通勤學英語 15Mins Today

每日跟讀#644: Gimme a tax break: Hands off my lottery winnings

 

Winning ticket holders of Taiwan Lottery or the Unified Invoice Lottery, as the system currently stands, have to pay 20 percent income tax on winnings worth NT$2,000 and above. As the threshold has existed unchanged for over 40 years, Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Shih Yi-fang has proposed a bill raising the threshold to NT$5,000. In response, Minister of Finance Su Jain-rong has promised to conduct a review and issue a report within the next three months. The ministry is expected to issue a preliminary report shortly that will detail amendments to the Standards of Withholding Rates for Various Incomes regulation. It is anticipated that this will include raising the tax-free threshold for lottery winnings from NT$2,000 to NT$5,000, coming into effect as early as December.

 

目前彩券或統一發票中獎獎金超過兩千元就要課徵所得稅百分之二十，由於課稅門檻已超過四十年未修正，民進黨立委施義芳提案，將課稅門檻提高至五千元，財政部長蘇建榮當時允諾三個月內提出檢討報告。據了解，財政部近期將預告修正「各類所得扣繳率標準」，將中獎獎金免稅門檻從兩千元提高到五千元，最快十二月上路。

 

During a question and answer session of the Legislative Yuan’s Finance Committee in early April, Shih said that although last year Taiwan Lottery scratchcards sold like hot cakes during the Lunar New Year break, due to the 20 percent tax levy, a member of the public who wins a NT$2,000 prize actually only receives NT$1,600. He gave the example of someone who spends NT$4,000 to purchase two NT$2,000 Taiwan Lottery tickets: one of the tickets wins a NT$5,000 prize, but after income tax is deducted at 20 percent — leaving NT$4,000 — and a further NT$20 of stamp duty is paid, the person is actually out of pocket by NT$20.

 

施義芳四月初於立法院財政委員會質詢表示，過年期間刮刮樂賣得非常好，但民眾中獎兩千元就要課稅百分之二十，等於實領一千六百元；若花四千元買兩張兩千元刮刮樂，一張中了五千元，扣掉百分之二十所得稅加上二十元印花稅，還要倒賠二十元。

 

Shih believes that since the Standards of Withholding Rates for Various Incomes has remained unchanged since 1979, an adjustment is now due. According to data from the Directorate-General of Budget, Accounting and Statistics, in 1979 NT$2,000 was worth NT$4,968 in today’s money. Shih says the ministry should therefore move with the times and raise the tax-free threshold for lottery winnings from NT$2,000 to NT$5,000.

 

施義芳認為，「各類所得扣繳率標準」自一九七九年沿用至今，已超過四十年，應有所調整；據主計總處試算系統，一九七九年的兩千元等於今年的四千九百六十八元，財政部應順應時局將中獎獎金免稅門檻從兩千元調高至五千元。

 

Ministry officials say that the changes will not come into effect until December due to the requirement for a communication period, and because businesses may need to make adjustments to their systems

 

財政部官員表示，由於修正後仍要一段宣導期，且業者系統可能要調整，因此預計今年十二月才會上路。

 

Source article: http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/lang/archives/2019/06/04/2003716267

 

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每日跟讀#643: Capitalism Camp for Kids

 

Summer camp: It’s not just for campfires, crushes on counselors and crying alone in a bunk bed. Summer camp is also for capitalism.

 

夏令營：不只是營火晚會，愛上指導員和雙層床上獨自哭泣。夏令營也關乎資本主義。

 

Or at least it is for a growing number of children whose parents enroll them in workshops and sleep-away trips that focus on stimulating the entrepreneurial mindset, enlightening youth about the importance of innovation, and imbuing the next generation with an appreciation for surplus value.

 

或者，至少對於為數愈來愈多的特定兒童而言確是如此。他們的父母替他們報名各種工作坊和外宿的活動，聚焦於激發創業思維，向青年提點創新的重要，並讓下一代重視附加價值。

 

Biznovator, a company in South Florida, offers a slew of camps, academies and programs that are designed to teach students about how to be businesspeople and innovators (biznovators!). That includes the weeklong “Kamp for Kids,” which this summer will be held at the Divine Savior Academy, in Doral, Florida.

