环球英语 — 82：Community Based Tourism

　　Voice 1
Hello. I’m Mike Procter.
Voice 2
And I’m Marina Santee. Welcome to Spotlight¹. This programme uses a special English method of broadcasting. It is easier for people to understand, no matter where in the world they live.
Voice 1
A bird’s cry fills the night air. It is a sound that local people know well. And it fills them with fear. It belongs to an owl². This large bird sleeps during the day. And at night, it begins to hunt. It is hard to see the owl’s brown and black wings in the dark. The owl watches from the tall tree tops. It can turn its head two hundred and seventy degrees in each direction! Its huge orange eyes see its next meal. The small creatures below do not have much chance. Rabbits and rats make the perfect meal. It is clear why the owl’s cry makes small creatures afraid. But, why does it frighten people?
Voice 2
Throughout³ history, owls⁴ have represented⁶ many things - fear, death, knowledge. The native people of North America were afraid of owls. They believed that the spirits of dead people lived in these birds. The ancient Greeks⁷ were also afraid of owls. The Greeks believed in many gods. One of these was Athene. She was the goddess of darkness. And they chose an owl to represent⁵ her. Ancient Greeks believed that owls were a sign that evil⁸ was coming. As time passed, these negative ideas became part of normal life.
Voice 1
Many countries around the world have old stories about owls. There may be one in your country.
Voice 3
In Afghanistan people say that the owl gave man tools to make fire. In return, man gave the owl its feathers. These feathers cover its body and keep it warm.
Voice 1
There is a traditional saying in North India.
Voice 3
If you eat the eyes of an owl, you can see in the dark.
Voice 1
This owl story is from the top of the world, the Arctic⁹.
Voice 3
An evil person changed a little girl into a bird. She was very frightened. The little girl started to fly around. She hit a wall. The wall flattened¹⁰ her face. This is how the owl was created.
Voice 1
An old story from Poland tells why owls come out at night;
Voice 3
People thought owls were beautiful birds. The other birds did not like this. They attacked the owls. So the owls only came out at night.
And finally, in Kenya you may hear an owl sing. This is not good. It is a sign that something bad will happen. It can be a sign of death! Throw salt into the fire. This will stop anything bad happening to you.
Voice 2
For many years people have believed such invented stories about owls. This has led to fear and strange traditions about the birds. However, not everyone believes these stories. In fact, one man in Kenya is going against the traditional thinking in his country. He is working with owls.
Voice 1
Paul Murithi lives in Kiawara village near Mount¹¹ Kenya. He has no fear of owls. He has a great interest in the birds. He says,
Voice 4
‘I saw these birds in the trees. And I was interested to know more about them. I often used to hear these owls hoot¹². And not one person in my family died or anything like that.’
Voice 2
Paul has been working with owls for over five years. The owls live in a forest near his home. Paul feeds and protects them. He has turned this part of the forest into a safe, protected environment - a ‘sanctuary¹³.’
Voice 1
People pay money to visit the sanctuary. Paul has put signs on the main road for visitors. Foreign visitors, or tourists, pay more than a dollar to look at the owls. And the tourists also gain from Paul’s knowledge of them. But Paul does not ask the local people to pay. He wants them to see the birds and know their value. So what do the local people think of Paul’s owl sanctuary? One woman said,
Voice 5
‘We think it will bring development to the area, tourists will come here.’
Voice 2
The local authorities¹⁴ share this opinion. But not everyone is in support of the sanctuary. Another local woman said,
Voice 3
‘If someone dies, the owls cry a lot. I just do not like it.’
Voice 1
She has asked Paul to stop his work. Paul’s job is not easy. He is fighting years of traditional thinking. But he is not giving up. No harm has come to him. And his sanctuary is bringing tourists to the area. Local people can see the effects for themselves. Hopefully this will fight the fears from traditional thinking. As far as Paul is concerned, the future can only be good. Local authorities are in support of the sanctuary. This “Community Based Tourism” may be the way forward.
Voice 2
Doctor Kagagi is the chief of Kenya’s Tourism Trust Fund¹⁵. The Tourism Trust Fund provides money for tourism projects in Kenya. Doctor Kagagi says,
Voice 4
“Community-based tourism is offering¹⁶ a new chance to people in Kenya. We want to develop new ways for visitors to enjoy our country.”
Voice 1
Doctor Kagagi wants communities in Kenya to start local tourism projects. He hopes this will bring more visitors to the country. This is important for Kenya’s economy¹⁷. The country depends on the tourism industry for over twelve percent [12%] of its financial income.
Voice 2
Normally¹⁸ people visit Kenya to see wild animals or to enjoy swimming in the sea. But many visitors want more. They want to learn about Kenya’s culture. They want to know what it is like to live there. What traditions do Kenyans have? What do they believe? What kind of food do they eat? Some people especially want to learn about the ecology¹⁹ of Kenya. They want to know how some rare²⁰ kinds of plants and animals are protected.
Voice 1
Paul Murithi’s owl project is a great example of how community based tourism can work. It brings tourists to the area. This helps the local economy. But these tourists are also interested in the local environment. They want to see how Paul cares for the owls. The visitors can also learn about what local people think of Paul’s bird sanctuary. They may hear stories about owls, and why some people do not like them. The visitors may tell some owl stories from their countries. This can help people from different cultures to understand each other better.
 

