通勤學英語 15Mins Today

Summary:

When you get a tattoo, even if the image is embedded on your body, it is owned by the tattoo artist. Tattoos used to be a label or a stigma for people, but now it is becoming more prominent. Tattoos in Japan were meant for firemen, so that they could be identified if they were burnt. Thereafter, tattoos were more associated with the Yakuza and frowned upon in the public baths. Gavin's advice: never get a tattoo on a place that you cannot cover it up. According to the article, game-makers now are concerned about the copyright of the tattoos on their game avatars. Since the copyright belongs to tattoo artists and not the athletes, game-makers have to get permission from the tattoo artist.

 

Article referred: https://www.15mins.today/blog/524-athletes-don-t-own-their-tattoos-that-s-a-problem-for-video-game

 

Sample vocabulary and sentence:

 

Transcendent ( adj. surpassing the ordinary, extraordinary)

Michael Jordan was a transcendent athlete.

Wayne Gretzky was a transcendent ice hockey player.

Warren Buffett is a transcendent investor.

 

Tangible (adj. can be felt by touch)

Love is intangible, but the act of love is tangible.

Intangible assets of a company includes trademark, copyright, intellectual property, and knowledge of employees.

Tangible assets of a company includes property and machinery.

 

Dope (informal - adj. cool ; formal - n. drugs v. to use drugs)

Taylor Swift's new music video is dope.

My new Apple Watch is dope!

It is illegal to smoke dope in Taiwan, but it is legal in the United States.

 

15分鐘跟著John and Gavin探索世界時事趣聞的單字與詞彙

 

用email訂閱就可以收到所有15mins.Today最新節目通知。

每日跟讀#547: Why do zebras have stripes? They make bad landing strips for flies

 

Scientists are providing new evidence to answer the longstanding question about why zebras have stripes. It appears stripes make terrible landing strips, bamboozling the fierce blood-sucking flies that try to feast on zebras and carry deadly diseases.

 

科學家近日提出新證據，為存在已久的問題──「為何斑馬身上有條紋」──提出解答。原因可能在於：條紋會形成糟糕透頂的降落跑道，以迷惑那些想要在斑馬身上飽餐一頓，身上又帶有多種致命疾病的兇猛吸血蒼蠅。

 

Researchers on Feb. 20 described experiments demonstrating that horse flies have a difficult time landing on zebras while easily landing on uniformly colored horses. In one experiment, the researchers put cloth coats bearing striped patterns on horses and observed that fewer flies landed on them than when the same horses wore single-color coats.

 

研究人員於二月二十日描述他們進行的實驗，顯示馬蠅降落在斑馬身上時困難重重，卻能輕易降落在毛色均勻的馬身上。在其中一項實驗中，研究人員為馬披上條紋圖案的外套，結果觀察到降落在牠們身上的蒼蠅數量，比同一批馬穿上單色外套時還少。

 

“We showed that horse flies approach zebras and uniformly colored horses at similar rates but that they fail to land on zebras, or striped horse coats, because they fail to decelerate properly, and so fly past them or literally bump into them and bounce off,” said behavioral ecologist Tim Caro of the University of California-Davis, lead author of the research published in the journal PLOS ONE.

 

這份研究發表於期刊《公共科學圖書館—綜合》，主要作者為加州大學戴維斯分校的行為生態學家提姆‧卡洛。他指出：「我們證明馬蠅飛近斑馬和單色馬的比例相近，但卻無法降落在斑馬，或是帶條紋的馬外套上，因為馬蠅未能適當減速，以致於它們要不是飛過馬，就是直接撞上馬身，然後彈飛出去。」

 

Close cousins to horses and donkeys, the world’s three zebra species, known for their black-and-white striped bodies, roam Africa’s savannas eating a variety of grasses. Their stripe patterns vary among individuals, with no two alike.

 

斑馬是馬和驢的近親，世界上共有三個種類，牠們以身上黑白相間的條紋著稱，漫步於非洲的大草原上，以各式草類植物為食。身上的條紋圖案依不同個體而有差異，每隻都不一樣。

 

There had been four main hypotheses about the advantages zebras accrued by evolving stripes: camouflage to avoid large predators; a social function like individual recognition; thermoregulation, with stripes setting up convection currents along the animal’s back; and thwarting biting fly attacks. “Only the last stands up to scrutiny,” Caro said. “Most biologists involved with research on mammal coloration accept that this is the reason that zebras have stripes.” African horse flies carry diseases such as trypanosomiasis and African horse sickness that cause wasting and can be fatal.

