材。

Another suggested soaking it more as they claimed the penguin would then “swell” more, enabling it to have a fuller appearance.

無論網友最後會採取什麼行動，可以確定的是這次慘痛的經驗可能會阻止他在短期內再購買另一顆蛋。

No matter what the social media user decides to do, it may be safe to assume that the slightly traumatic experience may deter him from purchasing another “egg” anytime soon. Source article: https://chinapost.nownews.com/20210908-2757967; https://chinapost.nownews.com/20210909-2759914

每日英語跟讀 Ep.K222: About the UK - Former Receptionist Gets £23,000 After Being Excluded From Pizza Parties

Malgorzata Lewicka was a former receptionist at Harwell, the Ford car dealership in UK.

馬爾戈札塔．萊威卡是英國福特汽車經銷商哈威爾的前接待員。

Managers at the car dealership conducted office parties where they asked the staff members to choose a takeaway food that they would like to order every month. It included pizza and other fast food choices. Lewicka said to the tribunal that she was neither asked nor invited.

公司管理層會舉辦辦公室派對，要員工每月選擇想吃的外賣，包含披薩等速食。萊威卡向法庭表示，她既沒詢問，也沒受邀。

She revealed that in March 2018, she accused a staff member of sexual discrimination, after which her colleagues started excluding her.

她透露，自己曾在2018年3月指控一名同事性別歧視，之後就開始被同事排擠。

Hartwell claimed that Lewicka was not involved in the parties because she worked part-time and wound up at 1 p.m. But the tribunal declared that it was not an excuse.

哈威爾公司則宣稱，萊威卡沒參加派對是因為她還有兼職，在下午1點就下班，但法庭認為這不構成理由。

The judge ruled Lewicka’s exclusion at her former workplace to be a form of sexual discrimination. She was subsequently awarded £23,079. This included compensation for injury to her feelings as well as loss of earnings.

法官宣判，萊威卡在前職場遭到排擠是性別歧視的一種。她之後獲賠2萬3079英鎊（約90萬台幣），包含心理創傷賠償和收入損失。

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Banksy shows off his British seaside ’spraycation’ 班克西炫耀他的英國海邊「噴漆渡假」

Banksy, Britain’s most famous street artist, on Friday confirmed what many had already suspected － that he is indeed the author of a number of works that have appeared recently in British seaside towns.

班克西，英國最有名的街頭藝術家，在週五證實許多人已經懷疑的事：他確實是最近在英國海濱城鎮出現的一些作品的作者。

An Instagram video clip, just over three minutes long and entitled "A Great British Spraycation", shows the elusive artist taking a summer road trip in a beat-up camper van with cans of spray paint stashed in a cooler.

Instagram上一段3分多鐘長、名為「一場精彩的英國噴漆渡假」影片顯示，這名神出鬼沒的藝術家，搭著一部破舊的露營車進行一場夏季公路旅行，保冰箱裡堆了多罐噴漆。

In one work on the concrete sea-defence wall of a British beach, a rat lounges in a deckchair, sipping a cocktail.

一幅在一處英國海邊水泥防波堤上的作品，是一隻老鼠在一張躺椅上悠哉地啜飲雞尾酒。

In another, sticking to the seaside theme, a mechanical claw dangles above a public bench － as if anyone who sits there is about to be plucked up like a prize in an arcade game.

在另一幅依照海邊主題的作品中，一隻機械爪懸在公共長椅上，若有人坐在椅子上，看起來就像抓娃娃機中的獎品一樣就要被抓起來。Source article: https://features.ltn.com.tw/english/article/paper/1471762 ; https://features.ltn.com.tw/english/article/paper/1472924

每日英語跟讀 Ep.K221: Politics Steered India’s Defense To Virus Threat

The forecast was mathematically based, government-approved and deeply, tragically wrong.

這個預測以數學為根據，是政府批准的，而且悲劇性的大錯特錯。

In September 2020, eight months before a deadly COVID-19 second wave struck India, government-appointed scientists downplayed the possibility of a new outbreak. Previous infections and early lockdown efforts had tamed the spread, the scientists wrote in a study that was widely covered by the Indian news media after it was released last year.

