通勤學英語 15Mins Today

每日英語跟讀 Ep.968: About Belgium - Belgian city finds its former mayor’s heart in a fountain

 

 

For years it was just an urban myth. Then the diggers moved in and found it was true - that the heart of a former mayor of the eastern Belgian city of Verviers really was buried under a fountain.

多年以來，這不過是個都市神話。然後，挖土機進駐，發現是真的—比利時東部韋爾維耶市前市長的心臟，真的埋在一座噴泉下。

A small metal box, containing Pierre David’s heart in an ethanol-filled jar, was uncovered during renovation work on the city’s ornate stone fountain last month.

上月在該市裝飾華麗的石頭噴泉翻修工程中，發現了一個小金屬盒，內含一只充滿乙醇、放有皮埃爾．大衛心臟的廣口瓶。

The relic is mentioned in civic documents, but until it was found "no one really believed it," Verviers city councillor Maxime Degey told Reuters.

韋爾維耶市議員馬克西姆．德杰告訴路透，民間文件曾提及此遺物，但直到它被發現前，「沒人真的相信」。

David, the city’s first mayor after Belgium became an independent country, was still in office when he died in 1839 after falling from a building.

大衛是比利時成為獨立國家後的該市首任市長，1839年在位時墜樓身亡。

Authorities built a fountain in his honour and, with his family’s permission, placed his heart under a stone in the monument in 1883.

為了向他致意，當局建了個噴泉，並在其家屬允許下，1883年把他的心臟放在這座紀念建物一塊石頭下。

The box is on display at the Verviers Museum of Fine Arts and Ceramics. It will be returned to the Fontaine David in the city’s Place Verte once the renovation is complete.

這個盒子正在「韋爾維耶繪畫與陶瓷博物館」展出。一旦位於該市「綠色廣場」的「大衛噴泉」整修完畢，它將回歸原處。

 

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Fifty meters up and two apart - Belgium’s dinner-in-the-sky relaunches 在50公尺上空相距2米：比利時高空晚餐重新開張

Belgians looking for a different culinary experience will once again be able to eat 50 metres above the ground as the dining-in-the-sky experience returns from COVID-19 lockdown with a new, socially distanced feel.

尋求不同餐飲經驗的比利時人，將再次能夠於地面50公尺上方吃東西，因為高空用餐經驗從2019冠狀病毒疾病行動限制令後，正以著一種新的社交距離感重返。

Belgium-based Dinner in the Sky, which has been set up in some 60 countries since its 2006 launch, involves diners strapped into seats at a table suspended from a crane while well-known chefs cook and serve from the centre.

2006年開張以來在將近60國設立的比利時「空中餐廳」，把用餐者和一架起重機吊著的餐桌座位繫在一起，而知名主廚們在中間烹調服務。

Their original platform sat 22 people together along the perimeter, but in the COVID-19 era, up to 32 diners will now reserve four-person private tables spaced apart. The chefs and servers also have a little more space to roam.

他們原本的平台是22人圍著坐，但在2019冠狀病毒疾病時代，多達32名用餐者現在將預約彼此間隔的4人桌。主廚和侍者也有多些空間遊走。

Dinner in the Sky offers three sittings - for lunch and two for dinner over the coming two weeks. The price is 295 euros per head or 150 euros for weekend afternoon cocktails.

「空中餐廳」提供3個入席時段—未來2週有午餐以及晚餐2個時段。價位是平均每人295歐元，或週末下午雞尾酒150歐元。

Source article: https://features.ltn.com.tw/english/article/paper/1402192 ; https://features.ltn.com.tw/english/article/paper/1400700

 

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每日英語跟讀 Ep.967: About Japan -Japan sushi chef using bodybuilder delivery to boost sales amidst pandemic

A sushi restaurant in central Japan is trying to boost sluggish demand during the coronavirus pandemic by sending shirtless bodybuilders to deliver food to its customers.

藉由派出打赤膊的健美運動員向客戶外送食物，日本中部一間壽司餐廳正試圖振興冠狀病毒大流行期間的疲軟需求。

The service dubbed “Delivery Macho”, was established by 41-year-old Imazushi chef Masanori Sugiura who is also a competition bodybuilder.

