PBS高端访谈:帝王蝶可能会成为濒临灭绝的物种

 　　HARI SREENIVASAN: Every year, millions of North American monarch¹ butterflies head south for the winter in one of the insect world's most fantastic feats².

　　But as you've likely heard, their numbers have declined dramatically in the past two decades. Now the federal government is considering new steps to try to reverse the trend.

　　Scientists are still trying to determine just how many of the butterflies made the long trip to Mexico this winter.

　　Still hoping that the 90 percent decline that began in the 1990s has finally come to an end.

　　DIRECTOR MONARCH BUTTERFLY RESERVE, GLORIA TAVERA: Well this 2014 – 2015 season is a critical season for us after the numbers we had last season.

　　We hope work done jointly³ by the United States, Canada and Mexico will help to increase the numbers of butterflies arriving in our sanctuaries⁴.

　　HARI SREENIVASAN: But even as the butterfly count continues in Mexico…in Washington, responding to a petition submitted by conservation organizations, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service recently announced a year-long review that could mean the butterflies are placed on the Endangered Species list.

　　If that happens, there could be ripple⁵ effects, the monarch's habitats in the U.S. could become protected under law and that, in turn, could lead to restrictions⁶ on the use of herbicides that many farmers depend on to kill weeds without harming their crops.

　　But the time it takes to make these decisions is consequential⁷.

　　A report published by the Center for Biological Diversity, a non-profit conservation organization, found that 83 species became extinct between 1974 and 1994, at the very time the government was deliberating about whether or not to include them on the Endangered Species list.

1 monarch   

n.帝王，君主，最高统治者

参考例句：

• The monarch's role is purely ceremonial.君主纯粹是个礼仪职位。
• I think myself happier now than the greatest monarch upon earth.我觉得这个时候比世界上什么帝王都快乐。

2 feats   

功绩，伟业，技艺( feat的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• He used to astound his friends with feats of physical endurance. 过去，他表现出来的惊人耐力常让朋友们大吃一惊。
• His heroic feats made him a legend in his own time. 他的英雄业绩使他成了他那个时代的传奇人物。

3 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。

4 sanctuaries   

n.避难所( sanctuary的名词复数 )；庇护；圣所；庇护所

参考例句：

• The designation of special marine reserves and marine sanctuaries shall be subject to the State Council for approval. 海洋特别保护区、海上自然保护区的确定，须经国务院批准。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• After 1965 he acquiesced when they established sanctuaries on that soil. 1965年以后，他默认了他们在那块土地上建立庇护所。 来自辞典例句

5 ripple   

n.涟波，涟漪，波纹，粗钢梳；vt.使...起涟漪，使起波纹； vi.呈波浪状，起伏前进

参考例句：

• The pebble made a ripple on the surface of the lake.石子在湖面上激起一个涟漪。
• The small ripple split upon the beach.小小的涟漪卷来，碎在沙滩上。

6 restrictions   

约束( restriction的名词复数 )； 管制； 制约因素； 带限制性的条件（或规则）

参考例句：

• I found the restrictions irksome. 我对那些限制感到很烦。
• a snaggle of restrictions 杂乱无章的种种限制

7 consequential   

adj.作为结果的，间接的；重要的

参考例句：

• She was injured and suffered a consequential loss of earnings.她受了伤因而收入受损。
• This new transformation is at least as consequential as that one was.这一新的转变至少和那次一样重要。