2013年4月29日 星期一

Portobello Market, Camden 康敦巿集 肯姆顿市场



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市場略顯冷清,卻有不少當地人帶孩子一起來淘貨。
  越本土越誘人
倫敦有很多有意思的市集,最有名的是西邊的Portobello Market 和北邊的Camden Town Market。前者是倫敦西邊最大的古董市場,有漂亮和昂貴的房子,特色的酒吧,周六的人山人海,八月盛大的諾丁山狂歡節,還有 《諾丁山》的邂逅奇遇。Camden Town Market是朋克及嬉皮文化的聚集地,歐洲年輕一族來倫敦必遊。沒有特立獨行就沒有眼球, 市場裏遊走的盡是“奪目人類。”第一次來倫敦遊玩,這兩個市場可以考慮。而倫敦東邊的 Spitalfields Market,當地人對它情有獨鐘,這裏旅遊的氣氛會淡一點,更生活更接近現實,但又不乏時尚店鋪。這是倫敦最老的一個市集,從最開始建立雛形到保持現在 的規模,有將近500年的歷史。它隱藏在倫敦中心的另一個商務區 Liverpool Street 的一堆摩天大樓後面,匯集著很多倫敦本土的獨立商鋪和原汁原味的英國市集特色,從大集市挑精品貨,這可是考眼力的活兒。
  當地人喜歡逛的地方很少有拿著相機的遊客,你可以比較清閒地淘到一些新奇、時尚、復古、個性的物件。在市場裏面好淘寶,而市場後面的 Commercial Street,也是一條很好逛的商品街,那些在英國年輕人中很受歡迎的一些品牌店如:All Saints、Urban Outfitters、Office也都集中在這裏。每年七八月份是打折季,前來淘寶的人擁擠極了,夏天的露天舞會就在市場前面的廣場上,每周三傍晚,穿 紅高跟鞋的漂亮女孩扭擺身體,撩撥發絲,心裏的狂熱一陣陣被點燃,看的人臉紅心跳。


  1. Portobello Market - The World famous Portobello Market in London

    www.portobellomarket.org/
    portobello market is one of the top destinations in london for both tourists and londoners alike.
  2. Portobello Road Market

    www.portobelloroad.co.uk/
    Welcome to Portobello Road, the world's largest antiques market with over 1,000 dealers selling every kind of antique and collectible. Visitors flock from all over ...
  3. Portobello Road - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portobello_Road
    The market was featured in the 1971 ... The board game Portobello Market is named after ...
  4. Images for portobello market

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Camden兩種翻譯---康敦巿集 和 肯姆顿市场

Camden & its many markets

Camden in North West London is one of London's most popular weekend attractions and receives millions of young and trendy tourists each year.

Camden market is famed for its network of open-air and indoor arts and crafts markets, of which there are half a dozen.

A vast shopping area, each market has its own style. Most have stalls and sell quirky, new and second-hand garments, jewellery, fashion accessories, records and CDs, bric-a-brac and food from every corner of the globe.

Camden Lock, located in a cobbled yard overlooking Regents Canal, was established in 1975 and is the pioneer of Camden's shopping phenomenon. It features over 250 stalls and trades in crafts from Africa, Latin America and the Far East, regular and organic food. If you have time, it's worth taking a ride down the canal in a longboat.

If you're looking for fake and original Doc Marten boots, you'll find them in Camden Market, a series of stalls in a maze of busy alleyways, or next door Camden Canal Market.

Trading in the Stables Market takes place under railway arches and an outdoor courtyard. This is where you'll find designer furniture from the 50's onwards, creative clubbing wear and piercing accessories, as well as everything Gothic, retro and techno.
Address: Camden High St, Camden Lock and Chalk Farm Rd. Open: Mon-Fri 10am-5:30pm. Sat-Sun 10am-5pm.
Tube: Camden Town/Chalk Farm



Related links:

vspace=4/ Shipley Specialist Art Bookseller
vspace=4/ Murder One
vspace=4/ Al-Hoda
vspace=4/ Zwemmer
vspace=4/ Foyles
vspace=4/ Camden Lock
vspace=4/ Camden Market
ntroduction

There are an astounding 30,000 shops in London – as well as hundreds of street markets – so it's no surprise that people from all over the world flock to the capital of the United Kingdom to buy and buy and buy.

London is where everything and anything can be bought and sold.

Its shops and sellers trade in anything imaginable: from second-hand clothes to Haute Couture; from organic fruit and vegetables to bicycles; from hand-made crafts to rare books; from 17th century antiques to pets, and much much more.

Shopping in London can be an exciting experience, whether you're buying or browsing. It's a vibrant and vast city - buying something often involves discovering interesting surroundings and exploring new corners.

Our London: Shopping offers a brief guide to some of London's main shops and street markets. Whatever you fancy, you'll probably find it in fascinating London.


Related links:

vspace=4/ BBC's Learning English: Welcome to London 4 - Shopping
vspace=4/ BBC's Learning English: Welcome to London 1 - Transport
vspace=4/ BBC London (LDN) - up to the minute information on London
vspace=4/ London Tourist Board
vspace=4/ London Transport
vspace=4/ London Underground
vspace=4/ Greater London Authority
vspace=4/ The River Thames Guide
vspace=4/ British Tourist Authority (BTA)
vspace=4/ BTA: UK City Experience
vspace=4/ Harry Potter’s Discovering the Magic of Britain



Introduction
The shops on Oxford & Regent Streets
Famous stores in Mayfair and Piccadilly
Charing Cross Road's books & Camden Market
Notting Hill's Portobello Road
Buying in Knightsbridge, Kensington & Chelsea
East London's street markets
Bermondsey's Antiques & Greenwich




