VOA新闻杂志2022 南佛罗里达孔雀泛滥（在线收听）

The large, colorful birds called peacocks have spent the last 20 years walking through cities in South Florida with nothing to worry about.

在过去的20年里，这种被称为孔雀的五颜六色的大鸟一直在南佛罗里达州的城市中无忧无虑地漫步。

They are protected under the law.

它们受法律保护。

However, local leaders voted recently to permit individual cities to remove the birds from unwanted areas.

然而，当地领导人最近投票允许个别城市将这种鸟从不受欢迎的地区移走。

The Miami Herald newspaper reported that cities just need to have a plan to remove the birds without killing them.

《迈阿密先驱报》报道称，城市只需要有一个计划，在不杀死这些鸟的情况下将它们移走。

Raquel Regalado is a local government leader.

拉克尔·雷加拉多是当地政府领导人。

She represents parts of the cities of Miami and Coral Gables where people want permission to remove the birds.

她代表迈阿密和科勒尔盖布尔斯两个城市的部分地区，那里的人们希望获得移走这种鸟的许可。

"Mating season is when we get the most complaints. They get very aggressive," said Regalado.

雷加拉多说：“交配季节是我们收到最多抱怨的时候。它们会变得非常好斗”。

She added the birds would do things like damage cars with their beaks.

她补充说，这种鸟会做诸如用它们的喙破坏汽车的事情。

Neighbors often disagree over what to do with the peacocks.

邻居们经常在如何处理孔雀的问题上意见不一。

About two years ago, people who live in the Miami neighborhood of Coconut Grove asked city leaders to remove a large group of peacocks.

大约两年前，住在迈阿密椰子林社区的人们要求市领导移走一大群孔雀。

The birds caused damage and left piles of waste in the streets.

这些鸟造成了破坏，在街道上留下了成堆的排泄物。

They called the birds "filthy and dirty."

他们说这种鸟“肮脏”。

But others liked seeing the unusual birds and thought it made their neighborhood look different, in a good way.

但其他人喜欢看到这种不同寻常的鸟，并认为这会让他们的社区看起来与众不同。

Danielle Cohen Higgins represents the Palmetto Bay area.

丹妮尔·科恩·希金斯代表棕榈湾地区。

She said her neighbors do not want to see the birds harmed.

她说，她的邻居不想看到这种鸟受到伤害。

They see the birds as part of the community.

他们把这种鸟看作是社区的一部分。

"We learn to live with these peacocks," she said.

她说：“我们要学会和这些孔雀一起生活”。

Peacocks are not native to South Florida.

孔雀并非是南佛罗里达州土生土长的鸟类。

They originally come from Sri Lanka and other parts of Asia as well as Africa.

它们最初来自斯里兰卡和亚洲其他地区以及非洲。

They can be seen in zoos and places that display foreign animals.

在动物园和展示外国动物的地方可以看到它们。

The birds have been protected from killing or capturing in South Florida for about 20 years.

大约20年来，南佛罗里达州一直在保护这种鸟不被捕杀。

The rule was put in place because people in the area wanted to save a group of peacocks.

该地区之所以实施这项规定，是因为该地区的人们想拯救一群孔雀。

But now the birds live freely in parts of Florida and they are not uncommon.

但现在这种鸟在佛罗里达州的部分地区自由生活，它们并不罕见。

It is hard to find zoos that want them while state laws prevent non-native species like peacocks from being released in the wild.

很难找到想要它们的动物园，而州法律禁止将孔雀等非本土物种放生到野外。

Kathy Labrada works with Miami-Dade Animal Services.

凯西·拉布拉达在迈阿密-戴德动物服务中心工作。

She said she has not yet found a zoo that wants to take the peacocks.

她说，她还没有找到想要带走孔雀的动物园。

If no zoo will accept the birds, Labrada added, they might have to be killed in a process known as euthanasia.

拉布拉达补充说，如果没有动物园接受这种鸟，它们可能不得不在一个被称为安乐死的过程中被杀死。

The Miami Herald newspaper reported that Regalado first wanted to remove the protection for the birds completely, but other local leaders resisted.

《迈阿密先驱报》报道称，雷加拉多最初想完全取消对这种鸟的保护，但其他地方领导人表示反对。

Oliver Gilbert, another local leader, asked, "Are we talking about sentencing peacocks to death now?"

另一位当地领导人奥利弗·吉尔伯特问道：“我们现在是在讨论判处孔雀死刑吗？”

In a close vote, the local leaders finally agreed to let cities come up with a plan to deal with the birds.

在势均力敌的投票中，当地领导人最终同意让各城市提出处理这种鸟的计划。

Regalado said the problem now will be to decide where to put the peacocks.

雷加拉多说，现在的问题是决定把孔雀放在哪里。

"This really is not about killing," she said. "This is about moving."

“这真的与杀戮无关，”她说。“这与移走孔雀有关。”