British pub finds smoking ban loophole 英國酒吧找到禁菸令漏洞

◎ 俞智敏

The landlady of a British pub has exploited a loophole in the country’s smoking ban by opening a "smoking research centre" where drinkers can light up legally.

英國一家酒吧的老闆娘最近利用英國禁菸令中的漏洞，開設了一間「抽菸研究中心」，讓酒客們能夠合法哈菸。

Locals at the Cutting Edge pub in Barnsley, northern England, must fill in a questionnaire on their smoking habits to satisfy legal requirements before sitting down for a drink and a cigarette in the centre.

在這家位於英格蘭北部巴恩斯利、名叫「最前線」的酒吧裡，酒客必須先填寫一份關於其抽菸習慣的問卷以符合法律要求，然後才能坐在研究中心裡喝酒抽菸。

England and Wales introduced a ban on smoking in enclosed public places in 2007, contributing to tumbling beer sales which have forced over 2,000 pubs to close in the last year, according to the British Beer And Pub Association.

英格蘭及威爾斯已於2007年起實施密閉公共空間禁菸的法令，導致啤酒銷售量大跌，據英國啤酒與酒吧協會表示，去年有兩千多家酒吧被迫關門大吉。

The Cutting Edge’s landlady Kerry Fenton opened the centre recently, which is a separate room in her pub. "It’s given business a shot in the arm and it’s all in the name of research, legal and above board," she told the Sun newspaper. "I’m a non-smoker but I believe in the freedom of the individual."

「最前線」的老闆娘芬頓最近開設了這間研究中心，其實就是酒吧裡另外隔出的一個房間。她向太陽報表示，「這給酒吧的生意打了一劑強心針，而且完全是以研究的名義進行，絕對合法、公開。」她還說，「我自己不抽菸，但我相信個人的自由。」

新聞辭典

loophole： 名詞，原指換氣孔、小洞，現尤指（法律等的）漏洞，如The company employed lawyers to find loopholes in environmental protection laws（這家公司聘請律師替他們找出環保法令的漏洞。）

a shot in the arm：片語，非正式用語，指提供刺激因素、激勵，如Getting a new concertmaster was a real shot in the arm for the orchestra.（請到一位新的樂團首席，無異是替樂團注入了一股活力。）

above board：形容詞，指完全誠實且公開，形容某計畫或商業協定無意欺瞞任何人，如The deal was completely open and above board.（這項交易完全開誠布公。）

◎ 俞智敏

The landlady of a British pub has exploited a loophole in the country’s smoking ban by opening a "smoking research centre" where drinkers can light up legally.

英國一家酒吧的老闆娘最近利用英國禁菸令中的漏洞，開設了一間「抽菸研究中心」，讓酒客們能夠合法哈菸。

Locals at the Cutting Edge pub in Barnsley, northern England, must fill in a questionnaire on their smoking habits to satisfy legal requirements before sitting down for a drink and a cigarette in the centre.

在這家位於英格蘭北部巴恩斯利、名叫「最前線」的酒吧裡，酒客必須先填寫一份關於其抽菸習慣的問卷以符合法律要求，然後才能坐在研究中心裡喝酒抽菸。

England and Wales introduced a ban on smoking in enclosed public places in 2007, contributing to tumbling beer sales which have forced over 2,000 pubs to close in the last year, according to the British Beer And Pub Association.

英格蘭及威爾斯已於2007年起實施密閉公共空間禁菸的法令，導致啤酒銷售量大跌，據英國啤酒與酒吧協會表示，去年有兩千多家酒吧被迫關門大吉。

The Cutting Edge’s landlady Kerry Fenton opened the centre recently, which is a separate room in her pub. "It’s given business a shot in the arm and it’s all in the name of research, legal and above board," she told the Sun newspaper. "I’m a non-smoker but I believe in the freedom of the individual."

「最前線」的老闆娘芬頓最近開設了這間研究中心，其實就是酒吧裡另外隔出的一個房間。她向太陽報表示，「這給酒吧的生意打了一劑強心針，而且完全是以研究的名義進行，絕對合法、公開。」她還說，「我自己不抽菸，但我相信個人的自由。」

新聞辭典

loophole： 名詞，原指換氣孔、小洞，現尤指（法律等的）漏洞，如The company employed lawyers to find loopholes in environmental protection laws（這家公司聘請律師替他們找出環保法令的漏洞。）

a shot in the arm：片語，非正式用語，指提供刺激因素、激勵，如Getting a new concertmaster was a real shot in the arm for the orchestra.（請到一位新的樂團首席，無異是替樂團注入了一股活力。）

above board：形容詞，指完全誠實且公開，形容某計畫或商業協定無意欺瞞任何人，如The deal was completely open and above board.（這項交易完全開誠布公。）

China: "Smoke More to Boost the Economy" 中國：「振興經濟要多抽菸」

◎陳成良

What are governments around the world doing to stimulate the economy? Great Britain is cutting sales taxes. Japan is building bridges and paving roads. And China is ordering their citizens to smoke more cigarettes.

世界各國政府振興經濟有何作為？英國降銷售稅，日本造橋鋪路，而中國則下令其公民抽更多香菸。

The Telegraph reports that government officials in Hubei, China have ordered the local populace to purchase 230,000 packs of Hubei-branded cigarettes. If people "fail to meet their targets" or are caught smoking rival brands manufactured in neighboring Chinese provinces, they are fined and subjected to societal shame.

每日電訊報報導，中國湖北省的政府官員下令當地居民購買23萬包湖北品牌的香菸。如果民眾「無法達成他們的目標」，或被查出抽鄰近省份生產的對手品牌香菸，就要處以罰款並受到社會羞辱。

The move, which flies in the face of national anti-smoking policies set in Beijing, is aimed at boosting tax revenues and protecting local manufacturers from outside competition from China’s 100 cigarette makers.

這項行動公然違反北京定調的全國反菸政策，雖然其宗旨在於增加稅收，並保護當地廠商免於受到來自中國100家菸商的外來競爭。

The Telegraph reports that one village was required to purchase 400 cartons （80,000 cigarettes） for its local government officials, and even Hubei schoolteachers have smoking quotas.

每日電訊報報導，一個村莊須替當地政府官員購買400條（8萬根香菸），甚至連湖北的學校教師也有抽菸配額。

"The regulation will boost the local economy via the cigarette tax," said Chen Nianzu, a member of the Gong’an cigarette market supervision team.

「這項規定將可透過香菸稅來振興地方經濟」，公安縣卷菸市場整頓工作領導小組成員陳念祖說。

China has 350 million smokers, about a million of whom die each year from smoking-related illnesses.

中國有3.5億抽菸人口，每年約有100萬人死於抽菸相關疾病。

新聞辭典

be subjected to：片語，受到……或被某事（所苦）。例句：The suspect was subjected to cross-examination at the police station.（嫌犯在警察局受到盤問。）

fly in the face of：片語，公然違抗。例句：Your theory is quite wrong; you are flying in the face of all the experts.（你的意見完全錯誤，你是在公然反抗所有的專家。）

Japan FM says Indiana Jones trivialises nuke threat 日本外相說印第安納瓊斯小覷核武威脅

Japan’s foreign minister has taken a swipe at the latest sequel of Steven Spielberg’s ’Indiana Jones’ blockbuster series for trivialising the devastation of a nuclear bomb blast. 日本外相批評史蒂芬．史匹柏的最新續集賣座電影「印第安納瓊斯」小覷核彈爆炸的毀滅力。 "There was a scene in a hit movie last year in which the famous hero, facing a blast from a nuclear test, hid in a refrigerator," Foreign Minister Hirofumi Nakasone said in a speech against nuclear weapons. 「去年某部賣座電影中有一幕是這樣的，那名知名的英雄人物遭遇核試爆炸時躲進冰箱裡」，外相中曾根弘文發表反核武演說時說。 "I was surprised by the movie’s lack of awareness of a nuclear bomb blast. A nuclear explosion destroys everything in an instant. I felt concern that this kind of easy-going image might spread around the world." 「我對這部電影缺乏對核彈爆炸的認識感到驚訝。核爆會立即摧毀一切。我對這種隨便的畫面可能遍及全球感到憂慮。」 The minister did not identify the movie, but a foreign ministry official confirmed that it was "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull," the fourth in the hit series directed by Spielberg. 中曾根並未指名是哪部電影，但一名外務省官員證實，中曾根所指的就是史匹柏執導的賣座系列電影中的第四部，「印第安納瓊斯：水晶骷髏王國」。 Two US atomic bombs dropped on Japan’s Hiroshima and Nagasaki cities in August 1945 killed more than 210,000 people, instantly or in the following weeks. Japan surrendered less than a week later, ending World War II. 1945年8月，美國對日本廣島與長崎投擲2枚原子彈，導致超過21萬人立即或在稍後數週死亡。日本在不到一週後投降，第二次世界大戰就此結束。 新聞辭典 nuke：俚語，指核子設施、核子武器、核電廠。 take a swipe at someone or something ：俚語，攻擊某人或某物；試圖去做。 blockbuster：名詞，廣受歡迎的暢銷電影或書籍。例句："Ghostbusters" was such a big blockbuster.（電影「魔鬼剋星」當年可真是紅極一時。）

Walnuts may prevent breast cancer／核桃或能預防乳癌

◎鄭寺音

Eating walnuts may help to reduce the risk of developing breast cancer, research suggests.

