Gene defect clue to male pill 基因缺陷為男性避孕藥提供線索

◎鄭寺音

A male contraceptive pill could be a step closer after US researchers identified a gene flaw linked to male infertility.

男性避孕藥的問世可能又更進了一步，因為美國研究人員找出與男性不孕相關的基因缺陷 。

The study of Iranian families found mutations in the CATSPER1 gene which controls a protein determining sperm movement.

這份針對伊朗家庭的研究，發現在CATSPER1這種基因中的突變。CATSPER1基因控制決定精子活動的蛋白質 。

Researchers say the finding could lead to treatments for infertile men - and potentially to a new contraceptive. UK researchers from the Medical Research Council Reproductive Biology Unit in have previously carried out surveys showing that men would be willing to take a contraceptive pill if one was available.

研究人員說，這項發現可能引領男性不孕的療法，也可能引導出一種新的避孕藥。英國醫療研究委員會生育生物學小組之前的調查顯示，如果有避孕藥，男性願意服用。

Condoms or a vasectomy are still the only male contraceptive choices.

男性避孕目前僅能靠保險套或輸精管結紮手術。

In this study, the researchers were looking at a population with high rates of disease-causing gene mutations to investigate genetic causes of deafness.

在這份研究中，研究人員研究帶有大量致病基因突變的人，來調查失聰的原因。

However, while they were collecting genetic information, the scientists discovered that two families had different DNA mutations in the CATSPER1 gene.

但當科學家收集基因資訊時，發現兩個家族的CATSPER1基因有不同的DNA突變。

新聞辭典

contraceptive：名詞，避孕藥，也作形容詞，避孕的。

flaw：名詞，缺陷、瑕疵。例句：There’s a fatal flaw in your reasoning.（你的論據有個致命的缺陷。）

infertile：形容詞，不孕的。例句：It has been estimated that one in eight couples is infertile.（據估計，八分之一配偶不孕。）

英語單字片語

單字片語
overqualifieda. 條件過好的
（與介詞 for 並用）
qualified a. 合格的
be overqualified for… 勝任……綽綽有餘
be qualified for… 有資格勝任……
例：With twenty years of experience in retail, don’t you think you are overqualified for this job as a sales clerk？（你在零售業有超過 20 年的經驗，你不認為這份銷售人員的工作對你來說是大材小用嗎？）
extra a. 多出的
an extra＋數字＝an additional＋ 數字額外若干……
例：We need an extra $5,000 dollars to carry on with this research project.（我們還需要額外5,000美元以繼續這項研究計劃。）
enable sb to V 讓某人有能力可以……
例：This new computer system will enable workers to increase their work efficiency.（這項新的電腦系統能讓員工增加工作效率。）

Czech art：shoot your lawmaker in the face 捷克藝術︰對著國會議員的臉開槍

◎ 魏國金

Two artists have offered Czechs angered by politics the chance to take revenge on their lawmakers by shooting them in the face, by turning their photos into air gun targets.

兩名藝術家藉由將國會議員的照片變成空氣槍標靶，讓民眾射擊其臉部的方式，提供被政治激怒的捷克人對他們報復的機會。

Tomas Cap and Michal Kraus have displayed the portraits of 200 lower-house deputies in plastic boxes on the wall of a Prague alternative gallery, in front of an air gun and a boxful of ammunition.

卡普與克勞斯把200張下議院議員的肖像，展示於裝置在布拉格另類美術館牆面的塑膠盒上，而前方則是一把空氣槍與一箱彈藥。

"We have seen lawmakers breach the promises they gave to voters so many times. The visitors of the gallery have a unique opportunity to show these politicians what they think," the artists said in a statement.

「我們看到國會議員是如此頻繁地背棄對選民的承諾，美術館的來賓有獨特的機會來展現他們對這些政治人物的觀感。」這兩位藝術家聲明表示。

Two weeks after opening, the exhibition was a sad sight as most of the faces had been heavily damaged by airgun slugs, with some destroyed beyond recognition.

開展兩週後，展覽景象悲慘，因為絕大部分的臉遭空氣槍子彈嚴重毀損，部分還被毀得無法辨識。

Opposition chief Jiri Paroubek was the worst hit with most of his face missing in the picture, followed by his ally David Rath and Interior Minister Ivan Langer.

反對黨主席帕羅貝克被打得最慘，照片中他大部分的臉已不見，緊追在後的是他的盟友拉斯與內政部長蘭格。

新聞辭典

take revenge︰片語，復仇。例句︰Man may destroy the balance of nature, but, from time to time, nature takes a terrible revenge.（人類或可破壞自然的平衡，但自然會不時痛加報復。）

breach︰動詞，違反、侵犯、不履行。例句︰These commitments have already been breached.（這些承諾已遭背棄。）

a sad sight︰悲慘的景象。sight有景象、情景之意。例句︰What a beautiful sight those roses make! （那些玫瑰花構成一幅多美的景象啊！）

Bra cash saves woman from shooting 在胸罩藏錢使女子躲過槍擊

◎羅彥傑

A woman survived a shootout in Brazil, after the impact of a bullet was absorbed by the money she had stuffed in her bra.

一名巴西女子在槍戰中大難不死，因為子彈的撞擊力道被她塞進自己胸罩內的錢吸收。

58-year-old Ivonete Pereira was travelling on a bus in Salvador, the capital of the northeastern state of Bahia, when two armed robbers tried to hold up the bus.

58歲的佩瑞拉在東北部巴伊亞州首府薩爾瓦多搭巴士時，碰到兩名武裝搶匪試圖搶劫這輛巴士。

Because she knew that bus robberies were common in the region, Pereira decided to hide 150 reals rolled up inside her bra.

因為佩瑞拉曉得巴士搶劫案在本地區如家常便飯，她決定把150黑奧（巴西幣）捲起來，藏在自己的胸罩內。

When the robbers started their attempted hold-up, a shootout began with a nearby police officer, and Pereira was hit by a stray bullet. However, the cash in her bra slowed it down enough that she survived - although she had to be taken to hospital to have the bullet removed.

當劫匪開始這次搶劫行動時，和一名在附近的警官爆發槍戰，而佩瑞拉遭一枚流彈擊中。不過，她胸罩內的錢使得子彈大幅放慢速度，足以令她不死—雖然她仍必須送醫以取出子彈。

A retired sergeant at the scene was not so lucky, as he was gunned down in the attack. The robbers managed to escape.

在現場的1名退休巡佐就沒這麼幸運，因為他在攻擊中遭到槍殺。劫匪順利逃脫。

新聞辭典

hold up：片語，持槍搶劫。例句：Several masked men held up a bank.（幾名蒙面男子持槍搶劫一家銀行。）

slow down：片語，（使）慢下來、減速。例句：Economic growth has slowed down.（經濟成長的速度減緩了。）

gun down：片語，槍殺、開槍打傷。例句：The soldier gunned down innocent women and children.（這名士兵槍殺無辜的婦女和兒童。）

英語單字片語

單字片語
affect vt. 影響
例：This article is about how climate change affects Arctic ecology.（這篇文章是有關氣候變遷如何影響北極的生態。）
performance n.表現；表演
perform vi. 表演 & vt. 執行
perform one’s duties 執行某人的職責
例：The boss is very satisfied with the performance of the new manager.（老闆很滿意新任經理的工作表現。）
例：Jenny is nervous about performing on stage for the first time.（珍妮對第一次上台表演感到很緊張。）
valuable a.珍貴的；貴重的
例：This scientific research provided us with some valuable information about the environment.（該科學研究提供了我們一些有關自然環境的珍貴資訊。）
transfer vt.轉移
例：The patient needed immediate surgery, so he was transferred from the clinic to the local hospital.（該病患須馬上開刀，因此他被從一間小診所轉送到當地的醫院。）
surgery n.外科手術（不可數；operation 亦表「手術」，為可數）
perform surgery on…
= perform an operation on…
對……動手術

英語單字片語

單字片語
fortunate a.幸運的
例：Im very fortunate to have this opportunity to work with a famous director.（有這樣的機會與名導共事我覺得很幸運。）
unfortunate a.不幸的
talent n.才華
talented a.有才華的
例：Diana has a talent for acting.（黛安娜有演戲的才華。）
launch vt.開始；發表
launch a career 開始新職涯
launch a new book 發表新書
例：The celebritys daughter also plans to launch a career in show business.（該名人之女也計劃要往演藝事業發展。）
potential a.潛在的
potential customer 潛在客戶
例：This advertising campaign aims to attract more potential customers.（該廣告企劃旨在吸引更多的潛在客戶。）
a line of work 某個行業
different lines of work 不同行業
例：Do you know what line of work David is in？（你知道大衛做的是哪一行嗎？）
definitely adv.確切地
definite a.確切的
例：The national museum houses over hundreds of Impressionist paintings. It is definitely worth a visit.（該國家博物館收藏有好幾百幅印象派畫作。絕對值得一探。）

Man writes to Obama about smoking — and he writes back 男子寫信給歐巴瑪談抽菸 —他回信了！

◎管淑平

It’s been 30 years since his dad died, and Michael Powers still misses him. That’s why he wrote to President Obama urging him not to smoke so he could be there for his daughters.

鮑爾斯的爸爸已經過世30年了，而他依然思念他。這就是為什麼他要寫信給歐巴瑪總統，敦促他不要抽菸，才能陪伴在女兒身邊。

Powers, who calls himself a staunch Democrat, decided to write when he watched election night TV and heard Obama’s daughter greet him with a spirited "Hi, Daddy!"

自稱為死忠民主黨人的鮑爾斯，在選舉夜當晚看電視，聽到歐巴瑪的女兒活潑的跟老爸打招呼說「嗨，老爸」時，決定寫這封信。

"I think President Obama is the same way with his girls as my dad was with me," Powers said. "Friends."

