Meet the man in a bear suit walking from Los Angeles to San Francisco

 

和穿著熊熊裝從洛杉磯走到舊金山的男子來場相遇

【摘要2021.4.24.自由】◎周虹汶

He has got a giant padded head, perfectly round red cheeks and a bobbletail, and he is walking from Los Angeles to San Francisco.

他有一個巨大的軟墊頭套、完美圓潤的紅臉頰和一球尾巴，正從洛杉磯走向舊金山。

Jesse Larios says he does not know exactly what inspired him to dress up as the character he has named Bearsun and start the over 644-km trip, but he has been pleased with the attention the move has received.

傑西．拉里奧斯說，他不知到底是什麼啟發他，讓他穿扮成這個他稱為「熊熊太陽」的角色，並展開超過644公里的旅程，但他對於此舉獲得的關注感到高興。

"It was an impulsive decision for sure. I didn’t plan it out," said the 33-year-old in the brown-and-white suit he designed.

這個33歲穿著自身設計棕白相間服裝的男子說，「這當然是個衝動的決定。我沒計劃過。」

The journey Larios began on April 12 has morphed into something bigger, drawing fans from all over.

拉里奧斯4月12日起腳的這趟旅途，已演變成更大的一件事，到處引來粉絲。

Larios has started a GoFundMe account, which as of Wednesday had raised $7,100. Upon reaching San Francisco, he said he plans to hold an online vote to determine where to donate the money.

拉里奧斯開了一個「去贊助我」帳戶，截至週三已募到7100美元。抵達舊金山時，他說計劃辦個線上投票，來決定把這些錢捐到何處。

【新聞辭典】

plan out：片語動詞，指精心安排、籌劃。例句：I am planning out the project.（我正在為這項計畫做準備。）

morph into：片語動詞，指蛻變成、轉變為，例句：Our disappointment at the government gradually morphs into anger.（我們對政府的失望轉變成憤怒。）

donate：動詞，捐款、捐贈。

 

Riders Are Abandoning Buses and Trains. That’s a Problem for Climate Change

 

乘客不再繼續搭巴士與火車 這對氣候變遷是一大問題

【摘要2021.4.23.自由】◎張沛元

A year into the coronavirus pandemic, public transit is hanging by a thread in many cities around the world. Riders remain at home or they remain fearful of boarding buses and trains. And without their fares, public transit revenues have fallen off a cliff. In some places, service has been cut. In others, fares have gone up and transit workers are facing the prospect of layoffs.

新冠病毒大流行1年來，全球各地許多城市的大眾運輸正岌岌可危。乘客滯留家中，或依然畏懼搭巴士與火車。少了乘客支付的車資，大眾運輸營收暴跌。某些地方的（大眾運輸）服務被砍，其他地方則是車資上漲，運輸業員工恐遭資遣。

That’s a disaster for the world’s ability to address that other global crisis：climate change. Public transit offers a relatively simple way for cities to lower their greenhouse gas emissions, not to mention a way to improve air quality, noise and congestion.

這對世界解決另一大全球危機—氣候變遷—的能力而言，是一大災難。公共運輸提供各大城市相對簡單的降低溫室氣體排放的辦法，遑論（這也是）改善空氣品質、噪音與交通壅塞之道。

新聞辭典

hang by a thread：慣用語，字面意義為用一條線吊著，形容情況危急、千鈞一髮、岌岌可危。例句：The minister’s political career has been hanging by a thread since sexual harassment scandals.（部長的政治生涯自性騷擾醜聞後便岌岌可危。）

fall off a cliff：慣用語，字面意義為跌落懸崖，形容突然與快速減少或暴跌、暴落。例句：The global economy fell off a cliff during the coronavirus lockdown.（全球經濟在新冠病毒所導致的封鎖期間重挫。）

not to mention：慣用語，更不用說、更何況、遑論。

 

Firecrackers fly as Taiwanese celebrate pared back festival

 

蜂炮開炸，台灣人縮小規模過節

【摘要2021.4.22.自由】◎管淑平

Firecrackers lit up the skies on Friday night as Taiwanese celebrated a cacophonous traditional festival in the island’s south.

