名人教英文：熊猫经济学
华盛顿史密森尼国家动物园的新生熊猫「宝宝」（bao bao）一月初公开亮相，群众争相入场探望。上月一期《经济学人》（the economist）文章 "pandanomics"（即panda和economics的合体字）乘机「抽水」。
文章副题是costly, bumbling (笨手笨脚的) washington has a perfect mascot (吉祥物)，内文先描述熊猫如何笨手笨脚：
pandas are bad at sex and picky (挑剔) about food. they eat little but bamboo, though it leaves them weak and hungry. females are in heat (发情期) only for a few days a year; males have the savoir faire (源自法语，可解作交际手腕) of pimply (长了粉刺的) prom dates (高中毕业舞会的舞伴).
熊猫拣饮择食，不擅交配。说雄性熊猫的「交际手腕」如高中舞会里的小伙子，幽默地点出熊猫的求偶能力有多拙劣。
作者续说，如果熊猫不是那么讨人喜爱，这种与遗传规律格格不入的动物早应绝种：these genetic (与遗传有关的) misfits (格格不入的人或物) might have died out long ago, had they not been so adorable.（had they not been... 是if they had not been... 的倒装写法。）
动物园一年用在熊猫项目的金钱高达260万美元。作者得出一个有趣的「结论」：
bao bao should fit in well in washington: she costs a fortune, has no useful skills and is always on tv. on the plus side (从好处看)，she is better-looking than any member of congress - and unlikely ever to be involved in a sex scandal (性丑闻).
fit in (well) somewhere指能融入某处。说熊猫宝宝能轻易融入华盛顿，实指华盛顿政客和熊猫一样——大花纳税人金钱，缺乏有用技能，只懂经常上电视。更糟的是：国会议员不及熊猫可爱，而且会有性丑闻。
这种写作手法称为satire（讽刺），在政治文章特别常见。