狮子被杀事件令美国人愤怒（在线收听）

狮子被杀事件令美国人愤怒

The White House has received close to 150,000 signatures by Americans demanding that the U.S. dentist who killed a popular lion in Zimbabwe be extradited there for trial.

Zimbabwe on Friday also requested extradition of hunting enthusiast Walter Palmer, a dentist from Minnesota who has been accused of illegally killing the lion known as Cecil.

Cecil the lion was a subject of research and had become popular through videos showing him walking leisurely in the wild. The possibility that he was lured out of a protected national park to be killed as a trophy has enraged many Americans.

狮子塞西尔曾是研究对象，如今在视频上走红，视频显示它悠闲地漫步在荒野，它可能被人引诱离开受保护的国家公园并被当做战利品猎杀的事实激怒了很多美国人。

US poll

"We've done a poll and 70 percent of Americans would pay to see lions in the wild and only 6 percent would pay to hunt lions in the wild. And most Americans are really opposed to trophy hunting, 75 percent strongly oppose lion trophy hunting."

“我们做过调查，有70%的美国人愿意花钱看荒野中的狮子，只有6%的人愿意花钱在野外狩猎，大多数美国人反对战利品狩猎，75%的人强烈反对拿狮子来进行战利品狩猎。”

But many are not aware that Americans are overwhelmingly those who travel far and wide to hunt for rare animal trophies.

但很多人没有意识到，在那些周游各地去捕猎罕见动物的人中美国人是最多的。

"With lion hunting, in particular, Americans are over 50 percent of the trophy hunting in Africa is done by Americans. But most people don't go over to just hunt. They go over because they want to bring the trophies back and display them," Allgood said.

“就狮子捕猎来说，非洲50%的战利品狩猎是美国人干的，但大多数人不仅仅是去狩猎，他们去那里是希望将战利品带回家来展示。”

Permits for big game hunting are very expensive.

大型动物狩猎许可是很昂贵的。

Palmer reportedly paid more than $50,000 to shoot a lion in Zimbabwe. But conservationists point out that more revenue can be made by keeping rare animals alive and showing them to tourists.

据悉帕尔默在津巴布韦花了5万多美元来射杀一头狮子，但环保人士指出，让稀有动物活着供游客观看可以获得更多收益。

Animal advocates in the United States said a ban on importing trophies would help curtail lion hunting and rare animal poaching.

美国的动物活动人士称，禁止进口战利品将有助于减少狮子捕猎和稀有动物盗猎。

White House action

The White House is expected to respond to the petitions it has received demanding Palmer's extradition to Zimbabwe. But any decision on extradition is made by the State Department after judicial authorities examine the case.

白宫收到要求引渡帕尔默到津巴布韦的情愿并有望对此作出应对，但要先由司法当局审理案件，然后才由国务院作出引渡决定。

"And obviously humanitarian concerns and the ability of an individual to receive a fair trial may be considered at that stage of the process."

“很显然这一过程中要考虑人道主义担忧和个人得到公平审判的能力。”

Palmer has admitted killing the 13-year-old lion, but told the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service that he had hired professional guides and was unaware that Cecil was protected.

帕尔默承认杀死了这头13岁的狮子，但他告诉美国鱼类和野生动物署他雇佣了专业向导，并没有意识到塞西尔是被保护对象。

The agency also has launched an investigation into the killing of the lion.

该机构对狮子被捕杀事件展开了调查。