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時代華納擬出售音樂部門（
2003/11/24 ）
Time Warner Inc. set to sell
off music division |
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堪薩斯酋長決賽大勝奧克蘭突擊者（
2003/11/24 ）
Chiefs win showdown
with Raiders |
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亞伯克倫比服飾二度因種族歧視挨告（
2003/11/20 ）
Abercrombie hit
by second discrimination suit |
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丹佛自然科學博物館展出長達七呎三角龍頭骨（
2003/11/20 ）
Museum unveils
seven-foot triceratops skull |
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美擬設定中國紡織品進口限額（
2003/11/19 ）
U.S. to set
quotas on China textiles imports |
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豪宅遭搜索 麥可傑克森︰一無所知（
2003/11/19 ）
Michael Jackson: Knows
nothing of Neverland probe |
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| sell
off 廉價出售；脫手 |
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| sell
off 在此表示「把……賣掉；廉價銷售」的意思。另外，sell
off 還可以表示「強制出售（某人）全部財產以抵消債務」。在商業用語中，常用來指「脫手；出清」股份或產權。值得注意的是，當
sell off 指「賣光；售完」時，意同於
sell out。 |
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The company
sold off many of its smaller business units in order
to focus on its core business.
為了將焦點放在核心企業上，該公司將旗下許多較小的事業單位脫手。 |
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| showdown
決賽；決定性的對抗 |
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| showdown
為名詞，表示「關鍵的戰役；最後的較量；決定性事件」，頭條及例句中用來描述體育賽事，所以翻譯為「決賽」。 |
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England won
the Rugby World Cup against Australia in a showdown
that had the crowd on its feet.
在群眾的起立喝采聲中，英國於世界盃橄欖球賽的決賽擊敗澳洲。 |
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| hit
打擊 |
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| hit
當動詞時，有「打擊；攻擊；碰撞」的意思，在頭條及例句中用被動式，表示「遭到（官司、訴訟案的）打擊」。 |
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Tom's company
has been hit by several lawsuits recently.
湯姆的公司最近被好幾件官司纏身。 |
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| unveil
展出 |
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| unveil
當動詞時，有「揭開面紗；揭露祕密；露出真面目」的意思，也可表示「公開展示；展出」，一般常用來指企業或商家「首度推出、公開」某商品。 |
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The company
announced that it will unveil its latest product
at the computer exhibition.
該公司宣稱將在電腦展中展示最新的產品。 |
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| set quotas
on (something) 設定限額 |
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| quota
當名詞時，有「定量；限額；配額」的意思。如頭條中的用法，對某事「設定限額；限量」，動詞用
set，注意介系詞要用 on
後接某事／物。set quotas on
也可以寫成 set limits
on (something)。 |
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My parents have
set limits on the number of hours I spend surfing
the Internet.
我的父母限制我上網的時數。 |
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| know nothing
of something 對某事一無所知 |
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| know
nothing of something 是一種口語的用法，就如同其字面上的意思，表示「對於某事都不知道」。也可以表示「所知不多；不是非常了解」的意思，如例句第二句的用法。 |
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When asked about
the report, the CEO said that he knew nothing of
it.
當被問及有關這份報告的問題時，執行長說他對此一無所知。 |
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The woman
commented that she knew nothing about French
wine.
