通勤學英語 15Mins Today

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Topic: Eating a big breakfast could double the amount of calories you burn in the day, according to a new study

Eating a big breakfast could help you burn double the amount of calories than if you eat a larger meal at dinner.

相較於一頓份量較大的晚餐，吃一頓豐盛的早餐可以幫助你燃燒2倍卡路里。

It could be the key to losing weight while also keeping blood sugar levels steady, researchers at Lübeck University in Germany said.

德國盧貝克大學的研究人員表示，這可能是幫你減肥，同時保持血糖水平穩定的關鍵。

Their study found filling up in the morning boosts a metabolism process known as diet-induced thermogenesis （DIT）.

研究人員發現，早上吃飽可以促進「飲食誘導產熱」（DIT）此一新陳代謝過程。

DIT refers to the number of calories the body expends to heat the body and digest food. It was shown to be twice as high for those who ate more at breakfast than at dinner.

飲食誘導產熱指的是身體為保暖和消化食物而消耗的熱量。研究表明，相較於晚餐吃得多的人，早餐吃得多的人的食物誘導產熱是其2倍。

The study also showed increases in blood sugar and insulin concentrations, caused by eating a meal, was diminished after breakfast, but not so much after dinner.

研究還表明，吃飯時升高的血糖和胰島素濃度在早餐後有所降低，晚餐後則下降沒有那麼明顯。

The results also showed eating a low-calorie breakfast caused sweet cravings with a higher appetite.

該研究結果也顯示，吃低卡路里的早餐會導致對甜食的食慾增加。

This suggests those saving all their calories for the end of the day may face consequences because they snack more.

這表明，把一天中高熱量的食物都留到晚上吃的人會得不償失，因為他們會吃更多零食。

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Topic: Air pollution ’pandemic’ shortens lives by 3 years: study 研究：空污「大爆發」 人類減壽3年

A ’pandemic’ of air pollution shortens lives worldwide by nearly three years on average, and causes 8.8 million premature deaths annually, scientists said Tuesday.

科學家週二表示，空氣污染「大爆發」，使得全球人口的平均餘命縮短近3年，且每年有880萬人因空污問題提早死亡。

Eliminating the toxic cocktail of molecules and lung-clogging particles cast off by burning oil, gas and coal would restore a full year of life expectancy, they reported in the journal Cardiovascular Research.

根據他們在醫學期刊《心血管研究》發表的研究報告，排除因燃燒石油、天然氣和煤炭所釋出的有毒物質，以及會造成肺阻塞的微粒，將可使人類平均餘命增加整整1年。

Compared to other causes of premature death, air pollution kills 19 times more people each year than malaria, nine times more than HIV/AIDS, and three times more than alcohol, the study found.

該研究發現，相較於其他造成提早死亡的原因，空污每年奪走的人命是瘧疾的19倍、愛滋病的9倍，也是酗酒的3倍。

Coronary heart disease and stroke account for almost half of those deaths, with lung diseases and other non-communicable diseases such as diabetes and high blood pressure accounting for most of the rest. Only six percent of mortality stemming from polluted air is due to lung cancer.

冠狀動脈心臟病和中風的人數，約佔全球提早死亡人數的一半，其餘死因則多半與肺病及糖尿病和高血壓等非傳染性疾病有關。而因空污致死的案例中， 死於肺癌者僅佔6%。

The worst-hit region is Asia, where average lifespan is cut 4.1 years in China, 3.9 years in India, and 3.8 years in Pakistan.

亞洲是受空污影響最嚴重的地區。空污使中國人平均餘命減少4.1年，印度人減少3.9年，巴基斯坦人減少3.8年。

Source article: https://features.ltn.com.tw/english/article/paper/1360772 ; https://features.ltn.com.tw/english/article/paper/1358960

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Topic: Chemical found in spinach has the same effect as steroids and should be banned for athletes, scientists say

Maybe Popeye was onto something when he ripped open a can of spinach for beating up the bad guys.

當大力水手卜派為了痛毆壞人而打開一罐菠菜時，或許知其所以然。

Scientists in Germany say, ecdysterone, a chemical found in spinach is close to steroids and has a similar effect on humans. Researchers at Freie Universität Berlin ran a 10-week test on nearly 50 athletes and found athletes who took capsules of ecdysterone increased their strength by up to three times.

德國科學家表示，菠菜中發現的化學物質「蛻皮甾酮」（ecdysterone）與類固醇相近，對人體有類似作用。柏林自由大學研究人員對近50名運動員進行歷時10週的測試，發現服用蛻皮甾酮膠囊的運動員，體力最多增加3倍。

The capsules the athletes were given were the equivalent of about nine pounds of spinach but researchers say the capsules could be used as a performance enhancing drug. The study has called on the World Anti-Doping Authority to dig further into ecdysterone and wants the chemical added to the list of banned substances for athletes.

給那些運動員服用的膠囊，約等同於9磅重的蔬菜。但研究人員表示，這些膠囊可能會被用來做為提高成績的藥物。該研究呼籲「世界運動禁藥管制組織」近一步研究蛻皮甾酮，希望將這種化學物質加入運動員禁用物品清單裡。

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Topic: Genes, yes, but obesity pandemic mostly down to diet：study 研究：基因有影響，但肥胖流行病主因在飲食

A three-fold jump since 1975 in the percentage of adults worldwide who are obese has been driven mainly by a shift in diet and lack of exercise, but genes do play a role as well, according a large-scale study published Thursday.

