1
US kills al Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri in drone① strike in Afghanistan
美國無人機擊斃阿富汗“基地”組織頭目紮瓦希裡
The United States killed al Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri in a drone strike, President Joe Biden said Monday in a speech from the White House. “I authorized a precision strike that would remove him from the battlefield, once and for all,” Biden said. Zawahiri, who just turned 71 years old, had remained a visible international symbol of the group, 11 years after the US killed Osama bin Laden. At one point, he acted as bin Laden’s personal physician. Zawahiri was sheltering in downtown Kabul to reunite with his family, and was killed in “a precise tailored② airstrike” using two Hellfire missiles③. No American personnel were on the ground in Kabul at the time of the strike. (CNN)
8月1日，美國總統喬·拜登在白宮發表講話表示，美國通過無人機襲擊，擊斃了“基地”組織頭目艾曼·紮瓦希裡。拜登說：“我授權了一次精準襲擊，将他從戰場上徹底清除。”在美國擊斃奧薩馬·本·拉登後的11年裡，剛滿71歲的紮瓦希裡一直是該組織在國際上引人矚目的代表人物。他曾一度擔任本·拉登的私人醫生。紮瓦希裡當時正藏匿在喀布爾市中心，準備與家人團聚，兩枚“地獄火”飛彈的“精準定制空襲”使其喪生。襲擊發生時，喀布爾的地面上沒有美國人員。
【注釋】
① drone: [drəʊn] n. an aircraft without a pilot, controlled from the ground, used for taking photographs, dropping bombs, delivering goods, etc. （遙控的）無人駕駛飛機（或飛彈）
② tailored: [ˈteɪləd] adj. made for a particular person or purpose 定制的，專門的
③ missile: [ˈmɪsl] n. a weapon that is sent through the air and that explodes when it hits the thing that it is aimed at 飛彈
【相關閱讀】
(Credit: BBC)
2
New Zealand’s borders fully open after long pandemic closure
因新冠疫情長期關閉後，紐西蘭邊境全面開放
New Zealand’s borders fully re-opened to visitors from around the world on Monday, for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic closed them in March 2020. New Zealand’s borders started reopening in February first for New Zealanders and restrictions have progressively eased. The process of reopening the borders ended last night with visitors who need visas and those on student visas now also allowed to return to New Zealand. New Zealand is now also letting cruise① ships and foreign recreational yachts docks at its ports. Most visitors arriving in New Zealand still need to be vaccinated against COVID and must take two COVID tests after arriving. However, there are no quarantine requirements. New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said on Monday during a speech at the China Business Summit in Auckland that the final staged opening of the borders had been an enormous moment. (Reuters)
8月1日，自2020年3月因新冠疫情關閉邊境以來，紐西蘭首次對來自世界各地的遊客全面重開邊境。今年2月，紐西蘭邊境率先開始面向紐西蘭人重新開放，限制逐漸放寬。重新開放邊境的程序于7月31日晚結束，需要簽證的遊客和持有學生簽證的人目前也被允許傳回紐西蘭。同時，紐西蘭也允許遊輪與外國休閑遊艇停靠在其港口。此外，大多數抵達紐西蘭的遊客仍需要接種新冠疫苗并且必須在抵達後接受兩次新冠病毒檢測。然而，沒有隔離要求。8月1日，紐西蘭總理傑辛達·阿德恩在奧克蘭舉行的中國商業峰會發表演講稱，邊境最終全面開放是一個重要時刻。
【注釋】
① cruise: [ kruːz] n. a journey by sea, visiting different places, especially as a holiday 巡遊，乘船遊覽
【相關閱讀】
(Credit: Reuters)
3
Surgeons use virtual reality techniques to separate conjoined twins
外科醫生使用虛拟現實技術分離連體雙胞胎
