唐宁街10号爆发御猫大战：首相府一山不容二喵！

David Cameron and George Osborne insist they enjoy a more cordial alliance than some previous occupants of Downing Street.

英国首相大卫·卡梅伦和财政大臣乔治·奥斯本，都坚称比起唐宁街以往的入驻者们，他们之间有着更融洽的合作关系。

But their pets are not afraid to get their claws out over who would make a better PM – that is, Prime Mouser.

但是他们的宠物们却并不介意伸爪大打出手，来决定谁能成为更称职的首席御用捕鼠大总管。

Just before dawn yesterday, Freya, the Chancellor’s cat, took on Larry, the Prime Minister’s pet, in a very public catfight.

昨天黎明前，财政大臣的爱猫弗莱娅在一场公开的猫战中袭击了首相的猫拉里。

After circling her opponent with what onlookers described as a ‘deathly stare’, the street’s feisty newcomer attacked.

弗莱娅绕着她的对手转圈，旁观的人描述她是“死死盯住” 拉里，然后这只充满活力的唐宁街新任御就猫发动了攻击。

Larry attempted to put up a fight, but after Freya landed a paw on his neck he was forced to flee back to Number 10.

拉里试图奋力抵抗，但是弗莱娅的爪子打到他脖子之后他只能被迫逃回了唐宁街10号。

Witnesses said that relations between the two cats have been strained since Freya usurped Larry from his role of prowling the corridors of power. Larry was appointed Chief Mouser to the Cabinet shortly after he was brought in to deal with the rodent problem on Downing Street in February last year.

目击者说，自从弗莱娅夺取了拉里在首相府台阶上巡逻的职务后，两只猫的关系就变得越来越紧张。去年二月，拉里进驻不久就被任命为首席捕鼠总管，负责解决唐宁街的鼠患问题。

But his kill rate failed to meet Government targets, and like his owner he became the subject of accusations that he spent too much time ‘chillaxing’.

但是他的灭鼠率没有达到政府的目标，于是就像他的主人一样，他被众人指责花费太多时间 “在危机关头太过放松冷静”。

Swiftly earning a reputation for napping rather than ratting, it took him 18 months to record his first confirmed kill.

御猫拉里名声在外，不过是睡觉却不是捕鼠，直到18个月后他才有了第一次官方认证的灭鼠记录。

Then last month it emerged that Larry had been victim of a Government reshuffle as the Prime Minister sacked him as Chief Mouser to the Cabinet.

上个月，拉里受到内阁改组政策的波及，被首相解雇了首席捕鼠总管的职位。

Mr Cameron, who admitted Larry was a ‘terrible mouser’, had apparently grown tired of his lethargy. He is thought to have found Larry dozing in the Number 10 study as a mouse ran across the room. The Chancellor’s tabby Freya was then given the role of Chief Mouser.

首相卡梅隆承认拉里是个糟糕的捕鼠者，而且明显已经对他懒洋洋的态度感到厌烦。据说他发现拉里在首相府的书房里打瞌睡，任由一只老鼠从房间里穿过。之后财政大臣的虎斑猫弗莱娅就被授予了捕鼠总管的职务。

Freya, who arrived in Downing Street in June after going missing from Mr Osborne’s previous home for three years, is thought to be an altogether more tough and street-wise predator and has been described as a ‘lethal feline killing machine’.

弗莱娅从奥斯本以前的家里走失三年后神奇回归，于六月份来到唐宁街。人们认为她总体上是个更坚韧、更精明的捕食者，并形容她为“致命猫科灭鼠器”。

After the pair’s altercation just before 7am yesterday, Freya later walked past Number 10 to stare at Larry, who was seen sitting in the window while Mr Cameron held a Cabinet meeting inside.

昨天两只猫在早晨七点前发生争执之后，弗莱娅走过唐宁街10号，盯着坐在窗台上的拉里，当时卡梅伦正在里面召开内阁会议。

A Downing Street regular said: ‘Apparently they have not got on for a while, she has clearly taken over the turf. Scuffles between them have been going on.’

一位首相府常客说：“很明显他们关系不好已经有段时间了，弗莱娅显然已经接管了拉里的地盘。他们之间的争斗一直在进行。”

When asked about relations between the two cats, the Prime Minister’s spokesman said simply: ‘They co-exist.’

当被问及两只猫的关系，首相的发言人简单回答说：“他们在唐宁街共存。”