2008年1月31日 星期四

Britannia

50便士英国硬币
50便士硬币用铜镍合金制作,直径27.3mm,重量为8克

一手持三叉戟,一手拿橄欖枝的女神不列顛尼亞(Britannia2,000年前在羅馬統治時代曾封為英國的象徵和佑護神,出現在硬幣上。 1672年她在英王查理斯二世(King Charles II)復辟君主制後也跟著光復原位,之後三百多年來幾乎不間斷地顯現在至少一種面值貨幣的背面。

公眾參與新設計

皇家造幣廠2005年曾為徵集新硬幣設計圖案宣佈舉行競賽,鼓勵公眾參與,並允諾被選中圖案的設計者將得到30,000英鎊獎金。

財政部一名發言人說,新的圖案會保留英國傳統的民族和歷史徽記。“硬幣發行後人們就會看到,選中的設計都秉承了英國硬幣的最優秀傳統,也符合政府要頌揚英國傳統的願望。”

財政部也表示,不列顛尼亞女神的傳統形象在將來發行硬幣上還會再現。

英國硬幣的正面都是在位君主頭像。過去50多年在位的伊莉莎白二世頭像隨著她年齡增高已經更換三次。


Britannia Bites

紐約時報的書評 不過我們可以從末段的"體驗"中了解社會與階層生活如 lunch和dinner的"演變" 此說法可參考

P45

讀小說可以知道許多國/民情

「到葉門釣鮭魚」SALMON FISHING IN THE YEMEN

才知道 P45

In the United Kingdom and Ireland, P45 is the reference code of a form titled Details of employee leaving work. It is issued by the employer when an employee leaves. It is a multipart form. The front section, Part 1 is given by the employer to Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs (Revenue in Ireland), who then record the pay and tax details on to the individuals taxpayer record. Part 1A is to be retained by the employee, Part 2 retained by the new employer, and Part 3 taken by the new employer and sent to their tax office. The P45 contains details of earnings and tax paid during the tax year (tax paid in previous years is detailed on the P60 for that year).

The "P" code refers to documents in the PAYE series, in the same way that self-assessment documents are prefixed "SA" (e.g. SA100 - Individual tax return) and Tax Credits paperwork is prefixed "TC" (e.g. TC600 - Tax credits application).

In the Republic of Ireland, P45 is also used as a reference to a form with the same function, as the administrative procedures in this area are similar. However, the form itself is different in design from the UK version.

Colloquially the term is used to describe somebody being fired. For instance: "After a series of defeats, the manager was eventually handed his P45."[citation needed] On June 27, 2007, the day of his resignation as Prime Minister, Tony Blair jokingly remarked during his final Prime Minister's Questions about receiving his P45:


I received the following communication by urgent letter yesterday:

“Details of employee leaving work: Surname Blair. First name T”—


“This form is important to you. Take good care of it. P45.”

—Tony Blair, Official Report (Hansard)

References

Cutty Sark

修复古茶船图辑

英国著名的茶船卡蒂萨克号(Cutty Sark)曾经是往来远东和欧洲之间最快的帆船。在去年,这艘已经成为伦敦观光点的帆船在维修过程中发生大火。
帆船复原图

古帆船修复完毕后将在这样的一个展览馆中展出,让游人参观。


Daily Highlights Monday, June 18, 2007

Spotlight

Buy Poster at AllPosters.com
The Cutty Sark
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When the Cutty Sark was launched in 1869, her owners had high hopes that she would be the fastest tea clipper on the sea and the first in the annual race to carry tea from China to England. The Cutty Sark never did come in first. On this date in 1872, she set sail alongside Thermopylae in a race from Shanghai to London. Although Cutty Sark was well ahead, her rudder gave way and she ended up trailing Thermopylae by seven days. Cutty Sark has been on exhibit in dry dock in Greenwich, England. On May 21, 2007, a fire whipped through the ship, causing excessive damage. The ship is undergoing extensive restoration.

Quote

"If the highest aim of a captain were to preserve his ship, he would keep it in port forever"St. Thomas Aquinas


2008年1月30日 星期三

Pound For Pound, A Veggie Peddler Takes On The EU

WSJ

賣菜老太力抗歐盟

| | |
2008年01月30日14:48
敦東區以犯罪活動猖獗而著稱﹐從連環殺人犯“開膛手傑克”(Jack the Ripper)到“雙生殺手”克雷兄弟(Kray twins)﹐層出不窮。

而最近被列為犯罪分子的卻是“瑞德里路市場”經營蔬菜攤的63歲老太太珍妮特•戴沃斯(Janet Devers)。她的罪名是:賣菜時僅以磅和盎司為計量單位。

戴沃斯太太的家族經營這個菜攤已有60年﹐但她現在面臨13項犯罪指控﹐原因是不以千克和克為計量單位出售產品﹐涉嫌破壞歐盟的一項規定﹐即歐盟所有成員國在貿易中必須使用標準化的公制單位。除英國外﹐歐盟其他國家使用的都是公制單位。

但英國人用品脫計量牛奶和啤酒﹐路程則以英里計算。“大英帝國時代的計量單位我們都熟悉﹐也一直這麼用﹐為什麼要改變?”另一個蔬菜攤老板斯考特•羅邁克斯(Scott Lomax)反問道。

戴沃斯太太在2008年1月18日的聽證會上拒絕認罪﹐英國小報大肆報導她的立場﹐一時間令其成為風雲人物。如果被判有罪﹐她可能會面臨高達13萬美元的罰款。

“這件事真讓人惡心﹐”戴沃斯太太對指控發表意見﹐“有人持刀行兇﹐有人謀財害命﹐而他們把我送上法庭﹐只是因為我用磅和盎司賣東西。”

同樣非法的是用碗來賣東西﹐有十項指控涉及的是﹐她在賣蘇格蘭柿子椒等蔬菜時﹐以碗為計量單位。

2000 年﹐英國為符合歐盟的公制計量要求﹐推出新的計量法﹐但其中有一個除外條款﹐並得到歐盟的認可。條款規定﹐商人必須使用公制重量單位﹐但可同時使用英制單 位。 戴沃斯太太在2007年底遭到指控的原因在於﹐她的所有商品上都沒有公制單位的價格﹐她的兩台秤只能稱量磅和盎司。

英制計量體系至少從中世紀起就開始應用﹐目前主要在英國和美國使用。公制計量體系創立於200多年前的法國﹐而法國是與英國僅隔一條海峽的老對手。

排斥公制計量體系被視為英國遲遲不肯融入歐洲大陸各成員國的諸多跡象之一。英國抱著英鎊不放﹐不願加入歐元貨幣體系﹔英國人在馬路的左邊開車﹔英國政客經常持“反歐盟整合”的態度﹐通過抨擊歐洲大陸來取悅部分選民。

最近一個天氣陰沉的週四下午﹐在倫敦東區名叫哈克尼(Hackney)的低收入居民區﹐土耳其人、亞洲人和加勒比黑人在“瑞德里路市場”採購商品﹐小販的吆喝聲此起彼伏﹐比如“50便士一籃芒果”等﹐一個賣海報和T恤衫的小攤傳出震耳欲聾的西印度群島音樂。

在1月份的寒風中﹐戴沃斯太太頭戴一頂人造絨帽子﹐在菜攤做生意﹐身後擺放著成堆的茄子、生姜、綠豆(一磅豆子售價一英鎊)。雖然最近她把蔬菜的價格同時以磅和公斤為計量單位標出﹐但她表示﹐顧客還是喜歡論磅稱菜﹐有時甚至會抱怨﹐說她用公斤是想糊弄他們。

“我總是論磅買東西。”60歲的兼職店員索菲亞•萊維奇(Sophia Levicki)說﹐她經常光顧戴沃斯太太的菜攤。“如果東西又便宜又好﹐我就會買。”她一邊說﹐一邊稱了兩磅新鮮的紫皮茄子。

在旁邊賣菜的羅邁克斯先生同時以磅和公斤標價﹐這是最近幾年當局多次警告他之後才改的。“顧客根本不懂公斤的概念。”他說。和許多攤主一樣﹐他使用公制秤﹐這是他在2000年英國推行歐盟公制計量體系後添置的。

戴沃斯太太在2007年9月的一個週四開始惹上官司的。兩名當地政府官員在兩個警察的陪同下﹐來到菜攤沒收她的英制秤。他們告訴戴沃斯太太﹐這是非法的計量單位﹐她不能用磅和盎司稱東西。“我當時火冒三丈。” 戴沃斯太太說。她問警察﹐政府有權這麼做嗎?警察說是的。

