廖彩杏英文童書悅讀記

看幽默漫畫學英文（二）: Snoopy

Lucy 與 Linus 這對姐弟是 Peanuts 系列漫畫的靈魂人物。

來欣賞四月份日曆上的連環趣味。看看 Lucy 這位

帶著霸氣又鬼靈精怪的姐姐如何以 Linus 做研究對象

來獲得科展首獎。

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Lucy: We’re going to have a science fair at school… I’d

           sure like to win a ribbon.

Lucy: I’ve got to come up with some kind of project

           that will be so original and so different that

           I’ll be certain to win.

Lucy: All the other kids will have rocks and bugs

           and batteries and mice and seeds and all of that

           stuff… I’ve got to think of something

           completely different.

Lucy: That's it !

聰明的 Lucy 知道要贏必須想出 (come up with) 有原創性

(original) 的提案。有原創性 (original) 的提案意味著要

跳脫老掉牙的通俗題材—動植物、昆蟲、岩石、電池，

要徹底創新。

拖著一條藍毯子的 Linus 給了 Lucy 研究靈感。

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Linus: I'm going to be WHAT?

Lucy: You're going to be my science project.      

Lucy: I'm going to enter you in our school science fair.

Lucy: I’m going to make a series of tests with you and

           that stupid blanket to see why it brings you

           security.

Linus: Suddenly I feel very insecure !

security 對上insecure，Linus的表情真是令人莞爾。

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Linus: You took my blanket away!

Lucy: Of course.  This is the first test.  I'm going to record

            your reactions.

Lucy: Ten seconds… indication of fear… thirty seconds…

            symptoms of panic…

Lucy: Forty-two seconds… subject began to perspire…

           eyes appear glazed… fifty seconds

Lucy: … subject passed out !

實驗開始。失去藍毯子的 Linus，先出現害怕徵兆，接著是

恐慌的症狀…。從indication of fear → symptoms of

panic → perspire → eyes appear glazed → passed out，

一連串生動的用詞將失去安全感的連鎖反應描寫得

徐徐如生。搭配上作者查爾斯·舒茲 (Charles M. Schulz)

的精彩插畫，真是妙趣無窮。

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Lucy: Blanket taken from subject…       subject loses

           consciousness due to loss of security…

Lucy: Blanket restored to subject…

Lucy: Subject recovers !

Lucy: What a science project !

實驗繼續後半段，重獲藍毯子的 Linus，逐漸甦醒。看看

一臉得意的 Lucy 對照一臉惶恐的 Linus，真令人捧腹大笑。

值得學習的生動用詞:

loses consciousness、due to、loss of security、

restore to、recover。

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Lucy 終於得了首獎

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Charlie Brown: You know, Lucy.  You really puzzle me.

Charlie Brown: What sort of person are you who would

                             enter her own brother in a science fair?

Lucy:  I won, didn’t I?

Charlie Brown: That’s always been a problem with me…

                             I’ve never known how to argue with

                             success.

然而，憨厚坦率的故事主角查理·布朗 (Charlie Brown)，

說出了天真無邪的心聲，替科展競賽做了令人回味的註解。