国家地理-2008-10-25 温室效应帮上忙？

Transcript¹ (by myconsent)

--for reference only

 

Climate change is normally bad news for endangered species, but in the case of Australia’s Grey Nurse Shark, some scientists suggest it might actually help their fight for survival.

 

The Grey Nurse Shark is one of Australia’s most critically endangered species. A survey in 2002 estimated there were fewer than 500 in the critically endangered population living off the country's east coast. On the west coast, they are vulnerable but not yet endangered. Australia’s two Grey Nurse Shark populations have been isolated² from each other for more than 100,000 years. Until now the waters separating the two populations have been too cold for the sharks to come into contact with each other. But as temperatures rise due to global warming, warmer waters could result in the sharks inhabiting the same areas. If the shark populations unite, the extinction³ risk may be reduced

 

Suddenly you’re gonna get an influx⁴ of new genes⁵ coming into the population which means that they perhaps won't be as susceptible⁶ to disease outbreaks, etc. In addition to that, of course the population, as a whole, grows.

 

But experts remain concerned about other environmental threats to the sharks, like commercial and recreational fisheries, ecotourism, overfishing for their fins⁷, the aquarium⁸ trade and beach meshing⁹.

 

“On the long term, climate change may be lending a helping¹⁰ hand to the survival of Grey Nurse Sharks, but we can’t have made sure if they get there first, and that means solving the near term management problems. And the greatest near term threat is the capture of them--the sharks on hooks.”

 

Grey Nurse Sharks became one of the first protected sharks in the world when New South Wales, Australia declared them a protected species in 1984. They are now also safeguarded by fishing legislation in at least four sites in southeast Queensland.

 

influx:涌入

susceptible [sə'septəbl]:容易受到感染的

fishery:渔场

beach meshing:为了保护在海里的游泳者，人们划出区域阻拦鲨鱼接近。鲨鱼会被捕捉并杀死在网里。

 

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 isolated   

adj.与世隔绝的

参考例句：

• His bad behaviour was just an isolated incident. 他的不良行为只是个别事件。
• Patients with the disease should be isolated. 这种病的患者应予以隔离。

3 extinction   

n.熄灭，消亡，消灭，灭绝，绝种

参考例句：

• The plant is now in danger of extinction.这种植物现在有绝种的危险。
• The island's way of life is doomed to extinction.这个岛上的生活方式注定要消失。

4 influx   

n.流入，注入

参考例句：

• The country simply cannot absorb this influx of refugees.这个国家实在不能接纳这么多涌入的难民。
• Textile workers favoured protection because they feared an influx of cheap cloth.纺织工人拥护贸易保护措施，因为他们担心涌入廉价纺织品。

5 genes   

n.基因( gene的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• You have good genes from your parents, so you should live a long time. 你从父母那儿获得优良的基因，所以能够活得很长。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Differences will help to reveal the functions of the genes. 它们间的差异将会帮助我们揭开基因多种功能。 来自英汉非文学 - 生命科学 - 生物技术的世纪

6 susceptible   

adj.过敏的，敏感的；易动感情的，易受感动的

参考例句：

• Children are more susceptible than adults.孩子比成人易受感动。
• We are all susceptible to advertising.我们都易受广告的影响。

7 fins   

[医]散热片；鱼鳍；飞边；鸭掌

参考例句：

• The level of TNF-α positively correlated with BMI,FPG,HbA1C,TG,FINS and IRI,but not with SBP and DBP. TNF-α水平与BMI、FPG、HbA1C、TG、FINS和IRI呈显著正相关，与SBP、DBP无相关。 来自互联网
• Fins are a feature specific to fish. 鱼鳍是鱼类特有的特征。 来自辞典例句

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。

9 meshing   

结网，啮合

参考例句：

• The modification of gear is a principal method for improving performance meshing. 齿面修形是提高齿轮副啮合性能的重要手段。
• Exact modeling of gear teeth is based on meshing theory. 摘要根据齿轮啮合原理，建立了轮齿的精确齿形。

10 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。