VOA常速英语2016--为候鸟营造一片家园（在线收听）

为候鸟营造一片家园

The skies of North America today provide the backdrop for celebrating a century of conservation of one group of Earth's most treasured animals: migratory birds.

On August 16, 1916, the United States and Great Britain (on behalf of Canada) signed the first Migratory Bird Treaty (known in Canada as a Convention) to protect these shared natural resources. The treaty was the first international agreement forged to protect wild birds and among the first to protect any wildlife species.

The Migratory Bird Treaty is the foundation for significant achievements in bird conservation that followed, with both nations enacting statutes to implement its provisions. In 1917, the Canadian Parliament passed the Migratory Bird Convention Act. In 1918, the U.S. Congress followed suit, passing the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. In subsequent years, the United States signed similar treaties with Mexico (1936), Japan (1972), and Russia (1976).

Migrating cranes

“Our two countries' conservation efforts have yielded real results, especially for waterfowl populations. I am proud of the work we have done, but as the recent release of The State of North America's Birds report has shown, we have a challenging road ahead,” said Catherine McKenna, Minister of Environment and Climate Change Canada. “I know we are up to the task, and I look forward to building on our successes, together, to recover other migratory bird species.”

“It's hard to imagine the North American continent without egrets, ducks, hawks or songbirds, but at the turn of the 20th century, that's the way things were looking,” said Dan Ashe, Director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, which has responsibility for conserving and managing migratory birds and their habitats across the United States.

“This treaty marked a turning point in the fate of our shared bird life, and it continues to this day to unite efforts in the United States and Canada to protect our shared birds across our international boundaries.”

北美的天空一片湛蓝澄澈，为庆祝已保护地球珍奇五种候鸟的百年纪念提供了绝佳背景。

1916年8月16日，美国及大不列颠（代表加拿大）签署了第一份《候鸟协定》（加拿大俗称《协定》），以保护这群大自然的馈赠。这份协定是第一份用以保护野生鸟类的国际协定，也是第一批保护野生物种的协定。

该协议是随后鸟类保护取得重大进展的基础：协议签订后，美家两国均颁布法律以配合该协议的执行。1917年，加拿大议会通过了《候鸟协定法案》。1918年，美国跟风效仿，也通过了《候鸟协定法案》。在之后的很多年中，美国与墨西哥、日本、俄罗斯分别于1936年、1972年、1976年签订了类似的协定。

“美加两国的保护行动已经收获了实际效果，尤其是在水禽保护方面。我为我们所取得的成就感到骄傲，不过最新的《北美洲鸟类报告》显示，未来还有更多挑战要面对”，加拿大环境与气候变化部部长凯瑟琳如是说道。“我知道我们肩上的任务，我也很向往在已经取得的成绩上继续和伙伴一起努力，以恢复其他鸟类的生存环境”。

“很难想象北美洲的大陆上若是没有了白鹭、鸭子、鹰、鸣鸟的存在会怎样，但这也正是我们在世纪之交所见证的真实景象”，美国鸟类和野生动物服务部负责人丹如是说道。丹负责保护和管理美国全境的候鸟及其栖息地。

“这一协定标志着人类共同的候鸟生存的转折点，并将继续凝结美国和加拿大所有人民的力量，来保护全世界所有鸟类的生存。”