◎魏國金
Twice a day, every weekday, a large black cat named Sable trots from the garage where he lives to a nearby street corner in West Richland, Wash.
每週週間，每天兩次，一隻名叫沙寶的大黑貓從牠住的華盛頓州西里奇蘭一間車庫跑出來，到附近的一個街角。
He plops down in a patch of grass and watches as children cross the street to and from Enterprise Middle School, earning him the nickname "the crossing guard cat." Sable’s daily habit also has earned the domestic shorthair a bit of Internet fame.
當孩子們穿越街道，進出企業中學時，牠一屁股坐在一塊草地，留神觀看，這為牠贏得「導護貓」的綽號。沙寶的每日習慣也讓這隻短毛家貓在網路上小有名氣。
"It has been amusing how it’s just taken off," said Lance Morrison, patriarch of Sable’s adopted human family.
「牠就這樣走紅，很是有趣，」沙寶的收養家庭男主人藍斯．莫里森說。
The family moved to a house on Eagle Street in West Richland about a year ago, and that’s when Sable took over crossing-guard duties, Tamara Morrison said.
這家人約在一年前搬到西里奇蘭老鷹街的一棟房子，就從那時起沙寶接任導護職責，塔瑪拉．莫里森說。
Their house is right across the street from Enterprise, and something about the throngs of children passing by each day caught Sable’s attention.
他們的房子正對著企業中學，每天大群經過的孩子吸引沙寶的注意。
Each morning and afternoon -- in rain, snow or sunshine -- the 15-year-old cat goes out to watch the school’s students wearing a neon orange safety vest Tamara bought for him at a pet store, she said.
每天早晨與下午，不管雨雪或晴天，這隻15歲的貓穿著塔瑪拉為牠在寵物店買的螢光橘安全背心，外出觀看學校學生。
Typically arrives at the corner about five minutes before the children -- and he stays in on the weekend when children won’t be in school.
沙寶通常比孩子提早5分鐘到達街角；而當孩子不會到校的週末，牠則留在家裡。
"The cat’s got this built-in clock. He just knows," said Monti Franckowiak, the school’s safety patrol advisor. For his diligence, Franckowiak and the school’s principal awarded Sable with an "Honorary Safety Patrol Member" certificate. （AP）
「這隻貓有內建時鐘。牠就是知道，」學校的安全巡邏督導孟提．法蘭柯維亞克說。因為牠的勤勉，法蘭柯維亞克與學校校長頒給沙寶「安全巡邏榮譽會員」證書。（美聯社）
新聞辭典
take off︰動詞片語，在此指開始流行。例句︰The design first took off in American colleges.（這種設計首先在美國大學裡流行起來。）
plop（down）︰動詞，讓身體沉重地倒下。例句︰He plopped （down）into a chair.（他一屁股坐到椅子上。）
stay in︰在家，未外出。例句︰The doctor advised me to stay in for a few days.（醫師囑我在家休息幾天。）
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