 

關於斑馬藉由演化出條紋而獲得的優勢，歷來有四種主要假設，分別是形成保護色以躲避大型掠食動物、類似個體識別的社交功能、藉由條紋沿著背產生對流氣流調節體溫、以及阻撓蒼蠅的叮咬攻擊。卡洛指出：「只有最後一項假設經得起檢驗。」他表示：「大多數研究哺乳類身上色彩的生物學家都接受這個推論，認為這是斑馬身上有條紋的原因。」非洲馬蠅帶原的疾病包括錐蟲病以及非洲馬疫，會引起消耗性症侯群，嚴重時可能致命。

 

The researchers videoed horse flies as they tried to prey on captive zebras and domestic horses at a livery in North Somerset, England. Stripes did not deter flies from a distance, as they circled horses and zebras at similar rates. But the flies managed to land on zebras less than a quarter as often. University of Bristol biologist and study co-author Martin How said stripes may dazzle flies somehow once the insects venture close enough to see them with their low-resolution eyes.

 

研究人員在英國北索美塞特的一間代養馬場進行攝影，記錄馬蠅試圖襲擊被圈養的斑馬和家馬。這類昆蟲繞著家馬和斑馬飛行的比例相近，顯示在一段距離以外，條紋並未對馬蠅構成威嚇。不過，馬蠅成功降落在斑馬身上的次數竟少於停在家馬身上的四分之一。英國布里斯托大學的生物學家馬汀‧郝伊是這份研究的共同作者，他表示，一旦蒼蠅探索到夠近的距離，足以用低解析度的眼睛看到斑馬時，條紋某種程度上會讓它們感到目眩眼花。

 

“In addition to stripes that prevent controlled landings by horse flies, zebras are constantly swishing their tail and may run off if horse flies do land successfully, so they are also using behavioral means to prevent flies probing for blood,” Caro said.

 

卡洛進一步指出：「除了利用條紋妨礙馬蠅進行控制型著陸，斑馬也會不斷揮動尾巴，如果馬蠅成功著陸，斑馬也可能會逃走，所以牠們也會利用行為方式來阻止這些求血若渴的蒼蠅。」

 

Source article: http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/lang/archives/2019/03/03/2003710717/2

 

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。

每日跟讀#547: Why do zebras have stripes? They make bad landing strips for flies

 

Scientists are providing new evidence to answer the longstanding question about why zebras have stripes. It appears stripes make terrible landing strips, bamboozling the fierce blood-sucking flies that try to feast on zebras and carry deadly diseases.

 

科學家近日提出新證據，為存在已久的問題──「為何斑馬身上有條紋」──提出解答。原因可能在於：條紋會形成糟糕透頂的降落跑道，以迷惑那些想要在斑馬身上飽餐一頓，身上又帶有多種致命疾病的兇猛吸血蒼蠅。

 

Researchers on Feb. 20 described experiments demonstrating that horse flies have a difficult time landing on zebras while easily landing on uniformly colored horses. In one experiment, the researchers put cloth coats bearing striped patterns on horses and observed that fewer flies landed on them than when the same horses wore single-color coats.

 

研究人員於二月二十日描述他們進行的實驗，顯示馬蠅降落在斑馬身上時困難重重，卻能輕易降落在毛色均勻的馬身上。在其中一項實驗中，研究人員為馬披上條紋圖案的外套，結果觀察到降落在牠們身上的蒼蠅數量，比同一批馬穿上單色外套時還少。

 

“We showed that horse flies approach zebras and uniformly colored horses at similar rates but that they fail to land on zebras, or striped horse coats, because they fail to decelerate properly, and so fly past them or literally bump into them and bounce off,” said behavioral ecologist Tim Caro of the University of California-Davis, lead author of the research published in the journal PLOS ONE.

 

這份研究發表於期刊《公共科學圖書館—綜合》，主要作者為加州大學戴維斯分校的行為生態學家提姆‧卡洛。他指出：「我們證明馬蠅飛近斑馬和單色馬的比例相近，但卻無法降落在斑馬，或是帶條紋的馬外套上，因為馬蠅未能適當減速，以致於它們要不是飛過馬，就是直接撞上馬身，然後彈飛出去。」

 

Close cousins to horses and donkeys, the world’s three zebra species, known for their black-and-white striped bodies, roam Africa’s savannas eating a variety of grasses. Their stripe patterns vary among individuals, with no two alike.

 

斑馬是馬和驢的近親，世界上共有三個種類，牠們以身上黑白相間的條紋著稱，漫步於非洲的大草原上，以各式草類植物為食。身上的條紋圖案依不同個體而有差異，每隻都不一樣。

 

There had been four main hypotheses about the advantages zebras accrued by evolving stripes: camouflage to avoid large predators; a social function like individual recognition; thermoregulation, with stripes setting up convection currents along the animal’s back; and thwarting biting fly attacks. “Only the last stands up to scrutiny,” Caro said. “Most biologists involved with research on mammal coloration accept that this is the reason that zebras have stripes.” African horse flies carry diseases such as trypanosomiasis and African horse sickness that cause wasting and can be fatal.

