文 林治平
「任何事都是從一個決心、一粒種子開始。」
“Every achievement grows out of the seed of
determination.”From The Teachings of Dharma Master Cheng Yen.
——選自釋證嚴《青年靜思小語》
「這是杜拜美夢的結束。」
“This will be the end of the Dubai dream,”said an
anonymous businessman on one of Dubai's biggest investment companies, Dubai
World, needing to ask for a six-month delay on repaying its debts.
——杜拜最大投資公司之一的杜拜世界陷入困境，要求延後六個月償還負債，一位商界人士斷言夢想已破滅。
「我覺得很害怕，有如身在迅速沈沒的鐵達尼號上。是時候該出動救生艇了。」
“I have the feeling of dread we are on the Titanic
and sinking fast. It's time to launch the lifeboats,”Ian Fry, a representative
at the Copenhagen climate talks from the Pacific nation of Tuvalu, expressing
frustration with the lack of progress.
——太平洋島國吐瓦魯的代表傅萊參加哥本哈根氣候會談，對會談缺乏進展大表不滿。
「我沒預料到會出現如此巨大危機。」
“I did not anticipate a crisis of this magnitude,”
said Ben Bernanke, the chairman of the Federal Reserve, on the central bank's
mistakes that contributed to the financial crisis.
——美國聯邦準備理事會主席柏南奇，談起相當於中央銀行的聯準會所犯錯誤助長了金融危機，承認對情勢有些看走眼。
「我老實說，手是碰到了球，但是我可不是裁判。」
“I will be honest. It was a handball — but I'm not
the referee,”said French soccer star Thierry Henry, admitting that he used his
hand to set up France's decisive goal against Ireland in a World Cup
qualification playoff game.
——法國在世界盃足球賽資格賽的附加賽迎戰愛爾蘭，法國明星球員亨利承認曾用手觸球，助球隊攻進致勝的一球。
「美國人知道有人遭遇困難時，無法忍受不伸出援手。」
“Americans know people that are going through this
problem, and they can't bear not to help them,”said Vicki Escarra, head of
food-bank network Feeding America, which is logging record donations amid the
recession.
——提供食物的慈善團體「餵養美國」在經濟衰退期間所獲捐贈刷新紀錄，負責人艾斯卡拉對美國人的同情心信心滿滿。
「我們必須變革，否則將會沈淪。」
“We must change or sink,”said Greek Prime Minister
George Papandreou, announcing ambitious measures, like reducing state spending
10%, to cut the European Union's biggest budget deficit.
——希臘總理巴本德里歐宣布將大刀闊斧採行各項措施，包括削減國家支出10%，以降低名列歐洲聯盟第一的預算赤字。
「深自反省後，我決定無限期暫別職業高球界。我得要專注於當個比較好的丈夫和父親，以及比較好的人。」
“After much soul searching, I have decided to take an
indefinite break from professional golf. I need to focus my attention on being
a better husband, father, and person,” said U.S. golf star Tiger Woods in a
post on his website, acknowledging that he was unfaithful to his wife Elin
Nordegren.
——美國高球明星「老虎」伍茲在他的網站貼出聲明，承認對妻子艾琳不忠。
「我如今已接受，自己的生活將永遠不同以往。我不希望這種日子結束。」
“I accept now that my life will never be the same.
And I don't want it to end,”said Susan Boyle, the Britain's Got Talent star
whose debut album, I Dreamed a Dream, has sold more than 410,000 copies since
its Nov. 23 release, the strongest first-week sales for a debut album in U.K.
history
——參加《英國星光大道》節目暴紅的素人歌手蘇珊‧鮑以爾樂享新生。她推出的第一張專輯《我曾有夢》11月23日開始發售後，首週即大賣41萬張，創英國歷史上歌手首張專輯的銷售紀錄。
