分類: 英語新聞

Rebellion Brings Libya to the Edge of War

First there was Tunisia and then Egypt. Now, the storm of popular protest in the Middle East has reached Libya. The country has been ruled by Colonel Gaddafi, a dictator, for the past forty years. However, his rule is now threatened. Waves of rebellion against his government have brought the country to a standstill. In response, Gaddafi has ordered the army to attack the protestors.

The situation is getting worse every day. Important government officials have refused to carry out Gaddafi’s orders to attack the protestors. Others have joined the rebels. This includes the defence minister and Libya’s foreign diplomats. The rest of the world has unanimously withdrawn support from the dictator. Even so, Gaddafi seems determined to hold onto power. Many observers think that a tsunami of violence could wash across the country if a full civil war develops.

利比亞反政府抗爭引發內戰

繼突尼西亞和埃及之後，襲捲中東地區的抗爭風暴已延燒至利比亞。獨裁者格達費統治利比亞超過四十年，然而，他的政權正受到威脅。一波又一波的反政府抗爭已使該國陷入停頓，格達費卻下令軍隊向示威者展開鎮壓。

利比亞境內的武裝衝突愈演愈烈，重要的政府官員，包括國防部長與利比亞的外交官，都加入了抗爭的行列，並拒絕執行格達費指示攻擊示威者的命令。全球各國皆一致撤除對於獨裁者的支援，即便如此，格達費仍執意繼續掌權，許多觀察家擔憂一旦內戰全面爆發，暴力事件可能會如海嘯般淹沒利比亞。

字彙

• Rebellion 反抗；動亂
• dictator 獨裁者
• threaten 威脅
• standstill 停滯不前
• unanimously 一致地
• withdraw 撤除
• civil war 內戰

解讀

Writers often compare public unrest to violent natural events. Here, the writer uses ‘storm’ and two sea metaphors, ‘waves’ and ‘tsunami’, to describe the way protestors have attacked their governments.

作者經常將動亂比喻為嚴重的天災，本篇文章中，作者使用「暴風雨」與另外兩個與「海」相關的比喻－「波浪」及「海嘯」以形容示威者反抗政府的行為。

文句練習

1. The troubles in the Middle East _______ the recent economic recovery.
2. We _______ elected Zhao as class president.
3. The only US _______ was fought between northern and southern states.
4. Obama plans to ______ US forces from Afghanistan.
5. During Chinese New Year, Taipei comes to a _______.
6. The fashion designer Galliano lost his job for saying he admired the _______ Hitler.
7. There was a _______ because of the unfair new taxes.

文句練習解答

1. threaten
2. unanimously
3. civil war
4. withdraw
5. standstill
6. dictator
7. rebellion

(資料來源：British Council 英國文化協會)

“Curveball” Throws Curveball on Iraq

You may not know the name Rafid Ahmed Alwan al-Janabi. However, under the codename “Curveball”, he was one of the chief sources of information about Iraq’s weapons of mass destruction (WMD). This information led directly to the Iraq war, because the US believed that Iraq had to be stopped from building these weapons. Even at the time, people questioned the call. Now, “Curveball” has admitted that he was lying about the WMD program. The CIA and their German counterparts, the BND, were responsible for passing on Curveball’s information as true. As a result, they are facing serious criticism. Colin Powell, the former US secretary of state has stepped up to the plate to demand that the CIA explain why they did not cover all the bases. It seems that the CIA are now facing curveballs of their own.

「曲球」捏造伊拉克軍情

或許你從未聽過「賈納比」這個名字，他正是以代號「曲球」提供關於伊拉克擁有大規模毀滅性武器的主要情報來源。即使在當時，這項判定曾遭到質疑；由於美國認為必須阻止伊拉克製造這些武器，該情報仍直接引發了伊拉克戰爭。如今，「曲球」坦承有關大規模毀滅性武器的情報是憑空捏造的，美國中央情報局和德國聯邦情報局因此必須對當初散播不實的情報而負責，並遭受嚴厲的批評。美國前國務卿科林鮑威爾挺身而出，要求美國中央情報局解釋為何當初未全面確認軍情的真實性，以自我保護，看來美國中央情報局正面臨相當棘手的難題。

字彙

• codename 代號
• chief 主要的
• admit 承認
• counterpart 對應的人(或物)
• responsible 需承擔責任的
• criticism 批評

解讀

Writers often use sports metaphors in stories. This story uses baseball metaphors. A “curveball” is a difficult question, and “call” is the umpire’s decision. “Stepping up to the plate” means getting ready to hit the ball, and “cover the bases” means to protect yourself.

