Sunny Chao
Beijing’s Bird’s Nest Risks Becoming White Elephant
北京鳥巢有成為累贅的風險
【新聞關鍵字】
1. Bird’s Nest: n. 鳥巢 (北京奧運體育館)
2. Olympic Games: n. 奧林匹克運動會,世運會
3. stadium: n. 體育館
4. potential: a. 可能的，潛在的
5. white elephants: phr. 累贅之物，無用物品
STORY:
Half a year after 91,000 people packed the Bird’s Nest to watch the Olympic Games, the stadium’s owners are struggling to find a lasting role for the arena.
新聞內容:
北京鳥巢在奧運時聚集了91,000人。現在已過了半年，體育場業主仍然費勁的在找看鳥巢還能做什麼用。
There’s no shortage of examples of Olympic hosts building huge stadiums that are rarely used after the Games. With a price tag of over 500 million U.S. dollars, the National Stadium always had the potential to become the mother of all white elephants.
6. structure: n. 結構
7. interior: n.a. 內部(的)
8. discoloration: n. 變色，污點
9. due to: phr. 由於
10. operate: v. 經營
奧運東道國家建立的巨大體育館，在奧運會後就沒什麼機會使用了，這樣的例子也不少。這座耗資超過5億美元的國家體育場，有可能成為所有累贅物之母。
For the last half year it has functioned mainly as a tourist site, playing host to visitors from around the country.
在這半年，它主要是作為觀光景點，招待全國各地來玩的遊客。
The stadium’s structure and interior are showing a bit of wear and tear in places, with ripped posters left over from the Games and slight discoloration of the roof.
體育館的結構和內部已經有些磨損的地方，像奧運海報撕下來的痕跡，和輕微變色的屋頂。
And due to the operating cost, the owners don’t want to put it to full use as a regular stadium.
由於經營成本的考量，業主不想把它當作一般體育館來充份利用。
11. performance: n. 表演，成果
12. event: n. 事件，(比賽)項目
13. match: n. 比賽、對手
14. opening ceremony: n. 開幕式
15. retractable: a. 可縮回的，可取消的
16. admission: n. 門票，任用
17. memory: n. 記憶
18. eventually: adv. 最終
19. concern: v. 使關心，使擔心
[Zhang Hengli, CITIC Consortium Stadium Operation Company]:
“The next performance will be in May of this year, but for sports events like football matches and other large events it is more difficult. Because of the Olympic opening ceremony we have a retractable grass pitch which is very expensive to set and remove, so a single football match would not be worth the cost."
張恒力(讀音，中信聯合體體育場營運公司)說：「今年五月會再使用鳥巢一次。但對於體育活動，像足球賽或其它大型活動，就很難使用它。因為在奧運開幕式上，我們做了一個可伸縮的草地球場，要架設和移開這個球場費用昂貴，所以單單一個足球賽不值得花那個成本。」
While admission fees from tourists are covering costs for now, Zhang says, memories of the 2008 Games will eventually fade.
張先生說，雖然現在遊客的門票到目前還能支付所需費用，但2008年奧運的記憶終將消退。
Mother and travel agent from Shaanxi province Shi Aiping is concerned about the financial implications of an Olympic white elephant.
陝西省來的施愛萍，是母親兼旅遊代理商。她擔心鳥巢可能成為奧運後的財務重擔。
[Shi Anping, Travel Agent from Shaanxi Province]:
“I think it would be a great waste, it really would. Because the Bird’s Nest really did cost a lot of money, and if it had no other use it would be a great waste."
施愛萍(陝西省旅遊代理商)說: 「我覺得鳥巢可能成為巨大的浪費，確實是這樣的。因為鳥巢的確耗費了很多錢，如果它沒有其它用途的話，將是巨大的浪費。」
20. anniversary: n.a. 週年紀念(的)
21. cancel: v. 取消，廢除
22. tender: n. v. 投標
23. athletics: n. 體育(課)，競技
A performance of the opera Turandot is planned for the one-year anniversary of the opening of the Olympics on August 8.
歌劇杜蘭朵公主計劃在今年8月8日，奧運開幕周年慶時演出。
But plans for the Beijing Guo’an soccer team to play their home matches at the stadium were cancelled. And authorities have yet to invite tenders to host the IAAF Diamond Grand Prix athletics meeting that will begin in 2010.
但原本計劃在鳥巢舉辦的北京國安足球隊主賽已被取消。當局將邀請投標國際田聯鑽石聯賽體育會議的東道，這些會議將於2010年開始召開。
本則影音新聞出處：新唐人電視台英語新聞
http://english.ntdtv.com/?c=145&a=8389
