Hi there!歡迎收聽Look Back Sunday回顧星期天，在這個節目John老師會彙整過去不同國家與主題的熱門跟讀文章，讓你可以在十五分鐘內吸收最精華的世界時事趣聞！我們這週聽聽紐西蘭相關的文章，Let's get started!

Topic: About New Zealand- Mittens the cat could become New Zealander of the Year

Mittens, a famous feline from Wellington, is in the running to be voted New Zealander of the Year, going up against Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and Director-General of Health Dr. Ashley Bloomfield.

來自威靈頓的知名母貓「米坦斯」，正在角逐紐西蘭年度人物票選，對上紐西蘭總理賈欣達．阿爾登與衛生部衛生事務首長艾希莉．布魯斐德博士。

The feline joins a host of nominees for the annual Kiwibank award, including figures from sectors such as politics, media, health, music and design.

這隻母貓獲得年度奇異鳥銀行獎的多項提名，該獎項包括政治界、媒體界、衛生界、音樂界與設計界的年度人物。

Other nominees for New Zealander of the Year include microbiologist Siouxsie Wiles and lawmaker

Chloe Swarbrick.

其他紐西蘭年度人物的被提名人，還有微生物學家蘇西．威爾斯，與國會議員克羅伊．史瓦布里克。

The Wellington Museum has also dedicated a mini exhibition to Mittens and his adventures, named "Floofy and Famous." And in May the mayor of Wellington, Andy Foster, gave Mittens the key to the city, an honor previously granted to "The Lord of the Rings" director Peter Jackson.

威靈頓博物館也已經為米坦斯與牠的冒險辦了一場迷你展覽，名為「蓬鬆而知名」。5月時，威靈頓市市長安迪．佛斯特也給米坦斯這座城市的鑰匙，一項以前曾授予「魔戒」導演彼得．傑克森的榮譽。

Next Article

Topic: New Zealand votes to legalize euthanasia for terminally ill patients／紐西蘭表決通過絕症病患安樂死合法化

New Zealanders have voted in favor of legalizing euthanasia for people with a terminal illness － clearing the way for the controversial proposition to become law in 2021.

紐西蘭人已投票贊成絕症病患安樂死合法化——剷除讓此一具有爭議性的提案在2021年立法的障礙。

More than 65% of voters backed the proposed law, according to preliminary results of a referendum announced by the country’s electoral commission Friday.

根據該國選舉委員會週五宣布的公投初步結果，超過65%的選民支持這項法律議案。

Lawmakers voted 69-51 to approve the End of Life Choice Act 2019 last year before sending the issue to a referendum.

該法案在（紐國）國會議員去年以69比51通過「2019終結生命選擇法」後，送交公投。

More than 2.4 million people took part in the poll, which was conducted alongside New Zealand’s general election on October 17.

超過240萬人參加與10月17日紐西蘭大選一同舉行的投票。

Source article: https://features.ltn.com.tw/english/article/paper/1422581; https://features.ltn.com.tw/english/article/paper/1396855

Next Article

Topic: Sheep Farmers in New Zealand Adapt to Changing Tastes

ST. ANDREWS, New Zealand — About three decades ago, when Andrew Fraser began raising sheep, wool was among the star exports of this nation. Its other sheep products — lamb and mutton — were supporting actors.

約30年前傅瑞澤開始養羊時，羊毛是紐西蘭的明星出口品，其他綿羊產品如羔羊肉和羊肉只是配角。

Today, the situation is reversed. New Zealand’s sheep meat exports are up, while wool faces intensifying competition from synthetic fibers. Although sheep farming is still enmeshed in the fabric of New Zealand’s cultural identity, it is another economic activity that this nation is retooling for a globalized world.

如今情勢逆轉，紐西蘭羊肉出口增加，羊毛卻面臨人造纖維日益激烈的競爭。雖然養羊這種經濟活動仍與紐西蘭的文化認同緊密交織，但紐西蘭正在調整它，以適應全球化的世界。

“Wool has traditionally been — and still is — a very good product,” Mr. Fraser said. “The trouble is that now, a similar product can be manufactured out of used Coke bottles and all sorts of stuff.

傅瑞澤說：「羊毛一向是，也仍然是很棒的產品，問題是現在可用廢可樂罐和各種東西做出類似產品。」

From 1982 to 2011, New Zealand’s sheep population declined to 31.1 million from 70.2 million, according to government data, as many sheep pastures were converted to dairy farms or other uses. The roughly 17,000 sheep farmers who remain still earn money from selling the fleece of their animals. But on many sheep farms, meat has replaced wool as the primary profit maker.

官方資料顯示1982到2011年紐西蘭綿羊從7020萬隻降到3110萬，許多牧羊場轉養乳牛或改作他途。現在大概還有1.7萬羊農，雖仍賣羊毛賺錢，許多養羊場羊肉卻已取代羊毛成為最大財源。

Since 1990, the value of New Zealand’s annual exports of raw wool and manufactured wool products has declined to about $700 million from $1.2 billion, according to government data. By contrast, lamb and mutton exports have increased almost threefold to $2.3 billion. And dairy exports, worth $1.9 billion in 1992, have soared to $14.1 billion.

官方資料顯示，1990年以來每年羊毛和羊毛製品的出口額，從12億美元減為7億美元；羔羊肉和羊肉年出口額卻增為23億美元，幾乎是原來的三倍，乳製品出口額也從1992年的19億美元大增為141億。

New Zealand, with 4.4 million people, is the world’s third-largest wool producer behind Australia and China, according to Beef and Lamb New Zealand, a farmer- owned industry group. It supplies 45 percent of all carpet wool globally, the Australia and New Zealand Banking Group said in a report last year.