 

關於斑馬藉由演化出條紋而獲得的優勢，歷來有四種主要假設，分別是形成保護色以躲避大型掠食動物、類似個體識別的社交功能、藉由條紋沿著背產生對流氣流調節體溫、以及阻撓蒼蠅的叮咬攻擊。卡洛指出：「只有最後一項假設經得起檢驗。」他表示：「大多數研究哺乳類身上色彩的生物學家都接受這個推論，認為這是斑馬身上有條紋的原因。」非洲馬蠅帶原的疾病包括錐蟲病以及非洲馬疫，會引起消耗性症侯群，嚴重時可能致命。

 

The researchers videoed horse flies as they tried to prey on captive zebras and domestic horses at a livery in North Somerset, England. Stripes did not deter flies from a distance, as they circled horses and zebras at similar rates. But the flies managed to land on zebras less than a quarter as often. University of Bristol biologist and study co-author Martin How said stripes may dazzle flies somehow once the insects venture close enough to see them with their low-resolution eyes.

 

研究人員在英國北索美塞特的一間代養馬場進行攝影，記錄馬蠅試圖襲擊被圈養的斑馬和家馬。這類昆蟲繞著家馬和斑馬飛行的比例相近，顯示在一段距離以外，條紋並未對馬蠅構成威嚇。不過，馬蠅成功降落在斑馬身上的次數竟少於停在家馬身上的四分之一。英國布里斯托大學的生物學家馬汀‧郝伊是這份研究的共同作者，他表示，一旦蒼蠅探索到夠近的距離，足以用低解析度的眼睛看到斑馬時，條紋某種程度上會讓它們感到目眩眼花。

 

“In addition to stripes that prevent controlled landings by horse flies, zebras are constantly swishing their tail and may run off if horse flies do land successfully, so they are also using behavioral means to prevent flies probing for blood,” Caro said.

 

卡洛進一步指出：「除了利用條紋妨礙馬蠅進行控制型著陸，斑馬也會不斷揮動尾巴，如果馬蠅成功著陸，斑馬也可能會逃走，所以牠們也會利用行為方式來阻止這些求血若渴的蒼蠅。」

 

Source article: http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/lang/archives/2019/03/03/2003710717/2

 

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。

每日跟讀#546: Malaysia seizes record 30-tonne pangolin haul

 

Malaysian authorities have seized a record 30 tonnes of pangolins and pangolin products in eastern Sabah state, Borneo, the biggest such bust in the country, a wildlife monitoring group said on Feb. 12.

 

野生動物監督組織本月十二日表示，馬來西亞當局在婆羅洲的沙巴州東部查獲三十噸的穿山甲和穿山甲製品，數量之多創下紀錄，是馬國最大宗案件。

 

The monitoring network Traffic said in a statement that Sabah police this month uncovered two major pangolin processing facilities, throwing a spotlight on Sabah’s role in the sourcing and trafficking of the endangered scaly mammal.

 

監督組織「國際野生物貿易研究組織」（Traffic）在一份聲明中說，沙巴警方本月破獲兩個大型穿山甲加工廠，突顯了沙巴對這瀕臨絕種的有鱗哺乳動物，在集貨及非法販運上所扮演的角色。

 

Sabah police said that they had seized three refrigerated containers containing 1,800 boxes filled with frozen pangolins, another 572 frozen pangolins in separate freezers, 61 live pangolins and 361 kilograms of pangolin scales. Two bear paws and carcasses of four flying fox were also recovered.

 

沙巴警方表示，他們查獲了三個冷藏貨櫃，裡面有一千八百箱冷凍穿山甲、裝有五百七十二隻冷凍穿山甲的冷凍庫，另外還有六十一隻活體穿山甲，以及三百六十一公斤的穿山甲鱗片。此外，還發現了兩隻熊掌和四隻狐蝠的屠體。

 

The anteater-like pangolin is said to be the most widely trafficked mammal in the world, and its scales are in high demand in Asia for use in traditional Chinese medicine. The scales are made of keratin, the same material in human fingernails, and are often roasted and ground to a powder before being added into a mix of ingredients to purportedly cure arthritis, promote breast feeding for mothers and boost male virility. Their meat is also considered a delicacy in China and other Asian countries. Scientists have designated all species of pangolins as being at risk of extinction. In the last two decades, the number of pangolins worldwide has dropped by about 90 percent.