「我想歐巴瑪總統和他女兒的關係，就像我爸和我」，鮑爾斯說，「像是朋友。」

Powers said Obama needs to be around for Malia and Sasha when they are dating： "Their dad’s gotta give some boys those dirty looks."

鮑爾斯說，當瑪莉亞和莎夏日後約會時，歐巴瑪得陪伴在她們左右，「他們的爸爸得給一些男孩臭臉看。」

Powers told Obama his dad, Benjamin, smoked three packs of cigarettes a day --and later died of lung, throat and bone cancer.

鮑爾斯告訴歐巴瑪，他父親班哲明曾經一天抽3包菸，之後死於肺癌、喉癌和骨癌。

Powers, 54, whose family has Waukegan roots, couldn’t believe it when Obama replied. He enclosed a photo of his dad. It was returned in a sealed plastic bag with Obama’s reply, he said.

當收到歐巴瑪的回信時，現年54歲、在瓦基根土生土長的鮑爾斯簡直不敢置信。他隨信附上的一張他父親的照片，被裝在一個密封塑膠袋裡，與歐巴瑪的回信一起寄回來，他說。

新聞辭典：

be there, be around：片語，在某人左右、身邊（表示支持之意）。例句：I’ll be around anytime if you need me. （如果你需要我，我隨時都在你身邊。）

give sb. a dirty look：片語，給某人臉色看。例句：He always gives me that kind of dirty looks everytime I ask him for help.（每次我請他幫忙時，他都給我臭臉看。）

enclose：動詞，與信件一起附上的文件、檔案等。例句：An explanatory leaflet is enclosed for your reference. （茲附上說明資料供你參考。）

Handling "bossnappings" poses dilemma for Sarkozy 薩科茲為解決「綁架老闆」問題面臨兩難

◎俞智敏

A spate of "bossnappings" by French workers has put President Nicolas Sarkozy in a tight spot, caught between the need to enforce the law and the risk of exacerbating unrest during the economic downturn.

法國勞工近來發動連串「綁架老闆」行動，讓薩科茲總統處境艱難，他在必須執行法律，以及避免在經濟不景氣時刺激社會動亂之間面臨兩難。

Managers have been held hostage at factories for up to 24 hours by staff angry about layoff plans in four separate incidents since March.

自今年3月起，法國已發生4起工廠經理遭挾持長達24小時的事件，起因都是員工對解僱計畫感到憤怒。

Sarkozy now faces a dilemma in how to handle similar incidents. Employers’ groups and politicians from centre-right camp say such acts are unacceptable.

薩科茲正面臨該如何處理類似狀況的難題。雇主組織及中間偏右陣營的政治人物都說無法接受這種（綁架老闆的）行為。

But labour unions and the left-wing opposition say workers facing layoffs in a context of recession and booming unemployment are desperate, so these acts are understandable.

但工會組織及左派反對陣營卻說，在經濟衰退、失業率高升的情況下，面臨解僱的勞工是鋌而走險，這麼做情有可原。

The risk of sending in the riot police when the next hostage-taking occurs is that, far from discouraging such acts, it could cause them to proliferate.

當下一次再發生工廠綁架人質事件時，派出鎮暴警察的風險在於，警察非但無法阻止類似事件，甚至可能導致綁架老闆的事件激增。

Turning a blind eye carries risks as well. All four plants where bossnappings have occurred are foreign-owned, and the head of the CGPME employers’ group, which represents small and medium businesses, said foreign investors could be put off France.

但坐視不理也同樣有風險。上述4家發生綁架老闆事件的工廠都是外商公司，代表中小企業的CGPME雇主組織領袖表示，外國投資人可能會被法國嚇跑。

新聞辭典

in a tight spot：也可用in a tough spot/corner：指處於困境，如If there is a shortage of fuel, everyone who drives to work will be in a tight spot.（假如燃料短缺，所有得開車去上班的人就麻煩了。）

layoff：名詞，或寫成lay-off，指遭到（臨時）解僱，或指停工、停止活動，如The recent economic crisis has led to massive layoffs.（最近的經濟危機導致員工遭到解僱。）

proliferate：動詞，正式用語，指突然激增或擴散，如Small businesses have proliferated in the last ten years.（過去十年來小型企業的數量大量增加。）名詞則為proliferation。

Spam’s carbon footprint 垃圾電郵的碳足跡

◎陳成良

Not only is spam a nuisance and sometimes criminally deceptive, it’s got a carbon footprint.

垃圾郵件不但煩人，時而涉及犯罪詐欺，還會留下碳足跡。

The mere act of people around the world deleting spam and searching for legitimate e-mail falsely labeled as junk creates the annual energy consumption equivalent in the U.S. of 2.4 million homes using electricity and the same greenhouse gas emissions as 3.1 million passenger cars using two billion gallons of gas.

全球各地民眾刪除垃圾郵件並搜尋被錯誤標示為垃圾的合法電郵，單單這種舉動每年所消耗的能源就相當於美國240萬戶家庭用電，溫室氣體排放量也等同於310萬輛小客車消耗20億加侖汽油。

That’s according to "The Carbon Footprint of Email Spam Report" conducted by climate-change consultants ICF and commissioned by security vendor McAfee.

以上結論是根據資安業者McAfee委託氣候變遷顧問公司ICF進行的「垃圾電郵碳足跡報告」。

The average greenhouse gas emission associated with one spam message is 0.3 grams of CO2, about the same as driving three feet in equivalent emissions. When multiplied by the 62 trillion spam e-mails sent globally, that is like driving around the Earth 1.6 million times.

與一封垃圾郵件相關的平均二氧化碳（CO2）排放量為0.3公克，約相當於開車移動3呎的排放量。如果乘以全球寄出的62兆封垃圾電郵，等於開車繞地球160萬次。

If spam filters were used universally, the energy saved would be equivalent to taking 2.3 million cars off the road, the report said.

如果全世界普遍使用垃圾郵件過濾器，節省的能源將等於道路上少了230萬輛車子。

新聞辭典

carbon footprint：名詞，碳足跡，指一個人、家庭、組織或國家所排放的溫室氣體（主要是二氧化碳）數量，也是溫室氣體排放量的通用測量標準。例 句：Calculate your carbon footprint, start reducing it and saving money.（計算你的碳足跡，開始減量來省錢。）

equivalent：形容詞，相等的；等值的。名詞，相等物。例句：The French word has no equivalent in English。（這個法文字在英文中沒有相對應的一個字。）

multiply：動詞，相乘；使（成倍地）增加。例句：The harm is done, the dissonances multiply. （傷害已經造成，不和諧的事情越來越多。）

英語單字片語

單字片語
●gap n.間隔
a generation gap 代溝
例：In almost every society, there is a generation gap between parents and children.（幾乎每個社會中，父母子女之間都存有代溝。）
●keen a.熱切的；敏銳的
have a keen eye for beauty 有敏銳的審美眼光
例：That photographer has a keen eye for beauty.（那位攝影師的審美眼光很敏銳。）
●have a good command of +語言 精通某種語言
例：Those who wish to apply for this position must have a good command of Japanese.（想應徵這份工作的人必須精通日語。）
●prerequisite n.先決條件，前提
●language institute 語言機構，語言補習班
●volunteer n.志願者 & vt.志願
例：Several colleagues volunteered to help me organize the trade fair.（幾位同事志願來幫我安排商展事宜。）

Mich. baseball park to offer 4,800-calorie burgers 密西根州棒球場提供4800卡路里的漢堡

◎張沛元

Well, at least the salsa is low-cal.

嗯，至少莎莎醬是低卡的。

The West Michigan Whitecaps, a minor league baseball team, will be offering up major league cholesterol, carbohydrates and calories in an enormous hamburger being added to the menu this year at the Fifth Third Ballpark.

美國職棒小聯盟球隊，西密西根白帽隊將把膽固醇、碳水化合物與卡路里皆達大聯盟級的超級大漢堡，納入五三棒球場今年的菜單。

The 4-pound, $20 burger features five beef patties, five slices of cheese, nearly a cup of chili and liberal doses of salsa and corn chips, all on an 8-inch sesame-seed bun.

這款4磅重、售價20美元的大漢堡裡有5片牛肉餅，5片起司，將近一杯的辣醬，以及大量莎莎醬與玉米脆片，全部塞進一個8吋大的芝麻麵包裡。

The Grand Rapids Press reports that anyone who eats the entire 4,800-calorie behemoth in one sitting will receive a special T-shirt. Saner fans can divide it up with a pizza cutter and share.

大湍流新聞報報導說，任何一位能夠一口氣吃掉這整個熱量4800卡巨無霸漢堡的人，就能得到一件特別的T恤。至於頭腦比較正常的球迷，則可以用披薩刀分食這個大漢堡。

The Midwest League team is a Class A affiliate of the Detroit Tigers.

