Health officials want to turn the scantily clad women who sell betel nuts at stands along Taiwan's roadways into anti-AIDS campaigners.
Betel nuts, chewed as a mild stimulant, are popular among truck and taxi drivers — and vendors often compete by staffing roadside sales booths with young women in bikinis, translucent blouses or nurses' uniforms with miniskirts.
The government plans to have the women give their customers boxes containing condoms and an AIDS warning, Yang Shih-yang, an official at the Center for Disease Control, said on Apr. 7.
PHOTO: LIN ZHI-QING, TAIPEI TIMES
"Research done from Africa to Himalayan countries has proved one thing: The AIDS virus is spread along the highways," Yang said.
He was apparently referring to truckers and cab drivers engaging in prostitution or sex with multiple partners.
However, Yang said the plan is still under study because authorities do not want the act to accidentally promote the sale and chewing of betel nuts — which many physicians say could cause cancer.
In recent years, the provocatively dressed roadside saleswomen called "betel nut beauties" have become part of Taiwanese culture.
Several of the saleswomen, interviewed recently by Sanli Cable News, dismissed the anti-AIDS proposal as too sexually suggestive, and said it could expose them to risk of assault.
The plan "might give people wild thoughts," said one, whose name was not given.
Officials say AIDS cases have been rising by about 3,000 a year in Taiwan.
In an attempt to contain the spread of the HIV virus, authorities recently began a program under which convenience stores distribute free needles for drug addicts. (AP)
衛生官員希望能讓台灣路邊檳榔攤穿著清涼的檳榔西施，化身反愛滋人士。
嚼起來有如興奮劑的檳榔，廣受卡車與計程車司機歡迎，商家往往在路邊檳榔攤雇用年輕女性員工，讓她們穿著比基尼、若隱若現的罩衫或裙子超短的護士服來搶生意。
疾病管制局組長楊世仰四月七日表示，政府計畫請這些女性發給顧客內附保險套並印上愛滋警語的檳榔盒。
楊世仰說︰「從非洲到喜馬拉雅山的國外研究都發現︰愛滋病毒沿著公路蔓延。」
他顯然是暗指嫖妓或有多重性伴侶的卡車與計程車司機。
不過，楊世仰說由於政府不希望這項行動意外促銷檳榔與嚼檳榔，計畫仍在研究階段。許多醫師指出檳榔會致癌。
穿著清涼養眼、在路邊賣檳榔的女性銷售員近幾年來被稱為「檳榔西施」，已成為台灣文化之一。
最近接受三立新聞採訪的幾位賣檳榔女性，都認為這項反愛滋計畫有過多的性暗示，可能會讓自己冒上性侵害風險。
其中一位匿名者表示，這項計畫「可能讓人產生瘋狂聯想」。
官員表示，台灣一年已增加三千個愛滋病例。
為了抑制愛滋病毒傳播，官員最近已展開便利商店免費發放針頭，供毒癮者使用的計畫。
（美聯社／翻譯：賴美君）
SAY WHAT? 說說看
under study 研究中
If a plan is under study, then it is being reviewed and does not have final approval. Phrases with a similar meaning include under review and under consideration. You can also say something is being studied, is being reviewed or is being considered. "We really like your proposal for a new park in this neighborhood, but there are lots of complicated issues involved. At this time, your plan is still under review, but we'll tell you as soon as we have made a decision."
An understudy is an actor who prepares as backup in case another actor can't perform.
假如一項計畫正「under study」，即指正在研究中，尚未獲得最後批准。類似的片語還有「under review」與「under consideration」。你也可以說某件事「is being studied」、「is being reviewed」或「is being considered」。例如︰「我們真的很喜歡你在社區打造新公園的計畫，但還牽涉到許多複雜問題。目前你的計畫仍在評估中，但我們決議後會儘快通知你」。
一個「understudy」就是替角演員，以免另一名演員無法登台表演。
OUT LOUD 對話練習
Peggy: Hey! On my way over here, I passed a betel nut stand.
Kristen: See anything unusual?
Peggy: Well, I noticed the vendors are handing out condoms and an AIDS warning.
Kristen: That's news to me. I'd also say it sounds like a good plan.
Peggy: Yeah, it complements the needle distribution program too.
佩姬︰嘿！我來這裡的路上經過一處檳榔攤。
克莉絲坦︰有什麼不尋常的嗎？
佩姬︰我注意到小販在發送保險套與愛滋標語。
克莉絲坦︰挺新鮮的。我認為聽起來是個好主意。
佩姬︰是啊，它還配合發送針頭的計畫。
news to someone 挺新鮮的，沒聽說過
If something is news to you, than you didn't know it before. "Sarah is getting married?! That's news to me! When's the wedding?"
