Mon, Apr 27, 2009 page15

• Britain’s MI5 seeking real ‘Q’ 英國軍情五處誠徵「Q先生」

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  James Bond always went to Q to keep one step ahead of the enemy with the latest smart gadgets, and now the real-life British spies of MI5 are to get their own technology mastermind.

  Britain’s domestic intelligence agency, commonly called MI5, is seeking a chief scientific adviser “to lead and co-ordinate the scientific work of the Security Service so that the service continues to be supported by excellent science and technology advice,” its Web site said.

  Applicants must have “world-class scientific expertise and credibility in relevant scientific and technology disciplines,” their advertisement read.

  

  British actor Daniel Craig plays James Bond 007 in pursuit of an MI6 traitor, in a scene from the latest Bond movie, Quantum of Solace, filmed at Pinewood Studios in Buckinghamshire, England, in this undated handout photo from Columbia Pictures.這張由哥倫比亞影業提供的未註明日期照片是最新龐德電影《ＯＯ七量子危機》中，ＯＯ七詹姆士•龐德（英國影星丹尼爾•克雷格飾演）追緝軍情六處一名叛徒的場景。該片在英格蘭白金漢郡松木片場拍攝。照片：路透

  PHOTO: REUTERS

  “I think it’s unlikely that the person will be required to develop a weapons system for the latest Aston Martin,” Professor John Beddington, the British government’s chief scientific adviser, told the BBC.

  However, the successful candidate will help protect Britain against threats to national security by keeping on top of the latest moves in science and technology.

  “It will involve a sort of future-gazing to see where technology will be taking us in a year or so,” Beddington said.

  “There is a really important role in providing scientific and technological advice on addressing problems agents in the field will face.”

  MI5’s chief science adviser would help “to frustrate terrorism, to prevent espionage hurting the UK, protect our critical national infrastructure and to frustrate the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction.

  “There’s an enormous amount of scientific content in this role.”

  Q’s hi-tech know-how saw fictional spy Bond out of several scrapes thanks to his wealth of new-fangled gadgets.

  They included a wrist-mounted dart gun, a leg plaster cast that fires missiles and numerous wacky modifications to 007’s Aston Martin cars.(AFP)

  詹姆士．龐德總是以Q先生最新的精巧裝備制敵機先，現在現實生活中的英國軍情五處情報員，也將有專屬的科技總教頭了。

  英國國內情報處（俗稱軍情五處）正在招募一位首席科學顧問，該單位網站上說，這份工作「要負責領導及協調單位的科學任務，以便持續掌握傑出科技諮詢」。

  廣告中說明，應徵者必須具備「世界級的科學專長及相關科技方面的信譽」。

  英國政府首席科學顧問約翰．貝丁頓教授對英國廣播公司表示：「我想這份工作不至於要赴任者研發出最新奧斯頓馬丁跑車的武器系統。」

  然而，赴任者將藉由掌握全球科技的最新技術，協助英國保衛國家安全。

  貝丁頓說：「這份工作的內容將包含預測未來一年左右的科技發展趨勢。」

  「這個角色所提供的科技諮詢非常重要，可以讓出任務的情報員了解他們可能面臨的狀況。」

  軍情五處的首席科學顧問將協助「打擊恐怖主義、防止間諜活動危害英國安全、保護國內重要公共建設，以及阻止大規模毀滅性武器擴散」。

  「這個角色要使用非常大量的科學技術。」

  在ＯＯ七電影中，多虧了Q的大量新奇配備，主角龐德多次靠著他的高科技技術從險境中脫困。

  其中包括腕帶式鏢槍、可發射導彈的腿部石膏，還有ＯＯ七的御用跑車（奧斯頓馬丁）上許多稀奇古怪的改裝配備。

  （法新社╱翻譯：袁星塵）

  For your information

  TODAY’S WORDS 今日單字

  1. gadget n. 精巧裝備 (jing1 qiao3 zhuang1 bei4)， 小玩意兒 (xiao3 wan2 yi4 er2) 例: Shawn spends a lot of his money on new gadgets. (夏恩花很多錢在新奇的小玩意兒上。) 2. adviser n. 顧問 (gu4 wen4) 例: My medical adviser told me to quit playing rugby. (我的醫療顧問叫我別再玩橄欖球了。) 3. enormous adj. 巨大的 (ju4 da4 de5)，龐大的 (pang2 da4 de5) 例: The miners discovered an enormous diamond. (礦工們發現了一顆大鑽石。) 4. wacky adj. 古怪的 (gu3 guai4 de5) 例: Maxwell often makes wacky suggestions in meetings. (麥斯威爾開會時常會提些稀奇古怪的建議。)

  For your information

  READING COMPREHENSION 閱讀測驗

  1. Who supplies gadgets to James Bond in the movies? a. Q. b. M. c. John Beddington. 2. Do applicants need spying experience? a. Yes, they do. b. No, they don’t. c. The article doesn’t say. 3. Will the candidate be required to invent weapons? a. Yes, he will. b. No, he won’t. c. The article doesn’t say. 4. How many James Bond movies have been made? a. 13. b. 20. c. The article doesn’t say.

  For your information

  SAY WHAT? 說說看

  keep on top 掌握 When you keep on top of something you stay informed about it. The new science adviser will have to keep on top of new scientific developments. Examples: “Cassidy has to keep on top of new technology as part of her job,” or “I haven’t been keeping on top of the news lately. Can you tell me what has been going on?” 當你「keep on top」某事，就表示你對它瞭若指掌。新的科學顧問必須要能掌握新科技發展。 例如：「卡西蒂的工作之一就是掌握新技術」，或是「我這陣子都沒掌握新聞，告訴我發生了些什麼事？」。

  For your information

  OUT LOUD 對話練習

  Aiden: How’s the job hunting going, Felicia? Felicia: I’m not sure. I’ve been applying for jobs for over a month, and I still haven’t got one. Aiden: Have you had any interviews? Felicia: I had one with a bank last week, but they still haven’t told me if I was successful. I wish they would just put me out of my misery. Aiden: I’m sure you’ll find something sooner or later. Felicia: I hope so. My rent is due on Friday! 艾登：費莉西亞，工作找得怎麼樣了？ 費莉西亞：我不確定耶。我這一整個月應徵了好幾份工作，還是一點消息也沒有。 艾登：妳有面試過嗎？ 費莉西亞：我上星期有去一家銀行面試，不過他們還沒通知我是不是錄取了。我只希望他們給我個答案。 艾登：我相信妳遲早會找到工作的。 費莉西亞：希望如此。我星期五就得付房租了！ put somebody out of their misery 使某人不再忐忑期待 You put somebody out of their misery when you stop them waiting for something, usually a piece of news. 「put somebody out of their misery」意指讓某人不再期待某事，通常是某個消息。
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