根據週四發表的一份大型研究，1975年以來全球成年人口中，肥胖者所佔比例大增3倍，主要由飲食習慣改變和缺乏運動造成，但基因確實也有影響。

For people genetically predisposed to a wider girth, these unhealthy lifestyles compounded the problem, resulting in an even higher rate of weight gain, researchers reported in The BMJ, a peer-reviewed medical journal.

研究人員在同儕審查醫學期刊「英國醫學期刊」發表報告指出，對於基因上易胖的人而言，這些不健康的生活方式加重問題，導致體重更大幅度增加。

To tease out the relative impact of environment and genes on obesity, scientists led by Maria Brandkvist at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology combed through data on nearly 120,000 people in Norway whose height and weight were regularly measured between 1963 and 2008.

為了瞭解環境和基因對肥胖的相對影響，挪威科技大學的布朗克韋斯特領導的一群科學家，探究挪威從1963年到2008年間定期測量身高、體重的近12萬人資料。

Adults began tipping the scales at significantly higher weights in the 1980s and 1990s, they found. Those born after 1970 were far more likely to have a substantially higher BMI as young adults than earlier generations.

他們發現，1980和1990年代成年人的體重顯著增加。1970年以後出生的人，更有可能在年輕時就有比前幾世代人高得多的BMI值。

Source article: https://features.ltn.com.tw/english/article/paper/1312177 ; https://features.ltn.com.tw/english/article/paper/1313703

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Topic: Science proves that alcohol increases your ability to speak a second language 科學證實，酒精增進你的第二外語口說能力

A new study published in the Journal of Psychopharmacology has found that a bit of Dutch courage might be the key to boosting your ability to speak a second language.

一項發表於《精神藥理學期刊》的最新研究發現，一點酒後之勇可能是促進你第二外語口說能力的關鍵。

Researchers tested 50 native German speakers who had just learned Dutch. Some were given a low dose of alcohol, and others a control beverage with no alcohol, and then were asked to have a conversation in Dutch.

研究人員測試50名以德語為母語的人士，他們剛學習荷蘭語。部分人士被給予低分量的酒精，其他人士則被給予沒有酒精的控制組飲料，之後他們被要求以荷蘭語對話。

The study showed that those who were slightly intoxicated had better pronunciation than their sober counterparts. Alcohol may impair your memory, making it harder to pay attention and recall facts, but on the other hand, it also boosts your self-confidence.

研究顯示，相較於對應他們的清醒受試者，那些微酣受試者的發音更佳。酒精可能損害你的記憶，使你更難專注及回想事情，但另一方面，酒精也會增進你的自信。

However, participants in this study consumed a low dose of alcohol, and that higher levels of alcohol consumption might not have beneficial effects on the pronunciation of a foreign language. The participants knew what they were drinking, so it’s not clear if their speech improved because of alcohol’s psychological or biological effects.

不過，研究中的受試者只飲用少量酒精，而更多的酒精攝取，可能對外語發音無益。受試者知道自己飲用何物，因此並不清楚他們的口說改善是因為酒精的心理還是生理作用。

Source article: http://iservice.ltn.com.tw/Service/english/english.php?engno=1149846&day=2017-11-07

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

Summary:

It’s a two-part article about Japan. First article discusses the low fertility rate in Japan is making the Japanese government allocating JPY2bn to boost birth rate. Human-run matchmaking services will now use AI to improve their clients’ chances of finding the right life partners that ultimately boost birth rate. Next article is about a shift in Japan government’s stance in its carbon policies. Japan is set to reduce 80% carbon footprint by 2050 and zero-emissions in the latter half of the century. It is the fifth-biggest emitter of carbon dioxide in the world.

原跟讀文章: https://www.15mins.today/blog/ep-k023-about-japan-japan-to-fund-ai-matchmaking-to-boost-birth

Vocabulary and Sample Sentences:

Subsidize v. to support financially

• Japan will subsidize local government running or stating projects that uses AI to matchmake people.

Matchmaking n. the arranging of marriages or initiation of romantic relationships

• My grandparents were introduced by a matchmaking agency.

Emission n. – production and discharge of gas or radiation

• Japan is going to reduce 80% of its carbon emissions by 2050.

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

每日英語跟讀 Ep.K070: Daily bananas intake good, but not for kidney failure patients

Bananas are one of the most commonly seen and eaten fruits. Eating bananas brings many benefits, such as replenishing energy and lowering blood pressure, and can even improve your mood. There is a rumor going around online that you should not eat bananas every day because they are a high-potassium food that can damage your kidneys if you eat too many, but the Health Promotion Administration (HPA) says only people with impaired kidney function have a metabolic deficiency that compels them to avoid eating bananas every day.

香蕉是平日最常見、又最常吃的水果之一。吃香蕉有很多好處，像是補充體力、降血壓、甚至能讓心情變好，而網傳香蕉是高鉀食物，吃多了會傷腎，不能天天吃；國民健康署表示，只有腎臟功能不全的人，因代謝功能不足，才不能天天吃。

Bananas are classified as a medium-potassium food, containing about 325 milligrams of potassium per 100 grams of banana flesh, or about 200 to 399 milligrams of potassium per serving (half a large banana or a whole small one). Research shows that bananas can regulate bowel movements, relieve depression, reduce oxidation, lower blood pressure, promote cardiovascular health and prevent stroke, among other things.