After emerging from a final risky surgery, Brazilian conjoined twin brothers Arthur and Bernardo Lima lay separated for the first time. They were born craniopagus①, meaning they were connected to each other with fused skulls and intertwined brains that shared vital veins. To ensure a smooth surgery, medical staff used virtual reality technology to rehearse② the painstaking procedure. It involved detailed imaging of the boys’ brains including CT and MRI scans, as well as checks on the rest of their bodies. Health workers, engineers and others collated data to create 3D virtual reality models of the twins’ brains to allow the teams to study their anatomy in great detail. The twins had seven surgeries, involving more than 27 hours of operating time in the final operation alone, and almost 100 medical staff. Medical experts had called the surgery impossible, but now they all agree that it is a remarkable achievement. (The Washington Post & BBC)
在完成最後一次危險的手術後，巴西連體雙胞胎兄弟阿圖爾·利馬和貝爾納多·利馬第一次分開躺在病床上。這對連體雙胞胎先天顱骨畸形，他們的大腦彼此相連，共用重要靜脈。為確定手術順利進行，醫務人員運用虛拟現實技術對艱難的手術過程進行了預演。這一過程包含對雙胞胎大腦的詳細成像（包括CT和核磁共振掃描）及對他們身體其他部位的檢查，随後醫務人員、工程師及相關人員整理所得資料，建立雙胞胎大腦的3D虛拟現實模型，以便醫療團隊詳細研究其解剖結構。這對雙胞胎前後進行了7次手術，僅最後一場手術耗時就超過了27小時，動用了近100名醫務人員。醫療專家曾認為這場手術不可能成功，但現在他們一緻認為這是一項了不起的成就。
【注釋】
① craniopagus: [kreɪˈni:əʊpəgəs] n. a pair of twins joined at the heads 顱部連體雙胞胎
② rehearse: [rɪˈhɜːs] v. to practice in preparation for a later public performance 預演
conjoined brothers after the surgery
(Credit: The Washington Post)
4
Nintendo Switch sales slump on chip shortage
晶片短缺導緻任天堂Switch遊戲機銷量下降
Nintendo’s Switch sales fell significantly last quarter, dropping to 3.43 million units compared to 4.45 million during the same period last year, according to its earning report. The Kyoto-based gaming company chalked up① the Switch sales issue to a parts shortage. “Hardware production was impacted by factors such as the global shortage of semiconductor components, resulting in a decrease of hardware shipments,” the company said. The company expected procurement to improve “from late summer towards autumn”. Nintendo maintained its forecast to sell 21 million units in the year through end-March 2023, while it sold 23.06 million units last year. Investors are gauging the unwinding of a gaming boom among consumers who had been stuck at home during pandemic lockdowns. “Gaming is now bigger than ever, and a certain part of users stay on, but the party is certainly now over,” said Serkan Toto, founder of game industry consultancy Kantan Games. (Reuters & Engadget.com)
任天堂8月3日釋出的财報顯示，上一季度Switch遊戲機銷量大幅下跌至343萬台，而去年同期銷量為445萬台。任天堂遊戲公司總部位于京都，公司将Switch的銷售問題歸咎于零部件短缺。該公司稱：“硬體生産受到全球半導體元件短缺等因素的影響，導緻硬體出貨量下降。”公司預計“夏末至秋季”零部件采購情況将有所改善。任天堂維持本财年銷售預期，即截至2023年3月底，Switch年銷量将達到2100萬台，這一數字低于上一年的2306萬台。目前，産生于疫情隔離期間的遊戲消費熱潮已經開始消退，投資者正在評估這一狀況。遊戲産業咨詢公司Kantan Games的創始人Serkan Toto稱：“如今遊戲市場比以往任何時期都要龐大，一部分使用者會持續消費，但現在盛況已然過去。”
【注釋】
① chalk up to: to consider that sth is caused by sth 把某事歸結于
Nintendo Switch
(Credit: Reuters)
5
Brazil’s environment chief approved paving highway through Amazon despite his own agency’s warnings
巴西環境機構負責人無視本機構警告，準許在亞馬遜雨林鋪設公路
