VOA慢速英语2014 植物学家保护夏威夷的珍稀植物

 

AS IT IS 2014-09-18 Botanist¹ Works to Save Hawaii's Rare Plants 植物学家保护夏威夷的珍稀植物

America’s 50th state, Hawaii, recently suffered two large, rare storms. The high winds and heavy rains left plant scientists hoping that the islands’ most unusual plants survived. 

The state is home to many native plants. They include 1,200 species², 90 percent of which are not found anywhere else in the world.  But Hawaii also has become the endangered species capital of the United States.  Nearly 40 percent of the plants on that endangered list grow in Hawaii.

Its natural heritage³ has been disappearing because plants and animals from other areas have invaded. Experts also blame agriculture, development and natural events that cannot be predicted. 

Field plant expert Steve Perlman has led protection of Hawaii’s endangered species for more than 40 years.  He is one of the state’s first ‘rock star’ botanists⁴.  In the 1970s, he rappelled using ropes around his body to swing down from high cliffs to save the Brighamia insignis. People call this rare Hawaiian plant Alula.

“A lot of the botanists in the old days, at least for the first couple hundred years working in Hawaii, would be able to hike around the ridges⁵ and the valleys and find their species.  But no one had ever really looked at the cliffs.”

Then Mr. Perlman started to use those same methods of climbing and hanging from cliffs to get to other plants.

He is now in his 60s.  But he is still rappelling off cliffs to save endangered plants.  The rescued plants are varieties, or kinds, that have established themselves in places where hungry animals like goats and pigs could not get them.  He says it is worth it to see a species survive.

“We know the Amazon is losing all these species.  But Hawaii is losing species.  There’s an extinction⁷ crisis⁸ going on here, and we’ve already had over 100 species go extinct⁶.”

After a long career as a field botanist at the National Tropical Botanical Garden, he is now the statewide specialist for Hawaii’s Plant Extinction Prevention Program.  The program centers on protecting species with fewer than 50 plants remaining in the wild. 

“This Plant Extinction Prevention Program is putting thousands of native plants, critically endangered plants, back out into the areas on the islands where they grew.  And we’re seeing that success.”

Mr. Perlman also continues to discover new species through his work.  The Hibiscadelphus trees are one example he and others found growing in a steep valley on the island of Maui.  His explorations often take him to places that have not been touched.  He recalls an especially memorable⁹ trip to the highest point on the island of Moloka’i. 

“It’s like being someone like a Charles Darwin who’s just gotten to come to an island that no one’s ever been to.  And everything is interesting:  the birds, the insects, the plants.  And you’re like the first person in this kind of place.  We may rediscover something old, or we may find something brand new.  And so it’s like the age of discovery is not really over.”

1 botanist   

n.植物学家

参考例句：

• The botanist introduced a new species of plant to the region.那位植物学家向该地区引入了一种新植物。
• I had never talked with a botanist before,and I found him fascinating.我从没有接触过植物学那一类的学者，我觉得他说话极有吸引力。

2 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。

3 heritage   

n.传统，遗产，继承物

参考例句：

• The ancient buildings are part of the national heritage.这些古建筑是民族遗产的一部分。
• We Chinese have a great cultural heritage.我们中国人有伟大的文化遗产。

4 botanists   

n.植物学家，研究植物的人( botanist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Botanists had some difficulty categorizing the newly found plant. 植物学家们不大容易确定这种新发现的植物的种类。 来自辞典例句
• Botanists refer this flower to the rose family. 植物学家将这花归入蔷薇科。 来自辞典例句

5 ridges   

n.脊( ridge的名词复数 )；山脊；脊状突起；大气层的)高压脊

参考例句：

• The path winds along mountain ridges. 峰回路转。
• Perhaps that was the deepest truth in Ridges's nature. 在里奇斯的思想上，这大概可以算是天经地义第一条了。

6 extinct   

adj.灭绝的，不再活跃的，熄灭了的，已废弃的

参考例句：

• All hopes were extinct.所有希望都破灭了。
• Dinosaurs have been extinct for millions of years.恐龙绝种已有几百万年了。

7 extinction   

n.熄灭，消亡，消灭，灭绝，绝种

参考例句：

• The plant is now in danger of extinction.这种植物现在有绝种的危险。
• The island's way of life is doomed to extinction.这个岛上的生活方式注定要消失。

8 crisis   

n.危机，危急关头，决定性时刻，关键阶段

参考例句：

• He had proved that he could be relied on in a crisis.他已表明，在紧要关头他是可以信赖的。
• The topic today centers about the crisis in the Middle East.今天课题的中心是中东危机。

9 memorable   

adj.值得回忆的，难忘的，特别的，显著的

参考例句：

• This was indeed the most memorable day of my life.这的确是我一生中最值得怀念的日子。
• The veteran soldier has fought many memorable battles.这个老兵参加过许多难忘的战斗。