通勤學英語 15Mins Today

每日跟讀#652: Seeking Soccer Talent, Club Executives Turn to Speed Dating

 

It had all the hallmarks of an afternoon of speed dating. Strangers hoping to find that right match.

 

這個下午具備了快速約會的所有特色，一些陌生人期待找到那個對的人。

 

On a gloriously warm Tuesday earlier this month, a group of soccer executives, from clubs large and small from across Europe and even as far afield as Brazil and the United States, were getting to know each other at 15-minute intervals inside a banquet hall at Stamford Bridge, the West London home of Premier League giant Chelsea.

 

本月一個陽光普照且溫暖的周二，一群足球隊的高級主管聚集於此，他們來自歐洲各地、甚至遠在巴西和美國的球會。在英格蘭足球超級聯賽強隊切爾西位於倫敦西區的主場，史丹佛橋球場的宴會廳內，他們以每次15分鐘的時間彼此接觸了解。

 

Outside, tourists visiting the stadium frolicked in the sunshine of the stands. Inside the cloistered, carpeted Centenary Lounge, executives were getting down to the serious business of negotiating player trades as the summer transfer window, an annual multibillion-dollar marketplace, reaches its climactic rush to fill rosters or find new or temporary homes for unwanted or untested talent before the window slams shut in a matter of weeks.

 

在外頭，造訪球場的遊客在陽光下的看台上嬉戲。而在迴廊深處、鋪著地毯的「百年廳」內，這些高管們正處理著在夏季轉隊期內洽談球員交易的正事。這個一年一度、金額達數十億美元的交易期，幾周後就會結束，而目前正處於活動的高峰，不論是補足球員缺額，或是為釋出或無經驗的球員找到新隊或暫時棲身之處。

 

With tables numbered and organized in rows, executives wielding brochures and tablets showed off their inventory in short introductory meetings that ended with the sound of a bell and the appearance of two women armed with boxing-style cards announcing the start of the next round of talks.

 

一排排桌子張張編有號碼，高階主管緊握著宣傳冊和平板電腦，在短暫的介紹會面中展示他們有些什麼料。鈴聲響起後會面結束，兩名女性出現，高舉拳擊場風格的看板，宣布下一輪談話開始。

 

The event, a novelty in the often opaque and secretive world of soccer player trading, is the brainchild of Jonas Ankersen, 33, of Denmark, who launched a player trading platform called Transfer Room two years ago.

 

這項活動，在通常不透明且秘密的足球員交易世界堪稱新奇，是33歲丹麥人約拿斯．安克森所發明，兩年前他創辦名叫「轉移室」的球員交易平台。

 

The idea was to wean clubs off the largely inefficient and long-held practice of sourcing and selling players via the closely guarded networks of agents or intermediaries, some who can take a multimillion-dollar cut in the biggest deals.

 

球界長久以來透過受到高度保護的經紀人或中間人網絡尋找和釋出球員，大抵而言效率欠佳，有些最大的交易，中間人甚至可以分得數百萬美元。新構想是要讓球會脫離這樣的網絡。

 

“I wanted to give the clubs a chance to take back control of the transfer market,” Ankersen said as snippets of negotiations started to fill the air following a break for lunch.

 

「我想要給這些球會一個機會，拿回交易市場的控制權。」午餐休息過後，談判四處登場之際，安克森這麼說。

 

To be sure, this is not the place where Cristiano Ronaldo or Lionel Messi will move from one club to another, but rather where useful, reasonably priced players change teams. The most expensive player on Ankersen’s platform is valued at around 20 million pounds, (roughly $25 million), he said.

 

當然，這裡不會是C羅或梅西轉隊的場所，而是有能力、身價合理的球員轉隊之處。安克森說，在他的平台上，最貴的球員身價約2000萬英鎊（約2500萬美元）。

 

“That’s just a little bit out of our price range,” said Mick Harford, the director of football at Luton Town, a team from just outside London that was promoted last season to the second tier Championship division. Harford spoke as he pored over a list of young players being made available for loan by Paul Konchesky, loan manager at the middling Premier League club West Ham.

