The UN says yes.

聯合國說可以。

This is News Review from BBC Learning English.

這是 BBC 學英文的新聞回顧節目。

I'm Neil.

我是 Neil。

And I'm Beth.

我是 Beth。

Make sure you watch to the end to learn vocabulary you need to talk about this story.

請務必觀看到最後，學習談論這個故事所需的詞彙。

Don't forget to subscribe to our channel, like this video and try the quiz on our website.

別忘了訂閱我們的頻道，按讚這支影片並嘗試在我們的網站上進行測驗。

Now, the story.

現在進入主題。

Fukushima. It was the worst nuclear disaster since Chernobyl back in the 1980s.

福島核災。這是自1980 年代車諾比事故以來最嚴重的核災難。

Now, the UN says it's safe for Japan to start releasing waste water from the plant into the ocean.

現在，聯合國說日本開始從核電廠排放廢水進入海洋是安全的。

A tsunami flooded the Fukushima nuclear plant in 2011, causing a radiation leak.

2011 年海嘯淹沒了福島核電廠造成輻射洩漏。

China and South Korea have opposed the plan.

中國和韓國反對該計劃。

You've been looking at headlines, Beth.

Beth，你看過了新聞頭條。

What's the vocabulary?

今天要學哪些詞彙？

We have watchdog, greenlighting and refute.

有「監督」、「准許某事發生」和「反駁」。

This is News Review from BBC Learning English.

這是 BBC 學英文的新聞回顧節目。

Let's have a look at our first headline.

讓我們來看看第一個新聞標題。

This is from the BBC:

這是 BBC 的報導：

Fukushima nuclear disaster: UN watchdog approves plan for water release

福島核災：聯合國監督機構批准放水計劃

So, this headline explains that a part of the UN has decided that it's now safe to start releasing water from the site of the Fukushima nuclear plant in Japan.

這個標題解釋了聯合國的一部分已經決定現在可以安全地開始從日本福島核電廠放水。

The word that we are going to look at is 'watchdog'.

我們要看的詞是「監督」。

Can you break that down, please?

你能詳細解釋一下嗎？

Yes. So 'watchdog' has two parts that you recognize, 'watch' and 'dog'.

「監督」是兩個字組成的，你們都認得，「watch」跟「dog」。

Now in its literal meaning, a watchdog is a specially trained dog that watches over something.

在其字面意義上，watchdog 指的是一隻受特殊訓練的狗，用來監視某物。

It's like a guard.

它就像一個警衛。

OK. That's a clear explanation of the word.

好的。這個詞的解釋很清楚。

But why is 'watchdog' being used here in this story?

但在這篇報道中，為什麼要使用 watchdog 呢？

It's not about animals.

這與動物無關。

It's not.

沒錯，與動物無關。

But the word 'watchdog' is very often used in a non-literal way, although it does carry a similar sense to the original meaning.

watchdog 這個詞通常在非字面的方式使用，雖然它仍然帶有類似原義的意義。

So, a watchdog is an organisation that makes sure other organisations are behaving properly.

一個 watchdog 機構通常是指一個組織，其使命是確保其他組織或機構的行為符合規定，

Yeah. So this UN watchdog is there to make sure that nuclear safety standards are met.

這個聯合國的 watchdog（監管機構）的存在是為了確保核安全標準得到遵守。

And we see this word 'watchdog' used often in connection to finance as well. A financial watchdog is there to make sure that banks behave properly.

watchdog（監察機構）這個詞在金融領域中經常被使用。金融監察機構的角色是確保銀行行為正當。

Let's look at that again.

讓我們再看一遍。

Let's have our next headline.

我們來看看下一個標題。

This is from The Korea Herald:

這段來自《韓國先驅報》：

IAEA chief to visit Korea after greenlighting Japan wastewater discharge

國際原子能機構（IAEA）主席在批准日本排放污水後將訪問韓國

So, the IAEA, that's the International Atomic Energy Agency, which is a watchdog,

國際原子能機構（IAEA），即國際原子能機構，作為監察機構，

is going to visit Korea now that this decision about the Fukushima nuclear plant releasing water has been made.

將在關於福島核電廠排放水的決定已經做出後訪問韓國。

The vocabulary that we are interested in from this headline, though, is greenlighting.

我們對這個標題感興趣的詞彙是「greenlighting」。

Now, Beth, you like driving, don't you?

Beth，你喜歡開車吧？

I do, and I especially like it when the roads are clear.

