2006 年 03 月 17 日 (No. 47)

 
Politics
布希堅持出售港口管理權　終讓多名黨內同志對其忍無可忍（2006/03/10）
For many fretting Republicans, Dubai port deal was final straw
泰國總理塔信尋求全國各地支持勢力　試圖以氣勢壓過批評聲浪（2006/03/07）
Thaksin tour to stare down critics
Society
想當網球星爸想瘋了！英國一父親喪心病狂在子女比賽對手水中下藥受害者眾（2006/03/10）
Killer father deranged by tennis is jailed for 8 years
強暴案件受害者反成責難對象　社運人士努力對抗南非厭女文化（2006/03/09）
Rape activists battle misogyny
Business
市場等待日本銀行升息決定　日圓幣值昨日放閒停滯不動（2006/03/09）
Yen idles as traders hold breath for BOJ decision
石油輸出國家組織協議增產冷卻油價（2006/03/08）
OPEC set to keep taps open to cool oil prices
Science & Technology
科學家首次做出太陽黑子活動預測　下個活動週期更活躍將干擾電子通訊（2006/03/08）
Researchers make first sunspot prediction
早在龐貝城遭埋覆前　維蘇威火山已有大規模爆發紀錄（2006/03/07）
Long before burying Pompeii, Vesuvius vented its wrath
Entertainment
喬治男孩吸毒遭判刑　接受勒戒及社區服務以免除刑期（2006/03/10）
Boy George picks rehab in plea bargain
女星泰瑞•海契挺身直言曾遭叔叔性侵　使其難逃法律制裁（2006/03/09）
Teri Hatcher snares sex abuser
Sports
四分衛寇沛波揚言轉隊　維京人不堪其擾遂其所願（2006/03/10）
Fed-up Vikings working on trading Culpepper
阿森納堅守城池　擊敗皇家馬德里隊（2006/03/09）
Arsenal hold firm to oust Galacticos
 
