通勤學英語 15Mins Today

每日英語跟讀 Ep.K113: About UK - UK gamers and politicians take aim at console ’scalpers’

Furious British gamers and lawmakers are training their sights on "scalpers" who are buying up coveted PS5 and Xbox consoles and selling them online at vastly inflated prices.

氣沖沖的英國玩家和議員將焦點指向「黃牛」，這些黃牛買光搶手的PS5、Xbox電玩主機，然後在網路上以大幅灌水的價格出售。

The popular consoles have also been hard to come by in other parts of the world, but in Britain anger has boiled over to the point where some lawmakers want to ban the practice of reselling them online at higher prices.

這些熱門電玩主機在世界其他地方也一機難求，但是在英國掀起的怒火已沸騰，一些議員為此打算禁止網路高價轉售的作法。

While a PS5 normally costs between £360 and £450 depending on the model, its median resale price on sites like eBay is £650-£750, according to US researcher Michael Driscoll.

根據美國研究員麥可．德里斯考的說法，通常一部PS5依版本差異，售價在360英鎊到450英鎊之間，但在諸如「電子海灣」的網站上轉售價中位數為650到750英鎊不等。

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British Town Crier Championships to be held in silence due to Covid 因為疫情 英國街頭傳告員競賽將在沉默中舉辦

For the first time in its history, this year the British Town Crier Championships are to be held in perfect silence, with the country’s traditional news-bearers to be judged on the quality of their written cries alone.

今年是有史以來第一次「英國街頭傳告員競賽」以完全無聲的方式舉行，僅憑書面傳告品質來評審該國的傳統新聞傳遞者。

While judges are usually focused on "three distinct parts of a cry" – sustained volume and clarity, diction and inflection, and content – this year they will focus on whether cries have stuck to the theme and the 140-word limit.

通常評審都會聚焦於「傳告三個截然不同的部分」，持久的音量及清晰度、詞藻及聲調，與內容，今年他們將聚焦於傳告是否固守主題與140字上限。

The theme for this year’s competition is "nature and the environment" in support of mental health week 10-16 May.

今年競賽的主題是「自然與環境」，以支持5月10至16日的心理健康週。

The British Town Crier dates back to at least the Norman invasion, with two bellmen appearing in the Bayeux tapestry. Town criers were employed to tell townspeople the latest news, proclamations and bylaws, grabbing their attention by ringing a handbell.

街頭傳告員最早可追溯至諾曼人入侵，有兩名傳告員出現在貝葉掛毯上。城鎮傳告員受僱告訴小鎮民眾最新新聞、公告，與規章制度，透過搖手鈴吸引人們的注意。

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Prince William was named ’world’s sexiest bald man’ 威廉王子獲選為「全球最性感禿頭男」

On Saturday, the UK publication The Sun published a story claiming that Prince William is the "world’s sexiest bald man" based on a survey conducted by Longevita, a cosmetics surgery company that provides hair transplants.

週六，英國《太陽報》刊登一則報導，聲稱威廉王子是「全球最性感的禿頭男」，該報導是根據一家提供毛髮移植的整形手術公司Longevita所做的一項調查。

The Sun reported that the survey results were determined by analyzing "blogs, reports, and pages found in Google searches" with the word "sexy."

《太陽報》報導，調查結果是以「性感」一詞，透過對「部落格、報導和在Google搜索中找到的頁面」進行分析而得出。

Based on the survey, The Sun wrote, the Duke of Cambridge’s name was mentioned 17.6 million times. The article went on to name the other famous faces who took up the next nine spots in the survey’s results.

根據這項調查，《太陽報》寫道，劍橋公爵（威廉王子）的名字被提及1760萬次。這篇文章繼續列舉調查結果中排在他之後的9位名人。

After Prince William, Mike Tyson came in second place, followed by "Fast & Furious" star Jason Statham, rapper Pitbull, Michael Jordan, boxer Floyd Mayweather, John Travolta, Bruce Willis, Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, and actor Vin Diesel.

