《中英對照讀新聞》Pigeon lovers set for the battle of Trafalgar 愛鴿人士準備迎接特拉法加之戰

◎羅彥傑

Pigeon lovers are set to take London Mayor Ken Livingstone to court to force him to let them continue feeding the birds he calls "flying rats" in the capital’s Trafalgar Square.

愛鴿人士準備將倫敦市長李文斯頓告上法庭，以迫使他允許他們繼續在首都特拉法加廣場上餵食這些他稱為「飛天老鼠」的鳥兒。

The Save the Trafalgar Square Pigeons （STTSP） action group has been battling a campaign launched by Livingstone six years ago to rid the central London square of its pigeons, which he says are a nuisance and a health hazard.

「拯救特拉法加廣場之鴿」（STTSP）行動團體槓上李文斯頓六年前發起的驅趕倫敦中央廣場之鴿活動，他說這些鴿子令人討厭，而且對健康構成威脅。

The sale to the public of bird seed has been banned and hawks have been brought in to scare the pigeons away.

當局已禁止販售鳥食給公眾，並引進老鷹來嚇跑鴿子。

The group says Livingstone has broken an agreement to allow them to feed the birds as part of a plan to eradicate them by a gradual reduction in feeding and to donate 3,000 pounds for the bird food.

該團體說李文斯頓破壞一項允許他們餵鳥的協議，而這份協議乃是一項以逐步減少餵食方式根除牠們與捐贈3,000英鎊買鳥飼料的計畫的一部份。

新聞辭典

take sb. to court：指將某人告上法院。

feed：動詞，餵、提供飼料或食物。例句：The patient cannot feed himself yet.（病患還不能自己進食。）

to rid∼of…：使∼擺脫…。例句：It is difficult to rid clothes of cooking smells.（衣服上的油煙味道很難去除。）

to be brought in：引入、帶進。例句：He was brought in, and stood before the manager.（他被帶了進來，站在經理前面。）