Giant Rodents Capybaras Enjoy Japanese Hot Spring Treatment
巨型囓齒動物水豚享受日本溫泉
本則影音新聞出處：新唐人電視台英語新聞
http://english.ntdtv.com/ntdtv_en/ns_life/2010-12-23/295588092074.html
【新聞關鍵字】
1. rodent: n. [ˋrodnt] 囓齒目動物
2. capybara: n. [kæpəˋbɑrə]水豚
3. hot spring: ph. [hɑtˋ sprɪŋ] 溫泉
4. kick into gear: ph. [kɪk ˋɪntu gɪr] 準備就緒
5. set in: ph. [sɛt ˋɪn ] 開始
6. melt down: ph. [mɛlt ˋdaʊn] 熔化
7. open-air: a. [ˋopənˋɛr] 露天的
8. rather than: ph. [ˋræðɚ ðæn] 而不是…
9. winter solstice: ph. [ˋwɪntɚ [sɑlstɪs] 冬至
10. exotic: a. [ɛgˋzɑtɪk] 異國的
11. surround: v. [səˋraʊnd]圍繞
12. guinea pig: v. [ˋgɪnɪ] [pɪg] 天竺鼠
As the holiday season kicks into high gear and cold weather sets in, animals at a Japanese zoo were given a special treat… the delight of melting down in a Japanese hot spring.
由於進入假期旺季及天氣開始寒冷，日本動物園的動物，有特別的待遇…開心的泡在日本溫泉中。
On Wednesday, a family of capybaras enjoyed the full star-treatment at Saitama Children’s Zoo, as they jumped into an open-air hot tub.
週三，在琦玉縣兒童動物園，一個水豚家族享受五星級的待遇，當他們跳進了露天溫泉池。
[Akie Mita, Zookeeper]:
“It’s not that cold today, so capybaras are more like playing in the hot tub rather than taking a bath.”
[動物園管理員Akie Mita說]：
“今天沒那麼冷，所以水豚比較像在熱浴池玩耍，而不是在洗澡。”
Following a Japanese tradition of bathing in citrus on the winter solstice, zookeepers added a bucket of Chinese lemons to make the exotic bath smell good.
遵循一項日本傳統，冬至要泡柚子澡，動物園管理員添加一桶中國檸檬，讓異國澡味道很香。
Living mainly on riverbanks in tropical countries in South America, capybaras are water-loving animals, but not cold water.
水豚是喜愛水的動物，但不是冷水，主要居住在南美洲熱帶國家內的河岸旁。
[Akie Mita, Zookeeper]:
“Capybaras wouldn’t go into water during winter unless it’s warm, so their skin gets very dry, which is bad for their health. However, since we’ve given them hot baths, they got soaked in the water often, and their skin conditions got better, too.”
[動物園管理員Akie Mita說]：
“除非是溫水，否則水豚不會下水。因此牠們的皮膚變得非常乾燥，有害健康。然而，自從我們給牠們熱水澡，牠們常常浸泡在水中，皮膚情況也變好了。“
Zoo visitors surrounded the enclosure watching the cute animals relaxing and even dozing off.
動物園遊客圍著圍欄，看著可愛的動物在休息，甚至打瞌睡。
The water temperature was kept at 104 degree just warm enough for the Capybaras to fully relax.
水溫保持在104度（攝氏40度），暖度剛好足夠讓水豚充分放鬆。
Cousins of guinea pigs and rats, capybaras are considered the world’s largest rodents
水豚的近親有天竺鼠程老鼠，被認為是世界上最大的囓齒動物。
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本專欄由前衛英語David Lee主編 www.davidlee.url.tw