在威廉王子之後，（拳王）泰森排在第2位，其後是電影《玩命關頭》明星傑森史塔森、饒舌歌手Pitbull（嘻哈鬥牛梗）、（籃球明星）喬丹、拳擊手梅威瑟、約翰屈伏塔、布魯斯威利、杜威．「巨石」．強森，以及演員馮迪索。Source article: https://features.ltn.com.tw/english/article/paper/1446402; https://features.ltn.com.tw/english/article/paper/1445632; https://features.ltn.com.tw/english/article/paper/1443919

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

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

每週In-TENSE文法練習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。

每日英語跟讀 Ep.K112: New Taipei City to strictly ban e-cigarettes

The New Taipei City Council passed the draft New Taipei City self-government ordinance for e-cigarettes and heated tobacco devices on its third reading on April 29. In addition to stipulating that people under the age of 18 are not allowed to smoke or possess e-cigarettes and heated smoking devices, the ordinance also prohibits the manufacture and sale of e-cigarettes in New Taipei City. This means in effect that e-cigarettes will not be allowed in New Taipei City in future. Offenders will be fined from NT$10,000 up to NT$100,000 and may be fined consecutively per violation or ordered to suspend their business or manufacture.

新北市議會四月二十九日三讀通過「新北市電子煙及加熱式菸具管理自治條例」，除了規範未滿十八歲者不得吸菸或持有電子煙及加熱式菸具，也禁止在新北市製造及販賣，形同未來在新北市內不得出現電子煙；一旦違反，將處一萬元以上、十萬元以下罰鍰，並得按次處罰或勒令停業、停工。

Chen Ran-chou, Commissioner of New Taipei City Government’s Department of Health, said that according to a survey conducted by the Ministry of Health and Welfare’s National Health Agency, the number of young people smoking e-cigarettes has increased. However, the Tobacco Hazards Prevention Act only regulates the prohibition of tobacco imports and sales, and there is no law applicable to those who bring in e-cigarettes from abroad for their own use and possession. In addition, the penalty for illegally selling e-cigarettes is only a fine of NT$1,000 to NT$3,000. Moreover, the penalties apply only to cigarette-shaped devices — but electronic cigarettes come in various shapes and forms, so that businesses that sell non-cigarette-shaped e-cigarettes tend to win their appeals after being fined.

衛生局長陳潤秋表示，依據衛福部國民健康署調查，青少年吸電子煙比率增加，但「菸害防制法」僅規範不可以輸入、販賣，對自行從國外帶進來吸食、持有的，無法可管，且對違規販售電子煙也僅能開罰一千元到三千元；此外，開罰對象也限具菸品形狀，但電子煙的形狀五花八門，以致販售不具菸品形狀電子煙的業者被罰後，常能訴願成功。

Now that the New Taipei City self-government ordinance for e-cigarettes and heated tobacco devices has been passed, it will be processed by the Executive Yuan for approval. After approval, the ordinance will be promulgated and go into force in three months, making New Taipei City the seventh city or county to have such an ordinance regulating e-cigarettes, following Hsinchu City, Taichung, Chiayi County, Yilan County, Kaohsiung and Taoyuan, but New Taipei City’s regulations are by far the strictest.

「新北市電子煙及加熱式菸具管理自治條例」通過後，將送行政院核定，核定通過後將在三個月內公告實施，成為繼新竹市、台中市、嘉義縣、宜蘭縣、高雄市、桃園市後，第七個通過自治條例的縣市，但規範最為嚴格。Source article: https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/lang/archives/2021/05/03/2003756713

通勤學英語15mins.Today榮獲

• Apple Podcast 2020年十大熱門節目

• KKBox 2020年十大Podcast風雲榜 (唯一語言學習Podcast)

• Himalaya 人氣票選播客總冠軍

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

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

每週In-TENSE文法練習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。

每日英語跟讀 Ep.K111: Saudi Society Is Changing Just Take a Look at These Coffeehouses

For insight into these head-spinning times in Saudi Arabia, where the ultraconservative social and religious codes that micromanage daily life seem to spring a new leak every month — women driving! movie theaters! Usher and Akon rapping to sold-out crowds! — it sometimes pays to read the Google Maps reviews of specialty coffee shops.

沙烏地阿拉伯極度保守的社會和宗教規範控制了日常生活每個細節，最近這些規範似乎每個月都出現新的破口：允許女性開車！准許電影院營運！美國節奏藍調歌手亞瑟小子和阿肯到沙國表演說唱樂的門票賣光！為了深刻了解沙國這些令人頭暈目眩的時刻，有時值得讀讀谷歌地圖中針對沙國精品咖啡店的網友評價。

“I visited this place and was in a total shock!” Tarak Alhamood, a customer at Nabt Fenjan, a Riyadh coffee shop, raged online recently. “YOU r VIOLATING the rules of this country. I hope this place get closed permanently.”

