◎魏國金

A Bangladeshi court ruled on Monday that a lovesick macaw parrot be reunited with her male partner after she stopped eating in the wake of their separation.

孟加拉一法院週一判決,一隻害相思病的金剛鸚鵡應與她的男伴侶團圓;她在與所愛分離後停止進食。

The macaw named Princess has been fasting since January 3 when her long-time companion Prince was handed back to his owner Iqram Selim who had left him in the hands of a private zoo in Dhaka for safe keeping five years ago.

這隻名為「公主」的金剛鸚鵡,自從1月3日她的長期伴侶「王子」歸還給他的飼主塞利姆後,便一直絕食。5年前塞利姆將王子交由達卡一座私人動物園保管。

A magistrates court in the capital Dhaka ruled that Princess should stay with Selim, saying it would be cruel to separate her from her mate after such a long period and could lead to her death.

首都達卡的裁判法院判決,公主應留給塞利姆,並表示在如此長久的相互為伴後,拆散她與她的伴侶是非常殘酷之事,並可能導致她死亡。

The zoo owner, Abdul Wadud, bought Princess from a dealer in Brazil as a partner for Prince and the couple got on so well that she gave birth to three chicks in September 2011.

動物園主瓦度在巴西從一名販子手中買下「公主」,做為「王子」的同伴,這對鸚鵡如膠似漆,2011年9月她產下3隻幼雛。

After Wadud refused to return Prince, Selim won a court order last week and was reunited with his gold and blue parrot.

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◎國際新聞中心

 

For those who like their coffee with a strong nose Thailand could be the ideal destination, after a blend made from elephant dung was put on sale by an upmarket hotel chain.

泰國一家高檔連鎖酒店販售象糞製作的咖啡後,對喜愛濃咖啡的人來說,泰國可能是個理想去處。

The Black Ivory blend, made from coffee beans digested and excreted by Thai elephants, is billed as producing a particularly smooth cup.

這種「黑色象牙」咖啡,是由泰國大象消化並排泄出來的咖啡豆製成,號稱味道特別溫和。

But it is not cheap, with Anantara Hotels saying the "naturally refined" coffee costs a staggering $1,100 per kilogram -- making it one of the most expensive blends in the world.

但象糞咖啡所費不貲,安娜塔拉酒店表示,這種「天然精釀」的咖啡豆每公斤要價讓人咋舌的1100美元,是世界最貴的咖啡之一。

"Research indicates that during digestion, the enzymes of the elephant break down coffee protein," the Thai-based hotel group said in a statement.

這家泰國酒店集團在聲明中說:「研究指出,在消化過程中,大象體內的酵素會分解咖啡豆裡的蛋白質。」

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◎張沛元

A woman has given birth to a 7lb baby boy in a helicopter taking her to hospital from her home on the northernmost Shetland island of Unst.

一名婦女在一架直昇機上,產下一名7磅重的男嬰,當時直昇機正把她從位於(英國)最北端的薛特蘭島的恩斯特自宅送往醫院途中。

Shetland Coastguard received a call from her doctor at 4.30am, asking about ferry times from the island to the hospital in Lerwick, capital of the island chain.

薛特蘭的海岸防衛隊在清晨4點30分接獲該名婦女的醫生來電,詢問從薛特蘭島前往該島鏈首府勒維克的醫院的渡輪時刻。

It was decided to send a helicopter which landed on Unst 90 minutes later - but not soon enough, as it turned out.

結果最後決定派遣直昇機。直昇機90分鐘後在恩斯特降落—但最終發現,還是不夠快。

The woman was quickly put on board but minutes after the helicopter took off she started to give birth.

該婦女被火速送上直昇機,但就在直昇機起飛後數分鐘,她就開始生孩子了。

It was left to paramedic Marcus Wigfull, who had only ever visited maternity wards during his training, to deliver the child.

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◎陳成良

People born during the summer are less likely to be CEOs, according to a new study from the University of British Columbia.

根據(加拿大)英屬哥倫比亞大學一項新研究,夏天出生的人較不可能當上企業的執行長(CEO)。

The study investigated the birth month of 375 Chief Executive Officers from S&P 500 companies and found a significantly lower amount of CEOs were born in June and July compared to other months.

這項研究調查了標準普爾500指數成分股公司的375位執行長(CEO),結果發現,相較於其他月份,出生於6、7月的CEO人數明顯低了許多。

June babies accounted for six per cent of CEOs, while July babies made up only five per cent.

6月出生的CEO佔6%,而7月出生的只佔5%。

Babies born in March and April were most likely to be CEOs, accounting for 12 per cent and 10 per cent of the sample respectively.

3月及4月出生的寶寶最可能成為CEO,在樣本中分別佔12%及10%。

Sauder School of Business professor Maurice Levi explained the "birth-date effect," a phenomenon based on the way children are grouped by age in school, was to blame for the discrepancy.

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◎俞智敏

Thomas Jefferson, Ben Franklin, John Quincy Adams ... and now Anna Wintour? A report suggesting that the influential editor-in-chief of Vogue is one of the candidates being considered for the top U.S. diplomatic post in France or Britain has sparked spirited debate about her qualifications, exciting Britain’s glamour-hungry tabloids but raising hackles at the conservative Daily Telegraph.

傑佛遜、富蘭克林、亞當斯…現在竟然輪到安娜.溫圖?傳言指稱這位權勢極大的Vogue雜誌總編可能是美國未來派駐法國或英國頂尖外交職位的人選之一,引起各方熱烈辯論她的資歷,雖然專門報導名流動態的英國小報興奮不已,但卻惹毛了保守派的每日電訊報。

"Anna Wintour may be an enticing pick for a celebrity-fixated White House," wrote Nile Gardner in the Telegraph. "But she is eminently unsuitable for America’s most prestigious diplomatic posting."

「對於迷戀名人的白宮而言,安娜.溫圖或許是個誘人的選擇,」每日電訊報評論家加德納寫道。「但她完全不適合出任美國最負名望的外交職位。」

Officials at the U.S. Embassy in London said they would not speculate on President Obama’s eventual choice for a successor to Ambassador Louis Susman, who has announced plans to step down. White House officials have also refused to comment.

美國駐倫敦使館官員表示不願猜測歐巴馬總統最後會選擇誰來接任現任大使蘇斯曼的職務,蘇斯曼大使先前已宣布將辭職。白宮官員也同樣拒絕評論。

Guardian fashion writer Jess Cartner-Morley said the editor _ the model for the imperious character played by Meryl Streep in "The Devil Wears Prada" movie _ would be well-suited for an ambassadorial position. "She is enormously charismatic, a born networker and a formidable fundraiser."

衛報時尚版記者卡特娜-摩利則說,這位曾被影星梅莉史翠普當成她在電影「穿著Prada的惡魔」所扮演跋扈角色模型的總編輯,其實非常適合擔任大使。「她極具魅力,是天生的人脈專家,募款的功力更是驚人。」

The ambassadorial posts in France and Britain are among the most coveted in the diplomatic ranks. They also typically go to wealthy individuals willing to use personal funds to buttress the government-provided entertainment budget. (AP)

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