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謹慎理財 信用至上

—— 以上為播客煮與 Firstory Podcast 廣告 ——

Summary: 
On average, students who graduate from public university in the US is expected to have over USD35000 in student debt loan.
Official government statistics also indicates that 71% of US students are burdened with student loans, with minorities – black women hit the hardest. For students, it’s the inability to repay the loans on time that is incurring additional interest, and over time the debt just keeps piling upwards. 

Next article Singapore schoolchildren is struggling with stress from school. According to news reports, the number of schoolchildren seeking psychiatric help is increasing. To ease the pressure of students, the government removed some exams in primary and secondary schools and group the students according to ability in math and science classes. 

Full article here: https://www.15mins.today/blog/724-about-education-student-debt-a-life-sentence-for-millions-of 

Vocabulary and Sample Sentences: 

Debt n. A sum of money that is owed or due / a feeling of gratitude for a service or favor You will be in debt if you borrow money from the bank that you cannot pay back. Thank you for the help, I am in your debt. 

Burden v. n. A heavy load ; load heavily The student loans over time will become a huge burden for the graduates. Please don’t burden yourself with too much debt before you get a job. 

Anxiety n. adj. A feeling of worry, nervousness, or unease about uncertain outcome Compared to student in other countries, Singaporean students suffer from greater anxiety. 

中國信託聯手統一集團推出uniopen聯名信用卡

2025年12月31日前消費享最高11%回饋

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謹慎理財 信用至上

—— 以上為播客煮與 Firstory Podcast 廣告 ——

Topic: South Korean ’phone maniac’ won’t give up his LG smartphones

South Korean Ryu Hyun-soo describes himself as an ’’LG phone maniac’’ and says he won’t give up his LG smartphones even though the company is getting out of the business.
南韓人柳賢秀形容自己是「LG手機狂人」，還說即使這家公司準備停止手機業務，他也不會棄用。

LG Electronics Inc. said in April it would wind down its smartphone division by the end of July because of a prolonged sales slump.
LG電子4月宣布，由於長期銷售委靡，將在7月底前逐步關閉手機部門。

Ryu, 53, who has collected nearly 90 devices over 23 years, said the audio quality made him fall in love with them. At his house in Anyang, Ryu has a room dedicated to the devices and the parts and tools to fix them.
23年來蒐集近90支LG手機的53歲柳男說，音質使他鍾情於此。在他位於安養市的家中，有一個房間專門放LG手機和修理用的相關零件和工具。

He’ll use the LG phones "forever" as long as the parts are still being supplied.
只要零件仍持續供應，他將「永遠」使用LG手機。

"A Samsung phone is like a smart friend and an Apple phone is like a girlfriend to me. Then a LG phone is like a friend whom I’ve shared the ups and downs of life together with. It is sad to see the friend leaving. It is very sad," Ryu said.
柳男說：「對我來說，三星手機就像聰明的朋友，蘋果手機就像女朋友，而LG手機就像與我一起度過人生高低潮的朋友。看著這位朋友離開很難過，真的很難過。」

Next Article

Topic: The ‘Right to Repair’ Movement Gains Ground

If you buy a product — a car, a smartphone, or even a tractor — and it breaks, should it be easier for you to fix it yourself?
如果你買了一個產品，例如一輛汽車、一部智慧型手機，甚至是一台拖拉機，結果它壞了，是不是應該讓你自己修理起來更容易些呢？

Manufacturers of a wide range of products have made it increasingly difficult over the years to repair things, for instance by limiting availability of parts or by putting prohibitions on who gets to tinker with them. It affects not only game consoles or farm equipment, but cellphones, military gear, refrigerators, automobiles and even hospital ventilators, the lifesaving devices that have proved crucial this year in fighting the COVID-19 pandemic.
多年來，許多種產品的製造商都讓維修變得愈來愈困難，比如限制零件的取得，或對何人有權動手維修施加限制。受影響的產品不止於遊戲主機或農用機具，還有手機、軍用設備、冰箱、汽車，甚至包括今年對抗新冠病毒疫情發揮關鍵作用的救生設備—醫院裡的呼吸器。

Now, a movement known as “right to repair” is starting to make progress in pushing for laws that prohibit restrictions like these.
現在，一項名為「維修權」的運動在推動禁止此類限制的立法上，正取得進展。

In August, Democrats introduced a bill in Congress to block manufacturers’ limits on medical devices, spurred by the pandemic. In Europe, the European Commission announced plans in March for new right-to-repair rules that would cover phones, tablets and laptops by 2021.
今年8月，美國民主黨因防疫需要而在國會提出一項法案，旨在阻止製造商對醫療裝置設下限制。在歐洲，歐盟執行委員會3月宣布了新的維修權規定計畫，在2021年以前實施，涵蓋手機、平板電腦和筆記型電腦。

And in more than 20 statehouses nationwide, right-to-repair legislation has been introduced in recent years by both Republicans and Democrats.
近年來，在全美國20多個州的議會裡，共和黨和民主黨都提出了維修權法案。

Over the summer, the House advanced a funding bill that includes a requirement that the Federal Trade Commission complete a report on anti-competitive practices in the repair market and present its findings to Congress and the public.
今年夏天，眾議院推動了一項資助法案，其中責成聯邦貿易委員會做成一份關於維修市場反競爭行為的報告，並向國會和民眾提交調查結果。

The goal of right-to-repair rules, advocates say, is to require companies to make their parts, tools and information available to consumers and repair shops in order to keep devices from ending up in the scrap heap. They argue that the rules restrict people’s use of devices that they own and encourage a throwaway culture by making repairs too difficult.
倡議人士表示，維修權規定的目的是要求企業向消費者和維修商家提供零組件、工具及資訊，以免這些裝置最終被扔進垃圾堆。他們主張，目前的慣例對人們使用自己的裝置設下限制，並透過讓維修變得太過困難的方式，助長了一種用完即丟的文化。

They also argue that it’s part of a culture of planned obsolescence — the idea that products are designed to be short-lived in order to encourage people to buy more stuff. That contributes to wasted natural resources and energy use at a time when climate change requires movement in the opposite direction to rein in planet-warming emissions.
他們還認為，這是一種計畫性淘汰文化的一部分，即為了鼓勵人們購買更多東西，產品被設計成短命的。在氣候變遷需要採取反向行動來控制溫室氣體排放的此際，這助長了自然資源的浪費以及能源的使用。

Manufacturing a new device or appliance is still largely reliant on polluting sources of energy — electricity generated from burning fossil fuels, for instance — and constitutes the largest environmental impact for most products.
製造一種新設備或裝置在很大程度上，仍仰賴會造成汙染的能源，例如燃燒化石燃料產生的電力，對大多數產品而言，這正是構成最大環境影響的因素。Source article: https://udn.com/news/story/6904/5015841

Next Article

Topic: Help for Curing The Phone Addiction

Like pretty much everyone, Susan Butler stares at her smartphone too much. But unlike most everyone, she took action, buying a $195 ring from a company called Ringly, which promises to “let you put your phone away and your mind at ease.”
和大多數人一樣，蘇珊．巴特勒盯著智慧手機看的時間太長了。不一樣的是，她採取了行動，從Ringly公司買了一只195美元的戒指，保證可「讓你手機放一旁，腦袋放輕鬆」。

Ringly does this by connecting its rings to a smartphone filter so that users can silence Gmail or Facebook notifications while preserving crucial alerts, which cause the ring to light up or vibrate.
Ringly透過將戒指連接一個篩選程式辦到這一點，因此使用者可以讓Gmail或Facebook通知改為靜音，同時保留重要提示，這時戒指會發光或震動。

“Hopefully it will keep some distance between my phone and my hand,” said Ms. Butler, 27, a technology consultant who lives in Austin, Texas.
住在德州奧斯汀、27歲的科技顧問巴特勒說：「希望它能讓我的手機和我的手之間保持些距離。」

Given how quickly cellphones have taken over, it’s easy to forget that they are still a relatively new technology. The first iPhone came out eight years ago.
手機快速地主導了人們的生活，很容易讓我們忘了它仍是相當新的科技。第一支iPhone問世不過是8年前的事。

Yet already people spend close to three hours a day looking at a mobile screen – and that excludes the time they spend actually talking on the phones.
然而已有人每天花近3小時看手機－這還不算實際用手機講電話的時間。

In a recent survey of smartphone use by Bank of America, about a third of respondents said they were “constantly” checking their smartphones, and a little more than two-thirds said that they went to bed with a smartphone by their side. New companies see a business opportunity in helping people cut back.
美國銀行最近一項智慧手機使用調查發現，約三分之一受訪者表示「不斷」查看手機；略多於三分之二的人說，睡覺時把手機放在身旁。一些新公司在幫助人們少用手機這件事上看到了商機。

“Technology has evolved so quickly that we have spiraled out of control and nobody has stopped to think about how this is going to impact our lives,” said Kate Unsworth, the founder of a British company, Kovert, that also makes high-tech jewelry to filter out everything but the most urgent stuff.
英國Kovert公司製造的高科技首飾能濾除最緊急資訊以外的所有訊息，創辦人凱特．安茲沃斯說：「科技發展飛快，讓我們失去掌控，沒有人停下來思考這一切會如何影響我們的生活。」

Smartwatches like the Apple Watch are designed to encourage more glancing and less phone checking. In June, Google and Levi’s announced plans for a line of high-tech clothes that will allow people to do things like turn off a ringing phone by swiping their jacket cuff.
Apple Watch之類智慧手表設計宗旨在於讓人多簡單過目，少滑手機。谷歌和Levi’s六月宣布一項高科技服飾系列的合作計畫，讓人們能做拍打外套袖口就關掉手機響鈴之類的事。

Offtime limits customers’ access to apps they overuse and produce charts on how much time they spend on their phones. Moment encourages people to share their phone use with friends to compete in a game of who can look at their phone the least. And Light Phone, a credit-card-size phone that does nothing but make and receive phone calls.
Offtime程式限制顧客開啟過度使用的應用程式，並製作圖表顯示他們花在手機上的時間。Moment鼓勵人們和朋友分享自己使用手機的狀況並互相比賽，看看誰能最少看手機。還有信用卡大小的手機Light Phone，只能撥打及接聽電話。

NoPhone is a $12 piece of plastic that looks like a smartphone but actually does nothing. “Most people don’t think about phone addiction as a real thing until you’re like, ‘O.K., they’re buying a piece of plastic because they are worried about their friend,’ ” said Van Gould, head of the nascent venture that had sold close to 3,200 NoPhones.
NoPhone是塊12美元的塑膠，看來像支智慧手機，實際上啥也不能做。這家新興公司已售出近3200支NoPhone，老闆范恩．古德說：「多數人沒把手機成癮真當個問題，直到你覺得『是的，他們買了一件塑膠，因為他們擔心朋友。』」

Adam Gazzaley, a neurologist and neuroscience professor at the University of California, San Francisco, said, “You have a population that is starting to say, ‘Wait, we love all this technology but there seems to be a cost – whether it’s my relationship or my work or my safety because I’m driving and texting.’ ”
舊金山加州大學神經病學家暨神經科學教授亞當．加札利說：「有一群人開始說『等等，我們愛這些科技，但似乎要付代價－無論是我的感情、工作或安全，因為我邊開車邊打簡訊。」

Some products are trying to find a balance. Google Now uses data to bother you only when you need it. “If I’m about to forget my kid’s birthday I want the phone to scream at me until I do something about it,” said Sundar Pichai, Google’s senior vice president of products.
有些產品試著尋求平衡。Google Now只在你需要時用數據打擾你。Google產品資深副總裁桑達．皮柴說：「在我將要忘記孩子的生日時，我要手機對我尖叫，直到我讓它停止。」

Smartphones are a potent delivery mechanism for two fundamental human impulses, according to Paul Atchley, a psychology professor at the University of Kansas: our quest to find new and interesting distractions, and our desire to feel that we have checked off a task.
堪薩斯大學心理學教授保羅．艾區利表示，對於兩項基本的人類衝動而言，智慧手機是有力的傳遞機制：尋求新鮮有趣的娛樂，以及感覺自己檢查過一項工作的欲望。

“The brain gets literally rewired to switch – to constantly seek out novelty, which makes putting the phone down difficult,” he said.
他說：「大腦實際上會重新連接以轉變，持續尋求新奇事物，這使得放下手機很困難。」

Addiction or not, Ms. Butler still sought help from Ringly.
無論成癮與否，巴特勒仍持續自Ringly尋求幫助。

Mr. Atchley is skeptical. Successful treatment, he said, is about controlling our demons – not outsourcing them.
艾區利表示懷疑。他說，成功的治療在於控制自己的心魔－而非將此事外包。

In technology, as in life, a little willpower goes a long way.
面對科技，一如面對生活，一點點意志力就很有用。Source article: https://paper.udn.com/udnpaper/POH0067/282793/web/#2L-6186766L

中國信託聯手統一集團推出uniopen聯名信用卡

2025年12月31日前消費享最高11%回饋

完成指定任務加碼每月免費跨行轉帳10次，ATM存領外幣各1次免手續費

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謹慎理財 信用至上

—— 以上為播客煮與 Firstory Podcast 廣告 ——

Summary: Houses in small towns in Japan are given away for free.

Japan is now facing an unusual property problem – more homes than people to live in them. According to statistics, in 2013, there were a total of 61m houses and 52m households in Japan. The aging society is going to make the situation worse. 

Full article: https://www.15mins.today/blog/702-about-japan-japan-has-so-many-vacant-homes-it-s-giving-them-away 

Vocabulary and Sample Sentences: Prefecture n. – a district under the authority of a prefect or governor. Tokyo prefecture is the second largest single metropolitan area in the world behind New York. 