 

穿山甲的外型很像食蟻獸，據信為全球非法販運量最多的哺乳動物。穿山甲鱗片在亞洲的需求量很大，因它被用來做中藥。穿山甲鱗片是由角蛋白所形成，與人類指甲的成份相同，經烘烤、磨成粉後與其他材料混合，號稱可治關節炎、促進母乳分泌、壯陽。穿山甲的肉在中國和其他亞洲國家也被視為佳餚。科學家指出，所有穿山甲的品種都面臨了滅絕的危機。過去的二十年中，穿山甲全球的數量已銳減約百分之九十。

 

Sabah police chief Omar Mammah said in the statement that initial investigations showed the facility has operated for seven years and that the suspect had bought the pangolins from local illegal hunters for distribution locally and to the neighboring state of Sarawak. He estimated the haul to be worth at least 8.4 million ringgit (US$2 million).

 

沙巴州警察局長歐瑪‧馬馬賀在聲明中指出，初步調查顯示該工廠已營運了七年，嫌犯向當地盜獵者購得穿山甲，然後賣給當地人，以及給鄰近的砂勞越州。他估計該批贓物至少價值八百四十萬令吉（兩百萬美元）。

 

Traffic said the whole pangolin bodies found frozen and boxed were likely to have been sold for meat consumption. It said the seizures came a decade after Sabah authorities discovered logbooks in 2009 kept by another pangolin trafficking ring. It said the logbooks revealed that about 22,200 pangolins were killed and 834.4 kilograms of pangolin scales sourced throughout the state and supplied to the syndicate over 13 months.

 

國際野生物貿易研究組織表示，這些冷凍裝箱的穿山甲屠體，可能是賣做食用肉品。該組織說，二○○九年沙巴當局查獲另一個穿山甲走私集團的日誌；據日誌記載，在十三個月內，約有兩萬兩千兩百隻穿山甲被宰殺，該集團並從全州蒐購了八百三十四點四公斤的穿山甲鱗片。

 

Source article: http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/lang/archives/2019/02/20/2003710021

 

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。

每日跟讀#546: Malaysia seizes record 30-tonne pangolin haul

 

Malaysian authorities have seized a record 30 tonnes of pangolins and pangolin products in eastern Sabah state, Borneo, the biggest such bust in the country, a wildlife monitoring group said on Feb. 12.

 

野生動物監督組織本月十二日表示，馬來西亞當局在婆羅洲的沙巴州東部查獲三十噸的穿山甲和穿山甲製品，數量之多創下紀錄，是馬國最大宗案件。

 

The monitoring network Traffic said in a statement that Sabah police this month uncovered two major pangolin processing facilities, throwing a spotlight on Sabah’s role in the sourcing and trafficking of the endangered scaly mammal.

 

監督組織「國際野生物貿易研究組織」（Traffic）在一份聲明中說，沙巴警方本月破獲兩個大型穿山甲加工廠，突顯了沙巴對這瀕臨絕種的有鱗哺乳動物，在集貨及非法販運上所扮演的角色。

 

Sabah police said that they had seized three refrigerated containers containing 1,800 boxes filled with frozen pangolins, another 572 frozen pangolins in separate freezers, 61 live pangolins and 361 kilograms of pangolin scales. Two bear paws and carcasses of four flying fox were also recovered.

 

沙巴警方表示，他們查獲了三個冷藏貨櫃，裡面有一千八百箱冷凍穿山甲、裝有五百七十二隻冷凍穿山甲的冷凍庫，另外還有六十一隻活體穿山甲，以及三百六十一公斤的穿山甲鱗片。此外，還發現了兩隻熊掌和四隻狐蝠的屠體。

 

The anteater-like pangolin is said to be the most widely trafficked mammal in the world, and its scales are in high demand in Asia for use in traditional Chinese medicine. The scales are made of keratin, the same material in human fingernails, and are often roasted and ground to a powder before being added into a mix of ingredients to purportedly cure arthritis, promote breast feeding for mothers and boost male virility. Their meat is also considered a delicacy in China and other Asian countries. Scientists have designated all species of pangolins as being at risk of extinction. In the last two decades, the number of pangolins worldwide has dropped by about 90 percent.

 

穿山甲的外型很像食蟻獸，據信為全球非法販運量最多的哺乳動物。穿山甲鱗片在亞洲的需求量很大，因它被用來做中藥。穿山甲鱗片是由角蛋白所形成，與人類指甲的成份相同，經烘烤、磨成粉後與其他材料混合，號稱可治關節炎、促進母乳分泌、壯陽。穿山甲的肉在中國和其他亞洲國家也被視為佳餚。科學家指出，所有穿山甲的品種都面臨了滅絕的危機。過去的二十年中，穿山甲全球的數量已銳減約百分之九十。

 

Sabah police chief Omar Mammah said in the statement that initial investigations showed the facility has operated for seven years and that the suspect had bought the pangolins from local illegal hunters for distribution locally and to the neighboring state of Sarawak. He estimated the haul to be worth at least 8.4 million ringgit (US$2 million).

