英倫翻譯社/ Trsmaster

◎張沛元

Former French screen goddess Brigitte Bardot on Friday threatened to follow Gerard Depardieu in asking for a Russian passport, in protest not at tax hikes, but at the treatment of two circus elephants.

前法國大銀幕女神碧姬．芭杜週五威脅要追隨（影帝）傑哈．德巴狄厄的腳步尋求取得俄羅斯護照，但不是要抗議大增稅，而是要讓兩頭馬戲團大象獲得治療。

The animals, named Baby and Nepal and owned by a touring circus, are thought to be carrying tuberculosis and were ordered to be put down by a court in Lyon, southern France, on Friday as a precautionary measure.

這兩頭名喚寶貝與尼泊爾、為一家巡迴馬戲團所有的大象，據信罹患結核病，週五已被南法里昂的一個法庭下令安樂死，以防萬一。

Bardot’s threat comes a day after fellow actor Depardieu caused a storm in France by becoming a Russian citizen in protest at high tax rates proposed by the Socialist government, which he accuses of penalizing success.

芭杜語出此一威脅的前一天，男星德巴狄厄才因成為俄羅斯公民而在法國引發軒然大波。德巴狄厄此舉出於抗議社會黨政府提議的調高（富人）稅率，他指控該政策意在懲罰成功。

"If those in power are cowardly and impudent enough to kill the elephants... then I have decided I will ask for Russian nationality to get out of this country which has become nothing more than an animal cemetery," Bardot said in a statement. （Reuters）

「倘若當權者都懦弱與厚顏無恥到要殺大象……那我決定要爭取俄羅斯國籍，以便離開這個不過是個動物墳場的國家，」芭杜在聲明中如是說。（路透）

新聞辭典

聲援劉曉波
諾貝爾和平獎得獎人劉曉波，至今仍被中國囚禁，去年十二月，另一位諾貝爾和平獎得獎人南非的屠圖大主教，發起呼籲中國釋放劉曉波的全球連署活動，今天中國民運人士吾爾開希和王丹也呼籲馬總統加入，隨後把連署書送交總統府。

朝野戰核四
核四公投大戰一觸即發，民進黨中常會今天決議，一方面在立法院推動修公投法，另一方面，公民行動要結合反核團體凝聚社會力量，不過行政院長江宜樺不認為公投法需要修法。

新酒駕上路
3月1日開始，新版道路交通管理處罰條例，將加重酒駕罰則，從原本最高罰金6萬元，提高到9萬元，對象針對5年內的酒駕累犯、不依規定停車受檢或拒絕酒測等三類駕駛人，目的就是要做到酒後絕對不上路。

Free Liu Petition
Democracy activists have sent a petition to President Ma Ying-jeou that calls for the release of imprisoned Chinese dissident and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Liu Xiaobo. The petition was launched late last year by another peace prize laureate, Desmond Tutu, and delivered to the Taiwan Presidential Office by democracy activists Wuer Kaixi and Wang Dan. 

4th Nuclear Power Plant
Controversy over the Fourth Nuclear Power Plant continues. The DPP Central Standing Committee on Wednesday called for party members to combine efforts with anti-nuclear groups. The committee also wants an amendment to the Referendum Act that would lower the thresholds for passage of a vote to stop construction of the plant. But Premier Jiang Yi-huah has said he considers the law’s thresholds to be reasonable.

Higher Drunk Driving Fines

前大聯盟明星球員拉米瑞茲，確定將加入台灣職棒義大犀牛隊，月薪在台幣75萬元左右,拉米瑞茲生涯打出555支全壘打，也拿下過打擊王，全壘打王和打點王，他將是中華職棒職史上資歷最顯赫的洋將。

這樣豪邁瀟灑的揮棒，今年很多球迷都有機會親眼看到，根據最新運動媒體的報導，大聯盟五百轟俱樂部成員的Manny Ramirez，最快會在3月7日披上中華職棒義大犀牛隊的戰袍。

[[聲源:義大公關經理 李家梵]]
“相關的細節其實我們都已經，談得差不多了，那現在就只有差在我們希望，Manny這邊可以提供一些，健康以及禁藥一些醫療證明文件，我們現在預計希望在三月初，能完成整個Manny來台相關的事情”

