Mauled to death

日前意大利一對情侶去小鎮野餐，然後到附近的樹林散步，不幸遇上一群流浪狗。二人往不同方向逃跑，男生及時跑入廢屋並無大礙，女生卻被流浪狗追上，慘遭咬死（mauled to death）。

動詞maul指「動物用牙齒或爪子襲擊、撕咬、傷害某人」。例如，The girl was mauled to death by stray dogs in the woods.（那女孩在樹林裏被流浪狗咬死。）The man was mauled after falling into the crocodile pit in the zoo.（那男子跌進動物園鱷魚坑後被咬傷。）

「亂摸、粗暴觸摸某人」也可以用maul描述。例如，She was mauled by her neighbour when her parents were not home.（當她的父母不在家時，她被鄰居亂摸。）

Maul亦可以引申指「抨擊、嚴厲批評」，常用被動語態（passive voice）。

例句︰The film was too realistic to be interesting and was mauled by the critics.（這部電影太寫實了，沒有甚麼趣味，並受到了評論家的抨擊。）The book was severely mauled by the critics for spreading racial discrimination.（這本書因散布種族歧視而受到嚴厲批評。）

（本欄逢周三、五刊登）