’Best birthday present ever!’ says Spanish diver after saving trapped whale

西班牙潛水夫救了受困的鯨魚後說，「這是歷來最好的生日禮物」

【摘要2022.6.5.日.自由】◎國際新聞中心

In a gripping underwater rescue, Spanish divers have freed a 12-metre long humpback whale entangled in an illegal drift net off the Balearic island of Mallorca.

在一起扣人心弦的水下營救中，西班牙潛水夫在巴利亞利的馬約卡島外海釋放了一隻纏繞在非法流刺網中的12公尺長的座頭鯨。

One of the divers, 32-year-old marine biologist Gigi Torras, said last Friday’s rescue and a little gesture of appreciation from the giant mammal were also a birthday present for her - the ’best ever’ in her words.

其中一名潛水夫，32歲的海洋生物學家吉吉．托利斯說，上週五的營救和來自這隻巨大哺乳類的一些謝意表現，也是給她的生日禮物－用她的話說就是「歷來最棒」。

The weakened whale had been spotted by a ship about three miles off the eastern coast of Mallorca, prompting Palma de Mallorca’s Aquarium marine rescue centre into action.

一艘船隻在馬約卡東岸外海3英里處瞥見這頭衰弱的鯨魚，促使馬約卡島的水族館海洋營救中心投入行動。

After initial attempts to cut the net from a boat failed, divers plunged into the sea to remove the mesh with their knives in a daring 45-minute operation.

在最初從船上切斷漁網的嘗試失敗後，潛水夫潛入海中，在45分鐘的大膽行動中，用他們的刀子移除漁網。

Nicknamed "walls of death" for the quantity of other sea life they catch in addition to the fish they are set for, drift nets were banned by the United Nations 30 years ago.

流刺網有「死亡之牆」的綽號，30年前就遭到聯合國禁用，因為它們除了捕撈目標魚類之外，還能捕撈其他大量海洋生物。

新聞辭典

gripping：形容詞，引人入勝的、扣人心弦的。例句：The play was so gripping that the audience quickly identified with the actors.（這部戲劇是如此扣人心弦，以致於觀眾很快就認同了演員。）

drift net ：流網、流刺網。

mesh：名詞，網孔、篩孔、網狀物、陷阱。動詞，以網捕抓、嚙合、緊密配合。例句：His theories mesh together various political and religious beliefs.（他的理論融合了各種政治和宗教信仰。）