為了證明「地平說」
Staunch flat earth believer Mike Hughes met his end last Saturday after his rocket crashed outside Barstow in San Bernardino County, California.
上週六一架火箭在加州聖貝納迪諾縣巴斯托市墜毀，篤信「地平說」的休斯在意外中身亡。
staunch(adj.)忠實的、堅定的
While viewed as tragic by many, his sudden passing was a life lesson he taught by example.
雖然多數人認為這是一起悲劇，但他的驟逝卻教給大眾一則重要的人生教訓。
分詞構句be viewed as Adj., N.sudden(adj.)突如其來的teach by example 親自示範、(父母或老師對孩子）身教
Hughes, 64, was attempting to launch himself 5,000 feet into the air in a homemade rocket.
64歲的休斯試圖搭乘自製火箭，發射至5000英尺的高空。
attempt to試圖launch(v.)發射、發佈
After lift-off, a green parachute seemed to be ripped off.
在升空過程中，一個降落傘看似被強風吹走，
life-off起飛、升空parachute(n.)降落傘rip off撕掉、脫除=remove
However, the real catastrophe occurred when the rocket reached its highest point before going into a nosedive.
而真正的災難發生在火箭達到最高點後，開始向下俯衝時，
catastrophe(n.)災難=disaster
Although his crew was desperately trying to signal him to deploy the other parachutes, he didn’t do so.
雖然他的隊員急迫地發訊號示意他使用別的降落傘，但休斯並沒有照做，
crew(n.)機組人員desperate(adj.)急切、迫切的deploy(v.)運用、部署（兵力）
The crowd watched helplessly, screaming and wailing as this daredevil plunged to the ground.
圍觀群眾眼睜睜看著休斯墜落到地面，只能尖叫和痛哭。
wail(v.)哭喊、痛哭plunge(n.)(v.)驟降、暴跌（數據）soar(v.)驟升
“Everyone was stunned when he crashed, and didn’t know what to do,” said freelance journalist Justin Chapman.
自由記者查普曼說：「大家都對墜機感到震驚，而且也不知道該怎麼辦。」
stunned(adj.)驚愕的
Hughes was pronounced dead at the scene.
休斯當場被宣告不治身亡。
pronounce(v.)宣布、宣告
Many people might think Hughes’ reckless act was motivated by a desire to prove his belief that the earth is flat.
許多人認為修斯的魯莽之舉是為了要證明「地平說」，
reckless(adj.)莽撞、粗心的careless(adj.)粗心、馬虎的motivate(v.)驅動、驅使
However, his publicist, Darren Shuster, said that proclamations of his flat Earth belief were publicity stunts meant to get media exposure and attract sponsors.
然而休斯的公關舒斯特表明要證實地平說的聲明只是為了獲得媒體關注和吸引贊助廠商，
proclamation(n.)聲明=announcement=declarationpublicity(n.)宣傳、關注publicity stunt宣傳花招;噱頭gimmick(n.)伎倆be meant to為了要…=be intended to~exposure(n.)曝光sponsor(n.)(v.)贊助、贊助商
“We used the attention to get sponsorships, and it kept working over and over again. For the sake of Mike’s legacy, it’s time to tell the truth,” he said.
他說：「過去我們利用關注來吸引贊助，一直都很管用，但是為了休斯，是該說出真相的時候了。」
for the sake of sth.為了...著想legacy(n.)遺產、風範
While we don’t know for sure whether his launch, and therefore his death, was ultimately tied to his beliefs, Hughes said in a video that he wanted to convince people to seize the day and live their lives to the fullest.
雖然我們無法得知休斯是不是因為相信地平說才參與火箭試射身亡，但休斯曾再影片中要大家要把握每個當下，盡情享受人生，
be tied to與...有關seize(v.)抓取、把握live one’s life to the fullest享受人生
“What you’ve got is right now. You don’t have tomorrow; you don’t have next week,” he said.
他曾說過：「你所擁有的只有此刻，沒有明天，也沒有下週。」