在聖誕節前後﹐戴沃斯太太收到一封67頁的信函﹐對她提出13項罪名﹐包括一項不準確標價的指控﹐以及兩項使用英制秤的指控。此外﹐她還面臨10項用碗出售商品的指控。

“我覺得這太不合理了。” 戴沃斯太太說。她表示﹐以碗為單位標價是一種常見做法﹐因為顧客認為這樣很值。“如果政府要告我﹐那他們就得告所有賣菜的。”

對戴沃斯太太提起指控的政府官員艾倫•拉茵(Alan Laing)說:“我的工作職責之一就是督促商人遵守相關的計量法律。”

戴 沃斯太太不是新計量制度下的第一個犧牲者﹐包括她哥哥在內的四個攤主在2000年的一起最高法院上訴中敗訴﹐原因就是沒有使用公制計量法。他們被有條件釋 放﹐也就是說﹐只要他們在一定時間內不再違法﹐就不會對其採取懲罰措施。一群曾為四個攤主奔走呼籲的人正在為戴沃斯太太籌集罰金﹐並把他們稱為“公制烈 士”。

這個問題的實質是﹐“到底誰在統治英國?”來自英格蘭森德蘭市的呼籲者尼爾•赫倫(Neil Herron)說道。

在 哥哥的幫助下﹐戴沃斯太太找到一些願意只收取象徵性費用為她提供法律援助的律師。他們的辯護策略是爭論各種法律細節﹐比如以前頒佈法律中關於英制計量的一 個漏洞等。此外﹐歐盟近期對英制計量的寬鬆態度也讓他們看到了希望。迫於英國企業以及與英美有貿易關係的公司所施加的壓力﹐歐盟議會最近提出一項議案﹐允 許英國無限期地同時使用英制和公制單位﹐而不是於2009年逐步廢除英制計量體系。該項議案還在等待歐盟委員會批准。

戴沃斯太太的律師團還讓顧客出庭作證﹐說他們買東西時喜歡以磅為單位﹐一位參與此案的律師說道。

戴沃斯太太面臨每項罪名1萬美元的罰款﹐總計約13萬美元。“這會徹底毀掉我﹐” 戴沃斯太太說。她不願披露自己的收入狀況﹐但說她已經取消去紐約看她雙胞胎妹妹的計劃﹐因為有犯罪記錄纏身﹐她很難獲得美國簽證。

一個週五的下午﹐戴沃斯太太出現在倫敦東區的泰晤士地方法庭﹐並表示自己無罪。

她的辯護律師尼古拉斯•伯文(Nicholas Bowen)嘲笑政府提出的這些指控。“如果有人在溫布爾登賣一扁籃草莓﹐那是不是也犯法?”他質問道。英國人都知道﹐一扁籃草莓相當於幾把草莓﹐約合半公升。

戴沃斯太太及其律師團贏得初步勝利。地方法庭同意辯護律師的請求﹐將此案交給陪審團裁決。陪審員中有一些經常買菜的人﹐可能會同情戴沃斯太太的遭遇﹐赫倫律師說道。

戴沃斯太太離開法庭回菜攤時﹐臉上露出了微笑。正義的天平﹐她說﹐“還是掌握在人民手中。”

Cassell Bryan-Low

Pound For Pound, A Veggie Peddler Takes On The EU

| | |
2008年01月30日14:48
London's East End is notorious for its criminals, from serial murderer Jack the Ripper to mobsters the Kray twins.

The latest candidate for this rogue's gallery is Janet Devers, a 63-year-old woman who runs a vegetable stall at Ridley Road market. Her alleged crime: selling goods only by the pound and the ounce.

Ms. Devers, whose stall has been in the family for 60 years, faces 13 criminal charges stemming from not selling her produce by the kilogram and the gram. She stands accused of breaking a European Union-instigated rule that countries must use metric measures to standardize trade. The rest of Europe is metric.

But Brits drink their milk and beer by the pint. On the road they rack up miles. Imperial measurement 'is what we know, how we are. Who's to tell us to change?' said Scott Lomax, a fellow vegetable-stall owner.

Ms. Devers, who pleaded not guilty in a court appearance on Friday, is being lionized for her stand in Britain's feisty tabloids. If convicted, she could be fined as much as $130,000.

'It's disgusting,' said Ms. Devers of the charges. 'We have knifings. We have killings,' she said. 'And they're taking me to court because I'm selling in pounds and ounces.'

And, equally illegally, in bowls. Ten of the counts against her relate to purveying produce, such as hot Scotch-bonnet peppers, by the bowl.

The United Kingdom wrote an exemption into its measurements law to meet the EU metric requirement in 2000, as Brussels allowed. It stated that traders must use metric weights, but they could use imperial measures as well. The problem is that Ms. Devers allegedly didn't have metric prices on all of her produce when she was charged late last year, and two of her scales only measured in pounds and ounces.

The British imperial system dates back at least to medieval times. Notable holdouts still using it are Britain and the U.S. It doesn't help that the metric system was created over 200 years ago across the Channel in France, England's ancient archrival.

Aversion to the metric system is one of many signs of the U.K.'s lingering reluctance to integrate with its continental neighbors. Britain shuns the euro in favor of the pound sterling, drives on the left-hand side of the road and has a tradition of 'euroskeptic' politicians who thrill some sections of the public by bashing the Continent.

One recent overcast Thursday afternoon at Ridley Road market in Hackney, a low-income district in East London, shoppers from Turkish, Asian and Afro-Caribbean communities browsed the stalls. Shouts from traders touting deals like '50p a basket of mangoes' mingled with reggae music blasting from a stall that sells posters and T-shirts.

Insulated from the chilly January day in a faux-fur- trimmed hat, Ms. Devers chatted up customers from behind her covered stall piled with eggplant, ginger, green beans (GBP 1 a pound for the beans). Though her signs currently carry prices in pounds as well as the equivalent in kilograms, she said her customers prefer pounds -- and sometimes complain when she uses kilos that she's trying to cheat them.

'I always shop in pounds,' said Sophia Levicki, a 60-year-old part-time shop clerk and a regular at Ms. Devers's stall. 'If it's good enough and cheap enough, I'll buy it,' she added, as she asked for two pounds of shiny, purple-skinned eggplant.

Nearby stall owner Mr. Lomax added prices in kilos as well as pounds to his signs after warnings from local authorities in recent years. 'The customers don't understand kilos,' he said. Like many stall owners he uses metric scales, which he got after the EU metric directive was introduced into U.K. law in 2000.

Ms. Devers's trouble with the law began one Thursday this September, when two representatives from the local government council, accompanied by two policemen, came up to her stall and seized her imperial scales. They told Ms. Devers she was using illegal scales and that she wasn't allowed to weigh in pounds and ounces, she said. 'I was furious,' said Ms. Devers, who asked the police officers if the council was allowed to do that, to which they responded that it was.

Around Christmas, a 67-page letter landed in her mail. It outlined 13 criminal charges against her, including one charge of improper pricing of goods and two charges related to using imperial scales. She also faces 10 counts related to selling by the bowl.

'I think it's so ridiculous,' she said, noting that pricing per bowl is common practice because customers perceive it as good value. 'If they're going to do me for bowls, they have to do the whole country.'

Alan Laing, an official with the local authority that is prosecuting Ms. Devers, said that 'making sure traders comply with weights-and-measures legislation is also part of the job.'

Ms. Devers wouldn't be the first to be pounded down by the metric law. Four market-stall owners -- including her brother -- lost an appeal to the High Court in 2002 for not using metric measurements. They received conditional discharge -- which means no further action is taken as long as they don't break the law again within a specific period of time. A group campaigning to pardon them is helping coordinate financing for Ms. Devers's case and calls them 'metric martyrs.'

It's about 'who governs Britain,' says campaigner Neil Herron, from Sunderland, England.

With the help of her brother, Ms. Devers found lawyers willing to take on the case for a nominal fee. Their planned legal strategy is to argue various technicalities such as a loophole for imperial scales that predate the law. They plan to lean on what they see as a recent softening in Brussels. After pressure from U.K. companies as well as others that trade with Britain and the U.S., the European parliament recently adopted legislation that would let the U.K. continue to use imperial alongside metric measures indefinitely, instead of phasing it out by next year. The measure is awaiting European Council approval.

Her legal team may also call customers as witnesses to say that they like paying pounds for pounds, one of the lawyers involved said.

Ms. Devers faces fines of up to $10,000 per charge, or a total of about $130,000. 'It would ruin me,' said Ms. Devers, who declined to detail her earnings. She says she canceled a planned trip to New York with her twin sister, because having a criminal record could make entering the U.S. difficult.