作者經常在寫作時使用與運動相關的比喻，本篇文章使用了源自棒球運動的術語作為比喻。「曲球」代表困難的問題，「判決」則是比賽時裁判的判定。「站上本壘板」代表球員準備擊球了，而「涵蓋所有的壘包；守壘員不讓打擊者上壘的守護動作」則引申為全面防備、保護自己。

文句練習

1. You should always soften __________ with a compliment.
2. As class monitor, Mark is _________ for taking the register every day.
3. One of the early US stealth planes was developed under the ________ Aurora.
4. President Obama’s Taiwanese ____________ is Ma Ying-jeou.
5. The strength of technology companies like Acer and Asus is one of the ____ factors in Taiwan’s economic growth.
6. I have to ______ that I was surprised by the news.

文句練習解答

1. criticism
2. responsible
3. codename
4. counterpart
5. chief
6. admit

(資料來源：British Council 英國文化協會)

Chaos in Cairo

Over the past few weeks, thousands of people have been on the streets in Egypt. They have been holding some of the biggest demonstrations the country has seen in recent history. They were unhappy with their President, Hosni Mubarak, and wanted him to leave. Demonstrators in Cairo said they would not go home until the President resigned. They made beds, bathrooms and all the things necessary to live for a long time in a public square in the city centre.

From the demonstrators’ point of view, the President had been in power for too long and it was time for change in the country. In response, the President first said he would stay until September. In mid February, however, he gave in and stood down. In the eyes of many Egyptians, this is a tremendous victory for the people. They see it as a new beginning for Egypt.

埃及開羅情勢混亂

過去幾週以來，成千上萬的埃及民眾走上街頭，爆發該國近年來聲勢最浩大的示威活動。示威民眾對總統穆巴拉克感到強烈不滿，並要求他下台。開羅的示威者表示，在總統辭職下台之前他們絕不回家。他們搭建了床、浴室以及在市中心公共廣場長期示威必備的生活用品。

從示威者的立場而言，總統已執政太久，國家應該有所改變。總統首先回應，他將會留任至2011年9月，然而，他終於在2月中讓步並宣佈下台。在許多埃及民眾的眼中，這是人民莫大的勝利，他們認為這是埃及全新的開始。

字彙

• demonstration 示威活動
• resign 辭職
• necessary 必要的
• public square 公共廣場
• in response 回應
• trust 信任
• tremendous 極大的

解讀

Phrases related to ‘seeing’ are often used to show our understanding of the world. We only believe what we can see. They can also be used to express an opinion, such as ‘from my point of view’ or ‘in his eyes’.

有關「看見」的片語經常用於表達我們對世界的了解程度，意即我們只相信眼見為憑的事物。這些片語也可用於表達意見，例如：「從我的立場而言」或「在他的眼中」。

文句練習

1. You can’t ________ him. He always tells lies.
2. People often go to the ________ during a festival.
3. If you don’t like your job you can ________.
4. It is ________ to eat and drink to survive.
5. When lots of people are unhappy about something, they often have a ________.
6. The government reduced taxes ________ to public demand.
7. The twentieth century was a time of ________ change.

文句練習解答

1. trust
2. public square
3. resign
4. necessary
5. demonstration
6. in response
7. tremendous

(資料來源：British Council 英國文化協會)

Biggest Mafia Crackdown in History

FBI* officers have arrested 127 people across the north-east US in one day. They are all believed to be members of the mafia, the well-known crime organisation. It is the largest ever crackdown on organised crime in a single day. The FBI say leaders of the five biggest mafia families in New York have all been arrested. They are involved in gambling, extortion and other illegal activities.

Many people believe the mafia is a problem of the past. It is true that the mafia has been weakened since the 1990s. A large number of gangsters have left “the mob” and testified against other gang members. Many mafia figures have been sent to prison for a long time. But the FBI’s director has warned that the secret crime organisation is still a danger to the American economy. He says these arrests are not the end of organised crime in New York. They are one more step in an on-going struggle.

