Recently, veganism has been steadily gaining steam. This lifestyle choice __1__the use of animal-based products, especially when it comes to one’s diet and clothing. However, animal products are used in such a wide range of __2__ that living as a true vegan can prove to be a difficult challenge for many people.
Those who play the violin, for example, have traditionally had no __3__ but to use instruments that rely heavily on glues made from the skin, bones, and tendons of animals to hold them together. Fortunately for these vegan musicians, however, this is no longer the case.
Padraig O’Dubhlaoidh, an Irish violin maker, recently made the first violin to be __4__ with The Vegan Society’s “Vegan Trademark.” He created the NT$300,000 instrument at his workshop in the Malvern Hills district of England during the coronavirus lockdown. According to O’Dubhlaoidh, a customer had __5__ him about making a vegan instrument a number of years ago. The craftsman had long thought that animal products were not necessary to build a violin. Moreover, he was troubled by the thought of the __6__ dilemma that some vegan musicians faced when they were forced to play instruments that were not vegan-friendly. Therefore, he set about making a violin that was free from materials such as horsehair, hooves, horns, or bones, animal products that have historically been used in the __7__ of violins.
Photo courtesy of MNA 照片:牛耳藝術提供
O’Dubhlaoidh’s vegan-friendly violin uses glue made from wild berries and spring water rather than traditional materials that are __8__ from animals. He even claims that the acoustic properties of his vegan violin are better than __9__ models. This is mainly because the glue he uses causes less tension on the wooden __10__ of the instrument. He’s certain that eco-friendly instruments like the one he has created will become more common in the coming years.
近來,素食主義一直穩定地越來越受歡迎。這種生活方式的選擇排除使用以動物為主要成分的製品,在飲食和衣服方面尤其如此。然而,動物製品被用於如此廣泛的商品中,以至於對許多人來說,要作為真正的嚴守素食主義者生活著可能是一項艱鉅的挑戰。
舉例來說,傳統上那些拉小提琴的人別無選擇,他們只能使用重度依賴動物皮膚、骨骼和肌腱製成的膠水將它們固定在一起的樂器。然而幸運的是,對於這些純素音樂家來說,情況已不再如此。
愛爾蘭小提琴工匠保利.奧杜力最近製造了第一把在素食協會註冊「純素商標」的小提琴。在冠狀病毒流行期間處於封城狀態時,他在英格蘭莫爾文希爾斯區的工作室創造了這把價值新臺幣三十萬的樂器。據奧杜力的說法,幾年前,一位客戶曾來找他,要他製作純素樂器。這位工匠一直認為動物製品不是製造小提琴所必需的。此外,他對一些純素音樂家面臨的道德困境感到不安,因為他們不得不演奏對嚴守素食主義者不友善的樂器。因此,他著手製作一種沒有使用馬毛、蹄、角或骨頭等原料的小提琴,這些動物製品是過去用來製作小提琴的原料。
奧杜力為嚴守素食主義者製作的小提琴,使用了由野生漿果和泉水製成的膠水,而非使用取材於動物的傳統原料。他甚至聲稱他的純素小提琴聲音特性比傳統的型號更好。這主要是因為他使用的膠水對樂器木頭的部分造成的拉力較小。他確信,像他創造的這種環保樂器將在未來幾年變得更加普遍。
----------
What Did You Learn?
(A) conventional (B) moral (C) production (D) excludes (E) sourced
(F) components (G) goods (H) approached (I) option (J) registered
答案:
1. (D) 2. (G) 3. (I) 4. (J) 5. (H)
6. (B) 7. (C) 8. (E) 9. (A) 10. (F)
----------
Words in Use
1. steadily adv. 穩定地,不斷地
Due to global warming, temperatures around the world are steadily increasing.
2. -based suffix (形容詞詞尾)以…為主的
This is a garlic-based sauce.
這種醬是以蒜頭為主要成分。
3. fortunately adv. 幸運地,所幸
= luckily adv.
I lost all of my money. Fortunately, Mary was willing to lend me some.
我的錢全搞丟了,所幸瑪莉願意借我一些錢。
4. district n. 地區,區域
Do you know which district of the city Tina lives in?
你知道蒂娜住在這座城市的哪一區嗎?