1 spotlight   

n.公众注意的中心，聚光灯，探照灯，视听，注意，醒目

参考例句：

• This week the spotlight is on the world of fashion.本周引人瞩目的是时装界。
• The spotlight followed her round the stage.聚光灯的光圈随着她在舞台上转。

2 owl   

n.猫头鹰，枭

参考例句：

• Her new glasses make her look like an owl.她的新眼镜让她看上去像只猫头鹰。
• I'm a night owl and seldom go to bed until after midnight.我睡得很晚，经常半夜后才睡觉。

3 throughout   

adv.到处，自始至终；prep.遍及，贯穿

参考例句：

• These magazines are sold at bookstores throughout the country.这些杂志在全国各地书店均有发售。
• Guilin is known throughout the world for its scenery.桂林以山水著称于世。

4 owls   

n.猫头鹰( owl的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• 'Clumsy fellows,'said I; 'they must still be drunk as owls.' “这些笨蛋，”我说，“他们大概还醉得像死猪一样。” 来自英汉文学 - 金银岛
• The great majority of barn owls are reared in captivity. 大多数仓鸮都是笼养的。 来自辞典例句

5 represent   

vt.表现，表示；描绘，讲述；代表，象征；回忆；再赠送，再上演；vi.提出异议

参考例句：

• I'll represent to him the risk he is running.我要向他指出他所面临的险境。
• We selected her to represent us.我们选她作为我们的代表。

6 represented   

v.表现( represent的过去式和过去分词 )；代表；体现；作为…的代表

参考例句：

• The number 107 is represented in hexadecimal as 6B. 107这个数用十六进制表示为6B。
• Women are under-represented at senior levels in business. 商界高层的女性代表不足。

7 Greeks   

希腊人( Greek的名词复数 )； 希腊语； 对我来说太难懂了； 像天书一样

参考例句：

• The ancient Greeks sacrificed lambs or calves before engaging in battle. 古希腊人在打仗前用羊和小牛作祭品。
• Troy was besieged by the Greeks for ten years. 特洛伊城被希腊人围攻了十年。

8 evil   

n.邪恶，不幸，罪恶；adj.邪恶的，不幸的，有害的，诽谤的

参考例句：

• We pray to God to deliver us from evil.我们祈求上帝把我们从罪恶中拯救出来。
• Love of money is the root of all evil.爱钱是邪恶的根源。

9 Arctic   

adj.北极的；n.北极

参考例句：

• They flew over the unlimited reaches of the Arctic.他们飞过了茫茫无边的北极上空。
• The sort of animal lived in the Arctic Circle.这种动物生活在北极圈里。

10 flattened   

[医]（水）平扁的，弄平的

参考例句：

• She flattened her nose and lips against the window. 她把鼻子和嘴唇紧贴着窗户。
• I flattened myself against the wall to let them pass. 我身体紧靠着墙让他们通过。

11 mount   

n.山峰，乘用马，框，衬纸；vi.增长，骑上（马）；vt.提升，爬上，装备

参考例句：

• Their debts continued to mount up.他们的债务不断增加。
• She is the first woman who steps on the top of Mount Jolmo Lungma.她是第一个登上珠穆朗玛峰的女人。

12 hoot   

n.鸟叫声，汽车的喇叭声； v.使汽车鸣喇叭

参考例句：

• The sudden hoot of a whistle broke into my thoughts.突然响起的汽笛声打断了我的思路。
• In a string of shrill hoot of the horn sound,he quickly ran to her.在一串尖声鸣叫的喇叭声中，他快速地跑向她。

13 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。

14 authorities   

n.当局，权力，权威；权威( authority的名词复数 )；权力；学术权威；[复数]当权者

参考例句：

• They interceded with the authorities on behalf of the detainees. 他们为被拘留者向当局求情。
• At his instigation we conceal the fact from the authorities. 我们受他的怂恿向当局隐瞒了事实。 来自《简明英汉词典》

15 fund   

n.基金，资金，存款，财源，贮藏；vt.提供资金，积累

参考例句：

• They decided to set up a fund for this purpose.他们决定为此专立一项基金。
• This fund may not be drawn on without permission.这笔钱非经批准不得动用。

16 offering   

n.提供，奉献物，牲礼

参考例句：

• What is your competition offering?你的竞争者提出的条件是什么？
• The police are offering a big reward for information about the robbery.警方出大笔赏金要求提供那起抢劫案的破案线索。

17 economy   

n.经济；节俭；秩序；机体

参考例句：

• We must do our best to develop the national economy.我们必须努力发展国民经济。
• The country's economy is not very healthy.国家的经济不很景气。

18 normally   

adv.正常地，通常地

参考例句：

• I normally do all my shopping on Saturdays.我通常在星期六买东西。
• My pulse beats normally.我脉搏正常。

19 ecology   

n.生态学，社会生态学；

参考例句：

• To keep ecology in balance is our duty.保持生态平衡是我们的职责。
• She is an expert on the ecology of wetlands.她是一个湿地生态学方面的专家。

20 rare   

adj.稀罕的，罕有的，珍贵的，稀薄的，半熟的，非常的；adv.非常

参考例句：

• It is rare to see a man over 160 years old.很少见到一个人能活到160岁。
• The zoo has a lot of rare animals in it.这个动物园有许多珍奇的动物。