*Federal Bureau of Investigation

史上規模最大的掃黑行動

美國聯邦調查局在短短一日內於美國東北部逮捕了127名嫌犯。這些嫌犯皆為知名犯罪組織黑手黨的成員，此行動為歷年來單日規模最大的掃黑行動。美國聯邦調查局表示紐約五大犯罪家族的領導人長期參與賭博、詐欺勒索等非法活動，皆已陸續在紐約遭到逮捕。

多數人認為黑手黨所引發的社會問題已成為歷史，黑手黨的勢力的確在90年代後逐漸衰微，許多幫派份子也紛紛脫離「犯罪集團」，並對其他同黨作出不利的證明。雖然許多黑手黨的主嫌已入獄很長一段時間，美國聯邦調查局局長仍發出警告：秘密犯罪組織對於美國經濟仍具有威脅性，近期的逮捕行動並未終結紐約的組織犯罪，而只是持續打擊犯罪的一小步。

字彙

• arrest 逮捕
• crackdown 鎮壓；痛擊
• gambling 賭博
• extortion 詐欺勒索
• gangster 盜匪；流氓
• testify 作證
• prison 監獄

解讀

Writers try to avoid using names or words repeatedly because it is dull to read. By using alternative words, they can also give the reader more information. Instead of just being the mafia, it is also called organised crime, the mob and the secret crime organisation.

作者通常會避免重複使用相同的名稱或詞彙，否則讀者閱讀文章時易感到枯燥無味。透過詞彙變換，作者可提供給讀者更多的資訊。文中「黑手黨」一詞，也可稱為「組織犯罪」、「犯罪集團」或「秘密犯罪組織」。

文句練習

1. Three people saw the crime and _____ in court.
2. Police ______ him when he left his house.
3. He broke the law, so they sent him to _____.
4. All _____ apart from the national lottery is against the law in this country.
5. Most _____ do not live to an old age.
6. Gangs use _____ to get money from small businesses.
7. The government is having a ______ on bad driving.

文句練習解答

1. testified
2. arrested
3. prison
4. gambling
5. gangsters
6. extortion
7. crackdown

(資料來源：British Council 英國文化協會)

Astronomers over the Moon about New Planet

Imagine a planet with a year that lasts a single day and a temperature much higher than on Earth. It may not sound much like home, but For NASA astronomers, this is as good as it gets.

In January 2011, scientists from NASA’s Kepler project announced they had found a tiny, rocky planet called Kepler-10b. It is very close to its star and moves around it very fast, so humans could not live there. Nevertheless, it is only 1.4 times bigger than the Earth. It is also made of iron and rock like the Earth – and this is what makes it so exciting. Most of the planets so far discovered outside of our solar system have been gas giants similar to our own Jupiter. The discovery of Kepler-10b shows that Earth-like planets really do exist outside of our solar system – and, one day, we could find a second Earth.

天文學家喜獲新行星蹤跡

當你得知有顆行星繞著恆星公轉一周僅需一天，且溫度遠高於地球，是否直覺地認為它不適合人類居住？然而，對於美國太空總署的天文學家而言，發現新行星總是令人雀躍不已。

2011年1月，美國太空總署參與「克卜勒計畫」的科學家宣佈發現一顆微小的岩質行星，命名為「克卜勒10b」。它的運行軌道非常接近主恆星且移動極為快速，並不適合人類居住。然而，令人驚喜的是它的體積相當於地球的1.4倍，就像地球一樣由鐵和岩石構成。目前已知的大多數太陽系外行星皆為類似木星的氣態行星，「克卜勒10b」的出現證實了類地球行星確實存在於太陽系之外，有朝一日，我們極有可能發現第二個地球。

字彙

• astronomers 天文學家
• announced 宣佈
• nevertheless 然而
• iron 鐵
• solar system 太陽系
• gas giants 氣態行星
• Jupiter 木星

解讀

The phrase ’over the moon’ means very happy. It comes from a children’s nursery rhyme, which has a line where a cow jumps over the moon. The phrase became popular because soccer players and managers often used it in interviews when their team won.

「over the moon」這個片語意指非常高興，此說法源自於一首童謠，其中一句歌詞提及一頭牛躍過了月亮。當球隊比賽獲勝時，足球員和球隊經理在接受採訪時經常提到這個片語，因此成為一種廣為流傳的說法。

文句練習

1. _____ is used to make steel.
2. Our ________________ has eight planets.
3. _________ is the largest planet in our solar system, and is named after the Roman king of the gods.
4. Kepler was a famous _________ who gave his name to the NASA project.
5. Jupiter, Saturn, Neptune, and Uranus are the four ________ in our solar system.
6. The weather was terrible, but we had fun ___________.
7. The government recently _________ that teachers and soldiers have to pay taxes.

