Print

Mail

Kangaroo pie on the menu as activists protest 袋鼠派上桌引發保育人士抗議

One of the kangaroos to be culled at Lawson, Canberra, on March 15, 2008. 圖片攝於本月十五日，圖中的袋鼠是在坎培拉羅森將被撲殺的袋鼠之一。 照片：美聯社 PHOTO: AP

Most Australians have eaten kangaroo meat, and the best way of getting them to eat more is to turn it into pies, mince and gourmet deli meat, researchers have found.

The findings, published in local media earlier this month, come amidst growing international protests over plans to cull 400 kangaroos on defense department land where they are said to be overgrazing.

But millions of kangaroos are slaughtered in the wild every year on the basis that there are too many. Much of the meat is used for pet food, and attempts are being made to make it more appetizing for humans.

The latest research, Consumer attitudes to kangaroo meat products, says the unique hopping animals provide "the ultimate free-range food."

More than 58 percent of Australians have eaten kangaroo, up from 51 percent a decade ago, the authors say, suggesting there is room for growth.

"The most promising products in which kangaroo manufacturing meat could be used (are) mince, deli meats and pies," the report says.

A survey had shown that "there was a clear preference for the Chunky Beef & Roo pie (rather than just kangaroo)." And kangaroo sausages are already marketed as "kanga-bangers."

Official government figures show the kangaroo population "has fluctuated between 15 and 50 million animals over the past 20 years in the harvested areas, depending on seasonal conditions."

But not everyone would be happy to receive a kangaroo scrotum purse (a common item in tourist shops). A supporter of the British-based animal rights group Viva!, former Beatle Paul McCartney, has called the commercial slaughter of kangaroos a "shameful massacre."

"There is an urgent need for action to protect kangaroos from a barbaric industry which slaughters them for meat and leather," he is quoted as saying on Viva's Web site.(AFP)

大多數的澳洲人都吃過袋鼠肉，而研究學者發現，讓人吃了還想再吃的最佳烹調方式，就是將袋鼠肉製成派、絞肉和高級美食食材。

本月初這項研究結果在當地媒體刊登時，正值國防部計畫撲殺基地內過度繁殖、破壞草地的四百隻袋鼠，引發國際抗議聲浪高漲。

但是每年澳洲都撲殺數百萬隻過度繁殖的野生袋鼠，許多袋鼠肉被製成寵物食品，業者還試圖將它們製成更吸引大眾的美味。

最新研究「消費者對袋鼠肉製品的態度」顯示，這種有特色的蹦蹦跳動物提供澳洲「最早的野生放養食物」。

研究作者表示，五成八以上的澳洲民眾吃過袋鼠肉，比十年前的五成一微幅升高，作者認為未來仍有成長的空間。

報導指出：「製成絞肉、熟食和派的袋鼠肉製品最有可能攻下市場。」

一項調查顯示，「大家比較偏好牛肉袋鼠派（比起純袋鼠派而言）」，而袋鼠香腸「kanga-bangers」也早已上市。

政府官方數據顯示，過去二十年間，依照不同季節環境條件，產殖區內的袋鼠數量會在一千五百萬到五千萬隻間波動。

但是並非每個人都樂於收到一個袋鼠陰囊皮包（觀光紀念品店常見的商品），英國動物保育團體「國際素食者動物之音」支持者─前披頭四團員保羅．麥卡尼就稱這種為商業利益撲殺袋鼠的行為是「可恥的大屠殺」。

他在「國際素食者動物之音」網站上表示：「我們亟須採取行動，保護袋鼠免受那些為取用牠們毛皮和肉的野蠻企業撲殺。」（法新社／翻譯：袁星塵）

TODAY'S WORDS 今日單字 1. cull v.t. 剔除 (ti4 chu2) 例: The farmer culled the sick cattle. (那個農夫把病牛殺死。) 2. slaughter v.t. 屠宰 (tu2 zai3)，消滅 (xiao1 mie4) 例: We slaughtered the other team. (我們大敗另一隊。) 3. scrotum n. 陰囊 (yin1 nang2) 例: "Ed got his scrotum pierced! That's so strange," Annie said. (安妮說：「艾德在他的陰囊上穿洞！真是怪透了！」) 4. massacre n. 大屠殺 (da4 tu2 sha1) 例: A massacre happened here 50 years ago. (五十年前，這裡發生過一場大屠殺。)

SAY WHAT? 說說看 free-range food 野生放養動物食品 Most Americans believe that animals raised for slaughter aren't treated well enough, and many buy free-range food to try to make themselves feel better. But putting a free-range sticker on a chicken doesn't mean that the chicken had a good life. The US government puts forth very little effort to regulate foods with the "free-range" label. Chickens that have been bred to be too fat to walk and only have access to the outdoors during the hottest part of the day, when they won't go outside anyway, can be labeled free range. Better regulation is needed to protect consumers', and animals', rights. 大多數的美國人都認為，為供人食用而飼養的動物並未受到妥善的照料，所以許多人為求安心，會購買野生放養動物食品；但是一隻貼有「free-range」標籤的雞並不代表牠的生長過程很快樂。 美國政府對貼有「free-range」標籤的食品管制非常鬆散。被餵得肥到無法行走、只能在一天中最熱的時段（怎麼樣也不想外出的時間）到戶外透透氣的雞隻，也能貼上野生放養的標誌；因此，為保障消費者和動物雙方的權益，更好的控管實為必要。

OUT LOUD 對話練習 Toby: What's wrong? Al: I applied for the job at the slaughterhouse, but still haven't gotten a reply. Toby: I'm not surprised. The boss there has a really bad reputation for nepotism. He probably gave the job to one of his buddies. Al: I've decided to get back at him by joining an animals' rights protest. Toby: That's a good way to release your anger. And don't be mad about the job. I mean would you really want to work there? 陶比：怎麼啦？ 艾兒：我應徵了屠宰場的工作，但是都還沒有任何回音。 陶比：這很正常啊，那裡的老闆是「任人唯親」出了名的，他大概把工作給了他的好朋友吧。 艾兒：我決定要加入動物權益抗議活動來報復他。 陶比：那是發洩怒氣的好方法，而且別為了沒有得到那份工作生氣了啦，我的意思是，你真的想在那裡工作嗎？ nepotism　任人唯親 Nepotism refers to favoritism shown toward relatives or close friends, especially when offering jobs or granting promotions. For example, "Many say Peter got to where he is today because of nepotism." 「nepotism」指的是特別偏袒親戚或朋友，尤其是在徵人或晉升職位時。例如：「許多人都說彼得之所以能有今天，就是因為他任人唯親」。

This story has been viewed 750 times.