2012年11月30日 星期五

Winchester College

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Winchester_College

Winchester College is an independent school for boys in the British public school tradition, situated in Winchester, Hampshire, England. It has existed in its present location for over 600 years and claims the longest unbroken history of any school in England (see List of the oldest schools in the United Kingdom). It is the oldest of the original nine English public schools defined by the Public Schools Act 1868 and is one of four remaining full boarding independent schools, meaning all pupils are boarders, in the United Kingdom (the others are Eton College, Harrow School and Radley College).




http://www.winchestercollege.org/home

此著名的精英中學是英國文化之驕傲.


 湯恩比(Arnold Toynbee 1889-1975)
http://www.answers.com/topic/arnold-j-toynbee
brief Lives, OUP, 1999 內的 Arnold  Toynbee 文末說他的最大榮譽來自母笑(中學)的Ad Portas 獎--他以完全拉丁文的演講報答之
http://www.winchestercollege.org/traditions:

Ad Portas

This ceremony is a development from the official welcome accorded to the examiners from New College on their arrival for the annual visit to elect Scholars to our sister foundation in Oxford. In 1615 Mrs Letitia Williams, a lady with strong Wiccamical connections (her brother was First on the Roll in 1605) and Royalist sympathies, had instituted a payment of 13s 4d to the Scholar who delivered the speech. Members of the Royal Family and the Bishops of Winchester had also been greeted over the centuries with formal speeches 'at the gates' and the practice of honouring the Monarch and senior members of the Royal Family continues today, in addition to honouring exceptional Old Wykehamists.
In 1873 the welcome to the New College examiners came to an end. Nevertheless, in the same year the Lord Chancellor, Lord Selborne, was received in similar style. In 1881 the practice of Ad Portas was formally revised, and that is the pattern we use today. It became from that time the highest honour that the College bestows. A significant feature of the revision was the inclusion of the 'Oratio ad Portas' by the Aulae Prae i.e. the Prefect of Hall (Senior Scholar).

A ceremony that has enjoyed such a curious history of necessity, formality and contrivance inevitably has at times given honorands pause for thought, particularly when they were expected to reply to the Prefect of Hall's speech in Latin! There have been forty-nine Receptions Ad Portas since 1873: in the course of these there have been eighteen responses in Latin, one in Latin and Greek, twenty in English, one in Marathi and ten in English and Latin.

The ceremony takes place in Chamber Court and the whole community attends.

2012年11月29日 星期四

Watchdog needed to curb press 'havoc'




恐侵言論自由╱英媒調查報告出爐 促設獨立監督機構

保守黨反對 自民黨、工黨支持
〔國 際新聞中心、駐歐洲特派記者胡蕙寧/綜合報導〕英國大法官萊維森二十九日公佈歷時一年完成的媒體調查報告,建議制定法律要求成立全新媒體獨立監督機構,避免「世界新聞報」竊聽醜聞重演。此項建議立刻引發英國政壇對立,向來與媒體關係良好的保守黨籍首相卡麥隆表態反對,但執政聯盟的夥伴自由民主黨黨魁克雷格 和在野的工黨黨魁米勒班則全力支持,一場政治風暴已是山雨欲來。

因應竊聽醜聞 英大法官歷時一年調查
在 媒體大亨梅鐸旗下的「世界新聞報」等小報爆發竊聽醜聞後,為回應民眾對媒體改革的期望,卡麥隆授命萊維森展開相關調查,並於二十九日發表這份厚達近兩千頁 的報告。萊維森在報告中雖坦承英國媒體做了不少好事,但他也痛斥英媒不顧行為守則、漠視抱怨,過去十年間,在太多時刻「對無辜人民的生活造成莫大破壞」。

他說,過去有太多「優先處理灑狗血新聞的魯莽行為」,不顧此舉可能對故事主角造成傷害;他也表示,各政黨的政治人物「與媒體發展不符公眾利益的密切關係」。他呼籲徹底修改英國惡名昭彰的媒體監督制度,「如果新聞業不抓住這次機會,我不認為受害者或民眾會接受。」
萊維森建議設立一個自我監督、獲法律認可的獨立機構,該機構人士不能來自媒體與政府,不過不僅媒體業先前已表示不同意設立監督機構,就連卡麥隆所屬的保守黨黨內同志,包括一些高階大臣,都堅決反對這種會傷害英國數世紀媒體自由之舉。

萊維森在記者會上表示:「儘管反對者這樣認為,但這些建議不是、也不能被歸類為針對媒體的強制規範。保護媒體自由會是政府的司法責任。」「現在球丟回給政治人物的球場了,他們必須決定由誰來捍衛這些守門人。」

跨黨派八十多名議員 投書反對監管媒體
報告出爐之後,卡麥隆隨即發表聲明,指萊維森的建議令他「十分憂慮與不滿」,他強調立法監督媒體恐侵害言論與新聞自由,而且立法過程曠日廢時,但要求媒體加強自律,現在就可以做到。

在竊聽醜聞爆發後,英國民調曾顯示,有高達七成的民眾希望政府建立起一個獨立媒體監督機構,具法律實權來規範媒體。其中六成的人希望卡麥隆能採取萊維森在報 告中的建議。但在萊維森報告公布前,英國不同黨派的八十多名議員,紛紛在報紙上發表公開信,呼籲不要對新聞自由建立法律規範,以免毀損英國三百年來的新聞 自由傳統。連廣受歡迎的倫敦市長強森都表示,自由獨立的新聞是英國的光榮傳統之一,呼籲人民要一起捍衛媒體的言論自由,戰鬥到底。

Watchdog needed to curb press 'havoc'


Lord Justice Leveson: "It must protect both the public interest and the rights and liberties of individuals"
A tougher form of self-regulation backed by legislation should be introduced to uphold press standards, the Leveson report has recommended.
Lord Justice Leveson said the press had "wreaked havoc in the lives of innocent people" for many decades.
But the report's recommendations have divided the coalition government.
David Cameron said he had "serious concerns" over statutory regulation but Nick Clegg said he supported some form of legal underpinning.
And Labour leader Ed Miliband urged the government to accept the report in its entirety.
Speaking in the Commons, Mr Cameron said he broadly welcomed Lord Justice Leveson's principles to change the current system.
But he said: "We should be wary of any legislation that has the potential to infringe free speech and the free press.
"The danger is that this would create a vehicle for politicians whether today or some time in the future to impose regulation and obligations on the press."

