平壤開出第一槍
North Korea announced that it will withdraw from the Tokyo Olympics for fear of the coronavirus, marking the latest setback for Japan as it struggles to stage a global sporting event in the middle of a raging pandemic.
北韓宣布考量新冠肺炎疫情，將退出東京奧運，讓在疫情肆虐期間籌備奧運會的日本又遭遇另一挫折。
withdraw(v.)退出、撤回、撤銷withdraw troops撤軍withdraw from the competition退出比賽for fear of~擔心;生怕;以免;唯恐struggle to RV奮鬥;努力;拼搏rage(n.)怒氣;怒火(v.)(疾病、天災)肆虐fly into a rage大發雷霆;勃然大怒
North Korea’s national Olympic Committee decided not to partake in the games to protect athletes from the global health crisis on March 25, a website run by the country’s sports ministry said.
北韓體育省營運網站公佈消息，北韓奧林匹克委員會於3月25日決議，考量到全球疫情嚴重，為保護選手，將不參加東京奧運。
partake in…=take part in…=participate in(which is) run by…由…經營、營運=operated by…
The Tokyo Olympics has been postponed for one year because of the pandemic, and organizers have scrambled to put in place measures to ensure participant safety.
由於疫情，東京奧運已推遲一年舉辦，主辦單位正趕忙安排防疫措施，以確保參與者的安全。
postpone(v.)延遲;推遲=put offscramble to do sth. 迅速做某事情scrambled eggs炒蛋put sth. in place 待命、準備好measure(n.)方法、措施take preventive measures against Covid-19採取新冠防疫措施
However, many have expressed concerns that the games could worsen the spread of the virus, given that Japan’s Covid-19 cases are still on the rise and its vaccine rollout has been slow.
不過，鑑於日本的新冠肺炎病例仍在增加中，而且施打疫苗的進度緩慢，許多人擔心奧運會可能會加劇病毒的傳播。
worsen(v.)使惡化;使變糟=make sth. worseon the rise=rising=increasing增加中roll out (動詞片語)推出(新產品或服務)rollout(n.)首次提供(產品或服務)
Before North Korea announced the decision to drop out of the Olympics, the international swimming federation, Fina, canceled the 2021 Diving World Cup, which was scheduled to take place in Tokyo from April 18 to 23.
在北韓宣布決定不參加東奧前，國際游泳聯合會（Fina）取消了原定於4月18日至23日在東京舉行的「2021跳水世界杯」賽事，
drop out of退出=quit=withdraw from…be scheduled to…預計…
Fina criticized the Japanese government for “not taking all the necessary measures” to ensure a fair and successful competition.
Fina批評日本政府「未採取一切必要措施」確保比賽能公平、順利舉行。
take measures採取措施ensure(v.)確保
Pyongyang’s withdrawal comes amid worsening inter-Korean relations, which have been put under additional pressure by North Korea’s recent missile launches and a stalemate in its nuclear talks with Washington.
平壤宣布退出東奧之際，兩韓關係持續惡化，朝鮮最近試射飛彈，加上與華盛頓的核子談判陷入僵局，使兩韓關係承受了更大的壓力。
withdrawal(n.)退出amid…在…之中;在…背景之下put…under pressure使…面臨壓力stalemate(n.)(西洋棋中的)逼和、(爭論的)僵局、僵持局面=deadlock=impasse=dead endreach a stalemate陷入僵局nuclear weapons核子武器a nuclear power plant核能電廠
The decision may have dashed South Korean President Moon Jae-in’s hopes to use the Olympics to initiate fresh talks with the North.
南韓總統文在寅原本希望以奧運會的場合為契機與朝鮮展開新的對話，如今恐已無法如願。
may have V.pp對過去事實的肯定推測a 100-meter dash 100公尺短跑dash hopes粉碎…的希望，使…的希望破滅initiate(v.)開始=embark on