首都利雅德「納特芬詹」咖啡店的顧客艾哈穆德，最近在網路上開罵：「我去過這個地方，非常震驚！你們這家店違反我國規定。希望這裡永遠關門。」

The issue was the decision that made Nabt Fenjan a daring outpost of the new Riyadh: Originally opened only for women, the coffee shop began allowing male and female customers to mix in late 2018.

問題出在一個決定，這決定使納特芬詹成了新風貌利雅德大無畏的前哨站：這家咖啡店原本只限女性入內，2018年底開始允許男女顧客共聚一堂。

The move propelled the cafe ahead of the law in the kingdom, where most restaurants and coffee shops are divided, by law and custom, into all-male “singles” sections and “family” sections for women and mixed family groups. Men enter through separate doors and pay in separate lines; women sometimes eat behind partitions to ensure privacy from male strangers.

這個舉動使納特芬詹比沙國法律還先進。沙國多數餐廳和咖啡館都依照法律和習俗實行男女隔離制度，分成全是男性的「單身」區和女性及男女混合家庭團體的「家庭」區。男性從另外的門口進入，付帳時也在另外的動線上排隊。女性有時在隔板後方進餐，確保不被陌生男性看到。

In early December, however, the government announced that businesses would no longer be required to segregate customers — the latest expansion of the social reforms initiated by the de facto Saudi ruler, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

但去年12月初，沙國政府宣布，商家無須再把男女顧客隔開。這是沙國實質領袖、王儲穆罕默德所發動社會改革的最新進展。

Yet Nabt Fenjan was far from the only Saudi establishment to discreetly drop separate sections over the last few years, after the crown prince defanged the religious police, which once enforced conservative social norms. Nor was it the only place to thrive partly as a result.

不過，在王儲限制宗教警察的權力之後，納特芬詹絕非沙國近年小心翼翼捨棄男女隔離體制的唯一機構，也不是或多或少因而生意興隆的唯一地方。沙國宗教警察曾嚴格執行保守的社會規範。

“I think the reason coffee shops became a trend is because people are more open to change,” said Shaden Alkhalifah, 30, who was studying at Draft Café in Riyadh on a recent evening.

30歲的雪登．阿爾哈利法最近一個晚上在利雅德「草圖咖啡廳」研讀資料，她說：「咖啡館流行起來，是因為人們更歡迎改變。」

Notwithstanding Alhamood’s Google pan of Nabt Fenjan, even traditionalists have begun to unbend amid the general loosening-up, in larger cities if not yet in smaller ones or rural areas.

儘管艾哈穆德在谷歌上痛批納特芬詹，但就連恪守傳統的人也在這波社會風氣鬆綁的大潮中開始放鬆，或許尚未及於小城市和鄉間，卻已出現在大城市。

Some women whose families might previously have allowed them to work only in the privacy of offices, if at all, now hold barista jobs. Saudis can now mingle with the opposite sex not only at home but also at movie theaters, concerts and even wrestling matches.

一些沙國女性原本即使家人允許她們出來工作，也只能在具私密性的辦公室內工作，如今卻幹起了咖啡師。沙國人現在可以跟異性共處一堂，不只在家裡，在電影院、音樂會，甚至摔角比賽都行。

Source article: https://udn.com/news/story/6904/4414614

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

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

每週In-TENSE文法練習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。

Hello 通勤家族，這一集，大家會聽到我們第一次的15mins Live Podcast直播，這個是前一週，John老師在Mixerbox 做語音互動時，側錄下來的單元。

下週一晚上9pm也會在Mixerbox App與大家進行互動與輕鬆地談些英語學習相關的議題。我門15mins live Podcast除了會用中英文與大家互動外，也會有主題以及John老師的分享補充。未來幾週會嘗試主持這樣的Live語音互動，有空的人歡迎到Mixerbox與John老師聊聊。

我們這一集的主題是，如何打好英文基礎，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]。

Mixerbox App 蘋果

- https://apps.apple.com/tw/app/mixerbox%E9%9F%B3%E6%A8%82mp3%E8%88%87podcast%E6%92%AD%E6%94%BE%E5%99%A8mb3/id956081467

Mixerbox App  安卓

- https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=mbinc12.mb32&hl=zh_TW&gl=US