Household n. – a house and its occupants regarded as a unit. The average number of people per household in Taiwan is 3.07. 

Next summary: Embetsu agricultural high school in northern Hokkaido avoided being shut down by reviving the school’s sheep farming and lamb products that is now considered a souvenir / local specialty. 

Vocabulary and Sample Sentences: 

Sth is at stake idiom. – something is being risked and may be lost or damaged. The school’s survival was at stake if it wasn’t for the great lamb products they produced. 

Breeding n. The mating and production of offspring by animals. The Embetsu high school was responsible for the breeding of Suffolk sheep.

中國信託聯手統一集團推出uniopen聯名信用卡

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謹慎理財 信用至上

—— 以上為播客煮與 Firstory Podcast 廣告 ——

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國際時事跟讀 Ep. L028: Trump's 'Big, Beautiful Bill': Winners and Losers Emerge

Highlights 主題摘要

• Trump's sweeping tax and spending bill permanently extends 2017 tax cuts while making historic cuts to Medicaid and food assistance programs.
• Corporate America and high-income earners benefit significantly, while low-income Americans face reduced safety net support and potential benefit losses.
• The legislation adds $3.4 trillion to federal deficits over ten years, raising concerns about elevated interest rates and government debt.

President Trump's "big, beautiful bill" achieved a narrow congressional victory in July 2025, marking his administration's most significant domestic policy achievement. The sweeping 887-page legislation permanently extends the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act while implementing substantial changes to federal spending priorities. House Republicans celebrated the 218-214 passage after the Senate's razor-thin 51-50 approval required Vice President Vance's tie-breaking vote. The comprehensive package combines tax relief measures with increased border security funding, defense spending enhancements, and energy production investments, fundamentally reshaping America's fiscal landscape for the coming decade.

川普總統的「大而美法案」在2025年7月於國會驚險過關，標誌著其政府最重要的國內政策成就。這項涵蓋887頁的全面性立法永久延長2017年減稅與就業法案，同時對聯邦支出優先順序進行重大改革。在參議院以51比50的微弱優勢通過，需要副總統萬斯投下關鍵性的一票後，眾議院共和黨人為218比214的表決結果慶祝。這項綜合性法案結合了減稅措施、增加邊境安全經費、強化國防支出和能源生產投資，從根本上重新塑造美國未來十年的財政結構。

Corporate America emerged as the legislation's primary beneficiary, with major business groups applauding the permanent tax breaks and enhanced deductions. Manufacturers particularly benefit from immediate write-offs for new facility construction and expanded semiconductor tax credits. High-income Americans gain substantially, with the top 20% of earners receiving nearly $13,000 annual increases and the wealthiest 0.1% gaining over $290,000 yearly. Small businesses and partnerships secure permanent deductions, while workers receiving tips and overtime enjoy temporary tax breaks through 2028. The state and local tax deduction cap increases from $10,000 to $40,000 for five years.

美國企業界成為該立法的最大受益者，主要商業團體對永久性減稅和強化扣除額表示讚賞。製造業者特別受惠於新廠房建設的立即沖銷和擴大的半導體租稅優惠。高收入美國人獲得可觀利益，收入前20%的族群每年增加近13,000美元，最富有的0.1%每年可獲得超過290,000美元。小型企業和合夥事業獲得永久性扣除額，而領取小費和加班費的勞工在2028年前可享有暫時性減稅。州及地方稅扣除額上限從10,000美元提高到40,000美元，期限為五年。

The legislation's most controversial elements target America's social safety net through unprecedented cuts to Medicaid and food assistance programs. For the first time in Medicaid's 60-year history, work requirements become federally mandated, while SNAP work mandates expand to include parents of children aged 14 and older. The Congressional Budget Office estimates 11.8 million Americans will lose Medicaid coverage over the next decade, with few gaining access to employer-based insurance. Low-income households earning under $18,000 annually face $165 reductions in after-tax income, representing a 1.1% decrease in their already limited resources.

該立法最具爭議性的部分鎖定美國的社會安全網，透過對低收入醫療保險和糧食援助計畫進行史無前例的削減。在低收入醫療保險60年歷史中首次將工作要求列為聯邦強制性規定，而糧食券工作要求擴大到包括14歲及以上子女的父母。國會預算辦公室估計，未來十年將有1,180萬美國人失去低收入醫療保險給付，其中很少人能取得雇主提供的保險。年收入低於18,000美元的低收入家庭面臨稅後收入減少165美元，這相當於他們本已拮据資源的1.1%減少。

The bill's long-term economic implications raise significant concerns among fiscal experts and healthcare providers. Adding $3.4 trillion to federal deficits over ten years risks elevating interest rates, making borrowing more expensive for consumers and businesses while increasing government debt servicing costs beyond $1 trillion annually. Hospitals face reduced state support for Medicaid patients and increased uncompensated care burdens. Clean energy industries lose tax incentives, while electric vehicle credits end prematurely. The legislation fundamentally alters America's economic priorities, potentially setting the stage for contentious debates during the 2026 midterm elections as implementation consequences become apparent.

該法案的長期經濟影響引起財政專家和醫療照護提供者的嚴重關切。十年內增加3.4兆美元聯邦赤字恐將推升利率，使消費者和企業的借貸成本提高，同時將政府債務利息支出推升至每年超過1兆美元。醫院面臨州政府對低收入醫療保險患者的支援減少，以及無償醫療照護負擔加重。綠能產業失去租稅誘因，而電動車購車補助提前終止。該立法從根本上改變美國的經濟政策優先順序，隨著實施後果逐漸浮現，可能為2026年期中選舉期間的激烈辯論埋下伏筆。

Keyword Drills 關鍵字

1. Legislation [noun, laws collectively]: The sweeping 887-page legislation permanently extends the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act while implementing substantial changes to federal spending priorities.
2. Sweeping [adjective, wide-ranging and far-reaching]: The sweeping 887-page legislation permanently extends the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act while implementing substantial changes to federal spending priorities.
3. Beneficiary [noun, a person who receives benefits]: Corporate America emerged as the legislation's primary beneficiary, with major business groups applauding the permanent tax breaks and enhanced deductions.
4. Controversial [adjective, causing disagreement or heated discussion]: The legislation's most controversial elements target America's social safety net through unprecedented cuts to Medicaid and food assistance programs.
5. Contentious [adjective, causing or likely to cause disagreement]: The legislation fundamentally alters America's economic priorities, potentially setting the stage for contentious debates during the 2026 midterm elections.

Reference article:
1. https://edition.cnn.com/2025/07/03/business/trump-big-beautiful-bill-business-economy
2. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/whats-in-trump-big-beautiful-bill-senate-version/

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Topic: Inside Italy’s Shadow Economy

In a second-floor apartment in the southern Italian town of Santeramo in Colle, a middle-aged woman sat in a black-padded chair this summer, hard at work at her kitchen table. She carefully stitched a sophisticated woolen coat, the sort of style that will sell for 800 to 2,000 euros ($935 to $2,340) when it arrives in stores this month as part of the fall and winter collection of MaxMara, the Italian luxury fashion brand.
在義大利南部城鎮聖埃拉莫因科萊一棟公寓的二樓，一名中年婦女今年夏天坐在黑色軟墊的椅子上，在廚房用桌前辛勤地工作著。她以針線細心縫製一件精緻的羊毛外套，這個款式本月送進商店時，標價800至2,000歐元（935至2,340美元）不等，是義大利奢侈品牌MaxMara秋冬系列的一部分。

But the woman, who asked not to be named for fear that she could lose her livelihood, receives just 1 euro from the factory that employs her for each meter of fabric she completes.
不過，擔心可能因此失去生計而不願透露姓名的這名女性，每完成1公尺面料，只能從雇用她的工廠那裡拿到1歐元。

“It takes me about one hour to sew one meter, so about four to five hours to complete an entire coat,” said the woman, who works without a contract, or insurance, and is paid in cash on a monthly basis. “I try to do two coats per day.”
這名女性說：「我大概1小時縫1公尺，大約4到5小時完成一整件外套。我試著每天做兩件大衣。」 她的工作沒有聘雇合約，也不提供保險，僅按月支領現金。

The unregulated work she completes in her apartment is outsourced to her from a local factory that also manufactures outerwear for some of the best-known names in the luxury business, including Louis Vuitton and Fendi. The most she has ever earned, she said, was 24 euros ($28) for an entire coat.
她在公寓內完成，未受任何規範的這份工作，是當地一家工廠外包給她的，該廠還替奢侈品界另一些知名品牌製造外套，包括路易威登和芬迪。她說，她所獲得的最高收入，是一整件外套24歐元（合28美元）。

Homework — working from home or a small workshop as opposed to in a factory — is a cornerstone of the fast-fashion supply chain. It is particularly prevalent in countries such as India, Bangladesh, Vietnam and China, where millions of low-paid and predominantly female homeworkers are some of the most unprotected in the industry, because of their irregular employment status, isolation and lack of legal recourse.
家庭代工─ 在家中或小型工作室而非工廠工作─已成為快速時尚供應鏈的基石。在印度、孟加拉、越南和中國這些國家，家庭代工尤其普遍，數以百萬計，且主要是女性的家庭代工從業人員 ，因就業狀況不穩定，孤立和欠缺法律追索權，屬於該行業中最缺乏保護的一群。

That similar conditions exist in Italy, however, and facilitate the production of some of the most expensive wardrobe items money can buy, may shock those who see the “Made in Italy” label as a byword for sophisticated craftsmanship.
然而，類似狀況同樣存在於義大利，而且幫忙生產錢能買到的一些最昂貴衣物，卻可能讓視「義大利製造」標籤為精緻工藝代名詞的人震驚。

Increased pressure from globalization and growing competition at all levels of the market mean that the assumption implicit in the luxury promise — that part of the value of such a good is that it is made in the best conditions, by highly skilled workers, who are paid fairly — is at times put under threat.
全球化帶來更大壓力，市場各層面競爭亦日益激烈，意味奢侈品的承諾之一，這種商品部分價值來自它在最佳狀態下，由高技術、拿合理報酬的工人製造的這項隱含的假設，不時受到威脅。

Although they are not exposed to what most people would consider sweatshop conditions, the homeworkers are allotted what might seem close to sweatshop wages. Italy does not have a national minimum wage, but roughly 5 to 7 euros per hour is considered an appropriate standard by many unions and consulting firms. In extremely rare cases, a highly skilled worker can earn as much as 8 to 10 euros an hour. But the homeworkers earn significantly less, regardless of whether they are involved in leatherwork, embroidery or another artisanal task.
儘管他們的處境還不到大多數人會認為是血汗工廠的境地，但家庭代工的工資似已接近血汗工廠。義大利沒有設定全國最低工資，但許多工會和顧問公司認為每小時5-7歐元是適當標準。在極少數情況下，高技術工人每小時可賺取8-10歐元。但是家庭代工的收入低了許多，無論他們從事的是皮革製品，刺繡或其他手工藝工作。
Source article: https://paper.udn.com/udnpaper/POH0067/332436/web/

Next Article

Topic: White truffles fetch 75,000 euros at Italian auction 義大利拍賣會 白松露七萬五千歐元高價拍出

Alba, a small town in the northwestern region of Piemonte, is known as Italy’s white truffle capital.
阿爾巴是位於義大利西北部皮埃蒙特的一個小鎮，被稱為義大利白松露之都。

It has hosted Italy’s most famous white truffle market, during which the auction is held, for close to 90 years.
義大利最著名的白松露市集在此舉辦已近九十年，松露拍賣會則在此間舉行。

Every year at this time it hosts the famous International Alba White Truffle Fair, which attracts around 100,000 visitors from all over the world who come to buy, sell and smell the tasty tuber.
每年此時，阿爾巴舉辦著名的國際阿爾巴白松露會展，吸引了來自世界各地的大約十萬名訪客前來，來買賣和嗅聞這些美味的蕈類。

Dry weather and changing climate patterns have hit production and sent prices soaring. Over the past 25 years, there has been a 30 percent decrease in truffle production. In some places, they are disappearing altogether.
乾燥的天氣和不斷變化的氣候模式已重創松露的產量，並使其價格飛漲。在過去的二十五年間，松露產量已下降了百分之三十。在某一些地方，松露正徹底消失。

Truffle hunter Marilena Tarable says with this week’s much needed rain the truffles have started growing a little bigger and a bit rounder because the earth has softened.
松露獵人馬利雷娜‧塔拉布雷表示，本週降下了及時雨，因此松露已開始變大、變圓了一點，因為泥土變軟了。

“But up until now, with the very hard earth, it’s really hard to extract them,” she says.
「但是到目前為止，因為泥土很硬，要拔起松露真的很難。」她說道。

A highlight of the fair is the truffle auction, now in its eighteenth year, with proceeds going to charitable causes. This Sunday it took place in Grinzane Cavour Castle with live satellite links to Hong Kong and Dubai. The winning bidder for the biggest truffle at this year’s auction, from Hong Kong, paid 75,000 euros for a well-rounded truffle weighing 850 grams.
會展的一大亮點是松露拍賣，今年是第十八年舉辦，所得款項將捐助慈善事業。拍賣會上週日在格林贊‧卡烏城堡舉行，現場並有衛星連線至香港和杜拜。
今年拍賣會上最大松露的得標者來自香港，花了七萬五千歐元買下了一枚重達八五○公克、形狀飽滿的松露。

