關於美人魚的傳說，自古有之。甚至周星馳還執導過一部影片《美人魚》。該影片講述一個富翁某一天遇到真正的美人魚，並與之譜寫一段人魚戀的故事。但是美人魚真的`存在嗎?我們來看下面的有關美人魚的英語聽力對話。
Dan: Hello and welcome to 6 Minute English–the show that brings you an interesting topic, authentic listening practice and vocabulary to help you improve your language skills. I'm Dan…
Catherine: And I'm Catherine. In this programme we'll be discussing mermaids, as well as teaching you 6 new items of vocabulary, of course…
Dan: How would you like to be a mermaid?
Catherine: A half-human and half-fish? Well, Dan, I think it's all a myth.
Dan: Well, then you'll find this week's question a bit of a difficult one to answer.
Catherine: I suppose I will. Go on then.
Dan: When did the most recent alleged mermaid sighting take place? Was it a) the 1400s b) 1800s or c) 2000s?
Catherine: Ok, and by alleged, you mean 'said or believed to be true but not proven'. I don't believe in mermaids, but I think there's a lot of people who do, so I will say c) the 2000s.
Dan: Well, we'll find out if you're right a bit later on. So, what do you know about mermaids, Catherine?
Catherine: Well, a mermaid is a creature that's similar in appearance to a woman but instead of legs, a mermaid has the tail of a fish. The males are called mermen, and they live in the ocean. I thought they were a myth.
Dan: They certainly appear to be mythical. They feature in legends and stories from all over the world. The earliest known one in a story dates from ancient Assyria, around 1000 BC. Can you think of a more modern example?
Catherine: Many people will be familiar with the Disney story, 'The Little Mermaid'.
Dan: Yes. Before it was an animated movie, it was a renowned fairy-tale written by Hans Christian Andersen, first published in 1837. Interestingly, a small bronze statue of the little mermaid has been sitting in Copenhagen in Denmark since 1913.
Catherine: There you go! There's no real evidence.
Dan: What if I told you that over 200 mermaids have recently gathered in Greensboro, North Carolina in the USA?
Catherine: You're telling me fish tales, Dan
Dan: Ok. I'll confess. They aren't real mermaids. Each person is a normal human wearing a waist-high latex tail. They meet to share an interest in aquatic mythology, take underwater photos, and swim. For many of them, it's a source of income too! Listen to Daniel Craig, five year merman, explain.
