英语学习:Rock solid 坚如磐石

加拿大都市网

加拿大都市网

 

文︰范斌

Hong Kong (n.香港) activists (n.社运人士) smashed (v.闯过) their way through Japanese (adj.日本的) vessels (n.大船) to wave (v.挥动) Chinese (adj.中国的) flags on the Diaoyus (n.钓鱼台) yesterday.

But the heroes were detained (v.拘押) just after in a dramatic (adj.激烈的) high-seas (adj.公海的) showdown (n.最后决战), sparking (v.引发) a new Beijing(n.北京)-Tokyo (n.东京) row (n.纠纷) over sovereignty (n.主权).

The activists, who sailed from Hong Kong on Sunday, were tailed (v.尾随) in their wooden trawler (n.拖网渔船) by Japanese ships, doused (v.泼水) by water cannon (n.砲) and rammed (v.撞击) before running aground (adv.搁浅) meters from one of the islands.

Seven jumped into the sea and swam ashore (adv.向岸上).

Euphoria (n.极度兴奋) broke out in cyberspace (n.网络空间) as netizens (n.网民) in Hong Kong and the mainland (n.内地) hailed (v.赞扬) the activists – five from Hong Kong, one from the mainland and one from Macau (n.澳门) – as heroes for making the first successful landing (n.登陆) since the handover (n.移交、回归) in 1997.

But they failed to plant (v.竖立) the Chinese flag on the island before they were arrested (v.拘捕) by waiting Japanese coastguards (n.海岸警卫队).

Spontaneous (adj.自发的) demonstrations (n.示威) supporting the Diaoyu heroes broke out in Hong Kong, Beijing and Taipei (n.台北) within minutes of their landing.

(The Standard, August 16)

香港的保钓人士昨日闯过多艘日本大船,在钓鱼台上挥动中国旗帜。

然而在激烈的公海角力后,这些英雄遭到拘押,引发了北京和东京新一轮的主权纠纷。

这批保钓人士星期日乘坐拖网渔船自香港起航。他们给日本船只尾随,并被喷射水砲和撞击,最后在其中一个岛屿离岸数米处搁浅。

七人跳进海中,游到岸上。

在香港和内地的网络空间,网民纷纷表达兴奋之情,赞扬这些自1997年回归以来首次成功登陆钓鱼岛的保钓人士是英雄;他们五人是香港人,一人是内地人,一人是澳门居民。

但他们尚未在岛上竖立中国国旗,便已给守候的日本海岸警卫队拘捕。

保钓英雄登陆后数分钟,香港、北京、台北都有人自发示威支持他们。

(《英文虎报》,8月16日)

阅读指引

1. high-seas (adj) /’haI’si:z/,high-SEA-z 公海的、不属于任何国家海域的

知多点:名词the high seas解作公海,即不属于任何国家的海域,这时必须用复数seas(读如SEA-z,即最后的读音是z,不是s),前面必须用定冠词the;形容词便是没有the而用连号的high-seas,意思相若。

2. showdown (n) /’ʃʊdaʊn/,SHOW-down 最后决战、分出胜负的角力

知多点:showdown强调是最后的、分出胜负的决战或角力,因而有时也会说final showdown以作强调;常用句式有showdown between A and B over something(甲和乙为了某事而一决雌雄),又或showdown with somebody over something。

3. euphoria (n) /ju:’fɔ:ri/,you-FOUR-ria 极度兴奋、心情愉快

知多点:euphoria跟excitement颇相似,但euphoria通常是较短暂的,常用语有initial / early euphoria(最初的兴奋),以凸显随后的冷淡;它的形容词是euphoric,近义词便是excited。

 

share to wechat