通勤學英語 15Mins Today

每日英語跟讀 Ep.K127: In Soccer, Power’s Always in Play

On the pitch, soccer is a cipher for war, with uniforms, formations, victory and defeat. Beyond the pitch, soccer is power, with owners seemingly using their teams as much for the corollary benefits as for any love of the game.

在球場上，足球代表著戰爭，有制服、隊形、勝利與失敗，而到了球場之外，足球卻是一種力量，若論球隊擁有者操作球隊的動機，用以獲得必然的實際效益，似乎不下於對足球比賽的熱愛。

Sports in general, but especially soccer — given its global appeal — are an ideal way for tycoons to purchase prestige and for countries to burnish their reputations, particularly when governments have unsavory associations with issues such as human rights abuse, gender inequality or anti-democratic politics.

一般的運動，尤其是風行全球的足球，是大亨們獲得聲譽及各個國家美化形象的理想方式，特別是當一國政府跟侵犯人權、性別不平等或反民主政治等不名譽議題扯上關係之時。

“Soccer and the Arab World: The Revolution of the Round Ball,” an exhibition at the Arab World Institute in Paris that runs through July 21, surveys the modern history of the sport in Africa and the Middle East, charting changes in gender and racial politics, government and finance, through the lens of the game.

刻在巴黎阿拉伯世界文化中心舉辦的「足球與阿拉伯世界：圓球革命」展覽，展至7月21日，勘測非洲與中東的現代足球史，透過足球運動的視角描繪性別和種族政治、以及政府與財政的變化。

Viewing the Arab world from the French perspective, the show ranges from midcentury events like the rise of the first Algerian national team, whose players broke away from France even though Algeria was still a colony, to more recent ones, like the purchase in 2011 of the French soccer team, Paris St.-Germain, by a Qatari state-run company.

以法國角度來看阿拉伯世界的話，這項展覽包括世紀中葉發生的事件，例如阿爾及利亞即便仍為殖民地，選手仍脫離法國組成首支國家隊，另外還有比較晚近的事，像是2011年一家卡達國營企業收購法國巴黎聖日耳曼足球隊。

Binding the show together is an exploration of political clout: using soccer to explore the increasing reach of some Arab nations, while France’s global influence is decreasing — seen in the cultural legitimacy that the sport provides.

將這些展出內容結合在一起，旨在對政治影響力進行探究，藉由足球來探索一些阿拉伯國家日益擴大的影響力，同一時間法國的全球影響力則正在減弱，而這從該項運動提供的文化合法性中可以看出。

“New Arab countries are in the game,” said the show’s curator, Aurélie Clemente-Ruiz, on a recent tour of the exhibition. “It’s not only North Africa or the Middle East but all of these countries from the Arabian Peninsula — Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the Emirates — that are very involved in soccer, and it’s a way for them to exist in an international point of view. It’s a real soft power and, to them, very useful.”

策展人歐黑里·克雷蒙·芮斯日前參觀展覽時說：「新的阿拉伯國家成了玩家。不僅僅是北非或中東，還有來自阿拉伯半島的卡達、沙烏地阿拉伯和阿拉伯聯合大公國這些國家，也都深度介入足球，這也是他們在國際舞台上存在的一種方式。這是種真正的軟實力，對他們來說非常有用。」

At the root is the ability of sports to shape perceptions. For the likes of Mohammed bin Salman, the crown prince of Saudi Arabia, being associated with global soccer can help divert attention from the international indignation at the killing of a dissident.

一切的根本在於，體育能塑造觀感。對沙烏地阿拉伯王儲穆罕默德這樣的人來說，跟全球足球運動扯上關係，有助於轉移國際社會對殺害一名異議分子的怒氣。

For Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan of Abu Dhabi, one of the United Arab Emirates, his ownership and lavish spending on the English team Manchester City automatically buys a certain fame and influence. Similar reasons inform Qatar’s control of Paris St.-Germain and the country’s efforts to win the right to host the men’s World Cup in 2022.

