Would you wash with snail slime soap?

 

你會用蝸牛黏液皂盥洗嗎？

【摘要2021/05/22 自由】◎周虹汶

Foamy slime bubbles onto Damien Desrocher’s hand as he lightly rubs one of the thousands of snails he keeps in an enclosure in his backyard.

泡沫狀黏液在達米安．德斯侯歇的手上冒泡，當他輕輕摩擦起養在後院一處圍欄裡數千隻蝸牛的其中一隻。

The 28-year-old French artisan began using the gastropod fluid to make soap bars, which he sells in local markets, in December.

12月，這位28歲法國工匠開始拿這種腹足綱動物的體液做起肥皂塊，於當地市集販售。

’’It’s all in the dexterity of how you tickle,’’ Desrocher said as he extracted the slime, noting that the process does not kill the animals.

「完全取決於你是如何搔觸」，德斯侯歇萃取黏液時一邊說，並指出這過程不會殺死這種動物。

He has raised a total of 60,000 snails. A single snail will yield about 2 grams of slime, meaning he needs around 40 snails to produce 80 grams - enough to manufacture 15 100-gram soap bars. （Reuters）

他總共養了6萬隻蝸牛。一隻蝸牛會生產2公克黏液，意謂他約需40隻蝸牛來產出80公克—夠製造15個100公克的肥皂塊。（路透）

新聞辭典

bubble：名詞，指氣泡、泡沫；動詞，指冒泡。例句：I hear the soup bubbling away in the pot.（我聽到鍋裡湯在冒泡的聲音。）

dexterity：名詞，指純熟、嫻熟、靈巧、敏捷。例句：She played the piano with dexterity.（她以純熟指法彈奏鋼琴。）

tickle：動詞，指呵癢、逗笑、使快樂、怕癢、觸、撥、彈、用手抓住、喚起；名詞，指搔癢、癢感、讓人癢的東西。例句：His self-esteem was immediately tickled.（他的自尊心立刻被激起。）

 

Trump tried to block her. Now Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala is about to make history

 

曾遭川普阻撓的伊衛拉即將締造歷史

【摘要2021/05/21自由】◎張沛元

After the head of the World Trade Organization stepped down in August, member countries overwhelmingly rallied behind a successor: 163 nations backed the Nigerian economist Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, a two-time finance minister who ascended the ranks of the World Bank.

世界貿易組織秘書長（去年）8月下台後，各會員國一致支持一名繼任者：163個國家力挺在世界銀行步步高升、兩度擔任財政部長的奈及利亞經濟學家伊衛拉。

Every member but one: Donald Trump’s America.

所有世貿會員國都支持，除了川普主政的美國。

Okonjo-Iweala was poised to become the first woman and African national to lead the global body in its 25-year history until the United States emerged as the lone holdout.

伊衛拉原本已準備成為這個全球性組織成立25年來的首位女性與出身非洲國家的領導人，唯獨美國出面反對。

Her fortunes reversed with the election of President Biden, who signaled support for Okonjo-Iweala on Friday, all but assuring her victory in the everyone-must-agree race once members meet to vote in Geneva.

隨著拜登當選總統，伊衛拉的命運也為之逆轉；拜登週五暗示支持伊衛拉，就差保證她在世貿組織會員國齊聚日內瓦投票時，能在所有人都必須同意的選舉中勝出。

新聞辭典

step down：片語，下台，退位，辭職，卸任。例句：Amazon founder Jeff Bezos announced he would step down as chief executive of the e-commerce giant。（亞馬遜創辦人貝佐斯宣布，將卸下這家電商巨擘的執行長職務。）

rally behind：片語，團結力挺，公開支持。例句：The world has rallied behind a plan to accelerate the development of the Covid-19 vaccine.（全世界團結支持一項加速發展武漢肺炎疫苗的計畫。）

all but：片語，幾乎，就差。

 

Whale of a time: NYC offers walk-up vaccinations for all

 

接種疫苗愉快：紐約市開放所有人隨到隨打疫苗

【摘要2021/05/19自由】◎管淑平

Appointments are no longer mandatory at any of the coronavirus vaccination sites run by New York City, including its newest and maybe coolest location： beneath the giant blue whale at the Museum of Natural History.

任何紐約市設立的新型冠狀病毒疫苗接種處，不再強制要求預約，包括最新設立、或許也是最酷的地點：位於自然歷史博物館巨大藍鯨下的接種處。

Mayor Bill de Blasio announced Friday that the city will now be accepting walk-ins at off its vaccination sites. "You can just walk up and get vaccinated," he said.

