＊閱讀全文請點擊此連結
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-19585136
＊新聞標題
Danish nursery offers parents time for making babies
丹麥幼兒園提供父母生寶寶的時間
＊標題解說
‧ Danish：丹麥的（形容詞）
‧ Denmark：丹麥（名詞）
‧ nursery：就是 nursery school 幼兒園
a school for children between the ages of about two and five
http://oald8.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/dictionary/nursery-school
‧ time for making babies：產生後代，生寶寶的時間
（孩子在旁，父母沒有時間獨處）
＊內文解析
■ 位於丹麥中部的一群幼兒園從業人員，為父母提供的服務讓他們難以拒絕。
A group of nursery workers in central Denmark have made parents an offer that they might find hard to refuse.
‧ 簡化來看：X have made parents an offer. X已經給父母提出報價
that 子句說明這個offer令他們感到難以拒絕
（they may find，that 提到前面） hard to refuse）
X= A group of nursery workers in central Denmark
位於丹麥中部的一群幼兒園工作者（從業人員）
（注意 nursery 有好幾種解釋，這裡要當幼兒園，不是苗圃）
‧ make an offer to someone：給某人提出報價，條件（動詞片語）
= make someone an offer
‧ offer：願意付出的部分（名詞）
這個字也當動詞，但這裡當名詞
an act of saying that you are willing to do something for somebody or
give something to somebody
http://oald8.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/dictionary/offer_2
■ 他們已經承諾週四晚上提供兩小時的免費托兒服務，讓父母可以睡覺生寶寶去 。
They have promised to provide two hours' free childcare on Thursday evening, so that the parents can go to bed and make more babies.
‧ 簡化來看：They have promised to provide X so that parents can do this.
X= two hours' free childcare on Thursday evening
週四晚上兩小時免費的托兒服務
‧ childcare：托兒服務（名詞）
the care of children, especially while parents are at work
childcare facilities for working parents
http://oald8.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/dictionary/childcare
■ 幼兒園從業人員，要請大家關注的是出生人口的遞減 ，並採取行動 。
The nursery workers want to draw attention to the dwindling number of births and to do something about it.
‧ 簡化來看：X want to do A and B
X= The nursery workers幼兒園從業人員
A= draw attention to the dwindling number of births 注意到出生人口遞減
B=do something about it 採取行動
‧ draw attention to X：關注 X（動詞片語）
‧ draw X：吸引 X（動詞）
to produce a reaction or response
The plan has drawn a lot of criticism.
The announcement drew loud applause from the audience.
http://oald8.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/dictionary/draw
‧ dwindle：逐漸變少，遞減（動詞）
to become gradually less or smaller
http://oald8.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/dictionary/dwindle
‧ dwindling：現在分詞當形容詞
dwindling number 遞減的數字
‧ birth：生產的過程（名詞）births（複數型）
■ BBC駐哥本哈根的 Malcolm Brabant說：就出生率來説，在世界221個國家中丹麥退居第185名 。
In terms of birth rate, Denmark languishes at 185th out of 221 countries in the world, says the BBC's Malcolm Brabant in Copenhagen.
‧ In terms of X：就 X 來説（片語）
‧ languish：沒有進步（動詞）
to become weaker or fail to make progress
The share price languished at 102p.
http://oald8.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/dictionary/languish
■ 他說，如果越來越老的老年人口繼續不斷擴大，丹麥將無法支援領養老金的退休人員和其他依賴國家福利為生的人。
If the increasingly older population continues to expand, Denmark will not be able to support pensioners and others dependent on state benefits, he says.
‧ 簡化來看：If X happens, Denmark will not be able to support A and B
X= the increasingly older population continues to expand
越來越老的老年人口繼續不斷擴大
A=pensioners 領養老金者（名詞-複數型）
B= others（that are 省略）dependent on state benefits
其他依賴國家福利為生的人
‧ state benefits：國家所提供的福利（名詞，複數型）
■ 在North Fyn 的蚱蜢幼兒園工作的Dorte Nyman說 少了幼兒人口意味著當地幼兒園的未來不穩定。
Dorte Nyman of the Grasshoppers kindergarten in North Fyn said a lack of young children meant the future of local nurseries was uncertain.
‧ X said A meant B was uncertain
‧ A=a lack of young children 缺少了幼兒
‧ B=the future of local nurseries 當地幼兒園的未來
‧ kindergarten：與 nursery 同義
■ Nyman女士說，幼兒園除了面臨低出生率，也面臨當地政府經費的削減。
Ms Nyman said as well as the low birth rate, nurseries were also facing a cut in their funding from local government.
‧ 幼兒園面對兩個難關：A and B
A=Nurseries were facing low birth rate 出生率低
B=Nurseries were facing a cut in their funding from the local government
兩者加起來，就可以說成文中的句子
as well as A, nurseries were also facing B
‧ a cut in funding：經費削減（名詞片語）
■ 「如果沒有錢，我們就不能好好照顧孩子，如果沒有足夠的孩子，我們的從業人員就沒有足夠的就業機會。」
"Without money we can't look after the children well, and if there aren't enough children, there are not enough jobs for our workers."
＊字彙整理
出生率遞減有何後果？丹麥幼兒園的行動讓我們有機會學到談論這個話題的用語：
‧ 初生率：birth rate（名詞片語）
‧ 初生率低：low birth rate
‧ 遞減：dwindling（形容詞）dwindling number：遞減的數字
‧ 幼兒園從業人員：nursery workers（複數型）
‧ 托兒服務：childcare（名詞）free childcare 免費托兒服務
‧ 對某人提出報價：make an offer to someone , make someone an offer
‧ 關注 X= draw attention to X（動詞片語）
‧ 沒有進步：languish（動詞）
‧ 領養老金者：pensioners（名詞，複數型）
‧ 國家所提供的福利state benefits（名詞，複數型）
‧ 經費削減：a cut in funding（名詞片語）
‧ 就 X 來説：in terms of X（片語）
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