 

沙巴州警察局長歐瑪‧馬馬賀在聲明中指出，初步調查顯示該工廠已營運了七年，嫌犯向當地盜獵者購得穿山甲，然後賣給當地人，以及給鄰近的砂勞越州。他估計該批贓物至少價值八百四十萬令吉（兩百萬美元）。

 

Traffic said the whole pangolin bodies found frozen and boxed were likely to have been sold for meat consumption. It said the seizures came a decade after Sabah authorities discovered logbooks in 2009 kept by another pangolin trafficking ring. It said the logbooks revealed that about 22,200 pangolins were killed and 834.4 kilograms of pangolin scales sourced throughout the state and supplied to the syndicate over 13 months.

 

國際野生物貿易研究組織表示，這些冷凍裝箱的穿山甲屠體，可能是賣做食用肉品。該組織說，二○○九年沙巴當局查獲另一個穿山甲走私集團的日誌；據日誌記載，在十三個月內，約有兩萬兩千兩百隻穿山甲被宰殺，該集團並從全州蒐購了八百三十四點四公斤的穿山甲鱗片。

 

Source article: http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/lang/archives/2019/02/20/2003710021

 

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。

每日跟讀#545: Is ‘Peppa Pig’ really giving US kids British accent?

 

British animated TV series “Peppa Pig” has achieved global success over the last few years. In the US, some parents are saying their children have been adopting Peppa’s charming British accent and vocabulary after watching the cartoon, calling their mothers “mummy” or asking their parents to “snuggle” with them instead of to “hug” them. Parents are dubbing the phenomenon the “Peppa effect.”

 

來自英國的電視動畫《粉紅豬小妹》（佩佩豬）近年來風靡全球，在美國有些家長宣稱，他們的孩子看了節目，講話出現佩佩豬迷人的英國腔，以及習慣用語。例如叫他們的母親「mummy」，或要父母擁抱時說「snuggle」，而非「hug」，家長將此現象稱為「佩佩豬效應」。

 

However, New York University associate professor Susannah Levi said that she is doubtful that this is what is actually happening because, she says, “typically, you would develop the accent of the community around you.” For example, a toddler with British parents living in the US will most likely have an American accent. It is, however, possible that kids are learning to mimic individual words from the show, she told the Guardian last week.

 

然而，紐約大學副教授蘇珊娜李維對此表示懷疑，因為「典型而言，你會發展出所在社群的口音。」舉例來說，若幼童和英國父母住在美國，那他最有可能形成美式口音。她上週還對《衛報》說，孩童可能只是在模仿劇中個別的單字而已。

 

The pink pig, known as “Pei Pei Zhu” in Taiwan and “Xiao Zhu Pei Qi” in China, is a superstar to many young children. There is also an “I love Peppa Pig” lantern area in the 2019 Taipei Lantern Festival, which this year celebrates the Year of the Pig.

 

這頭粉紅色小豬在台灣被稱為「佩佩豬」，在中國叫作「小豬佩奇」，可說是兒童界的超級巨星。正在進行中的二○一九年台北燈節亦設立了「我愛佩佩豬」展區，藉以慶祝豬年。

 

Source article: http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/lang/archives/2019/02/22/2003710158

 

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。

每日跟讀#545: Is ‘Peppa Pig’ really giving US kids British accent?

 

British animated TV series “Peppa Pig” has achieved global success over the last few years. In the US, some parents are saying their children have been adopting Peppa’s charming British accent and vocabulary after watching the cartoon, calling their mothers “mummy” or asking their parents to “snuggle” with them instead of to “hug” them. Parents are dubbing the phenomenon the “Peppa effect.”

 

來自英國的電視動畫《粉紅豬小妹》（佩佩豬）近年來風靡全球，在美國有些家長宣稱，他們的孩子看了節目，講話出現佩佩豬迷人的英國腔，以及習慣用語。例如叫他們的母親「mummy」，或要父母擁抱時說「snuggle」，而非「hug」，家長將此現象稱為「佩佩豬效應」。

 

However, New York University associate professor Susannah Levi said that she is doubtful that this is what is actually happening because, she says, “typically, you would develop the accent of the community around you.” For example, a toddler with British parents living in the US will most likely have an American accent. It is, however, possible that kids are learning to mimic individual words from the show, she told the Guardian last week.

