《中英對照讀新聞》Teachers fight back over classics 教師對經典名著發動反擊

◎鄭寺音
Education Secretary Alan Johnson has been branded a "bird brain" for ordering that
difficult classic authors be taught to 11 and 12-year-olds.

英國教育部長強森已被冠上「笨蛋」的標籤，因為他居然下令教授 11 到 12 歲學
童困難的古典著作。

Introducing complex texts to pupils who are not ready for them will turn them off authors
like Austen and Dickens for life, English teachers have said.

英文教師說，強要尚未準備好的學童接觸複雜的文本，會使得他們終生拒絕奧斯
汀與狄更斯等作家。

Mr Johnson said writers such as George Eliot and Alexander Pope were "untouchable" in a
curriculum shake-up. He argued they were vital for a well-rounded British education.

強森先生說，喬治艾略特、亞利山大波普等作家，在課程變更中是「碰不得的」。
他強調，要呈現一套完整豐碩的英國教育，這些作家不可或缺。

Policy director of the National Association for the Teaching of English, Ian McNeilly said,
"For students who are not yet ready, teaching texts of such linguistic complexity is
completely counter-productive."

國家英文教學協會政策主任麥克奈利說：「對尚未準備好的學生教授語言如此複
雜的文本，只會造成反效果。」

He accused Mr Johnson of trying to secure a few more votes from Middle England "by not
allowing standards to slip".

他指控強森先生「不允許標準下降」，是想從英格蘭中部獲得多一點選票。

"But you don’t have to do that by shoe-horning a classic author into the classroom," he
added.

「但你也不必靠硬把古典作品塞進教室，來達到目的。」

"The guy’s a bird brain. If he wants to make an informed decision he can give me a
ring."

「這傢伙是笨蛋。如果他想做出洽當有見地的決定，可以打電話給我。」
新聞辭典

birdbrain︰笨蛋；bird-brained︰形容詞，愚笨的。

turn off︰讓人退避三舍。例句：I should think the smell of her breath would turn any
man off.（我會認為她呼吸的氣味會讓男人退避三舍。）

shoehorn︰名詞，鞋拔；動詞，硬塞，擠在兩個東西中間。例句：This tiny restaurant

is shoehorned between two major banks.（這間小餐廳擠在兩間大銀行中間。）

《中英對照讀新聞》Bull Terriers may be stolen to commit crimes 有人可能為了幹壞

事而偷牛頭犬

◎羅彥傑

Thieves in London may be targeting the aggressive Staffordshire Bull Terrier so they can
be used to help carry out further crimes, police said.

倫敦的小偷可能正鎖定好鬥成性的斯塔福郡牛頭犬，以便利用牠們協助進行更多
的犯罪活動，警方說。

The number of dogs being stolen in the capital has risen sharply, with the Staffordshire
Bull Terrier the most common breed, police figures show.

首都失竊的狗數量急劇上升，其中最常見的品種是斯塔福郡牛頭犬，警方數字顯
示。

A total of 417 dogs were taken between April 2005 and March 2006 compared with 239 in
the previous year -- a rise of 74 percent.

在 2005 年 4 月與 2006 年 3 月之間總計有 417 條狗被竊，相比之下，之前一年期

間則有 239 條狗─增幅達 74%。

The Staffordshire Bull, which has a reputation for aggression and is frequently used as a
guard dog, accounted for more than half （56 percent） the dogs taken.

以好鬥成性出名、時常被用作看門狗的斯塔福郡牛頭犬，佔失竊犬隻的一半以上
（56%）。

In the 24 crimes reported between April 2005 and March 2006, involving a dog, 10 of the
18 dogs identified were Staffordshire Bull Terriers.
在 2005 年 4 月與 2006 年 3 月之間傳出的 24 件有狗涉案的案子中，18 隻認出的
狗中，有 10 隻是斯塔福郡牛頭犬。

The majority were used to threaten a victim of robbery.

絕大多數被用來威脅搶劫案的被害人。

Police said it would "suggest that some Staffordshire Bull Terriers could be used to
commit crime".

警方說，這「顯示有些斯塔福郡牛頭犬可能被用來從事犯罪」。

新聞辭典

target：動詞，把…當目標。例句：Our bombers went out to target the enemy ammunition

depots.（我軍轟炸機出動，以敵人彈藥庫為目標。）

aggressive：形容詞，來勢洶洶的、富侵略性的。例句：The unidentified disease made

him aggressive.（不明疾病導致他好鬥成性。）

to have a reputation for ~：以…著稱。例句：He has a high reputation for as a first-rate

writer.（他享有第一流作家的名聲。）

《中英對照讀新聞》Bus passengers learn yoga during morning commute 公車乘客早

上通勤時學瑜伽

◎魏國金

Stressed-out commuters got a surprise as they boarded an Israeli bus：a yoga instructor
with a microphone coaching them how to breathe correctly.

背負沉重壓力的通勤族登上一輛以色列公車時，得到一個意外驚喜︰一位配戴麥
克風的瑜伽老師指導他們如何正確呼吸。

The passengers stretched their hands toward the ceiling and bent their heads forward as
Miri Harovi, a 21-year yoga teacher, guided them through a set of exercises that can be
performed while sitting down.

21 歲的瑜伽老師哈洛薇指導他們一套可以坐著進行的動作，乘客隨之將手朝著
車頂伸展，並將頭向前弓。
"I think that because of our history of terror on buses,’’ Harovi said, referring to past
suicide attacks that have targeted crowded buses."It’s very important to do yoga to relax
and to show everyone that life is stronger than the fear.’’

「我認為，由於我們的公車恐怖的歷史，」哈洛薇說，意指過去針對擁擠公車發
動的自殺攻擊。「所以做瑜伽來放鬆，並向每個人顯示生命強過恐懼，是非常重
要的。」

Harovi said the idea of for a yoga bus came to her in the middle of the night while she was
sleeping. She talked to the Tel Aviv bus company and they jumped on the idea.

哈洛薇說，公車瑜伽的點子是某晚她睡到夜半時浮現的。她向特拉維夫公車公司
商談，他們立刻贊成這個主意。

Most of the passengers on the bus participated, and many said they felt relaxed and more
ready for work. The yoga bus has run every Tuesday for three weeks, but Harovi hopes
that the program will continue and expand.

大部分公車乘客會參與這項活動，許多人表示覺得放鬆了，更有精神上班工作。
每週二上路的瑜伽公車已持續三週，哈洛薇希望計畫能持續並擴大。

新聞字典

stressed-out︰指壓力重重的，out 有徹底、完全的意思，out and out，徹頭徹尾，

例句︰She is intelligent out and out. （她聰慧無比。）

coach︰名詞指公車、巴士、教練；動詞有訓練、指導之意。例句︰She coaches people

for IELTS examinations. （她指導人準備國際英語測驗。）

jump on︰積極行動，在本文引申為大力支持並立即採行。jump on the bandwagon，

趕熱潮。例句︰It seemed that everyone was jumping on the Harry Potter bandwagon
several years ago. （幾年前似乎人人都在趕哈利波特熱潮。）

《中英對照讀新聞》German siblings challenge incest ban 德國兄妹挑戰亂倫禁令

◎陳成良

German brother and sister are calling for the country’s incest laws to be abolished so that
they can continue their sexual relationship.

德國一對兄妹呼籲廢除該國亂倫禁令，讓他們繼續維持性關係。
Patrick Stubing , 30, and his sister Susan , 22, have had four children together although
three have been taken into foster care.Two of the children have disabilities although it is
not known if these are due to inbreeding or because they were born prematurely.

30 歲的派崔克．史塔賓與 22 歲的妹妹蘇珊育有 4 名子女，其中 3 人被送到寄養

機構。子女中 2 人有殘疾，但並不清楚是近親繁殖或早產使然。

The siblings were born into the same family but Patrick was not living with them when his
sister was born. They met for the first time in 2000 shortly before their mother died of a
heart attack.

這對兄妹是一家人，但妹妹出生時，派崔克並未與家人同住。2000 年母親因心
臟病去世後不久，他們才首度相遇，不久即墜入愛河。

Mr Stubing has spent two years in prison for incest and faces another jail term unless the
legislation is overturned.

史塔賓已因亂倫罪服刑 2 年，除非法令廢除，否則還要繼續坐牢。

The couple’s supporters say the law is archaic. They want Germany to follow the
example of countries such as France, Belgium and the Netherlands where incest is no
longer punishable.

這對戀人的支持者指出，這項法律已經過時，他們希望德國能比照法國、比利時
和荷蘭等國，將亂倫除罪化。

A film and book are planned about the Stubings and their fight against one of Western
society’s oldest sexual taboos.

已經有人計畫拍電影和出書，呈現史塔賓兄妹對抗西方社會最古老一項性禁忌的
故事。

新聞辭典

sibling：名詞，兄弟姊妹；手足。

foster：收養的。例句：There are three foster children in our home. （我們家有三個

領養的孩子。）

disability：殘疾；殘障。Blindness is a very serious disability.（失明是非常嚴重的殘

疾。）
《中英對照讀新聞》Taiwan rankled by China litter washing up on beaches 台灣飽受
沖上岸的中國垃圾之苦

It’s been decades since artillery shells landed on this strategic frontline island at the
height of the China-Taiwan civil war, but now a new battle rages as garbage from the
Chinese mainland washes up on Kinmen’s shore.

這座戰略前線島嶼在國共內戰高峰期間飽受砲彈轟炸距今已有數十年之久，而
今，隨著來自中國的垃圾沖上金門海岸，一場新的戰役業已展開。

Bottles, plastic bags, rags and effluent from China is washing up on the otherwise pristine
beaches of the Taiwan-controlled, sub-tropical island of Kinmen, better known in the West
as Quemoy.

來自中國的瓶子、塑膠袋、破布與廢污水，沖上台灣控制的亞熱帶島嶼金門原本
應該很純淨的沙灘上。金門在西方多被稱為 Quemoy。

"We see Kinmen as a victim," said county Magistrate Lee Juh-feng. "It’s going to need
some time. It’s not a problem you can solve all at once."

「我們認為金門是受害者，」金門縣長李炷烽說。「這需要一點時間。這不是一
個能在一夕之間就解決的問題。」

Authorities on Kinmen clean up trash from China every week and armies of volunteers
collect garbage from the beaches every few months.

金門當局每週清除來自中國的垃圾，而大批義工每幾個月也會幫忙收集海灘上的
垃圾。

新聞辭典

rankle：動詞，疼痛，發炎；怨恨，痛苦。

decade：名詞，十，十年。其他類似字彙：dozen，十二；score，二十；centenary，
一百年；bicentenary，兩百年；millennium，一千年。

rag：名詞，破布；一丁點。 in rags，片語，衣衫襤褸。例句：The homeless man standing

at the corner was in rags.（那個站在角落的流浪漢穿得一身破爛。）

Quemoy：金門。對西方而言，相較於 Kinmen，金門較常見的譯名是 Quemoy；一

如澎湖，對西方而言，相較於 Penghu，澎湖較常見的譯名應是 Pescadores。
all at once：片語，同時；突然。例句：Kids playing in the backyard ran away all at once
when the dog started barking.（那條狗一開始吠叫，在後院裡玩耍的孩子們就同時
全跑了。）

《中英對照讀新聞》Peru adopts "punctuality" drive 祕魯發起「守時」運動

Guidebooks warn tourists of Peruvian time—be fashionably late for parties and dinner or
risk a faux pas.

旅遊指南經常警告觀光客留意祕魯的時間—參加派對或晚宴時要時髦地遲到，否
則可能會犯下社交大錯。

But visitors may now miss out on some social life should locals take to an official
"punctuality" drive launched in Peru with fanfare.

