环球英语 — 347：New Jobs for Ivory Traders

　　Voice 1
Hello. I’m Rachel Hobson.
Voice 2
And I’m Marina Santee. Welcome to Spotlight¹. This programme uses a special English method of broadcasting. It is easier for people to understand, no matter where in the world they live.
Voice 1
A woman looks around a market. She sees hundreds of blankets spread on the ground. Sellers³ have carefully placed their products on the blankets. Everyone is selling different things. In one area, there are many blankets with beautiful small objects. These are objects of jewellery that people buy to wear on their necks, fingers and arms. The woman inspects the jewellery. She sees a ring for her finger. The ring is white. It has many designs carved or cut on it - and it is very beautiful. She asks the seller² ‘What is this ring made of?’
He tells her ‘Ivory⁴.’
The woman is surprised to see ivory. In many countries it is illegal to trade in it. She knows the ivory came from a large animal - probably an elephant. The tusks⁵ on the elephant’s face are really just extra large teeth, but they are made of ivory. Often, elephants are killed just for their tusks. The woman puts down the ring. She does not want to buy an ivory product. She does not want more elephants to be killed.
Voice 2
In today’s Spotlight we tell of the ivory trade. We talk about poachers. Poachers are the people who kill animals illegally. We tell of creative efforts to stop the poachers
Voice 1
In the 1970’s and 1980’s, ivory trading was a serious problem. The world’s elephant populations were in danger. Many governments felt deep concern about this. They wanted an international ban on ivory trading.
Voice 2
The ban took a while. It finally came in 1989. It came through an agreement between many governments about protecting wildlife. The agreement is called the Convention⁶ on International Trade in Endangered Species⁷, C.I.T.E.S., or CITES⁸. Under CITES many countries agreed not to trade in ivory or any elephant products. And some countries decided⁹ to support African countries’ efforts to protect their elephants. They provided¹⁰ money and other resources.
Voice 1
Elephant populations started to recover, especially in southern Africa. People around the world were encouraged. Much of the international community believed the problem was over. They stopped sending financial support to protect elephants. But they did not know how quickly the problem would start again.
Voice 2
Critics of CITES believe a change in policy was to blame. In 1997, CITES removed elephants from the list of most protected animals. But this only applied¹¹ to some countries - Zimbabwe, Botswana and Namibia. These countries had large amounts of ivory from before the ban. They wanted to sell this ivory. So CITES permitted them to sell their old ivory to Japan. But animal experts were worried. They knew many traders would sell new ivory, claiming that it was old.
Voice 1
Because elephants were no longer on the most protected list in Zimbabwe, Botswana and Namibia, the elephant debate started to become intense¹². These countries and other southern African countries said that their elephant populations were growing too large. They asked CITES to permit a limited amount of trade in elephant parts.
Voice 2
Animal experts were strongly opposed to this. They said that protecting elephants in some countries, but not in others, would lead to problems. When an industry has become firmly established, it can be difficult to stop. In 2007, CITES denied the limited trade request. At the CITES meeting, countries agreed to a nine year ban on ivory trading. However, illegal trade had been increasing for many years.
Voice 1
The worst example of this was in 1992. In Singapore, inspectors¹³ found the largest number of elephant tusks they had ever seen. They believed over six thousand [6,000] elephants were killed for their tusks. DNA¹⁴ or gene¹⁵ testing showed the tusks were from Zambia.
Voice 2
The aid group Community Markets for Conservation (COMACO) works¹⁶ to help stop poaching. COMACO believes that many people poach because they are very poor. It decided to offer training to poachers in Zambia to help them find other jobs. But it did not only train them in one new skill. Instead it trained them in several skills. COMACO believes it is better not to depend on just one job or resource for money.
Voice 1
Since 2001, COMACO has trained over three hundred and fifty [350] poachers. It trains them how to work with wood as carpenters. It trains them to work with bees. These insects produce sweet liquid honey - and the honey is a money-earning food product. COMACAO also trains poachers in a conservation method of farming - a way that protects natural resources. COMACO continues to help them after they harvest their crops. It transports their goods, processes them, and sends them to local markets. COMACO offers a very good price for these crops. But it will only buy the crops from people who stop poaching completely.
Voice 2
The government in Zambia is very happy with the progress that COMACO is making. But poaching is not just a problem in Zambia. Other countries are concerned about stopping it too. They are also looking for local solutions. Increasingly¹⁷ they are seeing the effectiveness of involving local communities in the struggle against poaching. Kenya and Namibia have had much success in this area.
Voice 1
Aid groups working in Kenya and Namibia wanted to help local people earn money from visitors. They knew that thousands of people around the world visit countries where they can see wild animals. These tourists pay a lot of money for this experience. But often the local populations were not receiving any of this money. So aid groups helped local people start their own tourist businesses. Local people managed traditional hotels and became wildlife guides. The Namibian government also made laws to help the local population manage land. One local woman in Namibia said:
Voice 3
“People come here to see the desert elephants, the wildlife and the local people. We have stopped poaching because we value wildlife and what tourism can do.”
Voice 2
Foreign companies want to do more business with locally owned companies. Vicky Stirling works for a company that sells holidays in Africa. She said:
Voice 4
“You see more and more local people making money from tourism. And tourists really like this kind of thing. They feel they are helping¹⁸ local communities.”
Voice 1
Local communities in Zambia, Namibia and Kenya have much hope for the future. They are showing how local community development is the way forward. And former poachers are showing that they too can change. Once they were part of the problem. But now they are becoming become part of the solution.
 