假如有事情「news to you」，你從未聽過這種事。例如︰「莎拉要結婚了！我居然不知道！婚禮是什麼時候？」
Street lights are often taken for granted until a power outage plunges the world into darkness. When that happens, the value of these lighting installations becomes evident as the world turns into a more dangerous place for pedestrians and motorists alike. The Chinese could claim to be the first to have constructed a crude type of street light. Around 500 BC, residents of Beijing employed a type of street lamp that used hollow bamboo pipes and natural gas vents to create burning torches. Later, ancient Romans adopted lamps fueled by vegetable oil, which relied on slaves to light and
A: Who else is on Billboard’s list: “The 25 greatest pop stars of the 21st Century?” B: No. 15 to 6 are: Miley Cyrus, Justin Timberlake, Nicki Minaj, Eminem, Usher, Adele, Ariana Grande, Justin Bieber, Kanye West and Britney Spears. A: I can’t believe that Adele’s only at No. 10. B: No. 5 to 1 are: Lady Gaga, Drake, Rihanna, Taylor Swift and Beyonce. A: Well, they surely deserve the honor. A: 《告示牌》雜誌的「21世紀最偉大的25位流行歌手」，還有誰上榜啊？ B: 第15至6名是：麥莉希拉、大賈斯汀、妮姬米娜、阿姆、亞瑟小子、愛黛兒、亞莉安娜、小賈斯汀、肯伊威斯特、小甜甜布蘭妮。 A: 真不敢相信愛黛兒只排第10名。 B: 第5至1名是：女神卡卡、德瑞克、蕾哈娜、泰勒絲、碧昂絲。 A: 這幾位真是實至名歸！ （By Eddy Chang, Taipei Times／台北時報張聖恩）
A: The 21st Century is now entering its 25th year. B: So Billboard has released a list: “The 25 greatest pop stars of the 21st Century.” A: Who are the greatest pop singers? B: No. 25 to 16 are: Katy Perry, Ed Sheeran, Bad Bunny, One Direction, Lil Wayne, Bruno Mars, BTS, The Weeknd, Shakira and Jay-Z. A: Wow, my favorite K-pop supergroup BTS has made it to the list. A: 21世紀正在邁入第25個年頭了。 B: 《告示牌》雜誌特別公布：「21世紀最偉大的25位流行歌手」。 A: 最偉大的歌手有哪些？ B: 第25至16名是：凱蒂佩芮、紅髮艾德、壞痞兔、1世代、小韋恩、火星人布魯諾、防彈少年團（BTS）、威肯、夏奇拉、Jay-Z。 A: 哇，我最愛的韓流天團BTS也上榜了！ （By Eddy Chang, Taipei Times／台北時報張聖恩）
Spoiler alert and shift blame 破梗&甩鍋 在新冠疫情期間，無論是因為封城 (lockdown) 還是居家隔離 (self-isolation at home)，人們關在家中使用網路的時間大增。這也讓一些原本只存在於網路論壇的用語廣為普及。我們來談一下破梗 (spoiler alert) 與甩鍋 (shift blame) 這兩個用語。 有位古典文學教授 Joel Christensen 針對領導統御與疫情控制寫了一篇以古喻今、相當深入的文章：“Plagues follow bad leadership in ancient Greek tales”，文中出現一些講法，可用來翻譯上述的流行語： In the 5th century B.C., the playwright Sophocles begins Oedipus Tyrannos with the title character struggling to identify the cause of a plague striking his city, Thebes. (Spoiler alert: It’s his own bad leadership.) (Joel Christensen, “Plagues follow bad leadership in ancient Greek tales,” The Conversation, March 12, 2020) 作者提到 Oedipus（伊底帕斯）想找出瘟疫何以降臨他的城邦的緣由，加了一句：Spoiler alert: It’s his own bad leadership.（破梗：領導無方）。Spoiler alert 就是「破梗」，如果用在有人洩漏電影劇情的情境中，也可以翻作「小心爆雷」或「劇透警告」。疫情之下，在家看影集、電影成了很多人的娛樂，但要小心劇透 (spoilers)，很多 YouTube 上的影評在開頭也都會說 Spoiler alert!，警告還沒看過電影的觀眾小心爆雷、劇透。 至於「甩鍋」，源自大陸網民用語，通常意指某人犯了錯之後想推卸責任、轉移焦點、甚至讓別人背黑鍋的做法。疫情爆發後，相關網路資訊量爆增，許多中國網民也想找人為這場疫情負責，紛紛呼籲地方政府首長、地方黨書記不要「甩鍋」。 其實，在古代文學《奧德賽》中，就有「將自己的責任怪罪眾神」的說法，試用時下流行的「甩鍋」來重新翻譯： Humans are always blaming the gods for their suffering, but they experience
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