總統‧泰迪‧熊

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提要

在一百多年前，也就是二十世紀初，動物保育觀念不發達（甚至沒有建立），就像釣魚一般，狩獵動物被當作是一種運動。例如在非洲大草原上，導遊帶領著一群獵人進行名為Safari的活動，一度蔚為流行；然而，現在的釣客都有了保育觀念，釣上太幼小的魚要放生，否則將來會無魚可釣。美國總統羅斯福也算有「運動家精神」的狩獵者，太老弱的動物他拒絕開槍，大概是覺得「勝之不武」。

Nearly 100 years ago, President Theodore Roosevelt, went on a bear hunt. He enjoyed nature and being out in the woods where animals lived. Because he was the President of the United States, the people organizing the hunt wanted to make sure the hunt was successful.

But after 3 days of walking and climbing and riding, no bears were found.

The next day, the hunt guide and his hunting dogs finally found an old bear. The dogs and guide followed the bear for quite a distance until the bear was very, very tired.

The dogs attacked and injured the old bear. The guides tied the bear to a tree and called for the President. Here was a bear for him to shoot!

President Roosevelt looked at the poor old bear and said “no!” No one would shoot this old bear for sport.

Heard this story, a political cartoonist draws about current events in the news. So this story was known worldwide.

After this famous cartoon appeared in the papers, a New York shopkeeper couple , Morris & Rose Michtom took two stuffed toy bears which his wife had made and put them in his shop window.  

Mr. Michtom asked for permission from President Theodore Roosevelt to call these toy bears “Teddy's bears”. This store eventually became the Ideal Novelty and Toy Company. The phrase caught on. Now toy bears are often called Teddy bears!   

解說

大約一百年前，西奧多‧羅斯福總統，以獵熊為休閒活動。他喜歡在動物出沒的樹林享受大自然。負責替美國總統安排狩獵活動的人，則要確保一切順利成功，有所斬獲。

但是，經過三天的步行、爬山和騎馬奔波，看不到熊的蹤影。又跑了一天，獵狗終於找到了一隻老熊。他們追著熊跑了相當長的距離，直到熊筋疲力竭。安排狩獵活動的人呼喚羅斯福總統：「這裡有一隻熊，您來射獵吧！」羅斯福總統看著可憐的熊，斷然拒絕說：「不！」「沒有任何人會把射這老熊當成運動！」

一位時事漫畫家知道了這件事，繪製了一幅漫畫刊在報上，這個故事因此全球聞名。

在紐約開水果舖的米德姆夫婦Morris & Rose Michtom，看到那幅漫畫而開始嘗試製作可以四肢轉動的絨毛熊，沒想到大受歡迎，於是便寫信給羅斯福總統，想用他的小名（Teddy）為熊命名，從此絨毛熊便被稱為「泰迪熊」。

泰迪熊是不少人成長的夥伴，也是不少人示愛的首選禮物，送「泰迪熊」給心愛的人，不妨加上這個小故事，頗有加分效果喔。記得要用英文說，會加分得更多。

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感謝大大分享~~