Earth Day Series 地球日系列: Cutting Carbon Emissions 碳排放

Nations Strike Historic Deal to Curb Shipping Emissions 減少船運碳排放 各國達成歷史性協議

TODAY’S WORDS

今日單字

1. shipping industry phr. 航運業 

2. carbon emissions phr. 碳排放 

3. heavy fuel oil phr. 重油 

4. rising sea levels phr. 海平面上升 

5. container ship phr. 貨櫃船 

Most of the world’s nations agreed to an historic deal that for the first time will limit emissions from the global shipping industry. 全球多數國家已達成了一個歷史性的協議，首次對各國航運業進行排放的限制。

After a week of negotiations at a London meeting of the International Maritime Organization (IMO), a UN body, envoys from 173 countries agreed to cut emissions by at least 50 percent by 2050 from 2008 levels. Saudi Arabia and the US both objected. 聯合國專門機構國際海事組織在倫敦舉行的會議中，來自一百七十三個國家的特使經過了一週的談判，同意在二○五○年前，將排放量減少至二○○八年基準的百分之五十以下。沙烏地阿拉伯和美國皆表示反對。

The accord is a significant step in the fight against global warming. Shipping, the only industry not included in the 2015 Paris climate agreement, would rank as the sixth-largest greenhouse gas emitter if it were a country, according to the World Bank. If left unchecked, that share could account for 15 percent of global carbon emissions by 2050, a five-fold increase from today. 這個協議是對抗全球暖化所踏出的重要一步。在二○一五年巴黎氣候協議中，航運是唯一未納入規範的產業。根據世界銀行統計，如果把整個航運產業算作是一個國家，那麼它會是全球第六大溫室氣體排放國。如果放任不管，到了二○五○年，航運業的碳排放量可能會佔全球總量的百分之十五，比現今增加五倍。

“It is likely this target will tighten further, but even with the lowest level of ambition, the shipping industry will require rapid technological changes,” said Tristan Smith, a reader at University College London’s Energy Institute. 倫敦大學學院能源研究所高級講師崔斯坦‧史密斯表示：「這個標準很可能會變得更嚴，但即使是要達到最低限度的目標，航運業也需要趕快革新技術。」

Vessels typically burn heavy fuel oil, one of the cheapest but also among the dirtiest fossil fuels. The industry wasn’t included in the Paris agreement because each country presented an individual plan to reduce their own emissions, while the seas were left out. 船舶所燃的通常是重油，這是最便宜，也是最髒的化石燃料之一。航運業之所以未納入巴黎協議，是因為巴黎協議是以國家為單位提出計畫來減少境內的碳排放，因此海洋便成三不管地帶而被遺漏了。

Last Friday’s agreement commits to pursuing emission cuts that will be consistent with the Paris deal goals. 上週五各國所達成的協議承諾將致力減少碳排放，這和巴黎協議的目標是一致的。

Hot Issue 熱議問題

Reducing the industry’s emissions has been a hotly contested issue. One of the most vociferous proponents of emission controls have been the Pacific island nations, where rising sea levels are already swallowing up land, and the rate is expected to increase in the coming decades. 減少航運業的碳排放一直是爭議激烈的問題。最大力提倡限制碳排放的是太平洋島國──由於海平面上升，這些島國已有土地沒入海中，預計未來幾十年土地被海水淹沒的速度還會加快。

Other countries have resisted targets. Oil producing nations including Saudi Arabia have expressed concern about the impact of the measures on their fuel supply business, while some countries have said controls could penalize those that are far from the world’s main consumer hubs. 有些國家則抵制這碳排放的標準。包括沙烏地阿拉伯在內的石油生產國擔憂這些措施會對他們的燃料供應產業造成衝擊；另有一些國家表示，控制措施可能會對距世界主要消費中心遙遠的國家不利。

This isn’t the first time the IMO has tried to be cleaner. 這並非國際海事組織第一次要讓環境變更乾淨。

Six years ago, the organization adopted design requirements to make new vessels more energy efficient. More than 70 percent of container ships built between 2013 and 2017 exceed the standard, which sets limits on carbon emissions per ship, according to analysis from Transport & Environment, a Belgian NGO. 六年前，國際海事組織採用了新的設計標準，使新造的船更加節能。根據比利時非政府組織「運輸與環境」分析，二○一三年至二○一七年間所建造的貨櫃船，有百分之七十以上的船隻，其碳排放量低於所規定的限度。

“The IMO should and could have gone a lot further but for the dogmatic opposition of some countries,” said Bill Hemmings, shipping director at Transport & Environment. “Scant attention was paid to US opposition. So this decision puts shipping on a promising track.” 「運輸與環境」的航空及海運部門主任比爾‧漢明斯表示：「若不是因為某些國家獨斷的反對，國際海事組織本應可以做得更多。」「美國的反對並未被重視，因此這個協議得以達成，把航運推向有前景的正途。」

(Bloomberg台北時報林俐凱編譯)

Elephant water battle heralds Thai new year 大象打水仗 宣告泰國新年起跑

Water Element and Elephant Pose Harmony

New Words:

1. tradition (n.)/traditional (adj.)
2. Songkran (n.) 潑水節
3. Buddhist (adj.)
4. karma (n.)

