2009年11月2日 星期一

[轉錄] 狂牛症是什麼?

為了您和親愛的人的生命,請您花些心思閱讀完, 這是我一點一滴花時間才寫完的,絕不是從網路上隨手抓下來的,雖然參考些有生物或生化背景朋友的意見,但我仍盡可能寫的口語一點,希望大家能夠看懂、看得輕鬆。

---------------------------------------------------------

認識我夠久的人都知道,我向來不會義憤填膺的,也傾向於溫和的改變事情,我既不是激進的綠色人士,也不是帶頭革命的知識分子,更不是為反對而反對的反對黨,或者高舉正義旗幟革命領袖,我只是一個還喜歡台灣這個樂土、想好好過日常生活的小老百姓。


我想,即使是921大地震或88水災對我都沒有如此巨大的衝擊所謂的 “意外“ ,是指 “意料之外“,或許我們無能為力,我們無法改變大自然,所以,每次有意外或者國家災難發生,台灣人總是可以展現出驚人的生命力和韌性,不論死去多少無辜的犧牲者,我們可以互相幫助,重新再站起來。即使你不是災區民眾,或甚至從來沒有離開過台北市的人,透過媒體或網路,我們依然可以感受到什麼是“災難“。


但我認為大家都小看這次的 “災難“ 了,我認為這樣的災難是毀滅性且不可逆轉的。我不仿問個位看倌幾個問題?

1. 請問什麼是狂牛症?

2. 牛肉煮熟後就好?

3. 請問狂牛症是經由什麼途徑傳染?感染後有辦法醫治嗎?

4. 請問狂牛症的症狀?成功醫治的比例有多少?死亡率有多少?

5. 請問如果美國牛這麼恐怖,美國人早就死光了,而且政府拍胸脯保證安全?

6. 請問我是不是不吃牛肉就好?

7. 如何完全避免感染?



我整理了一些資料,普遍發現以上幾點是大家忽略的

我周圍很多親朋好友只知道美國牛事件吵很兇,卻不認識狂牛症是什麼

1. 請問什麼是狂牛症?

它正式的名稱是“牛海綿狀腦病“,俗稱“狂牛症“或“瘋牛症“,在人類身上稱為“克雅二氏病“或簡稱“庫賈氏症“(CJD),分為普通性和變異性,普通性不可傳染且病發平均年齡65歲,變異型透過食用傳染,平均病發年齡29歲。目前確信是由變異性蛋白Prion所引起。


2. 牛肉煮熟後就好?

不,煮熟或冷凍皆無效,甚至高溫700度或放射線皆無法滅絕,化為灰燼後仍有感染性,若任意丟棄土壤也會感染。被喻為“第二個愛滋病“或“人類最後的天譴“。


3. 請問狂牛症是經由什麼途徑傳染?感染後有辦法醫治嗎?

食用感染的肉品感染,目前完全無法醫治。若混入絞肉中病發率甚至比食用內臟更高更危險,且已感染的牛隻會藉由其他途徑感染其他牛隻,血液、飼料或菜刀之類的。


4. 請問狂牛症的症狀?成功醫治的比例有多少?死亡率有多少?

病發後死亡率100%,成功醫治比例是0,大約半年至一年死亡。症狀類似於 “惡靈古堡“ 和 “毀滅倒數28天“ ,因1986~1993年間爆發狂牛症和騷羊症事件,所以殭屍電影裡的背景都設定在倫敦。主要因為腦部海綿化導致急速失智,進而言語和行動能力失調。


5. 請問如果美國牛這麼恐怖,美國人早就死光了,而且政府拍胸脯保證安全?

目前爆發案例大多在歐洲尤其是英國,目前官方數據超過170起案例。普通型患者有偶發性和遺傳性,但突變型是經感染的,容易被誤判為"阿茲海墨症"(俗稱老人痴呆症),而阿茲海墨症正是美國十大死因之一,美國地方的私人調查數據更是遠遠超過官方數據。除此之外,大家都知道白人不太愛吃內臟,但台灣的內臟消耗量不但是亞洲第一、更是世界之冠,染病機率更高。加上台灣人98%有染病基因更是雪上加霜,機率是美國人的720倍,而且我不知道什麼叫做“最嚴格的把關“,因為台灣只有一台檢役機器,也只能驗腦不能驗肉,更何況是抽樣調查,當時爆發役情的英國政府也是信誓旦旦拍胸脯保證。


6. 請問我是不是不吃牛肉就好?