 

「那真的有點超出我們的價格範圍。」位於倫敦郊外的魯頓足球球會主管米克．哈佛說。此隊在上一季被升到第二級別的英格蘭足球冠軍聯賽。哈佛一邊說著，一邊仔細閱讀一分可租借年輕球員的名單，這分名單是英超的中級球隊西漢姆球會租借部門經理保羅．孔切斯基所提供。

 

Source article: https://paper.udn.com/udnpaper/POH0067/343041/web/

 

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People who use dating apps more likely to use ’dangerous’ weight-loss tactics, Harvard study shows 哈佛研究顯示，約會應用程式使用者較可能使用「危險的」減重手段

 

People who use dating apps such as Tinder are more likely to use drastic or unhealthy tactics to keep themselves thin, according to a new study.

 

一項新研究指出，使用Tinder等手機約會應用程式的人，較可能使用劇烈或不健康的手段，讓自己保持苗條。

 

Researchers at Harvard University studied 1,726 adult men and women to look for links between using dating apps and body image. Results showed, men and women using dating apps are more likely to use unhealthy ways to control their weight than those who didn’t use the apps.

 

哈佛大學研究人員針對1726名成年男女進行研究，探索約會程式使用與身體意象的關連性。結果顯示，使用約會程式的男女，比非使用者更可能使用不健康的方式控制體重。

 

They found that dating app users had higher odds of engaging in six unhealthy weight control behaviors - self-induced vomiting, using laxatives, fasting, using diet pills, using muscle-building supplements, and using anabolic steroids.

 

他們發現，約會程式使用者有更高機率，從事6項不健康的體重控制行為—自行催吐、使用瀉藥、禁食、使用減肥藥、使用增肌補充品，以及使用同化類固醇。

 

Researchers said social media and TV shows reinforce ’ideal’ body images which may drive people to drastic weight loss measures.

 

研究人員指出，社群媒體和電視節目強化「理想的」身體意象，可能驅使人們採用激烈的減重方式。

 

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86 percent of internet users admit being duped by fake news：survey／調查顯示，86％網路使用者承認曾被假新聞愚弄

 

Eighty-six percent of internet users have been duped by fake news － most of it spread on Facebook － according to a global survey.

 

86％的網路使用者曾被假新聞愚弄—多數假新聞是在「臉書」上散播，一份全球性調查顯示。

 

Respondents said they want both governments and social media companies to crack down on these activities, which are contributing to a growing distrust of the internet as well as negatively impacting economies and political discourse.

 

調查回應者表示，他們希望政府與社群媒體公司取締這些行為，這類行為造成使用者愈來愈不信任網路，並對經濟與政治論述產生負面衝擊。

 

The United States took the lion’s share of the blame for spreading fake news, followed by Russia and China, according to the annual Ipsos survey of more than 25,000 internet users in 25 countries.

 

美國對假新聞的擴散必須承擔最大責任，接著是俄羅斯和中國，益普索市場研究公司（Ipsos）這份針對25國逾2萬5000名網路使用者所做的年度調查顯示。

 

Fake news appeared to be most prevalent on Facebook, but also appears on YouTube, blogs and Twitter, the pollsters found. The survey results showed people in Egypt were the most gullible while respondents in Pakistan were the most skeptical. The results also revealed widespread distrust of social media companies and growing concerns over online privacy and biases.

 

假新聞似乎在臉書上最氾濫，但也出現在YouTube、部落格及「推特」上，該民調機構發現。調查顯示，埃及人最容易受騙，而巴基斯坦的回應者最多疑。結果也揭露，人們普遍不信任社群媒體公司，對網路隱私與偏見也愈來愈憂心。

 

Source article: https://features.ltn.com.tw/english/article/paper/1297007 ; https://features.ltn.com.tw/english/article/paper/1295082

 

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每日跟讀#650: Despite High Hopes, Self-Driving Cars Are ‘Way in the Future’

 

A year ago, Detroit and Silicon Valley had visions of putting thousands of self-driving taxis on the road in 2019, ushering in an age of driverless cars.

 

一年前，底特律和矽谷曾有2019年讓數千輛自動駕駛計程車上路的願景，要開啟無人駕駛車的時代。

 

Most of those cars have yet to arrive — and it is likely to be years before they do. Several carmakers and technology companies have concluded that making autonomous vehicles is going to be harder, slower and costlier than they thought.

 

這些車大多數還沒上路－而且很可能還要等好多年才會上路。數家汽車製造商和科技公司已作出如下結論：製造自動駕駛車將比他們以為的更困難、更緩慢且更花錢。

 

“We overestimated the arrival of autonomous vehicles,” Ford’s chief executive, Jim Hackett, said at the Detroit Economic Club in April.

