通勤學英語 15Mins Today

每日跟讀#700: Taiwan’s first domestically produced electric self-driving minibus

 

At a cost of NT$30 million (approx. US$966,000), Taiwan’s first domestically developed self-driving electric bus, Winbus, took to the road on Sept. 24 at a demonstration event at Changhua Coastal Industrial Park in the county’s Lukang Township. Deputy Minister of Economic Affairs Wang Mei-hua, Changhua County Commissioner Wang Hui-mei and several other guests were given a preview ride in the Winbus, traveling at 30km per hour along roads in Lukang. During the demonstration, the vehicle simulated stopping for pedestrians and at traffic lights. At the event the deputy minister also signed a memorandum of understanding with Winbus’ developers to begin operating the self-driving vehicle on public roads within Lukang by the end of the year. Everyone hoped this would provide a boost to local industry.

 

耗資三千萬元全台第一輛由國內自行研發製造的自駕電動小巴士Winbus，九月二十四日在彰化縣鹿港鎮彰濱工業區舉辦體驗會，由經濟部次長王美花、彰化縣長王惠美等人先行搭乘體驗，在鹿港街道以時速三十公里行駛，模擬遇到行人時煞車、紅燈時停車等路況都相當順利，並共同簽署合作備忘錄，全力推動自駕車於今年底前在鹿港區實路運行，帶動地方產業發展。

 

The intention is for Winbus to operate on public roads within the bustling streets of tourist hotspots. Prior to the Winbus officially coming into service, deputy minister and the county commissioner, together with Automotive Research & Testing Center president Liao Ching-chiu and several other guests, boarded the sleekly-designed “smart bus,” loaded with futuristic technology, for a 4.4km journey from the testing center to the Taiwan Glass Gallery. En route, the Winbus successfully navigated a T-junction without traffic lights, identified and gave way to pedestrians, changed from the slow to the fast lane, applied the brakes in a controlled manner for vehicles in front, crossed traffic light junctions and turned left at an intersection before arriving at its destination.

 

Winbus未來將會在熙來攘往的觀光地區實際道路上運行，因此在正式營運前，當日先行開放讓外界體驗這輛外型美感及先進科技系統兼具的智慧交通新工具，由王美花、王惠美與車輛研究測試中心總經理廖慶秋等人搭乘，從車測中心出發到四點四公里遠的台灣玻璃館，途經無號誌T字路口與遇到行人時主動辨識並採取適應性煞車動作，以及快車道切入慢車道右轉、直行遇前車緩煞停、紅綠燈號誌、十字路口左轉、到站停車等實際路況，Winbus也都能夠順利運作。

 

Speaking to reporters, Wang Hui-mei said Changhua County Government will fully cooperate with the central government and businesses to enable the project to be expanded throughout the county, perhaps extending the system nationwide and even entering into international markets. Liao said the exterior modeling of the Winbus was carried out by Taiwanese designers and claimed that its capabilities outstrip that of any similar-sized self-driving minibuses currently in operation around the world, adding that Winbus heralds the achievement of a new milestone in “smart transportation.”

 

王惠美表示，後續縣府將全力配合中央及業者，讓這項計畫拓展到彰化縣甚至是全國，並將這項產業跨足到國際市場。廖慶秋說，Winbus造型由國內自行設計，性能已超越國外運行的自駕小巴，宣告台灣的智慧交通進入新的里程碑。

 

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每日跟讀#699: Water found in atmosphere of planet beyond our solar system

 

Scientists for the first time have detected water in the atmosphere of an Earth-like planet orbiting a distant star, evidence that a key ingredient for life exists beyond our solar system, according to a study published on Wednesday.

 

根據週三發表的一份研究指出，科學家首次在某顆行星的大氣層中偵測到水的存在，該星體與地球相似，不過它環繞的恆星距離相當遙遠。這項發現證明，生命的關鍵要素也存在於太陽系之外。

 

Water vapor was found in the atmosphere of K2-18b, one of hundreds of “super-Earths” — worlds ranging in size between Earth and Neptune — documented in a growing new field of astronomy devoted to the exploration of so-called exoplanets elsewhere in the Milky Way galaxy. More than 4,000 exoplanets of all types and sizes have been detected overall.