 

然而，紐約大學副教授蘇珊娜李維對此表示懷疑，因為「典型而言，你會發展出所在社群的口音。」舉例來說，若幼童和英國父母住在美國，那他最有可能形成美式口音。她上週還對《衛報》說，孩童可能只是在模仿劇中個別的單字而已。

 

The pink pig, known as “Pei Pei Zhu” in Taiwan and “Xiao Zhu Pei Qi” in China, is a superstar to many young children. There is also an “I love Peppa Pig” lantern area in the 2019 Taipei Lantern Festival, which this year celebrates the Year of the Pig.

 

這頭粉紅色小豬在台灣被稱為「佩佩豬」，在中國叫作「小豬佩奇」，可說是兒童界的超級巨星。正在進行中的二○一九年台北燈節亦設立了「我愛佩佩豬」展區，藉以慶祝豬年。

 

Source article: http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/lang/archives/2019/02/22/2003710158

 

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。

每日跟讀#544: Marshall Islands consider radical measures to survive rising sea levels

 

The far-flung Marshall Islands needs to raise its islands if it is to avoid being drowned by rising sea levels, President Hilda Heine has warned.

 

馬紹爾群島共和國的國土星羅棋布，該國總統希爾達‧海妮警告說，若要避免國土因海平面上升而被淹沒，馬紹爾群島需要把陸地墊高。

 

Plans are underway for national talks on which of the 1,156 islands, scattered over 29 coral atolls, can be elevated, in a dramatic intervention to ensure safety on the islands.

 

該國目前正籌畫全國性會談，以討論這些散布在二十九個珊瑚環礁上的一千一百五十六個島嶼中，哪些可以用這戲劇性的方法來墊高，以確保島嶼的安全。

 

“Raising our islands is a daunting task but one that must be done,” Heine said in an interview with the Marshall Islands Journal published Friday. “We must come together as a nation as this is about our survival as a nation, as a people and as a culture.”

 

「墊高我們的島是個艱鉅的任務，但不得不做」，海妮在接受上週五刊出的《馬紹爾週報》採訪時表示。「作為一個國家，我們必須團結起來，因為這攸關我們國家、民族和文化的存亡。」

 

A “climate crisis” policy document prepared by the office of the chief secretary painted a bleak outlook for the Pacific Ocean archipelago with a population of 55,000.

 

由馬國內閣秘書長辦公室所編纂的「氣候危機」政策書，對這有五萬五千人口的太平洋群島所描繪的前景，非常不樂觀。

 

It cited an increasing frequency of “inundation events, severe droughts, coral bleaching events, and... looking forward, there is very good reason to believe that conditions and prospects for survival will only worsen.”

Most of the islands are less than two meters above sea level and the government believes physically raising the islands was the only way to save the Marshall Islands from extinction.

 

政策書中說，會有越來越頻繁的「洪水氾濫、嚴重乾旱、珊瑚白化...放眼未來，我們有足夠的理由認為生存條件和前景只會惡化」。

馬紹爾群島大多數島嶼的海拔不到兩公尺，政府認為把島嶼實際上墊高，是拯救該國免於滅亡的唯一途徑。

 

They have not yet outlined specifics of how this would be achieved, except to have plans formulated by the end of the year.

 

除了預定將在今年制訂計畫，政府尚未具體說明要如何實施。

 

In the meantime, they are keeping a close watch on the ambitious City of Hope project on an artificial island in the Maldives as a viable option.

To lay the foundations of the city — which is expected to accommodate 130,000 people when completed in 2023 — sand is being pumped onto reefs from surrounding atolls and it is being fortified with walls three meters above sea level, which will make it higher than the tallest natural island in the Maldives.

 

該國政府同時也密切關注馬爾地夫雄心勃勃的「希望之城」人工島計畫，將其視為可行的選項。

預計在二○二三年完工後可容納十三萬人的「希望之城」，奠定地基的方式是由周圍的環礁將沙子灌到珊瑚礁上，並且以海拔三公尺高的牆加以鞏固，這會比馬爾地夫最高的自然島嶼還要高。

 

“Whatever approach is selected, it will involve selecting islands to raise, add to, or build upon” Heine said.

The Marshall Islands also aims to increase engagement with the three other all-atoll nations — Kiribati, Tuvalu and the Maldives — on climate issues.

 

「無論採用何種方法，都會牽涉選擇來墊高、擴增或建基的島嶼」，海妮說。

馬紹爾群島的目標還包括加強與其他三個國土皆為環礁形成的國家──吉里巴斯、吐瓦魯和馬爾地夫──在氣候問題上的合作。

 

“As a group, the atoll nations need to come together to formulate their unique concerns and develop their positions and plans and identify financial needs related to climate impacts,” said Heine, who chairs the Coalition of Atoll Nations Against Climate Change.

