世界最長壽烏龜 184歲第一次洗澡 準備迎接英國皇室

The world's oldest living animal is starting over with a clean sheet at 184 years old - after a vet gave him his first ever bath.

世界上最年長的生物在184歲高齡時揹着清爽的外殼，煥然一新了——獸醫給它洗了個澡，還是這輩子頭一回呢。

Jonathan the giant tortoise has come out of his shell after centuries of grime were painstakinglyscrubbed off his back with a loofah, soft brush and surgical soap.

巨龜喬納森從龜殼裏探出腦袋，身上積了兩百年的污垢已經小心擦除，清理工具是絲瓜瓤、軟刷和手術肥皂。

Dr Joe Hollins, the vet for the British outpost of St Helena in the south Atlantic where Jonathan lives, decided to give him a spruce up ahead of a royal visit in a few weeks' time.

喬納森生活在南大西洋的英國前哨小島——聖赫勒拿島上，英國王室將於數週後訪問該島。於是，島上的獸醫喬霍林斯決定爲喬納森梳洗打扮一番，迎接訪問。

He carefully scrubbed each of the segments of Jonathan's shell, known as scutes, and removed blacksludge and bird droppings while the tortoise sedately chewed on grass.

他小心翼翼地擦洗了喬納森外殼上的每一塊甲片——學名“盾甲”，清除掉龜殼上的黑色泥垢和鳥糞，而喬納森則在一邊安靜地咀嚼青草。

It was only after his bath it was realised the rings on his shell, which usually tell a tortoises' age, have completely worn away.

清洗過後，纔看得出喬納森身上顯示龜齡的紋路已經悉數磨平。

Jonathan, who is 45ins long and can stand up to 2ft tall, arrived on St Helena as a gift to the governor from the Seychelles.

喬納森身長45英寸(約1.14米)，站立高2英尺(約0.6米)，是塞舍爾送給聖赫勒拿島督察的禮物。

In his time on St Helena he has seen 28 British governors come and go. Eight British monarchs from George IV to Elizabeth II have been crowned during his lifetime and 51 British Prime Ministers have served at 10 Downing Street.

它已經在聖赫勒拿島上見證了28任英國督察的更迭，經歷了自喬治四世到伊麗莎白二世共八代英帝國君王的加冕，而唐寧街10號已然更換了51任英國首相。