研究顯示，吃核桃可能有助降低罹患乳癌的風險。

The nuts contain ingredients such as omega-3 fatty acids, antioxidants and phytosterols that may all reduce the risk of the disease. Mice fed the human equivalent of two ounces （56.7g） of walnuts per day developed fewer and smaller tumours.

核桃含有像是omega-3脂肪酸，抗氧化劑與植物固醇，可以降低乳癌的風險。老鼠每天吃相當於人類兩盎司（56.7克）核桃，出現的腫瘤較少也較小。

The US study was presented to the American Association for Cancer Research annual meeting.

這份美國研究是在美國癌症協會年度會議上發表。

Researcher Dr Elaine Hardman, of Marshall University School of Medicine, said although the study was carried out in mice, the beneficial effect of walnuts was likely to apply to humans too.

馬歇爾大學醫學院的研究人員哈德曼說，雖然研究是以老鼠進行，但核桃的好處也可能適用於人類。

She said： "We know that a healthy diet overall prevents all manner of chronic diseases."

她說：「我們知道，健康的飲食，整體而言可以預防所有種類的慢性疾病。」

"It is clear that walnuts contribute to a healthy diet that can reduce breast cancer."

「很明顯核桃促成健康飲食，降低乳癌。」

Previous research has suggested eating walnuts at the end of a meal may help cut the damage that fatty food can do to the arteries.

過去的研究顯示，在一餐的最後吃核桃，或許有助降低脂肪食物對動脈的傷害。

新聞辭典

equivalent： 此為名詞，相等物。例句：There is no English equivalent for ’bon appetit’ so we have adopted the French expression.（英文裡沒有等同於「bon appetit」的詞，所以我們直接採用這個法文。）

manner：名詞，種類。例句：Very little is known about the new candidate - what manner of man is he?（我們對這個新候選人的了解不多，他是什麼樣的人？）

contribute to：動詞，促成，捐獻。例句：Her family have contributed 50, 000 U.S. dollars to the fund.（她家捐了5萬美元給這個基金會。）

Boy, 6, Takes Wheel After Dad Passes Out 6歲男孩在父親昏厥後接手開車

◎ 魏國金

A six-year-old boy grabbed the wheel of his family’s pick-up truck and stopped it from crashing after his father became unconscious in the driver’s seat.

一名6歲男孩在駕駛座上的父親失去意識後，抓住家裡小貨車的方向盤，並且阻止車子免於撞毀。

Tustin Mains told police in North Platte, Nebraska, he was in the back seat with his three-year-old brother when their dad Phillip slumped over at the wheel.

塔斯汀．曼斯告訴內布拉斯加州北普拉特警方說，當爸爸菲力普在駕駛中突然倒下時，他與3歲的弟弟坐在後座。

He had been driving the family home from a restaurant when he suffered a low blood sugar attack and suddenly passed out. Brave Tustin leapt into his father’s lap to steer the Chevrolet Avalanche for several blocks, even turning around when he entered an area he did not recognise.

菲力普從餐廳返家途中，低血糖發作突然暈厥，當時他正開車載著家人。勇敢的塔斯汀跳到父親的腿上，駕著雪佛蘭Avalanche穿過數個街區，甚至當他進入不認得的區域時還迴轉。

Although Mr Mains’ foot had slipped off the accelerator, the vehicle continued to travel at 10-15mph with the boy at the wheel until it was spotted by police.

雖然曼斯先生的腳已滑下油門，這部車在男童的操控中，仍以時速10至15英里的速度前進，直至被警方瞥見為止。

North Platte officer Roger Freeze ran up to the moving truck, reached through an open window and slipped the gearstick into neutral before rolling it into a park.

北普拉特警官佛利茲跑到這部行進中的小貨車旁，手伸過搖下的車窗，然後在車子駛入一座公園前將車檔打進空檔。

Mr Mains said Tustin had done a good job of driving the truck, with the only damage being a minor scrape which happened when he brushed the side of a bridge.

曼斯先生說，塔斯汀車開得很好，車子僅有一處因擦撞到橋側而出現的小刮傷。

新聞辭典

pass out︰昏倒，或委婉指稱過世。例句︰After three drinks, the man passed out.（三杯黃湯下肚後，這人醉倒了。）

at （behind） the wheel︰在駕駛、在掌舵。例句︰They took turns at the wheel.（他們輪流開車。）lock the wheels就是指煞車。

run up to︰跑到……旁。例句︰The kid ran up to the teacher to show her his drawing.（這孩子跑到老師身旁，去給她看自己的圖畫。）

’Rip off’ mayor elected「敲竹槓」鎮長當選

◎羅彥傑

A Croatian politician has been swept to power after promising voters he would rip them off at every opportunity.

一名克羅埃西亞政治人物因為向選民保證，他一有機會就會敲他們竹槓，結果當選。

Bare-faced Josko Risa was voted in as mayor in Prolozac with a landslide victory using the slogan："All for me - nothing for you."

厚顏無恥的賈斯科．里沙，使用「全為我—不為你」的口號，取得壓倒性的勝利，被選為普羅洛札奇鎮鎮長。

"I just told them the truth. This town will be like my family business. If I get a little something, so do they," he explained.

「我只是告訴他們實話。這個鎮將會像是我的家族事業。如果我拿到一些好處，他們也會一樣。」他解釋說。

Locals who backed Risa said they would be happy to have him as mayor, despite his bizarre campaign pledge.

支持里沙的本地人士說，他們樂於讓他當鎮長，儘管他的競選承諾荒誕不經。

Ivan Vjisnic, 57, said： "We know what we’re letting ourselves in for."

57歲的伊凡．伏吉斯尼奇說：「我們知道我們找了什麼貨色進來。」

"We’re going to get ripped off no matter who takes over. At least he’s being honest and up front about it. And he has said that if things get better for him then they will get better for us."

「不論誰當家，我們都會被敲竹槓。至少他在此事上誠實與直率。而且他已表示，如果他過得更好，那麼我們也會過得更好。」

＜新聞辭典＞

rip off：片語，剝削、敲竹槓。例句：They really ripped us off at that hotel.（那家旅館著實敲了我們一筆竹槓。）

let oneself in for：片語，招致或找來～（通常是困難或不願見到的事物）。例句：I don’t want to let myself in for a lot of extra work.（我不想讓自己接下許多額外工作。）

up front：片語，直率的。例句：You should be up front about potential problems.（你應該坦率地面對潛在問題。）

Sarkozy, Bruni kissing video on Facebook branded ’nauseating’ by press薩科茲、布妮親吻影片上Facebook被媒體稱「噁心」

◎ 管淑平

French President Nicolas Sarkozy has come under attack from the press after he revamped his Facebook page by posting a video of him kissing his supermodel wife Carla Bruni.

法國總統尼可拉斯．薩科茲用一段他與他的超級名模老婆卡拉．布妮親吻的影片，為他的Facebook頁面改頭換面後，遭到媒體砲轟。

The video, which was shot this month during an informal interview between First Lady and competition winners from a women’s magazine, has been branded as "nauseating" by the press.

這段影片是本月第一夫人與一份女性雜誌選出的競賽優勝者進行非正式訪談時拍攝的，但被媒體批「噁心」。

In the video, Sarkozy is seen dropping in on the group, apparently unannounced, and then kissing his wife before perching himself on the arm of a chair.

在影片中可見薩科茲突然加入這群人，接著親吻他的老婆，然後坐在一張椅子的扶手上。

And as the group chatted, Bruni gazed at him adoringly, and even leaned across to wipe his eye.

在這群人聊天時，布妮用愛慕的眼神盯著他，甚至靠過去擦他的眼睛。

After the video was released, it caught the attention of the British press, who said it was a public relations disaster, and some newspapers have called it "nauseating" and "embarrassing".

這段影片公布後，引起英國媒體注意，這些媒體說這是公關災難，有些報紙稱之為「噁心」、「肉麻」。

But Sarkozy did not take the criticism to heart, and posted the video on his Facebook page.

但是薩科茲並不在意這些批評，仍舊把這段影片貼到他的Facebook頁面上。

新聞辭典：

nauseating、embarrassing：形容詞，因虛偽的動作、言語而令人感到噁心肉麻的。例句：I don’t wanna hear their nauseating conversation.（我不想聽他們肉麻的對話。）

drop in on：動詞片語，順路拜訪某人。We dropped in on him on the way to Taipei yesterday.（我們昨天去台北的途中順路去拜訪他。）

take something to heart：動詞片語，認真看待某事、把某事放在心上。She has taken all your advice to heart.（她把你的所有建議都聽進去了。）

Sleeping and eating - the French do it best 睡覺和吃飯──法國人最在行

◎ 俞智敏

True to their reputation as leisure-loving gourmets, the French spend more time sleeping and eating than anyone else among the world’s wealthy nations, according to a study published recently.

