英國要選國鳥 翠鳥還是畫眉？
America has the bald eagle, France the Gallic rooster and India the peacock. That Britain, a nation of animal lovers, does not have a bird to call its own, has spurned ornithologist David Lindo to action with a campaign to find our national bird.
美國有禿鷹，法國有高盧雄雞，印度有孔雀。而英國，作爲一個滿是動物愛好者的國家，卻沒有自己的國鳥，因此鳥類學家大衛·林多發起了國鳥選拔運動。
He said: "I want to encourage the great British public to vote for the bird that best represents all that is great about this nation."
他表示：“我想鼓勵英國民衆投票選出最能彰顯英國偉大之處的鳥類。”
More than 70,000 people voted in the first round to whittle it down to a shortlist of 10 and members of the public now have six weeks to choose which British bird they would like to see represent the country, he said.
他說，超過7萬民衆參與了第一輪投票，海選過後得出十個最終候選鳥，在接下來的六週裏，民衆就要選出哪種鳥最能代表英國。
The 10 most popular birds which have been voted for the by the public are the robin, kingfisher, barn owl, blue tit, wren, blackbird, puffin, mute swan, red kite and hen harrier.
由民衆投票選出的10個最終候選鳥分別是：知更鳥，翠鳥，倉鴞，藍冠山雀，鷦鷯，畫眉，海鸚，疣鼻天鵝，赤鳶和白尾鷂。
Mr Lindo said: "Along with the expected contenders - the friendly robin, charismatic puffin and elegant swan - there is one major surprise, the hen harrier, one of England's rarest breeding birds.
林多先生指出：“除了預料之中的競爭者——友好親切的知更鳥，富有魅力的海鸚，高貴優雅的天鵝之外，意外上榜的還有英國最稀有的鳥類之一，白尾鷂。”
"Down to just one breeding pair a couple of years ago, it may already be extinct. Could the majestic hen harrier knock the hot favourite robin off its perch?"
“數年前白尾鷂僅剩一對繁育後代，幾近滅絕。莊重威嚴的白尾鷂能否一舉將最受喜愛的知更鳥擊落高位？”
Although Mr Lindo says he is supposed to remain impartial he claims his vote would go to the blackbird whose birdsong reminds him of growing up and "lazy, hazy sunny days".
林多先生說他雖然應該保持公正，但他自己將投票給畫眉，因爲畫眉的叫聲讓他想起了自己成長的歲月和那些“懶洋洋，霧濛濛，天晴晴的日子”。
The final round of voting forBritain's National Bird Campaign closes on May 7, the day of the general election.
英國國鳥競選的最後一輪投票截止於5月7日，也是大選當天。
Mr Lindo said he will be speaking to the Government once the public has voted to see if the winner can officially be made Britain's national bird.
林多先生稱屆時他將與政府協商被選出的冠軍是否能夠正式成爲英國國鳥。
Vocabulary
ornithologist：鳥類學家
charismatic：有魅力的
impartial：公平的