香蕉屬於中量鉀食物，每一百公克香蕉果肉，約含鉀三百二十五毫克，每份（大的半根，小的一根）約含鉀量兩百到三百九十九毫克。實證研究指出，香蕉能夠潤腸通便、解鬱、抗氧化、降血壓、促進心血管健康及防止中風等。

According to the HPA, for people with normal kidney function, consuming plenty of potassium ions from bananas or other food can regulate blood pressure and indirectly protect the kidneys. Only for people with impaired kidney function — those who have been diagnosed with kidney failure — can it be harmful to their health, as they cannot excrete potassium ions.

國健署表示，一般腎臟功能正常者，多攝取來自香蕉或其他食物中的鉀離子，不但能控制血壓，也能間接保護腎臟；但對於腎臟功能不全（被診斷為腎衰竭者），因無法將體內鉀離子排除，才會對人體造成傷害。

The best ways to prevent chronic kidney disease are lifestyle improvements, good control of blood pressure, blood sugar and blood fat, lowering urine protein and avoiding drugs that are toxic to the kidneys, as well as early screening and referral to a nephrologist when necessary.

最佳預防慢性腎臟病的方法有：生活型態的改善、良好的血壓、血糖及血脂肪控制、降低尿蛋白、避免腎毒性藥物，以及早期檢查，必要時轉介腎臟科醫師。

As for how to tell whether your kidneys are functioning normally, you can visit a hospital and find a doctor to perform a kidney function test, or else you can take advantage of the free adult health examinations that the HPA offers once every three years for people aged between 40 and 64 years old and once a year for those aged 65 or older. You can safeguard your kidney health by watching out for any change in your kidney function and following your doctors’ orders for treatment.

至於要如何知道自己腎臟功能是否正常，民眾可以到醫院找醫師做腎功能檢查，或是利用國健署四十歲至六十四歲每三年一次、六十五歲以上每年一次的免費成人健康檢查，注意自己的腎功能變化，配合醫囑治療，才能保障腎臟健康。

Source article: https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/lang/archives/2021/02/23/2003752674

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.K069: Australia battles Big Tech over news revenue-sharing law

Facebook Inc has blocked Australian users from sharing and viewing news content on its popular social media platform, escalating a dispute with the government over paying media publishers for content.

備受歡迎的社群媒體臉書，將其澳洲平台上的新聞內容封鎖，不讓澳洲用戶查看及分享新聞內容。政府要求社群平台刊登新聞內容須付費給新聞發行業者，臉書此舉加劇了與政府間之爭端。

While Big Tech and media outlets have battled over the right to news content in other jurisdictions, Australia’s looming law represents the most expansive reform and is being closely watched around the world.

科技巨頭和媒體業者已在其他司法管轄區互相爭奪使用新聞內容的權利，但澳洲這項山雨欲來的法律代表著層面最廣的改革，全世界都在密切關注。

The so-called Media Bargaining Code has been designed by the government and competition regulator to address a power imbalance between the social media giants and publishers when negotiating payment for news content used on the tech firms’ sites. The proposed legislation has reached a crunch point, with widespread support in parliament, where it is expected to be voted into law within days.

澳洲政府及競爭監管機構規畫了所謂的「媒體議價法令」，以解決社群媒體巨頭與新聞發行業者談判時權力不平衡的問題，促使科技公司為其網站所使用之新聞內容付費。該立法提案已到了關鍵時刻，得到國會的廣泛支持，預計將在未來幾天內表決通過成為法律。

In recent years, traditional media companies operating in Australia have suffered huge hits to income streams, due to dwindling subscriptions and advertising. For every A$100 spent on online advertising in Australia, excluding classifieds, nearly one-third goes to Google and Facebook, the competition regulator has said.

近年來，由於訂戶及廣告量的萎縮，澳洲的傳統媒體公司收入大減。競爭監管機構表示，在澳洲，每一百澳幣的網路廣告費中（不包括分類廣告），有近三分之一是落入谷歌及臉書的口袋。

Facebook said that the law “fundamentally misunderstands” the relationship between itself and publishers and it faced a stark choice of attempting to comply with it or ban news content. It said its platform generates billions of free referrals to Australian publishers worth significant sums to the media companies.

臉書表示，該法律「從根本上誤解了」它與新聞發行業者間之關係，讓臉書面臨困難的選擇——不知該力圖遵循該法律，抑或封鎖新聞內容。臉書表示，其平台為澳洲新聞發行業者免費帶來數十億個推薦連結，這對媒體公司而言是一筆很大的收益。

Alphabet Inc-owned Google, however, has backed down from a threat to withdraw its main search engine from Australia if the laws go ahead, and has instead struck deals with some of the country’s major commercial publishers. They include a global deal with News Corp for an unnamed sum in one of the most extensive deals of its kind with Big Tech.

然而，Alphabet旗下的谷歌已不再威脅說，若該法案通過，便要撤出它在澳洲的主要搜尋引擎，而是與澳洲一些主要商業出版商談好了條件。其中包括與跨國新聞集團News Corp達成的一項全球性的交易，金額不詳，這是此類與科技巨頭所達成規模最大的交易之一。

Source article: https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/lang/archives/2021/02/22/2003752624

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.K068: About Indonesia - World’s oldest known cave painting found in Indonesia

Archaeologists have discovered the world’s oldest known cave painting：a life-sized picture of a wild pig that was made at least 45,500 years ago in Indonesia.

