中英對照讀新聞》In this centuries-old English pancake race, ‘you just have to go flat out’在這場有著數百年歷史的英國煎餅賽中，「你只需要全力以赴」

英國白金漢郡奧爾尼鎮可追溯至1445年的年度煎餅賽，13日隨「懺悔星期二」熱鬧登場，圖中持鍋者為今年前三名得主。（美聯社）

◎周虹汶

Women in matching checkered aprons, headscarves and a rainbow of running shoes limbered up Tuesday as they prepared for the centuries-old pancake race in this English country town.

婦女們週二穿著相配的格子圍裙、頭巾和各式各樣的跑鞋伸展身子，為在這個英國鄉村小鎮舉行的數百年歷史煎餅賽做準備。

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They rolled their shoulders in unison, raised up on their toes and did squats before stepping to the starting line — frying pans in hand.

他們一致地轉動肩膀、抬起腳尖和蹲下，然後手拿煎鍋踏上起跑線。

At the word “Go” they sprinted through the streets, trying not to drop their pancakes as they roughly traced the path taken by a harried housewife in 1445, who legend has it heard the church bells signaling the Shrove Tuesday service and raced off with her skillet.

「出發」一詞響起，她們就衝刺過街並努力別讓煎餅掉落，同時粗略地追蹤著1445年一位苦惱家庭主婦走過的路，傳說她聽到教堂鐘響，顯示「懺悔星期二」儀式將開始，於是帶著煎鍋趕緊上路。

“It’s a horrible distance,” said Kaisa Larkas, 44, a mother of four who legged it past Eloise Kramer to capture the Olney title with a time of 63.37 seconds. “You just have to go flat out and then hope that you’re not gonna fall over. … But it’s good fun.”

44歲的4寶媽凱薩．拉卡斯說，「這是一段可怕的距離」，她以63.37秒的成績超越埃洛伊斯．克萊默，在奧爾尼奪得冠軍。「妳只需要全力以赴，然後希望不會摔倒。……但這很有趣。」

新聞辭典

flat out：片語動詞，指全速、全力以赴。例句：His car only does about 60 mph, even when it’s going flat out.（他的車即使全速行駛，也只能跑到每小時60英里左右。）

limber up：片語動詞，指運動前做伸展運動、做準備活動。例句：Those substitutes are beginning to limber up on the sidelines.（那些替補隊員開始在場邊做準備。）

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