Zoos: Pro or Con?
美音、自然拼读、分级阅读与词汇复习
Table of Contents A Message from Terry Shaw, Editor of the Springfield Daily Star.
内容列表 A Message 来自"春田"每日星报编辑Terry Shaw.
4 Pro: In Support of Zoos.
4正:支持动物园.
6 Con: Arguments Against Zoos.
6 Con:针对动物园的争论.
11 From the Editor.
11 从"编辑".
18 Glossary.
18 词汇。
20 A Message from Terry Shaw, Editor of the Springfield Daily Star Many of you read last week that one of our wealthiest residents donated a large sum of money to the local zoo.
20 来自《春田日报》编辑Terry Shaw的讯息 上星期你们中许多人读到 我们最富有的居民之一 捐了一大笔钱给当地的动物园
This money will allow the zoo to grow into one of the leading wildlife conservation centers in America.
这笔钱将使动物园发展成为美国主要的野生动物保护中心之一.
But news of the funding has sparked a heated debate in our community.
但资金的消息在我们的社区引发了激烈的辩论。
Many citizens wrote letters to the newspaper to tell us how they felt about the zoo’s expansion.
许多市民给报纸写信,
Some of you support the growth of the zoo, while others of you argue that zoos are cruel, outdated institutions that should be closed.
有些人支持动物园的成长,而其他人则认为动物园是残酷的,已经过时的应该关闭的机构.
Many people in the middle like some things about zoos but also recognize that even the best zoos can have problems.
中间的许多人喜欢一些关于动物园的事情,但也认识到即使是最优秀的动物园也会有问题.
To encourage further discussion on the topic, we are printing a small selection of readers’ letters that express many of the pros and cons of zoos.
为了鼓励进一步讨论这个议题,我们正在印刷少量读者信件,表达动物园的许多利弊。
The letters contain both facts and opinions about zoos that may help people decide what is best for our city and what the future should be for the animals that live at our zoo.
这些信件既包含关于动物园的事实,也包含关于动物园的意见,这些可以帮助人们决定什么对我们的城市最为有利,什么是未来应该对我们动物园生活的动物.
This penguin might have more room to swim and play if its zoo was expanded.
这只企鹅可能有更多的空间游泳和游戏,如果它的动物园被扩大.
Pro: In Support of Zoos Responsibility to our fellow creatures A letter from Suzanne Mc Coy, wildlife biologist I enthusiastically support the expansion of the Springfield Zoo.
Pro:为了支持动物园对同伴的责任 一封来自Suzanne McCoy的信,野生生物生物学家,我热切地支持扩大斯普林菲尔德动物园.
In recent decades, people have become more aware of the dangers facing Earth’s environment.
近几十年来,人们更加意识到地球环境所面临的危险。
People are changing the natural world in ways that threaten many animal species.
人们正在以威胁许多动物物种的方式改变自然世界。
Many kinds of animals that have lived in balance on our planet for millions of years are now in danger of becoming extinct.
许多种类的动物在地球平衡生活了数百万年,现在面临灭绝的危险。
It is up to us to fix the problems we have caused by cleaning up the environment, shifting to “greener” lifestyles, and making every effort to save species whose lives are threatened by our activities.
我们有责任解决清理环境、转向“更绿色”的生活方式以及尽一切努力拯救生命受到我们活动威胁的物种所引发的问题。
The combined efforts of the Los Angeles and San Diego Zoos saved the California condor from extinction.
洛杉矶和圣迭戈动物园的共同努力使加州神鹰免于灭绝.
Giant pandas are only one of thousands of species facing possible extinction.
巨熊猫只是面临可能灭绝的上千个物种之一.
Many zoos work closely with individuals and organizations in the animals’ native regions to establish wildlife refuges.
许多动物园与动物原住地的个人和组织密切合作,建立野生动物保护区.
They also help educate local people about farming methods that are less damaging to the environment.
它们还帮助教育当地人民了解对环境危害较小的耕作方法。
Some zoos also conduct programs that support keeping wild animals in their native habitats so they don’t need to be moved to refuges.