這支中西聯盟的棒球隊是美國職棒大聯盟底特律老虎隊旗下的1A球隊。

新聞辭典

ballpark： 名詞，球類運動，特別是棒球的比賽場地。例句：The unofficial baseball anthem, "Take Me Out to the Ball Game," is traditionally sung during the seventh-inning stretch of a baseball game.（非正式的棒球國歌「帶我去看球」，通常在第七局中場播放。）

minor：形容詞，小的，少的，不重要的，年幼的，副修的。名詞，未成年人，副修科目。例句：Retailers selling alcohol and tobacco to minors will be fined.（販售菸酒給未成年人的零售商會被罰款。）

sane：形容詞，（頭腦、神智）清楚的，健全的。其相反詞為 insane，指發狂的，發瘋的。

英語單字片語

單字片語
taskn.工作，任務
take sb to task for sth 因某事責罵某人
例：The manager took John to task for being constantly late for work.
（約翰因老是遲到受經理責罵。）
terminate vt.終結，中止
例：The basketball player had his contract terminated because of his poor performance.
（這名籃球員因為表現不佳遭中止契約。）
tend to V 容易有……的傾向
例：John tends to lie.（約翰說謊成性。）
undertake vt.著手進行
例：It was then that I realized the difficulty of the task I was going to undertake.
（我那時候才知道自己即將進行的任務有多艱難。）
measure n.方法，措施
take measures 採取措施
例：The government are taking measures to reduce unemployment and revive the economy.
（政府正在採取措施降低失業率並活絡經濟。）

英語單字片語

單字片語
have a clear understanding of…對……有清楚的瞭解
= have a good understanding of…
例：We expect our employees to have a clear understanding of the company s regulations.（我們期望員工對公司規定能有清楚了解。）
dedicate vt.奉獻（與介詞to並用）
be dedicated to + N/V-ing 致力於……
= be devoted to +N/V-ing
例：The organization is dedicated to protecting the environment. （該組織致力於保護自然環境。）
achieve vt.達成
achieve/fulfil/accomplish a goal　　達成目標
例：John is in the habit of setting a series of goals while never trying to achieve any.（約翰習慣訂下一連串目標，但從未達成任何一項。）
subordinate n.部屬
例：Good coordination between managers and subordinates is essential for a company success.（主管與部屬間的良好協調對一家公司的成功來說非常重要。）
inspire vt.激勵
inspire sb to V 激勵某人做……
例：Dr. King speeches inspired many black people to stand up for their own rights（金恩博士的演說激勵了許多黑人挺身爭取自身權利。）

Sisters ’make people happy’ 姊妹讓人快樂

◎鄭寺音

Sisters spread happiness while brothers breed distress, experts believe.

專家相信，姊妹會散播快樂，然而兄弟卻會引起悲傷。

Researchers quizzed 571 people aged 17 to 25 about their lives and found those who grew up with sisters were more likely to be happy and balanced.

研究人員詢問571名17到25歲的人生活的問題，發現與姊妹一同成長的人，似乎比較快樂也比較平衡。

The University of Ulster said having daughters made a family more open and willing to discuss feelings. They said the influence of girls was particularly important after distressing family events such as marital break-ups.

厄斯特大學表示，有女兒讓家庭更開放，更願意討論感覺。他們說，在讓人難過的家庭事件，例如婚姻破裂之後，女孩的影響特別重要。

During the study, participants filled in psychological questionnaires which researchers used to assess a range of issues, including whether they had a positive outlook and any mental health problems.

這份研究中，參與者填寫心理問卷，研究人員用問卷來評估一些議題，包括參與者是否對未來有正面的看法與精神健康問題。

Lead researcher Professor Tony Cassidy said： "Sisters appear to encourage more open communication and cohesion in families.

領導研究者卡西迪說：「姊妹似乎會鼓勵家庭更多開放的對話與凝聚力。」

"Emotional expression is fundamental to good psychological health and having sisters promotes this in families."

「表達情緒對好的心理健康很重要，有姊妹會促進情感表達。」

He said many of the participants had been brought up in families where parents had split and the impact of sisters was even more marked in these circumstances.

他說，許多參與者是在父母仳離的家中成長，姊妹的影響在這些環境中甚至更為明顯。

新聞辭典

breed：動詞，引起。例句：A swamp breeds mosquitoes.（沼澤孳生蚊蟲。）

distress：名詞，痛苦。例句：Many of the horses were showing signs of distress at the end of the race.（比賽到最後，許多馬都顯出一副痛苦的樣子。）

cohesion：名詞，凝聚力。例句：The lack of cohesion within the party lost them votes in the election.（黨內缺乏凝聚力導致他們流失選票。）

Football club refunds fans for "pitiful" performance 足球隊因「糟糕的」表現而退費給球迷

◎ 魏國金

Energie Cottbus’ players will reimburse the entrance fee of their 600 fans who made the trip to Gelsenkirchen to watch their team lose 4-0 at Schalke 04, the Bundesliga club said.

科特布斯隊的球員將退給600名球迷門票費，這些球迷自蓋爾森基興遠道而來，卻看到他們在球賽中以0比4慘敗給沙爾克04隊，這支德國足球甲級聯賽球隊指出。

"By refunding the cost of admission for their supporters, the red and whites would like to apologise for the pitiful performance which they displayed at the Veltins Arena," explained the club in a press release entitled "Sorry".

「藉由退還門票費給支持者，這支球衣為紅白色的球隊希望為他們在維爾廷斯球場呈現的糟糕表現致歉」，球隊在名為「對不起」的記者會上解釋說。

Roughly 600 fans travelled from Cottbus, in east Germany near the Polish border, on Friday night to Gelsenkirchen -- a journey of some 610 kilometres -- to see their team suffer their sixth defeat in their last seven league games.

約600名球迷週五晚間從德國東部接近波蘭邊界的科特布斯市來到蓋爾森基興，整個旅程約達610公里，沒想到卻看到家鄉球隊吞下最近7場聯賽中的第六敗。

Cottbus are second from bottom of the Bundesliga table and are in danger of being relegated at the end of the season.

科特布斯隊目前在甲級聯賽的排行榜上位居倒數第二，在球季結束時恐有被降級的危險。

新聞辭典

pitiful︰可憐的、令人同情的，在此指（表現）令人失望的、糟糕的。例句︰The stray dog was pitiful.（那隻流浪狗很可憐。）

reimburse︰歸還、補償。例句︰The company will reimburse your travel expenses.（公司將付還你的差旅費。）

relegate︰（球隊）降級、把…置於其次、流放。例句︰He relegated his fears to the edge of his mind.（他置恐懼於腦後。）

英語單字片語

單字片語
◎supervisory a.管理上的
例：Your new position will entail more supervisory responsibilities.（你的新職位將包含更多的管理責任。）
◎a class representative班代
．representative n.代表 & a.代表性的，代表的
．be representative of…代表……
例：Doves are representative of peace. （鴿子代表和平。）
◎act as…作為……
例：Mike was asked to act as the company’s consultant on legal matters.（邁可受聘擔任公司法律顧問。）
◎mediator n.調停者，中間人
．mediate vt.& vi.居中斡旋
例：The UN official mediated between the two countries.（這位聯合國官員為兩國居中斡旋。）
◎faculty n. 教職員
（集合名詞，不可數）
例：We have a faculty of 100 in our school. （我們學校有100名教職員。） = We have 30 faculty members in our school.
◎leadership n.領導職位；
領導能力
．under sb’s leadership在某人的領導之下
例：The company thrives under the new executive’s leadership.（公司在新執行長帶領下蒸蒸日上。）

英語單字片語

單字片語
◎adapt vt. & vi.適應
．adapt (oneself) to…適應……
= adjust (oneself) to…
= get used to…
=get accustomed to…
例：Johnny has not yet adapted to the quiet country life.（強尼還沒適應安靜的鄉下生活。）
例：I gradually get accustomed to my new job.（我逐漸適應了新工作。）
◎initially adv.起初
例：Initially, we thought the project was just a waste of time and money.（起初，我們認為該企劃只是在浪費時間與金錢而已。）
◎challenge n. & vt.挑戰
．meet/face a challenge面對挑戰
．challenge sb to do sth挑戰某人做某事
例：The politician challenged the minister to quit his job if economy didn’t improve.（若經濟未見好轉，該政治人物要求部長辭職。）

Driver crashes into brothel, runs away 開車撞入妓院 駕駛人逃逸

◎羅彥傑

When visiting a brothel, it’s normal to try to sneak in without being noticed. But the driver of an AU$175,000 Mercedes-Benz was far from unobtrusive when accidentally dropping into a notorious Melbourne brothel on Sunday.

當逛妓院時，通常都是要偷偷摸摸地進去，不要引人注意。但一輛17.5萬澳幣賓士車的駕駛人，週日突然闖入墨爾本一間惡名昭彰的妓院時，卻是一點也不低調。

The driver lost control of his car while trying to turn a corner, with the result that the Mercedes ploughed over a steel fence and planted itself in the front of the Ladies For Gentlemen brothel.

這名駕駛人試圖轉彎時，失去對車子的控制，結果賓士車衝過鐵欄杆，停在「紳士專用淑女」妓院前面。

The driver legged it following the crash.

這名駕駛人在車禍後跑掉。

Ladies For Gentlemen is one of Melbourne’s oldest and most expensive brothels, according to The Age, with escorts starting at AU$300 per hour.

「紳士專用淑女」是墨爾本最古老與最昂貴的妓院之一，根據「時代報」指出，每小時應召價從澳幣300元起跳。

The driver, who fled the scene on foot, was not hurt in the accident. Police believe they know the identity of the driver, and are appealing for witnesses.

這名徒步逃離現場的駕駛人，未在車禍事件中受傷。警方相信他們知道這名駕駛人的身分，正呼籲目擊者指認。

新聞辭典

unobtrusive：片語，不唐突的、不引人注目的。例句：We will try to be as unobtrusive as possible.（我們將儘量做到不引人注目。）

turn a corner：片語，在街角轉彎，度過難關。例句：He was very ill but he’s turned the corner now.（他曾病得很重，但現已好轉。）

leg it：片語，行走、跑。例句：The children legged it up the street before I could catch them.（我還來不及抓住那些孩子，他們就已沿著大街跑掉。）

Summer job: US intelligence analyst 暑期打工：當美國情報分析師

Forget mowing lawns, or thankless corporate internships : How about a two-week summer gig as an analyst under US Director of National Intelligence Dennis Blair?

別管除草或吃力不討好的企業實習，在美國國家情報首長布萊爾的麾下當個情報分析師，這個為時2週的暑期打工機會如何？

Blair’s office announced on 14th. April that it was looking for about 30 smart, motivated students in graduate school or their final year of undergraduate studies for a first-of-its-kind July 13 - July 24 "hands-on seminar."

