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每日英語跟讀 Ep.945: About animals - Cat turns into ‘Pikachu’ after turmeric treatment

泰國一名愛貓人士近日分享自己為了治療被真菌感染的貓咪，用薑黃塗抹貓咪後不小心將原先雪白的貓變成亮黃色。網友們看到臉書上的照片後紛紛表示小貓被上了薑黃後，看起來就像真「人」版的皮卡丘，十分可愛。

A Thai cat-lover accidentally turned her cat yellow after she tried to cure its fungal infection with turmeric. The photos published on her Facebook show the poor kitten which now bears a striking resemblance to the Japanese anime character “Pikachu.”

據當地媒體報導，貓咪飼主Thammapa Supamas表示一開始發現雪白色的貓身體上似乎有被感染，採取較為傳統但安全的治療方式，將整隻貓塗抹薑黃以確保沒有遺漏任何有可能遭受感染的部位。

According to local reports, Thammapa Supamas, the cat owner, claimed that she first noticed that her snow-white cat had a fungal infection so she took a more traditional approach to cure the animal by applying turmeric to its entire body.

雖然薑黃富有薑黃素可以消毒、消炎，然而使用過後因其顏色較為鮮豔，容易附著在使用者身上。

Though turmeric contains “Curcumin” which has antioxidant, antifungal, and anti-inflammatory properties, direct contact turned the animal’s fur yellow-ish.

貓咪的新造型引發網友熱議，許多人紛紛在照片下表示「貓咪真的太像皮卡丘了！」，而熱心的網友也特別為貓咪P圖，使他瞬間成為泰國版皮卡丘。

The cat’s new look has earned the love of netizens, with many drawing comparisons between the poor animal and Pikachu, leading to numerous attempts to transform the cat into a live-version of the Japanese anime.

 

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馬國驚見跳跳虎在街上遊蕩　網友怒：會不會太過分？ | Malaysian animal rights groups angry at photos of dog looking like ‘Tigger’

馬來西亞一隻流浪狗因他人惡作劇被漆成老虎樣，近期照片曝光在社群媒體上流傳引來當地動物愛好者和動物權利組織憤怒。

Animal lovers in Malaysia have lashed out at a recent series of photos making rounds on social media of a stray dog painted in black and orange to resemble a tiger.

照片於8月28日由馬來西亞當地動物協會於臉書上分享後得到網友熱烈的迴響。

The photos went viral after it was posted on Facebook by the Malaysia Animal Association on Aug. 28.

此動協會在貼文中尋求知情人士告知狗狗的動向以便查清惡作劇的幕後使者。

The animal rights group asked for information regarding the whereabouts of the dog in an attempt to track down those responsible.

為了吸引大家分享有關狗的位置與主人的資訊，動協會也表示知情者會獲得一個「神秘獎品」。

To entice people to come forward, the group has even offered a “mystery reward” for further details on the dog’s location and possible owner.

照片被刊登後許多網友也紛紛到下面留言表示這類的惡作劇對狗造成嚴重的傷害，因使用的顏料可能含有鉛，不僅有毒素更可能導致動物掉毛。

The photos sparked outrage online as dyeing the fur of animals can be harmful. Most people don’t know but paints can also be toxic and may result in fur loss.

網友大力譴責此舉指出狗看起來很不開心，但也有人點出狗被漆上的花紋非常細緻，若有此天分的人應該將力氣花在其他事上，而不是來虐狗。

Many condemned the unethical action and pointed out the sad expression on the dog, while others said the realistic patterns painted on the animal indicated a mildly talented artist, who should find a better use of his or her time.

Source article: https://chinapost.nownews.com/20200902-1707661 ; https://chinapost.nownews.com/20200826-1697260

 

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Summary:

This article covers 2 topics. The storm in a teacup over how a lady made fried rice on the BBC. And the second talks about Dua Lipa’s love for bubble milk tea ice cream from Taiwan.

原文章討論：https://www.15mins.today/blog/ep-909-about-uk-bbc-bbc-host

 

 

Vocabulary and Sample Sentences:

Controversial adj.: causing public anger and disagreement

Was the decision to close the water park controversial?

Does social media cause lots of controversies?

 

Trigger v.: to cause people to get upset

Are people triggered by animal cruelty?

Do people get triggered by social media?

 

Troll v.: creating discord on the Internet by starting quarrels or upsetting people by posting inflammatory or off-topic messages in an online community

Does getting trolled trigger people?

Have you been trolled on Facebook?