英大火》康敦巿集→英國最大
9日晚間陷入熊熊大火的康敦巿集已有三十多年歷史,包括六座露天和室內市場,售賣的貨品包括手工藝品,骨董及新潮服裝,巿集附近並設有酒吧。根據市集網站,這裡是英國最大的市集,也是倫敦市觀光人數第四多的景點,每星期的參觀人數多達50萬、周末更是擠得水泄不通。 位於倫敦北區的康敦市集,在1970年代原本只限於因弗內斯街一帶,後來納入康敦水閘的廢棄碼頭和倉庫,發展成六個各具特色的市場,例如馬廄市場就號稱「另類時尚中心」,馬廄市場和隔鄰的康登水閘市場就有上千個攤位。 這裡是龐克、嬉皮重鎮,五花八門的攤販、商店和個人工作室,販售的商品令人眼花撩亂,加上「另類」咖啡館、酒吧、小吃,吸引了不計其數的尋寶和尋歡人潮。 康敦市集網站說,這裡隨時都有好玩的東西。白天逛街購物,晚間可到酒吧、夜店、俱樂部繼續享受夜生活。

BBC 伦敦北部著名购物区肯姆顿市场发生大火,当局派出超过100名消防员扑救,约在三小时后扑灭,没有伤亡报告。
伦敦消防厅消防站经理福斯特表示,火场主要集中在肯姆顿运河市场,那里有数摊位着火。
福斯特说,靠近火场的一段铁路被封闭,居民也被疏散。
消防当局是在星期六格林尼治时间19点20分接到火警报告的。据报大火波及区内一家常有演艺名人光顾的著名酒吧,损毁严重。
BBC记者库克报道说,现场一列商店疑似首先起火。火势十分猛烈,火舌飘上30英尺(9.1米)高空。
一些目击者说,他们听见一响爆炸声,之后就起火了。
肯姆顿市场一带是伦敦主要观光景点,每逢周末吸引近30万游客光顾区内六个露天或室内市集,这里还有各式各样的酒吧、商店和餐馆。



2013年4月28日 星期日

Just Boris: The Irresistible Rise of a Political Celebrity

英相:倫敦市長是首相之材
(法新社倫敦28日電) 英國首相卡麥隆在今天出刊的一則專訪中承認,他在黨內最大的對手之一倫敦市長強生很可能成為下一任首相。
波瑞斯.強生(Boris Johnson)是英國政壇上最為人知的政治人物之一,被視為是中間偏右保守黨內,卡麥隆(David Cameron)潛在的未來挑戰對手。
強生第二任倫敦市長任期將持續至2016年,而全國下屆大選最遲將在2015年5月前舉行。
「星期泰晤士報」(Sunday Times)問卡麥隆,強生是否能在擔任倫敦市長期間,同時又是國會議員。卡麥隆說:「波瑞斯(強生)可作任何事。這便是波瑞斯故事的寓意。」
卡麥隆說:「波瑞斯是保守黨最重要的資產之一...我愛波瑞斯。」
記者詢問強生是否可成為首相,卡麥隆說:「我從未想對波瑞斯可達成的事設限。」(譯者:中央社羅苑韶)



Just Boris: The Irresistible Rise of a Political Celebrity






Sonia Purnell

2011.9.20
'Just Boris' Description
A major and controversial new biography of one of the most compelling and contradictory figures in modern British life. Born Alexander Boris de Pfeffel Johnson, to most of us he is just 'Boris' - the only politician of the age to be regarded in such familiar, even affectionate terms. Uniquely, he combines comedy with erudition, gimlet-eyed focus with jokey self-deprecation, and is a loving family man with a roving eye. He is also a hugely ambitious figure with seemingly no huge ambitions to pursue - other than, perhaps, power itself. In this revealing new biography, written from the vantage point of a once close colleague, Sonia Purnell examines how a shy, young boy from a broken home became our only box-office politician. How the Etonian product fond of Latin tags became a Man of the People; and why he wanted to be. How the gaffe-prone buffoon won the largest personal mandate this country has ever seen; and how the Johnson family built our biggest - and blondest - media and political dynasty. The first forensic account of a remarkable rise to fame and power, Just Boris unravels a political enigma and asks whether the Mayor who dreams of crossing the Thames to Downing Street has what it takes to be Prime Minister.


  • 2011-09-20
  • 中國時報
  • 【江靜玲/倫敦十九日電】
 倫敦市長強森(Boris Johnson)遭老同事爆料,其生活不檢點,連續勾引女人,沒有道德觀,並企圖逃避市長日常忙碌職務,僱用他人代行職務,自己則繼續自由享樂。  英國《每日電訊報》前編輯派內爾(Sonia Purnell)在新書《Just Boris》中,大爆強森私生活內幕。  派內爾指出,強森是花花公子。派駐布魯塞爾期間,瞞著首任妻子,與女律師瑪倫娜不倫交往,事情曝光後,強森才在一九九三年離婚,與瑪倫娜結婚。  但強森偷腥成性,仍然不斷出軌,其中與雜誌女記者安娜費扎克利的緋聞,因女方多次為其墮胎,鬧得滿城風雨。  擔任倫敦市長期間,強森再傳出與市府藝術顧問海倫麥克因特瑞有一腿,後者並為其生下一女。  書中引用海倫麥克因特瑞前同居人、加拿大商人羅林的話說,強森是個「沒道德感」的人。羅林捐八萬英鎊支持倫敦奧運,且以為海倫生下自己骨肉,結果發現自己不是父親。強森從未邀他參與任何奧運活動,也未把捐款退給他。  新書還透露,任倫敦市長前四個月,強森僱用他人代執行市長工作,避開繁重公務,搞得市府人仰馬翻,市府資深官員向強森提出最後警告,才逼使他親自「下海」履行市長職責。

2013年4月23日 星期二

Google To U.K.: Don't Snipe About Our Tax Rate「緊縮時代,每個人都有義務按制度納稅。」:對跨國企業徵稅是一場戰爭 Starbucks agrees to pay more corporation tax

 

Google To U.K.: Don't Snipe About Our Tax Rate

Gary Flood

Google CEO dismisses complaints of low corporate taxes, says Britain should be grateful for the economic boost the company provides.


Google CEO Eric Schmidt thinks the U.K. should be grateful to his company for helping its economy -- not sniping at it for paying so little in corporate taxes.
Schmidt told listeners of the BBC Radio 4 news program "World At One" on April 19, "We [have hired] more than 2,000 employees and are investing heavily in Britain. We empower literally billions of pounds of startups through our advertising network and so forth, and we're a key part of the electronic commerce expansion of Britain, which is driving a lot of economic growth for the country."

