110歲巨型龍蝦險成盤中餐 被送水族館養老

This is the dramatic tale of Larry the Lobster, a giant 15-pound crustacean who narrowly escaped becoming dinner at a Florida restaurant and who is now headed to Maine, where his "rescuers" hope he will get to "live a better life."

這是一個關於一隻名叫拉里的龍蝦的富有戲劇性的故事。這個重達15磅的巨大甲殼類動物勉強逃過了被搬上佛羅里達一家餐館餐桌的命運，現在正送往緬因州，它的救助者們希望它在那裏可以生活得更好。

The lucky lobster first rose to fame in the town of Sunrise, Florida, after a local seafood restaurant owner bought Larry from a vendor, was "astounded by his big size" and thus went to local News outlets to share his "rare find."

這隻幸運的龍蝦最先是在佛羅里達州的森賴斯的小鎮上出名的。當地一家海鮮餐館的老闆驚訝於拉里的巨大體型，於是從商販手中買下，之後找到當地的新聞媒體來分享他罕見的發現。

"This lobster came in at a whopping 14.98 pounds," Joe Melluso, owner of Tin Fish, told ABC News. "Jumbo lobsters we get are usually between three and five pounds, SO this was over three times the size of a regular jump lobster."

海鮮餐館老闆喬·梅魯索接受美國廣播公司新聞網採訪時表示：“這隻龍蝦重達14.98磅。我們見過的體型大的龍蝦一般在3到5磅，而這隻龍蝦的體型相當於正常龍蝦的三倍。”

Melluso believed the lobster was 110 years old, given its size. However, a lobster scientist and researcher from Maine said, though the lobster is probably "quite old," 110 years "might be a bit of an exaggeration."

按照體型，梅魯索認爲這隻龍蝦已經110歲了。然而緬因州的一位研究龍蝦的科學家則表示，儘管這隻龍蝦歲數很大，但110歲可能有點誇張。

"There's no confirmed way to tell a lobster's age, though you can make a guesstimate based on their size and current growth models. Larry was more likely between 60 and 80 years old." said Dr. Robert Bayer, executive director of the Lobster Institute in Maine.

緬因州龍蝦研究所的執行主任羅伯特·拜耳博士表示：“儘管可以根據龍蝦的體型和目前的生長標準來猜測它們的年齡，但是現在並沒有一個確定的方法來檢測年齡。拉里更可能是在60到80歲之間。”

Nonetheless, news of the giant lobster caught the attention of several diners in the area, Melluso said, adding that one gentleman bought and reserved it for a family dinner on Tuesday evening at the Tin Fish restaurant.

梅魯索表示，儘管如此，巨型龍蝦的消息還是吸引了當地幾位用餐者的注意。有一位男士買下了拉里，預定於週二晚上在餐館裏舉行家庭晚餐時吃掉它。

But just before Larry could be cooked, several animal activists called Melluso, asking him if they could save the lobster and just reimburse the gentleman who originally bought it.

不過就在拉里被吃掉之前，幾名動物保護者詢問梅魯索是否他們可以解救這隻龍蝦，並且補償那位之前買下拉里的男士。

"They really opened up my eyes and it got me a little emotional," Melluso said. "We went ahead and donated the lobster to them."

“他們真的讓我開了眼，我覺得很感人，”梅魯索說道，“我們把龍蝦捐給了他們。”

And so rather than being put into a pot, the lobster was put into a special container with salt water to be shipped to Maine, according to Brooke Estren, an attorney based in Boca Raton who coordinated the rescue and named the lobster Larry.

根據伯克萊屯的律師布魯克·艾斯特倫的說法，龍蝦被放入了一個裝有海水的特殊容器內運往了緬因，而非將其作爲盤中餐。這位律師還協調了此次援助行動，併爲龍蝦取名爲“拉里”。