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每日英語跟讀 Ep.944: Singaporean student plays Pokemon on ingenious ‘Melonboy’

想像你搭捷運時突然有個年輕男子拿著一顆鑲有小螢幕的西瓜淡定的坐到你旁邊，開始認真的玩。

Imagine that you are on the MRT and a young man sitting next to you is playing video games on a watermelon-like console.

近期，就有新加坡民眾在捷運上目睹這奇葩的一幕。一位星國少年自製了一台「西瓜Game Boy」，上面不僅有螢幕和實體的按鈕，裡面還裝載了近期最流行的寶可夢遊戲軟體。

That’s the unusual sight some people recently experienced in Singapore when a teenager was seen playing “Pokemon Go” on a self-built console made of a watermelon, a screen and some buttons.

就讀新加坡管理大學的Cedrick Tan，近日在YouTube上分享了自製的水果寶可夢GameBoy，揭露製作過程和最後實驗結果。

Cedrick Tan, a student from the Singapore Management University, has been tinkering with the project on YouTube which has led to him building his own version of Pokemon Emerald inside a fruit.

一向天馬行空的他其實已經有無數的作品，包括將一個地圖放進虛擬實境和利用微軟Excel發送訊息至通訊軟體Telegram。如今他又再次突破自己，將遊戲機成功的裝進蔬果內。

An avid creator, Tan’s long list of projects include turning a map into a blank canvas for augmented reality, finding a way to send messages to Telegram using Microsoft Excel, and building a playable Game Boy Advance inside a melon.

當被問起做這個作品的過程時，Cedrick表示其實非常簡單，因為西瓜內部空間非常足夠，電路的連接也非常方便。

When asked about his project, Tan said: “When it came down to actually making the Melonboy, it happened to be really convenient seeing as the melon was very spacious on the inside allowing me to wire everything up with ease.”

遊戲機目前可以成功的開啟，使用的軟體也和原版相符，而挖空的西瓜塞進了一個電池、數個實體按鍵、一個1.8寸的螢幕和小喇叭音響。

The Game Boy emulator can then be loaded and run with the same software as the original game. Inside the scooped-out melon, a power bank, buttons, a 1.8-inch screen, loudspeakers are assembled.

Cedrick表示，因為買到瑕疵零件，導致製作過程延宕，西瓜GamBoy花了他將近一個月才完成。若沒有遇到這些問題的話，大概一週以內就能完成，他自信滿滿地說。

According to Tan, the construction took about a month; though he blamed the time-length on a faulty device integral to the game boy. Without the problem, the watermelon-based console could have been finished in less than a week, he said.

「身為一個資管系的學生，我對於電機其實一知半解，所以一切從零開始學，花了一點時間。」Cedrick 說。然而，他對於自己的成果表示滿意，成功的製作出一個有著完整介面的「攜帶式」遊戲機。

“As an information systems student, I have no background in electrical engineering, so learning that from scratch took some time,” Tan recalled. The result is a working game console, complete with a Game Boy Advance emulator and a game controller.

吸睛的西瓜GameBoy影片獲得廣大民眾迴響，這大概也是Cedrick最大的收穫。

But the best thing about Tan’s video is the public’s reaction to the watermelon game boy.

Cedrick也實驗過將西瓜帶去賣場玩，捕捉到許多人好奇的眼光。

On a visit to the market, he played the game console surrounded by real watermelons, which provoked weird looks from passers-by.

Cedrick憶起他曾帶著西瓜進火車站，當時還被站務員攔截，詢問他手上的大西瓜是怎麼回事。

Tan also recalled being quizzed about the device when he brought it into a train station.

一位緊張的員工甚至跑到他身邊詢問奇形怪狀的西瓜用途，聽完他的解釋後，員工還非常興奮地將他拉回辦公室要他將作品展現給其他同事看。

A distressed SMRT staff asked him about the strange device, and after hearing his explanation, requested him to show it to her colleagues.

此外，Cedrick坦言他曾經被誤認為西瓜炸彈客，而他從沒想過帶著西瓜會碰上這樣的麻煩。

In addition, Tan said he also experienced another unforeseen problem where someone complained that he was carrying a watermelon bomb.

Cedrick也將自己的作品分享到美版PTT Reddit上面，不僅獲得外國網友的讚賞，還有許多人鼓勵他之後利用酪梨和椰子製作遊戲機。

Tan also posted on Reddit about his clumsy contraption, where he received plenty of praise, inspiring him to build different versions in the future, including avocados and coconuts.

