通勤學英語 15Mins Today

每日跟讀#581: Sheep Farmers in New Zealand Adapt to Changing Tastes

 

ST. ANDREWS, New Zealand — About three decades ago, when Andrew Fraser began raising sheep, wool was among the star exports of this nation. Its other sheep products — lamb and mutton — were supporting actors.

 

約30年前傅瑞澤開始養羊時，羊毛是紐西蘭的明星出口品，其他綿羊產品如羔羊肉和羊肉只是配角。

 

Today, the situation is reversed. New Zealand’s sheep meat exports are up, while wool faces intensifying competition from synthetic fibers. Although sheep farming is still enmeshed in the fabric of New Zealand’s cultural identity, it is another economic activity that this nation is retooling for a globalized world.

 

如今情勢逆轉，紐西蘭羊肉出口增加，羊毛卻面臨人造纖維日益激烈的競爭。雖然養羊這種經濟活動仍與紐西蘭的文化認同緊密交織，但紐西蘭正在調整它，以適應全球化的世界。

 

“Wool has traditionally been — and still is — a very good product,” Mr. Fraser said. “The trouble is that now, a similar product can be manufactured out of used Coke bottles and all sorts of stuff.

 

傅瑞澤說：「羊毛一向是，也仍然是很棒的產品，問題是現在可用廢可樂罐和各種東西做出類似產品。」

 

From 1982 to 2011, New Zealand’s sheep population declined to 31.1 million from 70.2 million, according to government data, as many sheep pastures were converted to dairy farms or other uses. The roughly 17,000 sheep farmers who remain still earn money from selling the fleece of their animals. But on many sheep farms, meat has replaced wool as the primary profit maker.

 

官方資料顯示1982到2011年紐西蘭綿羊從7020萬隻降到3110萬，許多牧羊場轉養乳牛或改作他途。現在大概還有1.7萬羊農，雖仍賣羊毛賺錢，許多養羊場羊肉卻已取代羊毛成為最大財源。

 

Since 1990, the value of New Zealand’s annual exports of raw wool and manufactured wool products has declined to about $700 million from $1.2 billion, according to government data. By contrast, lamb and mutton exports have increased almost threefold to $2.3 billion. And dairy exports, worth $1.9 billion in 1992, have soared to $14.1 billion.

 

官方資料顯示，1990年以來每年羊毛和羊毛製品的出口額，從12億美元減為7億美元；羔羊肉和羊肉年出口額卻增為23億美元，幾乎是原來的三倍，乳製品出口額也從1992年的19億美元大增為141億。

 

New Zealand, with 4.4 million people, is the world’s third-largest wool producer behind Australia and China, according to Beef and Lamb New Zealand, a farmer- owned industry group. It supplies 45 percent of all carpet wool globally, the Australia and New Zealand Banking Group said in a report last year.

 

紐西蘭牛羊肉協會（牛羊農同業組織）資料顯示，人口440萬的紐西蘭是全球第三大羊毛生產國，僅次於澳洲和中國大陸。去年澳盛銀行發布報告顯示，紐西蘭供應全球四成五的地毯用羊毛。

 

Yet more than 90 percent of New Zealand’s wool is exported in raw form, rather than in finished products like carpets or upholstery, leaving it vulnerable to swings in commodity markets.

 

不過，紐西蘭羊毛逾九成以未加工形態出口，而非做成地毯、椅套等成品，易受原物料市場價格波動影響。

 

Farmers said the wool industry would benefit from having a unified voice to promote New Zealand wool abroad as a highend fiber that, in their view, beats synthetic alternatives in several categories, including overall quality and environmental sustainability. Having a single voice could help the industry reach beyond China, its primary export market by far, into relatively untapped markets like the United States.

 

許多羊農希望羊毛業團結起來，向海外宣傳紐西蘭羊毛是高檔纖維，在整體品質與促進環境永續發展等好幾個方面，（他們認為）都勝過人造纖維，這樣一定有幫助。一旦有統一的聲音，羊毛業就能在目前最大出口市場中國大陸以外，打入美國等相對未開發的市場。

 

But New Zealand’s wool industry is viewed as highly fragmented. There were 35 wool exporters operating across the country last year, “a huge level of decentralization” given the industry’s relatively modest export earnings, the Banking Group reported.

 

外界卻認為紐西蘭羊毛業分散得厲害。澳盛銀行指出，去年紐西蘭全國有35個羊毛出口業者，由於出口獲利相當微薄，這個產業可說是「極度分散」。

 

“Everyone’s sort of undercutting each other,” said Ross Andrews, a South Island farmer who earns around $3 a kilogram for his carpet-grade wool.

 

南島羊農安德魯斯出售地毯級羊毛，每公斤約賺3美元，他說：「每個人多少都在削價競爭。」

 

Wool growers long assumed that their industry would somehow look after itself, but there is now a clear need to promote wool over synthetic fibers, said Sandra Faulkner, an industry advocate. According to an industry group, Beef and Lamb New Zealand, wool accounts for 1.3 percent of global fiber production and synthetics 61.4 percent.