 

佛羅里達州南部的Biznovator公司提供許多精心設計的夏令營、課程和專案，教導學生如何成為商業人士及創新家（也就是Biznovators！）那包含為期一周的「兒童營」，今夏將於佛州多拉市的聖救主學院舉辦。

 

There, children as young as 8 will learn how to monetize their hobbies, interview local corporate executives and shoot YouTube commercials for their prospective businesses.

 

在那裡，兒童們將學習如何把興趣變成金錢，訪問當地企業的主管，以及為了他們將來的生意攝製YouTube廣告片，而參加的兒童最年幼者只有八歲。

 

It also includes the more advanced “Connect Camp,” for preteens and high schoolers, which is typically run at Florida International University. Campers get tours of places like a Starbucks corporate office or the Federal Reserve, and are tasked with analyzing problems facing various companies and industries.

 

夏令營也包含針對前青少年期兒童和中學生的更高階「連接營」，通常在佛羅里達州國際大學舉辦。夏令營學員到星巴克企業辦公室或聯邦準備理事會這些地方參觀，並被賦予分析各種公司和產業所遭遇問題的任務。

 

A New York-based nonprofit, the Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship, or NFTE, also runs in-school and summer programs for students in sixth through 12th grades.

 

位於紐約的非營利組織「創業訓練網路」（NFTE），也針對6至12年級學生舉辦校內和夏令營隊。

 

The goal of the organization — founded almost three decades ago with support from billionaire philanthropists, multinational banks and corporate consultants — has been, since the beginning, to “activate the entrepreneurial mindset and build startup skills in youth,” said Sophia Rodriguez, the director of research and analytics at NFTE.

 

這個組織將近30年前在億萬富豪慈善家、跨國銀行和企業顧問的支援下成立，其研究及分析總監蘇菲亞．羅德里蓋茲說，打從一開始該組織的目標就是「激發年輕人的創業思維，並培養打造新創企業的技能」

 

Juan Casimiro, the founder and chief executive of Biznovator, believes children are never too young to start learning about business. “For more than 31 years, I’ve been running entrepreneurship, innovation, leadership camps — typically during the summers,” Casimiro said. “When I got involved, it was harder to convince parents, funding sources, organizations, that kids can learn business very early.

 

Biznovator的創辦人兼執行長璜．卡西米洛相信，兒童開始學習商業知識永不嫌小。「我一直在舉辦創業、創新及領袖營隊—通常是在夏季，已經超過31年了。」卡西米洛說。「剛開始時，要說服家長、資金來源和各種組織孩子可以很早就開始學習商業知識，比現在困難。

 

They couldn’t believe that a kid, at 10, can pick up these business principles and literally start their own little micro business.”

 

他們無法相信，一個10歲的孩子可以理解這些商業規則，而且真的開始他們自己的微型企業。」

 

Now, Biznovator is piloting a Kamp for Kids program designed for children as young as 4 years old.

 

現在，Biznovator正試辦一項兒童營專案，專為最小僅四歲的兒童而設計。

 

Source article: https://paper.udn.com/udnpaper/POH0067/341420/web/

 

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Welcome to 15mins.today the home of English Shadowing. I'm your host Gavin and this is InTense Episode 17.

 

Now, in the previous episode we finished the last of the 12 tenses that there are and I so I decided that from this episode on we will start just review and then when we have finished all 12 again with review questions I will start with some new material.

 

So, without further ado we going to be starting with the present progressive or the present continuous tense. Let's get started!

 

Is Jane sending the email? Yes, she is sending the email.

Is Jane sending the email? No, she is not sending the email.

 

Is the conference finishing on time? Yes, the conference is finishing on time.

Is the conference finishing on time? No, the conference is not finishing on time.

 

Are you attending the meeting? Yes, I am attending the meeting.

Are you attending the meeting? No, I am not attending the meeting.

 

Is Peter completing the report? Yes, he is completing the report.

Is Peter completing the report? No, he is not completing the report.

 

Are you staying at a hotel? Yes, I am staying at a hotel.

Are you staying at a hotel? No, I am not staying at a hotel.

 

Are John and Jane booking the tickets? Yes, they are booking the tickets.

Are John and Jane booking the tickets? No, they are not booking the tickets.

 

Are you visiting the museum? Yes, I am visiting the museum.

Are you visiting the museum? No, I am not visiting the museum.

 

Is Jeff rebooting the computer? Yes, he is rebooting the computer.