Isabelle Gianicolo of the National Truffle Study Centre noted that the auction price was “symbolic” and did not necessarily reflect the true market price, since the proceeds were donated to charitable causes.
全國松露研究中心的伊莎貝‧加尼可洛指出，拍賣價格是「象徵性的」，並不一定反映實際的市場價格，因為拍賣的收益要捐贈給慈善事業的。
Source article: http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/lang/archives/2017/11/18/2003682450

Next Article

Topic: Fresh pizza vending machine prompts curiosity and horror in Rome

Raffaele Esposito, the 19th century Neapolitan credited with inventing Italy’s most famous type of pizza, may be turning in his grave：Rome has a new vending machine which slides out freshly cooked pizzas in just three minutes.
義大利人克勞狄歐．贊皮加嘗試羅馬的披薩自動販賣機製作的披薩。 （路透檔案照）
被譽為義大利最有名披薩發明人的19世紀拿波里人拉斐爾．艾斯波西多，或許會死不瞑目：羅馬現在有一種新的販賣機，可在短短3分鐘內送出新鮮烤出爐的披薩。

Buyers using the flaming red "Mr. Go Pizza" machine can choose from four different kinds of pizzas costing from 4.50 to 6 euros. The machine kneads and tops the dough and customers can watch the pizza cook behind a small glass window.
顧客可在這台火紅色的「披薩隨來先生」販賣機上，從4種不同的披薩中選擇，售價介於4.5到6歐元不等。機器會揉麵團、在麵團上加配料，顧客可隔著一扇小玻璃窗觀看製作過程。

"It looks good but it is much smaller than in a restaurant and there is less topping," said Claudio Zampiga, a pensioner.
退休人士克勞狄歐．贊皮加說，「看起來不錯，但是比在餐廳的小一點，而且料少了點。」
Gina, a pensioner who declined to give her surname, rejected the concept outright. "Terrible. Pizza really needs to be eaten hot, immediately. This doesn’t work for me," she said.
拒絕透露姓氏的退休女子吉娜完全拒絕這個概念。「糟糕。披薩真的需要趁熱吃，對我來說，這不行。」

Next Article

Topic: Italy says arrivederci to cafe culture 義大利向咖啡文化說再見

Like pizza and ice cream parlours, the coffee bar is sacred in Italy. But the tradition of going for a cappuccino or an espresso is under threat from a new menace - the coffee machine. Thanks to aggressive marketing by manufacturers, who are practically giving them away free in offices, factories, universities and even train stations, self-service coffee is invading Italy and putting in peril the livelihood of many baristas.
就像披薩和冰淇淋店一樣，咖啡吧在義大利具有神聖不可侵犯的地位。但義大利人到咖啡吧喝杯卡布奇諾或濃縮咖啡的傳統現在受到新對手的威脅 - 咖啡機。在咖啡機製造商祭出強勢促銷手段，在辦公室、工廠、大學、甚至火車站裡幾乎免費奉送咖啡之後，自助式咖啡正大舉入侵義大利，許多咖啡師傅的生計也岌岌可危。

New figures show half a million automatic coffee machines have been installed in the past year in public places, serving an estimated two million 'portions' of coffee.
根據最新統計數字，過去一年間義大利的公共場所內已裝設了五十萬台自動咖啡機，估計可提供兩百萬份咖啡。

One of the reasons for the change is that Italians are struggling to deal with a faster pace of life, under pressure to do more, earn more and not waste time.
造成這項改變的原因之一，是義大利人正努力適應更快的生活步調，應付必須做更多事、賺更多錢、不要浪費時間的壓力。

The depersonalisation of the coffee rite is sneaking into Italian homes as well. Sales of automatic machines were recently declared in a brides' magazine to be the most sought-after gift of young couples.
這種去除人性色彩的喝咖啡儀式也正偷偷潛入義大利的家庭中。一本新娘雜誌最近就宣稱，自動咖啡機是年輕新人最想要的結婚禮物。Source article: https://features.ltn.com.tw/english/article/paper/1453710; https://news.ltn.com.tw/news/world/paper/39829

Summary:

The effects of climate change is becoming more and more severe every year. New study predicts that by 2050, London will be as warm as the climate in Barcelona. Not to mention that hundreds of other major cities worldwide could be facing droughts, flooding, storms, and other climate catastrophes.

Full article: https://www.15mins.today/blog/657-about-europe-climate-change-and-greece-s-gig-economy

Vocabulary and Sample Sentences :

Prediction n . The action of predicting something / a forecast

• Peter’s prediction of a rainy weather this afternoon proved to be true.

Catastrophe n. – event causing great and sudden damage or suffering / disaster

• Typhoon Morakot was an environmental catastrophe that destroyed crops in Southern Taiwan.
• Taiwan suffered catastrophic consequences following the September 21stearthquake.

Summary:

After Greece’s austerity policy kicked in, the government that was buried under debt is now collecting annual tax bills upfront that’s driving small business owners out of business and turn themselves to the “gig economy”. So half of Greece’s young people are unemployed and those who work in the gig economy are working long hours for low wages and no job security.

Full article: https://www.15mins.today/blog/657-about-europe-climate-change-and-greece-s-gig-economy

Vocabulary and Sample Sentences:

Gig n. A performance by a musician / a temp job that has uncertain future

• My friend’s band is doing a gig in Taipei this coming weekend.
• Some of my unemployed friends are taking on gigs on the side to make more money.

Afloat adj. floating in water / out of debt.

• I need to work another job to keep my finance afloat.
• My first swimming lesson was to kick as much as I can to stay afloat.

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Topic: Belgian city finds its former mayor’s heart in a fountain

For years it was just an urban myth. Then the diggers moved in and found it was true - that the heart of a former mayor of the eastern Belgian city of Verviers really was buried under a fountain.
多年以來，這不過是個都市神話。然後，挖土機進駐，發現是真的—比利時東部韋爾維耶市前市長的心臟，真的埋在一座噴泉下。

A small metal box, containing Pierre David’s heart in an ethanol-filled jar, was uncovered during renovation work on the city’s ornate stone fountain last month.
上月在該市裝飾華麗的石頭噴泉翻修工程中，發現了一個小金屬盒，內含一只充滿乙醇、放有皮埃爾．大衛心臟的廣口瓶。

The relic is mentioned in civic documents, but until it was found "no one really believed it," Verviers city councillor Maxime Degey told Reuters.
韋爾維耶市議員馬克西姆．德杰告訴路透，民間文件曾提及此遺物，但直到它被發現前，「沒人真的相信」。

David, the city’s first mayor after Belgium became an independent country, was still in office when he died in 1839 after falling from a building.
大衛是比利時成為獨立國家後的該市首任市長，1839年在位時墜樓身亡。

Authorities built a fountain in his honour and, with his family’s permission, placed his heart under a stone in the monument in 1883.
為了向他致意，當局建了個噴泉，並在其家屬允許下，1883年把他的心臟放在這座紀念建物一塊石頭下。

The box is on display at the Verviers Museum of Fine Arts and Ceramics. It will be returned to the Fontaine David in the city’s Place Verte once the renovation is complete.
這個盒子正在「韋爾維耶繪畫與陶瓷博物館」展出。一旦位於該市「綠色廣場」的「大衛噴泉」整修完畢，它將回歸原處。

Next Article

Topic: Fifty meters up and two apart - Belgium’s dinner-in-the-sky relaunches 在50公尺上空相距2米：比利時高空晚餐重新開張

Belgians looking for a different culinary experience will once again be able to eat 50 metres above the ground as the dining-in-the-sky experience returns from COVID-19 lockdown with a new, socially distanced feel.
尋求不同餐飲經驗的比利時人，將再次能夠於地面50公尺上方吃東西，因為高空用餐經驗從2019冠狀病毒疾病行動限制令後，正以著一種新的社交距離感重返。

Belgium-based Dinner in the Sky, which has been set up in some 60 countries since its 2006 launch, involves diners strapped into seats at a table suspended from a crane while well-known chefs cook and serve from the centre.
2006年開張以來在將近60國設立的比利時「空中餐廳」，把用餐者和一架起重機吊著的餐桌座位繫在一起，而知名主廚們在中間烹調服務。

Their original platform sat 22 people together along the perimeter, but in the COVID-19 era, up to 32 diners will now reserve four-person private tables spaced apart. The chefs and servers also have a little more space to roam.
他們原本的平台是22人圍著坐，但在2019冠狀病毒疾病時代，多達32名用餐者現在將預約彼此間隔的4人桌。主廚和侍者也有多些空間遊走。

Dinner in the Sky offers three sittings - for lunch and two for dinner over the coming two weeks. The price is 295 euros per head or 150 euros for weekend afternoon cocktails.
「空中餐廳」提供3個入席時段—未來2週有午餐以及晚餐2個時段。價位是平均每人295歐元，或週末下午雞尾酒150歐元。
Source article: https://features.ltn.com.tw/english/article/paper/1402192 ; https://features.ltn.com.tw/english/article/paper/1400700

Next Article

Topic: A Brussels start-up is hoping to stir a culinary revolution in Belgium by pushing crunchy crickets as a protein alternative to meat.

布魯塞爾一家新創公司，藉著推出脆口的蟋蟀當做肉類以外的蛋白質另類選擇，希望在比利時掀起一波料理革命。
Eco-friendly ’Little Food’ said its crickets, which can be eaten dried, in different flavors such as garlic or tomato, or turned into flour, were also friendlier on the environment.

對生態友好的「小食」說，蟋蟀可以用各種不同口味乾吃，例如蒜頭或番茄，或是化為粉狀，相較於一些畜牧業，都是對環境更友善。
"For the same amount of protein as a cow for instance, they （crickets） need 25 times less food, they need 300 times less water, and they produce 60 times less greenhouse gases," Little Food cricket breeder Nikolaas Viaene said.

「小食」蟋蟀飼養員尼可拉斯．維安納說：「拿牛當例子，要取得等量的蛋白質，蟋蟀所需食物少了25倍，用水少了300倍，而牠們製造的溫室氣體少了60倍。」
While eating insects is common practice in a number of countries, such as China, Ghana, Mexico and Thailand, Brussels residents seemed unsure about putting crickets on the menu.

當吃蟲在一些國家司空見慣，例如中國、迦納、墨西哥和泰國，布魯塞爾居民對於把蟋蟀放進菜單，則顯得躊躇猶豫。
Strolling in downtown Brussels, Efthimia Lelecas declined the offer of a cricket snack： "No, I’m not eating that," she said. "No, no, that looks awful, no, no...no."
漫步在布魯塞爾市中心，埃弗奇米亞．樂勒卡斯拒絕一份送上門的蟋蟀零食，她說：「不，我不要吃那個。」「不、不，那看來好可怕，不、不……不。」
Source article: http://iservice.ltn.com.tw/Service/english/english.php?engno=1115149&day=2017-07-01

Next Article

Topic: Bike-promoting Belgian minister finds own cycle stolen

推廣騎自行車的比利時部長發現自己的單車被偷了
A Belgian minister arrived by bike to a news conference to promote cycling on Tuesday, only to find it had been stolen when he left half an hour later.

週二，比利時一位部長為了推廣騎自行車，騎單車至新聞發佈會現場，半小時後離開，卻發現自己的單車被偷了。
Ben Weyts, minister of mobility for the Dutch-speaking region of Flanders, unveiled a plan to invest 300 million euros （$320 million） in cycle lanes until 2019, as part of a wider program to promote alternative modes of transport.

班．維茨，荷語法蘭德斯區的交通部長，推出一項斥資3億歐元（3億2000萬美元）在2019年前興建自行車專用道的計畫，作為範圍更廣泛的推廣替代性交通模式的一部分。
"We left the bike in racks at the station and locked it," a spokesman for the minister said. "When we got back half an hour later, it was gone."

「我們把單車停在停車架上，還上了鎖，」該位部長的發言人說。「當我們半小時後回來，車就沒了。」
While Belgium is a country obsessed with cycling as a sport, cars are the main method of commuting to work, leading to some of the worst road congestion in Europe.

比利時仍堅信騎自行車是一種運動，汽車還是通勤上班的主要工具，使得比國的交通壅塞情況在歐洲數一數二。
The minister had to call his driver to pick him up from the station in Halle, just south of Brussels, the spokesman said, and hoped police would discover the bicycle thief with the help of security camera footage.

發言人說，部長只好打電話給他的司機，要司機到位於布魯塞爾南部的哈勒自行車站接人，自行車只能指望警方透過監視器影像的協助找出小偷。
Source article: http://news.ltn.com.tw/news/world/paper/1079689

中國信託聯手統一集團推出uniopen聯名信用卡

2025年12月31日前消費享最高11%回饋

完成指定任務加碼每月免費跨行轉帳10次，ATM存領外幣各1次免手續費

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謹慎理財 信用至上

—— 以上為播客煮與 Firstory Podcast 廣告 ——

Summary:

This article explains why autonomous vehicles are not being produced as fast as was thought at first. Pushing back the expected roll-out of this technology.

Full article here: https://www.15mins.today/blog/650-despite-high-hopes-self-driving-cars-are-way-in-the-future

Vocabulary and Sample Sentences:

Usher in: the beginning of something new

1. Did semi-conductors usher in the computer age?
2. Did Ford usher in assembly line production?  

Scramble: situation where people compete to do something

1. Is there a scramble to make private space flights a reality?
2. Did you scramble to be the first to buy the new iPhone?

Exude: some feeling or quality that can be clearly experienced or felt by other people

1. Did he exude confidence at the meeting?
2. Did she exude charm at the interview? 

中國信託聯手統一集團推出uniopen聯名信用卡

2025年12月31日前消費享最高11%回饋

完成指定任務加碼每月免費跨行轉帳10次，ATM存領外幣各1次免手續費

了解詳情> https://fstry.pse.is/83qhlf

謹慎理財 信用至上

—— 以上為播客煮與 Firstory Podcast 廣告 ——

Summary:

This article covers new measures to crack down on noise pollution from after-market exhaust systems, installed on scooters and motorcycles.

