国家地理:佛罗里达美洲狮的回归(3)

Scientists back then hatched an unprecedented¹ rescue plan:

当时的科学家想出了一个前所未有的救援计划：

In the mid-1990s they hired Texan Roy McBride, arguably the world's best mountain lion tracker,

他们在20世纪90年代中期聘雇了可以说是世上最优秀的美洲狮追踪者--德州人罗伊·麦克布莱德，

to capture eight of the cats in Texas, all females, then release them into South Florida.

由他在德州捕捉八只母美洲狮，然后将它们野放到佛罗里达州南部。

Five of them bred, and this infusion² of genetic³ diversity reversed the panther's downward spiral.

其中有五只怀孕并生下幼崽，这种基因多样性的注入挽救了佛罗里达美洲狮的颓势。

Populations grew slowly, and now there are about 200 individuals,

佛罗里达美洲狮族群数量慢慢增长，如今大约有200只，

most of them in a massive stretch of contiguous land south of the Caloosahatchee River, which stretches east from Fort Myers.

其中大部分生活在从麦尔士堡往东流的卡鲁沙哈奇河以南的一大片绵延不断的土地上。

"It's one of the most dramatic conservation success stories in U.S. history," says Carlton Ward⁴, Jr.,

小卡尔顿·沃德说：“这是美国历史上最戏剧性的保育成功故事之一。”

a conservationist and photographer whose work is supported by the National Geographic⁵ Society.

他是一位接受国家地理学会赞助的保育工作者兼摄影师。

But a variety of threats cloud the panther's future, including car collisions and panther-on-panther territorial⁶ spats⁷, the two leading causes of death.

然而，美洲狮的未来因为各种威胁而蒙上阴影，包括车祸，还有美洲狮之间的领域争夺，这是美洲狮死亡的两个主因。

About 25 of the cats are killed by vehicles each year,

每年约有25只美洲狮死于车祸，

a reflection of how development and road construction threaten the species at a time when roughly 900 people are moving to Florida every day.

这反映出在每天约有900人搬到佛罗里达的今日，开发与道路建设对这个物种所构成的威胁。

Additionally, a new debilitating⁸ neurological condition with an unknown cause has afflicted⁹ more than a dozen panthers, alarming conservationists.

此外，有十几只美洲狮为一种新的神经疾病所苦，疾病原因不明，但会导致行动不便，这也让保育工作者深感忧虑。

There is also good news, however: Panthers are reclaiming¹⁰ some of their old territory.

不过，也不是没有好消息：美洲狮正在重返昔日的部分领域。

In 2016 scientists spotted¹¹ a female north of the Caloosahatchee River for the first time since 1973.

2016年，科学家在卡鲁沙哈奇河北岸发现一只母美洲狮，这是自1973年以来的第一次。

1 unprecedented   

adj.无前例的，新奇的

参考例句：

• The air crash caused an unprecedented number of deaths.这次空难的死亡人数是空前的。
• A flood of this sort is really unprecedented.这样大的洪水真是十年九不遇。

2 infusion   

n.灌输

参考例句：

• Old families need an infusion of new blood from time to time.古老的家族需要不时地注入新鲜血液。
• Careful observation of the infusion site is necessary.必须仔细观察输液部位。

3 genetic   

adj.遗传的，遗传学的

参考例句：

• It's very difficult to treat genetic diseases.遗传性疾病治疗起来很困难。
• Each daughter cell can receive a full complement of the genetic information.每个子细胞可以收到遗传信息的一个完全补偿物。

4 ward   

n.守卫，监护，病房，行政区，由监护人或法院保护的人（尤指儿童）；vt.守护，躲开

参考例句：

• The hospital has a medical ward and a surgical ward.这家医院有内科病房和外科病房。
• During the evening picnic,I'll carry a torch to ward off the bugs.傍晚野餐时，我要点根火把，抵挡蚊虫。

5 geographic   

adj.地理学的，地理的

参考例句：

• The city's success owes much to its geographic position. 这座城市的成功很大程度上归功于它的地理位置。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Environmental problems pay no heed to these geographic lines. 环境问题并不理会这些地理界限。 来自英汉非文学 - 环境法 - 环境法

6 territorial   

adj.领土的，领地的

参考例句：

• The country is fighting to preserve its territorial integrity.该国在为保持领土的完整而进行斗争。
• They were not allowed to fish in our territorial waters.不允许他们在我国领海捕鱼。

7 spats   

n.口角( spat的名词复数 )；小争吵；鞋罩；鞋套v.spit的过去式和过去分词( spat的第三人称单数 )；口角；小争吵；鞋罩

参考例句：

• Gasoline is a solvent liquid that removes grease spats. 汽油是一种能脱去油迹的有溶解能力的液体。 来自辞典例句
• Then spats took a catnap, and the bird looked out for dogs. 然后斯派茨小睡了一会儿。小鸟为它站岗放哨，防止狗跑过来。 来自互联网

8 debilitating   

a.使衰弱的

参考例句：

• The debilitating disease made him too weak to work. 这个令他衰弱的病，使他弱到没有办法工作。
• You may soon leave one debilitating condition or relationship forever. 你即将永远地和这段霉运说拜拜了。

9 afflicted   

使受痛苦，折磨( afflict的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• About 40% of the country's population is afflicted with the disease. 全国40%左右的人口患有这种疾病。
• A terrible restlessness that was like to hunger afflicted Martin Eden. 一阵可怕的、跟饥饿差不多的不安情绪折磨着马丁·伊登。

10 reclaiming   

v.开拓( reclaim的现在分词 )；要求收回；从废料中回收（有用的材料）；挽救

参考例句：

• People here are reclaiming land from the sea. 这儿的人们正在填海拓地。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• How could such a man need reclaiming? 这么一个了不起的人怎么还需要别人拯救呢？ 来自英汉文学 - 嘉莉妹妹

11 spotted   

adj.有斑点的，斑纹的，弄污了的

参考例句：

• The milkman selected the spotted cows,from among a herd of two hundred.牛奶商从一群200头牛中选出有斑点的牛。
• Sam's shop stocks short spotted socks.山姆的商店屯积了有斑点的短袜。