Manny在大聯盟19個球季，就有12次入選明星賽，各拿下過一次打擊王，全壘王和打點王的獎項，累計交出2574支安打，打擊率3成12，555支全壘打和1831分打點的成績單。

擁有這樣顯赫資歷的Manny，雖然在去年被運動家隊釋出，也沒其他球隊對他有興趣，Manny為了證明自己還能打，還首度跑到多明尼加去打冬季聯盟，結果在181個打數中，交出打擊率2成98，8支全壘打和27分打點的成績單，即將滿41歲的Manny依舊具有相當不錯的打擊技巧和經驗。

至於Manny的薪資，義大犀牛隊表示，大概會是落在月薪75萬元上下，如果順利網羅Manny入隊，將和胡金龍，高國輝組成的中心打線，將會讓義大犀牛的打擊火力提升。

Reports say that former Boston Red Sox star Manny Ramirez will join Taiwan’s professional baseball league. If a deal is confirmed, the 41-year-old Ramirez would become the highest profile player to ever play professionally in Taiwan. 

Local baseball fans this year will have a chance to see one of baseball’s most natural, feared swings. US media reports say that Manny Ramirez will come to Taiwan as early as March 7 to play in the local professional baseball league. The slugger will play for the league’s newest team, the E-Da Rhinos. 

Voice of Lee Chia-fan
E-Da PR Manager
We are close to finishing discussion of most details. All that remains is we hope for Manny to provide a health check and a banned drug report. We expect that all documentation needed to bring Manny to Taiwan can be completed by the beginning of March.

During the 19 years Ramirez spent in the major leagues he made the All-Star team 12 times and won batting, home run and RBI titles. Over his career Ramirez amassed 2,574 hits, with a batting average of .312, and had 555 home runs and 1,831 RBIs.

But Ramirez is in the twilight of his career. After the Oakland Athletics released him last year, no team in the major leagues offered him a contract. Ramirez then played in the Dominican winter league where he showed that he can still play, recording eight home runs, 27 RBIs and batting .298 in 181 at-bats.

The Rhinos say Ramirez’s salary will be around NT$750,000 a month. He will join former major leaguer Hu Chin-lung and Kao Kuo-hui to form a potent lineup.

文章出處 ：民視英語新聞

埃及熱氣球爆炸，但國內最近兩年最掀起一陣熱氣球瘋，最早開跑的台東縣，兩年內創造百萬觀光人潮，產值高達25億，引起其他縣市跟進，但其中只有三次是合法申請的，代表有業者偷跑；熱氣球也需要專業飛行員和飛安管理，但民航法卻把它跟飛機視為同樣的航空器，因此立委要求民航局立刻修法改進。

埃及南部觀光勝地盧克索，昨天驚傳熱氣球在三百公尺高空爆炸的意外，總計造成一共十九人死亡、兩人受傷，埃及當局也緊急下令熱氣球必須停飛半年。

其實台灣在近幾年也很夯熱氣球活動。包括台東、台南、花蓮和南投，但真正向民航局申請核准的活動只有三次。

[[民航局副局長 李萬里]]
“(罰)60萬到300萬，我們遭遇最大問題，每個都耍賴，他說我沒有，你有拍照到嗎?”

立委認為台灣有執照的飛行員人數不足，也沒有熱氣球專屬的管理辦法，居然跟波音747一樣都使用民航法規範，其實兩種的安全管理，明顯有不少差異。

[[熱氣球教練]]
“主要是怕他們(乘客)會去碰觸到，比如像是所謂的洩氣閥，在控制洩氣閥的那條繩，或是他去碰觸到所謂的燃料軟管”

氣球飛行員和乘客，搭乘時沒有區隔開來，都處在同一個空間，搭熱氣球前如果飛安教育沒做好，乘客亂碰，就會導致墜毀危機。而民航局副局長李萬里今天在記者會表示，交通部已經開會，研擬將修改「民用航空法」，打算將熱氣球和航空器管理規範做區隔。

The explosion of a hot air balloon in Egypt is leading to repercussions in Taitung County. Lawmakers say they want to clamp down on the growing industry, which currently is subject to few rules or oversight. 

