不滿公司化「草案」5/1台鐵罷工 英文跟帳單有何關係?

(圖片來源/Pixabay

五一勞動節即將來臨,許多人都計畫趁著三天連假外出旅遊,但這次勞動節的出遊可能會面臨到交通安排上的選擇和改變,因為台鐵工會已經預告將於五月一日發起不加班的抗爭運動,台鐵也宣布當日將停駛所有列車,今天就讓我們從中央社最初對台鐵罷工事件的英文報導學多益測驗中常考的單字吧!

protest、demonstration抗議

More than 12,000 Taiwan Railways Administration (TRA) employees, including 90 percent of its drivers, have vowed not to work on May 1 to protest the government’s proposal to corporatize the transportation agency.
(超過一萬兩千名台鐵員工,包含90%的列車駕駛員已決定將在五月一日當天罷工,以抗議政府將台鐵公司化的提案。)

protest「抗議」可以是動詞或名詞,但要注意動詞的重音在第二音節,名詞則在第一音節。此外,也可用動詞stage 來表達「組織、發起」如stage a protest「舉行抗議」。

A group of people gathered in front of the City Hall to protest against the government’s mask mandate.
(一群人聚集在市政府前抗議政府的口罩令。)

除了protest,也可以用demonstration (n)表示「示威、抗議」,protesters/demonstrators代表「抗議者」。

A big crowd of demonstrators was protesting the recent tax increase.
(一群示威者在抗議最近增稅。)

demonstrate (v)是一字多義,除了代表「示威」,在多益測驗中多為「示範」的意思,生活中經常聽到大家說demo,就是demonstration的名詞。

During our training workshop, our instructor will demonstrate how to use a power drill properly and safely.
(在我們的訓練工作坊裡,講師會示範如何適當並安全地使用電鑽。)

以「罷工」形式發起的抗議,經常用strike (n),就是這次台鐵的罷工。

新聞報導中罷工的起因是源自於台鐵「公司化」corporatize (v),大家對這個單字一定相當熟悉,因為它的名詞corporation「公司」、形容詞corporate「公司的」經常在多益測驗中出現,但這次加上動詞字尾「-ze」。類似情況的單字還有systemize「系統化」、modernize「現代化」。而和corporatize相反的就是state-owned enterprise、government-owned enterprise「國營企業」。

During the speech, Mr. Azar emphasized the importance of ‘Corporate Social Responsibility’ (CSR). In other words, companies should have a positive influence on the world.
(在他的演講中,Azar強調企業社會責任的重要性,也就是說,公司對世界應該要有正面的影響。)

shift值班

Based on shift schedules, 1,200 TRA drivers should be working on Workers’ Day, which falls on a Sunday this year, but fewer than 40 of them might actually show up for work…
(根據排班時刻表,五月一日應該有1200名台鐵駕駛員上班,但實際上班人數可能不到 40 人。)

shift schedule代表「值班表」,shift (n)是一個重要的多義詞,在這裡指的是「一段工作時間;值班」,譬如需要值「晚班」就用night shift來表示;但在多益測驗中常用做動詞或名詞,代表「改變、轉移」的意思。

What shift do you work tomorrow? Morning one or afternoon one?
(你明天的班是何時?早上還是下午?)

GenoTech, like other western companies, is shifting its manufacturing from China to Southeast Asian countries such as Vietnam.
(如同其他西方企業,GenoTech也正將其製造業從中國轉移到越南等東南亞國家。)

bill帳單、草案

台鐵工會對於交通部所提的草案不滿,認為政府未和工會充分溝通,因此希望他們能撤回這項提議。

The union is insisting that the bill be withdrawn from the legislature and replaced with a new version after the ministry and the labor union hold discussions and reach a consensus.
(工會堅持在交通部與工會進行討論並達成共識後,重新撤回草案並以新版送審。)

bill (n)最廣泛熟知的意思是「帳單」,這裡當名詞指「提案」,因此「草案」也可以說是 draft bill,draft (n)「草稿、草稿」,當動詞作「起草(文件、計畫)」。

People have urged lawmakers to pass a bill which would require a longer sentence for drunk drivers.
(人民督促立委通過一項法案,讓酒駕司機判處更長的刑期。)

We’ll have our legal team draft the contract first.
(我們先讓法務起草合約。)

「撤回」法案可以用withdraw (v),如果在銀行的情境,就是代表「提款」,用在戰爭新聞中則是「撤軍」的意思。

Aster, a French retailer, has decided to withdraw from Taiwan market.
(法國零售商Aster決定撤出台灣市場。)

consensus (n)「共識」,常搭配動詞reach 或 achieve 表示 「達成共識」。

【多益模擬試題】

1. ________ increasing labor costs, several shoe manufacturers have shifted their production overseas.
(A) Since
(B) However
(C) Therefore
(D) Due to

2. After Ms. Fernandez retires in July, it will be Mr. Johnson’s responsibility to review all ________ contracts.

(A) corporal
(B) cooperate
(C) corporate
(D) corps

解析:

1. 正解(D)。要選擇符合文法結構的詞,(A)、(B)、(C)都需要搭配句子或子句,只有(D)符合句構和語意「由於勞工成本增加,不少鞋廠將製造移到海外。」

2. 正解(C)。語意為「在Fernandez女士七月退休後,將由Johnson先生負責審核公司合約。」本題是單字題,要選擇適合空格的詞性和字義。(A)身體的、(B)合作、(D)單位;隊。故(C)為正確答案。

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文/徐碧霞Valerie