法國人喜愛休閒、愛好美食的名聲果然名不虛傳，根據一項最近公布的調查，法國人花在睡覺和吃飯的時間比全球其他富有國家的民眾都要長。

The average French person sleeps almost nine hours every night, more than an hour longer than the average Japanese and Korean, who sleep the least in a survey of 18 members of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development （OECD）.

根據經濟合作發展組織（OECD）對18個會員國所進行的調查顯示，法國人每晚平均睡眠時間幾乎達9小時，比日本與韓國人多出了一個多小時，日韓國民的睡眠時間則是接受調查的會員國中最短的。

And while more and more French people grab a bite at fast-food chains these days or wolf down a sandwich at their desk, they still spend more than two hours a day eating.

雖然現在愈來愈多的法國人會到連鎖速食店匆匆進食，或者乾脆坐在辦公桌前把三明治狼吞虎嚥地吃下肚，他們每天還是會花超過兩小時吃飯。

The Japanese, scrimping on sleep and burdened with long commutes and working hours, still manage to spend close to two hours a day eating and drinking, placing them third behind New Zealanders.

日本人省下睡眠時間，又得花長時間在通勤與工作上，但他們每天還是可以花上近兩小時吃飯與喝酒，排在紐西蘭人之後位居第三。

The Japanese like to spend what remains of their scarce free time watching television or listening to the radio. This takes up 47 percent of leisure time in Japan.

日本人喜歡把剩餘不多的空閒時間用來看電視或聽廣播，這大概佔去日本人休閒時間的47% 。

新聞辭典

grab/get/have a bite：（非正式用語），指匆忙地吃點簡單的東西。如Bob often tries to get a bite between meetings.（巴布經常在會議中間隨便吃點東西。）

wolf down：（非正式用語）wolf做動詞，指狼吞虎嚥地吃東西，如The boys wolfed the sandwiches （down） and then started on the cakes.（男孩們大口吞下三明治後，接著又開始吃起蛋糕。）

scrimp： 動詞，指節省、剋扣，如There is a risk that the debt-ridden airline that may be tempted to scrimp on maintenance or security.（這家負債累累的航空公司可能會想辦法剋扣維修與安全的經費。）片語scrimp and save亦指節儉、省吃儉用，如We had to scrimp and save in order to send the children to college.（我們得省吃儉用才能讓孩子們念大學。）

Man flu is not a myth 男流感非迷思

◎陳成良

Surveys have shown that up to 30% of men take sick days because of colds and flu, compared with just 22% of women – often dubiously citing ‘man flu’ as the reason they feel so ill.

調查顯示，多達30%的男人因傷風感冒（著涼）及流行性感冒請病假，相較之下，女人請假比率只有22%，而且男人時常含糊地提到，「男流感」才是他們覺得不適的原因。

But man flu may not be a myth after all thanks to research showing that men really are the weaker sex.

不過，男流感可能終究不是迷思，這多虧研究顯示男性確實是較弱的性別。

Researchers from McGill University in Montreal found that women have a more powerful immune system than men thanks to their hormones.

蒙特婁麥基爾大學的研究人員發現，女人擁有比男人更強健的免疫系統，這得歸功於她們的荷爾蒙。

The study showed that the female sex hormone oestrogen boosts the immune system’s first line of attack against bacteria and other invaders. The finding raises the possibility of using oestrogen-based drugs to shore up the male body’s defences.

該研究顯示，女性荷爾蒙雌激素強化了免疫系統對細菌及其他入侵物的第一線攻擊。這項發現升高了利用雌激素基礎藥物支撐男性身體防衛的可能性。

The research focused on an enzyme called caspase-12. It raises susceptibility to infection by blocking the inflammation the body uses to fight bacteria and other unwanted bugs.

這項研究焦點在於一種稱為Caspase-12的酵素。它會阻擋人體用來對抗細菌及其他有害微生物的發炎反應，讓人更容易受到感染。

It is thought the phenomenon has its roots deep in evolution, with healthy female bodies being key to reproduction.

據推斷，這個現象與演化有根深柢固的關係，因為健康的女性身體是繁衍後代之關鍵。

新聞辭典 Dictionary

sick day：（口語）病假。例句：Did Angela take a sick day today?（安琪拉今天請病假嗎？）至於「sick leave」則通常指長期的病假。

shore up：原指利用木頭或金屬製的支柱撐住不穩固的圍牆，引申出對運作不順利或可能失敗的事物加以「支撐、支持」的解釋。例句：The President shored up his own political position.（總統穩住自己的政治地位。）

bug：（口語）微生物；病菌；病毒。用法如：the flu bug（流感病毒）。

Pig Brother’ reality show to sell more bacon 「豬兄弟」實境秀推銷培根肉

◎張沛元

’Pig Brother’ reality show to sell more bacon

「豬兄弟」實境秀推銷培根肉

Move over Miss Piggy, show business has found its new pink-snouted celebrities -- meet Piggy, Lilly, Pauli and Fredi, the stars of Austria’s latest reality show "Pig Brother".

豬小姐靠邊站，演藝界找到最新的粉紅豬鼻名流──來見過奧地利最新的實境秀「豬兄弟」的明星：皮姬、莉莉、寶莉與佛瑞迪。

Starting Monday and for the next six weeks, the four little piglets will be followed by live cameras and their private lives splashed across the Internet, all part of a marketing ploy by a local food fair.

這齣實境秀自週一一連播出6週，實況鏡頭將跟隨這4隻小豬，牠們的私生活也將公諸於網際網路，而這些全都是當地食品展的行銷手法之一。

The goal is to be named "Super Pig".

其目的是要看哪頭豬能被冠上「超級豬」的封號。

The town of Helfenberg in northern Austria is organising its third annual Speck Spectacle in early June and "Pig Brother" is just the appetiser.

奧地利北部城鎮海芬堡正在籌備6月初登場的第3屆年度培根展，而「豬兄弟」節目不過只是前菜。

Each week, viewers will get to vote for the "Favourite pig of the week" and each Sunday, the little porkers will have to take part in Pig Olympics to gather the points needed to win.

每週觀眾將票選出「本週最受歡迎的豬」，而這4頭小豬每週日將會參加小豬界的奧運，以爭取獲勝所需的分數。

True to reality-show format, the piglets -- philosopher Pauli, diva Piggy, friendly Lilly and courageous Fredi -- will be filmed non-stop for a month and a half as they eat, sleep and roll themselves in the mud.

按照實境秀的形式，這些小豬──哲學家寶莉、女伶皮姬、友善的莉莉，以及勇敢的佛瑞德──的吃、睡與在泥地打滾的生活，將持續被拍攝一個半月。

新聞辭典

splash：動詞，潑；濺；（口語）以顯著地位報導。

appetiser：名詞，開胃食品，前菜。美式拼法為appetizer。

mud：名詞，泥。相關片語，one’s name is mud，陷入麻煩或遭羞辱。例句：If I can’t fulfill the task, my name will be mud.（我若無法完成這項任務將名譽掃地。）

Emotional intelligence ’aids sex’ 情緒智商高能「助性」

◎鄭寺音

A study of more than 2,000 female twins showed that those with greater emotional intelligence had larger numbers of orgasms.

針對2千多名女雙胞胎的研究顯示，情緒智商高的女性高潮次數較多。

These women were better able to monitor their own and others’ feelings and emotions, which is key, say the King’s College London investigators. Their findings appear in The Journal of Sexual Medicine.

倫敦國王學院調查人員說，箇中關鍵是這些女性比較會注意自己與他人的感覺與情緒。他們的發現刊登在性醫學期刊。

All of the 2,035 participants completed questionnaires giving details of their sexual behaviour and performance and also answered questions designed to test their emotional intelligence.

2035名參與研究者填完她們性行為與表現的問卷，也回答用來測試情緒智商的問題。

The research found a significant association between emotional intelligence and the frequency of orgasm during masturbation and intercourse.

研究發現，情緒智商與自慰以及性交時高潮的頻率有重大關聯。

Professor Tim Spector, director of the Twin Research Department at King’s College London and co-author of the study, said： "These findings show that emotional intelligence is an advantage in many aspects of your life including the bedroom.

倫敦國王學院雙胞胎研究系系主任、研究共同作者史派克特教授說：「這些發現顯示，情緒智商對包括閨房生活在內的許多方面有益處。」

"This study will help enormously in the development of behavioural and cognitive therapies to improve women’s sexual lives."

「這份研究，對改善女性性生活的行為與認知治療將有重大助益。」

新聞辭典

frequency：名詞，頻率。

intercourse：名詞，性交。例句：Our survey reveals that most couples have intercourse once a week.（我們的調查顯示，多數伴侶每週行房一次。）

cognitive：形容詞，認知的。例句：Some of her cognitive functions have been impaired.（她的認知功能部分損傷。）

Teen Robs Shop With Banana Then Eats Evidence 青少年持香蕉行搶商店，然後吃了證物

◎ 魏國金

A teenager was caught trying to rob a store with a banana - then ate the makeshift weapon to destroy the evidence.

一名青少年在試圖以一根香蕉搶劫商店時被逮—然後他為了湮滅證據，吃了這個權宜武器。

Sadly for John Szwalla he was unable to swallow the skin which was photographed by police in North Carolina, America. The 17-year-old is currently in the county jail charged with attempted armed robbery.