但假如當地人開始遵守祕魯政府盛大發起的「守時」運動，遊客們恐怕會錯失某
些社交生活。

"（We must） stop this horrible, pitiful, disastrous custom of failing to be punctual,"
President Alan Garcia intoned in a speech at the start fo the campaign, inveighing against
the $5 billion in annual economic damage caused, he said, by being late.

「（我們必須）停止這種可怕、可悲、災難的不守時風俗，」祕魯總統賈西亞在
守時運動開始時所發表的演說中表示，他也對祕魯每年因為不守時而導致高達
50 億美元的經濟損失提出強烈抨擊。

Tallying tardiness, he said Peruvians as a whole were annually late by 3 billion hours. That
works out to over 107 hours of tardiness for every man, woman and child.

在計算遲到的數據後，他說，祕魯全國人民每年總共遲到 30 億個小時，相當於
每名男性、女性及兒童都遲到了逾 107 小時之久。

Many Peruvians took the scolding in stride. A survey by leading pollster Apoyo showed 84
percent of Peruvians believed their fellow citizens were never or rarely on time.

許多祕魯人對於這種指責根本淡然以對。根據祕魯主要民調公司 Apoyo 所進行的

調查顯示，有 84%的祕魯人認為他們的同胞從來不會，或極少守時。

新聞辭典
punctuality：名詞，守時，形容詞為 punctual，意指守時、準時，或指表達精確，
例句︰He is always very punctual.（他總是非常準時。）

faux pas：源自法文，名詞，指（社交上的）失禮。例句︰I made some remark about

his wife’s family then realized I’d made a serious faux pas.（我對他的岳家發表了一
些評語，然後才發覺犯下大錯。）

take sth in stride：以冷靜態度面對問題或困難、泰然處之，例句︰When you become

a politician, you soon learn to take criticism in your stride.（當你投身政壇後，你很快
就會學會泰然面對批評。）

《中英對照讀新聞》Honus Wagner baseball card nets $2.35M 何努斯．華格納棒球

卡賣了 235 萬美元

◎胡立宗

The "Mona Lisa" of baseball memorabilia, an almost mint condition 1909 Honus Wagner
tobacco card, arrived in Los Angeles in the company of an armed guard but without its
new owner, a mysterious Southern California collector who shelled out most of a record
$2.35 million for it.

棒球收藏品中的「蒙娜莉莎」—一張幾乎完好如初的 1909 年版何努斯．華格納

香菸棒球卡—在一名武裝警衛戒護下運抵洛杉磯，不過買主並未現身。這位神秘
的南加州收藏家為這張卡片付了 235 萬美元天價的大部份款項。

The tiny scrap of colored cardboard, barely 2 1/2 inches tall and not quite 2 inches wide,
made an auspicious arrival at a Dodger Stadium news conference, carried to the podium in
a formidable-looking black valise by a grim-faced, equally formidable-looking armed
guard.

這張高 2 又 1/2 英寸、寬不到 2 英寸的小小硬紙卡片以最隆重的方式進入道奇棒

球場的記者會場：放在一位面露兇光、看來挺嚇人的武裝警衛所拿的可怕的黑色
公事包，將（卡片）送到講台。

As SCP Auctions officials removed and opened a small red case to reveal the card’s
cover — one featuring a youthful and handsome Wagner in his Pittsburgh Pirates
uniform— camera flashes popped and heads craned for a better look.
當 SCP 拍賣公司人員打開小小的紅色盒子、顯露出卡片時—卡片裡年輕俊俏的
華格納穿著匹茲堡海盜隊的制服—鎂光燈閃個不停，很多人都探長了頭想瞧個仔
細。

Even the guard, Lt. Michael Florio of the Los Angeles Police Department, cracked a smile.
As a baseball fan, he said afterward, he rated the opportunity to hold the card right up there
with his other great sports memory, having seen Los Angeles Dodgers Hall of Famer
Sandy Koufax pitch.

即使是警衛—洛杉磯警局員警佛羅里歐都不禁莞爾。他事後說，身為棒球迷，有
機會在記者會上拿著這張棒球卡，和親眼看洛杉磯道奇隊名人堂球員山迪．柯法
斯投球一樣，都是他有關運動的重要回憶。

新聞辭典

memorabilia：單數為 memorabilium，名詞，指紀念品、重要物品。The new-opened

museum exhibits memorabilia in his long career.（新落成的博物館展出他長久生涯的
重要物品。）

mint：名詞，薄荷、（大筆）錢；形容詞，鑄幣廠的、完整無缺的。in mint condition

（完整無缺的狀態）。

auspicious：形容詞，吉利的、興盛的。auspicious day/year（吉日／豐年）。

formidable：形容詞，令人畏懼、難對付的。a formidable enemy/army（令人畏懼的

敵人／軍隊）。

《中英對照讀新聞》Iran to limit scholarships abroad over nuclear row 伊朗因為核子

爭議擬限制海外獎學金

◎羅彥傑

Iran is ending all scholarships to study in the United States, Canada and Britain because
Iranians sent there are barred from signing up for nuclear sciences and similar subjects,
state radio said.

伊朗準備結束所有留學美國、加拿大與英國的獎學金，因為派赴當地的伊朗人被
禁止修習核子科學與類似科目，國營電台說。
Iran is at odds with the United States and European states over its nuclear programme,
which the West fears is designed to build atomic bombs. Tehran says it only wants to
master the technology needed to generate electricity.

伊朗因其核子計畫而與美歐國家爭執不下，西方擔心這項計畫的目的是建造原子
彈。德黑蘭則說只想掌握此一發電所需的技術。

"Because these countries do not accept Iranian students in modern technology majors such
as nuclear sciences, the Science Ministry will not send students（there）," a deputy science
minister, Mahmoud Mollabashi, was quoted as saying.

「因為這些國家不接受伊朗學生主修諸如核子科學等現代科技，科學部將不會派
遣學生（至當地）。」國營電台引述科學部副部長摩拉巴西的話說。

"When these countries do not accept students in majors in which Iran needs experts, there
is no need to send students there," Mollabashi said, adding any students who wanted to
study in those three countries could still go there at their own cost.

「這些國家不接受學生主修伊朗需要的專才學科，伊朗就沒有必要派學生到那
裡。」摩拉巴西說，強調任何想去這三國求學的學生仍可自費前往。

新聞辭典

be barred from：被禁止。Dogs are barred from that store.（那家店不准狗進入。）

sign up for：經報名（或簽約）而從事～。Bill signed up for evening classes.（比爾

報名上夜課。）

at odds with：與～不和。She is at odds with her boss.（她與上司不和。）

at one’s own cost：以自費方式。He visited the area and campaigned at his own cost.
（他以自費方式造訪該地區並從事活動。）

《中英對照讀新聞》Iran to limit scholarships abroad over nuclear row 伊朗因為核子

爭議擬限制海外獎學金

◎羅彥傑

Iran is ending all scholarships to study in the United States, Canada and Britain because
Iranians sent there are barred from signing up for nuclear sciences and similar subjects,
state radio said.
伊朗準備結束所有留學美國、加拿大與英國的獎學金，因為派赴當地的伊朗人被
禁止修習核子科學與類似科目，國營電台說。

Iran is at odds with the United States and European states over its nuclear programme,
which the West fears is designed to build atomic bombs. Tehran says it only wants to
master the technology needed to generate electricity.

伊朗因其核子計畫而與美歐國家爭執不下，西方擔心這項計畫的目的是建造原子
彈。德黑蘭則說只想掌握此一發電所需的技術。

"Because these countries do not accept Iranian students in modern technology majors such
as nuclear sciences, the Science Ministry will not send students（there）," a deputy science
minister, Mahmoud Mollabashi, was quoted as saying.

「因為這些國家不接受伊朗學生主修諸如核子科學等現代科技，科學部將不會派
遣學生（至當地）。」國營電台引述科學部副部長摩拉巴西的話說。

"When these countries do not accept students in majors in which Iran needs experts, there
is no need to send students there," Mollabashi said, adding any students who wanted to
study in those three countries could still go there at their own cost.

「這些國家不接受學生主修伊朗需要的專才學科，伊朗就沒有必要派學生到那
裡。」摩拉巴西說，強調任何想去這三國求學的學生仍可自費前往。

新聞辭典

be barred from：被禁止。Dogs are barred from that store.（那家店不准狗進入。）

sign up for：經報名（或簽約）而從事～。Bill signed up for evening classes.（比爾

報名上夜課。）

at odds with：與～不和。She is at odds with her boss.（她與上司不和。）

at one’s own cost：以自費方式。He visited the area and campaigned at his own cost.
（他以自費方式造訪該地區並從事活動。）

《中英對照讀新聞》Job burn-out ups diabetes risk 工作筋疲力竭提高糖尿病風險

◎鄭寺音
People who suffer from job burn-out may be prone to developing type 2 diabetes, research
suggests.

研究顯示，工作筋疲力竭的人，可能易罹患第 2 型糖尿病。

An Israeli study of 677 mostly male, middle-aged workers found those affected by
burn-out were nearly twice as likely to develop the condition.

以色列一份針對 677 名多為中年男性勞工的研究發現，工作疲累者罹患這種疾病

的可能性幾乎是兩倍高。

When the possible effect of blood pressure levels was eliminated, the risk was more than
four-fold higher.

排除血壓的可能影響時，風險則為 4 倍以上。

The study, in Psychosomatic Medicine, suggests stress can be added to other factors known
to increase risk.

這份刊登在「身心醫學」的研究顯示，壓力也可列為另一個會提高風險的因子。

The researchers, from Tel Aviv University, said they included obesity, smoking and lack of
exercise.

特拉維夫大學的研究人員說，其他提高風險的因子包括肥胖、抽菸、缺少運動。

Lead researcher Dr Samule Melamed said, "Emotional burn-out may pose a risk to health.
Earlier studies have found it to be associated with cardiovascular disease risk, sleep
disturbances and musculoskeletal pain."

主要研究者梅拉蜜德醫生說，「情緒上的筋疲力盡，可能造成健康危險。稍早的
研究發現，這種情況會導致心血管疾病風險、睡眠困擾與肌肉骨骼疼痛。」

"Our finding suggests that the potential damage to health may be greater than suspected
and it may also include a risk of diabetes."

「我們的發現顯示，對健康的可能傷害可能比預期大，也可能包括糖尿病風險。」

新聞辭典

burn-out︰名詞，（因工作太認真）筋疲力盡。動詞是 burn oneself out。Stop working

so hard-you’ll burn yourself out.（不要再這麼努力工作了，你會把自己累垮。）
prone to︰易於；有…傾向。He used to be prone to anger.（他以前動不動就發怒。）

add to︰增加。Her colleagues’ laughter only added to her embarrassment.（同事的笑

聲徒增她的尷尬。）

《中英對照讀新聞》India farmer finds fame with chicken-eating calf 印度農民因為牛

吃雞而出名

◎胡立宗

When his chickens started disappearing a few weeks ago, a farmer in eastern India figured
dogs or jackals were to blame--until he discovered his calf making a meal of his poultry.

當他的雞隻幾週前開始消失時，東印度一名農夫還以為是野狗或豺狼惹的禍─直
到他發現，他的小牛把雞隻當大餐。

Moloy and his 1-year-old calf have since become local celebrities, with the carnivorous
cow appearing on television in India’s West Bengal state and hundreds of people
flocking to see them in Chandipur, a village 230 kilometers southwest of Calcutta, the state
capital.

農夫莫羅伊和他 1 歲大的犢牛從那時候就成為當地名人（牛），小牛上了印度西
孟加拉省的電視，還有數以百計的人湧進昌迪普爾來看他們─昌迪普爾是位於省
會加爾各答西南方 230 公里的小村落。

"To catch the culprit, Moloy got up very early…and to his disbelief found that it was his
calf which came out from the cow shed and was eating the chickens alive," Debjyoti
Chatterjee, a local resident who filmed the calf eating a chicken, said.