這項服務取名為「外送猛男」，由41歲的「今壽司」大廚杉浦正典創立，他也是個健美選手。

Sugiura has recruited his friends who worked at fitness gyms to work as sushi delivery staff, as they were out of work during the pandemic.

杉浦把之前在健身房工作的友人找來當壽司外送員，因為他們在疾病大流行期間沒有工作。

The only condition is that customers need to order a minimum of 7000 yen to get a taste of the delivery macho.

惟一條件是顧客需至少點餐7000日圓，才能一嚐外送猛男滋味。

The promotion has been a sensation on Twitter, and Sugiura receives up to 10 orders a day with monthly earnings from the service of about 1.5 million yen.

此一推銷活動在推特上造成轟動，杉浦一天至少接到10張訂單，這項服務賺得月收約150萬日圓。

 

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Death knell sounds for some of Japan’s oldest department stores 日本部分歷史最悠久的百貨公司喪鐘大作

After more than three centuries in business, the Onuma department store in northern Japanese city of Yamagata began bankruptcy proceedings this year - one of many distinguished department stores across the country in dire straits.

在日本北部城市山形市營業超過3個世紀的大沼百貨公司，今年展開破產程序，為全日本各地許多經營陷入困境的知名百貨公司之一。

Japan’s department stores have been in a long slow decline as shopping habits change.

隨著購物習慣改變，日本的百貨公司已進入漫長且緩慢的衰退。

Now the coronavirus pandemic, just as it has forced U.S. retailers such as Lord & Taylor and Neiman Marcus into bankruptcy, is hammering nails into coffins for some - particularly those in regional areas.

如今新冠病毒肆虐全球，一如迫使美國零售百貨業者羅德與泰勒以及尼曼馬庫斯破產，該病毒正對部分——特別是區域型百貨公司，發出催命符。

Last month, 146-year-old Nakago closed the doors of its last remaining store in Fukushima city, while Izutsuya Co Ltd, a chain in the southern city of Kita Kyushu, shuttered one of its two main stores.

上個月，有146年歷史的中合百貨公司關閉在福島市碩果僅存的最後一家分店，至於在南部城市北九州市的連鎖百貨公司井筒屋，則關閉了兩大主要分店中的一家。

Source article: https://features.ltn.com.tw/english/article/paper/1399004 ; https://features.ltn.com.tw/english/article/paper/1399199

 

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55國的雙向語音、文字、照片翻譯還有情境式英語學習

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優惠碼: 15mins

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每日英語跟讀 Ep.966: Keeping pets can boost your immunity 養寵物 有助提高免疫力

Pets are an inseparable part of people’s lives in the modern world. About 65 percent of US households have at least one pet. On a psychological level, pet companionship can bring better psychological wellbeing; on a biological level, our furry friends can boost human immunity.

現代人的生活和寵物密不可分，在美國有百分之六十五左右的家庭裡，至少有一個成員為寵物。在心理層面上，寵物的陪伴能帶來更好的心理健康，而在生理上，這些毛小孩更能使人體的免疫力提升。

According to a report in Psychology Today, a review carried out by researchers from the UK’s University of Manchester found that the companionship of pets can result in better psychological wellbeing for people with mental health conditions. The diabetes research center of the University of Toronto’s Mount Sinai Hospital analyzed data from over 3 million people, demonstrating a 24 percent reduction in risk of death within 10 years for dog owners.

據《今日心理學》報導，英國曼徹斯特大學曾研究指出，對患有精神疾病的人來說，寵物的陪伴能帶來更好的心理健康。而多倫多大學西奈山醫學院糖尿病研究中心也取樣了超過三百萬人的數據，研究顯示，養狗的人，十年內的死亡機率降低了百分之二十四。

Experts say that dogs produce significantly more of the immunoglobulin A antibody in their saliva, which fights antigens, when stroked. Pets can also help people respond better to stress, and this in turn boosts the immune system. This is because pets provide companionship and encourage people to make more social connections with others, helping alleviate stress in the process. After people become more emotionally stable, their immune system becomes more robust.

專家表示，以狗為例，人在撫摸狗之後，唾液中的「免疫球蛋白Ａ」抗體顯著增加，更有效抵擋病源入侵，此外，寵物對人體免疫力的最大影響之一為壓力反應，寵物能透過陪伴和促進與他人的社交聯繫來幫助減輕壓力，心理狀態穩定後，連帶的免疫系統也能更加茁壯。

There is a strong connection between the microbes on pets’ and people’s bodies and their immune activity. Many scientists say that microbes can directly influence one’s immune system, and these research results indicate that pets’ microbes can also directly influence the health and immunity of the human body.

