动物物种灭绝的危机

 　　Rob: Hello, I'm Rob, welcome to 6 Minute English. I'm joined today by Feifei.

　　Feifei: Hi there, Rob.

　　Rob: Hello Feifei. Today we're discussing the issue of the illegal trade in wildlife. And we'll be looking at some of the words and phrases associated with this sad and increasing activity. I think we all know there are many rare species of animals that are being illegally hunted to make money. And 200 governments have been meeting in Bangkok to talk about how to tackle this problem. More on that in a moment but as always, we like to start with a question.

　　Feifei: Hmm, and this question is for me isn't it?

　　Rob: It is Feifei. Let's see if you can answer this question correctly this time! The dodo bird has been extinct for a very long time - that means there have been no living members of the species for quite a long time. But when did this bird become extinct?

　　a) In the late 1600's

　　b) In the late 1700's

　　c) In the early 1900's

　　Feifei: I will go for answer a) in the 1600's.

　　Rob: Ok, well let's find out if you are right at the end of the programme. The expression 'dead as a dodo' refers to this bird and can be used to describe something that is completely dead or no longer working. And there is no doubt that many other animal species are facing extinction¹ - or dying out.

　　Feifei: Yes. Some experts are predicting a global 'extinction crisis'. So it's an extremely urgent matter - and that's what governments have been discussing at a meeting in Bangkok.

　　Rob: They want to come up with ideas on how to stop the illegal trade in wildlife. They want to stop animals, such as elephants and rhino², being killed for their horns and tusks³. Conservation groups - the people who try to protect the animals - claim the scale of the slaughter⁴ is accelerating.

　　Feifei: So they mean the killing⁵ is increasing. So Rob, why is this problem on the increase?

　　Rob: Well, Mary Rice from the Environmental Investigations⁶ Agency blames the way the illegal trade is policed - or to use her words, 'enforced'. Let's hear from her now and see if you can hear the word she uses to describe how some people organise⁷ this illegal trade:

　　Mary Rice, Environmental Investigations Agency The enforcement effort tends to end at seizure⁸. The poachers get arrested and convicted. You might get the odd middleman. The guys who mastermind the efforts, the guys who invest in the operations to acquire large amounts of ivory, for example, have never been intercepted⁹.

　　Rob: That's Mary Rice talking about the 'enforcement effort' - or where the authorities spend most of their time trying to stop the trade in wildlife.

　　Feifei: And that effort is concentrated on stopping the poachers. Poachers are the people who catch and kill the animals. They get caught and the tusks, horns and other body parts they have taken are seized and confiscated¹⁰ - so taken away by the police.

　　Rob: But, of course, the animal has already died. Mary Rice says it is the people who mastermind the trade - in other words, the people who organise the poaching and fund the trade, who are never caught - or intercepted.

　　Feifei: And it's not just individual people. Thailand itself has been accused of being a transit¹¹ route - a place endangered animals pass through while they are being shipped between Africa and China. And this highlights another issue too. If there is a demand for buying parts of the wild animals, someone will always try to supply them.

　　Rob: It's a good point. In China and Hong Kong for example, there is a huge appetite for shark-fin soup and it's claimed 100 million sharks are killed by commercial fishing every year to supply this demand.

　　Feifei: Well luckily for the Oceanic white tip shark, delegates at this year's meeting have voted to add it to a long list of endangered species that are being protected. Already, 35,000 animals and plants are protected by the convention on the international trade in endangered species - CITES for short.

　　Rob: This agreement was signed in 1973 and the convention works by licensing¹² commercial trade in species - so it allows a fixed¹³ amount of controlled trading to take place.

　　Feifei: But illegal wildlife trading still continues. The BBC's David Shukman says more needs to be done. What three things does he think needs to happen?

　　David Shukman, BBC correspondent: Having an international agreement clearly isn't enough; it'll take a combination of forensic¹⁴ science, police co-operation and political will to halt the killing. Conservation groups warn that if this rate continues, some populations of elephant and rhino will face extinction.

　　Feifei: So he thinks having an international agreement - CITES - isn't enough. He suggests using forensic science, police co-operation and political will - that means a desire by politicians to do something to stop this illegal activity.

　　Rob: David Shukman warns that if nothing is done, some populations of elephant and rhino will face - or will be under threat of - extinction.

　　Feifei: Well that's what happened to the dodo.