紐西蘭牛羊肉協會（牛羊農同業組織）資料顯示，人口440萬的紐西蘭是全球第三大羊毛生產國，僅次於澳洲和中國大陸。去年澳盛銀行發布報告顯示，紐西蘭供應全球四成五的地毯用羊毛。

Yet more than 90 percent of New Zealand’s wool is exported in raw form, rather than in finished products like carpets or upholstery, leaving it vulnerable to swings in commodity markets.

不過，紐西蘭羊毛逾九成以未加工形態出口，而非做成地毯、椅套等成品，易受原物料市場價格波動影響。

Farmers said the wool industry would benefit from having a unified voice to promote New Zealand wool abroad as a highend fiber that, in their view, beats synthetic alternatives in several categories, including overall quality and environmental sustainability. Having a single voice could help the industry reach beyond China, its primary export market by far, into relatively untapped markets like the United States.

許多羊農希望羊毛業團結起來，向海外宣傳紐西蘭羊毛是高檔纖維，在整體品質與促進環境永續發展等好幾個方面，（他們認為）都勝過人造纖維，這樣一定有幫助。一旦有統一的聲音，羊毛業就能在目前最大出口市場中國大陸以外，打入美國等相對未開發的市場。

But New Zealand’s wool industry is viewed as highly fragmented. There were 35 wool exporters operating across the country last year, “a huge level of decentralization” given the industry’s relatively modest export earnings, the Banking Group reported.

外界卻認為紐西蘭羊毛業分散得厲害。澳盛銀行指出，去年紐西蘭全國有35個羊毛出口業者，由於出口獲利相當微薄，這個產業可說是「極度分散」。

“Everyone’s sort of undercutting each other,” said Ross Andrews, a South Island farmer who earns around $3 a kilogram for his carpet-grade wool.

南島羊農安德魯斯出售地毯級羊毛，每公斤約賺3美元，他說：「每個人多少都在削價競爭。」

Wool growers long assumed that their industry would somehow look after itself, but there is now a clear need to promote wool over synthetic fibers, said Sandra Faulkner, an industry advocate. According to an industry group, Beef and Lamb New Zealand, wool accounts for 1.3 percent of global fiber production and synthetics 61.4 percent.

行銷紐西蘭羊毛的桑德拉．福克納說，羊農一直以為羊毛業終究會挺過難關，不過現在真的有必要宣傳羊毛比人造纖維好。紐西蘭牛羊肉協會資料顯示，羊毛只占全球纖維產量1.3%，人造纖維卻占61.4% 。

“It’s about identifying ourselves in the luxury marketplace, which is where we’ve always belonged,” Ms. Faulkner said.

福克納說：「我們要立足於精品市場，我們本來就屬於那裡。」

Peter Lyon, the supervisor of a South Island shearing team, said farmers’ views on how the wool industry should evolve typically depend on factors like whether they have reliable export contractors, the quality of wool they produce and their level of debt.

南島剪羊毛團隊督導里昂說，羊農對於羊毛業何去何從的看法，常取決於某些因素，如他們有沒有可靠的出口貿易公司、生產羊毛的品質和債務的多寡。

In the mid-20th century, wool growers were often “asset-rich and cash-poor,” Mr. Lyon said . “But you can’t afford to be cashpoor today or you’ll get thrown out. ”

里昂說，20世紀中期羊農經常「資產多，現金少」，「但在這個時代，你不能沒現金，否則很難生存」。

Source article: https://paper.udn.com/udnpaper/POH0067/268494/web/

Next Article

Topic: Got Hangover ? New Zealand’s ’morning maids’ help clean up post-party mess 宿醉纏身？紐西蘭「晨光女僕」幫你收拾派對殘局

A New Zealand maid service cleaning up the homes of hung-over party-hosts has been inundated with requests for their services, from home and abroad.

紐西蘭一家專門協助舉辦完派對卻宿醉纏身者打掃房子的女僕服務公司，接獲來自國內外源源不絕的訂單。

Flatmates Rebecca and Catherine launched their cleaning service in Auckland. The service picks up the pieces from parties – cleaning up revellers’ debris （including vomit at NZ$10）, cooking or buying breakfast for hung-over hosts – even doing coffee and painkiller runs.

住在同一間公寓的芮貝卡和凱瑟琳，是在奧克蘭市展開這項清潔事業。她們的服務是收拾派對結束後的殘局，包括清理尋歡作樂者留下的垃圾（有嘔吐物再加10紐幣），為宿醉的派對主人打理早餐，甚至還可以跑腿買咖啡或止痛藥。

Since launching on Facebook in early May, Rebecca and Catherine have been receiving requests from around the country, as well as calls from people in the US and Canada interested in franchising the startup.

芮貝卡和凱瑟琳5月初開始在「臉書」上接受預約，此後收到來自全國各地的訂單，也有美國和加拿大民眾表示，有興趣加盟這項新興事業。

Rebecca and Catherine are both in full-time employment, and squeeze their business into their nights and weekends.

芮貝卡和凱瑟琳都有全職工作，因此都是擠出夜晚和週末時間來做這項生意。

"When people answer the door they are usually really apologetic about the state of their house. But we’ve both been in our 20s and partied so it’s nothing we haven’t seen before," laughs Catherine.

凱瑟琳笑說：「當人們來開門時，通常都是一副對家裡的狀況感到十分抱歉的模樣。但我們倆都是廿來歲，也都參加過派對，還有什麼慘況沒見識過。」

Source article: http://iservice.ltn.com.tw/Service/english/english.php?engno=1048326&day=2016-11-03

每日英語跟讀Podcast，就在http://www.15mins.today/daily-shadowing
每週Vocab精選詞彙Podcast，就在https://www.15mins.today/vocab
每週In-TENSE文法練習Podcast，就在https://www.15mins.today/in-tense