不幸地，Cedrick透露，影片上傳YouTube後過了幾天，西瓜就爛掉了。

Unfortunately, Tan revealed that the watermelon had rotted just a few days after his YouTube video was uploaded.

然而，Cedrick表示將會繼續創作，未來也規劃以榴槤製作遊戲，將其命名為「臭Boy痛苦遊戲」。

However, Tan vowed to continue making his creations and could take on the challenge of turning the durian into a game that could be called StinkyBoy’s Pain Game.

Source article: https://chinapost.nownews.com/20200827-1697494

 

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每日英語跟讀 Ep.943: Berlin Film Festival to make acting prizes gender neutral

The organizers of the Berlin International Film Festival (aka Berlinale) said last Monday that they will stop awarding separate acting prizes to women and men beginning next year, and the performance awards will be defined in a gender-neutral way at next year’s festival, for which a physical event is planned.

柏林國際影展主辦單位上週一表示，自明年起，他們不再分別頒發男女演員獎項。明年的影展將會以性別中立的方式來定義表演獎項，並將舉行實體典禮。

The festival awards a Golden Bear for the best film and a series of Silver Bears, which until this year included best actor and best actress honors. Organizers said those prizes will be replaced with a Silver Bear for Best Leading Performance and a Silver Bear for Best Supporting Performance.

柏林影展頒發金熊獎給最佳影片，以及銀熊獎給一系列項目，截至今年，銀熊獎均包括最佳男主角及最佳女主角獎。主辦單位表示，這些獎項將以最佳主角銀熊獎，及最佳配角銀熊獎兩獎項取代。

In a statement, the co-heads of the festival, Mariette Rissenbeek and Carlo Chatrian, said “not separating the awards in the acting field according to gender comprises a signal for a more gender-sensitive awareness in the film industry.”

柏林影展兩位總監瑪麗耶特‧里森貝克及卡洛‧夏堤安在一份聲明中表示：「不以性別來區分表演類獎項，所包含的信號是電影界對性別有更加敏銳的意識」。

The festival’s Golden Bear is one of the most prestigious awards in Europe, together with the Palme d’Or of the Cannes festival in France and the Golden Lion award of the Venice Film Festival. Cannes still singles out a best actor and actress, while Venice awards a Volpi cup to actors of each sex.

德國柏林影展的金熊獎為歐洲地位最高的電影獎之一，與法國坎城影展的金棕櫚獎，以及義大利威尼斯電影節的金獅獎齊名。坎城影展及威尼斯影展仍分別頒發男、女演員獎。

At the same time, the Alfred Bauer Prize, which is named after the festival’s founding director, will be permanently retired. The prize was suspended this year due to revelations about Bauer’s role in the Nazis’ moviemaking bureaucracy.

此外，以柏林影展創辦人命名的阿爾弗雷德‧鮑爾獎將永不再頒發。鮑爾被踢爆曾為納粹政府電影機構工作，因此今年該獎停頒。

Commenting on the decision to hold a physical event next year, despite uncertainties due to the coronavirus pandemic, the two directors stressed the need for a “lively relationship with the audience.” “In times of the corona pandemic, it has become even clearer that we still require analogue experience spaces in the cultural realm,” they said, noting that other festivals have also resumed holding physical rather than virtual events. The 2021 festival is scheduled for Feb. 11-21.

縱有冠狀病毒疫情所造成之不確定性，對於明年柏林影展舉行實體典禮的決定，兩位總監強調「與觀眾保持活生生關係」之必要性。「冠狀病毒疫情中愈發清楚顯示，在文化場域中，我們仍需要能提供類比經驗的空間」，他們表示，其他影展也已恢復舉行實體典禮。二○二一年之柏林影展訂於二月十一日至二十一日舉行。

Source article: https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/lang/archives/2020/08/31/2003742547

 

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每日英語跟讀 Ep.942: Mystery solved: Scientists trace source of Stonehenge boulders

 

Stonehenge, a Neolithic wonder in southern England, has vexed historians and archaeologists for centuries with its many mysteries: How was it built? What purpose did it serve? Where did its towering sandstone boulders come from?

位於英國南部的新石器時代奇觀「巨石陣」，數世紀以來困惑著歷史學家與考古學家：它是如何建造的？它的用途為何？這些高聳的砂岩巨石又是從哪裡來？

That last question may finally have an answer after a study published on July 29 found that most of the giant stones — known as sarsens — seem to share a common origin 25km away in West Woods, an area that teemed with prehistoric activity.