On Friday afternoon, Ms. Devers appeared in Thames Magistrates Court in East London. She pleaded not guilty.

Her barrister, Nicholas Bowen, mocked the nature of her alleged crimes. 'If somebody sells a punnet of strawberries at Wimbledon is that a criminal offense?' he asked. A punnet, as all Britons know, is roughly the equivalent of a couple of handfuls -- or about half a liter.

Ms. Devers and her legal team won a victory of sorts. The magistrate granted their request that the case be tried by a jury. Jurors, with perhaps some shoppers among them, will likely be sympathetic, Mr. Herron says.

Ms. Devers smiled as she left the courthouse to go back to her stall. The scales of justice sit, she said, 'in the hands of the people.'

Cassell Bryan-Low


2008年1月29日 星期二

Framing Production:Technology, Culture, and Change in the British Bicycle Industry

March 2008
6 x 9, 238 pp., 30 illus.
$18.00/£11.95 (PAPER)

ISBN-10:
0-262-68170-6
ISBN-13:
978-0-262-68170-4




Framing Production
Technology, Culture, and Change in the British Bicycle Industry
Paul Rosen

Table of Contents and Sample Chapters

The production of bicycles in Britain and the United States recently suffered severe setbacks. The renowned American Schwinn brand was downgraded to the mass market by its new owners following bankruptcy, and Britain's Raleigh came close to closure because of high debts and poor returns, saved only by a last-minute management buyout. In both cases, market share and credibility were lost to newer, more innovative firms, as well as to a recentering of the global bicycle industry in the Far East.

This book reflects on such changes by setting them within a sociological and historical context. It focuses on the British bicycle industry in the interwar years and in the 1980s and the 1990s--periods characterized by modernization of production and of industrial organization, by changing relations among players in the industry, by new developments in labor relations, and by changes in interactions between markets and product design. In particular, it traces the fortunes of the Raleigh Cycle Company from its beginnings as an innovative young firm, through massive expansion of its products and markets and the assimilation of many of its competitors, into further innovation amid market contraction and management inertia, and finally into a phase of global restructuring that has transformed and reduced its role within the industry.

The book explores the complex ways in which product design, production methods, industrial organization, and the cultures of cycling have interacted to create a succession of sociotechnical frames for the bicycle. At the same time, on an activist level, the book promotes a participatory politics of bicycle technology and a less car-centered view of personal transportation.

About the Author

Paul Rosen is Research Fellow in the Science and Technology Studies Unit at the University of York.



Framing Production
Technology, Culture, and Change in the British Bicycle Industry
Paul Rosen


Acknowledgmentsix

1Technology, Culture, and the Politics of the Bicycle
Download Chapter as PDF Sample Chapter - Download PDF (148 KB)
1

2The Emergence of the British Bicycle Industry29

3Modernization, Competition, and Collaboration in the Sociotechnical Frameof British Mass Cycle Production41

4Working for Raleigh: Sociotechnical Change and the Relations of Production75

5The Destabilizing of Mass Production: Technological, Organizational, andIndustrial Change95

6The Global Flexibilization of the Bicycle119


Up the Velorution: Toward a Sociotechnical Frame of the Sustainable Bicycle155


Epilogue181


Appendix A : Interviewees185


Appendix B: Documentary Sources187


Appendix C: Significant Events and Artifacts in the History of the Raleigh Cycle Company193


Notes197


Bibliography207


Index
Download Chapter as PDF

family expenditure Survey 1957 v 2007

消費模式差異

多份報章都報道了全國統計局最新公布的國民消費調查結果。《衛報》列表顯示50年前同今天英國人消費模式的差異。

五十年前,人們每周的消費中最大筆開支用於房屋,第二是煙草,第三是出外吃飯,第四是汽車﹔今天人們的最大筆開支用於支付房屋貸款利息,第二大是租金,第三大是汽車燃料,第四是地方稅。

五十年前,人們收入的33%用於食物,16%用於其他貨物及服務﹔今天人們花29%用於其他貨物及服務,19%用於房屋。

Housing costs dominate family expenditure


This article was first published on guardian.co.uk on Monday January 28 2008. It was last updated at 16:10 on January 28 2008.
supermarket shopping basket

Spending on food and drink as a proportion of total expenditure has dropped. Photograph: David Sillitoe

The proportion of a UK household's budget that goes on keeping a roof over the family's head has more than doubled in the past 50 years, according to official figures released today.

Housing costs such as mortgage interest and rent now take up the biggest slice of the weekly budget - an average 19% compared with 9% in 1957, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS).

Meanwhile, spending on food and non-alcoholic drinks has dropped sharply from 33% of a weekly household budget in 1957 to just 15% last year.

The figures are published in the ONS's latest Family Expenditure Survey, which has now been running for 50 years, and are based on a survey of nearly 7,000 households in 2006.

They show that the average family spent £456 a week, with £143 going on housing and related costs, including council tax and home improvements.

The average total weekly household expenditure was highest among households of three or more adults and children, and amounted to £700 a week.

At the other end of the scale, one-person retired households mainly dependent on the state pension reported spending £138 a week.

After housing costs, transport took up the lion's share of the average household budget, clocking in at £62 a week.

This included £23.40 on the purchase of vehicles, £28.60 on operational costs such as petrol, repairs and servicing, and £10 on public transport such as rail, tube and bus fares.

Spending on recreation and culture, which includes purchasing books and TVs, as well as package holidays, came next at £58 a week.

Food and non-alcoholic drink purchases contributed £47 to weekly household expenditure, of which £12.50 went on meat, £3.60 on fresh vegetables and £2.90 on fresh fruit.

Greater disposable income

Comparing the figures for 2006 with those for 1957, it seems greater disposable income has pushed up spending on leisure goods and services, with the average outlay on them rising from 9% to 19%.

"Expenditure on leisure remained fairly stable until 1977. From 1977 until 2006 the expenditure has increased at a greater rate than in the 20 years between 1957 and 1977," said the report.

A fall in the number of smokers has meant a big drop off in spending on tobacco, from 6% of weekly spending in 1957 to just 1% now, but spending on alcoholic drinks has remained unchanged at 3% of the average weekly household budget.

Spending on motoring and travel costs has risen from 8% to 16% over the same period.

Clothing and footwear take a smaller cut of the average household budget, down from 10% in 1957 to just 5%.

The report also includes lists of the top 50 spending categories in 1957 and 2006, although these are not directly comparable because of a change in the assessment criteria.

In 1957 the top 50 included 20 items of food and drink including fresh milk, beef and veal, mutton and lamb, and sugar.

In the latest report, the top 50 items as a proportion of household spending include just 10 food and drink items, among them takeaway and snack food.

Fresh vegetables did not appear at all in 1957, but are now ranked in 34th place.


2008年1月28日 星期一

伦敦的叫卖声


伦敦的叫卖声
作者:(英)阿秋生 等著,刘炳善
出版社:上海译文出版社
出版时间:2006-12-1

内容简介
从英国散文的不朽篇章中,掇英三十一篇,出自18-20世纪的十四位作者的手笔。突出地反映 了作者们独有的平和而丰富的情怀,幽默并略带讥讽的语境。书名取自18世纪的阿狄生的篇随笔名,漫话当时的市景民俗,卖报纸、卖点心、消防队……书中选 19世纪的代表作家为兰姆,其作品记录了他作为一个忙碌的小职员,在生活中找到带苦味的快乐和遐想。这里还有弗吉尼亚•伍尔夫的作品,她在开创意识流小说 的同时,用轻快的散文手法写下了她对文学的挚爱和印象,成为英国20世纪英国散文中的一奇葩。
  本书选录了十八、十九和二十世纪的一些英国随笔 名篇。所以这样选录,乃是因为除了培根那些偏重哲理的短论以外,十八世纪以后的英国随笔才发展圆熟,留下大批脍炙人口的作品,足资欣赏、观摩、比较。 下面试以阿狄生、兰姆和弗吉尼亚•伍尔夫_二位作家为例,说明英国随笔在十八、十九和二十世纪的不同特色。
目录
英国随笔简论——《伦敦的叫卖声》译序
阿狄生与斯梯尔
 旁观者自述(阿狄生)
 旁观者俱乐部(斯梯尔)
 《旁观者报》的宗旨(阿狄生)
 伦敦的叫卖声(阿狄生)
 某君日记(阿狄生)
斯威夫特
 关于一把扫帚的沉思
 育婴刍议
 《婢仆须知》总则
哥尔斯密斯
 黑衣人
 西敏大寺记游
兰姆
 梦幻中的小孩子
 读书漫谈
 退休者
 兰姆自传
 兰姆书简四通
赫茲里特
 论平易的文体
 论青年的不朽之感
 伊利亚
亨特
 睡眠小议
 德·昆西
 知识的文学与力量的文学
夏洛蒂·勃朗特
 艾里斯·贝尔与阿克顿贝尔生平纪略
佩特
 《文艺复兴史研究》的引言和结语
斯蒂文森
 理想中的黄金国
 乞丐
 为闲人一辩
本森
 随笔作家的艺术
鲁卡斯
 葬礼
伍尔夫
 玛丽·沃尔斯顿克拉夫特
 多萝西华兹华斯
 “我是克里斯蒂娜罗塞蒂”
 一个人应该怎样读书?

