通勤學英語 15Mins Today

每日跟讀#777: About UK: The toilet aims to increase employee productivity

A British company, StandardToilet, has developed a toilet that discourages long bathroom breaks. The company has filed a patent for a fixture designed to increase employee productivity by making it uncomfortable for anyone to dwell on the toilet seat.

一家英國公司「StandardToilet」開發出一款不讓人在廁所休息太久的馬桶。這家公司已經為這項發明註冊專利，它透過讓任何人都無法舒服地坐在馬桶上的設計，提升員工生產力。

According to StandardToilet, employees are spending an average of 10 minutes a day on the toilet. They estimate that their product will lead to a 25% reduction in time spent on the toilet, so employees can spend those extra two and a half minutes doing something way more productive. Like going to get coffee.

StandardToilet指出，員工每天平均耗費10分鐘在馬桶上。他們估計，他們的產品可以讓員工花在廁所的時間減少25％，讓員工們可以將騰出來的2分30秒時間，拿去做更有成效的事。例如喝杯咖啡。

Sloping forward at an angle of 13 degrees, StandardToilet’s product is designed to make it uncomfortable to spend longer than about five minutes on it without experiencing leg strain, Mahabir Gill, founder of StandardToilet said.

StandardToilet的馬桶產品向前傾斜13度，被設計成讓人無法舒服地、腿部不痠痛地坐在上面超過5分鐘，StandardToilet創辦人瑪哈比爾．吉爾說。

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A plumber fixed the boiler of a 91-year-old terminally ill woman. He billed her $0水電工修好91歲罹患絕症老婦的鍋爐，收費0元

"It’s totally free of charge." These are words you wouldn’t normally associate with a broken boiler.

「完全免費」這幾個字，通常不會跟一個壞掉的鍋爐扯上關係。

That was until a plumber in the British town of Burnley, gained internet stardom after a receipt from one of his jobs went viral.

直到英國班來鎮的一名水電工因為工作收據被瘋傳而成為網紅。

James Anderson, originally from Liverpool, is being lauded for his bill of £0 sent to a 91-year-old woman with leukaemia.

出生於利物浦的詹姆斯．安德森因為對一名91歲又罹患白血病的婦人開出一張0元英鎊的帳單而備受讚譽。

The bill, initially shared on Facebook by the woman’s daughter, Christine Rowlands, was accompanied by the message：’No charge for this lady under any circumstances. We will be available 24 hours to help her and keep her as comfortable as possible.’

這張最初是由婦人的女兒克麗絲汀．羅蘭茲分享於臉書的帳單，還附上這樣一段話：「在任何情況下都不跟這位女士收費。我們24小時待命，以便協助與讓她儘可能過得舒適。」

Anderson insists that she will have "free plumbing for life."

安德森堅持，老婦享有「終身免費的水電服務」。

But this isn’t a first act of kindness for Anderson. Since turning his plumbing business into a community project for vulnerable people, he says he’s helped and assisted thousands of people.

這並非安德森的首次善舉。自從他把他的水電事業轉為服務弱勢者的社區計畫，他說，他已幫忙與協助數千人。

That’s 2,389 people since March 2017 to be precise, he told CNN.

他告訴美國有線電視新聞網，確切來說，自2017年3月起的人數是2389人。

Source article: https://features.ltn.com.tw/english/article/paper/1341908; https://features.ltn.com.tw/english/article/paper/1344091

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鼠年假期跟讀#776: Taipei Ningxia night market to open pop-up store in Singapore

繼今年四月新加坡舉辦「士林夜市」活動，台北寧夏夜市也將於2020年1月16日至2月9日正式進軍新加坡。

Following the opening of a pop-up Shilin-inspired night market in April, Ningxia Night Market is set to follow suit in Singapore with an installation between Jan. 16 and Feb. 9.

