2006 年 07 月 07 日 (No. 55)

 
Politics
陳總統的演說可能煽動族群對立緊張情勢（2006/06/22）
Chen's address may stir up ethnic tensions
電視演說軟弱無力　國民黨主席遭受批評（2006/06/23）
KMT chairman panned for lackluster TV address
Society
科學博覽會將以 3D 文化電影為主打（2006/06/21）
Science exhibition will feature 3D cultural film
弱勢孩童補助金七月上路（2006/06/23）
Underprivileged children's subsidy starts in July
Business
電玩公司蓄勢待發　以全新遊戲強攻夏季市場（2006/06/23）
Gaming firms gear up for summer with new titles
鴻海將買下相機製造商普立爾（2006/06/21）
Hon Hai to gobble up camera maker
Science & Technology
研究人員尋找噴射機的替代能源（2006/06/21）
Researchers look for alternative jet fuels
新一代 DVD 大戰　戰情升溫（2006/06/20）
Next generation DVD war hots up
Entertainment
新片「超人再起」大獲好評（2006/06/20）
"Superman Returns" receives rave reviews
時光倒流　史密斯飛船與克魯小丑將展開聯合巡迴演唱（2006/06/22）
Aerosmith, Crue turn back time for joint tour
Sports
【NBA】韋德率領熱火拿下隊史上第一座總冠軍（2006/06/21）
Wade leads Miami to first title in franchise history
歐文成也世界盃　敗也世界盃（2006/06/22）
Sudden rise and lingering fall for Owen on World Cup stage
 
