通勤學英語 15Mins Today

每日跟讀#608: Electoral victory and economic challenges for India’s Modi

 

On May 23, Hindu nationalist Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Bharatiya Janata Party claimed a thunderous sweep of India’s general elections. The party won well over the 303 seats in the lower house of Parliament required to form a government.

 

印度民族主義總理納倫德拉‧莫迪及其所屬的印度人民黨，五月二十三日星期四在印度大選中獲得了壓倒性的勝利，贏得國會下議院三百零三個席位，得以完全執政。

 

Due to India’s size and population, with up to 900 million people registered to vote, the election was carried out over seven phases of polling staggered over six weeks. The election, known as the world’s largest democratic exercise, was for 543 seats in India’s lower house of Parliament.

 

印度幅員廣大、人口眾多，投票人數高達九億，因此投票分七階段進行、為期六週，被稱為世界上最大規模的民主實踐，以選出印度國會下議院共五百四十三席。

 

The election has been seen as a referendum on Modi. Although his economic reforms haven’t really succeeded, his popularity as a social underdog in India’s highly stratified society has endured.

 

這次選舉被看做是對莫迪的公投。莫迪的經濟改革總體而言並未取得成功，但在印度階級分明的社會中，出身低種姓的莫迪仍大受歡迎。

 

Modi’s vision of India is threefold, political analysts say: getting India into the exclusive US$5 trillion economy club that includes the EU, the US, China and Japan; asserting itself as a nuclear power and a force in the world; and placing its Hindu heritage at the center of politics.

 

政治分析家表示，莫迪對印度有三個願景：讓印度躋身五兆美元經濟俱樂部，和歐盟、美國、中國及日本平起平坐；鞏固印度的核子軍事強權地位；以及將其印度教傳統置於政治中心。

 

In his first term, Modi was widely credited for trying to change a culture of crony capitalism throughout government. He also introduced numerous reforms, including a nationwide goods and services tax (GST).

These were credited with helping India soar up the World Bank’s ease-of-doing-business ranking by 23 places to 77th between 2017 and 2018.

 

莫迪在第一個任期的表現廣受讚譽，因為他嘗試改變整個政府的裙帶資本主義文化，並進行許多改革，包括全國性的商品及服務稅。 世界銀行的經商便利度排名中，二○一七年至二○一八年間印度的排名提升了二十三位，來到第七十七位，即歸功於此。

 

However, experts say Modi needs to do more. In particular, he needs to reduce red tape and protectionism. In December, the government announced surprise restrictions on e-commerce. These would limit how foreign companies like Walmart and Amazon could operate.

 

但專家表示，莫迪還需要做得更多，特別是減少繁文縟節和保護主義。去年十二月，印度政府無預警宣布管制電子商務，限制沃爾瑪和亞馬遜等外國公司的營運方式。

 

Modi’s government failed to create jobs for over a million Indians entering the labor market every month, experts say. A newspaper recently published a leaked government report, allegedly buried by the government, showing India’s unemployment at 6.1 percent, the highest since the 1970s.

 

對於每個月進入勞動市場的一百萬多萬印度人，專家表示莫迪政府迄今仍無法為其創造就業機會。

一家報紙最近披露了一份據稱是被當局壓下來、後又流出的政府報告，報告中顯示印度的失業率為百分之六點一，是自一九七○年代以來最高的。

 

India’s trade relationship with major partners, including the US and China, remains on a shaky footing.

US President Donald Trump’s administration has called out India on its high tariffs, price caps on imported US medical devices and rules around e-commerce trade.

 

印度和包括美國及中國在內的主要合作夥伴的貿易關係仍處於不穩定的狀態。美國川普總統政府指責印度對由美國進口的醫療器材實施高關稅及價格上限，也批評印度對電子商務貿易的規範。

 

Indian government officials say they fear Trump’s administration will soon end preferential trade treatment for India, which allows duty-free entry for up to US$5.6 billion worth of its exports to the US.