Proposed new press law

Would:
  • Create a process to "validate" the independence and effectiveness of the new self-regulation body
  • Validate a new process of independent arbitration for complainants - which would benefit both the public and publishers by providing speedy resolutions
  • Place a duty on government to protect the freedom of press
Would not:
  • Establish a body to regulate the press directly
  • Give any Parliament or government rights to interfere with what newspapers publish
Deputy Leader Nick Clegg said changing the law was the only way to ensure "the new regulator isn't just independent for a few months or years, but is independent for good".
Mr Miliband described the report as "measured, reasonable and proportionate" and said Labour "unequivocally" endorsed its conclusions.
After the first of cross-party talks, a senior Labour source said Mr Cameron had agreed to ask the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) to draft a bill to implement Lord Justice Leveson's recommendations.
The source added Labour would push for a Commons vote on implementing the recommendation in principle by the end of January.
The Hacked Off campaign, which represents victims of phone hacking said Mr Cameron's "failure" to accept the full recommendations of the report was "unfortunate and regrettable".
Founder Brian Cathcart said: "Despite their years of abuses and outrageous conduct, it seems that the prime minister still trusts the editors and proprietors to behave themselves. It seems that the prime minister wants self-regulation all over again."
Madeleine McCann's mother Kate said she hoped the report would "mark the start of a new era" for the press, in which it treated those in the news "with care and consideration".
The prime minister knows he has given his opponents yet another stick to beat him with. He also knows, however, that the press are firmly on his side.
Bob Satchwell, executive director of the Society of Editors said he hoped any British politician would hesitate before doing anything that "might in the slightest way threaten the freedom of the media".
"What happens 20 years down the line if you have a different government, which was upset by the press again, once you've given away the principle and put a law in place, it's very easy to amend."
Mr Cameron set up the Leveson Inquiry in July 2011 after it emerged journalists working for the Sunday tabloid the News of the World had hacked the mobile phone of murdered Surrey schoolgirl Milly Dowler. The paper was subsequently shut down by its owners News International.
'Accountable press' Among Lord Justice Leveson's findings:
  • All of the press served the country "very well for the vast majority of the time"
  • The press must create a new and tough regulator backed by legislation to ensure it was effective
  • This cannot be characterised as statutory regulation
  • Legally-binding arbitration process needed to force newspapers to deal effectively with complaints
  • Some "troubling evidence" in relation to the actions of some police officers - but no proof of widespread corruption
  • Over last 30 years all political parties have had too close a relationship with the press which has not been in the public interest
  • Former Culture Secretary Jeremy Hunt was not biased in his handling of News Corp's BSkyB bid but failed to supervise his special adviser properly
  • The tabloid press often failed to show "consistent respect for the dignity and equality of women", and there is a "tendency to sexualise and demean" women.
In his 2,000-page report, Appeal Court judge Lord Justice Leveson said his proposals will protect the rights of victims and people bringing complaints.
He said the press had failed to properly regulate itself in the past, but he believed the law could be used to "validate" a new body.

Analysis

The statute proposed by Lord Justice Leveson is intended to do three things: Enshrine freedom of the press for the first time; recognise the new regulator; and ensure it can be can be audited to confirm it is performing to proper standards.
It also provides incentives to publishers to sign up. Incentives are needed because no serving newspaper editor can serve on the new body. The proposals amount to the press being allowed to set up its own regulator, but not sit on it.
Principally the incentives involve setting up an arbitration service to settle disputes with members of the public over privacy and libel. If a publisher isn't part of that service and has to go to court, it could be deprived of very considerable legal costs, even if it won. And if it lost, it could be made to pay additional, exemplary damages.
These proposals on arbitration represent a very large carrot and stick and that, says Lord Justice Leveson, needs legislation. But in addition, there's a shotgun in the cupboard. The broadcast regulator Ofcom could act as a backstop regulator for those publishers not persuaded by the Leveson carrot and stick.
He said: "There have been too many times when, chasing the story, parts of the press have acted as if its own code, which it wrote, simply did not exist.
"This has caused real hardship, and on occasion, wreaked havoc with the lives of innocent people whose rights and liberties have been disdained.
"This is not just the famous but ordinary members of the public, caught up in events (many of them truly tragic) far larger than they could cope with but made much, much worse by press behaviour that, at times, can only be described as outrageous."
Lord Justice Leveson said putting "a policeman in every newsroom is no sort of answer," because legal powers were limited to allow the press to act in the public interest.
However, the press is "still the industry marking its own homework", and needs an independent self-regulatory body to promote high standards, he added.
The Metropolitan Police said it accepted the criticisms made against it in the report.
Commissioner Bernard Hogan-Howe said he had already taken "decisive action" on the issues raised and his priority was now ensuring phone-hacking victims got justice.
The chairman of the Press Complaints Commission, Lord Hunt, said the press had to seize the baton and make sure it "doesn't let Lord Justice Leveson down".

2012年11月28日 星期三

PM Gallery and House

PM Gallery & House

 

PM Gallery and HouseBought by the architect John Soane in 1800, Pitzhanger Manor house - which now includes the PM Gallery and House - was to become the most perfect expression of his pared-down classical style with its inventive colour schemes and the radical use of space and light which was to be such an influence on Georgian architecture. Situated within Walpole Park the manor house has been largely preserved in its original state, and the interiors restored to their full splendour. A public library was added in the 1940s, which has now become this contemporary art gallery.
 

PM Gallery and House images

PM Gallery and House  
PreviouseNextPM Gallery and House

 

 

PM Gallery & House
Address
Walpole Park
Mattock Lane
London
W5 5EQ
Telephone
020 8567 1227
Website
Click here to visit their website
Read more at http://londoncalling.com/venues-placeholder/pm-gallery-house/#EUXKzAEdqQrvWSaM.99

蔡筱淇動態雕塑 倫敦驚豔

旅英藝術家蔡筱淇的作品很有個人特色。(蔡筱淇/提供)
駐歐洲特派記者胡蕙寧/倫敦報導
旅 英台灣織品設計師蔡筱淇和其日本雕塑家男友吉川公野(Kimiya Yoshikawa),日前在倫敦開幕第一次創作首展「The Light and Dark」,會場上動態雕塑和燈光裝置,通過生動的色彩結合強化壓克力及玻璃纖維等素材,配上UV燈光以及不同光線的照射,呈現給觀眾放射爆炸狀的複雜 感。
觀眾一走進畫廊大門,馬上就被左右兩面互映的鏡子吸引,左邊是蔡筱淇繪畫的鏡子反射著右邊展場的光,右邊吉川公野繪畫的鏡子反射著左邊展場的暗。蔡筱淇的織品設計配合上吉川公野的雕塑,是歷經無數次的溝通與磨合才完成。
兩人透露許多時候都是在吵架中碰撞出的火花,所有都作品都是全手工,兩個月才能完成一件大型創作。蔡筱淇表示,這次PM畫廊很特殊,早期該展場是英國爵士建築師Sir John Soane的豪宅,現在變為展覽空間使用。倫敦展期將持續到明年1月5日為止。

2012年11月24日 星期六

Euroskeptic UK to argue for EU budget freeze

The British (L) and EU flags hang outside the Europe House in London, Britain, 09 December 2011. British Prime Minister David Cameron used his right to veto an EU-wide treaty change to tackle the eurozone crisis. Cameron said 09 December 'it was not in British interests'. A new 'accord' setting out tougher budget rules is to be drawn up for the eurozone countries, which all EU states, except the UK, look set to join. EPA/ANDY RAIN +++(c) dpa - Bildfunk+++