在致命的第二波疫情侵襲印度的八個月前，政府指派的科學家在2020年9月低估新一波疫情可能性。科學家在研究中寫道，之前的感染和及早封城作法已抑制傳播，這項研究去年發表時印度媒體廣泛報導。

The results dovetailed neatly with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s two main goals: Restart India’s stricken economy and kick off campaigning for his party in state elections that spring. But Anup Agarwal, a physician then working for India’s top science agency, which reviewed and published the study, worried that its conclusions would lull the country into a false sense of security.

研究結果漂亮迎合總理莫迪的兩個主要目標：重啟印度受打擊的經濟，以及在春季舉行的全國選舉為他的政黨開始助選。但是，當時審閱及出版這篇報告的印度頂尖科學機構醫師艾納普．安格瓦憂心，報告結論可能誤導國家產生錯誤的安全感。

Agarwal took his concerns to the agency’s top official in October. The response: He and another concerned scientist were reprimanded.

安格瓦去年10月向機構最高官員表達他的憂心，結果他和另一名科學家被訓斥。

In the wake of the devastating second wave, which killed hundreds of thousands of people, many in India are asking how Modi’s government missed the warning signs. Part of the answer is that senior officials forced scientists at elite institutions to downplay the threat to prioritize Modi’s political goals.

察覺到強大的第二波疫情奪走數十萬條人命後，印度許多人想問，莫迪政府何以未能發現示警跡象。答案的一部分是，高級官員迫使菁英機構科學家低估威脅，以優先實現莫迪政治目標。

“Science is being used as a political weapon to forward the government narrative rather than help people,” said Agarwal, 32.

32歲的安格瓦說，「科學被當武器使用，讓政府推動政策而非幫助民眾」。

Senior officials at Agarwal’s agency — called the Indian Council of Medical Research, or ICMR — pressured scientists to withdraw another study that called the government’s efforts into question.

安格瓦所在機構「印度醫學研究協會」的高級官員對科學家施壓，收回另一篇質疑政府做法的研究。

Agency scientists described a culture of silence. Midlevel researchers worried that they would be passed over for promotions and other opportunities if they questioned superiors, they said.

機構裡的科學家描述這裡的沉默文化，他們說，中層研究人員擔心，如果他們質疑上層主管，可能錯過升遷或其他機會。

“Science thrives in an environment where you can openly question evidence and discuss it dispassionately and objectively,” said Shahid Jameel, one of India’s top virus experts and a former government adviser who has been critical of the agency.

印度頂尖病毒學家之一、曾批評該機構的前政府顧問夏希德．賈米爾說，「在你可以公開懷疑證據，且可以冷靜客觀討論的環境中，科學才能進步」。

“That, sadly, at so many levels, has been missing,” he said.

他說「令人傷心的是，在許多層面，這已不復見」。

India is hardly the first country where virus science has become politicized. The United States remains far short of taming the disease as politicians and anti-vaccine activists, fueled by disinformation and credulous media, challenge the scientific consensus on vaccines and wearing masks. The Chinese government has tried to obscure the outbreak’s origin, and vaccine skeptics have won audiences from Russia to Spain to Tanzania.

印度不算是第一個病毒科學變得政治化的國家。美國遠遠談不上控制疫情，而政客和反疫苗人士被假新聞和不實媒體搧風點火，質疑疫苗和戴口罩的科學共識。中國政府試圖在疫情起源打迷糊仗，且從俄羅斯、西班牙到坦尚尼亞，都有人聽信疫苗懷疑論者。Source article: https://udn.com/news/story/6904/5769922

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Topic: More Power Lines or Rooftop Solar Panels: The Fight Over Energy’s Future

The nation is facing once-in-a-generation choices about how energy ought to be delivered to homes, businesses and electric cars — decisions that could shape the course of climate change and determine how the United States copes with wildfires, heat waves and other extreme weather linked to global warming.