More Government Insights


Google paid £6 million ($9 million) to the government in taxes on its local profits in 2011.
"Britain has been a very good market for us," Schmidt said, pointing out that his company's taxation is no different from British firms operating in the U.S. "The most important thing to say about our taxes is that we fully comply with the law, and should the law change, we'll comply with [such changes] as well."



Last year British lawmakers won headlines for what amounted to a mini-campaign against the alleged ducking of local tax obligations by many large companies, including Starbucks and Google. For many Brits, this was crystallized in a set of exchanges between representatives of a number of these firms and the House of Commons Public Accounts Committee. The Committee claimed these corporates were "using the letter of tax laws both nationally and internationally to immorally minimize their tax obligations."

Matt Brittin, CEO of Google's British arm, told the Committee his firm had not breached its famous "Don't Be Evil" tagline, to which Committee chairwoman Margaret Hodge MP responded, "We are not accusing you of being illegal; we are accusing you of being immoral."

Schmidt clearly sees no cause for the fuss, pointing out, "The fact of the matter is these are the way taxes are done globally."

Still, the issue is on the minds of many European politicians. British Chancellor George Osborne has expressed interest in setting up international agreements to limit tax evasion, although he also cut corporate tax rates by 5% recently in an effort to entice more companies like Google to invest in the U.K.
 
For his part, Schmidt has expressed interest in expanding Google's global reach. During a recent trip to the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Schmidt tried to persuade his hosts to allow more Internet openness as a way of making the country more of a "proper country."

"North Korea is by far the most isolated country on earth," he said. "There's essentially no Internet access. There are roughly a million mobile phones, but they don't even have the basic capability of browsing, so the average North Korean person is completely cut off from any of the kinds of conversations or knowledge that's going on globally."

Risk is a factor in any enterprise, and managing that risk is always a challenge. In regulated industries, however, the challenge is heightened by goals that sometimes overlap but more often do not. In this Assessing Risk In Your Enterprise Compliance Initiative report, we examine the general considerations organizations must make when putting risk into a compliance context, as well as recommend specific strategies for leveraging organizational risk management work to achieve compliance goals. (Free registration required.)

英國:納稅不是「自願選擇」

更新時間 2012年12月9日, 格林尼治標準時間12:15

星巴克咖啡
星巴克在英國的連鎖分店超過700家
英國財政部首席部長丹尼·亞歷山大告誡跨國公司,納稅是義務,不是取悅顧客的「自願選擇」。
亞歷山大周日(9日)在接受BBC採訪時表示,英國政府繼續在國內外查處避稅行為。
他說,對大公司以及任何個人來說,納稅絕對不能是自願性的安排。
上周四,美國咖啡連鎖店星巴克宣佈,今後兩年內將向英國國庫繳納2000萬英鎊的企業稅。
此前,星巴克被曝光連續多年在英國繳稅少得可憐,引發眾怒以及抵制呼聲。雖然避稅手段完全合法,但是星巴克仍然被指控行為不道德。
星巴克在英國運作14年,總計繳納公司稅860萬英鎊,過去三年中,分文未交。但是,星巴克2011年一年在英國的營業額就將近4億英鎊。
另外兩家因為避稅受到批評的國際性大公司還包括亞馬遜和谷歌。

"緊縮時代"

但是,亞馬遜和谷歌都說,不會步星巴克的後塵、自願交稅。
在接受BBC採訪時,亞歷山大還強調,在上個星期公布的秋季預算案中,政府決定給英國海關稅務署增撥款項,用於打擊避稅與逃稅。
他說,這樣的目的是每年增加90億英鎊的稅收。
亞歷山大還說,英國正在與德國和法國一起,向經合發展組織注資,協助建立全球性協議,阻止大公司利用將利潤轉移到稅收更低的國家來避稅。
他說,「緊縮時代,每個人都有義務按制度納稅。」

