双语有声阅读:Caspian Crisis Cuts Caviar Catch 里海危机

Caspian Crisis Cuts Caviar Catch 里海危机致使鱼子酱产量大幅降低

Russian caviar stocks are dwindling¹ fast

俄国鱼子酱库存迅猛减少

Gourmets³ are going to have to pay a lot more for their black caviar this year if they can find it at all.

Russia says it may have to stop exporting the expensive delicacy⁴ for the first time in a century.

Officials blame bad weather, and pollution for the dwindling numbers of sturgeon - the fish whose eggs produce one of the world's priciest gourmet² treats.

Russian fishermen on the Volga River catch around 20% of the world's black caviar, tearing it out of the bellies⁵ of giant sturgeon, a species as old as the dinosaurs⁶.

But this year, fewer fish are coming into the Volga delta⁷ from the Caspian Sea to spawn⁸.

美食家们今年将不得不为黑鱼子酱花更多的钱－－如果他们能找到的话。

俄国说它在本世纪以来可能第一次停止出口这种昂贵的美味。

俄国官员们抱怨说恶劣的天气、污染是鲟鱼数量减少的原因－－它的卵是世界上最昂贵的美味之一。

俄国伏尔加河上的鱼民们提供世界上百分之二十的黑鱼子酱，他们从鲟鱼这种象恐龙一样古老的鱼种的肚子里将鱼子挤出。

但今年，从里海来伏尔加河产卵的鱼群数量减少了
 

1 dwindling   

adj.逐渐减少的v.逐渐变少或变小( dwindle的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• The number of wild animals on the earth is dwindling. 地球上野生动物的数量正日渐减少。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He is struggling to come to terms with his dwindling authority. 他正努力适应自己权力被削弱这一局面。 来自辞典例句

2 gourmet   

n.食物品尝家；adj.出于美食家之手的

参考例句：

• What does a gourmet writer do? 美食评论家做什么？
• A gourmet like him always eats in expensive restaurants.像他这样的美食家总是到豪华的餐馆用餐。

3 gourmets   

讲究吃喝的人，美食家( gourmet的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The food here satisfies gourmands rather than gourmets. 这里的食物可以管饱却不讲究品质。
• Here is another example: "Western gourmets are sold on Peking Duck." 这里再举一个例子：“西方美食家已对北京烤鸭极有兴趣。”

4 delicacy   

n.精致，细微，微妙，精良；美味，佳肴

参考例句：

• We admired the delicacy of the craftsmanship.我们佩服工艺师精巧的手艺。
• He sensed the delicacy of the situation.他感觉到了形势的微妙。

5 bellies   

n.肚子( belly的名词复数 )；腹部；（物体的）圆形或凸起部份；腹部…形的

参考例句：

• They crawled along on their bellies. 他们匍匐前进。
• starving children with huge distended bellies 鼓着浮肿肚子的挨饿儿童

6 dinosaurs   

n.恐龙( dinosaur的名词复数 )；守旧落伍的人，过时落后的东西

参考例句：

• The brontosaurus was one of the largest of all dinosaurs. 雷龙是所有恐龙中最大的一种。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Dinosaurs have been extinct for millions of years. 恐龙绝种已有几百万年了。 来自《简明英汉词典》

7 delta   

n.（流的）角洲

参考例句：

• He has been to the delta of the Nile.他曾去过尼罗河三角洲。
• The Nile divides at its mouth and forms a delta.尼罗河在河口分岔，形成了一个三角洲。

8 spawn   

n.卵，产物，后代，结果；vt.产卵，种菌丝于，产生，造成；vi.产卵，大量生产

参考例句：

• The fish were madly pushing their way upstream to spawn.鱼群为产卵而疯狂地向上游挤进。
• These fish will lay spawn in about one month from now.这些鱼大约一个月内会产卵。