2009/06/30

Afghan stowaway found inside Sandhurst 阿富汗偷渡客被發現藏身軍校

An illegal immigrant from Afghanistan was found inside Sandhurst military academy after stowing away on an Army coach.

一名來自阿富汗的非法移民,在搭乘一輛英國陸軍客車偷渡後,被人發現藏身在桑德赫斯特軍校內。

The stowaway was found in a stairwell of the coach after it passed through the gates of Sandhurst, reports The Sun.

在客車通過桑德赫斯特軍校大門後,這名偷渡客被發現藏在車子的樓梯井內,「太陽報」報導說。

The head of the British Army, General Sir Richard Dannatt, was reportedly "incandescent" at the incident.

英國陸軍司令李察.丹納特將軍,據說對這起事件「大為光火」。

The coach was carrying a number of officers and other personnel but was driven by a civilian contractor, the MoD said.

這輛客車當時載運許多軍官與其他人員,但開車的是一名民間約聘司機,英國國防部說。

An MoD spokesman said:"Security officers in all Army establishments have been informed and reminded of security procedures to reduce the risk of a further incident of this nature."

國防部一名發言人說:「所有陸軍機關的安全軍官已被告知與提醒安全程序,以降低再度發生此類事件的風險。」

The man, who The Sun said was 20 but who claimed to be only 16, was handed over to officials from the UK Border Agency.

這位被「太陽報」稱有20歲、但自稱僅16歲的男子,被轉送給英國邊界署的官員。

新聞辭典

stow away:片語,無票偷乘、偷渡。例句:He stowed away on a British ship with the help of a passenger.(他在一名乘客的協助下,偷乘一艘英國船逃離。)

incandescent:形容詞,白熱的、發白熱光的、熾熱的。be incandescent with rage指大發雷霆。

remind of:片語,提醒。例句:I remind him of his promise.(我提醒他許下的諾言。)

hand over:片語,交出、移交。例句:The thief was handed over to the police.(小偷被移交給警方。)

2009/06/29

Ex-smoker Obama still sneaks occasional puff戒了菸的歐巴瑪偶爾仍會偷抽菸

U.S. President Barack Obama may have just made life more difficult for cigarette makers, but he is not above confessing that he constantly struggles giving up smoking, and sneaking a smoke every now and again.

美國總統歐巴瑪或許才剛讓菸商日子更難過,但是他自己也不恥於承認一直為戒菸掙扎,偶爾也會偷抽菸。

Obama, who has been trying to give up smoking completely, made the revelation after signing a law this week that will likely set tough new rules for the tobacco industry. The popular leader said he still hasn’t completely kicked the habit.

已經努力徹底戒菸的歐巴瑪,是在簽署將對菸草業訂出新嚴格規範的法案後揭露此事。這名受歡迎的領導人說,他還沒有完全戒掉這個習慣。

"As a former smoker I constantly struggle with it. Have I fallen off the wagon sometimes? Yes. Am I a daily smoker, a constant smoker? No," Obama said at a news conference.

「身為曾經抽菸的人,我還一直與它奮鬥。我有沒有偶爾舊癮復發?有。我現在還每天抽、常抽嗎?沒有。」歐巴瑪在一場記者會上說。

"I would say that I am 95 percent cured, but there are times where I mess up," he said.

「我可以說我95%戒了,但是還是有破戒的時候。」他說。

Obama said he took up the habit before his 18th birthday. "Once you go down this path it’s something you continually struggle with, which is precisely why the legislation we signed is so important because what we don’t want is kids going down that path in the first place," he said.

歐巴瑪說他18歲前就染上這個習慣。「一旦你走上這條路,你就要一直與它奮鬥,這正是我們簽署的這項法案如此重要的原因,因為我們希望孩子從一開始就不要踏上這一步。」他說。

◎新聞辭典:

every now and again:片語,偶爾。例句:We would have dinner together every now and again.(我們偶爾會一起吃飯。)

fall off the wagon:片語,恢復某種極力克制的成癮習慣(如抽菸、喝酒、毒品等)。例句:He has quit drinking for 2 years but fell off the wagon after learning his wife still want a divorce.(他已經戒酒兩年了,但是得知他太太仍想離婚後,又再喝酒。)

take up:片語,開始、養成(習慣、興趣)。例句:I took up mountaineering in my 20’s.(我20多歲時養成爬山的興趣。)

2009/06/28

Tokyo fights burglars with flower power 東京動用花兒力量打擊盜賊

A Tokyo district plagued with burglaries has turned to planting flowers to beautify its streets and help stamp out crime.

東京一飽受竊案所苦的地區,透過種花美化街道來協助消除犯罪。

"’Operation Flower’ began about three years ago. By planting flowers facing the street, more people will be keeping an eye out while taking care of the flowers or watering them," said Kiyotaka Ohyagi, a Suginami City official. "The best way to prevent crime is to have more people on the lookout."

據杉並區官員大八木清高表示,「『種花行動』約在3年前展開。透過在街道旁種花,有更多人會在照顧花或澆花時留意周遭環境。」「防止犯罪最好的辦法就是讓更多人保持警戒。」

Suginami, with a population of 528,800, saw a record 1,710 break-ins in 2002.

杉並區人口約有52萬8800人,2002年卻創下1710起闖空門案的犯罪新高紀錄。

When a neighbourhood watch group found that there were fewer burglaries in buildings on flower-lined streets, Suginami decided to kick off Operation Flower and asked volunteers to plant seeds on side streets and in front of their homes.

當一個鄰里守望互助組織發現,在種滿鮮花街道兩邊的大樓竊案發生率較低時,杉並區決定發起「種花行動」,並呼籲志工在小巷裡和自家門前也種下花苗。

The flowers are part of a wider crime prevention campaign. The district also has 9,600 volunteer patrollers and 200 security cameras set up in areas where there are frequent break-ins. It also emails crime information daily to residents.

種花只是預防犯罪廣泛行動的其中一環。杉並區還有9600位巡守員,並在竊盜率最高的區域安裝了200具保全攝影機。區公所還會每天寄發犯罪情報電子郵件給居民。

Suginami says its efforts have paid off, with the number of burglaries falling to 390 in 2008, down almost 80 percent from 2002.

杉並區表示這些努力已經奏效,去年該區的竊案數量已降至390起,比2002年減少了近八成。

新聞辭典

flower power:花兒力量,指一九六○、七○年代美國嬉皮運動人士所主張一種以愛與和平改革社會的非暴力信仰。

on the lookout:片語,指保持警戒狀態,或指尋找某人或某事,如Be on the lookout for signs of a storm.(留心暴風雨即將到來的徵兆),或I’m always on the lookout for interesting new recipes.(我一直在尋找有趣的新食譜。)

pay off:動詞片語,指成功、奏效,如All her hard work paid off in the end, and she finally passed the exam.(她先前的努力果然有效,她終於通過了考試。)

2009/06/27

Iran using U.S. chip technology in rocket research 伊朗利用美國晶片科技進行火箭研究

◎陳成良

An Iranian research institute claims it used Advance Micro Devices Inc. Opteron microprocessors to build a high computing performance system. The claim is but one more piece of evidence that the U.S. trade embargo on Iran has little impact on the country’s importing of high-tech equipment.

伊朗一個研究機構聲稱,它利用超微公司(AMD)的Opteron微處理器打造出一套高運算效能的系統。這項宣示,只不過再次證明美國對伊朗的貿易禁運,對該國輸入高科技設備沒有造成太大衝擊。

The Aerospace Research Institute of Iran (ARI) has listed on its Web site specifications for a high performance computer using AMD’s dual core chips. The Suse Linux-based system was launched with 32 cores which have since increased to 96 cores, according the ARI site.

伊朗航太研究所(ARI)在其網站上列出了一部以AMD雙核心晶片打造的高效能電腦規格。這套以Suse Linux作業系統為基礎的系統,推出時有32核心,此後增加至96核心,據ARI網站指出。

Exactly when the Iranians started building this system is uncertain. The Web page listed the specifications is dated from December.

伊朗人開始打造這套系統的確切時間並不清楚,列出這些規格的網頁,日期追溯自12月。

This isn’t the first Iranian research organization to release specifications for a high performance computer system. In 2007, the Iranian High Performance Computing Research Center said it had assembled a Linux-based supercomputer using 216 Opteron processing cores. That center said it was the fastest system in Iran to date.