「為了逮到兇手，莫羅伊起了個大早…讓他難以置信的是，竟然發現從牛棚走出
來的，正是這隻小牛，而且將雞隻生吞活剝，」將牛吃雞過程拍下來的當地居民
查特雷依說。

The local veterinarian was at a loss for an explanation. "I’ve never read or heard about
cows turning carnivorous," said Mihir Tripathy. "They eat grass and other vegetarian food
but not fish or other non-vegetarian stuff."

當地獸醫完全無法解釋原因。「我從來沒讀過或聽過牛會吃肉，」崔帕希說。「牠
們會吃草或其他素食，但不吃魚或其他葷食」。

新聞辭典
carnivorous：肉食性的。反義詞 vegetarian，素食主義的、吃素的；也作名詞，素
食者、食草動物。carnivorous╱vegetarian species（肉食性／草食性動物）。

flock：名詞，（動物的）群、人群；動詞，聚集。The newly-opened boutique was flocked

from day to day by thousands of fashion-lovers.（新開幕的精品店，每天都吸引成千
上萬的時尚愛好者。）

eat … alive：生吃；常用片語 eat someone alive，字面上的意思是吃掉某人，引申

為「完全擊敗或打垮某人」。The rookie was eaten alive by major leaguers.（那個剛
升上大聯盟的菜鳥被其他球員吃得死死的。）

《中英對照讀新聞》Turtle swallowed by dog survives ordeal 烏龜被狗吞下肚，竟大

難不死

陳成良

A palm-sized pet turtle and the golden retriever that gobbled it up survived the
misadventure thanks to the quick actions of a 12-year-old girl, a veterinarian said.

一隻巴掌大的寵物龜被一隻黃金獵犬吞下肚，所幸一名 12 歲女孩迅速採取行
動，讓兩隻動物在這場意外中都大難不死，一名獸醫說。

The saga of Pepper the red-eared slider turtle and Bella the golden retriever started last
week. Shelby Terihay, 12, moved her pet pond turtles indoors to protect them from a cold
snap--a plan that worked well until Bella found some of the turtles in a bathtub.

紅耳滑龜「胡椒」與黃金獵犬「貝拉」這段驚奇故事要從上週說起。由於氣溫驟
降，當時 12 歲的雪兒碧就將養在水塘的寵物龜移到室內，以保護牠們。這個計
畫進行得很順利，直到「貝拉」在浴缸內發現其中幾隻烏龜。

A quick head count confirmed Bella had swallowed one of the turtles. Shelby insisted on a
rescue mission, and on the advice of a vet, her parents made Bella vomit. Out came Pepper,
still alive despite a shattered shell and an estimated 10 minutes inside Bella’s belly.

快速清點數目後，證實「貝拉」吞下其中一隻烏龜。雪兒碧堅持展開救援任務，
在獸醫建議下，她的父母替「貝拉」催吐，結果吐出「胡椒」，儘管這隻烏龜在
「貝拉」肚子停留了 10 分鐘，龜殼也破損，但仍然存活。

Veterinarian David Thomassy patched up Pepper’s shell and credited Shelby with saving
Bella too. "The turtle would definitely have caused an obstruction," Thomassy said.
"Without cutting it out directly, it eventually would have killed the dog."
獸醫湯馬西為「胡椒」修補龜殼，並稱許雪兒碧也救了「貝拉」一命。「這隻烏
龜絕對會導致（消化道）阻塞，」湯馬西說。「沒有直接開刀取出，牠最後會讓
這隻狗喪命。」

新聞辭典

gobble：狼吞虎嚥。The children gobbled up their food and rushed out to play. （孩子
們狼吞虎嚥地吃完飯，就衝出去玩了。）

cold snap︰氣溫驟降。

head count：點人數；人口統計；總人數。The monitor did a head count. （班長點了

一下人數。）

《中英對照讀新聞》Icelandic alternative beauty contest to challenge ideals 類選美賽

要挑戰審美典範

◎張沛元

An alternative beauty pageant to be held in a remote Icelandic town will reward

contestants’ wrinkles, saggy breasts and other bodily imperfections and hopes to
challenge Western ideas of beauty, organisers said.

主辦人員表示，一場以獎勵參賽者的皺紋、下垂胸部與其他身體不完美為主旨的
另類選美賽，將在冰島的一座偏僻小鎮舉行，以期挑戰西方的審美觀。

"Anyone can make the rules about what beauty is, we want to change the rules," one of the
contest’s organisers, Matthhildur Helgadottir, said.

「任何人都能制定美麗的標準，我們要改變這些標準。」選美賽主辦人之一赫賈
多提說。

"We think it’s just coincidence if you have big breasts. How come this is beautiful? We
are trying to show how ridiculous this is," Helgadottir said.

「我們認為，倘若你是波霸，不過是個巧合。這怎麼會美呢？我們就是要試圖呈
現這種荒謬。」赫賈多提說。

Men and women were welcome to register as contestants and while there was a minimum
age of 20, there was no upper age limit.
男性與女性都歡迎登記參賽；儘管有至少年滿 20 歲的下限，但並無年齡上限。

The only other stipulation was that contestants had not gone under the plastic surgeon’s
knife for cosmetic reasons.

其他唯一的規定，是參賽者不可以動過基於美容理由的整形手術。

alternative：形容詞，兩者擇一的；非傳統或主流的。名詞，選擇，二擇一。

新聞辭典

beauty pageant：選美比賽。pageant，名詞，壯麗場面，慶典。

How come：片語，口語，為什麼會這樣；為什麼。類似 why（為什麼），但又不

完全一樣。例句： How come you’re so late?（你怎麼這麼慢啊？）

under the knife：片語，口語，動外科手術。plastic surgeon，整形外科醫生。plastic

surgery，整形外科。go under the plastic surgeon’s knife：動整形外科手術。口語中
講到「整形」時，動詞也可以直接用 do。例句：I think she had her nose done.（我
覺得她去做了鼻子／我覺得她的鼻子整過形了。）

中英對照讀新聞》Icelandic alternative beauty contest to challenge ideals 類選美賽要

挑戰審美典範

◎張沛元

An alternative beauty pageant to be held in a remote Icelandic town will reward

contestants’ wrinkles, saggy breasts and other bodily imperfections and hopes to
challenge Western ideas of beauty, organisers said.

主辦人員表示，一場以獎勵參賽者的皺紋、下垂胸部與其他身體不完美為主旨的
另類選美賽，將在冰島的一座偏僻小鎮舉行，以期挑戰西方的審美觀。

"Anyone can make the rules about what beauty is, we want to change the rules," one of the
contest’s organisers, Matthhildur Helgadottir, said.

「任何人都能制定美麗的標準，我們要改變這些標準。」選美賽主辦人之一赫賈
多提說。

"We think it’s just coincidence if you have big breasts. How come this is beautiful? We
are trying to show how ridiculous this is," Helgadottir said.
「我們認為，倘若你是波霸，不過是個巧合。這怎麼會美呢？我們就是要試圖呈
現這種荒謬。」赫賈多提說。

Men and women were welcome to register as contestants and while there was a minimum
age of 20, there was no upper age limit.

男性與女性都歡迎登記參賽；儘管有至少年滿 20 歲的下限，但並無年齡上限。

The only other stipulation was that contestants had not gone under the plastic surgeon’s
knife for cosmetic reasons.

其他唯一的規定，是參賽者不可以動過基於美容理由的整形手術。

alternative：形容詞，兩者擇一的；非傳統或主流的。名詞，選擇，二擇一。

新聞辭典

beauty pageant：選美比賽。pageant，名詞，壯麗場面，慶典。

How come：片語，口語，為什麼會這樣；為什麼。類似 why（為什麼），但又不

完全一樣。例句： How come you’re so late?（你怎麼這麼慢啊？）

under the knife：片語，口語，動外科手術。plastic surgeon，整形外科醫生。plastic

surgery，整形外科。go under the plastic surgeon’s knife：動整形外科手術。口語中
講到「整形」時，動詞也可以直接用 do。例句：I think she had her nose done.（我
覺得她去做了鼻子／我覺得她的鼻子整過形了。）

《中英對照讀新聞》Tomato price hikes an enemy plot：Iran president 伊朗總統說︰

番茄價格飆漲是仇敵的陰謀

◎ 魏國金

Iran’s president said the country’s enemies had hatched a range of plots to push the
Islamic Republic to give up its disputed nuclear programme, including driving up the price
of tomatoes and other food.

伊朗總統指出，敵國策動一系列陰謀，以迫使這個伊斯蘭共和國放棄其備受爭議
的核子計畫，其中包括使番茄與其他食物的價格攀升。
Rising prices, particularly the cost of tomatoes which form an important ingredient in
Iranian food, have prompted growing public criticism of Ahmadinejad’s government.
The president has often dismissed complaints as media exaggeration.

節節上升的物價，尤其是伊朗食物中重要原料的番茄價格上揚，已引起越來越多
的輿論抨擊阿瑪迪尼賈政府。這位總統常常將怨言斥之為媒體誇大。

"In order to harm us, they （enemies） make plots, for instance they come and push tomato
prices up in the market. They think we will give up our ideals with their plots,"
Ahmadinejad said.

「為了傷害我們，他們（敵人）策劃陰謀，比如他們進入市場，推升番茄行情，
他們認為我們將因其計謀而放棄我們的理想」，阿瑪迪尼賈說。

The latest official figures show inflation running at about 16 percent but economists say
official figures underplay what Iranians pay for basic food in shops .

最新的官方數據顯示，通貨膨脹率約達 16％，不過經濟學家說官方數字蓄意低
估人民實際購買基本糧食的金額。

In a speech in January presenting the new budget to parliament, he also dismissed

comments that tomatoes had risen to 30,000 rials per kg from 12,000 rials. "Come and buy
them from the fresh fruit and vegetable market next door to us. Why are you buying them
from expensive places?" the president said.

在一月提交新預算給國會的演說中，他也駁斥番茄每公斤已從 1 萬 2 千里亞上漲
到 3 萬里亞之論。「來我們隔壁的生鮮市場買番茄，為什麼你們要到貴的地方買
呢？」這位總統說。

新聞辭典

hike：可做名詞與動詞，指（猛然、急劇）提高，a hike in prices 物價的上漲。

hatch：孵化、策劃。They hatched up a plot to overthrow the government.他們計畫推

翻政府。

exaggeration：誇張、誇大。Isn’t that a bit of an exaggeration?那是不是有點誇張？

underplay：對…輕描淡寫。She underplays her responsibilities.她對其責任輕描淡寫。

《中英對照讀新聞》Aristocrat offers dog as best man at gay weddings 貴族提供愛犬
在同性婚禮中擔任伴郎

◎俞智敏

An eccentric aristocrat is offering his rich and famous dog Jasper—who "is a bit gay"—to
act as "best man" at same-sex weddings at his country estate.

一位性情古怪的貴族提供他那隻富有的名犬賈斯伯—牠「有點同志傾向」—在其
鄉間宅邸舉行的同性婚禮上充當「伴郎」。

"He is the perfect best man," Sir Benjamin Slade said of his cross-bred canine. "He will not
be making any embarrassing speeches, he hoovers up all the leftover food and he is
castrated."

「他是最佳伴郎，」班傑明．史雷德爵士提到他這隻混種狗時說。「他不會發表
令人尷尬的演說，可以把所有剩菜一掃而空，而且他已經結紮了。」

Jasper, a black cross between a Labrador and a Doberman, has already been in the news
for inheriting a hefty bequest from Slade’s ex-mother-in-law, which has swelled to a trust
fund of 150,000 pounds.

賈斯伯是由拉布拉多犬與杜賓犬交配產下的黑色混種狗，牠先前就因為繼承了史
雷德前岳母所留下的大筆遺產而成為新聞焦點，現在這筆遺產更增值為價值 15
萬英鎊的信託基金。

He has been dubbed the country’s richest hound with tabloids lapping up his tale of
"wags to riches."

