關於 abdication ，我們在網路上蒐集到這些相關的討論、資訊與評價

EEC孩子本週學了American English及British English在發音、重音、拼字、用字、文法上的差別。
送上欒為同學對英國王室頭銜、稱謂的整理，以及相關新聞用字👍🏼
————————————————
「孫子跟阿嬤鬧家庭革命。」

英國繼「脫歐(Brexit)」之後另外一個「脫英 (Megexit)」事件。在飽受公眾輿論壓力下，英國王子哈利及王妃梅根決定放棄王室頭銜並退出(step down)王室資深成員，外界相信賽克斯公爵及公爵夫人在成婚後多年來不斷受到英國八卦小報 (tabloid)的關注，最終決定淡出聚光燈，回歸到簡單的生活，除了放棄王室身分外，也放棄了英國政府的王室津貼 (pension)，希望能夠達到經濟獨立。儘管外界認為公爵及公爵夫人在沒有知會女王和白金漢宮下擅自在社群媒體上發佈這個決定是對女王和王室的不尊重，但多數英國人是支持他們選擇自己生活方式的決定，而英國的八卦小報媒體要負最大的責任，也有部分人士認為這是女王要面對的又一個憲政危機(constitutional crisis)。
—————————————————
🗞 俐媽新聞英文—英國王室篇🇬🇧：
👑the Crown (n.) 王權，君主，王位
👑royal title (ph.) 王室頭銜；稱號
👑 give up royal title (ph.) 放棄王室頭銜
👑His/Her/Your Majesty (n.) 陛下 [縮寫: HM]
👑His/Her/Your Royal Highness (n.) 殿下 [縮寫: HRH]
👑 Your Grace (ph.) 陛下；殿下 [中世紀時期用法]
👑 the Commonwealth (n.) 大英國協
👑grant (v.) 給予，授予
e.g. As your Queen, I grant you and the heirs, lawfully begotten, the Duke of Edinburgh.
我在此以女王的身分，授予你及其繼承人與合法子嗣為愛丁堡公爵。
👑 coronation (n.) 加冕儀式
👑 abdication (n.) (君主的)退位
cf. dethrone/subvert/overthrow (v.) 推翻
👑 investiture (n.) 授銜儀式，冊封儀式
👑 christening (n.) 受洗禮 [英式用法]
👑 anointment (n.) 塗聖油的儀式
👑 anoint (v.) 抹油使神聖化
c.f. appoint (v.) 指派，指任
👑 heir to the Crown/throne (ph.) 王儲
👑 Duke (n.) 公爵
👑 duchy (n.) 公爵領地
👑 Duchess (n.) 公爵夫人
👑 Lord/Sir (n.) 勳爵，閣下
👑 Earl (n.) 伯爵
👑 earldom (n.) 伯爵爵位，伯爵領地
👑 Countess (n.) 伯爵夫人
👑 Lady (n.) 夫人
👑 Saint (n.) 聖⋯(加於人名前) [縮寫: St.]
👑 Knight (n.) 騎士
👑 knighthood (n.) 騎士爵位
🤴 Prince (n.) 王子；親王
👸 Princess (n.) 公主；王妃
👑 Princess Consort (n.) 伴妃；貴妃
👑 Baron (n.) 男爵
👑 Baroness (n.) 男爵夫人
👑 Baronetcy (n.) 男爵爵位
👑 Marquess (n.) 侯爵
👑 Marchioness (n.) 侯爵夫人
👑 Viscount (n.) 子爵
👑 Viscountess (n.) 子爵夫人
👑 Dame (n.) 女爵士
👑 dignity (n.) 尊貴，高尚
👑 Order (n.) 勳爵士團；勳章；勳位
👑 noble (a.) 高貴的
👑 from henceforth (ph.) 從此以後
👑 no comment (ph.) 無可奉告
👑 summon (v.) 傳喚；召集
👑 monarch (n.) 君主
👑 blessing (n.) 同意，允許
e.g. With The Queen's/Crown’s blessing. 有了女王/君主的同意。
👑 patronage (n.) 資助
👑 scrutiny (n.) 詳細的檢查；仔細的觀察
👑 prestigious (a.) 有名望的
👑 chartered (a.) 受特許的，領有執照的
👑 successor (n.) 繼任者[-chess/-cede: go, walk]
<-> predecessor (n.) 前任；前輩
👑 pressing (a.) 緊急的；迫切的
👑 resilience (n.) 適應能力 [英式用法]
👑 taxpayer (n.) 納稅人
👑 abbreviation (n.) 縮寫
👑 correspondent (n.) 特派員(記者)
—————————————————
#俐媽新聞英文 #俐媽新聞英文英國王室篇