 

印度政府官員表示，他們擔心川普政府將很快就會取消印度的優惠貿易待遇，此優惠待遇讓印度可對美國免稅出口高達五十六億美元價值的貨品。

 

Adding to India’s troubles is the ongoing trade dispute between the US and China, which is likely to benefit countries such Japan and South Korea. India remains vulnerable to dumping of cheap Chinese imports.

 

除了印度本身的問題，還有美國和中國間風波不斷的貿易爭端。美中貿易爭端可能會讓日本和南韓等國家受益，但印度仍對中國廉價商品的傾銷束手無策。

 

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Hi guys! Welcome to 15mins.today the home of English Shadowing. I'm your host Gavin and this is InTense Episode 10. Today we’ll be looking at the past progressive tense, also known as the past continuous tense. Well because you hear the word progressive or continuous always remember ”ing.”

 

There you go, it's easy to spot and we use this tense for something that happened in the past and continued for a time. Now it's a bit difficult, because sometimes it could still be carrying on right now or sometimes it actually finished. So it all depends on the situation, again don't worry about the grammar too much. Just listen to the question and just follow with the grammar. So let's try a few, let's go!

 

Drill sentences:

 

 

Was Jane sending the email? Yes, she was sending the email.

Was Jane sending the email? No, she was not sending the email.

 

 

Was the conference finishing on time? Yes, it was finishing on time.

Was the conference finishing on time? No, it was not finishing on time.

 

 

Were you attending the meeting? Yes, I was attending the meeting.

Were you attending the meeting? No, I was not attending the meeting.

 

 

Was Peter completing the report? Yes, he was completing the report.

Was Peter completing the report? No, he was not completing the report.

 

 

Where are you staying at a hotel? Yes, I was staying at a hotel.

Were you staying at a hotel? No, I was not staying at a hotel.

 

 

Were you visiting the museum? Yes, I was visiting the museum.

Were you visiting the museum? No, I was not visiting the museum.

 

 

Were John and Jane booking the tickets? Yes, they were booking the tickets.

Were John and Jane booking the tickets? No, they were not booking the tickets.

 

 

Was Jeff rebooting the computer? Yes, he was rebooting the computer.

Was Jeff rebooting the computer? No, he was not rebooting the computer.

 

 

Was Anna backing up the files? Yes, she was backing up the files.

Was Anna backing up the files? No, she was not backing up the files.

 

 

Were you updating the drivers? Yes, I was updating the drivers.

Were you updating the drivers? No, I was not updating the drivers.

 

 

Great guys! So I hope that helped. Don't forget, practice the question, do the answer, repeat until you get it right. Keep on trucking guys! See you next time, bye!

Summary:

This article discusses the rising popularity of chubby fathersA, those who have a few extra pounds have a softer body and it seems to be a new trend that some women seem to like it.

 

Full article: https://www.15mins.today/blog/575-measuring-the-rise-of-the-doughy-but-desirable-dad-body

 

Vocabulary and sample sentences:

 

Allege (v.): to state something as a fact but without giving proof

1 Did Mary allege that you stole her chocolate?

2 Was it alleged that the office would be closed on Friday?

 

Objective (adj.): not influenced by personal feelings or opinions considering only facts

 Is it impossible to be objective?

 Was the report objective or subjective?

 

 

Diminish (v.): to become or to make something smaller/weaker

1 Has the value of the dollar diminished?

2 Did the bad feedback diminish your self-esteem?

 

 

Prominent (adj.): important or well-known

 Is Microsoft a prominent company?

 Did you play a prominent part in the report? 

 

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每日跟讀#607: Scientists come closer to blood test for chronic fatigue

 

Scientists in the US say they have taken a step towards developing a possible diagnostic test for chronic fatigue syndrome, a condition characterized by exhaustion and other debilitating symptoms. Researchers at Stanford University School of Medicine said a pilot study of 40 people, half of whom were healthy and half of whom had the syndrome, showed their potential biomarker test correctly identified those who were ill.

