国家地理-2008-08-18 退田护河

Transcript¹ by myconsent (special thanks to fionainnicemood)

Out of the Blue Ridge² Mountains in northwest Georgia, the cold waters of the Conasauga River descend³ toward Tennessee.

 Flowing back and forth⁴ across the state line, the River's abundant wildlife and unspoiled beauty is a remnant of the past--a fading memory that Carton Petty wants to restore.

 "I found out it phased out. Take care of the land and it’ll take care of you."

 It break, (if) you didn't.

 Petty purchased this land several years ago to grow corn and raise dairy cattle. Today, his farm covers more than 7,000 acres, 170 of them along the Conasauga. To preserve the beauty of the river and his property, Petty has built buffer⁵ zones--dedicated strips of land to stop chemicals he spreads on his crops from running into the river, and to prevent bank erosion.

 "Yep, this, this is just the new buffer we put in and it just, They were sold  in November. And it’ll take about a year for you to get established good. "

 Buffers are an idea from the Conservation Reserve Program--a United States Department of Agriculture backed initiative that brings landowners, local alliances, and other government agencies together. Nevertheless, keeping an old river like this one healthy in a modern world is difficult.

 Beneath the surface of these waters, a pollutant⁶ is killing⁷ one of its oldest residents --a rare kind of mussel（贻贝）. And no one knows exactly where it is coming from.

 "This animal's, probably, 20 to 30 years old... "

 Paul Johnson with the Tennessee Aquarium⁸ has the task of figuring out how to preserve the mussels and help them reproduce.

 "This animal’s called... Its scientific name is Cora-bean Hellene. Its common name is the Georgia Pigtail. It was believed to be extinct, then we found this species alive in the Conasauga River, and as far as we know, Conasauga is the sole river that contains this species"

 It is a race against time. As long as they cannot figure out what is killing the mussels, that something poses a threat to the whole river.

 While the work goes on, the Petties will keep doing their part.

 "It's lucky we got something special here with the Conasauga. So, I think we all well understand and start to realize that. And we're trying to do the appropriate steps to keep it a clean and beautiful view."

1 transcript   

n.抄本，誊本，副本，肄业证书

参考例句：

• A transcript of the tapes was presented as evidence in court.一份录音带的文字本作为证据被呈交法庭。
• They wouldn't let me have a transcript of the interview.他们拒绝给我一份采访的文字整理稿。

2 ridge   

n.山脊；鼻梁；分水岭

参考例句：

• We clambered up the hillside to the ridge above.我们沿着山坡费力地爬上了山脊。
• The infantry were advancing to attack the ridge.步兵部队正在向前挺进攻打山脊。

3 descend   

vt./vi.传下来，下来，下降

参考例句：

• I hope the grace of God would descend on me.我期望上帝的恩惠。
• We're not going to descend to such methods.我们不会沦落到使用这种手段。

4 forth   

adv.向前；向外，往外

参考例句：

• The wind moved the trees gently back and forth.风吹得树轻轻地来回摇晃。
• He gave forth a series of works in rapid succession.他很快连续发表了一系列的作品。

5 buffer   

n.起缓冲作用的人(或物)，缓冲器；vt.缓冲

参考例句：

• A little money can be a useful buffer in time of need.在急需时，很少一点钱就能解燃眉之急。
• Romantic love will buffer you against life's hardships.浪漫的爱会减轻生活的艰辛。

6 pollutant   

n.污染物质，散布污染物质者

参考例句：

• Coal itself is a heavy pollutant.煤本身就是一种严重的污染物。
• Carbon dioxide may not be a typical air pollutant.二氧化碳可能不是一种典型的污染物。

7 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。

8 aquarium   

n.水族馆，养鱼池，玻璃缸

参考例句：

• The first time I saw seals was in an aquarium.我第一次看见海豹是在水族馆里。
• I'm going to the aquarium with my parents this Sunday.这个星期天，我要和父母一起到水族馆去。