對阿拉伯聯合大公國成員阿布達比的曼蘇爾親王來說，他在英國曼城足球隊的所有權跟大手筆支出，自然會為他贏得一定的聲譽及影響力，而類似的原因也說明了卡達為何要掌控巴黎聖日耳曼隊，以及努力贏得2022年男子世界盃足球賽主辦權。Source article: https://udn.com/news/story/6904/3793604

更多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

用email訂閱就可以收到通勤學英語節目更新通知。

老師互動信箱: [email protected]

商業合作洽詢: [email protected]

每日英語跟讀 Ep.K126: Chinese rocket’s chaotic fall to Earth highlights problem of space junk

Remnants of China’s biggest rocket landed in the Indian Ocean on May 9, ending days of speculation over where the debris would hit and drawing US criticism over a lack of transparency.

中國最大火箭之殘骸已在五月九日墜落印度洋，讓數天來對殘骸究竟將撞擊何處的猜測告一段落，也引起美國對此事缺乏透明度的批評。

But the fiery fate of a booster rocket, wherever it comes down, speaks to the larger issue of space debris and space sustainability, especially as space becomes a target not just for national space programs but also increasingly the private sector. Under international treaty, private space actors, who are expected to put 45,000 satellites in low Earth orbit over the next several years, are under the legal responsibility of their host nations.

火箭推進器在熊熊烈焰中的宿命，無論它掉在哪裡，都觸及太空垃圾與太空永續性這更大的問題，尤其此時太空不僅成為國家太空計畫之標的，也愈趨成為私有公司之標的。在未來幾年中，經營太空業務的私有公司將把四萬五千顆衛星送入低空地球軌道，而根據國際條約規定，法律責任是由其東道國所承擔。

Add to that an estimated 9,300 tonnes of space junk that is already orbiting the planet and the probability of space collisions and debris pollution is an issue of concern.

此外，據估計，現已有九千三百噸太空垃圾在繞著地球轉，太空中的碰撞與垃圾污染問題令人關注。

Previously, a piece of paint the size of a fingernail struck the windscreen of a space shuttle, piercing two of three layers of glass.

此前，一塊指甲大小的油漆打到一艘太空船的擋風玻璃，刺穿了三層厚玻璃的其中兩層。

The fate of Long March 5B could refocus governments and international bodies on the issue of space sustainability, and that could provide more opportunity to firms like UK-based Astroscale that are preparing to tackle the debris problem with commercial junk-collecting services.

長征五號的命運可能使政府及國際組織重新關注太空的永續性問題，而可能給像英國的Astroscale這樣的公司帶來更多機會，這些公司正準備提供收集垃圾之商業化服務，以解決太空垃圾問題。

Astroscale is currently demonstrating a vehicle called “ELSA-d” in lower Earth orbit to show that space debris clean-up is indeed possible. It is a fiendishly difficult task, especially if the target satellite is spinning and tumbling. The test is using a satellite to capture a test drone with a magnet. In time, larger objects will require a robotic arm.

Astroscale正在地球較低軌道展示一種名為「ELSA-d」的運載工具，以證明清除太空垃圾的確可行。這是一項艱鉅的任務，尤其是目標衛星處於旋轉與翻滾的情況時。該測試透過衛星進行，以磁鐵來捕獲測試用無人機，最後也會需要用到機械臂來抓取較大的物體。Source article: https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/lang/archives/2021/05/17/2003757510

更多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

用email訂閱就可以收到通勤學英語節目更新通知。

老師互動信箱: [email protected]

商業合作洽詢: [email protected]

Hello通勤家族，歡迎你收聽15mins Live Podcast直播，在這個新單元可以聽到直播過程中，我的主題分享以及聽眾互動。在這個單元我會用中英文與大家互動，也會跟直播聽眾做當場的 Q and A，幫助解惑與點出學英語的技巧。

未來的週一晚上9pm，會在Mixerbox App與大家進行互動與輕鬆地談些英語學習相關的議題，有空的通勤家族歡迎到Mixerbox與John老師在線上聊聊。

我這一集分享的的主題是，那些年啟發你英語學習的美劇、電影、音樂，shownotes裡有簡易大綱給你參考，有任何相關意見或點子，歡迎寫信到[email protected]。

簡易大綱

那些年啟發你英語學習的美劇/音樂/電影

1. 什麼是啟發？有沒有激發你的好奇心，有沒有讓你問更多的問題？想要了解更多？

2. 經典英文美劇英文是什麼？

• 80年代 李麥克KnightRider，A-Team天龍特攻隊，馬蓋先Mcgyver

• 90年代 Beverly Hills90210 飛越比佛利，Friends六人行，Sex and theCity 慾望城市，海灘遊俠 Baywatch

• 2000年代 Gossip Girl花邊教主，怪醫豪斯 House M.D.，陰屍路 The Walking Dead，CSI Crime Scene Investigation 犯罪現場 ，檀島警騎2.0 Hawaii5-0