鞭炮照亮週五夜晚的夜空，台灣人在刺耳嘈雜聲中慶祝這個島嶼南部的一項傳統慶典活動。

The Beehive Fireworks Festival in Yanshui is renowned for its noisy and fiery atmosphere. The event had been in doubt due to government worries about COVID-19.

鹽水蜂炮以其響亮鞭炮聲和熱血沸騰的氛圍著稱。由於政府擔心新冠疫情，這場活動能否進行原本還有疑慮。

But the Tainan government allowed it to go ahead, albeit with fewer revellers permitted to attend.

但台南市政府批准如期舉行，只是獲准參加的人數較少。

"Many people supported the festival to be continued this year and we cannot stop holding the festival," said resident Ah Hsien, 18. "We especially need to have it now during the prevention of the epidemic. This is a culture to eliminate the plague." （Reuters）

「許多人支持今年繼續舉辦這項慶典，認為我們不能停辦」，18歲的居民阿謝說，「現在防疫期間尤其需要舉辦，這是消除瘟疫的文化。」（路透）

新聞辭典

pare back：片語，（顯著地）減少。例句：The budget for the coming year has been pared back by a third.（來年的預算被大砍3分之1。）

albeit：副詞或連接詞，儘管、雖然。例句：We are making progress, albeit slowly.（我們正在進步，儘管很慢。）

go ahead：片語，開始進行，（允許他人）做某事。例句：They’ve permission to go ahead with the plan.（他們獲准開始進行該項計畫。）

 

Swiss orchestra’s pandemic performances hit right note

 

瑞士管弦樂團的疫情演奏會切中需要

【摘要2021.4.21.自由】◎管淑平

With Swiss concert halls shut due to the coronavirus crisis, musicians from one orchestra have taken a unique approach to lifting the spirits of the nation’s music lovers.

瑞士的演奏廳因為新型冠狀病毒疫情危機而關閉，一個管弦樂團的音樂家用一種獨特的方式，提振全國音樂愛好者的精神。

Instead of playing to their usual packed houses, the musicians have taken to performing solo concerts for a single audience member sat just metres away.

這些音樂家向坐在數公尺遠的單一一名觀眾進行獨奏，而非他們通常面對的滿場觀眾。

The single spectator is only given the date, time and location, with the performer and the music remaining a mystery until show-time.

這一名觀眾只獲告知日期、時間和地點，表演者和演出曲目一直保密到演出時。

The result has been a much closer, more intimate experience － with surprising results for performers and spectators alike. （AFP）

結果帶來更密切、更有親近感的體驗，這樣的效果令表演者感到意外，對觀眾來說也是。（法新社）

【新聞辭典】

hit the right note：片語，表現或言行得當，切中要點。例句：He hit the right note during his job interview.（他在他的工作面試中表現得恰到好處。）

packed：形容詞，擁擠的。例句：The passengers are packed like sardines on the train. （這列火車的乘客十分擁擠。）

take to someone/something：片語，開始喜歡上某人，開始做某事（尤指規律地）。例句：I’ve taken to getting up early.（我開始早起。）

 

The daunting challenges surrounding digital vaccine passports：

 

The daunting challenges surrounding digital vaccine passports：

數位疫苗護照面臨的嚴峻挑戰

【摘要2021.4.18.自由】◎黃靖媗

President Joe Biden’s administration is working to establish a set of standards for people to prove they’ve been vaccinated, an administration official said.

一名政府官員表示，美國總統拜登的政府正努力推出一套標準，讓人們證明他們已接種疫苗。

The White House is working with government agencies, tech companies and non-profit organizations to plan and coordinate the effort.

白宮正與政府部門、科技公司，及非營利組織共同計畫並協調這項工作。

Several organizations and tech companies have already started developing smartphone apps and other digital systems to store and verify vaccination information.

許多組織與科技公司已開始研發智慧型手機應用程式，與其他數位系統，去儲存並驗證疫苗接種資訊。

But ACLU senior policy analyst Jay Stanley said any system that is exclusively digital would alienate individuals and communities without access to mobile devices or knowledge how to use them, such as senior and low-income people, or those with disabilities.

