《中英對照讀新聞》Idaho's image becomes hot potato 愛達荷州的形象成為燙手山芋

◎ 俞智敏

A state lawmaker wants to peel Idaho's standard license plate of the legend "Famous Potatoes" in a battle over whether the lowly spud should symbolize a state whose major export is high technology.

一名州議員希望除去愛達荷州汽車牌照上的「著名馬鈴薯」字樣，這場爭執是起於地位低下的馬鈴薯是否該成為以高科技為主要出口品的愛荷華州象徵。

Republican Sen. Hal Bunderson said the slogan no longer has resonance for a state whose population and commerce have undergone a seismic shift in the 46 years since the motto was first stamped on Idaho's license plates.

共和黨籍州參議員邦德森表示，上述標語已無法再引起共鳴，因為愛荷華州的人口與商業發展在此口號首度被印製於該州牌照上的46年間，已經產生了重大轉變。

"Other than as a consumer, the majority of people in Idaho have no connection to 'Famous Potatoes,'" said Bunderson. Besides, the potato has fallen from agricultural grace, dropping from the state's top-earning agricultural commodity to No. 3 behind milk and livestock.

「除作為消費者的身分外，愛達荷州大多數人與『著名馬鈴薯』一詞早已沒任何關連，」邦德森說。此外，馬鈴薯早已不再獲農業青睞，從該州最賺錢的農產品一路滑落至第三名，排在牛奶和牲畜之後。

Frank Muir, president of the Idaho Potato Commission, is irked over the proposal, which he says undercuts the spud's considerable contributions to the state. After beating back the onslaught of low-carb diets in recent years, the last thing the Idaho potato industry expected was to be mashed at home, he said.

愛達荷州馬鈴薯委員會主席穆爾則對上述提案感到惱怒，他認為這項提案破壞了馬鈴薯對該州的顯著貢獻。在與低卡路里飲食奮戰多年後，愛達荷州馬鈴薯業者最不樂見的就是在自己的家鄉受到打壓，他說。

"We don't have to be embarrassed by our agricultural roots. Why not be proud of your potato?" he said.

「我們不必為我們的農業根源感到尷尬。為什麼不以你的馬鈴薯而自豪呢？」他說。

新聞辭典

hot potato：指棘手難題，如︰Gun control is a political hot potato.（槍枝管制問題是個政治燙手山芋。）

peel：指削皮、剝落，如︰His job was to peel potatoes.（他的工作是削馬鈴薯皮。）在此文中意指除去（常用peel off），亦為削馬鈴薯皮的雙關語。

legend：在本文中指銘文、刻字，亦指（地圖、圖片的）說明、圖例。

seismic：地震的、因地震所引起的，在本文中引申為影響重大的，如︰The news that the chairman would resign set off seismic waves in the business community.（董事長將辭職的消息在商業界引發極大震撼。）

fall out of（或from） grace：失去恩寵、地位或聲望遽降，如︰The Finance Minister's fall from grace gave the tabloid press great satisfaction.（財政部長的失勢讓小報媒體大為稱心得意。）