這不是伊朗研究機構首度發布高效能電腦系統的規格。2007年,「伊朗高效能電腦運算研究中心」稱,它利用了216個Opteron處理核心,組裝出一套Linux作業系統為基礎的超級電腦。該中心宣稱,這是伊朗歷來最快的(電腦)系統。

新聞辭典

but :副詞,只;僅僅;才。例句:It took her but a few days to learn it.(只不過幾天時間她就學會了。)句中「but」可以換成「only」,但「but」更能強調語氣的堅決。

assemble:動詞,集合;聚集;裝配。例句:He was busy assembling the computer. (他忙著裝配電腦。)

to date:片語,迄今為止。up to date也有迄今、最新式、並駕齊驅之意。例句︰Our computer is up to date. (我們的電腦是最新款的。)

2009/06/26

What to do with doggy doo - how ’bout a Powerloo? 該拿狗便便怎麼辦——強力馬桶怎麼樣?

張沛元

What to do with doggy doo - how ’bout a Powerloo?

該拿狗便便怎麼辦——強力馬桶怎麼樣?

Necessity might be the mother of invention, but nastiness also played a big role in Curt Fournier’s creation. Fournier, 34, developed the Powerloo and formed GreenDog LLC with fiancee Victoria Januszewski.

需要或許是發明之母,但對科特.富尼耶來說,骯髒在創造上也扮演一大角色。34歲的富尼耶發明了「強力馬桶」,並與未婚妻維多莉亞.賈努斯澤斯基創設「綠狗股份有限公司」。

It’s an outdoor, handsfree flushable toilet for dog waste. The Powerloo sits just below ground level and taps into sewer lines. It’s designed to be an environmentally safe and convenient way to dispose of dog poop.

這是一種戶外的、不需要用到手,以及可沖水的狗便便馬桶。「強力馬桶」安置在地面下,並且連接下水道,其設計既顧及環保,又能方便處理狗便便。

"Vicki and I were getting tired of cleaning up the mess left by our two dogs and thought that being able to flush it down a toilet in the backyard would make things easier," Fournier said.

「維琪與我都受夠了幫我們的兩條狗清理便便,心想若能將之沖下一個位於庭院的馬桶,事情就簡單多了」,富尼耶說。

新聞辭典

LLC :字頭縮寫,limited liability company,股份有限公司。

do with:關聯;關於;處理對待,相處忍受。例句:his illness has nothing do with his failing the exam.(他的病跟他考試失敗毫無關聯。)

doo-doo/poop:名詞,大便。doo為兒童語。文中另有loo,名詞,馬桶(主要以英國為主)。

dispose:動詞,處置。disposable,形容詞,可任意處置的。例句:I don’t use disposable chopsticks; it’s bad for the environment.(我不用免洗筷;那不環保。)


2009/06/25

Green tea ’slows prostate cancer’ 綠茶減緩攝護腺癌

◎鄭寺音

A chemical found in green tea appears to slow the progression of prostate cancer, a study has suggested.

研究顯示,綠茶中的一種化學物質,似乎可減緩攝護腺癌的發展。

The research, in the US journal Cancer Prevention Research, found a significant fall in certain markers which indicate cancer development.

這份刊登在美國癌症預防研究期刊的研究發現,顯示癌症發展的特定標記出現明顯下降。

A UK charity said the tea might help men manage low-risk tumours. Although previous studies have shown benefits from drinking green tea - including some positive findings in relation to prostate cancer, there have been mixed results.

一個英國慈善機構說,綠茶或許有助男性處理低風險的腫瘤。

雖然過去的研究顯示,喝綠茶有好處,包括與攝護腺癌相關的一些正面研究發現,不過研究結果不一。

In this study, Philadelphia-based researchers tested a compound called Polyphenon E. They were looking for a number of biomarkers - molecules - including vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and hepatocyte growth factor (HGF).

在這份研究中,費城的研究人員測試稱為 Polyphenon E的複合物。他們研究多種生物指標——分子,包括血管內皮成長因子(VEGF),以及肝細胞生長因子(HGF)。

They also looked for prostate specific antigen (PSA) - a protein only found in the prostate. Levels can rise if cancer is present.

他們也研究攝護腺特異抗原(PSA )。攝護腺特異抗原是一種只在攝護腺發現的蛋白質。如果攝護腺出現癌症,這種蛋白質的量會增加。

The study included 26 men, aged 41 to 72 years, who had been diagnosed with prostate cancer. Patients took four capsules containing Polyphenon E for an average of 34 days, up until the day before surgery - the equivalent of around 12 cups of normally brewed concentrated green tea.

這份研究以26名41到72歲的男性為對象,這些人都被診斷出攝護腺癌。病患服用四顆Polyphenon E膠囊,平均服用34天,直到手術的前一天,服用量相當於12杯正常泡製的濃縮綠茶。

新聞辭典

charity:名詞,慈善,慈善團體。例句:She does a lot of work for charity.(她做了很多慈善工作。)

mixed:形容詞,摻雜的,混雜的。例句:There has been a mixed reaction to the changes.(這些改變引發的反應不一。)

brew:動詞,泡(茶)、煮(咖啡)。例句:He brewed some coffee for us.(他幫我們泡了一些咖啡。)

2009/06/24

Hospital tells man to take Panadol for broken neck/男子頸部骨折 醫院要他吃普拿疼

◎ 魏國金

Health officials have apologised after a Sydney hospital told a man to go home and take painkillers for a broken neck.

在雪梨一家醫院告訴一名男子回家,並服用止痛藥來治療骨折的頸部後,醫院主管出面道歉。

Thirty-one-year-old Paul Curtis says he went to Ryde Hospital late on a Friday night in late May with a painful neck injury.

31歲的男子保羅.柯蒂斯說,他因疼痛的頸傷而於5月下旬的一個星期五晚間赴萊德醫院求診。

He says he was forced to wait several hours and then told by the doctor that the X-ray unit was closed and he should go home and take some Panadol.

他被迫等了數小時,接著醫生告知X光室已關門,他必須回家,服用一些普拿疼。

Curtis returned to the hospital on Monday and a CT-scan showed his neck was broken. He was rushed to Royal North Shore Hospital, with a doctor there giving an assessment.

柯蒂斯先生週一回到醫院,電腦斷層掃描顯示,他的頸部骨折。他被急送至皇家北濱醫院,由那裡的一名醫師進行評估。

"The doctor said I’m lucky not to be a paraplegic," Curtis said. "Being told on the Monday afterwards that I am lucky to be alive ... you sort of go ’wow’." He says it should be mandatory for hospitals to carry out immediate X-rays on patients with neck injuries.

「醫生說我很幸運沒有半身癱瘓,」柯蒂斯說。「當週一之後被告知,我很幸運還活著時,你多少會驚嘆幾聲。」他說醫院有義務即刻對頸部受傷的病患進行X光檢查。

Ryde Hospital’s emergency department head doctor Peter Roberts says the initial doctor did follow guidelines but it is clear they need reviewing.

萊德醫院急診室主任醫師彼得.羅伯茲說,原先的醫師確實遵照指導方針行事,但顯然他們需要重新檢討。

"On behalf of Ryde Hospital we do apologise to Paul Curtis," Dr Roberts said. He says in future, patients with similar symptoms will be X-rayed.

「身為萊德醫院的代表,我們真的要向保羅.柯蒂斯道歉,」羅伯茲醫師說。他表示,未來有類似症狀的患者將會進行X光檢查。

新聞辭典

mandatory︰強制的、義務的。比如︰the mandatory retirement age(法定退休年齡)

sort of︰有幾分、多少有點。例句︰I’ve sort of heard of him but I don’t know who he is.(我對他略有耳聞,但不知道他是誰。)

on behalf of︰代表……一方。on somebody’s behalf也有代表某人、為了某人之意;例句︰Don’t be uneasy on my behalf.(不要為我擔心。)

2009/06/23

Teen wakes up seeing stars 少女醒來看到星星

◎羅彥傑

A Belgian teenager is suing a tattooist for £10,000 after claiming she woke up with 56 stars on her face.

一名比利時少女向一名刺青師傅求償一萬英鎊,理由是她醒來時,臉上有56顆星星。

Kimberley Vlaminck, 18, claims Rouslan Toumaniantz spoke such bad English and French that he misunderstood her at the Tattoo Box studio in Courtrai, Belgium.

18歲的金柏莉.弗拉明克宣稱,魯斯藍.托瑪尼安茲說的英語與法語太差,以致他在比利時古特勒「刺青包廂」工作室時誤會她的意思。

She claims she fell asleep while the tattooist went to work and woke up to find 56 stars on her face.

