全通翻譯/翻譯社

魔笛手城市再度面臨鼠患

◎張沛元

The German city of Hamelin may be in need of another Pied Piper -- it seems the rats are back.

德國城市哈梅林可能需要另一名魔笛手，因為看似老鼠回來了。

City officials say a popular fountain has been put out of service after the rodents gnawed through a power cable, according to the Sueddeutsche Zeitung newspaper.

根據南德意志報，市府官員表示，在鼠輩咬穿了一條電纜線後，一座廣受歡迎的噴泉已停止運作。

The Lower Saxony city is where, legend has it, the Pied Piper led all the rats out in 1284 with his magic pipe into the Weser River, where they drowned.

這座位於下薩克森的城市，就是傳說中魔笛手在1284年利用他的魔笛，將所有老鼠引領出城，並溺死在威悉河之地。

But more than 700 years later, city officials say such drastic measures may not be necessary. The fountain was due to be permanently closed anyway because of the high upkeep costs.

但在700多年後，市府官員說，也許沒有必要採取這類（意指溺死老鼠）激烈手段。反正這座噴泉原本就因為維修經費太高而得永久關閉。

And the solution in the fictitious Piper story isn’t practical anyway：rats are actually pretty good swimmers.（AP）

而且，不管怎麼說，虛構的魔笛手故事中的解決鼠患之道並不實際：老鼠其實是游泳健將。（美聯社）

新聞辭典

in need（of something）：慣用語，某人需要（某物）。例句：We are in need of a new leader.（我們需要一名新領導人。）

out of service：慣用語，暫停使用，暫停服務；相反詞，in service，使用中，運行中。例句：All elevators in the office building had been put out of service, so I had to use the stairs.（辦公大樓內的所有電梯都暫停服務，我只好爬樓梯。）

rodent：名詞，齧齒目動物，本文中指老鼠

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