 

行銷紐西蘭羊毛的桑德拉．福克納說，羊農一直以為羊毛業終究會挺過難關，不過現在真的有必要宣傳羊毛比人造纖維好。紐西蘭牛羊肉協會資料顯示，羊毛只占全球纖維產量1.3%，人造纖維卻占61.4% 。

 

“It’s about identifying ourselves in the luxury marketplace, which is where we’ve always belonged,” Ms. Faulkner said.

 

福克納說：「我們要立足於精品市場，我們本來就屬於那裡。」

 

Peter Lyon, the supervisor of a South Island shearing team, said farmers’ views on how the wool industry should evolve typically depend on factors like whether they have reliable export contractors, the quality of wool they produce and their level of debt.

 

南島剪羊毛團隊督導里昂說，羊農對於羊毛業何去何從的看法，常取決於某些因素，如他們有沒有可靠的出口貿易公司、生產羊毛的品質和債務的多寡。

 

In the mid-20th century, wool growers were often “asset-rich and cash-poor,” Mr. Lyon said . “But you can’t afford to be cashpoor today or you’ll get thrown out. ”

 

里昂說，20世紀中期羊農經常「資產多，現金少」，「但在這個時代，你不能沒現金，否則很難生存」。

 

 

Source article: https://paper.udn.com/udnpaper/POH0067/268494/web/

 

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每日跟讀#580: Pulling Up a Chair for Solo Diners

 

With the growing number of solo diners, hotels and resorts are making sure they are comfortable.

 

The Plume restaurant at the Jefferson Hotel in Washington, D.C., created a program for solo diners last fall (from $98 a person); several of its 18 seats are dedicated to diners who want a sense of privacy yet a feeling of inclusion. "The seating for this type of diner doesn't include being in the center of the room," said the restaurant's manager, Sean Mulligan. "We make sure they are not near the entrance or exit for discretion and privacy while making sure the diners have items like newspapers and magazines delivered to their table if they need it."

 

隨著單獨用餐的人愈來愈多，飯店和度假村正努力確保能讓他們感到舒適自在。

 

華盛頓特區傑佛遜飯店的羽毛餐廳去年秋天為單獨用餐的客人設計了一個方案（每人98美元起）；餐廳18個座位中有一些是獻給想要保有隱私，又要有融入感的客人。餐廳經理西恩．穆利根說：「這類客人的座位不會在餐室的中央。為了慎重和隱私起見，我們也絕不會讓他們坐得靠近入口或出口，同時我們一定會為客人準備報紙和雜誌之類的東西，他們若需要，就送到他們桌上。」

 

At Metropolitan by Como, Miami Beach, a dinner-for-one menu ($70) made its debut earlier this year, with recommended seating at the corner of the hotel's terrace and the Traymore bar positioned for people-watching along a pedestrian area of Miami Beach Drive. Solo diners are also able to log into PressReader, where they can read their favorite magazine in their preferred language from their phone or tablet.

 

The new "Just Cook for Me Chef!" program ($150 a person) at Miraval Resort & Spa in Tucson, Arizona, was designed to bring together several solo guests in the kitchen so they can enjoy samples from the daily menu. This option was designed to be a smaller version of the communal-style tables that are enjoying a wave of popularity.

 

邁阿密海灘的科莫大都會飯店，今年稍早推出單客菜單（70美元），建議的座位安排在飯店陽台的角落，而Traymore酒吧的單客座位，可以欣賞邁阿密大道徒步區的來往行人。單客也可以登入PressReader，在手機或平板電腦上以他們偏好的語言閱讀他們最喜愛的雜誌。

 

亞利桑納州土桑市米拉瓦度假村及水療中心的新方案「主廚只為我一人烹調」（每人150美元），設計理念是把幾位單客聚集在廚房，享用每日菜單的樣品。此一選項的設計是縮小版的共用桌風格，這種風格正蔚為風潮。

 

Other hotels are taking a similar approach. At the Atwood Restaurant in the Hotel Burnham in Chicago, which was renovated last year, the general manager, Damian Palladino, said an extension of the bar area was intentionally blended into the lobby to attract the solo diner.

 

Bjorn Hanson, a clinical professor of hospitality and tourism at New York University's Tisch Center, said he has observed a recent increase in solo dining among those traveling on their own. "This type of experience continues to become more of a desire, and much of the stigma is less of an issue for younger travelers," he said in an email.

 

一些其他飯店也採取類似策略。去年重新裝潢的芝加哥波爾漢姆飯店的艾特伍德餐廳，總經理達米安．帕拉迪諾說，酒吧區已延伸擴大，刻意與大廳融合在一起，為的就是吸引單客。

 

紐約大學休閒旅遊運動管理中心的培訓教授畢瓊．韓森說，他觀察到近來單獨旅行者中，獨自用餐的情況增多。他在一封電子郵件中說：「這類經驗愈來愈變成一種渴望，對年輕旅人來說，獨自用餐的羞恥大體而言已不是什麼問題了。」

 

Source article: https://paper.udn.com/udnpaper/POH0067/294478/web/

 

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每日跟讀#580: Pulling Up a Chair for Solo Diners

 

With the growing number of solo diners, hotels and resorts are making sure they are comfortable.

