VOA标准英语2013--Shark Fin Consumption Declines in Hong Kong

Shark Fin¹ Consumption Declines in Hong Kong

“Harvesting” is what fishermen call the brutal² act of cutting the fins³ off of living sharks and throwing the torso back into the ocean. Around 50 percent of all shark fins worldwide are traded through Hong Kong. In 2008 around 10,000 tons of fins from 87 countries passed through the city’s ports, according to the environmental organization Oceana.

For environmentalists like Stanley Shea of French-founded Bloom Association, that must change. He is fighting against finning⁴ by raising awareness⁵ in Hong Kong.

“We try to understand when we eat the fins and when is the biggest occasions," he said. "Then when we are understanding the theme, then we can start moving on developing a strategy to reduce the demand of shark fins.”

Shea and fellow activists⁶ have been quite effective. Over the last two years governments in Hong Kong and mainland China, as well as big corporations and hotel chains, have announced they will take shark fin soup off their menus and banquets.

It is in Hong Kong’s Sheung Wan⁷ District where a lot of the shark fin trade happens. Here the local marine⁸-product industry is suffering.

Inside the small shops merchants talk freely about how little shark fin they sell these days. But in front of a camera nobody wants to mention shark fins; it is just too sensitive, they say.

Not far away, at restaurant Lin Heung Kui, shark fin soup is a common dish on the menu. Around lunchtime, it is mostly the elderly and a few tourists who frequent the place.

“We prepare and serve the fins in lots of ways - with a clear soup or with shredded⁹ chicken. It is definitely more popular at night. We offer an especially cheap deal at $88 [HK$88 = US$11]  at the moment, but sometimes people come to get more expensive dishes,” said a restaurant employee.

Shark fin soup has been the food of the rich and wealthy for hundreds of years in China.

But times are slowly changing, said Veronica Mak, an anthropologist¹⁰ at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, who researches eating habits.

“Not consuming shark fins becomes a kind of signifier to show you are a socially responsible person. In the past, when you wanted to show your social status, people made shark fins a signifier in a banquet, but nowadays this signifier changes,” she said.

Stanley Shea said young people were increasingly interested in social responsibility. He said that helped make his campaign a success in Hong Kong.

“I can see kids, like students, and whenever I go to talks or seminars about the marine conservation and the shark fin issue, they know about the shark fin issue already. And they are eager to learn more and get more knowledge about the marine species,” said Shea.

The activists in Hong Kong believe that awareness and education is the key to change consumer behavior. And less demand for shark fins will result in fewer sharks finned¹¹ and fewer left for dead. 

1 fin   

n.鳍；(飞机的)安定翼

参考例句：

• They swim using a small fin on their back.它们用背上的小鳍游动。
• The aircraft has a long tail fin.那架飞机有一个长长的尾翼。

2 brutal   

adj.残忍的，野蛮的，不讲理的

参考例句：

• She has to face the brutal reality.她不得不去面对冷酷的现实。
• They're brutal people behind their civilised veneer.他们表面上温文有礼，骨子里却是野蛮残忍。

3 fins   

[医]散热片；鱼鳍；飞边；鸭掌

参考例句：

• The level of TNF-α positively correlated with BMI,FPG,HbA1C,TG,FINS and IRI,but not with SBP and DBP. TNF-α水平与BMI、FPG、HbA1C、TG、FINS和IRI呈显著正相关，与SBP、DBP无相关。 来自互联网
• Fins are a feature specific to fish. 鱼鳍是鱼类特有的特征。 来自辞典例句

4 finning   

n.鱼鳍式划水（仰卧水面，两脚并拢，两手放身旁上下拍水使身体向头的方向移动）

参考例句：

• Fish could be sighted finning near the surface. 我们可以看到鱼把鳍露出水面。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
• A shark was finning around the surface of the ocean. 一条鲨鱼把鳍露出海面游动。 来自互联网

5 awareness   

n.意识，觉悟，懂事，明智

参考例句：

• There is a general awareness that smoking is harmful.人们普遍认识到吸烟有害健康。
• Environmental awareness has increased over the years.这些年来人们的环境意识增强了。

6 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》

7 wan   

(wide area network)广域网

参考例句：

• The shared connection can be an Ethernet,wireless LAN,or wireless WAN connection.提供共享的网络连接可以是以太网、无线局域网或无线广域网。

8 marine   

adj.海的；海生的；航海的；海事的；n.水兵

参考例句：

• Marine creatures are those which live in the sea. 海洋生物是生存在海里的生物。
• When the war broke out,he volunteered for the Marine Corps.战争爆发时，他自愿参加了海军陆战队。

9 shredded   

shred的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• Serve the fish on a bed of shredded lettuce. 先铺一层碎生菜叶，再把鱼放上，就可以上桌了。
• I think Mapo beancurd and shredded meat in chilli sauce are quite special. 我觉得麻婆豆腐和鱼香肉丝味道不错。 来自《简明英汉词典》

10 anthropologist   

n.人类学家，人类学者

参考例句：

• The lecturer is an anthropologist.这位讲师是人类学家。
• The anthropologist unearthed the skull of an ancient human at the site.人类学家在这个遗址挖掘出那块古人类的颅骨。

11 finned   

adj.有鳍的，有鳍状物的

参考例句：

• The cylinder head is heavily finned for strength. 汽缸头附有许多突片以增加强度。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
• Auth imagines that not all the lobe-finned fish were pleased. 奥斯想象那时并非所有的总鳍鱼在水里都很快活。 来自互联网