《中英對照讀新聞》Eight-foot alligator found at L.A. home suspected of eating cats 在加州住家發現的8英尺短吻鱷疑似吃了貓

◎周虹汶

An 8-foot alligator was found next to the carcasses of two cats in the back yard of a suburban Los Angeles home where the reptile had been living illegally since the 1970s, authorities said on Thursday.

主管機關週四說，在洛杉磯郊外一處住家的後院裡發現一隻8英尺長的短吻鱷，旁邊還有兩具貓咪遺骸，該隻爬蟲類動物已從1970年代在那裡非法居住至今。

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Animal control officers armed with a search warrant discovered the alligator, estimated to be about 40 years old, in a closed box with the cat remains at the home in Van Nuys, Los Angeles Animal Services Commander Mark Salazar said.

洛杉磯動物處指揮官馬克‧薩拉札說，持有搜索令的動物管制官員在位於凡奈斯的該住家中一個封閉箱子裡，發現了這隻估計約有40歲的短吻鱷以及貓咪遺骸。

Salazar said Animal Services was conducting a full criminal investigation and called on any residents in the area who have lost small pets at "any time over the last 40 years" to contact the department.

薩拉札說，動物處正展開全面性的刑事調查，並呼籲在「過去40年來的任何時刻」曾遺失小寵物的該區居民聯繫該部門。

Ron Gorecki told the Los Angeles Times in an interview that he had helped his sister care for the alligator, named Jaxson, since her husband, its original owner, died last year.

榮恩‧戈雷茨基在一次專訪中告訴《洛杉磯時報》，他幫忙他的姊妹照顧該隻名叫傑克森的短吻鱷，自從她的丈夫、原飼主去年過世後。

Gorecki told the Los Angeles Daily News that Jaxson fed on "chicken, hot dogs, stuff of that nature – nothing live," leaving the family’s cats alone.

戈雷茨基告訴《洛杉磯每日新聞報》，傑克森以「雞肉、熱狗，這類性質的東西——沒有一樣是活的」為食物，且不會接觸到家裡的貓咪們。

The alligator was taken to the Los Angeles Zoo. (Reuters)

該隻短吻鱷已被帶到洛杉磯動物園。（路透）

新聞辭典

be armed with：片語動詞，指配有武裝。例句：Teachers must be armed with patience.（教師必須要有耐心。）

feed on：片語動詞，指以為食物或能源。例句：Money and power feed on each other.（金錢與權力彼此助長。）

of that nature：形容詞片語，指這種性質的。例句：Things of that nature will not bother me.（那類事物不會困擾我。）