Eurozone crisis

Euroskeptic UK to argue for EU budget freeze

UK Prime Minister David Cameron heads to Brussels to argue for a freeze in the next EU budget while under pressure at home to hold a referendum on EU membership. Polls show a majority of Britons want to leave the bloc.
A fresh opinion poll has showed that 56 percent of Britons would either definitely, or most likely, vote to leave the EU in a referendum. Only 30 percent said they wanted the UK to remain a member. The desire to leave cut across all the three main political parties.
Europe has traditionally split Prime Minister Cameron‘s Conservative party, but the past fights were largely over institutional points, such as how to renegotiate parts of the UK's commitments to the EU.
Britain's Prime Minister David Cameron delivers his keynote speech at the Conservative Party conference in Birmingham, central England October 10, 2012. REUTERS/Toby Melville (BRITAIN - Tags: POLITICS) David Cameron faces strong opposition to staying in the European Union
This time, it is about money, which is something most people understand, and a growing number within Cameron's own party now openly argue for Britain to leave the Union altogether.
“We've seen the introduction of a younger generation of politicians who are more populist in their leaning and certainly more euroskeptic,” Andy Mycock, a political scientist at the University of Huddersfield told DW.
“That makes it more difficult for David Cameron to represent broader British interests and to try to maintain a sense in which Britain has a commitment to the European Union.”
Uphill battle
The Prime Minister was already facing an uphill battle at this week's Brussels budget summit, where he was expected to argue for a real-term freeze in future EU spending. The European Parliament wants a six percent increase.
But earlier this month euroskeptics from both Cameron's Conservative party and the opposition Labour party formed a parliamentary majority calling for cuts to the EU budget.

Britain's 'euroskeptics' surfing a wave of popularity

Observers say this makes it impossible for the British prime minister to return to London with good news to present to his party, further fueling a euroskeptic desire for a referendum on Britain's future in the Union.
David Cameron wants to leave the question of a referendum until the next general election, due in 2015. An earlier vote would most probably mean the end of his current government because his coalition partners, the Liberal Democrats, do not support a referendum at all.
Euroskeptics within Cameron's party have been busy capitalizing on the opinion poll showing majority support for the UK to exit the EU.
“The basis on which we joined the EU has been falsified. Instead of making its peoples get on better, it has stoked national antagonisms,” Conservative MEP Daniel Hannan wrote in the Guardian newspaper this week.
“Ponder the astonishing fact that our net budget contribution [to the EU] in 2011 was more than the savings made by all the government's domestic spending cuts put together. Every penny squeezed out of our austerity program is being sent to Brussels.”
Austerity breeding euroskepticism
Luxembourg's Prime Minister and Eurogroup president Jean-Claude Juncker, Greek Finance Minister Yannis Stournaras and Italian President of the Financial Stability Board and Governor of the Bank of Italy Mario Draghi speek prior an Eurozone meeting on November 12, 2012 at the EU Headquarters in Brussels. Greece's unrelenting debt drama tops the agenda Monday when Eurozone finance ministers discuss whether Athens has met conditions set by its international creditors to provide nailout funds so it can stay afloat. AFP PHOTO GEORGES GOBET (Photo credit should read GEORGES GOBET/AFP/Getty Images) EU finance minister have to come up with a budget that all 27 countries agree on.
David Cameron's government is in the middle of delivering severe cuts to public spending, which is having an impact on large swathes of the UK population. Andy Mycock of Huddersfield University believes this, along with the Euro-crisis, is contributing to the current record-level of anti-EU sentiment in Britain.
“This [opinion poll] is very much a malleable and flexible indication, and over the last 20 years we've seen support for European Union membership rise and fall in line with political opinion and also the economic situation in the United Kingdom. When it becomes more clear that the United Kingdom leaving the European Union would have significant economic implications for the British people, I suspect that they would not vote to leave the European Union,” Mycock said.
Yet as long as his party remains split on Europe, David Cameron cannot ignore calls for a referendum. The Conservatives are also bleeding voters to the anti-EU Independence Party (UKIP). Once a marginalized one-issue group, UKIP now commands seven percent of the vote in Britain.
“It's pretty obvious that UKIP has succeeded in influencing the way that this whole debate has been discussed,” said John Whittaker, a former UKIP MEP who is now an economist at the University of Lancaster.
The headquarters of the European Central Bank (ECB) is pictured in Frankfurt am Main, western Germany, on September 6, 2012. The European Central Bank decided to leave its main refinancing rate at a historic low of 0.75 percent, as it mulls other ways to combat the eurozone debt crisis. AFP PHOTO / JOHANNES EISELE (Photo credit should read JOHANNES EISELE/AFP/GettyImages) For many euroskeptic Britons, the European Central Bank is a negative symbol.
“There are a lot of scare stories out there that if we left the European Union somehow our trading relationship with the EU would suffer. It might, marginally, but on the other hand there are a lot of incentives for other members of the European Union to continue trading with Britain.
“So I can't see that it would be very hard to form trading relationships, whether it would resemble the EEA, EFTA or some kind of bilateral relationship like Switzerland's,” Whittaker told DW.
While a referendum on whether Britain should remain an EU member is unlikely during this parliamentary period, most commentators believe Europe will be a major issue in the 2015 general elections.

2012年11月23日 星期五

Tony Hall /George Entwistle resigns as BBC director general, pay-off terms revealed

BBC任命新總裁

國 廣播公司(British Broadcasting Corporation, 簡稱BBC)任命英國皇家歌劇院(Royal Opera House)主管Tony Hall擔任其新總裁﹐稱這位“外來者”能夠以新的眼光審視本公司﹐幫助BBC擺脫因錯誤地報道政府高官性侵兒童而陷入的醜聞。

Hall曾在1996年-2001年擔任BBC News and Current Affairs總監﹐並在這期間推出了BBC News Online、Radio 5 Live和其他頻道﹐對媒體行業可謂熟門熟路。

BBC治理機構BBC Trust表示﹐Hall將於3月份履新﹐在他上任以前﹐總裁職務將由Tim Davie代理。

BBC此前因在報導中錯誤地報道一位政府高官涉嫌性侵犯兒童而備受批評﹐前總裁George Entwistle在幾週前引咎辭職。BBC承認﹐其時事欄目《新聞之夜》(Newsnight)在針對英國保守黨前政要涉嫌性侵犯兒童的報導中有失誤。

Jeanne Whalen

(本文版權歸道瓊斯公司所有﹐未經許可不得翻譯或轉載。)

