国家地理:Blue Cows 印度蓝牛

Dusk in rural India, farmhands sweep the land trying to drive away an animal that is threatening their livelihood¹. It's called nilgai or blue cow. In Rajasthan, nilgai roam in the hundreds, consuming anything and everything in their path, especially farmer's crops. Like many places, the spread of agriculture here has increased the competition for land between people and wildlife. But this is one competition the animals seem to be winning.
"The situation is extremely bad, especially for the smaller farmers. Because the nilgai have come and destroyed their crops so many times, it's not worth them planting anymore, and some of them are giving up their land."
In the land where so many live on the brink² of poverty, a ruined crop can mean disaster, so when farmers' crops are in the fields, so are they keeping watch.
In fact many sleepless³ nights are spent chasing the unwelcome visitors through fences and across fields. Their piercing eyes reflect the light confirming their presence before they run away.
Simply reducing the nilgai population might seem to be an easy solution to the farmers' woes⁴, but there's a problem. It lies in the animal's name.
"Gai" means cow and for Hindus, the cow was the most revered⁵ animal of all, allowed to roam freely in every city and village, and worshiped in temples. So, any animal with a word "cow" in its name is held in high regard.
But the nilgai, technically⁶, is an antelope⁷. There is hope. When people in the neighboring state of Punjab had a similar problem with nilgai fifty years ago, with the consent of holy men they changed the name of the animal, from nilgai, blue cow to nilghor, blue horse. Free of religious constraints⁸, they could control the number of blue horses as they were then called. Whatever it is, horse or cow or antelope, as its numbers increase, the nilgai of Rajasthan will undoubtedly⁹ continue to come into conflict with farmers, each fighting over the fruit...

1 livelihood   

n.生计，谋生之道

参考例句：

• Appropriate arrangements will be made for their work and livelihood.他们的工作和生活会得到妥善安排。
• My father gained a bare livelihood of family by his own hands.父亲靠自己的双手勉强维持家计。

2 brink   

n.(悬崖、河流等的)边缘，边沿

参考例句：

• The tree grew on the brink of the cliff.那棵树生长在峭壁的边缘。
• The two countries were poised on the brink of war.这两个国家处于交战的边缘。

3 sleepless   

adj.不睡眠的，睡不著的，不休息的

参考例句：

• The situation gave her many sleepless nights.这种情况害她一连好多天睡不好觉。
• One evening I heard a tale that rendered me sleepless for nights.一天晚上，我听说了一个传闻，把我搞得一连几夜都不能入睡。

4 woes   

困境( woe的名词复数 )； 悲伤； 我好苦哇； 某人就要倒霉

参考例句：

• Thanks for listening to my woes. 谢谢您听我诉说不幸的遭遇。
• She has cried the blues about its financial woes. 对于经济的困难她叫苦不迭。

5 revered   

v.崇敬，尊崇，敬畏( revere的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• A number of institutions revered and respected in earlier times have become Aunt Sally for the present generation. 一些早年受到尊崇的惯例，现在已经成了这代人嘲弄的对象了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The Chinese revered corn as a gift from heaven. 中国人将谷物奉为上天的恩赐。 来自辞典例句

6 technically   

adv.专门地，技术上地

参考例句：

• Technically it is the most advanced equipment ever.从技术上说，这是最先进的设备。
• The tomato is technically a fruit,although it is eaten as a vegetable.严格地说，西红柿是一种水果，尽管它是当作蔬菜吃的。

7 antelope   

n.羚羊；羚羊皮

参考例句：

• Choosing the antelope shows that China wants a Green Olympics.选择藏羚羊表示中国需要绿色奥运。
• The tiger was dragging the antelope across the field.老虎拖着羚羊穿过原野。

8 constraints   

强制( constraint的名词复数 )； 限制； 约束

参考例句：

• Data and constraints can easily be changed to test theories. 信息库中的数据和限制条件可以轻易地改变以检验假设。 来自英汉非文学 - 科学史
• What are the constraints that each of these imply for any design? 这每种产品的要求和约束对于设计意味着什么？ 来自About Face 3交互设计精髓

9 undoubtedly   

adv.确实地，无疑地

参考例句：

• It is undoubtedly she who has said that.这话明明是她说的。
• He is undoubtedly the pride of China.毫无疑问他是中国的骄傲。