文句練習解答

1. Iron
2. solar system
3. Jupiter
4. astronomer
5. gas giants
6. nevertheless
7. announced

(資料來源：British Council 英國文化協會)

Stealth Fighter Signals New Arms Race

China’s new prototype stealth fighter plane, the J-20, has had its first test flight. Stealth planes have an unusual body shape and are made of modern lightweight materials instead of metal. This means they are harder to see and produce less noise than normal aircraft. It also means they are invisible to radar and are very hard to follow.

Currently, the US is the only nation with an operational stealth plane. But both Russia and China are working on new stealth fighters. The Chinese government have said their plane will not be ready until 2017 at the earliest. However, many in the US see this as another sign of China’s growing military power.

China’s military budget quadrupled between 1999 and 2009 as the country’s economy grew. In 2010 it was $78 billion. But the US still has the largest military budget in the world, at just over $700 billion.

隱形戰機引發新一波全球軍備競賽

中國隱形戰機「殲廿」(J-20)的原型機日前首次試飛，隱形戰機具有特殊的機身，並以新一代的輕質材料取代金屬製成，這代表它們很難被發現，也較普通的飛機不易產生噪音。此外，這也意味著在雷達上看不見它們，並且難以追蹤。

目前美國是唯一擁有隱形戰機的國家；然而，俄羅斯和中國都正在研發更為先進的隱形戰機。中國政府表示他們所研發的戰機需至2017年才會完成，許多美國人認為這顯示了中國正在逐漸擴張軍力。

隨著中國的經濟成長，其軍事預算自1999年至2009年間增加了四倍，2010年的預算更高達780億美元。然而，美國仍是全球擁有最多軍事預算的國家，共計超過 7千億美元。

字彙

• prototype 原型；試製品
• aircraft 飛機
• invisible 隱形的
• radar 雷達
• operational 可實際操作的
• military 軍事的
• budget 預算
• quadrupled 成為四倍

解讀

An arms race is a situation where two countries compete to make larger numbers of weapons, bigger armies, or better military technology. It often refers to the competition between the United States and the Soviet Union after World War II.

「軍備競賽」是指兩國競相增設武器配備、訓練強大的軍隊、或開發更為先進的軍事技術；通常意指美國和蘇聯在二次世界大戰後的軍備競賽。

文句練習

1. The movie has a __________ of five million dollars.
2. In the story, the wizard could make himself _________ with a magic spell.
3. My company makes helicopters and other small _________.
4. The town’s population __________ in just 20 years.
5. I have built a _________ of my new invention.
6. In Taiwan, young men have to do ________ service.
7. The new MRT station will be _________ in 2012.
8. The airport uses _________ to detect approaching planes.

文句練習解答

1. budget
2. invisible
3. aircraft
4. quadrupled
5. prototype
6. military
7. operational
8. radar

(資料來源：British Council 英國文化協會)

Wikileaks Causes Diplomatic Storm

No-one likes it when their dirty laundry is aired in public. When the laundry belongs to the most powerful government in the world, the story is explosive. This is what happened when the website Wikileaks published hundreds of thousands of secret US documents at the end of 2010.

In fact, many of the documents were low level diplomatic messages. They were little more than gossip. Even so, many of the messages were very embarrassing for the US government. Others involved the wrong-doing of the US’s allies.

The US reacted very angrily. It tried to force the Wikileaks website off the web. Nevertheless, information is still coming out. What the story shows most clearly, though, is that in today’s wired world, be careful what you write down. You never know where it might end up.