考古學家發現世界上已知最古老的洞穴壁畫：一幅實物大小的野豬壁畫 ，創作於距今至少4萬5500年前的印尼。

The finding described in the journal Science Advances on Wednesday provides the earliest evidence of human settlement of the region.

《科學先端》期刊中敘述的發現，為人類曾在當地居住提供最久遠的證據。

Co-author Maxime Aubert of Australia’s Griffith University told AFP it was found on the island of Sulawesi in 2017 by doctoral student Basran Burhan, as part of surveys the team was carrying out with Indonesian authorities.

研究共同作者、澳洲格里菲斯大學考古學教授奧伯特告訴法新社，該研究團隊與印尼當局合作，團隊成員、該校博士生布爾漢2017年在印尼蘇拉威西島發現壁畫。

The Leang Tedongnge cave is located in a remote valley enclosed by sheer limestone cliffs, about an hour’s walk from the nearest road.

（壁畫所在的）「Leang Tedongnge」洞穴地處偏遠的山谷，被石灰岩懸崖包圍，走到距離最近的道路約需1小時的步行路程。

Measuring 136 by 54 centimeters the Sulawesi warty pig was painted using dark red ochre pigment and has a short crest of upright hair, as well as a pair of horn-like facial warts characteristic of adult males of the species.

壁畫中的蘇拉威西疣豬身長136公分、寬54公分， 以暗紅赭石顏料繪製，背上有一列豎起的短鬃毛，面部還有一對角狀疣，是成年公豬的特徵。

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Students In Bali Can Pay Tuition Fees With Coconuts Amid Pandemic 疫病大流行期間 峇里島學生可用椰子繳學費

A hospitality college in Bali, Indonesia, has begun accepting coconuts as tuition payment as students face economic hardship as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.

印尼峇里島一所餐飲管理學院已開始接受椰子做為學費支付，因為學生因冠狀病毒大流行而面臨經濟困難。

When students at the Venus One Tourism Academy pay their fees with coconuts, the college will use them to harvest virgin coconut oil, UPI reported.

合眾國際社報導，當「金星一號餐旅學院」的學生用椰子繳學費時，校方將用它們提煉成初榨椰子油。

Alternatively, students can pay with leaves from other selected tropical plants which can be converted into herbal soap and be sold to raise money for the academy.

做為替代選擇，學生也可以用辣木和雷公根等其他選定的熱帶植物葉子來抵學費，這些葉子可以被製成草藥皂出售，為學院籌款。

"Initially, the tuition payment scheme was paid in three installments, with the first installment at 50 per cent, the second 20 at per cent and the third at 30 per cent," Venus One Tourism Academy’s director Wayan Pasek Adi Putra told local news.

金星一號餐旅學院校長普特拉告訴當地媒體《Bali Puspa新聞》表示，「原本學費繳交分3期，第一期繳50%，第二期20%，第三期則是30%」。

Source article: https://features.ltn.com.tw/english/article/paper/1414475 ; https://features.ltn.com.tw/english/article/paper/1422914

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.K067: Salaried or Hourly? The Gaps in Family-Friendly Policies Begin to Close

As the labor market tightens, employers have been competing for highly educated workers by trying to make it easier for them to do their jobs and also have families — benefits like egg freezing or reduced schedules for new parents.

隨著美國勞動市場緊俏，雇主競相推出福利措施以招攬高學歷員工，讓他們更容易兼顧工作與家庭，例如協助員工冷凍卵子，或減少新手父母的工時。

Now, some employers are beginning to address the same challenge for lower-wage workers, starting with paid family leave.

現在，一些雇主開始幫薪水較低的勞工解決同樣的問題，第一步是提供有薪家事假。

Starbucks last month announced raises and stock grants for all employees in the United States, along with new benefits aimed specifically at workers with family caregiving responsibilities: paid time off to care for sick family members and paid paternity leave for hourly employees.

上月，跨國連鎖咖啡店星巴克宣布給美國所有員工加薪並配股，並針對承擔家庭照護責任的勞工推出新的福利：讓員工帶薪休假照護患病的家人，並讓時薪制員工享有帶薪陪產假。

It followed the announcement by Walmart last month that it was raising pay and adding family-friendly benefits. It gave full-time hourly workers the same paid parental leave as salaried ones and said it would help pay for adoptions, including for hourly workers.

跨國零售企業沃爾瑪則在1月稍早宣布給員工加薪並提高安家福利，讓全職的時薪制員工享有與年薪制員工同樣的帶薪育嬰假，並將替員工支付部分領養小孩的費用，時薪制員工也適用。

It’s a sign that the effects of low unemployment have reached companies that rely on low-wage workers. Both companies also credited tax cuts.

這個跡象顯示，低失業率的效應已觸及仰賴低薪勞工的公司。這兩家公司都表示，減稅也是它們有餘裕提高員工福利的原因。

“It brings the talent we’re looking for, and industry-leading retention,” said Reggie Borges, a Starbucks spokesman. The company had been planning to add benefits for a while, he said, but the corporate tax cuts “were an accelerator.”

星巴克發言人柏爾赫斯說：「家庭福利能引來我們尋覓的高手，並讓我們保持業界領先的地位。」他說，星巴克計畫提高福利已有一段時間，不過企業稅降低「讓此事加速實現」。

By focusing on family-friendly benefits, companies are also catching up to the fact that family life has changed faster than workplace or public policies. In families of all income levels, it’s more common for both parents to work or women to be the breadwinners, and the lack of family-friendly benefits has led to declining labor force participation as people struggle to combine work and parenthood.

