时差N小时 过度捕鲸的危害超乎想象!(上)

Until recently, when scientists studied changes in open-ocean ecosystems¹,

直到最近，当科学家们在研究开放海洋生态系统的变化时，

they looked at changes in the bottom of the food chain that gradually make their way to the top, like food shortages and shifts in the ocean environment.

他们观察了位于食物链最底层且不断上升的生物的变化，例如食物短缺、海洋环境变化。

A recent study, however, suggests that more attention needs to be given to top-down influences as well.

然而，最近一项调查显示，人们还应该更加关注（食物链）自上而下的影响。

For example, over the past few decades, there's been a major collapse² of the populations of harbor seals, fur seals, sea lions, and sea otters³ living on the coasts of western Alaska.

例如，在过去的几十年里，生活在阿拉斯加西海岸的斑海豹、海狗、海狮和海獭数量锐减。

Now a new study suggests that all this destruction can be traced back to humans overfishing sperm⁴ and baleen⁵ whales between 1946 and 1979.

现在，一项新的调查显示，所有的这些毁坏皆可归咎于人类在1946年到1979年间过度捕捞抹香鲸和须鲸。

1 ecosystems   

n.生态系统( ecosystem的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• There are highly sensitive and delicately balanced ecosystems in the forest. 森林里有高度敏感、灵敏平衡的各种生态系统。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Madagascar's ecosystems range from rainforest to semi-desert. 马达加斯加生态系统类型多样，从雨林到半荒漠等不一而足。 来自辞典例句

2 collapse   

vi.累倒；昏倒；倒塌；塌陷

参考例句：

• The country's economy is on the verge of collapse.国家的经济已到了崩溃的边缘。
• The engineer made a complete diagnosis of the bridge's collapse.工程师对桥的倒塌做了一次彻底的调查分析。

3 otters   

n.（水）獭( otter的名词复数 )；獭皮

参考例句：

• An attempt is being made to entice otters back to the river. 人们正试图把水獭引诱回河里去。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Otters are believed to have been on Earth for 90 million years. 水獭被认为存活在地球上已经9千多万年。 来自互联网

4 sperm   

n.精子，精液

参考例句：

• Only one sperm fertilises an egg.只有一个精子使卵子受精。
• In human reproduction,one female egg is usually fertilized by one sperm.在人体生殖过程中，一个精子使一个卵子受精。

5 baleen   

n.鲸须

参考例句：

• Other baleen whales have splash guards too,but not like this.一些须鲸物种头顶也有护住喷水孔的构造，但并不长成这样。
• Baleen whales often appear in this region. Be careful!这一带经常有须鲸出没，要注意安全啊。