 

The Plume restaurant at the Jefferson Hotel in Washington, D.C., created a program for solo diners last fall (from $98 a person); several of its 18 seats are dedicated to diners who want a sense of privacy yet a feeling of inclusion. "The seating for this type of diner doesn't include being in the center of the room," said the restaurant's manager, Sean Mulligan. "We make sure they are not near the entrance or exit for discretion and privacy while making sure the diners have items like newspapers and magazines delivered to their table if they need it."

 

隨著單獨用餐的人愈來愈多，飯店和度假村正努力確保能讓他們感到舒適自在。

 

華盛頓特區傑佛遜飯店的羽毛餐廳去年秋天為單獨用餐的客人設計了一個方案（每人98美元起）；餐廳18個座位中有一些是獻給想要保有隱私，又要有融入感的客人。餐廳經理西恩．穆利根說：「這類客人的座位不會在餐室的中央。為了慎重和隱私起見，我們也絕不會讓他們坐得靠近入口或出口，同時我們一定會為客人準備報紙和雜誌之類的東西，他們若需要，就送到他們桌上。」

 

At Metropolitan by Como, Miami Beach, a dinner-for-one menu ($70) made its debut earlier this year, with recommended seating at the corner of the hotel's terrace and the Traymore bar positioned for people-watching along a pedestrian area of Miami Beach Drive. Solo diners are also able to log into PressReader, where they can read their favorite magazine in their preferred language from their phone or tablet.

 

The new "Just Cook for Me Chef!" program ($150 a person) at Miraval Resort & Spa in Tucson, Arizona, was designed to bring together several solo guests in the kitchen so they can enjoy samples from the daily menu. This option was designed to be a smaller version of the communal-style tables that are enjoying a wave of popularity.

 

邁阿密海灘的科莫大都會飯店，今年稍早推出單客菜單（70美元），建議的座位安排在飯店陽台的角落，而Traymore酒吧的單客座位，可以欣賞邁阿密大道徒步區的來往行人。單客也可以登入PressReader，在手機或平板電腦上以他們偏好的語言閱讀他們最喜愛的雜誌。

 

亞利桑納州土桑市米拉瓦度假村及水療中心的新方案「主廚只為我一人烹調」（每人150美元），設計理念是把幾位單客聚集在廚房，享用每日菜單的樣品。此一選項的設計是縮小版的共用桌風格，這種風格正蔚為風潮。

 

Other hotels are taking a similar approach. At the Atwood Restaurant in the Hotel Burnham in Chicago, which was renovated last year, the general manager, Damian Palladino, said an extension of the bar area was intentionally blended into the lobby to attract the solo diner.

 

Bjorn Hanson, a clinical professor of hospitality and tourism at New York University's Tisch Center, said he has observed a recent increase in solo dining among those traveling on their own. "This type of experience continues to become more of a desire, and much of the stigma is less of an issue for younger travelers," he said in an email.

 

一些其他飯店也採取類似策略。去年重新裝潢的芝加哥波爾漢姆飯店的艾特伍德餐廳，總經理達米安．帕拉迪諾說，酒吧區已延伸擴大，刻意與大廳融合在一起，為的就是吸引單客。

 

紐約大學休閒旅遊運動管理中心的培訓教授畢瓊．韓森說，他觀察到近來單獨旅行者中，獨自用餐的情況增多。他在一封電子郵件中說：「這類經驗愈來愈變成一種渴望，對年輕旅人來說，獨自用餐的羞恥大體而言已不是什麼問題了。」

 

Source article: https://paper.udn.com/udnpaper/POH0067/294478/web/

 

更多跟讀練習單元，就在http://www.15mins.today/daily-shadowing

 

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每日跟讀#579: Slaves to debt：fashion models speak out about catwalk misery

 

They appear to be living the dream, walking the catwalks of Paris, New York and Milan in the most beautiful clothes money can buy. But behind the glamour, many models are earning mere "pocket money," tied by debt to agencies.

 

她們穿著金錢所能買到的最美服裝，在巴黎、紐約和米蘭的伸展台上走秀，彷彿美夢成真。但在光鮮背後，許多模特兒卻被經紀公司的債務束縛，僅僅賺到「零用錢」。

 

26-year old Clara, who has appeared in Vogue and walked for famed labels like Prada and Comme des Garcons, said that on her first Paris fashion week "my agency gave me a car（for castings）which I was sharing with other models from the big apartment they had put us in. It was only later that I learned that I had to pay $350 a day for the driver."

 

曾出現在Vogue雜誌，並為Prada、川久保玲等知名品牌走秀的26歲模特兒克拉拉說，在準備第一次巴黎時尚週時，「我的經紀公司派給我一台車（試鏡用），讓我跟其他被公司安排住在同一間大公寓的模特兒共用。我之後才知道一天就得付350美元給司機。」

 

"Then I stay in a ’models’ apartment’ which my agency charges you $50 a night for a room I share with three others. When the castings started I got really sick and therefore missed most of them, so I ended up going home $8,000 in the red."

 

「我入住的『模特兒公寓』，公司每晚會收取50美元，我還得跟另外3人共用一個房間。試鏡開始後，我病得很嚴重，因此錯失大多機會，最後倒賠8000美元。」

 

"Even if I was in a big Paris show which had a 1,100-euro fee, I got only 400. It was taken off my debt."