 

「我們對自駕車問世的評估過於樂觀。」福特汽車執行長吉姆．哈克特今年4月在底特律經濟俱樂部這麼說。

 

In the most recent sign of the scramble to regroup, Ford and Volkswagen said Friday that they were teaming up to tackle the self-driving challenge.

 

福特和福斯周五(12日)宣布要合組團隊以迎接自駕車的挑戰。這也是業界忙著重新組合、再次出發的最新跡象。

 

The two automakers plan to use autonomous-vehicle technology from a Pittsburgh startup, Argo AI, in ride-sharing services in a few urban zones as early as 2021. But Argo’s chief executive, Bryan Salesky, said the industry’s bigger promise of creating driverless cars that could go anywhere was “way in the future.”

 

這兩家汽車製造商計畫使用匹茲堡新創公司「亞果人工智慧」的自駕車技術，最快於2021年在一些都會區提供共乘服務。但是亞果的執行長布萊恩．薩勒斯基說，這個產業更大的承諾，也就是創造可去到任何地方的自駕車，「還在遙遠的未來」。

 

He and others attribute the delay to something as obvious as it is stubborn: human behavior.

 

他和另一些人將這個延誤歸咎於顯而易見且難以應付的一項因素：人類行為。

 

Researchers at Argo say the cars they are testing in Pittsburgh and Miami have to navigate unexpected situations every day. Recently, one of the company’s cars encountered a bicyclist riding the wrong way down a busy street between other vehicles.

 

亞果研究人員說，他們在匹茲堡和邁阿密測試的車輛，每天都須經歷無法預期的狀況。最近，這家公司一輛車遇到一名自行車騎士，在一條車多的街道上逆向行駛在車輛間。

 

Another Argo test car came across a street sweeper that suddenly turned a giant circle in an intersection, touching all four corners and crossing lanes of traffic that had the green light.

 

另一輛亞果的測試車遇到一輛掃街車，在一個十字路口突如其來大轉彎，碰到四個街角，而且橫越已經轉為綠燈的車道。

 

“You see all kinds of crazy things on the road, and it turns out they’re not all that infrequent, but you have to be able to handle all of them,” Salesky said. “With radar and high-resolution cameras and all the computing power we have, we can detect and identify the objects on a street. The hard part is anticipating what they’re going to do next.”

 

「你在路上見到所有瘋狂的事，而且發現它們並非那麼不常見，但你必須有能力處理所有狀況。」薩勒斯基說。「我們擁有雷達、高解析度鏡頭和所有電算能力，可偵測並識別街道上的物體。困難的部分是預測它們下一步會做什麼。」

 

Salesky said Argo and many competitors had developed about 80% of the technology needed to put self-driving cars into routine use — the radar, cameras and other sensors that can identify objects far down roads and highways.

 

薩勒斯基說，自駕車進入日常使用所需技術，亞果和許多競爭對手約已開發成功80%－雷達、攝影鏡頭及其他可在一般道路和高速公路識別遠方物體的感應器。

 

But the remaining 20%, including developing software that can reliably anticipate what other drivers, pedestrians and cyclists are going to do, will be much more difficult, he said.

 

但是剩下的20%，包括開發能夠可靠預測其他駕駛人、行人和自行車騎士下一步行動的軟體，會難得多。

 

A year ago, many industry executives exuded much greater certainty. They thought that their engineers had solved the most vexing technical problems and promised that self-driving cars would be shuttling people around town in at least several cities by sometime this year.

 

一年前，許多業界高管還展現出遠比當下更有把握的態度。當時他們認為，他們的工程師已解決最困難的技術問題，且承諾自駕車今年之內，至少可在幾個城市輸運民眾。

 

Source article: https://paper.udn.com/udnpaper/POH0067/343041/web/

 

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Why Japanese women rebel against Valentine’s day, but still buy chocolate 為何日本女性反抗西洋情人節 卻仍購買巧克力？

 

Japanese women are rebelling against a decades-old Valentine’s Day tradition that obliges them to give chocolates to men.

 

日本女性已經開始反抗行之有年的強迫她們送巧克力給男性的西洋情人節傳統。

 

On February 14, the nation’s female workers are expected to give "giri choco," or obligation chocolates, to their male colleagues. Women are also expected to buy heartfelt chocolates, "honmei choco," for their crushes or loved one.