2008年1月27日 星期日

‘barring-out’

英國就舊學風
將老師擋在教室門外 要求他答應某些條件再讓他進門


A widespread custom, up to the 19th century, was the ‘barring-out’ of the schoolteacher by his pupils. On a day sanctioned by custom (but varying from place to place), the pupils contrived to bar the door with the teacher outside, often with his connivance, and refused to let him in until he agreed to their terms, which were usually for a half-holiday, or something similar. By the 19th century the custom was relatively controlled, but in previous generations had been much rougher. On at least one occasion, in Scotland in 1595, a magistrate who was helping the teacher gain access to the school was shot dead by one of the pupils. Not surprisingly, local authorities waged a continual war against such activities and gradually succeeded in taming and, eventually, eliminating the custom.



"The practice of barring-out, was a savage license practised in many schools to the end of
the last century, by which the boys, when the periodical vacation drew near, growing petulant
at the approach of liberty, some days before the time of regular recess, took possession of the
school, of which they barred the doors, and bade their master defiance from the windows. It is
not easy to suppose that on such occasions the master would do more than laugh; yet, if
tradition may be credited, he often struggled hard to force or surprise the garrison( ━━ n., vt. 守備隊(を置く), 要塞地(として守備する).).
The master, when Pigot was a school-boy, was barred-out at Lichfield, and the whole operation, as he said, was planned and conducted by Addison."

Life of Addison, 1672–1719 by Samuel Johnson

Life of Addison, 1672–1719 by Samuel Johnson

2008年1月26日 星期六

[The Cries of London]

梁先生
In 1711, Joseph Addison complained:
Milk is generally sold in a note above E-la, and in sounds so exceedingly shrill, that it often sets our teeth on edge.

E-la是蝦米音?


小讀者
http://www.wwnorton.com/college/english/nael/18century/topic_1/cries_of_london.htm

張華
感想之一:這篇好像談倫敦的叫賣聲,好像許多古老都市都有好聽的叫賣聲,老舍話劇「茶館」特別注重這種聲音。
感想之二:本大學除了有得吃、有得拿(書),現在又有逐漸明顯的功
能:「翻譯互助會」。值得鼓掌!

hc
這篇似乎受選為著名翻譯文集"倫敦叫賣聲" (香港:牛津大學出版社 等等) 待查

這篇英文我可能高中讀過
不過近20年之後在日本看NHK演 Lafcadio Hearn's Japan 才體會 --當然我們童年鄉下也很精彩 據網路說宋朝都城已很發達



《劉炳善譯文集》:《倫敦的叫賣聲》、《伊利亞隨筆》、《書和畫像》......
倫敦的叫賣聲:英國隨筆選譯. [英]阿狄生等/ 1997 / 三聯書


Cries of London 《倫敦叫賣聲》 17世紀初的作曲家把倫敦商販沿街叫賣的傳統曲調改編而成的輪唱曲。收在《不列顛音樂叢書》中。 這是今天上課的時候老師無意中帶過的,


SACD The Cries Of London:  Hillier  /  Theatre Of Voices Fretwork

The Cries Of London: Hillier / Theatre Of Voices Fretwork








Morning

Joseph Addison, from The Spectator, No. 251

The Spectator, a popular series of periodical essays that appeared daily (except Sundays) in 1711–12 and 1714, was written by Addison and Richard Steele. In addition to influential social and literary criticism, it popularized current philosophical and scientific notions, set standards of taste and manners, and appealed to city readers (and readers who followed city fashions) by providing vivid descriptions of the life of the town.

[The Cries of London]

[Click on image to enlarge] There is nothing which more astonishes a Foreigner and frights a Country Squire, than the Cries of London. My good Friend, Sir Roger, often declares that he cannot get them out of his Head, or go to sleep for them the first Week that he is in Town. On the contrary, Will. Honeycomb calls them the Ramage de la Ville, >> Ramage de la Ville: Warbling of the town.');" onclick="return overlib('Ramage de la Ville: Warbling of the town.', STICKY, CAPTION, 'Note:');" onmouseout="return nd();" href="javascript:void(0);">note 1 and prefers them to the Sounds of Larks and Nightingales, with all the Musick of the Fields and Woods. * * *

The Cries of London may be divided into Vocal and Instrumental. As for the latter, they are at present under a very great Disorder. A Freeman of London has the Privilege of disturbing a whole Street for an hour together, with the twancking of a Brass Kettle or a Frying-Pan. The Watchman's Thump >> note 2 at Midnight startles us in our Beds, as much as the breaking in of a Thief. * * *

Vocal Cries are of a much larger Extent, and indeed so full of Incongruities and Barbarisms, that we appear a distracted City, to Foreigners, who do not comprehend the Meaning of such Enormous Outcries. Milk is generally sold in a Note above Elah, >> Elah: The highest note of the musical scale.');" onclick="return overlib('Elah: The highest note of the musical scale.', STICKY, CAPTION, 'Note:');" onmouseout="return nd();" href="javascript:void(0);">note 3 and in Sounds so exceedingly shrill, that it often sets our Teeth an edge. The Chimney Sweeper is confined to no certain pitch; he sometimes utters himself in the deepest Base, and sometimes in the lowest Note of the Gamut. The same Observation might be made on the Retailers of Small-cole, not to mention broken Glasses or Brick-dust. * * *

[Click on image to enlarge] Some of these last-mentioned Musicians are so very loud in the Sale of these trifling Manufactures, that an honest Splenetick Gentleman of my Acquaintance bargained with one of them never to come into the Street where he lived; But what was the effect of this Contract? why, the whole Tribe of Cardmatch-makers which frequent that Quarter, passed by his Door the very next Day, in hopes of being bought off after the same manner.








Images of the Outcast : The Urban Poor in the Cries of London-US-
ISBN:9780813531526 (Paper cover book)
Shesgreen, Sean /Publisher:Rutgers Univ Pr Published 2002/

Britain Seeks Its Essence, and Finds Punch Lines

紐約時報這篇報導值得詳注翻譯....
先等國內報刊.....

Britain Seeks Its Essence, and Finds Punch Lines

Pool photo by Tom Pilston

Queen Elizabeth II after the ceremonial opening session of Parliament in November 2006.


Published: January 26, 2008

LONDON — It was a lofty idea: formulate a British “statement of values” defining what it means to be British, much the way a document like the Declaration of Independence sets out the ideals that help explain what it means to be American.

Skip to next paragraph
Adrian Dennis/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images

To be seen at the races at Ascot is undeniably a British tradition. Summing up national values, though, appears debatable.

Because of the peculiarities of its long history, Britain has in modern times never felt the need for such a statement. But in an era of decentralized government and citizens who tend to define themselves less by their similarities than by differences of region, ethnicity or religion, the government felt that the time was ripe for one.

The proposal, part of a package of British-pride-bolstering measures announced by Prime Minister Gordon Brown’s new government over the summer, raised a host of tricky questions. What does it mean to be British? How do you express it in a country that believes self-promotion to be embarrassing? And how do you deal with a defining trait of the people you are trying to define: their habit of making fun of worthy government proposals?

Detractors spread the rumor that the government was looking not for a considered statement, but for a snappy, pithy “liberté, égalité, fraternité”-style slogan that it could plaster across government buildings in a kind of branding exercise.

Nor did it help when The Times of London cynically sponsored a British motto-writing contest for its readers.



“Dipso, Fatso, Bingo, Asbo, Tesco”

The readers’ suggestions included “Dipso, Fatso, Bingo, Asbo, Tesco” (Asbo stands for “anti-social behavior order,” a law-enforcement tool, while Tesco is a ubiquitous supermarket chain); “Once Mighty Empire, Slightly Used”; “At Least We’re Not French”; and “We Apologize for the Inconvenience.” The winner, favored by 20.9 percent of the readers, was “No Motto Please, We’re British.”

“The point I was making is, this idea of a statement of Britishness; I cannot think of anything less British than that,” said 25-year-old David Bishop, author of the winning motto.