市長白思豪週五宣布，該市所有接種站現在接受隨到隨登記接種，「你可以直接進來接種疫苗」。

The expansion of walk-in service comes as supplies of the vaccine have increased.

擴大實施現場登記接種，是在疫苗供應量已經增加之際推出。

Just weeks ago, most people trying to get an appointment for a vaccination in the nation’s biggest city had to game online appointment systems in which scarce slots would be snapped up in moments. （AP）

僅在數週之前，在這個全美最大城市，大多數要預約接種時間的人還得在網路預約系統上賭運氣，稀少的名額一下子就會被搶光。（美聯社）

新聞辭典

（have） a whale of a time：片語，有一段非常愉快的時光。a whale of a something，形容某事非常好。例句：We had a whale of a time last night.（我們昨晚玩得很過癮。）

walk-up：片語，不需事先預約的（服務），臨街的（服務，不用走進建築物）。例句：It’s a walk-up clinic.（這間診所不用預約。）

scarce：形容詞，稀少的。例句：Natural resources are becoming scarce. （自然資源越來越稀少。）

 

Venezuela fears malaria more than Covid

 

比起冠狀病毒病 委內瑞拉人更怕得瘧疾

【摘要2021.5.17.自由】◎陳成良

Venezuela was the first country to eradicate malaria in 1961 － but the disease, carried by the Anopheles mosquito, has seen an alarming explosion over the last decade.

委內瑞拉在1961年領先全球根除瘧疾，但在過去10年，這種由瘧蚊帶原的疾病疫情爆炸性地反撲，令人擔憂。

"Many people have come down with malaria in the last two months. Some people have had it 15 to 20 times," said Leonardo Vargas, a communal anti-malaria activist.

社區防治瘧疾人士瓦爾加斯說：「過去2個月有好多人得到瘧疾，有些人還得過15到20次。」

The government has not published figures on malaria since 2016, but according to the Venezuelan Society of Public Health NGO － using 2018-2020 World Health Organization data － the country has the highest number of malaria cases in the region.

委國政府自2016年以來便未公布瘧疾病例數，但非政府組織「委內瑞拉公共衛生協會」援引世界衛生組織2018年至2020年的資料指出，委國瘧疾病例數高居該區域之冠。

In 2019 there were 400,000 cases of malaria in Venezuela, or more than half of the combined malaria cases of Brazil, Peru and Colombia, the NGO said.

這個非政府組織表示，2019年委內瑞拉有40萬人染病，是巴西、秘魯與哥倫比亞加總病例數的一半以上。

新聞辭典

eradicate：動詞，根除；消滅；杜絕。例句：The government claims to be doing all it can to eradicate corruption.（政府聲稱正盡其所能根治腐敗。）

come down with： 片語，患上，染上（尤指小病）。例句：I think I’m coming down with flu.（我想我染上流感了。）

NGO：非政府組織，為non-governmental organization的縮寫，是不屬於任何政府、不由任何國家建立的組織，通常獨立於國家政府。

 

A Farmer Moved a 200-Year-Old Stone, and the French-Belgian Border

 

一名農夫移動了200年歷史的石頭與法比邊界

【摘要2021.5.16.自由】◎黃靖媗

Apparently frustrated by a 200-year-old stone border marker, a Belgian farmer dug it out and moved it about seven feet into French territory, local officials told French news media, thus slightly enlarging his own land as well as the entire country of Belgium.

當地官員告訴法國新聞媒體，一名比利時農夫顯然對一塊200年歷史的界碑感到挫敗，將它挖出並往法國領土方向移動約7呎，因此稍微擴大了自家土地與比利時全國國土。

The displaced stone was spotted last month by a sharp-eyed group of Frenchmen.

這顆錯位的石頭上個月被一群眼尖的法國人注意到。

It is unclear whether the farmer knew the significance of the stone, which has 1819 carved into its face. In theory, moving the stone violates the 1820 treaty.

不清楚這名農夫是否知道這顆表面刻有1819年的石頭的意義。理論上，移動這塊界碑違反了1820年條約。

Mr. Lavaux, the village’s burgomaster, said he would send the farmer a formal letter demanding that the stone be returned to its rightful location. If the farmer does not comply, he could face criminal charges.