 

在2月14日，全日本的女性上班族都被期待分贈所謂的「義理」或義務巧克力給男同事。女性購買衷心巧克力或所謂的「本命巧克力」，送給暗戀對象或男友，也被視為理所當然。

 

"Valentine’s Day （in Japan） got turned upside down to become a symbol of the Japanese patriarchy," said Jeff Kingston, a Japan expert at Temple University in Tokyo.

 

「西洋情人節（在日本）已經被搞得亂七八糟，成為日本父權意識的象徵。」美國天普大學東京分校的日本專家傑夫．金斯頓如是說。

 

But this year, women are calling time on the financially draining practice.

 

但今年，（日本女性）開始對這種燒錢的做法喊停。

 

A recent survey by a Tokyo department store found about 60% of women will instead buy chocolates for themselves on Valentine’s Day.

 

東京一家百貨公司最近做了一項調查，發現約6成女性在西洋情人節會改為自己買巧克力。

 

Only 35% planned to offer chocolates to their male colleagues.

 

只有35％的女性打算送巧克力給男同事。

 

Next 下一篇

 

Japanese minister: High heels for women at work are ’occupationally necessary and appropriate’－日本部長：女性上班穿高跟鞋是「職場需要且適當」

 

For many years it has been required in many Japanese offices for women to wear high heels.

 

多年來，許多日本辦公室要求女性員工上班要穿高跟鞋。

 

But a recent backlash has thrown the practice into question, with more than 19,000 people in Japan signing a petition to ban the requirement.

 

但這項習慣已因最近的反彈而受到質疑，日本有超過1萬9000人連署請願，希望禁止這項規定。

 

Speaking about the petition at a lower house committee session on Wednesday, Health, Labor and Welfare Minister Takumi Nemoto demurred on whether demanding women to wear high heels constituted an "abuse of power."

 

週三在國會眾議院的委員會上論及這項請願活動時，厚生勞動大臣根本匠針對要求女性員工上班穿高跟鞋是否構成「濫用權力」的質疑，提出異議。

 

"It is socially accepted as something that falls within the realm of being occupationally necessary and appropriate," he said.

 

「這（指規定女性上班時必須穿高跟鞋）是獲得社會接納的習慣，在職場上是必要而且適當的，」他說。

 

The petition was started by Tokyo artist, writer and feminist Yumi Ishikawa after comments she made on Twitter went viral across the country.

 

這項請願是由東京藝人、作家與女權主義者石川優實發起，她在「推特」上發表的相關評論在日本各地瘋傳。

 

"I’m hoping to get rid of the custom that women have to wear heels and pumps at work," she wrote in January.

 

「我希望擺脫女性上班必須穿高跟鞋的習慣做法，」她今年一月如此寫道。

 

Source article: https://features.ltn.com.tw/english/article/paper/1297593; https://features.ltn.com.tw/english/article/paper/1302540

 

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每日跟讀#648: University students in Hualien provide free dementia care

 

Tzu Chi University of Science and Technology in March this year established the Jui Chih Yi Academy for the Elderly, a community support center for dementia patients, located within the university’s campus. Students from the university’s Department of Nursing care for dementia sufferers as part of their practical studies, providing a standard of service and facilities normally found in upmarket care homes.

 

慈濟科技大學今年三月起校內設置「瑞智憶學苑」，為全台第一間設立在大專院校的失智社區服務據點，由護理系學生照護實習，服務和設備不輸高級養生村。

 

Director of the university’s Graduate Institute of Long-term Care, Sung Huei-chuan, says the academy has been approved by Hualien County Health Bureau as a community service center for dementia patients. Sung says the center’s opening hours are designed to dovetail with students’ class schedules, and dementia patients and their family members can use the service completely free of charge.

 

慈濟科技大學長期照護研究所所長宋惠娟表示，「瑞智憶學苑」是花蓮縣衛生局核定的失智社區服務據點，開放時間比照學生上課時段，失智長者和家屬完全免費。

 

Currently the academy is providing care for nine elderly patients, all of whom suffer from degenerative dementia. The average age is 83, with the oldest patient 93 years old and the youngest 63 years old. Each patient has their own record book, which students use everyday to record their charge’s mental state, mood, and food and medicine intake. The student carers also monitor their patients’ willingness to participate in activities, level of cooperation and social interaction, so as to give family members peace of mind.