衛報週評:對跨國企業徵稅是一場戰爭


節譯/葉興台
英國政府帳務委員會本週三發布的聲明,將充斥著天文數字和有關公平的議論,但本週一政府帳務委員會主席赫吉(Margaret Hodge)所發布的大企業如何逃避公平繳稅的報告,宛似在放火,報告充滿了暗示,應該一次就能整合各黨派政治人物。
根據英國衛報的一篇評論,這份報告的重點在於:Google、亞馬遜、星巴克等跨國企業正利用不同的管轄權和複雜的會計法規,避繳企業稅。這份報告 還清楚地說明,英國的稅務人員和企業聰明敏捷的會計師之間有多嚴重的失衡,以致於問題相當嚴重,嚴重到感覺起來像是一個國家危機。讓我們試算一下。企業稅 的稅收快速減少,從2010至2011年度的464億英鎊(約台幣2.1兆元),減至2011至2012年的400億英鎊。英國國稅局稱這個短少的64億 英鎊為財稅缺口,這是他們認為應該收到、最後實際收到的落差。整體而言,英國財稅缺口為驚人的320億英鎊。這比英國中央政府撥給地方政府的經費還要多, 與整體的國防預算相差不多,約為教育預算的一半,而英國對海外援助的預算還爭議不休。因此,奇怪的是,英國各界對這個議題的討論時間竟然這麼少。
當我們聽到英國財政大臣歐斯本報告房租補貼、在職工作福利和育兒津貼所需的經費時,請記住前述的財稅缺口。這是一場戰爭,但英國國稅局吃了敗仗。英 國國稅局顯然努力縮小這個缺口,但經過8年的嘗試後,只縮小了10億英鎊。政府帳務委員會表示,英國國稅局不夠積極,還正面看待這個情況,令人難以置信, 這個機構不該就這樣接受失敗。從字裡行間讀來,英國國會議員似乎認為,英國稅務人員不夠聰明,行動不夠迅速,缺少對抗他們得對抗的人所需的工具。
政府帳務委員會的報告指出,對那些依賴英國國稅局快速行動,以公平分配處理他們津貼的英國人而言,這將造成巨大的衝擊。通用福利 (universal credit)需要超優的電腦化系統,但英國國稅局沒有應變計畫,他們在抓逃漏稅和詐欺的表現每況愈下。因此報告指出,英國家庭可能發現,宜於英國國稅局 的差勁表現,在通用福利金減少的情況下,他們可能無法支付所有的開銷。這些英國民眾對於企業稅越來越少可能會更加生氣,赫吉擔心企業稅正逐漸變成任意稅 (voluntary tax),但問題不僅如此。
當亞馬遜以低價販售書籍、遊戲軟體或DVD,從海外市場賺到鉅額利潤,卻是在消滅認真繳稅的在地商家的營業機會。星巴克和其他跨國咖啡連鎖店的做 法,也會造成同樣的結果。政府一直強調,我們依賴中小企業帶動成長,但他們卻被跨國企業的營運模式擊垮。問題還不僅是企業競爭。英國國會局課不到跨國企業 的稅,只好鎖定小商家,但這個動作所傳遞的訊息是,你如果夠大,就可以不必繳稅,這將破壞對稅務體系的信心。繳稅依賴的是被課稅者的同意和合作,但企業稅 短徵破壞了這個約定。如政府帳務委會所說的:「英國民眾感到憤怒和挫折,因為他們感覺政府對小老百姓和小企業努力查稅,卻明顯寬待大型企業。」因此,這不 僅是一場有關全球化市場下政府能力的戰爭,也是一場有關政府的國內威信的戰爭。由於英國經濟持持續疲軟,很難想像另一個國內政策會帶來更多傷害。
持平而論,歐斯本已開始注意到這件事,英國正與歐洲其他國家合作,試圖找出逼跨國企業多繳稅的方法。而初步跡象顯示,由於擔心形象受損,更擔心消費者抵制,星巴克正與英國國稅局討論如何多繳稅。
消費者抵制和採取行動是好事。公益組織UK Uncut已公布不願公平繳稅的英國企業名單。但不能只依賴消費者抵制,還需要兩大行動。一是,簽署要求跨國企業公平繳稅的協議,包括打擊避稅天堂,這應 成為英國的主要外交政策目標。二是,英國國稅局須提升能力,徵募更好的人才和強化領導體系,才能展現決心,積極打擊逃漏稅。

 

 

Starbucks agrees to pay more corporation tax

Starbucks UK's Kris Engkov: "We are going to do what's required beyond the law"

Related Stories

Coffee chain Starbucks has agreed to pay more UK corporation tax, after a public outcry over how little it pays.
Kris Engskov, managing director of Starbucks UK, announced that the company would pay "a significant amount of tax during 2013 and 2014, regardless of whether the company is profitable".
One tax expert described the move as "unprecedented".
HM Revenue and Customs reacted by saying that corporation tax "is not a voluntary tax".
"The public expects businesses to pay their fair share," the tax authorites added, "and HMRC will challenge, through the courts if necessary, any structures or tax payments that do not comply with the UK tax law."
But Amazon and Google, also under fire for paying little UK tax, held firm.
The extra tax could amount to £20m over the next two years, Mr Engskov said.
Bill Dodwell, head of tax policy at the accountants Deloitte, told the BBC that he suspected the figure was a "sensible number taking account of the scale of the business and their history of past losses".
"This is an unprecedented move for a company to announce this sort of change," he said.
'Joke' Starbucks' announcement comes after much public anger over the revelation of how little corporation tax it pays in the UK, with some people saying they would boycott its outlets.

“Start Quote

Offering to pay some tax if and when it suits you doesn't stop you being a tax dodger”
UK Uncut
The company has paid just £8.6m in corporation tax in its 14 years of trading in the UK, and nothing in the last three years, despite UK sales of nearly £400m in 2011.
Starbucks has reported a taxable profit only once in its 15 years of operating in the UK, often reporting losses.
"It is extraordinary," Stephen Williams, Treasury spokesman for the Liberal Democrats, told the BBC. "People have been joking that some of these multinationals seem to think that paying tax is voluntary. Well Starbucks have just confirmed the joke really.
"Tax is something that is a legal obligation that you should pay according to the tax rules of a particular country. It's not a charitable donation in order to gain sort of brand value. But that seems to be what Starbucks are doing."

“Start Quote

I don't think there will be many people who stop using Google... but the problem for Starbucks is there is a coffee shop on every High Street”
Richard Bacon Conservative MP
Conservative MP Richard Bacon, who is a member of the Public Accounts Committee, expressed surprise at the move.
"They have recognised the public outrage at the fact that a company as large as Starbucks would... not be paying any corporation tax.
"They have realised that it is a PR problem and it is a PR response. It is nice for the exchequer to have a bit more money, but it is not a long-term solution to the problem that we face."
Starbucks admitted that the degree of hostility and emotion surrounding the tax issue had "taken us a bit by surprise" and that the move was an attempt to rebuild trust with its customers.
"Since we started doing business here, we have always organised our tax affairs according to the letter of the law," said Mr Engskov.
"[But] with the backdrop of these difficult times, in the area of tax, our customers clearly expect us to do more," he said.
Mr Engskov added that the company had found it difficult to make profits in the UK, which has "the most competitive espresso market in the world", despite "two million customers visiting us each week in hundreds of stores across the UK".
The extra tax payments will be funded by not claiming "tax deductions for royalties or payments related to our intercompany charges", Mr Engskov said.
Margaret Hodge, the chair of the Public Accounts Committee, says this is a welcome first step
Mr Dodwell said he thought the coffee chain would not claim some of the deductions they may otherwise have been allowed to claim.
"We don't know the details - that will be between the company and HM Revenue and Customs," he said.
More protests UK Uncut, a group that protests against corporate tax avoidance in the UK, said that Starbucks' announcement was not enough and that 40 "actions" would take place in Starbucks stores up and down the country.
"There's no money yet, and hollow promises on press releases don't fund women's refuges or child benefits," the group said. "Offering to pay some tax if and when it suits you doesn't stop you being a tax dodger. Today's announcement is just a desperate attempt to deflect public pressure.
"The £10m that Starbucks has estimated it may end up paying is £5m less than that paid by their nearest competitor Costa coffee."
Starbucks has 760 outlets across the UK and says it contributes "£300m to the UK economy" each year. Rival Costa has 1,479 coffee shops.
In a statement, Amazon said: "Amazon pays all applicable taxes in every jurisdiction that it operates within."

