VOA标准英语2011--Cameroon, Chad Team Up to Protect Wildli

Cameroon, Chad Team Up to Protect Wildlife

The pact¹ was signed by both governments in early August. It stipulates² that the Central African neighbors will jointly⁴ manage over 300,000 hectares of protected area. They will be patrolled by an increased number rangers⁵, who will also be better armed.
The decision follows continuing warnings by conservationists that Central Africa risks losing all of its elephants to poaching.
The wildlife trade monitoring network, TRAFFIC, says most of the ivory is destined⁶ for Asia, where demand – and prices – are high. Ivory is used in making piano keys, billiard balls, jewelry⁷, electrical appliances, furniture and decorative⁸ items.
Cross-border game reserves include the 70,000 hectare Sena Oura park in Chad. It was home to about five thousand elephants five years ago. But the number has nearly dropped by half. The World Wide Fund for Nature says the situation is even worse in Cameroon’s Bouba Ndjidda park, where fewer than 300 elephants remain.
Cameroon’s Minister of Forestry⁹ and Wildlife, Elvis Ngolle Ngolle, signed the pact on behalf of the government. He says the partnership¹⁰ is vital considering that various preventive measures have failed to deter¹¹ poachers.
"The government of the Republic of Chad and that of Cameroon are committed to conservation and to the sustainable management of our ecosystems," said Ngolle. "One manifestation¹² of that commitment is to agree in a formal manner to jointly manage not only our parks and protected areas, but also to jointly fight against the phenomenon of poaching. We discussed other issues which will enrich this collective commitment; issues such as the training of our eco-guards."
A Cameroon government conservation partner, The Last Great Apes Organization, says organized wildlife crime syndicates killed an estimated 23,000 African elephants in 2006. The World Wide Fund for Nature notes that half of that number exists today in Cameroon, once a haven¹³ for elephants in the Congo Basin.
Martin Tchamba, head of the fund’s elephant conservation programs in Cameroon, says threats of extinction¹⁴ are even more tangible¹⁵ in the country’s southeast. That’s where hundreds of laid-off logging company workers have switched to poaching.
"It’s true," said Tchamba, "that deforestation is also a factor contributing to dwindling¹⁶ elephant populations. But the main reason is poaching and lately, we’ve noticed a clear link with the global financial crisis. Several logging companies shut down and many workers – about a thousand people – lost their jobs and are now into poaching. At least ten elephants are killed every month in southeast Cameroon and that’s very disturbing. In ten years, at this rate, the entire elephant population there will be wiped ou."
The country’s wildlife laws protect elephants and threaten poachers with up to ten years in jail and up to US$20,000 in fines. But conservationists suspect corrupt¹⁷ government officials and businessmen of running the powerful poaching networks, some extending as far as West Africa and Asia. They also say the wide circulation of weapons in the region make it easy to get arms that can easily overpower poorly-equipped rangers.
Minister Ngolle Ngolle says several times, logging companies have been caught with elephant tusks¹⁸ neatly¹⁹ tucked away in timber trucks.
"We’ve been able to identify and seize from forestry operators some wildlife species which are not supposed to be in their possession and some of them have been sent to court," he said.
Conservationists says the Cameroon-Chad partnership is a model for other countries in Central Africa. They say better equipping rangers and increasing joint³ cross-border patrols could make the region a safe haven for elephants once again.

1 pact   

n.合同，条约，公约，协定

参考例句：

• The two opposition parties made an electoral pact.那两个反对党订了一个有关选举的协定。
• The trade pact between those two countries came to an end.那两国的通商协定宣告结束。

2 stipulates   

n.（尤指在协议或建议中）规定，约定，讲明（条件等）( stipulate的名词复数 )；规定，明确要求v.（尤指在协议或建议中）规定，约定，讲明（条件等）( stipulate的第三人称单数 )；规定，明确要求

参考例句：

• The trade contract stipulates for the settlement of balances in RMB. 贸易合同规定余额以人民币结算。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• The contract stipulates for the use of seasoned timber. 合同上订明用干透的木料。 来自辞典例句

3 joint   

adj.联合的，共同的；n.关节，接合处；v.连接，贴合

参考例句：

• I had a bad fall,which put my shoulder out of joint.我重重地摔了一跤，肩膀脫臼了。
• We wrote a letter in joint names.我们联名写了封信。