 

目前共有認知功能退化的長輩九人受到照顧，平均年齡八十三歲，最年長九十二歲、最年輕六十三歲。他們有個人專屬的聯絡簿，每天記錄阿公阿嬤的精神、情緒、進食和服藥狀況，也會觀察老人家的活動參與意願、配合程度和社交情形，讓家屬放心。

 

Sung says there are currently an estimated 4,000 dementia patients in Hualien County, however only approximately 1,000 have been diagnosed correctly. Hualien County Health Bureau has established 27 dementia service centers throughout the county, three of which are operated by the university. In addition to Jui Chih Yi Academy for the Elderly there is the Long Life Club located in Jian Township’s Fusing Village and the Juichih Care School in Sioulin Township’s Jiamin Community.

 

宋惠娟說，花蓮縣目前預估有四千多人失智，僅一千多人確診。衛生局全縣設立二十七個失智社區服務據點，慈濟科技大學申請了三個，分別是校內的瑞智憶學苑、吉安鄉福興村的長壽俱樂部，及秀林鄉佳民部落的睿智照顧學堂。

 

At the Jui Chih Yi Academy, a cognitive stimulation course is combined with stretching and physical exercises, aromatherapy, music therapy, robot pet therapy and horticultural therapy, in addition to other non-pharmacological treatments designed to provide elderly dementia patients with a rich and fulfilling life.

 

學苑安排活化大腦的認知課程、伸展身體的運動課程，還設計芳香療法、音樂療法、機器寵物療法、園藝療法等非藥物性療法，豐富失智長輩的生活。

 

In April, Yang Hsiao-tan began to drop off her 92-year-old mother at the Jui Chih Yi Academy. Previously Yang, together with her elder sister, provided round-the-clock care for their mother. However their mother has a fairly introverted and shy personality, and they discovered that the attentive care provided by the teachers and students at the academy made her feel more secure.

 

家屬楊小丹表示，今年四月送九十二歲的媽媽到瑞智憶學苑，之前都是自己和姐姐二十四小時全天照顧。因為媽媽個性較內向害羞，發現慈濟科大的老師和學生照顧很用心，讓媽媽越來越有安全感。

 

One day, when Yang came to the academy at 5pm to pick up her mother she complained: Why have you come so early? Today her ability to look after herself on her own is much improved and she no longer needs to be accompanied throughout the day. This also means the daughters are able to take care of their own affairs, and can have a break from caring for their mother. The care provided by the academy has been a huge help, says Yang.

 

曾經有一天下午五時下課來接媽媽，媽媽竟抱怨「怎麼這麼早就來接？」如今媽媽自理能力比以往好，也不用全天候陪伴，自己也能外出辦事或休息，幫了很大的忙。

 

 

Source article: http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/lang/archives/2019/07/23/2003719116/2

 

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Welcome to 15mins.Today, the home of English shadowing.

I'm your host Gavin and this is In-Tense episode 18, and in this episode we will be reviewing the simple present tense. So without further ado, let's get started.

 

Does Jane send the emails? Yes, she sends the emails.

Does Jane send the emails? No, she does not send the emails.

 

Does the conference finish on time? Yes, it finishes on time.

Does the conference finish on time? No, it does not finish on time.

 

Do you attend the meetings? Yes, I attend the meetings.

Do you attend the meetings? No, I do not attend the meetings. 

 

Does Peter complete the reports? Yes, he completes the reports. 

Does Peter complete the reports? No, he does not complete the reports.

 

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

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

 

Do John and Jane book the tickets? Yes, they booked the tickets.

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

 

Do you visit museums? Yes, I visit museums.

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

 

Does Jeff reboot the computer? Yes, he reboots the computer.

Does Jeff reboot the computer? No, he does not reboot the computer.

 

Does Anna backup the files? Yes, she backs up the files.

Does Anna backup the files? No, she does not backup the files.

 

Do you update the drivers? Yes, I update the drivers.

Do you update the drivers? No, I do not update the drivers.

 

Great job everyone keep repeating and I'll see you next time bye!

 

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Summary:

 

The popularity of otters as pets in Asians could spell their doom as they are poached from nature and face extinction.

 

Full article: https://www.15mins.today/blog/605-these-otters-are-popular-pets-in-asia-that-may-be-their-undoing

 

Vocabulary and Sample Sentences:

 

Tattered adj. : old / torn

Do we throw away tattered clothes?

Do cats lead to tattered furniture?

