12-31-07

埃及一婦女死於禽流感 (Egyptian Woman Dies of Bird Flu)

埃及衛生部說，一名26歲的婦女死於禽流感，這是不到一個星期以來的第三起死於禽流感的事件。埃及衛生部的聲明說，這名婦女來尼羅合三角洲的一個省，星期六住進醫院，星期一死亡。衛生部一名官員說，死者生前接觸了感染了禽流感的家禽。

這名婦女是埃及第18個死於禽流感的人，也是自從2006年2月埃及出現禽流感以來第43位受感染的人。埃及位於候鳥主要遷徙線路的途中，同時由於人們習慣在家附近飼養家禽，使得埃及成為亞洲以外禽流感疫情最嚴重的國家。

Egypt's Health Ministry says a 26-year-old woman has died from bird flu, the third death from the disease in less than one week. In a statement, the ministry said the woman, from a province in the Nile Delta, was admitted to a hospital on Saturday and died Monday. A Health Ministry official said the victim was exposed to poultry infected with bird flu.

The woman was the 18th bird flu fatality in Egypt and the country's 43nd human infection since the virus appeared there in February 2006. Egypt's location on major bird migration routes and the widespread practice of keeping domestic fowl near living quarters have helped make it the hardest-hit country outside of Asia.

新年到 (New Year Arrives)

紐西蘭和很多太平洋島國最先迎來新年。澳大利亞的雪梨花費400萬美元在雪梨港口舉辦慶祝活動，估計有100萬人參加狂歡。摩洛哥一家報紙說，摩洛哥幾年前沒有什麼人慶祝新年，可是現在商店都挂上了很多綵燈和裝飾品。這種改變的原因是摩洛哥民眾通過衛星電視了解到了外部世界。100年以來，紐約市時代廣場巨大燈球每年落下迎新年。今年的燈球將首次使用節能的發光二極體照明。

The year 2008 has first arrived in New Zealand and many Pacific island nations. Sydney, Australia is throwing a four million dollar party for an expected one million revelers at its harbor. A Moroccan newspaper notes that the arrival of a new year was barely noted there a few years ago, but now shopkeepers are using lots of lights and decorations. The change is attributed to exposure to the outside world, via satellite television. For 100 years a huge lighted ball has dropped to illuminate the new year in Times Square in New York City. This year the ball will use energy efficient LED lights for the first time.