企業在專注改善家庭福利的同時，也順應了一個事實：家庭生活改變的速度比職場或公共政策來得快。不論是哪一種收入階層的家庭，雙親都工作或女性養家的情況都更為常見，而缺乏安家福利已使人們難以兼顧工作和親職，以致勞動參與率下降。

Benefits like paid parental leave are a crucial factor for people, especially women, in continuing to work. Yet hourly workers, who generally have the most need for paid parental leave, have also been the least likely to get it. Only recently have more companies begun to change that.

有薪育嬰假這類福利對人們繼續工作十分重要，尤其是女性。不過，通常最需要帶薪育嬰假的是時薪制員工，偏偏他們卻是最不可能得到的一群人。直到最近才有更多公司著手改變這個情況。

The United States is the only industrialized country not to mandate paid parental leave. Employers choose whether and how much to offer, and this varies greatly. Of the 20 largest employers, all but one, Lowe’s, offer some form of paid parental leave. Eight of them give hourly employees less than salaried employees — in time, pay or both — including Starbucks and General Electric, according to a Times analysis.

美國是唯一未強制規定給予有薪育嬰假的工業化國家。給不給育嬰假和給多少假由雇主決定，而雇主之間的差別很大。根據紐約時報分析，美國前20大公司，除家居裝修產品零售商勞氏外，都提供某種形式的有薪育嬰假，其中8家給時薪制員工的育嬰假條件，不如給年薪制員工的，包括星巴克和奇異，或者在天數方面，或者在薪資方面，也可能兩方面皆然。

Source article: https://paper.udn.com/udnpaper/POH0067/323365/web/

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。

While the world was grappling with the pandemic, a Hungarian family of four decided last summer to fulfill their dream：sailing around the globe in a 50-feet boat called "Teatime."

當世界在疫情中掙扎時，一個4口匈牙利家庭去年夏天決定實現他們的夢想，用一艘50英尺的船「午茶時間」航行全球。

Domonkos Bosze and his wife Anna, who have been sailing for more than a decade, had planned the adventure long before the COVID-19 pandemic.

多蒙科斯．波澤與他的妻子安娜，已經有逾十年的航行經驗，在武漢肺炎大流行開始前就已著手計畫這趟冒險許久。

While the pandemic presented them with the dilemma of whether this was the right time to go, in the end their determination overruled all worries and risks.

當疫情帶給他們不知何時該出發的困境時，他們的決心最終駁回了一切的擔憂與風險。

They follow the changes in coronavirus rules in each country and take a test or go into quarantine as required.

他們遵循每個國家不同的武漢肺炎規定，並且接受檢測與在必要時進行隔離。

Depending on COVID restrictions, they plan to sail on this year or next year towards the Pacific, and now they say their trip could last another 5-6 years, stopping for extended periods in the southern Pacific and on the Indian ocean.

依據武漢肺炎禁令，他們計畫今年或明年航行至太平洋，且他們現在表示，他們的旅行可能還要再持續5至6年，將在南太平洋與印度洋停留較長的時間。

Next Article

捷克山村一座貨櫃打造的犬隻訓練中心內，「倫達（Renda）」、「凱普（Cap）」和 「拉奇（Laky）」正接受考驗。

They sniff at six vessels, each containing a piece of cloth with scent from patients with Covid-19, negative donors, or fake samples.

牠們嗅聞6個容器，每個容器都內含一塊布料，有的帶有武漢肺炎（新型冠狀病毒病，COVID-19）患者的氣味，有的是採檢呈陰性者身上的氣味，或者根本是假樣本。

The team of dog trainers are working in their own time and report a 95-percent success rate in COVID-19 detection in samples of human scent.

這群犬隻訓練員利用自己的閒暇時間進行研究，通報（犬隻）在人體氣味樣本偵測COVID-19方面，成功率高達95%。

"The study is designed to verify dogs’ ability to detect Covid-19 and generate a method enabling the use of trained dogs in combatting the pandemic," project head Gustav Hotovy told AFP.

計畫負責人霍托維告訴法新社：「這項研究目的在驗證犬隻偵測COVID-19的能力，並設計出一種能利用經過訓練的犬隻來對抗疫情的方法。」

The samples used are obtained merely by rubbing a piece of cotton against the patient’s skin. The team then has to ensure the sample is virus-free to prevent the dogs from catching the disease.

研究人員僅以一小團摩擦過患者皮膚的棉布來取得樣本，接著必須確認樣本上面並未沾染病毒，以防犬隻染疫。

Using the same sampling method, a Finnish team has been using dogs for testing at Helsinki airport, reporting its dogs can detect the virus with close to 100 percent accuracy.

芬蘭一個研究團隊也用相同的採樣方法，利用犬隻在赫爾辛基機場進行篩檢，並通報團隊犬隻偵測病毒的準確率近乎百分之百。

Source article: https://features.ltn.com.tw/english/article/paper/1432907 ; https://features.ltn.com.tw/english/article/paper/1432684

•  Apple Podcast 2020年十大熱門節目

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！我們這週聽聽南美洲的趣聞，Let's get started!

Topic: As Economy Lags, Hugo Chavez's Movement Fades in Venezuela

As president, Hugo Chavez lavished millions from this country’s oil boom on his home state of Barinas.

But boom has turned to bust, the economy is in shambles and the love affair is over.