布萊爾的辦公室4月14日宣布，徵求30名聰明、積極的研究所或大四學生，參加7月13日到24日首創先例的「實務研討會」。

Applicants must be US citizens at least 21 years old, with a strong academic background and the ability to pass a background security investigation before they study "Political Instability - International Systems in Transition."

申請者必須是年滿21歲的美國公民，學業表現優良，並通過身家背景調查後，還要研讀「政治不穩定：變動中的國際體系」一書。

"The program will include lectures, field trips to agencies and work on an intelligence problem under the direction of analysts drawn from the Intelligence Community," Blair’s office said in a statement.

「這項計畫包括上課、參訪情報機構，以及在來自情報圈的分析家指導下處理情報問題」，布萊爾辦公室在聲明中說。

"Students who qualify will receive secret-level security clearances for the duration of the seminar," as well as travel expenses, room and board, course materials, and a 1,000-dollar stipend, the statement said.

「合格的學生將在實習期間擁有機密安全人員等級的資格」，以及差旅費、食宿、教材和1000美元津貼，這份聲明說。

新聞辭典

thankless：形容詞，吃力不討好的。例句：Being a housewife is a thankless job.（當個家庭主婦是吃力不討好的工作。）

gig：（美國俚語）工作（特別是指暫時性的工作），音樂表演。例句：Our Jazz band is going to have a gig next Friday in a famous Jazz bar.（我們的爵士樂團下週五將在一家知名爵士酒吧演出。）

hands-on：形容詞，身體力行的，親身去做的。例句：He is a hands-on manager.（他是事必躬親的經理。）

英語單字片語

單字片語
◎deal with… 處理……
= cope with…
= handle...
例：Tell me how to deal with this problem.（告訴我該如何處理此一問題。）
◎wrongly adv.錯誤地，不當地
．be wrongly criticized受不當批評
例：Roger was wrongly accused of stealing from the company.
（羅傑遭不實指控從公司偷錢。）
◎think of A as B認為A是B
= regard A as B
◎negativea.負面的
．positivea.正面的
例：People who have a positive attitude towards life are usually happier.（對生命抱持正面態度的人通常比較快樂。）
platformn.（表達的）機會
◎constructivea.有建設性的
例：We received a lot of constructive feedback during the meeting.（會議期間我們收到很多具建設性的回饋意見。）
◎clear up…澄清……
例：The witness was summoned to clear up a few points about the murder.（這名目擊者被召來澄清該起謀殺案的幾個疑點。）
◎hard feelings心結

英語單字片語

單字片語
◎differ from…與……不同
=be different from…
例：Cats differ from dogs a lot in temperament.（貓與狗的性情大不同。）
＊temperament n. 性情
◎speak up說出自己的想法
例：You can speak up if you have any ideas.（有什麼想法，都可以講出來。）
speak up for sb　　為某人說話
例：Larry spoke up for Cindy when she was being picked on.（賴瑞在辛蒂被刁難時站出來幫她說話。）
＊pick on sb　　刁難某人
◎clear up…澄清∕解決……
例：There are several points we need to clear up before the meeting starts. （開會前我們必須先釐清幾個問題。）
◎issue n. 問題，議題
例：High unemployment is a serious issue in this country.（高失業率在該國家是很嚴重的問題。）
◎communicative a. 溝通的，樂於溝通的
例：That teacher is very communicative; she always listens to students' problems and gives them advice.（那位老師樂於溝通；她常聆聽學生的問題並給予建議。）
◎superior n. 長官 & a. 上級的，優秀的
be superior to…比……優秀的
例：The functions of my new cell phone are superior to the old one.（我新手機的功能比舊的好。）

Australia PM "sorry" over inflight food flap澳洲總理為飛機餐點爭議感到「抱歉」

◎ 自由時報轉載

Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd found himself apologising for a flap over a missing inflight meal as he fielded questions from the global press on a $1.1-trillion rescue plan unveiled at the G20 summit.

澳洲總理陸克文在二十國集團高峰會宣布一項1.1兆美元救援計畫時，接受全球媒體提問，卻沒想到竟得為他沒吃到飛機餐點的小爭執而道歉。

While briefing reporters about steps taken by world leaders to combat the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression, Rudd was asked about a press report that he had lost his temper with a flight attendant when told his meal request could not be met.

當陸克文正向記者解釋全球領袖準備採取哪些措施來對付從大蕭條以來最嚴重的經濟危機時，他卻被問到有媒體報導指稱，他曾在空服員告知無法配合他的餐點要求時大發雷霆一事。

Australia’s Daily Telegraph said that Rudd reduced the 23-year-old woman to tears while on a flight in January from Papua New Guinea to Canberra.

澳洲的每日電訊報報導說，陸克文今年一月自巴布亞紐幾內亞飛往坎培拉時，曾讓該名23歲的空姐落淚。

Rudd, reportedly on a special weight-loss diet of non-red meat, acknowledged he "had a discussion" with a staff member on his VIP flight about "the provision of food" but said he did not see anyone on the plane cry.

據稱陸克文正在吃無紅肉的特殊減肥餐，他坦承當時曾在專機上與一名空服員對「餐點供應」問題「進行討論」，但他說沒看見飛機上有任何人哭泣。

"If anyone was offended by that, including the attendant concerned, of course, I apologise," Rudd said. "I said to the member of staff not to worry about it," he added.

「假如任何人因此感到不舒服，包括上述的空服員在內，我在此道歉，」陸克文說。「我已經告訴機組員不必在意，」他說。

新聞辭典：

flap：名詞，非正式用語，指騷亂、激動，如She’s in a flap because her parents are coming to visit.（父母要來拜訪讓她慌亂不已。）

field：動詞，指巧妙地回答，如The Minister had to field some tricky questions from the reporters.（部長必須巧妙地回答記者們一些難以應付的問題。）

reduce sb to sth：讓某人落到某種地步，如His comments reduced her to tears（= made her cry）.（他的話把她弄哭了。）

英語單字片語

單字片語
◎What if…？萬一……的話，怎麼辦？
例：A picnic in the park is a good idea, but what if it rains？
（在公園野餐這個點子不錯，不過萬一下雨怎麼辦？）
◎relocate vi & vt.（人或公司的）
搬遷，異動
例：Kelly's company relocated her to New York.
（凱莉被公司派駐紐約。）
◎relocation n.調動
◎advancement n.晉升
．advance vt.& vi.發展，進步
例：With no opportunity of advancement, Mary left the company.
（瑪麗因為沒有升遷的機會而離開了該公司。）
◎make a greater contribution to…對……有更大的貢獻
例：Mark wanted to make a contribution to the community, so he volunteered to tutor children for free.
（馬克想對社區有所貢獻，因此自願幫小朋友免費教學。）
◎keen a.渴望的
例：I'm keen to travel around the world.
（我好想環遊世界。）

U.N. launches loans project for slum-dwellers 聯合國推出貧民窟居民貸款計畫

◎自由時報轉載

A U.N. programme to break the poverty cycle by providing small housing loans to slum-dwellers is set to take off in six nations after agreements were signed on Thursday.

聯合國一項藉由提供小型房貸給貧民窟居民以打破貧窮循環的計畫，於週四簽署協議之後，即將在6個國家上路。

Launching the project at a meeting in Nairobi, the U.N. housing agency UN-Habitat said financial institutions in Argentina, Bangladesh, Kenya, Nepal, Tanzania and Uganda would receive loans of up to $500,000 for housing slum-dwellers.

聯合國住宅主管機關「聯合國人類住區規劃署」在奈洛比一場會議中推出這項方案時表示，阿根廷、孟加拉、肯亞、尼泊爾、坦尚尼亞及烏干達的金融機構將會得到多達50萬美元貸款來提供給貧民窟居民。

Funded by Spain, Bahrain and the Rockefeller Foundation, the $5 million Experimental Reimbursable Seeding Operations project lends the money to local banks that will in turn lend to the urban poor.

由西班牙、巴林及洛克斐勒基金會資助、規模500萬美元的「實驗性有償播種行動」把這筆錢借給當地銀行，再轉借給都市貧民。

New housing will be built in eight slums in Nepal under the project, which is expected to help at least 6,700 people there.

根據這項計畫，尼泊爾8個貧民窟將興建新住宅，預計至少造福 6,700名當地民眾。

The U.N. programme has a total budget of $5 million of which $3.6 million is available to be lent to developing nations with $1.4 million for administration, staff time and legal fees.

這項聯合國計畫總預算為500萬美元，其中360萬美元可用來借給開發中國家，140萬美元用來支付行政、員工工時及法律費用。

新聞辭典 Dictionary

take off ：片語，（飛機）起飛；開始；脫掉（衣服）。例句：Twenty minutes after the plane taking off, she took her coat off and took a nap.（飛機起飛後20分鐘，她脫下外套打起盹來。）

reimbursable：形容詞，可補償的。動詞型態是reimburse，是正式用語，指償還、補償。例句：She was reimbursed by the gas company for the damage to her house.（瓦斯公司因為她的房屋受損而提供她補償金。）

in turn︰輪流地、反過來。例句︰Theory is based on practice and in turn serves practice.（理論以實踐為基礎，反過來又為實踐服務。）

英語單字片語

單字片語
◎frequently adv.頻繁地
例：Mike frequently tried to ask Alice out on a date, but she always turned him down.（邁可常常想約艾莉絲出去，但總是被她拒絕。）
◎be (out) on business 出差
例：Peter is out on business and won’t be back until next Friday.（彼得出差去下週五才會回來。）
◎look forward to + N/V-ing 期待……
例：I look forward to hearing from you soon.（我期待早日聽到你的音訊。）
◎experience vt.經歷，體驗
例：Jack experienced a lot of difficulties when he started his own business.（傑克創業時遭遇很多困難。）
◎self-sufficient a.自立的，自給自足的
例：The country invested in agriculture and became self-sufficient in grain.（該國投資農業，在穀類上自給自足。）
．agriculture n. 農業

英語單字片語

單字片語
◎work overtime加班
．overtime adv.加班地 & n.加班，加班費
例：Our team worked overtime for a whole week to meet the deadline.（我們這組為了趕上截止日加班加了整整一星期。）
例：Sam's salary for last month is $2,000, including his overtime.（山姆上個月包括加班費的薪水是2,000美元。）
◎if need be如果需要的話 = if (it is) necessary
例：Give me a call if need be / if necessary.（如果需要的話，打電話給我。）
◎be serious about…認真看待……
例：Brian is serious about marrying Jane and will propose to her next week.（布萊恩很認真想跟瑪麗結婚，下星期就會跟她求婚。）
◎take pride in sb/sth對某人∕事感到驕傲
= be proud of sb/sth
例：Jack's father takes great pride in Jack's success at work.（傑克的父親對他在工作上的成就感到驕傲。）
◎To ensure the job gets done well,…
=To ensure that the job gets done well,…
=To make sure that the job gets done well,…
（為確保工作能做好，……）
例：Ensure that you turn off the lights when leaving the room.（離開房間時要確實關燈。）

Guard fired after locking new hire in with inmate／把新同事跟犯人關在一起的監獄管理員被炒魷魚

◎自由時報轉載

A western Pennsylvania county prison guard has been fired over a prank in which a new guard was locked in a cell with an inmate involved in a police shootout.

