《中英對照讀新聞》American Airlines flight delayed in Texas by swarming bees 美國航空班機在德州被成群蜜蜂耽誤

◎周虹汶

An American Airlines flight was delayed for more than an hour by bees that were swarming under a plane wing when it was parked at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport, the company said on Thursday.

美國航空週四說，該公司一架班機停在達拉斯─沃斯堡國際機場時，被群集在一側機翼下的蜜蜂誤點逾一小時。

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There were no bees on the plane in the Wednesday incident, which was spotted by a service crew who saw the bees buzzing under the wing.

在週三的這起事件中，蜜蜂沒進到客機裡，牠們是被一名空服員看到在該機翼下嗡嗡作響。

The airline called in a local beekeeper to handle the bees so the plane from Las Vegas could turn around as a flight to Frankfort, Germany.

美國航空找來當地一名養蜂人處理這些蜜蜂，好讓這架來自拉斯維加斯的飛機，可以掉頭飛往德國法蘭克福。

"Unfortunately, not long after the beekeeper left, another swarm decided to visit the same aircraft," American Airlines spokeswoman Andrea Huguely said.

美國航空發言人安卓亞．休格莉說：「很不巧地，該養蜂人離開後不久，另一群蜂群決定拜訪同架飛機。」

The beekeeper was called again to remove the second swarm of bees. No one was stung.

養蜂人再度被叫來清除第二群蜂群。沒有人被螫。

"This was not our first encounter with bees," Huguely said. （Reuters）

休格莉說：「這不是我們第一次遇見蜜蜂。」（路透）

新聞辭典

swarm：名詞，指蜂群、一大群；動詞，指擠滿、成群移動、攀爬。例句：The plaza is swarming with people.（廣場擠滿了民眾。）

sting：名詞，指螫傷處、毒刺、劇痛、警方所設的突擊圈套；動詞，指刺激、叮痛。例句：The police ran a sting operation to crack down on drugs.（警方展開誘捕行動以掃蕩毒品。）

encounter：名詞、動詞，指遭遇、邂逅、對抗。例句：That was my first encounter with alcohol.（那是我第一次碰酒。）