如何打好英語基礎

1. 成人的痛點是什麼？

• 沒興趣/討厭英文

• 沒時間

• 因年齡/時間，學習能力降低

2. 你認為的「英文基礎」是什麼？

• 發音？文法？單字量？語感？還是聽力？

3. 聽、說、讀、寫，為何是這個順序？

4. Input輸入 Vs. Output輸出

5. 跟讀有什麼好處？

6.  通勤學英語的網路資源

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

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

每週In-TENSE文法練習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。

Summary: 

The pandemic has not only led to a shortage of toilet paper, hand sanitizers, surgical masks, and now also parking space in NYC. For those who are concerned about travelling via public transportation would turn to cars. The increased car ownership is now fighting for free street parking with NYC restaurants looking to survive through public dining on sidewalks and street parking. Biker and pedestrians in NYC are also demanding more space in the city.

原跟讀文章: https://www.15mins.today/blog/ep-k062-the-fight-over-parking-in-new-york-is-like-the-hunger?categoryId=89454

Vocabulary and samples sentences: 

Shortage n. – situation where something cannot be obtained 

•   During the past year, households have to deal with shortages in alcohol, hand sanitizer, and surgical masks. 

• The shortage of free parking in Taipei has always been an issue for car owners. 

A ticket n. - piece of paper that gives the holder right to access ; a fine 

• If you violate traffic regulations, you will get a ticket from the traffic police. 

• Please pay your parking ticket at the kiosk when you leave the parking lot. 

Pavement / sidewalk n. – the paved area where pedestrians walk on 

• On busy streets, it is best for children to ride their bicycles on the pavement. 

• Restaurants are taking over the sidewalk to offer outdoor dining with social distancing to customers.

通勤學英語15mins.Today榮獲

• Apple Podcast 2020年十大熱門節目

• KKBox 2020年十大Podcast風雲榜 (唯一語言學習Podcast)

• Himalaya 人氣票選播客總冠軍

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

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

每週In-TENSE文法練習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。

每日英語跟讀 Ep.K110: About technology - No roof to install solar panel ? Buy one at a park

Lithuania is pioneering a scheme to allow city-dwellers who do not own the roof over their apartment blocks to buy solar panels located in special rural parks for their cheaper energy needs.

立陶宛正開創一項作法，讓自家樓上無自有屋頂的城市居民，可以購買位於特定郊區公園的太陽能板，滿足其較廉價能源的需求。

"You invest upfront, but then for the next 20-25 years you save on electricity costs," said Vytautas Plunksnis, who bought a 1.5 kw panel located at one solar park.

「你預先投資，但是可為接下來20到25年省下電費」，買下設於一處太陽能公園一片1.5千瓦太陽能板的普朗克尼斯說。

The park is situated next to an old decommissioned gas power plant which was blanketed in snow this week.

這座公園坐落於一處已除役的舊燃氣發電廠旁，本週廠房覆滿了雪。

"It’s winter, there’s very little sun, so I cannot say that I have much savings, but I understand that most of my electricity will be generated in summertime," Plunksnis said. （Reuters）

普朗克尼斯說，「這是冬天，很少陽光，所以我沒辦法說我存下多少，但是我了解，我的電力大部分會在夏天時產生」。

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Lost Passwords Lock Millionaires Out of Their Bitcoin Fortunes 丟失密碼讓百萬富翁無法取得他的比特幣財富

Stefan Thomas, a programmer living in San Francisco, has two guesses left to figure out a password that is worth about $220 million.

居於舊金山的程式設計師斯特凡．湯瑪斯只剩下兩次猜測的機會，能找出價值約2.2億美元的密碼。

The password will let him unlock a small hard drive which contains the private keys to a digital wallet that holds 7,002 Bitcoin.

這組密碼能讓他解鎖1枚含有幾把數位錢包私密鑰匙的小硬碟，錢包內裝了7002枚比特幣。

The problem is that Mr. Thomas years ago lost the paper where he wrote down the password for his hard drive, which gives users 10 guesses before it seizes up and encrypts its contents forever. He has since tried eight of his most commonly used password formulations — to no avail.

問題是，湯瑪斯幾年前弄丟了1張他曾寫下硬碟密碼的紙，而硬碟在永久停用並加密內容之前，給使用者10次猜密碼的機會。他已經嘗試了8組他最常用的密碼組合，但都沒有成功。

Of the existing 18.5 million Bitcoin, around 20 percent appear to be in lost or otherwise stranded wallets, according to the cryptocurrency data firm Chainalysis.

