VOA慢速英语2020 澳大利亚大堡礁遭遇史上最严重珊瑚白化（在线收听）

Australia’s Great Barrier Reef Suffers Most Severe Coral Bleaching

Scientists say Australias Great Barrier Reef suffered its most severe coral bleaching event in March.

科学家表示，澳大利亚大堡礁在3月份遭遇了最严重的珊瑚白化事件。 

Coral are small marine animals that live together and form large hard structures called reefs.Bleaching usually happens when ocean water gets too warm causing corals to release the healthy algae living in their tissues.The process turns coral white and makes them sick, sometimes killing them.

珊瑚是一种小型海洋动物，它们生活在一起，形成巨大的坚硬结构，称为珊瑚礁。白化通常发生在海水温度过高时，导致珊瑚释放出生活在其组织中的健康藻类。这一过程会使珊瑚变白，使它们生病，有时还会杀死它们。

Reefs are critically important to the health of the ocean and all the life it holds.

珊瑚礁对海洋的健康和海洋中所有的生命都至关重要。 

The latest finding about coral bleaching came from researchers at James Cook University in Queensland, Australia.The Great Barrier Reef covers about 348,000 square kilometers.It contains the worlds largest collection of coral reefs and is home to thousands of different kinds of sea life.

珊瑚白化的最新情况是澳大利亚昆士兰詹姆斯库克大学的研究人员发现的。大堡礁占地约34.8万平方公里。它拥有世界上最大的珊瑚礁群，是数千种不同海洋生物的家园。

Researchers say the most recent coral bleaching event is the result of extremely hot temperatures in the area over the past few months.

研究人员表示，最近的珊瑚白化事件是过去几个月该地区极端高温的结果。 

Terry Hughes is director of the ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies at James Cook University.He told the Reuters news agency that February had the highest temperatures since 1900, when record keeping began.

特里·休斯是詹姆斯·库克大学ARC珊瑚礁卓越研究中心的主任。他对路透社说，今年2月出现了自1900年有记录以来的最高气温。

"We saw record-breaking temperatures all along the length of the Great Barrier Reef,there wasnt a cool portion in the north, or a cool portion in the south this time around," Hughes said.

“我们在整个大堡礁都看到了破纪录的温度，这一次，北部和南部都没有低温的地方。”休斯说。 

"The whole Barrier Reef was hot so the bleaching we have seen this year is the most extensive so far."Hughes added that he is now almost sure that the reef cannot recover to what it looked like even five years ago, let alone thirty years ago.

“整个大堡礁都很热，所以我们今年看到的白化现象是迄今为止最严重的。”休斯还说，他现在几乎可以肯定，大堡礁已经无法恢复到5年前的样子，更不用说30年前了。

Hughes warned that if global warming activity continues at the present rate,the Great Barrier Reef faces the possibility of becoming completely destroyed.

休斯警告说，如果全球变暖活动继续以目前的速度进行下去，大堡礁将面临彻底毁灭的可能性。 

"We will have some sort of tropical ecosystem,but it wont look like coral reef - there might be more seaweed, more sponges, a lot less coral - but it will be a very different ecosystem."

“我们将拥有某种热带生态系统，但它不会看起来像珊瑚礁——可能会有更多的海藻、更多的海绵，但珊瑚会少很多——但这将是一个完全不同的生态系统。”

Im Bryan Lynn.

布莱恩·林恩报道。