七月二十九日發表的一篇研究，可能終於解開前述的最後一個謎團。該研究發現，絕大多數稱為「撒森岩」的巨大石塊，似乎同樣來自於距離巨石陣二十五公里的西伍茲，當地曾經出現過大量的史前人類活動。

The finding boosts the theory that the megaliths were brought to Stonehenge about the same time: around 2,500 BC, the monument’s second phase of construction, which in turn could be a sign that its builders were from a highly organized society.

這項發現支持巨石約在同一時間被運送到巨石陣遺址的理論：時間大約在西元前兩千五百年，是巨石陣的第二階段建造期，所以也暗示著建造者來自一個高度組織化的社會。

The new paper appeared in the journal Science Advances. Lead author David Nash, a professor of physical geography at the University of Brighton, told AFP he and his team had to devise a novel technique to analyze the sarsens, which stand up to 9m tall and weigh as much as 30 tonnes.

這篇論文日前刊登於期刊《科學先端》，主要作者為布萊頓大學的自然地理學教授大衛‧奈許。他向法新社表示，他和研究團隊必須研發出一項新技術，藉以分析這些高達九公尺、重達三十公噸的撒森岩。

They first used portable x-rays to analyze the chemical composition of the rocks, which are 99 percent silica but contain traces of several other elements. “That showed us that most of the stones have a common chemistry, which led us to identify that we’re looking for one main source here,” said Nash.

他們一開始使用攜帶型X光機來分析巨石的化學組成，發現其中百分之九十九都是二氧化矽，但是也含有其他幾種元素的跡象。奈許說：「這證明這些石頭大多數都有共同的化學性質，讓我們確認研究團隊正在尋找一個主要來源。」

Next, they examined two core samples from one of the stones that were obtained during restoration work in 1958 but which then went missing until resurfacing in 2018 and 2019, respectively. They performed a more sophisticated analysis on these samples using a mass spectrometry device, which detects a bigger range of elements at a higher precision.

接著，他們檢驗兩份在一九五八年的維護工程中、從其中一塊巨石獲得的核心樣本。這兩份樣本曾經一度遺失，後來在二○一八年和二○一九年重新浮上檯面。研究團隊運用質譜儀器，以較高的精確度來偵測較大範圍的化學元素，對樣本進行更精密的分析。

The resulting signature was then compared to 20 possible source sites for these sedimentary rocks, with West Woods, Wiltshire found to be the closest match. Only the 17th century English natural philosopher John Aubrey had previously postulated a link between “Overton Wood,” probably a former name for West Woods, and Stonehenge.

分析後巨石呈現的化學特徵，再和二十個可能來源地的沉積岩進行對照，結果發現，位於威爾特郡的西伍茲吻合程度最為接近。在此之前，只有十七世紀的英國自然哲學家約翰‧奧布里有過類似假設，認為「奧弗頓森林」──可能是西伍茲以前的地名──和巨石陣有關。

Previous work has found that Stonehenge’s smaller “bluestones” came from Wales, about 200km to the west, and the new study says that they and the sarsens were placed at the same time. “So it must have been an enormous endeavor going on at that time,” said Nash. “Stonehenge is like a convergence of materials being brought in from different places.”

先前的研究曾經發現，巨石陣中較小的藍岩來自西邊兩百公里外的威爾斯，新研究則指出這些藍岩和撒森岩是在同時期搬來建造的。「在當時，這一定是規模浩大的工程，」奈許表示：「巨石陣就像是一個聚合點，各種石材從不同的地方被帶到此地。」

Just how the early Britons were able to transport the boulders weighing up to 30 tonnes a distance of 25km remains unknown — though the prevailing idea is they were dragged along sleds. The site’s significance also remains mysterious. “I think you’re looking at a very organized society there,” added Nash.

只是，早期英國人是如何將重達三十公噸的巨石運送到二十五公里外的地方，這仍然不得而知。目前較盛行的看法是：巨石是用長木橇拖到當地。巨石陣的特殊意義也仍是一團謎。奈許補充說：「我想，你眼前看到的是一個非常有組織的社群。」

The area was also a hive of Early Neolithic activity. It is home to a huge ancient burial site known as a barrow, a large circular earthwork, prehistoric cultivated fields that are now woodland, and a polissoir — a rock used to sharpen ancient stone axes.

該地區也是新石器時代早期人類活動的繁忙據點。當地有一個稱為「墳塚」的巨大古代墓葬區，還有一個大型的圓形地景藝術，今日已是一片森林的史前耕地，以及刻有凹槽的沙岩，當時被用來磨利古代的石斧。

 

Source article: https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/lang/archives/2020/08/09/2003741335

 

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每日英語跟讀 Ep.941: A Wearable Technology That Fits Just Like Skin

 

It is almost certain that the next era of computing will be wearables. But it is commensurately uncertain what these wearables will be and where on your body they will be worn.