加密貨幣數據公司Chainalysis指出，目前有1850萬枚比特幣，約佔20%，處於被遺失或打不開的狀態。Source article: https://features.ltn.com.tw/english/article/paper/1438998 ; https://features.ltn.com.tw/english/article/paper/1428060

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

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

每週In-TENSE文法練習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。

每日英語跟讀 Ep.K109: Big Meat Hops on the Meatless Bandwagon

Beyond Meat and Impossible Foods, scrappy startups that share a penchant for superlatives and a commitment to protecting the environment, have dominated the relatively new market for vegetarian food that looks and tastes like meat.

超越肉類公司與不可能食品公司是同樣偏愛最高級事物，並致力保護環境、敢作敢為的兩家新創企業，已在外觀和口味都像肉的素食食品的新市場稱霸。

But with plant-based burgers, sausages and chicken increasingly popular and available in fast-food restaurants and grocery stores across the United States, a new group of companies has started making meatless meat: the food conglomerates and meat producers that Beyond Meat and Impossible Foods originally set out to disrupt.

而隨著植物製漢堡、香腸和雞肉在美國速食店與雜貨店日益受到歡迎，又有一批公司開始生產不含肉的肉品，而這些業者正是超越與不可能當初列為顛覆目標的食品集團和肉品生產商。

In recent months, major food companies like Tyson, Smithfield, Perdue, Hormel and Nestlé have rolled out their own meat alternatives, filling supermarket shelves with plant-based burgers, meatballs and chicken nuggets.

近幾個月，泰森、史密斯菲爾德、寶鵰、荷美爾和雀巢等大型食品公司各自推出肉類替代品，在超市貨架上擺滿了植物製漢堡、肉丸和雞塊。

Once largely the domain of vegans and vegetarians, plant-based meat is fast becoming a staple of more people’s diets, as consumers look to reduce their meat intake amid concerns about its health effects and contribution to climate change. Analysts project that the market for plant-based protein and lab-created meat alternatives could be worth as much as $85 billion by 2030.

曾大致劃歸純素和一般素食者專屬領域的植物製肉品，正迅速成為更多人正餐主食，因為消費者希望減少肉類攝取量，以免對自己的健康和氣候變遷造成不利影響。分析師預估，植物製蛋白質跟實驗室培養製造的肉類替代品，2030年時市場價值將高達850億美元。

Now, at supermarkets across the United States, shoppers can find plant-based beef and chicken sold alongside the packaged meat products that generations of Americans have eaten.

現在，購物者在全美超市均能找到植物製牛雞肉，跟歷代美國人吃的袋裝肉一起展售。

“There is a growing demand out there,” said John Pauley, the chief commercial officer for Smithfield, one of the largest pork producers in the country. “We’d be foolish not to pay attention.”

美國最大豬肉品生產商之一史密斯菲爾德的商務長保利說：「需求愈來愈大。我們不去注意就太愚蠢了。」

In September, Nestlé released the Awesome Burger, its answer to the meatless patties of Beyond Meat and Impossible Foods. Smithfield started a line of soy-based burgers, meatballs and sausages, and Hormel began offering plant-based ground meat.

今年九月，雀巢推出「令人讚嘆漢堡」來迎戰超越與不可能的無肉肉餅，史密斯菲爾德亦開賣大豆製漢堡、肉丸和香腸，荷美爾則開始提供植物製絞肉。

Many supporters of meatless alternatives have hailed the new products as a sign that plant-based meat has gained widespread acceptance.

許多無肉替代品支持者對這種新產品表示歡迎，認為這代表植物製的肉已廣獲接受。

But the emergence of these meat companies in the plant-based protein market has also prompted suspicion and unease among some environmental activists, who worry the companies could co-opt the movement by absorbing smaller startups, or simply use plant-based burgers to draw attention away from other environmental misdeeds.

但這些肉品公司涉足植物製蛋白質市場，引起一些環保人士懷疑和不安，他們擔心這些公司恐透過吸納規模較小的新創企業來收服這項運動，或乾脆使用植物製漢堡來引開人們對其他不環保行為的注意力。

Pat Brown, the chief executive of Impossible Foods, has long described the project of creating faux meat as an environmental imperative. Brown has even set a deadline: eliminate animal products from the global food supply by 2035.