 

美國科學家表示，他們已經向前邁進一步，可望研發出用於診斷慢性疲勞症候群的測驗。這種病況的特徵包括疲憊和其他衰弱症狀。史丹佛大學醫學院的研究人員指出，他們對四十名受試者進行前導性研究，其中健康和罹患該症候群的人數各佔一半。結果顯示，這項生物標記測試深具潛力，正確地辨識出哪些人是患者。

 

Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), also known as myalgic encephalomyelitis or ME, is estimated to affect some 2.5 million people in the US and as many as 17 million worldwide. Symptoms include overwhelming fatigue, joint pain, headaches and sleep problems. No cause or diagnosis has yet been established and the condition can render patients bed- or house-bound for years.

 

慢性疲勞症候群又稱為肌痛性腦脊髓炎（ME），估計大約影響兩百五十萬名美國民眾，全球則多達一千七百萬名病患。其症狀包括極度的疲憊感、關節疼痛、頭痛，以及睡眠問題。目前醫界對於病因或診斷方式仍無定論，然而病況卻會讓患者數年無法離開床鋪或走出家門。

 

The research, published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences on Monday, analyzed blood samples from trial volunteers using a “nanoelectronic assay” — a test that measures changes in tiny amounts of energy as a proxy for the health of immune cells and blood plasma. The scientists “stressed” the blood samples using salt, and then compared the responses. The results, they said, showed that all the CFS patients’ blood samples created a clear spike, while those from healthy controls remained relatively stable.

 

在週一發表於《美國國家科學院院刊》的這份研究中，研究人員使用一種「奈米電子測定法」──藉由測量極少量能量中發生的變化，鑑定免疫細胞和血漿的健康狀況──對自願受試者的血液樣本進行分析。科學家利用鹽，對血液樣本製造「壓力」，接著再比較這些反應。實驗結果顯示，所有慢性疲勞症候群患者的血液樣本都產生了明顯的尖刺，而那些健康的控制組血液樣本則保持相對穩定。

 

“We don’t know exactly why the cells and plasma are acting this way, or even what they’re doing,” said Ron Davis, a professor of biochemistry and genetics who co-led the study. “(But) we clearly see a difference in the way healthy and chronic fatigue syndrome immune cells process stress.”

 

生物化學與遺傳學教授朗‧戴維斯是研究共同主持人，他表示：「我們並不完全清楚這些細胞和血漿為什麼會有這類反應，我們甚至不知道它們在做什麼。」他也說：「但是我們清楚地看到，健康細胞和慢性疲勞症候群的免疫細胞，在處理壓力的方法上有著顯著差異。」

 

Other experts not directly involved in this work cautioned, however, that its findings showed there is still a long way to go before a biomarker is found that can establish CFS diagnosis and distinguish it from other conditions with similar symptoms.

 

然而，其他並未直接參與這份研究的專家卻提出警示，認為這項發現反而顯示：科學家在找到某個生物標記，既可以用來確診慢性疲勞症候群，還能夠區分其他類似症狀的疾病之前，還有一段漫長的路要走。

 

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每日跟讀#606: Quakes show moon, gradually shrinking, is tectonically active

The moon may be dynamic and tectonically active like Earth — not the inert world some scientists had believed it to be — based on a new analysis disclosed on Monday of quakes measured by seismometers in operation on the moon from 1969 and 1977.

 

週一披露的新分析顯示，月球可能具有動能，地殼活動如地球般活躍，而非科學家先前認為，月球是一個毫無生氣的世界。這項分析來自月球上的地震儀，自一九六九年以及一九七七年開始運作後，測量到的「月震」。

 

Researchers examining the seismic data gathered during NASA’s Apollo missions traced the location of some of the quakes to step-shaped cliffs called scarps on the lunar surface that formed relatively recently, in geological terms, due to the ongoing subtle shrinking of the moon as its hot interior cools. “It means that the moon has somehow managed to remain tectonically active after 4.5 billion years,” said Smithsonian Institution planetary scientist Thomas Watters, who led the research published in the journal Nature Geoscience.

