2018年CRI Swan lake on the Loess Plateau

 

As most places on China's Loess Plateau face the fierce cold of winter, Pinglu County in Shanxi Province is instead rather warm.

Every November, thousands of wild swans arrive here from remote Siberia to escape the cold weather.

Pinglu residents have taken care of these elegant guests for years.

At seven o'clock in the morning when the first glimmer¹ of dawn spreads across the sky, wetland ranger² He Jianxi has already left home to visit the swans that come for the winter.

Seeing him near the lake, a few curious swans swam closer. They are not shy at all.

A swan with a blue tag around its neck draws He's attention.

Checking the numbers on the tag, he finds it's a swan he has been looking after every winter for the past five years.

This year He discovered this old friend has set up a family of his own.

"It's 0F50. He comes every year. Look, he is calling his children. Male swans have thicker necks while female ones have thinner necks," He said.

Sixty-one-year-old He became a wetland ranger six years ago.

He said in the past villagers didn't treat swans this nicely.

He recalls swans would fly over and eat the crops. People hit and sometimes even killed these rare large birds.

He said some impoverished³ families also caught and sold wild swans and were later punished for committing the crime.

However that has begun to change as people gradually aware of protecting the swans.

The government has built two ranger stations and protection fences to guarantee a safe habitat for the swans.

Some fiscal⁴ revenue is also allocated⁵ to purchasing food for them.

One of He Jianxi's duties is to feed the 10,000 swans with the government-provided fodder⁶, four times a day.

"One bag contains 60 kilograms of food. These swans can eat up to 75,000 kilograms over the winter," He said.

What came along with the protection measures was an increase in income for local villagers.

To provide a habitat for the swans, the government rented the lake mudflats from local households through the rural land transfer scheme.

In return, each family who had their land requisitioned now gets paid more than 10,000 yuan a year.

In addition, as increasing numbers of visitors come to see wild swans, villagers have developed rural tourism, opening homestyle restaurants.

"Some restaurants of our village can earn 30,000 to 40,000 yuan during the four-month winter period. Some even gain up to 80,000. I myself get paid a salary of 5,000 yuan for the winter. When the swans leave, I can find another job and earn an extra 8,000 or 9,000 yuan," He added.

He said as winter passes, and the weather becomes warmer, the swans fly back to Siberia.

"They all leave during the night. Once they leave, my mission here is accomplished⁷."

1 glimmer   

v.发出闪烁的微光；n.微光，微弱的闪光

参考例句：

• I looked at her and felt a glimmer of hope.我注视她，感到了一线希望。
• A glimmer of amusement showed in her eyes.她的眼中露出一丝笑意。

2 ranger   

n.国家公园管理员，护林员；骑兵巡逻队员

参考例句：

• He was the head ranger of the national park.他曾是国家公园的首席看守员。
• He loved working as a ranger.他喜欢做护林人。

3 impoverished   

adj.穷困的，无力的，用尽了的v.使（某人）贫穷( impoverish的过去式和过去分词 )；使（某物）贫瘠或恶化

参考例句：

• the impoverished areas of the city 这个城市的贫民区
• They were impoverished by a prolonged spell of unemployment. 他们因长期失业而一贫如洗。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 fiscal   

adj.财政的，会计的，国库的，国库岁入的

参考例句：

• The increase of taxation is an important fiscal policy.增税是一项重要的财政政策。
• The government has two basic strategies of fiscal policy available.政府有两个可行的财政政策基本战略。

5 allocated   

adj. 分配的 动词allocate的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• The Ford Foundation allocated millions of dollars for cancer research. 福特基金会拨款数百万美元用于癌症研究。
• More funds will now be allocated to charitable organizations. 现在会拨更多的资金给慈善组织。

6 fodder   

n.草料；炮灰

参考例句：

• Grass mowed and cured for use as fodder.割下来晒干用作饲料的草。
• Guaranteed salt intake, no matter which normal fodder.不管是那一种正常的草料，保证盐的摄取。

7 accomplished   

adj.有才艺的；有造诣的；达到了的

参考例句：

• Thanks to your help,we accomplished the task ahead of schedule.亏得你们帮忙,我们才提前完成了任务。
• Removal of excess heat is accomplished by means of a radiator.通过散热器完成多余热量的排出。