我們幾可確定，電算的下一個年代會屬於穿戴型產品。至於這些產品會是什麼，又會穿戴在人體何處，卻同樣無法確定。

Apple and Samsung, for example, are betting on the wrist; Google, the face. Some tech companies believe clothing will simply become electronic. Yet there’s a whole new segment of start-ups that believes we humans will become the actual computers, or at least the place where the technology will reside.

例如，蘋果和三星押注手腕，谷歌則是臉部。有些科技公司認為衣服會電子化。但有全新一批新創公司認為，人類會變成實體電腦，至少會成為穿戴科技的居所。

These start-ups are working on a class of wearable computers that adhere to the skin like temporary tattoos, or attach to the body like an adhesive bandage.

這些新創公司正研發可像假刺青般附著於皮膚，或像黏性貼布般附著於身體的一系列穿戴型電腦。

Many of these technologies are stretchable, bendable and incredibly thin. They can also be given unique designs, to stand out like a bold tattoo, or to blend in to the color of your skin.

這些科技產品許多可延展、可彎曲，或薄到不可思議。他們也可能有獨特設計，如大膽刺青般醒目，或和膚色融合為一。

Attachable computers will be less expensive to make and provide greater accuracy because sensors will be closer to a person’s body (or even inside us) .

附著式電腦較不昂貴，也比較準確，因為感應器更貼身（甚至就在體內）。

MC10, a company based in Cambridge, Massachusetts, is testing attachable computers about the size of a piece of gum that can include wireless antennas, temperature and heartrate sensors and a tiny battery.

麻州劍橋的MC10公司正在實驗一種附著式電腦。約口香糖大小，內有無線天線、體溫和心律感應器，以及一個極小的電池。

Scott Pomerantz, head of MC10, said: “Ours are always on you. We have the smallest, most flexible, stretchable, wearable computer, and you can collect all sorts of biometric data tied to your motion.”

MC10負責人波梅蘭茲說：「我們的產品永遠是穿戴在你身上。我們擁有最小、最具可撓性與延展性的穿戴式電腦。你可蒐集與你的動作有關的各種生理數據。」

MC10 recently teamed up with John A. Rogers, a professor at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, who has been working for nearly a decade to perfect flexible devices that can be worn on the skin or implanted .

MC10最近與厄巴納－香檳伊利諾大學教授羅傑斯合作。羅傑斯已投入近10年時間，讓穿戴於皮膚或植入體內的彈性裝置更為完美。

How would these gadgets work? Maybe you want to figure out which deodorant would be best for you. A sticker that tracks your sweat level would email you a few recommendations. Or if you want to monitor your baby’s breathing, a little sensor on the baby’s chest would alert you to any problems.

這些小裝置將如何運作？或許你想知道哪種止汗劑最適合你使用。可追蹤汗量的一張貼紙，會以電子郵件提供你一些建議。或許你想監測寶寶的呼吸，貼在寶寶胸前的一個小感應器會在出狀況時發出警示。

“We’ll eventually see a more intimate integration of electronics and biological systems,” Mr. Rogers said . “Without that kind of intimate physical contact, it’s going to be difficult, or maybe even impossible, to extract meaningful data.”

羅傑斯說：「我們最終會看到電子產品和生理系統更親密的結合。不靠這種與身體的親密接觸，蒐集到有用的數據會變得很困難，甚至不可能。」

The health applications are enormous. Over the past year, Mr. Rogers and his team of scientists have been working with patients with Parkinson’s disease to monitor their motions, with dermatologists to treat skin diseases, and with beauty companies like L’Oreal to develop digital stickers that track skin hydration.

在健康方面的應用可以無所不包。過去一年，羅傑斯和他的科學家團隊一直在與巴金森氏病人共事，監測他們的運動，也與皮膚科醫生合作，治療皮膚疾病，也和美妝公司如歐萊雅公司共同開發數位貼紙，追蹤肌膚水分。

Anke Loh of the School of the Art Institute of Chicago has been experimenting with making the attachable computers look like body art. “You see these patches and you really want to put them on your skin, even without knowing what the function is,” Ms. Loh said . “There’s a lot of potential to combine fashion and technology.”

