英语听力：自然百科 澳大利亚或立法禁爬艾尔斯岩

 Visitors are flocking to Australia's most famous natural landmark¹ so they can climb it while they're still allowed to. Some consider this giant sunburned rock the very heart and soul of Australia. Europeans called it Ayers Rock. To indigenous² Australians, it's Uluru, and it's sacred ground. Proposals are being considered to ban people from going up it.

 

This aboriginal³ ceremony by the Anangu people is to mark the opening of a new viewing platform for visitors. But tourists are frequently guilty of ignoring aboriginal sensitivities. Despite requests not to take photographs or climb the rock, many people do.

 

It's just one of the best things in Australia, there's no doubt about it. So, even though you've got to respect what the Aboriginals⁴ say, my thoughts are you should be allowed to climb it.

 

Whatever you do, never let go of that chain. It's the only thing stopping you hitting the bottom.

 

Climbing the rock is dangerous as well as disrespectful. More than 30 people have died climbing Uluru. Now the national park management is planning to ban climbers. Though only about a third of the visitors who come to Uluru actually attempt the climb, there has been an outcry surrounding the proposed ban.

Did you know that they were thinking of banning people altogether to climb?

Yeah we did, that's why we're here.

 

The Anangu say people should understand why they don't want people clambering over the site.

 

It's out of respect and disrespectful towards Anangu. If they read the sign and they know they shouldn't climb and they still climb. It's disrespectful for Anangu.

This one here is like a church. It's got a lot of stories, like a Bible. And we're trying to protect this as best as we can.

 

And it's not just about climbing Uluru.

 

In its present form, it doesn't have any facilities on top of the rock itself. So, there's no rubbish bins⁵ or toilets, so people naturally do what they have to do up there, that's something that has been an environmental issue for many, many years.

 

Ultimately the Australian federal government will decide what to do and whose preferences should take precedence, those who see Uluru as a sacred site, or those who value it as a tourist climbing destination. Until then the decision whether or not to climb rests with the conscience of individuals.

1 landmark   

n.陆标，划时代的事，地界标

参考例句：

• The Russian Revolution represents a landmark in world history.俄国革命是世界历史上的一个里程碑。
• The tower was once a landmark for ships.这座塔曾是船只的陆标。

2 indigenous   

adj.土产的，土生土长的，本地的

参考例句：

• Each country has its own indigenous cultural tradition.每个国家都有自己本土的文化传统。
• Indians were the indigenous inhabitants of America.印第安人是美洲的土著居民。

3 aboriginal   

adj.（指动植物）土生的，原产地的，土著的

参考例句：

• They managed to wipe out the entire aboriginal population.他们终于把那些土著人全部消灭了。
• The lndians are the aboriginal Americans.印第安人是美国的土著人。

4 aboriginals   

（某国的）公民( aboriginal的名词复数 )； 土著人特征； 土生动物（或植物）

参考例句：

• He remained fascinated by the Aboriginals' tales. 他一直对澳大利亚土著居民的传说极感兴趣。
• They drove the aboriginals out of their lands at sword point. 他们以武力将土著人赶出他们的家园。

5 bins   

n.大储藏箱( bin的名词复数 )；宽口箱（如面包箱，垃圾箱等）v.扔掉，丢弃( bin的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• Garbage from all sources was deposited in bins on trolleys. 来自各方的垃圾是装在手推车上的垃圾箱里的。 来自辞典例句
• Would you be pleased at the prospect of its being on sale in dump bins? 对于它将被陈列在倾销箱中抛售这件事，你能欣然接受吗？ 来自辞典例句