事實上，寵物及人體身上的微生物和自身的免疫行為之間有著強大的連結，許多科學家皆表明微生物會直接影響免疫系統，因此在這樣的研究結果下，寵物的微生物也會直接影響人體的健康和免疫力。

Source article: https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/lang/archives/2020/09/22/2003743829

 

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每日英語跟讀 Ep.965: Ruth Bader Ginsburg, iconic supreme court justice dies, sparks possible change to US

 

US Supreme Court Justice and liberal icon Ruth Bader Ginsburg (also known as RBG), 87, died on September 18, opening a crucial vacancy on the high court expected to set off a pitched political battle at the peak of the presidential campaign.

美國最高法院大法官、自由主義代表人物露絲‧貝德‧金斯伯格，於九月十八日辭世，享壽八十七歲。她在最高法院所留下的關鍵職缺，將在美國總統選戰方酣之時引發一場激烈的政治鬥爭。

Ginsburg became only the second woman to serve as a Supreme Court Justice, when she was appointed to the court in 1993 by president Bill Clinton.

金斯伯格在一九九三年由美國總統比爾‧柯林頓任命為最高法院大法官，成為第二位擔任大法官的女性。

She anchored its liberal faction, whittled to four by two appointments since 2017 from US President Donald Trump. The number of justices of the Supreme Court of the Unites States is nine; each justice has lifetime tenure.

美國最高法院大法官共有九席，為終身職。總統唐納‧川普自二○一七年以來已任命兩位大法官，使得自由派大法官由四位減少至兩位。金斯伯格是自由派穩住陣腳的支柱。

Over the past decade, the Supreme Court has made several sweeping rulings on social equality issues in 5-4 votes, including its landmark decision approving gay marriage in 2015. Last term, the court held in a 6-3 decision that discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation or transgender status constitutes unlawful sex discrimination in the workplace.

在過去十年中，最高法院以五票對四票在社會平等方面做出了幾項影響廣泛的裁決，包括二○一五年里程碑式的裁決，承認同性婚姻。在上個會期，最高法院以六票對三票裁定，對性傾向或跨性別者的歧視為性別歧視，而職場中性別歧視是違法的。

Coming just over a month before the Nov. 3 US presidential election in which Trump lags his Democratic rival Joe Biden in the polls, the vacancy offers the Republican president a chance to solidly lock in a conservative majority at the court for decades to come.

距離十一月三日美國總統大選只有一個多月，川普民調落後民主黨競爭對手喬‧拜登，但此大法官遺缺讓共和黨籍的川普有機可乘，讓保守派在未來數十年牢牢把持最高法院的多數。

That could lead to a court that would potentially reverse abortion rights, strengthen the powers of business, and water down rights provided to minorities and the LGBTQ community over the past three decades.

這可能會使未來的最高法院成為讓權利夭折、讓企業權力擴大的法院，並削弱少數族群及LGBTQ同志社群過去三十年來被賦予的權利。

Over the years Ginsburg has become a legend. Her personal and legal struggles for equal rights are featured in the documentary RBG and biographical movie On the Basis of Sex, which have also cemented Ginsburg’s unlikely status as a pop culture hero.

金斯伯格的身影多年來已成為傳奇，廣受人民尊崇甚至超越網紅。紀錄片《RBG：不恐龍大法官》與傳記電影《法律女王》，即描述她在法律上及個人生命上爭取平權的奮鬥。

Source article: https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/lang/archives/2020/09/28/2003744184

 

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Welcome to 15mins.today the home of English Shadowing. I am your host Gavin, and this is InTense Episode 65. Well guys were on the last episode of adverbs. Thank goodness, almost done, done, done, done. Unfortunately, it is not an easy one, just like the previous one, where adverbs that describe adjectives, we are now looking at adverbs that describe other adverbs. So, it could be something, something, something,adverb, adverb, and then a verb.

