英警察发明脚踏巡逻车 不为抓贼为亲民

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.

英国警察近日发明了一辆配有警笛和蓝色闪光灯的脚踏巡逻车。

警方称，这款新式五轮巡逻车有助于打击危害社会的行为，其最高时速仅为20英里。

这款白色巡逻车造价超过一千英镑，车身酷似汉普顿警用车，并配有翻车保护杆，以在发生交通事故时保护司机。

但警方坦称，即便他们铆足了劲地蹬踩，也不太可能靠它追捕到罪犯，除非是那些拄着拐杖、行动不便的人。

这款巡逻车将参加今年7月11日在汉普郡灵伍德举行的英国脚踏车大奖赛。

当地警察基思•沃勒将是这辆车的司机，是他和灵伍德综合中学的一群年龄在13岁至16岁之间的学生花费40个小时精心打造出来的这款“山寨版”巡逻车。

沃勒认为，参与这一项目让警察们展现出了他们“有趣的一面”，让他们看起来“更酷、更容易接近”。

但他也承认，他也因此成了人们的笑柄，他被人们比作动画片《诺弟来啦！》里面的普拉先生。

51岁的沃勒有两个孩子。他说：“脚踏车大奖赛是一个很好的活动，可增进社区团结。”

“让年轻人参与这样的活动可让他们在吃完饭和放学后有点事情做，免得他们出去惹事。”

Vocabulary:

siren：an implement of this kind used as a whistle, fog signal, or warning device（汽笛，警报笛）

livery：the colours in which the vehicles, aircraft, etc. of a particular company are painted（车辆、飞机等涂的专用色彩）

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.（翻车保护杆）

apprehend：to take into custody; arrest by legal warrant or authority（逮捕，拘押）

zimmer frame：残疾人、老年人使用的齐默式助行架

PC：警察，police constable的缩写

approachable:可亲近的；可接近的

laughing stock：an object of ridicule; the butt of a joke or the like（笑柄）