頗為遺憾的是，約翰．茨瓦拉未能吞下香蕉皮，該物證已被美國南卡羅萊納州警方拍下存證。17歲的他被依意圖持械搶劫，目前囚於郡立監獄。

The bizarre drama began when Szwalla entered the shop with a banana under his shirt. The hapless thief told staff in the internet cafe that he had a gun and demanded cash, according to local reports.

當茨瓦拉將香蕉放在襯衫底下走進這家店時，一齣匪夷所思的戲碼於焉展開。根據當地的報導指出，該名運氣不好的賊告訴網咖店的員工說，他有槍，並要求現金。

Owner Bobby Ray Mabe said he and a customer jumped on to Szwalla, pinning him into a chair. But while they waited for police, Mabe says the teen stuffed the banana into his mouth and swallowed it.

老闆鮑比．雷伊．馬貝表示，他與一名顧客撲向茨瓦拉，將他強壓在一張椅子上，而當他們在等警察時，馬貝說，這名青少年將香蕉塞進嘴巴，然後吞嚥。

When deputies arrived they took pictures of the banana peel instead. Forsyth County Sheriff’s office spokesman Major Brad Stanley said police joked about charging Szwalla with destroying evidence.

在警察抵達後，他們僅能拍下香蕉皮的照片。福塞斯郡警長辦公室發言人梅傑．布雷德．史坦利表示，警方還開玩笑說，要控告茨瓦拉湮滅證據。

新聞辭典

jump on︰片語，向…猛撲、突然襲擊，也有嚴厲斥責之意。例句︰He’ll jump on every little mistake you make.（你犯的每個小錯，他都會痛斥一番。）

pin︰動詞，按住，使…動彈不得，也有把…歸咎於之意。例句︰The residents of the building pinned the robbery on a security guard.（大樓住戶將搶案怪罪於一名警衛。）

peel︰名詞，指蔬果、嫩枝的外皮，或是蝦的外殼。比如︰orange（apple）peel（橘子或蘋果皮）。

Police escorts from cash machines 警方提供提款護送服務

◎羅彥傑

Police officers are offering to escort people home if they take out money from a cash machine and are nervous about being mugged.

凡是從提款機提款的民眾，會對遭歹徒襲擊一事提心弔膽，警官將會提供護送民眾返家的服務。

The scheme is mainly intended for pensioners but any residents can telephone the Metropolitan Police to request a personal guard for their journey back from the bank.

這項計畫主要是為領取年金的老人而設立，但任何居民都可以打電話給倫敦大都會警局，替自己從銀行離去的這段路程要求提供私人護衛。

Posters advertising the service state that the police escorts will follow on foot "from a safe distance" so not to draw attention to the customer. Officers "cannot do your shopping with you" and will only escort people to their homes, the adverts add.

公告這項服務的海報寫著，為了不要讓這名顧客引人注意，警察的護送將以徒步方式進行，跟隨時會保持「安全距離」。警官「不會和你一起購物」，而且只會護送民眾返家。

Alan Burnett of Age Concern and Help the Aged said that many elderly people would welcome the extra protection.

「年齡關懷暨協助高齡者」團體的艾倫．柏奈特說，許多老人會很歡迎這項額外的保障。

"In a recent survey among older people, a large majority reported that they would like neighbourhood police officers, and police community support officers, to take proactive steps to make vulnerable senior citizens safer and feel safer," he said.

「在最近針對老人的調查中，大多數人都說他們喜歡鄰里警察，及社區支援警察，採取前瞻性措施，讓脆弱的高齡民眾更安全及更有安全感，」他說。

新聞辭典

on foot：片語，徒步、步行。例句：The suspect attempted to flee on foot.（這名嫌犯試圖徒步逃逸。）

draw attention to～：片語，讓～引人注意。例句：The speaker drew attention to the point at issue.（演說者讓大家注意到這個爭論點。）

do one’s shopping：片語，購物。例句：Mother does her shopping on Saturdays.（母親常在週六大採購。）

The secret life of penguins revealed 揭開企鵝生命的祕密

◎管淑平

Famous for its cuteness and comic gait on land, the penguin also has an enigmatic life at sea. Zoologists have long wondered where the flightless seabird goes during these long spells away from land.

以可愛和陸地行走的滑稽步履聞名，企鵝同時也有個謎樣般的海洋生活。動物學家長久以來一直好奇這種不會飛的海鳥，離開陸地這麼長一段時間內的去向。

French scientists attached monitoring devices to a dozen macaroni penguins on the Kerguelen Islands of Indian Ocean. The tufty-headed penguins headed out to sea at the onset of winter for their annual forage and returned on the following spring to breed.

法國科學家在印度洋凱爾蓋朗群島上12隻長冠企鵝身上裝設監測器材。這群頭上長著一叢毛的企鵝在入冬後就出海展開年度覓食，次年春天回來繁殖。

Once at sea, the birds swiftly swam eastwards into the southern Indian Ocean, the investigators found.

一到海裡，這些鳥迅速朝東游向南印度洋，調查發現。

The birds swam astonishing distances, clocking up 10,430 kilometres on average during their six months away. In the final weeks of the migration, they rushed to get home, covering a massive 1,743 kms in just one month.

這些企鵝游的距離很驚人，出去6個月期間每隻平均共游了1萬0430公里。在遷徙的最後幾週，牠們急著趕回家，一個月內就游了長達1743公里。

Foodwise, the blood test showed that the penguins had gorged on crustaceans during their time at sea. Contrary to expectations, they had not tucked into the Antarctic krill, Euphausia superba, which only occurs farther south in colder waters.

在食物方面，驗血顯示，這群企鵝在海裡那段時間吃了許多甲殼類。與預期不同的是，牠們並沒有吃很多只出現在更南邊更冷海域的南極磷蝦。

新聞辭典

forage：動詞。覓食；在包包裡搜尋某物。例句：He was so broke and had to forage around for food on street.（他以前窮到得在街上到處找東西吃。）

gorge on、tuck into：動詞片語，大量地、狼吞虎嚥地吃。例句：There’s a study claimed that gorging on snacks before meal may be helpful to lose weight. （有一份研究宣稱，飯前猛吃零食或許有助減肥。）

foodwise：在食物方面。以wise為字尾的字，意指（了解）前一個字所指涉事務，或沿著某方向。如clockwise：順時鐘方向，streetwise：了解民間疾苦的。

Football is a barometer of ’serious’ racism 足球是「嚴重」種族主義的指標

◎俞智敏

Football is proving to be a valuable barometer of the serious impact of racism and xenophobia in society, the UN’s expert on racism said after a rash of incidents at stadiums.

在各地足球場發生連串事件後，聯合國種族主義專家表示，足球正被證明是種族主義與排外恐懼對社會造成嚴重衝擊的有效指標。

Githu Muigai, the United Nations Special Rapporteur against racism, highlighted racist chanting during a recent match between Juventus and Inter Milan in Italy, directed at Inter’s Mario Balotelli, who is of Ghanaian origin.

聯合國反種族主義專員姆依蓋提到，最近在義大利足球隊祖文特斯與國際米蘭的一場比賽中，就發生球迷高唱種族歧視口號的事件，球迷把矛頭對準了國際米蘭隊的迦納裔球員巴洛特利。

"This is just the tip of the iceberg," Muigai observed. "We know that this year alone, football governing bodies must have fined or reprimanded more than a dozen teams on the basis of the racism of spectators."

姆依蓋認為，「這只是冰山的一角。」「我們知道光是今年，足球管理單位就因球迷的種族歧視行為，至少已對十多個球隊提出罰款或譴責等懲處。」

But he also warned against dismissing racism among some fans as a political problem linked to right-wing groups that were out of tune with the rest of society.

但他同時警告說，大家不該把部分球迷的種族主義行為僅僅視為是與右翼團體相關的政治問題，認為他們已跟社會上的其他人脫節。

"If you take what people say and see how people react in football stadiums, then you know that at the heart of society we still have serious problems we have to address."

「假如你聽到球迷在球場上所說的話，看到大家的反應，你就會明白在社會的中心，我們其實還有很嚴重的問題有待解決。」

新聞辭典

barometer： 名詞，原為氣壓計、晴雨表，引申為可用來顯示或衡量情勢發展狀況的指標，如This survey is considered to be a reliable barometer of public opinion.（這項調查被視為是評估民意的可靠指標。）

tip of the iceberg：片語，冰山一角，These small local protests are just the tip of the iceberg.（這些小型的地方性示威只不過是冰山的一角。）

out of tune：片語，原指（音樂上）走了調，引申為指與某人或某事格格不入、不搭調，如Your ideas are out of tune with company policy.（你的想法與公司政策格格不入。）

New technology could instantly wake shut-down laptops 新科技能即刻喚醒關機筆電

◎陳成良

Researchers have developed a technology that could allow laptops to wake up instantly from a shut-down state without draining battery life the way sleep states do.

研究人員已開發出一種科技，能讓筆電從關機狀態中立即甦醒，而且不像休眠狀態般會流失電池壽命。

University researchers have built ferroelectric material -- commonly found on smartcards -- on silicon, which could allow certain transistors to retain information after power is shut off. Scientists from Pennsylvania State University, Cornell University and Northwestern University are involved in the research.