一名賓州西部郡立監獄的管理員為了一場惡作劇被炒魷魚，因為他把一名新來的管理員跟一名涉及持槍襲警的犯人關在同一間牢房裡。

Blair County officials didn’t release the guards’ names, but confirmed the incident after The Altoona Mirror received an anonymous report.

在奧爾托納鏡報接獲匿名舉報後，布雷爾郡官員並未公布這些監獄管理員的姓名，但證實確有此事。

The report said the new guard was locked with the inmate for 20 minutes by a guard who wanted to see what the new hire was made of.

該舉報指出，一名監獄管理員把新來的警衛跟一名犯人關在一起20分鐘，只因為這名監獄管理員想看看這名新人的本事。

The inmate, accused of shooting at Altoona police in November, filed a complaint with the NAACP.

這名被控在去年11月槍擊奧爾托納警察的犯人，已向美國的全國有色人種促進會提出訴願。

But Blair County Commissioner Terry Tomassetti said the new hire was the target, not the inmate.

但布雷爾郡郡長泰瑞．托馬歇提說，目標是這名新人，而非犯人。

Tomassetti says it was "just picking on a new employee," but still serious, and officials don’t want it to happen again.

托馬歇提說，這（件事情）「只是找新人的碴」，但還是很嚴重，官員不希望這種事再度發生。

新聞辭典

hire：名詞，（非正式用法）受雇者。例句：Those two guys are the new hires in the sales department.（那兩個人是業務部的新人。）

prank：名詞，惡作劇。俚語，play a prank/trick on someone，對某人惡作劇。例句：Somebody played a prank on me by hiding my chair.（有人對我惡作劇把我的椅子藏起來了。）

pick on someone or something：片語，找碴，找麻煩；不公平地騷擾或打擾某人或某事。例句：Would you please stop picking on the dog?（拜託你不要去煩那隻狗好不好？）

Hot climate produces baby girls 炎熱的氣候較易生女寶寶

◎自由時報轉載

People who live in the tropics have more baby girls compared with those living in other parts of the world, work reveals.

研究顯示，住在熱帶的人，比生活在世界上其他地方的人生更多女孩。

It may be down to the hotter weather or the longer days, says US researcher Dr Kristen Navara.

美國研究人員那瓦拉說，這可能是因為天氣較炎熱，或白天較長的緣故。

She says this climate may change miscarriage rates and sperm quality.

Or there may be some evolutionary advantage to having more girls than boys if you live by the equator.

她說，氣候可能改變流產率與精子品質。或者是住在接近赤道的地方，生較多女孩可能比生男孩多一些演化好處。

Experts already know that the birth rates of boys and girls vary across the globe.

專家已經知道生男孩與女孩的機率，世界各地不同。

While some of this can be explained by society—in countries like China baby boys are favoured and many unborn girls are electively aborted—there are natural processes at work.

有些時候這種情況可用社會來解釋—在中國等國家，男孩比較受歡迎，還未出生的女孩會被選擇性地墮胎—不過自然過程也有影響。

Research suggests the female foetus is less fragile than the male foetus, which is more prone to the effects of the environment on pregnant women.

研究人員認為，男胎比女胎脆弱，比較容易受到環境對孕婦的影響。

新聞辭典

produce：動詞，生育。例句：All our friends seem to be busy producing offspring at the moment.

（我們的朋友現在似乎都在忙著生兒育女。）

miscarriage：名詞，流產。例句：I had two miscarriages before I gave birth to my daughter Heather.（我生女兒海瑟之前，曾經流產兩次。）

by：介係詞，在……旁邊，靠近。例句：A small child stood sullenly by her side.（一個小孩繃著臉站在她身旁。）

Saudis ban lewd licence tags -- including ’USA’ 沙烏地禁止粗鄙的車牌—包括有USA字樣

◎ 自由時報轉載

Saudi Arabia has banned auto licence tags whose Arabic characters spell out offensive words when romanised, with the list of banned combinations including "USA", Al-Watan newspaper reported.

沙烏地阿拉伯國家報報導，沙國禁止那些當阿拉伯字母轉譯為拉丁字母後，變成冒犯字眼的車牌，而列在黑名單的字母組合包括「USA」（美國）。

Saudi plates normally have three Arabic characters and three numbers, but the growing fashion is for auto owners also to display a version using the Latin alphabet and some buyers of personalised "vanity plates" deliberately choose Arabic letters which turn into words like "SEX", "ASS" and "NUT".

沙國車牌通常由3個阿拉伯字母與3個數字組成，然而對車主來說，同時顯示拉丁字母版的車牌日益成為風尚，有些個人化的「虛榮牌照」的汽車買主蓄意選用會轉變成諸如「SEX」（性）、「ASS」（屁股）、「NUT」（傻瓜）等字彙的阿拉伯字母。

The authorities in charge of issuing vanity plates have released a list of nine prohibited three-letter combinations, and ordered all branches to stop renewing plates that include them, according to Watan.

負責核發虛榮牌照的權責單位已公布9個遭禁的3字母組成字彙，並通令所有分支機構停止讓包括這些字彙的牌照換照，國家報指出。

On the list are combinations like "BUT," "BAD" and "BAR" -- the latter presumably a problem because it suggests alcohol, which is strictly prohibited in the conservative Islamic kingdom. But first on the list is the combination "USA".

榜上有名的組合字諸如「BUT」（但是）、「BAD」（壞的）與「BAR」（酒吧）—後者必然是個問題，因為它讓人聯想到酒精，而在這個保守的伊斯蘭王國，酒是嚴格禁止的。然而列為榜首的組合字則是「USA」。

Vanity plates are fashionable with wealthy and young Saudis, and auctions of special combinations have brought in as much1.6 million dollars for one plate, the newspaper reported.

虛榮牌照風靡沙國的有錢年輕人，而在特殊組合字彙的車牌拍賣上，一張牌曾帶來高達160萬美元的利潤，該報紙報導。

新聞辭典

lewd︰猥褻的、粗鄙的。例如︰a lewd remark（下流話）。

vanity plates︰vanity指虛榮、浮華。vanity plate就是為了滿足車主虛榮心而特別選定的汽車車牌。

bring in︰引進、產生（利潤、收入）。例句︰The wife is bringing in more than the husband.（妻子賺的錢比丈夫多。）

US woman arrested after shackling self to husband 美婦女銬上自己與丈夫後被捕

◎自由時報轉載

An American woman handcuffed herself to her sleeping husband in an apparent attempt to resolve an argument, but police ended up breaking into their home and charging her with assault and other crimes, authorities said on Tuesday.

一名美國婦女用手銬把自己和沈睡中的丈夫銬在一起，明顯是為了化解爭執，但警方最後闖入其住家，指控她犯下攻擊及其他罪行，當局週二表示。

Helen Sun, 37, handcuffed herself to Robert Drawbough as he slept in their Fairfax, Connecticut, home on Monday in an effort to reconcile their differences, police said.

37歲的海倫．桑恩，週一趁羅伯特．卓博在他們位於康乃狄克州費爾法克斯的家中睡覺時，把兩人銬在一起，為的是要化解歧見，警方說。

But when Drawbough called police with his cell phone, Sun responded by biting him on the arms and torso, police said.

但當卓博用自己的手機報警時，桑恩的反應是咬他的手臂與身軀，警方說。

Police officers heard screams when they arrived at the home and forced their way in, said Chris Lyddy of the Fairfield Police Department.

費爾菲德警局的克里斯．李迪說，警官抵達其家中時，聽見尖叫聲，並強行進入。

Sun was charged with third-degree assault, disorderly conduct, reckless endangerment and unlawful restraint. She was released on a $400 bond.

桑恩被指控犯下第三級攻擊、行為不當、魯莽致人於險及非法限制等罪名。她以400美元交保獲釋。

新聞辭典

shackle：動詞，給～戴上鐐銬。例句：In the old days, the slaves used to be shackled with heavy metal chains. （古時候，奴隸常鎖著沈重的金屬鐐銬。）

end up： 片語，結束、告終。例句：War on drug traffickers may end up hurting Mexico’s ruling party.（掃毒戰可能最後會傷害墨西哥的執政黨。）

break into：片語，破門而入。例句：We had to break into the house as we had lost the key.（因為弄丟了鑰匙，我們不得不破門而入。）

Holocaust concert draws anger in Palestinian camp 大屠殺紀念音樂會在巴勒斯坦難民營引發激憤

◎自由時報轉載

Palestinian authorities disbanded a youth orchestra from a West Bank refugee camp after it played for a group of Holocaust survivors in Israel, a local official said.

