The huge container ship Ever Given blocked Egypt’s Suez Canal since March 23, causing more than 422 vessels to be trapped at either end of the artery and waiting to cross. The canal is a key waterway for Asia-Europe trade. On average, around 50 ships pass through per day. The Panama-flagged and Japanese-owned Ever Given is operated by the Taiwanese firm Evergreen.
It is guessed that strong wind and human error might be the factors that caused the 400-meter-long ultra-large container ship to run aground and get stuck. Excavators and tugboats had been working for almost a week to free the megaship. On March 29, Ever Given was finally refloated, and the traffic between the Mediterranean and the Red Sea finally resumed.
友善讓你懂｜解說：
從3月23日開始，巨大的貨櫃船「長賜號」就「卡」住了埃及的蘇伊士運河，造成422艘船艦受困在這水運要道的兩端、等待通行。蘇伊士運河是歐亞貿易的重要航道。平均每天有50艘左右的船會通過此處。這艘長賜號註冊並掛巴拿馬國旗、船東為日本公司，現在正由台灣的長榮海運承租營運中。後續的責任歸屬則仍須釐清。
據猜測，造成這艘400公尺長的特大貨櫃船（新型船艦種類，簡稱ULCS）擱淺並且整個卡住的原因，可能跟強風與人為失誤有關。多艘挖土機及拖船已經努力了近一整週的時間來「拯救」這艘超大型船舶。在當地時間3月29日，長賜號終於再次浮起、開始移動，地中海與紅海間的交通也終於恢復暢通。
輕鬆帶著走｜學習：
- either 作為副詞放在否定句的用法，意思是「也不」。
例句：”I don’t like that song.”我不喜歡那首歌。 ”Me, either.”我也是。
- 當either作為限定詞、代詞或連接詞，意指「（AB兩者間的）任一方、雙方、不是A就是B、要嘛是A要嘛是B」，either被視為單數，因此後面要接單數的名詞及動詞。
例句：There are all people on either side of the road. 路的兩側都擠滿了人。
本篇其他相關單字：
- jam (n.) 交通堵塞、堵住無法運作
- canal (n.) 運河
- block (v.) 堵塞、妨礙
- vessel (n.) 船、艦
- artery (n.) 要道、幹道
- run/be aground 擱淺
- resume (v.) （中斷後）重新開始
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