他被稱為全英最富有的獵犬，各家小報更爭相報導他「從窮狗變富狗」的故事。

"He is a bit gay," Sir Benjamin said. "He would act as the perfect best man in what is a
gay-friendly house." Although Slade says Jasper would be available for straight couples
too. "Maybe he will be better as a bridesmaid."

「他有點同志傾向，」班傑明爵士說。「他可以在這間樂於接待同志的房子裡擔
任完美的伴郎。」儘管史雷德說，賈斯伯也可以為異性伴侶提供服務。「說不定
他當伴娘會更稱職。」

新聞辭典
hoover：Hoover 為一知名吸塵器品牌，在英國常以 hoover 來指吸塵器（vaccum
cleaner），亦可轉作動詞用，指用吸塵器吸除灰塵、髒污等，在本文中指狗兒把
剩菜吃光光，如︰Vacuum （up） the cake crumbs, would you?（請把蛋糕屑吸乾
淨，好嗎？）

lap sth up：lap 原指舐食，lap sth up 後來引申為非常喜歡、享受某事，或很開心、

不加判別地（不知道或不在乎其真假地）接受某事，如︰My dogs lap up whatever
attention I can give them.（我的狗狗非常喜歡我對牠們表達關心。）

wags to riches：應為 rags to riches 的諧音，本文中指賈斯伯從平凡的狗狗搖身變為

富狗（wag 指狗兒搖尾巴），rags-to-riches 通常形容白手起家、出身寒微後來卻
家財萬貫等過程（rag 原指破布、破爛衣服），如︰She told a rags-to-riches story of
a child brought up in poverty becoming president of the Republic.（她說了一個出身貧寒
的小孩後來變成國家總統的故事。）

《中英對照讀新聞》S.Africa interior ministry to fight internal graft 南非內政部擬對

抗內部貪瀆

◎羅彥傑

South Africa’s interior ministry said it was introducing biometric testing, closed circuit
television and a document-tracking system in its own buildings to crack down on
corruption many say is rampant.

南非內政部說，該部會準備在自家大樓內引進生物檢定法、閉路電視與文件追蹤
系統，以打擊眾人皆曰猖獗的貪瀆陋行。

South Africa, sub-Saharan Africa’s richest and most powerful economy, is struggling
against waves of illegal immigration blamed on lax controls and the Ministry of Home
Affairs, dreaded for its crippling red tape, has been accused of ignoring abuses.

南非，非洲撒哈拉沙漠以南最富裕與最強大的經濟體，正竭力對付非法移民浪
潮，外界認為這是因為管制鬆散所造成，而以繁文縟節為人詬病的內政部，則被
控對積弊置若罔聞。

"The major challenge for us now is ensuring our systems themselves are not prone to
corruption, are not vulnerable to corruption," said Home Affairs Minister Nosiviwe
Mapisa-Nqakula.
「我們現在的主要挑戰是確保我們的體制本身不致貪瀆叢生，也不致對貪瀆束手
無策，」內政部長諾絲薇維．瑪皮莎─卡庫拉說。

Home Affairs, which has repeatedly promised to improve its performance, often comes in
for media criticism.

一再保證會改進的內政部，時常招致媒體批評。

Mapisa-Nqakula acknowledged the department needed to deal with a backlog of

disciplinary cases but was optimistic that its fortunes could be turned around.

瑪皮莎─卡庫拉坦承，該部會必須處理積壓已久的風紀案件，但對情況可否好轉
感到樂觀。

新聞辭典

crack down on：鎮壓、採取嚴厲措施。The Federal Government is considering a crack

down on the tax evasion.（聯邦政府正考慮取締逃稅。）

to be prone to：有～傾向，易於～。He is prone to be late for work.（他上班往往會

遲到。）

come in for：受到、招致。The government came in for increasing criticism recently.（政

府最近招致愈來愈多的批評。）

turn around：好轉、扭轉。We want to turn the economy around.（我們要讓經濟好轉。）

《中英對照讀新聞》Spain Takes Aim at Impostor Pigs 西班牙鎖定冒牌豬

◎ 魏國金

The government plans to tighten regulations for production of a type of ham that is a staple
of the Spanish diet and an increasingly popular export to ensure it is made the traditional
way--from free-range pigs fed on acorns and herbs.

西班牙政府計畫加強一種火腿生產的規範，以確保其以傳統方式─取自餵以橡實
與香草的放養豬─製成；這種火腿是西班牙的主要食品，而且是越來越受歡迎的
出口品。
Ambiguous laws have meant that techniques used to produce the salt-cured ham known as
jamon Iberico, or Iberian ham, do not always comply with standards for the product to
receive a certificate of quality.

含糊籠統的法律，意味著用來生產這種以「伊比利火腿」之名廣為人知的鹽醃火
腿技術，往往並未遵照該產品之所以獲得品質保證書的製程標準。

The Agriculture Ministry plans reforms so that the title ’jamon iberico’ will only be
granted to ham from Iberian pigs that graze in open countryside on acorns and herbs like
rosemary and thyme and not to ham from stable-bound pigs that are fed grain.

農業部計畫推行改革，讓「伊比利火腿」美名僅授予放養在廣闊鄉間，並以橡實
與迷迭香、百里香等香草為食的伊比利豬製成的火腿，而非由餵食穀物的圈養豬
做成的火腿。

Ham is serious business in Spain. The industry produces around five million legs of
salt-cured ham a year, and prized Iberian pieces can retail for more than euro 200 a leg.

在西班牙，火腿是很重要的生意。該產業一年出產約 500 萬隻鹽醃火腿，而口碑

極佳的伊比利火腿，每隻零售可逾 200 歐元。

Despite the high cost, the ham is a regular on dinner tables and in bars and restaurants
serving ’tapas’ finger foods.

儘管價格高昂，在晚餐的餐桌上、酒吧與提供小巧可口的 tapas 美食餐廳中，這

種火腿都是常見菜餚。

新聞辭典

free-range︰指自由放養、沒有圍籬的，free-range chicken 就是所謂的放山雞；

stable-bound 則是指圈養。

comply with︰順從、遵從。We comply with all fire safety rules. （我們遵守所有消

防安全規則。）

finger foods︰不需動刀叉，可一口咬定的小點心。fish finger 則是長短如指頭的炸

魚條，是常見的英國食物。

《中英對照讀新聞》Priests told to lose weight 神父奉命減肥

◎陳成良
A Romanian bishop has ordered his priests to lose weight.

羅馬尼亞一位主教諭令他統管的神父瘦身減肥。

Bishop Calinic fears his priests’ fat tummies suggest they enjoy too many worldly
pleasures. He wants them to extend their fast over Lent and recommends extended prayer
sessions to reduce weight.

卡利尼齊奇主教擔心，這些神父若挺著胖肚子，會讓人以為他們享受太多俗世之
樂。他希望他們延長四旬齋的禁食時間，還建議他們延長禱告，以減輕體重。

The bishop, in charge of the Arges region, said："Oversized bellies only prove to people
that priests have a good life and are not concentrating on their holy mission."

這位掌管阿爾傑什教區的主教說：「肚子過大，只會向民眾證明神父日子過得快
活，沒專心於神職工作。」

However, he says he is not recommending they take up sport, which was not appropriate
for men of the cloth, adding："Marathon prayer sessions will work much better."

然而，他說，他不建議他們做運動，因為這對神父並不合宜。他補充說：「馬拉
松式禱告，效果會更好。」

His priests have all agreed to follow the advice, although some were quoted in the papers
as saying they had always been "big boned".

他教區的神父都同意遵從這項建議，雖然報紙引述其中一些人的話說，他們本來
就長得一身「大骨架」。

Father Marioara, from Pitesti, says："All the members of my family are a bit fat, it is
genetic, and I do not believe I can lose weight no matter how hard I try."

皮泰西提市的馬里歐拉神父說：「我家族所有成員都有點胖，這是基因使然，無
論我再怎麼努力，我也不相信我能減輕體重。」

新聞辭典

fast：名詞，禁食；齋戒。fast day 是「齋戒日」。

cloth：某一行業的人所穿的衣服，尤指牧師（神父）所穿的衣服。a man of the cloth，

是指以牧師（神父）為職業的人。
concentrate ：集中；聚集。例句：We must concentrate our attention on efficiency.（我
們必須把注意力集中在效率上。）

《中英對照讀新聞》Serial lingerie thief arrested in Japan 女用內衣褲連續偷竊犯在

日本落網

◎ 張沛元

Police found more than 4,000 pieces of lingerie in the home of a Japanese construction
worker who used climbing skills developed on his job to steal women’s underwear.

警方在一名日本建築工人的家中，發現超過 4,000 件女用內衣褲。這名工人是利

用因工作需要所發展出的攀爬技術來竊取女性內衣。

Police believe that Shigeo Kodama, 54, amassed the 3,977 panties, 355 bras and 10 pairs
of stockings over a six-year period. He was arrested in February after he stole underwear
from two houses, and police later raided his home.

警方相信，54 歲的兒玉繁夫 6 年來累積竊得 3,977 條女用短內褲、355 件胸罩，

以及 10 雙長襪。他在 2 月份偷竊兩戶人家的內衣後被捕，警方稍後突擊了他的
住處。

"Since he was a construction worker, as long as he had a place to put his feet he was able
to climb, so he had no trouble getting up to the second floor of apartment buildings," a
police spokesman in the western Japanese city of Hiroshima said.

日本西部城市廣島的一名警方發言人說：「由於他是一名建築工人，只要他有地
方能駐足，就能攀爬，因此他毫無困難地爬上公寓建築的 2 樓。」

"He didn’t steal any other kinds of clothing. But as long as it was underwear, apparently
anything would do," the spokesman added.

這名發言人還補充說：「他不偷其他種類的衣服。但只要是內衣，顯然什麼內衣
都好。」

新聞辭典

serial：形容詞，連續的；名詞，連載小說，電視連續劇。例句：I hate blind dates；

what if the guy turns out to be a serial killer？（我討厭盲目約會；要是那個男的其實
是個連續殺人魔該怎麼辦？）
lingerie：名詞，女用內衣褲。其他相關字彙：underwear：內衣（男女皆可）。bra：
胸罩。panties：短內褲（專指女性或小孩穿的短內褲），通常為複數。pantiliner：
衛生護墊（女用） ，同 pantyliner 或 panty shield。例句：I don’t use pantiliners anymore;
they are so uncomfortable.（衛生護墊讓人不舒服，我再也不用了。）

as long as：片語，只要…。例句：I don’t care where you’re going as long as you pay
up your bill at once.（你只要馬上把帳給我付清了，我才不管你要去哪。）

《中英對照讀新聞》Why boys do not join the choir 男孩子為什麼不參加合唱團

鄭寺音

Boys tend not to join choirs because they think their singing voices "do not sound like
boys", research suggests.

研究顯示，男孩子不參加合唱團，通常是因為他們認為自己唱歌的聲音「聽起來
不像男孩子」。

Dr. Martin Ashley of the University of the West of England found pupils in a range of
schools thought bands and even soloists "cool" - but regarded choristers as "weird".

西英格蘭大學的艾希利教授發現，一些學校的學生，認為樂團甚至獨唱者很
「酷」，但認為合唱團很「奇怪」。

At least the majority did - but he estimates that about one in 20 boys would love to be in a
choir, and would develop a real love of singing.

至少多數人是這樣認為，但他估計，二十名男孩中，約一人喜歡參加合唱團，並
發展出對歌唱的真正愛好。

The researchers’ starting point was that it has long been known that singing is not top of
boys’ wish lists, a reason commonly given being that boys do not want to "sound like
girls".

