Sandra： Oh my God！ Kenny， have you been keeping up to date on what’s happening with the 1）fallout from the South Korean Shipwreck？
　　Kenny： Yeah， it’s horrible； such a senseless tragedy. I heard the death toll is now upwards of 200， with hundreds more still missing.
　　Sandra： I know. The search efforts are ongoing， but it’s hard to maintain hope under such 2）dire circumstances.
　　Kenny： Especially when most of the people on board were just high-school students.
　　Sandra： Rescuers have managed to save 174 so far， ①but I have a feeling that number will pale in comparison to the eventual number of young lives needlessly lost in the fray.
　　Kenny： It’s hard to imagine a 6，825-ton ship sinking to the bottom of the sea in this day and age. I mean， Korean ships sinking， Malaysian planes disappearing—What’s next？
　　Sandra： Who knows？ Did you hear that Korean police authorities have already 3）detained the ship’s captain， who was one of the first to escape the 4）vessel via lifeboat？
　　Kenny： Yeah！ I was outraged when I heard about it. Everyone knows the captain is supposed to go down with the ship. But this guy simply ran away， or floated away as the case may be. Talk about the ultimate showing of 5）cowardice.
　　Sandra： Yeah. It’s always been women and children first， not selfish captains scared for their lives.
　　Kenny： And that saying， about the captain going down with the ship， is so well known that it’s 6）permeated into all parts of society. ②To the point where if any endeavor fails， it’s the leader’s responsibility to do whatever it takes to save the others， or else shoulder all the blame.
　　Sandra： You’re right. ③It’s a given， since leaders get to enjoy the most glory from success， they should also carry the most shame from failure.
　　Kenny： Do you think we’ll ever know what really happened on the boat？
　　Sandra： We already know a lot. The ship sank off the coast of Jindo Island at around 11：30 a.m. local time on Tuesday， April 15th. But， it sent out a 7）distress signal as early as 8：52 a.m. that morning. So it floated for hours with no help in sight.
　　Kenny： And the water current was so strong， it made rescuing the victims even more difficult.
　　Sandra： But that hasn’t stopped Korea from 8）deploying 72 rescue ships and 18 helicopters， who are doing all they can to search for survivors.
　　Kenny： So， did the ship 9）run aground？ 　　Sandra： I can’t be sure， but passengers claim to have heard a loud thump from the bow， before the ship started to 10）tilt 11）portside.
　　Kenny： ④I just can’t get over it. ⑤Those poor kids running around in a panic， while the captain scurried off the ship， as fast as he could， with his tail tucked neatly between his legs.
　　Sandra： Forget him. Let’s just pray for the victims’ families and the terrible loss they must be feeling…
　　Smart Sentences
　　① But I have a feeling that number will pale in comparison to the eventual number of young lives needlessly lost in the fray. 但我觉得比起那些在混乱中无辜失去的年轻生命的最终数目来说，这个数字是多么苍白。
　　lost in the fray： disappeared in the midst of chaos and confusion（消失在混乱中）。例如：
　　While officials were busy pointing fingers about the collapse of the building， rescue efforts were delayed and lives were lost in the fray.
　　由于官员忙着就大楼的倒塌相互指责，救援工作进展缓慢，生命也在渐渐地消失。
　　② To the point where if any endeavor fails， it’s the leader’s responsibility to do whatever it takes to save the others， or else shoulder all the blame. 如果到了任何努力都无济于事的关头，领导的责任就是竭尽全力救援他人，否则就要承担所有的责任。
　　shoulder the blame： accept the responsibility for sth. that has happened（承担责任）。例如：
　　Three days have passed， but nobody has stepped forward to shoulder the blame for the fatal fire.
　　三天过去了，但没有人站出来为这场大火承担责任。
　　③ It’s a given， since leaders get to enjoy the most glory from success， they should also carry the most shame from failure. 这是众所周知的事，因为领导们从成功里享受最多的荣誉，他们也应该从失败中承受最多的责难。
　　it’s a given： sth. that is acknowledged or assumed（众所周知的事情）。例如：
　　—Did you know that all the students in Nancy’s class were accepted by universities？
　　你知道吗？南希所在的年级全体毕业生都被大学录取了。
　　—That’s a given. Her school has a reputation of full university enrollment.
　　人人都知道，她的那所学校以全部毕业生升大学而闻名。
　　④ I just can’t get over it. 我只是无法接受。
　　get over： recover from an unpleasant experience or unhappy emotion（恢复过来，从不愉快的经历或情绪中恢复过来）。例如：
　　It took her three years to get over the divorce.
　　她过了三年才最终从离婚的创伤中恢复过来。
　　⑤ Those poor kids running around in a panic， while the captain scurried off the ship， as fast as he could， with his tail tucked neatly between his legs. 那些可怜的孩子在惊慌中东奔西跑，而船长用他最快的速度逃离客轮，他是个懦夫。
　　with one’s tail tucked between one’s legs： appearing frightened or cowardly（表现怯懦）。例如：
　　Once standing on the bungee jump platform， John forgot his heroic words， tucked his tail between his legs and backed off.
　　约翰一站在蹦极跳的平台上，就忘了自己的豪言壮语，胆怯了，退缩了。