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Topic: Calgary Zoo returning pandas to China due to bamboo barriers

The Calgary Zoo will be returning two giant pandas on loan from China because a scarcity of flights due to COVID-19 has caused problems with getting enough bamboo to feed them. Er Shun and Da Mao arrived in Canada in 2014 as part of a 10-year agreement between Canada and China. After spending five years at the Toronto Zoo, the two adult giant pandas arrived at the Calgary Zoo in March 2018 with cubs Jia Panpan and Jia Yueyue.

加拿大卡加利動物園將歸還從中國借來的兩隻貓熊,因為武漢肺炎所造成的航班稀缺,沒辦法運來足夠的竹子來餵養貓熊。加拿大和中國簽署了一份為期十年的協議,貓熊二順與大毛便在二?一四來到了加拿大。牠們在多倫多動物園待了五年,後來這兩隻貓熊和牠們所生的小貓熊加盼盼和加悅悅一起到了卡加利動物園。

The zoo’s president, Clement Lanthier, said last week the facility spent months trying to overcome transportation barriers in acquiring fresh bamboo and decided it’s best for the animals to be in China, where their main food source is abundant.

卡加利動物園園長克萊蒙‧蘭提耶上週表示,園方花了數月的時間嘗試解決新鮮竹子的運補問題,後來做出結論——對這些貓熊來說,待在中國是最好的,因為在中國,牠們有充裕的主食來源。

“It’s about the animals. At the end of the day, we cannot pretend that we care for animals if we don’t take those tough decisions,” Lanthier said. “We believe the best and safest place for Er Shun and Da Mao to be during these challenging and unprecedented times is where bamboo is abundant and easy to access.” Lanthier said the zoo had contingency plans for a steady supply of fresh bamboo, but limits on flights from China was the first problem. Transporting more from California added even more frustrations. “Every week, every 10 days there is more and more problem moving bamboo to Calgary. This risk is unacceptable. We don’t feel comfortable at all that we can impose that risk on the health and the welfare of the pandas.” According to Lanthier, the animals didn’t like some kinds of bamboo and other supplies that arrived were past their expiry point.

「這是為了動物著想。畢竟,我們如果不做出這艱難的決定,就不能假裝我們是愛護動物的」,蘭提耶說。「我們相信,在這充滿挑戰及不可預見情況的時期,對二順和大毛來說最理想、最安全的地方,就是竹子充裕且容易取得的地方」。蘭提耶表示,卡加利動物園有確保新鮮竹子穩定供應的應變計畫,但第一個問題是,來自中國的航班受到限縮。從加州運多些竹子來,就更令人挫折。「每過一週、十天,運竹子到卡加利所要面臨的問題就越來越多。這種風險是無法接受的。我們一點都不願意給貓熊的健康與福祉帶來這種風險」。蘭提耶說,貓熊不喜歡吃某些品種的竹子,以及運達時已過期的其他補給品。

Giant pandas have unique nutritional requirements and 99 percent of their diet is made up of fresh bamboo. Each adult consumes about 40kg daily. Lanthier said the news came as a bit of a shock to the Chinese government. In other locations where pandas are exhibited — such as France, Spain and parts of Asia — bamboo can be grown locally.

貓熊有獨特的營養需求,新鮮竹子佔了貓熊飲食的百分之九十九。每隻成年貓熊每天要吃大約四十公斤的竹子。蘭提耶說,決定送還貓熊的消息令中國政府感到震驚。在其他展示貓熊的地方——例如法國、西班牙和一些亞洲地區——當地都可以種植竹子。

He said the pandas had been one of the biggest draws at the Calgary Zoo, but the decision wasn’t one about business. “It’s based on animal welfare. I cannot imagine if one day, two days, three days in a row I am unable to provide the bamboo. That would be catastrophic.” There’s no date for when the pandas will return home. Lanthier doesn’t want the Canadian and Chinese governments to delay things. “We need the federal government and the Chinese government to expedite the permit process, so we can move them back to where this risk of not getting their next meal will be managed differently,” he said.

他說,貓熊是卡加利動物園吸引遊客的最大賣點之一,但送還貓熊這個決定跟生意無關。

「這是基於動物的福利。我不能想像如果連續一天、兩天、三天無法提供竹子。那會很悲慘」。貓熊送回中國的日期尚未確定。蘭提耶不希望加拿大和中國政府拖延此事。他說:「我們需要聯邦政府和中國政府加快許可證辦理程序,以便我們將貓熊運送到不用擔心下一餐沒著落的地方」。

Source article: https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/lang/archives/2020/05/19/2003736635

Next Article

Topic: Justin Trudeau’s Official Home: Unfit for a Leader or Anyone Else

At Canada’s official residence for its prime minister, security cameras keep silent watch over the fences, visitors pass through gates that can block truck bombs and a detail of uniformed Royal Canadian Mounted Police officers patrol day and night.

在加拿大總理官邸,監視器靜靜盯著圍籬,遊客從能阻擋卡車炸彈的大門前經過,一隊穿制服的加拿大皇家騎警日夜巡邏。

But the prime minister himself is unlikely to be found inside.

但總理本人不太可能在裡面。

When Justin Trudeau became prime minister three years ago, he took a pass on moving his family into the official residence at 24 Sussex Drive, built in 1868 by an American-born lumber baron. Decades of neglect had turned Canada’s top political address into its most famous home renovation project.

這座官邸1868年由一名在美國出生的木材大亨建造,位於(渥太華市)薩塞克斯街24號,杜魯多三年前當上總理時拒絕全家遷入。加拿大最高階政治人物的居所由於數十年疏於維護,變成了最受矚目的住家修繕案。

But no recent prime ministers have been willing to commit the tens of millions of dollars it would take to make the stone house habitable again. It would look as if they were spending money on themselves, a politically toxic step in Canada.