Is Jeff rebooting the computer? No, he is not rebooting the computer.

 

Is Anna backing up the files? Yes, she is backing up the files.

Is Anna backing up the files? No, she is not backing up the files.

 

Are you updating the drivers? Yes, I am updating the drivers.

Are you updating the drivers? No, I am not updating the drivers.

 

There you go guys, that's the present continuous tense. Keep practicing and catch you next time, bye!

 

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Summary:

 

Vegan meat companies are doing great globally and are set to keep growing, improving the health of people and the environment.

 

Source article: https://www.15mins.today/blog/604-beyond-meat-fattens-up-as-shares-more-than-double-in-ipo

 

 

Vocabulary and Sample Sentence:

 

Purveyor n. : person/company that supplies something

Is Apple the purveyor of the iPhone?

Do purveyors of cars  have to work hard?

 

Predict v. : say something will happen in the future

Can people predict the future?

Do people believe fortune tellers?

 

Appeal v. : a quality that makes something attractive

Do new products appeal to  people?

What is the appeal of big televisions?

 

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每日跟讀#642: Why the Philippines Is a Hoops Haven

 

Go to any street corner in the Philippines. Any village. Any beach. Even a church. You’re likely to see a basketball jersey.

 

在菲律賓隨便去到哪個街角，哪個村落，哪個海灘，甚至哪個教堂，你應該都會看到籃球衣。

 

“It’s often described as a religion,” Carlo Roy Singson, managing director of NBA Philippines, said in an interview.

 

美國國家籃球協會（NBA）菲律賓分會總監辛松受訪時說：「大家常說，籃球就是菲律賓人的宗教。」

 

Indeed, basketball is ingrained in Filipino culture and has been for more than a century.

 

The sport’s permeation of a country of about 105 million began in the late 1800s, when Spain ceded the Philippines to the United States in 1898 after the Spanish-American War.

 

的確，籃球在菲律賓文化扎根已超過一個世紀。 籃球於19世紀末傳入這個目前有一億零五百萬人口的國家，終至遍布每個角落。1898年西班牙在美西戰爭中戰敗，把菲律賓割讓給美國。

 

A large facet of the introduction of the fledgling game was Christian missionaries, who were part of the YMCA, or Young Men’s Christian Association. The game’s inventor, Dr. James Naismith, conceived of the sport at what was then known as the International YMCA Training School in Springfield, Massachusetts.

 

籃球這個新興運動傳入菲律賓，很大一部分是靠基督教傳教士，這些傳教士是基督教國際社會服務團體「基督教青年會」（YMCA）的成員。籃球發明人奈史密斯博士就是在美國麻州春田市當時名為「國際YMCA訓練學校」的地方，想出籃球這種運動。

 

To take a round object and throw it into a peach hoop, as Naismith pictured it, could be a character-building endeavor. Soon after he invented it, missionaries began spreading it around the world, particularly in the Far East and the Philippines, in U.S.-controlled areas — a kind of sports imperialism.

 

奈史密斯設想，拿起一個球形物並將它丟進一個桃木筐，這種努力過程可以培養品格。在他發明籃球後不久，傳教士開始把這種運動傳布到世界各地，尤其是美國控制的遠東地區和菲律賓，算是一種運動殖民。

 

The NBA and its players, recognizing the sport’s popularity in the Philippines, have invested time there in recent years. In 2013, the Houston Rockets and the Indiana Pacers played a preseason game there. According to a spokesman for the league, the NBA’s Facebook page has 7.3 million followers from the Philippines, the largest of any country outside of the United States.

 

NBA及其運動員認識到籃球在菲律賓大受歡迎，近年在菲律賓投入許多時間。2013年，休士頓火箭隊和印第安納溜馬隊在菲律賓打了場季前賽。根據NBA發言人的說法，NBA臉書專頁有730萬名粉絲來自菲律賓，菲律賓是美國之外最大的粉絲來源國。

 

This all began in the early 1900s, when basketball was introduced into schools in the Philippines. In 1913, the first Far Eastern Championship Games — an early version of what is now known as the Asian Games — took place in Manila, featuring several East Asian countries taking part in Olympics-style competitions, including basketball.

