本集內容
Gaspard the friendly fox 友好的小狐狸 “卡斯柏”
學習要點
有關 “友誼 friendship” 的詞彙
邊看邊答
What did Zeb realise when he met Gaspard’s cubs?
文字稿
It’s the unlikeliest of friendships, and one which has been blossoming over the last year, between a neighbourhood fox and a BBC newsreader. Zeb Soanes, familiar to many who listen to the Today programme and the Shipping Forecast, befriended the animal one evening after work.
這是一段最不可能發生的友誼，而在過去一年裡，它漸漸萌生於一隻流浪在街頭的狐狸和一名 BBC 播音員之間。賽博·索恩斯這個名字為很多收聽 BBC 廣播節目《今日》和《海上天氣預報》的人所熟知，一天晚上下班後，他和這隻動物成了朋友。
Zeb Soanes, broadcaster and author
There was this beautiful little fox, just here… with an injured leg, and it was the most beautiful fox that you’ve ever seen. It was like a Disney fox. And I had some wafer-thin ham, I think, brought down and gave it to the fox. And then a couple weeks later the fox was back, completely better – and has visited ever since.
賽博·索恩斯 播音員兼作家
“當時有一隻美麗的小狐狸，就在這兒…它有一條腿受了傷，牠是你見過的最美的狐狸，就像是從迪士尼動畫裡走出來的一樣。我記得從家裡拿了些很薄的火腿餵牠。幾個星期後，這隻狐狸又回來了，狀態要比之前好得多，自那之後牠就成了我家的常客。”
As the fox started to become more familiar with Zeb, he decided to name him Gaspard.
隨著這隻狐狸和賽博熟絡起來，他決定叫牠 “卡斯柏”。
Zeb Soanes, broadcaster and author
There was something incredibly trusting about this fox, and it was comfortable enough to come really close to me. And… there was something magical about him.
賽博·索恩斯 播音員兼作家
“這隻狐狸有讓人難以描繪的信任感，牠很放心地接近了我。而且牠身上有種神奇的特質。”
Gaspard allowed Zeb to photograph him, the best of which he posted on social media.
卡斯柏不介意賽博給牠拍照，賽博把拍得最好的相片發到了社群媒體上。
It wasn’t until Zeb met Gaspard’s cubs that he realised the ‘he’ was a ‘she’.
直到見了卡斯柏的幼崽，賽博才意識到牠其實是隻母狐狸。
We didn’t think that we’d catch a glimpse of Gaspard and her family, but as we were getting ready to go, this happened. And soon after, her cub appeared too.
我們本以為見不到卡斯柏和牠的家人，但正當我們準備離開時，這一幕便發生了。沒過多久，牠的孩子也走了過來。
Zeb Soanes, broadcaster and author
It’s amazing in this busy city to have this connection with something so wild, and I never take it for granted. The fox could decide not to arrive tomorrow, but it keeps turning up and I hope it still does.
賽博·索恩斯 播音員兼作家
“能在倫敦這座繁忙的城市裡與野生動物建立友情，真的很棒，而且我從不認為這是件理所當然的事。這隻狐狸可以決定明天不來了，但目前牠一直出現，而我希望牠能繼續來看我。”
詞彙
unlikeliest of friendships 極為罕見的友誼
blossoming （友情）深入發展
befriended 交了朋友
become familiar with 與…變得熟悉起來
trusting 容易信任他人的
你知道嗎？
It is estimated that the UK has approximately one urban fox for every 300 members of the population. With a human population of around 65 million people, that’s just over 200,000 foxes!
據估算，在英國，人和城市狐狸的比例是三百比一。這樣算來，人口總數是六千五百萬的英國就有二十多萬隻狐狸！
問題答案
Zeb realised that Gaspard was a female.
