*閱讀全文請點擊此連結
http://edition.cnn.com/2012/11/19/politics/obama-asia-trip/index.html
*新聞標題
Obama lauds Aung San Suu Kyi, gives a nod to Myanmar
*標題解說
‧ laud:讚揚(動詞)
to praise somebody/something
He was lauded for his courage.
http://oald8.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/dictionary/+laud
‧ give a nod:點頭(動詞片語)表達贊同,鼓勵之意
‧ Myanmar:緬甸(國名)Burma:緬甸(舊國名)
為何會有新的國名?請看
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/nov/19/burma-myanmar-obama-name-visit
Burma v Myanmar - what's in a name? Obama plays it safe during
historic visit
‧ versus:對比(介系詞)簡寫可以是v或 vs
http://oald8.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/dictionary/versus
http://www.dw.de/burma-vs-myanmar-whats-in-a-name/a-2804762-1
*內文解析
歐巴馬訪問緬甸時,兩個國名都用,plays it safe, 以不得罪政府緬甸和反對黨,任何一方。
■ 週一,歐巴馬成為第一位訪問緬甸的在任美國總統,讚頌同為諾貝爾和平獎得主的翁山蘇姬女士的勇氣,同時還為曾是以政治壓制而惡名昭彰的國家裡才剛萌芽的初步改革給予象徵性的贊同勉勵。
Barack Obama became the first sitting U.S. president to visit Myanmar on Monday, praising the courage of fellow Nobel Peace Prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi while also providing a symbolic nod to initial reforms in a nation once notorious for political repression.
‧ 簡化來看:
Barack Obama became the first X to visit Y on Monday, praising A while
also providing B.
X= sitting U.S. president 在任美國總統(sitting 不是坐,看註一)
Y= Myanmar 新政府所採用的國名,跟翁山蘇姬女士認同的Burma相對)
A= the courage of Aung San Suu Kyi(fellow Nobel Peace Prize winner
說明此人的成就,用fellow 同伴,因為歐巴馬也是Nobel Peace Prize winner)
‧ fellow:同伴的,同類的(形容詞)
used to describe somebody who is the same as you in some way, or in
the same situation
fellow members/citizens/workers
my fellow passengers on the train
http://oald8.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/dictionary/fellow_2
‧ B= a symbolic nod to C in D 象徵性的贊同勉勵 C 這件事,在 D這個地方
C= initial reforms 初步改革(名詞-複數型)
D= a nation(that was 省略)once notorious for political repression
曾以政治迫害而惡名昭著的國家
‧ notorious:惡名昭彰的(形容詞)well known for being bad
a notorious criminal
notorious for something/for doing something
The country is notorious for its appalling prison conditions.
http://oald8.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/dictionary/notorious
‧ political repression:政治壓制
‧ repression:壓制(名詞)
the act of using force to control a group of people and restrict their freedom
government repression
http://oald8.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/dictionary/repression
■ 總統和蘇姬女士在她湖邊的一幢別墅會面,那裡是她因為積極支持民主運動遭到軟禁度過多年的地方。
The president met with Suu Kyi at the lakeside villa where she spent years under house arrest for her pro-democracy activism.
‧ under house arrest:遭到軟禁(片語)
the state of being a prisoner in your own house rather than in a prison
to be under house arrest
She was placed under house arrest.
http://oald8.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/dictionary/house+arrest
‧ pro:支持,親(介係詞)
if somebody is pro somebody/something, they are in favour of or
support that person or thing
He has always been pro the environment.
相反詞:anti
http://oald8.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/dictionary/pro_2
‧ pro-democracy:支持民主的(形容詞)
‧ pro-life:反對墮胎的(形容詞)opposed to abortion
‧ pro-choice:是否墮胎婦女有決定權的(形容詞)
believing that pregnant women should have the right to choose to have
an abortion
http://www.learnersdictionary.com/search/pro-choice
‧ activism:積極行動參與(名詞)being an activist
‧ activist:積極行動份子(名詞)
a person who works to achieve political or social change, especially
as a member of an organization with particular aims
http://oald8.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/dictionary/activism#activist__2
■ 歐巴馬稱該會面是兩國之間發展歷史中新的一章。
Obama called the meeting a new chapter between the two countries.
