【英語多益通】歐巴馬給馬英九當選賀詞
文／周強
2012美國與臺灣的總統都要尋求連任。美國將於2012年底由現任的總統歐巴馬出戰在野的共和黨，而臺灣則已經在一月份確定由現任的馬英九總統連任成功。
美國與臺灣同爲民主體制。在兩大黨政治下，執政黨與在野黨無不高度動員，使出渾身解數尋求選民的認同，期望催出支持者「寶貴的一票」。臺灣歷經了2011下半年的激烈選戰，終於在新的一年裡的1月14日的週六，決定了未來四年的國家走向。美國政府在14日晚間就發出新聞稿，恭賀總統與立委選舉成功，並稱贊臺灣在過去數十年經濟與政治的成就，證明臺灣是「亞洲偉大成功的故事」。
白宮的這份祝賀新聞稿言簡意賅、用字精準。正在準備多益測（http://www.toeic.com.tw/）或是希望提升英文程度的同學，應該瀏覽一下全文。周強老師利用其中重要的一段，改編成多益測驗Part 6的形式，以訓練同學們的應試策略與技巧。
Part 6在每次的多益測驗裡會有三到四篇短文，題目總共12題，以「克漏字」的形式呈現，主要在測驗受測者語法、字彙、與閱讀三大能力。Part 6與Part 5單句閱讀的差異在於：Part 6除了該句的句意之外，答案還要符合全文短文的適切性。時間壓力是受測者在閱讀三大部份(Part 5, 6, 7)最大的挑戰，所以正在準備多益測驗的同學要練習能在10分鐘之內完成Part 6的12題，纔能有足夠的時間面對接下來Part 7篇章閱讀的48題。
THE WHITE HOUSEOffice of the Press Secretary_____________________________________________________________________
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 14, 2012
Statement by the Press Secretary on Taiwan’s Elections
We congratulate Ma Ying-jeou on his reelection and the people of Taiwan on the successful conduct of their presidential and legislative elections.
Through the hard work of its people and its remarkable economic and political development over the past decades, Taiwan has proven to be one of the great success stories in Asia. In this year's elections, Taiwan has again demonstrated the (1)___________ and vitality of its democratic system. We are (2)__________ Taiwan will
1.
(A) inclusion (B) mention (C) strength (D) settlement
2.
(A) confident(B) confidence (C) confidential(D) confidentiality
build on its many accomplishments, and we will continue to work together to advance our many common interests, including expanding trade and investment ties.
[解析]第(1)題在測驗同學是否知道職場的一個常用字：「優點、優勢」。同學雖然都知道”strength”是「力量」的意思，但是它在職場上另一個重要字義是「優點、優勢、強項、長處」；它最常搭配的反義字也值得一學，「優點、長處」的反義當然是「缺點、短處」，它是「虛弱的、薄弱的」”weak”這個英文字的名詞”weakness”。本題的全句句意是：「在今年的選舉中，臺灣再次展現了民主制度的優點與活力。」
(例句)：These 50 questions are used to test interviewees’ strengths and weaknesses.(這五十個問題用來測驗面試者的長處與弱點。)
在多益測驗裡，表示「優點、長處」除了”strength”之外，最常出現的還有”advantage”、”upside”、”merit”。此外，”strength”加上了表示動詞的字尾”-en”之後，就是與「力量」字義有關的「強化”strengthen”」，→ Her analysis strengthened their resolve to invest.(她的分析強化了他們投資的決心。)；第一題的正確答案是(C)，其他答案都使句意扭曲。
第(2)題在測驗同學是否知道職場的兩個常用字：”confident”(有信心的)與”confidential”(機密的)。這兩個英文字不但在多益測驗中常出現，在其他的英檢中也常見，因爲它們字形相似又同時常見、常用於職場。尤其當商業機密、密碼、員工薪水這種應該保持「機密」的話題出現時，就會用到”confidential”(機密的)這個字，(例)：It is important that employees’ salary should be kept confidential.(員工薪資保持機密是很重要的。)
本題的題意是「美國有信心臺灣建基於自己的許多成就之上，…」，所以句意應該是「有信心的」而不是「機密的」。此外，be動詞”are”的後面應該接形容詞，所以正確答案是(A)。答案(D)是”confidential(機密的)”的名詞。閱讀的小技巧是”Taiwan”的前面省略了”that”，加上去之後同學會更清楚此句的結構：
→ We are confident (that) Taiwan will build on its many accomplishments,…
白宮是世界上最高階也最大的職場，裡面的新聞官也是職場的能手。這篇祝賀臺灣1月14日總統選舉結果的新聞稿(press release)，有許多好字與好的用法，同學應加以研讀，全信列示於下：
THE WHITE HOUSEOffice of the Press Secretary_____________________________________________________________________
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 14, 2012
Statement by the Press Secretary on Taiwan’s Elections
We congratulate Ma Ying-jeou on his reelection and the people of Taiwan on the successful conduct of their presidential and legislative elections.
Through the hard work of its people and its remarkable economic and political development over the past decades, Taiwan has proven to be one of the great success stories in Asia. In this year's elections, Taiwan has again demonstrated the strength and vitality of its democratic system. We are confident Taiwan will build on its many accomplishments, and we will continue to work together to advance our many common interests, including expanding trade and investment ties.
The relationship between the people of the United States and the people of Taiwan is based on common interests and a shared commitment to freedom and democracy. As we have done for more than 30 years, we will maintain our close unofficial ties with the people on Taiwan through the American Institute in Taiwan and according to our one China policy based on the three Joint Communiqués with the People’s Republic of China and the Taiwan Relations Act.