 

身兼「環礁國家因應氣候變遷聯盟」主席的海妮說道：「作為一個共同體，環礁國家需要聯合起來，一起對他們所獨有的問題制定對策、闡述其立場和計畫，並明確提出和氣候衝擊相關的財政需求」。

 

Source article: http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/lang/archives/2019/02/27/2003710457

 

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。

每日跟讀#544: Marshall Islands consider radical measures to survive rising sea levels

 

The far-flung Marshall Islands needs to raise its islands if it is to avoid being drowned by rising sea levels, President Hilda Heine has warned.

 

馬紹爾群島共和國的國土星羅棋布，該國總統希爾達‧海妮警告說，若要避免國土因海平面上升而被淹沒，馬紹爾群島需要把陸地墊高。

 

Plans are underway for national talks on which of the 1,156 islands, scattered over 29 coral atolls, can be elevated, in a dramatic intervention to ensure safety on the islands.

 

該國目前正籌畫全國性會談，以討論這些散布在二十九個珊瑚環礁上的一千一百五十六個島嶼中，哪些可以用這戲劇性的方法來墊高，以確保島嶼的安全。

 

“Raising our islands is a daunting task but one that must be done,” Heine said in an interview with the Marshall Islands Journal published Friday. “We must come together as a nation as this is about our survival as a nation, as a people and as a culture.”

 

「墊高我們的島是個艱鉅的任務，但不得不做」，海妮在接受上週五刊出的《馬紹爾週報》採訪時表示。「作為一個國家，我們必須團結起來，因為這攸關我們國家、民族和文化的存亡。」

 

A “climate crisis” policy document prepared by the office of the chief secretary painted a bleak outlook for the Pacific Ocean archipelago with a population of 55,000.

 

由馬國內閣秘書長辦公室所編纂的「氣候危機」政策書，對這有五萬五千人口的太平洋群島所描繪的前景，非常不樂觀。

 

It cited an increasing frequency of “inundation events, severe droughts, coral bleaching events, and... looking forward, there is very good reason to believe that conditions and prospects for survival will only worsen.”

Most of the islands are less than two meters above sea level and the government believes physically raising the islands was the only way to save the Marshall Islands from extinction.

 

政策書中說，會有越來越頻繁的「洪水氾濫、嚴重乾旱、珊瑚白化...放眼未來，我們有足夠的理由認為生存條件和前景只會惡化」。

馬紹爾群島大多數島嶼的海拔不到兩公尺，政府認為把島嶼實際上墊高，是拯救該國免於滅亡的唯一途徑。

 

They have not yet outlined specifics of how this would be achieved, except to have plans formulated by the end of the year.

 

除了預定將在今年制訂計畫，政府尚未具體說明要如何實施。

 

In the meantime, they are keeping a close watch on the ambitious City of Hope project on an artificial island in the Maldives as a viable option.

To lay the foundations of the city — which is expected to accommodate 130,000 people when completed in 2023 — sand is being pumped onto reefs from surrounding atolls and it is being fortified with walls three meters above sea level, which will make it higher than the tallest natural island in the Maldives.

 

該國政府同時也密切關注馬爾地夫雄心勃勃的「希望之城」人工島計畫，將其視為可行的選項。

預計在二○二三年完工後可容納十三萬人的「希望之城」，奠定地基的方式是由周圍的環礁將沙子灌到珊瑚礁上，並且以海拔三公尺高的牆加以鞏固，這會比馬爾地夫最高的自然島嶼還要高。

 

“Whatever approach is selected, it will involve selecting islands to raise, add to, or build upon” Heine said.

The Marshall Islands also aims to increase engagement with the three other all-atoll nations — Kiribati, Tuvalu and the Maldives — on climate issues.

 

「無論採用何種方法，都會牽涉選擇來墊高、擴增或建基的島嶼」，海妮說。

馬紹爾群島的目標還包括加強與其他三個國土皆為環礁形成的國家──吉里巴斯、吐瓦魯和馬爾地夫──在氣候問題上的合作。

 

“As a group, the atoll nations need to come together to formulate their unique concerns and develop their positions and plans and identify financial needs related to climate impacts,” said Heine, who chairs the Coalition of Atoll Nations Against Climate Change.

