US senators opposing an almost US$1 trillion economic stimulus package are struggling to find ways to explain just how big that one with 12 zeroes after it really is.
Republican Senator John Thune said you could circle the equator 38.9 times with 100-dollar bills stretched side-by-side, and showed a picture of Earth encircled in greenbacks to emphasize his point.
“One trillion dollars is a terrible thing to waste,” he said. “We shouldn’t spend money we don’t have on things we don’t need.”
PHOTO: AFP
A day earlier, Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell also grappled with ways to illustrate how big the US$888 billion stimulus plan, which could easily grow before a final vote, really is.
“Just to put a trillion dollars in context, if you started spending the day that Jesus was born and you spent a million dollars every single day, you still wouldn’t have spent a trillion dollars. This is a lot of money,” he said.(AFP)
對近一兆美元的經濟振興方案持反對立場的美國參議員，正努力用各種方式解釋這個後面有十二個零的數字到底有多大。
共和黨參議員約翰．圖恩表示，若將一兆美元以百元鈔票一張一張相連起來，可繞行赤道三十八點九圈，他並秀出一張地球被美鈔繞行的圖片來強調他的論點。
他說：「一兆美元不應該拿來隨便浪費，我們不該舉債支應我們不需要的東西。」
就在前一天，參議院共和黨領袖米區．麥康奈爾也努力想辦法凸顯這次紓困計畫的八千八百八十億美元究竟有多少，預算金額在最終表決前很可能會再追加。
他說：「我告訴你一兆元有多少，如果你從耶穌誕生那天開始每天花一百萬元，到今天也還花不完一兆元。這真的是很大一筆錢。」（法新社�翻譯：袁星塵）
Historians are rethinking the way the Holocaust is being presented in museums as the world marks the 80th anniversary of the liberation of the last Nazi concentration camps this month. Shocking images of the mass killings of Jews were “used massively at the end of World War II to show the violence of the Nazis,” historian Tal Bruttmann, a specialist on the Holocaust, told AFP. But in doing so “we kind of lost sight of the fact that is not normal to show” such graphic scenes of mass murder, of people being humiliated and dehumanized, he said. Up to this
When people listen to music today, they typically use streaming services like YouTube or Spotify. However, traditional formats like vinyl records have regained popularity in recent times. Vinyl records are circular discs that store music in grooves on their surfaces and are played on a turntable. As the turntable’s needle runs along these grooves, it picks up vibrations and translates them into sound. The history of vinyl records dates back to the late 1800s, but material and technological challenges delayed mass production until the 1950s. Despite early versions having short playtimes and poor sound quality, vinyl records introduced a new era
A: Brazilian jiu-jitsu, known as “BJJ,” has become more and more popular. Even Hollywood stars like Halle Berry and Tom Hardy are obsessed with it. B: Some Asian stars, such as Taiwanese actor Eddie Peng and South Korean actor Lee Joon-gi, have also practiced this martial art. A: BJJ is not just a martial art, but also a combat sport. B: I’ve always wanted to try it, but I’m worried about getting injured. A: Diana Wang, a US doctor of physical therapy, is holding a BJJ seminar at PMA Brazilian Jiu-jitsu in Taipei Friday night. Let’s go check out how we
Dos & Don’ts — 想想看，這句話英語該怎麼說？ 1. 能做的事都做了。 ˇ All that could be done has been done. χ All that could be done have been done. 註︰all 指事情或抽象概念時當作單數。例如： All is well that ends well. （結果好就是好。） All is over with him. （他已經沒希望了。） That’s all for today. （今天到此為止。） all 指人時應當作複數。例如： All of us are interested in his proposal. All of us are doing our best. 2. 我們這麼做有益於我們的健康。 ˇ What we are doing is good for our health. χ What we are doing are good for our health. 註︰以關係代名詞 what 引導的作為主詞的子句，動詞用單數。如： What he said is true. 3. 大家都沿著步道跑。 ˇ Everybody runs along the trail. χ Everybody run along the trail. 註︰everyone 是指一大群人，但在文法上一般用單數。 4. 桌上有一本筆記本和兩支筆。 ˇ There were two
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