Hong Kong’s pro-Beijing parliament plans to speed up the procedure for passing bills ahead of the introduction of government legislation to enact a recent shakeup in the electoral system that is opposed by the electorate.

Read more: https://bit.ly/3erMouK

香港民意研究於本月初成功訪問逾7,300人的調查顯示，整體近6成人反對「完善」選舉制度，支持的僅佔3成，而反對立法禁止公開呼籲他人投白票等，亦有56%人反對。
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#Opinion by Stephen Vines｜"What is most vividly revealed is the reality of what it means to govern without scrutiny or debate and what it means when the Chief Executive’s only real electorate sits in Beijing."

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[時事英文] 蘭德智庫 (RAND): 美國的未來之戰

同學來參考一下蘭德智庫對於未來十年軍事發展的Q&A!

需要最新的時事英文講義 (L10 The Future of the USA) 請按個讚和留言「Send me more breaking news, please!」。

★★★★★★★★★★★★

🇺🇸 Let’s start with the big picture. Who are the main U.S. adversaries in 2030?
　
None of our main competitors—Russia, China, North Korea, Iran, and terrorist groups—are going away, and some of them will probably strengthen. China will become a more formidable threat as its economic and military influence increases. We're not going to have the same freedom of movement that we have with China now.
　
1. a more formidable threat 更為難纏的威脅
2. freedom of movement 行動自由
　
讓我們著眼大局。時至２０３０年，誰是美國的主要對手？
　
我們的主要競爭者——俄羅斯、中國、北韓、伊朗以及恐怖組織——都沒有消失，其中有些國家或組織可能會愈發強大。隨著經濟與軍事影響力的增長，中國將成為更加難纏的威脅。屆時面對中國的我們，將不再擁有今日的行動自由。
　
★★★★★★★★★★★

🇺🇸 How do you see the global economic picture changing?
　
The United States and its allies are going to lose some of their share of global economic output. China is growing, and growing at the expense of our allies, particularly the Europeans. If you think about economics as the underlying bedrock that allows you to produce military capabilities, that trend is the opposite of what you want to see.
　
3. global economic output 全球經濟產出
4. at the expense of 以……為代價
5. the underlying bedrock 潛在的基石
6. military capabilities 軍事能力
　
如何看待全球經濟情勢的轉變？
　
美國與盟邦將喪失其於全球經濟產出的部分份額。中國正以犧牲我們盟邦——尤其是歐洲——的方式成長。若你將經濟視為提升軍事能力的基礎，那麼此一趨勢與你所見者恰好相反。
　
★★★★★★★★★★★★
　
🇺🇸 How will environmental change play into this?
　
First, it will have an effect on where we can base. Some of our installations around the world are in places that will be threatened by climate change—they're in low-lying areas or flood plains, for example. But second, it also will have a destabilizing effect. Some of the places that will be hardest hit by droughts or rising sea levels tend to have weaker governments. That could increase domestic instability, and more domestic instability can lead to terrorism and civil war, the kind of sub-state conflict that we've been dealing with for the last decade or so.
　
7. base (v.) 以某處作為主要地點；將某地設為總部
8. installation （尤指用於軍事目的的）設施
9. low-lying areas 低窪地區
10. flood plains 洪泛平原；泛濫平原；澇原
11. a destabilizing effect 一個不穩定的因素
12. be hard hit by… 受到……的重創
13. increase domestic instability 增加國內動盪
14. lead to 導致
15. sub-state conflict 次國家衝突
　
環境變遷將如何產生影響？
　
首先，它將影響我們基地的選址。我們遍布全球的某些設施處於受氣候變遷威脅的地方——位於低窪地區或澇原。但第二，氣候變遷也會造成不穩定的因素。在一些受嚴重乾旱或海平面上升衝擊的地方，其政府通常較為軟弱。這可能會加劇國內動盪，而更多的國內動盪會導致恐怖主義與內戰，此類次國家衝突是我們近十年來一直在處理的問題。
　
★★★★★★★★★★★★
　
🇺🇸 What role will domestic politics in the United States play?
　
We've seen a steady trend over the last several decades toward increasing polarization among the U.S. electorate. That creates some significant constraints. Just to get the defense bill passed requires a bipartisan consensus, and that will face increasing pressure in the years to come. We're also seeing a second major trend, which is a growing push to retrench, to pull the U.S. back from a global posture.
　
16. a steady trend 一個穩定的趨勢
17. increasing polarization 日益加劇的兩極化
18. the U.S. electorate 美國選民
19. a bipartisan consensus 兩黨的共識
20. retrenchment strategy 緊縮策略
　
美國的國內政治將扮演什麼角色？
　
在過去的幾十年裡，我們看到一個穩定的趨勢——美國選民的兩極化日益加劇。這形成了一些重要的約束。為使國防法案通過，便需兩黨的共識，而在未來的幾年中，其所面臨的壓力將愈發龐大。我們還看見了第二個重要趨勢，即緊縮的聲音持續增長，要求美國自全球態勢中抽身。
　
★★★★★★★★★★★★
　
🇺🇸 What should the United States be doing to prepare for 2030?
　
We probably need more longer-range platforms, for example, but there's really no silver bullet. The bigger finding is that the United States is going to increasingly face a grand-strategic choice. It can double down on its role for the last three decades as the world's leading superpower, in which case it needs to spend more on defense and defense capabilities than it has.
　
21. longer-range platforms 更長程載臺
22. face a grand-strategic choice 面對巨大的戰略選擇
23. double down on sth 加倍努力；決心完成
24. the world's leading superpower 世界領先的超級大國
25. defense capabilities 防衛能力