 
Al Gore Tackles Global Warming
 
 高爾探討全球暖化　再創事業高峰
Al Gore has made a second career of presenting a traveling slideshow selling a prophetic tale of global ecological doom.
It may not sound like the stuff of riveting cinema, but critics from Cannes to Sundance are falling over themselves with praise for the former V.P. and the documentary by Davis Guggenheim that focuses on Gore's dire global warming message.
The film, An Inconvenient Truth, opened in the U.S. in June and quickly earned record per-screen box-office receipts.
  高爾為自己打造了事業第二春，到處巡迴演講，藉著解說幻燈片宣導地球生態危機。這聽起來雖然不像是什麼引人入勝的電影題材，但是從坎城影展到日舞影展，影評人卻都一致盛讚這名前副總統，以及戴維斯•古根漢根據高爾的全球暖化警訊所拍攝的紀錄片。這部影片叫做《不討喜的真相》，在六月於美國上映，不久就創下了單廳票房紀錄。
An Inconvenient Truth grew out of a traveling multimedia presentation the former-vice president developed following his defeat in the 2000 presidential election.
In the film, Gore chronicles evidence that the earth is warming at an alarming rate.
Among the warning signs cited by Gore is the fact that the 10 warmest years on record occurred in the last 14 years, the unprecedented increases seen in the number of tropical storms and hurricanes in recent years and the shrinking glaciers and polar ice caps.
And he is just getting warmed up.
  高爾在二○○○年總統大選落敗之後，製作了這項多媒體巡迴演說，而這也就是《不討喜的真相》這部紀錄片的由來。他在片中列舉多項證據，說明地球的溫度正以令人憂心的速度不斷升高。高爾提出的預警徵象，包括史上溫度最高的十年都集中出現在過去十四年間；熱帶風暴與颶風的發生次數，在近年來的增加幅度前所未見；此外，冰河與極地冰帽的面積都不斷縮小。而且，這還只是前言而已。
"There is no controversy about these facts," Gore states in the film.
"Out of 925 peer-reviewed scientific journals about global warming, there was no disagreement. Zero."
  高爾在片中指出：「這些事實毫無爭議。在九百二十五本探討全球暖化的同儕評鑑科學期刊當中，沒有一本對這些事實表示異議。一本都沒有。」
The film is not without its detractors, primarily among conservative politicians and business interests fighting environmental regulation.
Gore likens the naysayers who frame global warming as a "debate" or "theory" rather than a scientific fact to those paid experts who for decades disputed a link between smoking and cancer.
  這部影片一樣有人批評，主要是保守派政治人物以及反對環保規範的企業。高爾說，把全球暖化界定為「辯論」或者「理論」的反對人士，就像過去數十年來那些拿錢辦事的專家，一再聲稱抽菸與癌症之間沒有直接關聯。
For his part, Gore sees the film more as a warning than just doom and gloom.
The final message is that there is still time to undo the damage.
  高爾本身認為這部影片主要是個警告，而不只是悲觀預測末日的到來。影片最後仍然告訴我們，還有時間補救我們所造成的損害。
"The world won't end overnight in 10 years" Gore says.
"But a point will be passed, and there will be an irreversible slide into destruction."
  高爾表示：「世界末日不會在十年內突然降臨。不過，我們一旦越過某個點，便將無可逆轉地走向毀滅。」
tackle　v. 著手對付或處理；討論
The newspaper article tackles some very serious issues.
這篇報上的文章探討一些嚴肅的話題。
prophetic　adj. 預言性的；一語成讖的
Jim's warning about the company's collapse turned out to be prophetic.
吉姆對這家公司提出的倒閉警告成真了。
ecological　adj. 生態的
Many believe that the world is on the brink of ecological disaster.
很多人認為世界正瀕臨生態浩劫邊緣。
doom　n. 厄運；毀滅
riveting　adj. 極有吸引力的；饒富趣味的
Dan thought the documentary on penguins was riveting.
丹認為那部有關於企鵝的紀錄片很有趣。
fall over oneself　不遺餘力；煞費苦心
Men fell over themselves to help the beautiful actress with her luggage.
男人們爭先恐後地為那位美麗的女演員提行李。
documentary　n. 紀錄片
dire　adj. 悲慘的；可怕的
If a peace deal is not reached, there will be dire consequences for the region.
如果無法達成和解，這個地區將面臨悲慘的結果。
inconvenient　adj. 導致麻煩或困擾的；不便的
Jed told his wife that it was inconvenient for him to talk to her right now.
傑德對他妻子說他現在不方便跟她說話。
chronicle　v. 記錄；記述
The book chronicles the writer's travels through South America.
這本書記述作者在南美洲的旅行見聞。
unprecedented　adj. 空前的
Unemployment has reached unprecedented levels in Russia.
俄羅斯的失業問題已達到前所未有的地步。
shrink　v. 縮短；變少
Rainforests are shrinking at an alarming rate.
雨林正在以驚人的速率不斷減少。
peer-reviewed　adj. 經過同行評鑑的
A peer-reviewed article must pass the scrutiny of reviewers who are experts in the field.
一篇經過同行評鑑的文章一定會經過多位該領域的專家審查。
detractor　n. 誹謗者；貶低者
naysayer　n. 反對者
frame　v. 定義；界定……為……
Michael framed his argument in no uncertain terms.
麥可以明確的用語界定他的論述。
irreversible　adj. 不可逆轉的
The effects of the surgery are irreversible.
手術過後的影響是無法改變的。
doom and gloom　悲觀絕望
doom 意為「毀滅；劫數」，而 gloom 則有「憂鬱；沮喪」的意思。Doom and gloom（亦作 gloom and doom）是一個押尾韻的慣用詞組，表示「對未來深感悲觀」或是「前景黯淡」。
There's nothing but doom and gloom on the TV news; is nothing nice happening in the world?
電視新聞充斥著悲觀絕望的報導，這世上難道沒有好事發生嗎？
 
 
True or False:
T
F
1 . If you fall over yourself to do something, you are not eager to do it.
2 . If something is irreversible, it cannot be changed.
3 . Unprecedented levels are the same levels as previously.
4 . Many experts in the field agree with Al Gore about global warming.
5 . Al Gore believes time has run out for the planet.
 

Choose the best word or phrase to complete each sentence.
a. chronicled b. riveting c. falling over themsleves d. shrinking e. dire
6.
 We all agreed that the World Cup final football match was .
7.
 After a terrible first quarter performance, the company's situation was .
8.
 Tim his day-to-day experiences in the monastery in his diary.
9.
 The unpopular political party found that its share of the vote was .
10.
 Now that you've won the lottery, people will be to be friends with you.
 

Answer

 1：F 2：T 3：F 4：T 5：F
6：【b】 7：【e】 8：【a 】 9：【d】 10：【c】
 
財團法人中華綜合發展研究院 http://www.ndi.org.tw/
LiveABC互動英語教學集團 http://www.liveabc.com/