 
Brokeback Crashes Out at Oscars
 
 《斷背山》奧斯卡意外落馬　各界議論紛紛
And the Oscar for best picture goes to: not Brokeback Mountain.
And so began the shock wave that rippled through the entertainment world when it was announced Sunday, March 5 that Ang Lee's tragic romance about cowboy love had been beaten out by the racially charged Crash.
  奧斯卡最佳影片的得主：不是《斷背山》。當大會在三月五號星期天宣佈，全片探討種族議題的《衝擊效應》，擊敗了李安導演的牛仔悲劇愛情片後，娛樂界開始感受到一股震動。
Brokeback had been the odds-on favorite for months leading into the 78th Annual Academy Awards.
When Lee won the Oscar for best director, it seemed the die had been cast.
Prior to Sunday, the film managed to take home nearly every other award in the lead-up to the Oscars, including the Golden Globe -- usually a strong predictor of Academy success.
  在七十八屆奧斯卡頒獎前幾個月來，《斷背山》一直被各界看好。當李安贏得奧斯卡最佳導演獎時，感覺上似乎大勢已定。在星期天之前，《斷》片幾乎在所有其它影展中告捷，其中包括一般被認為是奧斯卡獎得獎指標的金球獎。
So what happened?
It was not long before the Internet and trade publications were awash in head scratching and conspiracy theories.
Some pundits speculated that Crash's Los Angeles setting brought the story closer to home for many Academy voters.
Others theorized that Brokeback Mountain received too much positive buzz too early in the lead-up to the awards.
Or perhaps it was that Hollywood is not quite as progressive as many would have you believe, and the subject matter was just too hot to handle.
  所以這究竟是怎麼回事？網路和電影相關書刊上立刻出現表示百思不得其解及陰謀論的文章。有些專家猜想，在洛杉磯當地取景的《衝擊效應》，對於許多影藝學院的投票人來說更能引起共鳴。其它理論還包括《斷背山》在奧斯卡獎之前太早獲得太多好評。或者有可能是因為好萊塢的態度並不如許多人以為的那麼開明先進，《斷》片的主題實在是刺激到讓人難以招架。
Lee, who admitted he was disappointed that his film didn't win, rejected the latter scenario.
  李安承認他對於該片沒能得到最佳影片獎感到失望，但他不認為前面提到的最後一種情況會是原因。
"For me, Brokeback isn't rebellious at all," he said. "It's a very ordinary movie."
  李安表示：「對我而言，斷背山一點也不離經叛道」，「這是一部極為平實的電影」。
Brokeback's loss was the only true upset of the evening.
That is, unless one counts Three 6 Mafia's paean to pimping, "It's Hard Out Here for a Pimp," which joins "Moon River," "High Hopes," and "Chim Chim Cher-ee" in the lexicon of best original song winners.
  《斷背山》的落馬是典禮當晚唯一的大冷門，除非你也把邪惡黑幫唱的皮條客之歌也算進去。「皮條客難為」今後也將和「月河」、「厚望」和「歡樂滿人間」等經典名曲一樣，躋身奧斯卡最佳歌曲之列。
crash out　v. 輸；遭到淘汰
The team crashed out of the playoffs.
這支球隊慘遭淘汰，無緣晉級季後賽。
shock wave　n. 強烈的反應；衝擊波
ripple　v. 起漣漪；蕩漾
News of the king's death rippled through the countryside.
國王逝世的消息在鄉間傳開了。
tragic romance　n. 愛情悲劇
beat out　v. 壓倒；勝過
The student beat out the competition for the scholarship.
這名學生擊敗競爭對手贏得獎學金。
charge　v. 蘊藏（意念、情感的）
The politically charged thriller won several awards.
此部蘊藏著政治訊息的驚悚片贏得了數個獎項。
odds-on favorite　n. 最有（很有）獲勝希望的一方；呼聲極高的角逐者
The horse is an odds-on favorite to win the race.
這匹馬在該場比賽中非常具有冠軍相。
lead-up　n. 預備階段；前置階段
awash in...　adj. 充斥著……；充滿著……
The media has been awash in reports of increased crime.
媒體的報導中充斥著日益增加的犯罪新聞。
head scratching　n. 疑惑；不解 （scratch one's head = 百思不解；感到疑惑）
conspiracy theory　n. 陰謀論
pundit　n. 自命博學者；自以為權威者；自認為專家者
speculate　v. 推測；推斷
Doctors speculated the illness was caused by a virus.
醫生推斷這個疾病是由病毒所引起。
theorize　v. 推理；理論化；建立理論
Astronomers theorize that life must exist on other planets.
天文學家推論別的星球上一定也有生命存在。
progressive　adj. 進步的；先進的；前衛的
The teacher was criticized for his progressive views.
這位老師因為其前衛的觀點而受到批評。
too hot to handle　adj. （因太過敏感或強烈而）難以應付／處理／承受
Few topics these days are too hot to handle on television.
現在的電視節目幾乎什麼敏感的話題都敢碰。
scenario　n. 情形；局面；事態
rebellious　adj. 反叛的；叛逆的；離經叛道的
The rebellious student was sent home.
這個叛逆的學生被送回家去了。
paean　n. 讚頌；歌頌曲
pimping　n. 拉皮條
pimp　n. 皮條客
lexicon　n. 專門辭彙；語彙；詞素
the die had been cast　木已成舟
die 字於美式英語中可指 dice 「骰子」的單數名詞，所以此語字面上可解為「骰子既已擲出」，於是結果也就「已成定局」。此語慣用於表示一個決定或行動已經確認或執行，而其結果已經無法改變的情形。
It was too late for the general to change tactics; the die had been cast.
現在木已成舟，將軍就算要改變戰術也已經太遲了。
 
 
True or False:
T
F
1 . To theorize about something is to take an educated guess.
2 . If someone is rebellious, they go along with authority.
3 . To snare something is to catch it.
4 . To be deranged is the same as crazy.
5 . If something idles, it changes dramatically.
 

Choose the best word or phrase to complete each sentence.
a. progressive b. rehab c. beat out d. snared e. crashed out
6.
 The boxing champ all challengers.
7.
 The candidate early in the election.
8.
 The politician was respected for his views.
9.
 The drug addict was sent to a program.
10.
 Police the robber after searching the neighborhood.

Answer

 1：T 2：F 3：T 4：T 5：F
6：【c】 7：【e】 8：【a 】 9：【b】 10：【d】
 
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