OK, so how will I do this? I will do it the same as I did the previous one. I will search for that on Google to find examples because it's not something I'm aware of on a daily basis. It's very, very difficult, so that's all I can tell you about it. There's no quick or easy way, you just look at it and you think, oh that's an adverb and that's an adverb. So, an adverb that describes another adverb. Again, I will underline them as usual in the transcript for you to find, but let's just look at the one example I've got on hand and that is,” They sang so clearly.” There's the ly, but the so is also an adverb. So, what will I do now? I will go online, find examples and ask you some questions. Just follow the questions. OK, let's do this!

 

Is John almost always busy? Yes, he is almost always busy.

Is John almost always busy? No, he is not almost always busy.

 

Did Mary answer the question quite easily? Yes, she answered it quite easily.

Did Mary answer the question quite easily? No, she did not answer it quite easily.

 

Does your grandmother speak very loudly? Yes, she speaks very loudly.

Does your grandmother speak very loudly? No, she does not speak very loudly.

 

Did Peter arrive too soon? Yes, he arrived too soon.

Did Peter arrive too soon? No, he did not arrive too soon.

 

Did Jane finish the test more quickly? Yes, she finished the test more quickly.

Did Jane finish the test more quickly? No, she did not finish the test more quickly.

 

Did they leave quite abruptly? Yes, they left quite abruptly.

Did they leave quite abruptly? No, they did not leave quite abruptly.

 

Does James tread very carefully. Yes, he treads very carefully.

Does James tread very carefully? No, he does not tread very carefully.

 

Did Gregory do especially well. Yes, he did especially well.

Did Gregory do especially well. No, he did not do especially well.

 

Does Don drive extremely fast? Yes, he drives extremely fast.

Does Don drive extremely fast? No, he does not drive extremely fast.

 

Did Sara smile especially sweetly? Yes, she smiled especially sweetly.

Did Sara smile especially sweetly? No, she did not smile. especially sweetly.

 

Did the government act surprisingly swiftly. Yes, the government acted surprisingly swiftly.

Did the government act surprisingly swiftly? No, the government did not act surprisingly swiftly.

 

Were you definitely late? Yes, I was definitely late.

Were you definitely late? No, I was not definitely late.

 

Well there you go guys. Some examples of adverbs describing other adverbs. I used the examples off the Internet. I used the same list that I actually used for adverbs that describe adjectives, because if they are adverbs and they can be used to describe other adverbs as well. So, I will underline those adverbs in the examples. I hope this helped you. Practice, practice, practice, even if you are not really interested in the grammar part of it. Just practice the questions and the answers. OK, if you can answer them correctly you will be fine. So, I hope to catch you in the next one and hopefully next time we do something that makes a bit more sense and doesn't give me a headache again for trying to do this. OK, take care and I'll catch you in the next episode. Bye, bye!

 

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Summary:

This article discusses how 2 Korean Airlines posted profit when all other airlines globally lost heavily. They did this by using their jets as cargo planes. A person put money in a washing machine to clean it and lost a lot. They were destroyed. She received $23 000 from the bank. That was less than half of the total!

原文章討論: https://www.15mins.today/blog/ep-925-about-skorea-how-major-south-korean-airlines-made-profits

 

 

Vocabulary and Sample Sentences:

 

 

Commendable adj.: deserving praise

Were his heroic actions commendable?

Is supporting charities commendable?

 

 

Skeptical adj.: doubting that something is true or will happen

Are you skeptical about self-driving cars?

Is being skeptical a good trait in politics?

 

 

Mutilate v.: to damage something/somebody very badly

Was he mutilated in the accident?

 Did the shredder mutilate the document?

 

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每日英語跟讀 Ep.964: Which side of a plain white mask faces out?

 

Pharmacist Ko Yu-pin, father of novelist Giddens Ko, says that even though white masks are the most popular type in Japan, they are not at all popular with the Taiwanese. Ko says that some customers asking for masks decline the minute they hear the masks are white. When he asks them why they do not want to buy white masks, they say that they have no idea which side is supposed to face out, so they would rather not use white masks at all.

作家九把刀的藥師爸爸柯毓彬說，日本人最愛的白色口罩，偏偏台灣人接受度不高，有的民眾一踏進藥局要買口罩，一聽到是白口罩，馬上就說「不用了」，他都會反問對方為何不買白口罩，才知道原來是因為買了白口罩，要戴的時候卻不會分內外，所以，乾脆就把白口罩列為拒絕往來戶。

Consequently, Ko decided to set up a “mask class.” Whenever anybody comes to buy masks, no matter whether the current batch is white or not, he always gives them a quick lesson, using a sample white mask to explain how to distinguish the inner and outer sides.