Full article: https://www.15mins.today/blog/633-cracking-down-on-noisy-scooters-during-joyriding-season

Vocabulary and Sample Sentences:

Joyriding n.: the crime of stealing a car and driving it for pleasure, usually dangerously

1. Is joyriding common in Taiwan?
2. Do Americans consider joyriding a minor offense?

Reinstate v.: return something to its previous position or status / give a person back their previous position

1. Was the project reinstated as important?
2. Was Mary reinstated as manager?

Bane n. : something that makes people unhappy or causes trouble

1. Are your neighbors the bane of your life?
2. Is work the bane of your existence?

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【15Mins Podcast】幕後教師室：澳洲口音登場！如何維持長期學習動力的三大秘訣

在最新一集的「幕後教師室」中，John老師與阿鍵老師延續上週Ali Abdaal《Feel Good Productivity》的精彩討論，深入探討如何在英語學習路上維持長期動力。本集不僅為VIP會員帶來全新的澳洲口音訓練內容，更分享了三個關鍵策略：節能（Conserve）、充電（Recharge）和目標對齊（Align），幫助學習者建立可持續的學習模式。
VIP專屬內容：澳洲口音挑戰

本週15Mins podcast為VIP會員推出全新的「多元口音」單元——澳洲口音版本。繼上次廣受好評的英式口音後，這次挑戰澳洲腔調，讓學習者體驗不同英語系國家的發音特色。
John老師解釋選擇澳洲口音的原因：「大家知不知道說，其實在多益跟雅思這種考試裡面，你聽到的都是多元口音，所以它是美國、加拿大、英國跟澳洲。」這種多元口音的訓練對於準備國際英語檢定的學習者來說格外重要。

阿鍵老師分享了自己的感受：「我自己的話，我覺得澳洲的是對我來說比印度簡單啦，但在這幾個英美加澳裡面，算比較難的。」而John老師則從自己在南非的多元文化成長經驗出發，強調包容性的重要：「我不會覺得說哪一個accent就比較好或哪一個accent就比較不好，因為我遇到什麼人，我就要用什麼樣的方式跟他應對。」
突破口音迷思：國際化的語言觀

兩位老師特別討論了台灣學習者對於「標準」英語發音的過度執著。John老師提出了一個重要觀點：「我們在台灣也有一部分過分的在意說，一定要像美國人那樣子，那個才叫好的英文，或是一定要像英國人那樣子才叫好的英文。」

他進一步以國際化的角度解釋：「如果是數位遊牧民族來說的話，大家就可以想想，其實有差嗎？你可能去一個hostel，然後你去住那個bunk bed，一個房間六個人，裡面有五個口音。」這種多元包容的語言觀念，對於現代國際交流環境來說更加實用和重要。

維持學習動力的三大核心策略

本集的重點是Ali Abdaal書中提到的維持長期動力的三個關鍵概念，這些策略不僅適用於自媒體創作，同樣能夠有效應用在英語學習上。
1. 節能（Conserve）：避免過度承諾
「節能」的核心概念是避免overcommit（過度承諾）。John老師以減肥為例說明：「不要overcommit，有點像我們在減肥的時候，你不要想說我今天就要減掉一公斤，這其實不是很健康的想法。」

在英語學習上，這意味著不要因為看到他人的學習進度而盲目追趕。「因為隔壁棚的誰誰誰，他英語練習，他可以看一個小時的影片，然後做一個小時的習題，You don't have to be this guy。」

阿鍵老師補充道：「比較常聽到的是說，我們今天就是要背可能50個單字之類的，這種其實真的也是蛮消耗自己的精神的。」
兩位老師強調，重點不在於背多少單字，而是「沉浸在英語多長的時間」。這種觀念轉換讓學習者能夠以更永續的方式進行英語練習，避免因過度逼迫自己而產生倦怠感。

2. 充電（Recharge）：找到能量回補的方式
「充電」的概念與先前討論的「Play」元素相呼應。如果學習變得太像任務，就會持續消耗能量；相反地，如果能找到讓自己感到愉悦的方式，就能在學習過程中同時充電。
John老師建議：「如果15分鐘的drill exercise是你的routine activity，然後你要怎麼recharge呢？可能你的recharge是看YouTube video，就放著聽，或者聽podcast，那你就會覺得recharge。」

阿鍵老師回憶起之前討論過的獎勵機制：「我們在安排練習的時候，在另外再安排一個練習後的這個獎賞，讓自己完成這一段練習之後可以做什麼事情。」
重點是要確保這些活動能夠真正回補能量，而不是進一步消耗。如John老師所說：「重點是你要覺得你的能量在回補，不是能量在消耗。」

3. 目標對齊（Align）：讓學習與生活目標一致
「目標對齊」可能是三個概念中最具挑戰性的，但也是最重要的。John老師分享了一個物理治療師學生的案例來說明這個概念的重要性。

該學生喜歡看CSI影集，並詢問這是否能幫助他準備多益考試。John老師建議他改看ER（急診室的春天）這類醫療相關影集：「你要不要換成ER，可能跟你的自己的本業、專業的部分有關，然後你可以從中分類哪一些是專業的語言跟哪一些是非專業的語言。」

更進一步，John老師質疑多益考試是否真的適合這位醫療從業人員：「其實TOEIC當目標可能不是一個很好的目標，會不會是比如說全民英檢，對你來說更有用？」
這個案例突顯了一個重要原則：「從自己比較熟悉的領域出發，絕對沒有錯。我們不要跨領域，跨領域絕對會比較辛苦。」

從專業領域出發的學習策略
John老師提出了一個實用的通用法則：「從自己的專業領域出發，絕對沒有錯，更容易培養興趣，更容易沉浸在英語的環境裡面。」
他以生動的例子說明跨領域學習的困難：「就像我們要聽，比如說我們非engineer的，然後突然去看了很多YouTube有關引擎怎麼拆解，那個其實有一點點困難，有點硬。」
相反地，如果從熟悉的領域出發，就像那些從小喜愛恐龍的孩子一樣，「他可能三四歲，所有的恐龍英文他都會念，連什麼侏羅紀啊、白堊紀恐龍都會。」
阿鍵老師也分享了一個小學生研究月球背面的例子，說明當學習與興趣結合時，「他在做報告的時候，他可以直接講這個月面的岩石組成，他就說有什麼石英岩，他直接講出來也不用查字典。」

建立可持續的學習循環
整集節目的核心信息是建立「可持續的學習能量」（Sustainable Energy）。這不是要求學習者每天都保持最高強度的學習狀態，而是要建立一個能夠長期維持的學習循環。
正如John老師總結的：「要Conserve your energy，Recharge when you can，And align your goals with your personal and professional goals together。如果個人的目標跟你的專業的目標可以連在一起，那是最好的。」

這三個策略相輔相成，幫助學習者在英語學習的長路上不僅能夠持續前進，更能夠享受整個過程。節能讓我們避免倦怠，充電讓我們保持熱情，目標對齊則確保我們的努力真正有意義且能夠發揮最大效益。

邀請互動與持續成長
節目結尾，John老師鼓勵聽眾分享自己的學習心得：「有任何通勤家族跟我們今天分享的topic有共鳴，或者是你有什麼你的learning tips想要跟我們分享，歡迎用留言連結。」
同時也提醒尚未加入VIP會員的聽眾：「我們有非常多的加值內容跟學習筆記都準備好給大家，幫助大家把耳朵跟嘴巴打開。」
想要體驗澳洲口音的挑戰，學習如何建立可持續的英語學習模式？

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國際時事跟讀 Ep.K991: Kashmir Crisis: Deadly Attack Triggers New India-Pakistan Conflict

Highlights 主題摘要：

• A terrorist attack killing 26 tourists in Kashmir has ignited severe diplomatic crisis between India and Pakistan.
• India suspended the historic Indus Water Treaty, potentially threatening millions who depend on shared water resources.
• Military escalation risks between nuclear-armed neighbours echo dangerous parallels to the 2019 Balakot crisis.

A brutal terrorist attack in Indian-administered Kashmir has thrust nuclear-armed India and Pakistan toward dangerous confrontation. Last week, militants massacred 26 tourists including 25 Indians and one Nepali national in Pahalgam's remote valley. Gunmen specifically targeted male victims, with survivors reporting attackers accused some tourists of supporting Prime Minister Modi's policies. This horrific incident unfolded in an isolated area accessible only by foot or horseback, highlighting the catastrophic vulnerability of civilians caught in this territorial dispute.

在印度一側的喀什米爾發生了一場殘酷的恐怖襲擊事件，將擁有核武的印度和巴基斯坦推向危險對抗。上週，武裝份子在帕哈爾加姆偏遠山谷中屠殺了 26 名觀光客，包括 25 名印度人和 1 名尼泊爾人。槍手特別鎖定男性受害者，有倖存者報告稱，襲擊者指控某些遊客支持印度總理莫迪的政策。這起駭人聽聞的事件發生在僅能透過徒步或騎馬抵達的偏僻地區，凸顯了平民在此領土爭端中的災難性脆弱性。

New Delhi responded with unprecedented diplomatic aggression, accusing Pakistan of orchestrating cross-border terrorism. The retaliatory measures were severe: closing the crucial Wagah border crossing, implementing draconian restrictions on Pakistani visas, and forcibly expelling military attachés from Islamabad's embassy. Most alarmingly, India suspended participation in the 1960 Indus Water Treaty, a diplomatic achievement that has miraculously survived three major wars. Pakistan immediately denounced this move as potentially catastrophic, declaring that any interference with water resources would constitute grounds for war. This dispute threatens hundreds of millions dependent on the Indus River system flowing from Tibet through Kashmir to Pakistan.

新德里以前所未有的外交攻勢作為回應，指控巴基斯坦策劃跨境恐怖主義。報復措施十分嚴厲：關閉兩國至關重要的瓦加邊境，對巴基斯坦簽證實施嚴苛限制，並招回駐點首都伊斯蘭馬巴德使館的軍事武官。最令人震驚的是，印度暫停參與 1960 年《印度河用水條約》(Indus Water Treaty)，這項外交成就曾奇蹟般地度過三次大規模戰爭。巴基斯坦立即譴責此舉可能帶來災難，宣稱任何干預水資源的行為都將構成戰爭理由。這場爭端威脅著數億依賴印度河 (Indus River) 水系的人口，該河系從西藏流經喀什米爾再抵達巴基斯坦。

The contested Kashmir region has dominated India-Pakistan relations since 1947's partition created two nations from British colonial India. Both countries claim complete sovereignty over the mountainous territory while controlling different segments, having sacrificed thousands of lives in three devastating wars. The situation deteriorated dramatically in 2019 when Modi's Hindu-nationalist administration unilaterally stripped Kashmir's constitutional autonomy, triggering massive protests and militant resurgence. Despite government claims of reduced violence following this controversial action, the Pahalgam massacre brutally demolished such narratives. Multiple militant organisations continue waging insurgency, demanding either complete independence or merger with Pakistan, while India maintains these groups operate with direct Pakistani state sponsorship.

自 1947 年英屬印度分裂成兩個國家以來，有爭議的喀什米爾地區一直主導著印巴關係。雙方國家雖控制不同地區，但都宣稱對這片山區擁有完整主權，為此在三場毀滅性戰爭中付出了數千生命的代價。局勢在 2019 年急劇惡化，當時莫迪的印度教民族主義政府單方面剝奪喀什米爾的憲法自治權，引發大規模抗議和武裝反叛。儘管政府聲稱此爭議行動後暴力行動減少，但帕哈爾加姆屠殺事件殘酷地粉碎了這些說辭。多個武裝組織持續發動叛亂，要求徹底獨立或與巴基斯坦統一，而印度則堅稱這些團體受到巴基斯坦國家直接支持。

The international community, led by United Nations representatives, has pleaded for restraint as both nuclear powers edge dangerously close to military confrontation. Pakistani leadership has categorically rejected involvement accusations while pledging cooperation with neutral investigations. Nevertheless, India has already demonstrated military readiness through naval missile exercises, while security forces intensify counterterrorism operations throughout Kashmir. Political analysts draw troubling parallels to 2019's Balakot crisis, when India conducted unprecedented airstrikes inside Pakistani territory following another Kashmir attack.

以聯合國代表為首的國際社會，在這兩個核武強國危險地走向軍事對抗時，懇請雙方保持克制。巴基斯坦領導層斷然否認涉入指控，同時承諾配合中立調查。然而，印度已透過海軍導彈演習展示軍事準備，同時安全部隊在整個喀什米爾加強反恐行動。政治分析家將當前情勢與 2019 年的巴拉科特 (Balakot) 危機相提並論，當時印度在另一起喀什米爾襲擊事件後，對巴基斯坦領土進行了前所未有的空襲。

The current escalation endangers not only regional stability but also crucial bilateral agreements like the water-sharing treaty that remarkably endured previous conflicts. Anti-Pakistan demonstrations have erupted across Indian cities, potentially fueling dangerous anti-Muslim sentiment nationwide. As public anger intensifies in both countries, the global community anxiously monitors developments for signs of military action. The stakes couldn't be higher: any miscalculation between these nuclear-armed neighbours could trigger catastrophic consequences far beyond South Asian borders. Experts emphasise that only diplomatic de-escalation can prevent this dangerous standoff from spiraling into full-scale war.