據一名地方官員表示，巴勒斯坦當局宣布解散一個來自約旦河西岸難民營的青少年弦樂團，因為這個樂團最近在以色列的猶太大屠殺倖存者面前表演。

Adnan Hindi of the Jenin camp called the Holocaust a "political issue" and accused conductor Wafa Younis of unknowingly dragging the children into a political dispute. Younis has been barred from the camp and the apartment where she taught the 13-member Strings of Freedom orchestra has been boarded up.

傑寧難民營官員辛地指稱猶太大屠殺為「政治議題」，並指控樂團指揮娃法．尤妮絲把不知情的兒童扯進政治爭議裡。尤妮絲已被禁止進入傑寧，她原本指導「自由弦樂團」13名成員練習的公寓也被封閉。

The move highlights the sensitivity of many Palestinians over acknowledging Jewish suffering, fearing it would weaken their own historical grievances against Israel.

此舉凸顯出許多巴人在承認猶太人苦難時的敏感心理，他們擔心如此一來會削弱巴人歷史上對以色列人的強烈不滿。

"The Holocaust happened, but we are facing a similar massacre by the Jews themselves," Hindi said. "We lost our land, and we were forced to flee and we’ve lived in refugee camps for the past 50 years."

「猶太大屠殺的確發生過，但我們卻正面臨猶太人所施加給巴人的類似大屠殺」，辛地說。「我們失去了土地，而且被迫逃命，我們已在難民營裡生活了50年。」

Jenin camp’s residents are descendants of Palestinians who were displaced during Israel’s war of independence.

傑寧難民營的居民都是在以色列獨立戰爭期間，被迫離開故鄉的巴人後代。

Younis said that her intention was purely to perform music. "We didn’t do anything wrong," she said.

尤妮絲則說，她的目的純粹就只是表演音樂。「我們沒有做錯任何事」，她說。

新聞辭典

board up：動詞片語，用木板封住建築物的出入口，如We will have to board this house up if we can’t sell it.（假如我們賣不掉這棟房子，就得把房子封起來。）

grievance： 片詞，指因受不公待遇而感到強烈的不滿或憤慨。如A special committee has been appointed to handle prisoners’ grievances.（當局已指派一特別委員會，負責處理受刑人的不滿。）

displace：動 詞，指迫使某物或某人離開原有位置，如The building of a new dam will displace thousands of people who live in this area.（建造新水壩將迫使數千名原本住在此地的居民遷離家園。）displaced person尤指因戰爭、政治迫害或重大天災而被迫逃離家園的人。

Dog overboard found four months later 落海狗四個月後現身

◎自由時報轉載

A pet dog that fell overboard in rough seas has been reunited with its owners after surviving alone on an island for four months, reports said.

一隻從船上落入怒海的寵物狗，在一座島上孤單度過4個月後，再度與主人團聚，報導說。

The 4-year-old Sophie Tucker, apparently named after a late US entertainer, fell overboard as Jan Griffith’s family sailed through choppy waters off the northeast Queensland coast in November.

這隻4歲的「蘇菲塔克」，顯然是以一名已故美國影星為名，去年11月隨葛瑞菲一家人在東北部昆士蘭外海的大浪中航行時跌落船外。

The dog was believed to have drowned. But out of sight of the family, she was swimming doggedly and finally made it to St Bees Island, five nautical miles away, and began the sort of life popularised by the TV reality show "Survivor."

大家原以為這隻狗溺斃了，但是這家人沒看到的是，這頭母犬奮力的游，最後游到五海里外的聖彼斯島，接著展開一段如人氣電視實境秀「我要活下去」的日子。

Sophie Tucker was captured by rangers last week on on the largely uninhabited island. Rangers initially thought they’d captured a wild dog that had been living off feral goats.

上週巡警在這個人煙罕至的島上抓到蘇菲塔克，起初以為抓到一隻吃野山羊維生的野狗。

But after Griffith and her husband heard the news and met the rangers’ boat bringing the dog to the mainland and were shocked to find that it was indeed their long-lost pet on board.

但是葛瑞菲與丈夫聽到消息後，前往正載著狗回到本島的巡警船看看，驚訝的發現，船上那隻狗就是他們失去已久的寵物。

"We called the dog and she started whimpering and banging the cage and they let her out and she just about flattened us," Griffith said, "She wriggled around like a mad thing."

「我們叫牠，牠開始低聲嗚鳴，然後撞籠子，他們把牠放出來，牠幾乎要把我們撲倒」，葛瑞菲說，「牠瘋狂的搖尾巴。」

新聞辭典

rough seas、choppy waters：rough、choppy都是形容大浪、波濤洶湧。sea、water用形容詞＋複數形，意指海面波浪狀況。

doggedly：副詞，頑固的堅持下去地。例句：He was doggedly determined to marry her.（他頑固的堅決要娶她。）

devastated：形容詞，備受打擊的（難過、傷心）。例句：She was devastated by her son’t death.（她兒子的死讓她深受打擊。）

Special Viruses Recharge Batteries特殊病毒為電池充電

◎自由時報轉載

MIT researchers say they’ve combined nanotechnology with genetically engineered viruses to build batteries that could power hybrid cars and cell phones.

麻省理工學院（MIT）研究人員表示，他們已結合奈米科技與基因工程病毒，製造出能為油電混合動力車及手機提供電力的電池。

The batteries, according to MIT, have the same energy capacity and power performance as state-of-the-art rechargeable batteries that are being considered to power plug-in hybrid cars and personal electronic devices.

據MIT表示，這款電池與目前考慮用在插電式油電混合動力車及個人化電子裝置中的最先進充電電池，有相同的電容量與效能。

They changed two genes in the virus, called M13, and got it to do two things： build a shell made out of a compound called iron phosphate, and then attach to a carbon nanotube to make a powerful and tiny electrode.

他們改造了M13病毒中的兩個基因，並引導這種基因產生兩個作用，首先在一種叫做磷酸鐵的化合物上聚合成一個包膜，然後依附在奈米碳管上，形成微小但強大的電極。

Such an electrode could conceivably make more powerful memory devices such as MP3 players or cellular telephones, and are far more environmentally friendly than current battery technologies, said Angela Belcher, a Massachusetts Institute of Technology materials scientist who led the research.

這樣的電極想當然耳能製成比較強大的記憶裝置，諸如MP3播放器和手機，而且遠比目前的電池技術合乎環保要求，領導這項研究的MIT材料科學家貝契說。

"We could run an iPod on it for about three times as long as current iPod batteries. If we really scale it, it would be used in a car," she added.

「它若裝入iPod，那麼使用時間大約是目前iPod電池的3倍長。如果真的將這種電池按比例放大，也可裝在汽車上」，她補充說。

《新聞辭典》

hybrid：混合體、（動植物的）雜種，如The hybrid from a donkey and a horse is called a mule.（驢和馬的雜交種稱為騾子。） hybrid car則指使用一種以上動力的車輛，如氣電混合車或油電混合車。

state-of-the-art：（科技、機電等產品）最先進的、最高級的。用法如 「state-of-the-art technology」（ 尖端科技）。

scale：動詞，按一定比例製作。例句： Scale the model to be one tenth of actual size. （製作這個模型為實際大小的1/10。）

Southern Chinese city to reinvent the wheel 華南城市重新創造摩天輪

◎自由時報轉載

China is planning to build the world’s highest ferris wheel in the southern city of Guangzhou to give tourism in the city a lift, state media said, stealing thunder from the capital Beijing.

國營媒體報導，中國打算在南方城市廣州興建全世界最高的摩天輪以提振該市的觀光，不讓首都北京專美於前。

The wheel, the highest if not the largest in the world, will be built on the sloping roof of the 450-metre Guangzhou TV tower and open before October 1, 2010, when the city, capital of the booming province of Guangdong, hosts the 16th Asian Games.

這座全球最大或最高的摩天輪，將興建於450公尺高的廣州電視塔的傾面屋頂上，並在2010年10月1日以前開幕，屆時身為廣東省省會的廣州，正在主辦第16屆亞運會。

"The ferris wheel will withstand an earthquake of up to magnitude 8, owing to its quake-resistant design," the China Daily said. "Lightning arresters will form part of the design to make sure there is little damage during storm and lightning."

「這個摩天輪的抗震設計將使之能抵擋得住規模8的地震」，中國日報說。「避雷裝置將會是設計的一部分，以確保（該摩天輪）在雷雨閃電時不會有太大損傷。」

The newspaper said the wheel would be the world’s highest, but did not specify dimensions.

該報說，這個摩天輪將是全球第一高，但並未詳述其規模。

Beijing is already planning a giant ferris wheel, higher than both the London Eye and the Singapore Flyer.

北京已經計畫興建一座大型摩天輪，高度超越「倫敦眼」摩天輪與新加坡Flyer摩天輪。

新聞辭典

give someone a lift ：片語，給某人搭便車；提振某人士氣使之覺得更好。例句：Could you give me a lift? I’m already late for the meeting.（可以讓我搭便車嗎？我已經開會遲到了。）

steal somebody’s thunder：片語，搶人風采，做某事奪走稍早已做過此事的人所獲得的矚目。

owing to：片語，由於，基於。

Lavender ’takes edge off horror’ 薰衣草減輕恐怖的感覺

◎自由時報轉載

Taking a deep sniff of lavender before you settle down for a horror film might stop you getting so scared - but only if you are a woman, a study has found.

研究發現，看恐怖片之前，深深吸一口薰衣草的味道，可以讓你沒那麼害怕 ——不過這只對女性有用。

Men should avoid the smell unless they crave a more unsettling experience, a paper being presented to the British Psychological Society suggests.

