英警察發明腳踏巡邏車 不爲抓賊爲親民
Police have unveiled a pedal-powered patrol car complete with siren and blue flashing light.
Officers believe building their new five-gear vehicle, which has a top speed of 20 miles per hour, will help combat anti-social behaviour.
The white car cost over £1,000, has full Hampshire Constabulary livery and a roll bar to protect the driver in the event of a crash.
However, police admit that even if they are pedalling furiously they are unlikely to be able to apprehend anyone other than "those with a zimmer frame".
The car will be entered into the British Pedal Car Grand Prix on July 11 in Ringwood, Hants.
PC Keith Waller, who will pilot the vehicle, spent 40 hours painstakingly building the replica car with children aged 13 to 16 at Ringwood Comprehensive School.
He insisted that getting involved with the project allowed police to show their "fun side" and made them look "cooler" and "more approachable".
But he also admitted it had made him a laughing stock as people drew comparisons with him and Mr Plod from cartoon series Noddy from Toytown.
PC Waller, a 51-year-old father of two, said: "The pedal car grand prix is a fantastic event which brings the community together.
"Getting youngsters involved gives them something to focus on at lunch and after school, so they are not out there committing anti-social behaviour.
英國警察近日發明了一輛配有警笛和藍色閃光燈的腳踏巡邏車。
警方稱，這款新式五輪巡邏車有助於打擊危害社會的行爲，其最高時速僅爲20英里。
這款白色巡邏車造價超過一千英鎊，車身酷似漢普頓警用車，並配有翻車保護杆，以在發生交通事故時保護司機。
但警方坦稱，即便他們鉚足了勁地蹬踩，也不太可能靠它追捕到罪犯，除非是那些拄着柺杖、行動不便的人。
這款巡邏車將參加今年7月11日在漢普郡靈伍德舉行的英國腳踏車大獎賽。
當地警察基思•沃勒將是這輛車的司機，是他和靈伍德綜合中學的一羣年齡在13歲至16歲之間的學生花費40個小時精心打造出來的這款“山寨版”巡邏車。
沃勒認爲，參與這一項目讓警察們展現出了他們“有趣的一面”，讓他們看起來“更酷、更容易接近”。
但他也承認，他也因此成了人們的笑柄，他被人們比作動畫片《諾弟來啦！》裏面的普拉先生。
51歲的沃勒有兩個孩子。他說：“腳踏車大獎賽是一個很好的活動，可增進社區團結。”
“讓年輕人蔘與這樣的活動可讓他們在吃完飯和放學後有點事情做，免得他們出去惹事。”
Vocabulary:
siren：an implement of this kind used as a whistle, fog signal, or warning device（汽笛，警報笛）
livery：the colours in which the vehicles, aircraft, etc. of a particular company are painted（車輛、飛機等塗的專用色彩）
roll bar：a sturdy metal bar built into the inside roof of a motor vehicle to prevent or reduce injury in case of a rollover.（翻車保護杆）
apprehend：to take into custody; arrest by legal warrant or authority（逮捕，拘押）
zimmer frame：殘疾人、老年人使用的齊默式助行架
PC：警察，police constable的縮寫
approachable:可親近的；可接近的
laughing stock：an object of ridicule; the butt of a joke or the like（笑柄）