2013年4月22日 星期一

Invisible: Britain's Migrant Sex Workers (Hsiao-Hung Pai 白曉紅 )

 

  • 白曉紅臥底倫敦妓院 父白秀雄:以她為榮

  • 東森新聞-


前台北市副市長白秀雄的女兒白曉紅,為了報導非法移民打工的血淚史,臥底到倫敦妓院採訪,父親對於女兒冒險臥底,白秀雄夫婦心疼不捨,他們說女兒非常有正義感,,就讀大學時還參加過野百合運動,這次也是冒著相當大危險做這樣的深度報導,讓他們引以為榮。
手 上拿著女兒報導非法打工血淚史的著作,和妻子漢菊德一同現身,前北市副市長白秀雄談起女兒白曉紅,臥底採訪倫敦妓院過程,夫妻倆滿臉驕傲。稱讚女兒獨立勇 敢,白秀雄說女兒從小到大很多事都是自己決定,也常會替社會現象抱不平,就讀大學時還參加過野百合運動,這次也是冒著相當大危險,只和家人透露要去臥底採 訪,可能一陣子不能和家人聯絡。
白秀雄大讚白曉紅是最勇敢的 女兒,其實白曉紅這個名字也是白秀雄親自取的,因為當年在美國留學的白秀雄,思想一度傾左派,就把女兒的名字取了紅字。白曉紅本人低調,曾說過不想沾父親 的光,但其實白曉紅除了有擔任過副市長的爸爸,大舅舅還是鼎鼎大名的建築大師,也是總統府資政漢寶德,至於姑姑是前考試院長邱創煥的妻子。
家世背景不錯,但她仍舊靠著自己本事,單打獨鬥的堅強毅力,再度接露不公不義的社會面。

Invisible: Britain's Migrant Sex Workers [Paperback]

Hsiao-Hung Pai

 

"This is investigative journalism at its best. Fearless, rigorous, and compassionate, Invisible is a shocking exposé of Britain's shadow world of sex slaves."—James Brabazon, author of My Friend the Mercenary
"Pai has done it again; she went undercover, smelled the breath of violence and videotaped the underworld of pimps and madams. . . . Hsiao-Hung deflates the myth of sex work as a free choice for migrant women."—Lydia Cacho, author of Slavery Inc.
Ming and Beata share neither the same language nor cultural background, yet their stories are remarkably similar. Both are single mothers in their thirties and both came to Britain in search of a new life: Ming from China and Beata from Poland. Neither imagined that their journey would end in a British brothel.
In this chilling exposé, investigative journalist Hsiao-Hung Pai works undercover as a housekeeper in a brothel and unveils the terrible reality of the British sex trade. Workers are trapped and controlled—the lack of freedom this invisible strait of society suffers is both shocking and scandalous and at odds with the idea of a modern Britain in the twenty-first century.
A feature-length documentary based on Invisible and directed by Nick Broomfield was first screened in the United Kingdom on Channel 4 in May 2013.

Hsiao-Hung Pai is an acclaimed journalist whose report on the Morecambe Bay tragedy for the Guardian was made into the film Ghosts. Her book on undocumented Chinese immigrants in Britain, Chinese Whispers, was shortlisted for the George Orwell Prize.



Review

'A profound, disturbing and compassionate account of the tragic lives of women migrant workers who live and suffer in our midst - Once read there is no place for denial or complacency - they can be invisible no longer' Helen Bamber OBE

 'This is investigative journalism at its best. Fearless, rigorous and compassionate, Invisible is a shocking expose of Britain's shadow world of sex slaves that enthrals and shames by turn. A master storyteller, Hsiao-Hung Pai opens a door onto one of the most secretive and least understood communities in the UK. Essential reading for anyone interested in the real price of sex.' James Brabazon, author of My Friend the Mercenary

 'To navigate the sex trade of Chinese women in the UK with Invisible is to feel the desperation of thousands of women who enter sex work as the only option for survival. Hsiao-Hung Pai has done it again; she went undercover, smelled the breath of violence, cried hidden in a brothel bathroom and videotaped the underworld of pimps and madams who make their living off slaving women in need. Hsiao-Hung deflates the myth of sex work as a free choice for migrant women.' Lydia Cacho, author of Slavery Inc.

Invisible: Britain’s Migrant Sex Workers by Hsiao-Hung Pai

An undercover journalist reveals the working lives of the thousands of migrant women flocking to Britain’s sex industry

Katie Glass Published: 14 April 2013

Street life: sex workers in Bristol Street life: sex workers in Bristol (SWNS)
W hen the American journalist Gloria Steinem put on a bunny outfit and went undercover at the Playboy Club in New York in 1963, she exposed the reality of working women’s lives in a trailblazing essay, I Was a Playboy Bunny. By echoing the battles that all 1960s women faced, her notes on the pros and cons of bunny work made her a feminist hero. With humour, she managed to humanise and familiarise sex workers and make them “one of us”.
In Invisible, an examination of migrant workers in the modern British sex industry, the Taiwanese-born journalist Hsiao-Hung Pai has also gone undercover. ­Posing as an undocumented Chinese immigrant, rather than putting on a bunny uniform, Pai took maid’s jobs in brothels in Burnley, Lancashire, and in Stratford and Finchley in London, in an attempt to illuminate the murky world of the women — almost exclusively from Asia and eastern Europe — gravitating