 

科學家在「K2-18b」的大氣層中發現水汽，這顆行星是數百顆「超級地球」──大小介於地球和海王星之間的星體──的其中之一，記錄在持續成長的天文學新領域中。該領域研究致力於探索我們銀河系內其他星系的「太陽系外行星」。目前，科學家已偵測到超過四千顆不同類型和大小的太陽系外行星。

 

The latest discovery was reported in research by a team of scientists at University College London (UCL) published in the peer-reviewed journal Nature Astronomy. “We found water,” UCL astrophysicist Ingo Waldmann told Reuters of the breakthrough, revealed from observations made with the Hubble Space Telescope, which analyzed starlight filtered through K2-18b’s atmosphere.

 

 

 

這項最新發現來自倫敦大學學院一組科學家團隊的研究，並發表在經過同儕審查的期刊《自然‧天文學》上。倫敦大學學院的天體物理學家印哥‧瓦爾德曼向路透表示：「我們發現水了」，並說明這項突破來自於哈伯太空望遠鏡的觀察，分析星光經過「K2-18b」大氣層過濾後的變化。

 

More precisely, it marks the first time scientists have found water in the atmosphere around a super-Earth — as opposed to a gas giant — orbiting a star within its “ habitable zone,” just the right distance for liquid water to potentially exist on the surface.

 

更精確地說，這是科學家首次在恆星「適居帶」內運行的超級地球──而非氣體巨行星──其大氣層中發現水。「適居帶」與恆星的距離剛好能讓液態水有可能存在於行星表面。

 

Angelos Tsiaras, an astronomer at UCL, said the team is focusing its attention on identifying exoplanets with conditions similar to those on Earth. “But of course this is not in order to find a place where we could go. This is still science fiction,” Tsiaras said, noting that K2-18b orbits a dwarf star in the constellation Leo that lies 100 light years from Earth.

 

倫敦大學學院的天文學家安傑洛斯‧齊阿拉斯表示，研究團隊正聚焦於辨認環境與地球表面相似的太陽系外行星。齊阿拉斯說：「但當然，這不是為了尋找我們可以前往的地方。目前這種事情仍然只會出現在科幻小說中。」他也提到，「K2-18b」位於獅子座中，繞著一顆白矮星運行，距離地球一百光年。

 

 

 

While light from the sun takes several minutes to reach Earth, light from K2-18b’s star takes a century to reach our planet, “so for us to travel there is impossible,” he said. “Given it’s so far away we don’t really have any other choice but stay on our own Earth, so it’s important to make Earth great again rather than looking for an alternative to go to,” Tsiaras said.

 

相對於太陽光只要花幾分鐘的時間就會抵達地球，「K2-18b」所繞行的恆星，其光線要花上一個世紀才會抵達我們的行星。齊阿拉斯說：「所以，對我們而言，前往那裡是不可能的。」他並進一步指出：「鑑於這顆行星實在太過遙遠，我們除了留在自己的地球上別無選擇。也因此，重要的是讓地球再度偉大，而不是找出另一個替代行星後飛向那邊。」

 

Aside from the tremendous distance separating Earth from K2-18b, the exoplanet is likely exposed to far more radiation than Earth, diminishing the prospects for life evolving there. However, the discovery brings astronomers closer to answering the fundamental question of how unique Earth is in the universe, the scientists said.

 

 

 

除了分隔地球和「K2-18b」行星的極大距離之外，這顆太陽系外行星可能曝露在遠高於地球接收的輻射線中，更加削弱生命在該地發展的前景。不過，科學家們表示，這項新發現，讓天文學家更加接近解答「地球在宇宙中有多獨特」的根本性問題。

 

Source article: http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/lang/archives/2019/09/15/2003722288

 

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每日跟讀#698: About Southeast Asia - Indonesia will relocate capital to Borneo as Jakarta continues to sink

 

印尼總統佐科威（Joko Widodo）昨（26）日宣布，將首都從超過1000萬人口、開發過度的雅加達，遷都到東加里曼丹。該區域位於婆羅洲島，遠離目前位於爪哇島的雅加達。

 

The President of Indonesia, Joko Widodo, said on Aug. 26 that the capital city would be relocated to the province of East Kalimantan on the island of Borneo, from the current capital of Jakarta, on the island of Java. Such decision was made as Jakarta is an overdeveloped city with more than 10 million residents.