因此，柯毓彬決定開設「口罩小學堂」，只要來買口罩的人，不論這批是否為白口罩，統統都幫民眾上課，直接就以白口罩為例，說明如何來分辨內外。

Ko says that the easiest way to tell the difference between the inner and outer sides of a white mask is that the side with the pleats facing downward is the outer side. There are two reasons for this. The first is that having downward-facing pleats on the outside makes it easy to breathe, and people who wear glasses will not get their glasses misted up when they exhale. The other reason is that dust will not accumulate in downward-facing pleats.

柯毓彬強調，要分辨白色口罩的內外，最容易分辨的方法，就是「摺痕朝下」的就是朝外，原因有兩個，也就是摺痕向下朝外的話，這樣呼吸順暢，眼鏡族才不會因為呼氣、吸氣就會眼鏡模糊；同時因為摺痕向下，落塵才不會累積在摺痕裡。

Ko says that some people think they can distinguish the inner and outer sides of a white mask by the ear straps, but actually some mask factories put the straps on the inside and some put them on the outside, so the straps won’t tell you anything. The best way is still to look at the pleats. Just remember that the side with the downward-facing pleats is the outer side and you will get it right.

柯毓彬指出，有的民眾用白口罩的耳帶來分辨內外，但其實有的口罩工廠是把耳帶作在裡面，有的就作在外面，所以無法用耳帶判斷內外。最好的方法還是看摺痕，只要記得「摺痕向下」就是朝外，這樣就對了。

Ko says that every time he receives a batch of plain white masks, he and his wife set an example by putting on white ones. Ko says that previously only people who wanted to send masks to Japan would specifically ask for white ones, but since he started his mask class, most people have been accepting white masks. After all, no matter what style or color of clothes you are wearing, you can’t go wrong with neutral white masks, which go well with anything.

柯毓彬說，每當收到純白色的口罩，他跟老婆都會以身作則戴起白口罩。柯毓彬說，以前都是專程要寄口罩到日本的民眾才會特別指定購買白色口罩，但經過他的「口罩小學堂」之後，大多數人都會接受白色口罩，因為不管穿著各款各色的服裝，「百搭」的中性白色口罩都是最好的選擇！

Source article: https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/lang/archives/2020/09/29/2003744239

 

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每日英語跟讀 Ep.963: A Cataclysm of Hunger, Disease and Illiteracy

 

We think of COVID-19 as killing primarily the elderly around the world, but in poor countries it is more cataclysmic than that.

我們認為新冠肺炎在世界各地主要是奪走年長者的性命，然而在貧窮國家，災情不止於此。

It is killing children through malnutrition. It is leading more people to die from tuberculosis, malaria and AIDS. It is forcing girls out of school and into child marriages. It is causing women to die in childbirth. It is setting back efforts to eradicate polio, fight malaria and reduce female genital mutilation. It is leading to lapses in vitamin A distribution that will cause more children to suffer blindness and die.

它透過營養不良殺害兒童，讓更多人死於肺結核、瘧疾和愛滋病。它迫使女孩輟學進入童婚，導致婦女在分娩時死亡。它阻滯根絕小兒麻痺、對抗瘧疾和減少女性割陰的努力。它妨礙維他命A的發放，讓更多兒童因此失明及死亡。

The U.N. Population Fund warns that COVID-19 may lead to an additional 13 million child marriages around the world and to some 47 million women being unable to get access to modern contraception.

聯合國人口基金警告，新冠肺炎可能使全球增加1300萬件童婚，約4700萬名女性無法獲得現代化避孕方法。

In short, a pandemic of disease, illiteracy and extreme poverty is following on the heels of this coronavirus pandemic — and it is hitting children hardest.

簡言之，一場疾病、未受教育和赤貧的大流行「疫情」，將緊隨這場疫情而來，又以兒童所受打擊最大。

The greatest impact of COVID-19 may be not on those whom the virus directly infects, but on those shattered by the collapse of economies and health and education systems in developing countries.

