英倫翻譯社/ Trsmaster

How about a holiday in space?

In the 1968 movie, 2001 a Space Odyssey, travelling to the moon is normal. We see a passenger (who may be a scientist) sleeping in a large American spaceship. Soon, this fantasy could become reality; however it will certainly be different. For one thing, it will be in a much smaller spacecraft. One company promising to provide flights is Virgin Galactic, owned by British business man Richard Branson. For another, the flights will be shorter, at around an hour and a half. What’s more, passengers will only travel to the edge of space. There, they will experience three to four minutes of weightlessness before returning to earth. But in another way, the flights may be similar. Scientists are excited that tickets cost just NT$5,756,361. This means they will be able to do cheaper and more frequent experiments in near space than they can now. The day when we can all afford holidays in space may not be far away.

去外太空旅行? 維京航空讓你美夢成真

在1968拍攝的「2001年太空漫遊」電影場景中，到月球旅行是一件很平常的事，片中有一位乘客(可能是科學家)在大型的美籍太空船中呼呼大睡。再過不久，這個美夢或許可以成真，但旅行的方式將稍有不同。首先，你可能會搭乘比電影中所見更小型的太空船，維京航空英籍總裁理查布蘭森正計劃推出太空航程。此外，實際的航程可能較短，大約一個半小時。最主要的不同點是：乘客只能到達太空的邊緣。在返回地球之前，乘客將可以體驗三到四分鐘的無重力感，大致而言，實際的太空航程和電影中的情節相似。科學家們對於票價僅需新台幣$5,756,361元感到非常興奮，這表示他們將可以更便宜的方式在近太空進行更多的實驗，而大眾以負擔得起的價錢到外太空旅行也將指日可待。

字彙

odyssey 漫遊
moon 月球
fantasy 幻想；夢想
spaceship 太空船
flight航行；飛機

◎陳維真

Japan has restarted the first nuclear reactor since the meltdown at the Fukushima power plant last year. Hundreds gathered near the plant in the town of Ohi to protest against the move.

去年福島核電廠熔毀後日本首度重啟核子反應爐。數百人聚集在大飯核電廠附近，抗議重啟反應爐。

Last month, the prime minister urged support, saying a return to nuclear power was essential for the economy. All 50 of Japan’s nuclear plants were shut after the meltdown at Fukushima, which was triggered by a tsunami and earthquake. The crisis was regarded as the worst nuclear disaster since Chernobyl in 1986.

上月首相呼籲各界支持，表示重新使用核電對經濟很重要。福島核電廠因海嘯與地震熔毀後，全日本50座核電廠停止運轉。福島危機被認為是1986年車諾比事件之後最嚴重的核災。

About 100 of the 650 protesters at the nuclear plant blocked a nearby road overnight, but a Kepco spokesman said the reactivation was not affected.

650抗議民眾中，近百人漏夜封鎖核電廠附近的一條道路，但關西電力發言人表示，重啟工作未受影響。

On Friday, tens of thousands took part in anti-nuclear rallies in Tokyo outside Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda’s official residence, chanting "Saikado hantai," or "No to nuclear restarts", in what correspondents say was a rare show of dissent in Japan. The BBC’s Mariko Oi says it was one of the largest demonstrations seen since the reactors at Fukushima were damaged in March 2011.

週五，成千上萬的人在首相野田佳彥的官邸外抗議，高喊「反對重啟核能」的口號，在多名特派員看來，這是日本人罕見地展現異議。英國廣播公司（BBC）記者大井真理子表示，這是2011年3月福島核電廠毀損後最大規模的示威行動。

Tokyo-based protester Nobuhiko Shudo told the BBC the problem of disposing of radioactive waste was key. "The most important thing for us is sustainability of the Earth for the next generation so if we have some problems to keep the planet clean and beautiful, then we have to change the industrial structure" to foster alternative energy sources, he said.

◎魏國金

Al Qaeda-linked Mali Islamists armed with guns and pick-axes continued to destroy ancient mausoleums in the famed city of Timbuktu on Sunday, the second day of attacks on the UNESCO heritage sites, witnesses said.

與恐怖組織「開打」掛勾、配備槍枝與尖鋤的馬利伊斯蘭主義份子，週日持續摧毀著名的廷巴克圖城古陵墓，這是對此聯合國教科文組織（UNESCO）列名的世界遺產進行的第二天攻擊，目擊者說。

The salafist Ansar Dine group backs strict sharia, Islamic law, and considers the shrines of the local Sufi version of Islam to be idolatrous. Sufi shrines have also been attacked by hardline Salafists in Egypt and Libya in the past year.

