大笨（Big Ben）是一只绵羊，今日被本地媒体暴光，定将轰动全球。它一身长毛重达28.9公斤，刷新了谢乐克（Shrek）在2004年创下的27公斤的世界纪录，使新西兰再次成为世界关注的焦点。

  大笨与它的三个同龄伙伴，出生当年即离家出走，躲避过了一年又一年的强迫捐献。它们长期隐居于荒山野林，有天无法，逍遥自在。悠闲的生活，或许曾陶冶了情操，或许增添了雅兴，或许．．．一切的一切，都融化在大自然里，既然无人问讯，也就无人得知。直到三天前，贪婪的农场主发现了它们的行踪，用暴力把它们捉拿回剪羊毛房。它们精心蓄养了六年多的绒毛，被当众强行剥光，一发不留。不仅生平第一受到侮辱与摧残，它们也永远失去了自由。从此，大老笨和它的伙伴们，只能在圈定的范围内，吃喝拉撒，立行卧睡。未来的风风雨雨，不能再次散漫地经历。也许，它们还会养儿育女，儿女们也学会出走．．．青春岁月，自由时光，已成过去。不管乐意与否，从此，大笨每年都得被迫捐献一次自己的毛，直到有一天，贡献出自己的皮肉和骨头。

　　在欣赏李娜笑容的坦然和讲话的质朴幽默之余，我看到新闻上的大笨。由大笨，想起了许志永。大笨生来或许就不应该享有自由，然而它享受了。人，生来就该享有做人的自由和权力，但却被剥夺。为了阻止他继续帮助那些人要回做人的基本权力，他们把许志永投进了监狱。我默然无语。

七绝·大笨的咏叹

半江红　2014.1.27

芳草幽幽露水浇，六年蓄得此身毛。

从今不说山中事，云也低沉路也遥。

附：本地新闻

Big Ben chimes in on Shrek's crown

Wild and woolly after six years

  Big Ben is bigger than Shrek - unofficially.

When Mike Lindsay first saw four merino sheep nestled in a corner of his 2500-hectare Twizel station he thought they looked like giant mushrooms.

"Because they carried so much weight, when they moved they almost seemed like ships bobbing in the ocean because you couldn't see their legs," he said.

They were recaptured on the slopes of Mt Ben at Omahau Hill Station after about six years of being separated from their flock.

The most impressive of the bunch was dubbed "Big Ben".

On Saturday, shearers set about seeing just how big he was by attempting to set the first Guinness World Record for the heaviest single fleece taken from a sheep.

Big Ben's fleece, shorn by former world champion shearer Tony Dobbs, took 25 minutes to take off.

"It was very slow going because of the sheer weight of wool that was pulling against his skin," Lindsay said.

"We had to have someone else hold the wool so it didn't rip the sheep's skin."

When the job was complete the fleece weighed in at 28.9 kilograms.

The fleece of Shrek, the merino who made international headlines when he was found in 2004 after avoiding being caught and shorn for six years, weighed in at 27kg.

However, this weight was never submitted to Guinness World Records. An average merino fleece weighs about 4.5kg.

There were celebrations yesterday as Big Ben's fleece was weighed.

The event was used as a fundraiser for a new Twizel medical centre. The fleece will be turned into a baby's shawl, which will then be auctioned to raise money for the centre.

"We are hoping that, once it's officially announced we have got a record, it might draw some attention and bring someone out of the woodwork to buy it [the fleece]," Lindsay said.

The shorn sheep were bright and happy, Lindsay said yesterday.

But it had been a wet morning in Twizel so they were being kept indoors and were also given coats to keep them warm after the shock of being shorn.