In the House of Lords, there was a surreal debate on the nonmotto, even after Lord Hunt of Kings Heath, an official in the Ministry of Justice, said flatly that there were no plans to have one.

“I do not think I will go down that route,” he said. “But I will say that the motto of Birmingham City Football Club is ‘Keep right on ’til the end of the road.’ ”

The Earl of Mar and Kellie then suggested that the British could use the Scottish motto “Nemo me impune lacessit,” which he translated from the Latin as “Do not sit on a thistle.” (Actually, it means “no one attacks me with impunity.”) Lord Faulkner of Worcester offered “Play up, and play the game,” a line from a Victorian-era poem comparing conduct on the battlefield to conduct on the cricket field. And Earl Ferrers said that if it proved too difficult to come up with a British-wide motto, the House of Lords could perhaps use its own: “Questions and answers ought to be short.”

Part of the trouble with the whole exercise is that Britain never really began as a country, but rather “just evolved endlessly through time,” said Vernon Bogdanor, a professor of government at Oxford.

“In the past, Britain was something that just happened,” he said. “You didn’t have to think about it. No one’s ever sat down and thought about what it means to be British.”

On the contrary, said Michael Wills, the Ministry of Justice official in charge of the statement-of-values exercise. “It’s absolute historical nonsense,” he said in an interview. “There’s been an intense preoccupation with what it means to be British from the 17th century onwards.” After a long period of post-imperial transition, economic decline and loss of heart in the second half of the last century, he said, Britain has a new confidence and robustness and is ready to say so.

“People are proud of being British,” he said. “When you ask people, ‘What does it mean to be British?’ they want to talk about it.”

The government’s plans also include coming up with a definition of British citizenship; formulating a “bill of rights and duties” for citizens; and even considering writing down a constitution (it is currently unwritten, an accrual of precedents). There is also talk of a “British Day,” similar to Independence Day; a “museum of Britishness”; and a revisiting of the national anthem, “God Save the Queen,” one of whose later verses advocates annihilating the “rebellious Scots,” which is not very nice to the Scottish.

The Scottish, who were empowered by the Labor Party to set up their own Parliament and take more control of their destiny, are feeling particularly un-British these days and in any case have never really liked the song.

“It’s surprising that it’s taken them 250 years to realize that it’s not inclusive,” Brian Adam, a member of the Scottish Parliament, said last month. “I personally am more happy with ‘Flower of Scotland.’ ”

The historian Tristram Hunt said that such grand gestures would not sit easily with many Britons, anyway. “I personally think it’s based on a misreading of the British character,” he said. “Part of the attraction of Britain is the space it gives people to pursue their own agendas and identities.”

In advocating the proposals, Prime Minister Brown, a Scot himself, has been influenced by the United States, with its melting-pot philosophy and strong sense of national identity, and by the ideas of Sir Jonathan Sacks, the chief rabbi of Britain. Sir Jonathan believes that while Britain was once like a country house — everyone was a guest, and everyone felt a sense of belonging — now people are treating it like a hotel, checking in and out and hunting for bargains. Instead, he has said, it should be a community that people build together.

As for the statement of values, Mr. Wills of the Justice Ministry said that the government would soon hold “an extensive and intensive” period of consultation with regular people on what being British means to them. After that, it will convene a “citizens’ summit” of 500 to 1,000 people who will deliberate on the matter. The final decision on the statement will be made by Parliament.

But the government has its work cut out for it, if the sort-of debate in the House of Lords is anything to go by.

After Lord Hunt’s assurances that the government had no plans for a motto and his colleagues’ insistence on discussing one anyway, Lord Conwy had a thought. Why, he asked, could they not just use the French “Dieu et mon droit,” which means “God and my right?”

Lord Hunt replied: “As the noble lord will know, that represents the divine right of kings. While it is of course a well-known phrase, one would need to reflect on whether that would be entirely relevant to a motto that we are not going to have.”

the Electoral Commission 英國選舉委員會

Statement regarding Peter Hain MP donations

*

Statement regarding Peter Hain MP donations

On 29 November 2007, Peter Hain MP informed the Electoral Commission that he had not fully reported to the Commission donations he had received for his Labour Party deputy leadership campaign.

Mr Hain has since met with the Commission and provided additional information about donations he received. The Electoral Commission has undertaken a thorough review of this information.

Following discussions with the Metropolitan Police Service and the Crown Prosecution Service, the Electoral Commission has now referred matters to the Metropolitan Police for them to consider whether an investigation should commence.

英國選舉委員會

refer sb to sth (DIRECT)



英國內閣大臣因政治獻金案辭職
彼得﹒海因
海因未能當選工黨副主席

面對警方對競選捐款的調查,英國就業與養老金大臣彼得﹒海因今天宣布辭去內閣職務。

海因是英國首相布朗任期之內辭職的第一名內閣大臣。

去年11月,海因(亦有媒體譯作韓培德)承認,在競選工黨副主席時拿到的大約20萬美元的捐款未能全盤申報。

海因解釋說,他忙于內閣工作,未能對競選捐款給與密切關注。

這個辯解給海因換來了一個喘息的機會。此后,議會和選舉委員會對海因捐款事件展開了調查。

參加競選工黨副主席的共有六名候選人,海因獲得的選票名列第五。

今天,英國選舉委員會決定,將把海因沒有及時申報競選捐款一事提交警方調查。海因不久后便發表聲明,宣布辭去內閣大臣職務。

海因同時還說,他對過去發生的事情表示“遺憾”,但是,他犯了一個"單純的錯誤",他希望辭職之后能有機會澄清自己的聲譽。

首相布朗已經接受了海因的辭呈。現任文化大臣、今年只有37歲的珀乃爾將接任工作與養老金大臣一職。

BBC記者格雷姆利說,工黨政府一向引以為榮,自己曾經引入保証政黨籌資透明度的專門法律。

格雷姆利認為,盡管海因堅持表示將証明自己的清白,但是,他是首相布朗任期內辭職的第一名大臣,對于布朗來說,這不僅會讓他尷尬,還將給他帶來挫折。

2008年1月25日 星期五

倫敦新貌with hc comments

取自【都市更新,倫敦的天際線讓世界驚豔 文/馬岳琳;攝影/邱劍英】with comments

.....2007)十二月的倫敦,滿城爭說這個英國最美的車站 ── 聖潘克斯車站(St Pancras Station)她是連接英格蘭與歐洲大陸的歐洲之星新起點,經過七年整修、花費八億英鎊(約五百億元台幣),自去年十一月中旬正式重新啟用。穿過英吉利 海峽,倫敦到巴黎的行車時間一舉縮短為兩小時十五分鐘,到布魯塞爾,更僅需一小時五十分。

Wikipedia article "St Pancras railway station".

不過,速度與美麗,只是聖潘克斯車站更新案最表面的意義。

這座維多利亞哥德式建築的車站,於一八六八年興建完成之際,正呼應了英國在工業革命時期的意氣風發。然而,歷史的驕傲也可能是一種負擔,上百年的鐵道系統,等於埋下了錯綜複雜的重重弊病。

用計劃與配套向前進步

過去歐洲之星高速鐵路英國段自開通以來,一直是以泰晤士河南岸的滑鐵盧車站(Waterloo Station)為起點,然而因為英國的鐵路建設一直沒有更新,所謂的高速列車進入英國後,就要被迫使用國內慢速鐵路網,到了倫敦周圍,車速更是大打折扣。

但隨著聖潘克斯車站的整修完工、搭配耗資六十八億英鎊(近四千三百億元台幣)橫貫倫敦地底的高速鐵路隧道開通,這個百年來最重大的交通建 設,不但讓英國正式加入歐洲高鐵的版圖,也直接帶動了同一區域由英國當代最富盛名的建築師諾曼.佛斯特(Norman Forster)所規劃的國王十字區更新案(King`s Cross Regeneration)。

這個事關六十七英畝(相當於三十八個足球場大小)、原本是鐵道工業廢棄區的地段,可望在未來二十年內,藉由一連串的更新,為倫敦市中心,提供大量的商業、住宅與公共空間用地。

「我們要確保所做的每一件事,都以大眾交通運輸為基礎,」「設計倫敦」(Design for London 倫敦設計總成 Design for London to support the delivery of well-designed
projects across London ) 總監畢夏(Peter Bishop)指出,倫敦將從現有的七百多萬人,在二十年之間再成長一百萬人。迫切要解決的,就是交通、居住、生活品質和就業議題。

「設計倫敦」是倫敦市長李文斯頓(Ken Livingstone)一年前特別設立的單位,目的就是要集中倫敦所有都市設計的資源,廣納意見、運籌協調。而「設計倫敦」機構的成立,一方面暗示著面對城市競爭的大局面,即使強壯如倫敦,也不敢不加緊腳步。另一方面,也見證了英國人注重計劃、強調全盤配套,與整體美觀的前瞻做法。

