VOA慢速英语2020 日本水族馆邀网友与动物视频（在线收听）

apanese Aquarium Seeks People to FaceTime with Sea Creatures

A Japanese aquarium that has closed because of the coronavirus outbreak is asking people to make video calls to the aquarium's eels.

The reason? Aquarium workers fear the sensitive creatures may not remember humans exist and do not present a threat.

The Sumida Aquarium has been closed since the start of March. Its sea animals have become used to a largely human-free environment during the two-month period of calm.

But the aquarium said the situation was having some unexpected effects.

"Creatures in the aquarium don't see humans except keepers and they have started forgetting about humans," it said on its Twitter account this week.

"Garden eels in particular disappear into the sand and hide every time the keepers pass by," it noted. That is causing difficulties for keepers trying to check on the health of the animals.

So the aquarium decided to offer an invitation to the public. "Could you show your face to our garden eels from your home?"

It is describing the new effort as a "face-showing festival."

Garden eels are very sensitive by nature. But the 300 garden eels that live in a tank at the aquarium had become used to humans. They rarely hid in the sand from visitors.

To try to reintroduce the eels to humans, the aquarium is putting five computer tablets in front of their tank. The public can connect through the FaceTime app.

Once the video calls start, people are supposed to show their faces, wave their hands and talk to the eels. But given the quiet nature of the animals, callers are asked not to shout.

The "face-showing festival" is set to take place Sunday through Tuesday, during Japan's Golden Week holiday, when many people usually travel. This Golden Week, however, people have been asked to stay at home while the country remains under a state of emergency.

The face-showing festival has gotten plenty of support, under the Japanese hashtag #PleaseRememberHumans.

"They need training to learn humans are not a threat!" one Twitter user wrote. "Interesting."

Another wrote, "When you gaze at the garden eels, the garden eels gaze at you. Understood. I'm happy to take part."

I'm Caty Weaver.

日本水族馆邀网友与动物视频

一家因新冠疫情而关闭的日本水族馆邀请人们于水族馆的鳗鱼进行视频通话。

理由是什么？水族馆员工担心这些敏感生物可能不记得人类存在以及人类并不构成威胁。

墨田水族馆自3月初以来一直处于关闭状态。在两个月的平静期间，馆内的海洋生物已经习惯了基本没有人影的环境。

但是水族馆表示，这种状况产生了一些意外的影响。

该水族馆本月在推特账号上表示：“除了饲养员，水族馆的生物看不到其他的人类踪影，他们开始忘记人类的存在。”

该水族馆指出；“尤其是花园鳗，每次饲养员经过时，它都会躲进沙子里。”这给检查动物健康状况的饲养员带来了困难。

因此这家水族馆决定向公众发出邀请。“能不能在家里跟花园鳗视频一下？”

它称这项新措施为“秀脸节。”

花园鳗天生就极度敏感。但是这家水族馆生活在水族箱里的300条花园鳗已经逐渐习惯了人类。他们很少藏在沙子里躲避游客。

为了让花园鳗重新认识人类，这家水族馆在水族箱前放置了五台平板电脑。民众可以通过FaceTime应用进行连接。

视频通话连接后，人们可以露脸跟鳗鱼挥手聊天。但是鉴于这种动物好静的天性，水族馆建议呼叫用户不要大喊大叫。

“秀脸节”定于周日到周二举行，正值日本的黄金周假期，通常很多人这时候会出门旅游。但是，这个黄金周该国仍然处于紧急状态时期，人们被要求呆在家里。

秀脸节在日语“请记得人类”的标签下得到了大量支持。

一名推特用户写道：“它们需要通过训练来认识人类不是威胁。有趣！”

另一位用户写道：“当你凝视花园鳗的时候，花园鳗也在凝视着你。理解。我很高兴能参与这件事。”

卡蒂·韦佛为您播报。