那名女子說她對法國酒不甚了解。 |
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| Roy
On Mend After Tiger Mauling
魔術師洛伊虎口餘生 |
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Roy
Horn, partner of the two-man illusionist
team Siegfried and Roy, has been
transferred from intensive care
to a rehabilitation center after
being savagely mauled by a tiger
during a sold-out performance
at the Mirage Hotel in Las Vegas. |
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洛伊．霍恩是「席格菲與洛伊」魔術雙人組的一員，他在拉斯維加斯幻景飯店裡一場門票銷售一空的魔術秀裡，被兇殘的老虎咬傷後，已經從加護病房轉往復健中心。 |
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In a recent
statement, longtime partner and
friend Siegfried Fischbacher said,
"Roy is now making
the transition from
survival to recovery." |
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Reports also
indicate that Roy managed to give
visitors the thumbs-up
recently, and even managed to
request that his pet dog be brought
in to the hospital. |
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在最近的一項聲明中，身為長期合作夥伴兼好友的席格菲．菲施貝赫表示︰「洛伊現正處在從倖存到康復的過渡期」。報導中也指出，洛伊最近已能向他的訪客豎起大拇指，甚至可以要求將他的寵物狗帶進醫院。 |
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The attack,
which almost cost Roy his life,
occurred on the entertainer's
59th birthday during a routine
part of the show. |
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In fact, the
performance was so routine for
the pair that many members of
the audience thought the mauling
incident was "all part of
the show." |
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這起白虎攻擊事件幾乎要了洛伊的命，意外發生在他五十九歲生日那天的一場例行表演秀中。事實上，這場秀是原本完全按照雙人組的慣例演出，許多觀眾甚至以為這場意外是「這場秀的一部份」。 |
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Doctors have
refused to comment on a long-term
prognosis
for Roy. |
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Nevertheless,
Siegfried is optimistic, telling
audience members at a recent awards
ceremony, "The Siegfried
who you see before you here will
soon return again as Siegfried
and Roy." |
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醫生們拒絕發表對洛伊的長期預測結果。儘管如此，在最近的一場頒獎典禮上，席格菲卻樂觀地告訴觀眾們︰「現在在你們眼前的席格菲，將很快地會變回『席格菲與洛伊』」。 |
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| make
the transition from (something to something)
從……到……的過渡期 |
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| transition
當名詞時，是「轉變；變遷；轉化」的意思。make
the transition from (something to something)
也就是「從（某一狀態）到（另一狀態）的過渡期、轉型期」的意思。 |
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Taiwan
is making the transition from
a manufacturing-based economy
to a service-based economy.
台灣正處在由以製造業為主的經濟體系轉型為以服務業為主的過渡時期。 |
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| thumbs-up
豎起大拇指 |
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| thumbs-up
字面上的意思是「豎起大拇指」，可引申用來表示「贊成；狀況佳」的意思。 |
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The
singer gave fans the thumbs-up
as he boarded the plane.
該歌手在登機前向他的歌迷們豎起大拇指。 |
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| routine
固定的（表演、節目等）；例行公事 |
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| routine
當名詞時，是「例行職責；日常工作」的意思，而當形容詞時，則是指「一般的；日常的；例行的」。本文中的
routine performance
則是表示「固定的表演；例行的節目」。 |
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I
have to go to the hospital next
week for a routine checkup.
我下個禮拜必須去醫院做例行的檢查。 |
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| prognosis
預知；預測 |
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| prognosis
為醫學名詞，表示「對未來病情發展或治療效果的推測、預測」。 |
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The
prognosis for a patient with colon
cancer is usually very good.
結腸癌病患的治療效果預測通常都是非常好的。 |
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| down
in the dumps 憂鬱的；沮喪的 |
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| down
當形容詞時，有「情緒低落的；鬱鬱寡歡的」的意思，dumps
為名詞，是一個口語的說法，同樣也表示「垂頭喪氣；陰鬱」。因此，down
in the dumps 就用來形容一個人「失意；意志消沈；抑鬱落寞」的樣子。 |
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Tara is a bit
down in the dumps because her pet canary flew out
of its cage.
塔拉有點悶悶不樂的，因為她的寵物金絲雀飛走了。 |
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Trevor
and Paula are discussing one of their colleagues.
