Australian couples desperate to escape the rat race are queuing up to be caretakers of a small, isolated and windswept island off the south-west Tasmanian coast where it rains for 250 days a year.
The job - which runs for four-month stretches at a time - involves tending Australia's most southerly lighthouse on Maatsuyker island, monitoring wildlife and reporting weather conditions.
The Tasmanian parks and wildlife service warns that candidates have to be self-sufficient, have first aid skills and be willing to undergo an interview with a psychologist to ensure that they can deal with loneliness and being cut off from the modern world.
Photo: ap
"Maatsuyker is not a place for everyone. It's isolated, wild and windswept and in the front line of weather systems hitting Tasmania from the Southern Ocean," the advert warns. "Anyone contemplating a sojourn should take a supply of books and their knitting." But it adds that the castaways who put themselves forward will enjoy a "unique" lifestyle on the island that is 3km long and about a 1.5km wide and supports a variety of flora and fauna.
Lashed by the constant buffeting of winds averaging 50-60 knots coming off the southern ocean, ferocious storms are commonplace on the tiny island 10km off the coast of Tasmania. Volunteers are paid a nominal sum for their services and six couples have been lined up to take their turn in the coming months.(The GUARDIAN)
急於脫離競爭緊張生活的澳洲夫婦們,正排隊希望成為一座風中孤島的看守者。該島位於塔斯馬尼亞海岸的西南方,一年下雨達兩百五十天。
該工作每次為期四個月,包括管理位於「馬祖客島」,澳洲最南方的燈塔、監控野生動物,及報告天氣狀況。
塔斯馬尼亞公園和野生動物服務處提醒,應徵者必須要自給自足、懂急救技巧,並願意接受心理學家的訪談,以確保他們能忍受寂寞、隔離於現代社會。
「馬祖客島並不適合每個人。它孤立、荒涼、風大,還位於南極海天氣系統衝擊塔斯馬尼亞的最前線,」廣告中警告:「任何考慮旅居在此的人,最好要多帶點書或編織物來。」但它補充說,自願來到此處的流浪者在島上享有「獨特的」生活形態。該島長三公里、寬一點五公里,並擁有各式各樣的植物群和動物群。
受到來自南極海平均五十至六十海里強風不斷吹襲,猛烈的風暴對這個距離塔斯馬尼亞十公里的小島來說是家常便飯。至於自願服務者可獲得微薄的薪水,有六對夫婦正排隊等候未來幾個月內前往該島履職。(衛報/翻譯:張愛弟)
Instagram is changing the default privacy settings for many US teenagers, part of an effort to keep them safer and give parents more control over how their kids interact online. The new settings will make teen accounts private by default, limit who those users can send private messages to, and put teens in the “most restrictive” tier when it comes to viewing sensitive content. That means the app will block teens from seeing sensitive photos and videos, including posts that show people fighting or certain cosmetic procedures. These more restrictive settings will be turned on automatically for all Instagram users under 18
Located in the picturesque mountains of eastern Spain, the small town of Bunol might appear to be just another idyllic place in the Spanish countryside. However, it is home to one of the world’s most popular food fights. Each August, tens of thousands of people from all around the globe swarm into Bunol to take part in La Tomatina. On the last Wednesday of August, you will find the streets of Bunol full of people eagerly waiting to hear the blast of a cannon. This signifies the start of La Tomatina, an event where participants hurl thousands of pounds of tomatoes
Get ready to spin on your head -- “breaking” is set to make its Olympic debut at the Paris 2024 Games! Often referred to as breakdance or breakdancing, breaking was born in the streets of New York City during the early 1970s. It began as a way for African-American and Latin youths to express their narratives and struggles through astonishing spins and movements. B-boys and b-girls, also known as breakers, frequently compete in cyphers: events where they take turns showcasing their dance moves within a circle of spectators. Breaking comprises four main elements: toprock, downrock, power moves, and freezes. Toprock consists
在 COVID-19 成為全球大流行 (pandemic) 的傳染病後,如何有效篩檢確診病患,一度成為討論的熱點。 疫情爆發初期,國內有些縣市首長主張要普篩(全面篩檢),找出隱藏的新冠肺炎病例,不過,疫情指揮中心說明,全面用聚合?連鎖反應 (polymerase chain reaction, PCR) 檢驗來為全民普篩,將耗費近七百億元公帑和醫療資源,不符合效益。 根據衛福部長陳時中的說法,用準確度高的 PCR 方式對全國 2300 萬人普篩,平均一人 3000 元,總額將高達 690 億元。以當時的盛行率萬分之 18,即使不用人人普篩,以看似健康的人口1800 萬人計算,也需要花費 540 億元,才能找出當中的 3 萬 2577 人無症狀感染者,其中還有 1797 人屬於「偽陽性」,即使沒有得病,還是得將他們隔離、再檢測,才能恢復正常生活。 雖然也可以用價格較低(200 元/人)的快篩做篩檢,但此舉也需花費約 46 億元,且準確度偏低,偽陰和偽陽性機率更高。 (新冠肺炎)「普篩/全面篩檢」的英文是 widespread coronavirus testing 或 community-wide screening/testing。「快篩」是 rapid testing。篩檢中,可能出現「偽陰性」(false negative) 有患病,但篩不出來,和「偽陽性」(false positive)沒患病,卻篩檢出來。 在醫學檢測上「陰性」(negative) 代表沒有(病或病毒),「陽性」 (positive) 代表有(病或病毒),避免患病與否造成污名化,因此用比較中性 (neutral) 的詞彙來稱呼。至於驗孕 (pregnancy test),「陰性」代表未懷孕,「陽性」代表懷孕。 「盛行率」的英文是 prevalence rate,即患病率,在流行病學中指特定時間內總人口中罹患該病的人口所占比例。在新冠肺炎的篩檢中,「咽喉拭子」是目前國內主流採用的方式,「咽喉拭子」英文是 throat swab,就是以棉棒擦拭咽喉部位,取得上皮細胞,並置入病毒收集瓶。如果是採集鼻咽部位,就叫「鼻咽拭子」(nasal swab)。 另外,「靈敏度」(sensitivity) 與「特異度」(specificity) 也是醫學檢測時所使用的術語,用以衡量該檢測的準確度。特異度是不帶原者 (non-carrier) 中採檢陰性的比例,而靈敏度則是帶原者 (carrier) 中採檢陽性的比例,靈敏度、特異度越高,代表準確度越高。 文章由書林出版公司提供: www.bookman.com.tw 蘇正隆 — 台灣翻譯學學會前理事長、師大翻譯研究所兼任副教授; 編著《英語的對與錯》,《世紀病毒:必讀防疫英文知識與詞彙》...等