她宣稱,當刺青師傅上工時,自己睡著了,醒來才發現臉上有56顆星星。

"It is horrible," sobbed Kimberley. "He has turned me into a freak. I can’t go out on the street now with people looking at me."

「這很恐怖,」金柏莉啜泣地說。「他把我變成怪咖。我現在一上街,大家就盯著我。」

However, Mr Toumaniantz insists she "got what she wanted" - and only complained when her dad got angry and her boyfriend dumped her.

不過,托瑪尼安茲堅稱她是「得償所願」─而且只是因她的父親生氣與男友拋棄她才抱怨。

Miss Vlaminch wants compensation to undergo laser treatment to remove the tattoos, but even after the treatment - that will cost upwards of 10,000 Euros, she is likely to be left with scars for life.

弗拉明克小姐希望獲得賠償來進行雷射治療,去除刺青,但就算做了治療─這將耗費多達一萬歐元,她仍可能畢生都會帶著疤痕。

<新聞辭典>

wake up:片語,醒來。例句:I woke up to discover that he had gone.(我醒來時發現他已走了。)

fall asleep:片語,入睡。例句:I fell asleep at my computer listening to music with my headphones.(我在電腦前用耳機聽音樂到睡著。)

for life:片語,終生、畢生。例句:It is still not known whether he will be paralyzed for life.(仍不曉得他是否會終生癱瘓。)

2009/06/22

First couple’s NY date: a campaign promise kept 總統夫婦紐約約會:兌現選戰承諾

◎管淑平

President Barack Obama made good on a campaign promise to his most important supporter Saturday night — his wife, Michelle. The president and first lady jetted to a date in New York, aides and media in tow.

總統歐巴瑪週六夜兌現了對他的最重要支持者-太太蜜雪兒的承諾。總統和第一夫人搭飛機到紐約約會,助理、媒體緊跟在後。

"I am taking my wife to New York City because I promised her during the campaign that I would take her to a Broadway show after it was all finished," the president said in a statement an aide read to the press.

「我帶我太太到紐約市,因為我在選戰期間承諾過她,所有事情結束後,我會帶她到百老匯看戲。」總統透過助理向媒體宣讀的聲明中說。

After dinning a little more than two hours at Blue Hill, a West Village restaurant, the president and first lady headed to the Belasco Theater to make it in time for "Joe Turner’s Come and Gone."

在西村餐廳Blue Hill吃了兩個多小時的晚餐後,總統和第一夫人及時前往Belasco劇院看「喬.特納的來來去去」。

The play by August Wilson is about black America recalling their migration from the sharecropping farms of the South to the industrialized North in the early 1900s.

這部奧古斯特.威爾森的劇作描寫1900年代初期美國黑人回憶從南方佃農遷徙到工業化的北方的歷史。

From the West Village to the theater, and as they headed back for the flight to Washington.after the play, the Obamas were greeted by cheers from enthusiastic bystanders. But the RNC chastised Obama for saying he understands American’s troubles, but then hopping up to New York for "a night on the town."

從西村到劇院,以及看完戲回程要搭機回華府的沿途,歐巴瑪夫婦都受到紐約街頭大批熱情路人歡迎。但是共和黨全國委員會痛斥歐巴瑪說了解美國人的痛苦,但卻又飛到紐約「城裡一夜歡樂」。

新聞辭典:

make good on:動詞片語,履行(承諾)、支付(債款)。例句:You will be so in trouble if you can’t make good on your promise.(如果你不能兌現承諾,你的麻煩就大了。)

in tow:形容詞,緊跟著、在(某人)保護或伴隨下。例句:How I wish one day I could go travel alone without kids in tow. (我多希望有一天能獨自去旅行,沒有小孩跟著。)

sharecropping:名詞,佃農制度。sharecropper則指佃農。

2009/06/21

Malaysia to blow the whistle on litterbugs 馬來西亞將吹哨制止亂丟垃圾者

◎俞智敏

After flyers failed to stop litterbugs, the frustrated mayor of a Malaysian town told his officials to blow the whistle on offenders — literally.

在發送傳單仍無法阻止市民亂丟垃圾後,馬來西亞一位無奈的市長下令官員對違規者吹哨,這裡指的是真的哨子。

Khazali Din, mayor of the northern Alor Star city, said that those who throw garbage on the streets will be greeted with a sharp whistle blown by patrolling city officials, and a fine of up to 300 ringgit.

馬國北部亞羅士打市的市長卡札里說,在街上亂丟垃圾者將聽到市府巡邏官員的尖銳哨音,並面臨馬幣300元的罰款。

"I’ve been trying so many methods, but they failed. I think this is the best way because people will feel shy or embarrassed when they are caught red-handed," he said.

「我試過許多種辦法全都無效,我認為這是最好的方法,因為假如亂丟垃圾者被當場抓到,應會感到害羞或尷尬」,他說。

The whistle offensive started recently, but Khazali said his officers are not yet adept at pouncing on offenders, so no one has been caught yet.

這項吹哨行動已經展開,但卡札里說他的官員對於取締違規者仍不夠熟練,因此目前尚無任何人挨罰。

The litter monitors must learn to act "on the spot, on the dot," he said, adding that the city will give the whistle campaign until at least the end of the year to show results.

卡札里表示,垃圾監測員必須學會「當場、及時」行動,並表示市政府至少會持續推動吹哨行動到年底再決定成效。

Some offenders may be let off with a warning, without having to face the full music, he said.

某些違規者可能僅遭口頭警告即可離去,不必真正面臨懲罰。

新聞辭典

blow the whistle:俚語,指告發、通知、揭發以期阻止壞事或非法行為,如 an attorney who blew the whistle on governmental corruption.(一位揭發政府貪腐內幕的檢察官),whistle-blower則指告發者,如The government pledges to protect whistle–blowers who fear reprisals.(政府承諾會保護擔心遭報復的告密者。)

litterbug:名詞,非正式用語,指在街道或公共場所亂丟垃圾的人。

on the dot:準時地,如The plane landed at two o’clock on the dot.(飛機準時在兩點整降落。)

face the music:指面對困難,或接受應得的懲罰,如When the missing money was noticed, he chose to disappear rather than face the music.(當有人注意到錢不翼而飛時,他寧可選擇失蹤也不願接受懲罰。)

2009/06/20

Nanotube chip could store data for a billion years 奈米管晶片能儲存資料10億年

◎陳成良

Researchers have demonstrated a form of archive memory using carbon nanotubes that can theoretically store a trillion bits of data per square inch for a billion years.

研究人員展示了一種使用奈米碳管、理論上每平方英寸面積能儲存1兆位元資料達10億年的資料庫記憶體。

The technology could easily be incorporated into today’s silicon processing systems and it could be available in the next two years, a lead researcher said.

這項科技能輕易地融入到目前的矽晶片處理系統中,並可在未來兩年內問世,一位主要研究人員表示。

The scientists at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and the University of California said the new technology can potentially pack thousands of times more data into one square inch of space than today’s chips.

美國能源部所屬勞倫斯柏克萊國家實驗室及加州大學的科學家表示,與今日的晶片相較,這項科技有能力將數千倍以上的資料放進一平方英寸空間裡。

Researchers said this latest nanotube breakthrough uses an iron nanoparticle, approximately 1/50,000th the width of a human hair, that in the presence of a low voltage electrical current can be shuttled back and forth inside a hollow carbon nanotube with remarkable precision.

研究人員表示,這項最新奈米管突破,使用一個寬度約人類頭髮5萬分之一的鐵奈米粒子,在低電壓電流狀態中,能極其精準地在一個中空碳奈米管中來回穿梭。

The shuttle’s position inside the tube can be read out directly via a simple measurement of electrical resistance, allowing the shuttle to function as a nonvolatile memory element with potentially hundreds of binary memory states.

該穿梭體在管內的位置,能經由簡單的電阻測量直接讀取,讓該穿梭體具有非揮發性記憶體元件的功能,可以儲存數百種二進位的記憶狀態。

新聞辭典

incorporate:動詞,合併;混合。例句:We will incorporate your suggestion in this new plan.(我們將把你的建議納入這項新計畫。)

hollow:形容詞,空的;中空的。例句:These chocolate eggs are all hollow. (這些巧克力蛋都是空心的。)

via:介系詞,經由;憑、藉(=by means of)。via air mail以航空郵寄。

2009/06/19

Show me the money: 5th-graders pick winning stocks/給我錢:小五生選中獲利股

◎張沛元

If your stock portfolio isn’t performing as well as you’d like, maybe you could hand it over to these fifth-graders. Four students at Tullar Elementary School in Neenah won the recent Wisconsin Stock Market Game, turning $100,000 of hypothetical money into more than $203,000 in 10 weeks.

