VOA慢速英语--旅行禁令威胁到加拉帕戈斯群岛的生计

Travel Ban Threatens Livelihoods¹ on Distant Galapagos Islands

On the Galapagos Islands in the eastern Pacific Ocean, serious health problems are so rare that hospitals there were not equipped with intensive care areas.

Then, the new coronavirus arrived.

Now, officials are racing² to equip medical teams on the distant islands with breathing machines called ventilators. But, they also are trying to deal with an economic crisis that has left many of the 30,000 islanders jobless.

The island group's famous isolation³, which was so important to the theories of naturalist⁴ Charles Darwin, has increased its hardship.

For nearly two months, not a single tourist has visited the area. The Galapagos are considered a World Heritage site by UNESCO, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. Studies of the islands' ocean and bird wildlife have halted. People living there are making urgent changes, like growing carrots, peppers and tomatoes at home to increase the food supply.

"Galapagos is the land of evolution," said Joseline Cardoso, whose small family-run hotel on Santa Cruz island is empty. "The animals have adapted and we humans cannot be the exception."

In this May 2, 2020 photo, fishermen work in their boat in the bay of San Cristobal, Galapagos Islands, Ecuador. Locals like to joke that, "In the Galapagos, it is prohibited to get sick." But COVID-19 has upended any sense of island immunity⁵.

The islands belong to Ecuador, which is among the Latin American nations hit hardest by COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus.

Officials on the islands believe their first cases probably came from Guayaquil, the mainland port where hospitals turned away patients and the dead went unburied for days.

The Galapagos have been somewhat protected from what happens 1,000 kilometers away on the mainland. A financial crisis 20 years ago left many mainland Ecuadorians poor, but international tourism continued on the islands. Last year, over 275,000 people came to see the swimming iguanas⁶, giant tortoises and sea birds with bright blue feet.

Many islanders go to the mainland to see doctors or pay to have doctors to fly in for major events like childbirth. Islanders also depend on military aircraft to carry seriously sick patients to Quito or Guayaquil.

Local people like to joke that, "In the Galapagos, it is prohibited to get sick." But the coronavirus changed everything.

The islands' first four cases were discovered in late March. All are believed to have come from Guayaquil before a travel ban was in place. Soon after, officials announced the first COVID-19 death linked to the islands: a worker in his 60s. He had been on a large boat called the Celebrity⁷ Flora⁸ and became sick after returning to Quito.

Now, there are more than 107 cases in the Galapagos. They include about 50 crew members still on the Celebrity Flora. The pleasure ship is operated by a part of Royal Caribbean Cruises. The passengers have left the ship and returned home.

Officials have hurried to equip hospitals. Currently, there are four intensive care beds – about one for every 7,500 residents – and one laboratory that can test for the virus.

Most of the COVID-19 patients on the islands have had minor⁹ cases of sickness. Only two people were admitted to the hospital.

The coronavirus' more damaging hit has been to tourism: Officials estimate the islands already have lost at least $50 million, one fourth of the expected yearly income.

"The base of our economy has entirely¹⁰ collapsed," said Norman Wray, governor of the islands. "This is completely changing the future of tourism in the Galapagos."

Ivan López, a guide and diving teacher, was at work sailing on a boat with tourists when Ecuador ordered everything closed. He got off the boat as ordered and was suddenly jobless. The 39-year-old father of two said he believes he can stretch his savings¹¹ for six months. To help with food, he is growing a vegetable garden.

Prices of goods have increased sharply. A recent purchase of disinfectant cost him $40 for about four liters.

Joseline Cardoso dreamed up the idea of her six-room hotel when she was a student. She said the new reality feels like a nightmare. The hotel usually has a 75 percent occupation rate throughout the year, but travel to the Galapagos has been canceled through July.

"To be with an empty hotel breaks your heart," she said.

Ecuador's government has a three step plan to reopen the islands. But the plan does not include restarting national or international flights.

For many islanders, the coronavirus has left them to think about their relationships with nature, industry and travel. Some wonder if they should remain so dependent on tourism.