3. 80年代電影 Back to theFuture 回到未來，ET，捍衛戰士Top Gun，小子難纏The Karate Kid

4. 90年代 Forrest Gump 阿甘正傳，JurassicPark侏羅紀公園，NottingHill 新娘百分百，鐵達尼號Titanic

6. 為何美劇/音樂可以幫助學英文

• 簡短，著重於人物對話

• 當時的流行文化與流行語

• 可以反覆看

• 每集情境範籌都一致

7. 如何用美劇做英語練習？

• 第一步：先用中文字幕看一遍

• 第二步：再用英文字幕看一遍

• 第三步：最後不用字幕看

• 第四步：比對吸收到的跟沒聽到的資訊

• 最後深度練習：再一段一段用英文字幕去回顧，將聽到的眼睛閱讀到的念出來

8. 猜猜看 經典電影名句

• 鐵達尼號 Titanic - You jump I jump

• 玩命關頭 Fast and Furious - I live my life a quarter mile at a time

• 玩具總動員 Toy Story - To infinity and beyond!

Summary:

The green iguanas were introduced to the Taiwan’s pet market ten years ago. Later, due to their large size, many iguanas were abandoned in the wild. Since then, iguanas have thrived and grown in numbers. Last year local government has started a program to remove non-native species that came under fire by animal right groups.

原跟讀文章: https://www.15mins.today/blog/ep-k073-attacks-on-taiwan-s-invasive?categoryId=89454

Vocabulary and Sample Sentences:

Abandon v.- stop looking after / support

- Pet iguanas were often abandoned because of their large size.

- Children who are abandoned would be send to orphanages.

Invasive adj. – intrude on other people privacy or land

- Iguanas are not an indigenous species of Taiwan, they are considered invasive species.

- My building’s invasive setup of CCTVs everywhere is really annoying.

Conservation n. – prevention the wasteful use of a resource

- Nature conservation is an important topic in reduction of global warming.

- In areas where water is a valuable resource, concepts of water conservation is taught at a young age.

更多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

用email訂閱就可以收到通勤學英語節目更新通知。

商業合作洽詢: [email protected]

每日英語跟讀 Ep.K125: Pineapples highly nutritious, people with certain conditions need to be careful

China’s ban on the importation of Taiwanese pineapples has recently stirred up a “support the pineapples” movement in Taiwan. The pineapple has an auspicious meaning, symbolizing prosperity, but its nutritional value should not be overlooked, either, with pineapples being rich in fructose, enzymes and vitamins. As well as assisting digestion, they can also reduce blood pressure and relieve fatigue, but diabetics and people with gastrointestinal diseases should be careful about eating too many.

近期因為中國禁止進口台灣鳳梨，國內掀起一波「挺鳳梨」風潮！而鳳梨除了代表「旺旺來」的吉祥含意以外，營養價值也不容小覷。鳳梨含有豐富的果糖、酵素、維生素，除了能助消化，還能夠降低血壓、消除疲勞，但若為糖尿病患者或是腸胃疾病患者就要小心食用了。

As well as being rich in fructose, pineapples also contain a protein-digesting enzyme called bromelain that can promote the digestion of protein in food and drinks. According to nutritionist Tsai Ya-chen of the Losheng Sanatorium, enzymes can assist digestion, while dietary fiber promotes intestinal peristalsis and can therefore prevent constipation. However, enzymes are easily affected by high temperatures, so if you want to preserve their enzymatic action, you can use the pineapple as a marinade or add them to a dish just before removing from the heat. Processed products made at high temperatures, such as pineapple jam and canned pineapples, have no enzymatic function. Pineapple cores are the part that contains the most dietary fiber and enzymes, so remember not to cut them out and throw them away.

