Thousands of cold-stunned sea turtles being rescued in Texas

 

Thousands of cold-stunned sea turtles being rescued in Texas／

成千上萬隻凍暈的海龜於德州獲救

【摘要2021.2.27.自由】◎周虹汶

Residents, some of whom lack heat or basic amenities in their own homes due to the unusually chilly weather, have been rescuing cold-stunned sea turtles and taking them to a convention center in a South Texas resort town.

德州南部一處度假小鎮的居民不斷救起凍暈的海龜，並帶到一處會議中心，由於天氣異常寒冷，其中部分民眾的住家缺乏暖氣或基本生活設備。

"Every 15 minutes or less there’s another truck or SUV that pulls up," Ed Caum, executive director of the South Padre Island Convention and Visitors Bureau, told The Associated Press on Wednesday.

南帕德雷島會議與遊客局執行主任艾德‧考姆週三告訴美聯社，「每15分鐘或不到就有一輛卡車或休旅車停下來。」

The South Padre Island Convention Center started pitching in Monday when its neighbor, Sea Turtle Inc., could no longer handle the number of sea turtles being dropped off.

南帕德雷島會議中心週一開始加入支援行列，當隔壁的「海龜公司」再也無力應付送來的大量海龜。

He says they’ve "collected" more than 3,500 sea turtles so far. He said he hesitates to use the word rescued because "we know we’re going to lose some." (AP)

他說，他們目前已「收集」到超過3500隻海龜。他說，他對用「救援」這字有疑慮，因為「我們知道我們將失去一些。」（美聯社）

新聞辭典

pull up：片語動詞，指停車、向上拉、拔起。例句：Pull up a chair!（快點過來坐！）

pitch in：片語動詞，指投入、參與、支援。例句：He pitched in with an offer of help.（他主動提議幫忙。）

drop off：片語動詞，指入睡、下降、放下車、人潮漸漸散去。例句：His friends had dropped off one by one.（他的朋友一一離他而去。）

 

Cartoon dog pitches COVID vaccines to skeptical Japanese public

Cartoon dog pitches COVID vaccines to skeptical Japanese public

漫畫狗向心有疑慮的日本大眾推銷武漢肺炎疫苗

【摘要2021.2.26.自由】◎張沛元

As Japan gears up for a COVID-19 vaccination drive, a cartoon dog chatbot is doing its bit to reassure a vaccine-skeptical population and answer any questions they might have.

隨著日本準備施打武漢肺炎疫苗，一個以漫畫狗為造型的聊天機器人，也將盡一份自己的心力，讓對疫苗心有疑慮的民眾安心，以及解答民眾的任何問題。

The dog, a Shiba-inu known as Corowa-kun － from the Japanese words for "coronavirus" and "vaccine" － wears a white doctor’s coat and the app named for him gives automated answers to medical questions.

這隻名叫「Corowa君」—此名稱由日文的「新冠病毒」與「疫苗」組成—的柴犬身穿醫師白袍，以他命名的app會對醫療問題提供自動化回覆。

Trust in vaccines in Japan is among the lowest in the world, a study by the Lancet medical journal showed. Only half the population want to take a COVID-19 vaccine, a poll by national broadcaster NHK found last month.（REUTERS）

醫學期刊《刺胳針》的一項研究顯示，日本對疫苗的信賴排名全球後段班；日本放送協會上月的一份調查發現，只有半數民眾想打武漢肺炎疫苗。（路透）

新聞辭典

pitch：名詞，推銷，叫賣，

do one’s bit：慣用語，做自己份內的事，盡自己的一份力。例句：We all have to do our bits to stop the spread of COVID-19.（我們所有人都必須在遏阻武漢肺炎傳播上盡一己之力。）

tsar：名詞，俄國沙皇；特任官員；（政商界）要人，也可拼成czar或tzar。例句：US former Secretary of State John Kerry made his first remarks as President Biden’s climate czar, lamenting the "wasted years" in fighting the crisis under Donald Trump.（美國前國務卿凱瑞首度以拜登總統的氣候特任官的身分發言，悲嘆在川普主政時浪費掉能用來對抗氣候危機的多年時間。）

 

UK thief who sold stolen penguins on Facebook sent to prison

 

UK thief who sold stolen penguins on Facebook sent to prison

偷企鵝在臉書販賣的英國小偷被送入監牢

【摘要2021.2.25.自由】◎孫宇青

Bradley Tomes, 25, was sentenced to 32 months in prison by Preston Crown Court for taking Humboldt penguins Pablo and Penny from South Lakes Safari Zoo in northwest England.

25歲的布雷德雷．托姆斯因從英國西北部「南湖沙弗雷動物園」偷取漢波德企鵝帕布羅和潘妮，遭普雷斯頓皇家法院判入獄32個月。

Prosecutors said Tomes broke into the zoo twice in 2018, stealing the penguins and numerous other birds including spoonbills, egrets and macaws.