George Entwistle pay-off terms revealed

Lord Patten: ''I didn't try to argue him out of it because I think he'd made his mind up''
Former BBC director general George Entwistle will receive one year's salary, worth £450,000, as part of a pay-off deal, the BBC Trust has said.
He quit on Saturday after a Newsnight report led to a former Tory treasurer being wrongly accused of child abuse.
Acting director general Tim Davie has urged senior corporation managers to "pull together" in the BBC's interests.
The BBC Trust said it "looked forward" to Mr Davie setting out his initial plans on Monday.
Speaking earlier, BBC Trust chairman Lord Patten said a radical, structural overhaul" of the corporation is now necessary.
He has said a new director general would be chosen within weeks.
'Swift resolution'
In a statement regarding the director general's departure settlement, a BBC Trust spokesman said: "The BBC reached a consensual termination agreement with George Entwistle last night and agreed to pay him 12 months pay, in lieu of notice.
"This reflects the fact that he will continue to help on BBC business, most specifically the two ongoing inquiries."
The BBC's Norman Smith says it is understood the decision to give him a full year's salary was taken on Saturday night in order to reach a swift resolution to his departure.
Tim Davie arriving at BBC New Broadcasting House on 11 November 2012 Tim Davie was appointed acting director general immediately after Mr Entwistle's resignation
Reacting to details of Mr Entwistle's pay-out settlement, John Whittingdale - who chairs the Commons Culture, Media and Sport select committee - said his "immediate reaction" was that "it cannot be justified".
"I think almost everybody hearing this news will say 'how can somebody who has had to leave in these circumstances, as a result of a serious failure, nevertheless get a whole year's salary'", he said.
Our correspondent reports that the acting director general has urged senior managers on to "show leadership to your teams by remaining visible, listening and engaging with them."
In an email to senior executives on Sunday evening, he said staff would be feeling "sad and shocked" by the crisis, adding Mr Entwistle's decision to resign was "honourable" and "he will be missed".
The BBC Trust said, on Sunday night, that it had had a discussion with Mr Davie on Sunday and was "looking forward" to him setting out his plans on Monday for dealing with some of the issues arising from the 2 November Newsnight broadcast "as a first step in restoring public confidence".
Before his departure, Mr Entwistle had commissioned a report from BBC Scotland director Ken MacQuarrie into what happened with the Newsnight investigation.
Earlier, Mr Davie held an hour-long meeting with members of the BBC Trust, during which Mr MacQuarrie's report is understood to have been discussed.
On 2 November Newsnight reported abuse victim Steve Messham's claims against a leading 1980s Tory politician being an abuser in north Wales, but he withdrew his accusation a week later, saying he had been mistaken.
Lord McAlpine, although not named on Newsnight, was identified on the internet as the subject of the allegations. He said the claims were "wholly false and seriously defamatory".
The BBC issued an unreserved apology for the Newsnight report on Friday evening.

 

 

最短命的BBC總裁

上任僅八周就辭職
  英國廣播公司 (BBC)總裁喬治﹒恩特威斯爾10日宣布辭職,稱英國廣播公司近期“異常”狀況令他決意引退。
  當天早些時候,恩特威斯爾剛出面道歉,英國廣播公司不應播出節目影射一名保守黨資深政客性侵兒童,但當時表示他不會辭職擔責。
  “短命”總裁
  在英國廣播公司位於英國首都倫敦的總部大樓外,恩特威斯爾10日說,自己要做件“體面的事”,辭職離開。此時距離他走馬上任僅8個星期。
  “獲任(總裁)職務時,我已有23年出版人和英國廣播公司領導者工作經驗,”恩特威斯爾說,“我相信委托人選出了這一職務的最佳人選,選出應對今後挑戰與機遇的正確人員。然而,最近數周發生的異常事件讓我認為,英國廣播公司應當再擇新的掌舵者。”
  10日當天,恩特威斯爾立場發生巨大變化。他早些時候為英國廣播公司影射保守黨政客道歉時堅稱,自己沒有辭職計劃。
  恩特威斯爾兩個月前接任英國廣播公司總裁。他的前任馬克﹒湯普森8月獲任美國紐約時報公司首席執行官,定于今年12月正式上任。
  別無選擇
  英國議會下院文化、新聞和體育委員會主席約翰﹒惠廷代爾說,恩特威斯爾除了辭職別無選擇,因為最近丑聞令外界認為英國廣播公司管理層已經失去對這一新聞機構的掌控。
  惠廷代爾說:“連日來發生的狀況極大地削弱了恩特威斯爾的威信和可信度。他在這樣的局面下難以繼續工作。”
  在恩特威斯爾任期內,先是英國廣播公司已故著名節目主持人吉米﹒薩維爾被曝性侵多人,公司卻于10月取消一檔新聞調查節目,被外界指責替薩維爾護短遮丑。11月2日,英國廣播公司重頭欄目《新聞之夜》播出性侵受害人史蒂文﹒梅沙姆遭遇,謠言一時間匯聚議會上議院議員阿利斯泰爾﹒麥卡爾平,後者斷然否認,威脅訴諸法律
  梅沙姆稍後發覺性侵者另有其人,發表聲明,證實麥卡爾平清白並表示歉意,令公眾猛烈抨擊《新聞之夜》不審慎。
  信譽待補
  恩特威斯爾10日道歉,承認不應播出《新聞之夜》那期“根本錯誤”的節目,但辯稱節目播出前,他並不知情。
  然而,這一說法再度引發批評。政界與媒體人士質疑,英國廣播公司已因薩維爾丑聞陷入信任危機,何以在播出類似性侵相關節目時如此疏忽﹔另外,恩特威斯爾作為公司領導者,竟自稱不知情。
  這家媒體的管理機構英國廣播公司理事會主席克里斯﹒帕滕把10日形容為自身 “公眾生涯中最糟時日之一”,但認可恩特威斯爾辭職所展現出的勇氣。
  帕滕說,英國廣播公司對自身的定位是公眾信得過的全球新聞機構,恩特威斯爾作為其領導人,為公眾無法接受的錯誤擔責,是體面做法。恩特威斯爾職務將暫由英國廣播公司音頻與音樂部主管蒂姆﹒戴維代理。
  文化大臣瑪麗亞﹒米勒歡迎恩特威斯爾辭職決定,稱這一決定 “令人遺憾,但正確”。“重要的是,這一重要國家(新聞)機構的可信度和公眾信心得以修復。對英國廣播公司而言,現在至關重要的是使其運作體系回到正軌,確保製作一流新聞和時事節目。”


 

 

Director of BBC Steps Down

George Entwistle, left, BBC director general, stood with Lord Chris Patten, chairman of the BBC Trust, as he announced his resignation in London on Saturday.
Max Nash/Associated Press

Scandal Grows Over Sexual Abuse Reports

LONDON — George Entwistle, left, resigned on Saturday as director general of the BBC amid deepening controversy over news coverage of prominent figures accused of pedophilia. 