Last week, Eduardo Bim, president of environmental agency IBAMA①, authorized Brazil’s federal government to begin repaving highway BR-319 between the cities of Manaus and Porto Velho, a route which cuts through the most pristine② area of the country’s Amazon rainforest. The decision was immediately criticized by environmental groups who say that repaving the route would encourage deforestation. The highway project was originally a key part of a plan by the country’s military dictatorship③ to develop the wild area and integrate it with the rest of the country. It was officially opened in 1976, but poor maintenance led to its abandonment by 1988. Since then, the road has been only partially usable. A study estimated the project would result in a fivefold rise in deforestation by 2030, the equivalent of an area larger than the US state of Florida. (CNN & The Guardian)
上周，巴西環境和可再生資源協會會長愛德華多·比姆準許巴西聯邦政府在馬瑙斯市和韋柳港之間重新鋪設BR-319公路，這條路線穿過巴西亞馬遜雨林最原始的區域。該項決定公布後立刻遭到環保組織指責，他們認為重新鋪設這條公路會助長砍伐森林的風氣。該公路項目最初是巴西軍事獨裁時期一項計劃中的關鍵部分，這項計劃旨在開發無人區并将其與巴西其他地區相融。該公路于1976年正式啟用，但由于維護不當，1988年被廢棄。那時起，該公路就隻有部分可通車。一項研究估計，到2030年，該項目導緻的森林砍伐量将增加5倍，砍伐面積相當于比美國佛羅裡達州還要大的一片區域。
【注釋】
① IBAMA: The Brazilian Institute of Environment and Renewable Natural Resources, known as IBAMA, is a federal agency under the Ministry of Environment. It acts in the protection of Brazilian natural resources. 巴西環境和可再生資源協會，簡稱IBAMA，是環境部下屬的聯邦機構。它緻力于保護巴西的自然資源。
② pristine: [ˈprɪstiːn] adj. not developed or changed in any way; left in its original condition 未開發的；處于原始狀态的
③ military dictatorship: The military dictatorship in Brazil was established on 1 April 1964, with support from the United States government, against President João Goulart. The Brazilian dictatorship lasted for 21 years, until 15 March 1985. 巴西的軍事獨裁政權于1964年4月1日在美國政府的支援下建立，反對若昂·古拉特總統。巴西的獨裁統治持續了21年，直到1985年3月15日結束。
(Credit: CNN)
6
Volcano erupts near Iceland’s capital in seismic① hot spot
冰島首都附近地震多發區火山噴發
A volcano has erupted on a mountain near Iceland’s capital Reykjavik after days of rising earthquake activity in the area, the Icelandic Meteorological Office (IMO) said on Wednesday. Images and livestreams by local news outlets showed lava② and smoke spewing from a fissure③ in the ground on the side of the Fagradalsfjall mountain, which last year saw an eruption that lasted six months. A “code red” was declared to prohibit airplanes from flying over the site although helicopters were sent in to survey the situation. If the outbreak was confirmed to be similar to the fissures seen last year, the aviation alert would likely be lowered to orange, signalling less danger, an agency spokesperson said. The Reykjanes Peninsula is a volcanic and seismic hot spot, and the outbreak took place just 25 km (15 miles) from Reykjavik and 15 km from the nation’s international airport. (Reuters)
8月3日，冰島氣象局表示，冰島首都雷克雅未克附近的一座火山噴發。此前，該火山的所在區域曾連續多日發生強烈地震活動。當地新聞媒體的圖像和直播顯示，熔岩和煙霧從法格拉達爾山一側的地面裂縫中流出；去年，法格拉達爾火山噴發持續了六個月。當地釋出紅色預警禁止飛機經過此區域，但直升機已前往該區域以調查具體情況。政府機構發言人表示，如果确定地面裂縫與去年觀測的相似，航空警報可能會降低為橙色，意味着危險級别降低。雷克雅内斯半島是火山和地震多發區，此次的火山噴發距離冰島首都雷克雅未克僅25公裡（相當于15英裡），距離冰島國際機場僅15公裡。
【注釋】
① seismic: [ ˈsaɪzmɪk] adj. caused by or relating to an earthquake 地震的；地震相關的
② lava: [ˈlɑːvə] n. hot liquid rock that comes out of a volcano （火山噴出的）熔岩；岩漿
③ fissure: [ˈfɪʃə(r)] n. a long deep crack in sth., especially in rock or in the earth 岩石、土地等中深長的）裂縫，裂隙
(Credit: Reuters)
北京化工大學
徐伊琳、馬盈盈、劉朗 編譯
劉靜翾 朗讀
張菊 審訂