VOA常速英语2007-Australia Goes Online to Fight Japanese Whalers

By Phil Mercer
Sydney
10 October 2007

Australia has taken its battle against Japanese whaling in the Antarctic online with a new YouTube campaign. Australia has been a fierce critic of Japan's plans to hunt 50 humpback whales in the Antarctic in the coming months. From Sydney, Phil Mercer reports.

Australia's anti-whaling film clip accuses Japan of using its scientific whaling program as a cover for commercial hunting.

The film has been posted on the popular video-sharing Web site YouTube and it aims to reach Japanese children.

It features video of humpback whales frolicking in the sea and Australia's Environment Minister Malcolm Turnbull interviewing Australian children who oppose Japan's whaling program.

Turnbull narrates¹ the film clip, which is sub-titled in Japanese.

"Can you imagine what life on Earth would be like without these magnificent creatures? Hundreds of years of whaling have nearly wiped them out," said Turnbull. "Action by our government and other nations has secured a global ban on commercial whaling and whale populations are now slowly recovering but there's still whaling going on - often under the pretext² of scientific research. And we urge all countries, especially our friends in Japan, to bring their whaling programs to an end."

Japanese whale hunters plan to capture 50 humpback whales in the Antarctic in the coming months.

The endangered mammals are migrating south along the Australian coast, attracting thousands of whale watchers.

Japan also plans to kill 935 minke whales for what it calls scientific research.

Tokyo argues that its whaling program helps in the understanding of whale stocks as well as the health of the fragile Antarctic environment.

The International Whaling Commission, of which Japan is a member, banned commercial whaling more than 20 years ago, in an effort to allow stocks to rebuild. Japan, however, argued against the ban, saying whaling was a long tradition in the country and whale meat a key part of the Japanese diet. The whales that Japanese boats hunt each year are sold for consumption after scientists study them.

Opponents of this annual hunt plan to take legal action to stop Japan from operating in Australia's Antarctic Whale Sanctuary³.

The government in Canberra, however, thinks lawsuits⁴ will be futile⁵, as the sanctuary is not recognized by other nations.

Japan's fisheries agency has challenged its critics to take their cases to the International Court of Justice in The Hague.

The Australian government hopes public pressure will be more effective in its anti-whaling fight. Environmental groups are adopting similar tactics.

Greenpeace is using an animated⁶ film in Japan, which also features school children, to get its anti-whaling message across.

1 narrates   

v.故事( narrate的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• It narrates the unconstitutional acts of James II. 它历数了詹姆斯二世的违法行为。 来自辞典例句
• Chapter three narrates the economy activity which Jew return the Occident. 第三章讲述了犹太人重返西欧后的经济活动。 来自互联网

2 pretext   

n.借口，托词

参考例句：

• He used his headache as a pretext for not going to school.他借口头疼而不去上学。
• He didn't attend that meeting under the pretext of sickness.他以生病为借口，没参加那个会议。

3 sanctuary   

n.圣所，圣堂，寺庙；禁猎区，保护区

参考例句：

• There was a sanctuary of political refugees behind the hospital.医院后面有一个政治难民的避难所。
• Most countries refuse to give sanctuary to people who hijack aeroplanes.大多数国家拒绝对劫机者提供庇护。

4 lawsuits   

n.诉讼( lawsuit的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Lawsuits involving property rights and farming and grazing rights increased markedly. 涉及财产权，耕作与放牧权的诉讼案件显著地增加。 来自辞典例句
• I've lost and won more lawsuits than any man in England. 全英国的人算我官司打得最多，赢的也多，输的也多。 来自辞典例句

5 futile   

adj.无效的，无用的，无希望的

参考例句：

• They were killed,to the last man,in a futile attack.因为进攻失败，他们全部被杀，无一幸免。
• Their efforts to revive him were futile.他们对他抢救无效。

6 animated   

adj.生气勃勃的，活跃的，愉快的

参考例句：

• His observations gave rise to an animated and lively discussion.他的言论引起了一场气氛热烈而活跃的讨论。
• We had an animated discussion over current events last evening.昨天晚上我们热烈地讨论时事。