新奇事件簿 日本为海豚安装橡胶尾鳍（在线收听）

A dolphin in a Japanese water park, who couldn't swim because it had no tail, has been given a new lease of life after being fitted with an artificial fin. Fuji, the 36-year-old bottlenose dolphin, suffered a life-threatening disease which caused her tail to rot four years ago. Rather than let the disease spread to the rest of her body, veterinarians at the Churaumi Aquarium in Okinawa, Japan, decided to amputate her tail fin. The result was a very depressed dolphin who could no longer frolic in the water with her aquatic pals. Having no tail also meant Fuji was unable to exercise. This meant she started putting on the kilos, which caused a further threat to her life. Just when doom and gloom surrounded the future of Fuji, in stepped an unlikely saviour the Japanese tyre manufacturer Bridgestone.

在日本海洋馆，一只海豚安“假肢”重获新生，此前它因无尾鳍而无法游行。四年前，36岁尖嘴海豚“富士”因患重病不得不切除尾鳍。冲绳海洋博公园兽医决定切断尾鳍，避免疾病蔓延全身。最终，“富士”再也无法与伙伴们在海中嬉戏。她也将无法进行训练。随着体重不断增加，生命将进一步遭受威胁。就在“富士”未来阴云密布之际，日本轮胎制造商普利司通成为救世主。

Bridgestone is more commonly associated with Formula One racing technology than artificial dolphin fins. However, it seems dolphin fins and racing car tyres have more in common than we believed. Bridgestone saved Fuji’s life by pouring around US$83,000 dollars into creating the replacement fin. The new prosthesis is made from the same kind of rubber that is used for Formula One car tyres. Fuji wears her new tail fitting for just two to three hours everyday. Her trainer hopes Bridgestone can make an improved version that can be worn for longer, as part of the new fin wears out quickly. This means Fuji will experience pain and discomfort if she uses the fin for a long time, and she’ll end up getting hurt. Her trainer said: "Thanks to the new prosthetic creation Fuji is now able to lead a normal life."

比起制造人工尾鳍，普利司通通常会和F1赛车联系在一起。然而，海豚尾鳍和赛车轮胎似乎超出了我们的想象。轮胎厂商出资约8.3万美金打造人工尾鳍，并挽救“富士”生命。假肢制作材料同样来自F1轮胎橡胶。每天“假肢”佩戴时间为2-3个小时。因新尾鳍磨损时间快，培训师希望厂家能够生产耐磨型尾鳍。若佩戴时间增加，“富士”将感到疼痛和不适，并将在痛苦中死去。培训师表示：“多亏尾鳍假肢，如今她可以自由活动了。”