芝加哥藝術學院的羅安克正從事一項實驗，讓附著式電腦看來宛如人體藝術。羅女士說：「看著這些貼布時，你會真的很想把它往身上貼，即使不知道它有什麼功能。時尚與科技結合，潛力無窮。」

Scientists at the University of Tokyo have been working on an “e-skin,” which is an electronic skin that sits on top of real skin. It looks like a stretchable sheet of plastic wrap, yet contains lots of health-related sensors.

東京大學的科學家一直在研究「電子皮膚」，它是放在真皮膚上的一種電子皮膚。外表類似一片具伸縮性的保鮮膜，但內含許多與健康相關的感應器。

In another iteration of e-skin, scientists are working to add a layer of LEDs, turning it into a screen that sits on the body.

在另一個電子皮膚的反覆研究中，科學家正設法為電子皮膚添加一層LED燈，讓它變成人體上的一個螢幕。

Digital skins offer numerous applications, not only in monitoring a user’s health, but also as a visual user interface. They may even replace smartphones one day.

數位皮膚應用範圍十分廣泛，不僅可監測使用者的健康狀況，還可作為使用者的視覺介面。有朝一日，甚至可取代智慧手機。

But don’t throw aside your smartwatch or Google Glass just yet. It will be a while before our wearable future becomes known.

不過，暫時還別把你的智慧手表或是谷歌眼鏡扔到一邊。我們的穿戴未來還要一段時間才會明朗。

Source article: https://paper.udn.com/udnpaper/POH0067/268839/web/

 

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每日英語跟讀 Ep.940: 小七聯名球鞋將上市？日本最強聯名設計引熱議 | Japanese designer creates co-branded sneakers, sparks heated discussion

 

近年吹起一股聯名風潮，各個服飾、運動大牌紛紛推出聯名商品搶商機。一名日本設計師發揮創意，將日常生活常見大牌包括7-11、Netflix皆融入球鞋設計，引起網友熱議，直呼「好想買一雙！」

Co-branding strategies have become increasingly popular in recent years, with clothing and sports brands launching co-branded products to develop niche markets.

With this observation in mind, a Japanese designer has tried to incorporate popular brands into his sneaker designs, including 7-11, Netflix and Japan’s famous brand “Akabako (Red Box) Beauty Soap,” attracting netizens’ attention. Someone immediately said: “I want to buy a pair!”

日本設計師ミチル在推特(@mitiruxxx)PO出一系列融合各大品牌元素的設計球鞋，從日本知名零食大牌Calorie Mate、桔梗信玄餅Shingen Mochi、Suntory天然水、到保鮮膜大牌saran wrap，各種日常品牌讓日本網友感到非常親切。

Japanese illustrator “ミチル” (@mitiruxxx) recently tweeted a series of design sneakers with elements of various household brands, ranging from Calorie Mate, Shingen Mochi and Suntory natural water to saran wrap.

除了日本牌子之外，這位插畫家也有顧及到海外粉絲，設計出Netflix、7-11以及第一代蘋果電腦iMac G3的聯名球鞋樣式。其中最受歡迎的是7-11便利商店圖樣球鞋，球鞋上印著7-11招牌綠底，搭配紅橘條紋，讓粉絲直呼好想買一雙！

In addition to the Japanese brand, the illustrator looked at overseas markets, designing sneaker patterns for Netflix, 7-Eleven, and the first-generation Apple computer, the iMac G3.

The most popular sneakers are the 7-Eleven Convenience Store Sneakers, featuring 7-Eleven’s signature green and red-orange stripes, making fans eager to buy a pair.

然而，目前這些球鞋僅止於設計圖，並未上市，但若是粉絲積極敲碗，或許有一天Nike就會考慮推出超可愛7-11聯名設計球鞋。

However, these sneakers are currently only available in designs and not available on the market. Hopefully, if fans are eager for these cool sneakers, maybe one day Nike will consider releasing a super cute 7-Eleven co-branded design sneaker.

Source article: https://chinapost.nownews.com/20200813-1685488

 

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Welcome to 15mins.today the home of English Shadowing. I am your host Gavin, and this is InTense Episode 62. Well guys we are doing verbs, we have done action verbs and linking verbs and now we are on the last kind helping verbs and that will be the end of Verbs, hooray! And the question will be what are helping verbs?Helping verbs are added to another verb to make a meaning clearer. You can look on Google. You will find a list of them does, did, have, has, had,... many examples and they make up little phrases like verb phrases with the main verb and a helping verb, so, “They will run before dawn.” Okay, “He will eat lunch before leaving for the office.” Well, there's a lot, so will leave, still have, did eat. Okay, so those words make up a little phrase and these are just helping verbs, so the verb is not just “run > will run.” That I have actually done this in some of the example has eaten, there you go there is an example of a helping verb. The eaten is the verb, maybe an action verb. “He has eaten cake.”