鳳梨除了豐富果糖外，還含有一種叫作鳳梨酵素的蛋白質消化酵素，可以促進飲食中蛋白質的消化。樂生療養院營養師蔡雅禎表示，酵素能幫助消化，而膳食纖維有助腸蠕動，能預防便祕，但因為酵素易受到高溫影響，想要保有酵素活性，可利用醃料方式或於熄火前再入菜為佳，高溫製成的加工品如鳳梨醬、鳳梨罐頭則無酵素活性。而鳳梨心是膳食纖維和酵素含量最多的地方，切記勿切除丟棄。

Pineapples are relatively vitamin-rich. Vitamin B1 helps to metabolize carbohydrates and maintain good nerve conductivity and repair, and also helps to relieve fatigue and stimulates the appetite. Vitamin C protects blood vessels by reducing oxidative damage to their inner lining, the endothelium. Potassium helps to eliminate excess sodium ions from the body, thus acting as a natural antihypertensive agent. Additionally, due to their characteristic flavor, pineapples can reduce the need for flavorings in cooking, leading to reduced consumption of salt. They also remove carcinogenic nitrites from processed meat products such as sausages and ham.

在水果種類中，鳳梨含有較多的維生素，而維生素B1有助於醣類代謝，維持神經良好的傳導及修復，有助於消除疲勞還可以促進食慾，維生素C則具有保護血管的功效，降低血管內皮的氧化損傷。鉀有助於排除身體過多鈉離子，是天然降壓藥。加上鳳梨的獨特風味，降低烹調中調味料的使用，減少鹽分的攝取。對於肉類加工品，如香腸、火腿中的亞硝酸鹽致癌物也有清除的功能。

Su Chia-hua, director of the Losheng Sanatorium’s nutrition department, says that people with diabetes or gastrointestinal diseases should be careful when consuming pineapples. Pineapples contain large amounts of carbohydrates and have a medium glycemic index, so they can easily cause pronounced blood sugar fluctuations. Diabetics should therefore restrict their daily consumption to two servings of 110 grams each, and they should not eat it too frequently. Furthermore, they must also avoid eating processed pineapple products such as dried and canned pineapple, pineapple jam and pineapple juice. Those who suffer from gastrointestinal diseases should bear in mind that pineapple is rich in enzymes, so as well as avoiding eating it on an empty stomach, if they have peptic ulcers their stomach wall is damaged, so they should do their best to avoid eating pineapple, or at least reduce the amount they consume.

樂生療養院營養室主任蘇嘉華提醒，若糖尿病患者或是腸胃疾病患者，在攝取鳳梨須更加注意，鳳梨含有大量醣類，且屬中昇糖指數（GI值65）的水果，容易讓血糖波動明顯，每天需控制攝取量為兩個一百一十克的份量，減少攝取頻率。不但如此，還需避免鳳梨加工品如鳳梨果乾、鳳梨罐頭、鳳梨醬、鳳梨汁等產品的食用。而腸胃疾病患者，因鳳梨富含酵素，除了須避免空腹食用外，如本身有消化性潰瘍疾病時，因胃壁已有受損情形，應盡量避免食用或減少攝食量。Source article: https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/lang/archives/2021/03/16/2003753884

每日英語跟讀 Ep.K124:  Do you know your Taiwanese pineapple varieties?

Whether eaten as fruit, used in cooking or made into a dessert, everyone has been eating their fill of pineapple recently. However, do you know which variety of the prickly fruit you have been eating or which variety tops the charts as Taiwan’s most prized export variety? Taipei Agricultural Products Marketing Co has put together a Facebook post to give the public a quick rundown of the most common varieties of pineapple found on these islands.

不論是當水果、入菜還是做成點心，最近大啖了這麼多的鳳梨，你知道你吃的是哪一種嗎？哪一種是外銷之冠呢？台北農產運銷公司在臉書粉專分享台灣鳳梨百寶圖，帶大家一分鐘認識台灣常見鳳梨品種。

‧ Golden Diamond Pineapple (Tainung No. 17)

The fruit has a conical appearance and its flesh is golden yellow, sweet and juicy. The optimum time to taste this fruit is between April and May. The Golden Diamond Pineapple is the most widely produced of Taiwan’s pineapple varieties and wears the crown as the nation’s number one export variety.

‧ 金鑽鳳梨（台農十七號）

果實呈圓塔形，果肉金黃甜美多汁，最佳品嚐時間為四到五月份，是台灣鳳梨產量及外銷之冠。

‧ Sweet Honey Pineapple (Tainung No. 16)

This pineapple is cylindrical in shape. Its flesh has delicate fibers and the taste is extremely sweet. The best time of year to eat this archetypal variety of Taiwanese pineapple is between June and August.