 

研究人員仔細檢驗美國太空總署在阿波羅任務期間蒐集到的地震數據，追蹤其中幾次地震發生的地點，找到月球表面上被稱為「陡坡」的階梯形峭壁。從地質學的角度而言，這些「陡坡」的形成時間相對晚近，是肇因於月球──隨著灼熱的內部構造逐漸冷卻──持續而且細微地縮水。史密森尼學會的行星科學家湯瑪士‧華特斯是這份研究的主持人，他指出：「這個現象意味著月球經過四十五億年後，因為某種原因，地殼構造仍然持續活躍著。」此研究日前刊登於期刊《自然地球科學》。

 

Earth’s tectonic activity is driven by its hot interior. The moon, which orbits our planet at a distance of about 385,000km, has a diameter of about 3,475km, a bit more than a quarter of Earth’s diameter. Images from NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter showed that the moon has delicately shriveled as its interior has cooled over the eons, akin to a plump grape transforming into a smaller raisin. As a result, it has acquired thousands of small surface wrinkles in the form of surface features called thrust fault scarps.

 

地球的地殼活動是由炙熱的內部構造所驅使。月球在大約三十八萬五千公里的距離外繞行著我們這顆行星，其直徑約為三千四百七十五公里，略大於地球直徑的四分之一。根據美國太空總署「月球勘測軌道飛行器」傳回的影像顯示，隨著內部結構在極漫長的時間流逝中慢慢冷卻，月球開始出現細緻的萎縮，就像是一顆豐滿的葡萄逐漸變成小粒的葡萄乾。也因此，月球表面產生數以千計的小小皺紋，呈現出「逆斷層陡坡」的地貌特徵。

 

These faults push one part of the lunar crust up and over the adjoining part, said University of Maryland geologist and study co-author Nicholas Schmerr. They can reach up to about 100m tall and extend for many kilometers. “This is exciting as it wasn’t clear if the moon had already gone through this period billions of years ago and was tectonically dead, or if it was still active in the present,” Schmerr said.

 

馬里蘭大學的地質學家尼可拉斯‧史梅爾是研究的共同作者，他表示這些逆斷層會把一部份的月球地殼向上推，蓋住毗鄰的部份地殼。斷層推擠的結果可能達到一百公尺高，延伸數公里長。史梅爾說：「這項發現真的很讓人興奮，因為我們仍不清楚月球是否在數十億年前就經歷過這段時期，然後地殼活動已死，還是目前仍在活動中。」

 

US astronauts placed seismometers on the lunar surface during the Apollo 11, 12, 14, 15 and 16 missions, recording 28 shallow quakes up to almost 5 magnitude, which is moderate strength. Eight quakes occurred close to faults. Other events such as meteorite impacts can produce quakes, but those would produce different seismic signatures. Boulder movements and disturbed soil near the scarps also indicated tectonic activity. Watters said experts must be mindful that quakes may strike near these scarps when planning sites for future lunar exploration and a long-term human presence on the moon.

 

在阿波羅十一號、十二號、十四號、十五號和十六號的任務期間，美國太空人都曾在月球表面安裝地震儀，並記錄到二十八次的淺層地震，規模最大來到五級，力度還算適中。其中，有八次地震發生在接近斷層的地方。其他事件當然也會造成地震，例如隕石撞擊月球表面，但這些情況會產生不同的地震訊號。巨石位移以及接近陡坡處發生的土壤擾動，也是地殼活動的徵兆。華特斯指出，專家學者在籌畫未來月球探勘以及人類長期居住的地點時，務必要特別留意這些陡坡附近可能會發生地震。

 

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每日跟讀#605: These Otters Are Popular Pets in Asia. That May Be Their Undoing

 

We smelled them before we saw them. Amid an overwhelming reek of urine and scat, we descended a tight staircase into a cramped basement, where tattered ottomans faced a small wire cage.

