BBC初級口語:沙特縫紉機搶購熱
Background: 沙特阿拉伯老式縫紉機的價格因某種奇說而突然暴漲。有人說，那些老機器含有某種特殊物質，既能用來探寶又能祛邪甚至還可以用來製造原子彈。
【文本】
Saudi Sewing Machine Frenzy
Saudis have been racing to buy Singer sewing machines for up to fifty-thousand dollars because they believe they contain traces of red mercury. This is a substance which may or may not actually exist.
Some sources say it can be used to make a devastating, pure nuclear fusion bomb. Others say it's an urban myth.
In 2006, it featured in the British trial of three men accused of trying to make a dirty bomb. They went looking for red mercury, but during the course of the trial it became clear that no-one - not even the defendants themselves - knew what it was. But that hasn't stopped internet sites suggesting that one kilogram of the substance can fetch hundreds of thousands of dollars on the black market.
However the rumours in Saudi Arabia started, it's the hope of such huge profits that's caused the sewing machine buying frenzy. Saudi papers have pictures of old men with pick-up vans, stacked with piles of sewing machines.
People believe they can use their mobile phones to test if the machines contain red mercury. The Saudi authorities say it's all a hoax and they’ve launched a police investigation.
【口語突破】
racing to buy 爭先購買
traces 少量的
substance 材料
devastating 毀滅性的
fusion bomb 熱核彈
urban myth 都市傳奇
dirty bomb 髒彈
defendants 被告
black market 黑市
buying frenzy 搶購熱
pick-up vans 皮卡（貨車）
hoax 惡作劇
重點單詞查看全部解釋fusion['fju:ʒən]想一想再看
n. 融合物，結合，熔合
聯想記憶X單詞fusion聯想記憶：可指：Jazz-rock 的fusion爵士搖滾樂 contain[kən'tein]
想一想再看
vt. 包含，容納，剋制，抑制
vi. 自制
con全部，tain拿－全部拿住－包含 hoax[həuks]
想一想再看
v. 欺騙，哄騙，愚弄
n. 愚弄人，惡作劇
想一想再看
n. 物質，實質，內容，重要性，財產
聯想記憶X單詞substance聯想記憶：sub下面+stance站，立→站在下面的東西→具體物質；本質 devastating['devəsteitiŋ]
想一想再看
adj. 毀滅性的，令人震驚的，強有力的
myth[miθ]想一想再看
n. 神話
frenzy['frenzi]想一想再看
n. 狂暴，狂怒
trial['traiəl]想一想再看
adj. 嘗試性的; 審訊的
n. 嘗試，努力
想一想再看
adj. 城市的，都市的
聯想記憶X單詞urban聯想記憶：urb城市+an表名詞和形容詞，“…地方.…人蔘考：suburb郊區，aub+urb→城市的
