2006 年 05 月 12 日 (No. 51)

 
Politics
尼泊爾國王宣佈恢復國會運作　民眾上街慶祝勝利（2006/04/25）
Nepal's king agrees to reinstate parliament after protests
伊朗核談判代表：若遭制裁將中止與國際原子能機構接觸（2006/04/26）
Iran will shun IAEA if sanctions imposed
Society
阿拉斯加六名學童策畫校園大屠殺　警方及時發現阻止慘劇（2006/04/24）
Six held over school massacre plot
新品種黃豆問世　營養豐富無脹氣副作用（2006/04/26）
Experts make flatulence-free bean
Business
開發商與政府達成共識　紐約世貿遺址重建計畫突破僵局（2006/04/26）
World Trade Center impasse may end
挪用上億美元作行賄基金　南韓現代汽車總裁鄭夢九面臨逮捕（2006/04/28）
Hyundai head faces arrest over slush fund
Science & Technology
耗時兩年查清走私來源　泰國政府預備將五十三隻紅毛猩猩遣返印尼（2006/04/24）
Thailand says to repatriate smuggled orangutans soon
雌鬣狗懷孕後期雄激素分泌增加　助幼犬成為物競天擇之優勝者（2006/04/27）
Alpha hyena mothers help cubs become top dog
Entertainment
遭法院禁止接近前妻丹妮絲　查理辛反駁其指控為卑鄙抹黑（2006/04/24）
Charlie: Denise's accusations are 'vile'
布裘戀結晶出世在即　發布聲明好言勸退狗仔（2006/04/25）
Brangelina stalkers put on notice
Sports
NBA 季後賽　籃網外線熄火　溜馬客場兩分險勝（2006/04/24）
Pacers tame shaky Nets in playoff opener
【足球】本屆世界盃將成法國大將席丹退休告別秀（2006/04/26）
World Cup will be Zidane's swansong
 
 
Magician Copperfield Dazzles Robbers
 
 魔術師大衛考柏菲遇搶　巧施小技唬弄劫匪
Professional magician David Copperfield found a real-life application for his magical tradecraft recently.
While his display of hocus-pocus flair would surely be the envy of fictional boy wizard Harry Potter, it was muggers not Muggles dazzled by the sleight-of-hand maestro April 26.
  職業魔術師大衛•考柏菲前不久獲得一次在現實生活中發揮魔術技藝的機會。雖然他所展現的魔法天分，肯定會讓他成為虛構小說中那位巫師男童哈利•波特欽羨的對象，但在四月二十六日那天，被這位戲法大師騙得團團轉的並非麻瓜（在哈利•波特一書中用來形容完全不會魔法的人類），而是一群搶匪。
The incident occurred following a performance by Copperfield in West Palm Beach, Florida.
The 49-year-old illusionist and former spouse to supermodel Claudia Schiffer was walking to his tour bus with assistants Cathy Daly and Mia Volmu when four teenagers pulled up behind them in a car.
Two teens exited the car and demanded at gunpoint that Copperfield -- whose real name is David Kotkin -- and his companions hand over their valuables.
  這件意外是在大衛•考柏菲在西棕櫚灘進行的一場表演結束之後發生的。這位現年四十九歲，同時也是超級名模克勞蒂亞•雪佛的前未婚夫的魔術師，和他的助理凱西•達利和米雅•佛姆正在步行前往巡迴巴士的路上，這時有輛車在他們身後停了下來，車上共有四名青少年，其中兩人下了車，並用槍指著本名大衛•考特金的大衛•考柏菲，要他和他的同伴把身上的值錢物品交出來。
The robbers took US$500, a handbag, a wallet, a passport and a mobile phone from both women.
Copperfield, however, had one more trick up his sleeve for the day when it was the magician's turn to hand over his valuables.
He turned out his pockets, which appeared to be empty.
The pocket liners where in fact hiding his wallet, mobile phone and passport out of view of the thieves.
  搶匪從兩名女子身上取走了五百美元、一只手提袋、一個皮夾、一本護照和一支手機。然而，當輪到大衛•考柏菲交出身上的值錢物品時，這位魔術師秀出了他留了一手的魔術。他將口袋掏了出來，裡頭空無一物。搶匪們沒看到他的皮夾、手機和護照其實是藏在口袋的內裡中。
"Call it reverse pickpocketing," he told a Palm Beach area newspaper. "I had a gun pointing at my head from six inches away. I'm pretty good under pressure. But I had two young ladies with me."
  「就管它叫反扒竊吧」，大衛•考柏菲這樣告訴棕櫚灘的一家報紙媒體。「有人在六吋之外拿槍指著我的腦袋，我很能應付壓力，但是當時我身邊還有兩位年輕小姐。」
When the robbers fled, Copperfield took down their license plate number and called the police.
All four youths were arrested shortly thereafter.
  搶匪逃逸後，大衛•考柏菲記下了他們的車牌號碼，並且報了警。不久之後四名年輕人全都落網。
dazzle　v. 使目眩；使迷惑
The performer's costume dazzled the audience.
表演者的服裝讓觀眾眼花撩亂。
application　n. 應用；適用
tradecraft　n. 間諜情報技術
hocus-pocus　adj. 花招；騙人把戲
For all his hocus-pocus accounting, Jim could not balance the company's books.
吉姆運用了種種唬人的會計手法，結果無法使公司帳簿的收支達成平衡。

flair　n. 新奇的創意

mugger　n. 搶劫者
sleight-of-hand　n. 巧妙手法；手腕；花招
illusionist　n. 幻術師
pull up　(使)停下
The bus pulled up outside the station.
巴士在車站外頭停了下來。
at gunpoint　在槍口下
The liquor store was robbed at gunpoint.
那家洋酒店遭到歹徒持槍搶劫。
out of view　看不見
The children hid out of view of their parents.
孩子們躲到父母親視線範圍以外的地方。
pickpocket　v. 扒竊
A thief pickpocketed Stephan in the market.
史蒂芬在超市被小偷給扒了。
license plate　車牌；牌照
have... up one's sleeve　暗中留一手；藏有錦囊妙計
此語源自於賭博遊戲。十六世紀時衣服的袖子 (sleeve) 很長，幾乎沒有口袋，所以當賭博要出老千時，常會將王牌或較大的牌偷藏在袖子裡，後來這種詐賭的手法被引申為「祕密武器」、「錦囊妙計」之意。常見的用法包括：
have a card / an ace / something / a few tricks up one's sleeve。魔術中亦常使用到在袖中暗藏物品的技巧，故此語使用在魔術師身上格外合襯。
James has many investment tricks up his sleeve.
詹姆斯暗藏了許多投資成功的竅門。
 
 
True or False:
T
F
1 . Something out of view can be seen.
2 . To reinstate something is to ban it.
3 . To repatriate something is to send it back to its home country.
4 . An impasse is a barrier to accomplishing something.
5 . To call something vile is to say that it is pleasant.
 

Choose the best word or phrase to complete each sentence.
a. license b. tradecraft c. dazzled d. mugger e. swansong
6.
 The magic trick the children.
7.
 A stole Tina's purse.
8.
 The police officer checked the on the car to see if it was stolen.
9.
 The concert was the performer's prior to retiring.
10.
 The spy used his carefully practiced to steal secrets.
 

Answer

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