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進入《中英對照讀新聞》NYC man spends $7,500 to fight $115 parking ticket 紐約市男子花7500美元打115美元的停車罰單官司
◎張沛元
A retired New York City man says he’s spent $7,500 fighting a $115 parking ticket because he’s got "nothing else to do."
紐約市一名退休男子表示，他為了一張115美元的停車罰單花7500美元打官司，只因為他「沒別的事情可做」。
Former electrical hardware firm vice president Simon Belsky says he was erroneously ticketed two years ago. The 63-year-old says the ticket cites his van for blocking a Brooklyn fire hydrant even though the only hydrant on the street was down the block.
電子硬體公司前任副總裁西蒙．貝爾斯基說，他兩年前被誤開罰單。這名63歲的男子說，該罰單指稱他的廂型車擋住布魯克林區的一具消防栓，即使那條街上唯一一具消防栓位於該街街底。
The November 2006 fine has ballooned from $115 to about $200 with penalties.
懲罰金使得這張2006年11月的罰單從115美元暴增為200美元。
Belsky was in court recently and is due back Feb. 2. He says if he wins he’ll file a civil suit against the city to recover the $7,500 he’s spent on legal work. He says if any compensation is awarded he’ll donate it to educational programs.
貝爾斯基日前出庭，預定2月2日再次出庭。他說，倘若他打贏這場官司，他會對紐約市政府提出民事訴訟，以彌補他在打官司上所花費的7500美元。他說，倘若能獲賠任何賠償，他會將之捐給教育計畫。
新聞辭典
fight：動詞，奮鬥；爭吵。相關俚語，an uphill battle/fight/struggle，苦戰。uphill，形容詞，上坡的，艱困的。
erroneously：副詞，錯誤地。
balloon：名詞，氣球；漫畫人物對白框；氣球狀物。動詞，搭乘熱氣球；激增。相關片語，go down like a lead balloon，無法讓人感興趣、激起熱情或支持。倘若你說的話或所做的事情有如鉛氣球般墜落，表示對方不喜歡你的話或所做的事。例句：This kind of jokes always go down like a lead balloon.（這種笑話通常冷到沒人笑得出來。）