大學研究人員已把智慧卡上常見的鐵電物質建立在矽之上，如此可讓特定電晶體在電源關閉後保留資訊。賓州州立大學、康乃爾大學及西北大學的科學家參與這項研究。

The new findings could save users time by instantly booting laptops to their state when they were shut down. For example, a transistor in the laptop will be able to retain the state of a Word document on shutdown, and instantly reload the same state on reboot.

這些新發現可讓筆電立即開機並恢復到關機時的狀態，節省使用者時間。舉例來說，筆電中一個電晶體將可保留一個Word文件在關機時的狀態，然後在重新開機時立即重新載入相同狀態。

Quick-boot capabilities are enabled in laptops and most mobile devices, but many are unable to recreate shutdown states. Laptops usually never reboot back to their shutdown state, unless they are in sleep mode, which drains battery power. In essence, ferroelectric materials could wake up laptops from sleep mode, but without drawing any battery power.

筆電及大多數行動裝置都具備快速開機功能，但許多都無法重現關機狀態。筆電重新開機後，通常不會回到它們在關機時的狀態，除非處於休眠模式，而這種模式會流失電池電力。大體上，鐵電物質可以讓筆電從休眠模式中甦醒，而不會消耗任何電池電力。

新聞辭典

drain： 動詞，（土地）排水，（資源等）逐漸枯竭。drain也可當名詞，brain drain字面意思是腦力枯竭，也就是指「人才外流」。 例句：The nation’s economic downturn may help reverse ’brain drain’ in W.Va.（美國的經濟衰退或許能逆轉西維吉尼亞州人才外流的情況。）

retain︰動詞，保有；留住；記住。例句：She retains an appearance of youth. （她保有年輕的外貌。）

in essence：片語，在本質上；大體上。名詞essence是指本質、要素。例句：The essence of language is communication. （語言的本質是溝通。）

Burger King to scrap ad after complaint 接獲抱怨 漢堡王要撤廣告

◎張沛元

Fast food giant Burger King apologized for an advertisement featuring a squat Mexican draped in his country’s flag next to a tall American cowboy and said it would change the campaign.

速食業巨擘漢堡王為一則廣告道歉，並表示會改變該公司的宣傳。該廣告的圖案是一名身材矮胖、披著本國國旗的墨西哥人，站在一名高大的美國牛仔旁邊。

Mexico’s ambassador to Spain said posters released in Europe for Burger King’s new Tex-Mex style "Texican whopper," a cheeseburger with chile and spicy mayonnaise, inappropriately displayed the Mexican flag, whose image is protected under national law.

墨西哥駐西班牙大使說，這些在歐洲發布、用來宣傳漢堡王的新德州—墨西哥式、即一種放有辣椒與辣美乃滋的起司漢堡「德墨華堡」的海報，對受到墨國法律保護的墨西哥國旗做出了不當展示。

The ambassador wrote a letter complaining to Burger King and requested the ad campaign be discontinued.

這名大使致函向漢堡王抱怨，並要求停止該廣告宣傳。

Burger King said the ads were meant to show a mixture of influences from the southwestern United States and Mexico, not to poke fun at Mexican culture, but said it would replace them "as soon as commercially possible."

漢堡王表示，該廣告意在顯示美國西南方與墨西哥融合的影響力，而非嘲弄墨西哥文化，但表示會「盡商業可能的迅速」來撤換該廣告。

A TV version of the ad shows the strapping cowboy and the pint-sized Mexican wrestler -- nicknamed "Just a Little Bit" -- living together as roommates. At one point, the American lifts up the Mexican to help him put a trophy on a high shelf.

該廣告的電視版顯示，這名高大的牛仔與這名矮胖、暱稱「就那麼一點點」的墨西哥摔角選手是住在一起的室友，這名老美還一度舉起這個墨西哥人，好幫他把一座獎盃放到高層架上。

新聞辭典

squat：動詞／名詞，蹲；蹲踞；形容詞，蹲坐的，矮胖的。例句：I really hate squat toilets; I got bad knees.（我真的很討厭蹲式馬桶；我膝蓋不好。）

pint-sized：小型的。pint，品脫，英美容量單位。

trophy：名詞，獎盃。trophy wife，獎盃老婆，專指事業有成的男人所娶的性感老婆，藉此來炫耀其個人成就。獎盃老婆通常非該男子的首任老婆，也與其成就無關。

’Ill’ worker fired over Facebook 「生病的」員工因為上Facebook被炒魷魚

◎鄭寺音

A Swiss woman has lost her job after her employers spotted she was using the Facebook website when she had claimed to be too ill to use a computer.

一名瑞士女子丟掉了工作，因為她說自己病得太重不能用電腦，卻被老闆發現她上Facebook網站。

The unnamed woman was suffering a migraine and had told her employer, she needed to lie in a darkened room.

這名姓名未公布的女子當時偏頭痛，她告訴老闆，她需要躺在關了燈的房間裡休息。

The company said its discovery that she was also using Facebook destroyed its trust in her and prompted her sacking.

這家公司說，發現她也在使用Facebook，摧毀公司對她的信賴，才會把她解僱。

But the woman told a Swiss newspaper she was innocent. The woman said she had been accessing the internet on her iPhone while in bed.

但這名女子告訴瑞士一家日報，她是清白的。她表示，她躺在床上時，是用iPhone上網。

She said she did not believe the company’s assertion that a colleague had inadvertently noticed her using Facebook, accusing it instead of spying on her.

她說，她不相信公司所說，一名同事不經意注意到她使用Facebook的說法，反咬公司在監視她。

She said the company had created a fictitious Facebook persona which become "friends" with her, allowing the company to monitor her online activity.

她說，公司製造一個跟她變成「朋友」的虛構Facebook人物，讓公司可以監視她的網路行動。

But the company says it followed a simple logic： that those who are well enough to use Facebook with a migraine are well enough to work with a migraine.

但這家公司說，這是簡單的邏輯：有偏頭痛的人，身體好到可以用Facebook，那也好到可以帶著偏頭痛工作。

新聞辭典

sack：動詞，解僱。例句：They sacked her for being late.（他們因為遲到解僱她。）

inadvertent：形容詞，不經意的。例句：All authors need to be wary of inadvertent copying of other people’s ideas.（作者必須小心，以免不經意抄襲他人的點子。）

persona： 名詞，人物，角色。例句：He had a shy, retiring side to his personality that was completely at odds with his public persona.（他性格有害羞靦腆的一面，與他的公眾形象完全不同。）

Afghanistan’s only pig locked up： official 官員說︰阿富汗唯一的豬被關禁閉

◎ 魏國金

Afghanistan’s only known pig has been taken off display at Kabul Zoo and locked away to avoid panic among visitors who may be worried about swine flu, the zoo’s director said.

阿富汗唯一的豬已被移出喀布爾動物園的展示區，並被關在他處，以免擔憂豬流感的遊客恐慌，動物園園長說。

"We put the pig temporarily in his winter house under quarantine because of swine influenza," director Aziz Gul Saqib told AFP.

「因為豬流感的關係，我們暫時將豬隔離在牠的冬舍」，園長沙基告訴法新社說。

He said he had sent e-mails to other international zoos to find out if they had also put their pigs in quarantine because of health fears.

他說，他已傳送電郵給國際其他動物園，以了解他們是否也因健康顧慮而將他們的豬隔離。

The WHO has officially backed away from calling the illness swine flu, going instead for influenza A （H1N1） to dispel the impression that it can be caught from eating pork products or through contact with pigs.

世界衛生組織已正式放棄稱該疾病為豬流感，而代之名為A型H1N1流感，以消除吃豬肉產品或接觸豬隻就可能染病的印象。

There have been no confirmed cases of swine influenza in Afghanistan and the country does not have any direct flights with nations affected.

阿富汗沒有豬流感確定病例，同時該國和感染國間沒有任何直接飛航。

The interned animal was one of two given to Afghanistan by China in 2002, months after the ouster of the hardline Taliban regime, to help reestablish the zoo after it was destroyed during civil war.

這隻遭拘禁的動物是在2002年，強硬派神學士政權垮台後數月，中國為協助重建在內戰期間遭摧毀的動物園，而贈與阿富汗一對豬之中的一隻。

However, the other pig -- and their offspring -- were killed in an attack by a bear. Despite being the only pig, it was not too lonely, Saqib said. "The pig made friends with a goat and was happy sticking to the goat in the enclosure," Saqib said.

然而，另一隻豬與牠們的後代在一頭熊的攻擊中喪命。儘管成為唯一的豬，不過沙基說，牠沒有太孤獨。「這隻豬與一頭山羊為友，並在柵欄裡快樂的緊跟著這隻羊」，沙基表示。

新聞辭典

quarantine︰可當動詞與名詞，指隔離、（使乘客）接受檢疫。例句︰He was quarantined for three weeks when he had scarlet fever.（他患猩紅熱時被隔離了3週。）

back away︰退卻、退縮。例如，back away from one’s principles（背棄原則。）

stick to︰在此有緊隨、依附之意。例句︰Stick to me and you won’t get lost.（緊跟我，你就不會迷路了。）

Masked Mexican thieves cash in on new H1N1 flu 墨西哥蒙面賊利用H1N1新型流感

◎羅彥傑

Masked Mexican thieves cash in on new H1N1 flu

墨西哥蒙面賊利用H1N1新型流感

Three armed thieves in Mexico City hid their faces while robbing watches from a department store by wearing the blue surgical masks which are now ubiquitous in the new flu-hit city.