我喜歡，尤其喜歡道路暢通的時候。

There is nothing to stop me so I prefer green lights to red lights because green lights mean 'go'.

沒有什麼能阻止我，所以比起紅燈，我更喜歡綠燈，因為綠燈意味著可以走。

And that is key to understanding 'greenlighting', isn't it?

而這正是理解「greenlighting」這個字意思的關鍵，對嗎？

Yes, so, 'greenlighting' is the metaphorical act of showing someone, or something, a green light, meaning that it is allowed to happen.

是的，greenlighting 是向某人、某物展示的隱喻行為，意味著允許它發生。

Just like when you're driving your car, you see the green light, it means you are allowed to go.

就像你開車一樣，你會看到綠燈，這意味著你可以走了。

And in the headline we have 'greenlighting', but you can also 'give something the green light',

而在標題中，我們看到了 greenlighting，但你也可以「給某物綠燈」，

and this is often used when asking for official permission to do something.

這通常在請求官方許可執行某事時使用。

Yeah. So, for example, you might want to do some home improvements, but you need permission from the local council.

是的，舉例來說，你可能想進行一些家居改裝工程，但你需要向當地政府申請許可。

You have to wait for them to give your plans the green light, or to green light your plans.

你必須等待他們批准你的計劃，或者說等待他們給你的計劃綠燈。

Let's look at that again.

讓我們再看一遍。

Let's have our next headline.

我們來看看下一個標題。

This is from The Japan News:

本文來自《日本新聞》：

Japan Must Use Scientific Evidence to Refute Disinformation

日本必須用科學證據來駁斥虛假資訊。

The headline says that Japan must use scientific evidence to stop people suggesting that this decision about water and Fukushima is dangerous.

標題表示日本必須利用科學證據來制止人們提出這項有關福島水的決定是危險的觀點。

They describe it as disinformation, which means false information, often spread for a particular reason.

他們將這種行為描述為「虛假信息」，意思是經常出於特定目的散佈的不實信息。

The word we're interested in though, is the verb 'refute'.

我們感興趣的詞是動詞「refute」。

Yes. And it's clear from the context of this headline that refute is connected to proving that something is wrong.

是的，根據這個標題的上下文，「refute」與證明某事是錯誤的相關聯。

If you refute something, you strongly say that a person or an opinion is not right - it's wrong.

如果你「refute 反駁」某事，你強烈地表示一個人或一個觀點是不正確的，是錯誤的。

But 'refute', this is quite a formal word, isn't it, Neil?

但是 「反駁」，這是一個相當正式的詞，對嗎，Neil？

It is, yes.

是的，沒錯。

We often hear 'refute' in official contexts, legal language, academic writing and debate.

我們經常在官方內容、法律、學術寫作和辯論場合聽到 「反駁」 一詞。

If we wanted to talk about something less official, less formal, we probably wouldn't use the word 'refute'.

如果我們想要討論一些不那麼正式、不那麼正式的事情，我們可能不會使用「refute」這個詞。

For example, if you said to me, "Harry Styles is the greatest singer of all time," I don't agree, but I don't use the word 'refute' there.

例如，如果你對我說：「Harry Styles 是有史以來最偉大的歌手」，我不同意，但我不會在這裡使用「refute」這個詞。

No, that kind of conversation is definitely too informal for the word 'refute'.

沒錯，這樣的談話完全不適合使用 refute 一詞。

You'd probably just say 'that's rubbish' or 'you're talking nonsense'.

你可能會說「那是胡說八道」或「你在胡扯」。

Although Harry Styles is quite good.

雖然 Harry Styles 確實是很不錯的歌手。

Yeah, he is quite good. Let's look at that again.

是的，他很不錯。讓我們再看一遍。

We've had watchdog – group that makes sure another organisation acts correctly.

我們看了 watchdog，即確保其他組織正確行動的機構。

Greenlighting – giving permission.

Greenlighting 即表示給予許可。

And refute – say something is wrong.

還有 refute，即表示某事是錯誤的。

Now to learn more about nuclear power and to find out just how green it is, click here for an episode of 6-Minute English.

現在，要深入了解核能以及核能的環保程度，請點擊這裡觀看《6分鐘英語》的一集。

And click here to subscribe to our channel so you never miss another video.

並點擊這裡訂閱我們的頻道，這樣你就不會錯過任何影片了。

Thanks for joining us. Bye.

感謝今天加入我們。再見。