Elephants used their trunks to shower floral-clad Thais with water on Wednesday in a street fight celebrating the kingdom’s traditional new year, a raucous festival known as Songkran that will bring revelers out for a nationwide water battle this week. 週三在慶祝泰王國傳統新年的一場街頭對戰中，大象用牠們的象鼻子把水噴灑在穿著花衣裳的泰國人群身上。喧鬧的泰國傳統新年節慶又稱「宋干節」，本週將會吸引狂歡的人群一起出外參加全國遍地開花的打水仗活動。

The animals, whose wrinkled hides were decorated with paint, splashed and sprayed in the streets of Thailand’s former capital Ayutthaya, a tourist hotspot famed for its ancient temple ruins.滿佈皺紋的象皮被妝點上油彩顏料，大象們在泰國的舊首都──阿瑜陀耶──的街上潑起水來，噴灑著水花。阿瑜陀耶是一個觀光勝地，以眾多古老寺廟的遺跡聞名。

A mix of Thais and foreigners armed with water guns and buckets fired back at the elephants, who were controlled by handlers — known as mahouts — riding on their backs.混合泰國人與外國人的另一組人馬，用水槍和水桶武裝自己，向大象們「開水」射擊。被稱為「象夫」的管象人，則騎在大象的背上，控制這些動物。

“Today our children (elephants) are having fun and the foreigners who come to Ayutthaya are happy to inherit the Thai tradition,” Tawan Sudso, an organizer of the annual event, told AFP.這個年度活動的籌辦人塔彎‧蘇德索告訴法新社：「我們的象孩子們今天玩得很開心，造訪阿瑜陀耶的外國人也很樂於傳承此一泰國傳統。」

The Buddhist new year festival officially starts on April 13 and runs for three days.這個佛教新年節慶於四月十三日正式開始，一連持續三天。

Traditional celebrations include paying respect to elders and sprinkling water over Buddha figures at local temples, a ritual believed to accrue good karma.傳統的慶祝活動包括向年長者致敬，隨後對地方廟宇的佛像潑灑清水，這個儀式咸認為可以增添福報。

But the holiday has also become known as one of the world’s biggest water fights, drawing massive crowds of Thais and tourists to soggy street parties that bring much of the country to a standstill. 這樣的新年假期卻也逐漸成為世界上最大規模的水仗之一，每年吸引大批的泰國人與觀光客人潮參加濕答答的街頭狂歡活動，導致泰國絕大部分地區陷入停擺。

Police expect about 60,000 partiers to cram into just one Bangkok neighborhood for the watery warfare later this week.警方預估，光是鄰近曼谷的單一地區，本週稍晚就會湧入約六萬名的派對人潮，參加濕淋淋的潑水大戰。

Under military rule, Bangkok’s Songkran water fights have become less raucous in recent years with alcohol sales restricted and regular appeals from authorities to avoid provocative dancing.在軍政府統治下，酒精飲料販售受限，當局也經常呼籲大眾避免跳著煽情的舞蹈，因此曼谷的「宋干節」水仗近年來喧鬧程度稍減。

Similar but smaller water festivals are also held in neighboring Buddhist countries like Myanmar and Laos.內容類似但規模較小的潑水慶典也會在包括緬甸、寮國等鄰近佛教國家舉行(AFP)

Earth Day Series 地球日系列: 台灣的性侵害有多普遍呢？ How common is sexual assault in Taiwan?

 Love your Mother (Earth)愛你的母親（地球）. 
Stop all violence against women停止對婦女的所有暴力. There is a correlation between the exploitation of women and the exploitation of the environment. 在利用婦女與剝削地球天然環境之間的關係。
These yoga flows are focused on healing from trauma and will focus on releasing the psoas muscle(腰大肌) and emotional trauma stored in the hips. 這些瑜伽流程主要集中於創傷治愈，並將重點放在存儲在臀部的腰大肌 和情緒創傷。

READING: Saudi Arabia releases video showing husbands how to beat their wives 沙烏地阿拉伯發佈影片，向丈夫展現如何毆打他們的妻子