 

據悉，遷都最迫切的首要原因是氣候變遷，由於雅加達正在下沉，專家學者推測在2050年前，雅加達的北方約有九成五都會在水面底下。

 

The primary reason of relocation is to address the concern that climate change is accelerating the sinking of Jakarta. Experts have estimated that by 2050, 95 percent of North Jakarta will be under the threat of being submerged.

 

其次原因是改善區域資源分配不均的問題。事實上，印尼約2.5億人一半以上都集中在爪哇島，人口稠密所引發的交通問題、汙染問題一直無法得到妥善的解決，佐科威的遷都計畫或許會是解方。

 

Another reason is due to the imbalance in resource allocation and development as a nation. Indonesia is home to around 250 million people, while more than half of the population lives on the island of Java. Overpopulation has caused challenging problems such as heavy traffic and pollution that do not have solutions yet. Relocation of capital might potentially be one.

 

印尼政府計畫從2024年開始搬遷，預估將投入約466兆印尼盾（約330億美元；一兆台幣）。

 

The Indonesian government plans to start the relocation in 2024 and the project is expected to cost 466 trillion rupiahs (around $33 billion; NT$1 trillion).

 

Next

 

Thai Baht’s soaring exchange rate breaks record泰銖匯率創新高 豪奢血拼回不去

 

受惠於美中貿易戰，外資資金與工廠紛紛轉移到在東南亞政局相對穩定開放的泰國，並推動泰國經濟與泰銖匯率的上升，使泰銖兌美元攀升到30.65兑一美元，來到近六年的歷史新高。

 

Recently, the Thai Baht’s exchange rate has risen to 30.65 Baht to 1 USD, reaching a six-year record high. Due to the US-China trade war, foreign funds have poured into Thailand, a relatively stable nation in Southeast Asia.

 

 

 

台灣有不少愛泰一族，每年總要到泰國旅遊數次，不過今年以來泰銖一路走升，到泰國度假的成本大漲，讓不少人感嘆，住豪華旅館、血拼購物的泰國行「回不去了」！

 

 

 

Thailand is also one of the travel hotspots for Taiwanese, but the soaring value of the Baht has led to higher traveling costs.

 

台灣銀行今日台幣兌泰銖現金牌掛匯率已是1.0817，意味著要兌換一萬元泰銖，得花10817元台幣才換得到，很多人會到泰國的SuperRich換匯，而泰國SuperRich也掛出0.985的高價，亦即一萬元泰銖要用10152元台幣換，不過匯率還是比台灣好很多，但比去年同時期的台幣兌泰銖1：0.95上下的匯率，要多花大約六百多元台幣才換得到。相較之下，如果暑假非赴泰國旅遊不可，可帶台幣到泰國銀行換匯。

 

Bank of Taiwan’s exchange rate today stood at 1.0817, which means 10,000 (THB) to 10,817 (TWD). SuperRich, a Thai currency exchanger, provides a higher exchange rate at 0.985. However, the exchange rate has dropped by 1 (TWD) to 0.95 (THB) year-on-year. In contrast, it still be advantageous for Taiwanese visitors to exchange currency in Thailand.

 

Source article: https://chinapost.nownews.com/20190827-712785 ; https://chinapost.nownews.com/20190827-713244

 

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每日跟讀#697: Teachers experience more stress than other professions, study shows

 

Yesterday was Teachers’ Day in Taiwan, but a report shows that teachers endure greater job-related stress than other professionals, according to the UK’s National Foundation for Educational Research (NFER). With student numbers rising and an increasing proportion of teachers leaving the profession, the report found that one in five felt tense about their job most or all of the time, compared with 13 percent of those in similar occupations.

 

昨天是台灣的教師節，然而根據英國國家教育研究基金會先前發表的報告指出，老師比其他專業工作者承受更大的工作相關壓力。隨著學生數量增加，以及離開教職的老師比例攀升，該份報告發現，五名老師裡就有一位，在大部分時間或甚至無論何時都對工作感到心情緊繃，比其他類似職業的百分之十三來得高。

 

Although teachers’ working hours across the year were similar to those in other professions, working intensively over fewer weeks of the year led to a poorer work-life balance and higher stress levels, the NFER observed. Mary Bousted, joint general secretary of the National Education Union, said the report echoed the long-standing concerns about the anxieties faced by teachers.