3名武裝竊賊在墨西哥市一家百貨公司搶劫手錶時，戴著目前在受新型流感侵襲的該城市隨處可見的藍色手術用口罩，隱藏自己的面貌。

Employees and security guards at a branch of the Sanborns department store told the daily Excelsior newspaper that the thieves were able to slip through the shop on Sunday without attracting attention, as they blended into a sea of masked shoppers.

桑伯恩百貨公司某分店的員工與警衛告訴「至上報」，這些賊週日在不引人注意的情況下，混進一群戴著口罩的顧客中，溜進店內。

One of the robbers threatened store assistants with a gun while another guarded the door and the third helped himself to watches from the jewelry department.

劫匪之一用槍威脅店員，另一人看守門口，第三人則隨意取走珠寶店的手錶。

Banks in the Mexican capital have been forced to abandon normal rules over not letting in customers wearing face coverings.

墨西哥首都的銀行已被迫放棄有關不讓戴口罩顧客上門的正常規定。

Faced with the new flu outbreak, which has triggered a major global health scare, the government took emergency measures over the weekend and advised residents in the crowded city to wear face masks at all times outside their homes.

在面臨已引發全球衛生大恐慌的新型流感疫情下，墨國政府在週末採取緊急措施，建議這個擁擠的城市居民在戶外隨時戴口罩。

新聞辭典

cash in on：片語，利用、從～中撈到好處。例句：Let’s cash in on the fine weather and go out.（讓我們利用好天氣出去玩吧。）

ubiquitous：形容詞，普遍存在的、無所不在的。例句：Bluetooth technology becomes more ubiquitous in markets around the world.（藍芽技術在全球市場上變得更無所不在。）

help oneself to：片語，隨意拿取、偷取。例句：They broke into the shop and helped themselves to the stock.（他們破門而入，隨意竊取店內貨品。）

In China, Knockoff Cellphones Are a Hit 山寨機在中國熱賣

◎管淑平

The phone’s sleek lines and touch-screen keyboard are unmistakably familiar. So is the logo on the back. But a sales clerk at a sprawling electronic goods market in the Chinese coastal city SHENZHEN admits what is clear upon closer inspection：this is not the Apple iPhone; this is the Hi-Phone.

這款手機的流線線條、觸控式螢幕鍵盤，都令人感到十分熟悉，就連背面的品牌標識也是。但在這家位於中國沿海城市深圳的大型電子商品賣場，一名銷售員承認一件你再仔細點看就很清楚的事：這不是蘋果的iPhone，這是Hi-Phone。

“But it’s just as good,” the clerk says.

「但是這一樣好」，這名店員說。

Nearby, dozens of other vendors are selling counterfeit Nokia, Motorola and Samsung phones — as well as cheap look-alikes that make no bones about being knockoffs.

附近其他數十家商店賣的也是仿冒的諾基亞、摩托羅拉和三星手機，同樣是便宜的、造型相似的，毫不掩飾是個仿製品。

Technological advances have allowed hundreds of small Chinese companies to churn out what are known here as shanzhai cellphones, often for as little as $20 apiece.

科技進步讓中國數百家小公司大量製造在這裡以「山寨」機出名的手機，通常一支售價低到只要20美元。

Although shanzhai phones have only been around a few years, they already account for more than 20 percent of sales in China, which is the world’s biggest mobile phone market, according to the research firm Gartner.

雖然山寨機才問世短短幾年，但銷售量已佔中國這個全球最大手機市場的20%以上，根據研究公司賈特納調查。

新聞辭典

knockoff： 名詞，（名牌、高價品）的低價翻製、仿製品。例句：Can you tell me how to determine the Hermes Birkin is authentic or just a cheap knockoff?（你能告訴我如何分辨這個愛瑪仕柏金包是正牌還是只是便宜的仿製品？）

make no bones about：片語，直截了當、毫不掩飾的。例句：He makes no bones about his dissatisfaction with the food of the restaurant.（他毫不掩飾對這家餐廳菜色的不滿意。）

churn out：片語，大量生產出某物。例句：Our factories are ready to churn out the bag by thousands a day.（我們的工廠準備以一天數千件的數量大量生產這款包包。）

Ashton Kutcher wins Twitter battle with CNN 影星艾希頓庫奇在Twitter打敗CNN

◎俞智敏

For now, Ashton Kutcher is the king of Twitter. But there is a new challenger — Oprah.

好萊塢影星艾希頓庫奇是Twitter之王，至少目前如此。但他還有一位新的挑戰者──歐普拉。

Kutcher triumphed over CNN in their much ballyhooed race to be the first to reach a million followers on the microblogging Web site. Kutcher surpassed that benchmark recently, narrowly edging out the breaking news feed from CNN.

在庫奇與CNN（美國有線電視新聞網）這場經過大肆宣傳的比賽中，庫奇最後獲勝，成為第一個在微網誌網站Twitter擁有百萬名追隨者的用戶。庫奇最近才剛越過百萬追隨者門檻，以極小差距擊敗了CNN的突發新聞。

Kutcher had long trailed CNN, but he staged a rally in recent days that captured the attention of the Web. The million mark race was taken by many as a symbol of huge upswing of Twitter’s popularity.

庫奇其實落後CNN許久，但他最近展開大力宣傳，引起網友注意。百萬追隨者競賽被許多人視為是Twitter人氣大為高漲的象徵。

In recent months, the site has increased exponentially in visitors. The search engine Yahoo said that searches for Twitter over the past four months increased more than 5,559 percent over the same time last year.

近幾個月來，該網站的拜訪人次明顯激增。網路搜尋公司Yahoo也說，最近四個月來在網路上搜尋Twitter的人次，較去年同期增加了逾5559%。

Among the many new users to join was Oprah Winfrey, whose entry caused ripples across Twitter. She gained more than 130,000 followers in less than a day, suggesting Winfrey — so successful in television, magazines, books and other media — would thrive on yet another platform.

許多新加入的用戶中還包括了脫口秀主持人歐普拉，並在Twitter網站上掀起熱烈討論。她加入還不到一天，就已有超過13萬名追隨者，這表示在電視、雜誌、書籍及其他媒體都大為成功的歐普拉，顯然將在另一個新平台上繼續發光。

新聞辭典

ballyhoo：（口語用法）動詞，指大吹大擂地宣揚，如The ads ballyhooed the movie’s virtues.（廣告大肆宣揚那部影片的優點。）

edge out：指險勝、擠出去、取代，如Foreign car manufacturers are edging domestic companies out of the markets.（外國車廠正逐漸把本國車廠擠出市場外。）

upswing：名詞，指向上擺動、高漲、增加或改善。如Many analysts are predicting an upswing in the economy.（許多分析家都預測經濟即將回升。）

Apple’s iPod Touch is latest US military weapon 蘋果iPod Touch成了美軍最新武器

◎陳成良

Apple’s iPod Touch is the latest piece of kit for members of the US military that is proving to be a valuable tool in Iraq and Afghanistan.

蘋果公司的iPod Touch在伊拉克與阿富汗現正證明是一種珍貴工具，也是美軍成員最新裝備。

Soldiers need little training with the relatively low-cost consumer device, which can run useful applications in operational areas, according to Newsweek.

士兵幾乎不用練習，就能操作這種相對低成本的消費性裝置，該裝置能夠在軍事行動區執行實用的應用程式，據新聞週刊報導。

The iPod Touch enables soldiers to connect with other soldiers as well as intelligence resources such as aerial images for reconnaissance and translation software.

iPod Touch能夠讓士兵與其他士兵聯繫，並連結到諸如空照圖及翻譯軟體等情報資源。

Soldiers can use iPod Touch apps to translate spoken and written Arabic, Kurdish and two Afghan languages, add translated phases to maps and images, and show video messages to villagers.

士兵可以利用iPod Touch的應用程式翻譯阿拉伯語、庫德語及

兩種阿富汗語言的口語及書面文字，把翻譯過的內容加到地圖及影像中，並將影像訊息給村民觀看。

Another app enables solders to take a photo of a street sign and then get information on local areas such as water supplies and sympathisers.

另一個應用程式可讓士兵拍下街景照片，然後取得諸如有關水源供應及同情者等當地情報。

New applications are constantly being added to the iPod Touch arsenal, such as a secure web browsing tool that prevents users from visiting websites that may contain malware.

iPod Touch的新應用程式不斷增加中，像是一種安全網路瀏覽工具，能讓使用者避免造訪可能藏有惡意程式軟體的網站。

新聞辭典

kit：名詞，成套工具；（士兵的）個人裝備。例句：They marched twenty miles in full kit. （他們帶著全副裝備行軍20英里。）

aerial：形容詞，大氣的、高聳的、飛行的。例句：Aerial shows thrill kids.（小朋友超愛航空展。）

malware： 指的是「malicious software」，又稱為惡意程式、流氓軟體或黑心軟體。spyware則是「間諜程式」，另外ransomware（贖金軟體）則是一種新形態的惡意 軟體，它會加密綁架受害電腦上的重要檔案，威脅受害者付出贖金以取回原有的檔案。

No he can’t! Arizona college snubs Obama 不，他不行！亞利桑納州的大學冷落歐巴瑪

◎張沛元

Arizona State University has snubbed President Barack Obama by declining to give him an honorary degree when he addresses students at a graduation ceremony there, it was reported.

