又中又英｜Cage match 

Elon Musk, the world's richest man, is the boss of Tesla, Twitter, SpaceX, and other high-tech companies. Mark Zuckerberg, who is in the top ten list of the world's richest people, is the boss of Meta, which provides services including Facebook, WhatsApp, Instagram, and Messenger. Believe it or not, these two super-rich and influential men have challenged each other to a cage match. It's being called a cage match between two billionaires. Musk threw down the gauntlet on Twitter when Meta tweeted it may set up a service to compete with Twitter.

A cage match is a fierce competition with very few rules that takes place inside a cage. Competitors use a combination of wrestling and boxing. To throw down the gauntlet means to challenge someone to a fight. A gauntlet is a type of glove. Knights in medieval times threw down a gauntlet to challenge another knight to fight. When Zuckerberg's Meta tweeted it may start a company to rival Twitter, Musk tweeted "I'm up for a cage match if he is." Zuckerberg used Instagram to respond, saying "Send me location". Musk responded with "Vegas Octagon", which is an arena for fierce fights in Las Vegas.

Musk and Zuckerberg are known to argue with each other over high-tech issues. Musk has warned of the dangers of AI. Zuckerberg invited Musk to his home for dinner in 2014 and told him not to be too concerned about AI. But Musk said Facebook gave him the willies. To give you the willies means to make you feel nervous or frightened. I don't think the two billionaires will really have a cage fight.

伊隆‧马斯克，世界上最富有的人，是Tesla、推特、太空探索技术公司以及其他高科技公司的老板。马克‧朱克伯格，同样跻身世上富翁前十位，则是Meta的老板，所提供的服务包括脸书、WhatsApp、Instagram和 Messenger。信不信由你，这两个超级有钱和具影响力的人已挑战对方，来一场铁笼格斗赛（cage match）。这堪称为两大亿万富翁的铁笼格斗（cage match）。当Meta发了一则推文，说会创立一个服务足以跟推特一较高下时，马斯克便下了战书（threw down the gauntlet）。

A cage match是在铁笼中进行的激烈格斗，并无太多规则。参赛者会结合摔角和拳击来格斗。To throw down the gauntlet就是发出打斗的挑战；a gauntlet就是防手护套。中世纪时候的骑士，会抛下其金属手套，去挑战另一个骑士进行武斗。当朱克伯格的Meta发推文说，将会开创一个跟推特比并的公司时，马斯克便发推文说：“我准备好打铁笼战（cage match）了。”朱克伯格则用Instagram回道：“给我地址。”马斯克又回说“Vegas Octagon”，那是在拉斯维加斯的八角笼擂台，常进行激烈的终极格斗赛。

马斯克和朱克伯格二人出了名常在高科技议题上争拗。马斯克曾警告过人工智能的危险。朱克伯格曾于2014年邀请过马斯克到家中晚膳，跟他说别太担忧人工智能。但马斯克说脸书gave him the willies—— to give you the willies是指令你紧张、不安、毛骨悚然。我就不认为这两大亿万富翁会真的来一场笼中肉搏（cage fight）了。

mickchug@gmail.com
Michael Chugani褚简宁
中译：七刻