Mandy新聞英語閱讀

歐巴馬在第一場美國總統辯論表現不佳，當所有的媒體都在討論辯論裡的facts之際(見New York Times-Presidential Debate Fact-Check /Time Magazine 最新一期Cover story)，九月份的美國就業報告幫歐巴馬點了盞明燈。
新聞短播(20121008)九月份的就業報告助歐巴馬一臂之力--Courtesy of Time Magazine
September Jobs Report: Obama 1)Boosted by Weak but Persistent Recovery
ANTONOV / AFP / Getty Images
A man waves a sign at the Time Warner Cable Arena in Charlotte, N.C., in this Sept. 5, 2012, photo from the second day of the Democratic National Convention
Barack Obama’s re-election effort once looked to be a 2)tug-of-war between two powerful political forces: the 3)magnetism of a 4)charismatic 5)incumbent vs. the 6)drain of a slow economic recovery. But a month before Election Day, the President’s charisma went missing, at least for one debate night, while new jobs numbers suggest that the economy isn’t such a disadvantage for Obama.
The headline of the government’s monthly jobs report released Friday was that the economy added 114,000 jobs in September, while the 7)unemployment rate fell to 7.8%. That’s not all that great: the jobs total barely keeps pace with population growth, and near-8% unemployment is far from ideal. But read into the report — and 8)between its lines — and the news should be 9)heartening for Democrats 10)spooked by their candidate’s poor debate performance Wednesday.
1)Boost v. 增加、墊高
2)tug-of-war n 拔河
3)magnetism n 磁力，在此指吸引力很強
4)charismatic adj 有魅力的。更常見的是Charisma 個人魅力
5)incumbent n. 現任，指的是現任總統
6)drain n. 本來是指排水溝，這邊指的是流失，當經濟復甦在流失的意思也就是幾乎看不到緩慢的經濟復甦。常見一詞為Brain Drain 人才流失
7)unemployment rate n. 失業率
8)between its lines n. 從字裡行間
9)heartening adj 鼓舞人心的
10)spooked a. 受驚的

看新聞漫畫學英文
Courtesy of The Economist

除了裡面的單字，圖案也很有趣。
比如Obama手中的Growth圖案是烏龜，
表示成長龜速。

兩人的動作像是小丑在juggling,
就是一種同時丟幾個球在空中雜耍不落地。
在此暗喻他們的競選把戲。
Presidential debate n.總統辯論
In brief 簡要
Fiscal adj財政的
Debt n.債，注意b不發音
Bain Capital 是Romney與別人一起共同創立的公私，是他賺大錢的公司。
  我們在上Supter Tuesday時有上過，同學可以回頭去看講義單字的部分。
   Romney entered the management consulting business, which led to a position at Bain & Company. Eventually serving   as CEO, Romney brought the company out of crisis. He was co-founder and head of the spin-off company Bain Capital, a private equity investment firm that became highly profitable and one of the largest such firms in the nation.
我之前誤讀的Brain Capital一併留在此，感謝網友Sean的指正。
Brain Capital n. Brain是人才，Capital資本，
常見的另一個詞彙是brain drain, 人才外流

新聞短播(20121001)砸蘋果藝術-Courtesy of Daily Mail
雖然這些砸爛的作品看起來很藝術，但是確有很濃的廣告味在裡面。
Crushed Apples: Hundreds of iPods, iPads and iPhones smashed to smithereens... all in the name of art


crushed adj. 砸爛的。常與另一個字crash做比較
smash v. 猛撞、摔爛
smithereens n. 碎片
In the name of ~ 以～的名義

這次的保釣行動，我們出名了！FB留言部分會貼上相關新聞報導，喜歡追新聞的同學可以多看看。更熟悉相關單字句型。
Japan, Taiwan and China Engaged in Water Fight, 1)Literally
BY JIM FLINKANCHOR: LOGAN TITTLE-Courtesy of Newsy.com

下面是Video Script:


A massive water fight in the 2)East China Sea. Call it -- a 3)super-soaker showdown.Japan’s NHK has the details on the ongoing battle over the 4)Senkaku -- or Daioyu Dao Islands.