村長拉沃先生表示，他將寄給這名農夫一封正式信，要求他將界碑移回合法的位置。假如這名農夫不遵守，他將面臨刑事指控。

新聞辭典

enlarge：動詞，擴大。例句：We enlarged the kitchen and created a window-filled dinner room.（我們擴建了廚房，並且打造一間充滿窗戶的飯廳。）

spot：動詞，看見、注意到。例句：The professor spotted some mistakes in the paper.（教授在這份論文中找到許多錯誤。）

rightful：形容詞，合法的、正當的。例句：He declared himself to be the country’s rightful president.（他宣布自己是這個國家的合法總統。）

Pooch waits six days outside Turkish hospital for sick owner－

 

Pooch waits six days outside Turkish hospital for sick owner－

為了生病的主人 狗兒在土耳其醫院外等候6天

【摘要2021.5.13.自由】◎孫宇青

A faithful, mix-breed dog named Boncuk waited for her 68-year-old owner Cemal Senturk outside a hospital in the city of Trabzon, Turkey, for almost a week until he was released after undergoing treatment for a brain embolism.

土耳其特拉布松市一隻忠誠、名為邦庫克的混種犬，在醫院外等待牠的68歲主人塞馬爾．聖特爾克將近1週，直到主人接受腦栓塞治療後出院為止。

Boncuk, whose name means "Beads" in reference to her hazel eyes, followed the ambulance, and began her vigil outside the entrance. She was occasionally fed by hospital staff.

邦庫克的名字意味「珠子」，代表牠擁有淡褐色眼珠。牠當時尾隨救護車，並開始在醫院門口守候。醫院員工偶爾會給牠食物。

"She doesn’t pose a danger to anyone. Everybody noticed the relationship between the dog and her owner. It makes everybody happy," the hospital’s communications director Fuat Ugur said.

醫院聯絡主任福瓦特．烏古爾說：「牠沒對任何人造成危險，大家都有注意到狗狗和主人的關係，且都為此感到開心。」

Senturk’s daughter tried to take the dog home several times, but she kept running away to return to the hospital.

聖特爾克的女兒曾多次試著帶狗狗回家，但牠一直跑回醫院。

When Senturk finally left the hospital, an overjoyed Boncuk ran alongside his wheelchair, jumping up to be petted and wagging her tail.

（Reuters）

當聖特爾克終於出院，喜出望外的邦庫克繞著他的輪椅奔跑，還跳上去討摸，並且搖著尾巴。

（路透）

【新聞辭典】

bead：名詞，珠子。例句：She wore a tasteful necklace of wooden beads at the party.（她戴著高雅的木珠項鍊出席派對。）

hazel：形容詞，淡褐色的。例句：Her hazel eyes were attractive to everyone.（她的淡褐色眼珠吸引眾人目光。）

vigil：名詞，值夜；守夜；警戒。例句：The family kept vigil beside his bed before he met his fate.（在他過世前，家人一直在床邊守候。）

 

Men’s Loneliness Linked to an Increased Risk of Cancer

 

孤獨會增加男人罹癌風險

【摘要2021.5.10.自由】◎陳成良

Lonely and single middle-aged men are at an increased risk of developing cancer than those in a relationship and with people around them, according to a new study.

新研究發現，孤獨的單身中年男人，比有穩定交往對象、身邊有伴的中年男人，罹癌風險更高。

A team from the University of Eastern Finland worked with 2,570 middle-aged men, monitoring their health and mortality from the 1980s to the present day.

東芬蘭大學的研究團隊調查2570名中年男性，從1980年代開始就一直監測他們的健康狀況和死亡率。

Over the course of the study 25% of participants had developed cancer, with 11% of the Finnish men involved dying from the condition.

在研究過程中，25%的參與者罹患癌症，其中11%的芬蘭男性死於這種疾病。

There was a ’clear link’ between loneliness and an increased risk of cancer, the team explained, with being lonely increasing the risk of cancer by about ten percent.

研究團隊解釋說，孤獨與癌症風險的增加之間存在「明顯聯繫」，孤獨會使罹癌風險增加約10%。

Globally, cancer is the second leading cause of death. Loneliness has been suggested as a risk factor for cancer mortality. However, connections between loneliness, social isolation, and cancer are poorly understood.

從全球來看，癌症是第二大死因。孤獨感已被認為是導致癌症死亡的危險因素。然而，人們對孤獨、社會孤立和癌症之間的聯繫了解甚少。

Recent studies have suggested that loneliness could be as significant a health risk as smoking or being overweight, according to the researchers.

研究人員說，近期的研究顯示，孤獨對健康的危害可能和吸菸、過重一樣大。

新聞辭典

in a relationship：片語，穩定交往中。例句：I am in a relationship.（我穩定交往中。）

mortality：名詞，死亡數；死亡率。例句：Infant mortality headed into a steep dive.（嬰兒死亡率開始急劇下降。）

isolation：名詞，隔離；分離；孤獨。例句：The prisoner had been kept in isolation for three days.（這名囚犯已被隔離3天。）