亞利桑納州立大學冷落了巴拉克．歐巴瑪總統，因為該校不願趁他蒞校在畢業典禮上發表演說時，頒發他榮譽學位，據報導指出。

In a break with tradition that has sparked howls of protest, the college has said it will not honor Obama on the grounds that America’s first black president has an insufficient "body of work."

此一不符傳統的做法已引發抗議之聲，該校表示，之所以不願頒發歐巴瑪榮譽學位，是因為這位美國的首位黑人總統沒有太多「著作」。

US universities invariably bestow honorary degrees upon speakers invited to give commencement addresses for graduates.

美國各大學總會對受邀在畢業典禮上對畢業生致詞的演講人，頒發榮譽學位。

However an ASU spokeswoman was quoted in several reports as saying Obama had done nothing to deserve the honor, despite being elected the first African-American president and publishing two best-selling books.

不過，多份報導引述亞利桑納州立大學一名女發言人的話說，歐巴瑪除了當選美國首位黑人總統以及出版了兩本暢銷書外，並無任何值得獲得該榮譽的功績。

Obama will be receiving an honorary degree from Notre Dame when he delivers their commencement address on May 17.

歐巴瑪5月17日在（印地安納州）聖母大學的畢業典禮上發表演說時，將獲該校頒發榮譽學位。

"Perhaps Notre Dame has a better understanding of what Obama already has accomplished simply by reaching our nation’s pinnacle of political power and public service," the East Valley Tribune said.

「對於不過只是攀上我國政治權力與公共服務頂峰的歐巴瑪，已締造了哪些成就，也許聖母大學有更多的了解」，（亞利桑納州）的東谷論壇報說。

新聞辭典

snub：動詞／名詞，冷落，怠慢。例句：He snubbed me by ignoring my request.（他漠視我的要求，冷落怠慢了我。）

bestow：動詞，贈與，花費。

commencement：名詞，開始，發端。commencement ceremony，畢業典禮；commencement address，畢業典禮致詞。

Female hairiness health warning 女性毛髮過多可能為健康警訊

◎鄭寺音

Excessive hairiness in women is not just a cosmetic problem but is likely to be a sign of an underlying medical condition, say UK doctors in a report.

英國醫生在報告中說，女性過多毛髮並不只會是外表問題，也可能是潛在疾病的跡象。

Five to 15% of women have excess hair, and a hormone disorder is the most likely cause in many cases, they said.

他們說，5%到15%的女性毛髮過多，許多案例中，荷爾蒙失調是最可能的原因。

Women with the problem should not be afraid to seek medical advice, the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists report urged.

皇家婦產科醫學院的這份報告敦促，有毛髮過多問題的女性應該勇於尋求醫療建議。

Polycystic ovary syndrome（PCOS）is the cause in 70% to 80% of cases.

這些案例中，70%到80%是多囊性卵巢症候群引發。

Report author, Dr Rebecca Swingler said the condition, known as hirsutism, is distressing and can be particularly upsetting for young women.

報告作者史溫格勒說，這種狀況稱為多毛症，很令人煩惱，對年輕女性來說特別令人心煩。

In addition to PCOS, rarer causes of excessive hairiness include certain tumours and thyroid dysfunction, as well as the use of certain drugs.

除了多囊性卵巢症候群之外，毛髮過多比較少見的原因，包括某些腫瘤、甲狀腺功能異常以及使用某些藥物等。

新聞辭典

excessive：形容詞，指過量的。例句：Excessive exercise can sometimes cause health problems.（有時候過度運動可能造成健康問題。）

underlying：形容詞，潛在的。例句：A woman who had chronic underlying health conditions died earlier this week.（一名有潛在慢性疾病的女性本週稍早過世。）

upsetting：形容詞，讓人難過的。例句：Seeing her again would be an upsetting experience after so many years.（這麼多年後再看到她會讓人難過。）

Berlusconi says he world’s most popular leader 貝魯斯孔尼自稱是全世界最受歡迎的領袖

◎ 魏國金

Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, who has compared himself to Jesus Christ and Napoleon, boasted that he was the world’s most popular leader.

曾自比為耶穌基督與拿破崙的義大利總理貝魯斯孔尼，誇耀自己是世界最受歡迎的領袖。

The conservative premier said opinion poll findings in his possession showed his popularity at just over 75 percent, making him far more popular than U.S. President Barack Obama -- or any other head of government.

這位保守派總理說，民調顯示他的聲望恰恰超過75%，讓他遠比美國總統歐巴瑪，或其他任何政府元首更受歡迎。

"The opinion polls I know say that he （Obama） is at 59 percent. Only （Brazilian President Luiz Inacio） Lula tops 60 percent -- he is at 64 percent. So mine is a record high," he said.

「我所知道的民調說，他（歐巴瑪）是59%，只有（巴西總統）魯拉超過60%—他是64%，所以我的是創紀錄高點」，他說。

On his way out of the concert hall, the 72-year-old Berlusconi -- who has proclaimed himself the Jesus Christ of Italian politics and once said he was second only to Napoleon-- was heckled by protesters who shouted "Go Away!."

在步出音樂廳途中，72歲、自稱是義國政壇的耶穌基督，並一度說僅拿破崙能出其右的貝魯斯孔尼遭抗議者刁難，他們咆哮「滾開」！

A poll published in March by left-leaning La Repubblica daily said support for Berlusconi stood at 56 percent and had risen in April for the first time since October thanks to his hands-on response to a deadly earthquake.

左傾的共和報3月公布的民調顯示，貝魯斯孔尼的支持率維持在56%，而在4月，歸功於他對死傷慘重的震災親力親為，支持率從去年10月以來首度攀升。

新聞辭典

second only to︰僅次於。例句︰Radon is second only to cigarette smoking in causing lung cancer.（氡氣引發肺癌的機率僅次於抽菸。）

heckle︰刁難、強烈質問、使難堪。比如︰heckle the performers with shouts（對表演者吼叫起鬨。）

hands-on︰親自參與、親身實踐。比如︰a hands-on mayor（事必躬親的市長）；反義辭為hands-off（不插手、不干預），比如 a hands-off governor（不管事的首長。）

Parking fine tossed due to sign goof 因標示不清而免繳違停罰款

◎羅彥傑

A British city could be forced to repay drivers for parking fines after a ticketed man pointed out that a bus lane sign lacked the word "only".

由於一名遭開罰單的男子明確指出，某個巴士專用巷道標誌少了「限」這個字，英國一座城市可能被迫把違規停車罰款退回給駕駛人。

Derek Brocklehurst successfully argued to have the Manchester City Council toss a $43 ticket for parking in the bus lane after he pointed out that the sign allowing buses, bicycles and black cabs to use the lane did not include the word "only," the Daily Mail reported Monday.

德瑞克．布洛克赫斯特成功地使曼徹斯特市議會作廢一張因停車在巴士專用道的43美元罰單，因為他具體指出此標誌允許巴士、腳踏車與黑色計程車使用該巷道，卻沒有包括「限」這個字，每日郵報週一報導說。

Brocklehurst said he has helped 20 people escape similar fines for parking in the same area before the sign was corrected in March, and he is urging anyone else fined during the erroneous sign’s tenure to come forward and demand their money back.

布洛克赫斯特說，他已協助20人擺脫在3月該標誌修正前，因停車同一區域而收到的同類罰款，而且他將敦促所有在這個錯誤標誌豎立期間被罰錢的人主動出面，討回自己的錢。

"I have helped a number of other drivers do the same thing, and have printed off a standard letter available to anyone else who got a notice of fine before the sign was changed, to challenge it," he said.

「我已幫助許多其他的駕駛人做同一件事，而且已複印一封標準信，給其他在標誌變更前收到罰單的任何人使用以提出申訴，」他說。

新聞辭典

point out：片語，指出、指明。例句：The tour guide pointed out the best-known paintings in the gallery.（導遊指出畫廊裡幾幅最著名的畫。）

come forward：片語，站出來、主動爭取。例句：Only one witness of the car accident has come forward. （這起車禍只有一人出面作證。）

print off：片語，複印（書或文章）。例句：How many copies do you want printed off?（你想要複印多少份？）

Kenya women to sex-starve men into political breakthrough 肯亞女人發動性罷工以突破政治僵局

◎管淑平

Women’s activist groups in Kenya have called for a seven-day sex ban on the country’s men in an attempt to shock the political class into overcoming bitter feuds and working together.

肯亞女性運動團體對該國男人發起了7天的性禁令，希望刺激政治人物化解惡鬥，攜手合作。

"This is a national boycott to show that the women of this country have resolved to push for reforms," Rukia Subow of the Kenyan women’s organisation Maendeleo ya Wanawake（The Women’s Development Organization） said.