如火如荼地更新與翻轉

倫敦未來二十年的都市更新正如火如荼地推行,往內,倫敦的心臟有國王十字區的再次翻轉;往外,倫敦的指尖正藉由「泰晤士河口計劃」(Thames Gateway Project 泰晤士河出入口計劃)展開歐洲最大規模、綿延四十英哩(約六十四公里)的更新擴展。

為了從過去的工業之城、貿易之都,回應新世紀的知識經濟、創意服務需求,倫敦這個千年古城,再一次正在變身。

站在泰晤士河南岸、最受觀光客喜愛的泰德當代美術館(Tate Modern Museum)前往北眺,最惹眼的不是聖保羅大教堂的圓頂,而是一台又一台與天爭高的高架起重機。

兩千年的歷史、五百年未受戰火蹂躪,使倫敦深深刻印著珍貴的文化痕跡。過去,倫敦建築的總體格局以保持原有街區風貌為核心,很少允許在市區興建高樓,潛意識裡甚至是有著反對高樓建築的強烈色彩。

作為世界級的金融中心,僅管紐約與東京的建築早已爭相往上竄,但倫敦始終有所保留。然而,是否能為金融業提供足夠的辦公大樓,畢竟攸關倫敦的領先地位,再加上看到近年來上海、杜拜一整片、一整片建築拔地而起的強悍氣勢,倫敦不免也開始心急了起來。

二○○○年上任的市長李文斯頓就一反過往,轉而支持倫敦的高樓建築計劃,對過去為了保護聖保羅大教堂到國會大廈一帶乾淨天際線的做法,也開始有了討論。為了舒緩辦公大樓的需求,倫敦公、私單位已有默契地放鬆市中心的開發控制標準,允許更多的高樓建築出現。

綠色環境將是城市的夢想

除了變高,倫敦也要變綠。

倫敦的大公園,向來是繁忙都會裡最令人流連的一道風景。若以市中心最熱鬧的皮卡迪里廣場(Piccadilly Circus)為中心,方圓三英哩之內,就有大小公園八十處,整個綠地覆蓋市區的面積約四分之一。

「未來我們還將花上二、 三十年時間,把市中心零碎的溼地、綠地綴連起來,再加上市中心外圍的環城綠帶(green belt),」為了精密計算人均公共綠地、人均公園面積等自然地景分布,畢夏遞出一本專門探討東倫敦綠地網絡的手冊,上面滿是該如何補救某些地區綠地缺乏 的方法。

而這本手冊裡,當然也包括了自行車的行徑路線規劃。(本文兩句以"而開始之句子....)


入冬的聖詹姆士公園(St James Park)依然有著翠嫩的青草地,只不過,在白楊樹旁跑上跑下的松鼠們,這幾年變得愈來愈靈巧,全都是因為得隨時閃躲日漸增多的自行車騎士。

「騎自行車上班」的風潮彷彿像春風般吹過了倫敦的大街小巷,就這麼流行了起來。即使是在接近零下的溫度,也還是會有一身勁裝的自行車騎士,飛快騎過,在街 頭引起觀光客的側目。另一方面,為了解決交通和空氣污染問題,從二○○三年起,倫敦市中心的部份區域開始在周一至周五徵收「塞車稅」 (congestion fee)。凡是在規定時間內開車入城的,每天得交八英鎊(約五百元台幣)。

去年二月,倫敦交通署進一步擴大收費範圍,並且著手改革原有的收費政策,打算將費用與汽車廢氣排放量掛?,進而把塞車稅變成一種環境稅或污染稅。今年二月,倫敦甚至還規劃了新的「低排放區」計劃,要透過高收費的方式限制排氣量超高的汽車駛入倫敦。

平時搭地鐵上班的市長李文斯頓對媒體表示,如果計劃得以成功實施,到了二○一二年,整個倫敦地區的汽車廢氣排放量,將可減少一六%。更值得注意的是,根據民調顯示,有七五%的民眾支持這項首創的劃定「低排放區」做法。

倫敦人正用不同的方式回應「永續城市」這個當紅概念。

倫敦金融市的永續發展總監米爾斯(Simon Mills),最近剛談成了一項「倫敦協定」(London Accord),「我們說服像JP Morgan、Credit Swiss等二十二個國際大金融機構,請他們根據普林斯頓大學所選出的十六個能夠節能、減低二氧化碳排放量的科技領域,分別去研究該領域應如何投資。」

HC案: London Accord翻譯成「倫敦協定」有可能錯誤 因為這是一協助投資人決策之研究項目 或許可解釋為「倫敦永續諧和投資咨詢」....
The London Accord is a co-operative research initiative that brings together the latest thinking of leading investment banks to provide a comprehensive overview of the state of the art in bringing the effects of climate change into rigorous financial decision making analysis.


讓環保議題與投資利益相符合,是米爾斯的部門所想出來的點子。倫敦金融市除了引領世界碳交易的進行,最終還不忘導引市場力量來研究抗暖化議題。

金絲雀碼頭的翻身傳奇

不過,在迎向新轉變的挑戰中,倫敦當然不是沒有跌過跤。

搭地鐵來到朱比力線(Jubilee Line)的金絲雀碼頭站(Canary Wharf Station),售票大廳懸掛的巨幅彩色廣告與周圍未加裝飾的水泥柱面形成鮮明對比。走過光亮的花崗岩地面、登上三層樓高的手扶梯,迎面而來的是充滿現代感的車站出口。

一出站,路透社的玻璃帷幕大樓倒映著泰晤士河水的波光,廣場上的遊客手中提滿了大包小包的聖誕節禮物。很難想像,十幾年前這裡不過是個有著高聳大廈與稀少人煙的空城。

金絲雀碼頭是人們津津樂道的倫敦都市更新案例,從失敗到再起,成了世界各城市競相研究的話題。位於倫敦東南的金絲雀碼頭更新開發計劃,從一 九八○年代展開,期間曾因歐洲經濟不景氣、大眾運輸系統不足、地方勞動力未能同步升級等因素,成了英國都更的失敗象徵。直到倫敦不動產市場回溫、朱比力線 地鐵延伸、政府持續支持開發並引進國際人才,才終於讓金絲雀碼頭急起直追,在國際級金融集團紛紛進駐後,成為倫敦都更代表作。

經此一役,倫敦在城市發展的更新計劃上,有了更明確的行動方針。

「過去的經驗讓我們認知,人、經濟、基礎建設和國際行銷,是倫敦城市發展與更新的四大主軸,」倫敦發展(London Development Agency 前文為"部" )策略與政策總監麥德沃(Tony Medawar)指出。

貧富差距暗藏隱憂

為了明確了解倫敦的優劣勢,倫敦發展署每六個月會發表一份報告,裡面詳細追?各種經濟數字。「事實證明,倫敦要面對的最大挑戰,是『就業 率』。」麥德沃單刀直入,迅速切進倫敦成長翻轉的要害。坐在大片落地玻璃窗引進天光的敞亮辦公室裡,麥德沃毫不避諱地說,「別看倫敦如此光鮮亮麗,國際人 才滿街都是,但就業率卻比英格蘭任何地區都低,有些社區甚至是令人想像不到的低,永遠都是紅字。」

或許是移民社會的語言障礙,或許是托育機制的不夠完備,但就業率問題的背後,隨之而來的是貧富差距。BBC記者(應寫出姓名)曾經形容,從倫敦西邊的W5(郵遞區號)走到W7,大約半個多小時就足夠,但其間的貧富差距,恐怕奮鬥大半生也難以彌補。

「所以我們現在對每個更新區的想像,一定會先考量勞動力是否能夠同步升級,以人力技能的訓練為優先,」倫敦發展署都市更新資深經理侯考芙 (Rosie Holcroft)認為,城市轉型不單是公共空間、交通建設等硬體規劃,本地勞動力是否能夠跟上產業結構的變化,是另一個根本的挑戰。

前國際都市發展協會主席、英國社區暨地方政府部地區建設業務總司長蒙哥莫利(Joe Montgomery)則拿著剛出爐的「泰晤士河口計劃書」(The Delivery Plan for Thames Gateway HC案:漏一字應為"泰晤士河出入口落實計劃書")指出,在這項包含二○一二倫敦奧運村開發方案的歐洲最大都更計劃中,有三大要素貫穿其中:一是經濟競爭力、一是生活品質、另一個就是回應 氣候變遷的環境議題。

