《中英對照讀新聞》Subway ’’crisis’’：Is footlong sub really 11 inches? Subway「危機」︰1呎長潛艇堡真的是11吋？

《中英對照讀新聞》Subway ’’crisis’’：Is footlong sub really 11 inches? Subway「危機」︰1呎長潛艇堡真的是11吋？

2013-01-23

◎魏國金

Subway, the world’s largest fast food chain with 38,000 locations, is facing widespread criticism after a man who appears to be from Australia posted a photo on the company’s Facebook page of one of its footlong sandwiches next to a tape measure that shows the sub is falls an inch short.

擁有3萬8000家分店、全球最大速食連鎖店Subway，在一名顯然是來自澳洲的男子在該公司臉書網頁張貼一張照片後面臨廣泛批評，照片中一個1呎長三明治旁的捲尺顯示，這份潛艇堡不足1吋。

More than 100,000 people have ’’liked’’ or commented on the photo, which had the caption "Subway pls respond." Lookalike pictures popped up elsewhere on Facebook. And The New York Post conducted its own investigation that found that four out of seven footlong sandwiches that it measured were shy of 12 inches（304 millimeters）that makes a foot.

超過10萬網友對這張標題為「Subway請回應」的照片按「讚」或留言。類似照片也在別的臉書上冒出。而紐約郵報自行調查發現，測量的7個1呎長三明治中有4個不滿12吋（304毫米）；12吋等於1呎。

Subway said that the length of its sandwiches may vary slightly when its bread, which is baked at each Subway location, is not made to the chain’s exact specifications.

Subway說，三明治的長度或許些微不同，因為麵包是在每家Subway分店烘焙，並非連鎖店的精確規格製成。

The photograph – and the backlash – illustrates a challenge companies face with the growth of social media sites like Facebook, YouTube and Twitter. Before, someone in far flung local in Australia would not be able to cause such a stir.

該照片與導致的強烈反應，彰顯企業面對諸如臉書、YouTube與推特等社群網站使用成長的挑戰。此前，澳洲遙遠地方的某人無法引起如此的騷動。

But comments by other Facebook users about the photo ran the gamut from outrage to indifference to amusement. One commenter urged people to "chill out." And one man posted a photo of his foot in a sock next to a Subway sandwich to show it was shorter than a "foot."（AP）

然而，臉書其他用戶關於這張照片的留言五花八門，從憤慨、冷淡到消遣皆有。一名留言者敦促大家「放輕鬆」。而有一名男子張貼一張他穿上襪子的腿，旁邊則是一個Subway三明治，顯示它比一「腿」（呎與腿的英文相同）短。（美聯社）

新聞辭典

backlash︰動詞、名詞，強烈反應、強烈反彈。例句︰If he moved too quickly, he might provoke a backlash from the diehards.（如果他操之過急，可能引發死硬派的強烈反彈。）

run the gamut︰慣用語／動詞片語，包羅萬象、形形色色、五花八門。例句︰Mail order complaints run the gamut from long delays to refund problems.（對郵購的抱怨形形色色，從遲不交貨到退款問題都有。）

chill out︰慣用語／動詞片語，放鬆、冷靜。例句︰You need to chill out for a bit.（你需要放鬆一下。）