《中英對照讀新聞》T-bone steak may soon return to Europe's menus 丁骨牛排也許很快就可重回歐洲的菜單

◎ 魏國金

T-bone steaks, including Italy's famous Fiorentina cut, may soon be back on Europe's menus as EU vets prepare to lift a four-year ban imposed over mad cow disease fears, officials said.

官員指出，丁骨牛排，包括義大利著名的佛羅倫斯炭烤牛排，也許很快就可回到歐洲的菜單上，因為歐盟的獸醫師準備解除因擔心狂牛症而實施了四年的禁令。

Sales of beef containing the backbone of animals aged over 12 months were banned in 2001 in many European countries, with the low age limit effectively outlawing T-bone steak. Next week, veterinary experts from the EU's 25 member states will debate whether to raise that limit to 24 months.

二○○一年，許多歐洲國家禁止販售帶有超過十二個月大牛隻脊骨的牛肉，因著這項年齡限制很低，使丁骨牛排的販售實際上成為非法。下周，歐盟二十五個會員國的獸醫專家將就是否調高年齡限制至二十四個月進行討論。

If they agree, T-bones could be back on sale in butchers' shops before the end of the year, a move that would delight lovers of Italy's Tuscan Fiorentina steak which traditionally comes from cattle aged between 17 and 22 months.

如果他們同意，丁骨牛排可望於今年底前重回肉攤，這將是一項讓喜愛義大利托斯坎佛羅倫斯牛排的饕客大感欣喜的舉措；這種牛排傳統上取自年約十七至二十二個月的牛隻。

The easing of restrictions on spinal cord beef comes as the EU plans to allow the export of British beef, which was banned in 1996 following the outbreak of mad cow disease. The phonebook-thick Fiorentina, perhaps the most famous victim of the EU's mad cow ban, usually includes a piece of backbone, whose tissue is believed to harbour the agent that causes the brain-wasting disease.

骨髓牛肉限制的鬆綁，在歐盟計劃允許英國牛肉出口之際出現，在一九九六年狂牛症爆發後，英國牛肉遭禁止出口。厚如電話本的佛羅倫斯炭烤牛肉或許是歐盟狂牛症禁令中最出名的受害者，它通常包括一段脊骨，脊骨組織據信藏有引發這種腦損耗疾病的病原體。

新聞辭典

lift:有抬起、升起、聳立的意思，在此指解除（封鎖、禁令、限制）。

mad cow disease:狂牛症。「傳染性海綿樣腦病變」，若發生在人身上稱為賈庫氏病，若發生在牛身上則稱為狂牛症。這是一種致命的腦損耗疾病（brain-wasting disease）。

outlaw:使成為非法、宣佈為非法。out若加在動詞前，有「外」、「超過」、「優於」的含意，比如：outbalance:重於、比…重（重要），outnumber:比…多。

outbreak:名詞，指爆發、突然發生，the outreak of birdflu:禽流感的爆發。