So, that would be an action verb, and so the hasis actually a helping verb in that little phrase. So, has is a verb, eaten is a verb. Eaten is an action verb and has the helping verb. It doesn't matter for your reference just be able to recognise that there has, and the eaten or both verbs. There you go, a verbal phrase if you like, as long as you can identify that you will be fine. Great, so without further ado, let's just do a bunch of these examples and then we can finish verbs. Hooray, for us. Let's listen to our example questions.

 

Has John eaten lunch? Yes, he has eaten lunch.

Has John eaten lunch? No, he has not eaten lunch.

 

Will Suzan send the report? Yes, she will send the report.

Will Suzan send the report? No, she will not send the report.

 

Should I leave? Yes, you should leave

Should I leave? No, you should not leave.

 

Might the company reply soon? Yes, they might reply soon.

Might the company reply soon? No, they might not reply soon.

 

Are they still eating lunch? Yes, they are still eating lunch.

Are they still eating lunch? No, they are not still eating lunch.

 

Could Jerry help us? Yes, he could help us.

Could Jerry help us? No, he could not help us.

 

Would you like some coffee? Yes, I would like some coffee.

Would you like some coffee? No, I would not like some coffee.

 

Can she do it? Yes, she can do it.

Can she do it? No, she cannot do it.

 

Must Steven finish the report? Yes, he must finish the report.

Must Steve finish the report. No, he must not finish the report.

 

Well there you go guys. Some examples. So basically a helping verb, they help create like verb phrases and they consist of one main verb and one or more helping verbs. And for examples I'm just going to quote a few: to be, do, does, did, have, has, had, shall, should, will, would, can, could, may, might, must... Yeah anyway, yeah a whole bunch of them. I'm sure you can search Google and find many, many more. I hope that was helpful. Just keep repeating the questions and I will mark them in the transcript. I will catch you in the next episode goodbye!

 

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Summary:

This article discusses the thorny issue of having a national airline named after another country. What to do and what will the cost be?

原文章討論: https://www.15mins.today/blog/ep-907-rebranding-is-beneficial-to-china-airlines

 

 

Vocabulary and Sample Sentences:

Prohibitive adj.: when a price is so high it causes people to not buy something

Was the cost of renovating the building prohibitive?

Is the La Ferrari prohibitively expensive?

 

Polarize v.: separate people into 2 camps with opposing opinions

Did the new passport design polarize the public?

Is politics very polarizing?

 

Rebrand v.: change the name of a product / company or how it is advertised

Can rebranding be effective in changing people’s opinions?

Is rebranding a guarantee for success?

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每日英語跟讀 Ep.939: Help for Curing The Phone Addiction

 

Like pretty much everyone, Susan Butler stares at her smartphone too much. But unlike most everyone, she took action, buying a $195 ring from a company called Ringly, which promises to “let you put your phone away and your mind at ease.”

和大多數人一樣，蘇珊．巴特勒盯著智慧手機看的時間太長了。不一樣的是，她採取了行動，從Ringly公司買了一只195美元的戒指，保證可「讓你手機放一旁，腦袋放輕鬆」。

Ringly does this by connecting its rings to a smartphone filter so that users can silence Gmail or Facebook notifications while preserving crucial alerts, which cause the ring to light up or vibrate.

Ringly透過將戒指連接一個篩選程式辦到這一點，因此使用者可以讓Gmail或Facebook通知改為靜音，同時保留重要提示，這時戒指會發光或震動。

“Hopefully it will keep some distance between my phone and my hand,” said Ms. Butler, 27, a technology consultant who lives in Austin, Texas.

住在德州奧斯汀、27歲的科技顧問巴特勒說：「希望它能讓我的手機和我的手之間保持些距離。」

Given how quickly cellphones have taken over, it’s easy to forget that they are still a relatively new technology. The first iPhone came out eight years ago.

手機快速地主導了人們的生活，很容易讓我們忘了它仍是相當新的科技。第一支iPhone問世不過是8年前的事。

Yet already people spend close to three hours a day looking at a mobile screen – and that excludes the time they spend actually talking on the phones.

然而已有人每天花近3小時看手機－這還不算實際用手機講電話的時間。

In a recent survey of smartphone use by Bank of America, about a third of respondents said they were “constantly” checking their smartphones, and a little more than two-thirds said that they went to bed with a smartphone by their side. New companies see a business opportunity in helping people cut back.