關於能源如何輸送到住家、企業和電動車，美國正面臨一個世代一次的抉擇，這個決定可能形塑氣候變遷進程，並決定美國如何應付與全球暖化有關的野火、熱浪和其他極端天氣。

On one side, large electric utilities and President Joe Biden want to build thousands of miles of power lines to move electricity created by distant wind turbines and solar farms to cities and suburbs. On the other, some environmental organizations and community groups are pushing for greater investment in rooftop solar panels, batteries and local wind turbines.

一方面，大型電力公司和總統拜登想要鋪設數千哩的電線，將遠方風力渦輪機和太陽能電場製造的電力運送到城市和郊區。另一方面，一些環境組織和社區團體正推動更多投資於屋頂太陽能板、電池以及在地風力渦輪機。

Biden has secured $73 billion for thousands of miles of new power lines in an infrastructure proposal he and senators from both parties agreed to in June. That deal includes the creation of a Grid Development Authority to speed up approvals for transmission lines.

拜登和兩黨參議員今年6月同意的基礎建設方案中，他已取得用來鋪設數千哩新電線所需的730億美元。這項方案包括成立「電網開發局」，以加速批准傳輸線鋪設。

Most energy experts agree that the United States must improve its aging electric grids, especially after millions of Texans spent days freezing this winter when the state’s electricity system faltered.

大多數能源專家同意，美國必須改善老化的電網，特別在上個冬天德州電力系統不穩，導致數百萬德州人受凍數天之後。

The option supported by Biden and some large energy companies would replace coal and natural gas power plants with large wind and solar farms hundreds of miles from cities, requiring lots of new power lines. Such integration would strengthen the control that the utility industry and Wall Street have over the grid.

這個獲拜登和一些大型能源公司支持的方案，將用距離都市數百哩的大型風電和太陽能電場，取代燃煤和天然氣發電廠，需要大量新電線。這類整合將強化公用事業和華爾街對電網的控制。

“You’ve got to have a big national plan to make sure the power gets from where it is generated to where the need is,” Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm said.

「你得有一個全國性的大計畫，確保電力能從它產生的地方運送到需要的地方。」能源部長格蘭霍姆說。

But many of Biden’s liberal allies argue that solar panels, batteries and other local energy sources should be emphasized because they would be more resilient and could be built more quickly.

但許多拜登的自由派盟友主張，應該著重太陽能板、電池及其他在地能源來源，因為它們更耐用，建置速度更快。

“We need to build the electricity transmission and distribution system for the grid of the future and not that of the past,” said Howard Learner, executive director of the Environmental Law & Policy Center, a nonprofit based in Chicago. “Solar energy plus storage is as transformative to the electric sector as wireless services were to the telecommunications sector.”

「我們需要為未來的電網打造電力傳輸和配送系統，而非過去的電網。」以芝加哥為據點的非營利組織「環境法律與政策中心」執行主任霍華．藍納說，「太陽能加上儲存裝置對電力事業的轉型性，一如無線網路之於電信事業」。

In all probability, there will be a mix of solutions that include more transmission lines and rooftop solar panels. What combination emerges will depend on deals made in Congress but also skirmishes playing out across the country.

最終很可能會有個綜合性方案，包含更多傳輸線和屋頂太陽能板。至於何種組合會出線，取決於國會達成的方案以及全國各地的爭論。Source article: https://udn.com/news/story/6904/5672857

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Topic : California Is Trying to Jump-Start the Hydrogen Economy

Since President George W. Bush fueled a minivan with hydrogen 15 years ago, the promise of cars and trucks powered by the fuel has come up mostly empty.

15年前，時任美國總統的小布希為一輛廂型休旅車加上氫燃料，發展氫能小客車和貨車的美好期盼迄今卻大抵落空。

That hydrogen pump, in Washington, closed long ago. But in California, the beginnings of a hydrogen economy may finally be dawning after many fits and starts.

華府的那座加氫站早已停用，然而在加州，氫經濟在幾經周折之後，可能真的要起步了。

Dozens of hydrogen buses are lumbering down city streets, while more and larger fueling stations are appearing from San Diego to San Francisco, financed by the state and the federal government. With the costs of producing and shipping hydrogen coming down, California is setting ambitious goals to phase out vehicles that run on fossil fuels in favor of batteries and hydrogen.

