擁抱科技，國寶新生 ──故宮80新氣象

National Treasures Reborn Through Technology

2001年，故宮開始推動文物數位典藏計劃，這個附屬於國科會「國家型數位典藏計劃」，被稱為是「超級浩大的知識工程」。有鑑於網路上有價值的中文資訊不足，國科會希望將我國悠久的歷史文化、藏品數位化，再藉由網路不受時空限制的特性，進入人們的生活。

As part of the National Digital Archive project of the National Science Council, an initiative called a ‘monument of knowledge engineering’, the National Palace Museum launched in 2001 a plan to digitize its extensive collections. The Council’s aim was to respond to the comparative lack of Chinese information of value on the internet by making available in digital format the record of China’s long history and culture embodied in these assembled artifacts, and to bring them into our lives through the boundless continuum of the internet.

在故宮數位化工程裡，最艱難也領先國際的是一套「3D虛擬展示系統」。這一套虛擬系統，可以帶領民眾發現過去連帝王都無緣領略的一面。過去，即使是將象牙球放在手上把玩撥動的皇帝，也無法進入球體的最內層。如今藉由3D虛擬展示系統，隨著內視鏡進入象牙球，觀賞者宛如被縮小了一般，可以深入象牙球體內探險；可以看見毛公鼎近三千年前金光閃耀的模樣；可以打開核雕小舟，看清楚每一個鑿痕。

The trickiest element of the Palace Museum’s project has been engineering a 3D virtual display system that is a world leader in its field and gives viewers the opportunity to experience aspects of the collections that even emperors of old could not enjoy. Even when royalty took the exquisitely carved nested ivory balls in their hands, they could not get inside them to see their inner faces, but with today’s virtual imaging technology, viewers can imagine they’ve been shrunk to fit inside and explore the inner working of the shifting balls. Similarly, they can explore the burnished and engraved faces of the famous bronze tripod vessel known as the Maogong ding – almost 3,000 years old – or open up a tiny boat sculpted from the seed of an olive and admire every minute stroke of the sculptor’s knife.

故宮，正藉由各種管道主動釋放訊息，穿梭時空，成為古文物與當代世界溝通的一道任意門。

With its new initiative, the National Palace Museum makes its unique cultural knowledge freely available through all possible channels, bringing the ancient and contemporary worlds together through a free-swinging gate that transcends space and time. 

to wear a veil 面紗

        the hijab 穆斯林婦女戴的面紗或頭巾

        the burka 伊斯蘭婦女全身包覆的罩袍

        the chador/chuddar 印度北部婦女用的大方巾

考察團 official delegation/ official tour group

四度空間 the space-time continuum

小抄 crib-notes   to crib for exam.

ceremonial vessel 祭祠用   cauldron 鼎

Week_82 (20070628)                                    

網路賭博市場爭端　安地卡向美求償千億台幣

Tiny Antigua in Billion-Dollar Online Gaming Spat with USA

加勒比海島國安地卡巴布達今天呼籲世界貿易組織同意每年裁罰美國三十四億四千萬美元（台幣約一千一百四十億元），並指控華府並未遵守世貿組織裁定，開放國界讓網路賭博業進入。安地卡要求世貿組織的爭端解決小組同意制裁的要求，稱華府的立場讓它「別無選擇」。

The Caribbean island nation of Antigua and Barbuda has called on the WTO to assess annual penalties of US$3.44 billion against the USA and charges Washington with failing to comply with a WTO directive to open its borders to online casinos. Antigua has asked the WTO dispute settlement panel to grant its sanction request saying that Washington’s position ‘leaves it no other choice’.

安地卡四年多前向世貿組織提出控訴後，世貿組織曾作出裁決，今年三月世貿組織又裁定美國未遵守過去針對此爭議作出的裁決。

When Antigua first raised its charges with the WTO four years ago, the organization ruled in its favor, then in March this year it ruled again that the USA had failed to comply with its earlier directive on the dispute.

安地卡人口六萬九千人，是境外網路賭博事業的中心，吸引大批美國民眾利用安地卡提供的賭場式網路博弈服務試手氣。

With a population of only 69,000, Antigua is a center for the off-shore online gambling industry, and the islands’ unique casino game formats attract great number of Americans wishing to try their luck. 

裁罰 sanction, penalty

spat – little argument

to accuse the USA of refusing to comply

to charge the USA with refusing to comply

                       non-compliance

slot machine

one-armed bandit