根據新加坡美食旅遊網站「Ladyironchef」報導，新加坡亞洲夜市預計會有超過30個來自台灣寧夏夜市的小吃攤位。

The Asian Night Market will feature more than 30 food stalls inspired by Taipei’s Ningxia Night Market, according to Ladyironchef, a Singapore-based travel and food website.

寧夏夜市相較其他台灣知名夜市規模小，但擁有多樣化美食小吃，包括地瓜球、蚵仔煎和滷肉飯。

Although Ningxia Night Market is smaller in size than other well-known markets in Taiwan, it offers a large variety of street food, such as fried yam balls, oyster omelet, and braised pork rice.

文章內也提到，寧夏夜市相較其他觀光夜市遊客較少，因此小吃平均價格也比較便宜，至於其他相關夜市資訊會再陸續公佈。

Ningxia Night Market is also less known than other larger night markets in Taiwan, meaning that food is usually cheaper. Further details on the opening of the night market will follow soon.

Ladyironchef臉書PO文引起新加坡網友熱烈討論，目前累積超過1400次分享，100多則留言。

The Facebook post about the open of the pop-up Ningxia Night Market by Ladyironchef has already attracted a lot of attention, more than 1400 shares, 400 likes and 100 comments.

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星巴克花蓮和平門市 透明屋脊式設計全面採光 成IG打卡夯點｜Starbucks Heping becomes Instagram sensation

繼2018年亞洲首間貨櫃屋星巴克洄瀾門市，花蓮年初再添一間特色星巴克！蘇花改年初甫開通，沿著蘇花改南下，一出谷風隧道，就能抵達位於花蓮、宜蘭交界處的星巴克「花蓮和平門市」。往返蘇花的旅客開車開累了，不妨到此休憩一下，拍照打卡，來杯咖啡再繼續上路。

Following the opening of the first Starbucks container store in 2018, a newly designed Starbucks store opened earlier this year in a tourist spot in Heping, Xiulin Township, Hualien County. Located at the boundary between Hualien and Yilan, the Starbucks Heping store sits on one of the resting areas of the newly ungraded Suhua Highway which was opened to the public on Jan. 6. There is, therefore, little wonder that the new store has already become an Instagram sensation in Eastern Taiwan.

進駐花蓮縣秀林鄉「台泥開放生態循環工廠–台泥DAKA」的和平門市外觀採用冷色系水泥質感牆面，以及屋脊式柵欄挑高設計，融入整體園區。和平門市以東部翠綠山巒作為背景，加上外觀落地採光玻璃，東部暖陽灑進門市，讓每個駐足旅客都能感受到東部自然風光。

The exterior design features grey cement and high roof ridges, blending well with the colors of the “DAKA,” the newly-opened Taiwan Cement Factory Tourism Destination. With the mountains in the background, the Heping store boasts large french windows that bring natural sunlight into the store.

一踏進門市，內部裝潢帶給旅客像是「回家」的感覺。中間的中島吧台，以呼應建物外觀的屋脊式格柵修飾挑高空間，除呼應花蓮在地的山岸風景，屋頂也代表著家的意象，寓意對過往旅客的溫暖歡迎。

The interior design makes you feel at home too, thanks to its “indoor rooftop.” The aforesaid rooftop stands above the coffee barista table at the center of the store, not only reflecting the images of nature in Hualien but also creating a homelike atmosphere.

坐在店內品咖啡之時，一抬頭就能看到透明採光屋頂，在花蓮藍天白雲的大好風情襯托下，更顯明媚。門市內牆面上掛著手繪山與海意象壁畫，呼應和平門市背山面海的獨特風景。

In addition, the interior design features a glass roof so that you can enjoy coffee and bath in the sunlight. It’s worth noticing that the painting hung on the wall displays the unique location of the Heping store, which faces the sea with the landscape of mountains.

