A Mexican national who told airport immigration he was visiting Britain to see a friend was swiftly deported after a search unearthed a good-luck card in his luggage wishing him well for his "new life in the UK."

一位墨西哥國民告訴機場入出境官員，他正要造訪英國去看一位朋友，卻在被搜到行李裡面有張寫著「希望在英國的新生活一切順利」的祝福卡後，很快被遞解出境。

UK Border Agency officers at Manchester Airport routinely stopped the 40-year-old chef after he arrived on a flight from Los Angeles last Friday.

在這位40歲的廚師上週五搭機從洛杉磯抵達後，曼徹斯特機場的英國邊境事務處官員照慣例將他攔下。

The man told them he was on a short trip to see a friend who was opening a restaurant in the area.

這名男子告訴他們，他是短期停留，以便造訪一位在此地區開餐廳的朋友。

"However, a search of the passenger’s baggage revealed a huge collection of Mexican food recipes and a good-luck card from his church wishing him well for his ’new life in the UK,’" the agency said in a statement.

「但是，搜查這位旅客的行李後，卻發現一大堆墨西哥菜的食譜，以及一張教會給他的祝福卡，希望他在『英國的新生活』一切順利」，邊境事務處在聲明中表示。

The man later admitted he had intended to work at the restaurant illegally and had planned to bring his family over from America if he liked it.

這名男子稍後坦承他打算在餐廳非法打工，還計畫如果他喜歡這裡，會把家人也從美國帶來。

He was deported the next day.

他在第二天就被遞解出境了。

"We will not tolerate people coming here to work illegally," the agency said. "People wanting to visit the UK must play by the rules. Those who do not are sent back."

「我們不允許非法打工」，邊境事務處表示。「想入境英國的人必須遵守規定，不守法者就會被送回去。」

新聞辭典

hasta la vista：西班牙文的「再會」；隨著美國西語系人口增加，此用法已引入美國口語。但hasta la vista, baby!的用法，雖然帶有baby（寶貝），但偶爾會帶有戲謔意味，例如甩掉討人厭的傢伙後可以說hasta la vista, baby!，意思其實是「終於不用看到你了！」

recipe：名詞，（醫療的）處方，或是（烹飪的）食譜，後來也引申為訣竅，如the recipe for richness，致富秘訣。

play by the rule（s）：片語，照規定來。Play by the rule, or face severe punishment.（照規定來，不然等著被重罰。）

自由時報-980308

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