VOA慢速英语2019 澳洲民众拯救考拉等物种（在线收听）

The Australian government said this week it will spend over 34 million dollars on helping wildlife recover from bushfires.

澳大利亚政府本周表示，将花费3400多万美元帮助野生动物从丛林大火中恢复。

The bushfires crisis threatens several animal species, including koalas and rock wallabies.

丛林大火危机导致数类动物受到威胁，包括考拉和岩沙袋鼠。

Josh Frydenberg is the Treasurer of Australia. He told reporters on Monday, "This has been an ecological disaster, a disaster that is still unfolding." He spoke during a visit to the Port Macquarie Koala Hospital, where workers are treating 45 koalas for burns.

弗莱登伯格(Josh Frydenberg)是澳大利亚的财务主管。他周一告诉记者，“这是一场生态灾难，这场灾难仍在继续。”他是在访问麦夸里港考拉医院时说道，那里的医护人员正在治疗45只烧伤的考拉。

Frydenberg added that Australia's native trees and plants had been "very badly damaged."

弗莱登伯格补充说，澳大利亚本土的树木和植物已经“严重损毁”。

Huge wildfires have destroyed more than 11.2 million hectares - nearly half the area of Britain. The fires destroyed or severely damaged the areas where several native animals live.

大火烧毁了1120多万公顷土地，几乎是英国面积的一半。大火摧毁或严重破坏了一些当地物种的栖息地。

Some estimates suggest as many as one billion creatures have died in the fires or are at risk now because of a lack of food and shelter. This number includes farm animals and family pets like cats and dogs.

据估计，多达10亿生物葬身火灾，或因缺乏食物或避难所而处于危险之中。这个数字包括家畜（禽）和宠物，如猫和狗。

People around the world are sharing images of animals that survived the fires and videos of people risking their lives to help Australian wildlife.

世界各地的人们正在分享从大火中幸存下来的动物的照片，以及人们冒着生命危险帮助澳大利亚野生动物的视频。

Food from the sky

空投食物

In one program, national park employees used helicopters to air drop thousands of kilos of carrots and sweet potatoes to brush-tailed rock wallabies in New South Wales (NSW).

在一个项目中，国家公园的工作人员利用直升机空投了数千公斤的胡萝卜和红薯给新南威尔士州的岩沙袋鼠。

The state's environment minister Matt Kean said giving them this food is one way Australians are trying to help endangered animals like the wallaby.

澳大利亚环境部长马特·基恩(Matt Kean)表示，向它们提供食物是澳大利亚民众帮助袋鼠等濒危动物的一种方式。

"The wallabies typically survive the fire itself," he said, but they have no natural food left after the fire passes.

“岩沙袋鼠通常能在火灾中幸存下来，”他说，但火灾过后，它们寻觅不到任何食物。

Australia's national symbol

澳大利亚国宝

The koala is a national symbol, so Frydenberg said it would be a focus of national government spending. He added that the full amount of the damage would not be known until the bushfires are out. Experts say the fires could continue burning for months.

考拉是澳大利亚的国宝，因此弗莱登伯格表示，该动物将成为国家政府出资救助的重点对象。他补充说，在山火扑灭之前，尚无法估计全部损失。专家表示，大火可能还会持续数月。

Threatened Species Commissioner Sally Box said an estimated 30 percent of koala habitat in New South Wales state may have been lost. Koalas have heavy fur, and usually climb higher when they are in danger. That is not helpful in fast-moving bushfires.

濒危物种专员萨莉·博克斯(Sally Box)表示，新南威尔士州大约30%的考拉栖息地已经消失。考拉的皮毛厚实，遇到危险时通常会向高处攀爬。这种逃生方式在快速蔓延的丛林火灾中毫无帮助。

"Everything that can be done to rescue and recover koala habitat will be done," noted Sussan Ley, Australia's Federal Environment Minister.

澳大利亚联邦环境部长苏珊·雷(Sussan Ley)指出：“我们将尽一切努力来拯救和复原考拉的栖息地。”

Words in This Story

unfold – v. to happen as time passes

park – n. an enclosed piece of ground; a protected space or area

symbol – n. something that stands for or represents something

focus – n. a center of activity or attention

habitat – n. the place or type of place where a plant or animal naturally or normally lives or grows

fur – n. hair