新書揭示華人性工作者在英國生態

更新時間 2013年 4月 22日, 星期一 - 格林尼治標準時間14:29

《隱形:海外性工作者在英國》
《隱形:海外性工作者在英國》是白曉紅的第三本英文著作
英國華裔記者、作家白曉紅出版新書揭示華人性工作者在英狀況。白曉紅在接受BBC英倫網專訪時談到臥底偷拍的艱難過程。
英國華裔記者、作家白曉紅幾天前通過The Westbourne Press出版社推出第三本英文著作《隱形:海外性工作者在英國》(Invisible: Britain』s Migrant Sex Workers)。
白曉紅(Hsiao-Hung Pai)原籍台灣,關注英國非法勞工課題十年有餘。她的新書揭示了華人性工作者在英國的生活狀況。
白曉紅在接受BBC英倫網記者子川專訪時介紹,她幾年前為第一本書《華人耳語—英國隱形勞工的真實故 事》(Chinese Whispers – The true story behind Britain』s hidden army of labour)做調查的時候發現,雖然21世紀初的華人非法勞工仍然是男性居多,女性只佔十分之一左右,但是隨著時間的推移,有越來越多女性中國非法勞工 來到英國,從事低微的工作。
在北安普敦郡的一家農場臥底打工時,白曉紅結識了一名女性華人非法勞工—農場冬天淡季的時候她去威爾士首府卡迪夫的一家「按摩院」做性工作,春天的時候回到農場做工。
接觸多了,白曉紅從這位勞工口中了解到中國女性在英國從事性工作面臨的重重問題和危險,覺得有必要就這個話題深入研究。
隨後的幾年,白曉紅曾見到全英各地的按摩院臥底,也前往倫敦市中心Soho區的色情場所調查訪問—多次遭拒之後,找到了願意接受採訪的波蘭性工作者Beata和英國老鴇Pam,並在幾年內多次追蹤採訪。
困難
臥底中的白曉紅
曾經多次臥底報道的白曉紅這次感受到超乎尋常的巨大壓力
2012年,應著名紀錄片導演尼克·布魯姆菲爾德(Nick Broomfield,也是講述中國非法移民的電影《鬼佬》的導演)的邀請,白曉紅幾次到倫敦的幾家「按摩院」臥底當保姆,並使用專門設備偷拍。
儘管白曉紅之前曾經多次臥底報道,但是這次要兼顧偷拍和錄音,整個經歷非常困難。
「我以前從來沒有偷拍過,這個過程在技術上非常複雜,雖然經過培訓,但是在『按摩院』邊工作邊偷著做這些依然困難重重,曾經有時候有一、兩天的時間因為設備無法充電失去素材,就只好盡量延長工作日期,收集更多素材」,她回憶。
身為女性,白曉紅到「按摩院」當保姆時面臨的最大危險是,在生意繁忙的時候,老鴇不斷要求她幫忙接客。遭到拒絕後,老鴇就一直施加壓力、謾罵、挑毛病,並剋扣工資。
「最嚴重的時候,當客人上門,老鴇直接把人帶到我的房間,讓我接客—這種程度的壓力和威脅是我沒有想到的,可能因為這次臥底持續的時間比較長」,她坦言。
為了保全自身在圈子中的聲譽,老鴇沒有成功脅迫白曉紅接客,只有變本加厲地精神虐待,妄圖令她屈服。
「這些臥底經歷使我看到,沒有身份的非法勞工性工作者隱形生活在地下,完全得不到任何形式的保護,有時會受到無理客人在精神和肉體上的傷害」,她強調。
據了解,在英國,同一時段內一位「小姐」在一個地址工作並不違法,但華人按摩院的保姆往往也會幫忙接客,很多時候都在一個以上。
「如果警察進來,老鴇不會承認自己是老闆,只會讓人覺得是『小姐』租用了那個地方,她自己也是房客之類,打法律的擦邊球」,白曉紅介紹。
儘管在本質上,英國從事性工作的華人女性跟做其它工作一樣辛苦且沒有保障,但是這一行受到的社會歧視要遠遠高於其它行業。
白曉紅分析:「在工廠、農場、工地打工要比性工作公開,入了這一行就等於幾乎完全地下,要瞞著朋友、同鄉以及遠在中國的家人,幾乎就是隱形的」。
答案
白曉紅偷拍的「按摩院」場景
白曉紅偷拍的「按摩院」場景
白曉紅表示,經過這幾年的研究,大致了解到華人非法勞工性工作者在英國的基本狀況:工作情況、從業者背景、與雇主的關係等等。
在英國的海外性工作者總數為兩萬多人,而華人在其中僅佔一小部分(沒有確切數字,估計約數千人),多數來自東歐和俄羅斯。
在英國的華人性工作者中,很多是中國東北地區的下崗職工、福建省一些農村地區的居民,小部分是學生身份,極少數來自台灣。
這些女性很多人中年失去工作,有的遭遇婚姻不幸,需要獨自一人撫養子女和老人。「沒有身份的非法移民打黑工很辛苦,收入也很低,促使很多女性進入了性行業」,她說。
白曉紅的研究發現,儘管絕大多數華人性工作者是主動入行,還是有一定數量的女性被拐賣到英國。她的新書中就記錄了一個東歐女孩被騙到英國當妓女的悲慘經歷,涉案的妓院老闆曾經因此被判刑。
那麼,英國政府應該怎麼做來減緩甚至解決海外非法移民性工作者的問題?
白曉紅認為,把性工業一定程度地合法化是唯一的出路,至少把相關問題拿到台面上來討論、認真對待。
「儘管做這一行收入相對較高,但是很多華人性工作者不僅沒有身份,還從事一種不合法的工作,雙重的非法只會使她們置身更加脆弱的境地」,她說。
白曉紅接觸到的華人性工作者中,多數都認為選擇做這一行是正確的—為了養家、養小孩,自己犧牲幾年的時間多掙錢。她們基本上都會在還完債、存夠錢之後返回原籍生活,沒有長期停留在英國的想法。
希望
白曉紅在BBC總部大樓
白曉紅在BBC總部大樓
白曉紅的新書除了呈現英國非法移民性工作者的生活狀況之外,還舉出巴黎社區計劃「蓮花專車」(Lotus Bus)的例子。
參與該計劃的義工都會講中文,他們定期到巴黎特定地點向性工作者提供諮詢服務,並免費發放安全套等用品,深受包括華人在內的海外性工作者的歡迎。
「英國的相關社區組織很難接觸到華人性工作者,也就無法提供任何資訊和服務,法國的例子值得學習」,白曉紅說。
白曉紅認為,警察對「按摩院」的突襲,對「小姐」們來說沒有任何好處,只能讓她們更加地下化,因為老闆隨時可以關店,搬到別的地方做生意,而性工作者可能面臨被逮捕和遣返回國。
紀錄片的導演布魯姆菲爾德的也希望性行業能夠合法化,因為這樣才公開合法化才能夠規範管理這個行業,地下行業的身份只會對從業者不利。
白曉紅透露,她臥底的一家「按摩院」老鴇,在偷拍結束之後幾個月還在不停地打電話叫她回去上班。
白曉紅和攝製組最近才前往這家「按摩院」。據稱,老闆Grace得知她是臥底記者之後勃然大怒地撲過來掐她的脖子,然後不停地謾罵,這一切都被鏡頭記錄下來。
儘管如此,Grace開設的兩家「按摩院」仍然在營業中,只是有一家換了地址。
布魯姆菲爾德導演的紀錄片將於近期在英國Channel 4播出。