‧ 甜蜜蜜鳳梨（台農十六號）

果實呈圓筒形，果肉纖維細緻，甜度高，最佳品嚐時間為六到八月份，是有主題曲《甜蜜蜜》的鳳梨。

Milky Pineapple (Tainung No. 20)

Cylindrical in shape, the Milky Pineapple has a thin rind and its flesh is white in color, fine-fibered and extremely sweet. The best time to sample this variety is between July and September.

‧ 牛奶鳳梨（台農二十號）

果實呈圓筒形，綠皮肉白，纖維細緻，甜度高，適合鮮食，最佳品嚐時間為七到九月份。

‧ Watermelon Pineapple

Commonly referred to as “baijiezai,” it is also known as the “Hulk” of the pineapple world. The harvest season for this variety is between July and September. Its external appearance is fat and cylindrical with a dark green rind and the flesh is delicate and sweet. The Watermelon Pineapple is extremely hefty: three times the weight of a Golden Diamond Pineapple.

‧ 西瓜鳳梨

俗稱白節仔，被稱為鳳梨界浩克，產期七到九月份月，外形飽滿呈圓筒狀，外皮青綠，肉質細緻，甜度高，重量是一般金鑽鳳梨的三倍。

‧ Mango Pineapple (Tainung No. 23)

Short and cylindrical in shape, this variety has soft, yellow-colored flesh made of delicate fibers and a unique mango fragrance. The Mango Pineapple holds up well in storage, giving this variety plenty of export potential.

‧ 芒果鳳梨（台農二十三號）

果實呈短圓筒形，黃色果肉，肉質軟，纖維細，帶有芒果香氣，耐儲運具有外銷潛力。

‧ Cayenne Pineapple

Also known as a “native pineapple” or “traditional pineapple,” the Cayenne Pineapple has a cylindrical appearance, coarsely fibered flesh and a pronounced acidity to its flavor profile. It is chiefly used for canned pineapples and to make pineapple cakes.

‧ 開英種鳳梨

又稱為土鳳梨、傳統鳳梨。外形呈圓筒狀，果肉纖維粗，酸味明顯，為製作鳳梨罐頭及鳳梨酥原料。

‧ Winter Honey Pineapple

(Tainung No. 13 / Sugar Cane Pineapple)

Shaped like a cone, the Winter Honey Pineapple has long, straight leaves. Its flesh is golden yellow with slightly coarse fibers and the flavor is intense. This variety is suited to planting during the winter and is known as the “Elsa” of the pineapple world after the character in the Disney movie Frozen.

‧ 冬蜜鳳梨（台農十三號、甘蔗鳳梨）

果實呈圓錐形，葉子長且直，果肉金黃纖維稍粗，鳳梨味濃郁，適合冬天種植，是鳳梨界的艾莎。Source article: https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/lang/archives/2021/04/25/2003756282

每日英語跟讀 Ep.K123: Looking Back on 100 Years of New York City Drinking Culture, From Gritty to Elegant

The history of drinking in America goes straight through the heart of New York. As with so many aspects of the city, that history has run from gritty to stylish and back again.

美國的飲酒歷史直接穿越紐約的心臟，就像這座城市的許多方面一樣，這段歷史經歷了從粗獷到風雅，再回到當初的過程。

For generations, taverns and saloons were largely places for men to gather, drink, gamble and chew tobacco. Those places could be discerning, as with Fraunces Tavern, a still-existent bar patronized in the 18th century by the likes of George Washington and his soldiers, or more suited to the average Joe, like McSorley’s Old Ale House, which opened in the mid-19th century and, until 1970, admitted only men.

數世代以來，酒館和酒吧大多是男人聚集、喝酒、賭博與嚼菸草的地方。這些地方可能是比較有品味的，像是18世紀喬治華盛頓和他旗下軍人經常光顧、至今依然存在的弗朗西斯酒館，也可能是更適合一般人的，像是19世紀中葉開業，且在1970年前只接待男性的麥克索利酒吧。

By the time McSorley’s had opened, many American bartenders had made a a of inventing what we now think of as craft cocktails. The atmosphere at these locales was often hostile and crude.Prohibition changed all that. The idea of bars as hospitable, welcoming spaces gained traction when liquor sales became illegal.

當麥克索利開業時，許多美國酒保已具備發明現今所謂精調雞尾酒的專長。這些地方的氣氛常常是不友善而且粗魯的。

With the advent of speak-easies, owners and bartenders suddenly had a new clientele: women. The social appeal of speak-easies pulled them into new and vibrant communal spaces. Alongside the new customers came bar stools, live jazz and a new breed of cocktails.