當前的情勢升級不僅危及區域穩定，還威脅到水資源共享條約等關鍵雙邊協議，這些協議曾驚人地挺過先前的衝突。反巴基斯坦示威在印度各城市爆發，可能引發全國性的反穆斯林情緒。隨著兩國民眾怒火升溫，全球社會焦慮地監控事態發展，尋找軍事行動的跡象。風險已到極點：這些核武鄰國間的任何誤判，都可能引發遠超南亞邊界的災難性後果。專家強調，唯有外交降溫才能阻止這場危險對峙演變成全面戰爭。

Keyword Drills 關鍵字：

1. Confrontation [noun. a serious fight or argument between people or groups]: A brutal terrorist attack in Indian-administered Kashmir has thrust nuclear-armed India and Pakistan toward dangerous confrontation.
2. Catastrophic [adjective. extremely harmful or serious, causing great damage]: This horrific incident unfolded in an isolated area accessible only by foot or horseback, highlighting the catastrophic vulnerability of civilians caught in this territorial dispute.
3. Deteriorated [verb. become worse or weaker]: The situation deteriorated dramatically in 2019 when Modi's Hindu-nationalist administration unilaterally stripped Kashmir's constitutional autonomy, triggering massive protests and militant resurgence.
4. Counterterrorism [noun. actions taken to prevent terrorist attacks]: Nevertheless, India has already demonstrated military readiness through naval missile exercises, while security forces intensify counterterrorism operations throughout Kashmir.
5. Miscalculation [noun. a mistake in judging or estimating something]: The stakes couldn't be higher: any miscalculation between these nuclear-armed neighbours could trigger catastrophic consequences far beyond South Asian borders.

Reference article: https://edition.cnn.com/2025/04/24/india/pahalgam-india-pakistan-attack-explainer-intl-hnk

Topic: A Fresh Take on a 1934 ‘Murder’ 

A gruesome murder has been committed on a train in the middle of the night. Only 13 occupants of the carriage could have committed the dastardly deed. Was it a) the Russian princess; b) the American widow; c) the English governess; or d) the Hungarian count? Or any of the nine other multinational posh people and their servants rubbing shoulders on the luxury locomotive, snowbound in the middle of Eastern Europe, with a brilliant Belgian detective inconveniently in their midst?

一宗可怕的謀殺案在夜半的火車上發生。只有13名旅客可能犯下這惡行。是ａ）俄羅斯公主；ｂ）美國寡婦；ｃ）英國女家教；或ｄ）匈牙利伯爵呢？抑或是其他9位來自各國的紳士淑女和他們的僕人，眾人在受困東歐中部大雪的豪華火車車廂裡摩肩擦踵，這其中還碰巧有個厲害的比利時偵探？

Chances are this sounds familiar. It’s the setup for one of the most famous detective stories in the world: Agatha Christie’s 1934 novel “Murder on the Orient Express,” which has sold millions of copies. It was made into a sumptuous 1974 movie, directed by Sidney Lumet with the starriest of casts (Lauren Bacall, Sean Connery, Ingrid Bergman!). It has been adapted for television, stage and radio. There is a Japanese television version and a computer game.

這聽起來或許耳熟能詳。這是全球最著名偵探小說之一的場景：阿嘉莎．克莉絲蒂1934年的小說「東方快車謀殺案」，銷售數以百萬本計。導演薛尼·盧梅1974年翻拍成豪華版電影，有最耀眼的明星陣容（洛琳·白考兒、史恩·康納萊、英格麗·褒曼！），另並改編成電視劇、舞台劇和廣播劇，且有日本電視劇版本和一款電玩遊戲。

All this meant that Kenneth Branagh, the director and star of the new film version, which opened in the United States on Friday with the starriest of casts (Johnny Depp, Michelle Pfeiffer, Penélope Cruz, Judi Dench!), had his own mystery to solve. How do you reinvent one of the world’s best-loved whodunits for a new era? Branagh’s solution was to modify, and sometimes entirely change, character and plot details in ways that may dismay purists but that he felt would give the piece a more contemporary resonance.

這意味最新版本電影的導演兼主角肯尼斯·布萊納必須拿出一套解開謎團的獨到功夫，新片11月11日在美國上映，仍然有最耀眼的卡司（強尼·戴普、蜜雪兒·菲佛、潘妮洛普·克魯茲、茱蒂·丹契！）你要如何在新的世代詮釋最受世人喜愛的偵探小說呢？布萊納的方法是把角色與劇情細節進行修飾，時而甚至完全予以改變，這麼做或許會令純粹主義者沮喪，他卻覺得更能讓作品引起當代人的共鳴。

“There is always the thorny issue of who will know the plot and how can we divert them,” Branagh said in a telephone interview. “We knew we had to get people’s attention for a recalibrated character in Poirot,” Christie’s idiosyncratic Belgian detective.

布萊納接受電話訪問時說：「總會碰到有些人已經知道劇情，你該如何轉移他們的注意力，讓他們覺得有趣的棘手問題。我們知道，我們必須吸引人們注意經過修改的角色白羅（克莉絲蒂創造的怪異的比利時偵探）。」

To that end, Branagh and the scriptwriter, Michael Green, begin the movie with a showdown at the Western Wall in Jerusalem, as the detective solves another mystery. “I wanted to embrace the exotic and worldly side of Christie, to come into the big, hot open skies and find a new Poirot, our ticket for an exotic adventure,” Branagh said.

為達此目的，布萊納與編劇麥可·格林以偵探在耶路撒冷西牆解開一個對決謎團的方式，揭開電影序幕。布萊納說：「我想擁抱克莉絲蒂奇異與入世的一面，進入那既大又熱的開放天空，找到一個新的白羅，這是我們奇異冒險的門票。」

With an opening that has Poirot tripping up an escaping villain in a positively James Bond-esque manner, Branagh immediately established the detective as a far more dashing man of action than the novel’s small hero “muffled up to the ears of whom nothing was visible but a pink-tipped nose and the two points of an upward curled mustache.”

這個開場讓白羅以絕對詹姆士·龐德的方式逼逃犯露出馬腳，布萊納也立刻將這位偵探塑造成遠比原著中小號英雄瀟灑的行動派男子漢；原著中的小號英雄「衣服直蓋到耳朵，除了一個粉紅鼻子，以及上捲的兩綹髭鬚，什麼都看不見」。Source article: https://paper.udn.com/udnpaper/POH0067/320990/web/ 

Next Article 

Topic: The Actor Behind the Ape 

The leader of the troops walks slowly through the ranks of soldiers, who part respectfully, as he looks at them with an expression that combines anger, pain and grim intent. But this isn’t a human commander. It’s Caesar, the ape who is the principal figure in 20th Century Fox’s “Planet of the Apes” franchise. The scene comes from the latest in the series, “War for the Planet of the Apes,” which opens in the United States on July 14, and has generated laudatory reviews.

帶領部隊的長官慢慢走進士兵的隊伍中，士兵們尊敬地讓開，他仔細檢視他們，臉上的表情夾雜著憤怒、痛苦和不屈服的決心。但這位長官不是人類的指揮官。牠是「凱撒」，這頭猩猩是20世紀福斯公司「猩球崛起」系列電影的主角。這一幕出自此系列的新片「猩球崛起：終極決戰」，7月14日在美國上映，已經佳評如潮。

In “War,” the fragile truce between humans and apes has given way, and we discover the sinister Colonel (played by Woody Harrelson), whose early actions set in motion a series of devastating events for both populations.

在「終極決戰」片中，人類和猩猩之間脆弱的停火已維持不下去，而我們發現這位陰險的上校（伍迪哈里森飾演），他的初步行動開啟了一連串對人類和猩猩的毀滅事件。

Caesar, the ape whose expressions we are watching via digital transformation as he reacts to the Colonel’s murderous deeds and musters his forces, is played by British actor Andy Serkis. In BoxOfficeMojo.com’s ranking of actors by their ticket sales, Serkis is in the top 30, outflanking Brad Pitt and Daniel Radcliffe, among other far more famous names. His films average $125 million at the box office, more (by some distance) than those of Samuel L. Jackson or Tom Hanks. He has been acting professionally for nearly 30 years and has starred in numerous movies, some of them blockbusters like “The Lord of the Rings” trilogy, the 2005 “King Kong,” “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” and the “Apes” reboot.

凱撒，我們正透過數位轉換看著牠的表情的這頭猩猩，牠在對「上校」的凶狠行徑做出反應並召集牠的部隊，牠是由英國演員安迪席克斯飾演。在票房網站BoxOfficeMojo.com的男演員票房排行，安迪席克斯排在前30名，勝過布萊德彼特和丹尼爾雷德克里夫，還有其他名氣大得多的演員。他的電影平均票房1.25億美元，比山繆傑克森、湯姆漢克還多（差距不小）。他從事專業演出近30年，主演過許多電影，其中不乏大賣片，像是「魔戒」三部曲、2005年的「金剛」、「星際大戰7：原力覺醒」和「猩球崛起」的重拍電影。

Yet, for most moviegoers, Serkis, 53, is probably neither a household name nor face, since he has specialized for more than a decade in creating roles through performance capture — a complex technology that records the movement and facial expressions of human actors and then painstakingly renders them digitally to create fantastical characters, like Caesar, Gollum and King Kong.

然而，對大多數電影觀眾來說，53歲的席克斯大概不是家喻互曉的名字或臉孔，因為他十多年來專精於透過動態捕捉科技創造角色─這是一種複雜的科技，記錄人類演員的動作和表情，再費力地數位化，創造出想像的角色，像是凱撒、咕嚕和金剛。

Caesar, wrote A.O. Scott of The New York Times in a review of “Dawn of the Planet of the Apes,” is “a role that continues to redefine screen acting in the digital age. His facial expressions and body language are so evocatively and precisely rendered that it is impossible to say where his art ends and the exquisite artifice of Weta Digital, the special-effects company, begins.”

紐時影評人A.O.史考特在「猩球崛起：黎明的進擊」的評論寫道，凱撒是「數位時代繼續重新定義大銀幕表演的角色。他的臉部表情和身體語言如此生動和精準演出，不可能說他的演藝止於何處，特效公司Weta數位公司的精良技術又自何處開始。」Source article: https://paper.udn.com/udnpaper/POH0067/315730/web/#top 

Next Article 

Topic: Berlin Film Festival to make acting prizes gender neutral 

The organizers of the Berlin International Film Festival (aka Berlinale) said last Monday that they will stop awarding separate acting prizes to women and men beginning next year, and the performance awards will be defined in a gender-neutral way at next year’s festival, for which a physical event is planned.

柏林國際影展主辦單位上週一表示，自明年起，他們不再分別頒發男女演員獎項。明年的影展將會以性別中立的方式來定義表演獎項，並將舉行實體典禮。

The festival awards a Golden Bear for the best film and a series of Silver Bears, which until this year included best actor and best actress honors. Organizers said those prizes will be replaced with a Silver Bear for Best Leading Performance and a Silver Bear for Best Supporting Performance.

柏林影展頒發金熊獎給最佳影片，以及銀熊獎給一系列項目，截至今年，銀熊獎均包括最佳男主角及最佳女主角獎。主辦單位表示，這些獎項將以最佳主角銀熊獎，及最佳配角銀熊獎兩獎項取代。

In a statement, the co-heads of the festival, Mariette Rissenbeek and Carlo Chatrian, said “not separating the awards in the acting field according to gender comprises a signal for a more gender-sensitive awareness in the film industry.”

柏林影展兩位總監瑪麗耶特‧里森貝克及卡洛‧夏堤安在一份聲明中表示：「不以性別來區分表演類獎項，所包含的信號是電影界對性別有更加敏銳的意識」。

The festival’s Golden Bear is one of the most prestigious awards in Europe, together with the Palme d’Or of the Cannes festival in France and the Golden Lion award of the Venice Film Festival. Cannes still singles out a best actor and actress, while Venice awards a Volpi cup to actors of each sex.

德國柏林影展的金熊獎為歐洲地位最高的電影獎之一，與法國坎城影展的金棕櫚獎，以及義大利威尼斯電影節的金獅獎齊名。坎城影展及威尼斯影展仍分別頒發男、女演員獎。

At the same time, the Alfred Bauer Prize, which is named after the festival’s founding director, will be permanently retired. The prize was suspended this year due to revelations about Bauer’s role in the Nazis’ moviemaking bureaucracy.

此外，以柏林影展創辦人命名的阿爾弗雷德‧鮑爾獎將永不再頒發。鮑爾被踢爆曾為納粹政府電影機構工作，因此今年該獎停頒。

Commenting on the decision to hold a physical event next year, despite uncertainties due to the coronavirus pandemic, the two directors stressed the need for a “lively relationship with the audience.” “In times of the corona pandemic, it has become even clearer that we still require analogue experience spaces in the cultural realm,” they said, noting that other festivals have also resumed holding physical rather than virtual events. The 2021 festival is scheduled for Feb. 11-21.