在英國心理學會發表的報告顯示，男性應該避免這種味道，除非他們想要更加不安。

Volunteers were given either capsules containing lavender or a placebo. Their physiological responses to neutral, scary and light-hearted film clips were then observed.

自願者拿到含有薰衣草或安慰劑的膠囊。接著研究人員觀察他們對中性、緊張與輕鬆影片的生理反應。

Women who took lavender had an increased heart rate variation - an indicator of a more relaxed state - during all three films.

吸薰衣草味道的女性，在觀看這三種影片期間，心跳變化增加，顯示較為放鬆的狀態。

Aromatherapy is rooted in the idea that certain fragrant smells can stimulate the limbic system - the emotion-related parts of the brain - causing changes in the function of the body and mind.

芳香療法的根據是，部分香味可以刺激腦中與情緒相關的邊緣系統，造成身心功能改變。

新聞辭典

take the edge off：片語，減少某種令人不悅、不舒服的感覺或影響。例句：Have an apple - it’ll take the edge off your hunger.（吃個蘋果吧，你就沒那麼餓了。）

sniff：動詞／名詞，嗅，聞。例句：Have a sniff of this medicine - it smells revolting, doesn’t it?（聞聞看這個藥，味道是不是很惡心？）

crave：動詞，渴望獲得。例句：Many young children crave attention.（許多小孩渴求獲得注意。）

Media ribs Berlusconi for shouting in Queen’s presence媒體嘲弄貝魯斯孔尼在英女王面前叫嚷

◎ 自由時報轉載

Italian newspapers ribbed Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi for startling the Queen by shouting out to the U.S. president after a group photo with G20 leaders.

義大利總理貝魯斯孔尼因為在20國集團（G20）領袖大合照後，大叫美國總統的舉動嚇到了女王，受到義國報紙的嘲弄。

Television footage shows Berlusconi at the edge of the group calling out loudly "Mr Obama! It’s Berlusconi."

電視畫面顯示，位置在這群團體邊緣的貝魯斯孔尼高喊「歐巴瑪先生！我是貝魯斯孔尼。」

The footage shows the Queen looking startled by the shout. She turns as if to see where the noise was coming from.

畫面顯示，女王看起來被吼叫聲嚇了一跳。她轉身好像在看聲音從哪裡出來。

Berlusconi, a 72-year-old media magnate in his third term in office with a high rating in opinion polls, has a history of diplomatic gaffes, twice recently referring to Obama’s skin colour -- or "sun tan," as the Italian leader called it.

72歲的媒體巨擘、並挾高人氣三度擔任總理的貝魯斯孔尼不乏外交失言的紀錄，最近兩次是提到歐巴瑪的膚色，或套用他的用語，「曬黑」的皮膚。

The press had a field day. Among the cartoons, one in La Stampa said Berlusconi had an "unrivalled ability to make a fool of himself" which "we in Italy call charisma."

媒體大作文章。在多幅諷刺漫畫中，一則刊在「新聞報」的說，貝魯斯孔尼「有讓自己出醜的超凡能力」，「在義大利我們稱這種能力為領袖魅力」。

Photographs of the G20 also showed Berlusconi popping up behind Obama and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev and clapping his hands on their shoulders to smile for the cameras.

G20的照片也顯示，貝魯斯孔尼突然出現在歐巴瑪與俄羅斯總統梅德維傑夫身後，輕拍他們的肩，微笑面對鏡頭。

《新聞辭典》

rib︰動詞，嘲笑、諷刺。例句︰He’s the best-natured guy, so they often rib him plenty.（他的脾氣最好，所以他們常對他大加嘲弄。）

have a field day︰片語，特別愉快的時刻、大顯威力的機會。例句︰Gossip columnists have had a field day speculating on the scandal.（八卦專欄作家極盡穿鑿這件醜聞之能事。）

make a fool of oneself︰片語，因幹蠢事而出醜。make a fool of sb.指愚弄、欺瞞某人，例句︰The schoolchildren made a fool of their new schoolfellow.（那些學童作弄新同學。）

Noisy pet bird "saved" owner’s life 吵鬧的寵物鳥「救了」飼主一命

◎自由時報轉載

A 72-year-old man has credited his pet cockatiel with saving his life after raising the alarm by making a "heck of a noise" when he had a stroke.

一名72歲男子把自己能撿回一命，歸功於所養的寵物雞尾鸚鵡，因為鸚鵡在男子中風時，製造出「夠大的噪音」示警。

Brian Molineaux, a night porter, collapsed at his home in Chelmsford, Essex, before he could feed his 17-year-old pet, called Budgie.

布萊恩．莫里尼克斯是夜間門房，在還沒餵食17歲大、叫作「布吉」的寵物前，就在艾塞克斯郡切姆斯福市的家中昏倒。

The bird made "such a fuss" that it alerted his wife, Shirley, 68, who called for help.

這隻鳥「聒噪抱怨」，驚動到他68歲的妻子雪莉呼救。

Mrs Molineaux, who was in bed at the time, said her "sixth sense" alerted her to the fact that something "wasn’t quite right" on the morning of March 2.

當時在床上的莫里尼克斯太太說，她的「第六感」讓她驚覺到，3月2日這天上午有些「不太對勁」。

"Budgie is a free-flying bird in the house and when Brian gets up he always changes her feed," she said. "This morning he didn’t and she was waiting, as if to say：Where’s my food?"

「布吉在屋內是一隻自由飛翔的鳥，當布萊恩起床時，他總是會替她換飼料，」她說。「這天上午他沒有這麼做，而她正等著，就像是在說：我的食物呢？」

"She started making a lot of noise and a sixth sense made me come downstairs."

「她開始製造一堆噪音，第六感讓我下樓。」

新聞辭典

to credit~with …：片語，把…歸功於～；認為～有（某種優點或成就）。herbs credited with healing powers.（被認為具有治療疾病功能的草本植物。）

a heck of a~：片語，指極度的、糟糕的。heck是hell的委婉用語，用來加強語氣或咒罵。例句：They had a heck of an argument.（他們爭執不下。）

fuss：名詞，緊張、急躁、大驚小怪、抱怨或反對。例句：Don’t make such a fuss over losing money.（別為掉錢一事大驚小怪的。）

The Truth on Whether ’Opposites Attract’ 是否真會「異性相吸」？

@自由時報轉載

Do opposites really attract? A new study finds that when it comes to personality, people seek partners with their same qualities - but claim to want someone who is different.

異性真的會相吸？一份新研究發現，當與性格有關時，人們會找與他們有相同特質的人為伴侶，但是嘴巴上卻說想要的是與自己完全不同性質的人。

The study asked 760 members of an online dating site to answer questionnaires regarding their personality traits, as well as the traits they would want in an ideal long-term partner. They then were asked if they most wanted a partner that complemented them, or resembled them.

這份研究對一個交友網站的760名會員做問卷調查，詢問他們的人格特質，以及他們心中理想長期伴侶所要具備的人格特質。接著再問他們最想要的伴侶是要與他們互補還是相似。

Their answers showed a preference for someone with the same sort of personality。These findings are supported by previous research. A study conducted by the University of Iowa in 2005, for example, stated that similarity in personality was more important than similarities in attitude, religion, and values in forming a happy marriage. Like-minded people validate each other’s beliefs and views, and there tend to be fewer conflicts as a result.

他們的答案顯示偏好找有相同人格特質的人。這些發現並有先前研究佐證。例如2005年愛荷華大學的一份研究表示，要塑造快樂的婚姻，人格特質的相似性，比態度、宗教和價值觀上的相似重要得多。性格相似的人會支持彼此的看法和觀點，也因此比較不會起衝突。

But despite the personality correlations, the new study has found that 85.7 percent of participants claim to want someone who has their opposite traits.

但是儘管人格特質的相關性，這份新研究也發現，85.7％接受調查的人說，想要找與他們人格特質相反的人。

◎新聞辭典

complement：動詞，補……之不足。例句：You two can complement each other very well.（你們兩個可以互補得非常好。）

resemble：動詞，與……相似。

like- minded：志趣相投，在此指性格相似。例句：The couple are like-minded opera enthusiasts and resemble each other in musical taste. （這對夫妻是志趣相投的歌劇愛好者，音樂品味很相似。）

Scientists develop test for melamine in milk 科學家研發出檢驗牛奶三聚氰胺方法

◎自由時報轉載

U.S. researchers have developed a quick way to test milk for the presence of melamine, an industrial chemical found last year in milk in China that killed at least six children and made thousands sick.

美國研究人員已研發出一種快速檢驗牛奶是否含有三聚氰胺的方法。去年中國傳出牛奶中含有這種工業化學物質，至少造成6名兒童死亡、數千人生病。

Researchers at Purdue University in Indiana said on Wednesday the method can detect tiny traces of the chemical in liquid and powdered milk in about 25 seconds.

印地安那州普渡大學的研究人員週三表示，這種方法可以在大約25秒鐘內偵測到液態奶或奶粉中是否含有微量的三聚氰胺。

The analysis method uses a simplified version of a mass spectrometer, a tool that can be used to separate and identify molecules in compounds. The team developed the tool specifically to detect melamine, which was also found in contaminated pet food that killed thousands of dogs and cats in the United States in 2007.

這種分析方法使用到一個簡化版的質譜儀，這是一種用來在化合物中分離和識別分子的工具，該團隊將這種工具開發成為專門用於檢驗三聚氰胺的儀器。2007年在美國奪走數千隻貓狗性命的遭污染寵物食品中，也被驗出含有三聚氰胺。

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration last November issued guidelines limiting melamine in dairy products to 1 part per million or less.

美國食品暨藥物管理局去年11月份公布了一份指導方針，將乳製品中三聚氰胺的含量限制到百萬分之一或更少。

"This situation created an immediate need for an analytical method that is highly sensitive, fast, accurate and easy to use," R. Graham Cooks, who led the team, said in statement.

