美国有线新闻 CNN 世上仅存雄性北方白犀牛被实施安乐死 物种濒临灭绝

 

With the weight of between three and five tons, the white rhinoceros² checks in as the planet's second largest land mammal.

AZUZ: And the sub species of the white rhino¹ known as the northern white rhino is now just two animals away from complete extinction³ and both of the living ones are females. The last male who was named Sudan lived on a conservancy in the African nation of Kenya. He was 45 years old, which is elderly for a rhinoceros and he had a lot of health issues related to his age. So, a conservation group announced yesterday that Sudan had been put to sleep.

As Sudan lived out his last years, he was protected 24 hours a day by armed guards. Just as conservationists prized Sudan for being the last male northern white rhino, poachers, people who illegally kill animals, prized rhinos⁴ for their horns because especially in Asia, they're believed to cure different problems in humans.

Researchers have saved some of Sudan's DNA⁵ and they're hoping to use it to keep the sub species alive. If they're unsuccessful, they say the two remaining female northern white rhinos will probably die over the next decade, making these unique animals extinct.

ARAI SEVENZO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: He just couldn't carry his weight anymore. I mean, these beasts you see behind me, one of them is his daughter, Fatu, his granddaughter, I beg your pardon, and his daughter, Najin, are over there. They're the two only northern white rhinos, which is distinct from the southern white rhinos because they have shorter legs, heavier ears.

But basically, Sudan was the last male rhino. And because of crippling old age, he could no longer carry himself. And we've spoken to the vets⁶ here and the feeling, while you're asking, is one of sadness, as if they really lost someone they knew for a long time and they did know him for a long time.

Born in 1973, many of his relatives were massacred and killed mainly for their horns in poaching, in this part of the world. And at the moment, they're trying, the scientists and the conservationists, to find some way of conserving⁷ Sudan's lineage by an incredible, fascinating system of harvesting the eggs of the last two females here. This is absolutely sort of cutting edge of science and conservancy.

So, all is not lost, but, of course, the blame has to go to us, as people and mankind. Remember, rhinos have been on this earth for 55 million years and it took out two centuries to wipe out a complete sub species of the northern white rhinos.

1 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。

2 rhinoceros   

n.犀牛

参考例句：

• The rhinoceros has one horn on its nose.犀牛鼻子上有一个角。
• The body of the rhinoceros likes a cattle and the head likes a triangle.犀牛的形体像牛，头呈三角形。

3 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。

4 rhinos   

n.犀牛（rhino的复数形式）

参考例句：

• There are many reports of people taming and even training Indian rhinos. 有许多关于人们驯养甚至训练印度犀牛的记载。 来自辞典例句
• The rhinos had fed during the night in the rice fields of these villagers. 犀牛夜里在这些村民的庄稼地里也已吃饱了。 来自辞典例句

5 DNA   

(缩)deoxyribonucleic acid 脱氧核糖核酸

参考例句：

• DNA is stored in the nucleus of a cell.脱氧核糖核酸储存于细胞的细胞核里。
• Gene mutations are alterations in the DNA code.基因突变是指DNA密码的改变。

6 vets   

abbr.veterans （复数）老手，退伍军人；veterinaries （复数）兽医n.兽医( vet的名词复数 )；老兵；退伍军人；兽医诊所v.审查（某人过去的记录、资格等）( vet的第三人称单数 )；调查；检查；诊疗

参考例句：

• I helped train many young vets and veterinary nurses too. 我还帮助培训了许多年青的兽医和护士。 来自互联网
• In fact, we've expanded mental health counseling and services for our vets. 实际上，我们已经扩大了退伍军人的心理健康咨询和服务。 来自互联网

7 conserving   

v.保护，保藏，保存( conserve的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• Contour planning with or without terracing is effective in conserving both soil and moisture. 顺等高线栽植，无论做或不做梯田对于保持水土都能有效。 来自辞典例句
• Economic savings, consistent with a conserving society and the public philosophy. 经济节约，符合创建节约型社会的公共理念。 来自互联网