檢察官說，托姆斯2018年兩度闖入該動物園，偷取企鵝及其他多種鳥類，包括琵鷺、白鷺和金剛鸚鵡。

It was exposed after an animal collector who bought the penguins for 9,000 pounds contacted a veterinarian because the animals were in poor health.

在一位以9000英鎊（約36萬台幣）買下企鵝的動物收藏人士，因為牠們健康狀況不佳而聯絡獸醫後，事件才曝光。

He also reported the incident to police, despite the pleas of Tomes, who offered to give his money back. When Tomes went to the buyer’s house with the refund, he was arrested by waiting police officers.（AP）

儘管托姆斯以願意歸還購買費做為請求，但買家仍報警。當托姆斯帶著錢去買家住處，正好被守候的警察逮捕。（美聯社）

新聞辭典

break into：慣用片語，強行闖入。例句：A thief broke into my flat and stole the laptop.（一名小偷闖入我的公寓竊走筆電。）

plea：名詞，懇求。例句：The family of the murderer made a plea of mercy to the family of the victims.（殺人犯家屬向被害者家屬懇求原諒。）

refund：名詞，退款。例句：He took the faulty laptop to the shop and asked for a refund.（他把瑕疵筆電帶去店裡要求退款。）

 

Florida blocks wealthy vaccine tourists after anger from elderly residents

 

Florida blocks wealthy vaccine tourists after anger from elderly residents

疫苗旅遊激怒年長居民，佛羅里達州阻止有錢的疫苗遊客

◎管淑平

As millions of elderly Floridians scramble to register for a limited but growing supply of COVID-19 vaccines, state officials are clamping down on so-called vaccine tourism by limiting doses to only the state’s part- and full-time residents.

數百萬名年長的佛州人趕忙登記數量有限、但供應量正在提高的新型冠狀病毒病疫苗之際，州府官員也在透過只限該州常住或非常住居民接種，打擊所謂的疫苗旅遊。

Shirley Hicks, 70, spent three weeks glued to her computer to find a dose for her husband Michael, 80, after Florida became one of the first states allowing vaccines for those aged 65 or older.

佛州成為全美首批開放滿65歲者接種疫苗後，70歲的雪莉．希克斯花了3週緊盯她的電腦螢幕，為她80歲丈夫麥可找哪裡可打疫苗。

But with no residency requirements for vaccinations, Florida residents have watched as wealthy tourists have joined the rush for a jab. （Reuters）

但是由於接種疫苗不限當地人，佛州居民眼睜睜看著有錢遊客一起搶打疫苗。（路透）

新聞辭典

block：動詞，攔阻，阻礙。例句：Your car is blocking the road.（你的車擋到路了。）

scramble：動詞，急忙、爭搶做某事。例句：People are scrambling to buy food and medicine.（大家在搶買糧食、醫藥。）

clamp down on something： 片語，取締，禁止或限制。例句：The government is clamping down on drink-driving.（政府正在取締酒後駕車。）

 

Hungarian family sails around the globe in a 50-feet boat called ’Teatime’

 

Hungarian family sails around the globe in a 50-feet boat called ’Teatime’

匈牙利家庭用50英尺大的船「午茶時間」航行全球

◎黃靖媗

While the world was grappling with the pandemic, a Hungarian family of four decided last summer to fulfil their dream：sailing around the globe in a 50-feet boat called "Teatime."

當世界在疫情中掙扎時，一個4口匈牙利家庭去年夏天決定實現他們的夢想，用一艘50英尺的船「午茶時間」航行全球。

Domonkos Bosze and his wife Anna, who have been sailing for more than a decade, had planned the adventure long before the COVID-19 pandemic.

多蒙科斯．波澤與他的妻子安娜，已經有逾十年的航行經驗，在武漢肺炎大流行開始前就已著手計畫這趟冒險許久。

While the pandemic presented them with the dilemma of whether this was the right time to go, in the end their determination overruled all worries and risks.

當疫情帶給他們不知何時該出發的困境時，他們的決心最終駁回了一切的擔憂與風險。

They follow the changes in coronavirus rules in each country and take a test or go into quarantine as required.

他們遵循每個國家不同的武漢肺炎規定，並且接受檢測與在必要時進行隔離。

Depending on COVID restrictions, they plan to sail on this year or next year towards the Pacific, and now they say their trip could last another 5-6 years, stopping for extended periods in the southern Pacific and on the Indian ocean.

依據武漢肺炎禁令，他們計畫今年或明年航行至太平洋，且他們現在表示，他們的旅行可能還要再持續5至6年，將在南太平洋與印度洋停留較長的時間。

新聞辭典

fulfil：動詞，實現、執行。例句：Ryan fulfilled his ambition to become a baker.（萊恩實現了他成為麵包師傅的理想。）

present：動詞，展現、帶來（問題）。例句：The weather presented difficult conditions for our plans（天氣為我們的計畫帶來困難的狀況。）

overrule：動詞，否決、駁回。例句：The judge overruled my objection. （法官駁回了我的異議。）

 

Czech trainers teach dogs to sniff out Covid

 

Czech trainers teach dogs to sniff out Covid

捷克訓練師教導狗狗偵測冠狀病毒疾病

【摘要2021.2.22.自由】◎陳成良

In a dog training centre built inside a shipping container located in a Czech mountain village, Renda, Cap and Laky are being put to the test.