Climate Change Emergency
每年我參加氣候會議時，只要時間可以，都會參加一場由各個宗教團體在氣候會議會場聯合在一起的祈福許願或遊行活動，不同宗教會用不同方式來祈禱，希望能影響更多人，雖然我不是天主教徒或是基督徒，但幾次的活動中，可以感受到不同宗教界的平和與憂心，都會透過各種方法來提醒世人。
一早收到世界基督教協會，看到這個 Climate Change Emergency 氣候變遷緊急的宣言，Emergency 在我們風險管理中很重要，也有應急管理 Emergency Management ，不只是救護車上的 Emergency 而已，我們真的要非常體認重視這問題了。

幾年前我曾訪問過吳偉立神父，大家可以從 Podcast 聽這段聲音
https://open.spotify.com/show/1ryyVpjRt6faqRT1YfsWif…

彭啟明

-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-
Statement on the Climate Change Emergency
25 November 2019

World Council of Churches

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

Bossey, Switzerland

20-26 November 2019

Doc. No. 04.3 rev



Statement on the Climate Change Emergency

But the earth will be desolate because of its inhabitants, for the fruit of their doings.

Micah 7:13

Recent extreme weather events of increasing strength and frequency around the world together with further studies conducted by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) have jolted many into belated recognition that the climate crisis is not a distant prospect, but is upon us today.

From Hurricane Maria, Tropical Cyclone Idai, Hurricane Dorian and Typhoon Hagibis which caused loss of lives and left widespread devastation in Puerto Rico, in Mozambique, Zimbabwe and Malawi, in the Bahamas and in Japan respectively, to ongoing bushfires in Australia and California, to unprecedented flooding in Bangladesh and in Venice, and to the very recent landslide following exceptionally heavy rains in Kenya, the impacts on our communities - especially the poorest and most vulnerable among us – and on the bountiful Creation that God has entrusted to human beings as stewards – are now all too tragically real.

The latest IPCC special reports on climate change, land, oceans and cryosphere confirm that climate change has become a top driver of hunger all over the world, and project rising sea levels of up to 1 metre by 2100 due to melting glaciers, water scarcity affecting nearly 2 billion people and more intense sea-level events such as storms and flooding, if warming is not kept at the safer limit of 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels.

Moreover, exceptionally destructive fires and the encroachment of industrial agriculture and mining, have greatly increased concern about runaway deforestation in the largest remaining rainforest ecosystems – the earth’s lungs, the home and heritage of many Indigenous Peoples, and a critical resource in confronting the threat of climate change. Especially in the Amazon, in the Congo Basin, and in West Papua and elsewhere in Indonesia, this resource is, often deliberately, being squandered at a perilous rate.

Children, young people and ordinary citizens have made public demonstration of their outrage at the lack of any adequate response by governments to the gravity of this global crisis, and against the backsliding by some governments. Children have been obliged to mobilize and to raise their voices to demand what adults have failed or refused to deliver – fundamental changes to our economic and social systems in order to preserve God’s Creation and their future.

Indeed, a recent research report shows that governments are currently projected to produce 120% more fossil fuels by 2030 than can be burned if the world is to limit warming to an increase of 1.5°C

In particular, the United States’ formal notification of its intention to withdraw from the Paris Agreement – despite the increasingly disastrous impact of extreme weather events in the US itself – seriously undermines the best hope the international community had secured for a multilateral global response to the climate crisis. This is an abject failure and abdication of global leadership, at precisely the historical moment when such leadership is most needed. It will embolden other backsliding states. It impoverishes and imperils all of us.