縱有冠狀病毒疫情所造成之不確定性，對於明年柏林影展舉行實體典禮的決定，兩位總監強調「與觀眾保持活生生關係」之必要性。「冠狀病毒疫情中愈發清楚顯示，在文化場域中，我們仍需要能提供類比經驗的空間」，他們表示，其他影展也已恢復舉行實體典禮。二○二一年之柏林影展訂於二月十一日至二十一日舉行。Source article: https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/lang/archives/2020/08/31/2003742547

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【15Mins Podcast】幕後教師室：從天主教教宗談到大阪萬博！國際時事話題全面解析

在最新一集的「幕後教師室」中，John老師與阿鍵老師以輕鬆的咖啡對談方式，帶領聽眾深入探討本週引人注目的國際時事，從教宗方濟各的辭世到大阪世博會的準備情況，提供多元的英語話題素材，幫助聽眾在各種場合展開自然的英語對話。

教宗方濟各與宗教領袖的社會意義
本集節目首先討論了教宗方濟各辭世的新聞，John老師指出，無論是哪種宗教的領袖，他們對社會都有重大意義：「我們看到任何的宗教的領袖去天堂了以後，我們都覺得說很惋惜，因為這些領袖占我們社會的意義還蠻大的，他們有很多social responsibility。」

阿鍵老師分享了一個有趣的發現，關於中文翻譯的特殊之處：「為什麼他就是我們中文翻譯叫他方濟各？就是我們很多關於天主教的翻譯，用的有點是古早時期的翻譯。」兩位老師從方濟各（Francisco/Francis）、保祿（Paul）到約翰（John）等名稱的多語言翻譯差異，展開了一段饒富趣味的語言文化探討。
同時，節目也提到了新任教宗Leo的選舉，這次又再次選出非歐洲、非意大利人士擔任天主教精神領袖，顯示出天主教組織在國際化方面的進步。甚至有趣地討論到參與選舉的主教們，透過觀看好萊塢電影來「惡補」教宗選舉知識的趣聞。

大阪世博會：全球文化交流的平台
接著，兩位老師轉向了2025年大阪世博會的話題。阿鍵老師回顧了上一次在亞洲舉辦的2010年上海世博會：「上海那次每一個館、每一個國家的館都做得超級好、超級漂亮，那這次在大阪就沒有這麼誇張。」

John老師和阿鍵老師討論了在世博會這類國際活動中經常出現的地緣政治敏感問題，如烏俄衝突、巴勒斯坦與以色列的緊張關係等，同時也指出這類活動的初衷：「辦這些萬國博覽會或辦奧運，意思是unity，他們其實目標是讓大家可以更團結一致，讓所有人類更團結一致，地球只有一個嘛。」
節目中也提到大阪世博會目前門票銷售情況不如預期，引起人們對於投資回報的擔憂，尤其是在東京奧運因疫情而造成巨大虧損後。不過，世博會的核心價值在於全球文化交流，而非純粹的商業收益。

文化輸出與日本動漫的全球影響力
談到日本文化，兩位老師特別提到了大阪世博會上展示的巨型鋼彈機器人，以及日本動漫文化的全球輸出成功：「動漫文化已經輸出全球了，」John老師分享了一個56歲的朋友如何被Netflix上的動漫吸引的故事，說明這種文化交流已經突破了年齡界限。

這也引申出一個重要觀點：文化輸出和交流對國家形象和全球影響力的重要性。不僅是日本，韓國的漫畫作品如《Solo Leveling》也通過日本再輸出到台灣和全球，形成了豐富的跨文化交流網絡。

西洋棋進入電競世界的新突破
再來，兩位老師分享了西洋棋進入電子競技領域的最新發展。為了適應電競形式，西洋棋比賽採用了快棋模式，這種模式更適合直播和觀眾觀看。
John老師對比了中國象棋「觀棋不語真君子」的傳統觀念，指出在電競環境中，解說評論反而成為了不可或缺的部分：「到了eSports這件事情，沒有講評就不是eSports了，不夠熱血了。」這反映了傳統遊戲如何通過現代科技和表現形式獲得新生命的趨勢。
為何選擇這些國際時事作為學習材料？

最後，John老師強調了這些多元國際時事的實用價值：「不管是Pope Francis，就算你不是天主教的，那是不是也可以聊這件事情呢？也可以當conversation starter。」這正是15Mins podcast精選這些話題的原因——提供聽眾實用的英語對話素材，無論對象是年長者還是年輕人，國內人士還是國外人士，都能找到合適的話題切入點。
「我們通勤學英語的宗旨在做些什麼？」阿鍵老師提到了他們在Instagram上發表的文章，解釋了節目的核心理念——讓英語自然融入日常生活。John老師也鼓勵聽眾在IG上留言「我要自然學英語」，即可獲取最新版的「自然學英語手冊」。

聽眾互動與VIP會員特權
John老師在節目結尾邀請聽眾積極參與：「如果你有喜歡的文章，想要我們去挖掘出來，來分享給我們廣大的通勤家族，也歡迎使用我們的VIP Members Request Form。」同時，也鼓勵聽眾通過留言分享自己的故事和感受，有機會在幕後教師室中獲得特別提名。

想獲取更多國際時事資訊，以自然方式提升英語能力？幕後教師室」，讓John老師和阿鍵老師帶您探索世界，同時精進英語！

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國際時事跟讀 Ep.K987: Pope Francis: The Pope Who Revolutionized the Church

Highlights 主題摘要：

• Pope Francis reformed the Catholic Church with his humble approach, choosing to live simply and focusing on serving marginalized communities rather than exercising power.
• Despite criticism from conservatives, Francis made significant changes including improving women's roles in the Vatican and revising Church positions on the death penalty.
• Francis's final wishes for a simple burial with minimal ornamentation reflect his lifelong commitment to humility and his vision for a less ostentatious Church.

Pope Francis, the first Latin American pontiff who led the Catholic Church for 12 years with his distinctive humble approach, died on 21st April at the age of 88. The Vatican announced that he passed away due to a stroke that put him into a coma and ultimately led to heart failure. His death came just one day after his final public appearance on Easter Sunday, where he blessed thousands in St. Peter's Square and met with U.S. Vice President JD Vance. Born Jorge Mario Bergoglio in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Francis had suffered from chronic lung disease throughout his life and had recently spent 38 days in hospital for a respiratory crisis that developed into double pneumonia.

方濟各（Pope Francis），第一位拉丁美洲籍教宗，以其獨特謙遜作風帶領天主教會十二年，於四月二十一日辭世，享年八十八歲。梵蒂岡宣布，他因中風陷入昏迷，最終導致心臟衰竭而離世。他的離世僅在復活節星期日最後一次公開露面的隔天，當時他在聖彼得廣場為數千名信眾祝福，並會見了美國副總統范斯。方濟各出生於阿根廷布宜諾斯艾利斯，本名 Jorge Mario Bergoglio ，他一生飽受慢性肺病之苦，最近因呼吸危機發展為雙側肺炎而住院三十八天。

From his first greeting of "Buonasera" ("Good evening") on the night of his election in March 2013, Francis signaled a dramatic shift in papal style. He opted to live in the Vatican hotel rather than the Apostolic Palace, wore his old shoes instead of the traditional red papal loafers, and traveled in compact cars - all reflecting his vision for a "poor church that is for the poor." His famous response "Who am I to judge?" when asked about a gay priest sent a powerful message of welcome to LGBTQ+ Catholics who had felt excluded by the Church. Throughout his papacy, Francis consistently chose to visit marginalized communities and poor countries rather than centers of global Catholicism, demonstrating his commitment to those on society's peripheries.

從二零一三年三月當選之夜的第一聲問候「晚安（Buonasera）」開始，方濟各就預示了教宗風格的巨大轉變。他選擇住在梵蒂岡旅館而非教宗座宮，穿著舊鞋而非傳統的紅色教宗便鞋，搭乘小型車輛出行——這一切都反映了他對「為窮人服務的貧窮教會」的願景。當被問及一位同性戀神父時，他那句著名的回應「我是誰能去評判？」向曾感到被教會排除在外的 LGBTQ+ 天主教徒傳達了一個強而有力的歡迎訊息。在其任期內，方濟各始終選擇訪問邊緣社區和貧困國家，而非全球天主教中心，展現了他對社會邊緣群體的承諾。

Francis made significant changes to Church positions on key issues without altering core doctrines. He declared the death penalty "inadmissible in all circumstances" and stated that even the possession of nuclear weapons was "immoral." He added women to important decision-making roles within the Vatican and allowed them to vote alongside bishops in periodic Vatican meetings. His outspoken criticisms of capitalism and urgent calls for action on climate change earned him praise from progressives but alienated many conservatives within the Church, creating tensions that persisted throughout his papacy.

方濟各在不改變核心教義的前提下，對教會在關鍵問題上的立場做出了重大改變。他宣布死刑「在所有情況下都不可接受」，並表示即使擁有核武器也是「不道德的」。他讓女性在梵蒂岡擔任重要決策角色，並允許她們在定期的梵蒂岡會議中與主教一同投票。他對資本主義的直言批評和對氣候變遷採取行動的緊急呼籲贏得了進步人士的讚賞，但疏遠了教會內的許多保守派，造成了在其任期內持續存在的緊張關係。

The pope's funeral will be held in the Vatican on Saturday, with hundreds of thousands expected to attend. Following his own instructions for simplicity, Francis will be buried in a single coffin at the Basilica of St. Mary Major, a church outside Vatican walls that he frequently visited. His tomb will be "in the ground; simple, without particular ornamentation," with only the Latin word "Franciscus" written on it. This humble final resting place embodies the revolutionary approach of a pope who, according to Vatican correspondent Christopher White, "stripped down the funeral rites to ensure that in death he can offer one final lesson in symbolism for a church which, he hopes, will continue on a path toward humility."

教宗的葬禮將於週六在梵蒂岡舉行，預計將有數十萬人出席。依照他本人希望簡樸的指示，方濟各將被安葬在單一棺木中，安放於他經常訪問的梵蒂岡城牆外的聖母大殿（Basilica of St. Mary Major）。他的墓穴將是「簡單的地下墓穴，沒有特別的裝飾」，只刻有拉丁文「Franciscus」。根據梵蒂岡記者克里斯托弗・懷特（Christopher White）的說法，這個低調普通的最後安息所體現了這位教宗的革命性作風，「他簡化了葬禮儀式，確保在死亡中他能為教會提供一個最後的象徵性教訓，他希望教會能繼續走上謙遜之路。」

Keyword Drills 關鍵字：

1. Distinctive [adjective. having a special quality that makes something different and easy to recognize]: Pope Francis, the first Latin American pontiff who led the Catholic Church for 12 years with his distinctive humble approach, died on Monday at the age of 88.
2. Respiratory [adjective. related to breathing or the system in the body that helps you breathe]: Francis had suffered from chronic lung disease throughout his life and had recently spent 38 days in hospital for a respiratory crisis that developed into double pneumonia.
3. Outspoken [adjective. saying exactly what you think without being afraid of criticism]: His outspoken criticisms of capitalism and urgent calls for action on climate change earned him praise from progressives but alienated many conservatives within the Church.
4. Ornamentation [noun. decorations that make something look more attractive]: His tomb will be "in the ground; simple, without particular ornamentation," with only the Latin word "Franciscus" written on it.
5. Humility [noun. the quality of not thinking you are better than others; being modest and not proud]: This humble final resting place embodies the revolutionary approach of a pope who stripped down the funeral rites to ensure that in death he can offer one final lesson in symbolism for a church which, he hopes, will continue on a path toward humility.

Reference article:
1. https://apnews.com/article/vatican-pope-francis-dead-01ca7d73c3c48d25fd1504ba076e2e2a
2. https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/4/23/what-we-know-about-the-funeral-of-pope-francis

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【15Mins Podcast】幕後教師室：提升學習動力的三大關鍵！打造「Feel Good Productivity」

在最新一集的「幕後教師室」中，John老師與阿鍵老師分享了來自Ali Abdaal的《Feel Good Productivity》一書中的核心概念，為正在學習英語或任何技能的聽眾帶來激勵人心的學習策略。如何在學習過程中保持動力？如何創造讓自己感覺良好的學習環境？這集節目將帶您探索提升效能的三大關鍵「Energizer」！

告別「自我感覺良好」的誤解
「Feel Good」在中文語境中常被翻譯為「自我感覺良好」，帶有負面的自戀色彩。然而，John老師解釋，真正的「Feel Good Productivity」並非自戀，而是如何讓自己保持高度效能的關鍵——創造一個能夠激發正向動力的環境，形成正循環而非消耗性循環。

「不是叫大家依賴某種feel good，就是我買東西feel good，我吃垃圾食物才feel good這個狀況，而是要怎麼樣保持feel good的狀態，用這個feel good的狀態來boost我的productivity。」John老師如此闡述這個概念的精髓。

三大Energizer：Play, People, Power
Ali Abdaal在書中提出三個能夠讓人保持動力的「Energizer」面向，分別是Play（遊戲）、People（人際）和Power（掌控）。John老師和阿鍵老師詳細解析了這三個面向如何幫助我們在學習過程中保持熱情和動力。

1. Play：將學習遊戲化
「Play就是要怎麼樣make it fun」，John老師解釋，當我們面對枯燥無味、心生阻力的任務時，最有效的方法就是把它變成一種遊戲。阿鍵老師補充道，這不僅限於遊戲化，也可以是「找到一個你覺得會有興趣的切入點」，用不同的方式讓任務變得有趣。

John老師分享了Ali Abdaal的一個有趣觀點：「如果有人把一支槍指著你的頭，你一定有辦法讓它變成play」。這個極端例子說明了我們常常低估了自己將任務遊戲化的能力。如果你認為自己不擅長「玩」，可以向那些天生會玩的朋友學習，請他們分享如何能夠把枯燥的任務變得有趣。

2. People：建立學習社群
「People就很簡單，就是人嘛。」當我們獨自學習時，難免會感到孤獨和缺乏動力。找到志同道合的夥伴，建立學習社群，可以大大增強我們的學習動力。有人督促、鼓勵，甚至是良性競爭，都能讓學習過程更加充實有趣。

阿鍵老師提出了東西方文化差異的觀察：「台灣的人裡面，好像不是這麼多人習慣一起讀書或者一起學習某件事。」John老師則分享了自己的經驗，從高中時與班長一起讀書，到大學加入社團，人際關係常常是強大的動力來源。
兩位老師建議聽眾根據不同的學習需求，尋找適合的學習夥伴或社群：

