【轻松英文阅读】加利福尼亚红杉树

 There are some things in this world that a photograph cannot capture. One of those is the Northern California Redwoods. You can never truly appreciate their magnificence until you have stood next them. They are definitely something to put on your bucket list.

 

Unfortunately, these giants of the forests are under attack. They have become the latest victims of America’s drug epidemic¹. In order to pay for their drugs, meth addicts² have been cutting out the burls in the trees to sell on the black market. ‘Burls’ are the big gnarly bumps on a tree. The intricate wood patterns in the burls are highly prized for their beauty and are sought after by furniture makers³. Large burls can sell for a few thousand dollars. When the burls are cut away, the trees become weakened and vulnerable to insects and disease.

 

Last year, nearly 20 redwoods were attacked for their burls. In one instance, a tree that was estimated to be around 400 years old was cut down to get at a large burl high up on the tree.

 

These are just the known attacks. With national park budgets being cut, it is impossible for park rangers⁴ to make a complete survey, let alone protect the trees from further poaching.

1 epidemic   

n.流行病；盛行；adj.流行性的，流传极广的

参考例句：

• That kind of epidemic disease has long been stamped out.那种传染病早已绝迹。
• The authorities tried to localise the epidemic.当局试图把流行病限制在局部范围。

2 addicts   

有…瘾的人( addict的名词复数 )； 入迷的人

参考例句：

• a unit for rehabilitating drug addicts 帮助吸毒者恢复正常生活的机构
• There is counseling to help Internet addicts?even online. 有咨询机构帮助网络沉迷者。 来自超越目标英语 第3册

3 makers   

n.制造者，制造商（maker的复数形式）

参考例句：

• The makers of the product assured us that there had been no sacrifice of quality. 这一产品的制造商向我们保证说他们没有牺牲质量。
• The makers are about to launch out a new product. 制造商们马上要生产一种新产品。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 rangers   

护林者( ranger的名词复数 )； 突击队员

参考例句：

• Do you know where the Rangers Stadium is? 你知道Rangers体育场在哪吗？ 来自超越目标英语 第3册
• Now I'm a Rangers' fan, so I like to be near the stadium. 现在我是Rangers的爱好者，所以我想离体育场近一点。 来自超越目标英语 第3册