Waterboarding is a method of torture.

Waterboarding水刑 is是 a method of torture一種刑求方式

The victim is tied down with their head lower than their feet, a cloth is put over their face, and water is poured onto it. The water blocks the air, so the person's body believes it is drowning and panics, even though they are not actually under water. It causes extreme fear and suffering, and it can kill.

The victim受害者 is tied down被綁著, with their head lower than their feet頭比腳低, a cloth is put over their face臉上蓋著布, and water is poured onto it然後水被倒在布上The water水 blocks the air擋住空氣, so所以 the person's body這個人的身體 believes it is drowning會以為自己在溺水 and panics而驚慌, even though即使 they are not actually under water他們其實並沒有真的在水裡It causes這會造成 extreme fear and suffering極度的恐懼和痛苦, and it can kill甚至可能致命

It is used to force people to talk — usually prisoners, usually during questioning. The word is almost always heard in one particular context: news and argument about how the American CIA treated prisoners after the September 11 attacks. Officials at the time called it an 'enhanced interrogation technique', which was a deliberately mild, bureaucratic phrase; human rights organisations, and later most governments and courts, called it torture. So when you meet this word in a newspaper, notice that the writer's choice of surrounding words is telling you their position.

It is used to force people to talk這被用來逼人開口 — usually prisoners通常是犯人, usually during questioning通常是在偵訊的時候The word這個字 is almost always heard幾乎都 in one particular context只在一個特定的情境裡出現: news and argument about how the American CIA treated prisoners after the September 11 attacks就是討論911事件後美國中情局如何對待囚犯的新聞和爭論Officials at the time當時的官員 called it稱它為 an 'enhanced interrogation technique'「加強審訊手段」, which was a deliberately mild, bureaucratic phrase這是刻意講得溫和、官腔的說法; human rights organisations人權團體, and later most governments and courts後來大多數政府和法院, called it torture則稱它為酷刑So所以 when you meet this word in a newspaper當你在報紙上看到這個字時, notice注意, that the writer's choice of surrounding words作者選用的周圍字詞 is telling you their position其實透露了他們的立場

It is a heavy, serious word, not for casual use.

It is這是 a heavy, serious word很沉重、嚴肅的字, not for casual use不是拿來隨便用的

Grammatically it works two ways. As a noun it is the practice itself — 'waterboarding is illegal'. It is also the -ing form of the verb `waterboard` — 'he says he was waterboarded three times'. The passive form with `was waterboarded` is very common, because the sentence is nearly always about what was done to someone.

Grammatically文法上 it works two ways它有兩種用法As a noun當名詞用的時候, it is the practice itself它指的是這個做法本身 — 'waterboarding is illegal'水刑是違法的It is also它也是 the -ing form of the verb `waterboard`動詞waterboard的-ing形式 — 'he says he was waterboarded three times'他說他被水刑了三次The passive form with `was waterboarded``was waterboarded`這種被動式 is very common很常見, because因為 the sentence is nearly always about what was done to someone這種句子幾乎都是在講對某人做了什麼