倘若你的股票投資組合表現不如所願,也許你可以將之交給這些小五生。尼亞的杜勒小學4名學生日前在威斯康辛股市比賽中勝出,10週內將假設的一筆10萬美元,變成超過20萬3千美元。

The winning team of Annie Czech, Bailey Morton, Jen Sagehorn and Sam Weiler invested exclusively in 15 financial stocks, of which 13 proved profitable.

由安妮.切克、貝利.墨頓、詹.賽吉弘與山姆.魏勒所組成的獲勝隊伍,全部投資在15檔金融股,其中13檔證明獲利。

"I was really excited," Annie said. "I wanted to scream."

「我真的好興奮」,安妮說。「我想尖叫。」

"I am really pleased," Tim Hopfensperger, a teacher at the school and adviser to the young investors, said. "I am waiting to see what they will do in the future. A number of them will get involved in the financial industry."

「我感到相當欣慰」,該校教師與這些年輕投資人的顧問提姆.霍芬史波格說。「我對他們未來會怎麼做拭目以待。他們許多人將會涉足金融業。」

新聞辭典

Show me the money:給我錢,電影台詞,出自1996年的「征服情海」(Jerry Maguire)。此一台詞曾入選美國電影學院(American Film Institute, AFI)2005年的「百年百大電影經典名句」第25名。例句:"What’s your favorite movie quote?" " Definitely ’Show me the money’ from ’Jerry Maguire.’"「你最喜歡的電影台詞是哪句話?」「當然是『征服情海』的『給我錢』了。」

grade:名詞,(美)中小學的年級;~th grader,中小學~年級生。grade school,小學。小學亦可做elementary school或primary school。

portfolio:名詞,公事包;部長職;投資組合。minister without portfolio,不管部部長,政務委員。

2009/06/18

Music ’nurtures’ premature babies 音樂有助早產兒發育

◎鄭寺音

Hospitals that play music to premature babies help them grow and thrive, mounting evidence suggests.

越來越多證據顯示,醫院對早產兒播放音樂,能幫助早產兒成長與茁壯。

The benefits are said to be calmer infants and parents as well as faster weight gain and shorter hospital stays.

放音樂的好處據說是會讓嬰兒與家長平靜,也會讓體重增加更快速,縮短待在醫院的時間。

A Canadian team reviewed nine studies and found music reduced pain and encouraged better oral feeding. Music also appeared to have beneficial effects on physiological measures like heart and respiratory rate, Archives of Disease in Childhood reports.

一個加拿大團隊評估9份研究發現,音樂降低痛苦,鼓勵更好的口腔餵食。《小兒疾病文獻》指出,音樂似乎也對生理有好的影響,像是心跳與呼吸頻率。

Increasing numbers of neonatal units are using music on their wards.

越來越多新生兒病房在病房內使用音樂。

Six of the studies the University of Alberta team looked at music played to babies during painful procedures such as circumcisions. One looked at the effect of music on feeding rates and the remaining two looked at the effect of music on physiology and behaviours.

亞伯達大學團隊所評估的研究,有6份是觀察在割包皮等痛苦的手術時,對嬰兒播放的音樂。還有一份研究觀察音樂對餵食率的影響,另兩份觀察音樂對生理與行為的影響。

The study authors, Dr Manoj Kumar and colleagues, said: "There is preliminary evidence to suggest that music may have beneficial effects in terms of physiological parameters, behavioural states and pain reduction during painful medical procedures.

研究作者庫瑪與同僚說:「初步證據顯示,音樂可能在痛苦的醫療手術期間,對生理參數、行為狀態與減低痛苦方面有好的影響。」

新聞辭典

thrive:動詞,茁壯成長。例句:His business thrived in the years before the war.(他的生意在戰前幾年蓬勃成長。)

unit:名詞,病房 。例句:She’s in the burns unit.(她現在待在燒燙傷病房。)

procedure:名詞,手術。例句:It’s a standard surgical procedure.(這是標準外科手術。)

2009/06/17

107-year-old honoured among Afghan ’mothers of the year’

107歲人瑞榮膺阿富汗「年度母親」

◎魏國金

Afghan President Hamid Karzai honoured three women with the title Mother of the Year, including a posthumous recognition for a centenarian with some 500 descendants.

阿富汗總統哈米德.卡爾札伊表彰3名女性為年度母親,其中包括一名死後追認的百歲人瑞,她約有500名子孫。

Bibi Tabo, 107, passed away six months ago but her medal was given to her son at a ceremony in Kabul.

107歲的畢比.塔波6個月前辭世,不過她的獎章在喀布爾舉行的典禮中,頒贈給她的兒子。

Husan Bano Ghazanfar, the minister of women’s affairs, told a gathering of women at the ceremony that Tabo had around 500 children and grandchildren.

女性事務部部長哈珊.嘉珊法爾在典禮中告訴婦女群眾說,塔波約有500名兒孫。

"This year we announce three mothers as mothers of the year," Ghazanfar told the audience. Among the other recipients was Bibi Sakina, who is known for her active role and hard work in her community in western Herat province, Ghazanfar said.

「今年我們宣布3名母親為年度母親」,嘉珊法爾告訴來賓說。其他獲獎者是畢比.莎基娜,她在西部赫拉特省的社區,以活躍的角色與賣力工作而廣為人知,嘉珊法爾指出。

Illiterate Fatima Asir was also honoured after raising nine children, six sons and three daughters and ensuring they received a good education despite financial constraints. Among her children are an Afghan ambassador, university lecturer, doctor, engineer and an official in a senior post in the president’s office.

不識字的法蒂瑪.阿瑟兒也獲頒殊榮,她扶養6男3女等9名子女,儘管經濟窘迫,仍確保他們獲得良好教育。她的子女中,有阿富汗的駐外大使、大學講師、醫師、工程師與總統辦公室的高階官員。

新聞辭典

posthumous︰ 形容詞,死後的、身後的。例句︰He received a posthumous award for bravery.(他因英勇表現而在死後獲獎。)a posthumous child(遺腹子)、 posthumous works(遺作)。

centenarian︰名詞,百歲以上老人。centenary則指一世紀、一百年。例句︰This theatre is reaching its first centenary.(這家戲院即將滿一百年。)

constraint︰名詞,約束、限制、強制。例句︰The children showed constraint in the presence of the new teacher.(孩子們在新老師面前顯得拘謹。)

2009/06/16

Russia gays to take mayor to court over "queer" jibe

俄國同性戀者因市長嘲笑「同志」告上法院

◎羅彥傑

Russia gays to take mayor to court over "queer" jibe

俄國同性戀者因市長嘲笑「同志」告上法院

Gay rights activists in Moscow plan to take the city’s rampantly homophobic mayor to court for insulting their dignity during an interview in which he said "queers" undermined a morally healthy society.

莫斯科的同性戀者權益促進團體,因為極端恐懼同性戀的市長在受訪時說「同志」破壞道德健全的社會,侮辱他們的尊嚴,打算控告他。

A Moscow court rejected a previous case made by gay rights campaigners against 72-year-old mayor Yuri Luzhkov in 2007 after he described their marches as "satanic" and banned one.

為同性戀權益奔走的人士,2007年才控告72歲的魯茲科夫市長,因為他形容他們的遊行「猶如撒旦」,而且還禁辦一場,但莫斯科法院將訟案駁回。

Prominent gay rights activist Nikolai Alexeyev said on Wednesday that lawyers would present a new case against Luzhkov to a Moscow court this week and later to the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg.

知名同性戀權益社運人士亞烈謝耶夫週三表示,律師本週將向莫斯科法院遞交控告魯茲科夫的新案件,稍後也會呈交給史特拉斯堡的歐洲人權法院。

"Nobody in Russia can win against the authorities. This is about raising awareness," he told Reuters by telephone.

「俄國沒有人能打贏當局。此舉是在喚起注意,」他在電話中告訴路透。

Besides banning several gay parades in Moscow, Luzhkov has also blamed homosexuals for the spread of HIV/AIDS.