 

這一切全始於20世紀初，當時籃球傳入菲律賓各級學校。1913年，亞洲運動會前身、第一屆遠東運動會在馬尼拉舉行，幾個東亞國家參與奧運式的競賽，包括籃球。

 

It was the first of 10 biennial events, before disagreements between the countries disbanded the games. The Philippines won gold in nine of them.

 

遠東運動會兩年一次，總共辦過十次，後來因為各國意見不合而停辦。菲律賓在其中九次贏得籃球金牌。

 

The country’s population took to the sport en masse. In 1936, its national team made the Olympics and finished fifth. At the 1954 FIBA World Championship, the Philippines won a bronze medal, the best finish for an Asian country.

 

菲律賓舉國上下都愛上籃球。1936年，菲律賓國家隊打進奧運並拿下第五名。在1954年世界杯男籃錦標賽中，菲律賓贏得銅牌，寫下亞洲國家最佳成績。

 

Two decades later, in 1975, the Philippine Basketball Association, Asia’s first basketball league, was created. These games kept the sport at the forefront of Filipino culture and helped grow interest throughout the 20th century.

 

20年後，1975年，菲律賓職業籃球聯賽開打，是亞洲第一個職業籃球聯賽。這些比賽讓籃球處在菲律賓文化的重要位置，並在整個20世紀激發菲律賓人對籃球的興趣。

 

Source article: https://paper.udn.com/udnpaper/POH0067/341713/web/#2L-15029994L

 

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每日跟讀#641: Globalization Finds Safe Place as U.S. Wages a Trade War

 

If globalization were ever going to unravel, the beginning would probably feel something like this.

 

如果全球化真的會崩解，它的開頭感覺上應該會是如此這般。

 

President Donald Trump, the leader of the country that built the world trading system, continues to disrupt international commerce as a weapon wielded in pursuit of national aims.

 

唐納．川普總統，世界貿易體制建立國的領導人，持續擾亂國際商業，以此作為武器用來追求國家目標。

 

He has unleashed trade hostilities with China, placed tariffs on steel made by allies like Europe and Japan, and restricted India’s access to the American market. He vowed to hit Mexico with tariffs mere months after he agreed to a new version of a deal liberalizing trade across North America.

 

他向中國發動貿易戰，對歐洲和日本等盟國製造的鋼鐵課徵關稅，且限制印度進入美國市場的機會。就在他同意新版北美自由貿易協定的數個月後，就誓言以關稅打擊墨西哥。

 

But globalization has become such an elemental feature of life that it is probably irreversible. The process of making modern goods, from airplanes to medical devices, has become so mind-bendingly complex, involving components drawn from multiple continents, that a few unexpected tariffs will not prompt companies to swiftly close factories in China and Mexico and replace them with plants in Ohio and Indiana.

 

然而全球化已成為極為基本的生活要素，應該已無法逆轉。從飛機到醫療器材，現代貨品製造過程的組成複合度已變得極高，包括取得來自多個洲陸的組件，因此，一些意料之外的關稅不會促使企業立刻關閉在中國大陸和墨西哥的工廠，而用俄亥俄州和印第安納州的工廠來取代。

 

What does appear to be ending is the post-World War II era in which the United States championed global trade as immunization against future conflict, selling the idea that the free exchange of goods was a pathway toward a more stable world order.

 

而看起來真正要結束的，是二戰後時代。在這個時代裡，美國力倡以全球貿易防杜未來的衝突，並推銷貨物自由交流可建立更穩定世界秩序的想法。

 

U.S. administrations forged rules governing disputes, enabling countries to trade with diminished fear of capricious political intervention. In ceding this role, Trump has weakened the rules-based trading system while removing a counterweight to China, whose transactional approach to trade places scant value on transparency and human rights.

 

美國歷任政府建立了管理爭議的規則，讓各國從事貿易時對反覆無常的政治干預不再那麼恐懼。川普讓出這個角色，削弱了以規則為基礎的貿易體制，同時喪失了一個制衡中國的力量，而中國從事貿易時採取的交易手段，極不重視透明與人權。

 

“One thing is really clear: There has got to be a reset in the world trading system,” said Swati Dhingra, an economist at the London School of Economics. “It’s all breaking at the seams at this point.”

 

「有一點顯而易見：世界貿易體制必須重新設定。」倫敦經濟學院經濟學家史瓦提．丁格拉說。「此刻所有的接縫皆已裂開。」

 

The trade war unleashed by Trump has injected higher costs and confusion into the global economy, forcing businesses to anticipate the next venue for hostilities. U.S. retailers and manufacturers voiced that complaint in testimony to the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative, ahead of Trump’s plans to put tariffs on a further $300 billion worth of Chinese imports.