在州政府和聯邦出資之下，從聖地牙哥到舊金山，數十輛氫動力公車緩緩行駛於城市街道，更多且更大的加氫站也一一出現。由於氫製造和運輸的成本下降，加州立定遠大目標，要逐步淘汰化石燃料車，轉向電動車和氫能車。

Some energy executives said they expect investment in hydrogen to accelerate under President-elect Joe Biden, who made climate change a big part of his campaign and proposed a $2 trillion plan to tackle the problem.

一些能源業高管預期，對氫能的投資會在總統當選人拜登上台後加速成長。拜登以遏制氣候變遷為重要政見，並提出一項2兆美元的因應計畫。

A recent McKinsey & Co. study estimated that the hydrogen economy could generate $140 billion in annual revenue by 2030 and support 700,000 jobs. The study projected that hydrogen could meet 14% of total American energy demand by 2050.

管理顧問公司麥肯錫最近在一份研究中估計，到2030年時，氫經濟每年能創造1400億美元營收，支撐70萬個工作機會。這份研究預測，到2050年，氫將能滿足全美14%的能源需求。

The use of hydrogen, the lightest and most abundant substance in the universe, is still in its infancy, and California is determined to be its cradle in the United States.The state now has roughly 40 fueling stations, with dozens more under construction. While those numbers are tiny compared with the 10,000 gasoline stations across the state, officials have high hopes.

氫是宇宙中最輕且最豐富的物質，人類利用氫能還在初始階段，而加州決心成為美國氫能利用的搖籃。加州目前約有40個加氫站，還有數十個在興建中。雖然加氫站數量與全加州一萬個加油站相比微不足道，但官員仍滿懷希望。

With about 7,500 hydrogen vehicles on the road, an aggressive state program of incentives and subsidies from cap-and-trade dollars envisions 50,000 hydrogen light-duty vehicles by mid-decade and a network of 1,000 hydrogen stations by 2030.

目前加州約有7500輛氫能車上路，州政府積極利用取自「總量管制與排放交易」的財源來進行補貼和獎勵，希望達到2025年左右有5萬輛輕型氫能車上路，2030年有1000個加氫站的目標。

Hydrogen-powered vehicles are similar to electric cars. But unlike electric cars, which have large batteries, these cars have hydrogen tanks and fuel cells that turn the gas into electricity. The cars refuel and accelerate quickly, and they can go for several hundred miles on a full tank. They emit only water vapor, which makes them appealing to California cities that are trying to reduce pollution and greenhouse gas emissions.

氫能車類似電動車，不同的是，電動車的電池很大，氫能車則有氫氣儲存槽和把氫氣轉換成電力的燃料電池。氫能車補充燃料和加速都很快，氫氣槽加滿後能跑幾百哩。氫能車只會釋出蒸氣，對於努力減少汙染和溫室氣體排放量的加州很有吸引力。

“Almost any objective analysis for getting to zero emissions includes hydrogen,” said Jack Brouwer, director of the National Fuel Cell Research Center at the University of California, Irvine.

爾灣加州大學國家燃料電池研究中心主任傑克‧布勞爾說：「幾乎所有關於如何達到零排放的客觀分析都會提到氫。」Source article: https://udn.com/news/story/6904/5106534

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Topic: Israel’s Energy Dilemma: More Natural Gas Than It Can Use or Export

For decades, Israel was an energy-starved country surrounded by hostile, oil-rich neighbors.

數十年來，以色列一直是能源緊缺的國家，被敵對且富藏石油的鄰國環繞。

Now it has a different problem. Thanks to major offshore discoveries over the past decade, it has more natural gas than it can use or readily export.

如今，以色列面對的問題已然不同。由於過去十年來以色列在近海發現大量天然氣，以色列擁有的天然氣已比國內用量和願意出口的份量還多。

Having plenty of gas is hardly a burden, and it offers a cleaner-burning alternative to Israel’s longtime power sources. But it presents challenges for a country that wants to extract geopolitical and economic benefits from a rare energy windfall, including building better relations with its neighbors and Europe.

