中英對照讀新聞─Indian father fills potholes out of love for dead son/出於對死去兒子的愛,印度父親填平路面坑洞
◎孫宇青
Prakash Bilhore, a promising student, was just 16 when he was killed in accidents caused by potholes in July 2015.
一名前途似錦的學生普拉卡西.比爾霍爾,在2015年7月、年僅16歲之際,因為一場路面坑洞造成的意外而喪命。
To help deal with his grief, Prakash’s devastated father Dadarao decided he would do something about Mumbai’s roads, which like much of India’s, are notoriously shoddy.
深受打擊的普拉卡西父親達德勞爾,為了撫平傷痛,決定對孟買的道路盡一份心力。當地的道路狀況與印度其他地方一樣,都因粗製濫造而惡名遠播。
Using sand and gravel collected from building sites, Dadarao, 48-years-old vegetable vendor, has filled in 585 potholes across India.
48歲的達德勞爾是一名菜販,他從建築工地收集沙石,迄今已在印度各地填平585個坑洞。
Prakash was travelling pillion when the motorbike he was on with his cousin hit a deep pothole, sending them both flying through the air. Prakash, who wasn’t wearing a helmet, suffered fatal brain damage.
表哥騎摩托車載著普拉卡西時,撞到路面極深的坑洞,兩人雙雙被拋飛。普拉卡西因為未戴安全帽,腦袋受到致命重擊。
Government statistics show that potholes were responsible for the deaths of 3,597 people across India last year, an average of 10 a day. Activists say contractors hired to repave roads do a bad job on purpose so the work will need to be done again the following year.
政府統計資料顯示,印度去年有3597人死於路面坑洞意外,平均每天奪走10條人命。社運人士指出,道路包商刻意偷工減料,目的是翌年工程可重新發包。
新聞辭典
pothole:名詞,坑洞。例句:The signs reads "watch out for the pothole."(這個標示寫著「注意路面坑洞。」)
shoddy:形容詞,劣等的。例句:All the shoddy goods will be returned.(所有劣質商品都會被退貨。)
pillion:副詞,在機踏車後座上。例句:I felt quite uncomfortable for riding pillion for 2 hours.(坐在摩托車後座2小時後,我覺得很不舒服。)