 

由川普發動的貿易戰已使全球經濟成本更高也更加混亂，迫使企業預測下一波貿易戰戰場何在。美國零售商和製造商在美國貿易代表署作證時傾吐了上述苦衷，時間就在川普計畫進一步對價值3000億美元的中國進口商品課徵關稅之前。

 

“This is now the post-American world economy, one in which globalization is much more spotty,” said Adam S. Posen, president of the Peterson Institute for International Economics in Washington. “The world is a riskier place, where access to markets is a lot less sure.”

 

「這就是現今的後美國世界經濟，全球化問題遠比過去要多。」華府的彼得森國際經濟研究所所長亞當．波森說。「世界是個風險更高的地方，能否進入市場也難說得多。」

 

In the Trump framing, the United States is best served by the unsentimental exploitation of its position as the world’s largest economy. It must brandish threats of limiting access to its market to force other countries to capitulate to its demands.

 

依照川普的理論，美國毫不留情地充分利用它世界最大經濟體的地位，最合乎美國的利益。美國必須大舉祭出限制外國貨品進入其市場的威嚇，以迫使其他國家屈從於美國的要求。

 

Source article: https://paper.udn.com/udnpaper/POH0067/341957/web/

 

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每日跟讀#640: Briton, American injured in Pamplona bull run

 

Half-tonne fighting bulls knocked over thrill-seekers Tuesday in a fast, adrenaline-fueled chase through the winding streets of Pamplona in northern Spain that sent an American and a Briton to hospital.

 

週二在西班牙北部城市潘普洛納的蜿蜒街道上，重達半噸的公牛在迅雷不及掩耳、腎上腺素飆升的「奔牛節」追逐活動中，撞倒了追尋刺激的民眾，將一名美國人和一名英國人頂進醫院。

 

There were no gorings but a 49-year-old British man fractured his ankle, requiring surgery, and a 42-year-old man from Chicago suffered a head injury in a fall, although he was expected to be discharged from hospital later on Tuesday, regional health officials said.

 

當地的衛生官員表示，傷患並沒有遭到牛角頂傷，但一名四十九歲的英國籍男子踝關節骨折，必須進行手術，另一名四十二歲、來自芝加哥的男性則在跌倒時撞傷頭部，預計週二稍晚就可以出院。

 

Six bulls and six steers that keep the herd together, charged through the narrow, cobbled streets of the city, clearing a path through a sea of hundreds of runners mostly dressed in white with red handkerchiefs around their necks in the third bull run of the famed San Fermin festival.

 

在著名的「聖費爾明節」第三場奔牛活動中，六頭公牛以及用來控制牛群不要衝散的六隻閹牛，在這座城市狹窄的鵝卵石街道上向前猛衝，從數百名穿著白色衣服、圍著紅色領巾的跑者中清出一條路。

 

The bulls from the Jose Escolar Gil ranch in the central province of Avila completed the 848.6m course from a holding pen to the city bullring in two minutes and 13 seconds, the fastest run so far this year. They were killed in bullfights later Tuesday.

 

來自西班牙中部阿維拉省Jose Escolar Gil牧場的這群公牛，只花了兩分十三秒，就跑完這段八百四十八點六公尺的路程，從圍欄抵達潘普洛納市的鬥牛場，創下今年奔牛活動到目前為止的最快記錄。這群公牛週二稍晚在鬥牛過程中遭到殺害。

 

Some people sought safety by crowding close to the walls of the winding route but others dared to touch the rear of the bulls or to race a few steps in front of the sharp horns.

 

想要保護自身安全的參與民眾，緊緊擠向蜿蜒賽道兩旁的牆壁，但也有民眾大膽伸手觸碰公牛後腿，或是在尖銳的牛角前跑個幾步。

 

Two Americans and a Spaniard were on Sunday gored in the first run, which is usually the most crowded of the festival. All three remain in hospital.

 

每年的第一場奔牛活動通常都是整個節慶最擁擠的時候，今年於週日舉行的第一場奔牛就有兩名美國人和一名西班牙人遭到牛角刺穿，目前仍在醫院接受治療。

 

People from around the world flock to the city of 200,000 residents to test their bravery and enjoy the festival’s mix of round-the-clock parties, religious processions and concerts.