有些动物园也实施支持将野生动物留在本地栖息地的方案,
What kind of world do we want to leave to our children and grandchildren?
我们想要留给我们的子孙什么样的世界?
If we want our descendants to experience the incredible variety and beauty of nature, we will need to work to preserve wild animals.
如果我们想让我们的后代体验大自然不可思议的种类和美丽,我们需要努力保护野生动物.
The expansion of the Springfield Zoo will allow our community to take a more active role in spreading the message of conservation.
斯普林菲尔德动物园的扩大将使我们的社区在传播保护信息方面发挥更积极的作用.
It will also allow our zoo to join efforts to save many species from extinction.
这也将使我们的动物园能够共同努力,使许多物种免于灭绝。
People’s intentional destruction of animal habitats pushes many species beyond their ability to survive.
人们故意破坏动物栖息地,使许多物种超越了生存能力.
As people use more wild land for gathering resources and for farming, the natural habitats of animals are broken into smaller, disconnected areas.
由于人们使用更多的野地来采集资源并进行耕作,动物的自然栖息地被分解为更小,互不相通的地区.
This process separates animals from others of their kind and makes it more difficult for them to find mates.
这一过程将动物与同类动物隔离开来,使动物更难找到配体.
My hope is that the Springfield Zoo will join efforts to breed endangered animals.
我希望,斯普林菲尔德动物园将共同努力培育濒危动物.
Without zoos, these animals would run the risk of dying out completely in a short time.
没有动物园,这些动物就有可能在短时间内完全死亡。
Zoo professionals work very hard to help these species survive.
动物园的专业人士非常努力地帮助这些物种生存.
In some cases, they are even able to return animals born in zoos to the wild.
在某些情况下,它们甚至能够将动物园所生的动物送回野外.
Research has shown that young people need to spend time in nature to develop a sense of values about the environment.
研究表明,年轻人需要花时间在大自然中形成对环境的价值观感.
Visiting a zoo or aquarium might be the best chance for city dwellers to learn about life outside the world of concrete and steel.
参观动物园或水族馆可能是城市居民了解世界外混凝土和钢材生活的最好机会.
While books and online resources can provide children with facts about animals, there is no substitute for direct experience with the natural world.
虽然书籍和在线资源可以向儿童提供有关动物的事实,但不能取代与自然世界的直接经验。
As young people learn about the natural world, they understand and respect how a change in a single element has consequences throughout an ecosystem, and how a change in a single ecosystem has consequences for the entire planet.
随着年轻人了解自然世界,他们理解并尊重单一元素的变化如何影响整个生态系统,以及单一生态系统的变化如何影响整个地球。
Our planet is in trouble, and we need every one of its citizens to feel a sense of personal responsibility for the well-being of all life forms.
我们的星球有麻烦了,我们需要它的每一个公民对各种生命形式的福祉感到个人的责任感。
Zoos play an important part in helping people develop that sense of responsibility toward the natural world.
动物园在帮助人们培养对自然世界的责任感方面发挥着重要作用。
Zoos provide priceless education A letter from Roy Chen, retired teacher Zoos are important centers of education.
动物园提供无价教育 Roy Chen的一封信,退休的教师动物园是教育的重要中心.
Zoos give millions of people the chance to see and appreciate wildlife firsthand.
动物园为数百万人提供了亲眼目睹和欣赏野生动物的机会.
Visitors leave with a greater understanding of the variety of life on Earth, as well as a sense of responsibility as stewards of the environment.
游客出行时对地球上的各种生命有了更深入的了解,并有作为环境管理者的责任感.
In 2007, the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) published the results of a three-year study titled “Why Zoos and Aquariums Matter.”
2007年,动物园和水族馆协会公布了一项题为“为什么动物园和水族馆很重要”的三年期研究的结果。 “
This study showed that visiting an AZA- accredited zoo or aquarium makes a real difference in the conservation attitudes of visitors.
这项研究表明,参观AZA认证的动物园或水族馆,对游客的保护态度产生了真正的影响。
Viewing wildlife face to face in these settings caused more than half of surveyed visitors to want to become more involved in conservation efforts.