 ----bbc

George Entwistle resigns as BBC director general

George Entwistle and BBC Chairman Lord Patten give their statements outside Broadcasting House
The BBC's director general, George Entwistle, has resigned in the wake of the Newsnight child abuse broadcast.
In a statement given outside New Broadcasting House, Mr Entwistle said: "I have decided that the honourable thing to do is to step down."
Earlier, Mr Entwistle said the Newsnight report, which wrongly implicated ex-senior Tory Lord McAlpine should never have been broadcast.
The broadcast covered cases of child abuse at north Wales care homes.
Mr Entwistle took up the post of director general on 17 September, and his sudden resignation makes him the shortest-ever serving BBC director general.
In his statement, he said: "In the light of the fact that the director general is also the editor in chief and ultimately responsible for all content, and in the light of the unacceptable journalistic standards of the Newsnight film broadcast on Friday 2 November, I have decided that the honourable thing to do is to step down from the post of director general."
'Great honour' He said that when he was appointed to the role, he was confident BBC trustees had chosen the best candidate for the post and the "right person to tackle the challenges and opportunities ahead".
"However the wholly exceptional events of the past few weeks have led me to conclude that the BBC should appoint a new leader," he said.

George Entwistle said he was stepping down because as director general of the BBC he was also its editor in chief.
He said it was the honourable thing to do after a BBC Newsnight film alleged child abuse by an unnamed Conservative politician - which was proved to be unfounded.
Coming on top of the Jimmy Savile crisis, which was prompted partly by the fact that Newsnight had shelved an earlier investigation into allegations of child abuse, this was particularly damaging to the BBC.
But this was also about the handling of the crisis. Last month, Mr Entwistle was accused by MPs of showing "an extraordinary lack of curiosity" over the Jimmy Savile affair and they told him to "get a grip".
On Saturday in an interview on BBC Radio 4's Today programme, he said he knew nothing in advance about the Newsnight broadcast nor had he seen a newspaper report revealing Lord McAlpine may have been wrongly accused.
MPs, former editors and broadcasting executives were unimpressed and so, I understand, were members of the BBC Trust.
On Sunday, the job of acting director-general will be taken by Tim Davie, who's been running the radio side of the BBC but who has no direct journalistic experience.
The BBC still faces very serious questions, not just about its journalism but about how the organisation is run.
"To have been the director general of the BBC even for a short period, and in the most challenging of circumstances, has been a great honour.
"While there is understandable public concern over a number of issues well covered in the media - which I'm confident will be addressed by the review process - we must not lose sight of the fact that the BBC is full of people of the greatest talent and the highest integrity.
"That's what will continue to make it the finest broadcaster in the world."
Later, speaking outside his home following his resignation, Mr Entwistle said he was going to "spend some time with my family".
During his 54 days in charge, Mr Entwistle has also had to deal with controversy over the BBC shelving a Newsnight investigation into former BBC presenter and DJ Jimmy Savile, who police say could have abused as many as 300 people over a 40-year-period.
As a result, former Sky News head Nick Pollard is examining whether there were BBC management failings following the Newsnight programme not being broadcast, Also, an inquiry has begun into the culture and practices at the BBC in the era of alleged sexual abuse by Savile. Another review is to examine sexual harassment policies at the BBC.
BBC Trust chairman Lord Patten, who made a statement following Mr Entwistle's resignation, said: "This is undoubtedly one of the saddest evenings of my public life."
He said: "At the heart of the BBC is its role as a trusted global news organisation.
"As the editor in chief of that news organisation George has very honourably offered us his resignation because of the unacceptable mistakes - the unacceptable shoddy journalism - which has caused us so much controversy.
"He has behaved as editor with huge honour and courage and would that the rest of the world always behaved the same."
Acting DG Culture Secretary Maria Miller said: "It is a regrettable, but right decision. It is vital that credibility and public trust in this important national institution is restored.
"It is now crucial that the BBC puts the systems in place to ensure it can make first class news and current affairs programmes."
But Labour MP Ben Bradshaw, who sits on the culture select committee, said Mr Entwistle's departure was a "terrible mistake".
Steve Messham Steve Messham was featured in the Newsnight broadcast on child abuse in Wales
He added: "Who else is going to clear up this mess? I'm very worried that the BBC has come under political pressure from the government. George Entwistle has been badly let down by BBC News managers and the people around him. He was trying to get to grips with that. The BBC should have given him time."
BBC reporter Ben Geoghegan says the decision has divided opinion. The likes of Mr Bradshaw and former BBC chairman Sir Christopher Bland say that he has been wrongly sacrificed. However, many other people - the majority - believe it is probably the right decision because of the depth of the crisis, our reporter said.
Tim Davie, director of BBC Audio and Music, will take over as acting director general from Sunday.
BBC home editor Mark Easton said the BBC was at a "real crossroads, because its whole future depends on convincing the public in the United Kingdom that this is an organisation in which they have confidence, and in which they have trust, and that they believe in the integrity of our news coverage".
The organisation is, in some ways, in a very dangerous position, he added.
Newsnight reported on 2 November an abuse victim's claims against a leading 1980s Tory politician.
Wrongly identified Lord McAlpine, although not named on Newsnight, was wrongly identified on the internet as the alleged abuser at care homes in north Wales in the 1980s.
The former senior Tory has said the claims are "wholly false and seriously defamatory".

“Start Quote

The corporation finds itself wounded, under attack and, in effect, leaderless”
One abuse victim, Steve Messham, has apologised to Lord McAlpine, Tory treasurer during Margaret Thatcher's leadership, after saying he did not assault him.
Mr Messham said in the 1990s he was shown a photograph by police of his alleged abuser but was incorrectly told it was Lord McAlpine.
The BBC has ordered an "immediate pause" in Newsnight investigations to assess editorial robustness and a suspension of all co-productions with the Bureau of Investigative Journalism, which worked on the Newsnight broadcast.
Before his departure, Mr Entwistle had commissioned a report from BBC Scotland director Ken MacQuarrie into what happened with the Newsnight investigation.
And the BBC also ordered a senior news executive to "supervise" Friday night's edition of Newsnight, during which an apology was broadcast.

2012年11月19日 星期一

記一些寫英國的好書


記一些寫英國的好書


趙國材《劍河煙雨》台北:台灣新生報,第一集/第二集:1974;第三//五集:1978
周榆瑞《英倫走筆》台北:聯合報,1976454
收入自1965/1/25 1976/5/2090
游復熙 季光容《這些英國人》台北:純文學,1978
儲安平《英倫采風》台北:商務轉印大陸時期作品 他後來又有《英人 法人 中國人》 1948 是論英國人的四篇 待讀
朱自清《倫敦雜記》(重慶: 開明書局)1943年
陳之藩《劍河倒影》台北: 遠東圖書公司1983
English hours 英國風情 蒲隆譯 北京三聯 2001及其他 English hours 23 editions



桂文亞1949)《思想貓遊英國》台北:民生報,1992  雖是寫給兒童看的是可觀的留學劍橋某語言學校三個月的"故事書"



當時hc案:「如果是greyhound已不翻譯成「灰狗」(grey為古字,意思為bitch(母狗)),而是靈(犬+更)狗。」【後補入「根據」:Dictionary of Britain by Adrian Room, OUP, ……Greyhounds are not necessary grey in colour: 'grey' comes from an old word for 'bitch'. p.121—】


[英]西蒙‧特拉斯勒 著《劍橋插圖英國戲劇史》(The Cambridge Illustrated History of British Theatre) 濟南:山東畫報出版社,2006
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或許最簡便的英國簡史入門
The Oxford illustrated history of Britain

---
The Oxford illustrated history of English literatu...

