VOA标准英语2008年-George Schaller Speaks Out for Animals, the Env

American biologist George Schaller has spent his life studying wild animals in more than 25 countries: from gorillas² in Congo to snow leopards⁴ in Nepal to alligators⁵ in Brazil. At 75, he is being honored for his achievements in animal conservation with this year's Indianapolis Prize, given by the Indianapolis Zoo.
　
Schaller's work in conservation has resulted in the protection of large stretches of area in the Amazon, the Hindu Kush, and forests in Southeast Asia

In announcing the award, Zoo president Michael Crowther called Schaller "the George Washington of conservation biology," noting, "there are generations of people, of conservationists, now, who grew up learning about conservation from George Schaller." In fact, primatologists Dian Fossey and Jane Goodall were both inspired by his work.

WORK BEGINS WITH MOUNTAIN GORILLAS
　
Mountain-gorillas Little was known about the life of gorillas in the wild until Schaller published "The Mountain Gorilla¹" in 1963

Mountain gorillas were George Schaller's first great subject. In 1959, at the age of 26, he moved to Central Africa to live in the wild with the little-known beasts. He recalls they were far more beautiful than he had expected. "They are these great big longhaired, black-haired cuddly⁶ animals with soft brown eyes. You know they're your relatives, your kin⁷. The biggest task was to be able to observe the animals so they don't run away. So, you slowly get them used to you until they see, 'Oh there's that Schaller again,' and forget it, and go on with their normal life. And that's the way you want it."

That was the beginning of a lifetime of discoveries in Africa, Asia and Latin America. In the 1970s, Schaller became one of two westerners to see a snow leopard³ in Nepal for the first time in nearly three decades. In 1988, he and his wife, Kay, were the first Westerners allowed into China's Chang Tang region to study giant pandas. His research led to the rebounding⁸ of panda populations, which Schaller showed were threatened by frequent capture for zoos.

With fellow biologist Alan Rabinowitz, Schaller discovered a new species of goat in Laos, the Saola, in 1994. In the same decade, he rediscovered the Vietnamese warty⁹ pig and the Tibetan red deer, species that had been both thought extinct.

CONSERVATION REMAINS¹⁰ PRIMARY MOTIVATION
　
Schaller has written more than 15 books on African and Asian mammals based on his own studies, and supported by long-term observations of species in their natural habitats

Yet the German-born Schaller says that the pleasure of studying animals is not his primary motivation. He says it is conservation that matters most -- and that poor countries like Rwanda and Congo have taken the lead in that. "[They are] extremely poor countries, yet they've preserved their forests, they've preserved their gorillas," he observes. "This is something the United States can learn from. We've been fighting for 50 years to keep the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska from being destroyed by the [administration in] Washington and oil companies, because they want to get in there, greedily get the oil." He calls it an act of ecological¹¹ vandalism. "Nobody wants to think of the future. They want everything now."

Schaller says it will take the dedication¹² of local communities, not just scientists, if the environment is to be saved. "If you really love something, if there's something that should remain as a country's natural heritage, you have to keep fighting, forevermore. Everything we have, this whole so-called civilization, is all dependent on environment: on the clean air, the water, the soil, the food… and unless communities start fighting for a healthier environment around them, there's not much hope."

CURRENT PROJECTS
　
MarcoPolo-sheep Wildlife park would protect the habitat of the Marco Polo sheep, sought out as a trophy¹³ by hunters for their impressive spiral horns

George Schaller's current projects include a vast wildlife park in the Pamir Mountains, to be run jointly¹⁴ by Afghanistan, Pakistan, Tajikistan, and China. He's also working with the Panthera Foundation, to save tigers and other large cats.

Schaller says he'll use the $100,000 Indianapolis Prize to train local conservationists in the countries where he works. "They will train people who will then have students. So, generation after generation, the little bit that we started from, will increase in the country. So, you leave something behind that will be valuable, long after everybody's forgotten me."