禁酒令改變了這一切。當賣酒變成非法時，酒吧是個好客、歡迎人的場所的想法才流行起來。隨著地下酒吧的出現，業主和酒保突然有了一個新的客群：婦女。地下酒吧的社會吸引力將她們拉進新的、充滿活力的公共空間。除了新客群，還出現了酒吧高腳凳、現場爵士樂與新一代雞尾酒。

Despite the end of Prohibition in 1933, these changes to New York’s drinking culture endured, opening up the cocktail scene to a broader audience.

禁酒令雖於1933年廢止，紐約飲酒文化的這些變化卻持續了下來，將雞尾酒的舞台向更廣泛的觀眾開放。

By the 1960s and into the ‘80s and ‘90s, bar culture in New York had become as varied and textured as the city itself. Cocktail bars got yet another revival at the Rainbow Room, where Dale DeGroff took over the drinks program. In the Village, the Stonewall Inn and others became centers for gay culture, while uptown venues like the Shark Bar attracted a mostly African-American clientele.

到了1960年代並進入1980和1990年代，紐約的酒吧文化已變得跟城市本身一樣多采多姿。 雞尾酒酒吧在戴爾．第格洛夫接管酒單的彩虹廳又迎來一次流行。在紐約格林威治村，石牆酒吧等處所成了同性戀文化的中心，而鯊魚酒吧等曼哈頓上城場所則吸引了以非洲裔美國人為主的客群。

Today, despite an unfortunate turnover rate, modern New York cocktail bars are doing their best to foster a sense of community and hospitality.

現今，儘管翻桌率很低，但現代的紐約雞尾酒酒吧正盡最大努力營造一種社群意識和好客氣氛。

It’s this spirit that an editorial writer for The Brooklyn Eagle captured in an 1885 column (quoted by David Wondrich in his book “Imbibe”). “The modern American,” the paper observed, “looks for civility and he declines to go where rowdy instincts are rampant.”

這正是《布魯克林鷹報》一位主筆1885年在專欄中提到的精神（大衛·旺德里奇在所著《飲酒》一書中引用了這段文字）。該報評論道：「現代美國人追求文明有禮，他拒絕去那些粗暴本能猖獗的地方。」

But American bars are not by definition civil. Luckily, it’s as easy to find your watering hole fit today as it was a century ago.

但從定義上說，美國酒吧並非文明的。幸運的是，今天很容易找到適合你的酒吧，跟一個世紀前一樣。

Source article: https://paper.udn.com/udnpaper/POH0067/335069/web/

每日英語跟讀 Ep.K122: 大眾運輸免費是可行的嗎？Should Public Transit Be Free？

Dionisia Ramos gets on the 37 bus twice a day, rooting through her handbag to dig out the fare and drop it into the slot, so it came as shock several months ago when the bus driver reached out his hand to stop her.

迪歐妮希雅·拉莫斯每天搭37號公車兩次，從包包裡翻出車資投丟入錢箱，因此在數個月前，當公車司機伸手阻止她時，她大吃一驚。

“You don’t have to pay,” he said. “It’s free for the next two years.”

他說：「您不必付款。未來兩年免費。」

Ramos had never heard of anything like this: Someone was paying her bus fare? At 55, she lives on a monthly unemployment check for $235. So saving $2.40 a day, for her trip to and from community college, past the hulking mills of Lawrence’s industrial past — that meant something.

拉莫斯從未聽過這種事，有人幫她付車錢？現年55歲的她靠著每月235美元的失業金生活。因此，對於她往返社區大學、路過麻薩諸塞州勞倫斯市工業時代留下的大型工廠的旅途來說，一天節省2.4美元十分有感。

Since a pilot program began in September, use of the buses has grown by 24%, and the only criticism Ramos has of the city’s experiment with fare-free transit is that it is not permanent.

自9月計畫試行以來，公車使用率增加了24%，拉莫斯對這座城市免費運輸實驗唯一的批評是，它並非永久性的。

“Transportation should be free,” she said. “It’s a basic need. It’s not a luxury.”

她說：「運輸工具免費。這是基本需求，非奢侈享受。」

That argument is bubbling up in lots of places these days, as city officials cast about for big ideas to combat inequality and reduce carbon emissions. Some among them cast transportation as a pure public good, more like policing and less like toll roads.

