各位读者好：
好久不见，近来好吗？有常读英语新闻吗？让我们今天来看4月26日刊登于The China Post上头版的头条新闻。
Chen’s amnesty plan under close scrutiny
A sentence commutation program President Chen Shui-bian is mulling may not be able to take effect by the date of his inauguration anniversary next month, as opposition lawmakers have questioned the motivation behind the plan.
《标题解析》
这是一则有关台湾总统陈水扁，计划在就职七周年520当天，实施一项十六年以来首次的特赦计划（amnesty plan）。特赦这个字或许在社会生活中不常用到，但在媒体上经常会听到国际特赦组织，英文就是Amnesty International。
Close scrutiny意思是密切的检查。
Scrutiny means the careful and detailed examination of something in order to obtain information about it.
Scrutiny 是一个很有水准的用字，就是小心仔细的检查，以获得资讯。它的动词是scrutinize。
这个标题可不要把plan看成动词了，plan在这里其实是名词，动词是is，但在标题中被省略掉了。所以完整的写法应该是：
President Chen Shui-bian’s amnesty plan is under close scrutiny.
《内文解析》
A sentence commutation program就是一项减刑计划。在犯罪新闻中，经常用到的“减刑”就是commutation。Commutation means when a punishment is changed to one that is less severe.
另一个词汇则是缓刑probation。
Probation means a period of time when a criminal must behave well and not commit any more crimes in order to avoid being sent to prison.
缓刑的意思是说，当一个罪犯必须表现良好，而且不再犯任何罪，以避免被送进监牢。这通常是指初犯，而且是比较轻的罪，法官会给予缓刑的判决。
President Chen Shui-bian is mulling是说陈水扁总统正在考虑。Mull是一个很漂亮的新闻用字，其实就是to think or consider carefully的意思，think, consider很简单，记者经常会使用比较有学问的用字来替换，mull也有温酒的意思，引伸为“在酝酿中思考……”。另外几个常用来表示“谨慎思考”的字，则是weigh, ponder等。
may not be able to take effect就是“可能无法升效”。inauguration anniversary是就职周年之意。Motivation是动机的意思。
《句型解析》
如果问大家，内文这一句中的主要动词是那个呢？很多读者可能会回答is。那就错了，其实是 may not be，may是助动词。
所以A sentence commutation program President Chen Shui-bian is mulling整个都是主词的部分。President Chen Shui-bian is mulling是作为主词commutation program的后位修饰，是省略了that的名词子句。A sentence commutation program that President Chen Shui-bian is mulling…..
整句的结构是：主要字句+介系词词组+副词子句。
A sentence commutation program主要字句主词部分
President Chen Shui-bian is mulling 插入的名词子句
may not be able to take effect主要字句动词与受词部分
by the date of his inauguration anniversary 介系词词组
next month,
as opposition lawmakers have questioned the motivation副词子句
behind the plan. 介系词词组
《全句中译》
Chen’s amnesty plan under close scrutiny
A sentence commutation program President Chen Shui-bian is mulling may not be able to take effect by the date of his inauguration anniversary next month, as opposition lawmakers have questioned the motivation behind the plan.
陈水扁的特赦计划受到严密检验
陈水扁总统正在考虑的减刑计划，可能无法在下个月的就职周年前升效，因为反对党立委质疑这项计划背后的动机。＠*
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