英語時差：遏止危險駕駛必須采取更強硬的措施

According to statistics from the Ministry of Transportation and Communications (MOTC), the number of people who died from drunk driving decreased by 20 percent in 2007. Cracking down on drunk driving will remain the ministry's topmost priority this year.

MOTC Minister Tsai Duei said that driving under the influence of alcohol is still the No. 1 cause of traffic accidents, adding that his ministry will continue working with the National Police Administration to reduce the number of alcohol-related crashes.

In recent months, several well-known entertainers have been caught driving while intoxicated(DWI). These incidents pinpoint the rampancy of drunk driving in Taiwan. Last year, a total of 576 people were killed due to DWI.

DWI has become a growing threat to life in Taiwan. One obvious reason is that car ownership has increased rapidly. Another is the fact that drinking heavily at parties has become a common way of life on the island.

The government has made repeated efforts to educate the public about the dangers of driving after drinking, but the appeals have apparently had little effect. Entertainers, whose behavior is often imitated by young people, should especially refrain from drinking and driving. The only way to prevent driving under the influence is to mete out stiffer penalties to violators.

entertainer (n.) 演藝人員;藝人Beyonce is an entertainer who not only sings and dances, but also interacts with the audience during concerts.

rampancy (n.) 猖獗Police have been deployed throughout the neighborhood to halt the rampancy of street crime.

rapidly (adv.) 迅速地;很快地The doctor suspected Nancy had malaria when her fever rose rapidly within a few hours.

appeal (n.) 呼吁;請求It is obvious that the candidate's last-minute vote appeal went unnoticed, since his opponent won the election.

to refrain (v.) 抑制;戒除I have requested everyone to refrain from talking loudly while the baby is sleeping.

to prevent (v.) 防止;預(yù)防Most airlines suggest that passengers lock their luggage in order to prevent theft.

violator (n.) 違反者;違背者Violators of public property will be fined a minimum of NT$4,000.

reckless driving 危險駕駛It is unfair of you to accuse me of reckless driving just because I ran a red light.

topmost priority 第一要務(wù);首要任務(wù)Now that Eric has graduated, finding a job in a reputable company is his topmost priority.

growing threat 逐漸形成的威脅Scientists claim that global warming is a growing threat to the Great Barrier Reef.