在这些环境中面对面地观察野生动物,使一半以上接受调查的游客希望更多地参与保护工作。
More than half also reported that their visit gave them a greater sense of connection to nature.
半数以上的人还报告说,他们的访问使他们对自然有了更大的联系感。
Think About It More people in North America visit zoos each year than attend all professional sporting events.
北美每年都有更多的人参观动物园,
What does that say about the possibility of educating the public about conservation?
教育公众保护的可能性是什么?
Educational exhibits can offer rare glimpses into the natural behavior of many species.
教育展品可以提供许多物种自然行为的罕见一瞥.
Con: Arguments Against Zoos Zoos send the wrong message A letter from Jose Gonzales, animal rights activist As I’ve followed local discussions on the zoo expansion project, I’ve become increasingly upset.
Con:针对动物园的争论 动物园发出错误的信息 来自动物权利活动家Jose Gonzales的信 我越来越不高兴。
People have no right to capture wild animals or to lock them in cages.
人们无权捕捉野生动物或将其锁入笼子.
Wild animals have as much right to freedom as humans do.
野生动物和人类一样有自由的权利.
Zoos send a message to the public that keeping wild animals for our own entertainment is acceptable.
动物园向公众发出信息,将野生动物作为我们自己的娱乐场所是可以接受的.
This sometimes leads people to think they can keep exotic animals as pets, even though they lack the training and facilities to care for the animals properly.
这有时会使人们认为他们可以把异地动物当作宠物来保存,尽管他们缺乏适当照顾动物的训练和设施.
The conditions in which some zoo animals live are a serious problem.
一些动物园动物的居住条件是一个严重的问题.
As private businesses, zoos are under pressure to make a profit.
作为民营企业,动物园面临赚钱的压力.
As a result, some zoos attempt to reduce their expenses by cutting corners and not giving animals the proper care.
因此,有的动物园试图通过切割角来减少其费用,而没有给予动物适当的照顾.
The 2007 escape of a Siberian tiger from its enclosure at the San Francisco Zoo is a case in point.
2007年西伯利亚一虎从旧金山动物园的被禁地逃脱就是一个例子.
The tiger, likely teased by visitors, climbed a wall, killed one person, and injured two others before being shot.
老虎很可能被访客取笑,爬上一堵墙,杀死了一人,并打伤了另外两人后被枪杀.
The wall climbed by the tiger was four feet lower than recommended standards, and some workers at the zoo were slow to respond to the emergency.
被虎所攀登的城墙比所推荐的标准低了4英尺,而动物园的一些工人对紧急情况反应迟缓.
A tiger and a zoo visitor both lost their lives because the zoo did not follow industry guidelines to ensure the safety of both its animals and visitors.
一只老虎和一个动物园的游客都因为动物园没有遵循行业准则来确保动物和游客的安全而丧生.
Tatiana the Siberian tiger was killed after escaping her enclosure at the San Francisco Zoo in 2007.
西伯利亚虎塔蒂安娜于2007年从旧金山动物园逃出后被杀死.
Even when zookeepers want to help, animals can suffer when they are not free.
即使动物园管理员想要帮助,动物在不自由时也会受苦.
A long-term study of bears and big cats found that these animals are among the most affected by captivity.
一项对熊和大猫的长期研究发现,这些动物是受被囚禁影响最大的.
In the wild, they roam over such large distances that living in small spaces causes them great stress.
在野外,它们漫步在如此长的距离上,在小空间中生活,会给他们带来巨大的压力.
When kept in zoos, they develop many unnatural behaviors, including pacing, swaying, rolling their heads, and walking in tight circles.
在被关入动物园时,它们会发展出许多非自然的行为,包括节奏,摇摆,滚出头来,走入紧凑的圈子.
Similar repetitive movements have been observed in mentally ill people.
在精神病患者中也观察到类似的重复运动。
Some zoo animals have such serious behavioral problems that they must regularly be given drugs to keep them calm.
