2022年经济学人 外来入侵物种是否能对生态环境有利(2)

Another attempt to undo¹ a human-induced intrinsic harm is the introduction of Aldabra giant tortoises to ile aux Aigrettes, near Mauritius, to replace an extinct local species that had been crucial to maintaining this island’s ebony forests.

还有一个人类为了消除其对环境造成的内在伤害而引入外来物种的例子：在毛里求斯附近的爱格雷特岛引入亚达伯拉巨型陆龟，以代替当地一种已经灭绝的，对维持乌木森林至关重要的当地物种。

Introductions are also sometimes made to reduce the risk of a localised species becoming extinct.

有时，引入外来物种也是为了降低当地物种灭绝的风险。

Pyne’s ground plum, native to a handful of sites in the central basins of Tennessee but now transplanted to others, falls into this category.

一种黄芪属植物的原产地只有田纳西州中央盆地的几个地点，但现在移植到了其他地区，就是因为这个原因。

Relational values are the most esoteric, being experienced on an emotional rather than a practical level.

关系价值是最深奥的，是需要在情感层面，而不是实践层面上来体会。

Lots of people feel good about native wildlife, which is generally the main motive² for its conservation.

许多人对本土的野生动植物感觉良好，通常是他们保护这些动植物的主要原因。

But that feel-good factor can extend to interlopers as well, especially if the interloping happened a while back.

但这种感觉也可以延伸到外来物种身上，特别是外来物种在当地存在一段时间之后。

Dingoes, for example, are the descendants of dogs brought to Australia more than 3,500 years ago, presumably by human agency, but which have lived free there ever since and have entered the mythologies³ of aboriginal⁴ Australians.

例如澳洲野犬。它可能是3500多年前由人类引入澳大利亚的狗的后代，但从那以后，它们一直在澳大利亚自由生活，并在澳大利亚原住民的神话中占有了一席之地。

Similarly, the wild horses and asses⁵ (mustangs and burros) of North America, though not as long established as dingoes, have found places in the hearts of sufficient numbers of people to have active lobbies for their conservation.

同样，北美的野马和野驴(卡尤塞马和美国西部小毛驴)虽然没有像澳洲野犬那么久远的历史，但也在很多人心中找到了立足之地，得到了积极的保护。

Relational values can cut both ways, however.

然而，关系价值有利也有弊。

For example, ring-necked parakeets, an Asian and African species, have been spreading through Britain for several decades.

来自亚洲和非洲的环颈鹦鹉，几十年来一直在英国繁衍。

Some find them a colourful addition to the local wildlife, others a gaudy⁶, noisy competitor for native birds.

一些人认为它们五颜六色，能够丰富当地野生动物的色彩，另一些人则认为它们花里胡哨、叽叽喳喳，是本土鸟类的竞争者。

Having established their intellectual framework, Dr. Sax and his colleagues suggest future research might work within it and, in particular, be properly open-minded about the benefits as well as the costs of introductions.

萨克斯博士和他的同事们建立了自己的理论框架，他们建议在这个框架下进行未来的研究，尤其是要对物种引入的利弊保持适当的开放态度。

Past attempts to do this for significant numbers of species at a time are rare, though they have come up with two.

就引入物种的利弊进行的大型研究很少，但还是有两份研究记录。

One, published in 2020, examined 105 species.

其中一个研究发表于2020年，研究了105个物种。

It showed only benefits for 30, only costs for 31 and both for 44.

研究显示30个物种对当地生态有利，31个物种会对生态构成威胁，44个物种利弊皆有。

Another, from 2014, came to similar conclusions for 87 marine⁷ species introduced into European waters.

2014年的另一项研究是关于引入欧洲水域的87种海洋物种，并得出了类似的结论。

7 provided pure benefit, 17 pure cost and 63 both.

7个物种对生态完全有利，17个物种是纯粹的威胁，63个物种利弊皆有。

In light of their analysis Dr. Sax and his team therefore suggest that researchers studying introduced species should in future follow three principles.

因此，根据他们的分析，萨克斯博士和他的团队建议研究外来物种的研究人员在未来遵循三个原则。

First, they should create a clear distinction in their studies between changes that have happened and judgments⁸ about the value of those changes.

首先，他们应该在研究中分清变化以及对这些变化的价值判断。

Second, when making those judgments, they should acknowledge all three types of values, rather than focusing narrowly on one or two of them.

其次，在做出判断时，研究人员应该关注全部三种类型的价值，而不是仅仅关注其中的一种或两种。

Third, they should actively⁹ consider biases¹⁰ in previous research that might have led to unbalanced conclusions.