For Cardoso, the answer is in the story of the finches, penguins¹² and tortoises, the animals that brought Darwin to the islands so many years ago.

"We have to put in practice the lesson of our history," she said. "We have to adapt."

I'm Mario Ritter, Jr.

Words in This Story

isolation –n. the state of being separated from others

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

evolution –n. the theory that the differences between modern plants and animals arise naturally from very small changes taking place of very long periods of time

adapt –v. to change to meet new conditions or changes in the environment

prohibit –v. to ban or bar

nightmare –v. a dream that frightens a sleeping person: a very bad dream

1 livelihoods   

生计，谋生之道( livelihood的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• First came the earliest individualistic pioneers who depended on hunting and fishing for their livelihoods. 走在最前面的是早期的个人主义先驱者，他们靠狩猎捕鱼为生。 来自英汉非文学 - 政府文件
• With little influence over policies, their traditional livelihoods are threatened. 因为马赛族人对政策的影响力太小，他们的传统生计受到了威胁。

2 racing   

n.竞赛，赛马；adj.竞赛用的，赛马用的

参考例句：

• I was watching the racing on television last night.昨晚我在电视上看赛马。
• The two racing drivers fenced for a chance to gain the lead.两个赛车手伺机竞相领先。

3 isolation   

n.隔离，孤立，分解，分离

参考例句：

• The millionaire lived in complete isolation from the outside world.这位富翁过着与世隔绝的生活。
• He retired and lived in relative isolation.他退休后，生活比较孤寂。

4 naturalist   

n.博物学家(尤指直接观察动植物者)

参考例句：

• He was a printer by trade and naturalist by avocation.他从事印刷业，同时是个博物学爱好者。
• The naturalist told us many stories about birds.博物学家给我们讲述了许多有关鸟儿的故事。

5 immunity   

n.优惠；免除；豁免，豁免权

参考例句：

• The law gives public schools immunity from taxation.法律免除公立学校的纳税义务。
• He claims diplomatic immunity to avoid being arrested.他要求外交豁免以便避免被捕。

6 iguanas   

n. 美洲蜥蜴 名词iguana的复数形式

参考例句：

• Galapagos land iguanas belong to the genus Conolophus, of which there are currently three recognised species. 加拉帕戈斯陆栖鬣蜥属于鬣蜥属，其中目前得到确认的有三个物种。
• Feral cats in the region could be eating eggs and young iguanas, Gentile speculates. 这一区域的野猫可能正在吃鬣蜥蛋及其幼崽，金泰尔猜测。

7 celebrity   

n.名人，名流；著名，名声，名望

参考例句：

• Tom found himself something of a celebrity. 汤姆意识到自己已小有名气了。
• He haunted famous men, hoping to get celebrity for himself. 他常和名人在一起, 希望借此使自己获得名气。

8 flora   

n.(某一地区的)植物群

参考例句：

• The subtropical island has a remarkably rich native flora.这个亚热带岛屿有相当丰富的乡土植物种类。
• All flora need water and light.一切草木都需要水和阳光。

9 minor   

adj.较小(少)的，较次要的；n.辅修学科；vi.辅修

参考例句：

• The young actor was given a minor part in the new play.年轻的男演员在这出新戏里被分派担任一个小角色。
• I gave him a minor share of my wealth.我把小部分财产给了他。

10 entirely   

ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地

参考例句：

• The fire was entirely caused by their neglect of duty. 那场火灾完全是由于他们失职而引起的。
• His life was entirely given up to the educational work. 他的一生统统献给了教育工作。

11 savings   

n.存款，储蓄

参考例句：

• I can't afford the vacation,for it would eat up my savings.我度不起假，那样会把我的积蓄用光的。
• By this time he had used up all his savings.到这时，他的存款已全部用完。

12 penguins   

n.企鹅( penguin的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Why can penguins live in cold environment? 为什么企鹅能生活在寒冷的环境中？ 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Whales, seals, penguins, and turtles have flippers. 鲸、海豹，企鹅和海龟均有鳍形肢。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》