捷克山村一座貨櫃打造的犬隻訓練中心內，「倫達（Renda）」、「凱普（Cap）」和 「拉奇（Laky）」正接受考驗。

They sniff at six vessels, each containing a piece of cloth with scent from patients with Covid-19, negative donors, or fake samples.

牠們嗅聞6個容器，每個容器都內含一塊布料，有的帶有武漢肺炎（新型冠狀病毒病，COVID-19）患者的氣味，有的是採檢呈陰性者身上的氣味，或者根本是假樣本。

The team of dog trainers are working in their own time and report a 95-percent success rate in Covid-19 detection in samples of human scent.

這群犬隻訓練員利用自己的閒暇時間進行研究，通報（犬隻）在人體氣味樣本偵測COVID-19方面，成功率高達95%。

"The study is designed to verify dogs’ ability to detect Covid-19 and generate a method enabling the use of trained dogs in combatting the pandemic," project head Gustav Hotovy told AFP.

計畫負責人霍托維告訴法新社：「這項研究目的在驗證犬隻偵測COVID-19的能力，並設計出一種能利用經過訓練的犬隻來對抗疫情的方法。」

The samples used are obtained merely by rubbing a piece of cotton against the patient’s skin. The team then has to ensure the sample is virus-free to prevent the dogs from catching the disease.

研究人員僅以一小團摩擦過患者皮膚的棉布來取得樣本，接著必須確認樣本上面並未沾染病毒，以防犬隻染疫。

Using the same sampling method, a Finnish team has been using dogs for testing at Helsinki airport, reporting its dogs can detect the virus with close to 100 percent accuracy.

芬蘭一個研究團隊也用相同的採樣方法，利用犬隻在赫爾辛基機場進行篩檢，並通報團隊犬隻偵測病毒的準確率近乎百分之百。

新聞辭典

Covid：名詞，冠狀病毒疾病，為Coronavirus Disease的縮寫。

put to the test：片語，使受試驗；使受考驗。例句：His courage was put to the test .（他的勇氣受到考驗。）

verify︰證實、核實。例句︰Subsequent events verified my suspicions.（接續發生的事件證實了我的懷疑。）

 

DP’s Park ahead in Seoul mayoral race

DP’s Park ahead in Seoul mayoral race

首爾市長補選 民主黨朴映宣支持率領先

【摘要2021.2.21.自由】◎茅毅

Park Young-sun, one of the two ruling Democratic Party preliminary candidates, was ahead of all other Seoul mayoral hopefuls in poll results released by Realmeter on Wednesday.

在（南韓民調機構）Realmeter週三公布的民調結果中，執政的「共同民主黨」兩名初選候選人之一的朴映宣，領先所有其他希望當選首爾市長的人。

In a survey of 1,016 Seoul citizens aged 18 and above, conducted by the pollster on Sunday and Monday, and commissioned by YTN and TBS, 38.9 percent said they would vote for Park against Ahn Cheol-soo, if the two were in a two-way race. Some 36.3 percent said they would vote for Ahn, a centrist tech entrepreneur-turned-politician who continues to enjoy support from those weary of the two major parties.

在該機構受（南韓新聞頻道）YTN和「首爾交通廣播電台」委託，於週日與週一對1016名18歲（含）以上首爾市民所做的一項調查中，38.9％的受訪者表示，若屆時是一對一選舉，他們將投給朴映宣，而非安哲秀。約36.3％則說，他們將投給中間派、從科技企業家變為政治人物的安哲秀。他一直享有對（南韓朝野）兩大黨感到厭煩的選民支持。

Asked to choose their favorite among all who have expressed intent to run, 26.2 percent of the respondents picked Park, while 19 percent chose Ahn, and 15.1 percent preferred Na Kyung-won of the People Power Party.

被問到在所有已表態有意參選者中選出自己最中意的人選時，26.2％的受訪者選朴映宣，19％選安哲秀，15.1％偏好（最大在野黨）「國民力量黨」的羅卿瑗。

新聞辭典

hopeful：形容詞，充滿（有）希望的。名詞，希望成功的人、有希望成功的人。例句：More than a hundred young hopefuls went to audition for a part in the new movie.（一百多名希望成名的年輕人，去參加那齣新電影一個角色的試鏡。）

entrepreneur：名詞，企業家、創業者。例句：He was one of the entrepreneurs who made their money in property.（他是靠房地產生意賺錢起家的企業家之一。）

weary：形容詞，使人厭倦的、疲倦（勞）的。動詞，使疲倦、感到厭煩。例句：She seems to weary of our company.（她似乎厭倦與我們交往。）