落腳普羅旺斯
A senior official at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that the ministry is setting up a representative office in the Southern French City of Aix-en-Provence, which is deemed a major diplomatic breakthrough for the country.
外交部高階官員表示，我政府將在法國南部的艾克斯普羅旺斯市（Aix-en-Provence）設立辦事處，為我國外交重大突破。
senior(adj.)資深的;高階的deem(v.)認為;視為;覺得=considerdiplomatic (adj.)外交的diplomacy(n.)外交
Johnson Chiang, Director-General of European Affairs at MOFA, told a press conference that considering that Taiwan and France have been deepening cooperation and exchanges in trade, technology, culture, and education, the ministry has decided to set up a new branch office of the Taipei Representative Office in Aix-en-Provence, France, to boost bilateral ties.
外交部歐洲司司長姜森在記者會上指出，考量台灣與法國在經貿、科技、文化及教育等領域合作交流的不斷深化，我政府將在法南部的艾克斯普羅旺斯市設立「駐普羅旺斯台北辦事處」，以促進雙邊關係。
director general(大型機構的)總裁;主席considering that…有鑑於=give (the fact) that…=in view of the fact that…have been Ving現在完成進行式boost(v.)促進;提升;增進bilateral(adj.)雙邊的、雙方的unilateral(adj.)單方面的;單邊的multilateral(adj.)多邊的
The announcement came after MOFA reestablished the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Guam and opened a representative office in Somaliland, a sovereign country in the Horn of Africa, despite Beijing’s opposition.
之前外交部才剛恢復在關島設館，且不顧北京反對在「非洲之角」索馬利蘭新設台灣代表處。
a sovereign country (state) 主權的國家the Horn of Africa非洲之角despite(prep.)不管;儘管;無論=in spite of=regardless of
According to a source within MOFA, the ministry had taken the initiative to propose the plan to set up the new office to the French side, and the negotiation took nearly two years.
外交部知情人士指出，我方主動向法方提出新設館處，雙方談了快兩年。
take the initiative 採取主動
Chiang said discussions with France about the new office had been going on “for a while,” sidestepping reporters’ questions about when the talks began. Chiang also declined to comment when asked if China has exerted pressure on either side, stressing that establishing the new office is mutually beneficial for Taiwan and France.
姜森在記者會上回覆媒體詢問表示，籌劃時間已有一段時間，迴避記者詢問談判從何時開始的問題。媒體問是否有來自中國壓力？姜森說，他現在不會特別評論這件事情，這是台法雙邊的事情，此一新館對雙邊都是有利。
had been Ving 過去完成式sidestep(v.)橫跨一步躲開;側步避讓、(尤指透過開始談論別的事情)迴避(某個話題)=dodge=evadeexert or put pressure on…對…施壓mutually(adv.)互相地mutually beneficial互惠的mutually exclusive相互排斥的;互不相容的
According to Chiang, the office in Aix-en-Provence would be the nation’s second unit in France, but the opening day is yet to be determined because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
姜森說，駐普羅旺斯辦事處將會是台灣在法國的第二個辦事處，但因為疫情因素，開館日仍未定。
Aix-en-Provence is part of the Metropolis of Aix-Marseille-Provence in southern France, one of the most visited destinations for Taiwanese tourists. The city offers convenience on par with other locations, such as Lyon, France’s second-largest city; Montpellier, a global hub for biological research; and Grenoble, which is the French equivalent of Silicon Valley.
艾克斯普羅旺斯市與法國第一大港馬賽市共構「艾克斯-馬賽-普羅旺斯大都會區，是台灣遊客最愛造訪的地點之一，與法國第二大城里昂（Lyon）、全球生態研究重鎮蒙佩里耶（Montpellier）以及具法國矽谷美名的格勒諾柏（Grenoble）都具地利之便。
metropolis(n.)大城市;大都會;首府;首都on par with 與～同等、和～一樣hub(n.)中心;樞紐equivalent(n.)等值、相等、相同counterpart(n.)等量齊觀的人或事物