一些动物园动物有如此严重的行为问题,必须定期给它们以药物来保持它们的平静.
The focus of some zoos is on entertaining people, not on meeting the full range of needs of the animals.
一些动物园的重点在于取乐于人,而不是满足动物的全部需要.
The life spans of some captive wild animals are shortened, and many of them can develop long- term health problems.
一些被囚禁的野生动物的寿命被缩短了,其中许多动物可以发展出长期的健康问题.
For example, captive elephants suffer from a variety of physical conditions, such as arthritis and foot diseases, as well as psychological problems.
例如被俘的大象有各种身体状况,如关节炎和脚部疾病等,以及心理问题.
Herd animals that live in large groups in the wild are often kept alone or with just one other member of their species in zoos, and they often lack the exercise needed to keep their bodies healthy.
生活在野生地上大群的群生动物往往被单独或仅与同属一属动物园中,他们往往缺乏保持身体健康所需的锻炼.
Birds’ wings are clipped to prevent them from flying.
鸟的翅膀被剪去以防止它们飞行.
Aquatic animals have access to a much smaller amount of water than they need.
水生动物获得的水量要小得多。
Think About It A British study found that enclosures in U.
英国的一项研究发现,U有这个封口。
K.
凯.
safari parks and zoos are, on average, one hundred times smaller than the animals’ minimum home ranges in the wild.
动物园和动物园平均比野外最小的家畜小一百倍。
Another study of zoos worldwide revealed that polar bears have one million times less space in captivity than in the wild.
另一项对全世界动物园的研究显示,北极熊被囚禁的空间是野外的一百万倍.
A zoo worker inspects an elephant’s foot for signs of disease.
动物园工作人员检查一头大象的脚,
Zoos claim to educate the public, but most visitors spend just a few minutes at each exhibit and tend to view the animals as entertainment.
动物园声称要教育公众,但大多数游客每次展出只花几分钟时间,并倾向于将动物视为娱乐.
A curator at the National Zoo observed the habits of more than seven hundred zoo visitors and concluded that “.
国家动物园的一位馆长观察了700多名动物园参观者的习惯,并得出结论:“。
officials should stop kidding themselves about the tremendous educational value of showing an animal behind a glass wall.”
官员们应该停止自欺欺人地说 展示一只动物在玻璃墙后 具有巨大的教育价值 “
The only way to learn about an animal properly is to view it in its natural habitat.
正确了解动物的唯一方法就是在它的自然栖息地中观察.
Captured by aliens A letter from Tamyra Green, concerned citizen Imagine that you’re going about your daily life when a spaceship lands nearby, and aggressive aliens with advanced weapons tranquilize you.
被外国人俘虏 Tamyra Green的一封信涉及公民,
They shove you in a tiny metal crate and transport you back to their home planet.
他们把你塞进一个小的金属箱 把你送回他们的星球
You are permanently separated from your town, neighborhood, parents, and friends.
你永远离开你的城镇 邻居 父母和朋友
During the long trip, you’re not allowed to move around, and your requests to stretch your legs are ignored.
在长途旅行期间,你不允许四处走动,你伸长腿的要求也被忽视了。
The aliens don’t understand a word of your language, and even if they did, they wouldn’t be concerned about your needs or desires—only about their wish to have a human for their collection.
外星人不懂你的语言, 即使他们懂, 他们也不会关心你的需要或欲望,
What would this dolphin say if it were able to talk to these children about living in captivity?
这只海豚如果能跟这些孩子谈谈 被囚禁的事会怎么说?
When the spaceship lands on their planet, you’re placed in a small, barred cage with a bed, a chair, two books, and a large painting of a television on the back wall.
当宇宙飞船降落在他们的星球上时, 你被安置在一个被禁闭的小笼子里, 上面有一张床,一张椅子,两本书, 以及一幅巨大的电视画 在后墙上。
Your captors want visitors to their zoo to be able to imagine you in your natural environment.
你们的捕捉者希望他们的动物园的访客 能够想象你们在自然环境中的样子
You are fed meat loaf and carrots once a day.
