VOA慢速英语2013 AS IT IS 2013-07-11 Philippine Government Destroys Tons of Ivory

 

AS IT IS 2013-07-11 Philippine Government Destroys Tons of Ivory

Let’s do it again!  Hello and welcome back.  I’m Jim Tedder¹ in Washington.  On today’s program, a trip to the Philippines, where officials are intentionally² destroying things of great value.  And a look outside the VOA studios at the National Mall.  Recently this large, green area in the central part of Washington, D.C. was covered with …bones! As It Is is on the air.

The Philippine government recently destroyed more than five tons of elephant tusks⁴ it had seized.  The Philippines is one of the main stops on the travel route of the unlawful ivory trade from Africa to China.

The long, valuable teeth of the elephants were part of a supply collected over 17 years ending through 2009.  But this is only about half the amount of what was seized at first.  Officials say the search and investigation⁵ continues for nearly eight tons of ivory that are missing.

Ramon Paje is the Philippines’ Environment and Natural Resources secretary.  He says he hopes that destroying the tusks in a very public way will help stop the illegal trade.

 “This act is a strong statement to the rest of the world that the Philippines is serious and will not deal with illegal wildlife trade.”

 Last October, the National Geographic⁶ Magazine published an investigative story about the trade.  The story, by Bryan Christy, said the Philippines was not just a major transport point for raw ivory.  Instead, it reported that the country is also a major buyer of religious objects made from the material.

Mr. Christy gave a presentation about his investigation before the tusk³ destruction.  He said there is very little punishment for the crime of wildlife trafficking.

“Wildlife trafficking is among the most profitable forms, perhaps the most profitable form, of illegal transnational crime because of the penalties.  The profits are good.  But the penalties are close to zero.”

Mr. Christy noted⁷ that in 1989, Kenya burned 13 tons of ivory tusks.  At that time, the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species banned the ivory trade worldwide.  He says the ban worked until the convention let some ivory be sold in Japan in 1999 and again in China in 2008.  The reporter says China’s demand for ivory goes along with its rising economy.

The National Geographic investigation found that ivory is mainly used for religious carvings⁸ in China, the Philippines, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam.  Mr. Christy says the ivory trade is a 50-million-dollar-a-year industry and may be much larger, because only about 10 percent of the trade has been discovered.

Still, the representative of the Lusaka Agreement Task Force expressed hope about the public destruction of ivory in Manila. Bonaventure Ebayi said it could bring about a bigger change than the one in Kenya in 1989.  He said, “This is the first time that a consuming country decides voluntarily to destroy the ivory.  It is a stronger message.”

Philippine environmental officials say the current price for raw ivory is about 200 dollars per kilogram.

Bones Cover the Mall 

One million hand-made human bones were recently laid out in front of the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C. The exhibit was a joint⁹ effort involving 30 countries and all 50 American states. The showing calls attention to the crime of genocide, the mass killing¹⁰ of people from a national, ethnic¹¹, or religious group. Kelly Jean Kelly tells us more.

It started with just one bone, and within a few hours, more than one million bones were laid out on the National Mall in Washington. Thousands of volunteers arranged the symbolic¹² mass grave.

The event was the idea of Naomi Natale, creator of the non-profit organization, One Million Bones. Its goal is to use art and activism to direct attention to genocide.

 “It’s really inspiring and humbling¹³ to see everybody come together. We’re all dressed in white and we’re laying down bones with the same intention of raising awareness¹⁴ about these atrocities¹⁵ that go on in Sudan and South Sudan and Congo, Burma and Somalia. It’s powerful and I hope that people feel that as they carry these bones and they go to lay them down and that they feel connected.”

Orela Anani felt that connection.

 “Just being here today is a symbolic remembrance of why I’m grateful to be alive and why I should pay homage¹⁶ to those who lost their lives because their spirits are with us, as they say, ‘we are one and the same.’”

The bone-laying ceremony was part of a three-day event. The bones were made out of paper, clay and plaster by students, artists and activists¹⁷ all around the world over three years.

Many U.S. communities held bone-making events.  Logan McDermott Mostowsy is with Georgetown Day School in Washington.

 “I just think it’s really great to honor people who are victims of genocide because people in America, we don’t always realize what’s going on in other countries.”

Jemma Junor made a bone at The British School, also in Washington.

 “I feel good that my bone is part of it and that so many people are involved.”

Again, One Million Bones’ Naomi Natale.

 “It’s the people in that Capitol that need to see these bones the most and I hope that they’ll be able to come and hear about it and see what our children have made. Our children made this symbolic mass grave.”