 

雖然教師一年的總工作時數相近於其他職業，但是英國國家教育研究基金會觀察，教師一年中要在較少的幾週內進行強度極高的工作，造成較差的工作與生活平衡，以及較高的壓力程度。英國國家教育工會聯合秘書長瑪麗‧波斯蒂德博士表示，這份報告反映出工會長期以來對於教師面對焦慮的擔憂。

 

“The reasons that so many leave the profession so quickly are not a mystery to us,” she said. “When faced with impossible workloads, endless accountability, a testing culture run riot and flat or underfunded pay deals year after year, it is all too common for good teachers to leave the profession.”

 

波斯蒂德指出：「這麼多人如此快速地離開教職，這對我們來說並不是神秘難解的現象。」她說：「面對不可能完成的工作量、無止盡的責任、混亂而失壓的考試文化，或是年復一年資金短缺的薪資合約，好老師離開教職實在是再普遍不過的事。」

 

The NFER called for urgent action to address the shortfall in the number of trainee teachers amid a significant drop in retention rates of early career teachers, noting the higher job security graduates can enjoy outside of the profession.

 

該基金會呼籲政府採取緊急行動，處理實習教師人數的缺額問題，以及教師在教職生涯初期顯著下降的留校率，並且提到畢業生在教職之外其實能獲得更高的就業保障。

 

Jack Worth, co-author of the report, said: “England’s schools are facing significant challenges in recruiting and retaining sufficient numbers of teachers … There is a clear need to improve the working conditions of teachers, with a focus on making the teaching career more manageable and sustainable.”

 

該篇報告的共同作者傑克‧沃斯表示：「在聘用並留任足夠數量的教師上，英國的學校目前面臨相當險峻的挑戰……。我們明顯需要改善教師們的工作條件，焦點應放在讓教職生涯更容易掌握，並且更能持續發展。」

 

The report comes after the UK Department for Education published its Teacher Recruitment and Retention Strategy in January to address the growing shortage of teachers by reducing workloads and simplifying the application process.

 

這份報告在英國教育部於一月發布「教師聘任及留用策略」後公開。英國教育部推出的這項策略，旨在藉由減少工作量並簡化申請流程，來解決逐步攀升的教師缺額。

 

Then-UK education secretary Damian Hinds said: “Since I took this job a year ago, I’ve made cutting down the amount of unnecessary and bureaucratic workload teachers face my top priority — to address the issues highlighted in this report and free up teachers to focus on what they joined the profession to do: teach.”

 

時任英國教育大臣的達米安‧海因茲表示：「自從我上任的這一年來，我一直將削減教師面對不必要又官僚主義的工作量當成第一優先──以處理這份報告強調的議題，並讓教師們騰出時間，來專心從事他們加入這份職業時打算做的事：教書。」

 

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每日跟讀#696: About Philippines - Sinking feeling: Philippine cities facing ’slow-motion disaster’

 

When Mary Ann San Jose moved to Sitio Pariahan more than two decades ago, she could walk to the local chapel. Today, reaching it requires a swim.

 

當瑪莉．安．聖荷西20多年前搬到西堤歐帕里翰時，她還能走路到當地的禮拜堂，如今卻得游泳才能到達。

 

The main culprit is catastrophic subsidence caused by groundwater being pumped out from below, often via unregulated wells for homes, factories, and farms catering to a booming population and growing economy.

 

主因是抽取地下水造成的災難性地層下陷，通常是經由未受管制的家庭、工廠和農田水井抽取，目的是應付人口暴增及經濟成長所需。

 

The steady sinking of coastal towns in the northern Philippines has caused Manila Bay’s water to pour inland and displace thousands, posing a greater threat than rising sea levels due to climate change.

 

菲國北部沿海城鎮持續下陷，讓馬尼拉灣的海水湧向內陸，造成數千人無家可歸，威脅更甚於氣候變遷所引發的海平面上升。

 

The provinces of Pampanga and Bulacan have sunk between four and six centimeters annually since 2003, according to satellite monitoring. By comparison, the UN estimates average sea level rise globally is about three millimeters per year.

 

衛星觀測顯示，從2003年起，班巴加省和布拉坎省每年地層下陷達4到6公分。相較之下，聯合國估測，全球海平面平均每年上升約3公釐。

 

Next Article:

 

Philippines’ Duterte pestered again as gecko stalls speech 菲律賓杜特蒂又被糾纏 因壁虎打斷演說

 

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte just keeps getting bugged during his public speeches.