「這是全國性抵制，以展現這個國家的女性決心推動改革」，肯亞婦運團體「婦女發展組織」成員蘇波說。

The activists argued that the country’s egocentric male leaders should have no time for matters of the flesh when the east African nation is ensnared in economic and political trouble.

婦運人士認為，在這個東非洲國家正陷入經濟和政治困難之際，該國自大的男性領導人們應該沒空享受肉體歡愉。

The organisation even said it would pay prostitutes to join the strike.

這個團體甚至說願意付錢請妓女加入罷工。

Subow urged the wives of quarreling coalition partners President Mwai Kibaki and Prime Minister Raila Odinga to support the movement. The premier’s wife, Ida Odinga, said she supported the strike body and soul.

蘇波敦促失和的聯盟夥伴，總統吉巴吉和總理歐丁嘉的夫人支持這項行動。總理夫人艾達．歐丁嘉說，她肉體和精神上都支持這場罷工。

Patricia Nyaudi, executive director of the Federation of Women Lawyers, argued the initiative was more than just a media stunt and was aimed at promoting a stronger sense of sacrifice.

女律師聯盟執行主任奈奧迪說，這項提議不只是作秀博版面，而是要提倡更多的奉獻精神。

新聞辭典：

egocentric：形容詞，自我為中心的，自私、自大的。例句：He’s so egocentric that he never once considered other people’s feelings.（他自私到從沒考慮過別人的感覺。）

ensnare：動詞，使陷入某種負面或非法處境。例句：The young mayor is ensnared in sex scandal.（這名年輕市長陷入性醜聞。）

media stunt：名詞，刻意安排的動作以吸引媒體注意。例句：Some Hollywood celebraties are skilled in various type of media stunt.（有些好萊塢名人很擅長用各種方式博版面。）

Hallelujah or Highway to Hell? Songs to die for 哈里路亞還是通往地獄的公路？到死都想聽的歌

◎俞智敏

Frank Sinatra’s "My Way" is the most popular song played at funeral services, but other more arresting death-bed choices were revealed in a poll published in Britain.

法蘭克．辛那屈的名曲「My Way」是喪禮上最常放的流行歌曲，但根據英國最近公布的一項民調顯示，還有其他更驚人的臨終選擇。

Australian rockers AC/DC’s "Highway to Hell" has stormed into the funereal charts along with Queen’s "Another One Bites The Dust," while Leonard Cohen’s "Hallelujah" has a new lease of life after its recent success on a talent show.

澳洲搖滾樂團AC/DC的「通往地獄的公路」，以及皇后合唱團的「又一個人陣亡了」連袂衝進喪禮音樂排行榜，李歐納．柯恩的「哈里路亞」則因最近在選秀節目中獲勝而重拾新生。

For classical music fans, Schubert’s "Ave Maria," Puccini’s "Nessun Dorma" and Bach’s "Air On A G String" are among the most chosen pieces to comfort their loved ones as they pay final farewells.

對古典音樂迷而言，舒伯特的「聖母頌」、普契尼的「公主徹夜未眠」及巴哈的「G弦之歌」則是安慰摯愛家人、向他們最後告別時最常見的選擇。

While hymns and classics may have been traditional favourites, pop songs now account for more than half of the music chosen as people’s final soundtrack, according to the poll of over 30,000 funerals.

根據一項針對逾三萬場喪禮所進行的調查顯示，雖然讚美詩與古典音樂可能是傳統上最受歡迎的喪禮音樂，但在人們最後旅程的音樂選擇中，流行歌曲現已佔了超過半數。

新聞辭典

arresting：形容詞，指引人注意的，醒目的，如an arresting looking woman（一名外型引人注意的女子）。

bite the dust：俚語，指死亡，尤指陣亡，或指失敗、結束，如The soldier was too young to bite the dust.（這名士兵年紀輕輕、根本不該死去。）或His career bit the dust when he lost his job.（當他失去工作時，他的事業也跟著完蛋了。）

a new lease of life（英式）／a new lease on life（美式）：指（讓某人）在疾病或悲傷後重新感到快樂或健康、重獲新生，如His grandchildren have given him a new lease of life.（他的孫子們讓他感到重獲新生。）或指改造老舊的東西，使其煥然一新，如I’ve had that blue sofa re-covered and it’s really given it a new lease of life.（我把那張藍沙發拿去重新換面，現在它看起來就像新的一樣。）

Australia union warns of nanotech health risks 澳洲工會警告奈米科技可能帶來健康風險

Advanced nano technologies could bring with them a human health catastrophe to rival past use of cancer-linked asbestos, Australia’s top union group said on Tuesday.

先進奈米科技可能對人類健康造成嚴重傷害，堪比過去所使用、會致癌的石棉，澳洲首要工會組織週二表示。

The Australian Council of Trade Unions （ACTU） said there was little protection for workers exposed to so-called nanotech.

澳洲總工會（ACTU）表示，暴露在所謂奈米科技下的工人幾乎沒有保護措施。

"Remember when asbestos was introduced, it was considered to be a miracle product, and it wasn’t until many years later that we found the devastating effect it had," ACTU Assistant Secretary Geoff Fary told state radio.

「回想石棉被引進的時候吧，它曾被認為是一種神奇產品，直到多年後我們才發現它會帶來災難性影響」，ACTU的助理秘書喬夫．法利告訴國營電台說。

Asbestos fibres, resistant to heat, fire and chemicals, were widely used in construction and insulation before being linked to asbestosis, lung cancer, mesothelioma and other cancers.

石棉纖維耐熱、防火、不與化學品發生反應，曾被廣泛用於建築業和絕緣材料。人們後來發現石棉會引發石棉沈滯病、肺癌、間皮癌和其他癌症。

Nano-scale technologies, 100,000 times smaller than the width of a human hair, are now used in hundreds of ordinary items from car fuel lines, bed sheets and cosmetics.

奈米級的技術，比人類頭髮寬度還小10萬倍，目前已用於數以百計的普通產品中，如汽車燃油管、床單以及化妝品。

The unions called for Australia’s centre-left government to begin a register of companies using nanotechnology, while introducing new safety tests and product labelling for consumers and workers using nanotech products.

該工會呼籲澳洲的中間偏左派政府開始對使用奈米科技的公司進行登記，並為使用奈米科技產品的消費者和工人引進新的安全測試和產品標示。

新聞辭典

catastrophe：名詞，大災難；大禍。例句：The catastrophe of a tragedy usually brings death or ruin to the leading character.（悲劇的結局常常是主角死亡或毀滅。）

rival：動詞，與……匹敵；比得上。例句：He soon rivaled the others in skill. （他在技術上不久便與其他人並駕齊驅。）

asbestosis：醫學名詞，石棉沈滯病，又稱「石棉肺」，是長期吸入大量石棉粉塵引起的胸膜和肺部疾病，其主要病變是肺部廣泛的間質纖維化及胸膜增厚，肺功能受到明顯影響。

Pizza-making machine has chefs in a spin 披薩製造機讓大廚憂慮

◎張沛元

A vending machine that bakes fresh pizza in minutes for a few euros has got Italian chefs in a whirl before it hits the streets in the coming weeks.

一台在未來數週就會現身街頭、只花幾歐元就能在數分鐘內烤好新鮮披薩的販賣機，已經在義大利廚師間引起騷動。

The bright-red "Let’s Pizza" machine uses infra-red rays and technology developed at the University of Bologna to knead flour and water into dough, spread it with tomato sauce and a choice of topping, and cook it -- all in less than three minutes.

這台亮紅色的「讓我們披薩吧」的機器，使用紅外線以及波隆那大學研發的科技來將麵粉與水揉成麵糰、在麵糰上塗上番茄醬汁，以及各式披薩餡料，接著烤披薩──整個過程不到3分鐘就完成。

Its developer, Claudio Torghele, says the machine has proved popular in trials in two Italian regions, but gourmets say it is an affront to traditional methods of cooking the classic dish.

該販賣機研發人，克勞迪歐．托格勒說，在義大利兩個區域試驗的結果證明，這台機器很受歡迎，但美食家說，該機器簡直是侮辱製作披薩這道經典美食的傳統方法。

"This is not just a vending machine, it’s a mini-pizzeria," said Torghele, 56. "It has windows where you can watch the pizza-making process. Kids, including my own, love it： when the machine is working, there’s always a crowd."

「這不只是一台販賣機，這是一家迷你披薩舖」，56歲的托格勒說。「機器上有窗戶可以讓你看到製作披薩的過程。小孩子，包括我自己的孩子，都很喜歡它：當機器開始運作時，總會吸引群眾圍觀。」

新聞辭典

in a spin：片語，非常焦慮與困惑。例句：He’s in a spin over the arrangements for the meeting.（他對會議的安排感到焦慮困惑。）

in a whirl：片語，陷入混亂。例句：The naughty girl got her mother in a whirl.（那個淘氣的女孩把她媽媽搞得暈頭轉向。）

topping：名詞，鋪覆在食物上的醬汁、糖霜或佐料。pizza topping，鋪在披薩上的餡料。