「我們從來不覺得倫敦是一個『大城市』,但競爭者很多,都在準備擊敗我們,」蒙哥莫利謹慎地說。

談到倫敦該如何更上一層樓,所有的人都務實到巴不得拿出幾本書來佐證自己的論述。

原來,不用等到二○一二奧運年,倫敦早已把自己放在世界的天秤上,秤了一遍又一遍。



【天下雜誌389期 新世界之都 倫敦】

Which? Ltd


Which? 與 一杯咖啡的熱量



2007先從今天BBC的一則翻譯新聞說起

"

《泰晤士報》引述英國情報部門的監督機構通信截聽委員會的報告指出,在過去一年,英國的特務組織和其他司法部門等共發出了45萬次申請,要求截查境內人士的電子郵件、電話和郵件等。

通信截聽委員會負責人托馬斯指出,從2005年到2006年間,有關的截查發生了4000起錯誤,這一數字是高得不能接受的。

另一方面,英國首相布萊爾承認,申領身份證人士的指紋可能被當局檢查,以確定是否涉及該國近100萬起未被偵破的罪案。

人權組織形容這兩起事件是蔑視人們隱私的做法。

不過內政部表示,由於以往沒有公布過有關截查通信的數字,所以不能說通信截聽委員會的報告表明,當局收集信息數據的數字大量增加。

《獨立報》報道,英國各大銀行將公布破紀錄的業績,在去年非法收取47億英鎊款項,感謝顧客們的反抗,現在是銀行清還款項的時候。

《獨立報》頭版標題呼籲銀行客戶取回屬於自己的金錢。

英國一個消費者權益互聯網站利用各大銀行將在未來兩星期公布業績的時候,呼籲人們進行大規模的投訴,要求銀行償還非法收取的透支罰款。

消費者權益組織《Which》估計,僅是去年,銀行業收取的未經授權透支罰款就達到47億英鎊。 "

我的目的要介紹約略相對於台灣消費者文教基金會刊物的Which?

Wikipedia中只有英文的介紹

讀者或許可以觀摩其網站

Which? is a subscription-only magazine and website run by Which? Ltd (formerly known as the Consumers' Association, which is still the official name of the charity). Based in the United Kingdom, it engages in advocacy campaigns on various consumer protection issues and aims to promote informed consumer choice in the purchase of goods and services, by testing products, highlighting inferior products or services, and raising awareness of consumer rights. It maintains its independence by not accepting advertising or freebies; everything bought for testing is paid for at full price. Which? is funded entirely by its subscribers and has no shareholders.

Which? carries out systematic testing of consumer products and financial services, the results of which are published in reports in the magazine. The Which? 'Best Buy' label is well-known and respected by industry and consumers. Tests are carried out on consumer items like electrical goods, cars, and computers, as well as health and financial services, and supermarkets. Testing highlights issues such as reliability and value-for-money.

The magazine also raises awareness of trading it believes goes against the interests of consumers. It offers advice on consumers' legal rights and reports on legal cases where it has fought for members' rights. In the May, 2003 issue, for example, the back page featured a couple who won compensation from their credit card firm after purchasing a poor holiday. Another case featured was a life assurance company which had not maintained customer records properly and was forced to pay compensation. Which? also communicates regularly with the OFT and recently brought a 'supercomplaint' against private dentists in the UK. However, Which? has been criticised for its use of junk mail prize draws, similar to Reader's Digest, to gain additional subscribers. It is moving away from this area[citation needed].

Which? Ltd produces several other specialist publications apart from the main Which? magazine. These include Holiday Which?, Computing Which? and Gardening Which. It also publishes several books including the annual Good Food Guide and Giving and Inheriting.

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Thomas Rowlandson


Rowlandson, Thomas (1756/7-1827). Artist. Social commentator rather than caricaturist, Rowlandson's eye for life's comedies led him to favour types rather than individuals. A Royal Academy student, his prodigious output of pen-drawings, water-colours, and prints were so full of gusto that he has been seen as a personification of his age. A friend of Gillray, he worked for the publisher Ackermann, creating ‘Dr Syntax’, but technique and vision suffered after 1800 in consequence of his productivity.


He studied at the Royal Academy and in Paris, but his passion for gambling prevented him from producing much until c.1782, when he was obliged to earn a living. As a humorous caricaturist and critical commentator of the social scene, Rowlandson quickly gained celebrity. His drawing Vauxhall Gardens (1784) was a great success, as was his series of drawings The Comforts of Bath that was reproduced in 1789. This was followed by the famous Tour of Dr. Syntax (series in 3 vol., 1812–21), Dance of Death (1814–16), and Dance of Life (1822)—all with text by William Combe. Rowlandson also illustrated Smollett, Goldsmith, Sterne, and Swift. Most of his drawings were first done in ink with a reed pen and given a delicate wash of color. The fluidity of his line is likened to the French rococo, but the spirited humor of his work, sometimes almost coarse, is in the English style. His work is represented in the British Museum, the Victoria and Albert Museum, and the Metropolitan Museum.


Thomas Rowlandson (July 14, 1756April 22, 1827) was an English caricaturist.

He was born in Old Jewry, in the City of London, the son of a tradesman or city merchant. On leaving school he became a student at the Royal Academy. At the age of sixteen, he lived and studied for a time in Paris, and he later made frequent tours to the Continent, enriching his portfolios with numerous jottings of life and character. In 1775 he exhibited a drawing of Delilah visiting Samson in Prison, and in the following years he was represented by various portraits and landscapes. He was spoken of as a promising student; and had he continued his early application he would have made his mark as a painter. But by the death of his aunt, a French lady, he inherited £7,000, plunged into the dissipations of the town and was known to sit at the gaming-table for thirty-six hours at a stretch.

Discomforts of an Epicure; self-portrait by Thomas Rowlandson from 1787 to prove that he could aim his caricatures at himself
Discomforts of an Epicure; self-portrait by Thomas Rowlandson from 1787 to prove that he could aim his caricatures at himself

In time poverty overtook him; and the friendship and example of James Gillray and Henry William Bunbury seem to have suggested caricature as a means of filling an empty purse. His drawing of Vauxhall, shown in the Royal Academy exhibition of 1784, had been engraved by Pollard, and the print was a success. Rowlandson was largely employed by Rudolph Ackermann, the art publisher, who in 1809--issued in his Poetical Magazine The Schoolmaster’s Tour--a series of plates with illustrative verses by Dr. William Combe. They were the most popular of the artist’s works. Again engraved by Rowlandson himself in 1812, and issued under the title of the Tour of Dr Syntax in Search of the Picturesque, they had attained a fifth edition by 1813, and were followed in 1820 by Dr Syntax in Search of Consolation, and in 1821 by the Third Tour of Dr Syntax in Search of a Wife.

He also produced a body of erotic prints and woodcuts, many of which would be considered pornographic today.

The same collaboration of designer, author and publisher appeared in the English Dance of Death, issued in 1814-16, one of the most admirable of Rowlandson’s series, and in the Dance of Life, 1822. Rowlandson also illustrated Smollett, Goldsmith and Sterne, and his designs will be found in The Spirit of the Public Journals (1825), The English Spy (1825), and The Humourist (1831). He died in London, after a prolonged illness, on 22 April 1827.

Rowlandson’s designs were usually done in outline with the reed-pen, and delicately washed with colour. They were then etched by the artist on the copper, and afterwards aquatinted --usually by a professional engraver, the impressions being finally coloured by hand. As a designer he was characterized by the utmost facility and ease of draughtsmanship, and the quality of his art suffered from this haste and over-production. He dealt less frequently with politics than his fierce contemporary, Gillray, but commonly touching, in a rather gentle spirit, the various aspects and incidents of social life. His most artistic work is to be found among the more careful drawings of his earlier period; but even among the exaggerated caricature of his later time we find hints that this master of the humorous might have attained to the beautiful had he so willed.

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:

His work included a personification of the United Kingdom named John Bull who was developed from about 1790 in conjunction with other British satirical artists such as Gillray and George Cruikshank.


Thomas Rowlandson (1756-1827)


A distinctive style of satire used in caricature drawings emerged in England during the reign of George III. The freedom from censorship and the variety of publishers catering to people of different political and cultural views fueled this art. These etchings reproduced as single prints had the advantage of quick production and a price many could afford. The subject matter was often political in nature but many other subjects were addressed. Rowlandson's works addressed many subjects: fashion, theater, country life, religion, nautical themes, travel, and medicine and illness. The Dittrick Medical History Center has eight original prints of Rowlandson's caricature works, and a set of reproductions depicting medical themes. Doctors are usually portrayed as quacks, drunken sots, body snatchers, and money grubbers.

