Japanese visitors to the popular English holiday destination, the Lake District, are from this year being asked to donate £5 (US$7.6, NT$240) to help with conservation efforts, organizers have revealed.
Tens of thousands of Japanese tourists flock to the mountainous region every year, attracted by its natural beauty and links to children’s author Beatrix Potter, creator of The Tales of Peter Rabbit.
Visitor payback schemes have run for some years to cope with the damage caused by millions of visitors to the region every year, but this is believed to be the first to target one specific nationality.
Conservation charity Nurture Lakeland, which devised the scheme with the Lake District Japan Forum, said the money would be collected by tour operators.
“The money will then be used for conservation work and environmental improvements around Lake Windermere,” a popular holiday spot in the region, said the charity in a statement on its Web site Sunday.
After making a contribution, Japanese visitors would receive a Peter Rabbit badge, added the conservation group.
Many Japanese tourists head for Potter’s former properties, Hill Top Farm and Yew Tree Farm, where many of her books were set.(AFP)
發起單位表示，今年起，日本遊客到英格蘭熱門度假勝地「湖區」旅遊時，得捐獻五英鎊（七點六美元，新台幣兩百四十元）協助當地保育。
群山環繞的湖區風景秀麗，加上創作「彼得兔故事」的童書作者畢翠克絲•波特在此地的淵源，因此每年都吸引數萬名日本觀光客到訪。
湖區每年湧入數百萬觀光客，因應他們帶來破壞的遊客回饋計畫已行之有年，但針對特定國籍觀光客收取費用還是頭一遭。
和「湖區日本論壇」共同發起該計畫的保育慈善團體「保育湖區」表示，費用由旅行業者向遊客收取。
「保育湖區」週日在其網站上發表聲明說：「這些錢會做為溫德米爾湖（湖區熱門度假景點）周邊保育及環境改善之用。」
「保育湖區」表示，日本遊客只要捐出五英鎊，就可獲贈彼得兔紀念章一枚。
許多日本遊客前往波特故居「丘頂農莊」和「紫杉農莊」（多次化身她書中場景）遊賞。（法新社╱翻譯：林倩如）
Picture a 45-foot-long animal with a 5-foot-long skull and 3-foot-long arms. It may not seem strange until you realize that a human with those proportions would be 6 feet tall with 5-inch arms. Although the Tyrannosaurus rex went extinct 65 million years ago, the mystery of its unusual body __1__ has fascinated scientists for over a century. Barnum Brown, the paleontologist who first discovered T. rex fossils, initially found it hard to believe that the tiny arms belonged to such a __2__ creature. One of his colleagues speculated that the short forelimbs might have been used to hold the
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A: Actually, Brazilian jiu-jitsu is particularly good for small people like you. B: Really? How so? A: According to Diana Wang, a US doctor of physical therapy, the BJJ’s purpose is to help smaller, weaker people defend themselves by using various techniques, such as leverage. B: That sounds interesting. What time does Dr Wang’s BJJ seminar begin tonight? A: The event is scheduled for 7:30pm at PMA Brazilian Jiu-jitsu in Taipei. Admission is free, but donations are welcome. A: 其實你的個子比較小，很適合練巴西柔術呢。 B: 真的嗎？為什麼？ A: 據美國理療醫師王幼瑞博士說，巴西柔術的概念是讓弱小的人，也能利用槓桿作用等技巧防身。 B: 真有趣，王醫師的巴柔研討會幾點開始？ A: 今晚7點半在「台北巴柔運動館」，免費入場自由樂捐唷！ （By Eddy Chang, Taipei Times／台北時報張迪）
Dogs’ noses are incredibly keen. They can even detect changes in cortisol levels in human sweat and breath. Known as the “stress hormone,” cortisol increases when humans are under pressure. Recent research indicates that the smell of human stress can influence a dog’s behavior and emotions. In the study, human volunteers were exposed to the stressful tasks of preparing and delivering a speech on the spot and then solving math problems. __1__ Researchers collected sweat and breath samples from the volunteers on pieces of cloth during both their stressful and restful states. Meanwhile, other researchers worked with 18
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