研究人員的出發點是，唱歌長期以來被認為不是男孩喜好名單的首選，而解釋的
理由通常是，男孩子不想「聽起來像女孩子」。

But that was not the reason. What they found was a vocal redefinition of the word "boy".
"The first thing we discovered is that it’s choral singing that’s in trouble," he said.
"Solo or band singing is actually quite ’cool’ for boys.
但那不是原因，他們的發現重新定義了「男孩」這個字的聲音意義。他說：「我
們發現的第一件事是，合唱這件事是問題所在。」「獨唱或樂團對男孩子來說真
的相當『酷』。」

"Not all boys will go on stage, but a surprising number sing along in private with their
iPods." But they are scared of being heard by others, especially girls their own age.

「不是所有男孩子都會走上舞台，但私下會跟著 iPod 唱歌的人的數字令人驚訝。」

但他們擔心被其他人聽到，特別是同齡女孩。

新聞辭典

chorister：唱詩班歌手，合唱團員。

choral：形容詞，合唱的；名詞，聖歌、唱詩班。

in private：私下。例句：Jamie wants to speak to me in private.（潔米希望跟我私下

談談）

《中英對照讀新聞》South Korea turns to pig poop for electric power 南韓靠豬糞發電

◎羅彥傑

South Korea has fired up a power plant that turns animal waste into electricity as a part of
Seoul’s plan to develop eco-friendly, reusable energy.

南韓已啟動一個能將動物排泄物轉化為電力的發電廠，這是首爾發展環保、可重
複使用能源計畫的一部份。

The plant is capable of burning about 20 tonnes of animal excrement a day generated by
some 2,500 pigs to produce 30 kilowatts （kW） of electricity, which is enough to power
about 100 households.

這間電廠能夠焚燒約 2,500 頭豬一天產生的約 20 噸排泄物，製造 30 千瓦的電力，

這足以供應約 100 戶家庭所需電源。

The energy ministry said it will cap any harmful emissions from the plant located southeast
of Seoul that will serve as a model to generate power from the 51 million tonnes of animal
waste produced in the country every year.
能源部說，將針對這間位於首爾東南方的電廠所排放的任何有害物質設限，這間
電廠將作為示範，以便將該國每年生產的 5100 萬噸動物廢棄物用來發電。

On a national level, South Korea could eventually create the energy equivalent of 360,000
tonnes of oil a year from using animal waste, the ministry said.

如以全國來說，南韓最終可能每年可從動物廢棄物創造出相當於 36 萬噸石油的
能源，能源部說。

European countries such as Denmark and Germany have been successful in generating
power from farm animal excrement.

諸如丹麥、德國等歐洲國家在利用畜牧動物排泄物製造能源上，都很成功。

新聞辭典

poop：俚語，指糞便、污物或屁（擬聲）。例句：Current dog poop fines in New York

City are $100.（紐約市對狗糞科處的罰金目前是 100 美元。）

fire up：點燃、啟動。例句：Fire up your computer and start typing an email.（啟動你

的電腦，開始打一封電子郵件。）

serve as：充當、作為。例句：He served as an adviser to the company.（他擔任這間

公司的顧問。）

equivalent of：相當於。例句：Spending one hour in a smoking restaurant is the equivalent

of smoking a cigarette.（在一間有人抽菸的餐廳待一小時，相當於抽一根菸。）

《中英對照讀新聞》Girl horrified to find her dog’s head in a gift-wrapped box 發現

愛犬的頭在包裝盒內，女孩嚇呆了

◎胡立宗

A 17-year-old Minnesota girl who spent weeks looking for her missing dog was horrified
when she unwrapped a box left on her doorstep and found her dog’s severed head inside.

明尼蘇達州一名 17 歲的女孩花了好幾週找尋失蹤的愛犬，但在打開一只放在門
前的包裝盒，看到盒裡的狗頭後嚇呆了。

Homicide investigators were looking into the case because of the "implied" terroristic
threat, St. Paul Police Sgt. Jim Gray said.
凶案組偵查員正在調查這起案件，因為懷疑可能涉及恐嚇威脅，聖保羅警局警官
吉姆．葛瑞說。

The Humane Society of the United States said that it was offering a reward of up to $2,500
for information leading to an arrest and conviction.

「美國人道協會」表示懸賞 2,500 美元，獎勵提供線索而促成破案及定罪者。

After Crystal Brown’s 4-year-old Australian shepherd mix wandered away last month,
she peppered the neighborhood with "missing" posters, and went door to door looking for
him. She called the St. Paul animal shelter and rode the bus there several times.

當克莉絲托．布朗 4 歲大的混種澳洲牧羊犬在上個月走失後，她在住家附近貼滿
了尋狗啟事，並且挨家挨戶找。她打過電話問聖保羅動物之家，並且搭公車去看
過好幾次。

Two weeks ago, a gift-wrapped box was left at the house Crystal shares with her
grandmother. The box had batteries on top, and a note that said "Congratulations Crystal.
This side up. Batteries included." Crystal opened the box and found her dog’s head inside.
The box also contained Valentine’s Day candy.

兩週前，一個禮品包裝盒被丟在克莉絲托和祖母同住的屋前。盒子上有幾個電
池，以及一張短籤寫著「恭喜妳，克莉絲托。此面朝上。附有電池。」克莉絲托
打開盒子後，發現愛犬的頭在裡頭。盒子裡還有情人節糖果。

新聞字彙

horrified：受驚嚇；horrify：動詞，使…恐懼。The ghost story horrified all kids.（鬼

故事嚇壞所有小孩。）

mix：名詞，混和、（音樂的）混音，本文指的是（動物）的混種。相似詞 hybrid：
名詞，（動植物的）雜種、混血兒，如 hybrid car，油電混合車。

door to door：挨家挨戶。Police searched from door to door in the area for the missing
child.（警方在該地區挨家挨戶地找那名失蹤小孩。）

《中英對照讀新聞》Malaysia pins hopes on herbal Viagra for biotech push 馬來西亞

寄望草本威而鋼帶動生技發展

◎俞智敏
Malaysia’s answer to Viagra is a traditional herb the country has picked to spearhead its
push into biotechnology, but now it faces the challenge of convincing the world the
remedy is both potent and safe.

馬來西亞的「威而鋼」是一種傳統草藥，馬國將這種草藥列為推動生技產業發展
的先鋒，現在卻必須先說服全世界，這種草藥不但有效而且安全。

Surging interest in the herb, "tongkat ali," has spawned dozens of products, from pills to
beverages, that play up its reputed aphrodisiac properties, and could even threaten the sway
overseas of ginseng.

這種名為「東哥阿里」的草藥引起廣泛興趣，並衍生出從藥丸到飲料等數十種產
品，這些產品全都大肆強調這種草藥號稱具有的壯陽效果，未來甚至可能影響人
參在海外補品市場的主導地位。

Generations of aging Malaysian men have sworn by the rejuvenation effects of "tongkat
ali," scouring the countryside for it so eagerly that it has almost vanished from all but the
deepest rainforest, and now has the status of a protected plant.

數世代以來，馬來西亞的年長男子都堅信「東哥阿里」的回春效力，並在鄉間努
力搜尋這種草藥，導致東哥阿里除了在雨林最深處外幾乎完全絕跡，現在更是受
國家立法保護的珍貴植物。

Scientific studies show that concoctions of "tongkat ali" can help hormone production,
making rats and mice more frisky, but have yet to prove it can reliably produce the same
effect in humans.

科學研究顯示，「東哥阿里」混合藥劑可促進荷爾蒙製造，讓大鼠與小鼠更有活
力，但這種草藥尚未被證明在人類身上也確實產生同樣效果。

新聞辭典

pin sth on sb：把某事寄託於某人／某物身上，如 He pinned his hopes on a miracle.

（他寄望於奇蹟出現。）亦可指把某事怪罪到某人頭上（尤指誣賴某人），如 You
can’t pin the blame on her--she wasn’t even there when the accident happened.（你不
能怪到她身上，意外發生時她根本不在場。）

spearhead：名詞，指矛頭、槍尖，文中引申做動詞，指當…的先鋒、帶頭，如 The
airborne troops spearheaded the crossing of the river.（空降部隊在渡河作戰中擔任先
導。）
play (sth) up：凸顯、強調，如 The official report plays up the likely benefits of the scheme,
but glosses over the costs.（官方報告刻意凸顯這項計畫的可能好處，對計畫的花費
卻草草帶過。）

《中英對照讀新聞》3 German teens alleged to have caused ostrich’s impotence with

fireworks 放鞭炮鴕鳥陽痿 德國 3 名青少年挨告

◎陳成良

Three teenagers may face a hefty fine if a court decides their festive firecrackers outside an
eastern German farm scared the libido right out of an ostrich named Gustav.

3 名青少年可能被處以鉅額罰鍰，如果法庭判定他們在德國東部一座農場外燃放
的節慶鞭炮，把一隻名為「古斯塔夫」的鴕鳥嚇得性慾全消。

Rico Gabel, a farmer in Lohsa, northeast of Dresden, is claiming euro 4,900 in damages for
the alleged antics on Dec. 27-29, 2005, by the three youths, aged 17-18.

住在德勒斯登東北洛薩鎮的農場主人加貝爾，要求 3 名年齡在 17 到 18 歲之間的

青少年，為 2005 年 12 月 27 日至 29 日之間涉及的乖張行為，支付 4,900 歐元損
害賠償金。

The farmer claims that fireworks set off by the boys made the previously lustful Gustav
both apathetic and depressed, and thus unable to perform for a half-a-year with his two
female breeding partners.

這名農人聲稱，這些男孩燃放的鞭炮，導致原來在性方面生龍活虎的古斯塔夫變
得性趣缺缺且情緒低落，因而長達半年都無法與牠的兩隻雌性繁殖伴侶親熱。

Before Gustav regained his sex drive in the second half of the year, the farmer estimates he
lost out on 14 ostrich offspring _ worth euro350 apiece.

儘管古斯塔夫在 2006 年下半年「重振雄風」，但這名農場主人估算，他還是因

此短少了 14 隻小鴕鳥，而每隻價值可達 350 歐元。

新聞辭典

libido：性慾、性驅力。libido 是心理學大師佛洛依德的用語，中文翻成「原慾」、
「慾力」或「性驅力」。libido 含有泛性的意義，除性以外，還包括一切尋求快
感的衝動。佛洛依德認為，人類所有行為的原始動力都來自 libido。
antic：名詞，滑稽的動作；古怪的行為（通常用複數形）。

apathetic：形容詞，冷淡的；無感情的。名詞為 apathy。例句︰My parents feel apathy

about the election. （我父母對此次選舉漠不關心。）

《中英對照讀新聞》France opens secret UFO files covering 50 year 法國公開 50 年幽

浮機密檔案

◎胡立宗

France became the first country to open its files on UFOs last week when the national
space agency unveiled a website documenting more than 1,600 sightings spanning five
decades.

法國上週成為第一個公開幽浮檔案的國家，法國國家太空研究中心已將 50 年
間、超過 1,600 筆目擊紀錄公開上網。

The online archives, which will be updated as new cases are reported, catalogues in minute
detail cases ranging from the easily dismissed to a handful that continue to perplex even
hard-nosed scientists.

此一將繼續更新最新案例的線上資料庫，詳細收錄了一些案例，從不值一哂的案
例、到連不信神鬼的科學家都無法回答的難解之謎，一應俱全。

UFOs have always generated intense interest along with countless conspiracy theories
about secretive government cover-ups of findings deemed too sensitive or alarming for
public consumption.

幽浮（UFO）總是能激起大眾的好奇心，更相關的陰謀論說法不知凡幾，包括政
府掩蓋太敏感或可能引起大眾恐慌的內情。

"Cases such as the lady who reported seeing an object that looked like a flying roll of toilet
paper" are clearly not worth investigating, said Jacques Patenet, the aeronautical engineer
who heads the office for the study of "non-identified aerospatial phenomena."