 

來自世界各地的人們每年都會聚集到這個人口約二十萬的城市中，試驗自己的膽量，並且享受這場慶典──由二十四小時不間斷的派對、宗教遊行以及演唱會混合的大拼盤。

 

Sixteen people have been killed in the bull runs since records started in 1911. The most recent death took place in 2009 when a bull gored a 27-year-old Spaniard in the neck, heart and lungs.

 

自從一九一一年開始有紀錄以來，已有十六人喪生於奔牛活動中。最近一次有人死亡發生於二○○九年，一頭公牛用角刺穿一名西班牙人的頸部、心臟和肺臟。

 

The nine-day fiesta, which dates back to medieval times and was immortalized in Nobel Prize-winning author Ernest Hemingway’s 1926 novel “The Sun Also Rises,” ends tomorrow.

 

這場為期九天的宗教慶典可追溯到中世紀時期，後來因為諾貝爾文學獎得主厄尼斯特‧海明威一九二六年的小說《太陽依舊升起》而不朽。今年的活動將在明天畫下句點。

 

Source article: http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/lang/archives/2019/07/13/2003718553

 

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每日跟讀#639: How Subway Delays and the Homeless Crisis Are Intertwined

 

After years of decline, New York’s subway is showing signs of improvement, with the percentage of trains running on time creeping upward.

 

紐約地鐵在連續退步多年後，出現品質改善的跡象，列車準點率逐步提升。

 

But at least one area is getting worse: disruptions involving homeless people.

 

不過，至少有一個方面變得更糟：與街友相關的列車運行中斷。

 

Trains were delayed 659 times last year by homeless people walking on tracks, blocking train doors and engaging in other unruly behavior — a 54% increase from the 428 such delays in 2014, according to the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, which runs the subway.

 

經營紐約地鐵的大都會運輸署資料顯示，去年因為街友走在地鐵軌道上、阻擋車門關閉等違規行為，導致列車誤點659次，與2014年為同類原因誤點的次數428次相比，增加54%。

 

And the disruptions have continued to escalate this year, with 313 train delays in the first three months.

 

而列車運行中斷的次數，今年繼續增加，一到三月列車共延誤313次。

 

“It’s a real challenge, and a growing challenge, and that’s consistent with the broader challenge in the city,” said Andy Byford, the official who oversees the subway. “We’re just not equipped to deal with this on our own.”

 

監管紐約地鐵的官員白福德說：「這是真正的挑戰，愈來愈難應付，而且與紐約這城市更大的問題有關。單憑我們自己不足以解決這個問題。」

 

Though the subway has long been a refuge for those with nowhere to go, transit officials and riders said they were seeing more homeless people on the subway as the city struggled to address an intractable homeless crisis.

 

雖然紐約地鐵一直是無家可歸者棲身之處，不過，在紐約竭力處理棘手的街友問題之際，運輸官員和乘客都說，他們發現地鐵裡的街友更多了。

 

New York has opened 23 new homeless shelters since 2017 and has 20 more in development. It has poured more than $80 million since 2014 into new centers, outreach programs and specialized services specifically aimed at homeless people on the street, including the creation of a database that helps outreach workers identify and track individuals by name.

 

2017年起，紐約新設23間街友收容所，另外還有20間正在興建。2014年起，紐約斥資8000多萬美元新設街友中心、推行外展服務和特別針對街友的專業服務，包括建立資料庫，以幫助外展服務人員用姓名辨認並追蹤個別街友。

 

It has also taken more punitive steps. Police officers have handed out a flurry of civil summonses to try to clamp down on disruptive behavior on the subway. Currently, 1,600 to 1,800 summonses per week are issued for prohibited transit conduct — including jumping turnstiles, stretching out in subways cars and on platforms, smoking and drinking alcohol — which is about 16% more than in 2016, according to police officials.

 

紐約還採取更多懲罰措施。員警一下子發送多張民事傳票，企圖遏制街友擾亂地鐵秩序的行為。目前，法院每周為街友在地鐵裡的違禁行為發出1600到1800張傳票，包括跳過旋轉閘門、躺在車廂或月台上、吸菸和飲酒。警方資料顯示，這類行為發生的次數比2016年增加了約16%。

 

But it has not been enough. Earlier this year, Mayor Bill de Blasio vowed to crack down on homeless people camped out in the subways. About 58,000 people live in city shelters and an additional 3,800 are on the streets and in the subway.