除了查禁莫斯科的若干場同性戀遊行外,魯茲科夫也把愛滋病毒的散播歸咎給同性戀者。

新聞辭典

take ~ to court:片語,對某人提出告訴。例句:Pigeon lovers are set to take London Mayor to court.(愛鴿人士準備對倫敦市長提出告訴。)

queer: 名詞,怪人,或(尤指男性)同性戀者,但有輕蔑意味。亦被譯為「酷兒」。例句:It is an unfortunate fact that queer teens do sometimes face violence from family, friends, or classmates.(有同性戀傾向的少年男女確實有時候會面臨來自家人、朋友或同學的暴力,這是不幸的事實。)

win against:片語,打贏、戰勝。例句:It will take a major effort mentally for them to win against the rebels.(他們要做好心理建設,才能打贏叛軍。)

2009/06/15

Some Israelis Insulted By Obama Picture/部分以色列人覺得被歐巴瑪照片污辱了

◎管淑平

Israeli TV newscasters interpreted a photo taken 8. June in the Oval Office of President Obama talking on the phone with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as an "insult" to Israel. The photo which was released to the media showed Obama with his shoes up on the desk during the conversation.

一張歐巴瑪6月8日在白宮橢圓形辦公室與以色列總理納坦雅胡講電話時所拍的照片,被以色列電視新聞播報人員解讀是「侮辱」以色列。這張提供給媒體的照片顯示,歐巴瑪在講電話時把雙腳放在桌上。

It is considered an insult in the Arab world to show the sole of your shoe to someone. It is not a Jewish custom necessarily, but Israel feels enough a part of the Middle East after 60 years to be insulted too.

對人露出你的鞋底,在阿拉伯世界被視為一種侮辱,這不盡然是猶太人的風俗,但是也夠讓60年來身為中東一份子的以色列覺得是污辱。

They saw the incident as somewhat akin to an incident last year, when the Iraqi reporter threw a shoe at President Bush in Baghdad.

他們認為此事多少與去年伊拉克記者在巴格達向布希總統丟鞋子的事件類似。

Was there a subliminal message intended from the White House to Netanyahu in Jerusalem, who is publicly resisting attempts by Mr. Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to force Israel to stop any kind of settlement activity in occupied territories once and forever?

這其中是否有白宮要向人在耶路撒冷的納坦雅胡傳遞的隱藏的訊息?納坦雅胡公開抗拒歐巴瑪和國務卿希拉蕊施壓以色列就此永遠停止任何在佔領區的屯墾區活動。

Whether or not it is true, it shows the mood in Israel. They feel cornered. The reactions out of Israel reflect that feeling.

不管這是否為事實,這顯示出以色列的心情。他們覺得被逼入困境了,以色列的反應顯示出這種感覺。

新聞辭典

akin to:形容詞,與…(性質)類似、有血緣關係的。例句:The problem she’s facing now is akin to what she had few years ago.(她現在面臨的問題與她幾年前碰過的問題類似。)

subliminal: 形容詞,隱含的、潛意識的。例句:The subliminal messages in ads could have great influence on comsuming behavior.(廣告中隱含的訊息可能對消費行為有很大影響力。)

cornered:形容詞,被逼入困境、被為難。例句:We actually has been cornered by the competitor.(我們實際上被競爭對手逼入困境了。)

2009/06/14

Swiss cleaning bug reaches new peaks瑞士清潔狂熱到達顛峰

◎俞智敏

A Swiss holiday resort is offering mountain-cleaning courses after an April fools spoof caught the imagination of a nation known for its cleanliness, the tourism board said recently.

在愚人節玩笑引發以愛乾淨著稱的瑞士人注意後,瑞士觀光局最近表示,一處度假勝地現在正式開始提供山區清潔課程。

Authorities in Engelberg, an idyllic ski resort where tens of thousands of skiers come annually, said the April fools joke had such global impact that they were now using it as a marketing tool to attract holidaymakers.

在每年有數萬名滑雪客湧入的鄉間滑雪勝地恩格堡,當局表示今年的愚人節笑話引起全球共鳴,所以他們現正把這個笑話當成行銷工具,藉以吸引更多人來此度假。

"We are offering four weekend courses after which participants can call themselves qualified mountain cleaners," Modeste Jossen, Engelberg cable car services director, said. Participants are awarded a special ’mountain-cleaner badge’.

「我們正提供4週課程,學生結業後可自稱為合格山區清潔員。」恩格堡纜車服務負責人約森表示。參加課程者可獲頒一塊特別的「山區清潔員徽章」。

On April 1 this year, the national tourism board aired an online video to recruit mountain cleaners to keep the country’s Alpine peaks in pristine condition all year round.

今年4月1日,瑞士觀光局在網路上播放了一段影片,徵求山區清潔員來維持瑞士阿爾卑斯山區全年純淨不受污染。

The video was translated into six languages and more than 30,000 people completed the spoof application to become a mountain cleaner in the first 24 hours of it being posted.

這段影片被翻譯成6種語言,結果竟有超過3萬人在影片播出後24小時內填寫了假的申請書,打算成為山區清潔員。

Cleanliness and tidiness are entrenched in the culture of Switzerland, where many households still set aside one day a week solely for washing and doing housework.

清潔和整齊深植於瑞士文化中,許多家庭現在都還會每週排出一整天時間,專門用來清掃和做家事。

新聞辭典

bug:名詞,口語用法,指對某事物非常熱中,或指對某事物非常熱中的人,如 He’s been bitten by the sailing bug.(他愛上了航海。)

peak: 名詞,指山頂、山峰,亦指某事的最高峰、頂點,如Holiday flights reach a peak during August.(假期航班在8月到達最高點),亦可做動詞,如Official figures show that unemployment peaked in November.(官方數據顯示失業率在11月達到頂點。)

pristine:形容詞,正式用語,具 正面含意,指原始的、清新的、純樸的,如a pristine fores(原始林),亦指全新的或接近全新的,如We’ve just moved into our pristine new offices.(我們剛剛搬進全新的辦公室。)

2009/06/13

Founder Of Cirque du Soleil To Become Next Space Tourist 太陽馬戲團創辦人將成下一位太空遊客

◎陳成良

Cirque du Soleil founder Guy Laliberte has found an out-of-this-world way to celebrate his 50th birthday -- blasting off into space.

太陽馬戲團創辦人蓋.拉利伯特已找出極其美妙的方法來慶祝50歲生日——發射進入太空。

The former fire-eater is on the countdown to become the world’s seventh, and Canada’s first, space tourist, slated to travel on a Russian Soyuz space craft to the International Space Station (ISS) in September.

這位前吞火藝人已進入倒數計時,將成為全球第7,也是加拿大第一位太空觀光客,預定9月乘坐俄羅斯「聯合號」太空船前往國際太空站。

Laliberte, 49, a Quebec billionaire who was listed as one of the 100 most influential people in the world by Time magazine in 2004, will be the seventh tourist to visit the multi-national orbiting space station since April 2001.

49歲的拉利伯特是魁北克省的億萬富豪,2004年被時代週刊列為全球百大最具影響力人物之一。他將成為自2001年4月以來,第7位造訪這座多國軌道運行太空站的觀光客。

He founded Cirque du Soleil 25 years ago and currently owns 95 percent of the company, and is also a professional poker player. Laliberte turns 50 on September 2.

他25年前創立太陽馬戲團,目前擁有該公司95%股份,他也是位職業撲克玩家。拉利伯特9月2日將滿50歲。

He paid a total of $60 million for his two space journeys but tourists have paid up to $35 million for the trip, arranged by U.S. company Space Adventures.

在美國「太空冒險」公司安排下,他總共支付6000萬美元進行兩趟太空旅行,不過觀光客一趟要付3500萬美元。

新聞辭典

blast off :片語,(火箭、飛彈等的)發射升空,例句:The rockets were blasted off.(火箭發射升空了。)

out of this world:(口語)極好的。例句: This restaurant is absolutely out of this world. (這家餐廳實在太棒了。)

slate:動詞,預定;選定。例句:The delegation is slated to arrive next week. (代表團預定下週到達。)

2009/06/12

NY couple to be first to wed in zero gravity

紐約未婚夫妻將創下無重力結婚首例

◎張沛元

A New York couple really will be on cloud nine when they marry later this month: they’ll exchange vows in zero gravity.

當一對紐約未婚夫妻本月稍後結婚時,他們真的會高興到飄飄然:他們將在無重力狀態下互許誓言。

Noah Fulmor and Erin Finnegan will be floating -- possibly upside down -- as they say "I do" in a specially modified Boeing 727-200 departing Kennedy Space Center at Cape Canaveral on June 20, a statement from Zero Gravity Corporation said.

諾亞.傅墨與艾琳.弗諾金6月20日在一架經過特別改造、從(佛羅里達州)卡納維爾角甘迺迪太空中心啟程的波音727-200飛機裡說「我願意」時,可能正飄浮著——而且是頭下腳上,「零重力公司」的一份聲明說。

They will be "the first bride and groom to be married in zero gravity," the company, a provider of commercial weightless flights, said.