在總統任內，烏戈．查維茲把石油價格大好為國家帶來的收入，以超大手筆花在他的家鄉巴里納斯州。當油價從大好變成大壞，經濟陷入衰敗，戀愛也結束了。

Similar sentiments are being heard around the continent, where political dynasties are falling or under intense pressure and where protests and social unrest are on the rise.

In Brazil, legislators have begun an impeachment proceeding against President Dilma Rousseff, as scores of other political leaders have become embroiled in a huge corruption scandal.

整個南美洲都能感受到類似的氛圍，政治王朝正在崩解或受到極大壓力，示威抗議和社會動盪方興未艾。

在巴西，國會議員已展開彈劾狄爾瑪．羅塞芙總統的程序，其他幾十位政治領袖也被捲入巨大的貪汙醜聞。

In Ecuador, protesters angry at President Rafael Correa have taken to the streets to demonstrate against budget cutbacks necessitated by vanishing oil revenues.

And in Argentina, President Mauricio Macri was inaugurated last month after surging to a surprising win against the candidate of the Peronist party of his predecessor, Cristina Fernandez. His victory ended 12 years during which Fernandez or her late husband, Nestor Kirchner, occupied the presidential palace.

在厄瓜多，對拉斐爾．柯利亞總統不滿的抗議群眾走上街頭，表達反對因石油營收減少而必須進行的預算削減。

還有在阿根廷，毛里西奧．馬克里聲勢竄起，意外擊敗前總統克莉絲蒂娜．費南德茲所屬裴洛黨的候選人，於上個月宣誓就職。他的勝利終結了費南德茲和她的已故丈夫內斯托．基希納在總統府的十二年歲月。

The strains are being felt most keenly by leftist governments, but analysts say that something other than ideology is at work here. South America saw robust growth in the century’s first decade, thanks to a historic boom in the value of raw materials and other commodities that are sold to the rest of the world.

High prices for oil, natural gas, coal, copper, gold, silver, bauxite, soy beans and other products led to steady growth, a sharp drop in poverty and an expansion of the middle class throughout the region. That growth, in turn, brought political stability, with leaders and parties being repeatedly re-elected.

左派政府感受的壓力最大，但分析家說，這其中有意識型態以外的因素在作用。南美在本世紀第一個十年出現強勁的成長，因為賣到世界其他地區的原物料和其他大宗商品行情空前地好。

石油、天然氣、煤、銅、金、銀、礬土、黃豆和其他產品的高價帶來穩定成長，貧窮大幅下降，整個區域的中產階級擴張。成長接著帶來政治穩定，政治領袖和政黨一再當選連任。

“There’s been a pretty striking continuity in many countries, in large part thanks to the commodities boom that leaders and parties have been riding,” said Michael Shifter, president of the Inter-American Dialog, a policy analysis group in Washington. “When that’s over, voters look elsewhere and for new leaders, but governing is extremely difficult because they no longer have the resources to meet the high expectations that have been generated during the commodities boom.”

華盛頓的政策分析團體「美洲對話」主席麥可．席福特說：「許多國家有很明顯的持續性，相當程度上歸因於政治領袖和政黨搭上了大宗商品行情好的便車。當榮景結束，選民望向別處，尋找新的領袖，但治國極為困難，因為他們不再握有資源來滿足大宗商品上漲時期激起的高期望。」

Source article: https://paper.udn.com/udnpaper/POH0067/291818/web/

Next Article

Topic: About Crime - Come to Rio, get robbed: Brazil tourism body shares awkward Instagram post

Brazil’s national tourism agency typically focuses on the city’s world-class beaches, samba-filled music scene and caipirinha-fueled parties. Violent crime is rarely listed among the attractions.

行銷里約熱內盧時，巴西國家觀光機構通常主打該市的世界級海灘、洋溢森巴音樂的地方，以及有卡琵莉亞酒催情的派對。暴力犯罪鮮少被列入魅力特點。

But in an embarrassing social media snafu this week, the Brazilian Tourist Board (Embratur) accidentally shared a critical Instagram post from a tourist who did not enjoy her stay in the so-called "Cidade Maravilhosa," or Marvelous City.

但本週一起令人尷尬的社群媒體烏龍事件中，巴西旅遊局意外地分享了一名不愛待在這個所謂「奇蹟之城」的旅客於Instagram的批評貼文。

"I just spent 3 days in Rio with my family, and in those 3 days my family and I were robbed and my 9-year-old sister witnessed a violent robbery," Instagram user "withlai" wrote in an Instagram Stories post. "I can’t recommend a visit to a city where I felt afraid of even leaving the apartment."

Instagram用戶「withlai」的一則限時動態貼文寫道，「我和我的家人只花了3天在里約，而那3天當中，家人和我都被搶，我的9歲妹妹還親眼目睹了一件暴力搶案。」「我無法推薦拜訪一個我連離開公寓都會怕的城市。」

Embratur deleted the shared post on Wednesday. It said in a subsequent statement that "sharing (the post) was a mistake," adding that it had worked hard to promote a nationwide fall in crime in 2019.

巴西旅遊局週三刪了這則分享貼文。它在隨後聲明中說道，「分享（那則貼文）是個錯誤」，並補充指出，已努力宣傳全國2019年犯罪減少一事。

Safety concerns along with inconvenient flights, poor infrastructure and high costs have long held back Brazil’s tourism industry, which lags its South American neighbors.