Luxor, a southern Egypt tourist site, was the scene of a deadly hot air balloon explosion which took place at an altitude of 300 meters. The accident left 19 people dead and two wounded. Egyptian authorities ordered all hot air balloons to be grounded for six months.

In recent years, hot air balloons have become popular in places such as Taitung, Tainan, Hualien and Nantou. But the Civil Aeronautics Administration has only approved three applications to fly the balloons.

Lee Wan-li
CAA Deputy Director-General
The (penalty) is NT$600,000 to NT$3 million. But our biggest problem is that people blatantly lie. They deny flying the balloons and ask us if we have photos. 

Legislators feel that Taiwan does not have enough licensed pilots or specific rules governing hot air balloons. The balloons are subject to the same regulations in the Civil Aviation Act which apply to operating a Boeing 747. Obviously, there needs to be different safety regulations as there are huge differences between these types of airships.

Hot Air Balloon Pilot
The main worry is (passengers) touching things like the release valve, its ropes or the fuel hose.

Hot air balloon pilots and passengers typically share the same space and failure to abide by safety measures could be deadly. The Civil Aeronautics Administration said it would start to address safety concerns by differentiating regulations pertaining to hot air balloons and aircraft.

文章出處 ：民視英語新聞

台北雙子星開發案受挫，今天周刊報導，太極雙星資金沒到位，是背後投資團隊之一的馬來西亞怡保花園集團，在最後一刻縮手。原因是有台北市議員委託律師，隔海向馬來西亞相關金管機構檢舉，使得馬國政府介入了解，最後讓怡保決定喊卡。而檢調單位今天也針對雙子星案，開始約談相關人員。

雙子星開發案持續延燒，有媒體報導，雙子星開發案之所以沒成，真正的關鍵是，合作團隊之一的馬來西亞商怡保花園集團，因為該國的證交所，收到台北市議員應曉薇委託律師發的警告函，表示太極雙星集團組成關係複雜、投標過程疑點重重，於是馬國政府也開始著手了解。使得怡保最後一刻，決定不撥款。

[[台北市長 郝龍斌]]
“這個事情 我並不清楚，可是從台北市政府的角度，我們一向強調就是，要看到錢，看到約，我們才能做後續的處理”

負責的官員也只有捷運局長一人請辭下台，也被點名該負責的財政局長邱大展，還曾被傳出與廠商過從甚密涉嫌護航，為此首度出面反擊。

[[台北市財政局長 邱大展]]
“必須要跟廠商有所接觸，這是招商必要的行為，只要是不實的報導，我就是提告，很簡單就是這樣子”

即使市府上下堅稱沒舞弊，但檢方要替全民找真相，今天也針對雙子星案，開始約談相關人員。

Recently the consortium that won the tender to build the Taipei Twin Towers failed to put up its performance guarantee. According to a report released today, the deal fell through when consortium member IGB Corporation withdrew from the major development project. 

Next Magazine is reporting that the recent failure of a consortium to finalize the Taipei Twin Towers project deal may have been associated with Malaysia-based IGB Corporation. Earlier a lawyer on behalf of Taipei City Councilor Ying Hsiao-wei sent a letter to Malaysia’s stock exchange warning it of IGB Corporation’s murky participation in this project and other suspicions associated with winning the tender. When the Malaysian government decided to investigate, IGB Corporation suddenly backed out. 

Hau Lung-bin
Taipei Mayor
I am not clear on this issue. But at the Taipei City government, we have always stressed the importance of seeing the funds and the contract. We will certainly follow up this matter. 

The only official to step down for the failed tender is a former Department of Rapid Transit Systems commissioner. Another person under fire is Chiou Dah-jan, head of the Taipei Department of Finance. His close work with the consortium led to much speculation.

Chiou Dah-jan
Taipei Dep’t of Finance Commissioner
We must have contact with vendors. It’s an indispensible part of investment promotion. If reports make false accusations I will sue. It’s as simple as that.

While local officials insist there were no illegal activities associated with the tender, prosecutors continue to look into the case. Today they conducted interviews of people who participated in the bidding process.

文章出處 ：民視英語新聞