4 jointly   

ad.联合地，共同地

参考例句：

• Tenants are jointly and severally liable for payment of the rent. 租金由承租人共同且分别承担。
• She owns the house jointly with her husband. 她和丈夫共同拥有这所房子。

5 rangers   

护林者( ranger的名词复数 )； 突击队员

参考例句：

• Do you know where the Rangers Stadium is? 你知道Rangers体育场在哪吗？ 来自超越目标英语 第3册
• Now I'm a Rangers' fan, so I like to be near the stadium. 现在我是Rangers的爱好者，所以我想离体育场近一点。 来自超越目标英语 第3册

6 destined   

adj.命中注定的；(for)以…为目的地的

参考例句：

• It was destined that they would marry.他们结婚是缘分。
• The shipment is destined for America.这批货物将运往美国。

7 jewelry   

n.（jewllery）（总称）珠宝

参考例句：

• The burglars walked off with all my jewelry.夜盗偷走了我的全部珠宝。
• Jewelry and lace are mostly feminine belongings.珠宝和花边多数是女性用品。

8 decorative   

adj.装饰的，可作装饰的

参考例句：

• This ware is suitable for decorative purpose but unsuitable for utility.这种器皿中看不中用。
• The style is ornate and highly decorative.这种风格很华丽，而且装饰效果很好。

9 forestry   

n.森林学；林业

参考例句：

• At present, the Chinese forestry is being at a significant transforming period. 当前, 我国的林业正处于一个重大的转折时期。
• Anhua is one of the key forestry counties in Hunan province. 安化县是湖南省重点林区县之一。

10 partnership   

n.合作关系，伙伴关系

参考例句：

• The company has gone into partnership with Swiss Bank Corporation.这家公司已经和瑞士银行公司建立合作关系。
• Martin has taken him into general partnership in his company.马丁已让他成为公司的普通合伙人。

11 deter   

vt.阻止，使不敢，吓住

参考例句：

• Failure did not deter us from trying it again.失败并没有能阻挡我们再次进行试验。
• Dogs can deter unwelcome intruders.狗能够阻拦不受欢迎的闯入者。

12 manifestation   

n.表现形式；表明；现象

参考例句：

• Her smile is a manifestation of joy.她的微笑是她快乐的表现。
• What we call mass is only another manifestation of energy.我们称之为质量的东西只是能量的另一种表现形态。

13 haven   

n.安全的地方，避难所，庇护所

参考例句：

• It's a real haven at the end of a busy working day.忙碌了一整天后，这真是一个安乐窝。
• The school library is a little haven of peace and quiet.学校的图书馆是一个和平且安静的小避风港。

14 extinction   

n.熄灭，消亡，消灭，灭绝，绝种

参考例句：

• The plant is now in danger of extinction.这种植物现在有绝种的危险。
• The island's way of life is doomed to extinction.这个岛上的生活方式注定要消失。

15 tangible   

adj.有形的，可触摸的，确凿的，实际的

参考例句：

• The policy has not yet brought any tangible benefits.这项政策还没有带来任何实质性的好处。
• There is no tangible proof.没有确凿的证据。

16 dwindling   

adj.逐渐减少的v.逐渐变少或变小( dwindle的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• The number of wild animals on the earth is dwindling. 地球上野生动物的数量正日渐减少。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He is struggling to come to terms with his dwindling authority. 他正努力适应自己权力被削弱这一局面。 来自辞典例句

17 corrupt   

v.贿赂，收买；adj.腐败的，贪污的

参考例句：

• The newspaper alleged the mayor's corrupt practices.那家报纸断言市长有舞弊行为。
• This judge is corrupt.这个法官贪污。

18 tusks   

n.（象等动物的）长牙( tusk的名词复数 )；獠牙；尖形物；尖头

参考例句：

• The elephants are poached for their tusks. 为获取象牙而偷猎大象。
• Elephant tusks, monkey tails and salt were used in some parts of Africa. 非洲的一些地区则使用象牙、猴尾和盐。 来自英语晨读30分（高一）

19 neatly   

adv.整洁地，干净地，灵巧地，熟练地

参考例句：

• Sailors know how to wind up a long rope neatly.水手们知道怎样把一条大绳利落地缠好。
• The child's dress is neatly gathered at the neck.那孩子的衣服在领口处打着整齐的皱褶。