 

我們看到牠們之前已先聞到牠們的味道。在一股屎尿惡臭中，我們走下一個狹窄樓梯，進入（東京）一處擁擠的地下室，而在那裡，破破爛爛的凳子前面有個小鐵籠。

 

Within the cage stood the star attractions and source of the odor: four Asian small-clawed otters. Spotting us, the animals burst into chirps, whimpers, shrieks and screams.

 

籠內站著的，是具明星級吸引力的氣味來源，四隻亞洲小爪水獺，這些動物注意到我們後突然發出嗲嗲、悲嗥與尖銳的叫聲。

 

After passing around a laminated sheet with warnings printed in Japanese, Mandarin and English (“Otters sometimes become violent”), a handler opened the cage. The animals bolted out and flew about the room, racing over laps and gobbling down kibbles.

 

發給我們一張印有日文、中文與英文警語「水獺有時會展現兇性」的覆膜紙板後，一名馴育員打開了籠子。動物們跑了出來在房間裡飛快地亂跑了好幾圈，並狼吞虎嚥地吃著飼料。

 

Their tubular brown bodies felt like slick, furry throw pillows, and their animated, whisker-framed faces were like those of puppies. Selfies proved difficult: Throughout our 30-minute session, the otters never stopped moving.

 

牠們褐色的長條身體讓人覺得像是光滑又毛茸茸的抱枕，牠們活潑、長著鬍鬚的臉像小狗，而這也證明了要跟牠們自拍的難度，在我們停留的30分鐘裡，水獺一直動個不停。

 

Otters are smelly, loud and extremely active; they have sharp teeth and jaws strong enough to crack open shellfish. But in Japan, where more than a dozen animal cafes now feature otters, they have become sought-after exotic pets, displacing owls, slow lorises, sugar gliders and star tortoises.

 

水獺身上有臭味，叫聲響亮且非常活潑；牠們有鋒利的牙齒跟有力的下顎，足以咬碎貝類，而在日本，現在有十幾家以水獺為特色的動物咖啡店，牠們已成為人們爭相飼養的異國寵物，取代了貓頭鷹、懶猴、蜜袋鼯跟星紋龜。

 

Many cafes and pet shops sell otters to anyone interested in taking one home. “We’re seeing a rapid increase in demand as the popularity of keeping otters as pets keeps growing,” a cafe attendant told our group. “But the supply isn’t catching up.”

 

許多咖啡館和寵物店向任何有意帶回家的人販售水獺，一位咖啡廳服務生告訴我們小組說：「隨著養水獺當寵物日益普遍，我們看到需求快速成長，但供應速度並沒有趕上。」

 

Pet otters aren’t just big in Japan. They also are increasingly common in Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam and Malaysia. The internet has largely driven the “logarithmic increase” in their popularity and trade as pets, said Nicole Duplaix, a conservation biologist at Oregon State University and co-chairwoman of the otter committee of the International Union for Conservation of Nature.

 

養水獺當寵物不只在日本流行，印尼、泰國、越南與馬來西亞也日益普及。美國奧勒岡州立大學保育生物學家、國際自然保育聯盟水獺委員會共同主席妮可．都卜雷表示，牠們被當成寵物的受歡迎程度及買賣數量，在很大程度上因網路的推波助瀾而呈「對數增加」。

 

Where are all of these pets coming from? Otters are difficult to breed in captivity without proper techniques. Many conservationists believe that the majority of animals sold as pets are captured in the wild.

 

都卜雷說：「賣家在網路上登廣告，加上寵物主人張貼自家小水獺無數的可愛照片，這散播了水獺是很棒寵物的訊息，但實際上牠們並不是。」這些寵物都是從哪裡來的呢？沒有適當的技術，水獺很難在人工飼養中繁殖。許多保育人士認為，大部分被當作寵物出售的動物都是在野外捕獲的。

 

Threatened smooth-coated otters and endangered hairy-nosed otters, both found in Southeast Asia, are sometimes caught up in the pet trade. But Asian small-clawed otters, a “terminally cute” threatened species, tend to be the primary targets for poachers, Duplaix said