 

「即使我參與酬勞為1100歐元的巴黎大秀，也只分到400歐元，還被拿去抵債。」

 

Source article: https://features.ltn.com.tw/english/article/paper/1253725

 

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每日跟讀#579: Slaves to debt：fashion models speak out about catwalk misery

 

They appear to be living the dream, walking the catwalks of Paris, New York and Milan in the most beautiful clothes money can buy. But behind the glamour, many models are earning mere "pocket money," tied by debt to agencies.

 

她們穿著金錢所能買到的最美服裝，在巴黎、紐約和米蘭的伸展台上走秀，彷彿美夢成真。但在光鮮背後，許多模特兒卻被經紀公司的債務束縛，僅僅賺到「零用錢」。

 

26-year old Clara, who has appeared in Vogue and walked for famed labels like Prada and Comme des Garcons, said that on her first Paris fashion week "my agency gave me a car（for castings）which I was sharing with other models from the big apartment they had put us in. It was only later that I learned that I had to pay $350 a day for the driver."

 

曾出現在Vogue雜誌，並為Prada、川久保玲等知名品牌走秀的26歲模特兒克拉拉說，在準備第一次巴黎時尚週時，「我的經紀公司派給我一台車（試鏡用），讓我跟其他被公司安排住在同一間大公寓的模特兒共用。我之後才知道一天就得付350美元給司機。」

 

"Then I stay in a ’models’ apartment’ which my agency charges you $50 a night for a room I share with three others. When the castings started I got really sick and therefore missed most of them, so I ended up going home $8,000 in the red."

 

「我入住的『模特兒公寓』，公司每晚會收取50美元，我還得跟另外3人共用一個房間。試鏡開始後，我病得很嚴重，因此錯失大多機會，最後倒賠8000美元。」

 

"Even if I was in a big Paris show which had a 1,100-euro fee, I got only 400. It was taken off my debt."

 

「即使我參與酬勞為1100歐元的巴黎大秀，也只分到400歐元，還被拿去抵債。」

 

Source article: https://features.ltn.com.tw/english/article/paper/1253725

 

更多跟讀練習單元，就在http://www.15mins.today/daily-shadowing

 

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每日跟讀#578: Post Offices Reinvent Themselves

 

When a German lingerie brand wanted to sell bras online in Malaysia, it turned to Singapore’s nearly 200-year-old national postal service.

 

一家德國女性內衣品牌想在馬來西亞網路上賣胸罩，找上新加坡歷史近200年的國家郵政公司。

 

Singapore Post built a website, developed a marketing strategy and now delivers packages for the company, Triumph International. The customer service team even answers questions about sizing. In South Korea, SingPost is helping to sell Levi’s jeans. In Singapore, it is stocking Toshiba laptops. In Malaysia, it is delivering Adidas sneakers.

 

新加坡郵政公司設了一個網站，發展出一套行銷策略，現在為黛安芬國際公司快遞包裹。客服團隊甚至回答有關尺寸的問題。在南韓，新加坡郵政公司正在幫忙銷售Levi’s牛仔褲。在新加坡，它正在儲備東芝筆記型電腦的存貨。在馬來西亞，它正在快遞Adidas跑鞋。

 

With traditional mail services in decline, post offices around the world are scrambling to reinvent themselves. Japan Post is buying the largest private package and freight delivery company in Australia, Toll Holdings, in a bid to create a rival to UPS and FedEx. The United States Postal Service, which lost $5.5 billion last year, is providing Sunday deliveries for Amazon. Australia Post is working with the Chinese Internet giant Alibaba to help local businesses connect with consumers in China.

 

隨著傳統郵政服務的沒落，全世界的郵政局都急著自我改造。日本郵政總局正買下澳洲最大的民間包裹和貨運快遞公司拓領控股公司，以與優比速和聯邦快遞競爭。去年虧損55億美元的美國郵政總局，將為亞馬遜公司提供周日快遞服務。澳洲郵政總局將與大陸網路巨擘阿里巴巴合作，協助當地企業與中國大陸的顧客接觸。

 

“There are at least two business trends unfolding before us,” said Frank Lavin of the e-commerce consultancy Export Now. “One is the death of mail. The second is this boom in e-commerce.”

 

電子商務顧問公司Export Now的法蘭克．拉文說：「至少有兩種商業趨勢在我們面前展開。一是郵件的死亡。第二是電子商務的勃發。」

 

Besides its regular postal duties, SingPost offers a basket of services for companies, including website development, online marketing, customer service and, of course, package delivery. Following the Amazon model, it is building a network of 24 warehouses in 12 countries to stockpile goods for companies.

 

在例行郵政任務之外，新加坡郵政公司另為企業提供一籃子服務，包括網站發展、線上行銷、顧客服務，當然，還有快遞包裹。它遵循亞馬遜的模式，正在12個國家建立24小時的倉儲網，為企業儲備商品。

 

Singapore’s central location, said Wolfgang Baier, the chief executive of SingPost, makes it a natural hub for e-commerce in Asia. He recited numbers to demonstrate the scale of the opportunity: Over 600 million consumers live in the region around Singapore, and 2.2 billion people are within a five-hour flight. “We want to be the gateway to the East,” he said.