第三，他们应该积极思考之前研究中可能导致错误结论的偏见。

That done, many species will surely still end up on the debit¹¹ side of the ledger¹².

即使做到了这些，许多物种最终还是会被归为有害的一方。

But others, badly thought of in the past, may not.

但也有一些在过去被认为是威胁的物种或许能洗清罪名。

Dingoes, for one, were originally despised by Australia’s more recent, European, settlers.

例如，澳洲野犬最初受到来到澳大利亚的欧洲定居者的鄙视。

Now those, too, include partisans¹³ seeking the dogs’ preservation¹⁴.

现在，这些人也成为了澳洲野犬的坚定支持者，希望能够好好保护它们。

1 undo   

vt.解开，松开；取消，撤销

参考例句：

• His pride will undo him some day.他的傲慢总有一天会毁了他。
• I managed secretly to undo a corner of the parcel.我悄悄地设法解开了包裹的一角。

2 motive   

n.动机，目的；adv.发动的，运动的

参考例句：

• The police could not find a motive for the murder.警察不能找到谋杀的动机。
• He had some motive in telling this fable.他讲这寓言故事是有用意的。

3 mythologies   

神话学( mythology的名词复数 )； 神话（总称）； 虚构的事实； 错误的观点

参考例句：

• a study of the religions and mythologies of ancient Rome 关于古罗马的宗教和神话的研究
• This realization is enshrined in "Mythologies." 这一看法见诸于他的《神话集》一书。

4 aboriginal   

adj.（指动植物）土生的，原产地的，土著的

参考例句：

• They managed to wipe out the entire aboriginal population.他们终于把那些土著人全部消灭了。
• The lndians are the aboriginal Americans.印第安人是美国的土著人。

5 asses   

n. 驴，愚蠢的人，臀部 adv. (常用作后置)用于贬损或骂人

参考例句：

• Sometimes I got to kick asses to make this place run right. 有时我为了把这个地方搞得像个样子，也不得不踢踢别人的屁股。 来自教父部分
• Those were wild asses maybe, or zebras flying around in herds. 那些也许是野驴或斑马在成群地奔跑。

6 gaudy   

adj.华而不实的；俗丽的

参考例句：

• She was tricked out in gaudy dress.她穿得华丽而俗气。
• The gaudy butterfly is sure that the flowers owe thanks to him.浮华的蝴蝶却相信花是应该向它道谢的。

7 marine   

adj.海的；海生的；航海的；海事的；n.水兵

参考例句：

• Marine creatures are those which live in the sea. 海洋生物是生存在海里的生物。
• When the war broke out,he volunteered for the Marine Corps.战争爆发时，他自愿参加了海军陆战队。

8 judgments   

判断( judgment的名词复数 )； 鉴定； 评价； 审判

参考例句：

• A peculiar austerity marked his judgments of modern life. 他对现代生活的批评带着一种特殊的苛刻。
• He is swift with his judgments. 他判断迅速。

9 actively   

adv.积极地，勤奋地

参考例句：

• During this period all the students were actively participating.在这节课中所有的学生都积极参加。
• We are actively intervening to settle a quarrel.我们正在积极调解争执。

10 biases   

偏见( bias的名词复数 )； 偏爱； 特殊能力； 斜纹

参考例句：

• Stereotypes represent designer or researcher biases and assumptions, rather than factual data. 它代表设计师或者研究者的偏见和假设，而不是实际的数据。 来自About Face 3交互设计精髓
• The net effect of biases on international comparisons is easily summarized. 偏差对国际比较的基本影响容易概括。

11 debit   

n.借方，借项，记人借方的款项

参考例句：

• To whom shall I debit this sum?此款应记入谁的账户的借方？
• We undercharge Mr.Smith and have to send him a debit note for the extra amount.我们少收了史密斯先生的钱，只得给他寄去一张借条所要欠款。

12 ledger   

n.总帐，分类帐；帐簿

参考例句：

• The young man bowed his head and bent over his ledger again.那个年轻人点头应诺，然后又埋头写起分类帐。
• She is a real accountant who even keeps a detailed household ledger.她不愧是搞财务的，家庭分类账记得清楚详细。

13 partisans   

游击队员( partisan的名词复数 )； 党人； 党羽； 帮伙

参考例句：

• Every movement has its partisans. 每一运动都有热情的支持者。
• He was rescued by some Italian partisans. 他被几名意大利游击队员所救。

14 preservation   

n.保护，维护，保存，保留，保持

参考例句：

• The police are responsible for the preservation of law and order.警察负责维持法律与秩序。
• The picture is in an excellent state of preservation.这幅画保存得极为完好。