Tue, Apr 08, 2008 page14

• New clue in 37-year-old mystery? 三十七年未解之謎現矚光?

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  A tattered parachute found in a rugged region of northwest Washington state may yield clues to the fate of the robber behind a daredevil high-altitude hijacking 37 years ago, reports said late last month.

  The Seattle Post-Intelligencer reported that a parachute found on rural land was being examined to see if it belonged to hijacker D.B. Cooper, who leapt from a commercial jet in 1971 after collecting a US$200,000 (NT$6 million) ransom.

  FBI investigators have said for years that Cooper most likely did not survive the jump from over 3,000m, but the hijacker’s body has never been found.

  

  FBI Special Agent Robbie Burroughs looks at the date on the parachute found in North Clark County, Washington, US, on March 25, 2008. 上個月二十五日在美國華盛頓州，聯邦調查局特別幹員羅碧．巴勒斯查看在北克拉克郡發現的降落傘上的日期。 　照片：美聯社

  PHOTO: AP

  The recently discovered parachute is believed to be similar to the one Cooper used and was dug up by a man plowing land at his property in Clark County, FBI agent Larry Carr told the newspaper.

  “If D.B. Cooper had pulled his chute not long after that jump, he would have landed in that area,” Carr said. “Is this D.B. Cooper’s parachute? We don’t know yet.”

  The case is often described as the world’s only unsolved hijacking, and began when a man traveling as Dan Cooper threatened to blow up a plane flying from Portland to Seattle.

  Cooper demanded US$200,000 and four parachutes, which were given to him after the plane landed at Seattle airport. After the plane took off Cooper made his getaway.

  None of Cooper’s ransom money ever found its way into circulation although nearly US$6,000 (NT$180,900) was found along the banks of the Columbia River in 1980.(AFP)

  上個月底有報導指出，華盛頓州西北部一處崎嶇地區發現了一個破爛的降落傘，而那可能為三十七年前一起驚心動魄的高空劫機案主嫌的下落帶來線索。

  《西雅圖郵報》報導，在偏遠地區發現的這個降落傘已送檢，以確認它是否為迪比庫柏所有；一九七一年，庫柏在拿到二十萬美元的贖金後，從一架民航客機上一躍而下。

  多年來，美國聯邦調查局調查員都表示，從三千多公尺高空跳下的庫柏極可能難逃一死，但他的遺體一直都沒有被尋獲。

  聯邦調查局幹員賴瑞．卡爾對《西雅圖郵報》表示，日前一名男子在他克拉克郡的自家田地上耕種時挖到了這個降落傘，這個降落傘據信和庫柏逃脫時使用的降落傘極為相似。

  「假使迪比庫柏在跳下不久後就拉開降落傘，那他就會降落在那個地區，」卡爾說：「但這是迪比庫柏的降落傘嗎？我們還不確定。」

  這個案子常被形容為全世界唯一未破案的劫機事件，事件的起頭是一個自稱丹．庫柏的男子揚言要炸毀一架從波特蘭飛往西雅圖的飛機。

  庫柏要求二十萬美元的贖金和四個降落傘，他在航機降落西雅圖時拿到了贖金和降落傘；航機再起飛後，庫柏就逃脫了。

  庫柏勒索的贖金鈔票未曾在市面上流通過，但一九八Ｏ年時，有人在哥倫比亞河堤邊發現了當中近六千美元（新台幣十八萬零九百元）。（法新社�翻譯：袁星塵）

  For your information

  Today's Words 今日單字

  1. tattered adj. 破碎的 (po4 sui4 de5) 例: Tim's clothes were rather tattered. (提姆的衣服十分破爛。) 2. yield v.t./v.i. 帶來 (dai4 lai2)，讓與 (rang4 yu3) 例: Cars must yield to pedestrians on zebra crossings. (車子過斑馬線時必須禮讓行人。) 3. plow v.t./v.i. 犁田 (li2 tian2)，苦讀 (ku3 du2) 例: The students plowed on through the test after the false alarm. (學生在打錯的鐘聲響後，埋頭疾筆寫考卷。) 4. getaway n. 脫逃 (tuo1 tao2) 例: Kate couldn't wait to make her getaway! (凱特等不及要開溜了！)

