雙語新聞:傑克遜遺產問題本週有望釐清
【英文原文】
Clarity Coming On Michael Jackson Estate
摘要：圍繞已逝流行歌王麥克爾•傑克遜(Michael Jackson)的諸多相互糾纏的事務有望在本週早些時候接近釐清。美國法庭週一將召開一場聽證會，屆時可能會決定誰將有權力處理傑克遜的財產。
The tangled affairs of Michael Jackson could move closer to resolution early this week, with a court hearing scheduled for Monday likely to determine who will have power over the late pop singer's estate.
Meanwhile, Los Angeles police were bracing for an expected flood of people attempting to attend the singer's memorial service on Tuesday.
The hearing, in Los Angeles Superior Court, is to address whether decisions about Mr. Jackson's property and business should made by executors named in his will or by Mr. Jackson's parents, Joe and Katherine. The will names as executors two longtime friends and business associates of Mr. Jackson: lawyer John Branca and record executive John McClain.
Until Judge Mitchell Beckloff decides who is in charge of Mr. Jackson's business affairs, people close to the situation said, no one is authorized to take action, for instance, against people hawking unauthorized T-shirts and videos without paying royalties to Mr. Jackson's estate. Last week Judge Beckloff gave Mrs. Jackson limited authority over some of her son's personal property.
L. Londell McMillan, a lawyer who worked briefly for Michael Jackson who says he now represents the parents, has made public comments and court filings that appear to question the validity of the 2002 will. But privately family members have told associates that they approve of the plans laid out in the will.
The will calls for Mrs. Jackson, 79 years old, to serve as guardian for the late pop singer's three children. It places his assets in a trust that benefits Mrs. Jackson and the children, along with charities.
Spokesmen for the Jackson family said 1.6 million people had registered for 8,750 free pairs of tickets to the service, which is to take place Tuesday morning at Staples Center, the sports and entertainment arena owned by AEG. The company's concert-promotion arm, AEG Live, was to have staged 50 concerts by Mr. Jackson starting later this month.
Decisions about who would get the tickets were to be made by a lottery-type drawing Sunday. AEG officials are trying to make sure that the lottery winners can't resell the tickets. Ticket recipients were notified by email Sunday and required to pick up the tickets in person, with wristbands affixed at the pickup location. As a result, few, if any, tickets were listed for sale Sunday on eBay or Craigslist.
Given the disparity between the level of interest and the number of tickets available, the Los Angeles Police Department said people without both tickets and wristbands wouldn't be allowed within several blocks of Staples Center on Tuesday.
Details of the memorial service weren't officially disclosed, but people familiar with the situation indicated that it would be a theatrical affair, with many of its elements planned by Kenny Ortega, the director for Mr. Jackson's concert series. The service will be broadcast live at 10 a.m. Pacific time on at least five TV networks.
The cause of Mr. Jackson's death June 25 remained under investigation. The Associated Press reported Friday that a powerful general-anesthetic drug called Diprivan had been found in the rented Los Angeles home where he collapsed.