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《英國行政法》(王名揚)

《英國莊園生活- 1150-1400年農民生活狀況研究》

Front CoverBack Cover
Mr. Bennett gives a picture of the daily and yearly round of the English peasant in the Middle Ages. he explains the feudal system which linked the poor man to the soil and to the service of the lord and the church in a...
More about this book


( 英)貝內特(Bennett, H S)著《英國莊園生活- 1150-1400年農民生活狀況研究》( Life on the English Manor: A Study of Peasant Conditions 1150-1400
by H S Bennett
)龍秀清等譯,上海人民出版社, 2005
這本書保留原著的索引,這相當難得。認真的讀者可以從中學到許多英國社會發展史的專有名詞,可以舉的例子至少數十,我只舉一例:「而農奴如果還想得到更多的東西,即成為一個『自由人』( A FREEMAN),而不僅僅是即成為一個『自由人』( A FREE MAN),那麼就必須使自己與市民保持緊密的來往。」( p.270)。這 freeman ,通常意義為  (非奴隷的)自由民、 公民等,不過在英國還有一特定的意思為「名誉市民」
.
不過,有些索引與內文對應之問題,譬如說, winnowing 揚穀,只有約略之對應;又,不知何故刪掉少數條目。譬如說, Pierce the Ploughman's Crede --此條在內文中翻譯為《透視梨把式的信條》,不知所云。
其實,它是英國中古文學中最著名的詩篇,還有翻譯本:《農夫皮爾斯》 沈弘翻譯,北京;中國對外翻譯出版公司 1999 Piers Plowman (w. ca. 1360– 1399) or Visio Willelmi de Petro Ploughman (William's Vision of Piers Plowman) is the title of an apocalyptic Middle English allegorical narrative written by William Langland.



這本書的許多英國日常用品的翻譯都不過用心。譬如說, bacon .非「烤肉」也。


manor

manor (house) noun [C]
a large old house in the country with land belonging to it
━━ n. 【英史】領地, 荘園; (地主などの)大邸宅; 領主の邸宅; 〔英話〕 (警察の)管轄区.UK SLANG the area in which a person works or which they are responsible for
lord of the manor (the ~) 領主.
manor house 荘園領主の邸宅.




loseleySir William More (1520-1600), when he found time to spare from his numerous other posts, which included 'Her Majesty's Deputy Master of the Swans', was the 'Treasurer of the Lottery in Surrey'. The Loseley Manuscripts are a unique archive of the More-Molyneux family who have for centuries lived in beautiful Tudor manor house Loseley Park. The manuscripts contain a unique record of life in Tudor and Stuart England and include More's description of the lottery:
"A verie rich Lotterie ... without any blancks."




serf━━ n. 【史】農奴; こき使われる者.
vassal ━━ n. (封建時代の)家臣; 従者, 奴隷.

What to Get the Person who has Everything

There are only a few shopping days left until Christmas, and the question on many peoples' minds is "What do I get the person who seems to have everything?". How about a Manorial title? The days of the feudal system are long gone - at least in Europe where it flourished in the Middle Ages. The hierarchy of serfs, vassals, and lords of the manor, collapsed back in the 17th century. But remnants remain - especially in Britain. Old feudal titles are frequently bought and sold there for fun. However, this apparently harmless trade has led to a bizarre and bitter dispute. A clash between a modern day Lord of the Manor and his unruly serfs.


勾選
一般印刷資料
英國近代經濟史 / 柯特(W. H. B. Court)著; 周憲文譯 Ying kuo chin tai ching chi shih
台北市 : 台灣銀行, 民66[1977]

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館藏地 索書號 條碼 狀態 說明
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總圖2F人社資料區 552.41 4124 1847348 可流通



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小女遊學英倫(陳淑玲 ) 台北: 天下遠見出版股份有限公司出版社 1996

這是父母和二位女兒在英國一年的紀錄--- 1990年代台灣奓談教育改革 所以提供完全另類的參考 作者一家有計畫地遊英倫 告訴讀者英國4月-9月的應時的花.......
"一位母親,利用隨夫出差的時間,陪伴兩個女兒在英國遊學,一年後又重返台灣教育體系。母親深刻觀察的用心透過真切細膩的筆觸,翔實記錄了兩姊妹遊學過程以 及返台後的適應情形。注重開放式教學的英國公立學校,在教育理念、學校制度、教學方式、學生對待以及與家長的互動各方面,對教育改革的有志者,提供了相當 多的啟發與反思空間。"


徐鍾珮《多少英倫舊事》文星 196? /時報文化1985



徐鍾珮

江蘇常熟人,中央政治學校新聞系畢業,曾任中央日報記者,抗戰時奉派為駐泱國特派,員採訪聯合國大會及巴黎和會。1948年來台,隨外交官夫君出使美國等六國,1979年回台,著有《我在台北》、《餘音》等書及譯作多種。
目 錄


