VOA慢速英语2015 “呼呼塞拉”可以保护人类免于大象袭击

AS IT IS 2015-04-05 Vuvuzelas Keep People Safe from Elephants Attack “呼呼塞拉”可以保护人类免于大象袭击

Elephants in Uganda are starting to come close to villages near national parks. The big animals are a real danger to people.

So, the Uganda Wildlife Authority¹ has been giving people new tools to keep the elephants away: vuvuzelas. They are plastic instruments some fans use at sports events.

The instruments make a loud sound elephants do not like. The animals leave, and no one is harmed.

A spokesperson for the Uganda Wildlife Authority says vuvuzelas work because they do not threaten the elephants. That is important because an elephant that feels threatened is more likely to attack. So far, no one has reported an elephant attacking in answer to a vuvuzela.

Officials and villagers have tried other ways to stop elephants from coming near farms and houses. They have built beehives – houses for flying insects that sting². They have hung ropes covered in spicy³ oil. They have dug⁴ long, deep holes.

And they have used guns, called A-K47s.

An official from the Uganda Wildlife Authority explains that people shoot the gun in the air to scare⁵ the elephant. But over time, the elephants have stopped being afraid of the sound of the gun. They only look at the shooter and wave their ears.    

Another official for the Uganda Wildlife Authority, Gessa Simblicious, says one elephant-prevention solution will not work everywhere in Uganda. And one day, elephants may accept the vuvuzela noise, just as they do the sound of the A-K47.

But right now, vuvuzelas are an effective, non-violent and fun way to deal with a serious problem.

Words in This Story

wildlife – n. animals living in nature; wild animals

beehives – n. nests for bees

solution - n. something that solves a problem

1 authority   

n.当局，官方；权力，权威，威信；当权者

参考例句：

• He is recognized internationally as an authority in this field.国际上承认他是这方面的一个权威。
• Professor White is looked upon as an authority on mathematics.怀特教授被看成数学权威。

2 sting   

vt.激怒，刺痛，刺伤，蛰伤；n.刺痛，刺伤

参考例句：

• Most flies do not sting.大多数苍蝇不叮人。
• The scorpion has a sting that can be deadly.蝎子有可以致命的螫针。

3 spicy   

adj.加香料的；辛辣的，有风味的

参考例句：

• The soup tasted mildly spicy.汤尝起来略有点辣。
• Very spicy food doesn't suit her stomach.太辣的东西她吃了胃不舒服。

4 dug   

n.动物的乳房[乳头]v.挖，掘( dig的过去式和过去分词 )；（如用铲、锨或推土机等）挖掘；挖得；寻找

参考例句：

• He dug a deep hole in the garden. 他在花园里挖了个深坑。
• We dug a deep pit in the yard. 我们在院子中挖了个深洞。

5 scare   

vt.恐吓；vi.受惊吓

参考例句：

• I like reading scare stories.我喜欢读恐怖故事。
• The sound of the explosion gave me quite a scare.爆炸声把我吓了一跳。