VOA标准英语2011--Proposed Tourism Ban Renews Tiger Welfare Debate in India

Proposed Tourism Ban Renews Tiger Welfare Debate in India

 

India's Supreme¹ Court is examining a proposed measure that could put a large number of tigers off limits to tourists in some of its forest reserves.

 

Tourism advertisements all over India use images of the tiger, India's national animal, to attract visitors.

Now, the Supreme Court is weighing a proposal to ban tiger tourism in areas of India's Madhya Pradesh state. Social activist² Ajay Dubey managed to push the proposal all the way to the nation's highest court, saying the big cats need protection.

"The tigers of India are being made to pay for the mindless tourism and their numbers are falling constantly," said Dubey. "There are a lot of incidents where tourists went inside and there have been casualties. This kind of tourism is a curse for the existence of tigers."

Dubey argues that tourists, riding jeeps to get the closest possible look they can, disturb the natural habits of the tigers. He also points to an incident earlier this year in Madhya Pradesh, when a tourist vehicle struck and killed a female tiger, resulting in the eventual³ death of the two cubs⁴ she was trying to protect.

Madhya Pradesh has only six of India's 40 tiger reserves, but a disproportionately high number of the country's tigers live in them. Existing national tiger conservation guidelines declare so-called core areas of a reserve to be "inviolate⁵." Until now, that has been interpreted mainly as a ban on construction and similar disruptive activities. Dubey's proposal would extend the interpretation⁶ to make tourism off limits.

An Indian Royal Bengal Tiger yawns as he rests in the water-pond inside an enclosure at the Nehru Zoological Park in Hyderabad, May 11, 2011 (file photo).

Anuradha Mutatkar is legal counsel for the Travel Operators for Tigers India Wildlife Association. She contends that the existing guidelines don't ban tourism, and nor should they.

"It should be interpreted that there should be no development activity inside the national park, inside the core area," said Mutatkar. "And we are not against tiger conservation because what we earn is from tiger conservation."

Belinda Wright, a tiger protection activist, is afraid that this decision would set a bad precedent⁷ for tiger reserves nationwide.

"To close the door on all tourism in tiger reserve core areas would be a disaster from many points of view, not the least of which for the tiger because I don't believe that without tourism the tigers can be protected and saved and secured for the future," said Wright.

Many activists⁸ find common ground in the opinion that tiger tourism should be better managed in the country, but resist the notion of a tourism ban. Latika Nath Rana holds a doctorate⁹ in tiger conservation, and also runs a tiger tourist lodge¹⁰ in Madhya Pradesh. She says there is no scientific evidence to prove that tourism is harmful for the tigers.

"I compared a tourism zone with a non-tourism zone and I was studying this for four years and the benefits of tourism were enormous," she noted¹¹. "By the tourists going in for a few hours a day, they are actually becoming the eyes and ears of the public."

Sonsai Baiga, a member of a tribe living near the reserves, performs traditional dances for tourists. He says his dance troupe¹² has entertained tiger-watching visitors for many years. He says this is how we earn they earn their livelihood¹³.

Opponents of a ban say it would erode¹⁴ various livelihood options in reserves, from drivers to tour guides.

1 supreme   

adj.极度的，最重要的；至高的，最高的

参考例句：

• It was the supreme moment in his life.那是他一生中最重要的时刻。
• He handed up the indictment to the supreme court.他把起诉书送交最高法院。

2 activist   

n.活动分子，积极分子

参考例句：

• He's been a trade union activist for many years.多年来他一直是工会的积极分子。
• He is a social activist in our factory.他是我厂的社会活动积极分子。

3 eventual   

adj.最后的，结局的，最终的

参考例句：

• Several schools face eventual closure.几所学校面临最终关闭。
• Both parties expressed optimism about an eventual solution.双方对问题的最终解决都表示乐观。

4 cubs   

n.幼小的兽，不懂规矩的年轻人( cub的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• a lioness guarding her cubs 守护幼崽的母狮
• Lion cubs depend on their mother to feed them. 狮子的幼仔依靠母狮喂养。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 inviolate   

adj.未亵渎的，未受侵犯的

参考例句：

• The constitution proclaims that public property shall be inviolate.宪法宣告公共财产不可侵犯。
• They considered themselves inviolate from attack.他们认为自己是不可侵犯的。

6 interpretation   

n.解释，说明，描述；艺术处理

参考例句：

• His statement admits of one interpretation only.他的话只有一种解释。
• Analysis and interpretation is a very personal thing.分析与说明是个很主观的事情。

7 precedent   

n.先例，前例；惯例；adj.在前的，在先的

参考例句：

• Is there a precedent for what you want me to do?你要我做的事有前例可援吗？
• This is a wonderful achievement without precedent in Chinese history.这是中国历史上亘古未有的奇绩。

8 activists   

n.（政治活动的）积极分子，活动家( activist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• His research work was attacked by animal rights activists . 他的研究受到了动物权益维护者的抨击。
• Party activists with lower middle class pedigrees are numerous. 党的激进分子中有很多出身于中产阶级下层。 来自《简明英汉词典》

9 doctorate   

n.(大学授予的)博士学位

参考例句：

• He hasn't enough credits to get his doctorate.他的学分不够取得博士学位。
• Where did she do her doctorate?她在哪里攻读博士？

10 lodge   

v.临时住宿，寄宿，寄存，容纳；n.传达室，小旅馆

参考例句：

• Is there anywhere that I can lodge in the village tonight?村里有我今晚过夜的地方吗？
• I shall lodge at the inn for two nights.我要在这家小店住两个晚上。

11 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

12 troupe   

n.剧团，戏班；杂技团；马戏团

参考例句：

• The art troupe is always on the move in frontier guards.文工团常年在边防部队流动。
• The troupe produced a new play last night.剧团昨晚上演了一部新剧。

13 livelihood   

n.生计，谋生之道

参考例句：

• Appropriate arrangements will be made for their work and livelihood.他们的工作和生活会得到妥善安排。
• My father gained a bare livelihood of family by his own hands.父亲靠自己的双手勉强维持家计。

14 erode   

v.侵蚀，腐蚀，使...减少、减弱或消失

参考例句：

• Once exposed,soil is quickly eroded by wind and rain.一旦暴露在外，土壤很快就会被风雨侵蚀。
• Competition in the financial marketplace has eroded profits.金融市场的竞争降低了利润。