Lions ’more likely to eat people after a full moon’ 獅子「在滿月後更有可能吃人」
Other predators, such as wolves, may also be at their most dangerous when the moon starts to wane.
其他肉食動物，例如狼，在月亮開始虧缺時也可能最危險。
The discovery, from an African study of 500 lion attacks, could explain the full moon’s place in folklore as a harbinger of evil or disaster, and its association with werewolves and vampires.
這項發現，來自非洲一份對500次獅子攻擊行動的研究，或許可以解釋滿月在民間傳說中作為禍害或災難前兆的地位，及其與狼人和吸血鬼的關連性。
Scientists studied records of nearly 500 lion attacks on Tanzanian villagers between 1988 and 2009. In more than two thirds of cases, the victims were killed and eaten. The vast majority of attacks occurred between dusk and 10pm on nights when the moon was waning and providing relatively little light.
科學家研究1988至2009年間，獅子對坦尚尼亞村莊居民發動500次攻擊行動的紀錄。在超過3分之2的案例中，受害者被咬死並被吃掉。絕大多數的攻擊行動發生在傍晚到晚上10點之間，當時月亮逐漸虧缺，月光相對微弱。
Lions hunt most successfully when darkness allows them to surprise their prey, but on bright moonlit nights they might have to go hungry. The period immediately following a full moon provides a lion with a welcome opportunity to catch up on missed meals.
當黑暗讓牠們得以出其不意地攻擊獵物時，獅子的獵捕行動最為成功，但在月光明亮的夜晚，牠們可能就得挨餓。緊接著滿月之後的這段時間，為獅子提供了彌補錯過大餐的大好機會。
Lion attacks also increased during the rainy season, when the moon was more likely to be obscured by clouds.
獅子的攻擊行動在雨季也會增加，屆時月亮更可能被雲層遮蔽而黯淡。
"Although we are safest from lion attacks during well-lit nights, the full moon accurately indicates that the risks of lion predation will increase dramatically in the coming days. Thus the full moon is not dangerous in itself but is instead a portent of the darkness to come." said the scientists.
「雖然我們在月光明亮的夜晚被獅子攻擊的可能性最低，滿月卻精確地指出，獅子發動獵食行動的危險將在未來幾天內急遽增加。因此滿月本身並不危險，危險的是黑暗即將到來的凶兆。」科學家說。
新聞辭典
wane：動詞或名詞，月虧（缺）、衰退，片語wax and wane指月亮盈虧、圓缺。例句：The moon may be dim or bright, wax and wane.（月有陰晴圓缺。）
folklore：名詞，民間傳說、民俗。例句：Academia Sinica honored him for his lifetime of research on Taiwanese folklore.（中研院表揚他窮盡一生對台灣民俗的研究。）
portent：名詞，預兆，尤指惡兆；異象，動詞為portend。例句：The prophet has revealed important portents for the near future.（這位先知揭露了關於不久將來的重要徵兆。）
◎陳泓達 自由電子報
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