VOA常速英语2007年-Australia to Get Tough With Japanese Whalers

By Phil Mercer
Sydney
19 December 2007

Australia says it intends to send planes and a customs ship to monitor Japanese whalers off Antarctica. The government says the surveillance mission will collect video and other evidence that could be used in any legal action aimed at stopping Japan's whaling program, which Tokyo insists is only for scientific research. From Sydney, Phil Mercer reports.

 

The Japanese say their annual whale hunt, which has been increased again this year, is purely¹ for scientific research. Anti-whaling activists², along with a number of governments, are not buying it.

Now Australia's new foreign minister, Stephen Smith, has stated bluntly and loudly what others have been saying for years: this is a case of the slaughter³ of whales, and not scientific research.

The Australians say they are sending an unarmed ship to shadow Japan's whaling fleet in the Southern Ocean this hunting season. Aerial patrols will also take part in the surveillance.

The government says any evidence it gathers could be used to mount an international court challenge against Japanese whaling.

In addition, Canberra says it will lead a group of anti-whaling nations in lodging⁴ a formal protest with the Japanese authorities within the next few days.

Foreign Minister Smith says the government intends to keep up the pressure on Tokyo.

"We will up our activity in the International Whaling Commission to seek to use our voice in the International Whaling Commission to bring an end to the so-called 'scientific whaling,'" he said. " The government is considering pursuing international legal action against the Japanese whaling."

In 2005, Japan more than doubled the size of its annual catch, to 935 minke whales. This season it says it also plans to catch 50 fin⁵ whales and - for the first time in 40 years - its hunters will also target 50 humpbacks.

The Japanese fleet set sail for Antarctic waters in mid-November, even as the United States, Britain, Australia and New Zealand denounced the increased quotas⁶.

Environmentalists have welcomed Australia's decision to increase surveillance of the whale hunt. Steve Shallhorn of Greenpeace says the government's stance will put added pressure on Tokyo.

"It will send a very strong message to Japan that Australia and Australians are very concerned about continued illegal whaling in the Southern Ocean whaling sanctuary," he said.

Greenpeace says it will also continue it program of harassing⁷ the Japanese whalers. The Greenpeace ship Esperanza has left the New Zealand city of Auckland for Antarctic waters. Its crew says it is determined⁸ to find the Japanese fleet and disrupt its activities, as Greenpeace members did last year.

1 purely   

adv.纯粹地，完全地

参考例句：

• I helped him purely and simply out of friendship.我帮他纯粹是出于友情。
• This disproves the theory that children are purely imitative.这证明认为儿童只会单纯地模仿的理论是站不住脚的。

2 activists   

n.（政治活动的）积极分子，活动家( activist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• His research work was attacked by animal rights activists . 他的研究受到了动物权益维护者的抨击。
• Party activists with lower middle class pedigrees are numerous. 党的激进分子中有很多出身于中产阶级下层。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 slaughter   

n.屠杀，屠宰；vt.屠杀，宰杀

参考例句：

• I couldn't stand to watch them slaughter the cattle.我不忍看他们宰牛。
• Wholesale slaughter was carried out in the name of progress.大规模的屠杀在维护进步的名义下进行。

4 lodging   

n.寄宿，住所；(大学生的)校外宿舍

参考例句：

• The bill is inclusive of the food and lodging. 账单包括吃、住费用。
• Where can you find lodging for the night? 你今晚在哪里借宿?

5 fin   

n.鳍；(飞机的)安定翼

参考例句：

• They swim using a small fin on their back.它们用背上的小鳍游动。
• The aircraft has a long tail fin.那架飞机有一个长长的尾翼。

6 quotas   

（正式限定的）定量( quota的名词复数 )； 定额； 指标； 摊派

参考例句：

• In fulfilling the production quotas, John made rings round all his fellow workers. 约翰完成生产定额大大超过他的同事们。
• Quotas of the means of production are allocated by the higher administrative bodies to the lower ones. 物资指标按隶属关系分配。

7 harassing   

v.侵扰，骚扰( harass的现在分词 )；不断攻击（敌人）

参考例句：

• The court ordered him to stop harassing his ex-wife. 法庭命令他不得再骚扰前妻。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• It was too close to be merely harassing fire. 打得这么近，不能完全是扰乱射击。 来自辞典例句

8 determined   

adj.坚定的；有决心的

参考例句：

• I have determined on going to Tibet after graduation.我已决定毕业后去西藏。
• He determined to view the rooms behind the office.他决定查看一下办公室后面的房间。