As the clock winds down (v.倒數) to Dec. 21, experts on the Maya (n.瑪雅（族人）) calendar (n.曆法) have been racing (v.爭相) to convince (v.說服) people that the Maya didn't predict (v.預言) an apocalypse (n.（世界）末日) for the end of this year.
Some experts are now saying the Maya may indeed (adv.的確) have made prophecies (n.預言), just not about the end of the world.
Archaeologists (n.考古學家), anthropologists (n.人類學家) and other experts met Friday in the southern Mexico (n.墨西哥) city of Merida (n.梅里達) to discuss the implications (n.含意) of the Maya Long Count (n.長紀曆) calendar, which is made up of 394-year periods (n.周期) called baktuns (n.伯克盾).
Experts estimate (v.估計) the system starts counting at 3114 B.C. (n.公元前), and will have run through (v.經歷) 13 baktuns, or 5,125 years, around Dec. 21. They say 13 was a significant (adj.有重大意義的) number for the Maya, and the end of that cycle (n.周期) would be a milestone (n.里程) - but not an end.
People in that camp (n.陣營) believe the Maya may have been privy (adj.准許知情的) to impending (adj.即將發生的) astronomical (adj.天文的) disasters (n.災難) that would coincide (v.同時發生) with 2012.
Experts stressed (v.強調) that the ancient (adj.古代的) Maya were extremely interested in future events, far beyond Dec. 21.
(Daily Mail, September 30)
隨時鐘倒數邁向十二月二十一日，瑪雅曆法專家爭相說服世人，其實瑪雅族人並沒有預言今年底是世界末日。
一些專家現在說，瑪雅人可能的確作出過一些預言，只是並非關於世界末日而已。
考古學家、人類學家及其他專家，周五在墨西哥南部城鎮梅里達聚會，討論瑪雅長紀曆法的含意；它由叫作“伯克盾”的周期組成，每個周期是三百九十四年。
專家估計，這個曆法由公元前三一一四年開始計算，今年十二月二十一日左右便會經歷了十三個伯克盾，即五千一百二十五年。他們說，瑪雅人認為十三是個有重大意義的數字，而這個周期完結時是個里程——但並非終結。
該陣營相信，瑪雅人可能得以窺探到二○一二年將會發生的天文災難。
專家強調，古代瑪雅人對未來事件極有興趣，而時間遠超過今年十二月二十一日。
（英國《每日電訊報》，九月三十日）
文︰范斌
閱讀指引
1. apocalypse (n) /ə'p kəlIps/，a-POCK-ka-lips （世界）末日、世界毀滅
解讀：《聖經》所說的（世界）末日叫the Apocalypse，這時要用首字母大寫的Apocalypse，前面要用定冠詞the；現在，全字小寫的apocalypse泛指（世界）末日，以至任何大災變，例如a nuclear apocalypse是核戰引致的世界末日／大災變。
2. prophecy (n) /'pr fəsi/，PROF-fa-see 預言、預言能力
解讀：宗教先知叫prophet（讀如PROF-fit，亦即跟profit的讀音一模一樣），此字也泛指預言家；他們所預言的事件便叫prophecy，例如a witch's prophecy是一個女巫的預言；prophecy尚可指預言能力，例如the gift of prophecy是預言的天賦。
3. privy (adj) /'prIvi/，PRI-vee 准許知情的、可參與秘事的
解讀：privy即allowed to know about something secret，後面用介系詞to帶出是什麼事情，文中便是這樣；英國的the privy purse是政府撥給國王或女王的私用金，而the Privy Council則是英國的樞密院。