“鐵娘子”為何不相信社會?Samuel Brittan


“鐵娘子”為何不相信社會?英國《金融時報》專欄作家塞繆爾•布里坦

既然瑪格麗特•撒切爾(Margaret Thatcher)的葬禮已經結束,對她照例的譴責也已平息,現在是時候更加深入地評析她的遺產了。我大概是開這個頭的合適人選,因為一方面我不是積極的反撒切爾分子,另一方面撒切爾的小圈子也不把我當成“自己人”。
近日諸多長篇大論都忽視了一點:撒切爾的思想有多少要歸功於基斯•約瑟夫(Keith Joseph)?作為一名保守黨員,約瑟夫曾幫助推動真正的自由市場思想重新登上政治議程。
我這麼說並非要貶低撒切爾的遺產。恰恰相反,她常說:“有一天人們將認識到他們有多感激基斯•約瑟夫。”1996年,她在政策研究中心(Centre for Policy Studies)紀念約瑟夫的演講中發表了上述言論。演講上半部分講述自由經濟和自由社會的聯繫,下半部分討論歐元計劃的危險性。這些內容歷久彌新,至今仍具有重要意義。
我要用她的一句話開始論述,這句話定義了她這個人,甚至還在她的葬禮上被提起。有人認為這是她所說過最差的一句話;我卻認為這是最好的一句。
“我想我們經歷了這樣一個時期,太多人理所當然地認為,如果遇到問題,政府有責任解決這個問題。'我遇到問題了,我需要政府的資助。我無家可歸,政府必須為我提供房屋。'他們把問題都扔給社會去解決。可是,你們明白,根本就沒有'社會'這種東西。世上有個體的男人和女人、有家庭。政府只有通過人民才能有所作為,而人民首先必須指望自己。​​我們有責任照顧自己,然後是照顧鄰里。人們過於重視自己的權利,卻忽視義務。若不履行義務,則無權利可言。”
我想,撒切爾的意思是,人們首先應當試圖解決自己的問題和親友的問題,走投無路時才能依賴政府。政府只是一種機制,通過它,人們可以互相幫助,並強迫不勞而獲的人做出貢獻。在我的理解中,她的話是“方法論的個人主義”(methodological individualism)的表達(但願她不是在演講稿撰寫者的勸說下說出這番話的)。
我在我的著作《有人性的資本主義》(Capitalism With a Human Face)中嘗試過解釋這一切。簡而言之,方法論的個人主義是指,複雜整體的運作機理一定能夠以個體成員的形式表達出來——化學元素用原子表達,原子用亞原子粒子表達,國家用公民表達。方法論的個人主義得到一大批經驗主義思想家的支持,其中有些人的政治觀點與撒切爾大相徑庭。



Capitalism With a Human Face - Samuel Brttan - Google Books

books.google.com › ... › EconomicsGeneral
Sir Samuel Brittan, the doyen of British economic journalists, explores the connections between economics, ethics, and politics while assessing the merits and ...

例如,古典自由主義哲學家卡爾•波普(Karl Popper)探討了戰爭的抽象概念。 “戰死的許多人——或者說是身著軍裝的男人和女人——才是確定的。”18世紀的蘇格蘭哲學家大衛•休謨(David Hume)提出,國家是個人的集合。很多所謂傑出的哲學家否認這一理論,如被高估的黑格爾(GWFHegel)。黑格爾說:“人類具有的一切價值——一切精神的現實性,都是由國家而有的。”
撒切爾被指責沒有為英國北方的衰落工業提供支持。她清楚地認識到,這種支持不會來自一種稱為“國家”的神秘實體,而應來自公民同胞。她可能是對的,也可能是錯的。但這與她個人的慷慨與否無關。有吹毛求疵的政治哲學家認為,如果撒切爾想成為真正的方法論個人主義者,她本不會在那場著名的講話中加上“家庭”。這好比說“世上沒有森林,只有喬木和灌木”。她不會愚蠢到沒有發現這一點,但她並不是在給別人上政治哲學課。她要說的是,為窮人和困難地區提供的援助必須來自別處——即所在國家的居民。
遺憾的是,她未能將這種簡化主義(reductionist)的思想應用於外交事務。世上不存在德國、英國和阿根廷,只有由個人組成的複雜實體。一位英國公民對英國人性命的重視有理由超過對阿根廷人性命的重視,但認為後者毫無價值則是不合理的。必須承認,即便人們習慣性地從這些角度思考,他們或許仍然會認同死亡是避免領土丟失等等的“必要之惡”。但假如總是進行這樣的解讀,有時或許會催生出民族主義色彩較弱的政策。即便是她想必也直覺地意識到了這一點——當一艘戰艦在福克蘭群島(Falklands)附近沉沒時,撒切爾為喪生的將士哭泣了40分鐘。
譯者/徐天辰

