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英語學習

看頭條,學英語(10)

各位讀者好:

好久不見,近來好嗎?有常讀英語新聞嗎?讓我們今天來看4月26日刊登於The China Post上頭版的頭條新聞。

Chen’s amnesty plan under close scrutiny

A sentence commutation program President Chen Shui-bian is mulling may not be able to take effect by the date of his inauguration anniversary next month, as opposition lawmakers have questioned the motivation behind the plan.

《標題解析》

這是一則有關台灣總統陳水扁,計劃在就職七週年520當天,實施一項十六年以來首次的特赦計劃(amnesty plan)。特赦這個字或許在社會生活中不常用到,但在媒體上經常會聽到國際特赦組織,英文就是Amnesty International。

Close scrutiny意思是密切的檢查。

Scrutiny means the careful and detailed examination of something in order to obtain information about it.

Scrutiny 是一個很有水準的用字,就是小心仔細的檢查,以獲得資訊。它的動詞是scrutinize。

這個標題可不要把plan看成動詞了,plan在這裡其實是名詞,動詞是is,但在標題中被省略掉了。所以完整的寫法應該是:

President Chen Shui-bian’s amnesty plan is under close scrutiny.

《內文解析》

A sentence commutation program就是一項減刑計劃。在犯罪新聞中,經常用到的「減刑」就是commutation。Commutation means when a punishment is changed to one that is less severe.

另一個詞彙則是緩刑probation

Probation means a period of time when a criminal must behave well and not commit any more crimes in order to avoid being sent to prison.

緩刑的意思是說,當一個罪犯必須表現良好,而且不再犯任何罪,以避免被送進監牢。這通常是指初犯,而且是比較輕的罪,法官會給予緩刑的判決。

President Chen Shui-bian is mulling是說陳水扁總統正在考慮。Mull是一個很漂亮的新聞用字,其實就是to think or consider carefully的意思,think, consider很簡單,記者經常會使用比較有學問的用字來替換,mull也有溫酒的意思,引伸為「在醞釀中思考……」。另外幾個常用來表示「謹慎思考」的字,則是weigh, ponder等。

may not be able to take effect就是「可能無法升效」。inauguration anniversary是就職週年之意。Motivation是動機的意思。

《句型解析》

如果問大家,內文這一句中的主要動詞是那個呢?很多讀者可能會回答is。那就錯了,其實是 may not be,may是助動詞。

所以A sentence commutation program President Chen Shui-bian is mulling整個都是主詞的部份。President Chen Shui-bian is mulling是作為主詞commutation program的後位修飾,是省略了that的名詞子句。A sentence commutation program that President Chen Shui-bian is mulling…..

整句的結構是:主要字句+介係詞片語+副詞子句

A sentence commutation program主要字句主詞部份

President Chen Shui-bian is mulling 插入的名詞子句

may not be able to take effect主要字句動詞與受詞部份

by the date of his inauguration anniversary 介係詞片語

next month,

as opposition lawmakers have questioned the motivation副詞子句

behind the plan. 介係詞片語

《全句中譯》

Chen’s amnesty plan under close scrutiny

A sentence commutation program President Chen Shui-bian is mulling may not be able to take effect by the date of his inauguration anniversary next month, as opposition lawmakers have questioned the motivation behind the plan.

陳水扁的特赦計劃受到嚴密檢驗

陳水扁總統正在考慮的減刑計劃,可能無法在下個月的就職週年前升效,因為反對黨立委質疑這項計劃背後的動機。@*

(//www.dajiyuan.com)