VOA慢速英语2019 细菌威胁着肯尼亚的犀牛（在线收听）

Bacteria Threatens Rhinos in Kenya

Rhinoceros in Kenya could face a new threat: bacteria.

肯尼亚犀牛可能面临新的威胁: 细菌。 

Scientists recently found that some rhinos have developed surprisingly high levels of resistance to antibiotic drugs.

科学家最近发现，一些犀牛对抗生素产生了奇高的抗药性。 

The researchers studied rhinos in Ruma National Park, a wildlife area near Lake Victoria.They said the animals appear to have become victims of the overuse of antibiotics.

研究人员在维多利亚湖附近的鲁玛国家公园对犀牛进行了研究。他们说，这些动物似乎已经成为抗生素滥用的受害者。

The researchers findings appeared in EcoHealth, an academic publication based in the United States.

研究人员的这一发现发表在美国的学术刊物《生态健康》上。 

Antibiotic resistance is increasing worldwide for many reasons.Sometimes, people take the drugs for non-bacterial diseases.Other times, people do not finish taking their medicine, giving bacteria time to recover and adapt.And in many cases, farmers overuse antibiotics on their cattle and other livestock.

由于多种原因，抗生素耐药性在全球范围内呈上升趋势。有时是因为人们服用非细菌性疾病的药物。此外是由于人们没有吃完规定疗程的药，给了细菌恢复和适应的时间。在许多情况下是因为农民给他们的牛和其他牲畜过度使用抗生素。

In Kenya, antibiotic use and abuse has been common for many years.This overuse has led to growing levels of drug resistance among people,livestock and wildlife.

在肯尼亚，抗生素的使用和滥用多年来一直很普遍。这种过度使用已导致人类、牲畜和野生动物的耐药性水平不断上升。

To study resistance levels,the team of scientists took samples from 16 black rhinoceros.

为了研究抗药性水平，科学家们从16头黑犀牛身上采集了样本。 

Researchers examined E.coli bacteria genes in both rhino and human waste and studied how resistant they were to eight of the most commonly used antibiotics.

研究人员检测了犀牛和人类粪便中的大肠杆菌基因并研究了它们对八种最常用抗生素的耐药性。 

Rhinos and human beings had comparable resistance levels for four of the antibiotics.Rhinos were more resistant than humans for two of them.

经检测，犀牛和人类对四种抗生素的耐药水平相当。犀牛对其中的两种比人类更有抵抗力。 

Antibiotic resistance is a problem because rhinos can get the bacterial disease bovine tuberculosis,according to researchers in South Africas Kruger National Park.

由于犀牛会感染细菌性疾病——牛结核病，南非克鲁格国家公园的研究人员表示。 

Antibiotic resistance could make treatment harder.

抗生素耐药性对它们的治疗是一个问题。 

Collins Kipkorir Kebenei was a member of the research team and a co-author of the report."If they (rhinos) are sick, they need to be treated – and so what kind of medication can be used on these animals?"he said.Kebenei is a student at Kenyas Maseno University.

柯林斯·基普科里尔·克贝内伊是该研究小组的成员，也是该报告的合著者之一。“如果它们(犀牛)生病了需要治疗——那么可以对这些动物使用什么药物呢?”他说。克贝内伊是肯尼亚马塞诺大学的学生。

Rhinos are already critically endangered.There are only about 29,000 alive, according to the International Rhino Foundation.Around 5% of the animals are in Kenya.

犀牛已经濒临绝种。据国际犀牛基金会的数据，目前全球仅存约2.9万头犀牛。其中大约5%生活在肯尼亚。

It is unclear how the rhinos are getting exposed to the bacteria.It could be through drinking at the Lambwe River, which runs through Ruma National Park and carries waste containing antibiotic-resistant bacteria.Or it could be through contact with the park rangers protecting them from hunters.

目前尚不清楚犀牛是如何接触到细菌的。这可能是通过饮用流经鲁马国家公园的兰贝河造成的，这条河携带着含有耐抗生素细菌的废物。也可能是通过与保护它们免受猎人伤害的公园护林员接触引起的。

Patrick Onyango, a co-author of the report,said that antibiotic resistance was a new and serious threat to rhinos.

帕特里克·奥尼扬戈是报告的作者之一，他说抗生素耐药性是对犀牛的一种新的严重威胁。 

"There are people who are hawking antibiotics in bus stations,"added David M. Onyango, another co-author of the report.Onyango teaches at Maseno University.He suggested that a lack of rules surrounding antibiotic use might be part of the problem."There is no proper policy and regulation on their use," he said.

“有些人在汽车站兜售抗生素，”报告的另一位合著者戴维·M·奥尼扬戈补充说。奥尼扬戈在马塞诺大学任教。他认为，有关抗生素使用规定的缺失可能是造成问题的一部分原因。他说： “对其使用没有适当的政策和规定。”

Words in This Story

academic – adj. of or related to a school or study program

adapt – v. biology – to change so that it is easier to live in a place or situation

livestock – n. farm animals (such as cows, horses, and pigs) that are kept, raised, and used by people

according – adv. as stated by or in

author – n. a writer of a report or work

hawk – v. to offer (something) for sale especially by calling out or by going from one person to another

regulation – n. an official rule or law that says how something should be done