英语听力文摘 English Digest 455、奇妙的海洋食物链

Overfishing Whales and the Environment
过度捕鲸与环境

      Until recently, when scientists studied changes in open-ocean ecosystems², they looked at changes in the bottom of the food chain that gradually make their way to the top, like food shortages and shifts in the ocean environment. A recent study, however, suggests that more attention needs to be given to top-down influences as well.

      For example, over the past few decades, there’s been a major collapse³ of the populations of harbor seals, fur seals, sea lions, and sea otters⁴ living on the coasts of western Alaska. Now a new study suggests that all this destruction can be traced back to humans overfishing sperm⁵ and baleen⁶ whales between 1946 and 1979.

      Killer⁷ whales, who live at the top of the ocean food chain, used to prey⁸ on sperm and baleen whales. When these were no longer available, the killer whales were forced to fish farther down the food chain. First they fed on seals, which were the easiest to catch and the most nutritionally valuable.

      Then, when seals became rare, the killer whales turned to sea lions. When the sea lion population crashed, they started fishing sea otters. The domino effect reaches even farther. Without sea otters keeping sea urchins¹⁰ in check, their population has exploded. And they’ve destroyed the kelp forests, and with it, the kelp forest ecosystem¹ in southwestern Alaska.

      Animals switching food sources can have a very serious effect on the environment. And that we humans, as the ultimate predators¹¹, need to give a lot of thought to the choices we make. They may affect the food web in unintended ways.

      直到最近，当科学家们在研究远洋地区生态系统的变化时，他们观察了处于食物链最底层并且在慢慢上升的（生物）变化，比如说食物短缺、海洋环境的变化。然而，最近的一项调查显示，人们还应该更多的注意（食物链）自上而下的影响。

      比方说，在过去的几十年里，生活在阿拉斯加西海岸的斑海豹、海狗、海狮和海獭数量极具下降。现在，一项新的调查显示，所有的这些毁坏都可以归咎于人类在1946年到1979年期间过度捕捞抹香鲸和须鲸。

      虎鲸是在海洋食物链的最高层，它习惯于捕食抹香鲸和须鲸。当虎鲸不能再捕食它们的时候，它就被迫捕食处于更下一层的食物链（的生物）。她们先捕食的是最容易捕捉且最有营养价值的海豹。

      接着，当海豹变得稀少后，虎鲸便转向了海狮。而又当海狮的数量变少后，虎鲸又开始猎杀海獭了。多米诺效应又继续延伸。没了海獭约束海胆，海胆的数量变得庞大起来。并且破坏阿拉斯加啊西南部的海藻林生态系统。

      动物间交换食物来源对环境有着很严重的影响。而作为终极捕食者，人类需要好好思考一下他们所做的选择。（因为）这些选择可能会以人们所不知道的方式来影响食物网。

      Vocabularies and expressions：

      harbor seal：斑海豹
      fur seal：海狗
      sea lions：海狮
      sea otters：海獭
      sea urchin⁹：海胆
      sperm whales：抹香鲸
      baleen whales：须鲸
      killer whale：虎鲸
      domino effect：多米诺效应（在一个相互联系的系统中，一个很小的初始能量就可能产生一连串的连锁反应，也称之为“多米诺骨牌效应”。）
      kelp forest：海藻林
      keep in check: 阻止，约束

 

1 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。

2 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

3 collapse   

vi.累倒；昏倒；倒塌；塌陷

参考例句：

• The country's economy is on the verge of collapse.国家的经济已到了崩溃的边缘。
• The engineer made a complete diagnosis of the bridge's collapse.工程师对桥的倒塌做了一次彻底的调查分析。

4 otters   

n.（水）獭( otter的名词复数 )；獭皮

参考例句：

• An attempt is being made to entice otters back to the river. 人们正试图把水獭引诱回河里去。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Otters are believed to have been on Earth for 90 million years. 水獭被认为存活在地球上已经9千多万年。 来自互联网

5 sperm   

n.精子，精液

参考例句：

• Only one sperm fertilises an egg.只有一个精子使卵子受精。
• In human reproduction,one female egg is usually fertilized by one sperm.在人体生殖过程中，一个精子使一个卵子受精。

6 baleen   

n.鲸须

参考例句：

• Other baleen whales have splash guards too,but not like this.一些须鲸物种头顶也有护住喷水孔的构造，但并不长成这样。
• Baleen whales often appear in this region. Be careful!这一带经常有须鲸出没，要注意安全啊。

7 killer   

n.杀人者，杀人犯，杀手，屠杀者

参考例句：

• Heart attacks have become Britain's No.1 killer disease.心脏病已成为英国的头号致命疾病。
• The bulk of the evidence points to him as her killer.大量证据证明是他杀死她的。

8 prey   

n.被掠食者，牺牲者，掠食；v.捕食，掠夺，折磨

参考例句：

• Stronger animals prey on weaker ones.弱肉强食。
• The lion was hunting for its prey.狮子在寻找猎物。

9 urchin   

n.顽童；海胆

参考例句：

• You should sheer off the urchin.你应该躲避这顽童。
• He is a most wicked urchin.他是个非常调皮的顽童。

10 urchins   

n.顽童( urchin的名词复数 )；淘气鬼；猬；海胆

参考例句：

• Some dozen barefooted urchins ganged in from the riverside. 几十个赤足的顽童从河边成群结队而来。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• People said that he had jaundice and urchins nicknamed him "Yellow Fellow." 别人说他是黄胆病，孩子们也就叫他“黄胖”了。 来自汉英文学 - 中国现代小说

11 predators   

n.食肉动物( predator的名词复数 )；奴役他人者（尤指在财务或性关系方面）

参考例句：

• birds and their earthbound predators 鸟和地面上捕食它们的动物
• The eyes of predators are highly sensitive to the slightest movement. 捕食性动物的眼睛能感觉到最细小的动静。 来自《简明英汉词典》