2007年VOA标准英语-Asian Elephants Find Oasis in Florida

By Yi Suli
Polk County, Florida
14 August 2007
 

Asian elephant at the Center for Elephant Conservation

The Asian elephant is believed to be one of the most intelligent animals on Earth. It is also one of the most endangered. But a sanctuary¹ in the southern state of Florida is hoping to save this large animal and ensure its existence for generations to come. For producer Yi Suli, VOA's Elaine Lu has more on the Center for Elephant Conservation.

Asian elephants have been featured performers in the world famous Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus for close to 140 years. Adam Murdoch is an animal handler with the circus. "A lot of people come to the circus in order to see the elephants. So whenever they see them, in the show or the pre-show, they already had an appreciation² for them," he says.

Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Baily Circus

Janice Aria³, manager of animal stewardship⁴ for Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus, says the Asian elephants were first added to the endangered species list three decades ago.  "It is a very grave situation. They estimated there are only 35,000 to 50,000 remaining in the wild. And the situation in the wild gets more grave each year for the elephants. There is tremendous economic development in their range countries. Unfortunately, the elephants don't fit in."

Janice Aria

This is where Feld Entertainment, the company that owns the circus, stepped in. They created a place dedicated⁵ to the conservation, breeding, and care of Asian elephants.  The Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Center for Elephant Conservation was established in 1995.  When elephants finish their circus careers, they retire to this 81 hectare, $5 million facility to live out their lives under expert care. Bruce Read is a Vice⁶ President of Ringling Brothers & Barnum & Bailey Circus. "Our elephants are all valued in the circus as well as the CEC [Center for Elephant Conservation]. We spend on average $62,000 annually⁷ for the care and management of every elephant that we own."

The highly trained staff cares for the Center's 30 elephants seven days a week. In the morning, the elephant’s wake up to some morning exercise, and then animal handler Trudy Williams gives them showers and feeds them.  "This is basically the daily diet of our elephants. Each one of these bales of oat hay is about 125 pounds (57 kilograms). Then there is roughly 12 pounds (5 kilograms) of carrots here. And they get a small portion of 5 pounds (2 kilograms) of timothy hay"

Bruce Reid

Michael Hayward, another animal handler at the Center, says the staff really invests a lot emotionally. "I have (a) father, teacher type relationship with them. I spend so much time with them. I know their personalities⁸, what they like, what their favorite foods are."

Bruce Reid says preserving the Asian elephant is an important mission at the Center. "Really, the largest breeding herd⁹ in North America. It works toward self-sustaining as a captive population."

The Center has also become a hub for Asian elephant study.  Researchers from around the world come here to better understand the giant mammal. Trudy Williams believes there is nothing better than retiring to Florida to bathe in such care and attention. "If I were an elephant, I would want to live here."

1 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。

2 appreciation   

n.评价；欣赏；感谢；领会，理解；价格上涨

参考例句：

• I would like to express my appreciation and thanks to you all.我想对你们所有人表达我的感激和谢意。
• I'll be sending them a donation in appreciation of their help.我将送给他们一笔捐款以感谢他们的帮助。

3 aria   

n.独唱曲，咏叹调

参考例句：

• This song takes off from a famous aria.这首歌仿效一首著名的咏叹调。
• The opera was marred by an awkward aria.整部歌剧毁在咏叹调部分的不够熟练。

4 stewardship   

n. n. 管理工作；管事人的职位及职责

参考例句：

• The organization certainly prospered under his stewardship. 不可否认，这个组织在他的管理下兴旺了起来。
• Last, but certainly not least, are the issues of stewardship and ethics. 最后，但当然不是微不足道的，是工作和道德规范的问题。

5 dedicated   

adj.一心一意的；献身的；热诚的

参考例句：

• He dedicated his life to the cause of education.他献身于教育事业。
• His whole energies are dedicated to improve the design.他的全部精力都放在改进这项设计上了。

6 vice   

n.坏事；恶习；[pl.]台钳，老虎钳；adj.副的

参考例句：

• He guarded himself against vice.他避免染上坏习惯。
• They are sunk in the depth of vice.他们堕入了罪恶的深渊。

7 annually   

adv.一年一次，每年

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。
• They celebrate their wedding anniversary annually.他们每年庆祝一番结婚纪念日。

8 personalities   

n. 诽谤，（对某人容貌、性格等所进行的）人身攻击； 人身攻击；人格, 个性, 名人( personality的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• There seemed to be a degree of personalities in her remarks.她话里有些人身攻击的成分。
• Personalities are not in good taste in general conversation.在一般的谈话中诽谤他人是不高尚的。

9 herd   

n.兽群，牧群；vt.使集中，把…赶在一起

参考例句：

• She drove the herd of cattle through the wilderness.她赶着牛群穿过荒野。
• He had no opinions of his own but simply follow the herd.他从无主见，只是人云亦云。