In the scripted world of high-profile diplomacy, every move is planned weeks in advance, with seating charts, menus and toasts subject to careful scrutiny.
在凡事都先寫好劇本的大人物外交世界中，一舉一動都在數週前便計畫妥當，包括座位表、菜單與舉杯等，都被嚴密檢視。
So imagine Britain’s surprise when Mikhail Gorbachev made an unannounced, spontaneous visit to the prime minister’s residence at 10 Downing Street in London.
A daily dose of vitamin E could help people with dementia, research suggests. A study in the journal JAMA found people with mild to moderate Alzheimer’s disease on high doses of vitamin E had a slower rate of decline than those given a dummy pill.
研究顯示，每天吃維他命E，可能有助失智症患者。「美國醫學會期刊」（JAMA）的研究發現，輕度到中度的阿茲海默症患者，吃高劑量的維他命E，衰退速度比服用安慰劑的人慢。
They were able to carry out everyday tasks for longer and needed less help from carers, say US researchers.
Tens of thousands of citizens turned out for an anti-nuclear rally in Tokyo on Sunday, as the nation prepares to mark the third anniversary of the Fukushima disaster.
在日本準備紀念福島災難3週年之際，數萬公民週日參與東京反核集會。
Demonstrators congregated at Hibiya Park, close to central government buildings, before marching around the national parliament.
Japanese company is taking it to a whole new level with an ear computer.
日本公司將耳掛式電腦提升到一個全新的水準。
It’s a small clip that fits in the ear and allows the wearer to access apps such as a GPS or compass just like a smartwatch.
South African President Jacob Zuma hit out at "trigger-happy" police in an interview published Saturday, following the deaths of at least nine people since January at the hands of police cracking down on protests.
1月以來警方鎮壓抗議活動至少擊斃9人後，南非總統雅各．祖瑪在週六刊登的一篇訪問中，嚴詞指責「亂開槍的」警方。
Public anger has mounted against the hard-handed police force in the run-up to a May 7 general election as Africa’s largest economy faces a wave of protests over wages and shoddy public services.
A decade on from the 2003 U.S.-led invasion that toppled Saddam Hussein and whipped up a tsunami of theft in Baghdad, Iraq’s National Museum is preparing to display its treasures of Mesopotamian culture - even if thousands are missing.
在美國於2003年率盟軍入侵伊拉克推翻海珊政權，並在首都巴格達引發連串竊案的10年後，伊拉克國立博物館現正準備展示館中的美索不達米亞文化寶物，即使數千件文物至今仍下落不明。
The looting of the museum under the eyes of U.S. troops has sometimes been compared to the Mongol sack of the Grand Library of Baghdad in 1258. Then-U.S. Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld shrugged it off with the comment "stuff happens".
To scrape the barrel 意思是在沒有更好選擇的情況下處於無奈只能濫竽充數，將就湊合。
例句
You chose Mark to represent us at the meeting? That's really scraping the barrel.
聯合翻譯引用自 民視英語新聞：http://englishnews.ftv.com.tw/read.aspx?sno=F1543EA3BEFDE54FFB89FE5679314E8A
Opposition lawmakers, entertainers support students who stormed Legislature (2014/03/19)
Opposition lawmakers and entertainers are expressing support for students who climbed barriers and broke through police lines to storm the Legislature last night. The students occupied the speaker’s podium in order to prevent passage of a trade-in-services pact Taiwan signed last year with China. Fearful that the agreement could pave the way for Chinese businesses to take jobs away from Taiwan, the students are demanding greater transparency and a line-by-line review of the pact.
After a night spent occupying the Legislature, morale among students remained high. They are demanding that the Legislature send the trade-in-services pact back to committee after the KMT “forced” it through to a plenary session.
Opposition lawmakers support the students, as do many entertainers.
Ko Yi-cheng
Director
The instant that KMT clown said the trade-in-services passed (first reading), to us, the Legislature became invalid. These people should occupy that invalid Legislature.
Outside the Legislature, singer Chen Ming-chang voiced support for the students.
Online, Masa of Mayday and singer Deserts Chang expressed support. Writer Jiu Ba-dao posted a photo on Facebook of the students occupying the speaker’s podium. He wrote “thank you.”
Despite the demonstrations, President Ma Ying-jeou continued to urge ruling party lawmakers to complete review of the trade-in-services pact this legislative session. Ma claims the pact, made only with China, will help Taiwan enter into economic alliances with other nations.