 

生存受到威脅的江獺跟瀕臨滅絕的毛鼻水獺，兩者都生存於東南亞，有時也會捲入寵物貿易，但都卜雷表示，亞洲小爪水獺這個「萌到爆」的瀕危物種，往往是盜獵者的首要目標。

 

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每日跟讀#604: Beyond Meat fattens up as shares more than double in IPO

 

The shares of Beyond Meat, the California-based purveyor of plant-based burgers and sausages, more than doubled Thursday in its Nasdaq debut. It’s the first pure-play maker of vegan “meat” to go public, according to Renaissance Capital, which researches and tracks IPOs.

 

總部位於美國加州的植物原料漢堡及香腸供應商「Beyond Meat」（超越肉品），上週四在納斯達克股票交易所首次掛牌上市，股價大漲一倍多。研究及追蹤首次公開募股的文藝復興資本表示，這是第一次有專做純素食「肉品」的廠商上市。

 

The 10-year-old company has attracted celebrity investors like Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates and actor Leonardo DiCaprio. It sells to 30,000 grocery stores, restaurants and schools in the US, Canada, Italy, the UK and Israel.

 

這家已有十年歷史的公司吸引了微軟創辦人比爾‧蓋茲和演員李奧納多‧狄卡皮歐等名人投資。該公司產品銷往美國、加拿大、義大利、英國和以色列的三萬家食品雜貨店、餐廳和學校。

 

The IPO comes amid growing consumer interest in plant-based foods for their presumed health and environmental benefits. US sales of plant-based meats jumped 42 percent between March 2016 and March 2019 to a total of US$888 million, according to Nielsen. Traditional meat sales rose 1 percent to US$85 billion in that same time frame.

 

Beyond Meat 的首次公開募股，是在消費者對植物性食品的興趣日益增長之際，因為植物性食品對健康和環境都有益處。市場調查公司尼爾森的數據顯示，由二○一六年三月到二○一九年三月之間，美國的素肉銷售額增加了百分之四十二，達到八點八八億美元。同一期間，肉品的銷售額增加了百分之一，達到八百五十億美元。

 

The trend is a global one. Demand is expected to continue to grow. Euromonitor, a consulting firm, predicts worldwide sales of meat substitutes will grow 22 percent by 2023 to a total of US$22.9 billion.

 

這種趨勢是全球性的，預計需求將繼續增加。顧問公司歐睿預測，到了二○二三年，全球肉類替代品的銷售額將增加百分之二十二，總額達到兩百二十九億美元。

 

Even Burger King has recognized the appeal. Earlier last week, the fast food chain announced that it would start testing the Impossible Whopper, made with a plant-based burger from Impossible Foods, in additional markets after its month long test in St. Louis proved successful. Meanwhile, Ikea says it’s working on developing a plant-based Swedish meatball, which it says it plans to test with customers early next year.

 

這種吸引力甚至還得到連鎖速食店漢堡王的認同。上週稍早，漢堡王宣布，在聖路易進行一個月的試吃取得成功後，將開始正式販售以「Impossible Foods」（不可能食品）公司的素食漢堡所製成的「Impossible Whopper」（不可能的華堡）。與此同時，「IKEA」（宜家）表示，該公司正在開發一種以植物原料製成的瑞典肉丸，計劃在明年初讓顧客試吃。

 

Beyond Meat’s ingredient list — it only uses natural ingredients that haven’t been genetically modified and doesn’t use soy — sets it apart from competitors. Its products are made from pea protein, canola oil, potato starch and other plant-based ingredients. Its burgers “bleed” with beet juice; its sausages are colored with fruit juice.

 

Beyond Meat 的原料成份──它僅使用非基因改造的天然原料，且不使用大豆──將它與競爭對手區分開來。其產品是由豌豆蛋白、菜籽油、馬鈴薯澱粉和其他植物成分製成。它用甜菜汁讓漢堡「流出血水」，所生產的香腸以果汁染色。

 

Unlike competitors, Beyond Meat products have also been sold in the meat section of groceries since 2016. That has broadened their appeal beyond vegetarians. Beyond Meat says a 26-week study last spring showed that 93 percent of customers of US supermarket chain Kroger who bought its burgers also bought animal meat during the same period.