 

Bolted v. : suddenly run away

Do horses bolt when they encounter snakes?

Will a cat bolt if you spray it with water?

 

Poacher n. : person who illegally hunts animals

Are poachers driving rhinos to extinction?

Are there poachers in Taiwan?

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每日跟讀#647: Runner makes elaborate artwork with feet and map

 

Crafting a running route is a delicate process, especially in a city like San Francisco: you’ve got to find somewhere safe and scenic, avoid the crowds and decide how many hills you want to conquer. One runner in the city, however, is making things even more complicated – with beautiful results.

 

慢跑路線的設計需要精心規劃，尤其是在像舊金山這樣的城市──你跑步必須找安全、風景宜人的地方，且要避開人潮，還得決定要爬多少坡。舊金山一位跑者卻讓慢跑路線的規畫變得更加複雜──但成果非常漂亮。

 

For the past four years, Lenny Maughan has been turning his routes into art. His paths through the city are carefully chosen so that, viewed on a map, they form illustrations of everything from a simple heart shape to the starship Enterprise. So far he’s made 53 works, including, most recently, an unmistakable image of the artist Frida Kahlo that made a splash on Reddit and in local media.

 

藍尼‧莫恩把他的慢跑路線變成藝術，這樣做已經有四年。他在城裡精心選擇路徑，使他的跑步軌跡會在地圖上呈現出各種圖案，從簡單的心形到電影《星際爭霸戰》中的「企業號」星艦都有。目前他已做出五十三件作品──包括最近完成的、明顯是藝術家芙烈達‧卡蘿的肖像，轟動美國社群網站Reddit及當地媒體。

 

Maughan didn’t set out to be a running artist, but as route-tracking apps became popular, runners began to notice images in their pathways, “kind of like a Rorschach test,” he said. The immediate impulse among many runners was, inevitably, to draw penises: “That’s where it all began,” he said. “But I wanted to do something different and something original.”

 

莫恩並非一開始就要做跑步藝術家。但隨著路線追蹤應用程式的普及，跑者開始注意到其跑步路徑所呈現出來的圖像，「這有點像是羅夏墨跡心理學測驗」，莫恩說。許多跑者的直接反應不免是去跑出男性生殖器的圖樣，「事情就是這樣開始的」，他說，「但是我想做一些與眾不同、有原創性的東西」。

 

His first project was the Vulcan hand gesture from Star Trek, inspired by the 2015 death of Leonard Nimoy, who played Spock. “I just printed out a paper map and sketched a hand shape along Market Street and the other fingers, thumb and wrist came pretty easily,” he said. Then a giant Batman logo, encompassing much of the city: “The larger you go, the more fine-tuned you can make the shape.”

 

他做的第一個圖是電影《星艦迷航記》中瓦肯星人的舉手禮，靈感來自二○一五年李奧納德‧尼莫伊的離世，尼莫伊在《星艦迷航記》中飾演瓦肯人史巴克。「我只是列印出一張地圖，沿著市場街畫了一個手的形狀和其他手指，拇指和手腕都很簡單」。之後他跑出一個巨大的蝙蝠俠標誌，範圍把舊金山的大部份都圈進來──「你跑的範圍越大，就越能夠做出精細的圖案」。

 

Indeed, creating Frida Kahlo required a 46.5km run. Maughan tracks his paths using the running app Strava, which means you, too, can run in the shape of the celebrated Mexican artist’s face. If you’re as fit as Maughan, it will take you six hours and eight minutes.

 

的確，做出卡蘿的肖像需要跑四十六點五公里。莫恩以跑步應用程式Strava來追蹤路徑，這表示你也可以跑出卡蘿這位著名墨西哥藝術家的肖像。這將費時六小時八分鐘──如果你跟莫恩一樣強健的話。

 

The tracking process is high-tech, but the whole thing starts with just a pen and paper. “When I was a kid everyone thought I’d be an artist when I grew up – I was always drawing things,” he said. He was a particular fan of the Etch-a-Sketch, which has something in common with his current work: both require creating images in an unbroken line.

His goal is to create images anyone can recognize: “This is just a way to make the streets my own.”