「像一位女士家看到很像一捲衛生紙的物體飛過這類案例」，當然不值得繼續調
查，主管「不明航太現象」研究單位的航太技師帕迪涅說。

But many others involving multiple sightings -- in at least one case involving thousands of
people across France -- and evidence such as radar trackings showing flight patterns that
defy the laws of physics are taken very seriously.
但其他有多人目擊—包括至少一起由全法數千人目睹的案件，以及雷達紀錄顯示
飛行模式違反物理學原理的案例，則會被認真看待。

新聞字彙

document：名詞，公文、文件；動詞，（以文件）證明、為…提供文件。He failed
to document enough evidence to defend his client. （他提不出足夠證據為當事人辯
護。）

conspiracy theory：一般直譯為「陰謀論」，英文在使用此詞時，多半指對史實有
不同的論點，知名案例如「甘迺迪總統是被美國秘密組織暗殺的」。

phenomenon：名詞，現象、天才或（演藝、運動界等）表現特出的人。Jordan has
been described as "the Phenomenon" since college days.（喬丹從大學時代就被稱為「神
奇小子」。）

《中英對照讀新聞》Italian PM’s aide hit by prostitute photo scandal 文義大利總理

的助理因妓女照片醜聞案受到打擊

◎羅彥傑

Italian Prime Minister Romano Prodi’s top aide said he would not resign over a
damaging scandal in which he was photographed talking to a transsexual prostitute.

義大利總理普洛迪的首席助理說，他不會因為自己被拍到與一名變性妓女聊天的
高殺傷力醜聞而辭職。

Silvio Sircana, promoted last month from being Prodi’s personal spokesman to
mouthpiece for the entire government, is the focus of a wider scandal in which paparazzi
photographers are accused of blackmailing celebrities.

上個月才從普洛迪個人發言人獲拔擢為政府發言人的瑟卡納，成為一個擴大醜聞
的主角，狗仔隊攝影記者被控勒索名人。

The newspapers printed a blurred photograph of Sircana, who is married with two children,
in his car talking to a scantily clad female-looking figure standing on a pavement.

報紙刊出一張模糊照片，顯示已婚有兩個小孩的瑟卡納，在車子裡與一名站在人
行道上、穿著清涼的貌似女性者聊天。
Sircana, a deputy and long-time Prodi confidante, said he had been devastated by the photo
and called his behaviour "a moment of stupid curiosity" in a supposed transexual.

身為國會議員兼普洛迪長期親信的瑟卡納說，他已因這張照片遭到嚴重的打擊，
並表示他的行為是出於對一名多半是變性者產生的愚蠢好奇心。

The image, taken last September and sold to a magazine which did not print it, was
published after Sircana said he wanted it to be made public to clear the air.

這張於去年 9 月拍到並出售給某雜誌卻未刊印的相片，在瑟卡納表示，他希望公
諸於世以釋外界疑慮後，被刊登出來。

新聞辭典

transsexual：形容詞，變性的；名詞則指變性人。例句：She will become a transsexual

man after the sex change operation. （在變性手術後，她將變性為男人。）

paparazzi：名詞，狗仔隊（複數），單數為 paparazzo。例句：The paparazzi are extreme

reporters who will do almost anything to get pictures of celebrities.（狗仔隊是走極端的
記者，幾乎不擇手段以取得名人的照片。）

clear the air：片語，澄清、釋疑。例句：I want to take this opportunity to clear the air
of the many misconceptions related to my name.（我想利用這個機會，澄清許多關於
我的誤解。）

《中英對照讀新聞》School age plans to be unveiled 學齡計畫即將揭曉

◎鄭寺音

Plans to encourage young people to continue with school or training until they are 18 years
old are to be detailed by the government later.

鼓勵年輕人繼續升學或接受訓練，直到 18 歲的計畫，（英國）政府稍後將詳細
說明。

A Green Paper is expected to reveal if the government thinks pupils should be legally
forced to stay in education.

一份綠皮書預料將披露，政府是否認為應該以法律明訂方式強制學生繼續接受教
育。
Gordon Brown said every teenager would have "a right" to stay in training or school until
they were 18 during his Budget speech.

（英國財政大臣）布朗在預算演說中表示，每名青少年都「有權」持續接受訓練
或待在學校，直到 18 歲。

The age at which children must attend school was raised to 16 in 1972.

1972 年孩子接受義務教育的年齡提高到 16 歲。

Richard Lambert, CBI director-general, said： "The CBI supports moves to raise the age at
which young people can leave education or training to address the lack of basic and
employability skills amongst many young people entering the labour market."

英國工業總會會長蘭伯特說：「工業總會也支持提高年輕人離開學校或訓練的年
齡，以解決許多進入勞動市場的年輕人，缺乏基本與符合就業所需技巧的問題。」

Recent figures for England showed that 11% of 16 to 18-year-olds are still outside
education, training or work.

最近英國的數據顯示，11%的 16 到 18 歲的年輕人沒有上學、接受訓練或工作

At present, 76% of this age group are in education or receiving training - which will mean
that the remainder will either have to begin workplace training or return to further
education.

目前，這個年齡層中，有 76%在上學或接受訓練，代表其他人不是必須展開工作
訓練，就是要回到學校進一步接受教育。

新聞辭典

unveil︰使公諸於眾，揭露。The plan was unveiled with the approval from the minister.
（經部長同意，該計畫公布於眾。）

reveal︰揭示，揭露，洩漏。He revealed the secret by accident.（他不小心洩漏了秘

密。）

《中英對照讀新聞》Arthritis linked with glitch in gene 關節炎與基因缺陷有關

◎俞智敏
A tiny quirk in one of the human body’s approximately 25,000 genes may be the culprit
behind one of the world’s most common, and painful, forms of arthritis, according to a
study released recently.

根據一項最近發表的研究顯示，人體約 2 萬 5000 個基因之中一個基因的小缺陷，

很可能是全球最普遍、也最疼痛的一種關節炎的元凶。

Among some 1,500 people tested in Japan, those carrying a particular variant of a
protein-secreting gene called GDF5 were 80 percent more likely to develop osteoarthritis
of the hip, said the study, published in Nature Genetics.

根據這項發表在「自然遺傳學」期刊上的研究指出，在大約 1500 名日本受測者

中，體內帶有蛋白分泌基因 GDF5 的某一特定變種形態者，罹患髖關節炎的機率
較其他人高 80%。

The presence of the variant, lead author Yoshinari Miyamoto and a team of Japanese and
Chinese researchers suggested, probably reduced the production of the GDF5 gene, which
plays a key role in the development of cartilage in joints.

據研究主要作者宮本欽生以及日中研究團隊成員指出，此一基因變異的存在，可
能減少了 GDF5 基因的產生，而 GDF5 基因則是關節軟骨發展的關鍵。

Sometimes called "wear-and-tear" arthritis because of the damage done to cartilage,

osteoarthritis afflicts some 190 million people around the world, including many in China
and Japan.

骨關節炎有時又因患者的關節軟骨磨損而被稱為「退化性」關節炎，全球約有 1
億 9000 萬人罹病，包括中國與日本的許多病患。

新聞辭典

glitch：（設備、機器等的）小故障、失靈，或指計畫的缺點、差錯。如 The system

has been plagued with glitches ever since its launch.（這系統從一啟用就狀況不斷。）

quirk：突然的轉變、怪癖，a quirk of fate 指命運的捉弄、意外。如 By some strange

quirk/By an odd quirk of fate, we ended up on the same train.（很意外地，我們最後搭
上了同一班列車。）

wear and tear：片語，指因經常使用所導致的損傷，磨損，如 She made everyone wear

slippers inside the house to avoid wear and tear on the carpet.（她要求所有人在室內都
要穿拖鞋，免得把地毯磨壞。）
《中英對照讀新聞》Donkey fall for gander 母驢迷戀公鵝

A German donkey is making an ass out of herself after falling in love with a gander.

德國一頭母驢與一頭公鵝墜入愛河，模樣實在滑稽。

The farm where the unlikely couple live, in the Saxon town of Cottbus, has been besieged
by journalists and curious visitors since the affair featured in local newspaper.

這段戀情經當地報紙披露後，這對不相稱的情侶所住位於薩克森邦寇巴斯鎮的農
場，就被大批媒體記者與好奇遊客包圍。

The gander, whose name is Hannibal, met Heidi the donkey when he was put into her
enclosure for being too aggressive to be kept with the other birds.

這頭名叫「漢尼拔」的公鵝因為太凶悍，因此被放進驢欄內，以免牠和其他禽鳥
養在一起，因而遇見了母驢「海蒂」。

Staffs say the couple quickly fell for each other, eating and sleeping together and are now
completely inseparable.

農場人員說，這兩隻動物很快就彼此來電，在一起吃飯、睡覺，如今已完全分不
開了。

The gander jealously attacks any male donkeys who go near Heidi. Heidi in turn is not
interested in other donkeys, and follows Hannibal around all day long

這頭公鵝會打翻醋罈子，攻擊任何靠近海蒂的公驢。海蒂也對其他公驢興趣缺
缺，整天跟著漢尼拔四處跑。

新聞辭典

fall for：為之傾倒，迷戀。例句：She fell for him at first sight.（她對他一見鍾情。）

make an ass out of someone ： 「讓某人看起來像蠢蛋」。ass 在英文俚語中，除了

指「屁股」外，也有「驢子」、「笨蛋」的意思，本文中用來形容那頭母驢，是
一語雙關。英語會話中，長官不想聽屬下假設性的回答時，有時會說︰Don ’t
assume, because that will make an ass out of u and me.（別假設，這樣會讓我們看起來
都很驢。）這句話有趣之處，在於把 assume 拆成 ass， u（你）及 me（我）3 個
字。
too…to：太…而不能…。例句：He got to the station too late to catch the train. （他太
晚到車站，沒搭上火車。）

《中英對照讀新聞》Holy Cow! Meat-loving calf eats Indian chickens 天啊！無肉不

歡的牛吃了印度雞

◎張沛元

When dozens of chickens went missing from a remote West Bengal village, everyone
blamed the neighbourhood dogs.

當西孟加拉一個偏僻村莊的數十隻雞不知去向時，所有人都認為是附近狗群幹的
好事。

But Ajit Ghosh, the owner of the missing chickens, eventually solved the puzzle when he
caught his cow--a sacred animal for the Hindu family--gobbling up several of them at
night.

但當失蹤雞群的主人阿吉特．葛許逮到自己養的牛─對印度教家庭屬於神聖動物
─在晚上大啖雞隻時，他終於解開這個謎團。

"We were shocked to see our calf eating chickens alive," Ghosh said.

「看到我們養的小牛大吃活雞時，大家都嚇了一大跳，」葛許說。

The family decided to stand guard at night at the cow shed which also served as a hen coop,
after 48 chickens went missing in a month.

這家人在 1 個月內丟了 48 隻雞後，決定晚上在同時兼做雞舍的牛棚裡守衛站崗。

"Instead of the dogs, we watched in horror as the calf, whom we had fondly named Lal,
sneak to the coop and grab the little ones with the precision of a jungle cat," Gour Ghosh,
his brother, said.

「我們在驚恐中看到的不是狗，而是被我們親暱地喚做拉爾的小牛，鬼鬼祟祟地
潛進雞舍，然後以叢林貓的精準，一把抓住那些小雞。」葛爾．葛許，阿吉特的
兄弟說。

Local television pictures showed the cow grabbing and eating a chicken in seconds and a
vet confirmed the case.
當地電視台的畫面顯示，這頭牛數秒內就捕食一隻雞，而一名獸醫也證實確實如
此。

新聞辭典

holy cow：口語，表示驚訝，意思近似「天啊」，「不會吧」。 calf 指小牛，bull

指公牛，cow 指母牛或乳牛，非正式用語中泛指牛。holy 則是神聖的，holy cow
用在本文正有一語雙關之意。

blame：動詞，責備，怪罪。例句：Don’t take it too personally; he just needs someone

to blame.（別太介意，他只是要找人怪罪一下。）

stand guard：片語，守衛，站崗。例句：US troops stand guard after a helicopter crashed

in Mosul, Iraq.（美軍在一架直昇機墜毀於伊拉克摩蘇爾後開始警戒。）

vet：名詞，獸醫，即 veterinarian。

《中英對照讀新聞》After dinosaur demise, mammals late to the party 恐龍滅絕後，

哺乳類很慢才當家

The asteroid that smacked Earth 65 million years ago wiped out the dinosaurs and paved
the way for mammals to dominate, but it took another 10 to 15 million years for the
ancestors of today’s mammals to really take over, scientists said on Wednesday.

