中英對照讀新聞》Snake on a plane! South African pilot finds cobra under seat 飛機上有蛇！南非飛行員在座位下發現眼鏡蛇

◎陳成良

A pilot in South Africa made a hasty emergency landing after discovering a highly venomous cobra hiding under his seat.

南非一名飛行員發現一條劇毒眼鏡蛇藏在他座位下面後，匆忙緊急降落。

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Rudolf Erasmus had four passengers on board the light aircraft during Monday’s flight when he felt “something cold” slide across his lower back. He glanced down to see the head of a fairly large Cape Cobra “receding back under the seat,” he said.

魯道夫‧伊拉斯謨駕駛的輕型飛機，在週一的飛行中有4名乘客，當時他感到「冷東西」滑過他的下背部。他低頭一瞧，看到一條相當大的黃金眼鏡蛇，頭「縮回座位下面」，他說。

After taking a moment to compose himself, he informed his passengers of the slippery stowaway.

在花了一點時間讓自己鎮靜下來後，他告知乘客有滑溜溜的偷渡者。

Erasmus called air traffic control for permission to make an emergency landing in the town of Welkom in central South Africa. He still had to fly for another 10 to 15 minutes and land the plane with the snake curled up by his feet.（AP）

伊拉斯謨請求空中交通管制部門允許在南非中部的韋爾科姆鎮緊急迫降。他還得再飛10到15分鐘，然後帶著蜷縮在腳邊的蛇降落飛機。（美聯社）

新聞辭典

compose oneself：片語，（讓某人）鎮靜。例句：She was nervous at first but soon composed herself.（她一開始有些緊張，但很快就鎮定下來了。）

stowaway：名詞，偷渡者；動詞用法：stow away。例句：The police found a stowaway on the ship.（警方在船上發現一名偷渡客。）