文︰范斌
Hong Kong (n.香港) activists (n.社運人士) smashed (v.闖過) their way through Japanese (adj.日本的) vessels (n.大船) to wave (v.揮動) Chinese (adj.中國的) flags on the Diaoyus (n.釣魚台) 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.最後決戰), sparking (v.引發) a new Beijing(n.北京)-Tokyo (n.東京) row (n.糾紛) over sovereignty (n.主權).
The activists, who sailed from Hong Kong on Sunday, were tailed (v.尾隨) in their wooden trawler (n.拖網漁船) by Japanese ships, doused (v.潑水) by water cannon (n.砲) and rammed (v.撞擊) before running aground (adv.擱淺) meters from one of the islands.
Seven jumped into the sea and swam ashore (adv.向岸上).
Euphoria (n.極度興奮) broke out in cyberspace (n.網絡空間) as netizens (n.網民) in Hong Kong and the mainland (n.內地) hailed (v.讚揚) the activists – five from Hong Kong, one from the mainland and one from Macau (n.澳門) – as heroes for making the first successful landing (n.登陸) since the handover (n.移交、回歸) in 1997.
But they failed to plant (v.豎立) the Chinese flag on the island before they were arrested (v.拘捕) by waiting Japanese coastguards (n.海岸警衛隊).
Spontaneous (adj.自發的) 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)
香港的保釣人士昨日闖過多艘日本大船，在釣魚台上揮動中國旗幟。
然而在激烈的公海角力後，這些英雄遭到拘押，引發了北京和東京新一輪的主權糾紛。
這批保釣人士星期日乘坐拖網漁船自香港起航。他們給日本船隻尾隨，並被噴射水砲和撞擊，最後在其中一個島嶼離岸數米處擱淺。
七人跳進海中，游到岸上。
在香港和內地的網絡空間，網民紛紛表達興奮之情，讚揚這些自1997年回歸以來首次成功登陸釣魚島的保釣人士是英雄；他們五人是香港人，一人是內地人，一人是澳門居民。
但他們尚未在島上豎立中國國旗，便已給守候的日本海岸警衛隊拘捕。
保釣英雄登陸後數分鐘，香港、北京、台北都有人自發示威支持他們。
（《英文虎報》，8月16日）
閱讀指引
1. high-seas (adj) /’haI’si:z/，high-SEA-z 公海的、不屬於任何國家海域的
知多點：名詞the high seas解作公海，即不屬於任何國家的海域，這時必須用複數seas（讀如SEA-z，即最後的讀音是z，不是s），前面必須用定冠詞the；形容詞便是沒有the而用連號的high-seas，意思相若。
2. showdown (n) /’ʃʊdaʊn/，SHOW-down 最後決戰、分出勝負的角力
知多點：showdown強調是最後的、分出勝負的決戰或角力，因而有時也會說final showdown以作強調；常用句式有showdown between A and B over something（甲和乙為了某事而一決雌雄），又或showdown with somebody over something。
3. euphoria (n) /ju:’fɔ:ri/，you-FOUR-ria 極度興奮、心情愉快
知多點：euphoria跟excitement頗相似，但euphoria通常是較短暫的，常用語有initial / early euphoria（最初的興奮），以凸顯隨後的冷淡；它的形容詞是euphoric，近義詞便是excited。
