*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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