Source article: https://chinapost.nownews.com/20191226-919093; https://chinapost.nownews.com/20200120-934370

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鼠年假期跟讀#775: Eva Air is third safest airline globally: Airline Ratings

國際航空專業評鑑網站 AirlineRatings 近日公布 2020 年全球最安全航空公司名單，再度由澳洲航空奪冠、紐西蘭航空排名第二，長榮航空獲得第三名好成績。

EVA Air ranks third, right behind Qantas and Air New Zealand, in the list of the top 20 safest airlines for 2020, according to Airline Ratings, a Website that reviews airline safety and products.

國際航空專業評鑑網站 AirlineRatings 每年都會遴選出全球最安全航空公司，評選標準包括安全創新、營運績效、政府審查、航空公司死亡事故紀錄、航空公司營運史、失事紀錄等標準，評選全球 405 家航空公司。

The website selects the world’s safest airlines out of 405 airlines each year, based on their safety innovation, operational excellence, government review, fatal accident records and their operating history.

其他入選航空包括：阿提哈德航空、卡達航空、新加坡航空、阿聯酋航空、阿拉斯加航空、國泰航空、維珍澳洲航空、夏威夷航空、維珍航空、葡萄牙航空、北歐航空、皇家約旦航空、瑞士航空、芬蘭航空、漢莎航空、愛爾蘭航空、荷蘭皇家航空。

The other airlines among the aforesaid list include Etihad, Qatar Airways, Singapore Airlines, Emirates, Alaska Airlines, Cathay Pacific Airways, Virgin Australia, Hawaiian Airlines, Virgin Atlantic Airlines, TAP Portugal, SAS, Royal Jordanian, Swiss, Finnair, Lufthansa, Aer Lingus, and KLM.

根據網站公布結果， 2020 年全球最安全航空公司，長榮航空獲得第三名好成績，這也是繼去年 11 月獲得「 2020 全球最佳航空」第 8 名後，再度獲得國際肯定。

At the end of last year, Eva Air secured the eighth spot in the list of the world’s best airlines for 2020, according to the Airline Ratings website.

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新住民因大學法修正條文 可享有同外籍生申學辦法｜Taiwan new immigrants to benefit from University Act revision

立法院會於11月27日三讀通過《大學法第25條條文修正案》，將新住民列入特殊身份學生，可以不再因歸化而被視為國內一般生，讓有意願在台攻讀大學的新住民能使用母校國高中的學歷與休業成績。

The Legislative Yuan Committee adopted a bill regarding the revision of article 25 of the University Act on Nov. 27, subsequently including Taiwan’s new immigrant spouses as students with “special status.” The bill states that they will no longer be subjected to the same educational regulations as students born and raised in Taiwan after naturalization. This would enable them to attend local universities based on their high school diplomas and other certificates.

根據修正前的大學法第25條規定，僅有重大災害地區學生、政府駐外工作人員子女、參加國際性學科或術科競賽成績優良學生、運動成績優良學生、退伍軍人、蒙藏學生、僑生及大陸地區學生、外國學生等被列為特種學生，可免依國內一般生升學規定。

According to the previous version of article 25 of the University Act, when one wishes to enter into a university to study for a degree/degrees, students, who are from significantly affected disaster areas, are children of government officials assigned overseas, have received excellent grades in international fields or writing contests, have been awarded excellent sports achievements, are a veteran, are from Mongolia/Tibet, are overseas compatriots, are from mainland China, or are foreign students, shall not be subject to the published recruitment quota or means of the corresponding law.

條文修正後將提供新住民更有效的入學管道。教育部也指出，歸化過程通常都需要四至八年的時間，在此期間，未歸化的新住民能享有與外籍生相同的管道，使用母校國高中的學歷在台讀大學，然而歸化後，此條例卻不適用，因新住民將變成國內一般生，須依照相關升學規定，而使其影響升學進程。

The article’s revisions provide Taiwan new immigrants with more effective ways to apply for schools. The Ministry of Education also points out that the naturalization process usually takes up between 4 and 8 years. During this time, new immigrants share the same benefits as foreign students and are able to use their junior high or high school diplomas to pursue a college-level education. However, after naturalization, they are no longer subject to this article; thus, they will be held to the same standards as local students, resulting in their previous diplomas being inapplicable which could create difficulties for them.