“40 fishing boats and several 5)patrol ships from Taiwan entered Japanese waters. They report, the boats carried 6)banners and flags saying the islands are Taiwanese territory.”

This is the first time Taiwanese ships have entered the 7)disputed waters since the territorial 8)spat began -- one which has mainly 9)pitted Japan against Mainland China. At first glance, the site of nations engaged in water wars may appear humorous, the Daily Mail reports...

“... it’s more than just water pistols at dawn - they have the most powerful super soakers in the world ...”

1)Literally n. 字面上來看
2)East China Sea n. 東海
3)super-soaker showdown n. 超級噴水戰 Super Soaker本是一個水槍的牌子，在這裡指的是相互噴水。Showdown 攤牌
4)Senkaku -- or Daioyu Dao Islands.
n. 釣魚台
5)patrol ships N 巡航船、海巡艦
6)banners n. 有寫著大字的大布條，這個字常出現在抗議的相關新聞，不會可惜。
7)disputed Adj 爭議性的
8)spat n. 短暫的爭端
9)pit A against B V 讓A和B互鬥


Take a look at this map from the Daily Mail -- and its easy to see why so many have claimed the islands.
Geographically, they sit in the midst of all claiming countries -- Japan, Taiwan and Mainland China.

It’s not just about territorial sovereignty, but also about rich mineral rights which lie beneath the surface of the sea. And The Japan Times notes, that’s where Japan, China and others are digging in.

“The standoff between Japan and China over the islets has developed into a major diplomatic issue between the world’s second- and third-largest economies. Numerous Chinese surveillance ships have entered maritime areas around the islets since last week, and some of them intruded into Japanese territorial waters.”

To which, China’s Xinhau news agency retorts...

“Diaoyu Dao and its affiliated islands have been China's sacred territory since ancient times … The Japanese side … has disregarded the repeated and stern representations made by the Chinese side, denied the important understanding and consensus reached between the older generation of leaders of the two countries, and openly took the illegal actions …”

So, could the water fight escalate into real ammunition being fired?
An analyst tells RT, election year politics makes the situation more volatile.

“Just like in any election cycle in the U.S. or Russia or anywhere else in the world, the leaders like to play up their international prestige and talk tough to a perceived enemy or threat during an election season.”

But the Wall Street Journal warns against believing this is simply political posturing.

“.....it is naïve to assume the two sides will successfully avoid coming to blows. Sure, both Tokyo and Beijing may currently be playing chicken over the East China Sea and may not have any intention of sparking hostilities. But the way nationalist passions have been stoked in both countries, particularly China, the possibilities of accident or miscalculation are rising.”

Thieving Techniques 小偷的伎倆。


World-wide, tourists are victimized by criminals at much higher rates than local residents. How to protect yourself against pickpockets
Creating diversions is a common tactic. A thief may squirt something on vic
tims, drop coins in front of them or show them a map and ask for directions. Another tactic is for a fake police⋯
Pickpocket n.扒手
diversion v.轉移注意力
tactic n. 策略
squirt v 噴，這裡應該指的是潑灑。就是灑咖啡飲料之類。

有人分享了下述的文章，我看了以後心裡有話不得不鳴，卻也一方面覺得何必無事惹塵埃？
這篇文章有著一個很嚴重的思考的謬誤問題，因為將放棄博士班連結到離開舒適圈的勇氣。這兩件事，並不是有直接的連結關係。或者我應該說，他用著看起來貼近大家心裡對世界想法的論述，為自己的放棄，做出托詞。
 
放棄博士班的學業從文中看起來應該是從自己人生錯誤的選擇中學習成長，而不是離開舒適圈，勇氣？我抱持懷疑的態度。從錯誤中學習是我們應該要有的態度，在連結到台灣人欠缺的勇氣？應該說作者又在為自己的另一個選擇做出托詞。若說坦然面對自己的錯誤，承認自己的錯，那可能需要勇氣。但認錯不代表了就是一種成長。從錯中學習與避免再犯或可為之。但古今不就以愚公移山「明知不可為而為之是為勇氣」。那麼我只能說作者是識時務者為俊傑，是否是勇乎，則可再議。