 

新加坡郵政公司執行長沃夫岡．拜爾說，新加坡的中心位置使它自然成為亞洲電子商務的中心。他背誦出一些數字來展示商機有多大：新加坡四周居住了逾6億消費者，而在5小時飛行距離內住了22億人。他說：「我們要成為東方的門戶。」

 

The shift has been stark for the postal service, once a state-owned company that went public in 2003. Four years ago, e-commerce barely figured into its bottom line. Today, it accounts for more than a quarter of the group’s revenues, which have grown by 60 percent during that same period.

 

對這家郵政公司而言這是極大的轉型。它原為國營公司，2003年公開上市。四年前，電子商務的業績對公司還微不足道。今天它已占集團總營收的四分之一以上，而同一時期集團總營收成長了六成。

 

SingPost began using the Internet as a laboratory in the early 2000s. It dabbled in various parts of the supply chain. Then, two years ago, it created SP eCommerce to tap into the Internet retail boom in Asia. Today, it counts nearly 1,000 companies as clients, including Philips, Uniqlo, Deckers and Muji.

 

新加坡郵政公司在2000年代初開始把網路當成實驗室。它涉足此一供應鏈的各個不同部分。之後，在兩年前，它創立「新加坡郵政電子商務公司」，以分享亞洲網路零售的榮景。今天，它的顧客有近千家公司，包括飛利浦、優衣庫、Deckers休閒鞋和無印良品。

 

SP eCommerce’s chief executive, Marcelo Wesseler, created his first e-commerce website in 1997 and worked in Silicon Valley before moving to Singapore. Other employees have come from technology stalwarts like Amazon and Hewlett-Packard.

 

新加坡郵政電子商務公司執行長馬塞洛．韋瑟勒在1997年創立自己的第一個電子商務網站，移居新加坡前在矽谷工作。這家公司其他員工來自亞馬遜、惠普之屬科技巨擘。

 

The company also created a customer-care department. At its Singapore offices, 30 or so employees handle the phones, answering questions or addressing complaints. An additional 200 agents work elsewhere.

 

這家公司也創立了客服部門。在新加坡的辦公室裡，約有30人接聽電話、回答問題或處理客訴。另有200人在其他地方工作。

 

Last year, Alibaba paid $250 million for a 10 percent stake in SingPost. They are now in discussions to form a joint venture focused on e-commerce logistics in Southeast Asia. As part of the e-commerce expansion, SingPost upgraded its core delivery services. It has bolstered its network of warehouses and fulfillment centers, which handle freight and customs clearance so goods can move faster through the region. With its swelling population of young, mobile consumers with newly disposable incomes, the region offers new opportunities.

 

去年，阿里巴巴以2.5億美元買下新加坡郵政公司10%股權。雙方現在正在討論設立合資企業，專門做東南亞電子商務的物流業務。為了擴展電子商務，新加坡郵政公司提升核心快遞服務。它強化了倉儲網和物流中心，處理貨運和報關，如此一來，商品在此地區移動的速度更快。隨著剛獲得可支配收入的年輕、行動消費人口的膨脹，此地區提供了新的機會。

 

The Chinese smartphone maker Xiaomi last year opened a regional headquarters in Singapore, using it as a launching pad to move into Malaysia, the Philippines and Indonesia. Next, it is targeting Vietnam and Thailand. It teamed up with SingPost for support on logistics for e-commerce, which accounts for 80 percent of Xiaomi’s sales in Southeast Asia.

 

中國的智慧型手機製造商小米去年在新加坡開設地區總部，作為進入馬來西亞、菲律賓和印尼的跳板。接下來，它的目標鎖定越南和泰國。它與新加坡郵政合作，支援電子商務的物流業務，電子商務占小米在東南亞營收的八成。

 

SingPost is helping the Chinese telecom company ZTE to offer its products regionally through a website that will go live in Malaysia in a few weeks. ZTE is trying to sell its smartphones directly to consumers in new markets like Malaysia, Indonesia and India.

 

新加坡郵政正在協助中國的電信公司中興通訊公司，透過一個即將在幾周內上線的網站在此區域供應產品。中興通訊正試圖在馬來西亞、印尼和印度等新市場把智慧型手機直接賣給消費者。

 

Triumph International, the lingerie company, had been eyeing Southeast Asia for years, waiting for online consumers to reach a critical mass. Then, last year, Triumph approached SingPost to get started. “Using Singapore as a base, you can reach 680 million people in the region,” said Teo Doy, managing director of Triumph in Singapore. “That is practically half of China.”

 

黛安芬國際這家內衣公司緊盯東南亞已有多年，等待線上消費者達到群聚臨界量。之後，黛安芬於去年找新加坡郵政展開行動。黛安芬新加坡公司總經理張朵伊（譯音）說：「把新加坡當基地，你可以接觸到此地區的6.8億人口，實際上相當於半個中國。」

 

Next, Triumph is planning to expand into Indonesia, once again with the help of SingPost.

 

接下來，黛安芬計畫擴展到印尼，還是由新加坡郵政協助。

 

“They have completely evolved,” Ms. Teo said. “I mean, who sends letters anymore?”