立法院為解決此問題，進行修法，將經歸化後的新住民亦列入特種學生身份，讓有意繼續攻讀大學的人不再受限。

To solve this problem, the Legislative Yuan revised the article and lifted the restrictions on Taiwan’s new immigrants who have undergone naturalization, enabling them to further their education without limits.

Source article: https://chinapost.nownews.com/20200108-924363; https://chinapost.nownews.com/20191206-887777

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鼠年假期跟讀#774: Cute rat lanterns unveiled for Lantern Festival

台灣燈會將於 2 月 8 日至 23 日在台中登場，交通部觀光局今（ 13 ）日公布小提燈造型，以農曆生肖鼠為題，採用家喻戶曉的老鼠娶親故事為發想，並命名為吉利鼠與美力鼠，提燈擺動時會彎腰鞠躬，相互拜年。

Taiwan Lantern Festival will run from Feb. 8 to 23 in Taichung, central Taiwan. For the occasion, the Tourism Bureau recently unveiled giveaway handheld lanterns for the young and the young at heart, featuring a rats couple inspired by the well-known Chinese story “A Rat Story.”

觀光局表示，今年小提燈利用雙面印刷方式，呈現鼠新郎「吉利鼠」與鼠新娘「美力鼠」兩個不同造型，在拿到小提燈後，可以自行選擇組裝成新郎或是新娘，並將頸部和腰部設計成可轉動的關節，提燈時上、下拉動時，會彎腰鞠躬，相互拜年，小朋友也可將手伸入小提燈內，當作手偶來玩。

Two types of lanterns are available, a rat bridegroom and a rat bride. The lanterns feature movable joints so that the paper-made cartoon characters can bow as if they were giving New Year’s greetings. More importantly, the lanterns can be used as hand puppets by children.

觀光局指出，台灣燈會將於 2 月 8 日元宵節當日晚間 7 時正式開燈，之後每小時整點展演 1 場主燈秀，小提燈也會在燈區免費發放給民眾。為響應環保節能，建議遊客儘量利用公共運輸，輕鬆賞燈，免卻塞車之苦。

The 2020 Taiwan Lantern Festival in Taichung will kick off at 7 p.m. on Feb. 8, with the main lantern light show scheduled every hour. The rats-themed lanterns will be available free of charge at the three exhibition areas during the festival. You should take public transportation to avoid traffic, the Tourism Bureau said.

觀光局表示，今年預計將發放9.5萬盞小提燈給一般民眾，在2月8日到23日每天下午3點分別在主展區（馬場園區、森林園區）、副展區（文心森林園區）共3個點發送。

Organizers have prepared 95,000 handheld lanterns, distributed by Feb. 8 to Feb. 23 at 3 p.m. at the Houli Horse Ranch, Forest Park Area and Wen-Xin Forest Park, according to the Tourism Bureau.

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台灣之光！SparkCatch夜光棒球 經日本網紅介紹大熱門｜Taiwan ‘Spark Catch’ lights up night

新發明！由台灣業者所開發的「夜光棒球」（Spark Catch）日前被日本著名YouTuber TokusanTV介紹，並且短時間就衝破10萬以上點閱率，獲得日本觀眾歡迎。

An ingenious baseball invention, “Spark Catch,” has been thrust into the spotlight thanks to a Japanese YouTuber, TokusanTV. In no time, the video was streamed more than 100,000 times, gaining the favors of many Japanese viewers.

「夜光棒球」（Spark Catch）是由發明人Link 和 Tim，身為廣大賣肝工作的上班族群之一，四年多前因為「真的好想在晚上下班後catch ball啊！」的念頭，就這麼熱血地決定著手研發顛覆市場的全新產品「Spark Catch夜光棒球」。

“Spark Catch” was invented by Link and Tim — two busy office employees. Their invention stemmed from a genuine desire: play catch ball after work at night. With this observation in mind, the “Spark Catch” — a sparkling baseball — was born.

