universal truth 普遍真理 / 放諸四海皆準

universal truth 普遍真理 / 放諸四海皆準

talked-about 談論的

talked-about 談論的

One of the most talked-about is a tax of one peso (about 8 cents) on every liter of sugary beverages, which our Congress approved on Thursday. The tax — part of a fiscal reform package that also includes an 8 percent tax on junk food — is aimed at obesity.(人們討論最多的是國會在週四通過的稅收政策——對每升含糖飲料徵收一比索（約合八美分）的賦稅。這項稅收政策主要針對肥胖問題，是財政改革方案的一部分，改革方案還包括對垃圾食品徵收8%的賦稅。)

obesity 過胖 / 肥胖症

swimmingly 順利流暢地

swimmingly 順利流暢地

"Starting with the presidency of Felipe Calderón, from 2006 to 2012, the government lost control over the war on drug cartels and failed to fulfill its part of the social contract. It has been unable to guarantee the safety of its citizens and to implement educational reforms, but it has given politicians carte blanche to earn money through illegal means and to benefit swimmingly from their tolerance of private monopolies. The government has been truly valiant, however, when it comes to assaulting its citizens with more taxes."

(自利佩·卡爾德龍(Felipe Calderón)在2006年至2012年擔任總統以來，政府就失去了對打擊販毒集團的行動的控制，沒能履行其社會契約。政府無法保障公民的安全，無法實施教育改革，但卻給予政治人士空頭支票，使其可以通過非法途徑牟利，通過寬容對待私人壟斷而輕易獲益。然而政府在對人民徵收更多賦稅的時候卻十分之雷厲風行。)

carte blanche 白紙 / 全權處理(花錢的權力)

give sb carte blanche 授予sb全權處理 [idiom]

We were given carte blanche to redecorate the hotel .   (我們獲授予全權重新裝修酒店。)

It has given politicians carte blanche to earn money through illegal means. (政客被賦予以非法手段謀利利的權力) 

valiant 勇敢地

Use of "where" --> the place that

We went where the government didn’t go, where there were no hospitals, no schools and sometimes even no running water.

(我们前往那些政府都不涉足的地方，那里没有医院、学校，有时甚至都没有自来水。)

Nowadays, one of the most dangerous jobs in Mexico is driving a delivery truck down what Graham Greene called “lawless roads,” where delivery men are robbed, extorted and even killed.

(如今，墨西哥最危险的工作之一就是开着货车经过格雷厄姆·格林(Graham Greene)所说的“不法之路”，送货员在那里会遭到抢劫、敲诈，甚至会被杀害。)

whorehouses 妓院

whorehouses 妓院

call a spade a spade 實話實說 / 堂堂正正

call a spade a spade 實話實說 / 堂堂正正

e.g. it (government) should “call a spade a spade” and put them (political implication) forward for open discussion.(政府就應該堂堂正正把這些政治理由拿出來讓公眾討論。)

heads I win tails you lose 輸打贏要

heads I win tails you lose 輸打贏要 (反正我也是贏)