Weird Butterfly Ceremony

課文：

Nintendo’s most popular ventures

Amidst the video-game popularity of the 70s, Nintendo introduced their first arcade game in 1975, EVR Race. Nintendo’s next two games, Donkey Kong in 1981 and Super Mario Brothers in 1985, became legendary. Super Mario Brothers used the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES), a home video-game system of which nearly 62 million units were sold worldwide. Success struck again in 1989 with another Yokoi creation, Game Boy, which still ranks as the all-time best-selling portable game system.

Nintendo 64 (N64) was released in 1996, selling nearly 33 million units, and receiving Time magazine’s 1996 Machine of the Year award.

venture：（有風險的）事業、商業冒險
arcade：電玩遊樂場、遊藝中心、拱廊商場
legendary：傳說的、著名的
entertainment：招待、遊藝、娛樂
struck：使處於特定狀態（= strike）
rank：等級
portable：便於攜帶的
release：釋放、發行

In 2006, the company launched its Wii console, which became another huge success. Nintendo successfully targeted a new market: children and people who had never played video games before. Wii’s interactive games, including animated games for kids and sports for the older crowd, offered an entirely new way to play.

launch：將…投放市場
console：操縱台
huge：巨大的、非常的
targeted：目標
interactive：互動的
animated：動畫的
crowd：人群
entirely：完全地、徹底地

What’s ahead?

Over the years, the company has faced growing competition, prompting skeptical remarks from some about Nintendo’s future. But in January, the company announced plans to begin developing a mystery device that will be launched in 2016. Nintendo is still looking toward the future, making everyone wonder what amazing devices the company will create in the next 125 years.

prompting：刺激、敦促
skeptical：抱持懷疑態度的、懷疑的
announced：宣佈

文法：
amidst… = amid…（在…期間、在…之中）

特別補充：
what’s in store for …： 儲藏備用什麼…
interact：互動
skeptical about：對…抱持懷疑態度