不過,最近幾位總理沒有一位願意投入預計需要的數千萬美元,讓這座石頭宅邸再次適合住人。那看起來會像把公帑花在自己身上,在加拿大勢必惹來政治風波。

Trudeau, 46, who lived at 24 Sussex as a child when his father was prime minister, is no exception.

現46歲的杜魯多也不例外。他幼年父親當總理時住過薩塞克斯街24號。

“No prime minister wants to spend a penny of taxpayer dollars on upkeeping that house,” Trudeau told the Canadian Broadcasting Corp. earlier this year.

杜魯多今年稍早對加拿大廣播公司說:「沒有一位總理會為了修理那棟房子,花掉納稅人任何一分錢。」

There was little criticism of Trudeau’s decision to live with his wife and their three children in Rideau Cottage, a relatively modest, two-story red brick house behind Rideau Hall, the house of Canada’s governor general who fulfills Queen Elizabeth II’s duties as head of state.

杜魯多與妻子和三個孩子住在麗都別墅,這是一幢相對平實的兩層樓紅磚建築,坐落在加拿大總督府後方。加拿大總督代表英國女王伊麗莎白二世行使國家元首的職權。杜魯多的決定幾乎無人批評。

That is because the official residence’s deteriorating condition is no secret to Canadians, with government reports documenting its decline for more than a decade.

這是因為總理官邸破敗對加拿大人並不是秘密,十幾年來政府報告詳細記錄了官邸的衰敗。

Those reports make grim reading for anyone but a contractor hoping to land the renovation job.

報告內容對任何人來說都不是好消息,除了想接整修工程的包商以外。

“The building systems at 24 Sussex have reached the point of imminent or actual failure,” one report, by the National Capital Commission, the federal agency that manages official residences, found this year. It rated the residence’s condition as “critical.”

負責管理官邸的聯邦機構「國家首府委員會」今年在報告中指出:「薩塞克斯街24號的建築體系即將或已經崩壞。」報告將官邸的情形評定為「危險級」。

Its wiring, according to the report, has become a fire hazard; the boiler is obsolete; the exterior stonework is crumbling; and the plumbing blocks up regularly.

報告顯示,官邸的線路系統有走火之虞,供應暖氣和熱水的鍋爐老舊過時,外牆石造部分正在崩解剝落,而且水管經常阻塞。

The building by a pool added by Trudeau’s father is “rotting,” the report said, and air-conditioning comes from inefficient window units that could make it easy for intruders to slip in. Many of those windows need replacement anyway. Everywhere there is asbestos.

報告說,這座杜魯多父親在旁邊新添一個水池的建物正在「腐壞」,而且空氣調節仰賴效率低的窗型冷氣,讓人很容易溜進去。許多裝了窗型冷氣的窗戶都該換了。到處都有石棉。

On top of all that, the house is ill-suited for official functions. Among the house’s many deficiencies, “the dining room is at the same time too large for a family and too small for state dinners,” the report said.

更重要的是,這間房子不適合官式活動。報告說,這房子有諸多缺點,包括「餐廳對一個家庭來說太大,辦國宴卻太小」。

The current cost estimate to deal with everything (excluding security upgrades): 38 million Canadian dollars ($28.7 million).

目前估計,解決所有問題但不包括安全設備升級的費用是3800萬加拿大元(2870萬美元,約台幣8.6億元)。

Source article: https://paper.udn.com/udnpaper/POH0067/334262/web/

Next Article

Topic: Canadian doctors - cancel our pay rise and spend money elsewhere 加拿大醫師:取消我們的加薪,把錢花在別的地方

Nearly 800 doctors and medical residents in the Canadian province of Quebec have signed a letter protesting against plans to raise their pay, arguing that the funds would be better spent on other areas of the province’s beleaguered healthcare system.

加拿大魁北克省近800名醫師與住院醫師,連署一份抗議計畫為其加薪的函文,主張錢花在該省困窘的醫療系統會更好。

"We, Quebec doctors, are asking that the salary increases granted to physicians be cancelled and that the resources of the system be better distributed for the good of healthcare workers.’’

「我們,魁北克的醫師,要求取消給予醫師的加薪,並更恰當地分配該體系資源,以裨益醫療工作人員。」

It was drafted late last month by Médecins québécois pour le régime public, a group of doctors and medical students who support public healthcare.

這份函文是由支持公共醫療的醫師與醫學生組成的「魁北克公立醫院醫生組織」,於上個月下旬所擬定的。

The letter says recent pay raises negotiated by their professional associations as "shocking", given the "draconian cuts" that have left nurses, orderlies and others overworked and underpaid, as well as led to a widespread lack of services for patients.

函文表示,鑑於護理人員、勤務員以及其他過勞低薪的工作人員承受的「嚴酷的(經費)削減」,與所導致對病患的普遍服務不足,他們的專業公會近期協商達成的加薪「令人感到震驚」。

The Quebec government recently announced increases of 1.4% and around 1.8% for specialists and general practitioners respectively, while recent data suggests that the average specialist in Quebec makes C$403,500 annually, while family physicians make C$255,000.

魁北克政府最近宣布,專科醫師與一般科醫師分別加薪1.4%與約1.8%,而近期資料顯示,魁北克專科醫師平均年收入為40萬3500加幣,家醫科醫師則為25萬5000加幣。

Source article: http://iservice.ltn.com.tw/Service/english/english.php?engno=1185672&day=2018-03-21

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