大家早，我很喜歡這段訪談影片。我覺得蘇俄的Paris Hilton (Ksenia Sobchak) 實在機智過人），雖然我不知道是否有事先採排之類，但是她的回答真的很得宜，她的裝扮也一改她之前的辣妹作風，適合目前的身份。當主持人問到她這樣如何服眾時，她也承認自己的改變可能引起的質疑。新聞內引用她回答主持人問說他是否反對普丁，她說她不是反對普丁而是反對系統(引用新聞的最後一段)。我只能說她真是太厲害了，不愧是政治世家出身，未來的蘇俄新星！

新聞短播(20120920)-蘇俄的Paris Hilton

Russia's "1)Paris Hilton" turned political 2)reformer

這真是太美了，順便學學蜻蜓的英文叫做dragonfly,新聞裡還有出現corn fly 玉米蒼蠅（直譯）dew 露水
Courtesy of Daily Mail
Here's looking at dew: The dragonflies which pose for their picture as they take their daily shower

美國選戰最新就是Romney惹了大麻煩了，因為他在一次的入場就要數萬美元的募款，關起門來說的話，被放到網路上了。目前在美國鬧的沸沸揚揚的。應該是這兩天的政治大新聞。歐巴馬現在應該是笑得開心得不得了了吧！
這張照片(Courtesy of TPM)真是超級Ironic ,不過文字我們還是來看Time/NYTimes的吧：


Courtesy of Time Magazine--
For a while, Mitt Romney was the luckiest man in politics — he 1)swiftly won the 2)GOP 3)nomination and was handed an easy platform on which to attack Obama: the still-flailing economy. But with recent 4)gaffes, including a newly released video in which he claims that 47% of Americans 'believe they are victims', it looks like Romney's luck has run out.
大意：一直以來羅姆尼在政治上一帆風順，順利當選共和黨的候選人，同時只要攻擊歐巴馬沒有振興經濟。但最新流出的一支影片裡，他說百分之四十七的美國人覺得自己是受害者。看來羅姆尼的好運用完了。
Courtesy of The New York Times
During a 5)private reception with wealthy donors, Mitt Romney said nearly half of Americans “pay no income tax” and support President Obama because they rely on the government. In a news conference Monday just after 10 p.m., Mr. Romney 6)acknowledged having made the 7)blunt political and cultural assessment, saying it was “not elegantly stated,” but he stood by the substance of the remarks. What do you think of Mr. Romney's 8)remarks?
在一場私人餐會，羅姆尼說接近一半的美國人都沒有繳稅，並且他們支持歐巴馬，因為他們仰賴政府[的救濟]，在晚間十點的記者會，羅姆尼承認自己的錯估政治與文化情勢的失言，承認自己沒有修飾言詞。但是這些評論指證歷歷？你對羅姆尼的評論有何看法？
1)swiftly adv 快速地
2)GOP n. Grand Old Party 共和黨的暱稱
3)nomination n. 提名
4)gaffe n. 出醜、失態
5)private reception 私人餐會
6)acknowledge v 承認
7)blunt adj 說話說太快，這個字常用來形容一個人常常沒有思考說話脫口而出，如果用來形容自己，就是說自己是直腸子。
8)remark n. 論點

真的好可愛喔！多學點Panda的故事，是個不錯的與外國人聊天的話題喔！
The National Zoo’s female giant 1)panda 2)gave birth to a 3)cub Sunday night, 4)stunning and delighting zoo officials: http://wapo.st/S33RJn
1)panda n. 熊貓
2)give birth to～ v 生下了～
3)cub n. 幼熊，許多動物的幼子與其名稱不同。最常見的當然是puppy（一歲以下的小狗囉），成狗是dog。幼牛叫做calf (注意l不發音)，成牛就是cow。
4)stunning adj. 驚喜的。口語這個字是美呆了的意思。喜歡稱讚女伴的人，一定要會說: You look stunning。