新奇事件簿 生态旅游弊大于利

Ecotourism is a booming business that many tour operators cite as being helpful to nature. Every year, millions of people descend¹ on protected and pristine² natural areas to observe rare species. However, a new report casts doubt on the value of this form of tourism. In fact, it suggests that ecotourism is more damaging than helpful to nature. Details are in a report published in the journal 'Trends in Ecology and Evolution'. Researchers believe tourists are disrupting animals in their natural habitat. They pointed³ to a recent event where sea turtles in Costa Rica had problems laying their eggs because of the hordes⁴ of tourists who had congregated⁵ to watch the turtles' nesting habits.

生态旅游正在蓬勃发展，许多旅行社认为生态旅游将帮助保护自然。每年，上百万游客前往自然保护区欣赏珍奇生物。然而，一项新报告的公布却让人们对生态旅游产生了怀疑。事实上，这份报告认为与其说是保护大自然，更不如说它在破坏大自然。报告内容刊登在了《生态和进化趋势》杂志上。研究人员认为游客破坏了动物的栖息地。他们提到了最近发生的一起事件，由于大量游客前来观看海龟筑巢，导致海龟无法产卵。

The report says that ecotourism is making animals bolder and that this could endanger the animals. A regular human presence might make animals tamer and less cautious about other animals around them, and this could put them at risk of being attacked by their natural threats. "Then they will suffer higher mortality when they encounter real predators," the report says. It added: "When animals interact in 'benign⁶' ways with humans, they may let down their guard." The report said it was essential, "to develop a more comprehensive understanding of how different species in different situations respond to human visitation and under what precise conditions human exposure might put them at risk."

报告称生态旅游让动物变得更加大胆，这将会对动物造成危害。人类的频繁出现将会让动物变得更加容易驯服，从而降低对周围动物的警惕，这会增加它们遭遇自然灾害的风险。报告称，如果遇到真正的天敌，它们的死亡率也会增加。报告还称；“如果动物对人类更加温顺，那么它们会放松警惕。”报告表示称，在不同环境下，不同生物在应对人类时的反应不同，在特定环境下，人类的出现或将会对他们构成威胁，对此我们应该有着充分的认识。”

1 descend   

vt./vi.传下来，下来，下降

参考例句：

• I hope the grace of God would descend on me.我期望上帝的恩惠。
• We're not going to descend to such methods.我们不会沦落到使用这种手段。

2 pristine   

adj.原来的，古时的，原始的，纯净的，无垢的

参考例句：

• He wiped his fingers on his pristine handkerchief.他用他那块洁净的手帕擦手指。
• He wasn't about to blemish that pristine record.他本不想去玷污那清白的过去。

3 pointed   

adj.尖的，直截了当的

参考例句：

• He gave me a very sharp pointed pencil.他给我一支削得非常尖的铅笔。
• She wished to show Mrs.John Dashwood by this pointed invitation to her brother.她想通过对达茨伍德夫人提出直截了当的邀请向她的哥哥表示出来。

4 hordes   

n.移动着的一大群( horde的名词复数 )；部落

参考例句：

• There are always hordes of tourists here in the summer. 夏天这里总有成群结队的游客。
• Hordes of journalists jostled for position outside the conference hall. 大群记者在会堂外争抢位置。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 congregated   

（使）集合，聚集( congregate的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The crowds congregated in the town square to hear the mayor speak. 人群聚集到市镇广场上来听市长讲话。
• People quickly congregated round the speaker. 人们迅速围拢在演说者的周围。

6 benign   

adj.善良的，慈祥的；良性的，无危险的

参考例句：

• The benign weather brought North America a bumper crop.温和的气候给北美带来大丰收。
• Martha is a benign old lady.玛莎是个仁慈的老妇人。