　　Rob: Ah yes, earlier I asked you: when did the dodo bird become extinct?

　　a) In the late 1600's

　　b) In the late 1700's

　　c) In the early 1900's

　　Feifei: And I said in the 1600's.

　　Rob: And you were absolutely right. Its last confirmed sighting was in 1662. Before we go, Feifei, could you remind us of some of the words we learned today?

　　Feifei: Yes. We heard:

　　hunted

　　extinct

　　dead as a dodo

　　conservation groups

　　slaughter

　　seizure

　　poachers

　　a transit route

　　endangered species

　　Rob: Thanks Feifei. Well, that's it for today. Please join us again soon for 6 Minute English from bbclearningenglish.

　　Both: Bye.

1 extinction   

n.熄灭，消亡，消灭，灭绝，绝种

参考例句：

• The plant is now in danger of extinction.这种植物现在有绝种的危险。
• The island's way of life is doomed to extinction.这个岛上的生活方式注定要消失。

2 rhino   

n.犀牛，钱, 现金

参考例句：

• The rhino charged headlong towards us.犀牛急速地向我们冲来。
• They have driven the rhino to the edge of extinction.他们已经令犀牛濒临灭绝。

3 tusks   

n.（象等动物的）长牙( tusk的名词复数 )；獠牙；尖形物；尖头

参考例句：

• The elephants are poached for their tusks. 为获取象牙而偷猎大象。
• Elephant tusks, monkey tails and salt were used in some parts of Africa. 非洲的一些地区则使用象牙、猴尾和盐。 来自英语晨读30分（高一）

4 slaughter   

n.屠杀，屠宰；vt.屠杀，宰杀

参考例句：

• I couldn't stand to watch them slaughter the cattle.我不忍看他们宰牛。
• Wholesale slaughter was carried out in the name of progress.大规模的屠杀在维护进步的名义下进行。

5 killing   

n.巨额利润；突然赚大钱，发大财

参考例句：

• Investors are set to make a killing from the sell-off.投资者准备清仓以便大赚一笔。
• Last week my brother made a killing on Wall Street.上个周我兄弟在华尔街赚了一大笔。

6 investigations   

（正式的）调查( investigation的名词复数 )； 侦查； 科学研究； 学术研究

参考例句：

• His investigations were intensive and thorough but revealed nothing. 他进行了深入彻底的调查，但没有发现什么。
• He often sent them out to make investigations. 他常常派他们出去作调查。

7 organise   

vt.组织，安排，筹办

参考例句：

• He has the ability to organise.他很有组织才能。
• It's my job to organise all the ceremonial events.由我来组织所有的仪式。

8 seizure   

n.没收；占有；抵押

参考例句：

• The seizure of contraband is made by customs.那些走私品是被海关没收的。
• The courts ordered the seizure of all her property.法院下令查封她所有的财产。

9 intercepted   

拦截( intercept的过去式和过去分词 )； 截住； 截击； 拦阻

参考例句：

• Reporters intercepted him as he tried to leave the hotel. 他正要离开旅馆，记者们把他拦截住了。
• Reporters intercepted him as he tried to leave by the rear entrance. 他想从后门溜走，记者把他截住了。

10 confiscated   

没收，充公( confiscate的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Their land was confiscated after the war. 他们的土地在战后被没收。
• The customs officer confiscated the smuggled goods. 海关官员没收了走私品。

11 transit   

n.经过，运输；vt.穿越，旋转；vi.越过

参考例句：

• His luggage was lost in transit.他的行李在运送中丢失。
• The canal can transit a total of 50 ships daily.这条运河每天能通过50条船。

12 licensing   

v.批准，许可，颁发执照( license的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• A large part of state regulation consists of occupational licensing. 大部分州的管理涉及行业的特许批准。 来自英汉非文学 - 行政法
• That licensing procedures for projects would move faster. 这样的工程批准程序一定会加快。 来自辞典例句

13 fixed   

adj.固定的，不变的，准备好的；(计算机)固定的

参考例句：

• Have you two fixed on a date for the wedding yet?你们俩选定婚期了吗？
• Once the aim is fixed,we should not change it arbitrarily.目标一旦确定，我们就不应该随意改变。

14 forensic   

adj.法庭的，雄辩的

参考例句：

• The report included his interpretation of the forensic evidence.该报告包括他对法庭证据的诠释。
• The judge concluded the proceeding on 10:30 Am after one hour of forensic debate.经过近一个小时的法庭辩论后，法官于10时30分宣布休庭。