The protests against widening inequality in Chile, triggering the move of the 25th Conference of Parties (COP 25) of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) from Santiago to Madrid, underscore the importance of holding together the goals of sustainability and equity, and ensuring that the costs of transitioning to a carbon neutral economy are not borne by those who already have few resources. In other words, there can be no real transition without socio-economic justice.

The time for debate and disputation of established scientific facts is long over. The time for action is swiftly passing. We will all be held to account for our inaction and our disastrous stewardship of this precious and unique planet. The climate emergency is the result of our ecological sins. It is time for metanoia for all. We must now search our hearts and our most fundamental faith principles for a new ecological transformation, and for divine guidance for our next steps to build resilience in the face of this unprecedented millennial challenge.

The executive committee of the World Council of Churches, meeting in Bossey, Switzerland, on 20-26 November 2019, therefore:

Joins other faith leaders, communities and civil society organizations in declaring a climate emergency, which demands an urgent and unprecedented response by everyone everywhere – locally, nationally and internationally.

Expresses its bitter disappointment at the inadequate and even regressive actions by governments that should be leaders in the response to this emergency, especially inaction to stop fires and deforestation, the destruction of Indigenous Peoples’ ancestral lands and livelihoods, and attacks on ecological defenders; the weak commitments made under the Paris Agreement; and measures that place additional financial burdens on poor communities.

Calls on COP 25, taking place in Madrid on 2 to 13 December 2019, to:

- set the groundwork for committing to more ambitious cuts in greenhouse gas emissions as part of Nationally Determined Contributions with a view to attaining carbon neutrality by 2050 and limiting warming to not more than 1.5°C;

- ramp up commitments by wealthy nations to provide sufficient, predictable and transparent climate finance to low-income nations for adaptation and resilience-building;

- strengthen the Warsaw International Mechanism for Loss and Damage to include finance to support people and communities affected by the impacts of the climate emergency; and

- promote actions to engage and learn from Indigenous Peoples in and beyond the UNFCCC process, protect biodiversity, combat deforestation, encourage agro-ecology and construct circular and redistributive economies.

Invites UN system partners, consistent with the critical research and policy advice emanating from UN sources, to examine and divest from fossil fuel investments in their own banking systems and pension funds.

Calls on member churches, ecumenical partners, other faith communities and all people of good will and moral conscience to find the means whereby we can make a meaningful contribution in our own contexts to averting the most catastrophic consequences of further inaction and negative actions by governments – and may join in confronting this global crisis through concerted advocacy for climate change mitigation and adaptation, zero fossil fuel use and a “just transition”, as well as through local action, everywhere – in our fellowship, our churches, our communities, our families, and as individuals.

英國首相梅伊於今日(6月7日)辭職(resign)。

英國首相梅伊在執政三年後遞出辭呈，結束了這位英國史上第二位女性首相 (Prime Minister)的任期 (course) 。在遲遲無法與歐盟達成脫歐 (Brexit)共識下，梅伊在首相府唐寧街10號發表演說，指出現在是最適合的時候讓一個新的領導人來帶領這個國家。