除了航班不便、基礎設施貧乏及費用高昂，安全考量令巴西觀光產業長久以來遲滯不前，落後於南美鄰國。Source article: https://features.ltn.com.tw/english/article/paper/1358564

Next Article

Topic: Ecuadorean discovery pushes back origins of chocolate

People have been enjoying chocolate far longer than previously known, according to research published on Monday detailing the domestication and use of cacao beginning 5,300 years ago at an ancient settlement in the highlands of southeastern Ecuador. Scientists examined ceramic artifacts at the Santa Ana-La Florida archeological site, a remarkably preserved village and ceremonial center that was part of the Mayo-Chinchipe culture of the Andes, and found abundant evidence of the use of cacao, from which chocolate is made.

根據週一發表的一份研究顯示，人類享用巧克力的歷史比先前所知的還要悠久。該研究詳細指出，在厄瓜多東南部高地的一處古老聚落，發現五千三百年前已開始出現可可豆的人工培植和食用跡象。在聖塔安娜─佛羅里達考古遺址──當地保存著狀況絕佳的村落遺跡，曾作為儀式中心，屬於安地斯山脈「馬由─欽奇佩」文化圈的一部分──科學家仔細檢驗出土的陶瓷工藝品，並發現充分證據顯示使用可可豆，也就是製作巧克力的原料。

The study indicates cacao was domesticated roughly 1,500 years earlier than previously known, and that it occurred in South America rather than in Central America, as previously thought. A tropical evergreen tree called Theobroma cacao bears large, oval pods containing the bean-like cacao seeds that today are roasted and turned into cocoa and multitudes of chocolate confections, although chocolate at the time was consumed as a beverage.

研究指出，人工培植可可豆的時間點比先前所知還要再往前推大約一千五百年，並且始於南美洲，而非之前認為的中美洲。可可樹是一種熱帶常青樹，會結出大而橢圓形的豆莢，包覆著像豆子般的可可種子。今日，可可種子會在烘培後被做成可可粉和各式各樣的巧克力糕點，不過巧克力在當時其實是被用來作成飲料喝下肚。

The scientists found evidence of cacao’s use at the site over a period starting 5,300 years ago — more than 700 years before building of the Great Pyramid of Giza in ancient Egypt — until 2,100 years ago. They found cacao starch grains in ceramic vessels and pottery shards. They also detected residue of a bitter compound found in the cacao tree but not its wild relatives, evidence that the tree was grown by people for food purposes, as well as DNA fragments from the cacao tree.

科學家在該遺址發現使用可可豆的證據，當地的人類活動始於五千三百年前──比古埃及建造吉薩大金字塔的時間還要早了七百多年──到兩千一百年前。在陶瓷容器和陶器碎片中，科學家找到可可豆的澱粉粒，還偵測到只會在可可樹中發現，卻不存在於野生近親樹種中的一種苦澀化合物殘餘，這是人類為食用目的而種植可可樹的證據，同時也發現可可樹的DNA片段。

“They clearly drank it as a beverage, as shown by its presence in stirrup-spout pots and bowls,” said University of British Columbia anthropologist and archaeologist Michael Blake, who helped lead the study published in the journal Nature Ecology & Evolution. “The presence of cacao starch grains likely means that they ground the seeds to make the beverages, and so probably, though we aren’t certain, fermented the seeds as well, before grinding them,” Blake added.

英屬哥倫比亞大學的人類學暨考古學家麥可‧布雷克指出：「可可豆出現在蹬型壺嘴陶罐和碗裡，證明當地人明顯是把可可豆作成飲料來喝。」布雷克協助主導這份發表於《自然─生態學與演化》期刊的研究，他補充說：「可可豆澱粉粒的存在，表示當地人會把可可豆磨碎來做成飲料，所以，雖然我們還不能確定，他們或許也會在磨碎可可豆前先進行發酵。」

Archeological evidence indicates cacao domestication moved into Central America and Mexico about 4,000 years ago. Before European conquerors arrived in the Americas five centuries ago, great civilizations like the Aztecs and Maya prepared chocolate as a drink, mixed with various spices or other ingredients. “The freshly picked ripe cacao pods have a delicious sweet pulp around them, and mixed together it all has a very mild chocolate taste,” Blake said. “The chocolate confections today contain a great deal of sugar, and this is very different from the indigenous uses of cacao reported in the historical records from the 1500s and 1600s.”

考古證據顯示，可可豆的人工培植技術大概在四千年前傳入中美洲和墨西哥。五個世紀前，當歐洲的征服者們抵達美洲時，諸如阿茲特克和馬雅等偉大文明皆會把巧克力調製成飲料，裡面加入各種香料和其他成分。布雷克表示：「剛摘下來的新鮮可可豆莢裡面含有美味而香甜的果肉，如果把它跟可可豆混在一起，就會產生一種非常溫潤的巧克力口感。」這名學者也說：「今日的巧克力糕點加入大量的糖分，這跟十六世紀和十七世紀留下來的歷史紀錄中，對於當地可可豆使用方法的描述是大相逕庭的。」

Source article: http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/lang/archives/2018/11/04/2003703549

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

Summary:

For many years, social media companies like Facebook, Google and other online competitors are challenging the influence of traditional magazine publishers in the world. After executive senior editors of top international magazines like Vanity Fair, Time, Elle, Glamour, and Rolling Stone have stepped down, it seems like the prediction of the fall of traditional media is becoming a reality. As people are reading less, publishers are taking an “anything goes” approach” in search for new revenue streams. Now Time is featuring viral videos of animals and Hearst is now partnering with Airbnb on a new magazine.

