Salvage Code Red

  Have you ever wondered what the most dangerous job in the world is? Well, this month on National Geographic Channel, you will learn about salvors1, people who face heavy odds and constant dangers. Their job is to save ships and anything they can on board. They also must fight to prevent serious environmental pollution caused by shipwrecks2. NGC's five-part series, "Salvage Code Red3," takes viewers inside salvors' rescue missions to see how they use their skills to rid the oceans of damaged ships.

  In "Firestorm4," a ferry5 carrying trucks and fuel tanks burns for two days. Salvors go aboard to put an end to the raging fire. At the same time, their lives are on the line because one mistake in the darkness could be fatal.

  Then, a ship is caught in the stormy Irish Seas and later left stuck on a beach. The salvors must wait for low tide. Only then can they work on clearing the debris6 and getting the ship to float again. However, the weather causes problems again, and the team wonders if the ship can actually be saved at all.




  您是否曾想過世上最危險的工作為何?在本月份的國家地理頻道中,您將得以認識必須隨時面臨種種困難和險境的海上搶救人員們。他們的工作就是要援救船隻以及船上任何可以搶救之物。他們還必須竭力避免因船難事件而引發的嚴重環境污染。國家地理頻道《海上救難》一系列的五個節目,將帶領觀眾進入搶救人員的救援任務中,看他們如何運用他們的技能來清除海上的受損船隻。

  在《Firestorm》中,一艘滿載著貨車及油槽的渡輪在大火中燃燒了兩天之久。搶救人員登上了船隻來撲滅熊熊烈焰。他們在此同時也冒著生命危險,因為在黑暗當中,就連一個小錯也能致命。

  接著,一艘船隻受困在暴風肆虐的愛爾蘭海中,爾後擱淺在海灘上。搶救人員必須等待退潮。他們只有在此時才能全力清理船上碎片,並且使船隻再度浮起。然而天候狀況再度從中作梗,令救援團隊不禁懷疑這艘船到底能否搶救成功。

《Building Your Vocabulary》
1. odds n. 巨大的困難;很不利的條件(恆用複數)
Against all odds, Ted finished his research.
儘管困難重重,泰德還是完成了他的研究。
2. aboard  adv. & prep. 上船∕飛機∕火車;在船∕飛機∕火車上
We were aboard our flight by 10:00 AM.
我們於早上十點前登上了我們的班機。
3. fatal a. 致命的
AIDS is a fatal disease that still has no cure.
愛滋是一種仍無治癒方法的致命疾病。
4. stormy a. 暴風雨的
It's not safe to go out in this stormy weather.
在這種狂風暴雨的天氣裡出門是不安全的。

《Phrases for Learning》
1. rid A of B  使 A 擺脫∕除掉 B
This spray can rid your house of bugs.
這罐噴劑可以除掉你家裡的蟲子。
2. be on the line  (工作等)岌岌可危
My job is on the line, so I must seal this deal.
我的工作岌岌可危,所以我得談成這筆生意。
3. be caught in...  處於……(的困境)
The troops were caught in heavy gunfire.
軍隊受困在猛烈的砲火中。
4. work on + 動名詞∕名詞  致力於……
You need to work on your golf swing.
你應該要好好練練你的高爾夫揮桿動作。

《Extra Word》
1. salvor a. 搶救人員
salvage n. 搶救(本文中作形容詞用)
2. shipwreck n. 船難,船隻失事
3. code red n.(危險發生時所響起的)紅色警報
4. firestorm n.(失去控制的)猛烈大火
5. ferry n. 渡船,渡輪
6. debris n. 碎片;殘骸

《Sentence Pattern》
Only then can they work on...
(他們只有在此時才能全力……)
  "only then"(只有在這∕那個時候)為否定副詞片語,故置於句首時,其後主要子句須採倒裝句構。常見的否定副詞片語尚有"by no means"、"under no circumstances"、"on no account"、"in no way"(均表『絕對不』)及"only by + 動名詞"(只有藉由……);否定副詞子句,如:"not until..."(直到……之時)、"only when..."(只有在……之時)、"only after..."(只有在……之後)若置於句首時,其後主要子句亦須採倒裝句構。
In no way am I going to do your chores for you.
(我才不要幫你做你的那些雜務事。)
Not until noon did Alice wake up.
(艾莉絲一直睡到中午才起床。)


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