每日英語跟讀 Ep.K573: 500 Pounds of Pasta Dumped in the Woods of a New Jersey Town
Residents of Old Bridge, New Jersey were surprised when 500 pounds of dry, uncooked pasta were found dumped in a wooded area of the town. The incident, which happened on the banks of the Iresick Brook, led to a public works crew having to clear up the mounds of macaroni. Despite the bizarre nature of the incident, Old Bridge Mayor Owen Henry was pleased that the dumped material was not more harmful, such as tires or mattresses.
新澤西州舊橋鎮（Old Bridge）的居民們感到驚訝，因為他們在鎮上的一個樹林裡發現了500磅的未煮乾麵條。此事件發生在Iresick Brook的河岸，導致公共工程人員不得不清理這些成堆的麵條。儘管事件本身的性質很怪，但舊橋鎮鎮長Owen Henry還是為了被傾倒的物質並不會像輪胎或床墊之類，對環境造成更多的傷害感到欣慰。
The pasta had been dumped by a man who was cleaning out the home of his late parents on Hillyard Road. The couple apparently believed in keeping their pantry fully stocked. The pasta was dry and uncooked when it was discarded, but it was turned al dente when two inches of rain fell on central New Jersey on April 22-23.
這些麵條是由一名男子傾倒的，當時他正在清理已故父母在Hillyard路上的房屋。這對夫婦顯然認為必須保持他們的儲藏室有充足的儲備。這些麵條被丟棄時是乾的且未煮過，但在4月22日至23日紐澤西中部下了兩英寸的雨後，它就變得既彈牙又有嚼勁了。
The incident highlights a wider problem of illegal dumping in rural areas. Mayor Owen Henry took the opportunity to call on residents not to dump their unwanted items in the woods. He pointed out that many items could be taken to recycling centers and that it made no sense to throw away items such as electronics, rugs, and metal. Henry acknowledged that Old Bridge regularly has issues with people illegally dumping waste in isolated areas.
此事件凸顯了鄉村地區非法傾倒的廣泛議題。Owen Henry鎮長趁機呼籲居民不要在樹林中傾倒他們不需要的物品。他指出，許多物品可以送到回收中心，而把電子產品、地毯和金屬等物品扔到樹林中毫無意義。Henry承認，舊橋鎮經常有人們在偏僻處非法傾倒廢棄物的問題。
While the pasta dumper could be cited, Mayor Henry said the police would not actively pursue the case. Despite the illegality of the dumping, the incident was not hazardous, and there were more pressing issues for the detective bureau to focus on. Owen Henry was pleased that the incident was not worse, and he was happy to take on the task of clearing up the discarded pasta.
雖然可以對傾倒麵條的人提出指控，但Henry鎮長表示，警方不會積極追查此案。儘管傾倒是非法的，但這件事並不危險，而且偵查局有更緊迫的問題需要處理。Owen Henry很欣慰事件沒有更糟的發展，相比之下他很樂意去清理被丟棄的麵條。
Reference article: https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/500-pounds-pasta-mysteriously-dumped-woods-new-jersey-town-rcna83084