 

菲律賓總統羅德里戈．杜特蒂公開演講時，一直被打擾。

 

A noisy gecko was the latest wildlife contributor to an address by Duterte, interrupting the leader on Thursday evening just as he launched another tirade at human rights groups critical of his bloody war on drugs.

 

一隻喋喋不休的壁虎，是供稿給杜特蒂演講的最新野生生物，週四晚間就在他發表另一段長篇大論斥責批評他嗜血反毒戰的人權團體時，打斷這名領袖。

 

The reptile’s persistence caused laughter in the crowd of mostly soldiers, causing Duterte stop mid-sentence, turn to his left and pause for a while to see what the off-camera commotion was.

 

這隻爬行動物的堅持不懈，引發以軍人為主的群眾大笑，導致杜特蒂話說一半停了下來，向左轉暫停片刻，看看是什麼造成鏡頭外騷動。

 

"You brought a gecko here?" he asked an official sitting behind him, drawing laughs.

 

他問一名坐在他後面的官員，「你把一隻壁虎帶來這邊？」引來笑聲。

 

While activists accuse Duterte of cowing his opponents into silence, reptiles and insects have no qualms about pestering him during his often hours-long, televised addresses.

 

雖然社會運動人士指控杜特蒂恐嚇反對者噤聲，但爬行動物和昆蟲對在他往往長達數小時的電視演說加以糾纏一事，毫無不安之意。

 

A big cockroach crawled up his shoulder and down his shirt during a speech in May when he was lambasting an opposition party ahead of a national election. He joked the cockroach was its supporter.

 

在5月一場全國大選前的演說上，當他正在痛批一個反對黨時，一隻大蟑螂爬上他的肩膀再爬下襯衫。他打趣說，這隻蟑螂是對方的支持者。

 

Source article: https://features.ltn.com.tw/english/article/paper/1321064 ; https://features.ltn.com.tw/english/article/paper/1313926

 

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每日跟讀#695: For GERD’s sake, go and see the doctor

 

A 16-year-old from Yilan often complained of heartburn, a feeling of having a lump in the throat and general sense of being unwell, and also experienced problems sleeping and difficulty concentrating on their studies. Their parents took them to hospital, believing the cause to be heart disease, but doctors discovered that it was actually gastroesophageal reflux disease, or GERD, and were able to prescribe medicine to treat it.

 

宜蘭一名十六歲少年經常「火燒心」(胸口灼熱)、喉頭異物感，常感到身體不適，無法好好睡覺，難以專心準備學業，家長誤以為是心臟疾病，帶往醫院求診，才發現胃食道逆流所致，順利找出病因對症下藥。

 

One in four people in Taiwan suffer from GERD, and clinically speaking it can occur at any age. Many people assume, incorrectly, from adverts that GERD is caused because of excessive amounts of stomach acid, and think they can control it by taking stomach medicine. In fact, over-reliance on over-the-counter medicines can lead to reoccurrence of the symptoms.

 

台灣每四個人就有一名胃食道逆流患者，臨床上幾乎全年齡都有發病案例。許多人被廣告誤導，以為胃食道逆流肇因於胃酸過多，吞顆胃藥抑制就好，其實並非如此，太過依賴成藥更容易讓症狀反覆出現。

 

In addition to excessive stomach acid, other causes of GERD include a weak lower esophageal sphincter or diaphragm, which relax at times they are not normally supposed to, delayed emptying of the stomach — indigestion — or a sensitive esophagus. In the case of the latter, stomach acid can flow back dozens of times a day, which doesn’t pose a problem to a healthy esophagus, but with a sensitive tract the acid can damage the esophageal lining, leading to discomfort.

 

胃食道逆流的成因，除了胃酸過多，另有食道括約肌或橫膈肌太鬆、胃排空能力不佳(消化不良)、神經敏感等因子，以神經敏感為例，胃酸在胃中一天濺起、逆流數十次，健康食道不會受傷害，要是敏感性食道，食道黏膜會因此被破壞，造成不適感。

 

Typical symptoms of GERD include heartburn, a feeling of having a lump — or foreign body — in the throat, the sense of having acid in the larynx or mouth and a tight chest; atypical symptoms include chest pains, a dry cough and asthma.