 

張小姐說：「他們已完全進化，我的意思是，現在誰還寄信？」

 

Source article: https://paper.udn.com/udnpaper/POH0067/279790/web/#2L-5983240L

 

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每日跟讀#578: Post Offices Reinvent Themselves

 

When a German lingerie brand wanted to sell bras online in Malaysia, it turned to Singapore’s nearly 200-year-old national postal service.

 

一家德國女性內衣品牌想在馬來西亞網路上賣胸罩，找上新加坡歷史近200年的國家郵政公司。

 

Singapore Post built a website, developed a marketing strategy and now delivers packages for the company, Triumph International. The customer service team even answers questions about sizing. In South Korea, SingPost is helping to sell Levi’s jeans. In Singapore, it is stocking Toshiba laptops. In Malaysia, it is delivering Adidas sneakers.

 

新加坡郵政公司設了一個網站，發展出一套行銷策略，現在為黛安芬國際公司快遞包裹。客服團隊甚至回答有關尺寸的問題。在南韓，新加坡郵政公司正在幫忙銷售Levi’s牛仔褲。在新加坡，它正在儲備東芝筆記型電腦的存貨。在馬來西亞，它正在快遞Adidas跑鞋。

 

With traditional mail services in decline, post offices around the world are scrambling to reinvent themselves. Japan Post is buying the largest private package and freight delivery company in Australia, Toll Holdings, in a bid to create a rival to UPS and FedEx. The United States Postal Service, which lost $5.5 billion last year, is providing Sunday deliveries for Amazon. Australia Post is working with the Chinese Internet giant Alibaba to help local businesses connect with consumers in China.

 

隨著傳統郵政服務的沒落，全世界的郵政局都急著自我改造。日本郵政總局正買下澳洲最大的民間包裹和貨運快遞公司拓領控股公司，以與優比速和聯邦快遞競爭。去年虧損55億美元的美國郵政總局，將為亞馬遜公司提供周日快遞服務。澳洲郵政總局將與大陸網路巨擘阿里巴巴合作，協助當地企業與中國大陸的顧客接觸。

 

“There are at least two business trends unfolding before us,” said Frank Lavin of the e-commerce consultancy Export Now. “One is the death of mail. The second is this boom in e-commerce.”

 

電子商務顧問公司Export Now的法蘭克．拉文說：「至少有兩種商業趨勢在我們面前展開。一是郵件的死亡。第二是電子商務的勃發。」

 

Besides its regular postal duties, SingPost offers a basket of services for companies, including website development, online marketing, customer service and, of course, package delivery. Following the Amazon model, it is building a network of 24 warehouses in 12 countries to stockpile goods for companies.

 

在例行郵政任務之外，新加坡郵政公司另為企業提供一籃子服務，包括網站發展、線上行銷、顧客服務，當然，還有快遞包裹。它遵循亞馬遜的模式，正在12個國家建立24小時的倉儲網，為企業儲備商品。

 

Singapore’s central location, said Wolfgang Baier, the chief executive of SingPost, makes it a natural hub for e-commerce in Asia. He recited numbers to demonstrate the scale of the opportunity: Over 600 million consumers live in the region around Singapore, and 2.2 billion people are within a five-hour flight. “We want to be the gateway to the East,” he said.

 

新加坡郵政公司執行長沃夫岡．拜爾說，新加坡的中心位置使它自然成為亞洲電子商務的中心。他背誦出一些數字來展示商機有多大：新加坡四周居住了逾6億消費者，而在5小時飛行距離內住了22億人。他說：「我們要成為東方的門戶。」

 

The shift has been stark for the postal service, once a state-owned company that went public in 2003. Four years ago, e-commerce barely figured into its bottom line. Today, it accounts for more than a quarter of the group’s revenues, which have grown by 60 percent during that same period.

 

對這家郵政公司而言這是極大的轉型。它原為國營公司，2003年公開上市。四年前，電子商務的業績對公司還微不足道。今天它已占集團總營收的四分之一以上，而同一時期集團總營收成長了六成。

 

SingPost began using the Internet as a laboratory in the early 2000s. It dabbled in various parts of the supply chain. Then, two years ago, it created SP eCommerce to tap into the Internet retail boom in Asia. Today, it counts nearly 1,000 companies as clients, including Philips, Uniqlo, Deckers and Muji.

 

新加坡郵政公司在2000年代初開始把網路當成實驗室。它涉足此一供應鏈的各個不同部分。之後，在兩年前，它創立「新加坡郵政電子商務公司」，以分享亞洲網路零售的榮景。今天，它的顧客有近千家公司，包括飛利浦、優衣庫、Deckers休閒鞋和無印良品。

 

SP eCommerce’s chief executive, Marcelo Wesseler, created his first e-commerce website in 1997 and worked in Silicon Valley before moving to Singapore. Other employees have come from technology stalwarts like Amazon and Hewlett-Packard.

 

新加坡郵政電子商務公司執行長馬塞洛．韋瑟勒在1997年創立自己的第一個電子商務網站，移居新加坡前在矽谷工作。這家公司其他員工來自亞馬遜、惠普之屬科技巨擘。

 

The company also created a customer-care department. At its Singapore offices, 30 or so employees handle the phones, answering questions or addressing complaints. An additional 200 agents work elsewhere.