天然氣儲量豐富難說是個負擔，而且讓以色列在依靠已久的電力來源之外，多了一個更乾淨的燃氣選項。不過，擁有大量天然氣也對以色列構成挑戰，以色列想藉由這罕見的意外發現的能源，獲取地緣政治和經濟利益，包括與鄰國和歐洲改善關係。

Part of the problem is timing. Just as Israel prepares to produce and export large amounts of gas, the United States, Australia, Qatar and Russia are flooding the market with cheap gas. The other is math: Israel’s 8.5 million people use in a year less than 1% of the gas that has been found in the country’s waters.

問題之一是時機。就在以色列準備生產大量天然氣並出口時，美國、澳洲、卡達和俄國都把廉價天然氣傾銷到市場上。另一個問題是供需，以色列人口850萬，一年用掉的份量不到海域已探明儲量的1%。

“We have a surplus of gas,” Energy Minister Yuval Steinitz said in an interview. “Israeli waters are swimming in gas, and what we have discovered is only the beginning.”

以色列能源部長史坦尼茲受訪時說：「我們有多餘的天然氣，以色列海域滿是天然氣，而且我們探明的只是一小部分。」

Noble Energy, a Houston-based company that made its first discovery of gas in Israel in 1999, has found more than 30 trillion cubic feet of gas off the country’s coast over the past decade. Some experts say new discoveries could double that.

諾伯爾能源公司總部設在美國德州休士頓，1999年發現以色列的天然氣，是這家公司首次，過去十年來在以色列近海發現的天然氣超過30兆立方英尺。一些專家說，接下來發現的量可能兩倍於此。

As a result, Israel is phasing out diesel and coal-fired electricity, replacing it mostly with gas-fired generation and some solar power. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Cabinet is considering banning the import of gasoline and diesel cars starting in 2030 and gradually switching to vehicles fueled by compressed natural gas or electricity.

自然而然，以色列逐步淘汰燃燒柴油與燃煤發電，取而代之的主要是燃氣發電，還有一些太陽能。總理內唐亞胡內閣考慮從2030年起，禁止進口汽油與柴油車，並逐步改用壓縮天然氣汽車或電動車。

Israel is also stepping up exports to neighbors like Jordan and Egypt. There are even plans to supply gas to a power plant in the West Bank for Palestinian customers.

以色列還加強把天然氣出口到約旦和埃及等鄰國，甚至打算把天然氣供應給約旦河西岸一家發電廠，讓巴勒斯坦客戶使用。

Yet these efforts will make only a dent in the country’s reserves.

不過，這些舉動對解決以色列天然氣儲量豐富的問題只略有幫助。

“We want to export,” said Jacob Nagel, former head of Israel’s National Security Council. “The question is: How much will it cost? Is it possible? How much time will it take?”

以色列國家安全會議前主席內格爾說：「我們是想把天然氣出口，問題是，成本有多高？可行嗎？要花多少時間？」

For decades, Israel depended on Russia and other sources for fuel, while its industries and homes relied on coal and oil power plants that blanketed its cities with smog.

數十年來，以色列靠俄國等國家取得能源，工業和民生用電則仰賴燃煤和燃油，使城市煙霧彌漫。

The switch to gas has helped clear the air in cities like Tel Aviv and Haifa that have converted diesel-fueled plants.Israel’s biggest coal plant — in Hadera, a coastal city — will be converted over the next three years, cutting national coal consumption by 30%. Officials say they expect to eliminate coal use in 11 years.

改用天然氣使特拉維夫、海法等城市空氣變得清新。特拉維夫和海法已將柴油火力發電廠轉換成燃氣電廠。以色列最大燃煤電廠在濱海城市哈德拉，將在三年內轉換為燃氣電廠，能使全國煤炭消耗量減少三成。官員說，希望能在11年內淘汰煤電。Source article: https://paper.udn.com/udnpaper/POH0067/343671/web/#2L-15341939L