Maldives Sends Climate SOS|马尔地夫水中会议

Maldives Sends Climate SOS With Undersea Cabinet Meet

马尔地夫水中会议，呼吁力抗气候变迁

The Maldivian president and ministers held the world's first underwater cabinet meeting in a symbolic cry for help over rising sea levels that threaten the tropical archipelago's existence. Aiming for another attention-grabbing event to bring the risks of climate change into the spotlight before a landmark UN climate change meeting in December, President Mohamed Nasheed's cabinet headed to the bottom of a turquoise lagoon.

Clad in black diving suits and masks, Nasheed, 11 ministers, the vice president, and the cabinet secretary dove 3.8 meters to gather at tables under the crystalline waters. "We are trying to send our message to let the world know what is happening and what will happen to the Maldives if climate change isn't checked," a dripping Nasheed told reporters as soon as he re-emerged from the water.

　　马尔地夫总统和部会首长召开前所未见的海底会议，象征性地呼吁大众正视海平面上升对热带群岛所造成的威胁。在联合国气候变迁高峰会这场盛事于 12 月举办之前，为了让大家注意到另一项气候变迁的危机，总统纳希德的内阁团队前往有着湛蓝海水的舄湖，在水底举行会议。

　　身着黑色潜水装和面罩的纳希德总统、11 名首长、副总统以及内阁秘书长潜入 3.8 公尺深的清澈海水中，围坐在桌前开会。身上还湿淋淋的纳希德总统，一上岸就跟记者表示：『我们试图传达一个讯息，让全世界知道正在发生的事，以及如果气候变迁未受到控制，马尔地夫未来的命运将会如何。』

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马尔地夫总统纳希德表示，全球暖化导致海平面不断上升，国土贴近海平面的马尔地夫终有举国被迫他迁的一天。马尔地夫是举世地势最低的国家，国土的最高处距离海平面不过 2.4 公尺。联合国估计，至本世纪末为止，全球海平面可能提高将近 60 公分；纳希德表示，如果气候变迁持续导致海平面上升，马尔地夫势必难逃完全灭顶的命运。纳希德计划成立一个『主权财富基金』，利用观光收入购买土地，以备未来子孙有朝一日必须他迁时，有地可供建立新生活，以免沦为环境难民。他希望能够在文化、饮食习惯、气候形态近似的附近地区找到理想的土地，可能是印度或斯里兰卡。大片国土无人居住的澳洲也在考虑之列。（数据源：联合新闻网）

Balloon Boy Hoax Was a Publicity Stunt

气球男孩事件证实为骗局　纯属宣传

The runaway balloon saga that gripped the United States for hours was a hoax concocted by the parents to draw publicity for a future reality television show, police confirmed. Larimer County Sheriff Jim Alderden said Richard Heene and his Japanese-born wife Mayumi had fabricated Thursday's drama when their six-year-old son Falcon was reported to have flown away in a home-made helium balloon. Falcon Heene was later discovered alive after hiding in an upstairs attic in the family home for several hours, a bizarre ending to a televised drama that drew immediate suspicions of a hoax.

"The Heene parents' plan was to create a situation where it appeared Falcon was in the craft and that his life was in jeopardy in order to gain a lot of publicity," Alderden explained.

　　警方证实，让全美民众牵挂数小时的气球男童失踪事件是场骗局，这全是男孩的父母亲自导自演，此举是为了争取曝光机会，以便往后有机会上电视实境节目。拉瑞莫郡的警长阿尔德登表示，理察‧席尼和他日本籍妻子真弓编造出周四发生的戏剧性事件，他们 6 岁的儿子法康据报连同一个自制的热气球一起飞走了。法康稍后被发现安然无恙地躲在家中阁楼里长达数小时，这个诡谲的结局替这起新闻闹剧划下句点，同时立即引起这是否为一场骗局的猜疑。

　　阿尔德登警长解释：『席尼夫妇策划这起事件，让法康看似搭上热气球而身陷危险，以获得大众的注目。』

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美国媒体报导，理察．席尼过去多次编造荒诞离奇经历，意图成为媒体焦点，显示他性格怪异，为了出名，不择手段。席尼以前向媒体公布的离奇经历包括：他曾在一家快餐店用餐时昏迷，听见外星人对他说话；他还宣称准备制造飞碟，把飞碟发射到飓风风眼；他还曾携带子女到荒野寻找幽浮。媒体还进一步发现，男童的父母其实是不红的演员，之前也在实境秀演出过，但演技令人不敢恭维。报导指出，理察．席尼向来不务正业只想出名，他曾在好莱坞闯荡一段时间，演小丑，后来尝试其他行业，都没成功，最近又参加一部影集演出。他编造儿子搭气球被风吹走，就是为引起媒体注意，给自己打知名度。（数据源：中广新闻网、TVBS）