 

這家公司也創立了客服部門。在新加坡的辦公室裡，約有30人接聽電話、回答問題或處理客訴。另有200人在其他地方工作。

 

Last year, Alibaba paid $250 million for a 10 percent stake in SingPost. They are now in discussions to form a joint venture focused on e-commerce logistics in Southeast Asia. As part of the e-commerce expansion, SingPost upgraded its core delivery services. It has bolstered its network of warehouses and fulfillment centers, which handle freight and customs clearance so goods can move faster through the region. With its swelling population of young, mobile consumers with newly disposable incomes, the region offers new opportunities.

 

去年，阿里巴巴以2.5億美元買下新加坡郵政公司10%股權。雙方現在正在討論設立合資企業，專門做東南亞電子商務的物流業務。為了擴展電子商務，新加坡郵政公司提升核心快遞服務。它強化了倉儲網和物流中心，處理貨運和報關，如此一來，商品在此地區移動的速度更快。隨著剛獲得可支配收入的年輕、行動消費人口的膨脹，此地區提供了新的機會。

 

The Chinese smartphone maker Xiaomi last year opened a regional headquarters in Singapore, using it as a launching pad to move into Malaysia, the Philippines and Indonesia. Next, it is targeting Vietnam and Thailand. It teamed up with SingPost for support on logistics for e-commerce, which accounts for 80 percent of Xiaomi’s sales in Southeast Asia.

 

中國的智慧型手機製造商小米去年在新加坡開設地區總部，作為進入馬來西亞、菲律賓和印尼的跳板。接下來，它的目標鎖定越南和泰國。它與新加坡郵政合作，支援電子商務的物流業務，電子商務占小米在東南亞營收的八成。

 

SingPost is helping the Chinese telecom company ZTE to offer its products regionally through a website that will go live in Malaysia in a few weeks. ZTE is trying to sell its smartphones directly to consumers in new markets like Malaysia, Indonesia and India.

 

新加坡郵政正在協助中國的電信公司中興通訊公司，透過一個即將在幾周內上線的網站在此區域供應產品。中興通訊正試圖在馬來西亞、印尼和印度等新市場把智慧型手機直接賣給消費者。

 

Triumph International, the lingerie company, had been eyeing Southeast Asia for years, waiting for online consumers to reach a critical mass. Then, last year, Triumph approached SingPost to get started. “Using Singapore as a base, you can reach 680 million people in the region,” said Teo Doy, managing director of Triumph in Singapore. “That is practically half of China.”

 

黛安芬國際這家內衣公司緊盯東南亞已有多年，等待線上消費者達到群聚臨界量。之後，黛安芬於去年找新加坡郵政展開行動。黛安芬新加坡公司總經理張朵伊（譯音）說：「把新加坡當基地，你可以接觸到此地區的6.8億人口，實際上相當於半個中國。」

 

Next, Triumph is planning to expand into Indonesia, once again with the help of SingPost.

 

接下來，黛安芬計畫擴展到印尼，還是由新加坡郵政協助。

 

“They have completely evolved,” Ms. Teo said. “I mean, who sends letters anymore?”

 

張小姐說：「他們已完全進化，我的意思是，現在誰還寄信？」

 

Source article: https://paper.udn.com/udnpaper/POH0067/279790/web/#2L-5983240L

 

更多跟讀練習單元，就在http://www.15mins.today/daily-shadowing

 

用email訂閱就可以收到所有15mins.Today最新節目通知。

Welcome to 15minutes.today the home of English Shadowing. I'm your host, Gavin and this is InTense Episode 5.

 

Now in this episode we will be looking at the present perfect tense. Now the present perfect tense is a very important tense, and it deals with things that have not finished. So, it is a point in time, in the past that I started, and it has not completed. So, why this tense is so important, is because when we talk about our lives, we use the present perfect tense, because we were born, and we are still alive. So, it is very, very useful when you talk about your life or you meet someone new and you tell them about yourself. Also of course when you meet someone, and you ask them questions about their life, you will use this tense.

 

So, how do we recognize the perfect tenses? Well it's fairly simple, when we look at the continuous tenses they have “ing” but when we look at the perfect tenses they usually have the “have or has,” and so with those two indicators, that indicates usually that you are dealing with a perfect tense.

 

Just be careful, because the verb changes and so you would have “ride for present,” “rode for past” and then for the perfect tense you will use “ridden.” So, “I have ridden a horse.” Now, I use that because I am still alive and in my life, I have ridden a horse. Okay so let's get started!

 

跟讀練習:

 

Has Mary brushed her teeth?

Yes, she has brushed her teeth.

 

 

Has Mary brushed her teeth?

No, she has not brushed her teeth.

 

Have you brushed your teeth this morning?

Yes, I have brushed my teeth this morning.

 

Have you brushed your teeth this morning?

No, I have not brushed my teeth this morning.

 

Have you had lunch today? Yes, I have had lunch today.

Have you had lunch today? No, I have not had lunch today.

 

Have you ever eaten a big lunch?

Yes, I have eaten a big lunch. Have you ever eaten a big lunch?

No, I have never eaten a big lunch.

 

Has the population in Taiwan decreased?

Yes, the population in Taiwan has decreased.

 

Has the population in Taiwan decreased?

No, the population in Taiwan has not decreased.

