《中英對照讀新聞》Rooney for prime minister? Yes, if you are 13
足球明星魯尼競選首相？沒錯，倘若你十三歲的話

◎ 張沛元

If Wayne Rooney ever opts to hang up his soccer boots, there may be a future in politics.

倘若韋恩．魯尼選擇高掛足球鞋（退出體育界），他在政壇或許能闖出另一片天。

At least that is what a survey of British children suggests.

至少，一項針對英國兒童所做的調查是如此暗示的。

The next generation of voters feel the Manchester United and England forward would be the best man for the job of Prime Minister, according to this week's Kids General Election survey.

這些未來世代的選民認為，這名曼徹斯特聯隊與英格蘭前鋒，是擔任首相工作的最佳人選，本週的兒童大選調查顯示。

While current leader Tony Blair will not lose sleep over the poll, it will do nothing for his ego to know 15 percent of the nine to 13 years old surveyed by the Cartoon Network opted for Rooney -- nearly double the amount who chose the Labour man.

儘管現任首相東尼．布雷爾不會因為調查（結果）而睡不著覺，但（他）如果知道十五％接受卡通頻道調查的九到十三歲兒童支持魯尼─將近是選擇這位勞工黨領袖的兩倍，對他的自尊心也沒啥好處。

Even 12 percent of the 1,000 youngsters questioned preferred fictional wizard Harry Potter over the man who has had the keys to Number 10 since 1997 and is widely expected to win a third term in power at the May 5 election.

一千名接受訪問的兒童中，甚至有十二％支持虛構的巫師哈利波特，更甚於這位自一九九七年起就握有唐寧街十號鑰匙、且普遍預料會在五月五日大選中贏得（首相）第三任期的人。

Dictionary-新聞辭典

hang up：高掛，掛斷電話，耽擱。例句：He hung up the phone without saying a word.（他一句話也沒說就掛斷電話。）

forward：名詞，足球前鋒。副詞，向前面地。形容詞，向前的。動詞，轉遞，轉寄信件。例句：Please forward my letters to my new address.(請把我的信轉寄到我的新地址。)

fictional：形容詞，虛構的，小說的。例句：Scarlett O'Hara of "Gone with the Wind" is a very famous fictional character.（「亂世佳人」裡的郝思嘉是非常知名的虛構人物。）

wizard：名詞，巫師，男巫。女巫為witch。

Number 10：在此指Downing Street Number 10，英國倫敦唐寧街十號，即英國首相官邸的地址。