他們將成為「第一對在無重力狀態下結婚的新郎與新娘」,這家提供商業無重力飛行的公司說。

"Richard Garriott, the sixth private explorer in history to go to space and the first second-generation US astronaut, will officiate," the company said.

「李察.賈瑞歐特,史上第6位前往太空的民間探險家以及美國太空人的第2代中第一位上太空的人,將擔任主婚人」,這家公司說。

According to the statement, the aircraft’s interior replicates levels of weightlessness found on Mars or the Moon. "It’s an experience unlike any other."

根據這份聲明,這架飛機內部複製了火星或月球上的無重力狀態程度。「這是無與倫比的經驗。」

Although the betrothed may have trouble with rings floating away, they’ll at least get out of the extreme setting unscathed.

儘管這對未婚夫妻可能會有戒指飄走的困擾,但至少他們可以毫髮無傷地離開這個極致的(結婚)場地。

新聞辭典

cloud nine:非正式用法,狂喜狀態。例句:She was on cloud nine after winning the competition.(她贏得比賽後欣喜若狂。)

upside down:副詞,指倒轉地、顛倒地、混亂地。upside-down則為形容詞。

officiate:動詞,主持,行使。例句:A priest officiates at a wedding.(一名教士主持婚禮。)

2009/06/11

Tomato pill ’beats heart disease’ 番茄藥丸對抗心臟病

◎鄭寺音

Scientists say a natural supplement made from tomatoes, taken daily, can stave off heart disease and strokes.

科學家說,番茄製成的天然營養補充品,每天服用可遏止心臟病與中風。

The tomato pill contains an active ingredient from the Mediterranean diet - lycopene - that blocks "bad" LDL cholesterol that can clog the arteries.

這種番茄藥丸包含地中海飲食的主要成分茄紅素,可抑制會塞住動脈的壞膽固醇「低密度脂蛋白」。

Ateronon, made by a biotechnology spin-out company of Cambridge University, is being launched as a dietary supplement and will be sold on the high street.

劍橋大學的生物科技公司所製造的Ateronon,正以飲食補充品的姿態問世,並將在市面銷售。

Experts said more trials were needed to see how effective the treatment is.

專家說,這種療法的療效還需要更多測試。

Preliminary trials involving around 150 people with heart disease indicate that Ateronon can reduce the oxidation of harmful fats in the blood to almost zero within eight weeks.

以150名有心臟病的患者為對象的初步試驗結果顯示,Ateronon可在8週內將血中有害脂肪的氧化降到幾乎是零。

新聞辭典

stave off :片語,擊退,趕走。例句:Death is natural and inevitable - we can’t stave it off forever. (死亡是自然且不可避免的事情,我們沒辦法永遠抗拒。)

block:動詞,阻擋,阻塞。例句:My view was blocked by a tall man in front of me.(我的視野被眼前一個高大的男人擋住了。)

clog:動詞,阻塞。例句:The roads are clogged with holiday traffic.(路上塞滿了度假車潮。)

high street:名詞,大街(指市鎮中最主要的街道)。

2009/06/10

Boy, 10, ’Too Tall’ For Kids’ Meal Discount

10歲男孩太高 無法享用兒童餐優惠

A 10-year-old boy, who was hoping to enjoy a half-price children’s meal, got a surprise when he was told by restaurant staff he was too tall for the discounted rate.

一名渴望享受半價兒童餐的10歲男孩,被餐廳員工告知他太高所以無法獲得優惠時,十分詫異。

Ben Gardner was measured by staff, who deemed him nine centimetres over the 140cm height limit for the special price. His father had to pay the full price of £10 for his son’s meal.

班.加德納由餐廳職員量身高,該員認為他比該特價餐限制的140公分高出9公分。其父必須為兒子的餐點付10英鎊全餐價格。

The family had gone to the Angel Chef Chinese buffet restaurant in Saintbridge, Gloucester, for an evening out last Friday. They had hoped to take advantage of the half-price children’s meal but were bemused when staff measured him when he went up to the buffet to fill his plate.

這家人上週五晚間前往(英國)格羅斯特郡聖橋市名為安琪大廚的中式百匯餐廳用餐。他們期盼好好利用半價兒童餐優惠,不過當班端著盤子走向餐點區,餐廳職員卻量他身高時,他們一頭霧水。

The restaurant said there is a sign at the front of the restaurant informing customers of the children’s price height rule.

餐廳表示,在店門前有招牌告知顧客,兒童餐的高度規則。

"They haven’t measured him before. How can they charge for an adult? He is only 10. It seems ludicrous they are going by height." Mr. Gardner said.

「先前他們沒有量他身高,他們怎麼可以要成人的價錢,他只有10歲,他們靠身高來論價似乎荒唐。」加德納先生說。

A spokeswoman from the national chain of Angel Chef said:"Since last year we started charging the adult price for children over 140cm. We leave it to the discretion of the manager."

安琪大廚全國連鎖店的一名女發言人說︰「從去年起,我們對超過140公分的兒童收取成人餐的費用,我們把這個問題留給店經理處理。」

新聞辭典

bemuse︰使困惑、使茫然。例句︰The wine left him somewhat bemused.(喝酒後他多少有點神智迷糊。)

ludicrous︰滑稽、荒唐可笑的。例句︰His face was ludicrous in its dismay.(他那沮喪的神色看上去很滑稽。)

discretion︰ 斟酌決定(或處理)權。例句︰The matter came within his discretion.(這件事他可以自行決定處理。);at discretion指任意、隨意、無條件地,surrender at discretion(無條件投降)。

2009/06/09

Police nab Germany’s most wanted criminal 警方逮到德國頭號通緝犯

◎羅彥傑

Germany’s most wanted criminal has been captured outside a pub in Hamburg’s redlight district ending a nine-year manhunt, police said on Friday.

德國頭號通緝犯已在漢堡市紅燈區的一間酒館外落網,結束9年的緝捕行動,警方週五表示。

Thomas Wolf, 56, a talented linguist who eluded police with multiple aliases, told investigators after his arrest late on Thursday that he expected them to nab him sooner or later.

56歲的湯瑪斯.沃爾夫,精通多國語言且利用多個假名躲避警方。他在週四晚間被捕後告訴調查人員,他預期到警方遲早會把他逮捕歸案。

Wolf, who had been on the run since 2000 after fleeing while serving a prison sentence for bank robbery, has remained silent about the whereabouts of a 1.8 million euros ransom he extorted from a kidnapping this year, police said.

因為銀行搶案坐牢,但自2000年起逃亡的沃爾夫,一直對於自己今年從某件綁架案勒索到的180萬歐元贖金下落保持沉默。

He also stole hundreds of thousands of euros in bank robberies across northern Europe while on the run, they said.

他也在歐洲北部逃亡期間犯下多起銀行搶案,偷走數十萬歐元。

"It all ended very fast. He appeared to be baffled and had no chance of resisting arrest," a Hamburg police spokesman told ARD television.

「整件事結束得非常快。他似乎感到大惑不解,而且沒有拒捕的機會,」漢堡市警局一名發言人告訴ARD電視台。

Federal police investigator Joern Blicke said Wolf had been under observation in Hamburg for several days after authorities got a tip-off.

聯邦警署調查員霍恩.布利克說,在當局獲得線報後,沃爾夫已在漢堡市被監控數天。

新聞辭典

sooner or later:片語,遲早、終歸。例句:The child will get back sooner or later.(這個孩子遲早會回來的。)

on the run:片語,(遭通緝的)逃亡。例句:The killer is still on the run.(凶手仍在逃。)

tip-off:名詞,線報、密告。例句:The reporter received a tip-off from a reliable source.(這名記者從可靠人士取得消息。)

2009/06/08

Brazen NZ parrot steals passport 大膽的紐西蘭鸚鵡偷護照

Polly wants a passport—and isn’t above stealing one.

波利想要一本護照,而且並不以去偷一本為恥。

A brazen parrot, which spotted a Scottish man’s passport in a colored bag in the luggage compartment under a tour bus, nabbed the document and made off into dense bush with it, the Southland Times newspaper reported Friday.

一隻大膽的鸚鵡發現一本蘇格蘭男子的護照,就放在觀光巴士底下行李艙的彩色袋子裡,於是搶走護照逃進茂密灌木叢中,南島時報報導。

The bird—a parrot of the Kea variety—made its move while the bus was stopped along the highway to Milford Sound on South Island, and the driver was looking through the compartment.