不可能食品公司執行長布朗一向把創造人造肉的計畫描述成一種環保責任。布朗甚至設定了最終期限，2035年之前要把動物產品自全球食物供應中剔除。

Not all his new rivals are quite so idealistic. Their goal is not to upend the meat industry in the name of sustainability. It is mainly to make money.

他的新競爭對手並非全都如此理想主義。他們的目標不是顛覆肉品業以追求永續，主要是為了賺錢。Source article: https://udn.com/news/story/6904/4169563

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每日英語跟讀 Ep.K108: About the UK - Coronavirus-free Scottish island up for auction

目前全球多國再陷疫情危機，不少國家陸續實施封城計畫，民眾只能乖乖待在家配合防疫。對此，英國一家拍賣行近日在官網拍賣一座位於蘇格蘭的美麗島嶼，整座島售價8萬英鎊 (約新台幣315萬元)，再加贈一座美麗古堡。

Many countries are struggling with the fourth wave of the coronavirus, with countries implementing lockdown and stay-at-home order.

In response, a British auction house is selling a beautiful island in Scotland for £80,000 (about NT$3.15 million), which comes with a beautiful castle.

根據CNN報導，這座位在蘇格蘭高地的小島占地11英畝，美麗又幽靜的湖泊環繞四周，且由於此處地處偏遠，可以享受「免受病毒侵擾」的優閒生活。

According to CNN, this small island in the Scottish Highlands covers 11 acres is surrounded by beautiful and tranquil lochs.

Also, you can enjoy living on the island with zero chance of intrusion due to the remote location.

刊登此座島嶼競標資訊的英國拍賣公司「Future Property」表示，這座島嶼長達五百年無人居住，且一直以來都是由同一家族所擁有。

Future Property, the British auction house that published the island’s bid information, said the island had been uninhabited for 500 years and had always been owned by the same family.

Next Article

衛報再讚台灣抗疫效力  The Guardian praises Taiwan’s triumph over COVID-19 compared to Britain

隨著COVID-19疫苗施打，很多人開始回想起疫情剛爆發時的狀況，不知道生活什麼時候會回歸正常。

With the gradual, worldwide distribution of COVID-19 vaccines, many look back to where it all began, wondering when life will return to normal.

疫情已肆虐超過一年，讓許多國家醫療體系負荷不了，外國媒體開始分析為何如同台灣，也是個島國的英國，未能成功將疫情壓下。

As the virus continues to wreak havoc in its second year around the sun, foreign media reflect on precisely what Britain, an island just like Taiwan, did wrong in its virus-prevention response.

英國媒體《衛報》點出兩國的相似處，包括台灣和英國皆為由民主政府统治，都是島嶼國家，都有大量人口生活在擁擠的城市裡，也都有方便、健全的醫療體系。

According to an article published in The Guardian, the authors first listed various similarities between both countries, including both being ruled by a democratic government, both are islands, both have large populations living in crowded cities with medical care that is accessible.

文章指出，台灣之所以能夠較順利地躲過疫情主要是基於政府的作法。

The article pointed out that Taiwan’s main reason to ride out the pandemic relatively unscathed is primarily rooted in the approach the government took.

文章在比較兩國的對應作法時點出，英國這次錯在以流感方式看待這次的疫情，著重於限制它的蔓延而非將其消滅。

In comparing both countries’ government responses, the article states that Britain made the disastrous decision to treat the pandemic like the flu and limit its spread instead of stamping it out.

另一方面，台灣記取2003年SARS的教訓，立即關閉邊境，有效的減少病例數量。

On the other hand, Taiwan built on its past experience dealing with the 2003 SARS outbreak, and border control was immediately in place, effectively limiting the number of cases.

文章也引用愛丁堡疫情研究專家Jay Patel的言論，表示英國專注在如何防止病例數超過健保的負荷量，而台灣則是專注在徹底消除病毒。

The article quoted Jay Patel, a Covid-19 researcher at Edinburgh, who stated that Britain mainly focused on “preventing the number of cases to exceed what the healthcare capacity could handle,” while Taiwan was focused on “eliminating” the virus entirely.

