《中英對照讀新聞》Americans Clamor for Spot on Scottish Isle美國人爭相搶奪蘇格蘭小島房產

The tight-knit community of Fair Isle - known for the sweaters it produces — was overwhelmed with U.S. interest when it opened its doors a crack.The remote island north of the Scottish mainland,home to about 70 people, recently advertised that two homes were available.

費爾島上團結的社區─這座小島素以特產的毛衣聞名─因為對外開放了一道小縫，引來大批美國人注意而不知所措。這座位於蘇格蘭本島北方、居民僅約70人的偏遠小島最近刊登廣告表示，島上有2座房屋可供出租。

The ad drew several hundred inquires and about 80 applications, mostly from Americans, according to the conservation charity National Trust for Scotland, which officially owns the 6-square-mile island.Many of the applicants have the knitting skills in such high demand on the island, said Angus Jack, regional surveyor for the trust. The island has long been known for a particular style of knitting with horizontal bands of geometric patterns.

根據擁有這座面積6平方英里小島的蘇格蘭國民信託組織表示，這項廣告吸引了數百人詢問，約80人提出申請，其中大部份是美國人。該信託組織地方測量官傑克表示，許多申請者都具備島上十分需要的編織技能。費爾島向來以一種橫條幾何圖案的獨特編織風格著稱。

Jack said the community will play a major role in selecting the two families that will inhabit the vacant four-bedroom and five-bedroom houses. "The island is small, and the island is remote, so although （the new residents） have to be independent in supporting themselves, they will be dependent on others in the community. " he said.

傑克指出，在挑選住進島上2間分別有4房及5房無人住宅的2個家庭過程中，島民將扮演重要角色。「這是一座小島，又地處偏遠，因此儘管（新居民）必須能獨立自主生活，他們仍將仰賴社區中的其他人。」，他說。

新聞辭典

clamor for： 續地喊； 大聲疾呼， 吵鬧著要求， 如The starving crowd are clamoring for food.（飢餓的群眾吵著要求食物。）clamor 亦可做名詞，指吵鬧、喧囂聲，如The clamor of the traffic gave me a headache.（嘈雜的交通噪音讓我頭疼。）

tight-knit： 緊密結合、團結的（亦可作tightly-knit或close/closely-knit），如a tight-knit family（一個關係緊密的家庭）。

inquiries：打聽、詢問（常接about或into），如The company has received a lot of inquiries about its new Internet service.（這家公司接到許多有關其新網路服務的詢問。）