 

胃食道逆流典型症狀，包含胸口灼熱、喉頭異物感、喉頭與口腔感覺酸酸的、胸悶，非典型症狀有胸痛、乾咳、氣喘。

 

If the symptoms of GERD are ignored and the esophageal mucous membrane allowed to be damaged, over time this can increase the chances of the problem developing into Barrett’s esophagus or cancer of the esophagus. By treating it with GERD medication and changing one’s lifestyle, it is possible to keep GERD under control. This means reducing sources of stress and avoiding eating or drinking to excess or having meals at irregular times, and also controlling your intake of coffee, sugary and fried foods and foods with too much butter. At the same time, you should watch your weight and avoid eating late in the evening and, if any of the symptoms of GERD present, get them checked out by a doctor as soon as possible, so that the problem can be treated in time.

 

忽視胃食道逆流，任由食道黏膜反覆破壞，時間一久會增加罹患巴瑞氏特食道癌機率。胃食道逆流應透藥物治療、改善生活習慣雙管齊下，像是緩解生活壓力源、避免暴飲暴食和三餐不正常，咖啡、甜食、油炸、奶油食品不能過量，同時控制體重、避免消夜，如果發現胃食道逆流症狀，要儘速就醫了解病因，避免錯失黃金治療期。

 

Source article: http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/lang/archives/2019/09/30/2003723109

 

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每日跟讀#694: About Europe - Turkish artist goes viral with stark misery/comfort images

 

A Starbucks cup merging with a crowd around a dried-up well, or a yacht spliced with a boat full of refugees: powerful collages by the Turkish artist, 29-year-old Ugur Gallenkus, have taken the internet by storm.

 

一個星巴克杯子與一個被人群環繞的乾涸水井並列；一艘遊艇與一艘滿載難民的小船拼接。由29歲土耳其藝術家烏古．加蘭庫斯創作的拼貼影像，已在網路上造成轟動。

 

Gallenkus has stirred a huge reaction by juxtaposing photos of misery in war-torn countries with the comforts of the West.

 

加蘭庫斯將戰亂國家的苦難照片，與西方國家的安逸生活拼接在一起，引發巨大回響。

 

One features a little girl dressed in a Wonder Woman costume spliced together with a girl covered in blood and bandages － the sort of jarring contrast which Gallenkus hopes will raise awareness of a "parallel world".

 

一件作品結合一名穿著《神力女超人》服裝的女孩，與一名全身都是血跡和繃帶的女孩。加蘭庫斯希望透過這種衝突對比，喚起對於「平行世界」的認識。

 

"I would like to tell the world that people in developing countries live in war, hunger and pain. If we want to live in peace and harmony we must have knowledge about each others’ lives," he said.

 

他說：「我想告訴全世界，發展中國家的人們活在戰爭、饑荒與痛苦中。如果我們想要活得和平及和諧，就一定要了解彼此的生活。」

 

Next Article

 

Cockpit coffee spill forces commercial jet to make emergency landing 駕駛艙咖啡濺灑 商用飛機緊急迫降

 

A commercial flight with 326 people on board was forced to make an emergency landing when hot coffee was accidentally spilled over the cockpit control panel over the Atlantic ocean, according to a report on Thursday.

 

根據週四一份報告，當熱咖啡在大西洋上空意外地溢灑在駕駛艙控制板上，一架機上載有326人的商業航班緊急迫降。

 

The Airbus A330-243 flying to Cancun, Mexico, from Frankfurt, landed at Shannon in Ireland.

 

這架由法蘭克福飛往墨西哥坎昆市的A330-243型空中巴士，降落於愛爾蘭夏儂鎮。

 

With the hot liquid causing a strong electrical burning smell and smoke rising from the panel, the captain decided to divert, the report from the Air Accidents Investigation Branch（AAIB）said.

 

英國航空事故調查局在該份報告說，由於熱燙液體引發強烈的電子燒焦味，以及煙霧由面板竄出，機長決定變更航向。

 

The incident happened after a pilot put his coffee cup without a lid on a tray table rather than in a cup holder, the report said.

 

報告說，一名駕駛員把他沒有蓋子的咖啡杯放在桌板上而非杯托裡，隨後發生了這起事故。

 

There were no injuries in the incident, which happened in February.

 

沒人在這起二月發生的事件中受傷。

 

The AAIB did not identify the airline but said it had since changed procedures to ensure that cup lids are provided for flights on all routes, and that crews are reminded of the need to use them.

