英语词汇实用小百科 美国鲤鱼成灾

Xiaohua:To many gourmet-loving Chinese, a solution to the Asian carp invasion¹ in the US water system can be as easy as just cooking them.

A group of US fishery experts have visited China to seek help.

The experts have also inspected carp markets in Shanghai and Wuhan, and tried to explore the possibility of selling the Asian carp to Chinese customers.

日前"亚洲鲤"在美国泛滥成灾，甚至需要专门派出专家团来中国"求救"。

消息一出，中国网友纷纷支招-西湖醋鱼、红烧鲤鱼等等。

很多中国人都不甚理解水系里的鲤鱼太多为什么就难坏了美国人呢？

Is it a fish disaster really or is it as many Chinese citizens say, it's too much food?

Heyang:Well, the fact that the US government has spent hundreds of millions of dollars to prevent the spread of Asian carp, and also it has spent nearly $100 million on research in the past four years to determine ways to impede² movement and reduce carp density³ in rivers, seems to show that this is quite a big deal and it is quite a bit of a problem for the waterways and the environment in the US.

And what's quite funny is actually it was originally introduced to America to help the control of the spread of weeds and parasites⁴ in waters for these Asian carps to do that, and it seems like certainly now it's not working that well.

John:Yeah, and the thing is that we don't eat carp. It's too boney. You know we are used to eating things like beef, like chicken. Yes they might have bones, but it's quite actually to get around. It's just kind of annoying because do we go around and asking the French that "why do you eat horse?" So what about people in China that like to eat dogs It's the same thing in US-we don't like to eat certain things. So I kind of wish the Chinese would stop giving us such a hard time about this and just say "oh go eat it!" Chinese people are like to complain that the westerners are culturally insensitive. Why should I ask you to stop being so culturally insensitive?

Xiaohua:I don't think we are being culturally insensitive. Netizens are not saying "Go Americans! Eat carp!" They are saying "give some carps to us so we can eat them." They are really trying to think of solutions for the problem.

Heyang:And I don't really think that the Chinese are against Americans not eating it. It's mostly because in the news it says that the Asian carps are strong competitor of native fish species⁵ because of the invasive species' large size and rapid rate of reproduction that some of the local native fish species are seeing a dramatic⁶ drop in populations. So these Asian carps have really created quite dramatic influence on the landscape of these rivers.

Xiaohua:But I do think there are certain practical difficulties of solving this problem, even if we have the Chinese who eat carps. Because if you really export the carp to China, it's already been frozen⁷ and Chinese people don't like to eat frozen freshwater fish a lot.

John:A lot of it is imported in the form of fish balls, already. Frozen fish balls.

It would be a good idea. Fish balls, dried fish, salted fish, you know, make it into something that Chinese people like then that might solve the problem.

Heyang:But also it's really expensive after they've been imported to China. That's the major problem here that you can't really to the get the generally public to really want to buy it. But they can talk about it.

Xiaohua:What if you open up fishing, you know, a bit more? I think that could be an idea. And if you could catch carps, you can just keep them, or sell them.

Heyang:But I think this is a very good lesson that governments should learn that if you introduce something as trivial⁸ a little fish into your natural environment, geeze, it messes up the circle of life there.

John:Yeah people need to stop doing that. I think the world is pretty much learned⁹ the lesson already.

1 invasion   

n.入侵，侵略，侵犯

参考例句：

• They are ready against the possible invasion.他们防备可能的入侵。
• It is our duty to shield our country from invasion.保卫祖国不受侵犯是我们的责任。

2 impede   

v.妨碍，阻碍，阻止

参考例句：

• One shouldn't impede other's progress.一个人不应该妨碍他人进步。
• The muddy roads impede our journey.我们的旅游被泥泞的道路阻挠了。

3 density   

n.密集，密度，浓度

参考例句：

• The population density of that country is 685 per square mile.那个国家的人口密度为每平方英里685人。
• The region has a very high population density.该地区的人口密度很高。

4 parasites   

寄生物( parasite的名词复数 )； 靠他人为生的人； 诸虫

参考例句：

• These symptoms may be referable to virus infection rather than parasites. 这些症状也许是由病毒感染引起的，而与寄生虫无关。
• Kangaroos harbor a vast range of parasites. 袋鼠身上有各种各样的寄生虫。

5 species   

n.物种，种群

参考例句：

• Are we the only thinking species in the whole of creation?我们是万物中惟一有思想的物种吗？
• This species of bird now exists only in Africa.这种鸟现在只存在于非洲。

6 dramatic   

adj.引人注目的；戏剧的；演戏的

参考例句：

• She plays a very dramatic woman with flashing eyes.她饰演一位双眼闪光的引人注目的妇人。
• His speech was dramatic.他的演说激动人心。

7 frozen   

adj.冻结的，冰冻的

参考例句：

• He was frozen to death on a snowing night.在一个风雪的晚上，他被冻死了。
• The weather is cold and the ground is frozen.天寒地冻。

8 trivial   

adj.琐碎的，不重要的，无价值的

参考例句：

• Be patient.Don't lose your temper over trivial matters.忍着点，别为了一点小事发火。
• It's useless to fire away with such trivial details.喋喋不休地谈这些琐碎细节是无用的。

9 learned   

adj.有学问的，博学的；learn的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• He went into a rage when he learned about it.他听到这事后勃然大怒。
• In this little village,he passed for a learned man.在这个小村子里，他被视为有学问的人。