【中文譯文】
圍繞已逝流行歌王麥克爾•傑克遜(Michael Jackson)的諸多相互糾纏的事務有望在本週早些時候接近釐清。美國法庭週一將召開一場聽證會，屆時可能會決定誰將有權力處理傑克遜的財產。
與此同時，洛杉磯警方將迎來大批打算參加週二傑克遜悼念儀式的歌迷。
洛杉磯高等法庭召開的此次聽證會將決定，應由傑克遜遺囑中列出的執行人，還是由他的父母來處理傑克遜的財產和生意。遺囑中列出的執行人是傑克遜的兩位多年好友和業務助手：律師布蘭卡(John Branca)和唱片製作人麥克萊恩(John McClain)。
據知情人士透露，法官貝克洛夫(Mitchell Beckloff)屆時將決定誰來接手傑克遜的生意事務。在此之前，沒有人有權力採取相關行動，例如對未支付版權費就販賣未經授權的T恤與視頻的人採取行動。上週法官貝克洛夫授予了傑克遜母親處理傑克遜部分個人物品的有限權力。
曾短暫爲傑克遜服務的律師麥克米蘭(L. Londell McMillan)稱他目前代表着傑克遜父母，他已經發表了公開言論並提供了法庭文件，質疑傑克遜2002年遺囑的有效性。但傑克遜家人私下曾告訴助手說，他們認可遺囑列出的處理方案。
傑克遜的遺囑規定，現年79歲的傑克遜母親將成爲傑克遜三個孩子的監護人。傑克遜的資產將交給一家信託，收益將屬於傑克遜的母親和孩子以及慈善機構。
傑克遜家人的發言人表示，目前已有160萬人申請領取8,750套傑克遜悼念儀式的免費入場券。每套入場券有兩張。該儀式將於週二上午在AEG公司所有的運動和娛樂場館──斯臺普斯中心(Staples Center)舉行。AEG旗下的演唱會推廣公司AEG Live原定於本月晚些時候籌辦50場傑克遜的演唱會。
儀式主辦部門週日將通過抽獎方式決定誰將獲得入場券。AEG管理人士正在努力確保中籤獲得入場券的人不能倒手轉賣門票。中籤獲得門票的人將在週日接到電子郵件通知，中籤者必須親自領取門票。在取票地點，工作人員將在中籤者的手腕上粘貼標識。因此，週日沒有什麼門票能在網站eBay或Craigslist上銷售。
考慮到申領門票的人數和有限的門票數量之間的懸殊對比，洛杉磯警察局表示，只有同時出具門票和手腕標識的人週二才能獲准進入斯臺普斯中心。
有關悼念儀式的具體細節沒有公佈，但知情人士透露，這場儀式可能會像舞臺節目，很多內容是由傑克遜系列演唱會的導演奧特加(Kenny Ortega)策劃的。儀式將在太平洋時間上午10時通過至少五個電視網絡進行直播。
導致傑克遜在6月25日死亡的原因目前仍在調查之中。據美聯社(AP)上週五報導，在傑克遜去世時租住的洛杉磯住所發現了一種叫得普利麻(Diprivan)的烈性全身麻醉藥。
【詞彙講解】
1. executor n.遺囑執行人
They ask a trustworthy friend of theirs to be the executor.
他們讓一個值得信任的朋友當遺囑執行人。
2. unauthorized adj. 未被授權的，未經認可的
Commercial banks make few loans to minors and unauthorized persons.
商業銀行很少對未成年人和未經授權者發放貸款。
3. validity n. 有效；效力；合法性
The tests have been shown to be of dubious validity.
這些試驗的有效性已顯得令人懷疑。
4. arena n. 表演場地，競技場；活動或鬥爭的場所或場面
The circus elephants were led into the arena.
馬戲團的大象被帶入表演場地。
She entered the political arena at the age of 25.
她25歲進入政界。
5. notify vt. 通知，告知，報告
When my guest arrives, please notify me.
我的客人到的時候，請通知我。
6. affix vt. 粘貼
He affixed the sign to the wall.
他將標記貼到牆上。
7. disparity n. 不同，不等；不一致；懸殊
Rich and poor live side by side but in conditions of extraordinary disparity.
富人和窮人居住在一起，但居住條件極爲懸殊
8. Pacific Time n. 美國西部標準時間
Mountain time is one hour later than Pacific time and one hour earlier than central time.
山區時間比太平洋時間晚一小時，而比中部時間早一小時。
9. general anesthetic 全身麻醉藥
【詞組講解】
Spokesmen for the Jackson family said 1.6 million people had registered for 8,750 free pairs of tickets to the service, which is to take place Tuesday morning at Staples Center, the sports and entertainment arena owned by AEG.
傑克遜家人的發言人表示，目前已有160萬人申請領取8,750套傑克遜悼念儀式的免費入場券。
register for 表示“爲……註冊〔登記〕 ”
An increasing number of students are registering for degree courses each year.
每年，越來越多的學生註冊學習能獲得學位的課程。