‧ chapter:階段(名詞)a period of time in a person's life or in history
a difficult chapter in our country's history
http://oald8.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/dictionary/chapter
■ 「就在這個地方,經歷了那麼多艱難的歲月,她展現了如此堅不可摧的勇氣和決心」,歐巴馬告訴記者,站在蘇姬女士旁邊。「就是在這裡,她表現出人的自由和人的尊嚴是不能被否認的。」
"Here, through so many difficult years, is where she has displayed such unbreakable courage and determination," Obama told reporters, standing next to Suu Kyi. "It is here where she showed that human freedom and human dignity cannot be denied."
蘇姬女士警告說,緬甸的改革進程將是困難的。
Suu Kyi warned that Myanmar's reform process would be difficult.
‧ reform process:改革進程
■ 「任何過渡歷程中最困難的時候是我們以為成功就在眼前,馬上到手的時候,所以我們必須非常小心,不要被一個海市蜃樓幻相式的成功所誘惑,要為我們的人民也為我們兩國之間的友誼朝向真正的成功而努力」她說。
"The most difficult time in any transition is when we think success is in sight, then we have to be very careful that we are not lured by a mirage of success, and that we are working toward its genuine success for our people and friendship between our two countries," she said.
‧ 簡化來看:
we have to be careful that we are not doing A and that we are doing B
A= lured by a mirage of success 被一個海市蜃樓幻相式的成功所誘惑
B= we are working toward its genuine success for our people and
friendship between our two countries
‧ genuine success:真正的成功
‧ a mirage of success:成功的假象
‧ mirage:海市蜃樓,幻相(名詞)
an effect caused by hot air in deserts or on roads, that makes you think
you can see something, such as water, which is not there
http://oald8.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/dictionary/mirage
‧ lure:誘惑(動詞)
lure somebody (+ adverb/preposition) (disapproving) to persuade or
trick somebody to go somewhere or to do something by promising
them a reward
The child was lured into a car but managed to escape.
http://oald8.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/dictionary/lure
‧ be lured by X:被 X 誘惑(動詞-被動)
■ 幾十年來緬甸在政治上和經濟上都孤立於世界其他地區,直到它去年結束軍事統治 。
Myanmar was politically and economically isolated from the rest of the world for decades until it ended military rule last year.
‧ isolated:孤立的(形容詞)
without much contact with other people or other countries
I felt very isolated in my new job.
http://oald8.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/dictionary/isolated
‧ military rule:軍事統治(名詞)
註一:http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_is_a_sitting_president
A sitting president is the current president. US Presidents are called "President" until they die, reference therefore to the present-day president is made as 'sitting President'.
*字彙整理
歐巴馬的緬甸之旅,和翁山蘇姬的會面,讓我們認識緬甸,見識到兩位諾貝爾和平奬得主的英語談話內容:
‧ 在任,現任總統:a sitting president(名詞)
‧ 政治壓制:political repression(名詞)
‧ 惡名昭彰的:notorious(形容詞)notorious for political repression
‧ 遭到軟禁:under house arrest(片語)
‧ 成功的假象:a mirage of success
‧ 支持民主的:pro-democracy(形容詞)
‧ 反對墮胎的:pro-life(形容詞)
‧ 是否墮胎婦女有決定權的:pro-choice(形容詞)
‧ 讚揚:laud(動詞)
‧ 點頭:give a nod(動詞片語)表達贊同,鼓勵之意
‧ 相對:versus(介系詞)簡寫可以是v或 vs (Burma v Myanmar)
‧誘惑:lure(動詞)not lured by a mirage of success