VOA标准英语2015--穿山甲因被贩卖已成世界上最濒危的哺乳动物

Pangolins Are Most Trafficked Mammal 穿山甲因被贩卖已成世界上最濒危的哺乳动物

Have you ever heard of a pangolin? A lot of people haven’t. It’s also known as a scaly¹ anteater. Conservation groups say it’s the world’s most illegally trafficked mammal. The U.S. government is being asked to designate seven species as endangered.

Born Free USA’s Rosalyn Morrison says pangolins once occupied large areas of Asia and sub-Saharan Africa.

“Pangolins are indeed the most threatened mammals in the world right now. And there are eight species in the world. There are four in Asia and four in Africa. They are mammals, and they’re covered in scales from their head to their tail. The scales are made of keratin, which is the same ingredient that’s in our nails,” he said.

Born Free USA and others are asking that seven of the eight pangolin species be protected under the U.S. Endangered Species Act. One already has been listed as endangered.

“They’re basically endangered because parts of Asia and parts of Africa believe that their scales have medicinal value. And so they’re highly sought after for their scales and their meat, which is considered a delicacy² in many different countries in Asia and Africa,” said Morrison.

China and Vietnam are the biggest markets for illegal pangolin products, as they are for ivory and rhino³ horns.

“Even though they’re so endangered, most people don’t even know they exist. They could go extinct before people even heard about them. The reason most people haven’t heard about them is they’re nocturnal. They’re highly elusive⁴. So, it’s extremely hard for scientists to come across them in the wild and they can’t be bred in captivity⁵. Rarely any, if any, exist in zoos. I think they’re about three in zoos worldwide,” she said.

Their populations are falling fast.

Morrison said, “We have found that more than 960,000 pangolins were illegally traded over the past decade. So, when you compare those numbers to elephants and rhinos⁶ it is a much, much, much larger scale.”

There is a market in the U.S. for illegal pangolin products. Getting the mammals included in the Endangered Species Act would ban the import and sale of the animals or their parts. Morrison says it would also heighten awareness⁷ about the mammal with the very long, sticky tongue.

Morrison said loss of the pangolins could damage ecosystems⁹.

“They regulate insects. They eat ants and termites¹⁰. So, if we lose pangolins, there would be a cascading¹¹ effect on the ecosystem⁸.”

Born Free USA is joined in petitioning the U.S. government by the Center for Biological Diversity, Humane¹² Society International, The Humane Society of the United States and the International Fund for Animal Welfare.

1 scaly   

adj.鱼鳞状的；干燥粗糙的

参考例句：

• Reptiles possess a scaly,dry skin.爬行类具有覆盖着鳞片的干燥皮肤。
• The iron pipe is scaly with rust.铁管子因为生锈一片片剥落了。

2 delicacy   

n.精致，细微，微妙，精良；美味，佳肴

参考例句：

• We admired the delicacy of the craftsmanship.我们佩服工艺师精巧的手艺。
• He sensed the delicacy of the situation.他感觉到了形势的微妙。

3 rhino   

n.犀牛，钱, 现金

参考例句：

• The rhino charged headlong towards us.犀牛急速地向我们冲来。
• They have driven the rhino to the edge of extinction.他们已经令犀牛濒临灭绝。

4 elusive   

adj.难以表达(捉摸)的；令人困惑的；逃避的

参考例句：

• Try to catch the elusive charm of the original in translation.翻译时设法把握住原文中难以捉摸的风韵。
• Interpol have searched all the corners of the earth for the elusive hijackers.国际刑警组织已在世界各地搜查在逃的飞机劫持者。

5 captivity   

n.囚禁；被俘；束缚

参考例句：

• A zoo is a place where live animals are kept in captivity for the public to see.动物园是圈养动物以供公众观看的场所。
• He was held in captivity for three years.他被囚禁叁年。

6 rhinos   

n.犀牛（rhino的复数形式）

参考例句：

• There are many reports of people taming and even training Indian rhinos. 有许多关于人们驯养甚至训练印度犀牛的记载。 来自辞典例句
• The rhinos had fed during the night in the rice fields of these villagers. 犀牛夜里在这些村民的庄稼地里也已吃饱了。 来自辞典例句

7 awareness   

n.意识，觉悟，懂事，明智

参考例句：

• There is a general awareness that smoking is harmful.人们普遍认识到吸烟有害健康。
• Environmental awareness has increased over the years.这些年来人们的环境意识增强了。

8 ecosystem   

n.生态系统

参考例句：

• This destroyed the ecosystem of the island.这样破坏了岛上的生态系统。
• We all have an interest in maintaining the integrity of the ecosystem.维持生态系统的完整是我们共同的利益。

9 ecosystems   

n.生态系统( ecosystem的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• There are highly sensitive and delicately balanced ecosystems in the forest. 森林里有高度敏感、灵敏平衡的各种生态系统。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Madagascar's ecosystems range from rainforest to semi-desert. 马达加斯加生态系统类型多样，从雨林到半荒漠等不一而足。 来自辞典例句

10 termites   

n.白蚁( termite的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Termites are principally tropical in distribution. 白蚁主要分布在热带地区。 来自辞典例句
• This spray will exterminate the termites. 这种喷剂能消灭白蚁。 来自辞典例句

11 cascading   

流注( cascade的现在分词 )； 大量落下； 大量垂悬； 梯流

参考例句：

• First of all, cascading menus are to be avoided at all costs. 首先，无论如何都要避免使用级联菜单。 来自About Face 3交互设计精髓
• Her sounds began cascading gently. 他的声音开始缓缓地低落下来。

12 humane   

adj.人道的，富有同情心的

参考例句：

• Is it humane to kill animals for food?宰杀牲畜来吃合乎人道吗？
• Their aim is for a more just and humane society.他们的目标是建立一个更加公正、博爱的社会。