 

與競爭對手不同的是，Beyond Meat 的產品自二○一六年起也在雜貨的肉品部門銷售。這擴大了他們對素食者以外顧客的吸引力。Beyond Meat 表示，去年春季所進行為期二十六週的調查顯示，在克羅格連鎖超市購買Beyond Meat 素漢堡肉的顧客中，有百分之九十三同時也買了動物肉漢堡。

 

In a 2016 taste test, US magazine Consumer Reports said the texture of the Beyond Burger was similar to ground beef, but it didn’t match up in flavor. The magazine’s conclusion: It might not be the best burger you’ve ever tried, but it’s pretty tasty on a bun with lots of toppings.But Beyond Meat touts environmental benefits as well. The company says a plant-based burger takes 99 percent less water and 93 percent less land to produce than a beef burger, and generates 90 percent fewer greenhouse gas emissions.

 

美國《消費者報告》雜誌指出，二○一六年的試吃結果顯示，Beyond Burger 素漢堡肉的質地與牛絞肉相似，但吃起來味道並不太像。《消費者報告》的結論是：它也許不是你嚐過最好吃的漢堡「肉」，但如果跟麵包和很多配料夾起來一起吃，就非常好吃。而Beyond Meat也宣傳其環境效益。該公司表示，與牛肉漢堡相比，以植物原料製成的漢堡可減少百分之九十九的用水和百分之九十三的用地，並減少百分之九十的溫室氣體排放。

 

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每日跟讀#603: Babies wanted: Nordic countries crying for kids

 

"Norway needs more children! I don’t think I need to tell anyone how this is done," Norway’s Prime Minister Erna Solberg said cheekily, but she was raising a real concern.

 

「挪威需要更多小孩！我想我不用告訴所有人該怎麼做吧？」儘管挪威總理索柏格語帶戲謔，卻點出嚴重的問題。

 

The Nordic countries were long a bastion of strong fertility rates on an Old Continent that is rapidly getting older. But they are now experiencing a decline that threatens their welfare model, which is funded by taxpayers.

 

在快速高齡化的「舊大陸」（歐洲），北歐國家向來是高生育率的堡壘，但如今也面臨生育率下滑的問題，對透過全民納稅來維繫的社會福利制度構成威脅。

 

In Norway, Finland and Iceland, birth rates dropped to historic lows in 2017, with 1.49 to 1.71 children born per woman. Just a few years earlier, their birth rates hovered close to the 2.1 level required for their populations to remain stable.

 

在挪威、芬蘭及冰島，生育率在2017年降至歷史新低，平均每位女性生育1.49至1.71名兒女。再早幾年，這三國的生育率還徘徊在接近維持人口穩定所需的2.1人。

 

The Nordic region boasts a wealth of family-friendly initiatives, such as flexible working hours, a vast network of affordable daycares and generous parental leave systems.

 

北歐地區以擁有充裕的家庭友善計畫而自豪，像是彈性工時、範圍廣泛且索價低廉的日間照護網絡，以及慷慨的育嬰假機制。

 

When all that is still not enough to encourage people to have more children, immigration can be a lifeline － or a threat, depending on the point of view.

 

要是這些仍不足以鼓勵民眾多多生養小孩，移民可以是一線生機，但也可能是威脅，端看以什麼觀點視之。

 

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每日跟讀#603: Babies wanted: Nordic countries crying for kids

 

"Norway needs more children! I don’t think I need to tell anyone how this is done," Norway’s Prime Minister Erna Solberg said cheekily, but she was raising a real concern.

 

「挪威需要更多小孩！我想我不用告訴所有人該怎麼做吧？」儘管挪威總理索柏格語帶戲謔，卻點出嚴重的問題。

 

The Nordic countries were long a bastion of strong fertility rates on an Old Continent that is rapidly getting older. But they are now experiencing a decline that threatens their welfare model, which is funded by taxpayers.