「維基解密」掀起外交風暴

當醜聞遭到踢爆，總是令當事人感到極度不悅，尤其是全球最強大的政府面臨挑戰時，爆炸性的新聞往往成為眾所矚目的焦點。「維基解密」網站在2010年底公佈了幾十萬份美國外交機密文件，無疑地在全球投下一顆震撼彈。

事實上，許多外洩的日常外交訊息，反而較像是未經證實的傳言。即便如此，這些傳言已足以讓美國政府感到非常難堪，部份訊息並連帶抖出美國盟友犯錯的證據。

美國對於此事表達強烈的不滿，並試圖要求「維基解密」關閉網站。然而，所謂的外交機密仍持續在網上流傳。這起事件提醒了大眾：在現今的網路世界裡，必須小心檢視你所撰寫的內容，因為你永遠不知道它可能流傳至何處。

字彙

• website 網站
• documents 文件
• diplomatic 外交的
• gossip 流言蜚語
• allies 盟友
• wired world 網路世界

解讀

You can guess at the meaning of some idioms, even if you have not seen them before. You would be embarrassed if people could see your dirty underwear. So you can guess that airing your dirty laundry in public means having embarrassing secrets brought into the open.

即使你未曾看過某些成語，依照句意聯想即可約略猜到其含義。例如：若他人窺見你的髒內衣，你會覺得難堪，可據以聯想「airing your dirty laundry in public」代表醜聞外揚。

文句練習

1. After Amazon.com removed WikiLeaks, hackers attacked the popular book __________.
2. Over the last few years, Taiwan’s __________ relationship with China have improved.
3. Be careful with these __________ – you need them for your university application!
4. Now that every phone can get on the internet, the ___________ is becoming a reality.
5. I hate _________ – you never know what people are saying behind your back!
6. The US and Taiwan have long been ______.

文句練習解答

1. website
2. diplomatic
3. documents
4. wired world
5. gossip
6. allies

(資料來源：British Council 英國文化協會)

Down Under Under Water

Australia is usually in the news for its droughts, not its floods. This year is different, though, and heavy rains have caused biblical flooding. Thousands of people have lost their homes, and life across the country is in chaos.

The worst rains were in the northern state of Queensland. Flooded rivers burst their banks. In some areas, waters were nearly 10 metres over their normal levels. Many people had to evacuate, while in others, people worked to build defences to keep the water out. The damage will cost billions of dollars to repair.

Even worse, more rain is on the way. These heavy rains come from the La Niña weather system, which brings Australia unusually cold weather. Since La Niña could last up to 3 more months, Australians are facing a season of floods twice as long as Noah’s.

無情洪災重創澳洲

澳洲經常因為乾旱問題而成為新聞焦點，今年卻一反常態的出現洪災。連日的暴雨造成嚴重的水患，成千上萬的居民因此失去家園，全國民眾的生活陷入一片混亂。

澳洲北部的昆士蘭省受豪雨衝擊最為嚴重，河川潰堤造成部份災區的水位暴漲十公尺。許多人被迫撤離家園，其它民眾也紛紛建立臨時防禦措施，希望減少洪水所引發的災情。洪災所造成的損害預計將耗資數十億美元來修復。

更糟的是，據估計降雨量會持續增加。反聖嬰現象是造成豪雨的禍因，導致澳洲的天氣異常寒冷。由於反聖嬰現象可能持續長達 3個月，澳洲人將面臨比諾亞更為艱鉅的挑戰。

字彙

• Down Under 澳洲
• droughts 乾旱
• floods 洪災
• biblical flooding 非常嚴重的水患 (出自聖經故事)
• in chaos 混亂
• burst their/its banks 潰堤
• evacuate 撤離
• Noah 諾亞 (聖經故事人物)

解讀

In the West, writers often refer to the Christian bible. In one bible story, God floods the world for forty days, which is why ‘biblical flooding’ means very bad floods. Only Noah and his family survive. But Australia could still be getting floods for much longer than 40 days.

西方國家的作家經常引用聖經故事；其中一篇故事提及上帝因故製造的大洪災淹沒世界長達四十天，因此「biblical flooding」意指非常嚴重的水患。故事中只有諾亞和他的家人存活，而澳洲受到洪災的影響卻可能遠超過 40天。

文句練習

1. Thanks to the heavy snows at Christmas, the UK’s transport system is ____________.
2. The long periods of ________ in Africa are responsible for the continent’s food problems.
3. After Typhoon Morakat, the Taiwanese government promised to ______ people more quickly if necessary.
4. In countries where heavy rain is common, houses are often built on platforms to protect against _______.
5. When the Tam Shui river _____________ last year, the whole riverside park was under water.
6. We’re going on holiday ______________ next month, to see Ayer’s rock and the Sydney Opera House.

文句練習解答

1. in chaos
2. drought
3. evacuate
4. floods
5. burst its banks
6. Down Under

(資料來源：British Council 英國文化協會)