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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-15600594
新聞標題
Should we feel sorry for Greece?
內文解析
█ 世事多變而複雜,不是單一的看法就能說明白講清楚,針對希臘的債務危機,在這個報導中兩個專家提出了贊成與反對的論點
Here, two experts present opposing arguments for and against sympathy.
‧ sympathy:同情(名詞)
‧ opposing:相反的,反對的 (形容詞)
‧ argument:論點(名詞)可數 opposing arguments(複數)不同的論點,不只一個論點。
argument for(贊成)sympathy and argument against(反對)sympathy ,
合起來說:opposing arguments for and against sympathy
‧ present an argument:提出論點(動詞片語)present opposing arguments 提出相反論點。
持反對同情的論點
AGAINST SYMPATHY - Nicholas Walton, European Council on Foreign Relations 歐洲外交關係理事會
█ 現在不是對希臘人感到難過的時候。
Now is not the time to feel sorry for the Greeks.
‧ feel sorry for 人:為 X 的處境感到難過
‧ Greek:希臘人(名詞)Greeks(複數型)
█ 據傳歐洲現在有個新的室内遊戲,玩家要把這句話接下去講完 “你知道在希臘…?”
There's a popular new parlour game in Europe, where players complete the sentence: "Did you know that in Greece…?"
‧ parlour:parlor (美式拼法) 有客廳的意思(名詞)
‧ parlour game:室内遊戲,如:機智問答
‧ player:玩游戯的人,玩家(名詞)
‧ complete:完成(動詞)
complete the sentence:把句子講完
█ 一些得獎的例子有:
Here are some winning examples:
‧ winning:獲勝的,贏的(形容詞)
█ 每一個國會議員都享有使用公務車的權利
Every MP has the right to an official car
‧ MP:Member of Parliament(國會議員)
Every MP has the right to an official car 的句子結構跟聯合國大會在1948年通過的世界人權宣言第三條 的名句雷同
Everyone has the right to life, liberty and security of person.
每個人都有生命,自由和人身安全的權利。
In 1948, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, adopted by the United Nations General Assembly declared in article three
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Right_to_life
在此諷刺希臘的國會議員把使用公務車當成基本人權一般濫用。
還有一句名言:
“Everyone has a right to be stupid; some people just abuse the privilege.”
人人都有權利愚蠢,有些人就濫用特權。(是說有些人笨到不行嗎? )
歐洲室内「你知道在希臘…」的接句遊戲得獎例子還有:
擁有保時捷跑車的人比收入申報超過五萬歐元的納稅人還多
There are more Porsche owners than taxpayers declaring an income of over €50,000 (£43,000)
這句的結構就是:There are more X than Y.
€50,000 (50,000 Euro)
五萬歐元相當於多少英鎊?(£43,000 – 43,000 pounds)
利用這個網站還可查出當於多少台幣 (兩百萬以上)
http://www.x-rates.com/calculator.html
‧ declare an income of X (money):申報收入多少錢
█ 以上的一些答案可能言過其實,但本質上,希臘顯然以一個相當令人吃驚的方式,浪費了在歐元區帶來的好處
Some answers may stretch the truth, but the bottom line is that Greece has evidently squandered the benefits of being in the eurozone in a quite startling way.
‧ stretch:伸展(動詞)stretch the truth:拉扯真相,言過其實
‧ the bottom line:底綫(也就是不可退讓的界限,最根本的)
‧ evidently:明顯地(副詞)
‧ squander:揮霍(動詞)waste money in a stupid or careless way
http://oald8.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/dictionary/squander
‧ startling:令人吃驚的(形容詞)
in a startling way, 以令人吃驚的方式
in a quite startling way 以相當 startling 的方式
報導中提到的贊成論點
FOR SYMPATHY - Simon Tilford, Centre for European Reform歐洲改革中心
█ 然而希臘人民值得同情,他們面臨著前所未有的經濟困境,在隧道的盡頭沒看到光亮。
The Greek people do deserve our sympathy, however. They face unprecedented economic hardship, with no light at the end of the tunnel.
‧ unprecedented:前所未有的(形容詞)
‧ hardship:艱難困苦(名詞)
economic hardship 經濟困境
‧light at the end of the tunnel:苦盡甘來,努力困頓之後可以看到成功的希望或鬆一口氣 the prospect of success, relief, or escape after strenuous effort.
http://www.thefreedictionary.com/light+at+the+end+of+the+tunnel
在 light at the end of the tunnel 前面加了 no, 表示沒有苦盡甘來的希望。
字彙整理
希臘債務危機,引動全球經濟動盪,讀經濟新聞,學到許多有用的相關用語:
‧ 相反論點:opposing arguments(複數型)
‧ 提出相反論點:present opposing arguments(動詞片語)
‧ 同情:sympathy(名詞)
‧ 室内遊戲:parlour game
‧ 言過其實:stretch the truth(動詞片語)伸展真相
‧ 苦盡甘來:light at the end of the tunnel(片語)
‧ 得獎的例子:winning examples
‧ 揮霍:squander(動詞)
‧ 令人吃驚的:startling(形容詞)
‧ 底線:the bottom line(片語)
‧ 前所未有的:unprecedented(形容詞)
‧ 前所未有的經濟困境:unprecedented economic hardship(常見用法)