這隻鳥—屬於啄羊鸚鵡—是當巴士停在通往南島米爾福灣的公路邊,司機查看行李艙時採取行動。

Police told the newspaper the passport has not been recovered and is unlikely to be located in the vast Fiordland rain forest.

警方說,那本護照一直沒找回來,而且在這片廣大的峽灣雨林中也不太可能找到。

"My passport is somewhere out there in Fiordland. The Kea’s probably using it for fraudulent claims or something," the passport owner, who did not want to be named, told the newspaper.

「我的護照在峽灣中的某處。這隻鸚鵡八成把它用來做招搖撞騙之類的事情。」這本護照持有人說。

Kea, the world’s only snow line-dwelling parrot, are widely known as inquisitive birds who appear to take delight in attacking rubber items like windshield wiper blades.

啄羊鸚鵡是全球唯一住在雪線的鸚鵡,向以好奇出名,而且顯然以攻擊如汽車雨刷之類的橡膠物品為樂。

"I’ll never look at a Kea in the same way," the man was quoted saying.

「我以後會對啄羊鸚鵡另眼相看」,報導引述這名男子的說法。

新聞辭典

brazen:形容詞,動詞;大膽的、厚臉皮的,大膽、厚臉皮的行動。例句:You are such a brazen liar.(你真是個厚顏無恥的騙子。)

above;介系詞,不屑於、難於,如;above comprehension難以理解的。above oneself 自大的。

take delight in;片語,樂於、以從事某事為樂。例句:She takes delight in helping others.(她以助人為樂。)

2009/06/07

Hair’s the limit for Japan’s Mohican Makino 日本足球隊員變髮無禁忌

Hiroshima defender Tomoaki Makino is poised to make a hair-raising debut for Japan against Chile after reporting for duty with a red-dyed Mohican.

廣島隊後衛球員槙野智章準備在日本隊與智利隊開戰時,一出場就讓全場觀眾驚艷,因為他在向球隊報到時,頂著一頭染成紅色的摩希根髮型。

The 22-year-old shocked team mates and Japan coach Takeshi Okada with his spiky hairdo on the eve of his country’s Kirin Cup friendly in Osaka.

在日本隊即將於大阪參加麒麟盃友誼賽的前夕,這名22歲球員的高聳髮型讓其他隊友及日本隊教練岡田武史都大吃一驚。

"The red signifies passion and Japan’s rising sun flag," Makino told Japanese media, adding that it had taken eight hours to create his new look.

槙野向日本媒體表示,「紅色象徵熱情和日本的太陽旗」,他還說這個新造型花了8小時才打造完成。

"Maybe he’s trying to get noticed by getting a Mohican," Okada smiled. "I had no idea he would go that far. Hopefully he will make a similar impression on the pitch."

「或許他想藉由摩希根頭來引起注意」,岡田教練笑著說。「我沒想到他會這麼大費周章。希望他在球場上也能引起類似效果。」

新聞辭典

The sky’s the limit:成語,指某事或某人的成就毫無限制。本文標題hair’s the limit由此成語變化而來,是指球員改變髮型的雙關語。如With two important film roles and a major award, it seems like the sky’s the limit for this talented young actress. (在兩部影片中都擔任要角、並獲頒重要獎項後,這位年輕的才女演員似乎前途無量。)

hair-raising:形容詞,指非常嚇人或刺激,如Driving through the mountains was a hair-raising experience.(開車穿越這些山脈非常刺激。)

mohican:名詞,原指北美洲原住民摩希根族Mohicans(或作Mahicans),小寫時則指一種把兩邊頭髮剃光、只剩頭頂中央一條直聳長髮的髮型,常見於龐克文化族群。

2009/06/06

Google employs goats Google僱用山羊

◎ 陳成良

Search engine outfit Google has hired a herd of goats in a bid to lower its carbon footprint. The herd of 200 goats have been bought in to clip and fertilize the grass on its Mountain View HQ rather than using lawnmowers.

搜尋引擎公司Google僱用了一群山羊,藉以減少其碳足跡。這200頭山羊,已經被帶往其(加州)山景市總部的草地除草兼施肥,而不使用除草機。

Google said it wanted to take a more "low-carbon" approach with the goats reducing the company’s contribution to air and noise pollution. It costs about the same as mowing the lawn but the goats were "a lot cuter to watch."

Google表示希望採取更「低碳」作法,利用這些山羊降低該公司導致的空氣及噪音污染。租用山羊清理草地的成本與使用割草機差不多,但山羊「看起來可愛多了」。

The move has worried PETA which has said that while they have no problem with the goats eating grass, they were concerned about how they were transported and whether they have enough shelter and water.

這項行動引發了「人道對待動物組織」憂慮,該組織已表示,他們對放羊吃草沒意見,在意的是如何運送牠們,以及牠們是否有足夠的棲身處及飲水。

Google has stretched its employee policy for the goats. Normally only employees are allowed a free organic lunch.

Google已將其員工政策延伸到這群山羊身上。通常只有員工才能享用免費有機午餐。

Yahoo has also employed goats to graze their grounds, some of them were made board members.

雅虎公司也曾僱用山羊吃草整地,其中一些羊隻還當上董事會成員。

新聞辭典

outfit: 名詞,(口語)企業;商業組織。例句:The Siemens of Germany set up a new outfit to expand its operations in China. (德國西門子公司成立一家新公司,以擴大在中國營運範圍。)

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。

graze: 動詞,(動物)吃草。例句:If wheat prices are very low, a farmer or rancher may choose to let the cattle graze the wheat all spring, instead of letting the wheat grow and producing grain.(如果小麥的價格非常低,一位農民或牧場主可以選擇讓牛群在小麥田吃上整個春天,而不是讓小麥生長結穗。)

2009/06/05

Snake blacks out Missouri Capitol, pays price害密蘇里州議會停電的蛇為此付出代價

◎ 張沛元

Missouri legislators spent about an hour in the dark because of a power outage at the state Capitol - and a snake took all the blame and paid the price.

密蘇里州的立法諸公在黑暗中待了一小時,因為州議會大樓停電——而罪魁禍首是一隻蛇,牠也為此付出代價。

The electricity went out at noon while lawmakers were debating legislation and scores of schoolchildren were touring the building.

停電發生於正午時分,當時立法諸公正在辯論立法,還有數十名學生在州議會大樓內參觀。

Several people were stuck in elevators, but Capitol Police Chief Todd Hurt said they all were freed within 20 minutes and no injuries were reported. Power was back on after about an hour.

有些人被困在電梯裡,但州議會警察首長塔德.赫特說,這些人在20分鐘內便全數脫困,沒有接獲有人受傷的報告。電力在約一小時後恢復。

The problem was a reptile that was in the wrong place at the wrong time.

問題出在一隻爬蟲類,牠在錯誤的時間出現在錯誤的地方。

AmerenUE spokeswoman Susan Gallagher said the black snake got into underground electrical cables near the Capitol and shorted out two cables.

AmerenUE電力公司女發言人蘇珊.賈蘭格說,這隻黑蛇溜進靠近州議會大樓的地下電纜,並且造成兩條電纜短路。

The snake was electrocuted.

這隻蛇已因觸電死亡。

The blackout also affected the Governor’s Mansion and other downtown buildings.

這場停電還影響州長的官邸以及其他市區裡的建築。

新聞辭典

black out:停電;昏倒,失去知覺。例句:I think I am going to black out.(我覺得我快昏倒了。)

take the blame (for doing something):俚語,承擔過錯。例句:I’ll never take the blame for something I didn’t do just to keep the peace.(我才不會為了和諧而去承擔我沒做過的事的罪名。)

pay the price :付出代價;承受做了某事或冒某險的後果。例句:You will be paying the price for smoking too much someday.(你總有一天得為抽太多菸付出代價。)

2009/06/04

Fathers-to-be ’gain extra weight’ 準爸爸會變胖

◎鄭寺音

The average father-to-be gains a stone (6.35kg) during his partner’s pregnancy, a poll has suggested.

民調顯示,準爸爸在另一半懷孕期間,平均增胖6.35公斤。

A fifth of 5,000 men surveyed said they were given larger meals, and 41% said there were more snacks in the house.

受訪的5000名男性中,5分之1表示,他們吃比較多,41%說,家裡有比較多零食。

The poll, for marketing company Onepoll, also found 25% of men ate more food to make their partner feel better about her weight gain.

行銷公司Onepoll所做的這份民調也發現,25%的男性吃比較多,來讓另一半對她們自己變胖覺得好過一點。

Favourite ’male pregnancy’ snacks include pizza, chocolate, crisps, and more inappropriately, beer.