但美國公民自由聯盟資深政策分析師杰‧史丹利說，任何專門的數位化系統都會疏遠無法使用行動裝置，或不知該如何使用的人與社群，例如老年人及低收入戶，或其他殘疾者。

新聞辭典

verify：動詞，證實、證明。例句：The teacher attempted to guide students to verify the theory using practice.（老師試圖引導學生透過實踐證明理論。）

exclusively：副詞，僅僅、專門地。例句：This service is available exclusively to the subscribers.（這項服務僅提供給訂閱者。）

disability：名詞，殘疾、障礙。例句：Ken is diagnosed with a reading disability.（肯被診斷出有閱讀障礙。）

key business： 2 dozen monkeys escape German zoo for a day

 

惡作劇：24隻猴子逃脫德國動物園1天

【摘要2021.4.17.自由】◎周虹汶

About two dozen monkeys broke out of a southwestern German zoo and spent the day lolling in the sun near a forest before being recaptured, authorities said Thursday.

當局週四說，約24隻猴子逃出了德國西南部一間動物園，被抓回以前，於附近森林在陽光下慵懶閒晃一整天。

The Barbary macaques, escaped from the zoo in Loeffingen, southwest of Stuttgart and not far from the Swiss border. It was not entirely clear how they got away, but construction work at the zoo might have been a factor, police said.

這些巴巴利獼猴從斯圖加特市西南方距離瑞士邊境不遠的勒芬根鎮動物園逃脫。警方說，還不完全清楚牠們是如何跑掉的，但該園的建造工程可能是個因素。

The primates were spotted roaming the area in a pack, but zoo employees were unable to recapture them and eventually lost track of them. A few hours later they were spotted, recaptured and returned to their cages without incident, police said.

這些靈長類動物被發現在該區域成群漫遊，但動物園的工作人員無法把牠們抓回去，最後失去其蹤跡。警方說，幾小時後，牠們被發現、捕獲並順利送回籠子。

"The animals apparently took advantage of the nice weather and spent the afternoon on the edge of a forest near the zoo," police said.

警方說，「這些動物顯然利用好天氣，在動物園附近的森林邊緣度過午後。」

新聞辭典

monkey business：名詞片語，指騙人的把戲、惡作劇、不道德或不合法的行為。例句：I suspected that there had been some monkey business.（我懷疑有人在惡搞。）

break out of：片語動詞，指強行逃出某處。例句：One prisoner broke out of the jail.（有名囚犯越獄了。）

loll：動詞，指懶洋洋地倚靠或躺著、懶散地閒蕩、把舌頭伸出。例句：The dog is lolling out its tongue.（這隻狗把舌頭伸出來。）

 

Prince Philip’s funeral to take place on April 17

菲利浦親王的葬禮將於4月17日舉行

【摘要2021.4.16.自由】◎張沛元

Buckingham Palace announced Saturday that Prince Philip’s funeral will take place at St. George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle on April 17 — but in keeping with government lockdown measures, the ceremony will be "much reduced in scale with no public access."

（英國）白金漢宮週六宣布，（王夫）菲利浦親王的葬禮將在4月17日於溫莎古堡的聖喬治教堂舉行—但為符合英國政府的封鎖措施，該儀式的「規模將大幅縮減，而且不對大眾開放。」

The palace said the number of mourners will be limited to 30. Both the British government and the royal family asked the public to stay home rather than pay respects in person.

白金漢宮表示，弔唁人數將以30人為上限。英國政府與王室雙雙要求民眾待在家裡，而非親自（到現場）致敬。

Philip was the longest-serving consort in British history and husband to Queen Elizabeth II for 73 years, and the royal family said he expressed his wishes for a low-key affair. He died Friday at age 99, just two months shy of the century mark.

菲利浦是英國史上任期最長的君主配偶，與女王伊莉莎白二世結縭達73年，王室聲稱低調辦理後事為其遺願。他在週五以99歲高齡辭世，距離滿百歲高壽只差2個月。

新聞辭典

take place：慣用語，發生，舉行。例句：The Cannes Film Festival, originally scheduled to take place between 11 and 22 May, has been postponed to July due to the Covid-19 crisis.（原定5月11日到22日舉行的坎城影展，已因新冠病毒危機而延期到7月。）

in keep with：慣用語，與…一致，符合。

shy of something：慣用語，（數量）尚差…。例句：The candidate who was just a few votes shy of being elected demanded a recount.（那位只差幾票就當選的候選人要求重新計票。）