恍如昨日——重序《多少英倫舊事》

馬序

《英倫歸來》再版自序

.英倫歸來

.揮別倫敦

.一口氣竄過七個國家

.興奮和惆悵

.自由空氣

.外國不是天堂

.她們的腳大了一號

.國際升降機

.皇帝萬歲

.柏林.巴黎.倫敦

.子大於母

.都市和鄉村

.中國文化在英國

.沒有剪掉的辮子

.相逢不相識

.雪裏的溫情

.倫敦和我

.大家都小器了

.一日幾茶

.老友約翰

.依稀禮義之邦

.落霞孤鶩

.滿園春色

.海濱

.櫃臺底下

.遺言

.我的寂寞

.古宮和古塔

.三看中國戲

.這也算是夏天

.參加了皇家遊園會

.我的女傭

.戰爭殘跡

.中國菜館

.戲迷

.熊貓抵英記

.對自己的新發現

.巴黎會議旁聽記

.寫在和會召開以前

.超現實的巴黎和會

.和會裏的風波

.和會的擱淺

.僵局的打開

.莫洛托夫的翻案和再敗

.維辛斯基碰了兩次釘子

.沒有屍體的葬禮

.蘇聯的態度

.敵國的見面

.會場內外

.巴爾幹小國間的爭執

.落寞的和會

.巴黎花絮

.柏林行

.下不為例

.恨透了一身便裝

.德京殘影

.波茨坦協定的褪色

.戰敗國的悲哀

.紐倫堡二三事

.英倫閒話

.泰晤士報出風頭

.希臘皇室與英公主

.雙十節在倫敦

.猶太人問題

.溫莎公爵回英

.對紐倫堡判犯反響

.溫莎公爵行矣

.澈查報紙問題

.戰神的影子

.戈林的毒藥

.英國的影業

.兩重災難

.鄭大使夫人覲見英后

.皇室闢謠

.羅斯福紀念像

.一個德國客人

.關於史達林的謠言

.再談公主的婚姻

.聖誕節前

.蒙哥馬利訪蘇

.無肉之都

.中國京戲

.談判的季節

.皇室的南非之行

.援華的電影

.猶太人的威脅

.雪的世界

.關於中國的幾個問題

.皇室的旅行

.魏菲爾辭職的幕後新聞

.貝文和杜魯門

.病的內閣

.貴賓華萊士

.國際自由黨會議

.春到倫敦

.香煙和所得稅

.艾德禮免稅

.皇室之歸

.太后大慶

.聯合歐洲

.蒙巴頓大受歡迎

.溫莎公爵故事

.恐怖的炸藥信

.瘦了報紙

.再談伊麗莎白公主

.危機,危機

.也有黑市

.對美金的處置

.邱吉爾的戰略

.貝文吃中餐

.貝汶和上議院

.新娘、衣服票、來賓

.不平則鳴

.苦難中的約翰牛

.內閣調動

.皇室瑣屑

.不相往來

.自救之道

.大婚籌備

.秋景秋裝

.工黨的警惕

.大婚前的新娘

.原子彈的故事

.洋芋新開

.賀客紛紛

.陶爾頓的下台

.抱愧和負疚
---

從香港到劍橋-英國留學攻略

  • 作者:王君舜
  • 出版社:三聯(香港)
  • 出版日期:2009年
這是一本青少年成長書,一本勵志書,同時也是一本實用書。
  作者十三歲赴英國讀中學,現為劍橋大學學生。他將七年的留學生活記錄下來:從一個普通的香港男孩,一步一步努力,學習語言,融入當地文化,積極爭取,逐漸成長,最終獲得認同與榮譽。書中沒有一點炫耀,只是非常平實地將留學的經驗敘述出來,目的是讓後來者有所借鏡。
   書內每章都附有「本章啟示」,分享他選中學、準備工夫、選科、考大學及考試與面試的心得,讓讀者知道赴英留學的注意事項。這是最實用的「溫馨提示」,讀 者可從中得到很多赴英留學必須注意的具體事項,免走彎路,獲得成功。書內更附有《週末泰晤士報》私立中學排名榜、《泰晤士報》大學排名榜、作者投考大學個 人陳述短文(Personal Statement)等,相當實用。
作者簡介
王君舜
   現為劍橋大學二年級經濟學系學生。他小學畢業於九龍禮賢學校,在喇沙書院完成中一後,便赴英國跳讀中三,就讀著名的私立寄宿中學沙特豪斯 (Charterhouse)。七年的留學生涯,王君舜累積了不少有關英國教育制度的經驗和留英學生生活的體驗。他對於選中學、準備工夫、選科、考大學及 考試與面試之成功要訣等有著不少心得,也曾多次代表學校在香港安排家長招待會,對家長及學生就赴英留學的種種疑問作了深入的分析和探討。
  王君舜現為劍橋大學香港及中國事務會主席,也是沙特豪斯舊生會中國代表。


2012年11月18日 星期日

Council for the Defense of British Universities

British Intellectuals Add Voice to Tuition Crisis
The new Council for the Defense of British Universities is concerned that rising costs are changing how British higher education is accessed.



Noted academics launch defense of British academe | Inside Higher ...

www.insidehighered.com/.../noted-academics-launch-d... - Cached
8 Nov 2012 – Defending British Universities ... Andrew Motion are among the founding members of the Council for the Defense of British Universities (CDBU).



Defending British Universities
November 8, 2012 - 3:00am
A host of Britain's most esteemed thinkers have joined a campaign that calls for university autonomy, research free from short-term economic concerns and higher education that allows graduates to lead richer and more rewarding lives.
David Attenborough, Richard Dawkins and Andrew Motion are among the founding members of the Council for the Defense of British Universities (CDBU). It will be officially launched on November 13 and will initially focus on building its membership and developing its public agenda.
The council’s initial 65-strong membership includes 16 peers from the House of Lords plus a number of prominent figures from outside the academy, including the broadcaster Lord Bragg of Wigton and Alan Bennett. Its manifesto calls for universities to be free to pursue research "without regard to its immediate economic benefit” and stresses “the principle of institutional autonomy.”
It adds that the "function of managerial and administrative staff is to facilitate teaching and research."
Sir Keith Thomas, historian, former president of the British Academy and a member of the council, writes in this week’s Times Higher Education that the level of “audit and accountability” demanded of universities by the government is "excessive, inefficient and hugely wasteful."
In addition, "the very purpose of the university is grossly distorted by the attempt to create a market in higher education."
He calls for Britain's higher education funding councils to be scrapped and replaced by bodies truly independent of government. Thomas, a distinguished fellow of All Souls College of Oxford University, was primarily responsible for drawing up the manifesto and instigating the council following a conference in London titled "Universities Under Attack," held in November 2011.
Howard Hotson, professor of early modern intellectual history at the University of Oxford, has also been involved with the CDBU since its inception.
He stressed that the launch was designed to build membership rather than put forward fully formed proposals, with a manifesto designed to appeal to a “broad church” that would have to do “a lot of thinking” before it put its full case to the public and the state.
Membership is open to anyone, not just academics, and contributions to the organization will be voluntary, he said.


Read more: http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2012/11/08/noted-academics-launch-defense-british-academe#ixzz2CbmoCLwv
Inside Higher Ed
Defending British Universities
November 8, 2012 - 3:00am
A host of Britain's most esteemed thinkers have joined a campaign that calls for university autonomy, research free from short-term economic concerns and higher education that allows graduates to lead richer and more rewarding lives.
David Attenborough, Richard Dawkins and Andrew Motion are among the founding members of the Council for the Defense of British Universities (CDBU). It will be officially launched on November 13 and will initially focus on building its membership and developing its public agenda.
The council’s initial 65-strong membership includes 16 peers from the House of Lords plus a number of prominent figures from outside the academy, including the broadcaster Lord Bragg of Wigton and Alan Bennett. Its manifesto calls for universities to be free to pursue research "without regard to its immediate economic benefit” and stresses “the principle of institutional autonomy.”
It adds that the "function of managerial and administrative staff is to facilitate teaching and research."
Sir Keith Thomas, historian, former president of the British Academy and a member of the council, writes in this week’s Times Higher Education that the level of “audit and accountability” demanded of universities by the government is "excessive, inefficient and hugely wasteful."
In addition, "the very purpose of the university is grossly distorted by the attempt to create a market in higher education."
He calls for Britain's higher education funding councils to be scrapped and replaced by bodies truly independent of government. Thomas, a distinguished fellow of All Souls College of Oxford University, was primarily responsible for drawing up the manifesto and instigating the council following a conference in London titled "Universities Under Attack," held in November 2011.
Howard Hotson, professor of early modern intellectual history at the University of Oxford, has also been involved with the CDBU since its inception.
He stressed that the launch was designed to build membership rather than put forward fully formed proposals, with a manifesto designed to appeal to a “broad church” that would have to do “a lot of thinking” before it put its full case to the public and the state.
Membership is open to anyone, not just academics, and contributions to the organization will be voluntary, he said.


