◎魏國金

An eight-year-old cheetah called Sarah has broken the world speed record for land animals. Covering 100 metres in 6.13 seconds, Sarah set a new speed record for all land mammals in Cincinnati.

一頭名叫莎拉的8歲獵豹打破陸上動物的世界速度紀錄。莎拉以6.13秒跑百米的速度，在辛辛那提締造所有陸上哺乳動物的速度新紀錄。

The middle-aged cheetah shaved more than 3 seconds off the fastest human time, 9.58 seconds, set by Jamaican sprint legend Usain Bolt this year.

這頭中年獵豹比牙買加短跑傳奇烏賽恩．波爾特今年創下的9.58秒人類最快速度還快逾3秒。

Running on a specially designed course at Cincinnati Zoo, Sarah pipped the record of 6.19 seconds set by a cheetah in South Africa in 2001. Chasing a lure similar to those used in greyhound racing, she hit speeds of up to 60mph.

莎拉在辛辛那提動物園特別設計的場地上奔跑，一舉超越2001年一頭獵豹在南非寫下的6.19秒紀錄。她追逐一個類似被用於賽狗的誘餌，飆速高達時速60英里。

"We are so thrilled that Sarah has smashed this record," said Cathryn Hilker, 78, the organiser of the attempt. Sarah undertook three attempts to break the record and smashed it on the second time of asking.

「莎拉打破這個紀錄令我們非常振奮」，該項嘗試任務的主辦人、78歲的凱薩琳．希爾克說。為了破紀錄，莎拉進行3次試跑，而在第2次嘗試時締造新猷。

新聞辭典

shave︰動詞，刮（鬍鬚）；掠過、擦過；（美俚）險勝、減輕；例如，shave a sentence to three years （刑期減為三年。）

pip︰動詞，打擊、擊敗。例如︰pip one’s opponent in a race（在比賽中擊敗對手。）pip當名詞有出眾的人或物之意，例句︰The girl is a pip.（這女孩姿色出眾。）

lure：名詞，誘惑 、吸引力、誘餌。例句︰He couldn’t resist the lure of money.（他抵擋不住金錢的誘惑。）

smash︰動詞，打碎、擊潰。例如，smash the record（打破紀錄。）

自由時報-980916

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