◎羅彥傑

A mother has been charged with stealing the identity of her 15-year-old daughter - so she could fulfil her dream of being a high school cheerleader.

一名母親被控盜用15歲女兒的身分，以實現當中學啦啦隊的夢想。

Wendy Brown got as far as attending practice with the cheerleading squad at a US school without raising suspicions.

溫蒂布朗甚至參加美國一間學校啦啦隊的練習，沒有引起他人懷疑。

The 33-year-old was given her own locker and went to a swimming pool party at the home of the squad’s coach.

這位33歲婦人分配到專屬的衣物櫃，而且參加了在啦啦隊教練家中辦的泳池派對。

Her daughter was living 3,200km away in Nevada with her grandmother at the time. When questioned by police, Brown said she never had a proper childhood and wanted to regain a part of her life that she missed.

她的女兒當時和祖母住在3,200公里外的內華達州。當警方偵訊時，布朗說自己從未有過該有的童年生活，想要找回生命失落的片段。

Kim Demeny, who works at the school in Green Bay, Wisconsin, said that while Brown looked older than a student, she behaved like one.

在威斯康辛州綠灣這間學校工作的金丹蒙尼說，雖然布朗的年紀看起來比學生大，但表現得就像學生一樣。

Teachers became suspicious only when Brown turned up for just one day of classes last week. Her cheque for $134.50 towards her cheerleading uniform also bounced.

當布朗上週只上一天的課時，老師們才心生疑竇。她用來支付啦啦隊制服的134.5美元支票也跳票。

新聞辭典

cheerleader：名詞，啦啦隊，引申為帶頭喝采者。The Fed has always been known as a cheerleader for the large banks, not a law

enforcement agency.（美國聯準會總是以身為大銀行的啦啦隊而非執法機構聞名。）

turn up：片語，出現、露面。例句：The police turned up unexpectedly.（警方出其不意地出現。）

bounce：動詞，反彈，引申為支票跳票。例句：If you bounce a cheque, you will be in trouble.（如果你的支票跳票，麻煩就大了。）