  For your information

  READING COMPREHENSION閱讀測驗

  1. Where was the parachute found? a. Seattle. b. North Clark County. c. Portland. 2. How much was the ransom received? a. US$200,000. b. US$6,000. c. The article doesn’t say. 3. Where was the hijacked plane en route to? a. Washington DC. b. Portland. c. Seattle. 4. How many parachutes were demanded? a. One. b. Four. c. The article doesn’t say.

  For your information

  SAY WHAT? 說說看

  daredevil 不怕死的 Daredevil can be used as either a noun or an adjective. It describes reckless and exciting people or actions. Other similar adjectives are temerarious and audacious. For example: “The teachers remember Henrietta Garnet as a particularly audacious pupil; the stories of her temerarious pranks still haunt the staff room over a decade later.” Scaredy-cat, wussy and lily livered are just some of the many terms used to describe the opposite of daredevil. For example: “People should stand up for themselves, not hide behind others. Such lily-livered actions smack of poor character.” 「daredevil」可當名詞或形容詞用，用來形容魯莽又驚心動魄的人或行為。類似的形容詞有「temerarious」和「audacious」，例如：「老師印象中的漢瑞塔．葛奈特是個冒失膽大的學生；她十年前大膽惡作劇的事蹟至今還在教師休息室流傳」。 「scaredy-cat」、「wussy」和「lily livered」都是「daredevil」的反義詞，例如：「人們應該站出來為自 己發聲，而不是躲在人群背後；這類怯懦行為反 映出來的是沒有自信的性格」。

  For your information

  OUT LOUD 對話練習

  Gerry: I had a big fight with my girlfriend. Sarah: How come? Gerry: She was being horrible about my friend. Sarah: Well that wasn’t very nice of her. Gerry: She got all bent out of shape when I suggested that she was wrong about him though. Sarah: I wouldn’t worry about it too much. It’s good to stand up for your friends. 傑瑞：我和我女友大吵了一架。 莎拉：為什麼？ 傑瑞：她非常討厭我的朋友。 莎拉：唔，她這樣真的不太好。 傑瑞：當我告訴她她的想法是錯的時，她氣瘋了。 莎拉:這沒什麼好擔心的，你能為朋友挺身而出是件好事。 bent out of shape 氣壞了 If someone is bent out of shape then he or she is extremely angry about something. 「bent out of shape」的意思就是某人對某事感到極度生氣

  For your information

  WHAT’S WRONG? 挑毛病

  Choose the correct sentence: 選出正確的解答： (1) a. We decided to shake the tree to see that any apples would fall. b. We decided to shake the tree to seeing if any apples would fall. c. We decided to shake the tree to see if any apples would fall. (2) a. I’d say they mostly likely already decided on the successor. b. I’d say they most likelier already decided on the successor. c. I’d say they most likely already decided on the successor. (3) a. Sherry dig up some dirt on the law firm. b. Sherry dug down some dirt on the law firm. c. Sherry dug up some dirt on the law firm.

  For your information

  USAGE QUESTIONS 文法練習

  1. You could describe the situation ___ uncomfortable for all concerned. a. on b. for c. to d. as 2. The book was found ___ an empty seat on the MRT. a. out b. off c. up d. on 3. None ___ us really liked the food, but we had to pretend that we were enjoying it. a. by b. to c. of d. at

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  TODAY’S ANSWERS 今日解答

  Reading comprehension: 1. b 2. a 3. c 4. b What's wrong?: 1. c 2. c 3. c Usage questions: 1. d 2. d 3. c
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