VOA慢速英语2019 津巴布韦欲出售6亿美元象牙

Zimbabwe Moving to Sell its $600 Million Ivory¹ Supply

Zimbabwe hosted the first United Nations and Africa Union meeting on wildlife. The country is seeking permission to sell its $600-million supply of elephant ivory and rhino² horns to pay for conservation programs.

津巴布韦主办了首届联合国和非洲联盟野生动物会议。该国正在寻求出售价值6亿美元的象牙和犀牛角的许可，以支付自然保护项目的费用。

In some parts of Africa, elephant populations are in decline³. That is mostly because hunters shoot the animals for their valuable ivory tusks⁴.

在非洲的一些地区，大象的数量正在下降。主要原因是狩猎者为了获取珍贵的象牙而射杀这些动物。

Officials in Zimbabwe, however, say the country’s elephant population is up to 84,000.

然而，津巴布韦官员表示，该国的大象数量已达8.4万头。

But some people who live near Zimbabwe's wildlife parks have different concerns. Gertrude Dube lives in a village near Hwange National Park, Zimbabwe’s biggest wildlife reserve. Her main problem is with hyenas⁵. The animals have eaten all seven of the goats she once owned.

但是津巴布韦野生动物公园附近的一些居民有不同的担忧。格特鲁德·杜布（Gertrude Dube）住在津巴布韦最大的野生动物保护区Hwange国家公园附近的村庄里。她担心的主要问题是鬣狗。这种动物把她养的七只山羊都吃掉了。

But elephants make life difficult too, she says.

但是大象也不让人省心，她说。

Dube said, “We love and appreciate wild animals. But some like lions and elephants are dangerous. When people hear of elephants in the area, even school children fear going to school, as they kill.”

杜布说：“我们热爱并珍惜野生动物。但像狮子和大象这类动物是危险的。当人们听说这个地区有大象时，小学生害怕得不敢上学，因为他们会吃人。”

Zimbabwe and neighboring countries Botswana and Namibia are home to over 60 percent of the world's elephants. The countries want to end the international ban on trading in unprocessed ivory. The law was created 30 years ago in hopes of protecting elephant populations.

津巴布韦及其邻国博茨瓦纳和纳米比亚拥有的大象数量占全球60%以上。这些国家希望结束国际对未加工象牙的贸易禁令。这项法律制定于30年前，旨在保护大象数量。

Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa says the country has about $600-million worth of elephant ivory and rhino horns. Most of the supply was taken from animals that died of natural causes.

津巴布韦总统姆南加古瓦表示，津巴布韦拥有价值6亿美元的象牙和犀牛角。其中大部分来自于自然死亡的动物。

Mnangagwa added that Zimbabwe supports sharing benefits from natural resources fairly “among communities living within wildlife areas.”

姆南加古瓦补充说，津巴布韦支持“生活在野生动物保护区内的社区”公平分享自然资源带来的益处。

That would be good news for Dube and others who lose their crops and animals because of elephants and other wildlife.

这对杜贝和其他因大象和其他野生动物而导致庄稼和家畜受损的人来说是个好消息。

Words in this Story

appreciate – v. to understand the worth or importance of something or someone; to admire and value something or someone

benefits – n. good or helpful results or effects

host – v. to be the host for a social event, a group of people, etc.

ivory – n. a hard white substance that forms the tusks of elephants and other animals

1 ivory   

n.象牙，乳白色；adj.象牙制的，乳白色的

参考例句：

• My grandmother has some jewelry made of ivory.我祖母有一些象牙首饰。
• It is carved from ivory.它是用象牙雕成的。

2 rhino   

n.犀牛，钱, 现金

参考例句：

• The rhino charged headlong towards us.犀牛急速地向我们冲来。
• They have driven the rhino to the edge of extinction.他们已经令犀牛濒临灭绝。

3 decline   

n.衰微，跌落，下降；vt.使降低，婉谢；vi.下降，衰落，偏斜

参考例句：

• I must decline to show favour to any of the candidates.我必须拒绝偏袒任何一位候选人。
• The birthrate is on the decline.出生率在下降。

4 tusks   

n.（象等动物的）长牙( tusk的名词复数 )；獠牙；尖形物；尖头

参考例句：

• The elephants are poached for their tusks. 为获取象牙而偷猎大象。
• Elephant tusks, monkey tails and salt were used in some parts of Africa. 非洲的一些地区则使用象牙、猴尾和盐。 来自英语晨读30分（高一）

5 hyenas   

n.鬣狗( hyena的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• These animals were the prey of hyenas. 这些动物是鬣狗的猎物。 来自辞典例句
• We detest with horror the duplicity and villainy of the murderous hyenas of Bukharinite wreckers. 我们非常憎恨布哈林那帮两面三刀、杀人破坏，干尽坏事的豺狼。 来自辞典例句