一项27日发表的研究显示，英国在过去12个月来总共记下破纪录的227起让人震骇的“超自然事件”(paranormal events)。报道指出，英国一年来不明现象的事件数量飙升。这项研究是根据警察的报告和其它官方资料统计出来的，并且由英国圣公会神职人员兼“异常现象的科学研究协会”会长的莱诺范索普牧师 (Rev Lionel Fanthorpe) 编撰成《边科学怪异报告》(The Fringe Weird Report)一书出版。在这227宗“超自然事件”中，“撞鬼”事件占最多数。其次是目睹“不明飞行物体”(UFO)。接下来是听到奇怪的声音和目睹公路上的奇幻现象。此外，报告中还包括鬼怪(poltergeists)，麦田怪圈和传说中的幽灵大黑狗等事件。
A report revealed that Britain has been witness to a record number of 227 spooky（怪异的）events last year.
The Fringe Weird Report compiled by the Rev Lionel Fanthorpe, a Cardiff-based Anglican priest, found that ghosts, UFOs, strange sounds and road phantoms(幽灵) were the most common spooks experienced. “It has to be considered that news spreads faster in our technological days with mobile phones and the Internet. However, it”s beginning to look as if 2010 will produce a higher-than-average number of reports,” the Sun quoted Fanthorpe as saying.
Some of the paranormal(超自然的) hotspots around the country:
Prestwick: The most recent event – a man on Saturday reported seeing a ball-shaped red object in the sky close to this Scottish town that changed colour, flew and was joined by other similar shapes.
Truro: Passers-by reported in February hearing the rattling(碰撞声) of chains at Comprigney Field, where criminals” bodies were exhibited in an iron cage(铁笼) known as a gibbet(绞刑架).
Ipswich: A woman was seen in February looking from a window in the Crown Hotel when the room was thought to be unoccupied.
Trowbridge: Unexplained orbs(球, 天体)of light, a strange phantom figure and examples of poltergeist(敲击作响的) activity were reported in March at the Wiltshire town”s Rose & Crown pub.
Exeter: St Thomas station is apparently haunted by a person wearing heels who likes to pat dogs. The animals respond affectionately even though no one can be seen. The latest report was in August.
York: A girl carrying a child is reported on misty(朦胧的) evenings on the A64 Malton Road where a highwayman supposedly murdered her. She was spotted in April.
Culcreach Castle: A phantom harpist(竖琴) plays and in June was heard by boatmen on Loch Lomond.
The Fringe Weird Report was commissioned to mark the release on DVD and Blu-ray of season two of sci-fi TV series Fringe.
【Notes】
Spooky: adj. 幽灵一般的, 有鬼一样的, 令人毛骨悚然的
The Spooky Legend of Sleepy Hollow
睡谷的传说
a spooky old house
阴森森的老房子.
Won't that be spooky?” she asked in the slightly broken voice that he had always found so sexy.
那不可怕吧?”她用略微沙哑的声音说。他发现她的嗓音竟是那样性感。
Rattle：vi. 嘎嘎作响, 喋喋不休vt. 使激动, 使作响, 急促地谈讲n. 嘎嘎声, 急促的谈话, 嘎嘎响的玩具, 拔浪鼓
He rattled on about his job, not noticing how bored she was.
他只顾喋喋不休地说自己工作上的事，没注意到她有多麽腻烦。
The boy put some stones in a tin box and made them rattle.
男孩把一些石子放在铁盒子里，然后摇得哗啦哗啦地响。
The child rattled away merrily.
那孩子快活地喋喋不休地说着。
Misty：a.有薄雾的；朦胧的
In misty weather, the pilots have to fly by instruments.
大雾天飞行，飞行员只得靠仪表。 | 
