一名退休的記者，為了保護撇號在英語中的正確使用，發起了一項倡議。但現在，他放棄了自己的倡議，因為他說“無知已經獲勝”。

They linger above our letters, they wander around the endings of our words - but apostrophes, it seems, are an endangered species. The Apostrophe Protection Society - yes there really is one - says their future is, well, up in the air.

它們停留在字母之上，徘徊在單詞的結尾，但撇號似乎是一種 “瀕臨滅絕的物種”。撇號保護協會——是的，確實有這么一個協會，說撇號的未來 “懸而未決”。

The society's ninety-six-year-old chairman, John Richards, says they're vital, yet people have struggles with these squiggles. Mr Richards has agonised over apostrophes for nearly two decades, but now says, thanks to the likes of texting and Twitter, people have simply stopped using them.

撇號保護協會主席，96歲的約翰·理查茲說，撇號在英語中的使用極其重要，但人們卻在與這些彎彎曲曲的短線作斗爭。理查茲先生為撇號煩惱了近20年，但現在他表示，由于諸如發短信和推特等平臺的普及，人們已經不再使用撇號了。

Mr Richards says his society for this abused and misused punctuation mark is now closing, heralding what, for some, might be called an ‘apostrophe catastrophe’.

理查茲先生說，他所在的這個為了減少濫用和誤用撇號的協會就要關閉了。對一些人來說，這預示著 “撇號災難” 的來臨。

詞匯

linger 逗留，徘徊
wander around 游蕩，徘徊
endangered species 瀕臨滅絕的物種
up in the air 懸而未決
vital 至關重要的
squiggles 彎彎曲曲的短線，胡亂寫的字
agonised （精神上）感到極度痛苦的
abused 濫用
punctuation mark 標點符號
heralding 預示……的來臨
catastrophe 災難

閱讀理解：請在讀完上文后，回答下列問題。

1. What is the name of the group trying to protect the use of the apostrophe?

2. How long has John Richards's campaign for the correct use of apostrophes lasted for?

3. What is he blaming for the decline in the use of apostrophes?

4. In this sentence from the report, is the apostrophe used correctly? “The societys’ ninety-six-year-old chairman, John Richards, says they're vital, yet people have struggles with these squiggles.”

答案

1. What is the name of the group trying to protect the use of the apostrophe?
The campaign group is called The Apostrophe Protection Society.

2. How long has John Richards's campaign for the correct use of apostrophes, lasted for?
Mr Richards has agonised over apostrophes for nearly two decades – so nearly 20 years.

3. What is he blaming for the decline in the use of apostrophes?
He says because of things like texting and Twitter, people have simply stopped using apostrophes.

4. In this sentence from the report, is the apostrophe used correctly? “The societys’ ninety-six-year-old chairman, John Richards, says they're vital, yet people have struggles with these squiggles.”
This is incorrect. ‘The societys’…’ should be written ‘The society’s…’.