原跟讀文章: https://www.15mins.today/blog/ep-k021-the-not-so-glossy-future-of-magazines

Vocabulary and Sample Sentences:

Chauffeur n. v. person hired to drive a private rented vehicle

• In the 90s, magazine editors in chauffeured town cars told the nation what to wear, what to watch, and who to read.

Stake/s n. a share or interest in business

• Jann S. Wenner, a titan of the magazine industry sold his stake in Rolling Stones.

Monopoly n. a company or group having exclusive control over the market

• For many years, magazines have had a monopoly on readers and advertising.

通勤學英語15mins.Today榮獲

• Apple Podcast 2020年十大熱門節目

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

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每日英語跟讀 Ep.K065: Coronavirus Is Battering Africa’s Growing Middle Class

As the coronavirus surges in many countries in Africa, it is threatening to push as many as 58 million people in the region into extreme poverty, experts at the World Bank say. But beyond the devastating consequences for the continent’s most vulnerable people, the pandemic is also whittling away at one of Africa’s signature achievements: the growth of its middle class.

世界銀行專家指出，新冠肺炎疫情在非洲多國急遽加重，恐將使多達5800萬人陷入極端貧窮（赤貧）。而且疫情除了給非洲大陸最弱勢者帶來毀滅性後果之外，還逐步削弱非洲一項指標性成就，也就是中產階級的成長。

For the last decade, Africa’s middle class has been pivotal to the educational, political and economic development across the continent. New business owners and entrepreneurs have created jobs that, in turn, gave others a leg up as well.

過去這十年，非洲中產階級在非洲大陸全境教育、政治和經濟的發展上，扮演著關鍵性的角色。新的企業主和創業者創造出就業機會，也從而幫了別人一把。

Educated, tech-savvy families and young people with money to spare have fed the demand for consumer goods, called for democratic reforms, expanded the talent pool at all levels of society, and pushed for high-quality schools and health care.

受過教育、熟諳現代科技且有閒錢的家庭和年輕人支撐了消費品的市場，提出了對民主改革的要求，擴大了社會各層次的人才庫，並鼓吹高品質的學校和醫療照護服務。

About 170 million out of Africa’s 1.3 billion people are now classified as middle class. But about 8 million of them could be thrust into poverty because of the coronavirus and its economic fallout, according to World Data Lab, a research organization.

非洲13億人口中，約有1.7億人現在被歸類為中產階級，不過，根據研究機構「世界資料實驗室」的說法，其中約800萬人可能因新冠肺炎疫情及其經濟衝擊而淪為窮人。

It’s a setback that may be felt for years to come.

這個挫敗可在未來幾年內感受到。

“The tragedy is that because Africa is not growing fast, this collapse of the middle class could take several years to recover,” said Homi Kharas, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution and the co-founder of the World Data Lab.

華府智庫布魯金斯研究所高級研究員兼世界資料實驗室共同創辦人卡拉斯說：「不幸的是，非洲成長速度並不快，中產階級的潰縮可能得花上幾年才能恢復。」

Africa’s middle class tripled over the past 30 years, by some estimates, spurred by job opportunities in sectors like technology, tourism and manufacturing.

一些估計顯示，在科技、觀光和製造業等領域的就業機會帶動下，非洲中產階級人數過去30年間增為三倍。

But now that the region is facing its first recession in 25 years, millions of educated people living in urban centers could fall victim to the extreme income inequality that has defined Africa for decades.

不過，由於非洲遭逢25年來首次經濟衰退，數以百萬計住在都會區的受過教育者可能淪為極端收入不平等的受害者。極端收入不平等數十年來一直是非洲的特徵。

Kharas defined the middle class in Africa as households that spend anywhere between $11 and $110 per capita per day.

卡拉斯把非洲中產階級定義為，平均每人每天花費11美元到110美元（約台幣330元到3300元）的家庭。

The rising middle class has been “critical for the future prospects of African economies as they stimulate long-term growth, social progress, an inclusive and prosperous society and effective and accountable governance,” said Landry Signé, author of “Unlocking Africa’s Business Potential.” The coronavirus “will drastically delay wages and hold back the dreams of Africa’s middle class,” he said.

著有「解放非洲商業潛力」一書的賽恩說，中產階級崛起「對非洲的經濟前景至關重要，因為中產階級能促進長期成長、社會進步，造就具包容性且繁榮的社會，以及有效率且可問責的治理」。他說，新冠肺炎「將大幅延後薪水發放，並讓非洲中產階級難以圓夢」。

What distinguishes the middle class from the poor, said Razia Khan, chief economist for Africa and the Middle East at Standard Chartered bank, is the ability to earn a steady income. But because of the pandemic, many more people across Africa are at risk of being “knocked back into poverty” because of lack of jobs, unemployment benefits or any social safety net, she said.

渣打銀行非洲中東首席經濟學家拉奇雅．卡恩說，中產階級與窮人不同之處在於，他們有賺取穩定收入的能力。不過她說，由於疫情大流行，非洲各地有更多人可能因為缺乏就業機會、失業救濟金或任何社會安全網而被「打回貧窮」。

The pandemic is also posing a threat to nascent industries supported by governments in Africa in recent years to boost the number of middle-income earners.

疫情大流行還威脅到剛起步的一些產業。非洲各國政府近年來支持這些產業，冀以促進中所得人數的成長。

Source article: https://udn.com/news/story/6904/4712407

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