American biologist George Schaller will receive the Indianapolis Prize at a ceremony in that city later this year. The organizers say it's meant to inspire the public to care about conservation, and to recognize field biologists as heroes who face down dangers and hardships to do their work.

 

1 gorilla   

n.大猩猩，暴徒，打手

参考例句：

• I was awed by the huge gorilla.那只大猩猩使我惊惧。
• A gorilla is just a speechless animal.猩猩只不过是一种不会说话的动物。

2 gorillas   

n.大猩猩( gorilla的名词复数 )；暴徒，打手

参考例句：

• the similitude between humans and gorillas 人类和大猩猩的相像
• Each family of gorillas is led by a great silverbacked patriarch. 每个大星星家族都由一个魁梧的、长着银色被毛的族长带领着。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 leopard   

n.豹

参考例句：

• I saw a man in a leopard skin yesterday.我昨天看见一个穿着豹皮的男人。
• The leopard's skin is marked with black spots.豹皮上有黑色斑点。

4 leopards   

n.豹( leopard的名词复数 )；本性难移

参考例句：

• Lions, tigers and leopards are all cats. 狮、虎和豹都是猫科动物。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• For example, airlines never ship leopards and canaries on the same flight. 例如，飞机上从来不会同时运送豹和金丝雀。 来自英语晨读30分（初三）

5 alligators   

n.短吻鳄( alligator的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Two alligators rest their snouts on the water's surface. 两只鳄鱼的大嘴栖息在水面上。 来自辞典例句
• In the movement of logs by water the lumber industry was greatly helped by alligators. 木材工业过去在水上运输木料时所十分倚重的就是鳄鱼。 来自辞典例句

6 cuddly   

adj.抱着很舒服的，可爱的

参考例句：

• The beautiful crib from Mom and Dad is so cuddly.爸爸妈妈送的漂亮婴儿床真舒服。
• You can't call a hedgehog cuddly.你不能说刺猬逗人喜爱。

7 kin   

n.家族，亲属，血缘关系；adj.亲属关系的，同类的

参考例句：

• He comes of good kin.他出身好。
• She has gone to live with her husband's kin.她住到丈夫的亲戚家里去了。

8 rebounding   

蹦跳运动

参考例句：

• The strength of negative temperature concrete is tested with supersonic-rebounding method. 本文将超声回弹综合法用于负温混凝土强度检测。
• The fundamental of basketball includes shooting, passing and catching, rebounding, etc. 篮球运动中最基本的东西包括投篮，传接球，篮板球等。

9 warty   

adj.有疣的，似疣的；瘤状

参考例句：

• Warty recurrences occurred in the perineal wound within a month of surgery. 局部切除术后一个月内伤口疣体复发。 来自互联网
• African wild swine with warty protuberances on the face and large protruding tusks. 在脸部和突出的长牙上有疣样隆起的非洲野猪。 来自互联网

10 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。

11 ecological   

adj.生态的，生态学的

参考例句：

• The region has been declared an ecological disaster zone.这个地区已经宣布为生态灾难区。
• Each animal has its ecological niche.每种动物都有自己的生态位.

12 dedication   

n.奉献，献身，致力，题献，献辞

参考例句：

• We admire her courage,compassion and dedication.我们钦佩她的勇气、爱心和奉献精神。
• Her dedication to her work was admirable.她对工作的奉献精神可钦可佩。

13 trophy   

n.优胜旗，奖品，奖杯，战胜品，纪念品

参考例句：

• The cup is a cherished trophy of the company.那只奖杯是该公司很珍惜的奖品。
• He hung the lion's head as a trophy.他把那狮子头挂起来作为狩猎纪念品。

14 jointly   

ad.联合地，共同地

参考例句：

• Tenants are jointly and severally liable for payment of the rent. 租金由承租人共同且分别承担。
• She owns the house jointly with her husband. 她和丈夫共同拥有这所房子。