VOA慢速英语2016 柬埔寨渔民深受老挝大坝困扰

Fishermen in Cambodia Hurt by New Dam in Laos 柬埔寨渔民深受老挝大坝困扰

Fishermen on the Mekong River in Cambodia say they are being hurt by dams being built in Laos. They say they are catching¹ fewer, and smaller, fish. The fishermen blame illegal fishing with electric nets, overfishing, climate change and drought.

柬埔寨湄公河流域的渔民说，他们的生活被建在老挝的水坝影响。他们表示捕到的鱼越来越少，越来越小。他们谴责用电网非法捕鱼和过度捕捞的行为，谴责气候变化和干旱等问题。

Man Mat is the son of a fisherman.He says, “the fish are getting smaller and smaller.My father catches five to 15 kilograms a day when before it was 100 to 200 kilograms.In 10 years, there’ll be no more fish left.”

曼马是渔民的儿子。他说：“捕到的鱼越来越少，越来越小。我父亲之前每天能捕捞100到200千克的鱼，如今每天只有5到15千克。十年后，这里就再也没有鱼了。”

In 2012, officials in Laos announced plans to build the $3.8 billion Xayaburi dam although scientists and environmental activists² opposed the project.The officials then announced they would build a $300 million dam.

2012年，老挝官员宣布计划投资38亿修建沙耶武里大坝，但科学家及环保学家都反对这一项目。之后老挝官员表示投资3亿修建水坝。

Last month, the government of Laos decided³ to build a third dam in the country’s north. The $1.88 billion project would be part of a plan to sell electricity to neighboring countries -- especially China.China also has built dams across the Mekong River in its territory.

上个月，老挝政府决定在其国家北部修建第三座大坝。这项耗资18.8亿美元的项目作为计划的一部分，旨在向周边国家售电，尤其是卖给中国。中国也在其领土内的湄公河流域修建了大坝。

The fisheries research and development newsletter “Catch and Culture” reports on fishing in the Mekong area.It says the total fish harvest from the Mekong River and its lower delta⁴ was valued at $11 billion in 2015.About 70 million people depend on those fish.Their food security is a major cause of tension between Cambodia and Vietnam.

渔业研究与发展通讯“捕捉和文化”报道了湄公河区域的渔业状况。报告显示2015年湄公河流域及下三角洲的渔业收获总值达到110亿美元。七千万人靠这些鱼生存。这些渔民的食品安全是造成柬埔寨和越南两国关系紧张的主要原因。

Over the last 20 years, the number of people who depend upon the Mekong River and its delta area has increased by at least 10 million people.This has increased the demand for fish and has led to something scientists call “fishing down.”That is when large fish are no longer being caught.They are being replaced by smaller fish that fishermen used to reject and return to the river.

近20年来，依靠湄公河及其三角洲流域生存的人增加了1000万。因此对鱼的需求量大大增加，造成所谓的“大鱼灭绝”理论。这个理论是指大型的鱼再也捕捉不到了。人们只能捕捉小一点的鱼，过去渔民都不捕这些小鱼，并将其放回河流。

VOA spoke⁵ to two fishermen who said they used to catch up to 300 kilograms of fish a day, but now they catch about 20 kilograms if they are lucky.

VOA采访了两名渔民，他们说过去一天可以捕捉300千克的鱼，如今幸运的话，也只能捕到20千克。

Laos, however, says it will not change its plans.The country wants to build 11 dams across the Mekong River and 123 across the country.

然而老挝表示不会改变计划。他们计划在湄公河流域修建11座大坝，在全国修建123座大坝。

Words in This Story

nets – n. a device made of string or rope that is designed to catch things

drought – n. an extreme lack of rain

1 catching   

adj.易传染的，有魅力的，迷人的，接住

参考例句：

• There are those who think eczema is catching.有人就是认为湿疹会传染。
• Enthusiasm is very catching.热情非常富有感染力。

2 activists   

n.（政治活动的）积极分子，活动家( activist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• His research work was attacked by animal rights activists . 他的研究受到了动物权益维护者的抨击。
• Party activists with lower middle class pedigrees are numerous. 党的激进分子中有很多出身于中产阶级下层。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

4 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。

5 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。