 

Have sea temperatures risen? Yes, sea temperatures have risen.

Have sea temperatures risen? No, sea temperatures have not risen.

 

Have you worked late recently? Yes, I have worked late recently.

Have you worked late recently? No, I have not worked late recently.

 

Have you learnt more English? Yes, I have learnt more English.

Have you learnt more English? No, I have not learnt more English.

 

Have you ever been to Japan? Yes, I have been to Japan.

Have you ever been to Japan? No, I have never been to Japan.

 

Great guys! Well there you go. My only note would be that on that last question, we never you, well I would say I never use “ever” in an answer. I'm sure we could find an exception, but for the most part it seems to work well if you just keep that in mind.

If somebody asks you, “Have you ever done this?” You never put “ever” in your answer. You just say, “No, I have never. or Yes, I have.” Great, please remember that, because that's a quite a common mistake in Taiwan, so never “ever” in an answer. Great guys! Thanks for listening, catch you next time and have a great day! Bye!

 

更多跟讀練習單元，就在http://www.15mins.today

 

用email訂閱就可以收到所有15mins.Today最新節目通知。

Welcome to 15minutes.today the home of English Shadowing. I'm your host, Gavin and this is InTense Episode 5.

 

Now in this episode we will be looking at the present perfect tense. Now the present perfect tense is a very important tense, and it deals with things that have not finished. So, it is a point in time, in the past that I started, and it has not completed. So, why this tense is so important, is because when we talk about our lives, we use the present perfect tense, because we were born, and we are still alive. So, it is very, very useful when you talk about your life or you meet someone new and you tell them about yourself. Also of course when you meet someone, and you ask them questions about their life, you will use this tense.

 

So, how do we recognize the perfect tenses? Well it's fairly simple, when we look at the continuous tenses they have “ing” but when we look at the perfect tenses they usually have the “have or has,” and so with those two indicators, that indicates usually that you are dealing with a perfect tense.

 

Just be careful, because the verb changes and so you would have “ride for present,” “rode for past” and then for the perfect tense you will use “ridden.” So, “I have ridden a horse.” Now, I use that because I am still alive and in my life, I have ridden a horse. Okay so let's get started!

 

跟讀練習:

 

Has Mary brushed her teeth?

Yes, she has brushed her teeth.

 

 

Has Mary brushed her teeth?

No, she has not brushed her teeth.

 

Have you brushed your teeth this morning?

Yes, I have brushed my teeth this morning.

 

Have you brushed your teeth this morning?

No, I have not brushed my teeth this morning.

 

Have you had lunch today? Yes, I have had lunch today.

Have you had lunch today? No, I have not had lunch today.

 

Have you ever eaten a big lunch?

Yes, I have eaten a big lunch. Have you ever eaten a big lunch?

No, I have never eaten a big lunch.

 

Has the population in Taiwan decreased?

Yes, the population in Taiwan has decreased.

 

Has the population in Taiwan decreased?

No, the population in Taiwan has not decreased.

 

Have sea temperatures risen? Yes, sea temperatures have risen.

Have sea temperatures risen? No, sea temperatures have not risen.

 

Have you worked late recently? Yes, I have worked late recently.

Have you worked late recently? No, I have not worked late recently.

 

Have you learnt more English? Yes, I have learnt more English.

Have you learnt more English? No, I have not learnt more English.

 

Have you ever been to Japan? Yes, I have been to Japan.

Have you ever been to Japan? No, I have never been to Japan.

 

Great guys! Well there you go. My only note would be that on that last question, we never you, well I would say I never use “ever” in an answer. I'm sure we could find an exception, but for the most part it seems to work well if you just keep that in mind.

If somebody asks you, “Have you ever done this?” You never put “ever” in your answer. You just say, “No, I have never. or Yes, I have.” Great, please remember that, because that's a quite a common mistake in Taiwan, so never “ever” in an answer. Great guys! Thanks for listening, catch you next time and have a great day! Bye!

 

更多跟讀練習單元，就在http://www.15mins.today

 

用email訂閱就可以收到所有15mins.Today最新節目通知。

Summary:

In Mexico City where 21 odd million people commute to and from work everyday, the solution to overcoming traffic jams and inefficient bus systems is the cable car system. The mexicable is a seven-stop line that was built in the most crowded municipality of Ecatepec. Now commuters use the mexicable system to transfer or commute directly to work, saving people up to two hours every day! Other intercity cable car system around the world include the Medellin in Columbia, Caracas of Venezuela, La Paz of Bolivia, and Rio de Janeiro in Brazil.

 

Vocabulary and sample sentences:

 

Congestion – being congested (meaning crowded and being unable to move) 

Traffic congestion in Mexico City has been a problem for many year until they built the Mexcable.

My nose is blocked, so I need to use nasal spray to relieve my nasal congestion.

 

Commute – travel regularly between home and work

Commuter (person who travel daily to and from work) 

I commute 1 and a half hours to work everyday.

As a commuter, I prefer to take the mrt over the bus.

 

Cramped – feeling uncomfortably confined (difficult to move) 

When I take the mrt, I prefer to wait for a train that has more space to stand. I dislike being cramped on the train.

 

更多跟讀練習單元，就在http://www.15mins.today