離開
進入中英對照讀新聞》Town demolishes veteran’s house while he has surgery 市鎮當局在退伍老兵動手術時拆掉他的房子
◎張沛元
When a U.S. Navy veteran traveled from Long Island to Florida for a knee replacement, his house was the last thing on his mind. But now his memory of it is all he can think about.
當一名來自紐約州長島的美國海軍退伍老兵，前往佛羅里達州進行換膝關節置換手術時，他最不擔心的就是他的房子。但如今，他對這棟房子只剩下回憶。
Philip Williams’ home was demolished in the spring by town officials while he spent about six months recuperating from surgical complications in Fort Lauderdale. Back in New York, officials in the Town of Hempstead deemed his modest two-story home unfit for habitation and knocked it down.
菲利浦．威廉斯在佛州勞德岱堡因手術併發症花了6個月休養期間，他的家卻在春天被市鎮官員給拆了。紐約州漢普斯戴鎮的官員認為，他的那棟2層樓的簡樸房子已不適宜居住，並將之拆除。
The 69-year-old has now waged a legal battle against the suburban New York town. He wants reimbursement - for the house and all the belongings inside.
69歲的威廉斯如今與這個位於紐約郊區的小鎮打官司，要求當局賠償房子與屋內所有財產。
Williams went to Florida in December 2014 for the procedure, so a friend could help with his recovery. But he developed infections that forced further surgery and heart complications, leaving him hospitalized until doctors deemed him medically able to return home in August.（AP）
威廉斯之所以在2014年12月前往佛州動手術，是因為這樣他的一名友人才能協助他復元。但威廉斯術後發生感染，被迫得再動手術，此外心臟也有併發症，以致他得一直住院，直到醫生在8月認為他可以回家了。（美聯社）
新聞辭典
demolish：動詞，拆除。例句：Israel on Wednesday demolished the home of a Palestinian who killed two officers and wounded several others in an attack last year, police said.（警方表示，以色列週三拆除一名在去年一場攻擊中殺害2名員警，與導致其他數名員警受傷的巴勒斯坦人的家。）
the last thing on one’s mind：慣用語，指沒有重要到值得擔心的事，特別是當時有其他更重要的事情值得擔心。例句：Doing the laundry is the last thing on my mind at the moment.（洗衣服是我現在最不用擔心的事。）
knock down：慣用語，擊倒；拆除。