 

路線追蹤的過程是運用高科技，但這一切的開端只是一支筆和一張紙。「我小時候，大家都以為我長大以後會成為藝術家，因為我總是畫個不停」，莫恩說。他小時候超愛「神奇畫板」（Etch-a-Sketch），這繪圖玩具跟他現在的作品有個共同點：都必須用不間斷的線條來畫出圖像。

他的目標是創造出大家都能認得出來的圖像：「這只是我去擁有這些街道的方式」。

 

 

Source article: http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/lang/archives/2019/07/31/2003719620

 

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每日跟讀#646: Taiwanese eco brand raises bar for sustainability

 

A group of millennials based in Hsinchu’s Hukou Township has established Taiwanese brand Dawoko, centered around the idea of sustainability, building upon previous-generation synthetic carbon technology to develop and produce a diverse range of environmentally-friendly, toxin-free, wood vinegar-based skin and cleaning products. Through online marketing, and aided by a Ministry of Finance innovation prize, Dawoko has been able to successfully export its products to Southeast Asian countries.

 

一群在新竹縣湖口鄉落腳的七年級生，以「循環永續」為初衷，共同創立「木酢達人」台灣品牌，承襲上一代的製炭技術，研發、生產一系列對環境無毒無害的多樣化保養及清潔木酢產品，透過網路行銷，獲得經濟部金網獎銀質獎等，更成功外銷到東南亞國家。

 

Dawoko’s founders, including Chen Wei-cheng, Hsieh Hui-ting, Liu Tai-yi and Teng Chieh-jen, met at university. Ten years ago, after investing together in an “old street” community development project in Hukou, they gradually conceived the idea of starting a business together. The group decided to place recycling and sustainability at its core and invest in research and development into previous-generation synthetic carbon technology.

 

木酢達人陳偉誠、謝惠婷、劉泰逸、鄧傑仁等人，原為大學學長、學弟妹。十年前共同投入湖口老街的社區營造，漸漸萌生創業的夢想，決定以循環永續為基礎，將上一代的製炭技術投入研發。

 

According to Chen, this “natural brand born of the forest” began when they made combustible charcoal and biochar from discarded branches from pruned fruit trees, distilling the wood vinegar from the steam given off during the charcoal-making process. This wood vinegar was then combined with plant extracts and packaged in recyclable bottles to produce a range of wood vinegar derivatives. As the products are clean and toxin free, they can be discarded after use with no damage to the environment.

 

陳偉誠表示，這「從森林孕育而出的天然品牌」，從回收果樹廢棄修枝、製成燃料木炭與生物炭開始，蒐集燒炭時的水煙，蒸餾成木酢液，結合植物萃取成分與可回收瓶器，研發成木酢系列產品。消費者使用後廢水無毒排放，讓乾淨的水資源回歸自然。

 

Not only are the formulas used environmentally friendly and make it possible to re-use discarded branches and twigs from pruning trees, the charcoal and wood vinegar produced can be applied in the production of soil fertilizers and domestic cleaning products, so that the entire production process is ecologically sound.

 

不僅產品配方對環境無毒無害，讓樹木修枝獲得再利用的機會；所生產的木炭、木酢，可以運用在復育農耕地力、家庭生活清潔需求，整個生產過程與環境共生循環。

 

The Dawoko team has developed a range of 60 products, including therapeutic skin healing products, human and pet cleansing products and a range of domestic cleaning products. Dawoko sells an average of 3,000 products each month and also combines its offerings with a home cleaning service. The company believes in giving back to society, organizing local marketing activities, sharing their business experience and teaming up with social welfare organization the Hsiangyuan Education Center to provide job opportunities for students, such as folding shopping bags.

 

木酢達人團隊研發出肌膚調理保養、身體清潔、寵物清潔、居家清潔等六十種品項，平均一個月銷售三千件，更結合商品和勞務，提供到府清潔服務。他們創業之餘也回饋社會，結合湖口地方活動行銷在地特色，樂於分享創生經驗，並關懷當地社福機構香園教養院，提供院生摺購物袋等工作機會。

 

Source article: http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/lang/archives/2019/06/11/2003716672

 

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每日跟讀#645: Natural Gas Becomes the Climate Battleground

 

America’s coal-burning power plants are shutting down at a rapid pace, forcing electric utilities to face the next big climate question: Embrace natural gas, or shift aggressively to renewable energy?

 

美國的燃煤發電廠正快速關閉，迫使電力公司面對下一個氣候大哉問：擁抱天然氣，或積極轉向再生能源？

 

Some large utilities, including Xcel Energy in the Upper Midwest, are now planning to sharply cut their coal and gas use in favor of clean and abundant wind and solar power, which have steadily fallen in cost. But in the Southeast and other regions, natural gas continues to dominate, because of its reliability and low prices driven by the fracking boom. Nationwide, energy companies plan to add at least 150 new gas plants and thousands of miles of pipelines in the years ahead.

