◎魏國金
A zoo in central Kazakhstan, where overnight temperatures have dipped to nearly -40C, is giving monkeys a wine concoction as a remedy against flu.
在夜間溫度降至近攝氏零下40度的哈薩克中部一所動物園，給猴子水酒混合物，做為預防感冒的良方。
Karaganda Zoo chief animal specialist Svetlana Pilyuk told local media it was not a matter of making the animals drunk but of "relaxing" them. The red wine is diluted with hot water and mixed with sugar and fruit.
卡拉甘達動物園首席動物專家皮呂科告訴當地媒體說，這不是要讓動物酒醉，而是讓牠們「放鬆」。（他們供應給猴子的）紅酒以熱水稀釋，並混合糖與水果。
Pilyuk said it was "normal practice" in zoos but London Zoo told the BBC this was "absolutely not" the case.
皮呂科指出，這是動物園的「一般慣例」，不過倫敦動物園告訴英國廣播公司（BBC），這「絕非」實情。
Despite the current freezing weather, the temperature in the monkey enclosure is kept at 27C, Pilyuk said.
儘管目前天寒地凍，猴子園區的溫度都維持在攝氏27度，皮呂科說。
The keeper said that the norm per animal was between 50 and 100 grams. "We give the monkeys wine because in the winter it protects them from respiratory infections," she said. "After all, primates are just like people - they enjoy drinking an alcoholic drink."
這位動物園園長指出，（紅酒）分配額度是每隻動物50至100克之間。「我們給猴子酒喝，因為在冬天這可以保護牠們免於呼吸道感染，」她說。「畢竟，靈長類正如人們—牠們也喜歡酒精飲品。」
Emma Edwards, a spokesperson for the Zoological Society of London, said that it is absolutely not the norm to give any animals alcohol, diluted or otherwise."Alcohol lowers the blood temperature so it would be completely the wrong thing to do," she said.
倫敦動物學會發言人艾德華茲說，不管稀釋與否，給任何動物喝酒絕非常態，「酒會降低血液溫度，因此如此做法大錯特錯，」她說。
新聞辭典
remedy︰名詞，療法、藥方。例句︰Travel is the sure remedy for grief.（旅行是排遣憂愁的萬無一失良方。）
case︰名詞，在此指實情、事實、情況。例句︰That is often the case with him.（他這個人往往就是那樣的。）
or otherwise︰或用其他方式、出現相反情況。例句︰Fine or otherwise, we shall have to go.（不管天氣好不好，我們非去不可。）
本文引用至:http://iservice.libertytimes.com.tw/Service/english/english.php?engno=560913&day=2012-02-15
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