反對黨 (opposite party)工黨 (Labour Party)也提出質疑認為讓保守黨 (Conservative Party)繼續這樣把國家大事當作為兒戲只是在逃避現實而已，而且是三年前大家就已經知道的現實。
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📰 欒哥&俐媽新聞英文—英國首相篇：
🇬🇧 resign (v.) 辭職
—> resignation (n.) 辭職書；辭呈
usage: offer + one’s + resignation
e.g. I hereby offer my resignation.
（我在此提出我的辭呈。）
cf. abdication (n.) (君主的)退位
cf. dethrone/subvert/overthrow (v.) 推翻
🇬🇧 Cabinet (n.) 內閣
🇬🇧 revolt (v.) 反叛；起義；造反
—> revolution (n.) 革命
🇬🇧 queue (n.) (人或車)長列；隊伍
🇬🇧 successor (n.) 繼任者(-chess/-cede: go, walk)
<—> predecessor (n.) 前任；前輩
🇬🇧 appoint (v.) 指派
cf. anoint (v.) (君主)塗抹聖油使神聖化
🇬🇧 referendum (n.) 公投(-fer: carry)
🇬🇧 crack (v.) (嗓音)變粗；變啞
🇬🇧 impassioned (a.) 充滿激情的
🇬🇧 disparity (n.) 懸殊的差異
🇬🇧 escort (v.) 護送
🇬🇧 convoy (n.) 護衛(-voy: way, road)
🇬🇧 dignity (n.) 尊嚴
🇬🇧 hallmark (n.) 標誌；特徵
🇬🇧 starker (a.) 赤裸裸的；明顯的
🇬🇧 utterly (adv.) 完全地
🇬🇧 pressing (a.) 緊急的；迫切的
🇬🇧 deadlock (n.) 僵局
🇬🇧 recess (n.) (議會)休會
cf. recession (n.) 經濟衰退/蕭條
🇬🇧 resilience (n.) 適應能力(英式用法)
🇬🇧 premiership (n.) 首相職位
cf. presidency (n.) 總統職位
🇬🇧 destine (v.) 註定
—> destiny (n.) 命運
🇬🇧 courteous (a.) 殷勤的；恭謹的
—> court (n.) 球場；法庭；宮廷；(v.) 求愛
🇬🇧 commend (v.) 讚揚；表揚
—> recommend (v.) 推薦
🇬🇧 aftermath (n.) 後果；餘波(負面)
🇬🇧 stoical (a.) 堅忍的
🇬🇧 tatter (v.) 扯碎；撕碎；使破爛
🇬🇧 fracture (v.) 使破裂；使斷裂
🇬🇧 tortuous (a.) 迂迴扭曲的
🇬🇧 declaration (n.) 宣言；聲明
🇬🇧 vicious (a.) 邪惡的
🇬🇧 bilateral (n.) 對等契約；(a.) 雙方的
🇬🇧 ditch (v.) 拋棄；丟棄［俚語用法］
🇬🇧 audience (n.) 覲見；謁見
🇬🇧 curtsy (n.) 屈膝禮
🇬🇧 reshuffle (v.) 改革；改組；重洗牌
🇬🇧 animosity (n.) 敵意
🇬🇧 alienate (v.) 使疏遠；離間
🇬🇧 avail (v.) 有用於；有助於
🇬🇧 contender (n.) 競爭者
🇬🇧 grueling (a.) 使人精疲力竭的［英式用法］
.
Source:
https://www.express.co.uk/…/theresa-may-resigns-brexit-late…
—————————————————
謝謝欒哥！
.
#俐媽英文教室 #俐媽新聞英文 #俐媽英文教室脫歐篇 #brexit #theresamay #theresamayresign #newsenglish

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The $1,000,000,000 North Korean Bank Heist: https://youtu.be/Usu9z0feHug
How Would You Take Down North Korea? (The 7 Choices): https://youtu.be/VM_fzaWAybw
This Is The CIA's Secret Toy Operation in South Asia: https://youtu.be/ALf-jO5pyfY

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THESE EVENTS WILL HAPPEN IN ASIA IN 2019

This video will be different from normal, because it won’t just be about one event, but 42 events in the near future, all happening in Asia in 2019. Now of course predicting such events is extremely difficult, but we can always give our best estimates based on the information we currently have.

