The president (n.總統) of the Philippines (n.菲律賓) argued yesterday that a lone (adj.獨行的) gunman (n.槍手) and not his country was to blame (v.負上罪責) for the deaths of eight Hong Kong (n.香港) tourists last year, so he would not issue (v.發出) an apology (n.道歉) in the name of the state.
      Benigno Aquino (n.阿基諾三世) was rejecting (v.拒絕) calls (n.要求) from the next of kin (n.家屬) of the dead and survivors (n.生還者) as they gathered in Manila (n.馬尼拉) yesterday - the anniversary (n.周年紀念) of the tragedy (n.慘劇) - at the site (n.地點) where police botched (v.笨拙地弄糟) a rescue (n.拯救) of hostages (n.人質) on a tourist bus.
      "An apology connotes (v.暗示) that the state did them grievous (adj.嚴重的) harm," he said. "I don't think that is correct."
      He acknowledged (v.承認) that rescuers could have performed better but said any police force would face serious limitations (n.限制) in responding to a gunman who suddenly changed his negotiating (adj.談判的) position (n.立場).
      The hostage fiasco (n.慘敗) triggered (v.引起) outrage (n.公憤) in Hong Kong, which maintains a black travel alert (n.警示) on the Philippines.
      And Chief Executive (n.行政長官) Donald Tsang Yam-kuen (n.曾蔭權) said yesterday that the SAR (n.特區) will not consider dropping (v.撤銷) that alert until Manila takes effective measures (n.措施) to protect the safety of Hong Kong tourists.
      (The Standard, August 24)

      菲律賓總統昨日聲稱，去年造成八名香港旅客喪生的事故中，應當負上罪責的是一名獨行槍手而不是菲國，因此他不會以國家名義道歉。
      昨天是慘劇發生一周年紀念，死難者的直系親屬和生還者齊集在馬尼拉的肇事現場，當時警方便是在此處試圖拯救旅遊巴士上的人質，但表現拙劣，造成悲劇。親屬與生還者要求菲律賓道歉，如今阿基諾三世拒絕了。
      “作出道歉便暗示了本國對他們造成了嚴重傷害。他說：我認為這並不正確。”
      他承認拯救人員可以做得更好，但指出在應付一名突然改變談判立場的槍手時，任何警力都面對諸多掣肘。
      這宗人質慘劇在香港激起公憤，港府一直都維持對菲律賓發出黑色旅遊警示。
      行政長官曾蔭權昨日表示，除非馬尼拉採取有效措施，保障香港旅客安全，否則特區政府將不會考慮撤銷黑色旅警。
     （《英文虎報》，八月二十四日）

      閱讀指引
      1. blame (v)　/ble?笈m/，b-LAME　歸咎、指責
      解讀：blame一般都不採用被動語態，標題的Don't blame us（別歸咎我們）固然是主動語態，即使首段用到blame一字而把被指責的對象（his country）放在主語位置時，都只須說was to blame，而不說was to be blamed，這是blame的特有之處。
      2. botch (v)　/b?忀t?瓿/，BOT-ch　笨拙地弄糟、搞砸
      解讀：botch大致相當於spoil、ruin等，即弄糟、搞砸，但botch專指因笨拙、出錯而弄糟一件事，因此我們不能說bad weather botched the concert之類；此字後面常用介系詞up，但不用也可，文中便沒有使用。
      3. fiasco (n)　/fi'?紓sk?瑆?痸/，fi-ASS-koh　慘敗、尷尬的結局
      解讀：fiasco本是意大利文，解作玻璃瓶（flask），後來不知為何變成了戲劇界的俚語，解作失敗；再後來，fiasco一字便伸延到劇場以外，泛指任何失敗，而且是結局令人尷尬的慘敗。