華泰劍橋部落格 Cambridge Corner

（中文新聞下面，附上英文原稿與字彙表，請大家一起來讀新聞&練英文唷！）  

↑圖為Ubisoft網頁中「我的單字教練」試玩影片 Watch People Play >>http://mywordcoach.us.ubi.com/watch_people_play.php　

忘了超級瑪莉和神奇寶貝吧！任天堂的遊戲新寵可是出自劍橋大學出版社的字典呢！

「我的單字教練」（My Word Coach）是一款新研發的電玩遊戲。遊戲內含一萬六千個以上的劍橋高階英英字典（CALD）單字和解釋，可以幫助使用者拓展字彙量並加強拼字能力。該款遊戲是為任天堂掌上型電玩（NDS）和Wii主機所研發，並且在去年十一月底就已由Ubisoft發行。Ubisoft可說是電玩軟體界的龍頭，往往推出的電玩遊戲都可以達到數百萬份的銷售量。「我的教練」系列電玩提供忙碌的使用者在通勤也能動動腦的機會！

↑圖為Ubisoft網頁中「我的單字教練」範例圖示。

這項合作將事先為劍橋帶來三萬八千美金的版稅進帳，並且提供劍橋字典絕佳的宣傳機會。「我的單字教練」早已得到廣泛的宣傳，而CALD在電視廣告宣傳方面則由茱莉華特斯（Julie Walters）和派屈克史都華（Patrick Stewart）主演。這支廣告在聖誕節前六週會在英國地區的主要電視頻道播放，在美國地區也有一支廣告宣傳，但廣告中沒有提及字典的名稱。

↑廣告片段畫面，左為茱莉華特斯，右為派屈克史都華（手中為任天堂NDS）

隨著軟體研發者開始拓展益智遊戲市場的趨勢逐漸增加，我們希望在未來可以擁有更多這樣的機會和產品開發的合作關係。Ubisoft已經開始向語言學習者談論「我的教練」系列產品，而劍橋ELT一定也會參與在其中。

所以或許我們在新年時會聽到這樣的對話：

Q：你一整個下午都在玩任天堂嗎？
A：廢話！當然！這需要懷疑嗎！？

<練英文時間~以下為英文原稿~>  

New Nintendo game powered by Cambridge dictionary
FRIDAY 7 December 2007 | Europe

Forget Super Mario and Pokemon. The star of the latest Nintendo video game is a dictionary from Cambridge University Press.

My Word Coach, a new video game designed to help users develop their vocabulary and spelling skills, features over 16,000 words and definitions from the Cambridge Advanced Learner’s Dictionary. The game which has been developed for the Nintendo DS handheld and Wii consoles was launched at the end of November by Ubisoft, one of the world’s biggest and most successful video game publishers, whose games often sell millions of copies. It is part of a series of ‘My Coach’ products which provide quick brain-trainer type games for busy users on the move.

The collaboration will bring Cambridge royalty-based rights income with a US$38,000 advance, and also offers an excellent promotional opportunity for Cambridge dictionaries. The game has already received extensive pre- and post-launch publicity. And as well as in-game exposure, the Cambridge Advanced Learner’s Dictionary receives a mention in the TV ad campaign featuring Julie Walters and Patrick Stewart. The advert will run for 6 weeks in the run-up to Christmas on main terrestrial TV channels in the UK. A TV ad is also running in the US, though it does not mention the dictionary by name.

As the trend for software developers to expand into the games market grows, we hope to see more opportunities for rights deals and possible product development partnerships in the future. Ubisoft for example are already talking about ‘My Coach’ products for language learners which is something that Cambridge ELT could certainly be involved in.

So maybe we will be hearing this conversation a few days into the New Year:

Q: So have you been playing on that Nintendo all afternoon?
A: Affirmative! Indubitably! Without doubt!

[字彙表]
Brain-trainer　ph. 益智的
Collaboration　n. 合作
Affirmative　a. 肯定的
Indubitably　ad. 不容置疑地
Without doubt　ph. 無疑