近來，隨著城市官員廣尋妙計以因應貧富差距並減少碳排放，這種主張也在很多地方深得人心，當中一些人把交通運輸視為一種純粹的公共財，比較像治安，而不像收費公路。

The City Council in Worcester, Massachusetts’ second-largest city, expressed strong support last month for waiving fares for its buses, a move that would cost between $2 million and $3 million a year in lost fares. And fare-free transit is the splashiest policy recommendation of Michelle Wu, a Boston City Council member who is expected by many to run for mayor in 2021.

上個月，麻州第二大城渥斯特的市議會對於停收公車費表達強烈支持，一年損失的票錢將介於200萬到300萬美元間。免費運輸是波士頓市議員吳弭最引人注目的政策建議，眾人預料她將在2021年競選市長。

Larger experiments are underway in other parts of the country. The cities of Kansas City, Missouri, and Olympia, Washington, both declared that their buses would become fare-free this year.

更大規模的實驗正在美國其他地方進行。密蘇里州堪薩斯市與華盛頓州奧林匹亞市均宣布，今年起公車免費搭乘。

The argument against fare-free transit is a simple one: Who is going to pay for it?

反對公共運輸免費者理由很簡單，即誰來買單。

In communities where ridership has been falling, the cost of waiving fares may be less than expected.

在搭乘率一直下降的社區裡，免費搭乘的成本可能低於預期。

Mayor Daniel Rivera of Lawrence, intrigued after hearing his friend Wu speak about fare-free transit, asked his regional transit authority how much was collected on three of the city’s most-used bus lines. The answer was such a small amount — $225,000 — that he could offset it from the city’s surplus cash reserves.

勞倫斯市長丹尼爾·里維拉聽吳弭談到免費運輸時很感興趣，詢問屬下區域運輸當局，市內搭乘人數最多的3條公車路線能收多少車資。答案是為數不多的22.5萬美元，他用市府剩餘的預備金就可攤銷。

“What I like is the doability of this, the simplicity of it,” Rivera said. “We are already subsidizing this mode of transportation, so the final mile is very short. It isn’t a service people need to pay for; it’s a public good.”

里維拉說：「我喜歡的是它的可行性和簡單性。我們已在補貼這種運輸方式，所以最後一哩路並不長。這不是人們需要付費的服務，這是個公共財。」

Around 100 cities in the world offer free public transit, the vast majority of them in Europe, especially France and Poland.

世界上約有100個城市提供免費公共運輸，絕大多數在歐洲，尤其是法國跟波蘭。

Source article: https://udn.com/news/story/6904/4397156

更多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

用email訂閱就可以收到通勤學英語節目更新通知。

老師互動信箱: [email protected]

商業合作洽詢: [email protected]

每日英語跟讀 Ep.K121: About health andscience - Spanking may affect brain development in children

Spanking may affect a child’s brain development in similar ways to more severe forms of violence, according to a new study led by Harvard researchers.

哈佛大學研究人員領導的一項新研究表明，打屁股對兒童大腦發育的影響，可能與更嚴重的暴力虐待造成的後果類似。

The research, published recently in the journal Child Development, builds on existing studies that show heightened activity in certain regions of the brains of children who experience abuse in response to threat cues.

這篇最近發表在《兒童發育》期刊上的研究，以現有的一些研究為基礎，這些研究發現，遭受虐待的兒童在回應威脅提示時，大腦的特定區域活動會增強。

The group found that children who had been spanked had a greater neural response in multiple regions of the prefrontal cortex (PFC). These areas of the brain respond to cues in the environment that tend to be consequential, such as a threat, and may affect decision-making and processing of situations.

研究團隊發現，打屁股會增強兒童大腦前額葉皮層（PFC）多個區域的神經反應。大腦的這些區域會根據環境中的威脅等重要線索做出反應，並可能影響兒童的決策，以及對局勢的分析能力。

According to the study’s authors, corporal punishment has been linked to the development of mental health issues, anxiety, depression, behavioral problems, and substance use disorders.

研究作者指出，體罰一直和心理健康問題、焦慮、憂鬱、行為問題及藥物濫用有關。

Next

Coffee before exercise increases fat-burning/運動前喝咖啡增加燃脂

If you’re looking to maximize the amount of fat burned in your next workout, think about having a coffee half an hour before you get started – as a new study suggests it can make a significant difference to fat burning, especially later on in the day.