錯,會經由輸血傳染,染病潛伏期目前確知為6年,部份實驗室宣稱10~20年,目前已經確定光是英國經過輸血感染的案例至少有4起,但如同上一題,台灣人機率更高上數百倍。假設你動手術輸血,對方的好心可能會因為潛伏期導致你間接感染。

此外,若病牛作成飼料,將感染豬隻或其他家畜,到時恐怕爆發“瘋豬症“,後果更不堪設想,想想你食物中有多少豬肉吧。


7. 如何完全避免感染?

第一種方案,徹底吃素、完全避免輸血,換言之,不能吃肉,最好一輩子都不要出意外動手術。

第二種方案,拒絕美國牛、特別是牛內臟,這會造成毀滅性的後果。




我由衷的希望大家可以正視問題的嚴重性,這是國家 “尚未“ 發生的災難這也是為什麼這麼多專業單位和專家學者如此憤怒。我們的生命絕不是交換軍售的籌碼,更何況軍售還是美國賺錢!請不要再抱持著 “不會輪到我“ 或 “不要吃牛就好“ 的想法,這是錯的。畢竟人人都有機會透過吃肉或輸血感染,如果你上youtube搜尋,可以看到英國因為吃漢堡而死亡的犧牲者,更可以感同身受,他只是一個年紀20出頭無辜的男孩,過世的半年前還懷抱著夢想在錄音室寫音樂;BBC上也有關於狂牛的詳細紀錄片,看到CJD患者的樣子你連笑都笑不出來,趁著現在台灣還是一個完全沒有爆發疫情的乾淨小島,不要讓他變成 “惡靈古堡“ 翻版。保護你自己的生命,同時也保護你周圍的人,你的朋友或家人隨時都有可能無辜的死去

這場災難遠比棒球簽賭或H1N1來的可怕、來的長遠,沒有人樂見過著沒肉可吃,甚至被聯合國劃為疫情管制區的日子,請 “用力“ 讓大家知道事情的嚴重性,我文章寫的再好,若沒有借助各位的力量幫忙宣傳,一切也只是枉然請幫忙到處轉貼和告知,尤其是您的父母,他們的資訊並不像我們這樣方便,

媒體已經被壟斷,幸好我們還有網路,幸好我們還有可以迅速散播的Facebook,讓他們了解狂牛症的可怕,並告訴更多的人,最重要的是,要有更具體的行動,讓政府知道我們的憤怒,徹底拒絕美國牛。

20091102 Expressing Opinions (1)

Expressing Opinions

How direct can you be?

When Americans discuss ideas or express their opinions, they are often direct. They talk about good points and bad points. They talk about good points and bad points. They disagree and may even argue about issues. These kinds of conversations contrast with discussions held in Chinese culture where mianzi(面子) is very important. Mianzi, of "face" in English, translates basically as respect or honor. In Chinese society, peopoe can lose face, save face and give face. Losing face means bringing shame on oneself and others. This is done when a person shows anger or says negative things about others in public.

Why the difference? In general, Western cultures tend to be "individualistic." People place a lot of importance on public debate and freedom of expression. A personal sense of guilt guides one's behavior. When an adult makes a mistake, his or her action involves only personal embarrassment. There is no shame placed on one's family, company or country. Even though Westerners don't have conflict all the time, differences of opinion are accepted as a natural part of life.



shame n. 羞恥/恥辱
shame on someone
=> feel dishonor/embarrasment
eg: Shame on you for cheating on the test!
eg: The student who cheated showed no shame for what he had done.
eg: His behavior brought shame on the whole company.

express v. 表達/表示/表現
expression n. 表達
eg: Our teacher Ms. Newport encourages open expression of our opinions and ideas.
eg: Henry sent his girlfriend a bouquet of flowers as an expression of his love.
eg: The card is simply an expression of our gratitude.

expression n. 表情
eg: She showed now expression whe her boss fired her.

guilt n. 內疚/有罪
eg: Marityn is feeling a lot of 1uilt for running into your car.

embrass v. 使不好意思
embarrassment n. 難堪
eg: It was a real embarrassment for everyone when Jack lost his temper at the party.
eg: He tried to hide his embarrassment by making jokes.
eg: The outcome of the basketball game was an embarrassment for the team. They lost by 30 points.

disagree v. 意見不合
=> two people have different opinions on something

individualistic adj. 個人主義(者)的
=> one person or yourself

//== Chat Room ==//

direct adj. 直接的/直言不諱/直率的

frank adj. 坦白的/直率的


beat around the bush 拐彎抹角地說
=> approach indirectly
=> 來源:從前的人打獵喜歡從旁邊敲擊樹叢把躲在樹叢中的獵物嚇出來
eg: Stop beating around the bush. Get to the point.

mince v. 切碎/剁碎
=> cut something
mince words 【俚】說話委婉/閃爍其詞/兜圈子
eg: Don't mince words.