Thomas Rowlandson: The Last Gasp: Toadstools Mistaken for Mushrooms. Pubished by Thomas Tegg ca.1800
Thomas Rowlandson: Medical Dispatch or Doctor Double Dose Killing Two Birds With One Stone. Published by Thomas Tegg ca.1800

Rowlandson worked for many publishers throughout the years. He was employed at Rudolf Akermann's 'Repository of Arts' in 1798. Akermann sold designs for coaches, paintings, drawings, and materials for amatur artists, most of his clientele were well-heeled middle class. Ackermann was also a Loyalist. Rowlandson's work for him reflected those political and cultural values. During this same period Rowlandson was commissioned by Thomas Tegg to produce works to be sold at Tegg's 'Apollo Library' that catered to the lower sector of the booming caricature business. Colored etchings sold for one shilling, half the usual price. These works were often bawdy in nature and carelessly executed. Rowlandson also did work for Samuel Fores who was one of the top three dealers of high quality caricatures, the following prints are from a set of prints titled the Comforts of Bath (1798) published by Samuel Fores.


Rowlandson often produced works for opposing points of view at the same time, like the pro-Pitt and pro-Fox etchings, or the Kings first attack of insanity. Collectors of etchings often bought from opposing viewpoints. So when we see doctors depicted very negatively in Rowlandsons prints, this may or may not have been his personal point of view. The medical profession was poorly regulated at this time, permitting quacks to erode public confidence in the profession. Rowlandson died in 1827, and by that time reform of the profession of medicine had begun. The old Poorhouse was being replaced by the newer type of teaching hospital, and modern ideas of public health were evolving. Caricaturists of the day raised the consciousness of the public, and perhaps helped fuel reform in many areas of society.

Sources:

Donald, Diana, The Age of Caricature: Satirical Prints in the Reign of George III, New Haven: Yale University Press, 1996

Grego, Joseph, Rowladson the Caricaturist: A Sketch of his life, Times, and Contemporaries 2 Vols New York: J.W. Bouton, 1880




(born July 1756, London, Eng. — died April 22, 1827, London) British caricaturist. The son of a merchant, he studied at the Royal Academy and in Paris. After establishing a portrait studio, he began to draw caricatures to supplement his income, and found such success with them that caricature became his major occupation. The comic images he created lampooned familiar social types of his day — the antiquarian, the blowsy barmaid, the hack writer. He also illustrated editions of the novels of Tobias Smollett, Oliver Goldsmith, and Laurence Sterne.





2008年1月22日 星期二

酗酒

bbc
一項調查表明,英國男人喝酒的數量是女人的一倍,而中產階級酗酒的情況就進一步惡化。

英國國家統計局發表的2006年數據指出,男人每周的平均喝酒量是18.7個單位,女人的平均喝酒量是9個單位。 大約21%的男人和11%的女人每周平均喝酒五天。

在2006年,英國各地的酒精飲料消耗量有所增加,英格蘭地區是每周平均13.7個單位,威爾士為13.5,蘇格蘭則是11.6。 數據也表明,中產階級的酗酒問題日趨惡化,女主人或是男主人是管理階層或是專業人士的家庭,每周平均消耗15.1個單位的酒精飲料。

不過,這項調查顯示,英國整體的酒精消耗量可能下降。 慈善機構"關注酒精"的發言人說,過去20年以來,中產階級家庭酗酒的情況不斷惡化,幾乎是每天都喝。 一些反對酗酒人士呼籲增加酒精類飲料的徵稅,以壓抑酗酒的情況。 不過,葡萄酒與烈酒商會的發言人說,數據顯示酗酒的情況減緩,表明大部分人更理智地喝酒,這證明增加酒精類飲料的徵稅是不適當的。 這名發言人說,不應該因為少部分人的酗酒習慣而讓大部分人受到懲罰。

有關報導
“應提高酒稅以阻止青年人酗酒”
2006年10月27日 | 英國動態
"尼古丁減慢酒精吸收或助長酗酒"
2006年07月25日 | 科技健康
每天一杯酒"只對男人有好處"
2006年05月27日 | 科技健康
狂喝濫飲與24小時賣酒
2006年01月13日 | 時事專題
英國死於酒精攝入過量人數驟增
2005年08月15日 | 科技健康
酗酒原來是“神經病”
2005年01月04日 | 科技健康
"酒精對女性大腦的損害較大"
2005年05月16日 | 科技健康
“女強人更愛借酒消愁”
2004年03月01日 | 中文網主頁

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A large glass of red wine contains about three units of alcohol
A large glass of red wine contains about three units of alcohol

In Britain a unit of alcohol is defined as 10 millilitres (or approximately 8 grams) of ethanol (ethyl alcohol). It is used as a basis for guidelines on consumption of alcoholic beverages; the number of units contained in a typical drink is publicised and marked on bottles.

Contents

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[edit] Formula

The number of units of alcohol in a drink can be determined by multiplying the volume of the drink (in millilitres) by its percentage ABV, and dividing by 1000 (or litres × % abv).

Thus a pint (568ml) of beer at 4% ABV contains

\frac{568 \times 4}{1000} = 2.3\mbox{ units}

In the metric system there is 1 unit per percentage point of ABV in 1 litre of a drink; e.g., 37.5 units in a litre of a typical whisky with 37.5 ABV.

[edit] Quantities

It is often misleadingly stated that a unit is supplied by a small glass of wine, half a pint of beer, or a single measure of spirits.[1] Such statements are misleading because they do not reflect the large differences in strengths and measures of wines, beers and spirits.[2] [3]

  • Beers
    • A half pint (284ml) of ordinary strength (3.5-4% ABV) beer contains about one unit. However, some beers (especially lager) are stronger. In pubs, beers generally range from 4% to 5.5% ABV with continental lagers starting at around 5% ABV. A pint of such lager (568ml at 5.2% for example) is almost 3 units of alcohol, rather than the often-quoted value of 2 units per pint.
    • A 500ml can/bottle of standard lager (5%) generally contains around 2.5 units.
    • 'Super-strength' or strong pale lager may contain as much as two units per half pint.
  • Wines
    • A small glass (125ml) of 8% abv wine contains one unit, or 8 g (0.25 oz) of alcohol. However, British pubs and restaurants usually supply larger quantities (medium: 175 ml or large: 250 ml), and few wines are as weak as 8%; 12% is more usual. A typical pub measure (medium glass - 175 ml) of white wine (at 12%) contains around 2 units (actually 2.1) and a large glass (250 ml) contains 3.0 units. Red wine, which usually has a higher alcohol content (up to 16%), contains for an average 14% abv. an alcohol content of 3.5 units for a large (250 ml glass), approximately one-sixth higher than a typical white wine. Just two bottles of 14% abv. red wine a week will supply the maximum intake of alcohol for a man recommended by UK health guidelines.
    • A 750ml standard bottle of 12% wine contains 9 units. Many wines (especially New World red wines) may contain 14% ABV or more, which is 10.5 units of alcohol per bottle.
  • Fortified wines, etc.
    • A small glass (50ml) of sherry, fortified wine, or cream liqueur (approx. 20% abv) contains about one unit.
  • spirits
    • Most spirits sold in the UK have 40% ABV or slightly less. A single pub measure (about 25ml) of such a spirit contains one unit. However, a larger single measure of 35 ml is now often sold, resulting in the consumption of 1.4 units of alcohol.

[edit] Limits

Since 1995 the UK government has advised that regular consumption of between three and four units a day for men and between two and three units a day for women would not pose significant health risks, but that consistently drinking four or more units a day (men) or three or more units a day (women) is not advisable.[citation needed] Previously (from 1992 till 1995) the advice was that men should drink no more than 21 units per week, and women no more than 14.[citation needed] This was changed because a government study showed that many people were in effect "saving" up their units and "using" them at the end of the week,[citation needed]a phenomenon referred to as binge drinking. The difference between sexes is given due to the (typically) lower weight and water-to-body-mass-ratio of women.

It was claimed in October 2007 that these limits had been "plucked out of the air" and have no scientific basis.[4]

An international study (Kanis, 2005) of almost 6,000 men and 11,000 women found that persons who reported that they drank more than 2 units of alcohol a day had an increased risk of fractures compared to non-drinkers. For example, those who drank over 3 units a day had nearly twice the risk of a hip fracture.[5]

[edit] See also

[edit] References

  1. ^ Alcohol and the athlete. BUPA. Retrieved on 2007-07-29.
  2. ^ Alcohol. Retrieved on 2007-07-21.
  3. ^ Alcohol. BBC - Health. Retrieved on 2007-07-29.
  4. ^ Drink limits ‘useless’, The Times, October 20, 2007