如果你希望在下次運動健身時最大程度地燃燒脂肪，不妨考慮在開始之前半小時喝咖啡—因為有新研究表明，它可以使脂肪燃燒量明顯變化，尤其是在下午。

Researchers found that 3 milligrams of caffeine per kilogram of body weight can boost the rate of fat burning during aerobic exercise, based on results gathered from 15 male volunteers.

研究人員發現，根據從15名男性志願者收集到的結果，按每公斤體重3毫克的量來攝取咖啡因，就可以提高有氧運動期間的脂肪燃燒率。

The coffee dose was shown to increase maximal fat oxidation rate（MFO, a measure of how efficiently the body burns off fat）by an average of 10.7 percent in the morning and 29 percent in the afternoon.

研究表明，這個咖啡攝取量可以增加最大脂肪氧化率（MFO，衡量人體燃燒脂肪效率的指標），上午平均增加10.7%，下午增加29%。

This is a study with a fairly small sample of participants, so it’s important not to jump to too broad a conclusion, but the results are clear enough to suggest that there is some kind of association there.

由於該研究的參與者樣本數很少，因此重要的是不要過於廣泛下結論，但結果足夠清楚，表明存在某種關聯。

Next

Study Shows Baldness Can Be a Business Advantage 研究：光頭可成職場優勢

Men with shaved heads are perceived to be more masculine, dominant and, in some cases, to have greater leadership potential than those with longer locks or with thinning hair, according to a recent study out of the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School.

賓州大學華頓商學院最近的一項研究顯示，剃光頭的男人讓人覺得更有男人味和支配地位，在某些情況下，他們比頭髮較長或者頭髮稀疏的男人看起來更具領導潛力。

Some executives say the style makes them appear younger—or at least, makes their age less evident—and gives them more confidence than a comb-over or monk-like pate.

一些主管認為，光頭的髮型讓他們看起來更年輕，至少沒那麼顯老，而且相較於將頭髮梳向一邊或像修道士一樣的腦袋瓜，這種髮型能讓他們感到更自信。

The study found that men with thinning hair were viewed as the least attractive and powerful of the bunch, a finding that tracks with other studies showing that people perceive men with typical male-pattern baldness as older and less attractive. For those men, the solution could be as cheap and simple as a shave.

該研究發現，頭髮稀疏的男人被認為最沒有魅力、最沒有力量的一群人。這一結果也與其他研究相符，這些研究表明，人們認為典型的雄性禿頭讓男人看上去更老，更缺乏魅力。對於這些男人來說，既便宜又簡單的解決辦法就是剃個頭。

更多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

用email訂閱就可以收到通勤學英語節目更新通知。

老師互動信箱: [email protected]

商業合作洽詢: [email protected]

Hello通勤家族，歡迎你收聽15mins Live Podcast直播，在這個新單元可以聽到直播過程中，我的主題分享以及聽眾互動。在這個單元我會用中英文與大家互動，也會跟直播聽眾做當場的 Q and A，幫助解惑與點出學英語的技巧。

未來的週一晚上9pm，會在Mixerbox App與大家進行互動與輕鬆地談些英語學習相關的議題，有空的通勤家族歡迎到Mixerbox與John老師在線上聊聊。

我這一集分享的的主題是，最容易搞論的英文字，shownotes裡有簡易大綱給你參考，有任何相關意見或點子，歡迎寫信到[email protected]。

簡易大綱

最常唸錯的英文字有哪幾種？

1. 發音很像，拼字不一樣

o There vs. their (那邊 vs. 他們)

o Site vs. sight (場地 vs. 視覺)

2. 發音不一樣，拼字很像

o Dessert vs. desert (甜點 vs. 沙漠)

o Dairy vs. diary (牛奶 vs. 日記)

3. 詞性不同，而換重音的

o Analysis vs. analyst (分析 vs. 分析師)

o Economyvs. economic (經濟體 vs. 經濟性效應)

4. 英式美式英文

o Defense vs. Defence 

o Color vs. colour

5. 國內特殊用法

o You-tu-be (You-tube)

o Sky-pe (Skype)

o A– p – p (App)

更多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

用email訂閱就可以收到通勤學英語節目更新通知。

商業合作洽詢: [email protected]