 

但這些懲罰措施還不夠。今年稍早，紐約市長白思豪宣告要打擊街友在地鐵裡打地鋪的行為。紐約收容所裡的街友約有5萬8000人，另外還有3800人露宿街頭或以地鐵為家。

 

Now, city and transit officials are ratcheting up their efforts with a new program aimed at persuading homeless people to leave the subway by offering to waive a civil summons if they agree to go with outreach workers who can offer a variety of services, such as a bed in a shelter or medical treatment.

 

現在市府和運輸官員都加緊努力推動新計畫，目標是說服街友離開地鐵，方法是當局主動提出願意撤銷民事傳票，條件是街友要同意跟著外展服務人員走。這些服務人員能提供多種服務，如收容所裡的床位或醫療照護。

 

Summonses carry a fine varying from $25 to $100, including $100 for fare evasion, $75 for moving between subway cars and $50 for obstructing seats.

 

傳票附帶罰款，從25美元到100美元不等，包括逃票要罰100美元，在車廂之間任意走動罰75美元，占用座位罰50美元。

 

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

 

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每日跟讀#638: Doctors bring woman back to life 50 days after heart stops beating

 

A 38-year-old woman, surnamed Chen, was stung by a bee last year while holidaying in Japan. On returning to Taiwan Chen developed a fever in addition to experiencing painful itching. She went to see a doctor and an electrocardiogram test showed up abnormalities. Chen then suffered a heart failure and eventually her heart stopped beating altogether. All her medical team could do was to wait for a heart transplant, however one day quickly turned into 50 days, and for more than a month the Grim Reaper was knocking on the door.

 

三十八歲的陳小姐去年十月到日本旅遊，不慎被蜜蜂螫咬，返台後出現發燒、患處痛癢，就醫後還發現心電圖異常、心臟衰竭，最後突然停止跳動，只能等待心臟移植，但一等就是五十天，一個多月來都和死神拔河。

 

On Friday, National Taiwan University Hospital (NTUH) held a news conference to celebrate a successful heart transplant operation. Chen’s medical team said they put her on extracorporeal life support and a biventricular assist device, and placed Chen on the hospital’s waiting list for a heart transplant. However while waiting for the transplant several complications occurred including acute renal failure and internal bleeding, so that continuous blood transfusions were needed to increase the number of human leukocyte antigen antibodies found within Chen’s blood. These additional complications greatly increased the probability that a donor heart would be rejected.

 

台大醫院上週五發表這項去敏化心臟移植記者會，醫療團隊指出，當時替陳小姐裝上葉克膜、放置雙心室輔助器，在台大醫院內等待心臟移植，但因等待期間併發急性腎衰竭、瀰漫性出血等狀況，並因持續輸血誘發大量白血球抗體，導致移植的排斥失敗率大增。

 

Director of NTUH Cardiovascular Center Chen Yi-hsiang said it is likely that the bee sting caused an extreme allergic reaction which lead to myocarditis (inflammation of the heart muscle). During the treatment process, there were four opportunities to carry out a heart transplant, however none of the candidates matched Chen’s human leukocyte antigens. In order to increase the chances of success, the hospital’s organ transplant team developed a “desensitization” course of treatment.

 

台大醫院心血管中心主任陳益祥說，根據病史來看，陳小姐的確有可能是因蜜蜂叮咬導致過敏反應產生的心肌炎，雖然她有四次移植機會，但比對白血球抗體後發現不合適，為提高心臟移植的成功率，移植團隊決定訂定去敏治療計畫。

 

Chen Yi-hsiang says that after carrying out the desensitization treatment, and following a wait of 50 days since Chen’s heart stopped beating, at the end of last year the team successfully transplanted a new heart into her body.

Chen Yi-hsiang says Chen’s new heart is functioning well and shows no signs of rejection, adding that the extremely long waiting time of 50 days has set a new record for heart transplants in Taiwan.

