VOA标准英语2009年-Organizations Join Forces to Protect Tiny

By Zulima Palacio
Carroll County, Maryland
22 September 2009

 
The bog¹ turtle
In Maryland, environmental officials are working to save one of the smallest and rarest turtles in North America. The bog turtle had the power to move an entire highway project in the state of Maryland. The tiny turtle is listed as an endangered species. It faces a disappearing habitat as well as poachers.

Craig Patterson, with the Maryland Department of Natural Resources, uses a piece of equipment (resembling a hand-held remote control and antenna²) to find a tiny bog turtle, underground.

"The transmitter that is on the turtle emits a signal," Patterson explains, "I can hear that signal with the headphones and as we get closer it gets louder and louder. And once we get near the turtle, we can point this at the ground, sweep and we usually know exactly where the turtle is."

Somewhere in these few hectares of protected land, some 35 turtles are living under the mud.

The bog turtle is one of the smallest in North America and is listed as an endangered species. Only several thousand survive.

They live in small pockets of wetland like this one, in a few states on the east coast of the United States. For the last 17 years, Scott Smith has been working with the turtles. Holding a turtle he says, "This one has had a chronic³ problem with an ear infection."

The male turtle was first found 12 years ago. Experts guess he is 40 years old and could live another 20. He weighs about 130 grams, and the transmitter on its back is 7 grams. The antenna helps scientist check regularly on his health, as well as on behaviors and places where he hibernates⁴.
 
 
Goats and sheep help keep invasive vegetation to minimum by eating much of it
"These bog turtles spend a lot of time burrowing⁵ down in the mud, physically⁶ moving mud, opening up little areas for other animals to use and they are just kind of cute," Smith adds.

But being cute didn't help them. Julie Slacum from the United States Fish and Wildlife Service explains. "Part of the issue is loss of the habitat," she says, "but part of the issue was people going into the wetlands, taking the turtles and selling them illegally."

A slow reproduction process, predators⁷ and animals such as raccoons that eat turtle eggs also threaten their survival.

"Females have to be about 10-years-old when they first reproduce. They only reproduce once a year and they only lay 2 to 5 eggs," Smith said.

Development and changes in the waterways have dramatically altered the turtle's habitat.

Now, as the bog turtle faces extinction⁸, local governments and environmental organizations have joined forces to protect it.

Years ago this area was scheduled to be paved for a highway.

 
Bill Branch points to the space where the state wanted to build a highway
At the State of Maryland Highway Administration, biologist Bill Branch has been looking after the turtles.  "The original alignment⁹ was due to come through right in this area where we are standing¹⁰ right now," he explains, "When we found the bog turtle here about 15 or 20 years ago, we selected to move the alternative highway over on the other side of the hill so that we would avoid this area and protect the habitat for the bog turtle."

The highway, away from the turtles' protected area, is almost finished.

There are also efforts to restore the turtles' habitat.

Goats and sheep are now clearing invasive vegetation from the area, avoiding chemicals or machines that could threaten the turtles.

1 bog   

n.沼泽；室...陷入泥淖

参考例句：

• We were able to pass him a rope before the bog sucked him under.我们终于得以在沼泽把他吞没前把绳子扔给他。
• The path goes across an area of bog.这条小路穿过一片沼泽。

2 antenna   

n.触角，触须；天线

参考例句：

• The workman fixed the antenna to the roof of the house.工人把天线固定在房顶上。
• In our village, there is an antenna on every roof for receiving TV signals.在我们村里，每家房顶上都有天线接收电视信号。

3 chronic   

adj.(疾病)长期未愈的，慢性的；极坏的

参考例句：

• Famine differs from chronic malnutrition.饥荒不同于慢性营养不良。
• Chronic poisoning may lead to death from inanition.慢性中毒也可能由虚弱导致死亡。

4 hibernates   

（某些动物）冬眠，蛰伏( hibernate的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• The turtle hibernates in a shallow burrow for six months of the year. 海龟一年在一个浅洞中冬眠六个月。
• PC hibernates and wakes up from hibernation properly. PC休眠和唤醒都正常了。

5 burrowing   

v.挖掘（洞穴），挖洞( burrow的现在分词 )；翻寻

参考例句：

• What are you burrowing around in my drawer for? 你在我抽屉里乱翻什么？ 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The forepaws are also used for burrowing and for dragging heavier logs. 它们的前爪还可以用来打洞和拖拽较重的树干。 来自辞典例句

6 physically   

adj.物质上，体格上，身体上，按自然规律

参考例句：

• He was out of sorts physically,as well as disordered mentally.他浑身不舒服，心绪也很乱。
• Every time I think about it I feel physically sick.一想起那件事我就感到极恶心。

7 predators   

n.食肉动物( predator的名词复数 )；奴役他人者（尤指在财务或性关系方面）

参考例句：

• birds and their earthbound predators 鸟和地面上捕食它们的动物
• The eyes of predators are highly sensitive to the slightest movement. 捕食性动物的眼睛能感觉到最细小的动静。 来自《简明英汉词典》

8 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。

9 alignment   

n.队列；结盟，联合

参考例句：

• The church should have no political alignment.教会不应与政治结盟。
• Britain formed a close alignment with Egypt in the last century.英国在上个世纪与埃及结成了紧密的联盟。

10 standing   

n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的

参考例句：

• After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
• They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。