中國網站品牌欄目（頻道）
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Two year-old octopus Paul, the so-called "octopus oracle" predicts Spain's victory in their 2010 World Cup semi-final soccer match against Germany by choosing a mussel, from a glass box decorated with the Spanish national flag instead of a glass box with the German flag, at the Sea Life Aquarium in the western German city of Oberhausen July 6, 2010.(Agencies) |
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Some Germans are calling for a public roasting of the oracle octopus who correctly picked the winner of all six of their national soccer team's World Cup matches -- including a bitter defeat to Spain on Wednesday. Paul, a two-year-old octopus in a German aquarium, turned into a global celebrity for his uncanny ability to predict the winner of all Germany's matches -- even a group stage defeat to Serbia and an ousting by Spain in the semi-finals. "Nothing beats grilled octopus," said Dolores Lusch, a Germany fan who works on a Berlin fish stall. "Cut him up in thin slices and grill him on all sides with a dash of lemon juice, olive oil and garlic on it. Delicious!" Not an ordinarily superstitious people, Germans became believers in Paul's possible psychic powers. The country was shocked and distraught when he picked Spain to win after tipping German wins over Argentina, England, Ghana and Australia. German newspapers and websites were filled with suggestions of what to do with Paul -- most involved cooking and eating him. "Throw him in the frying pan," wrote the Berliner Kurier newspaper in a popular sentiment echoed by Die Welt, Sueddeutsche Zeitung, the Hamburger Abendblatt and other newspapers. Paul's picks have become news across Germany and around the world. German networks have had live reports on Paul's picks. On Friday, Paul will tip the winner of Saturday's Germany-Uruguay match for third place as well as the winner of the Spain-Netherlands final on Sunday. Networks in Germany, Spain and the Netherlands are planning live coverage. (Read by Renee Haines. Renee Haines is a journalist at the China Daily Web site.) (Agencies) |
德國隊在本屆世界杯上六場比賽的結果都被神算章魚一一言中，其中包括上周三負于西班牙隊的那場比賽，所以日前一些德國人大呼要把這只章魚給烤了。 生活在德國一家水族館的章魚“保羅”今年兩歲，它因準確預測出德國隊在本屆世界杯上的所有比賽的結果而紅遍全球，其中甚至包括德國在小組賽中負于塞爾維亞隊的那場比賽以及在半決賽中被西班牙隊淘汰的比賽。 柏林一個魚攤老板、德國隊球迷德洛麗絲?盧施說：“沒有什么比烤章魚更美味的了。把它切成薄片，涂上點兒檸檬汁、橄欖油和大蒜，再把它給烤了。味道一定很好！” 德國人并不迷信，但保羅的“神算”能力則讓他們不得不信服。保羅曾準確預測出德國將戰勝阿根廷、英格蘭、加納和澳大利亞隊，之后又做出了德國將敗給西班牙隊的預測，這讓德國舉國陷入了震驚和恐慌。 現在，德國的報紙和網站上到處都是如何處置保羅的建議，其中大部分都提到了要把它給煮熟了吃。 《柏林信箋報》寫道：“把它扔進煎鍋”?！妒澜鐖蟆贰ⅰ赌系乱庵緢蟆?、《漢堡晚報》和其它多家報紙也持同樣看法。 保羅對世界杯的預測已成為德國乃至全世界媒體關注的焦點，德國電視臺還對其預測過程進行過直播。 本周五，保羅將對本周六德國隊與烏拉圭隊爭奪第三名的比賽、以及本周日西班牙隊與荷蘭隊的奪冠賽進行預測。德國、西班牙和荷蘭計劃對預測過程進行現場直播。 相關閱讀 （中國日報網英語點津 Julie 編輯蔡姍姍） |
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Vocabulary: uncanny：having or seeming to have a supernatural or inexplicable basis; beyond the ordinary or normal; extraordinary（離奇的，不可思議的） psychic：outside of natural or scientific knowledge; spiritual（有特異功能的，通靈的） tip：to provide with a piece of confidential, advance, or inside information（預言……獲勝；事先說……會成功） |
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