新聞辭典

• self-styled：形容詞，自稱的，自封的。例句：He is the self-styled president of the island.（他自封為該島的總統。）
• vent one’s anger on sb：動詞片語，發洩怒氣。例句：A teacher should not vent his anger on his students.（老師不應將怒氣發洩在學生身上。
• forsake：動詞，放棄，拋棄。例句：I won’t forsake my vegetarian principles.（我不會放棄我的素食原則。）

The national television of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has aired a video, in which a self-styled Islamic family doctor is seen teaching men in the country how to ‘properly’ beat their wives.沙烏地阿拉伯國家電視台播放一部影片，片中有一名自稱伊斯蘭家庭醫師的人士，教導該國男性如何「適當地」毆打他們的妻子。

According to the doctor Al-Saqaby, husbands should not immediately attack their wives, but should discipline them ‘properly’ first. He suggests the aim of beating a wife "is to discipline, not to vent one’s anger".該名醫師阿沙卡比說，丈夫不應立即攻擊他們的妻子，而是應先「適當地」管教她們。他指出，毆打妻子的目標「是為了管教，而非發洩怒氣」。

Al-Saqaby teaches in the video that the men should follow the steps below. The first step is to remind her of your rights and of her duties according to Allah. Then comes the second step – forsaking her in bed. The third step, beating, has to correspond with the necessary Islamic conditions before taking action.阿沙卡比在影片中教導男性應遵照下列步驟，第一步是提醒她根據真主履行權利與義務；接著是第二步—在床上離棄她；第三步才是毆打，而且在採取行動前必須符合必要的伊斯蘭條件。

Al-Saqaby says the beating should not be performed with a rod, nor should it be a headband, or a sharp object. Instead, husbands should use a teeth-cleaning twig or with a handkerchief to beat their wife. The wife will feel that she was wrong in the way she treated her husband.阿沙卡比說，不應以棍棒予以毆打，也不能使用頭帶或利器。丈夫應以牙籤或手帕毆打他們的妻子，妻子將會體認到，她對待丈夫的方式是錯誤的。

Detoxing排毒

TODAY’S WORDS 今日單字

1. detoxification n. 排毒 
例: The liver is one of the most important organs for body detoxification. (肝臟是體內排毒最重要的器官之一。)

2. apply to v. phr. 適用 
例: That bit of the form is for UK citizens — it doesn’t apply to you. (表格的那一部分是讓英國公民填寫，你不適用。)

3. onset n.發作 
例: The new treatment can delay the onset of the disease by several years. (這種新療法可讓此病發作的時間延緩數年。)

A healthy lifestyle — eating healthy, drinking plenty of water and exercising — is important to detoxifying because it enables our body to do what is intended to do.

吃得健康、多喝水再加上運動，這樣健康的生活方式，對身體排毒十分重要，可使人體正常運轉。

The Origin of Saint Patrick’s Day 聖派翠克節的由來

Saint Patrick’s Day, which falls on March 17 every year, is one of the most important festive days in the Irish tradition, and commemorates the death of Ireland’s patron saint. On this day, Irish people around the world hold a variety of activities celebrating the cultural heritage of the Irish tradition.聖派翠克節是愛爾蘭傳統中最重要的慶祝節日之一，落在每年的三月十七日，以紀念這位愛爾蘭守護聖者的逝世。在這一天，世界各地的愛爾蘭裔都會舉行各式各樣的慶祝活動，以歡慶歷史悠久的愛爾蘭傳統文化。

Today, little is known of the life of Saint Patrick. He is thought to have been born in the Roman Britain of the 5th century AD. At the age of sixteen, Patrick was captured by a group of Irish marauders and taken to Ireland, where he was forced to work as a shepherd. Tending sheep in the valleys and hills, Patrick acquired knowledge of the Celtic language and became familiar with primeval Druidism. One evening, it is said, Patrick was admonished by an angel, who guided him to travel two hundred miles away and find a ship to escape on. 關於聖派翠克的一生，我們今日所知不多。據說，派翠克於西元五世紀出生在羅馬帝國統治下的英格蘭。十六歲時，他被愛爾蘭的海盜擄走，輾轉成為奴隸，被帶到愛爾蘭牧羊。在山谷間和山坡上牧羊的時日裡，他學會當地的塞爾特語，也認識了原始的德魯伊教。某天晚上，聖派翠克獲得天使的警醒，指引他徒步走了兩百英里，最後在海邊找到一艘船，逃離奴隸生活。

After arriving on the English shore, Patrick walked, barefoot, for another 28 days in the wilderness. Enduring hunger and defending the attacks of wild animals, Patrick finally reached home, and decided to study Christianity. Years of diligent study later, Patrick was accepted into the priesthood, and determined to devote himself to missionary work, setting out for Ireland, the land in which he had been held captive for six years. 好不容易回到英格蘭上岸後，聖派翠克在荒野中步行整整二十八日，忍耐著飢餓，抵禦野獸的攻擊，最後終於回到了家，致力修習基督教。經過多年不懈的努力，他被賦予司鐸一職，便決心前往當年囚禁他六年之久的蠻荒之地──愛爾蘭，投身於當地的宣教工作。

