VOA标准英语2010年-Sierra Leone Working to Save Mangrove

Sierra Leone is working to preserve the ecosystem¹ of coastal² mangrove³ swamps that are threatened by people collecting firewood and harvesting salt.

Harvesting salt along the coast of West Africa is an age-old business. But today  conservationists say it is degrading mangrove swamps and ravaging⁴ fish stocks.

Lawmakers in Sierra Leone are preparing to join a seven-nation charter to protect the region's mangrove ecosystem which conservationists now say totals just 800,000 hectares.

Mangroves are the most readily available source of firewood for fires to boil seawater and what is called "salt dust" scraped from the soil.

Marie Kano heads Sierra Leone's salt producers' association. She says many of the mangrove trees used for fuel are already gone.

"We come here to scrape the salt and we collect the salt dust," she said. "But because there is no wood, we've left the salt business for other things. My children, my sister and my father lived with me and we all used to cook salt. But because there is no wood anymore, they all left and went to town."

Environmentalists are trying to encourage Sierra Leone's salt producers to use other methods, including drying salt in the sun, to reduce the strain on mangroves.

"If the mangroves disappear, fishing will be in crisis and the ecological⁵ balance will be disrupted," said Richard Dacosta, the West Africa coordinator⁶ for the development group Wetlands International. "Also the saltwater tide will invade river estuaries⁷ and coastal areas. And local communities, who usually live right on the coast, will have to move."

West Africa's mangrove forests absorb thousands of tons of carbon dioxide, and could be a way for the region to get a foothold in the $136 billion carbon world market.

They are the nurseries of the ocean, where many species of fish and shrimp⁸ breed and serve as a buffer⁹ against coastal erosion in a region where much of the population lives in low-lying areas.
 

1 ecosystem   

n.生态系统

参考例句：

• This destroyed the ecosystem of the island.这样破坏了岛上的生态系统。
• We all have an interest in maintaining the integrity of the ecosystem.维持生态系统的完整是我们共同的利益。

2 coastal   

adj.海岸的，沿海的，沿岸的

参考例句：

• The ocean waves are slowly eating away the coastal rocks.大海的波浪慢慢地侵蚀着岸边的岩石。
• This country will fortify the coastal areas.该国将加强沿海地区的防御。

3 mangrove   

n.(植物)红树，红树林

参考例句：

• It is the world's largest tidal mangrove forest.它是世界上最大的红树林沼泽地。
• Many consider this the most beautiful mangrove forest in all Thailand.许多人认为这里是全泰国最美丽的红树林了。

4 ravaging   

毁坏( ravage的现在分词 )； 蹂躏； 劫掠； 抢劫

参考例句：

• It is believed that in fatigue there is a repeated process of ravaging the material. 据认为，在疲劳中，有一个使材料毁坏的重复过程。
• I was able to capture the lion that was ravaging through town. 我能逮住正在城里肆虐的那头狮子。

5 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.

6 coordinator   

n.协调人

参考例句：

• The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, headed by the Emergency Relief Coordinator, coordinates all UN emergency relief. 联合国人道主义事务协调厅在紧急救济协调员领导下，负责协调联合国的所有紧急救济工作。
• How am I supposed to find the client-relations coordinator? 我怎么才能找到客户关系协调员的办公室？

7 estuaries   

（江河入海的）河口，河口湾( estuary的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• We also recognize the diversity and complexity of controlling in fluences in estuaries. 我们也认识到在河湾内控制影响的多样性和复杂性。
• Estuaries also contribute to economy through tourism and fishing. 河口还为人类提供了休闲和教育的场所。

8 shrimp   

n.虾，小虾；矮小的人

参考例句：

• When the shrimp farm is built it will block the stream.一旦养虾场建起来，将会截断这条河流。
• When it comes to seafood,I like shrimp the best.说到海鲜，我最喜欢虾。

9 buffer   

n.起缓冲作用的人(或物)，缓冲器；vt.缓冲

参考例句：

• A little money can be a useful buffer in time of need.在急需时，很少一点钱就能解燃眉之急。
• Romantic love will buffer you against life's hardships.浪漫的爱会减轻生活的艰辛。