VOA慢速英语2015 城市里的玻璃建筑是鸟儿的致命杀手

 

AS IT IS 2015-01-13 Glass Buildings Are Deadly for Birds in the City 城市里的玻璃建筑是鸟儿的致命杀手

Millions of birds are killed each year in cities when they strike illuminated² buildings, especially ones covered with a lot of glass. Experts say artificial lights at night are confusing for migratory³ birds. They often collide with glass buildings -- not knowing the light is on the other side.

In response, a growing movement to save birds from such crashes has been taking place in cities across the United States.

“There is a bird here, a woodpecker.”

Lisbeth Fuisz is director of a campaign called Lights Out DC. Her team found several dead birds one morning at the base of glass buildings.

“Very beautiful. You see the red head?”

Volunteers often travel a six-kilometer path in downtown Washington, D.C. every day before sunrise. Many of the volunteers are amateur bird-watchers. They walk around the sides of buildings, collecting fallen birds before they are eaten by predators⁵ or swept away by cleaning crews. 

Lisbeth Fuisz says the area has many buildings that pose a danger to migrating birds.

“Large expanses of glass that are lit at night -- that have plants inside the building. Because the bird sees the plant in the building, it doesn’t perceive the glass and runs into the windows.  And they are attracted to the lights.”

The Lights Out DC campaign urges building owners to turn off unnecessary lights at night during peak bird migration⁶ periods, in the spring and fall. 

“These are mostly small birds. There is a lot of advantages flying at night, less predators. There is less thermal⁷ upheaval⁸ so that they can fly more easily.  There is also speculation⁹ that they navigate¹⁰ using the stars.”

The Lights Out campaign is now in its fifth year. Lisbeth Fuisz says her group is having some success. She also says one of many federal office buildings has agreed to their request.

“Since they’ve done that, we’ve seen a two-thirds reduction in the amount of bird fatalities¹¹ at that site.”

Ann Lewis is president of City Wildlife – a group that identifies dead birds through the Lights Out DC program. She says other major other cities have reported similar results.

“When they had a large campaign in Chicago to get buildings to turn off lights, the bird mortality was reduced by 80 percent there.”

This year, volunteers have collected almost 400 birds in the small area of Washington. The birds are identified, frozen and photographed.

“The purpose of collecting birds is to have proof that there is a problem.  And that is also why we photograph the birds.  In the United States, anywhere from 100 million to 1 billion birds are killed by glass collision every year.  That is sad.”

The birds are donated to the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of Natural History. Brian Schmidt is head of the museum’s bird collection.

“These specimens¹³ that we get can be used for a wide variety of studies. One example is researchers can look at carbon and nitrogen signatures and they can determine where these birds hatch, where they grow up, and why they are coming through our section of the country.”

Volunteers hope their effort will bring increased public interest in the problem, helping¹⁴ to save birds and electricity. 

Words in This Story 

illuminate¹ - v. to supply something with light; to light up

predator⁴ - n. an animal that lives by killing¹⁵ and eating other animals

pose – v. to be or create (a possible threat, danger or problem)

peak – adj. top periods

specimen¹² – n. something collected as an example of something

1 illuminate   

vt.照亮，照明；用灯光装饰；说明，阐释

参考例句：

• Dreams kindle a flame to illuminate our dark roads.梦想点燃火炬照亮我们黑暗的道路。
• They use games and drawings to illuminate their subject.他们用游戏和图画来阐明他们的主题。

2 illuminated   

adj.被照明的；受启迪的

参考例句：

• Floodlights illuminated the stadium. 泛光灯照亮了体育场。
• the illuminated city at night 夜幕中万家灯火的城市

3 migratory   

n.候鸟，迁移

参考例句：

• Many migratory birds visit this lake annually.许多候鸟每年到这个湖上作短期逗留。
• This does not negate the idea of migratory aptitude.这并没有否定迁移能力这一概念。

4 predator   

n.捕食其它动物的动物；捕食者

参考例句：

• The final part of this chapter was devoted to a brief summary of predator species.本章最后部分简要总结了食肉动物。
• Komodo dragon is the largest living lizard and a fearsome predator.科摩多龙是目前存在的最大蜥蜴，它是一种令人恐惧的捕食性动物。

5 predators   

n.食肉动物( predator的名词复数 )；奴役他人者（尤指在财务或性关系方面）

参考例句：

• birds and their earthbound predators 鸟和地面上捕食它们的动物
• The eyes of predators are highly sensitive to the slightest movement. 捕食性动物的眼睛能感觉到最细小的动静。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 migration   

n.迁移，移居，（鸟类等的）迁徙

参考例句：

• Swallows begin their migration south in autumn.燕子在秋季开始向南方迁移。
• He described the vernal migration of birds in detail.他详细地描述了鸟的春季移居。

7 thermal   

adj.热的，由热造成的；保暖的

参考例句：

• They will build another thermal power station.他们要另外建一座热能发电站。
• Volcanic activity has created thermal springs and boiling mud pools.火山活动产生了温泉和沸腾的泥浆池。

8 upheaval   

n.胀起，(地壳)的隆起；剧变，动乱

参考例句：

• It was faced with the greatest social upheaval since World War Ⅱ.它面临第二次世界大战以来最大的社会动乱。
• The country has been thrown into an upheaval.这个国家已经陷入动乱之中。

9 speculation   

n.思索，沉思；猜测；投机

参考例句：

• Her mind is occupied with speculation.她的头脑忙于思考。
• There is widespread speculation that he is going to resign.人们普遍推测他要辞职。

10 navigate   

v.航行，飞行；导航，领航

参考例句：

• He was the first man to navigate the Atlantic by air.他是第一个飞越大西洋的人。
• Such boats can navigate on the Nile.这种船可以在尼罗河上航行。

11 fatalities   

n.恶性事故( fatality的名词复数 )；死亡；致命性；命运

参考例句：

• Several people were injured, but there were no fatalities. 有几个人受伤，但没有人死亡。
• The accident resulted in fatalities. 那宗意外道致多人死亡。 来自《简明英汉词典》

12 specimen   

n.样本，标本

参考例句：

• You'll need tweezers to hold up the specimen.你要用镊子来夹这标本。
• This specimen is richly variegated in colour.这件标本上有很多颜色。

13 specimens   

n.样品( specimen的名词复数 )；范例；（化验的）抽样；某种类型的人

参考例句：

• Astronauts have brought back specimens of rock from the moon. 宇航员从月球带回了岩石标本。
• The traveler brought back some specimens of the rocks from the mountains. 那位旅行者从山上带回了一些岩石标本。 来自《简明英汉词典》

14 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。

15 killing   

n.巨额利润；突然赚大钱，发大财

参考例句：

• Investors are set to make a killing from the sell-off.投资者准备清仓以便大赚一笔。
• Last week my brother made a killing on Wall Street.上个周我兄弟在华尔街赚了一大笔。