Some of the events covered:
- India's Chandrayaan-2 will be the first spacecraft to land on the moon
- Mister World competition held in Philippines
- Google developing new censored version of search engine for China ('Dragonfly')
- India's T-Series will defeat Pewdiepie to become the most subscribed YouTube channel of all time
- Kim Jong-un is expected to meet Vladimir Putin in Moscow, as well as Donald Trump for a second time
- South Korea's Samsung will release the first foldable smartphone (Samsung Galaxy X)
- Thailand, North Korea, Afghanistan, Indonesia & India will hold their elections
- Japanese Emperor Akihito will abdicate his throne
- Eurovision Song Contest will be held in Israel
- Taiwan will be the first Asian state to legalize samesex marriage
- New $1.4 billion port city to begin construction in Sri Lanka
- Singapore will complete world's first air taxi trials
- ASEAN countries & US will hold maritime exercises, the biggest display of combined force against China
- Japan hosts the first Rugby World Cup in Asia
- Turkey may start construction on the Canal Istanbul
- China will complete the Beijing Daxing International Airport, busiest in the world.
- India will finish building 111 million toilets nation-wide
- Russia will send humanoid robots to space
- Russia will offer commercial spacewalks to tourists
- Tesla will open factories in Shanghai, China
- Eurovision Asia will be launched
- Huawei consolidates its lead over Apple in smartphone sales
- North Korea will increase their cybercrime activities worldwide

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How This Lake in Northwest Asia Got Deadlier Than Chernobyl: https://youtu.be/SQCfOjhguO0
Where Are The Asian Borders?: https://youtu.be/vPupwlZlNMY
Is It Possible To Build A Tunnel From Korea to Japan?: https://youtu.be/EOyr04eMYuU
How Would You Take Down North Korea? (The 7 Choices): https://youtu.be/VM_fzaWAybw

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————————————————————————————————————————

[THESE EVENTS WILL HAPPEN IN ASIA BEFORE 2050]

So far on this channel, we’ve only ever talked about current or past events.

Well not anymore, because this video is about the future. We’ll be covering the major events that will happen in Asia leading up to the year 2050. Of course, predicting such events is extremely difficult, but we can always give our best estimates based the information we currently have.

We will cover the following:
- Pyeongchang Winter Olympics 2018
- JAXA's Mercury mission
- Japanese Emperor Akihito's abdication
- Saudi Arabia's Jeddah Tower (tallest building in the world)
- Transcontinental bridge from Middle East to Africa (Yemen to Djibouti / Saudi Arabia to Egypt) - the Bridge of Horns
- Holographic TVs
- Tokyo Summer Olympics 2020
- UAE's Hope Probe to Mars + First city on Mars
- Beijing Winter Olympics 2022
- Rising sea levels affect Maldives (global warming)
- China's large particle accelerator (twice the circumference of the Large Hadron Collider at CERN)
- Southeast Asia unified by transport links (Sunda Strait Bridge & Malacca Strait Bridge)
- Bangkok, Thailand is sinking
- Borneo's rainforests will be wiped out at current rate of deforestation
- Russia will become a global food superpower (melting permafrost and retreating ice caps opening up North Asia & Siberia for arable land (farming & crop production)
- Japan connected to the mainland & Russia with Sakhalin-Hokkaido Tunnel
- China's first astronauts on the moon
- India's economic rise
- Japan connected to mainland & South Korea with Japan-Korea Tunnel
- Major volcanic eruption of Sakurajima
- Decline in homosexual discrimination particularly Middle East
- 100th anniversary of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima & Nagasaki
- Japan's population drops below 100 million due to low birth rate
- Pakistan and India celebrate 100th anniversary of independence
- One Country Two Systems agreement for Hong Kong & Macau expires
- North Korea celebrates 100th anniversary of founding
- Dead Sea drying up
- Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Disaster will be successfully decommissioned
- Biggest refugee crisis in history in Southeast Asia
- Robots will be commonplace
- Asia connected to the world via Bering Strait Bridge & Transglobal Highway

