英倫翻譯社/ Trsmaster

Municipalities hosting ancient castles around Japan are under siege as aging castle towers restored in the post-World War II economic boom are in desperate need of replacement or refurbishment.

隨著在二次世界大戰後的經濟繁榮之際所修復的老舊（日式城堡的）天守閣（譯註：日式城堡塔樓）如今亟需更新或整修，有古代城堡坐落於當地的日本各地城市當局，形同面臨危城困境。

While some localities are ready to renovate existing concrete castle towers, others are hoping to fund the much pricier recreation of the wooden structures that originally stood long ago.

儘管有部分地方政府準備翻新現有的混凝土天守閣，其他城市卻希望能把錢用在費用較高、讓多年前矗立於此的木造結構天守閣原地再現。

During his campaign for Nagoya mayor in 2009, Mayor Takashi Kawamura vowed to replace the concrete main tower of the city’s landmark Nagoya Castle with a more authentic wooden structure.

名古屋市長河村隆之在2009年競選時曾誓言，要以更具美感的木造結構，取代該市地標名古屋城的混凝土造天守閣。

"We should replace the tower with something we will be proud of," Kawamura said.

「我們應該以能讓我們引以為傲的東西來取代（現有的）天守閣，」河村隆之說。

Nagoya Castle, originally built in the early Edo Period （1603-1867）, was restored in 1959 after being destroyed by fire in an air raid by U.S. bombers in May 1945.

名古屋城原本建於江戶時代（1603-1867）早期，1945年5月在美軍轟炸機空襲引發的大火中被焚毀，1959年修復。

In Washington, some officials privately disdain Europe’s fury as overly theatrical.

在華盛頓，部分官員私下鄙視歐洲（針對美國監聽醜聞）的怒火，認為反應太過誇張。

The attitude that spying is rampant everywhere, and Europe should just get over it, is also widespread.

美國官員的態度是，監聽猖獗的情況無所不在，在歐洲也很普遍，它們應該忘掉這件事。

"Everyone spies on everybody," Republican Senator Marco Rubio told CNN.

「每個人都在監聽每個人」，共和黨參議員魯比歐告訴美國有線電視新聞網。

"These leaders are responding to domestic pressures. None of them are truly shocked about any of this."

「這些領袖是在回應國內壓力。他們沒人真的對此感到震驚」。

With Europe and the United States bound by cultural, political and military ties and common security vulnerabilities, it is unthinkable the alliance will buckle.

歐洲與美國在文化、政治與軍事關係上緊密連結，又有著共同的安全弱點，很難想像這個結盟會垮掉。

An Israeli draft law that would criminalize the use of the word Nazi in most cases has sparked a debate on freedom of speech in a state that was founded out of the ashes of the Holocaust.

以色列一項可能把在多數情況下使用「納粹」一字視為罪行的草案，已在這個自猶太大屠殺廢墟中重生的國家引發一場有關言論自由的辯論。

Seven decades later, memories of the extermination of millions of Jews during World War II permeate virtually every aspect of life in Israel. Public figures and interest groups frequently invoke the World War II genocide to score political points, and the word and Nazi symbols have slipped into Israeli discourse over the years.

70年後，有關二次大戰期間數百萬猶太人慘遭滅絕的記憶仍充斥在以色列生活的幾乎所有層面。公眾人物與利益團體經常引用這場二戰種族屠殺來取得政治優勢，這個字眼和納粹象徵多年來也已進入以色列的日常談話中。

The bill would impose a fine of 100,000 shekels and six months in jail for anybody using the word or symbols from Adolf Hitler’s Third Reich in a "wrong or inappropriate way." Educational settings would be exempt, as would certain artistic performances, said Shimon Ohayon, the bill’s sponsor.

這項法案將對任何在「錯誤或不當狀況下」使用納粹一字或希特勒治下第三帝國象徵者，處以以色列幣10萬元罰款及6個月有期徒刑。據法案支持者歐哈永表示，教育及藝術表演場合可免受罰。

The Knesset gave preliminary approval to the measure, but it still must pass three more readings and committee discussions before becoming law. A similar effort in 2012 fell in committee amid opposition.

以國國會已初步通過這項措施，但法案仍須經國會三讀及小組討論後才能正式立法生效。2012年時一項類似的立法行動在小組委員會階段遭到反對而宣告失敗。

新聞辭典

ash：名詞，指灰燼、廢墟，如The nation slowly rose from the ashes of war.（這個國家自戰火餘燼中緩慢重生。）

Dairy cows with a serious case of flatulence have simultaneously ’broken wind’ and blown up a building in a fiery explosion.

嚴重脹氣的乳牛同時「撇風」，在猛烈爆炸中炸毀一棟建築物。

No doubt there were all sorts of "whoever smelt it dealt it" accusations flying around amongst the herd afterwards.

無疑的，事後這群牛中會有各式各樣「做賊喊捉賊」的指控滿天飛。

The methane gas released by 90 windy dairy cows causes an explosion in a cow shed in the central German town of Rasdorf, police say.

警方說，德國中部拉斯多夫鎮90隻腸胃脹氣的乳牛所排放的甲烷氣體，在一座牛棚內引發爆炸。

Thanks to the belches and flatulence of the dairy cows in the shed, high levels of the gas had built up. Then "a static electric charge caused the gas to explode with flashes of flames" the police said in a statement quoted by Reuters news agency.

由於這群乳牛打嗝和放屁，牛棚中累積高量的這種氣體，然後「一道靜電造成這股氣體帶著陣陣火光爆炸」，路透新聞通訊社引述警方在聲明中的說法。

With only one cow out of the 90 suffering injuries, it could be said that the herd in question were let-off the hook and it goes without saying that their owner will have to take extra precautions if the animals are going to be at this sort of crack in future.

由於這90頭牛中只有1隻受傷，可說這群當事牛逃過一劫，而且毫無疑問的是，若這些牛未來還要做這種事，他們的飼主將有額外防範措施。

The Soviets made space dog Laika a national hero and Americans have fallen for presidential pets from Checkers to Bo.

蘇聯人讓太空狗「萊卡」成為民族英雄，美國人則迷戀從「西洋棋」到「波兒」的總統寵物。

In Venezuela, a rare breed of shaggy sheepdog has come to symbolize the patriotic legacy of the late Hugo Chavez.

在委內瑞拉，品種罕見的捲毛牧羊犬象徵已故總統查維茲的愛國遺產。

Venezuela’s former president rescued the mucuchies, named for this Andean town where the breed originated 400 years ago, from near-extinction in 2008 by providing funding to breed the remaining 23 purebreds.

委內瑞拉前總統搶救以這個安地斯城鎮為名的狗「慕庫切斯」，當地400年前就已豢養該品種狗狗，2008年這種狗瀕臨絕種，查維茲提供資助餵養僅存的23隻純種狗。

’’Every time Chavez hosted a foreign leader the president’s office would call me up and make sure I brought the dogs,’’ said Walter Demendoza, president of the Nevado Foundation, which works to rescue the breed.

「每次查維茲接待外國領袖，總統辦公室都會通知我，確認我會把狗狗帶去，」負責搶救該品種狗狗的「涅瓦度基金會」主席德曼多薩說。

’’He wanted the dog to be known around the world as a symbol of our country.’’

「他希望全世界都知道這種狗是我國的象徵。」