VOA慢速英语2020 亚洲多国限制野生动物贸易

The coronavirus pandemic has caused increased support for the closure of markets selling illegal wildlife across Southeast Asia. That information comes from a recent public opinion study by the World Wildlife Fund¹.

新冠病毒大流行导致人们越来越支持关闭整个东南亚的非法野生动物市场。该信息来自于世界野生动物基金会最近的一项民意调查。

The non-profit group based in Switzerland surveyed about 5,000 people in March in three Southeast Asian nations and in Hong Kong and Japan. About 93 percent of people who answered questions said illegal markets selling wildlife should be closed to prevent future pandemics.

这家总部位于瑞士的非营利组织3月份对三个东南亚国家、中国香港地区以及日本约5000人进行了调查。93%的被调查者称应该关闭非法野生动物市场，以防止未来再发生大流行。

Scientists believe it is likely that the virus came from a wildlife market. Bats, pangolins and other animals known to spread coronaviruses are kept close to each other in very bad conditions in such markets.

科学家认为这种病毒可能来自于野生动物市场。在这样的市场中，蝙蝠、穿山甲以及其它已知可传播冠状病毒的动物们挤在非常恶劣的环境中。

Christy Williams is the WWF's Asia Pacific Director. She said in a news conference, "This is no longer a wildlife problem. It is a global security² and human health and economic problem."

克里斯蒂·威廉姆斯是世界自然基金会亚太区总监。她在新闻发布会上说：“这不再是单纯的野生动物问题。它是关系到全球安全、人类健康和世界经济的问题。”

Support for an end to the illegal wildlife trade was strongest in Myanmar. Wildlife has been traded openly in the country for years. About 33 percent of those surveyed in Vietnam said the crisis³ had led them to stop using wildlife products.

缅甸对结束非法野生动物贸易的支持度达到了顶峰。野生动物在该国已经被公开交易多年。33%接受调查的越南人表示，这场危机已经让他们停止使用野生动物产品。

Grace⁴ Hwa is the Illegal Wildlife Trade Programme Manager at WWF Myanmar. She said in a statement, "COVID is a wake-up call. The rampant⁵ unchecked trade in wildlife is a risk not only to health and the economy, but to...the region⁶."

格蕾丝·华是世界自然基金会缅甸分会非法野生动物贸易项目的负责人。她在一份声明中表示：“新冠肺炎是一个警钟。猖獗不加约束的野生动物贸易不仅对健康和经济构成威胁，也对整个地区构成威胁。”

China has recently introduced a ban on all farming and use of live wild animals. But the ban does not cover the trade in animals as pets or for traditional medicine.

中国最近对所有野生动物活体的饲养和利用实施了禁令。但是该禁令并不包括作为宠物和用于传统医学的动物贸易。

Vietnam's prime⁷ minister has ordered the agriculture ministry⁸ to introduce a similar ban.

越南总理已下令农业部实施类似禁令。

Jeremy Douglas is the Southeast Asia and Pacific representative for the United Nations office on drugs and crime. He said some of the trade had been driven underground.

杰里米·道格拉斯是联合国毒品和犯罪问题办公室东南亚及太平洋地区的代表。他说，一些贸易已转入地下。

He told Reuters by phone that he is concerned about areas on the Myanmar-China border controlled by ethnic⁹ armed groups. Those areas have long been a center for wildlife trafficking.

他在电话上对路透社表示，他对中缅边境由民族武装团体控制的地区感到担忧。这些地区长期以来都是野生动物贩卖的中心。

1 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。

2 security   

n.安全，安全感；防护措施；保证(金)，抵押(品)；债券，证券

参考例句：

• A security guard brought him down with a flying tackle.一名保安人员飞身把他抱倒。
• There was tight security at the airport when the President's plane landed.总统的专机降落时，机场的保安措施很严密。

3 crisis   

n.危机，危急关头，决定性时刻，关键阶段

参考例句：

• He had proved that he could be relied on in a crisis.他已表明，在紧要关头他是可以信赖的。
• The topic today centers about the crisis in the Middle East.今天课题的中心是中东危机。

4 grace   

n.优雅，雅致，魅力，恩惠，慈悲

参考例句：

• She is a beautiful girl with the grace and poise.她是一位仪态优雅的佳丽。
• I hope the grace of God would descend on me.我期望上帝的恩惠。

5 rampant   

adj.(植物)蔓生的；狂暴的，无约束的

参考例句：

• Sickness was rampant in the area.该地区疾病蔓延。
• You cannot allow children to rampant through the museum.你不能任由小孩子在博物馆里乱跑。

6 region   

n.地区，地带，区域；范围，幅度

参考例句：

• The students went to study the geology of that region.学生们去研究那个地区的地质情况。
• It is unusual to see snow in this region.这个地区难得见到雪。

7 prime   

adj.首要的，主要的；最好的，第一流的

参考例句：

• The prime minister spoke of the general insecurity in the country.总理谈到了全国普遍存在的不安全。
• He met with the Prime Minister of Japan for an hour.他和日本首相会见了一个小时。

8 ministry   

n.(政府的)部；牧师

参考例句：

• They sent a deputation to the ministry to complain.他们派了一个代表团到部里投诉。
• We probed the Air Ministry statements.我们调查了空军部的记录。

9 ethnic   

adj.人种的，种族的，异教徒的

参考例句：

• This music would sound more ethnic if you played it in steel drums.如果你用钢鼓演奏，这首乐曲将更具民族特色。
• The plan is likely only to aggravate ethnic frictions.这一方案很有可能只会加剧种族冲突。