2013年4月21日 星期日

John Sergeant: Being handbagged by Margaret Thatcher was the making of me

John Sergeant: Margaret Thatcher 'handbagging' made my career

Ex-BBC chief political correspondent says mistake in front of former prime minister brought him to the attention of the public
Margaret Thatcher
John Sergeant has said his ‘handbagging’ moment with Margaret Thatcher made his career. Photograph: Gerry Penny/EPA
John Sergeant, former BBC chief political correspondent, has recalled the "handbagging" he received from Margaret Thatcher days before she quit as prime minister as the night "my career had been made and hers had been finished off".
Sergeant, writing in Wednesday's Daily Telegraph, says the incident on the steps of the British embassy in Paris just two days before Thatcher quit was a defining moment in his career. "From then on, I was a well-known TV reporter," he said, adding that he has "no difficulty in saying she was my favourite PM".
He added: "The truth is that from the moment she became leader of the Conservative Party in 1975 through to her 11 years in power, I was in thrall to Mrs Thatcher".
His sentiment echoes that of Jon Snow, the Channel 4 news presenter, who authored a self-mocking portrait of Thatcher which was screened on Monday night.
He recalled how Thatcher used her matron-like status in an all-male cabinet to triumphant effect and how she enjoyed humiliating the journalists who followed her and her retinue.
Sergeant recalls how he waited outside the British embassy in Paris in 1990 reckoning she was not going to give an interview to the BBC, as she had just heard that Michael Heseltine had the support of 152 Conservatives in the first round of the leadership battle.
Out of the blue she emerged unknown to Sergeant who was facing his camera crew to the front of the building.
The London crew were shouting "she's behind you" and as she swept past Sergeant her press secretary, Bernard Ingham, could be seen elbowing him out of the way. That became known as the handbagging moment.
"I have a great deal to thank Margaret Thatcher for; she made my career," he said. "You can work in TV news for a long time night after night, and somehow the public are totally unmoved by your presence. Something needs to happen to bring you to their attention, and in my case that involved making a big mistake in front of a very large audience".
He went on to recall another humiliating incident when he was on the press plane taking Thatcher to Moscow in 1987 tucking into a generous meal and vintage wine. She came down to his seat and his immediate reaction was to stand up knocking his entire tray to the ground.
"She knelt down and told me firmly to stay where I was. She would sort this out – the meaning was clear: I was an idiot male," recalls Sergeant. As the horrified staff rushed forward to stop her cleaning the mess up, he turned red with embarrassment.
"She loved it. It was her sort of joke," said Sergeant.
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John Sergeant: Being handbagged by Margaret Thatcher was the making of me

BBC TV reporter John Sergeant became a well-known figure outside the British embassy in Paris in November 1990 after the Conservative leadership ballot

Panto performance: Bernard Ingham, centre, trying to push John Sergeant away outside the British embassy in Paris in November 1990
Panto performance: Bernard Ingham, centre, trying to push John Sergeant away from Margaret Thatcher outside the British embassy in Paris in November, 1990  
I have a great deal to thank Margaret Thatcher for; she made my career. You can work in television news for a long time, night after night, and somehow the public are totally unmoved by your presence. Something needs to happen to bring you to their attention, and in my case that involved making a big mistake in front of a very large audience.
The night that Mrs Thatcher knew that her career was almost certainly over came when she confronted me outside the British embassy in Paris in November, 1990. She had just heard that Michael Heseltine had the support of 152 Conservative MPs in the first round of the Tory leadership election. I was convinced that this was such a serious blow that she would not want to be interviewed. This view was supported by one of her staff and I duly repeated it live on the BBC’s Six O’Clock News.
Communications with the Television Centre in London were far from perfect and I did not hear the newsreader shout: “John, the prime minister is behind you.” Audience research later showed that 13 million people were watching. A very large proportion of those must have shouted at their televisions: “She’s behind you.”
It became known as the pantomime incident, or the moment I was handbagged by Mrs Thatcher. What gave the scene its special power was that her press secretary, Bernard Ingham, could be clearly seen desperately trying to elbow me out of the way. He wanted her to bypass me and head straight for the press corps on the other side of the courtyard. Many viewers came to the conclusion that the prime minister and her team had lost their grip on power. And they were right. Mrs Thatcher resigned two days later.
I have sometimes referred to the events of that night while admitting that as a result my career had been made and hers had been finished off. From then on I was a well-known television reporter. But the truth is that from the moment she became leader of the Conservative Party in 1975 through to her 11 years in power, I was in thrall to Mrs Thatcher.
She provided so many stories, so much excitement, and often a feeling of watching history being made. I have no difficulty in saying she was my favourite PM. I slogged away with many others, from Harold Wilson, through to Gordon Brown, via John Major and Tony Blair, but as a headline-grabber she had no equal. In personal terms it mattered that she was unapologetically a woman. She was not a feminist, pursuing a female agenda. She thought if women were good enough they should be able to rise to the top, as she had done. But she had no doubt that being female is an advantage, if you take care of yourself.
A hairdresser has to be summoned each morning; some unpleasant European summits aren’t suitable for a favourite dress; and wearing high heels when you’ve sprained an ankle is admittedly painful. But providing a striking image as the only woman in the ranks of a host of prime ministers can make you the most famous person in the world. And men, well they can often be outmanoeuvred.
As far as I could tell Mrs Thatcher had no sense of humour, but she could be playful and sometimes couldn’t resist the chance of knocking the stuffing out of someone like me. I was on the press plane taking her to Moscow in 1987. Having been told she would not be coming down to see us for a while, I tucked in to a generous meal with vintage wines.
The prime minister suddenly appeared at my side. I stood up, being the gent that I am, and the food and crockery tipped on to the floor. She knelt down and told me firmly to stay where I was. She would sort this out – her meaning was clear: I was an idiot male.
As the horrified aircraft staff rushed forward I turned red with embarrassment. She loved it. It was her sort of joke. And as she rose steadily from the mess I had created, her triumphant smile said it all. “And did you want an interview?” she inquired sweetly. It was the beginning of one of her most successful foreign trips.
The visit to the Soviet Union ended in Georgia. In a large motorcade she travelled a few miles from the state capital, Tbilisi, to the airport. Looking out of the window we took in one of the most moving sights I have seen. Friendly crowds lined the roads. Two million people had stopped work to say goodbye. They weren’t simply showing respect to a great prime minister, they were paying homage to a superstar.