台灣政府快速的意識到疫情的嚴重性至今仍被許多人讚賞，而衛報也點出即使台灣沒辦法加入世界衛生組織，卻在疫情剛爆發時殷勤的警告各國疫情有可能有人傳人的傳播途徑。

The Taiwanese government’s quick realization of the seriousness of the COVID-19 threat was lauded by many. Though the country was barred from the WHO, the Guardian notes that Taiwan did try to raise the alarm internationally about the possibility of fast transmission between humans. Source article: https://chinapost.nownews.com/20210322-2267859 ; https://chinapost.nownews.com/20210324-2281263

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每日英語跟讀 Ep.K107: ‘My Turn to Get Robbed’: Delivery Workers Are Targets in the Pandemic

The delivery of restaurant orders and other goods has become a bigger part of daily life across the nation since the pandemic forced millions of people indoors. And in New York City the delivery workers have become a lifeline for people working from home and for vulnerable residents who have been warned against going outside.

自從新冠肺炎疫情迫使數以百萬計的人待在室內後，餐點等商品的外送服務在全美人民的日常生活中，分量變得更重了。而在紐約，對於在家工作者和被警告別外出的高風險居民而言，快遞員更成了他們的救生索。

On any given day thousands of men, and a growing number of women, can be seen crisscrossing city arteries, transporting takeout, groceries and medicine in plastic bags on top of their well-worn bikes.

每一天，數以千計男性和愈來愈多的女性騎著已經不新的電動自行車在紐約幹道上穿梭，把裝在塑膠袋裡的外送餐點、食品雜貨和藥品送到收貨人手中。

But their visibility has also made them targets for opportunistic criminals looking for a quick profit through robbery, as the unemployment rate has spiked into the double digits and economic desperation has grown in the city’s less affluent neighborhoods, which were already hit hard by the pandemic.

不過，隨著紐約較不富裕的地區受到疫情重創，失業率飆升到兩位數，人們需錢孔急，處處可見的快遞員便成了想靠搶劫快速得到錢的投機罪犯鎖定的目標。

Stolen electric bikes can be easily sold on the streets for cash or dismantled for their parts. The bikes can cost thousands of dollars and are vital tools for the workers, who often make less than $60 a day. Many have come to rely on the bikes, because they can go about 20 mph, enabling workers to travel farther and make more trips to increase their slim bottom lines.

偷來的電動自行車很容易在街上轉賣或拆零件變賣。新的電動自行車售價可能高達幾千美元，而且對一天經常賺不到60美元的快遞員來說不可或缺。許多快遞員依賴電動自行車，因為這種車時速能達到32公里，讓快遞員能送貨到更遠處，並接更多單以增加微薄的收入。

The theft of electric bikes doubled during the first year of the pandemic, rising to 328 in 2020.

在疫情流行的第一年，也就是2020年，電動自行車竊案翻倍至328起。

Investigators said robbers often use fraudulent credit cards to call in bogus orders and lure delivery workers to secluded locations. The delivery workers then are faced with two dire options: let go of the pricey bikes they need to remain employed or risk injury and even death.

辦案人員說，搶劫者常常用偽造或偷來的信用卡下個假訂單，把快遞員引到偏僻處下手，快遞員接著會面臨兩個極端選擇，不是放棄賴以工作的昂貴電動自行車，就是冒著受傷甚至死亡的風險把自行車追回來。

“We believe more often than not it is a setup,” said Rodney Harrison, the New York Police Department’s chief of department.

紐約市警察局總警監哈里森說：「我們認為這通常是設下的圈套。」

The northern section of Manhattan, Southern Brooklyn and the Bronx have seen the biggest spikes in robberies, investigators said. Most of the victims were threatened with sharp objects, guns and other weapons.

辦案人員指出，曼哈頓北部、布魯克林南部和布朗克斯的搶劫案增加最多。嫌犯多半拿銳器、槍枝等武器威脅受害者。

There were about 50,000 commercial cyclists in New York in 2012, the most recent year for which data is available, city transportation officials said. That figure has since soared, by some activists’ estimates, to about 80,000.

紐約市運輸官員說，根據既有最晚近的資料，2012年紐約有5萬人騎自行車送貨。一些社運人士估計，此後這個數字暴增到8萬左右。

In October, more than 1,000 protesters joined a demonstration outside City Hall organized by a collective known as Los Deliveristas Unidos to call attention to the robberies and other poor working conditions, including low pay, a shortage of protective gear, and a lack of places to rest or use a restroom.

去年10月，1000多人在紐約市政廳外參加「快遞員聯合會」的抗議，要求大眾關注快遞員易遭搶劫等惡劣的工作條件，包括低薪、防護裝備不足、缺乏休息處和洗手間等。Source article: https://udn.com/news/story/6904/5332541

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每日英語跟讀 Ep.K106: Amid Awakening, Asian Americans Are Still Taking Shape as a Political Force

For years, Asian Americans were among the least likely of any racial or ethnic group to vote or to join community or advocacy groups. Today they are surging into public life, running for office in record numbers and turning out to vote unlike ever before. They are now the fastest-growing group in the U.S. electorate.