Familiar with the local language and primal religion, Patrick kept a humble profile. He had walked through the Irish land and baptized people of every social class. His missionary work in Ireland, however, did not always go smoothly. One time, he was attacked by local Irish people, but was saved by his quick thinking. Plucking an ordinary shamrock, he used the triple leaf and single stem of the plant to illustrate the holy trinity of Christianity. It is also said that Saint Patrick performed miracles, banishing evil creatures from the land. Folklore attributes the fact that there are no native species of snake existing in Ireland to Saint Patrick’s activities. 熟稔當地語言與宗教的派翠克，是一位謙遜的傳道者，足跡踏遍愛爾蘭各地，為各種階層的人受洗。然而，他的宣教工作並不總是一帆風順。據說，聖派翠克某次差點遭到當地人的攻擊，便急中生智。從草叢中拔起一株隨處可見的三葉草，用這種植物三個葉片長在同一段莖頂端的現象，向愛爾蘭人證明基督教三位一體的概念。又有傳言，他曾經展現神蹟，把邪惡的生物全數趕進海裡。愛爾蘭當地沒有任何原生蛇類，在民俗傳說中被認為是聖派翠克當年的功勞。

Today, people wear green and put on shamrock ornaments to commemorate Saint Patrick’s missionary efforts and his contribution to Ireland. On this day, bands perform traditional Irish folk songs on the streets or in the bars in Ireland, as well as in Irish communities around the world. 今日，人們會穿上綠色的衣服，佩戴三葉草的裝飾，以紀念聖派翠克的貢獻。在聖派翠克節這天，包括愛爾蘭以及世界各地的愛爾蘭裔社區，都會有樂團在街上或酒館裡演奏，唱著古老的民謠。

(Chang Ho-ming, Taipei Times)

A Spring View 春望

國破山河在 城春草木深
感時花濺淚 恨別鳥驚心
烽火連三月 家書抵萬金
白頭搔更短 渾欲不勝簪

Though a country be sundered, hills and rivers endure;
And spring comes green again to trees and grasses
Where petals have been shed like tears
And lonely birds have sung their grief.
...After the war-fires of three months,
One message from home is worth a ton of gold.
...I stroke my white hair. It has grown too thin
To hold the hairpins any more.

Source:

http://content.bangtech.com/poem/tang/poem_du_fu-spring_view.htm

Sitting Too Much Ages You By 8 Years 久坐不起讓你老8歲

新聞辭典

• sedentary：形容詞，久坐的，坐慣的。例句：A sedentary person, no matter how busy he is, should take time out for exercise.（一個坐久的人，無論他有多忙，都應該抽出時間運動。）
• premature：形容詞，早熟的，過早的。例句：Babies born before completion of week 37 are premature.（嬰兒在滿37週以前出生算是早產。）
• fray：動詞，使…磨損，使…緊張。例句：His shirt was frayed at the neck.（他的襯衫領口磨損。）

Women who spend too much time sitting down speed up the aging process. Sitting for more than ten hours a day gives women a ’biological age’ up to eight years older than it should be, according to a new study. 花太多時間久坐的婦女會加速老化過程。根據一項新研究，一天久坐超過10小時，將使女性的「生物年齡」較其應有的程度還老8歲之多。

The researchers, who tracked the movements of 1,481 women over the age of 64, found a strong link between a sedentary lifestyle and the premature aging of cells in the body. Women who were more sedentary had shorter and more frayed telomeres, which scientists use to calculate ’biological age’.研究人員追蹤1481名64歲以上婦女的活動，發現久坐生活型態與體內細胞提早老化有強烈關聯。坐更久的婦女擁有較短、更磨損的端粒，科學家使用端粒來計算「生物年齡」。

Telomeres naturally shorten with age, but health and lifestyle factors － such as smoking and obesity － can accelerate the process. Shortened telomeres are linked with heart disease, diabetes and cancer. However, just half an hour of moderate exercise might undo the damage. 端粒會隨著年齡增長自然縮短，但健康及生活型態因素──例如吸菸和肥胖──會加速這個過程。縮短的端粒與心臟病、糖尿病和癌症有關。不過，只要半小時的溫和運動，即可抵消這個損害。

"We found that women who sat longer did not have shorter telomere length if they exercised for at least 30 minutes a day," said lead author Aladdin Shadyab.研究主筆阿拉汀．莎迪耶指出：「我們發現，坐得較久的婦女未必端粒長度會較短，但前提是一天運動至少30分鐘。」