//== Grammar on the Go ==//
These kinds of conversations contrast with discussions held in Chinese culture where mianzi is very important.
=> These kinds of conversations contrast with discussions held in Chinese culture in which mianzi is very important.

where (used in informal situation)
=> in which (used in formal situation)

eg: We have a situation in which no one is the winner.
= We have a situation where no one is the winner.

eg: The president created a program in which private companies could work with public agencies in helping the poor.
=> The president created a program where private companies could work with public agencies in helping the poor.

2009年10月31日 星期六

20091031 -- The Gaelic Athletic Association (2)

The Gaelic Athletic Association

From the lowest to the highest levels, GAA players are amateurs. More importantly, clubs cannot be sold or even owned by individuals. Instead, each club is based in a community and run by the people of that community. Each year, club members vote to elect a committee to manage the club's affairs. Even at the highest levels, association officials are elected and can only hold their posts for four years.

Despite its focus on amateur sports, the association's business model has proven extremely successful. Over the years, the GAA has built up more than 2.6 billion euros in assets. Last year it earned an additional 64 million euros. An impressive 80 percent of that income was invested back into local GAA clubs.

This year the GAA marks its 125th anniversary. As an organization, it has stood the test of time. The association has demonstrated that community and culture can still be an important part of top-level sports.


committee n. 委員會
=> a group of people who has chosen to make decisions for an organization
eg: Last year we started a committe to help plan student events.

extremely adv. 極端地/非常
=> to a very great degree
eg: Mountain climbing is an extremely exciting hobby.

invest v. 投資
invest in something
eg: Simon would like to invest his money but he has a lot of questions.
eg: Alex invested some of his savings in real estate(房地產).

investment n. 投資
eg: He made a large investment in the stock markets.

demonstrate v. 證明
=> show
eg: Mr. Maxwell stood at the front of the class to demonstrate the experiment.
eg: The research clearly demonstrated the connection between lung cancer and smoking.

demonstrate v. 表明
eg: The change of location of headquarters(總部) demonstrated the company's determination to take over the Asian market.

amateur adj. 業餘的
amateur <=> professional

euros in assets

asset n. 資產/財產(大多數是用複數型)
=> the thing that somebody or a company own
eg: The majority of the couple's assets are in cash.
eg: The most valuabe assets of this company are their copyrights.

asset n. 寶貴的人才/有利的條件
eg: Britney is an important asset of our company.

//== Chat room ==//

stand the test of time 經得起時間的考驗
=> last for a long time

stand out 傑出/突出
=> prominent

stand out like a sore thumb 突出(負面的意思)

it stand to reason 理所當然
=> it makes sense

stand one's ground 不屈服

stand up to someone 勇敢面對某人
=> confront someone

//== More Info ==//

Will Gaelic Games die out? With its stable, healthy economy, Ireland has become a very desirabe place to live. What this means is there are more and more people living in Ireland who aren't Irish. This presents a unique challenge to the Gaelic Athletic Association, which has traditional marketed itself to Irish nationals. So now, the question is: can the GAA help Ireland's non-Irish people develop a passion for Irish sports?

2009年10月30日 星期五

20091030 -- The Gaelic Athletic Association (1)

The Gaelic Athletic Association(蓋爾運動協會)

A different way to play

Professional sports have become big business. Athletes are paid huge salaries. You can buy T-shirts, coffee mugs and seat cushions with your favorite team logos on them. If you have enough money, you can even buy a team and move it from city to city. But that's not how things work in the Gaelic Athletic Association(GAA).

Formed in 1884, the GAA was designed to promote traditional Irish culture and sports. With more than 2,600 clubs and over 1 million members, it's now Ireland's largest sporting organization.

In keeping with its mission, the GAA promotes a range of Irish sports and cultural traditions. That said, the association's best-known sports are Gaelic football and hurling. Both are traditional Irish sports.