伊斯蘭教薩拉菲派的「信仰捍衛者」團體支持嚴格的伊斯蘭律法，並認為當地伊斯蘭教蘇菲派形式的聖陵為崇拜偶像。過去1年，在埃及與利比亞的蘇菲派聖陵，也被強硬的薩拉菲派信徒攻擊。

Residents say the group has threatened to destroy all of the 16 main mausoleum sites in Timbuktu despite the international outcry against the attacks. UNESCO Director-General Irina Bokova has called for an immediate halt to the attacks.

居民表示，該團體威脅悉數摧毀廷巴克圖16座主要陵墓遺址，儘管國際強烈抗議攻擊行動。UNESCO總幹事波珂娃呼籲立即停止相關攻擊。

"We are subject to religion and not to international opinion. Building on graves is contrary to Islam. We are destroying the mausoleums because it is ordained by our religion," Oumar Ould Hamaha, a spokesman for Ansar Dine said on Sunday.

「我們是受宗教而非國際輿論約束。在墓穴上建築違反伊斯蘭教。我們摧毀陵墓是因為我們的宗教規定如此，」信仰捍衛者發言人哈瑪哈週日說。

The attack came days after UNESCO placed Timbuktu on its list of heritage sites in danger. （Reuters）

◎國際新聞中心

Paris authorities are mulling a plan to extend the Eiffel Tower downwards as above ground building would spoil the French capital’s geometry, the head of the landmark’s operating company said.

巴黎當局正考慮向下延伸艾菲爾鐵塔的計畫，因為向上延伸會破壞法國首都的幾何結構，這座地標的營運公司說。

’’Paris Council will deliberate on Tuesday or Wednesday this project for an underground building, we need further studies and we’re moving forward with the project,’’ deputy mayor in charge of tourism Jean-Bernard Bros told AFP. Mr Bros said that the project had been looked at for several months and that a committee had been set up to group together all the extension studies already done.

主管旅遊業的巴黎副市長布羅告訴法新社：「巴黎市議會將在週二或週三審查這項地下建築計畫，我們需要更進一步研究，我們正在推動這項計畫。」布羅先生說，這項計畫已研擬數月，一個委員會已經成立，以整合現有與擴建相關的研究。

It is not possible to build at the ground level as ’’you have to respect the line of sight between the Ecole Militaire and the Trocadero,’’ Mr Bros said.

布羅指出，之所以不可能在地面層進行擴建，是因為「你得尊重從巴黎軍事學院到托卡德洛廣場之間的視線」。

The two-storey underground extension would house the ticket booths currently found inside the edifice’s feet, an Eiffel Tower museum, a children’s area and other visitor amenities. （AFP）

地底加蓋的兩層擴建建築將可容納目前設在艾菲爾鐵塔1樓的售票口、1間艾菲爾鐵塔博物館、1個兒童區以及其他遊客設施。（法新社）

◎俞智敏

Myanmar opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi is bullish on democratic reform, but she’s not so sure about Facebook.

緬甸反對派領袖翁山蘇姬推動民主改革不遺餘力，但她對臉書的態度可就沒那麼確定。

The Nobel Peace Prize winner--who was held under house arrest as a political prisoner for much of the past 22 years without even a telephone--was asked at the World Economic Forum on East Asia when she would join the 900-million member social network.

這位諾貝爾和平獎得主─過去22年來的大部分時間都被軟禁在家中，連電話都沒有─在世界經濟論壇東亞會議上被問到，她何時會加入這個已擁有9億會員的社交網路。

She said it was not an issue with adjusting to new technology, but a matter of finding the time. She said she will join when her schedule opens up.

她說這倒不是適應新科技的問題，而是找不出時間。她說假如她的行程有空檔，她就會加入。

"Mind you, you never know what will happen with the technological revolution," she said at a news conference. "Facebook may be old hat tomorrow. In that case, I won’t go on Facebook."

「但聽好了，你永遠不知道科技革命會發生什麼事，」她在記者會上說。「臉書可能很快就變成明日黃花。要是這樣的話，我就不會加入臉書。」

Under Myanmar’s previous military junta, her countrymen with Internet connections were blocked by a government firewall from accessing many sites. The reformist but still military-backed government elected last year has since eased most of those restrictions.