6,500 萬年前撞上地球的小行星殺光了恐龍，為哺乳類主宰（地球）鋪好了路，
但哺乳類的祖先們花了 1,000 到 1,500 萬年才真的取得獨佔地位，科學家們週三
說。

While some mammals seized the day and diversified after the asteroid crashed off the
Yucatan peninsula, causing a mass extinction, they largely were evolutionary dead-ends,
scientists said.

在小行星落在猶加敦半島造成大滅絕後，部分哺乳類逮住機會繁衍分化，只不過
多數的演化方向都走入死胡同，科學家說。

Researchers led by Olaf Bininda-Emonds of Germany’s Friedrich-Schiller-University

Jena used DNA from some of the 4,500 species of mammals on Earth and fossils of extinct
animals to devise a family tree tracing mammalian evolutionary history.
由德國耶拿「斐特里希─席勒大學」歐拉夫．賓尼達─艾蒙德茲率領的研究人員，
利用地球上 4,500 種哺乳類其中一部份物種的 DNA，跟滅絕動物的化石，建構出
能追溯哺乳類演化史的族譜。

Mammals from the major groups around today arose tens of millions of years before the
asteroid struck and survived the calamity. But they remained secondary to now-extinct
mammal forms and did not start diversifying and asserting themselves until about 55 to 50
million years ago, the study found.

今天主要的哺乳動物在小行星撞地球的幾千萬年前就已經出現，同時也從大滅絕
期中存活下來。但相對於已經滅絕的哺乳類來說，牠們一開始並不強盛；這項研
究發現，牠們直到 5,500 萬到 5,000 萬年前才開始分化、確立優勢地位。

新聞辭典

take over：片語，接管、接手。寫成 takeover 時為名詞，交接、接手。It took ten years

for Hong Kong to recover a bit from the turmoil caused by the 1997 takeover. （香港花了
10 年時間，才從 1997 年主權移交後所引起的動盪略微回復正常。）

dead-end：名詞，或做 dead end 沒有前途的事物、沒有成功機會的事物；形容詞，

或做 dead-ended，沒有出路的、落後貧窮地方出身的（人），如 a dead-end street，
死路、死巷子。

calamity：名詞，（巨大的、重大的）災難、災害、苦難。The recent series of incidents

is a calamity to the nation.（最近一系列的事件是國家的重大災難。）

《中英對照讀新聞》Water hike coming, despite "substandard" service 儘管服務「低

於標準」，水費照漲

◎羅彥傑

Consumers are soon to be hit with a hike in water bills, despite a "substandard" service, a
price comparison service said.

消費者很快就會因為水費漲價而蒙受損失，儘管服務「低於標準」，某比價服務
機構說。

Web site uSwitch.com said the increases are being implemented despite water companies
making profits of 2.6 billion pounds in 2005╱06.

uSwitch.com 網站說，儘管水公司在 2005╱06 年度獲利 26 億英鎊，水價照漲不誤。

Four out of 22 water companies also failed to meet their leakage targets, with the worst
culprit being Thames Water, which missed its targets for the third consecutive year.

22 家水公司中，有 4 家也未能符合減少漏水目標，其中禍首是「泰晤士水」公
司，連續第 3 年未達目標。

Ann Robinson, director of consumer policy at uSwitch, said： "Householders across the
UK will quite rightly be wondering why they are being expected to pay even more for a
service that is clearly substandard.

uSwitch 消費者政策部主任安．羅賓森說：「全英國的家庭用戶都會納悶，為何
他們該為一項顯然低於標準的服務付更多的錢。」

"The water companies have known for years that they are sailing a leaky ship, but have
done little more than plug the holes with their fingers. Now customers are being forced to
bail them out."

「水公司多年來一直很清楚，它們開的是一艘有漏洞的船，但除了用手指塞住漏
洞之外，幾乎什麼事也沒做。現在消費者卻被迫要替它們解套。」

新聞辭典

to be hit with～：片語，受到～損失或打擊。例句：We are about to be hit with an

increase in the cost of garbage pick up.（我們即將因收垃圾的成本提高而蒙受損失。）

culprit：名詞，罪犯、禍首或導致過錯的人。例句：The big culprit in the drain of

electrical power is air-conditioning.（電力過度消耗的禍首是空調設備。）

to bail out：片語，原指繳保證金保釋，引申為解套。例句：His parents bailed him out

of trouble.（他的父母幫助他擺脫麻煩。）

《中英對照讀新聞》Boy finds watch buried in North Pole 男孩發現埋在北極的錶

A wristwatch buried in the ice at the North Pole three years ago was found by a boy more
than 1,800 miles away after it floated ashore on the Faeroe Islands.

一只 3 年前埋在北極冰雪中的腕錶，在漂流至相隔逾 1800 英里外的法羅群島海

岸後，被一名男孩發現。

Niels Jakup Mortensen, 11, spotted a black box near his home on Suduroy, the
Faeroes’southernmost island, his mother Anna Jacobsen said. Inside, was a watch that
had been buried at the North Pole by Joergen Amundsen, a descendant of Norwegian polar
explorer Roald Amundsen.

11 歲的尼爾斯．賈庫普．模騰森在法羅群島最南端的蘇杜洛伊島上的住家附近
發現一個黑盒，他的母親安娜．賈考森說。盒內是約根．亞蒙森埋在北極的一只
錶，而約根則是挪威極地探險家羅爾德．亞蒙森的後人。

Jacobsen said the watch discovered by her son was still working, and was accompanied by
a letter from Joergen Amundsen. "It was so unbelievable," she said. "It had been buried in
the North Pole."

賈考森表示，她兒子發現的錶仍能運轉，還附有約根．亞蒙森寫的一封信。「實
在令人難以置信，」她說。「它之前被埋在北極。」

Hjalmar Hatun, an oceanographer with the Faeroese Fisheries Laboratory, said the watch
likely drifted south with one of the chunks of ice that frequently break away at the North
Pole and are carried off by ocean currents.

法羅群島水產實驗室的海洋學家赫亞馬．哈騰說，北極冰層常會崩裂並被洋流帶
走，這只手錶可能隨著其中一塊碎冰向南漂流。

Hatun said the ice breaking off is not related to global warming, as the phenomenon was
first observed more than 100 years ago. "

哈騰指出，冰層的崩裂與全球暖化無關，因為該現象在 100 多年前就首次觀察到。

新聞辭典

descendant︰後裔、子孫；動詞為 descend，通常以被動詞形式表示某人的出身。
例句︰She is descended from a distinguished family.（ 她系出名門。）

polar︰極地的、電極的、截然對立的。例句︰The two systems of government are polar

opposites. （這兩種政體截然相反。）

accompany︰陪伴、伴隨、伴奏。例句︰His mother accompanied him on the piano.（他

的母親為他鋼琴伴奏。）

《中英對照讀新聞》Daredevil condemned for escalator stunt 大膽男子電扶梯上表演

驚險特技遭譴責

◎俞智敏
A man who filmed himself skiing down the longest escalator on London’s underground
rail network was branded "dangerous, stupid and irresponsible."

一名男子把自己以滑雪板從倫敦地鐵系統中最長一道電扶梯上滑下的過程拍攝
下來，結果遭指責為「危險、愚蠢且不負責任。」

The man hurtled down nearly 200 feet at Angel tube station with a camera strapped to his
head and posted the video on the YouTube Web site.

這名男子頭上綁著攝影機，從天使地鐵站一路飛馳滑下近 200 英尺的距離，然後

把影片上傳至 YouTube 網站。

The 60-second film shows the man climb the escalator, clip on his skis at the top and begin
his high-speed descent as onlookers shout out behind him.

在這段長 60 秒的影片中，可以看到這名男子先登上電扶梯，在手扶梯頂端穿好
滑雪板，然後高速下滑，其他旁觀者則在他身後驚聲大叫。

London Underground condemned the stunt. "This is a dangerous, stupid and irresponsible
act that could have resulted in serious injury or death to not only the individual concerned
but also other passengers," it said in a statement.

倫敦地鐵當局譴責這項特技，聲明中指出︰「這是一項危險、愚蠢且不負責任的
行為，不僅可能導致當事人重傷或死亡，還可能連累其他旅客。」

新聞辭典

daredevil：名詞，指鋌而走險、不怕死的人，亦可做形容詞用（須放在名詞之前），
如︰racing-car drivers doing daredevil stunts.（賽車選手表演大膽特技。）

escalator：電扶梯、自動樓梯，如︰The new store has escalators to carry customers from

one floor to another.（這家新店有電扶梯在各樓層間運送顧客。）但垂直升降的電
梯則為 elevator，如︰Many department stores have both elevators and escalators.（許多
百貨公司同時都有電梯和電扶梯。）

stunt：驚人的表演、特技，如︰He performs riding stunts in the circus.（他在馬戲團

裡表演騎馬特技。）stunt man╱woman，指表演特技者、特技人員。stunt 亦可指
引人注意的花招、噱頭，如︰Their marriage was just a cheap publicity stunt.（他們的
婚姻不過是廉價的公關手段。）

《中英對照讀新聞》Blind skier sets new world records 盲眼滑雪選手刷新世界紀錄

◎陳成良

A skiing enthusiast has broken two world records - despite being blind.

儘管雙眼失明，一名熱愛滑雪的人，仍打破兩項世界紀錄。

Kevin ’Cannonball’ Alderton first hit a blistering 105mph at a course in Les Arcs,
France. A few days later, he set an indoor record in Landgraaf, Holland, where he reached
more than 56mph.

外號「砲彈」的凱文．奧爾德頓先在法國雷薩克滑雪道創下時速 105 哩的超快紀

錄。幾天後，他又在荷蘭蘭得格拉弗市以時速逾 56 哩，刷新一項室內比賽紀錄。

Kevin, 35, relies heavily on his partner Susan and his trainer to help him achieve his goal.

35 歲的凱文多虧夥伴蘇珊和教練協助，才達成他的目標。

He told the Sun： "I trained hard for three months, most of which was spent in my living
room wearing skis and a helmet perfecting my position. "

他告訴太陽報說：「我苦練 3 個月，期間多數時間是在客廳內穿戴著滑雪板與頭
盔，修正我的姿勢。」

"Susan takes pictures of me, then emails them to my trainer in Scotland who sends me
feedback. "

「蘇珊替我拍照，然後用電子郵件將照片傳給我在蘇格蘭的教練，教練再將他的
意見寄回給我。」

"On the course I have a two-way radio in my helmet so my guide can speak to me. He
alerts me if I veer too far to either side. I am concentrating too hard on what he says to
have time to worry about what is coming up in front of me."

「在滑雪道上，我在頭盔裡裝了一個雙向無線電揚聲器，讓指導員與我通話，如
果我轉向時偏離一邊太遠，他就會提醒我。我非常專心傾聽他的指示，而沒時間
煩惱前方會出現什麼東西。」

Speaking about breaking the records he said： "It gave me a whole new lease of life and
proved that my disability could not hold me back."