 

陳益祥說，經過去敏化後，陳小姐在心跳停止後五十天，去年底成功接受心臟移植，至今心臟功能都正常、沒有排斥現象；而經歷這麼長時間等待，陳益祥說，這應是國內首例。

 

NTUH has been performing cross-matched heart transplants since 2010 and to date have achieved over 50 successful transplants using this method. At the news conference, convener of NTUH Organ Transplant Team Chou Nai-kuan said we should give thanks to those members of the public who are willing to donate organs, which give patients the chance to a second life.

 

台大醫院自二○一○年起成功處理交叉試驗陽性的心臟移植後，至今累積超過五十多例經驗。台大醫院器官勸募小組召集人周迺寬說，要感謝許多捨得捐贈器官的民眾，讓更多人有機會接受移植、有新的生命。

 

According to data from the Taiwan Organ Donor Registry and Sharing Center, there are currently 180 people on the waiting list for a heart transplant in Taiwan, while kidney transplants are most in need, with as many as 7,666 people currently waiting in line for a new kidney.

 

根據器捐中心統計，目前仍有一百八十人仍在等待心臟移植，而最多人等待的是腎臟，高達七千六百六十六人。

 

Source article: http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/lang/archives/2019/07/16/2003718718

 

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Welcome to 15mins.today the home of English Shadowing. I'm your host Gavin and this is InTense Episode 16, and today we'll be looking at the last tense out of all the 12 tenses. And it's the future perfect continuous which is a very difficult tense as there are so many things to do to put into a sentence with it.

 

And now, why do we use it? Well, we use it for things that will finish sometime in the future something like, “He will have been living in Taipei for 16 years on Monday.” Okay so on Monday, the 16 years will happen and by Tuesday the 17 years will carry on, so that's how we recognize it “will be” “have been” plus “ing.” Don't forget that if it is American it will be the future perfect progressive tense and as I said it is something that's in the future it will finish now let's start with our examples.

 

 

Will Jane have been sending emails for three years next month? Yes. she will have been sending emails for three years next month.

Will Jane have been sending emails for three years next month? No. she will not have been sending emails for three years next month.

 

Will the conference have been finishing on time for five years tomorrow? Yes. it will have been finishing on time for 5 years tomorrow.

Will the conference have been finishing on time for five years tomorrow? No. it will not have been finishing on time for 5 years tomorrow.

 

Will Peter have been completing the report for 2 months next week? Yes. he will have been completing the report for 2 months next week.

Will Peter have been completing the report for 2 months next week? No. he will not have been completing the report for 2 months next week.

 

Will John and Jane have been booking tickets for 3 years tomorrow? Yes. they will have been bookings tickets for 3 years tomorrow.

Will John and Jane have been booking tickets for 3 years tomorrow? No. they will not have been booking tickets for 3 years tomorrow.

 

Will you have been visiting museums for 10 years next week? Yes. I will have been visiting museums for 10 years next week.

Will you have been visiting museums for 10 years next week? No. I will not have been visiting museums for 10 years next week.

 

Will Jeff have been rebooting computers for 20 years next week? Yes. he will have been rebooting computers for 20 years next week.

Will Jeff have been rebooting computers for 20 years next week? No. he will not have been rebooting computers for 20 years next week.

 

Will Anna have been backing up files for 2 weeks on Friday? Yes. she will have been backing up files for 2 weeks on Friday.

Will Anna have been backing up files for 2 weeks on Friday? No. she will not have been backing up files for 2 weeks on Friday.

 

Will you have been updating drivers for 35 years tomorrow? Yes. I will have been updating drivers for 35 years tomorrow.

Will you have been updating drivers for 35 years tomorrow? No. I will not have been updating drivers for 35 years tomorrow.

 

Will Peter have been giving presentations for 48 years this Tuesday? Yes. he will have been giving presentations for 48 years this Tuesday.

Will Peter have been giving presentations for 48 years this Tuesday? No. he will not have been giving presentations for 48 years this Tuesday.

 

Well guys as you can hear it's a very difficult tense with all things to try to remember. We use it, as you can see, to commemorate something to say something like,”I have been doing this for 35 years this coming Friday!” You know it's a milestone in your life and that's what we use it to mostly to either show that we have really reached a milestone in our lives or to exaggerate something that we've done so much that we have a great amount of experience doing.

 

So if you are doing an interview.”I have been doing this job for 25 years this coming week, so you can trust me.” Just try and remember to put the “will have been i n g.” Great guys, keep listening. keep repeating and catch you next time, bye!

 

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