 

英國航空事故調查局未點出該家航空公司名字，但說它從那時改變程序，以確保所有路線航班一律提供杯蓋，並提醒機組員需要使用它們。

 

Source article: https://features.ltn.com.tw/english/article/paper/1317620 ; https://features.ltn.com.tw/english/article/paper/1318765

 

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Sure?

 

 

每日跟讀#693: Attacks reveal oil supply fragility in asymmetric war

 

The latest and most destructive attacks on Saudi oil facilities provide stark evidence of the vulnerability of global crude supply in an age of disruptive technologies that can bring a century-old industry to its knees — at least temporarily.

 

最近在沙烏地阿拉伯所發生對石油設施最具破壞性的攻擊，赤裸裸顯示出在這顛覆性技術的時代，全球原油供應是如此地不堪一擊，會讓這具百年歷史的產業陷入癱瘓──至少是暫時的癱瘓。

 

From remote-controlled drones to anti-ship mines and computer worms, hostile parties have employed an unpredictable array of asymmetric weaponry to confound one of the best-equipped militaries in the Middle East. Saudi Arabia blames many of the attacks against its oil assets on Houthi rebels in impoverished Yemen, where Saudi forces have been fighting since 2015 in a civil war that’s spilling across their shared border.

 

從遙控的無人機，到反艦水雷、電腦蠕蟲，敵方運用多種行蹤飄忽的不對稱武器，讓中東地區裝備最精良的軍隊之一大亂陣腳。沙國指控對該國石油資產的許多攻擊，是葉門這貧困國家的叛軍「青年運動」所為。二○一五年開始的葉門內戰波及兩國邊界，沙國軍隊一直涉入其中。

 

The use of drones shows that “an air force or even particularly advanced rockets are not necessary to cause widespread economic damage to the kingdom’s center of gravity,” said Milena Rodban, an independent risk consultant based in Washington, D.C. The Saudis accuse Iran of backing the Houthis and supplying them with weapons.

 

無人機的運用，顯示「要打擊沙國的重心、造成廣大經濟損失，不一定需要空軍，甚或特別先進的火箭」，美國華盛頓特區的獨立風險顧問米雷娜‧羅德班說。沙國指責伊朗支持並提供武器給「青年運動」。

 

The attacks mark at least the sixth time in four months that Saudi energy facilities or tankers carrying the kingdom’s oil have been targeted. Mine attacks against ships near the Strait of Hormuz and drone strikes on Saudi pipelines in May and June served as warnings of the vulnerability of supplies, even if they didn’t cause significant cuts in shipments. The Sept. 14 attack, by contrast, forced an immediate halt in 5.7 million barrels of daily production.

 

這次攻擊，已是四個月內至少第六次針對沙國能源設施或運載該國油品之油輪的攻擊。五、六月間，荷莫茲海峽附近有船隻遭水雷襲擊、沙國輸油管被無人機攻擊，即便並未造成油品運量大幅減少，但此警訊已顯示出石油供應的弱點。但九月十四日的攻擊，卻立即造成油品日產量銳減五百七十萬桶。

 

Cyber attacks, another element of asymmetric warfare, pose a similar risk. Saudi Arabia blamed unidentified people based outside the country for sending a virus that compromised state-run oil producer Saudi Aramco’s computer network in August 2012. Although the virus had no effect on output of crude and refined products, the incident highlighted Aramco’s vulnerability to cyber strikes.

 

網路攻擊是「非對稱戰爭」的另一門路，也會造成類似的危險。沙國指責境外身份不明者發送電腦病毒，在二○一二年八月破壞了國有石油生產商沙烏地國家石油公司的電腦網路。雖然該病毒並未對原油及煉製油品的產量造成影響，但此事件凸顯出沙烏地國家石油公司易遭受網路攻擊。

 

The Houthis have previously targeted Saudi pipelines and refineries, in forays over the past year. In other strikes against Aramco facilities, guards repulsed a 2006 al-Qaeda attack on Abqaiq, and bombings at residential towers near Aramco’s headquarters in Dhahran on the country’s eastern coast caused deaths and damage.

