《中英對照讀新聞》Possibly intoxicated pelican runs into windshield 疑似中毒的鵜鶘撞上擋風玻璃

◎俞智敏

The driver was sober. The bird he hit may have been under the influence.

駕駛神志清醒。他撞上的那隻鳥卻可能有點醺醺然。

A California brown pelican flew through the windshield of a car on the Pacific Coast Highway recently, and wildlife officials said the bird was probably intoxicated by a chemical in the water, according to a report in the Los Angeles Times.

一隻加州褐鵜鶘日前撞上一輛行駛於太平洋海岸高速公路的汽車擋風玻璃，野生動物保育官員表示，這隻鳥很可能是喝了水中的一種化學物質而中毒，據洛杉磯時報一篇報導指出。

Though toxicology tests take several weeks, the odd bird behavior was likely the result of poisoning from domoic acid, which has been found in the ocean in the area, Lisa Birkle, assistant wildlife director at the Wetlands and Wildlife Care Center in Huntington Beach, told the Times.

雖然毒物檢驗得數週才能完成，但這隻鳥的古怪行徑很可能是多摩酸中毒的結果，當地海水中就發現過多摩酸，杭廷頓海灘濕地與野生動物保育中心副主任麗莎．柏克爾向洛杉磯時報表示。

Birds can be poisoned through eating algae tainted by the acid.

鳥類可能吃進遭多摩酸污染的海藻而中毒。

The driver was not hurt. The pelican needed surgery for a broken foot, and also had a gash on its pouch. "She's hanging in there," Birkle said.

駕駛並未受傷。肇事的鵜鶘則斷了一隻腳，必須動手術，囊袋上也被劃出一道很深的傷口。「牠正努力撐下去」，柏克爾指出。

The Wetlands and Wildlife Care Center has received 16 calls of strange bird behavior in the past week, and was holding three other birds found disoriented and wandering through yards and in streets.

濕地與野生動物保育中心過去一週接到16通有關鳥類行徑怪異的通報電話，另有3隻鳥因為被人發現迷失方向、在住家後院或街頭遊蕩而被送到該中心接受照顧。

Domoic acid poisoning was the most likely cause of a 1961 invasion of thousands of frantic seabirds in Northern California that inspired Alfred Hitchcock's film "The Birds." Those birds flew into buildings and pecked several humans.

多摩酸中毒可能就是1961年數千隻發狂的海鳥入侵北加州的主因，該事件也成為希區考克名片「鳥」的靈感來源。這些鳥類成群飛進建築物，並啄傷了數人。

新聞辭典

intoxicate：喝醉、狂喜、陶醉，文中指中毒。如The prospect of success intoxicates me.（成功的前景令我陶醉。）

under the influence：指酒醉，如Driving under the influence is a very serious offense.（酒後開車是一項嚴重罪行。）