亞裔美國人多年來都是最不可能投票、參與社區活動和倡議團體的種族和族群之一。如今他們大舉參與公眾生活，參選公職者多到破紀錄，投票之踴躍前所未見。他們而今是美國成長最快的選民群體。

But as a political force, Asian Americans are still taking shape. With a relatively short history of voting, they differ from demographic groups whose families have built party loyalties and voting tendencies over generations.

不過，亞裔美國人這股勢力還不夠壯大。他們投票歷史較短，跟歷經許多世代逐漸形成政黨忠誠度和投票傾向的其他人口群體不同。

“These are your classic swing voters,” said Karthick Ramakrishnan, director of AAPI Data.

亞太裔數據中心主任拉瑪克里希南說：「亞裔是典型的游離選民。」

Historical data on Asian American voting patterns is spotty. Analyses of exit polls show that a majority voted for George Bush in 1992, Ramakrishnan said. Today, a majority of Asians vote for Democrats, but that masks deep differences by subgroup.

美國亞裔投票模式的歷史資料相當零散。拉瑪克里希南指出，出口民調的分析顯示，1992年大選，美國亞裔多半投給共和黨籍在任總統老布希。如今亞裔大半投給民主黨，實則亞裔各小群體的投票行為差異甚大。

It is too early for final breakdowns of the Asian American vote in 2020, along either party or ethnic lines. But one thing seems clear:Turnout for Asian Americans appears to have been higher than it has ever been.

現在還無法確知美國亞裔各群體2020年美國總統大選如何投票，不論是各族裔群體傾向支持哪個政黨，或是投票給誰。不過有一件事很明顯：亞裔投票率顯然比以往都高。

As relatively new voters, many Asian Americans find themselves uniquely interested in both major parties, drawn to Democrats for their stances on guns and health care and to Republicans for their support for small business and emphasis on self-reliance. But they do not fit into neat categories.

美國亞裔投票歷史相對較短，許多人很獨特地對兩大黨都有好感，欣賞民主黨對槍枝管制和健保的立場，也欣賞共和黨支持小商家和注重自力更生的精神。不過他們的投票傾向並不絕對。

Former President Donald Trump’s repeated reference to the “China virus” repelled many Chinese American voters, and the Democrats’ support for affirmative action policies in schools has drawn strong opposition from some Asian groups. Even the violence and slurs against Asians, which began spiking after the coronavirus began to spread last spring, have pushed people in different directions politically. Some blame Trump and his followers. Others see Republicans as supporters of the police and law and order.

美國前總統川普屢次將新冠病毒稱為「中國病毒」，惹惱了許多華裔，而民主黨支持各級學校優先雇用常受歧視的女性、非裔等群體成員，亦引起一些亞裔群體的強烈反感。就連亞裔遭受的暴力對待和誹謗，這類事件從去年春天新冠肺炎疫情開始蔓延後急遽增加，也把人們朝不同的政治方向推。有人責怪川普和他的支持者。另外也有人肯定共和黨支持警方、法律與秩序。

More Asian Americans are running for office than ever before. At least 158 Asian Americans ran for state legislatures in 2020, according to AAPI Data, up by 15% from 2018.

如今參選公職的亞裔比過去任何時候都多。根據亞太裔數據中心的資料，2020年至少有158名亞裔競選州議員，比2018年期中選舉時增加了15%。

Asian Americans lean toward Democrats — all the more so among the American-born. But there are things pushing Asians away from the Democrats as well.

亞裔傾向支持民主黨，在美國出生的更是如此。不過，也有一些因素把亞裔推離民主黨。

Despite recent increases in political representation, some Asian American communities still feel invisible, and some members argue that could lead to a rightward turn.

雖然近年來亞裔在政治界的代表變多了，有些亞裔團體仍感覺自己不受重視，一些成員認為這種現象可能使亞裔立場向右轉。Source article: https://udn.com/news/story/6904/5395759

通勤學英語15mins.Today榮獲

• Apple Podcast 2020年十大熱門節目

• KKBox 2020年十大Podcast風雲榜 (唯一語言學習Podcast)

• Himalaya 人氣票選播客總冠軍

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