 

身兼「環礁國家因應氣候變遷聯盟」主席的海妮說道：「作為一個共同體，環礁國家需要聯合起來，一起對他們所獨有的問題制定對策、闡述其立場和計畫，並明確提出和氣候衝擊相關的財政需求」。

 

Source article: http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/lang/archives/2019/02/27/2003710457

 

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。

每日跟讀#543: An Aging Boy Band Calls It Quits, but Japan Can’t Let Go

 

For nearly three decades, millions of Japanese have clamored for their every album, lined up with breathless anticipation for their concerts and gathered on Monday nights for their hit television show.

 

Now, the nation is awash with anguish over word that SMAP — Japan’s longest-running boy band, if it can still be called that with its youngest member pushing 40 — is splitting up.

 

將近30年來，無數日本人每逢他們發專輯就叫好搶購，排隊屏息期待他們的演唱會，並在周一夜聚在一起觀賞他們火紅的電視節目。

 

現在，SMAP即將解散這消息讓這個國家陷入了愁雲慘霧。SMAP是日本歷史最悠久的男孩樂團，如果它還能稱作男孩樂團的話，最年輕的成員都已年近40。

 

The news has dominated newspaper headlines and television talk shows since the band’s announcement this month. Even the mayor of Tokyo and two members of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s Cabinet have weighed in. One said he was worried about the effect on the Japanese economy, the world’s third-largest.

 

“We will not let them stop!” a grieving fan wrote in one of more than a dozen petitions on change.org pleading with the aging heartthrobs to remain together. “If we let them go and disband, it means Japan is finished.”

 

樂團決定解散的消息本月宣布後，隨即攻占報紙的頭條和電視談話節目。甚至東京都知事和首相安倍晉三內閣的兩位成員也發表看法。其中一人表示擔心日本經濟會受影響，日本是世界第三大經濟體。

 

change.org網站上懇求這個已有歲數的偶像天團不要解散的請願文一打不止，一名傷心粉絲寫道：「我們不准他們喊停！如果我們讓他們走和解散，日本也就完了。」

 

To understand the bedlam unfolding here, think of the Beatles’ breaking up, the airing of the final episode of “Seinfeld” and the “conscious uncoupling” of Gwyneth Paltrow and Chris Martin all rolled into one — the end of an era on the Japanese cultural landscape.

 

SMAP’s most famous saccharine single, “The Only Flower in the World,” is regularly taught in Japan’s schools. But SMAP is not just a wildly popular band whose albums have sold more than 35 million copies, making it one of the most successful musical acts in Japanese history.

 

想了解此間的抓狂狀態，不妨想像「披頭四」分手、「歡樂單身派對」播出最後一集，以及好萊塢女星葛妮絲派楚和丈夫克里斯馬丁「清醒分手」的三合一效果──它代表日本文化景觀一個時代的謝幕。

 

SMAP最知名的甜蜜單曲「世界上唯一的花」，是日本學校的必教歌曲。SMAP唱片總銷量超過3500萬張，是日本史上最成功的樂團，然而它卻不只是個紅到不行的樂團。

 

For two decades, its five members — Masahiro Nakai, Takuya Kimura, Goro Inagaki, Tsuyoshi Kusanagi and Shingo Katori — have also hosted one of Japan’s top-rated television programs, “SMAP X SMAP,” a family-friendly variety show in which they cook for celebrity guests, compete in games, perform comedic skits and, of course, sing. Each has starred on his own in numerous television series, movies and commercials. The frontman, Nakai, has been a newscaster for several Olympic Games.

 

20年來，SMAP的5位成員，中居正廣、木村拓哉、稻垣吾郎、草彅剛和香取慎吾，同時是日本收視率極高電視節目「SMAP X SMAP」的主持人。他們在這個適合闔家觀賞的綜藝節目中為名人嘉賓做菜、玩競賽遊戲、表演喜劇橋段，當然，還有唱歌。每一團員都獨自在許多電視連續劇、電影和廣告中擔綱。主唱中居正廣還是數屆奧運的新聞主播。

 

The group, whose members started out as teenagers performing on skateboards and now range in age from 39 to 44, managed to both broaden its audience beyond adolescent girls and hold on to them over the years. Many of their most ardent fans are women who grew up with them.

 

SMAP, an acronym for Sports Music Assemble People, also has legions of fans in China, South Korea, Taiwan and elsewhere in Asia.

 

這個天團的成員出道時是青少年，在滑板上表演，現今年齡在39到44歲間。多年來他們既成功擴大觀眾群，不讓它只限於青少女，又牢牢抓住這些青少女。許多最死忠的粉絲是和他們一起長大的女性。

 

SMAP是「運動音樂結合人類」的縮寫，在大陸、南韓、台灣和亞洲其他地區都有粉絲軍團。

 

Source article: https://paper.udn.com/udnpaper/POH0067/302673/web/

 

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。