5. dilemma n. 左右為難,困境
Our dilemma is how to exploit natural resources without damaging the environment.
我們的難題是如何開發天然資源而又不傷害到環境。
Practical Phrases
1. gain / gather / pick up / get up steam 越來越受歡迎;加大馬力
After a week, the fundraising project began to gain steam.
一週後,籌款活動開始變得熱絡起來。
2. a wide range of... 範圍廣泛的…
Our new chef has created a wide range of new dishes.
我們的新廚師已經研發出各式各樣的新菜色。
3. rely on... 依賴… = depend on...
Benny had to rely on the MRT to get to work after he sold his car.
班尼把車子賣掉後,他必須靠搭捷運上班。
4. hold... together / hold together
使連在一起
Jenny used glue to hold these two pieces of paper together.
珍妮用膠水把這兩張紙黏起來。
5. set about 著手做
Ray set about cleaning up the house after the party.
派對後,小雷著手清理房子。
聽文章朗讀及講解: https://ivy.pse.is/455bfu
本文出自常春藤解析英語雜誌: www.ivy.com.tw
A: Hard rock band Guns N’ Roses is touring Taiwan tomorrow. What about pop diva Lady Gaga? B: Unfortunately, Singapore has once again exclusively secured Gaga’s concerts in Asia, just like Taylor Swift’s exclusive Asian shows last year. A: The Singaporean government reportedly paid up to US$2.2 million to secure Swift’s shows. B: And the shows did boost its economy and tourism. A: But I’m angry about this approach, so I’m not going to Gaga’s shows this time. A: 硬式搖滾天團槍與玫瑰明天即將來台,流行天后女神卡卡呢? B: 真可惜,新加坡再度取得卡卡亞洲巡演的獨家主辦權,就像去年泰勒絲的亞洲獨家演出一樣。 A: 據報導新加坡政府付出高達220萬美元,取得泰勒絲的亞洲獨家主辦權。 B: 而她的秀也的確提振了該國的經濟和旅遊業。 A: 但我對此還是很不爽,所以不去新加坡看卡卡了! (By Eddy Chang, Taipei Times/台北時報張迪)
A: Hard rock band Guns N’ Roses and pop diva Lady Gaga are finally touring Asia again. B: Are they also coming to Taiwan? A: The band will stage a show at the Taoyuan Sunlight Arena on Saturday. B: Wow, so this will be the band’s third visit. I really love its 1992 power ballad “November Rain.” The nine-minute hit was the Billboard chart’s longest song at one point. A: Let’s go celebrate the 40th anniversary of its release. A: 硬式搖滾天團槍與玫瑰、女神卡卡終於再度展開亞洲巡演了。 B: 他們也會來台巡演嗎? A: 槍與玫瑰本週六即將在桃園陽光劇場開唱唷。 B: 哇這將是該團第三次來台演出,我超愛他們1992年強力情歌《November Rain》,全長近9分鐘還曾是告示牌排行榜最長神曲。 A: 那我們一起去慶祝該團出道40週年吧! (By Eddy Chang, Taipei Times/台北時報張迪)
Bilingual Story is a fictionalized account. 雙語故事部分內容純屬虛構。 Emma had reviewed 41 resumes that morning. While the ATS screened out 288 unqualified, she screened for AI slop. She could spot it a mile away. She muttered AI buzzwords like curses under her breath. “Team player.” “Results-driven.” “Stakeholder alignment.” “Leveraging core competencies.” Each resume reeked of AI modeling: a cemetery of cliches, tombstones of personality. AI wasn’t just changing hiring. It was draining the humanity from it. Then she found it: a plain PDF cover letter. No template. No design flourishes. The first line read: “I once tried to automate my
Every May 1, Hawaii comes alive with Lei Day, a festival celebrating the rich culture and spirit of the islands. Initiated in 1927 by the poet Don Blanding, Lei Day began as a tribute to the Hawaiian custom of making and wearing leis. The idea was quickly adopted and officially recognized as a holiday in 1929, and leis have since become a symbol of local pride and cultural preservation. In Hawaiian culture, leis are more than decorative garlands made from flowers, shells or feathers. For Hawaiians, giving a lei is as natural as saying “aloha.” It shows love and