VOA慢速英语2021 云南大象快到家啦（在线收听）

No one knows why 14 Asian elephants left a protected nature area in China and started walking north about a year ago.

没有人知道为什么大约在1年前，14头亚洲象离开了中国的自然保护区，开始向北行走。

But after covering 500 kilometers, the elephants seem to be heading home.

但是在行走了500公里之后，这些大象似乎要回家了。

The elephants are protected in China. There are only about 300 in the country.

这些大象在中国受到保护。它们在全国只有300头左右。

During the year that the elephants walked, they became famous in China and around the world. They ate crops on farms. They entered buildings to find food.

在大象行走的这一年里，它们在中国和世界范围内都出名了。它们在农田吃庄稼。它们闯入房子寻找食物。

Government officials used large trucks, groups of workers and drones to watch the elephants' activities.

政府官员使用大卡车、成群工人以及无人机观察大象的活动。

The animals made it close to Kunming, a large city in Yunnan province, before turning around.

这些动物在转头回家之前快接近抵达昆明市，这是这个云南省的一个大城市。

One adult male separated from the group. He was captured and taken back to the protected nature reserve.

一头成年大象脱离了象群。它被抓获并带回到自然保护区。

By the end of the day Sunday, the elephants were still about 200 kilometers from the reserve.

到周日这天结束时，这些大象距离保护区大约还有200公里。

People who have been watching and keeping the elephants safe helped them avoid traffic. They used food to guide them toward a bridge where they could cross the Yuanjiang river.

一直在观察和保护大象安全的人士帮助他们避开了繁忙的交通。他们使用食物把大象引向一座可以通过元江的大桥。

A statement sent from the National Forestry and Grassland Administration said now that the elephants have crossed the river, they are in a safer habitat and making progress toward home.

国家林业和草原局发出的一份声明表示，现在这些大象已经过了河，它们在一个更安全的栖息地，并且正朝着回家的方向前进。