《中英對照讀新聞》45 parrots worth estimated $58,000 missing after break-in at Long Island pet shop長島寵物店遭人闖空門後，45隻估計價值5萬8000美元的鸚鵡失蹤
◎張沛元
Polly want a rescue： Forty-five parrots worth an estimated $58,000 were stolen from a pet store.
鸚鵡鳥有難：45隻估計價值5萬8000美元的鸚鵡，從一家寵物店被人偷走。
The thief broke a back window of the Parrots of the World shop between 4 a.m. and 6 a.m., before the owner showed up, police said.
警方說，小偷在清晨4點到6點之間，「世界鸚鵡」寵物店的店東現身之前，破壞該店的一扇後窗。
The 45 stolen parrots were worth about $58,000, said Nassau County police, who didn’t know how the crook got away.
拿梭郡警方說，45隻被竊鸚鵡價值5萬8000美元。警方並不清楚小偷如何脫逃。
The store’s owner, Marc Morrone, said whoever ripped him off knew where the surveillance cameras were, unhooked the cages and carried them out through a hole in the window. He said he didn’t immediately notice that one of his favorite birds was among the missing.
寵物店店東馬克．莫龍說，無論是哪個傢伙幹的好事，此人必定知道監視器的位置，且打開鳥籠的鉤子，然後透過窗戶上的破洞，把鸚鵡偷走。他說，起先並未立刻發現，連他最愛的一隻鳥也被偷了。
"I was cutting up papayas for him, and I went to feed him," Morrone said, "and the cage was empty."
「我正在為牠切木瓜，然後過去餵牠，」莫龍說，「結果鳥籠空空如也。」
新聞辭典
Polly want a rescue：原為組織名稱Polly Want A Rescue，為一維護鳥類權益、解救鳥類（通常是鸚鵡）的非營利組織，因為美國人常把鸚鵡取名為 Polly。本文攸關寵物鳥竊案，作者以該組織名稱破題，意在營造雙關語的樂趣。
crook：俚語，小偷，壞蛋。相關片語by hook or by crook（不擇手段，用盡各種手段）。例句：I knew that I had to get that thing done by hook or by crook.（我想我得用盡各種手段，以便完成那件事。）
rip off：俚語，rip someone off（欺騙某人或偷某人的東西）；rip something off（偷走某物）。例句：Mary ripped the idea of dressing like a vampire for the costume party from her sister.（瑪莉在化裝舞會上扮成吸血鬼的構想，是從她姊姊那兒偷來的。）
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