崔佛和寶拉正在談論他們的某一位同事。 |
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What's up with Richard? He has been down
in the dumps lately. |
崔佛： |
理查怎麼啦？他最近有點意志消沈。 |
| Paula: |
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Yeah, I've noticed that, too. I think he's
upset at the amount of overtime he's been
working these past few months. |
寶拉： |
是啊，我也注意到這點了。我想他是對過去這幾個月的加班時數感到不滿吧。 |
| Trevor: |
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We all have to work overtime, especially since
Christmas is just around
the corner. |
崔佛： |
我們都需要加班啊，尤其是聖誕假期就近在眼前了。 |
| Paula: |
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You're right. But I think I'll have a word
with him anyway, just to make sure that everything
is OK. |
寶拉： |
你說得對。可是我認為我無論如何還是得跟他談一談，以確保所有的事都沒問題。 |
| Trevor: |
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I'd be careful if I were you. Richard isn't
very approachable. |
崔佛： |
如果我是你的話，我會小心一點。理查不怎麼平易近人。 |
| Paula: |
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Oh, don't be silly. Maybe he just needs somebody
to talk to, or just get
something off his chest. |
寶拉： |
喔，別傻了。也許他只是需要找人說說話，或是發發牢騷。 |
| Trevor: |
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Rather you than
me, Paula! I prefer not to
get involved in situations like these. |
崔佛： |
那妳去就好，寶拉！我想我寧願不要介入這種狀況之中。 |
| Paula: |
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Hey, it's no big deal. Anyway, we are the
ones who will have to work with him if he
doesn't cheer up. |
寶拉： |
嘿，那沒什麼大不了的。再說，如果他沒有比較振奮的話，我們還是要跟他一起工作啊。 |
| Trevor: |
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Good point, Paula. And please let me know
how it goes, OK? |
崔佛： |
說得好，寶拉。請讓我知道你們談得如何，好嗎？ |
| Paula: |
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Will do. |
寶拉： |
我會的。 |
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| around
the corner 近在眼前；即將來臨 |
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| around
the corner 字面上的意思是「就在轉角處」，也就是「在附近」的意思，引申用來表示「即將到來；即將來臨」。類似中文的「……的腳步近了；……將至」。 |
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With winter
just around the corner, department stores have been
selling a lot of warm clothing.
時序即將入冬，各百貨公司已經開始展售許多溫暖的冬衣。 |
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| approachable
可親近的；平易近人的 |
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| approachable
這個字是由 approach
加上 -able 字尾而來，approach
是「接近；靠近；到達」的意思，字尾 -able
則表示「可以……的；能夠……的」。因此，approachable
就是「可以接近的；能夠親近的」，也就是「平易近人的；可親的」的意思。當我們用 approachable
這個字來形容某人時，通常是表示對某人的一種正面的評價。 |
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My boss is very
approachable. In fact, she is a great person to
work for.
我的老闆非常平易近人。事實上，她是一位很棒的上司。 |
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| get
(something) off one's chest 發牢騷；將壓抑已久的話說出來；傾吐胸中鬱悶之氣 |
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| get
off 有「離開；逃脫」的意思，get
(something) off one's chest 字面上的意思是「（某事）離開某人的胸口」，引申為「將壓抑已久的話說出來；傾吐胸中鬱悶之氣」的意思。 |
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I told my neighbor
that his television was too loud. I felt better
after getting it off my chest.
我跟我的鄰居說他的電視音量太大了。壓抑已久的這些話說出來之後，我感覺好多了。 |
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| rather
you than me 你去（做某事）就好 |
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| 這是十分口語的說法，用來表示對說話者的提議，因為覺得困難或危險，而不感興趣、不想參與等。 |
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You're going
swimming in that dirty river?! Rather you than me!
你要在那條骯髒的河裡游泳？！那你去就好！ |
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| True
or False |
| 1.
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If you "unveil"
a new product, you stop manufacturing it. |
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2.
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A "showdown"
is usually dull and boring. |
| 3.
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If a man is "approachable,"
he is a criminal. |
| 4.
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A woman who is "down
in the dumps" is unhappy. |
| 5. |
If you "give
someone the thumbs-up," you feel sad. |
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| Choose
the best word or phrase to complete each sentence.
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a.
prognosis b.
down in the dumps
c.
make the transition from
d. Rather you than me
e.
around the corner
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| 6.
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Today is very cold.
Winter is just __________. |
| 7.
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It was hard to __________
businesswoman to housewife. |
| 8.
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The long-term __________
for the patient is excellent. |
| 9.
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The woman is ________
because her boyfriend left her. |
| 10.
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You're going to ask
the boss for a raise? _________. |
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