每天吃一顿肉饼和胡萝卜
How would you feel if this happened to you?
如果这事发生在你身上你会有什么感觉?
It’s no different for the animals we capture and force to live in zoos.
我们捕捉并强迫动物生活在动物园里,
From the Editor Now that you’ve read a selection of readers’ opinions, both pro and con, what do you think about zoos?
从编辑处 现在,你读了读者的一些观点,无论是赞成还是反对,你对动物园的看法如何?
Zoos are a complex, controversial topic, and the disagreements about them are not likely to be resolved in the near future.
动物园是一个复杂而有争议的话题,对于它们的分歧不太可能在近期得到解决.
It could be argued that each zoo must be considered individually, since a small, privately owned roadside zoo is quite a bit different from a large city zoo with naturalistic enclosures, captive-breeding programs, and expert biologists.
可以说,每个动物园都必须被单独考虑, 因为一个小型的私人拥有的路边动物园 与一个大型的城市动物园有很大不同, 拥有自然学的封闭, 俘虏繁殖计划, 以及专家生物学家。
As you give further thought to zoos, consider the possibility that they might not be able to be labeled as simply good or bad.
在你进一步思考动物园时,考虑它们可能无法被贴上简单的好或坏标签.
We invite you to make a list of the goals that you believe every zoo should focus on.
我们邀请你们列出你们认为每个动物园应该关注的目标。
Think about how current problems might help zoo professionals learn from mistakes and either improve today’s zoos or create better types of zoos in the future.
想想目前的问题如何帮助动物园专业人士从错误中吸取教训,
What do you think are the most important issues for zoos to address?
你认为动物园要处理的最重要的问题是什么?
Rhinos are intelligent animals that can quickly become bored in captivity.
犀牛是聪明的动物,在被囚禁时会很快变得无聊.
Glossary accredited (adj.)
经认证的词汇(adj.)
given approval for meeting a set of standards (p.
批准达到一套标准(第3页)。
9) conservation (n.)
9) 保护(n.
the protection and preservation of natural resources (p.
保护和保全自然资源(第3页)
4) controversial (adj.)
4) 有争议 (adj.
causing much disagreement (p.
造成很大分歧(p.
18) curator (n.)
18) 馆长 (n.
a person in charge of an exhibit (p.
展览负责人(p.
15) ecosystem (n.)
15) 生态系统(n.
a community of living things together with their habitat (p.
生物群落及其栖息地(p.
10) exotic (adj.)
10) 异地语 (adj.
out of the ordinary, usually from a faraway place (p.
出自平平平平平平平平平平平平平平平平平平平平平平平平平平平平平平平平平平平平平平平平平平平平平平平平平平平平平平平平平平平平平平平平平平平平平平平平平平平平平平平平平平平平平平平平平平平平平平平平平平平平平平平平平平平平平平平平平平平平平平平平平平平平平平平平平平平平平平平平平平平平平平平平平平平平平平平平平平平平平平平平平平平平平平平平平平平平平平平平平平平平平平平平平平平平平平平平平平平平平平平平平平平平平平平平平平平平平平平平平平平平平平平平平平平平平平平平平平平平平平平平平平平平平平平平平平平平平
11) extinct (adj.)
11)已灭绝(adj.
completely wiped out (p.
完全消灭 (p.
6) outdated (adj.)
6)已过时(adj.
no longer current; out of step with the times (p.
不再流; 与时俱进(p.
4) psychological (adj.)
4)心理(adj.
mental and emotional (p.
心理和情感 (第5页).
13) stewards (n.)
13) 服务员(n.
guardians; caretakers (p.
保护者; 照料者(p.
9) tranquilize (v.)
9) 镇定剂(五.
to give a person or other animal a drug to make him or her calm (p.
给予一个人或其他动物一种药物使其平静(p.
16) wildlife refuges areas set aside for the protection (n.)
16) 划定保护野生动物保护区(n.
and preservation of wild animals (p.
保护野生动物(p.
8) Some studies have shown that captive elephants live much shorter lives than wild ones.
8) 有研究表明被俘的象比野生象活得更短.