 

一些大型公用事業公司，包括中西部北部地帶的卓越能源公司在內，正計畫大砍煤和天然氣的使用量，改用成本不斷下降，潔淨且豐富的風力與太陽能。但在東南部和其他地區，卻仍然是天然氣掛帥，因為裂解技術興起，造就它的可靠及低價。在美國全境，能源公司計畫在未來幾年至少增加150座新天然氣電廠以及數千英里的輸氣管。

 

A rush to build gas-fired plants, even though they emit only half as much carbon pollution as coal, has the potential to lock in decades of new fossil-fuel use right as scientists say emissions need to fall drastically by midcentury to avert the worst impacts of global warming.

 

雖然燃氣的碳汙染只有燃煤之半，爭建燃氣電廠熱潮湧現，卻可能就此鎖定未來數十年使用新化石燃料的態勢，而此際科學家正呼籲世人在本世紀中之前大幅降低碳排放，以避免全球暖化的最嚴重影響。

 

“Gas infrastructure that’s built today is going to be with us for 30 years,” said Daniel Cohan, an associate professor of civil and environmental engineering at Rice University.

 

“But if you look at scenarios that take climate change seriously, that say we need to get to net zero emissions by 2050,” he said, “that’s not going to be compatible with gas plants that don’t capture their carbon.”

 

「今日建造的天然氣基礎設施將與我們為伴30年。」萊斯大學木土及環境工程副教授丹尼爾．柯恩說。他說：「檢視正視氣候變遷問題而推演出的未來可能景況，會知道我們需要在2050年之前達到淨零排放，這個目標與我們使用無法捕集碳的天然氣電廠，是彼此扞格的。」

 

In some states, policymakers are now pushing to leave gas behind to meet ambitious climate goals. Last month, New York lawmakers passed a sweeping energy bill that calls for the state to switch to entirely carbon-free electricity sources by 2040, following states like California and New Mexico that have passed similar laws.

 

在一些州，政策制定者正加快捨棄天然氣的腳步，以達到遠大的氣候目標。紐約州議會上個月通過重大能源法案，要求州政府在2040年之前完全改用碳零排放的電力能源，跟隨已通過類似法律的加州及新墨西哥州。

 

Since 2005, most power companies have lowered their carbon dioxide emissions significantly, in large part by shifting from coal to gas. Coal plants have become uncompetitive with other kinds of energy generation in much of the country, despite the Trump administration’s efforts to save them by rolling back federal pollution regulations.

 

自2005年以來，多數電力公司已顯著降低二氧化碳排放，頗大部分是靠從燃煤改為燃氣。儘管川普政府放寬聯邦汙染管制法規欲以拯救燃煤電廠，在國內很多地方，燃煤電廠已無力與其他發電方式競爭。

 

But in a recent analysis, David Pomerantz, the executive director of the Energy and Policy Institute, a pro-renewables group, looked at the long-term plans of the 22 biggest investor-owned utilities. Some in the Midwest are planning to speed up the rate at which they cut emissions between now and 2030.

 

大衛．波莫藍茲是支持再生能源的組織「能源和政策研究所」的執行長，他最近做了一項分析，檢視22家最大民營電力公司之長期計畫。中西部有些公司計畫從現在到2030年加速削減排碳。

 

But other large utilities, like Duke Energy and American Electric Power, expect to reduce their carbon emissions at a slower pace over the next decade than they had over the previous decade.

 

但是另有些大公司，如杜克能源公司和美國電力公司，卻預期未來10年減排的速度會比過去10年慢。

 

“I really think gas is at the crux of it,” Pomerantz said. “You’ve got some utilities looking at gas and saying, ‘No thanks, we think there’s a cleaner and cheaper path.’ But then you’ve got others going all-in on gas.”

 

「我真的認為天然氣是關鍵所在。」波莫藍茲說。「你已見到一些電力公司看著天然氣說『不了，謝謝，我們認為還有更潔淨也更便宜的方法。』但是緊接著你又看到另一些公司全面採用天然氣。」

 

Source article: https://paper.udn.com/udnpaper/POH0067/342183/web/#2L-15113439L

 

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