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★ Has McDonald's Conquered Asia?: https://youtu.be/pgHiRsk2UjY
★ Where Are The Asian Borders?: https://youtu.be/vPupwlZlNMY
★ 'Asian Eyes' Are More Common Than You Think: https://youtu.be/WxTnVWgOGLc
★ How Would You Escape North Korea? (The 7 Choices): https://youtu.be/6A0ZOkMDLw0
★ 10 Things You Didn’t Know About FUKUSHIMA NUCLEAR DISASTER: https://youtu.be/HpOG4WFKBZQ
★ 10 Things You Didn’t Know About HIROSHIMA ATOMIC BOMBING: https://youtu.be/wETSBaFwzu0
★ 10 Things You Didn’t Know About 2011 JAPANESE TSUNAMI & TOHOKU EARTHQUAKE: https://youtu.be/VuWTETyzR9Y
★ 10 Things You Didn't Know About RAMUNE: https://youtu.be/4boZ1op4Zrs
★ 10 Things You Didn’t Know About NATTO: https://youtu.be/Hyuyk7GJgd8

-----------------------

10 THINGS YOU DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT THE JAPANESE EMPEROR 天皇

Just prior to Christmas, on the 23rd of December, it is the current Japanese Emperor, Akihito’s birthday. It is a national holiday in Japan (天皇誕生日).

1) WORLD'S OLDEST MONARCHY

The Japanese monarchy, The Imperial House of Japan, is the oldest, continuous hereditary monarchy in the world.

Compared to other monarchies, you have the British Monarchy starting at 1066 and the the Danish Monarchy at 935. For the Japanese Monarchy, we’re going back to 660BC, which started with the legendary Japanese Emperor Jimmu.

2) DESCENDENT OF GODS

Shinto is the largest religion in Japan, and the line of Japanese Emperors are said to be the direct descendants of several Shinto gods, the most notable being the Sun goddess, Amaterasu.

The Emperor is the ceremonial head of state in Japan, but it makes sense that with his divine ancestry, he is also officially the head of the Shinto religion itself.

3) TERRITORY-INDEPENDENT PHENOMENON

As odd as it may seem, the title of Emperor (or Tennō) has never really been about territorial designations. Contrast this with European monarchs who often wanted to conquer and control additional territory.

In fact, the position of Emperor is a territory-independent phenomenon. In other words, the Emperor is the Emperor regardless if he has followers in the whole of Japan or in only one province.

4) EMPEROR'S CAPACITY

From 1192 to 1867, the shoguns held the real power (Shoguns being the military commanders of the time). The Emperor still officially nominated the Shoguns to their positions, but this was largely ceremonial.

Today, the Japanese Constitution vests executive power in the Prime Minister and his Cabinet.

5) POLYGAMY

The Japanese imperial dynasty consistently practiced official polygamy.

Besides his empress, the Emperor could take several secondary consorts or concubines; which helped produce more offspring for the imperial clan

6) FIRST COMMONER WIFE

In the history of the Japanese Imperial Family, there was never an Emperor who had a commoner as wife or even concubine. That is, until now.

The current Emperor of Japan married Empress Michiko, a commoner! She was not from the former court nobility nor from one of the former branches of the Imperial Family. Michiko was the daughter of an industrialist

7) FISH SCIENCE

(Ichthyology = Fish Science)
The Emperor is a published ichthyological researcher, having written papers for several scholarly journals, and has specialised studies within the taxonomy of the family Gobiidae. Random

8) STOP GAP EMPRESSES

Generally, it has been males who have ascended Japan’s Chrysanthemum Throne. However, if a suitable male was not available, there have been times where women have ascended the throne; almost as a stop gap measure.

Of the 125 monarchs, there have been 8 women who have reigned on 10 different occasions. 2 of them reigned twice.

Once a suitable male descendant was considered old enough to rule, many Empresses, and even Emperors, abdicated or relinquished the throne

9) CHILD EMPERORS

Over a thousand years ago, a tradition started that an Emperor should ascend young. If he had passed his toddler years, he was said to be old enough. Being a child was apparently a fine property

10) ABDICATING TREND

Abdication was very common. Actually it was more frequent than death on the throne. The Emperors tasks involved so many repetitive rituals that after about ten years of service, it was deemed a reasonable compensation to live the rest of their lives in pampered retirement!

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