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“放鸽子（fàng gēzi）”， 本义是“放飞鸽子”。实际上，它的实际意思非常不一样。 ‘
Fang Ge Zi’ literally means releasing pigeons, but it actually means something totally different.

简单来说，如果你和别人有约（yǒuyuē），但对方却没有赴约（fùyuē）（尤其是在没有提前告知的情况下），那你就被放鸽子啦！
Basically, if you have an appointment with someone and the other party did not show up (especially in the case that they did not inform beforehand), then you are being stood up (aka. Fang Ge Zi)!

不过有一类人，连自己的鸽子都敢放！
There are some people who even dare to stand themselves up!

那么在新加坡的我们是不是不能吃辣条了呢？
So does that mean we should not eat La Tiao in Singapore?

其实不用太过于担心，在2018年的《全球食品安全排行榜》上，新加坡首次荣获了榜首！
In fact, you do not need to be too worried. For the first time, Singapore ranked No.1 on the Global Food Security Index!

虽然从上图来看，新加坡的食品质量与安全指数还不是特别高，但是总的来说，新加坡的进口把关还是很严格的。
Although from the index breakdown, the individual section of quality and safety is not particularly high, Singapore’s import procedure is generally quite strict.

辣条你爱吃吗？
Do you like to eat ‘La Tiao’?

辣条真的是一个红到发火的零食。不仅很多成年人吃，小学生也喜欢。 ‘La Tiao’ truly is an extremely popular snack. Not only adults like it, but some primary school students also eat it frequently.

一些辣条还走出国门，来到了海外的食品货架上。（新加坡也有哦！）
Some brands are being imported overseas. (We have La Tiao in Singapore!)

它甚至还成了一个网络热词呢！众多网友玩辣条玩得乐此不疲。
It is even a trending word on the internet. So many memes are being created based on it.

但是！！！这么火的辣条竟然被在315晚会上被点名通报了！！！
However!!! La Tiao is being exposed on this year’s 315 Gala!!!

“国际消费者权益日”，因确定于在每年的3月15日，而因此得名“315”。
The International Day for Protecting Consumer’s Rights is held yearly on 15th Mar, hence we also call it ‘315’.

自从1991年以来，中国中央电视台联合相关部门，在每年3月15日晚现场直播“3.15晚会”，来曝光（bàoguāng – v. expose）一些企业“黑幕（hēimù – n. black curtain, shady background）”并且普及维权知识。
Since 1991, there is a ‘315 Gala/315 evening party’ broadcast by China Central Television (CCTV) and relevant agencies to expose some shady story behind some shady corporations and to spread out knowledge regarding consumer’s right.

. 埃塞俄比亚航空公司的空难事故之后，波音遭遇“911”事件以来最大的危机，目前，总计有超过50个国家和地区的航空公司宣布禁飞737-MAX8机型。甚至有飞机在半路上被要求返航。最近两个交易日，波音股价连续大跌，也创出“911”以来最差表现。
After the Ethiopian Airlines crash, Boeing suffered the biggest crisis since the "911" incident. At present, a total of more than 50 countries and regions have announced the 737-MAX8 model. There are even planes that are required to return on the way. In the past two trading days, Boeing's share price has fallen sharply, and it has also produced the worst performance since "911."
2. 至少已有43个国家和地区全面停飞737-MAX8，另外还有8个国家有1家或1家以上的航空公司宣布停飞737-MAX8。

学习中文的朋友们可能多多少少在某一个时间有过“丧失信心”的感受。中文不是一门简单的语言，偶尔的丧失信心是理所当然的。
Chinese learners may all ‘lose their confidence’ at some point in learning. Occasional confidence lost is reasonable as Chinese is not an easy language to learn.

但是，“丧尸信心”又是什么鬼？
However, what the hell is ‘zombie confidence’?

是一个丧尸的信心？
Is it the confidence of a zombie?

还是打字太快出来的错别字？
Or is it a typo from typing too fast? (‘lose’ and ‘zombie’ have the same pronunciations in Chinese)

其实都不是。
Both not.

1. 马云已于3月7日退出了阿里旗下5家公司，包括阿里巴巴(中国)软件有限公司、淘宝(中国)软件有限公司、阿里巴巴(中国)网络技术有限公司、阿里巴巴(中国)教育科技有限公司、阿里巴巴科技(北京)有限公司。
Ma Yun has withdrawn from five companies of Ali under March 7, including Alibaba (China) Software Co., Ltd., Taobao (China) Software Co., Ltd., Alibaba (China) Network Technology Co., Ltd., Alibaba (China) Education Technology Ltd., Alibaba Technology (Beijing) Co., Ltd.
2. 马云将于2019年9月10日正式“退休”，从事教育和公益事业。
Ma Yun will officially “retire” on September 10, 2019, and will be engaged in education and public welfare.

Gǎndòng ma? Bù gǎndòng
感 动 吗？ 不 敢 动
Moved? Not dare to move

‘感动’and‘敢动’have the exact same pronunciations, but totally different meanings.

感动 is used to describe the feeling of feeling touched.

敢 means dare to do sth., 动 means to move, act. Hence, 敢动 means to dare to move.

This phrase is used to describe a scenario which seems touching, however, one or more parties completely dominate the situation, leading to the other parties not dare to move.

For example:

Nǐ ruò duì zìjǐde jiànkāng yīmáobùbá, yīyuàn bāngnǐ báde yīmáobúshèng
你 若 对 自己的 健康 一毛不拔，医院 帮 你 拔得 一毛不剩
If you do not invest in your own health, hospitals will take everything from you

Keywords:

若（ruò）if

健康（jiànkāng）health

一毛不拔（yīmáobùbá）一: one; 毛: feather, hair; 不: do not; 拔: pull, pluck. This idiom literally refers to someone who is not willing to pluck out a single hair, meaning the person is very stingy.

医院（yīyuàn）hospital

不剩（búshèng）剩: leave out, remain. Hence 不剩 means nothing is left.

你知道吗？新加坡在医疗方面的花销承倍数（bèishù – multiple）增长。
Do you know? Singapore’s healthcare spending has multiplied over the past years.

在最近举行的新加坡国会预算案中，卫生部长颜金勇分享了一组数据（shùjù – data, statistics）：
In the recent budget debate, Health Minister Gan Kim Yong shared a set of data:

自从2010年以来，新加坡的国家医疗支出（guójiā yīliáo zhīchū – national healthcare spending）从110亿新币涨到了2016年的210亿新币，几乎翻了两倍。
Since 2010, Singapore’s national healthcare spending has almost doubled, from $11 billion to $21 billion in 2016.