今年夜光棒球也跟Lamigo桃猿隊合作推出限量版，並且造成搶購風潮，而最近他們也把版圖推向美國、日本等市場，希望讓更多人知道這項全新的產品。

A limited-edition of the “Spark Catch” was released this year in collaboration with a local baseball team, Lamigo. The ball was sold out within minutes. With this great start, the creators plan to release their product to the U.S. and Japan in hopes that it would reach a wider audience.

Source article: https://chinapost.nownews.com/20200108-924419; https://chinapost.nownews.com/20200115-932625

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鼠年假期跟讀#772: Have you heard of ‘Taiwan obsessed symptoms’?

交通部觀光局週二推出影片「台灣症流行篇」，描述日本新聞報導日本人普遍感染「台灣症」，包括珍珠狂熱、隨時坐在地上看書、出現許多奇怪手勢等等。創意影片一出，網友大讚：「觀光局影片太幽默了！」

A Japanese broadcaster recently reported on the three “symptoms” Japanese travelers could catch during their travel in Taiwan based on a video, titled “Taiwan obsessed symptoms” produced by the Tourism Bureau. The aforesaid symptoms include the tapioca craze, reading while sitting on the floor and doing “weird” gestures.

影片提到，由於2019年日人來台人數突破200萬，台日交流頻繁，因此提醒民眾去台灣遊玩務必小心染上「台灣症」。影片最後出現贊助商「Taiwan (台灣), The heart of Asia（亞洲之心）」，網友才恍然大悟這是廣告。

The entertaining video, which also highlights that the number of Japanese travelers to Taiwan reached 2 million in 2019, further recommends being cautious of the alleged “Taiwan disease” during your local travel. It ends with the official logo “Taiwan, The Heart of Asia,” further suggesting that it is an advertisement.

「台灣症流行篇」影片提供日文、中文字幕版，還有分成30秒、60秒版本，創意影片不到兩天就吸引超過8萬人次觀看。

The YouTube video, which features both Chinese and Japanese subtitles, has drawn more than 80,000 views within two days.

網友紛紛在影片下留言：「這太幽默」、「我真的以為是日本新聞片段」、「希望創意廣告能持續下去」。

In response to the video, some netizens said “this is hilarious,” while others said, “I thought it was a clip of the Japanese news broadcast.” Some also said, “I hope that there will be more creative advertisements like this.”

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學生行銷台灣超有創意！「人情味」真的可以聞？ | Do you know Taiwan has the friendliest people in the world?

如果只能用一個詞形容台灣人你會想到什麼呢？許多人可能會說台灣人很友善、親切、好客。然而，在中文裡有一個字涵蓋所有意思，那就是「人情味」。

How would you describe Taiwan people in one word? You could probably say that local people are friendly, kind and hospitable. Yet, there is a Chinese saying that can sum up all these three meanings: “rén qíng wèi” (人情味).

那沒有來過台灣的外國人如何親身了解台灣人情味呢？

But, how would you describe local people to those who have never been here?

為了讓更多外國朋友認識台灣，輔大廣告系學生將人情味調配成可以聞到的味道，示範如何將台灣人情味推廣出去，讓世界看見台灣是一個和平且包容的友善社會。

A video made by a group of students from Fu Jen University showed you how they collect the smell of “rén qíng wèi” and shared its “actual” scent with the people around the world in hopes of letting the world see how Taiwan is promoting a peaceful and embracing society.

此外，影片中也訪問在台外國人是否覺得台灣人很有「人情味」。

In the video, the students had interviews with some foreigners who live in Taiwan and asked them what do they think of local people.

讓我們來看看台灣「人情味」如何變成一種可傳遞的味道呢？

Do you want to see how the students have described Taiwan “rén qíng wèi” into a fragrance?

Source article: https://chinapost.nownews.com/20191223-889815; https://chinapost.nownews.com/20191219-911482

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