 

在快速高齡化的「舊大陸」（歐洲），北歐國家向來是高生育率的堡壘，但如今也面臨生育率下滑的問題，對透過全民納稅來維繫的社會福利制度構成威脅。

 

In Norway, Finland and Iceland, birth rates dropped to historic lows in 2017, with 1.49 to 1.71 children born per woman. Just a few years earlier, their birth rates hovered close to the 2.1 level required for their populations to remain stable.

 

在挪威、芬蘭及冰島，生育率在2017年降至歷史新低，平均每位女性生育1.49至1.71名兒女。再早幾年，這三國的生育率還徘徊在接近維持人口穩定所需的2.1人。

 

The Nordic region boasts a wealth of family-friendly initiatives, such as flexible working hours, a vast network of affordable daycares and generous parental leave systems.

 

北歐地區以擁有充裕的家庭友善計畫而自豪，像是彈性工時、範圍廣泛且索價低廉的日間照護網絡，以及慷慨的育嬰假機制。

 

When all that is still not enough to encourage people to have more children, immigration can be a lifeline － or a threat, depending on the point of view.

 

要是這些仍不足以鼓勵民眾多多生養小孩，移民可以是一線生機，但也可能是威脅，端看以什麼觀點視之。

 

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文法跟讀 In-Tense #009: 現在完成進行式 Present Perfect Continuous Tense

 

Welcome to 15mins.today the home of English Shadowing. I'm your host Gavin and this is InTense episode 9. Hi guys, today we're going to be looking at a very interesting tense, it is called the present perfect continuous if you're English or if you're American the present perfect progressive and it's an interesting little tense, because it is basically a “has” with a “been” and an “ing.” So it's quite interesting that people use it and we use it the same ways we use the actual perfect, present perfect tense. It’s basically for actions that started in the in the past and still continue in the present. So it's basically like the perfect tense.

 

So if I can do an example of both things, “John has worked in Taiwan for 7 years. John has been working in Taiwan for 7 years.” So you can see both of them mean exactly the same thing, but one is using the perfect, plain perfect, present perfect tense and the other one is using the present perfect continuous. So that is how you use it and if you want to know if it's being used you will always notice it because it's got the, “has been or have been plus the ing.” Great so without further ado let's get cracking with a questions.

 

 

Sentence Drills: 

Has Jane been sending the email? Yes, she has been sending the email.

Has Jane been sending the email? No, she has not been sending the email.

 

 

Has the conference bring finishing on time? Yes, it has been finishing on time.

Has the conference been finishing on time? No, it has not been finishing on time.

 

 

Have you been attending the meeting? Yes, I have been attending the meeting.

Have you been attending the meeting? No, I have not been attending the meeting.

 

 

Has Peter been completing the report? Yes, he has been completing the report.

Has Peter been completing the report? No, he has not been completing the report.

 

 

Have you been staying at a hotel? Yes, I have been staying at a hotel.

Have you been staying at a hotel? No, I have not been staying at a hotel.

 

 

Have John and Jane been booking the tickets? Yes, they have been booking the tickets.

Have John and Jane been booking the tickets? No, they have not been booking the tickets.

 

 

Have you been visiting the museum?Yes, I have been visiting the museum.

Have you been visiting the museum? No, I have not been visiting the museum.

 

 

Has Jeff been rebooting the computer? Yes, he has been rebooting the computer.

Has Jeff been rebooting the computer? No, he has rebooting the computer.

 

 

Has Anna been backing up the files? Yes, she has been backing up the files.

Has Anna been backing up the files? No, she has not been backing up the files.

 

 

Have you been up to the drivers? Yes, I have been updating the drivers.

Have you been updating the drivers? No, I have not been updating the drivers.

 

 

Well guys that's it. Remember keep practicing, repeat the questions and repeat the answers. Have a great day and catch you on the next episode! Bye!

 

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