1 spotlight   

n.公众注意的中心，聚光灯，探照灯，视听，注意，醒目

参考例句：

• This week the spotlight is on the world of fashion.本周引人瞩目的是时装界。
• The spotlight followed her round the stage.聚光灯的光圈随着她在舞台上转。

2 seller   

n.售货者，畅销品

参考例句：

• I hope for this book to become a best seller.我希望这本书会成为一本畅销书。
• She drove a hard bargain with the seller.她狠杀卖主的价。

3 sellers   

n.卖者( seller的名词复数 )；卖方；销售者；销售商

参考例句：

• buyers and sellers transacting business 进行交易的买方和卖方
• All manner of hawkers and street sellers were plying their trade. 形形色色的沿街小贩都在做着自己的买卖。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 ivory   

n.象牙，乳白色；adj.象牙制的，乳白色的

参考例句：

• My grandmother has some jewelry made of ivory.我祖母有一些象牙首饰。
• It is carved from ivory.它是用象牙雕成的。

5 tusks   

n.（象等动物的）长牙( tusk的名词复数 )；獠牙；尖形物；尖头

参考例句：

• The elephants are poached for their tusks. 为获取象牙而偷猎大象。
• Elephant tusks, monkey tails and salt were used in some parts of Africa. 非洲的一些地区则使用象牙、猴尾和盐。 来自英语晨读30分（高一）

6 convention   

n.惯例，习俗，常规，会议，大会

参考例句：

• How many delegates have checked in at the convention?大会已有多少代表报到？
• He sets at naught every convention of society.他轻视所有的社会习俗。

7 species   

n.物种，种群

参考例句：

• Are we the only thinking species in the whole of creation?我们是万物中惟一有思想的物种吗？
• This species of bird now exists only in Africa.这种鸟现在只存在于非洲。

8 cites   

引用( cite的第三人称单数 )； 传唤； 记起； [军事]传（或通）令嘉奖

参考例句：

• CITES is the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora. CITES是关于濒危野生动植物种国际贸易的国际公约。
• Great bustard (Otis tarda) is listed as a first-rating protected bird in China and CITES II. 大鸨(Otistarda)是国家级保护动物，CITES附录物种。

9 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

10 provided   

conj.假如，若是；adj.预备好的，由...供给的

参考例句：

• Provided it's fine we will have a pleasant holiday.如果天气良好，我们的假日将过得非常愉快。
• I will come provided that it's not raining tomorrow.如果明天不下雨，我就来。

11 applied   

adj.应用的；v.应用，适用

参考例句：

• She plans to take a course in applied linguistics.她打算学习应用语言学课程。
• This cream is best applied to the face at night.这种乳霜最好晚上擦脸用。

12 intense   

adj.认真的，专注的；强烈的；紧张的；热情的

参考例句：

• Susan was an intense young lady.苏珊是一个热情的年轻姑娘。
• The quarrel caused her intense unhappiness.争吵令她极其不快。

13 inspectors   

n.检查员( inspector的名词复数 )；（英国公共汽车或火车上的）查票员；（警察）巡官；检阅官

参考例句：

• They got into the school in the guise of inspectors. 他们假装成视察员进了学校。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Inspectors checked that there was adequate ventilation. 检查员已检查过，通风良好。 来自《简明英汉词典》

14 DNA   

(缩)deoxyribonucleic acid 脱氧核糖核酸

参考例句：

• DNA is stored in the nucleus of a cell.脱氧核糖核酸储存于细胞的细胞核里。
• Gene mutations are alterations in the DNA code.基因突变是指DNA密码的改变。

15 gene   

n.遗传因子，基因

参考例句：

• A single gene may have many effects.单一基因可能具有很多种效应。
• The targeting of gene therapy has been paid close attention.其中基因治疗的靶向性是值得密切关注的问题之一。

16 works   

n.作品，著作；工厂，活动部件，机件

参考例句：

• We expect writers to produce more and better works.我们期望作家们写出更多更好的作品。
• The novel is regarded as one of the classic works.这篇小说被公认为是最优秀的作品之一。

17 increasingly   

adv.逐渐地，日益地，逐渐增加地

参考例句：

• Rivers are being increasingly made use of by man. 河流正在日益为人类所利用。
• I find it increasingly difficult to live within my income.我发现靠收入过日子越来越难了。

18 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。