談及打破紀錄時，他說：「它讓我重獲新生，並證明殘疾阻擋不了我前進。」
新聞辭典

blistering：（溫度或速度）極高的；極熱的；極快的。a blistering sun 是指「猛烈

的太陽」。

veer：改變方向；轉向。例句：The car suddenly veered across the road.（汽車突然轉

向橫越馬路。）

hold back：阻擋；抑制。例句︰The police held the demonstrators back while the

politicians entered the building.（政壇人士進入那棟建築物時，警察將示威者擋了下
來。）

《中英對照讀新聞》Dirt exposure "boosts happiness" 接觸泥土「提高快樂」

Exposure to dirt may be a way to lift mood as well as boost the immune system, UK
scientists say.

英國科學家說，接觸泥土，可能是提振心情，同時增強免疫系統的方法。

Lung cancer patients treated with "friendly" bacteria normally found in the soil have
anecdotally reported improvements in their quality of life.

肺癌病患以一般在土壤裡發現的「友善」細菌治療，據傳可以改善生活品質。

Mice exposed to the same bacteria made more of the brain’s "happy" chemical serotonin,
the Bristol University authors told the journal Neuroscience.

來自布里斯托大學的研究報告作者告訴「神經科學」期刊，老鼠接觸到同樣的細
菌，腦部也會製造更多的「快樂」化學血清。

Common antidepressants work by boosting this brain chemical. A lack of serotonin is

linked with depression in people.

一般的抗憂鬱藥，就是靠增加這種腦部化學物質來發揮功效。缺乏血清會讓人憂
鬱。

The scientists say more work is now needed to determine if the bacterium Mycobacterium
vaccae has antidepressant properties through activation of serotonin neurons.

科學家說，現在還需要進一步研究，判定這種母牛分支桿菌是否會透過活化血清
神經，產生抗憂鬱的特性。
Lead researcher Dr Chris Lowry said："These studies help us understand how the body
communicates with the brain and why a healthy immune system is important for
maintaining mental health."

領導這項研究的勞瑞博士說：「這些研究幫助我們了解身體如何與腦部溝通，以
及健康的免疫系統，對維持心理健康很重要的原因。」

新聞辭典

exposure︰名詞，暴露、曝曬。動詞為 expose 。例句：The paint came off as the result

of exposure to the rain.（油漆因為雨淋而剝落了。）

anecdotally︰副詞，軼事地、趣聞地；形容詞為 anecdotal；源自名詞 anecdote，軼

事、趣聞。

depression︰沮喪，意氣消沈。例句：The trip to the seashore brought her out of her

depression.（到海邊旅行使她不再憂鬱。）

《中英對照讀新聞》Don’t call it a new friendship,call it clique percolation 別說稱之

為新友誼，叫它派系過濾

◎張沛元

Want to know whether your Internet social network will survive or break up？

想知道你的網際網路社交網以後能繼續存在還是分道揚鑣嗎？

Try mathematics.

試試看用數學檢驗一下吧。

An algorithm developed by Tamas Vicsek of Budapest’s Eotvos University and

colleagues aims at pinning down some of the mechanisms for social interaction in a
complex, fast-moving world.

一套由布達佩斯的奧特佛斯大學的維斯克及其同僚所發展出來的演算法，便是以
確認複雜且快速變遷世界中的某些社會互動機制為目的。

They trawled over two sets of data to explore how people link up. One was a collaborative
network of more than 30,000 researchers connected to an archive at New York’s Cornell
University; the other was the year-long record of communications patterns of four million
mobile phone users.

他們篩選兩組資料，以探究人們如何變得有所關聯。一組資料是一個超過 3 萬
名、與紐約康乃爾大學一份文獻有關之研究人員的共同網絡，另一組資料是 4
百萬名手機用戶 1 年來的通訊模式紀錄。

Put together, these figures provided an intriguing picture of relationship dynamics.

合併檢視後，這些數據呈現出引人入勝的關係動態景象。

The team found that small groups endure only if they have an unchanged core of members
-- in other words, a clique.

該研究團隊發現，小團體只擁有不變的「成員核心」，換句話說，就是「派系」
的情況下，才能續存。

新聞辭典

percolation：名詞，動詞為 percolate，指滲透、濾出

trawl：名詞，拖網；動詞：用拖網捕（魚）

aim at：片語，瞄準；以…為目的。例句：China and Russia are holding their first joint

military exercises aimed at boosting co-operation between the former adversaries and
sending a message to the US about their growing influence.（中俄兩國目前正舉行首度
聯合軍演，目的在於提升這兩個前宿敵的合作，以及對美國傳達中俄影響力與日
俱增的訊息。）

pin down：片語，用針釘住；確定，證實；使受約束。例句：Scientists are studying

the fruit fly in order to pin down which brain circuits and genes control learning and
memory.（科學家正在研究果蠅以便確認哪些大腦神經網絡與基因負責控制學習
與記憶。）

link up：片語，連接，接軌。例句：Former Cold War foes, China and Russia, link up

against US might.（前冷戰敵人，中國與俄羅斯，聯手對抗美國強權。）

《中英對照讀新聞》New Jersey workers hit jackpot in closed casino 新澤西工人在關

閉的賭場內發現寶藏

◎胡立宗
Workers clearing out slot machines from an old casino in New Jersey got an unexpected
surprise when they discovered more than 17,000 dollars in loose change had fallen under
the machines.

工人在清理新澤西州一家老舊賭場的吃角子老虎時碰到了一件奇事：機器底下竟
然清出超過 1 萬 7 千美元的零錢。

The Sands casino in Atlantic City closed in November to make way for a new mega-casino.
And while workers removing the old slot machines expected to find the odd quarter,
everyone was surprised by the final haul of 17,193.34 dollars.

大西洋城的金沙賭場在 11 月歇業，原址準備再開一家新的大型賭場。工人們原
本以為在搬運吃角子老虎機時，會有機會撿點 25 美分的銅板，但讓所有人目瞪
口呆的是，這些銅板到最後的總數竟然高達 17,193.34 美元。

The booty -- which included coins, tokens and even a 100 dollar bill -- was found under
and between the more than 2,000 machines and was mostly covered in years of dust and
grime, The Press of Atlantic City reported.

大西洋城新聞報報導說，包括銅板、代幣，甚至是 1 張 100 美元紙鈔在內的意外

之財，是在 2 千多台機器的底部及縫間所發現，多數滿佈陳年灰塵跟銹斑。

"Keep in mind that some of those machines had not been moved in the 26 years that the
Sands was in operation," Kim Townsend, from Pinnacle Atlantic City, the company that
now owns the casino, told the newspaper.

「讓我提醒大家一點，其中一些機器在金沙賭場開張以來的 26 年間都沒有動
過」，來自尖峰大西洋城公司的吉姆．湯森德對這家報紙表示。該公司現在擁有
這家賭場。

Unfortunately for the workers, the casino operator does not believe in "finders keepers."
The company will keep the lion’s share, with the state of New Jersey taking an eight
percent cut of the loot in gaming tax.

但對工人來說其實結果並不好，因為賭場東家並不相信「誰找到就是誰的」。公
司將保有（意外之財中）的大部分，新澤西州政府則將對這筆錢課 8％的賭博稅。

《新聞辭典》
hit the jackpot：片語，中大獎（頭彩），有時也可以用來形容獲致成功。After ten
years of endless search for the missing treasure, they finally hit the jackpot.（十年不停的
尋找後，他們終於交了好運找到失落的寶藏。）

the lion’s share：本來是指獅子總是可以獨佔獵物，後來引申為最好、最大的一

部分。You have got the lion’s share.（你佔盡便宜了。）

《中英對照讀新聞》Starfish outbreak threatens Philippine coral reefs／海星突然大增

威脅菲律賓珊瑚礁

◎羅彥傑

Coral-eating starfish have infested several coastal areas in the Philippines, threatening to
devastate entire sections of reefs in weeks, a conservation group warned.

會吃珊瑚的海星在菲律賓若干沿岸地區大批出沒，可能在數週內毀壞整個礁區，
一個保育團體警告說。

The World Wide Fund for Nature reported outbreaks of crown-of-thorns starfish in at least
seven coastal areas. One starfish can consume six square meters of healthy coral reef in a
year.

「世界自然基金會」指出，棘冠海星在至少 7 處沿岸地區突然大增。一隻海星一
年能吃掉 6 平方公尺的健康珊瑚礁。

Outbreaks of the starfish are detected every summer—March-May—when local ocean

temperatures and nutrient levels increase, giving rise to algal blooms.

每年夏天—3 到 5 月—當地的海洋溫度與營養含量增加，導致海藻茂盛生長時，
都會偵測到海星驟增。

’’Normally, reefs should be left alone to deal with unusual occurrences such as
this,’’ WWF said in a statement. ’’However, the situation facing Philippine reefs is
far from normal.’’ It said major predators that should, under normal conditions, keep
crown-of-thorns starfish in check are steadily declining due to illegal collection for food
and the aquarium trade.

「通常，應放手讓珊瑚礁自己去應付諸如這類不尋常的狀況，」WWF 在聲明中
說。「不過，菲律賓珊瑚礁面臨的情況實在太不尋常。」該組織說，在正常情況
下應該抑制棘冠海星的主要掠食者，正因為遭非法捕食與水族館業者的採集而不
斷減少。
《新聞辭典》

infest：動詞，指（害蟲、盜賊）大批出沒、侵擾。例句：The waterway is infested with

pirates.（這條航道有大批海盜出沒。）

give rise to：片語，促成、導致。例句：It would give rise to a great deal of conflict.

（這將引起頻繁的衝突。）

keep ～ in check ：片語，抑制。例句：She should keep her jealousy in check.（她

應抑制自己的嫉妒心。）

《中英對照讀新聞》Cinnamon does not aid type 1 diabetes control 肉桂無助控制第

一型糖尿病

◎鄭寺音

It seems unlikely that cinnamon can improve blood sugar levels in people with type 1, or
insulin-dependent, diabetes, researchers report.

研究人員指出，肉桂似乎不可能改善第一型、或稱胰島素仰賴型糖尿病患的血糖
值。

Previous research has shown that cinnamon appears to help fat cells recognize and respond
to insulin. In test tube experiments and in animal studies, the spice led to a noteworthy
increase in the processing of glucose.

過去的研究顯示，肉桂似乎有助脂肪細胞辨識與回應胰島素。在試管實驗與動物
研究中，這種香料導致葡萄糖的分解顯著增強。

Moreover, in a previous study of people with type 2, or non-insulin dependent, diabetes,

those who incorporated a small amount of cinnamon each day for 40 days into their normal
diets experienced a healthy drop in blood sugar levels.

此外，過去針對第二型、或稱非胰島素仰賴型糖尿病患的研究中，在每天正常飲
食加入少量肉桂達 40 天者，血糖值呈現有益健康的降低。

Dr. Kevin M. Curtis from Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center in New Hampshire and
colleagues had 72 adolescents with type 1 diabetes take 1 gram of cinnamon per day or a
placebo while they continued with their existing medication, diet and exercise routines.
新罕布夏州達特茅斯—希區考克醫學中心的克提斯博士與同僚，讓 72 名罹患第
一型糖尿病的青少年，在持續服用現有的藥物、飲食與運動規律之時，每天食用
1 公克的肉桂或安慰劑。

They chose adolescents for the study because this age-group is particularly at risk for
uncontrolled blood sugar.

他們選擇青少年來參與研究，是因為這個年齡層特別可能有血糖不受控制的危
險。

However, after 90 days, Curtis and colleagues failed to see any marked differences in
blood sugar control, changes in blood sugar levels, total daily insulin requirement between
cinnamon takers and placebo takers.

但 90 天後，克提斯與同僚並未看到食用肉桂者與服用安慰劑者，在血糖控制、
血糖值改變、每天需要的胰島素劑量上有顯著不同。

新聞辭典

noteworthy：顯著的、值得注意的。例句：There is nothing particularly noteworthy in this

paper.（這篇論文沒有特別值得注意的地方。）

incorporate：包含、納入。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劃。）