2022年5月7日星期六
愚昧的戰爭
二次世界大戰期間，史達林之子被德國人俘虜，跟一些英國軍官拘禁在同一個戰俘營裡。他們的廁所是公用的。史達林的兒子老是把廁所弄得很髒。那些英國人不喜歡看到他們的廁所被大便弄髒，經常罵他，逼他把廁所弄乾淨。後來他生氣了，還大打出手。最後，史達林的兒子求見戰俘營的指揮官，德國人根本不屑跟他們討論大便的事，他受不了這種侮辱而選擇自殺。
他為了大便獻出生命。可是為大便而死並不是一種毫無意義的死。德國人為了向東延伸帝國版圖而犧牲生命，俄國人為了將祖國勢力向西推得更遠而死，是的，這些人才是為了蠢事而死，他們的死毫無意義，一點道理也沒有。相反的，史達林之子的死，在戰爭的普世愚行之中，是唯一具有形而上意義的死。
米蘭‧昆德拉《生命中不能承受之輕》
2022年5月3日星期二
2022年4月27日星期三
舒國治《門外漢的京都》
門外漢者，只在門外，不登堂入室。事實上太多地方，亦不得進入，如諸多你一次又一次經過的人家，那些數不盡的世代過著深刻日子的人家。你只能在門外張望，觀其門窗造型、格子線條，賞其牆泥斑駁及牆頭松枝斜倚、柿果低垂之迎人可喜，輕踩在他們灑了水的門前石板，甚至窺一眼那最引你無盡嚮往卻永遠只得一瞥的門縫後那日本建築中最教人讚賞、最幽微迷人的玄關。
後記︰昨天上班時瀏覽博客來，看看有什麼新書，留意到這本《門外漢的京都》。下班後我瀏覽公立圖書館應用程式，得知有舊版可借。今天，早上到柴灣祭祖後，下午往元朗公共圖書館閱讀了第一個篇章，沒有電影知識的我呆呆看不懂，讀到極多陌生的地名讓我失去了方向。書本被其他讀者撕去了兩三頁不足為奇。奇怪是書本首空白頁寫了幾行字︰中華基督教會家情軒、時間、負責人的姓氏。幾年前，我在該機構工作，被委派去不同的小學當功課輔導班導師。雖然時薪高，但工時短。當小學生放寒暑期，是沒有工資的。那時的我一邊做兼職一邊進修普通話，不過到今天也學不懂國語，慚愧！
2022年4月22日星期五
the Catcher in the Rye Ch.9
phone booth: a very small room or enclosed structure with a public telephone in it
buzz: a persistent vibratory sound
phony: not genuine or real
trim: to remove by or as if by cutting
shack up: to sleep or live together as unmarried sexual partners
lagoon: a shallow sound, channel, or pond near or communicating with a larger body of water
acquaintance: a person whom one knows but who is not a particularly close friend
incognito: with one's identity concealed
conceal: to prevent disclosure or recognition of
corny: mawkishly old-fashioned : tiresomely simple and sentimental
mawkish: exaggeratedly or childishly emotional
sentimental: marked or governed by feeling, sensibility, or emotional idealism
screwball: a whimsical, eccentric, or crazy person
eccentric: deviating from conventional or accepted usage or conduct especially in odd or whimsical ways
pervert: one given to some form of sexual perversion
moron: a foolish or stupid person
crumby: very poor or inferior
bald: lacking a natural or usual covering (as of hair, vegetation, or nap)
gorgeous: splendidly or showily brilliant or magnificent
bother: to annoy especially by petty provocation
provocation: something that provokes, arouses, or stimulates
brassiere: a woman's undergarment to cover and support the breasts
corset: a usually close-fitting and often laced medieval jacket
strap: a narrow usually flat strip or thong of a flexible material and especially leather used for securing, holding together, or wrapping
squirt: to come forth in a sudden rapid stream from a narrow opening
highball: an iced drink containing liquor (such as whiskey) and water or a carbonated beverage (such as ginger ale) and served in a tall glass
hysterics: a fit of uncontrollable laughter or crying
laughter: a sound of or as if of laughing
maniac: a person characterized by an inordinate or ungovernable enthusiasm for something
stink: to emit a strong offensive odor
horse around: to engage in horseplay
horseplay: rough or boisterous play
ought: used to express obligation
obligation: the action of obligating oneself to a course of action (as by a promise or vow)
spoil: to damage seriously
whore: somewhat old-fashioned : a person who engages in sexual intercourse for pay
burlesque: literature : a literary or dramatic work that seeks to ridicule by means of grotesque exaggeration or comic imitation
stripper: a person who acts or dances in a seductive provocative manner and gradually removes their clothing piece by piece especially to the accompaniment of music
dump: an accumulation of refuse and discarded materials
suave: smoothly though often superficially gracious and sophisticated
gracious: marked by kindness and courtesy
tigress: a female tiger
peculiar: different from the usual or normal
compliment: an expression of esteem, respect, affection, or admiration
awful: exceedingly great
wink: to shut one eye briefly as a signal or in teasing
dope: informal : a stupid person
Online dictionary used: https://www.merriam-webster.com
2022年4月21日星期四
益生元
Prebiotics are defined as non-digestible food ingredients that beneficially affect the host by selectively stimulating the growth and/or activity of one or a limited number of bacteria in the colon. They are resistant to digestion in the small bowel, through being resistant to gastric acid and hydrolytic enzymes, so pass unhydrolyzed to the colon where members of resident microbiota, such as bifidobacteria (雙歧桿菌) and lactobacilli (乳桿菌), can ferment them.
Currently numerous compounds have been shown to have potential prebiotic activity and these include: lactulose, fructooligosaccharides (FOS), galactooligosaccharides (GOS)...
Prebiotics are found in a range of natural sources; GOS can be obtained from human breast milk and soybean, FOS and fructans from chicory root (菊苣根), banana, Jerusalem artichoke (洋薑), asparagus, onions and garlic.
Rastall, R. A. (2009). Prebiotics and Probiotics Science and Technology. Springer.
Hydrolytic enzymes are the enzymes that utilize water to break the bonds. They break a larger molecule into smaller molecules.
Bifidobacteria species are probiotics that live in the intestines. They may help with diarrhea, constipation, and other intestinal disorders. Bifidobacteria can help break down food, absorb nutrients, and fight off harmful organisms that might cause diseases.
Lactobacillus species are probiotics normally found in human digestive and urinary tracts . They can be consumed for diarrhea and gut health. Lactobacillus can help the body break down food, absorb nutrients, and fight off harmful organisms.
Lactulose is a synthetic sugar and it is broken down in the colon into products that pull water out from the body and into the colon.
Oligosaccharides are a type of carbohydrate chain made up of three to 10 simple sugars.
A fructan is a molecule consisting of a chain of fructose molecules joined together, and with a glucose molecule at the end.