《中英對照讀新聞》Obama to appear on TV science show "Mythbusters" 歐巴馬將現身電視科學節目「流言終結者」
◎張沛元
Obama to appear on TV science show "Mythbusters"
歐巴馬將現身電視科學節目「流言終結者」
President Barack Obama said Monday he is appearing on "Mythbusters," a television series that uses science to separate fact from fiction.
美國總統巴拉克.歐巴馬週一表示,他將出現在以科學來區分事實與虛構的電視節目「流言終結者」。
Obama’s appearance on the popular Discovery Channel show is part of a White House effort to highlight the importance of science, math and engineering as experts warn that low interest in these subjects among U.S. students could hurt the economy.
歐巴馬參加這個受歡迎的探索頻道節目,是白宮力圖凸顯科學、數學與工程的重要性之努力的一部分。專家警告說,美國學生對這些學科興趣缺缺,可能有損美國經濟。
Questions tackled this year on "Mythbusters" include "What’s worse, having an empty beer bottle smashed over your head or a full one?" and "Can a sniffer dog be thrown off the scent using household items?"
「流言終結者」節目今年曾探討的問題,包括「什麼比較慘,被空啤酒瓶還是裝滿的啤酒瓶打到頭?」以及「利用居家用品就能讓嗅探犬無用武之地嗎?」
The Obama episode, to air on December 8, reprises an earlier debunking of the 2,000-year-old story that Greek mathematician and engineer Archimedes set fire to an invading Roman fleet using a system of mirrors to focus the sun’s rays.
歐巴馬參與演出的那一集,將在12月8日播出,內容是再次揭穿一則流傳2000年的故事,即希臘數學家兼工程師阿基米德利用一組鏡子聚焦太陽光,讓入侵的羅馬艦隊陷入火海。
"I can announce today that I taped a special guest appearance for their show, although I didn’t get to blow anything up," Obama said at a White House science fair event. "I was a little frustrated with that."
「我今天可以宣布,我在他們的節目中擔任特別來賓,雖然我沒有炸掉任何東西,」歐巴馬在一場白宮科學展活動上說。「我對此覺得有點失落。」
新聞辭典
separate something from something:慣用語,分開,劃分。
put someone off the scent:慣用語,擺脫某人的追蹤;使某人迷失尋找方向。例句:The clever maneuvers of the robbers put the Sheriff’s posse off the scent.(那幫搶匪的奸巧陰謀把警方耍得團團轉。)
set fire to someone or something:慣用語,放火燒某人或某物。例句:The old man accidentally set himself on fire.(那名老人不慎引火自焚。)