• 可以是一對一的「speaking buddy」或「listening buddy」
• 可以是主題明確的小群組
• 也可以是志趣相投的社團或線上社群

「有哪一些人跟哪一些社群可以幫助大家，這個刺激動力的效果。」John老師強調，即使你不擅長社交，也可以請朋友帶你參加活動，慢慢融入。

3. Power：掌握主導權
「Power這件事情是你要做事情之前，你要做這個practice，怎麼樣讓你覺得有feel good，是when you are in control。」John老師解釋，當我們感覺被迫做某事時，很難產生積極的心態。相反，如果我們能夠轉換心態，讓自己感覺是主動選擇，就能創造更好的學習狀態。

John老師從語言角度提供了一個實用的轉換方式：將「I have to」（我必須要）轉變為「I want to」（我想要）。這種微妙的語言差異，能夠徹底改變我們對任務的態度和感受。
阿鍵老師補充了另一個有力的對比：「It's your duty（這是你的責任）」與「It's your right（這是你的權利）」。「當你有duty的時候，有責任，大家就想逃；你有這個right，你有這個權利的時候，怎麼不用一下呢？」

三大Energizer如何相輔相成
這三個Energizer並非互相排斥，而是可以相輔相成。如John老師所說：「三個都有的話，你可能不止事半功倍，對不對？人家花一年，你花半年，你就變成那個會刺激別人跟你一起行動的人了。」

關於如何應用這些概念到英語學習中，兩位老師提供了一些具體建議：

• 將英語學習變成遊戲，例如透過遊戲化的App或設定有趣的挑戰
• 找到英語學習夥伴，互相督促和分享進步
• 轉換心態，將「我必須學英語」變成「我想要學英語」

VIP會員專屬內容預告
兩位老師也分享了近期為VIP會員準備的精彩內容，包括AI相關新聞、製藥科技發展，以及寵物產業分析等多元主題。John老師特別感謝幾位VIP會員的內容建議：Christine對AI話題的關注、JJYY對醫藥科技的興趣，以及Zona對動物相關主題的喜愛。

另外，為慶祝母親節，聽眾Shower還特別設計了美麗的賀卡並分享了實用的列印小撇步，讓忙碌的聽眾也能在最後一刻準備一份貼心的禮物。
結語：享受學習之旅

John老師和阿鍵老師在節目結尾鼓勵聽眾思考如何運用這三大Energizer來優化自己的學習過程：「在學習英語或學習任何東西的路程上面，我們都可以去思考一下，說不會困難，可是怎麼樣讓走路走得更順遂。」

學習不應該只是為了速度，而是要「很有效率地，然後用自己的pace來去面對這些挑戰」。透過Play（遊戲）、People（人際）和Power（掌控）這三大面向，每個人都能找到適合自己的學習方式，建立持久的學習動力，享受整個學習過程。

想了解更多提升學習效能的秘訣？不要錯過15Mins Today的「幕後教師室」，讓John老師和阿鍵老師帶你探索更多學習英語的智慧與樂趣！

Summary:

In the city of Las Vegas, the abundant hotels and restaurants generate a large amount of leftover food and food scraps. Considering the environmental effects of disposing food waste, Las Vegas city has found innovative ways to deal with food scraps by sending them to pig farms, offer unserved banquet foods to food banks, and oyster shells to fill the sea.

Full article: https://www.15mins.today/blog/612-donations-pigs-part-of-las-vegas-efforts-to-cut-food-waste

Vocabulary and Sample Sentences:

Leftover/s n. food remaining after being consumed.

Leftover adj. surplus, extra

• Leftovers from the top Michelin restaurants are being sent to pig farms as animal feed.
• Would you like to take some of the leftover finger food from the conference?

Compost n. decayed material as plant fertilizer

• There are many YouTube videos teaching people how to be environmentally friendly by making compost from food waste.
• You have to dry your grass clippings before you can make compost with it.

Landfill n. a place to dispose waste by burying it or covering it with soil.

• If you don’t put your garbage out on time, you would have to take it to the landfill by yourself.
• It is not safe to build houses on land that used to be a landfill.

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國際時事跟讀 Ep.K983: Women Make Space History

Highlights 主題摘要：

• Blue Origin's rocket carried the first all-female crew to space since 1963, making history with celebrities and professionals experiencing weightlessness together for ten minutes.
• Each crew member brought personal meaning to the mission, with Aisha Bowe and Amanda Nguyen making history as the first space travelers from their heritage groups.
• The brief journey transformed the participants, especially Gayle King who overcame her fear of flying and felt empowered to face new challenges after returning.

History was made on April 14, 2025, when Blue Origin's New Shepard rocket carried the first all-female crew into space since Soviet cosmonaut Valentina Tereshkova's solo flight in 1963. The groundbreaking team included pop star Katy Perry, journalist Gayle King, Jeff Bezos' fiancée Lauren Sánchez, film producer Kerianne Flynn, former NASA scientist Aisha Bowe, and civil rights activist Amanda Nguyen. The mission, designated NS-31, marked Blue Origin's eleventh human flight and generated tremendous public interest due to its historic significance and celebrity passengers.

二○二五年四月十四日，藍色起源（Blue Origin）的「新雪帕德號」（New Shepard）火箭創造了歷史，搭載了自一九六三年蘇聯宇航員瓦倫蒂娜．捷列什科娃（Valentina Tereshkova）單獨太空飛行以來的首支全女性太空團隊。這支開創性的團隊包括流行歌星凱蒂．佩芮（Katy Perry）、記者蓋爾．金（Gayle King）、傑夫．貝佐斯（Jeff Bezos）的未婚妻勞倫．桑切斯（Lauren Sánchez）、電影製作人凱瑞安．弗林（Kerianne Flynn）、前美國太空總署（NASA）科學家艾莎．鮑伊（Aisha Bowe）以及民權活動家阿曼達．阮（Amanda Nguyen）。這次被稱為 NS-31 的任務是藍色起源的第十一次載人飛行，由於其歷史意義和名人乘客而引起了強烈的大眾關注。

The journey lasted just over ten minutes from launch to landing, with the fully autonomous vehicle reaching the Kármán line – the internationally recognized boundary of space at approximately 62 miles above Earth. After experiencing weightlessness for around four minutes, the crew returned safely to Earth, landing in the West Texas desert assisted by three large parachutes. During their brief time in zero gravity, the women floated freely inside the capsule, gathering at the windows to marvel at Earth and the moon. Perry, known for her chart-topping hits, spontaneously sang Louis Armstrong's "What a Wonderful World" as they gazed at our planet from above – a moment King later described as "really special."

從發射到著陸，整個旅程僅持續了十多分鐘，這艘全自動飛行器到達了卡門線（Kármán line）——國際公認的太空邊界，位於地球表面上方約六十二英里處。在經歷了約四分鐘的失重狀態後，機組人員安全返回地球，在三個大型降落傘的協助下降落在西德克薩斯沙漠。在短暫的零重力時間內，這些女性在太空艙內自由漂浮，聚集在窗戶旁驚嘆地欣賞地球和月亮。以熱門歌曲著稱的佩芮，在他們從太空俯瞰我們的星球時，自發地唱起了路易斯．阿姆斯壯（Louis Armstrong）的《多麼美好的世界》（What a Wonderful World）——記者蓋爾．金後來形容這一刻「真的很特別」。

Each crew member brought unique meaning to the mission. Bowe made history as the first Bahamian-American in space and conducted several research experiments during the flight. Nguyen, a Nobel Peace Prize nominee, became the first Vietnamese and Southeast Asian woman astronaut. Sánchez, who reportedly conceived the all-women mission concept shortly after Bezos' own space journey, described looking back at Earth as "profound," noting how "quiet" yet "alive" our planet appeared. King, who has battled a lifelong fear of flying, called the experience transformative, stating afterward, "I stepped out of my comfort zone in a way I never thought possible, and now I feel I can take on anything."

每位機組成員都為這次任務帶來了獨特的意義。鮑伊成為首位進入太空的巴哈馬裔美國人，並在飛行期間進行了數項研究實驗。獲提名諾貝爾和平獎的阿曼達．阮成為首位越南裔和東南亞裔女性太空人。據報導，桑切斯在貝佐斯自己的太空之旅後不久就構思了全女性太空任務的概念，她形容回望地球是「意義深遠的」，並指出我們的星球看起來是多麼「安靜」卻又「充滿生機」。一直與飛行恐懼症搏鬥的金稱這次經歷帶有改變的力量，事後表示：「我以一種我從未想過的方式跨出了我的舒適區，現在我覺得可以接受任何挑戰。」

After landing, the emotional crew members exited the capsule one by one, many dropping to their knees to kiss the ground in gratitude. Hundreds of supporters, including media mogul Oprah Winfrey, watched from below, many wearing matching yellow outfits in solidarity with King. Perry, who brought a daisy to symbolize both her daughter and Earth's beauty, confirmed she would "definitely" write a song about her experience. The historic flight highlighted both the increasing accessibility of space tourism and its profound impact on those who experience it. As King reflected during the post-flight press conference, "You look down on the planet and think: That's where we came from? It reminds us how we need to do better, be better." The mission represents a significant milestone for women in space exploration and inspires future generations of female astronauts.

著陸後，情緒激動的機組成員一個接一個地走出太空艙，許多人跪下親吻地面以表達感謝之情。數百名支持者，包括媒體大亨歐普拉．溫芙蕾（Oprah Winfrey），在下方觀看，許多人穿著配套的黃色服裝以表示對金的聲援。佩芮帶了一朵雛菊，象徵她的女兒和地球的美麗，並確認她「一定會」創作一首關於這次經歷的歌曲。這次具有歷史意義的飛行凸顯了太空旅遊的日益普及以及它對體驗者的深遠影響。正如金在飛行後的新聞發布會上所反思的：「你俯視這個星球思考：那就是我們來的地方嗎？它提醒我們需要做得更好，變得更好。」這次任務代表了女性在太空探索中的重要里程碑，並激勵了未來幾代的女性太空人。

Keyword Drills 關鍵字：

1. Cosmonaut [noun. a Russian space traveler]: History was made on April 14, 2025, when Blue Origin's New Shepard rocket carried the first all-female crew into space since Soviet cosmonaut Valentina Tereshkova's solo flight in 1963.
2. Tremendous [adjective. very big, great, or a lot]: The mission, designated NS-31, marked Blue Origin's eleventh human flight and generated tremendous public interest due to its historic significance and celebrity passengers.
3. Spontaneously [adverb. happening naturally without planning]: Perry, known for her chart-topping hits, spontaneously sang Louis Armstrong's "What a Wonderful World" as they gazed at our planet from above.
4. Symbolize [verb. to represent or stand for something]: Perry, who brought a daisy to symbolize both her daughter and Earth's beauty, confirmed she would "definitely" write a song about her experience.
5. Astronauts [noun. people who travel in space]: The mission represents a significant milestone for women in space exploration and inspires future generations of female astronauts.

Reference article:
1. https://www.npr.org/2025/04/14/nx-s1-5364460/blue-origin-launch-female-space-flight-katy-perry
2. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/gayle-king-space-launch-blue-origin-live-stream/

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Topic: Online scammer sold electronic gadgets, sent rotten bananas

A man surnamed Fang has been charged with concocting several nicknames to sell consumer electronics goods on social networking platforms concerned with second-hand items such as cellphones and game consoles. After one of his victims remitted payment for a graphics card, the buyer actually received a bunch of bananas, while someone else bought a Sony Playstation 5 game console but instead received tubes of toothpaste. The Kaohsiung City Police Department Criminal Investigation Corps (CIC) set up a task force, which traveled to Yilan County to search premises rented by Fang. Fang vehemently denied any involvement, but his denial was contradicted by evidence provided by the victims and a friend whose account had been used for the transaction. The police transferred him to the Yilan District Prosecutors’ Office on suspicion of fraud and a court granted the prosecutors’ request to hold him in detention.

一名姓方的男子被指控編造多個綽號，在與手機和遊戲機等二手商品有關的社交網絡平台上銷售消費電子產品。在他的一個受害者支付了顯卡費用後，買家實際上收到了一堆香蕉，而其他人購買了索尼 Playstation 5 遊戲機，卻收到了幾管牙膏。高雄市公安局刑偵總隊成立專案組，前往宜蘭縣搜查方某租用的房屋。方極力否認與此事有任何牽連，但他的否認與受害者提供的證據以及賬戶被用於交易的朋友提供的證據相矛盾。警方以涉嫌詐騙罪將他移送宜蘭區檢察院，法院批准了檢察機關拘留他的請求。

Speaking on Feb. 17, a spokesperson for the Kaohsiung CIC’s Eighth Detective Team said that a chip shortage and the COVID-19 pandemic have caused a worldwide shortage of PS5 game consoles, and this has forced people to buy them from second-hand device sales platforms instead, where they may even have to pay more than the recommended retail price. Realizing that many gamers were seeking to buy these devices through certain Facebook groups, 36-year-old Fang cooked up Facebook identities with nicknames like “Chou Chieh-lun,” “Chou Yu-min” and “Yang Lai-kuo” and offered to sell PS5 consoles, hot-selling second-hand cellphones and other consumer electronics goods at 10 percent off the market price. This attracted many people to place orders, but they ended up getting swindled.

