泰国政府从一寺庙移走百余只老虎

AS IT IS 2016-06-01 700 Over 100 Tigers Removed from Buddhist¹ Temple 泰国政府从一寺庙移走百余只老虎

Officials in Thailand are removing tigers from the grounds of a Buddhist temple.

The tigers were popular with travelers, who could pay to walk among them and take photographs. But wildlife groups said the animals suffered from poor treatment.

Thai officials said they were reacting to reports that the tigers were kept in small spaces – sometimes in chains. Animal rights groups said some tigers were in bad health.

By late Tuesday, the Reuter news service reported that 40 tigers had been taken from the temple, west of Bangkok. Thailand’s Department of National Parks said efforts to remove the remaining 97 tigers would continue in coming days.

CNN reported that temple officials tried to slow the process by setting² some tigers free.

Thai officials said the captured³ tigers will be taken to three animal sanctuaries⁴ in Thailand, according to the Associated Press.

The group that operates Tiger Temple said the animals were treated well.

“There is nothing illegal and dangerous at all,” the group told CNN. It said removing the tigers will hurt the local economy.

According to Reuters, people visiting the temple often used mobile⁵ telephones to take pictures of themselves petting tigers.

Wildlife groups praised the Thai government’s decision to remove the tigers.

“Tourists suckered into Tiger Temple unwittingly supported the torture⁶ of tigers,” said People for the Ethical⁷ Treatment of Animals. It said the animals were drugged and beaten with sticks.

Katie Moore of the International Fund⁸ for Animal Welfare said tigers do not belong in small spaces. They suffer in such spaces, she said.

Adam Roberts is the leader of Born Free USA. He told VOA that he hopes the rescue of the tigers in Thailand will lead to similar actions in China and the United States. He said tigers are held and traded as pets in some parts of the U.S. In China, tigers are held in “tiger farms” for bones and other body parts, Roberts said.

On its website, Tiger Temple said some tigers have to be tied down to protect visitors and other tigers because they sometimes wake in a “restless state.”

“People’s safety has to be our main concern,” it said.

Thai officials said they received reports about visitors to the temple being attacked by tigers.

The Thailand temple’s collection of tigers is not unusual, according to Moore of the International Fund for Animal Welfare.

“There are many instances⁹ around the world of tigers, and other wildlife, being held in poor conditions,” she said.

Words in This Story

tourist – n. a person who travels to a place for pleasure

chain – n. Metal that is attached to an animal to keep him/her from moving

sanctuary¹⁰ – n. a place where animal is protected in a natural setting

pet – v. to touch an animal

sucker – v. tricked

unwittingly – adv. without knowledge

pet – n. an animal kept for pleasure, not its usefulness

1 Buddhist   

adj./n.佛教的，佛教徒

参考例句：

• The old lady fell down in adoration before Buddhist images.那老太太在佛像面前顶礼膜拜。
• In the eye of the Buddhist,every worldly affair is vain.在佛教徒的眼里，人世上一切事情都是空的。

2 setting   

n.背景

参考例句：

• The play has its setting in Vienna.该剧以维也纳为背景。
• Where and when a story takes place is called the setting.故事发生的地点和时间称为故事背景。

3 captured   

俘获( capture的过去式和过去分词 )； 夺取； 夺得； 引起（注意、想像、兴趣）

参考例句：

• Allied troops captured over 300 enemy soldiers. 盟军俘虏了300多名敌方士兵。
• Most of the rebels were captured and disarmed. 大部分叛乱分子被俘获并解除了武装。

4 sanctuaries   

n.避难所( sanctuary的名词复数 )；庇护；圣所；庇护所

参考例句：

• The designation of special marine reserves and marine sanctuaries shall be subject to the State Council for approval. 海洋特别保护区、海上自然保护区的确定，须经国务院批准。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• After 1965 he acquiesced when they established sanctuaries on that soil. 1965年以后，他默认了他们在那块土地上建立庇护所。 来自辞典例句

5 mobile   

adj.可移动的，易变的，机动的；n.运动物体

参考例句：

• The old lady sits on a mobile chair every morning.那位老妇人每天上午坐在一把可携带使用的椅子上。
• She's much more mobile now that she's bought a car.自从她买了汽车后，活动量就大多了。

6 torture   

n.折磨；v.折磨，使痛苦；使苦恼，使为难

参考例句：

• No torture would make him speak.任何严刑拷打都不能使他开口。
• Through those long years of imprisonment and torture,he remained faithful and unyielding.在那些遭受囚禁和酷刑的漫长岁月里，他始终坚贞不屈。

7 ethical   

adj.伦理的，道德的，合乎道德的

参考例句：

• It is necessary to get the youth to have a high ethical concept.必须使青年具有高度的道德观念。
• It was a debate which aroused fervent ethical arguments.那是一场引发强烈的伦理道德争论的辩论。

8 fund   

n.基金，资金，存款，财源，贮藏；vt.提供资金，积累

参考例句：

• They decided to set up a fund for this purpose.他们决定为此专立一项基金。
• This fund may not be drawn on without permission.这笔钱非经批准不得动用。

9 instances   

n.例子，实例( instance的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The report highlights a number of instances of injustice. 这篇报道重点列举了一些不公正的实例。
• I can cite quite a few instances to illustrate. 我可以举出好几件事来说明。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

10 sanctuary   

n.圣所，圣堂，寺庙；禁猎区，保护区

参考例句：

• There was a sanctuary of political refugees behind the hospital.医院后面有一个政治难民的避难所。
• Most countries refuse to give sanctuary to people who hijack aeroplanes.大多数国家拒绝对劫机者提供庇护。