美國銀行最近一項智慧手機使用調查發現，約三分之一受訪者表示「不斷」查看手機；略多於三分之二的人說，睡覺時把手機放在身旁。一些新公司在幫助人們少用手機這件事上看到了商機。

“Technology has evolved so quickly that we have spiraled out of control and nobody has stopped to think about how this is going to impact our lives,” said Kate Unsworth, the founder of a British company, Kovert, that also makes high-tech jewelry to filter out everything but the most urgent stuff.

英國Kovert公司製造的高科技首飾能濾除最緊急資訊以外的所有訊息，創辦人凱特．安茲沃斯說：「科技發展飛快，讓我們失去掌控，沒有人停下來思考這一切會如何影響我們的生活。」

Smartwatches like the Apple Watch are designed to encourage more glancing and less phone checking. In June, Google and Levi’s announced plans for a line of high-tech clothes that will allow people to do things like turn off a ringing phone by swiping their jacket cuff.

Apple Watch之類智慧手表設計宗旨在於讓人多簡單過目，少滑手機。谷歌和Levi’s六月宣布一項高科技服飾系列的合作計畫，讓人們能做拍打外套袖口就關掉手機響鈴之類的事。

Offtime limits customers’ access to apps they overuse and produce charts on how much time they spend on their phones. Moment encourages people to share their phone use with friends to compete in a game of who can look at their phone the least. And Light Phone, a credit-card-size phone that does nothing but make and receive phone calls.

Offtime程式限制顧客開啟過度使用的應用程式，並製作圖表顯示他們花在手機上的時間。Moment鼓勵人們和朋友分享自己使用手機的狀況並互相比賽，看看誰能最少看手機。還有信用卡大小的手機Light Phone，只能撥打及接聽電話。

NoPhone is a $12 piece of plastic that looks like a smartphone but actually does nothing. “Most people don’t think about phone addiction as a real thing until you’re like, ‘O.K., they’re buying a piece of plastic because they are worried about their friend,’ ” said Van Gould, head of the nascent venture that had sold close to 3,200 NoPhones.

NoPhone是塊12美元的塑膠，看來像支智慧手機，實際上啥也不能做。這家新興公司已售出近3200支NoPhone，老闆范恩．古德說：「多數人沒把手機成癮真當個問題，直到你覺得『是的，他們買了一件塑膠，因為他們擔心朋友。』」

Adam Gazzaley, a neurologist and neuroscience professor at the University of California, San Francisco, said, “You have a population that is starting to say, ‘Wait, we love all this technology but there seems to be a cost – whether it’s my relationship or my work or my safety because I’m driving and texting.’ ”

舊金山加州大學神經病學家暨神經科學教授亞當．加札利說：「有一群人開始說『等等，我們愛這些科技，但似乎要付代價－無論是我的感情、工作或安全，因為我邊開車邊打簡訊。」

Some products are trying to find a balance. Google Now uses data to bother you only when you need it. “If I’m about to forget my kid’s birthday I want the phone to scream at me until I do something about it,” said Sundar Pichai, Google’s senior vice president of products.

有些產品試著尋求平衡。Google Now只在你需要時用數據打擾你。Google產品資深副總裁桑達．皮柴說：「在我將要忘記孩子的生日時，我要手機對我尖叫，直到我讓它停止。」

Smartphones are a potent delivery mechanism for two fundamental human impulses, according to Paul Atchley, a psychology professor at the University of Kansas: our quest to find new and interesting distractions, and our desire to feel that we have checked off a task.

堪薩斯大學心理學教授保羅．艾區利表示，對於兩項基本的人類衝動而言，智慧手機是有力的傳遞機制：尋求新鮮有趣的娛樂，以及感覺自己檢查過一項工作的欲望。

“The brain gets literally rewired to switch – to constantly seek out novelty, which makes putting the phone down difficult,” he said.

他說：「大腦實際上會重新連接以轉變，持續尋求新奇事物，這使得放下手機很困難。」

Addiction or not, Ms. Butler still sought help from Ringly.

無論成癮與否，巴特勒仍持續自Ringly尋求幫助。

Mr. Atchley is skeptical. Successful treatment, he said, is about controlling our demons – not outsourcing them.

艾區利表示懷疑。他說，成功的治療在於控制自己的心魔－而非將此事外包。

In technology, as in life, a little willpower goes a long way.

面對科技，一如面對生活，一點點意志力就很有用。

Source article: https://paper.udn.com/udnpaper/POH0067/282793/web/#2L-6186766L

 

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