美國應為２０３０年做怎樣的準備？
　
舉例來說，我們可能需要更多更長程的載臺，惟確無萬靈丹。更大的發現是，美國所面臨的巨大戰略選擇將愈發增加。美國可以加倍努力，扮演好自己在過去三十年裡，領導世界的超級大國角色。如此，美國便需要在國防與防衛能力上投入更多的資金。
　
《RAND》完整內容：https://bit.ly/33Nb7mX

★★★★★★★★★★★★
　
L1-9 時事英文講義：https://bit.ly/2XmRYXc
　
時事英文大全：http://bit.ly/2WtAqop
　
如何使用「時事英文」：https://bit.ly/3a9rr38

★★★★★★★★★★★★

🌎 對新聞英文和批判性思考有興趣的同學也可以參考我的課程：
https://bit.ly/3eTHIvH

同性婚が認められたニュージーランドの議会でウィリアムソン議員が行った大絶賛されたスピーチに日本語字幕をつけました。相手の不安をわかりやすい表現で取り除き感動の嵐を呼んだ伝説のスピーチです。性教育には人権教育も含まれます。自分と「違う」ことは決して恐れることではありませんね。


頑張って和訳してみましたけど、ちょっとヘンテコな表現があるかもしれないです。大目にみてくれーー！🙇‍♂️



英語全文

I've had a reverend in my local electorate say that the 'gay onslaught will start the day this bill is passed.'

So we are struggling to know what the gay onslaught will look like. We don't know if it will come down the Pakaranga highway as a series of troops or whether it will be a gas that flows the electorate and blocks us all in.

I also had a Catholic priest tell me that I was supporting an unnatural act.

I found that interesting coming from someone who has taken an oath of celibacy for his whole life. Celibacy... I haven't done it so I don't know what it's about.

I also had a leader tell me I would burn in the fires of hell for eternity and that was a bad mistake because I've got a degree in physics. I used the thermodynamic laws of physics.

I put in my body weight and my humidity and so on. I assumed the furnace to be at 5000 degrees and I will last for just on 2.1 seconds. It's hardly eternity. What do you think?

I also head some more disgusting claims about adoption. Well, I have got three fantastic adopted kids. I know how good adoption is, and I have found some of the claims just disgraceful.

I found some of the bullying tactics really evil. I gave up being scared of bullies when I was at primary school.

However, a huge amount of the opposition was from moderates, from people who were concerned, who were seriously worried, about what this bill might do to the fabric of our society.

I respect their concern. I respect their worry. They were worried about what it might do to their families and so on.

Let me repeat to them now that all we are doing with this bill is allowing two people who love each other to have that love recognised by way of marriage.

That is all we are doing. We are not declaring nuclear war on a foreign State. We are not bringing a virus in that could wipe out our agricultural sector forever.

We are allowing two people who love each other to have that recognised, and I cannot see what is wrong with that for neither love nor money.

I just cannot. I cannot understand why someone would be opposed. I understand why people do not like what it is that others do. That is fine. We are all in that category.
But

I give a promise to those people who are opposed to this bill right now. I give you a watertight guaranteed promise.
The sun will still rise tomorrow. Your teenage daughter will still argue back to you as if she knows everything.

Your mortgage will not grow. You will not have skin diseases or rashes or toads in your bed.

The world will just carry on.

So do not make this into a big deal.

This bill is fantastic for the people it affects, but for the rest of us, life will go on.

Finally, can I say that one of the messages I had was this bill was the cause of our drought.

Well, if any one you follow my Twitter account, you will see that in the Pakuranga electorate this morning, it was pouring with rain.

We had the most enormous big gay rainbow across my electorate. It has to be a sign. If you are a believer, it is certainly a sign.

Can I finish, for all those who are concerned about this, with a quote from the bible.

It is Deuteronomy. I thought Deuteronomy was a cat out of the musical 'Cats,' but never mind.

The quote is Deuteronomy 1:29.

'Be ye not afraid.'"

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PLEASE SHARE FOR THE PEEL! The official "HEADWATERS" music video, filmed during the Peel River Watershed canoe expedition, subsequent "Headwaters" concerts, and the Yukon demonstration for the protection of the Peel Watershed.

The story opens in an Asian metropolis because I'd flown into the Peel Watershed after having been in Beijing, China just 24 hours prior on their smoggiest day in history.

Many thanks to Peter J Mather for arranging this amazing expedition. And thanks to Brendan Preston for shooting such awesome video footage. Thanks also to the other members of the expedition (aka dear friends) Terri Cairns, Stephanie Ryan, and Jody Overduin. Thanks also to Johnson Ong and New Vision for support in creating this video.

Threatened by the Yukon government's desire to mine, drill and frack in the watershed, the plight of the Peel now rests with the Canadian courts and the electorate. For more information about the effort to protect the Peel River Watershed, visit www.protectpeel.ca.

Thank you.

NOTE: This music video features binaural field recordings. Use headphones for 3D sound.