「在這種狀況下，需要立即出現一種高敏銳度、快速、準確、方便使用的分析方法」，該研究團隊的負責人庫克斯在聲明中說。

新聞辭典 Dictionary

trace：名詞，指「絲毫、微量」。trace elements則是「微量元素」。

dairy：名詞，製酪場、牛奶及乳品業；形容詞，牛奶製的、乳品的。例句：He runs a dairy near Madison. （他在麥迪遜附近經營一家牛奶場。）

mass：物理學名詞，質量。例句：A liter of gas has less mass than a liter of water. （一公升汽油的質量比一公升水的小。）；mass-spectrometer 為「質譜儀」。

Young Russians dream of job at Kremlin 俄羅斯年輕人夢想在克里姆林宮工作

@ 自由時報轉載

Young Russians would rather work at the Kremlin or the Interior Ministry than with high-tech companies or multinationals, a poll shows.

根據一項民調顯示，俄羅斯年輕人寧可在克里姆林宮或內政部工作，也不想進入高科技公司或跨國公司。

Seven out of the top 10 jobs coveted by Russian students are in the government or at state-run firms, according to the poll published by the Trud newspaper.

根據俄羅斯勞動報（Trud）所公布的民調結果顯示，俄羅斯學生所嚮往的工作中，有十分之七屬於政府部門或國營公司。

National gas giant Gazprom is the top choice, cited by 21 percent of respondents, while the Kremlin administration is the next most popular, with 11 percent of preferences.

國營的天然氣龍頭Gazprom是首選，獲21%受訪者青睞，而克里姆林宮則是第二受歡迎的機關，有11%的人選擇。

Close behind are posts at the state-run savings bank Sberbank, the government-controlled oil giant Rosneft and the Interior Ministry.

緊接在後的則是國營儲蓄銀行Sberbank、由政府掌控的石油巨擘Rosneft及內政部等機關的職務。

Jobs at Western high-tech companies or multinationals coveted by young people in Europe, the Americas or Asia, seem much less popular in Russia.

在歐洲、美洲或亞洲最受年輕人喜愛的西方高科技公司或跨國大企業等工作，在俄羅斯卻似乎沒那麼受歡迎。

Only two percent suggested chip maker Intel or search engine Google as dream jobs, while one percent mentioned consumer goods giant Procter and Gamble or soft drinks company Coca-Cola.

只有2%的受訪者表示晶片大廠英特爾或網路搜尋引擎公司Google是他們嚮往的工作，提到消費商品龍頭寶僑集團或汽水公司可口可樂的受訪者更僅有1%。

新聞辭典

Kremlin：克里姆林宮，原指俄羅斯首都莫斯科的城堡，現泛指俄羅斯（或前蘇聯）政府。kremlin（字母k小寫時）則指俄羅斯任一城市裡的城堡。

covet：動詞，正式用語，指垂涎、貪圖或渴望，尤其指當渴望的東西屬於其他人時。如He always coveted power but never quite achieved it.（他一直渴望擁有權力，卻始終無法如願。）envy、begrudge及covet等動詞均可指對他人的優勢或所有物感到忌妒或強烈渴望，但 covet尤指對自己無權擁有的事物暗中嚮往。形容詞covetous亦帶有貶意。

Groom gets cold feet, sets wedding hotel on fire／卻步新郎放火燒舉行婚禮的飯店

◎自由時報轉載

A Japanese man who set fire to a hotel in a bid to buy himself time to chose whether to stay with his wife or marry his girlfriend was sentenced to five years jail, a court official said.

一名放火燒飯店，希望多爭取一點時間來決定自己到底是要跟老婆在一起，還是跟女友結婚的日本男子，被判處5年有期徒刑，一名法院官員表示。

Presiding Judge Yasushi Watanabe called 40-year-old defendant Tatsuhiko Kawata "egoistic and short-sighted" and dismissed the defence argument that no-one was hurt in the fire, the Kyodo news agency reported.

主審法官渡邊康稱40歲的被告河田達彥「自私又短視」，並駁斥沒有人在這場火災中受傷的答辯，據共同新聞社報導。

Kawata, who had been married to his wife since 1994, had also been seeing another woman for about three years and promised to marry her last October at the Risonare hotel in the mountain resort of Hokuto, Yamanashi Prefecture.

1994年與妻子結婚的河田，與另一名女性交往約3年，並在去年10月承諾女友會在山梨縣的度假山城北杜市的Risonare飯店結婚。

However, on the eve of the ceremony, the still-married Kawata sought to delay the ceremony by spilling seven litres of petrol in the hotel and setting it on fire, causing minor damage and forcing the evacuations of several guests.

然而，就在婚禮前夕，已婚的河田為了延後婚期，竟對飯店潑灑7公升汽油並點火引燃，導致飯店輕微受損與迫使多名賓客疏散。

新聞辭典

cold feet：俚語，因為害怕膽怯以致無法完成某事，卻步。例句：I was going to tell him the truth but I got cold feet.（我本來打算跟他說實話但因膽怯而卻步。）

set…on fire：片語，放火燒。例句：A monk set himself on fire in protest against the authorities. （一名僧侶引火自焚以抗議當局。）

on the eve of something：片語，在某件事的前夕。

Cartoons could help spot autism 卡通有助發現自閉症

◎自由時報轉載

Watching how a toddler responds to animations could help diagnose autism, research has suggested.

研究顯示，觀察幼兒如何回應動畫，有助診斷自閉症。

Babies usually start paying attention to movement soon after birth, and pick up information from the cues they see but children with autism often do not.

嬰兒出生後不久，通常會開始注意動作，也會從看到的線索之中取得資訊，不過有自閉症的孩童通常不會這樣。

A study, published in Nature, where two-year-olds were shown manipulated animations found those with autism focussed on movement linked to sound.

刊登於自然期刊的一項研究，讓兩歲孩童觀看被處理過的動畫，發現自閉症孩童，專注於與聲音相關的動作。

In the Yale study, researchers created five versions of animated children’s games, each with sound. On the other half of the screen, the same animation was presented upside down and in reverse, but with the same audio as the upright version.

在這項耶魯研究中，研究人員設計了5種孩童遊戲的動畫版本，每種都有聲音。螢幕的另一半畫面，同樣的動畫被上下、正反顛倒地播放，不過聲音與直立的版本相同。

Previous studies have shown that, normally, children’s attention is drawn to such changes from around eight months old.

過去的研究發現，通常大約8個月以上的孩童，注意力會受到這種改變吸引。

Twenty-one toddlers with autistic-spectrum disorders （ASD）, 39 who were developing normally and 16 who had developmental problems but did not have autism were studied.

21名有泛自閉症障礙症候群（ASD）的幼兒、39名發育正常的幼兒、16名有發育問題但沒有自閉症的幼兒接受研究。

Both the toddlers who were developing normally and those with developmental problems showed a clear preference for looking at the upright animations. However the toddlers with ASD showed no preference and looked backwards and forwards between the two halves of the screen.

發育正常以及有發育問題的幼兒，明顯偏好注視直立動畫；但自閉症幼兒無此偏好，而是會來回觀看兩邊螢幕。

新聞辭典

spot：動詞，找到、發現。例句：If you spot any mistakes in the article just mark them with a pencil.（如果你在文章裡發現錯誤，就用鉛筆畫出來。）

preference：名詞，偏好。

backwards and forwards ：片語，來回地。例句：Paul paced anxiously backwards and forwards.（保羅緊張地來回踱步。）

French pole vaulter runs naked through Paris 法國撐竿跳選手巴黎街頭裸奔

◎ 自由時報轉載

A French pole vaulting champion has run naked with his pole through the streets of Paris and posted the video on the Internet, hoping to draw attention to his quest for a new sponsorship deal.

法國一名撐竿跳好手，裸身拿著他的長竿跑過巴黎街道，並將影帶張貼在網路上，希望有人注意到他正在爭取新贊助合約。

Romain Mesnil, who won a silver medal at the 2007 Athletics World Championships in Osaka, used to be sponsored by U.S. sports brand Nike but says his contract expired last year and was not renewed.

2007年大阪世界運動錦標賽撐竿跳亞軍得主羅曼．梅斯尼曾接受美國體育品牌耐吉的贊助，但他說，他的合約去年到期，而且沒有續約。

"It was probably for budgetary and strategic reasons. It’s the crisis," he wrote on his website （www.romain-mesnil.com）.

「這可能是預算與策略的理由，這是一項危機。」他在自己的網站（www.romain-mesnil.com）上寫道。

Many athletes have reported difficulties obtaining corporate sponsorship as companies cut costs because of the global economic downturn.

在企業體因全球經濟衰退而刪減成本之際，許多運動員表示，面臨獲取企業贊助的困難。

In his video, Mesnil runs with his pole as if preparing for a vault at tourist spots like Montmartre and the Pont des Arts across the River Seine. A black square has been added to the footage to cover his private parts.

在影帶中，梅斯尼握著他的長竿奔跑，宛如準備在蒙馬特、橫跨塞納河的藝術橋等觀光景點撐竿跳。一個黑方塊附在影片上，以遮住他的私處。

The video has succeeded in drawing attention to Mesnil’s plight, at least in France. It was broadcast on primetime state television news bulletins.

這影帶成功地讓梅斯尼的困境受到關注，至少在法國是如此。它在黃金時段的國營電視新聞快報中播放。

新聞辭典

pole vault︰撐竿跳。vault可當動詞或名詞，指撐物跳躍、（一躍而）達某種程度。例句︰He vaulted to fame on the strength of his discovery.（由於他的發現，他一舉成名。）

budgetary︰形容詞，預算的。

primetime︰黃金時段的、高峰時間的。例句︰The President will hold his second primetime news conference next Tuesday.（總統將在下週二舉行他第二場黃金時段的記者會。）