2021年经济学人 为什么观鸟者很少？

China

中国版块

Birdwatching

观鸟

Shout it from the rooftops

公开宣布

Why birders are a rare breed

为什么观鸟者很少？

Among the capitals of big economies, Beijing enjoys a surprising distinction.

在各大经济体的首都中，北京和其他首都有着很大的不同。

Despite its sometimes harsh weather and chronically¹ polluted air, it hosts more species of birds than any other such city apart from Brasília.

尽管有时天气恶劣，空气也会受到污染，但这里的鸟类物种比巴西利亚以外的任何其他城市都多。

Remarkably², however, birdwatching remains³ uncommon⁴.

不过，奇怪的是，观鸟的人却很少见。

In many countries, birders play an important role in spotting changes in bird populations and avian behaviour.

在许多国家，观鸟者在发现鸟类种群和鸟类行为变化方面发挥着重要作用。

A British enthusiast⁵ in Beijing, Terry Townshend, has recently set up a means of doing so without needing to stand for hours outdoors.

一位在北京的英国鸟类爱好者特里·汤森最近创立了一种方法，可以不用在户外站几个小时也能观鸟。

It involves a digital listening device, installed on the roof of a 15-storey building in northern Beijing.

他运用了一个数字监听设备，安装在北京北部一座15层大楼的屋顶上。

For several months until mid-November it recorded the night-time calls of migratory⁶ birds flying above.

在11月中旬之前的几个月里，它记录了夜间鸟类迁徙时在空中飞行的叫声。

The sounds will be used to identify night-flying species, some of which are not commonly seen overhead by day.

这些声音将被用来识别夜间飞行的物种，其中一些在白天是不常见的。

The technique has been used in America and Europe, but Mr Townshend thinks this is its first known application in Asia.

该技术已经在美洲和欧洲国家使用过，但在亚洲还是首次使用。

Such dedication⁷ is rare among amateurs.

这种奉献敬业精神在业余爱好者中很少见。

China has little history of birdwatching.

中国几乎没有观鸟历史。

Only in the 19th century, led by Western ornithologists, did the scientific study of birds begin.

直到19世纪，在西方鸟类学家的影响下，才开始对鸟类进行科学研究。

Birdwatching as a pastime has emerged only in the past two decades, helped by rising incomes that have allowed people to buy spotting scopes, binoculars⁸ and cameras.

观鸟作为一种消遣方式在近二十年才出现，这得益于人们收入的增加，人们可以购买瞄准镜、双筒望远镜和照相机。

In other countries, enthusiasts⁹ have played a big role in drawing public attention to human threats to birds.

在其他国家，鸟类爱好者在提醒公众去注意人类对鸟类的威胁方面，扮演着重要角色。

Chinese officials sometimes pay attention to gentle recommendations about ways to improve the environment.

中国官方有时会注意有关改善环境的温和建议。

But they frown on activism.

但不赞成太激进。

So harm caused to birds or their habitats can go unremarked.

因此，对鸟类或其栖息地造成的伤害可能不容易注意到。

One British birder laments¹⁰ the recent draining of supposedly protected paddies by the Wenyu, a river in Beijing that had been a place of rest for about 200 migratory species.

北京的温榆河最近排干了水田，这里曾是大约200种迁徙物种的栖息之地，对此一位英国观鸟者表示惋惜。

Birdwatching groups in China mostly avoid campaigning.

中国的观鸟团体大多不太参加各种宣传活动。

Many of their members stick to taking photographs and do not even bother with binoculars.

他们的许多成员只是拍拍照，甚至都不用望远镜。

There is, however, a small but growing number of local birders who closely monitor bird migration¹¹.

不过，有数量不多但一直增加的当地观鸟者在密切监视鸟类的迁徙。

Mr Townshend's listening device may provide other valuable insights.

汤森先生的监听设备可能提供其他有价值的见解。

He plans to install more.

他计划安装更多设备。

1 chronically   

ad.长期地

参考例句：

• Similarly, any pigment nevus that is chronically irritated should be excised. 同样，凡是经常受慢性刺激的各种色素痣切勿予以切除。
• People chronically exposed to chlorine develop some degree of tolerance. 人长期接触氯气可以产生某种程度的耐受性。

2 remarkably   

ad.不同寻常地，相当地

参考例句：

• I thought she was remarkably restrained in the circumstances. 我认为她在那种情况下非常克制。
• He made a remarkably swift recovery. 他康复得相当快。

3 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。

4 uncommon   

adj.罕见的，非凡的，不平常的

参考例句：

• Such attitudes were not at all uncommon thirty years ago.这些看法在30年前很常见。
• Phil has uncommon intelligence.菲尔智力超群。

5 enthusiast   

n.热心人，热衷者

参考例句：

• He is an enthusiast about politics.他是个热衷于政治的人。
• He was an enthusiast and loved to evoke enthusiasm in others.他是一个激情昂扬的人，也热中于唤起他人心中的激情。

6 migratory   

n.候鸟，迁移

参考例句：

• Many migratory birds visit this lake annually.许多候鸟每年到这个湖上作短期逗留。
• This does not negate the idea of migratory aptitude.这并没有否定迁移能力这一概念。

7 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。

8 binoculars   

n.双筒望远镜

参考例句：

• He watched the play through his binoculars.他用双筒望远镜看戏。
• If I had binoculars,I could see that comet clearly.如果我有望远镜，我就可以清楚地看见那颗彗星。

9 enthusiasts   

n.热心人，热衷者( enthusiast的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• A group of enthusiasts have undertaken the reconstruction of a steam locomotive. 一群火车迷已担负起重造蒸汽机车的任务。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Now a group of enthusiasts are going to have the plane restored. 一群热心人计划修复这架飞机。 来自新概念英语第二册

10 laments   

n.悲恸，哀歌，挽歌( lament的名词复数 )v.（为…）哀悼，痛哭，悲伤( lament的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• In the poem he laments the destruction of the countryside. 在那首诗里他对乡村遭到的破坏流露出悲哀。
• In this book he laments the slight interest shown in his writings. 在该书中他慨叹人们对他的著作兴趣微弱。 来自辞典例句

11 migration   

n.迁移，移居，（鸟类等的）迁徙

参考例句：

• Swallows begin their migration south in autumn.燕子在秋季开始向南方迁移。
• He described the vernal migration of birds in detail.他详细地描述了鸟的春季移居。