新冠肺炎所產生的最大衝擊，可能並不顯現在受病毒直接感染者身上，而是見諸開發中國家因經濟、醫療和教育系統崩潰而深受其害者的身上。

“The indirect impact of COVID-19 in the Global South will be even greater than the direct impact,” Dr. Muhammad Musa, executive director of BRAC International, an outstanding Bangladesh-based nonprofit, told me. “The direct impact, as tragic as it is, affects those infected and their families. The indirect impact has economic and social consequences for vastly more people — with jobs lost, families hungry, domestic violence up, more children leaving school, and costs over generations.”

「新冠肺炎在全球南方的非直接衝擊將比直接衝擊更大。」以孟加拉為據點的傑出非營利組織BRAC International執行長穆哈邁德．穆薩博士說。

「直接衝擊儘管令人悲痛，影響的是感染者和他們的家庭。非直接衝擊卻讓遠多於此數的民眾承受經濟和社會後果，失去工作，家人挨餓，家暴增加，更多兒童輟學，以及跨世代的成本。」

In this sense, many of those whom COVID-19 kills never actually get the disease. Instead, they are children who die of measles because they couldn’t get vaccinated in a time of plague — up to 80 million children may miss vaccinations. Or they die of malnutrition because their fathers lost jobs as rickshaw drivers or their mothers couldn’t sell vegetables in the market.

如此看來，新冠病毒害死的人有許多並未真的罹疫，而是疫情期間因未能接種疫苗而死於麻疹的兒童，多達8000萬名兒童可能錯失疫苗接種。抑或是他們死於營養不良，因為他們的父親失去三輪車夫的工作，或是母親無法在市場賣菜。

As is often the case in economic crises, the burden falls particularly on girls.More are being married off as children so that the new husband’s family will feed them, or they are sent off to the city to work as maids in exchange for food and negligible incomes — while facing an end to education and significant risk of abuse.

一如在經濟危機中常見的，重擔特別落在女孩身上。更多人在兒童時就被嫁出去，好讓新婚丈夫家庭養活，或是她們被送到城市中當女傭，換取食物和微不足道的收入，同時面臨教育的結束和很大的受虐風險。

Source article: https://paper.udn.com/udnpaper/POH0067/357771/web/

 

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每日英語跟讀 Ep.962: France to ban mink farms and use of wild animals in circuses, marine parks

 

France’s environment minister has announced a gradual ban on using wild animals in traveling circuses, on keeping dolphins and killer whales in captivity in marine parks and on raising mink on fur farms.

法國環境部長宣布，將逐步禁止巡迴馬戲團以野生動物進行表演、在海洋公園內圈養海豚和虎鯨，以及在皮草養殖場飼養水貂。

Barbara Pompili, France’s minister of ecological transition, said in a news conference on Tuesday last week that bears, tigers, lions, elephants and other wild animals will no longer be allowed in traveling circuses “in the coming years.” In addition, she said that starting immediately, France’s three marine parks will no longer be able to bring in or breed dolphins and killer whales.

法國生態轉型部部長巴巴拉‧彭皮里上週二在記者會中表示，「未來數年後」馬戲團將不能再有熊、老虎、獅子、大象及其他野生動物。此外，自即日起，法國的三個海洋公園不能再引進或繁殖海豚及虎鯨。

“It is time to open a new era in our relationship with these (wild) animals,” she said, arguing that animal welfare is a priority.

她說：「現在該是為我們與這些（野生）動物的關係開啟新時代的時候了」，她說，動物福利應優先考慮。

Pompili said the measures will also bring an end to mink farming, in which animals are raised for their fur, within the next five years. The ban does not apply to wild animals in other permanent shows and in zoos.

彭皮里說，這些措施還包括在未來五年內禁絕水貂養殖──這種養殖場的目的是取貂皮。該禁令並不適用其他常態演出及動物園中之野生動物。

The French government will provide an aid package of more than 8 million euros (US$9.36 million) to help animal shows transition to a new business model.

法國政府將提供逾八百萬歐元（合九百三十六萬美元）的支援計劃，以幫助動物表演轉型為新的商業模式。

Around 20 European countries have already banned or limited the presence of wild animals in circuses. In France, many cities already do not allow circuses with wild animal shows to pitch their tents.

