《中英對照讀新聞》Scaly, scary lodgers： Frenchman shares home with 400 reptiles 有鱗片的嚇人房客：法國男子與400隻爬蟲動物共享屋子

◎周虹汶

In an unassuming house on France’s River Loire, a cobra lives on the coffee table, a 50 kg tortoise roams the garden and a two-meter alligator sleeps in the owner’s bed while another keeps watch at the door.

在法國羅亞爾河一處不起眼的房子裡，一條眼鏡蛇生活在咖啡桌上，一隻50公斤陸龜在花園優游，還有一頭2公尺的短吻鱷睡在屋主床上，同時間另一隻守著門。

請繼續往下閱讀...

Over two decades, 67-year-old reptile enthusiast Philippe Gillet has amassed a collection of more than 400 phobia-inducing animals, including rattlesnakes, tarantulas and lizards in his home in western France near the city of Nantes.

20多年來，67歲的爬蟲愛好者菲力普．吉列蒐藏已累積到超過400隻足以引發恐懼症的動物，包括響尾蛇、狼蛛和蜥蜴在他位於法國西部靠近南特市的家裡。

"I think it’s unfair to treat these animals the way we do because we don’t understand them," he told Reuters after feeding chicken to his alligators.

餵雞肉給自己的短吻鱷後，他告訴路透：「我覺得我們對待這些動物的方式是不公平的，因為我們不了解牠們。」

Gillet says he has all the necessary permits to keep and transport the animals for roadshows which he runs to raise awareness about reptiles.

吉列說，他擁有為飼養、運輸這些動物所需的全部許可證，以進行巡迴演出來提高對爬蟲動物的認識。

He insists the locals do not mind their unusual neighbors and regularly pop in for coffee, safe in the knowledge that the most dangerous snakes are kept in a room behind two sets of doors.

他堅稱當地人不介意他們的稀罕鄰居，且經常放心地來串門子喝咖啡，因他們知道最危險的蛇都被養在兩扇門後的一個房間裡。

But the local fire department is more cautious：they are under instructions not to enter his house in an emergency.（Reuters）

但當地消防單位比較小心：他們收到指示，在緊急情況下，別進他屋裡。（路透）

新聞辭典

unassuming：形容詞，指謙遜的、不裝腔作勢的、不招搖的、平易的。例句：He is unassuming.（他沒有架子。）

induce：動詞，指引起、感應、歸納。例句：Walking in the forest can induce a feeling of well-being.（森林漫步令人身心舒暢。）

pop in：片語動詞，指突然出現。例句：I may pop in to see you tomorrow.（我可能明天去看你。）