Gaelic football is often described as a mixture of soccer and rugby. However, it is older than either of those games. In contrast, hurling is a lot like field hockey. It's Europe's oldest field sport and has been around for at least 2,000 years.



athlete n. 運動員
athletic adj. 運動的
eg: Roberta and Alexandra are very athletic. They swim, play soccer and run.
eg: The athletic facilities here in the gym are pretty old.

athletic adj. 體格健壯的/具有運動細胞的
eg: Jason is an athletic boy. He's good at many sports.

cushion n. 墊子/坐墊/靠墊
=> something that soften you sit on
eg: I brought a cushion because the chairs are very hard.

pro- 向前
promote v. 提倡/促進/宣傳
eg: Carel's job is to promote the development of the downtown area.
eg: The organization promotes literacy programs in poor areas.
eg: The campaign successfully promoted this new product.

mission n. 使命/任務
=> purpose
eg: The organization's mission involves helping poor students get a good education.

mix v. 混合
mixture n. 混合/混和體
eg: The movie is a mixture of laughter and drama.
eg: The style of the band is a mixture of rock and country.
eg: Leave the mixture of flour, eggs and milk in the fridge(冰箱) for an hour.

Gaelic adj. 蓋爾(人)語
=> a people group in Ireland and Scotland

logo n. 標識/商標
= logotype

mug

hurling n. 愛爾蘭式球戲

//== Chat Room ==//

field 大型的戶外球場

diamond (棒)內野/球場
ballpark 棒球場

court (網球,有網子)場地

rink 溜冰場

arena 室內運動場
=> 原為古羅馬的競技場

stadium 大型的戶外運動場
=> open air

hockey rink 曲棍球場
bowling alley 保齡球場
lane 保齡球場內的球道


//== Grammar on the Go ==//

That said, the association's best-known sports are Gaelic football and hurling.

that said
= however

eg: The hostess has asked us not bring anything to the dinner party. That said, we're still planning to take a small gift.
eg: The theater has asked the audience to not take pictures during the performance. That said, many people still had their cameras out.

2009年10月29日 星期四

20091029 -- How to Be the CEO of Your Life- Even in Today's Economy (2)

How to Be the CEO of Your Life- Even in Today's Economy

Your patterns can shift and change over the course of your life and career, says Kossek. The question you need to ask is whether your current flexstyle is working for you or not. Whatever your flexstyle is, you will benefit from these four tips:

1.Distinguish between high-value and low-value work. Give the most time and attention to the high-value stuff; find new ways to deal with the rest.

2.Negotiate more. Offer more of what you can and draw lines when you need them most. Maybe you need to be at home for the kids by 5:00 so that your partner can get to an evening job. Offer to come in early or bring work home.

3.Track your habits. Look at how you spend your time. What does an honest evaluation of your days and weeks tell you?

4.Rethink demands. What is real, unavoidable pressure and what is self-imposed pressure? When it seems that everything is important and nothing can give, it is time to review your priorities.

"Even in turbulent times - perhaps especially in turbulent times - you are the CEO of your life," says Kossek. "You do call more of the shots than you probably realize."


course n. 路程/過程
=> direction
eg: Over the course of a year, Paul usually traveis to 65 different cities.
eg: The trip to Chian changed her course of life dramatically.
eg: During the course of the investigation, the detectives found that many mobs were involved in this case.

draw the line at 劃界線/劃定最後界線/拒絕
=> draw a boundary
eg: Johnny's mom helps him a lot, but she draws the line at doing his homework for him.

self-imposed adj. 自己強加的/自願接受的
=> impose on yourself
eg: Kari has stuck to ther self-imposed, early bedtime for more than a month.

turb- 擾亂
turbulent adj. 動蕩不安的/混亂的
=> changing in a way that is not predictable
eg: Syivia and Jack fight quite often, so I think they have quite a turbulent marriage.
eg: This has been a turbulent week for Patty. She just started her second job.
eg: During turbulent periods of time, people find comfort in literature and music.

call the shots 發號司令/做主
= call the tune
=> make the decision
eg: You have to listen to me in this restaurant. I'm calling the shots here.
eg: Who's calling the shots in this house?

track
=> follow


//== Chat room ==//

nothing can give 沒有轉圜的空間

give 折衷/讓步
=> yield/change

What gives? 發生什麼事/最近怎麼樣?
= What's wrong?
= What's going on?

Give me liberty or give me death. 不自由吾寧死 by Patrick Henry