「男性孕期」最受喜愛的零食包括披薩、巧克力、薯片,以及更不適當的,啤酒。

The average weight gain equated to men putting on around at least two inches around their waist, and a quarter were forced to buy a "paternity" wardrobe.

平均增加的體重等同於男性腰圍增大至少兩吋,4分之1男性不得不購買「孕爸裝」。

A fifth of fathers-to-be said they had only realised they had put on weight when their existing clothes stopped fitting. But 19% said it was their friends who had felt they needed to make it clear they were fatter than before - via jokes about having a "bun in the oven".

5分之1的準爸爸說,他們是到現有的衣服不合身之後,才發現自己變胖了。但19%的準爸爸說,是朋友認為需要明講他們變胖,開玩笑地說「烤箱裡有個小麵包」,才知道自己變胖了。

新聞辭典

equate:動詞,相當於。例句:The price of such goods in those days equates to about $50 a kilo at current prices.(那時候這些商品的價格,每公斤相當於現在的50美元。)

put on:片語,(體重)增加。例句:He’s put on 10 pounds in the last month.(他上個月胖了十磅。)

have a bun in the oven:(幽默用法)指「懷孕」。

2009/06/03

Maryland state mows with goats 馬里蘭州以山羊除草

◎魏國金

Officials in the eastern US state of Maryland have come up with an innovative, cost-saving way to protect the environment: they use goats to mow the grass.

美國東部的馬里蘭州官員想到一個創新、省錢的保護環境方法︰他們用山羊除草。

The State Highway Administration came up with the novel idea while building an 85-million-dollar road bypass near the town of Hampstead after it found that the construction site was home to bog turtles, the smallest turtle in the United States and a threatened species.

該州的公路管理局斥資8500萬美元,在漢普斯戴鎮附近興建一條外環道時,發現該建設據點是牟氏龜的棲地後,突發此奇想。牟氏龜是美國體型最小的烏龜,而且是受威脅的物種。

The traditional method of keeping grass at the side of a highway in trim -- lawn mowers -- was considered but discarded because it could severely disrupt the bog turtles’ habitat and possibly even injure or kill the tiny reptiles, whose shells measure between 7.6 and 11.5 centimeters in length.

傳統以割草機維持公路旁雜草平整的方式雖被考慮,但恐因嚴重干擾牟氏龜的棲地,並可能傷害甚或殺害這種龜殼長約7.6至11.5公分的微小爬蟲類而被摒棄。

Grazing cattle on the land was also pondered, but that idea was ruled out because cows are heavy and might have crushed the tiny turtles. Then, someone thought of the goat option.

放牛吃草也曾被思考過,但因為牛太重,可能壓垮小烏龜而作罷。然後,某位仁兄想到羊的可能性。

"We found a local farmer who has 40 goats that we rent," said David Buck, spokesman for the State Highway Administration.

該州公路管理局發言人巴克說︰「我們找到一名有40頭山羊的農人,並租了那些羊。」

If the two-year, 10,000-dollar pilot project is deemed a success, it will be expanded to other environmentally sensitive regions across Maryland.

如果這項為期兩年、斥資一萬美元的試驗計畫被認為成功,將擴展至馬里蘭州其他環境敏感的地區。

新聞辭典

come up with ︰(針對問題或挑戰)提出、想出。例句︰He could always come up with a reason for them to linger another month.(他總能想出個理由來讓他們再待上一個月。)

trim︰名詞指修整、調整。例句︰It’s a long time for him to get into trim.(他花了很長的時間才穿著就緒。)in(good)trim指整齊、狀況佳,out of trim則是失衡。

pilot︰當形容詞指(小規模)試驗性的。例句︰The local government is trying a pilot farming scheme.(地方政府正在嘗試一個小規模試驗性的農耕計畫。)

2009/06/02

Teens rob man in wheelchair 少年搶劫坐輪椅的男子

◎羅彥傑

Two teenagers are facing charges in Florida after allegedly pulling an elderly man from his wheelchair, roughing him up and robbing him, police say.

佛羅里達州兩名少年將面臨控訴,因為據說他們把一名老人從輪椅上拖下來,對他施暴與搶劫,警方說。

Miami-Dade police said they arrested the 17-year-old and 13-year-old boys Friday and charged them with strong-arm robbery and battery of an elderly person, The Miami Herald reported Saturday.

邁阿密—戴德郡警方說,他們週五逮捕17歲與13歲少年,控告他們犯下暴力搶劫與毆打一名老年人,邁阿密前鋒報週六報導說。

Police say one of the teens was videotaped running up behind Celedono Carrera, 66, as he rode his motorized wheelchair in a parking lot May 8. The youth can be seen pulling Carrera from his wheelchair, knocking him to the ground and hitting him, the newspaper said.

警方說,其中一名少年5月8日被錄影畫面拍攝到,追在66歲的塞雷多諾.卡瑞拉後面,當時卡瑞拉在停車場駕著電動輪椅。可以看到這個年輕人把卡瑞拉從輪椅上拖下來,把他打倒在地上,還繼續打他,該報說。

Though prone, Carrera tries to defend himself by kicking at the teen, who walks away only to be replaced by a second youth who also can been seen struggling with the disabled senior. The attackers then ran off.

雖然趴倒在地,卡瑞拉仍試圖踢這名少年來自保,而這名少年走開後,換另一名少年上場,也可看到他在和這名行動不便的長者搏鬥。這兩名暴徒隨後逃逸。

Police said Carrera’s wallet and necklace were taken from him, and he suffered minor injuries.

警方說,卡瑞拉隨身的錢包與項鍊被搶走,而且受到輕傷。

新聞辭典

strong-arm:形容詞,使用暴力的、施暴的。例句: The police are on the lookout for suspects in a strong-arm robbery over the weekend.(警方正追查週末的一起暴力搶劫案嫌犯。)

rough up:片語,用暴力對待、向~動粗。例句:The mob roughed up the speaker.(暴徒向演講人動粗。)

run off:片語,跑掉、迅速離開。例句:They cast their arms to the ground and ran off.(他們把武器仍在地上逃走了。)

2009/06/01

Spurned wife burned down family home 被甩人妻燒光住家房子

◎ 管淑平

A spurned wife who set fire to her family home so her cheating husband would get nothing in a divorce has walked free from court.

一名被拋棄的妻子為了讓偷情丈夫無法在離婚時分得一毛錢而放火燒掉她家房子,獲得法院無罪開釋。

Deborah Jackson, 45, burned the couple’s £210,000 house to the ground after finding out husband Kurt, 38, was having an affair.

45歲的黛博拉.傑克森發現38歲丈夫克特外遇後,把夫婦倆價值21萬英鎊的房子燒得精光。

The fire cost the couple £110,000 and left them penniless, according to Leicester Crown Court documents.

這場火讓這對夫妻損失11萬英鎊,使得他們身無分文,根據蘭開斯特刑事法院文件指出。

Recorder Nicholas Syfret said: ’Confronted with clear evidence of her husband’s infidelity, she took revenge on him by setting fire to the house from which she would have otherwise have benefited,’ ’She’s effectively punished herself by what she’s done.’

刑事法院法官賽佛瑞特說:「面對她丈夫不忠的明確證據,她放火燒掉這棟她原本會得到的房子來報復他」,「她實際上已經被她所作所為自我懲罰。」

The court heard Jackson was due to make £50,000 from the sale of the family home, after the couple agreed to divorce after 18 years of marriage.

法院了解到,在這對結婚18年的夫妻同意離婚後,傑克森太太原本將能因賣掉這棟房子獲得5萬英鎊。

Husband Kurt, whose two-year affair led to the divorce, was entitled to just £35,000 after loans and mortgage repayments had been paid back.

因一段兩年婚外情導致離婚的克特,原本在還清貸款後僅可以拿到3萬5000英鎊。

After her arrest, Jackson admitted arson and told police: ’I didn’t want him to get a penny.’

傑克森被捕後承認縱火,並向警方說:「我不想讓他得到一毛錢。」

新聞辭典:

spurn:動詞,很藐視地拒絕、摒棄。例句:She spurned his proposal to her.(她不屑的拒絕了他的求婚。)

burn to the ground: 動詞片語,燒得精光。例句:The fire spreaded quickly and burned his house to the ground in just half hour.(火勢蔓延迅速,半小時就把他的房子燒光。)

entitled to:形容詞片語,有資格的、應該得到的。例句:He’s entitled to this award.(這座獎是他該得的。)