2 月 17 日，高雄刑大八組發言人表示，晶片短缺和 COVID-19 大流行導致全球 PS5 遊戲機短缺，這迫使人們從二手設備銷售中購買它們相反，他們甚至可能不得不支付超過建議零售價的費用。意識到許多遊戲玩家正在通過某些 Facebook 群組尋求購買這些設備，36 歲的方方在 Facebook 上編造了“周杰倫”、“周玉敏”和“楊來國”等暱稱，並提供以低於市價 10% 的價格出售 PS5 遊戲機、熱銷的二手手機和其他消費電子產品。這吸引了很多人下訂單，但最終都被騙了。

The CIC estimates that at least 60 people fell victim to this scam between July last year and February this year, and were defrauded by a total of at least NT$1.2 million. Fang denied everything. He said he did not know “Chou Chieh-lun,” “Chou Yu-min” and “Yang Lai-kuo” and claimed that these three Facebook accounts did not belong to him.

刑大估計，去年7月至今年2月間，至少有60人受騙，被騙金額至少新台幣120萬元。方否認一切。他說他不認識“周杰倫”、“周玉敏”和“楊來國”，並聲稱這三個臉書賬號不屬於他。

The police believe that the suspect used this technique not only to evade the law by throwing up a smokescreen of civil disputes, but also to make his victims believe that the items had been mistakenly sent to the wrong recipients. This would make it take longer for his account to be put on a watch list, thus giving him more time to make his ill-gotten gains. After being arrested, Fang claimed that the cellphone was not his, but the police still handed him over to the prosecutors’ office on suspicion of fraud.

警方認為，犯罪嫌疑人利用這種技術不僅通過引發民事糾紛的煙幕來逃避法律，而且還使他的受害者相信這些物品被錯誤地發送給了錯誤的收件人。這將使他的帳戶被列入觀察名單的時間更長，從而使他有更多時間來賺取不義之財。被捕後，方稱手機不是他的，但警方仍以涉嫌詐騙罪將其移交檢察院。Source article: https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/lang/archives/2022/03/05/2003774192
 
Next Article
 
Topic: A Global Effort to Bring Rare Books In Rome to an Online Audience

Modern-day church scholars may find the going easier. Some of the texts at the library of the Pontifical Oriental Institute, a graduate school in Rome dedicated to the study of the Eastern branch of Christianity, have just been digitized and will soon be at the fingertips of a global audience.

現代教會學者可能會發現這件事變得更容易。羅馬宗座東方學院（一所致力於研究基督教東方分支的研究生院）圖書館的一些文本剛剛被數位化，很快就會被全球觀眾所接受。

The first digitized versions will be available to the public in mid-2022, the product of a charitable initiative that connected the institute with technology companies in the United States and Germany.

第一批數位化版本將於2022年年中向公眾開放，這是一項慈善活動的產物，該計劃將該研究所與美國和德國的科技公司結合起來。

The companies, said the Rev. David Nazar, the institute’s rector, understood the project's value. Many of the books come from countries such as Syria, Lebanon and Iraq, where turmoil put entire collections at risk. Others come from countries where authoritarian censorship was equally threatening.

該研究所的校長大衛·納扎爾（David Nazar）牧師說，這些公司瞭解該項目的價值。許多書來自敘利亞、黎巴嫩和伊拉克等國，那裡的動盪使整個藏品處於危險之中。其他人則來自威權審查制度同樣具有威脅性的國家。

“We’re not a hospital, we’re not in the fields of Syria,” he said, “but we have students that come from there, who study here because our resources haven’t been destroyed by war.”

"我們不是醫院，我們不是在敘利亞的田野裡，"他說，"但我們有來自那裡的學生，他們在這裡學習，因為我們的資源沒有被戰爭摧毀。

Although most of the institute’s titles are not recognizable to the general public, they are precious to scholars. They include volumes such as a Greek first edition of liturgies of John Chrysostom, an early church father, printed in Rome in 1526.

雖然該研究所的大多數頭銜不為公眾所認可，但它們對學者來說卻是珍貴的。它們包括一些卷，例如早期教會父親約翰·克裡斯托姆（John Chrysostom）的希臘語第一版禮儀，於1526年在羅馬印刷。

“The library is unique in the world,” said Gabriel Radle, a professor at the University of Notre Dame who studied at the institute.
曾在該學院研究的聖母大學教授拉德爾說：「這個圖書館在世上獨一無二。」

Its volumes cover the broad gamut that is Eastern Christianity, a term for the traditions and denominations developed in the first centuries of the church in Jerusalem and the Middle East, spreading through Greece, Turkey and Eastern Europe, north to Russia, south to Egypt and Ethiopia, and as far east as India.

它的經典涵蓋了東方基督教的廣泛範圍，東方基督教是耶路撒冷和中東教會最初幾個世紀發展起來的傳統和教派的術語，傳播到希臘，土耳其和東歐，北到俄羅斯，南到埃及和衣索比亞，東到印度。

The first set of books to be digitized were scanned by an eight-member team from a Long Island, New York, company, Seery Systems Group, using scanning technology from SMA of Germany.

第一套數位化的圖書是由紐約長島公司Seery Systems集團一個八人團隊，使用德國SMA公司掃描技術進行掃描。

The digitized books will be managed via ShelterZoom, a New York company. Chao Cheng-Shorland, CEO of ShelterZoom, said she visited the library this past year and got very excited about the project.

數位化書籍將通過紐約公司ShelterZoom進行管理。ShelterZoom首席執行官Chao Cheng-Shorland表示，她去年參觀了圖書館，並對該專案感到非常興奮。
“It’s unique, not just in the technology sense but also in the sense of contributing to such a wonderful piece of history,” she said.

"這是獨一無二的，不僅在技術意義上，而且在為這樣一段美好的歷史做出貢獻的意義上，"她說。 Source article: https://udn.com/news/story/6904/6076914
 
Next Article
 
Topic: Australia battles Big Tech over news revenue-sharing law
 
Facebook Inc has blocked Australian users from sharing and viewing news content on its popular social media platform, escalating a dispute with the government over paying media publishers for content.

備受歡迎的社群媒體臉書，將其澳洲平台上的新聞內容封鎖，不讓澳洲用戶查看及分享新聞內容。政府要求社群平台刊登新聞內容須付費給新聞發行業者，臉書此舉加劇了與政府間之爭端。

While Big Tech and media outlets have battled over the right to news content in other jurisdictions, Australia’s looming law represents the most expansive reform and is being closely watched around the world.

科技巨頭和媒體業者已在其他司法管轄區互相爭奪使用新聞內容的權利，但澳洲這項山雨欲來的法律代表著層面最廣的改革，全世界都在密切關注。

The so-called Media Bargaining Code has been designed by the government and competition regulator to address a power imbalance between the social media giants and publishers when negotiating payment for news content used on the tech firms’ sites. The proposed legislation has reached a crunch point, with widespread support in parliament, where it is expected to be voted into law within days.

澳洲政府及競爭監管機構規畫了所謂的「媒體議價法令」，以解決社群媒體巨頭與新聞發行業者談判時權力不平衡的問題，促使科技公司為其網站所使用之新聞內容付費。該立法提案已到了關鍵時刻，得到國會的廣泛支持，預計將在未來幾天內表決通過成為法律。

In recent years, traditional media companies operating in Australia have suffered huge hits to income streams, due to dwindling subscriptions and advertising. For every A$100 spent on online advertising in Australia, excluding classifieds, nearly one-third goes to Google and Facebook, the competition regulator has said.

近年來，由於訂戶及廣告量的萎縮，澳洲的傳統媒體公司收入大減。競爭監管機構表示，在澳洲，每一百澳幣的網路廣告費中（不包括分類廣告），有近三分之一是落入谷歌及臉書的口袋。

Facebook said that the law “fundamentally misunderstands” the relationship between itself and publishers and it faced a stark choice of attempting to comply with it or ban news content. It said its platform generates billions of free referrals to Australian publishers worth significant sums to the media companies.

臉書表示，該法律「從根本上誤解了」它與新聞發行業者間之關係，讓臉書面臨困難的選擇——不知該力圖遵循該法律，抑或封鎖新聞內容。臉書表示，其平台為澳洲新聞發行業者免費帶來數十億個推薦連結，這對媒體公司而言是一筆很大的收益。

Alphabet Inc-owned Google, however, has backed down from a threat to withdraw its main search engine from Australia if the laws go ahead, and has instead struck deals with some of the country’s major commercial publishers. They include a global deal with News Corp for an unnamed sum in one of the most extensive deals of its kind with Big Tech.

然而，Alphabet旗下的谷歌已不再威脅說，若該法案通過，便要撤出它在澳洲的主要搜尋引擎，而是與澳洲一些主要商業出版商談好了條件。其中包括與跨國新聞集團News Corp達成的一項全球性的交易，金額不詳，這是此類與科技巨頭所達成規模最大的交易之一。
Source article: https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/lang/archives/2021/02/22/2003752624

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【15Mins Podcast】幕後教師室：打開你的耳朵！英國口音大解析

在最新一集的「幕後教師室」中，John老師與阿建老師帶領聽眾深入探討VIP會員專屬的「多元口音單元」，聚焦於英國口音的獨特魅力與辨識技巧。想知道英國人如何發音「fast fashion」和「Mediterranean diet」？想了解為何英國口音聽起來如此優雅又帶點神祕感？這集節目將為你揭開英式英語的神秘面紗！
多元口音單元初體驗

John老師首先分享了15Mins podcast最新推出的VIP專屬內容——「多元口音單元」的首次嘗試。目前已上線的兩集內容皆聚焦於英國口音，由專業聲優老師朗讀文章，讓聽眾能夠透過反覆聆聽來熟悉不同的發音模式。這個創新的學習方式，旨在幫助大家「打開耳朵」，提升在真實生活中辨識並理解不同口音的能力。

「讓你耳朵打開，對不對？然後以後聽到路邊捷運上，或者是百貨公司裡有聽到這個accent，馬上知道他是英國人！」John老師強調，這種訓練不僅僅是為了辨識，更是為了在面對不同口音時能夠自如地溝通交流。

英國口音特點大解析

阿鍵老師和John老師一同分享了英國口音的幾個典型特徵，讓聽眾能夠更容易辨識這種迷人的發音方式：

1. A音變R音：「fast」在英式發音中會變成「fahst」，帶有微妙的R音色彩。
2. 字尾音節輕化：如「warehouse」中的R不明顯，「cost」中的ST音也較輕。
3. 獨特的O音發音：英國人發O音時，嘴型更加圓潤，形成獨特的音色。
4. D音的特殊處理：在「reduce」這個詞中，D音帶有微妙的J音色彩。
5. ER音的模糊化：如「cancer」一詞中，R音與A音混合，聽起來像「canca」。

John老師分享了自己從南非口音轉換到美式發音的經歷，展示了如何為了適應不同環境而調整自己的發音。這種親身經歷為聽眾提供了寶貴的洞見，說明了語言不僅僅是溝通工具，也是文化和身份認同的一部分。

「我小時候念的是南非口音，到台灣沒有人聽懂我的發音，所以我要換成美式發音。」這樣的轉變提醒我們，語言學習不只是追求「標準」，更要考慮實用性和適應性。
地域差異與社群影響

節目中還討論了同一個單詞在不同地區甚至同一國家不同地區的發音差異。例如「often」一詞，有些人念「offen」（不發T音），有些則念「of-ten」（發T音）。John老師解釋，這往往取決於你所處的社群和受到的教育影響。

「不是說你喜歡就好，而是你要知道說這兩個發音都有人發，可是他們的community對於這個字有時候是一個影響力的象徵。」這種洞見幫助學習者更加開放地接受語言的多樣性，而不是僅僅追求單一「正確」的發音方式。

為什麼要學習不同口音？

阿鍵老師巧妙地將美式和英式口音的差異比喻為舞蹈風格：「有點像是用跳舞來比喻的話，美國人有點像在跳街舞，英國人是那個社交舞。」英式口音更加注重韻律感和表達的優雅，而美式口音則更加直接和重點導向。

這種多元口音的學習不僅能幫助聽眾在國際交流中更加自如，也能深入了解不同文化背景的細微差異。正如John老師所說：「聽久了，一定是耳朵就打開了。」

如何加入這趣味學習之旅？

想體驗這個獨特的多元口音學習內容嗎？John老師邀請所有對提升英語聽力和口說能力有興趣的通勤家族加入VIP會員計畫。除了多元口音單元外，VIP會員還能獲得更多國際時事新聞稿和英語咖啡館的學習筆記，這些都是專為幫助學習者快速提升英語能力而設計的優質內容。

「這就是給我們VIP的Bonus Content，最主要是因為加入了VIP以後，我們就會提供更多篇的國際時事新聞稿，還有我們的英語咖啡館的學習筆記給大家。」

無論你是想了解更多關於英國口音的奧秘，還是想提升自己辨識不同口音的能力，VIP bonus的「多元口音單元」都會是你英語學習旅程中的寶貴資源。趕快加入VIP會員計畫，讓John老師和阿鍵老師帶你一同探索英語口音的多彩世界！

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謹慎理財 信用至上

—— 以上為播客煮與 Firstory Podcast 廣告 ——

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Summary:

The popularity of otters as pets in Asians could spell their doom as they are poached from nature and face extinction.
Full article: https://www.15mins.today/blog/605-these-otters-are-popular-pets-in-asia-that-may-be-their-undoing

Vocabulary and Sample Sentences:

Tattered adj. : old / torn

1. Do we throw away tattered clothes?
2. Do cats lead to tattered furniture?

Bolted v. : suddenly run away

1. Do horses bolt when they encounter snakes?
2. Will a cat bolt if you spray it with water?

Poacher n. : person who illegally hunts animals

1. Are poachers driving rhinos to extinction?
2. Are there poachers in Taiwan?