Naomi Natale hopes that the million bones laid in front of the United States Capitol will end up in a permanent display as a memorial to those killed by genocide. I’m Kelly Jean Kelly.

And I’m Jim Tedder in Washington.  Thank you for spending a little time with us on this, the eleventh day of July. On this date in 1960, one of America’s most famous novels was published.  Author Harper Lee’s “To Kill a Mockingbird” won a Pulitzer Prize and went on to become a hit movie.

Also, Bonnie Pointer of the Pointer Sisters was born on this date in 1951.  We’ll be back tomorrow at this same time with another edition of As It Is.  More Learning English programs are headed your way, and world news at the beginning of the hour. 

 

1 tedder   

n.（干草）翻晒者，翻晒机

参考例句：

• Jim Tedder has more. 吉姆？特德将给我们做更多的介绍。 来自互联网
• Jim Tedder tells us more. 吉姆？泰德给我们带来更详细的报道。 来自互联网

2 intentionally   

ad.故意地，有意地

参考例句：

• I didn't say it intentionally. 我是无心说的。
• The local authority ruled that he had made himself intentionally homeless and was therefore not entitled to be rehoused. 当地政府裁定他是有意居无定所，因此没有资格再获得提供住房。

3 tusk   

n.獠牙，长牙，象牙

参考例句：

• The wild boar had its tusk sunk deeply into a tree and howled desperately.野猪的獠牙陷在了树里，绝望地嗥叫着。
• A huge tusk decorated the wall of his study.他书房的墙上装饰着一支巨大的象牙。

4 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）

5 investigation   

n.调查，调查研究

参考例句：

• In an investigation,a new fact became known, which told against him.在调查中新发现了一件对他不利的事实。
• He drew the conclusion by building on his own investigation.他根据自己的调查研究作出结论。

6 geographic   

adj.地理学的，地理的

参考例句：

• The city's success owes much to its geographic position. 这座城市的成功很大程度上归功于它的地理位置。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Environmental problems pay no heed to these geographic lines. 环境问题并不理会这些地理界限。 来自英汉非文学 - 环境法 - 环境法

7 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

8 carvings   

n.雕刻( carving的名词复数 )；雕刻术；雕刻品；雕刻物

参考例句：

• The desk was ornamented with many carvings. 这桌子装饰有很多雕刻物。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Shell carvings are a specialty of the town. 贝雕是该城的特产。 来自《简明英汉词典》

9 joint   

adj.联合的，共同的；n.关节，接合处；v.连接，贴合

参考例句：

• I had a bad fall,which put my shoulder out of joint.我重重地摔了一跤，肩膀脫臼了。
• We wrote a letter in joint names.我们联名写了封信。

10 killing   

n.巨额利润；突然赚大钱，发大财

参考例句：

• Investors are set to make a killing from the sell-off.投资者准备清仓以便大赚一笔。
• Last week my brother made a killing on Wall Street.上个周我兄弟在华尔街赚了一大笔。

11 ethnic   

adj.人种的，种族的，异教徒的

参考例句：

• This music would sound more ethnic if you played it in steel drums.如果你用钢鼓演奏，这首乐曲将更具民族特色。
• The plan is likely only to aggravate ethnic frictions.这一方案很有可能只会加剧种族冲突。

12 symbolic   

adj.象征性的，符号的，象征主义的

参考例句：

• It is symbolic of the fighting spirit of modern womanhood.它象征着现代妇女的战斗精神。
• The Christian ceremony of baptism is a symbolic act.基督教的洗礼仪式是一种象征性的做法。

13 humbling   

adj.令人羞辱的v.使谦恭( humble的现在分词 )；轻松打败（尤指强大的对手）；低声下气

参考例句：

• A certain humbling from time to time is good. 不时受点儿屈辱是有好处的。 来自辞典例句
• It has been said that astronomy is a humbling and character-buildingexperience. 据说天文学是一种令人产生自卑、塑造人格的科学。 来自互联网

14 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。

15 atrocities   

n.邪恶，暴行( atrocity的名词复数 )；滔天大罪

参考例句：

• They were guilty of the most barbarous and inhuman atrocities. 他们犯有最野蛮、最灭绝人性的残暴罪行。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The enemy's atrocities made one boil with anger. 敌人的暴行令人发指。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

16 homage   

n.尊敬，敬意，崇敬

参考例句：

• We pay homage to the genius of Shakespeare.我们对莎士比亚的天才表示敬仰。
• The soldiers swore to pay their homage to the Queen.士兵们宣誓效忠于女王陛下。

17 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》