Jenny老師的~Sweet~部落格之痞客精華

《中英對照讀新聞》Sudoku addicts halt Australian drugs trial／數獨迷讓澳洲毒品審判喊停 摘自自由時報

◎胡立宗

An Australian drugs trial lasting more than three months and costing taxpayers over A$1 million has been aborted after a number of jurors were found to have spent up to half the time playing Sudoku puzzles.
澳洲1起持續超過3個月、花了納稅人100萬澳幣的毒品審判案遭到終止，因為部分陪審團成員被發現有一半以上的時間都在玩數獨遊戲。

Sydney District Court Judge Peter Zahra cancelled the trial of two men on drugs conspiracy charges after the jury foreperson admitted that four to five jurors had been playing the addictive number sequence game, local media reported. 
雪梨地方法院法官彼得．札赫拉取消了2名男子涉及毒品案的審判，因為首席陪審員承認有4到5個陪審員一直在玩會讓人上癮的數字排列遊戲（即數獨），根據當地媒體報導。

The judge was alerted after some of the jurors were observed writing their notes vertically, rather than horizontally. The game involves completing a grid of numbers in the correct sequence.
法官會注意到（不對勁）是因為部分陪審員被發現直著書寫筆記，而不是橫著寫。這種遊戲必須以正確順序填入一格格的數字。

One juror said the game helped them to pay more attention by keeping their mind busy.
1名陪審員說遊戲讓他們的腦袋有事可做，能幫助他們更專心。

"Some of the evidence is rather drawn out and I find it difficult to maintain my attention the whole time," the juror was quoted saying by the Australian Associated Press.
「部分證據真的很冗長，我發現我沒有辦法一直將注意集中（在上面）」，澳洲聯合新聞社引述這名陪審員的說法。

A new trial is expected to begin in a few weeks once a new jury has been called.
新的審判程序預料將在數週內展開，在新的陪審團組成後。

辭語解釋
Sudoku：據稱是18世紀瑞士數學家創造的遊戲，玩家必須填滿9×9方格內剩下的數字。由於數獨的風行，也因此出現一些相關衍生字，如Sudoku widow，指丈夫熱中數獨而遭冷落的妻子。

draw out：片語，變長、延長。例句：The days are drawing out as it’s getting warmer.（天氣變暖，白天也變長了。）