 

「青年運動」在過去一年中，曾突襲沙國的輸油管和煉油廠。其他對沙烏地國家石油公司設施的攻擊還包括二○○六年蓋達組織企圖對石油城阿布蓋格發動恐攻，後被警衛擊退；以及國家石油公司在沙國東岸達蘭的總部附近住宅大樓爆炸案，造成了傷亡。

 

Yemen’s Houthis claimed responsibility for the attack on Sept. 14. The rebels said they launched drones, and the Saudi Press Association reported that drones were involved. Saudi Aramco said “projectiles” hit its facilities.

 

葉門叛軍「青年運動」宣稱，九月十四日的攻擊是該組織所為。反叛分子稱其發射出無人機，且沙烏地新聞社報導說，該攻擊有無人機涉入。沙烏地國家石油公司也表示，該公司設施被「投擲彈」擊中。

 

Although US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo directly blamed Iran for the attacks, Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Abbas Mousavi denied the accusation.

 

雖然美國國務卿麥克‧龐培歐直指此次攻擊是伊朗所為，但伊朗外交部發言人阿巴斯‧墨沙維對該指控加以否認.

 

“Saudi Arabia’s oil infrastructure is an attractive target to more than just the Houthis,” Rodban said. “Anyone hoping to sway oil markets, spook investors, and highlight glaring weaknesses in defenses can take advantage of cheap and easy-to-deploy drones.”

 

羅德班說：「認為沙國石油基礎設施是絕佳攻擊目標的人，不僅是『青年運動』」；「只要有人想動搖石油市場、恫嚇投資者，並凸顯攻擊標的防禦上的明顯弱點，都可以利用便宜且容易部署的無人機。」

 

Source article: http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/lang/archives/2019/09/24/2003722783/2

 

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Welcome to 15mins.today the home of English Shadowing. I'm your host Gavin and this is InTense Episode 24. Well guys, in this episode we will be looking at the word “many.”

 

Now “many” is used to indicate that there were a number of things and they are countable. So “many” goes with the plural “are.” As I've said in Episode 23, it is a bit confusing sometimes. So, the first question one would ask is, “How many is many?” And that is entirely dependent on the situation, so if I said I wrote a test and I got many wrong, you would think that would be many right? But if the test was only out of 10, “many” would be a number of around 6 or 7 possibly, or even 5.

 

 

And yet if I say many people find climate change alarming, in this context many could mean millions, so it largely depends on the number items that we are talking about. Ok, so the best way to do it is to just practice, so let's get going with the questions.

 

 

Did Jane send many emails? Yes, she sent many emails.

Did Jane send many emails? No, she did not send many emails.

 

Did you attend many conferences? Yes, I attended many conferences.

Did you attend many conferences? No, I did not attend many conferences.

 

Do you go to many meetings? Yes, I go to many meetings.

Do you go to many meetings? No, I do not go too many meetings.

 

Did Peter complete many reports? Yes, he completed many reports.

Did Peter complete many reports? No, he did not complete many reports.

 

Do you stay at many hotels? Yes, I stay at many hotels.

Do you stay at many hotels? No, I do not stay at many hotels.

 

Do John and Jane book many tickets? No, they do not book many tickets.

 

Do you visit many museums? Yes, I visit many museums.

Do you visit many museums? No, I do not visit many museums.

 

Does Jeff reboot many computers? Yes, he reboots many computers.

Does Jeff reboot many computers? No, he does not reboot many computers.

 

Did Anna drink many bottles of juice? Yes, she drank many bottles of juice.

Did Anna drink many bottles of juice? No, she did not drink many bottles of juice.

 

Did you buy many cars?? Yes, I bought many cars.

Did you buy many cars? No, I did not buy many cars.

 

 

There you go guys, keep repeating, keep practicing and keep on trucking! I'll catch you in the next episode and all of the best, bye!

Summary:

 

This article covers camps and programs that are aimed at kids, teaching them business skills and the ideas behind being successful entrepreneurs.

 

Full article: https://www.15mins.today/blog/643-capitalism-camp-for-kids

 

Vocabulary and Sample Sentences:

 

Imbuing v.: to fill a person or thing with strong feelings, opinions or values

 

Are you imbued with honesty?

Should companies be imbued with greed?

 

Slew n.: many

 

Did Subway close a slew of stores?

Are you facing a slew of problems?

 

Monetize v. : to utilize as a source of profit

 

Do Youtubers monetize their fame through merchandise?

Is it easy to monetize an idea?

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