Read more: http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2012/11/08/noted-academics-launch-defense-british-academe#ixzz2Cbmf4pGc
Inside Higher Ed

2012年11月13日 星期二

Stoke-on-Trent, also called The Potteries,

Stoke-on-Trent
Stoke-on-Trent, also called The Potteries, is a city in Staffordshire, England, which forms a linear conurbation stretching for 12 miles, with an area of 36 square miles. Wikipedia



英国“陶瓷之都”重整旗鼓

 
近日,在特伦特-默西运河(Trent and Mersey Canal)的斯托克(Stoke)段沿岸,戴着安全帽的工人们开始了一项修复工程,旨在拯救英国现存最古老的瓷器工厂。
拥有150年历史的米德尔波特(Middleport)工厂设有用砖盖的传统瓶窑,建筑外观十分醒目。工厂去年被王子重建信托基金 (Prince’s Regeneration Trust)接管,这个由查尔斯王子(Prince Charles)成立的慈善机构拥有彩票资金和其他方面的支持,主导这项将耗资900万英镑的修复工程。
“我们没有听从一些人的建议把它建设成博物馆,”王子重建信托基金的首席执行官罗斯•克斯莱克(Ros Kerslake)说,“我们要让一家成功的瓷器企业在原址上继续经营。”
这是斯托克市的福音——其他许多厂商或是停产或是迁往海外,导致该市在过去30年内损失2.5万个瓷器行业的就业岗位。
米德尔波特工厂的模具工人约翰•梅钦(John Machin)是典型的瓷器从业者。由于皇家道尔顿(Royal Doulton)和斯波德(Spode)等遭遇破产,他曾经数次遭到裁员。
“我要谴责那些贪婪的老板,”他一边说着,一边把一块10英寸Davenport盘上的黏土模具刷干净。
“他们觉得在中国生产、贴上‘英国制造’标签可以省钱,以为人们还会去买。”
查尔斯王储介入米德尔波特工厂具有象征性意义——此举不仅将挽救50个就业岗位,还承诺创造出50个新的就业岗位。不过,在组成英格兰“陶瓷之都”的6个城镇,人们现在也普遍认为,该行业可能终于度过了最艰难的时光。
全球最大瓷器消费品厂商、在Aim上市的宝特梅林公司(Portmeirion)的董事会主席迪克•斯蒂尔(Dick Steele)说,该公司成功挺过了衰退期间的资金紧张阶段。
一些公司通过专注于设计和营销获得兴旺发展,例如以独特而又不太贵的瓷器产品而闻名的埃玛•布里奇沃特(Emma Bridgewater)。该公司规模相当于宝特梅林公司的三分之一,也在发展扩张中。
6月,由私募股权基金拥有的玮致活公司(Wedgwood)获得区域增长基金支持,将实施2500万英镑的重组计划。按计划,公司将出售在巴拉斯顿(Barlaston)的部分设施,同时保留生产部门及游客中心的500个就业岗位,并创造100个岗位。
当地的议员琼•沃利(Joan Walley)认为,从Steelite International等公司身上,可以了解斯托克瓷器行业鲜为人知的起死回生历程。在仍然从事瓷器行业的8000人中,大部分都在Steelite工作。
Steelite的客户囊括酒店、医院、赌场和游轮——按照马修•赖斯(Matthew Rice)的说法,“从Little Chef这样的快餐连锁店,到多切斯特(Dorchester)这样的豪华酒店,应有尽有”。赖斯是埃玛•布里奇沃特的共同所有人,曾经写过一本关于陶瓷 业的书。
Steelite是对皇家道尔顿进行管理层收购的产物,在过去两年内招收了130人,它在伯斯勒姆(Burslem)的工厂现有700名员工,此外还有100名从事销售的员工。
公司首席执行官凯文•奥克斯(Kevin Oakes)说:“悲哀的是,许多英国人以为特伦特河畔的斯托克已经衰败了。”他指出,Steelite去年营业额达6600万英镑,实现利润790万英镑。
“这是一个很棒的行业,”他说。由于得到区域增长基金200万英镑的拨款,该公司正投资1200万英镑,力图让上等骨瓷产品重回高档酒店。
不过,奥克斯认为政府必须做出更多努力,来兑现“制造业大前进”(march of the makers)的诺言。他表示,如果使用“原产国”贴牌方法,将能挤出那些在境外生产、却冒充为“英国制造”的英国竞争对手。
“一个盘子的产地要么是这里,要么不是这里,黑白分明。政府需要决定我们是进口商还是生产商。”
译者/刘鑫

Damon Albarn marks 90 years of BBC radio

Damon Albarn marks 90 years of BBC radio

Damon Albarn Albarn's specially composed piece features sounds from radio's past and present

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A composition by Blur frontman Damon Albarn will be played to radio listeners around the world on Wednesday to mark 90 years of BBC broadcasting.
2LO Calling is a "snapshot of the airwaves" featuring iconic sounds such as Bertrand Russell in Morse code.
The broadcast will be hosted by BBC Radio 2's Simon Mayo who will present his show from London's Science Museum.
It will be the first simultaneous broadcast since 1922, when the British Broadcasting Company was established.
The 2LO transmitter made the first BBC broadcast on 14 November, 1922.
More than 55 BBC radio stations will come together for Radio Reunited. It is estimated the broadcast has a potential reach of up to 80 million listeners.
2LO Calling begins with the chimes of Big Ben and features the first ever broadcast from the 2LO transmitter and the number one song at the time - Three O'Clock In The Morning.

Start Quote

There is a special musicality to some of the vocal messages, which I tried to preserve”
Damon Albarn
Simultaneous broadcast
The three-minute piece also features messages from listeners around the world along with the sound of the blackbird and skylark, commentary from the Cameroon election and the ubiquitous BBC pips.
"There is a special musicality to some of the vocal messages, which I tried to preserve," said Albarn.
"Added to that, I got to do what I've always wanted - to play along with the pips."
The Science Museum is marking the 90th anniversary with a display featuring part of the original 2LO transmitter.
'Amateur enthusiast' The display takes visitors back to the first broadcast and features two radios used to receive the BBC's early broadcasts, a microphone used in the early BBC Savoy Hill studios and an early copy of the Radio Times from 1923.
Bertrand Russell Bertrand Russell in Morse code is one of the many diverse sounds in 2LO Calling
Tim Boon, head of research and public history at the Science Museum, said: "The first broadcast by the 2LO 90 years ago marked the moment when radio moved from the realm of the 'amateur enthusiast' to the first proper public broadcasting service in Britain.
"This exhibition takes visitors back to a time when everything, from the technology to the content of the programmes was still new."
Radio Reunited is just one of a series of on-air events to mark 90 years of BBC Radio, which will also feature a wide range of special programming across BBC stations.
Albarn's composition will be played by 55 BBC radio stations at 17:33 GMT on Wednesday.