歐洲約有二十個國家已禁止或限制野生動物在馬戲團出場。在法國，許多城市已不准有野生動物表演的馬戲團前來搭篷。

Source article: https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/lang/archives/2020/10/05/2003744594

 

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每日英語跟讀 Ep.961: If you do not snooze you lose: sleep is essential for the brain

 

Scientists are providing a fuller understanding of the essential role that sleep plays in brain health, identifying an abrupt transition at about 2.4 years of age when its primary purpose shifts from brain building to maintenance and repair.

科學家近日提出更完整的理論，進一步闡釋睡眠對大腦健康扮演不可或缺的角色。科學家確認，兒童大腦約在二歲五個月時會發生突然的轉變。此時，睡眠的首要目的從大腦發育轉變成維護與修復。

Researchers on Sept. 18 said they conducted a statistical analysis on data from more than 60 sleep studies. They looked at sleep time, duration of rapid eye movement (REM) sleep, brain size and body size, and devised a mathematical model for how sleep changes during development.

研究人員於九月十八日指出，他們對超過六十個睡眠研究提供的資料進行統計學分析。他們觀察睡眠時間、快速動眼期的持續長度、大腦和身體尺寸，並且設計出一套數學模型，研究睡眠在成長過程中會如何發生變化。

There are basically two types of sleep, each tied to specific brain waves and neuronal activity. REM, with the eyes moving quickly from side to side behind closed eyelids, is deep sleep with vivid dreams. Non-REM sleep is largely dreamless.

基本上，睡眠分成兩種類型，各自和特定的腦波與神經元活動密切相關。在快速動眼期，眼球會在緊閉的眼皮後方快速左右移動，進入深層睡眠，此時做的夢也特別清晰。非快速動眼期則大多是無夢的。

During REM sleep, the brain forms new neural connections by building and strengthening synapses — the junctions between nerve cells, or neurons — that enable them to communicate, reinforcing learning and consolidating memories. During sleep, the brain also repairs the modicum of daily neurological damage it typically experiences to genes and proteins within neurons as well as clearing out byproducts that build up.

在快速動眼期睡眠中，大腦藉由建立以及強化「突觸」──也就是神經細胞（或稱神經元）的相接處──形成新的神經連結，讓它們得以互相交流，藉此加深學習並且鞏固記憶。在睡眠期間，大腦也會修復平日受到的少量神經系統損傷──通常發生於基因和神經元裡面的蛋白質──同時清除累積的副產物。

At about 2.4 years of age, the findings showed, sleep’s primary function changed from building and cutting connections during REM sleep to neural repair during both REM and non-REM sleep. “It was shocking to us that this transition was like a switch and so sharp,” said Van Savage, a UCLA professor of ecology and evolutionary biology and of computational medicine who is a senior author of the research published in the journal Science Advances.

研究顯示，在大約二歲五個月左右，睡眠的首要功能會發生改變，從快速動眼期睡眠中持續建立並且切斷連結，轉變成在快速動眼期以及非快速動眼期這兩個睡眠期間進行神經修復。這份研究近日發表於期刊《科學進展》，其資深作者范‧薩維奇指出：「我們很訝異，這個轉變就像是切換開關一樣，非常突然。」范‧薩維奇是美國加州大學洛杉磯分校生態學和演化生物學教授，同時也是計算醫學教授。

REM sleep declines with age. Newborns, who can sleep about 16 hours daily, spend about 50 percent of their sleeping time in REM, but there is a pronounced drop-off at around 2.4 years. It drops to about 25 percent by age 10 and to about 10 percent to 15 percent around age 50. “Sleep is required across the animal kingdom and is nearly as ubiquitous as eating and breathing,” Van Savage said. “I’d say it is a pillar of human health.”

快速動眼期睡眠會隨著年紀增長而減少。新生兒一天可以睡到十六個小時，其中大約一半的睡眠時間都花在快速動眼期。然而，大概到兩歲五個月的時候，快速動眼期就會顯著降低。到了十歲，快速動眼期約佔睡眠時間的百分之二十五；到五十歲時，快速動眼期更衰退到睡眠時間的百分之十到十五左右。「睡眠在整個動物界都是必要的活動，就跟進食和呼吸一樣無所不在。」范‧薩維奇表示：「我會說，睡眠是人類健康的支柱。」

Source article: https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/lang/archives/2020/10/04/2003744543

 

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