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State of the Planet 大地的声音

课文朗读

课文讲解

繁體中文譯本

Never before in the Earth’s history have there been more species of plants and animals than there are today. The world is full of wonder, and we’ve just begun to scratch the surface. However, as we enter this age of discovery, our own species is not only endangering many species, but also harming the environment. The BBC’s State of the Planet looks at this problem and what the future holds for life on earth.

有史以来，动植物的种类从未比现今多。这个世界充满惊奇，而我们才刚触及皮毛而已。然而，在迈入这个发现年代之际，我们人类不但危及许多物种，更对环境造成伤害。BBC的《大地的声音》节目探讨此一问题，以及地球生物的未来。

Global warming and the extinction of some species leave no doubt that humans are having a grave impact on our planetary ecosystem. The ways in which humans are mistreating Mother Earth can be broken down into five categories.

地球暖化和某些物种的灭绝，证明人类正对地球生态系统造成严重冲击。人类苛待地球的方式可分为五类。

First of all, we are over-harvesting certain species of plants and animals. Every year around half of the planet’s new growth of plants and a large percentage of its animals are harvested solely for the use of mankind. For example, seventy percent of the major fish species are now being taken from the sea much faster than they reproduce. The extinction of one species can take away a vital part of the food chain, sending shock waves through the entire ecosystem.

首先，我们过度采收、猎捕某些植物和动物。每一年，地球约一半的新作物和高比例的动物全归人类利用。例如，七成主要鱼类的捕捞速度大幅超越牠们繁殖的速度。某物种的灭绝可能导致食物链关键环扣的消失，严重影响整个生态系统。

Secondly, humans have been damaging nature by introducing alien species to new environments. A case in point is that European rabbits which were brought to Australia. With few natural predators in Australia, their population has exploded, and they have grazed bare hundreds of square miles of grassland. In addition to affecting other species, the overgrazing will leave the burgeoning population of rabbits without food, eventually causing them to starve to death.

第二点，人类将外来物种带到新环境的行为，也对大自然造成伤害。被引入澳洲的欧洲兔就是一例。由于欧洲兔在澳洲没什么天敌，牠们的数量激增，已吃光数百平方英哩的草地。除了影响其他物种之外，过度吃草将使得数量日增的兔子无草可食，最终导致牠们饿死。

Vocabulary

单词发音

endanger [ɪnˋdendʒɚ] v. 危及；使遭到危险

extinction [ɪkˋstɪŋkʃən] n. 灭绝；消灭

category [ˋkætə͵gorɪ] n. 种类

solely [ˋsollɪ] adv. 完全; 唯一地

vital [ˋvaɪt!] adj. 极其重要的

send shock waves through  对…产生巨大冲击, 在…产生巨大反响

alien [ˋelɪən] adj. 外来的; 外国的

predator [ˋprɛdətɚ] n. 食肉动物；掠夺者

explode [ɪkˋsplod] v. 激增，迅速扩大

burgeoning [ˋbɝdʒənɪŋ] adj. 增长迅速的，发展很快的

More Information

单词发音

Never before in the Earth’s history have there been more species of plants and animals than there are today.  倒装句的用法。原意为: There have never been more species of plants and animals before in the Earth’s history than there are today.

scratch the surface 略懂皮毛, 不够介入研究 if you scratch the surface of a subject or a problem, you only discover or deal with a very small part of it

grave [grev] adj. 重大的; 严重的

mistreat [mɪsˋtrit] v. 虐待

harvest [ˋhɑrvɪst] v. 收割；收获

case in point 恰当的例子 a specific example of what one is talking about

graze [grez] v. 吃（田野）里的草

bare [bɛr] adj. 没有……的[（+of）]; 光秃秃的

课文讲解

Thirdly, humans have been wreaking havoc on the natural habitats of countless plants and animals. Take Chaco Canyon in the State of New Mexico for instance. Today, it is a parched, deserted wasteland, but it wasn’t always this way. Archeological evidence shows that the area used to be carpeted in evergreen forests. The Anasazi tribe that inhabited the canyon a thousand years ago deforested the area until not a tree was left standing, leaving the landscape in its present barren and uninhabitable state.

第三，人类一直在破坏无数动植物的栖息地。以新墨西哥州查科峡谷为例，今天，查科峡谷是干热的荒地，但该地并非一直如此。考古证据显示，该区以前覆盖着常绿森林，一千年前居住于该地的安纳萨吉族，不断砍伐树木，直到一棵树也不剩，造成该地现今贫瘠、不宜人居。

The destruction of habitat also contributes to the fourth way humans are maltreating the Earth. It is called “islandization.” As roads and cities are built, they divide the natural world into “green islands.” Natural areas that were once whole are broken up into parts. This means that predators are often separated from their prey. For instance, the Brazilian antbird follows swarms of army ants so it can feast on the insects disturbed by them. Ant birds are used to living in a dark forest environment, and simply will not venture out into the open. As a result, if a road bisects an area of forest and the army ants cross it, the birds will not follow, and will be left without their primary food source.

栖息地破坏也促成人类苛待地球的第四种方式：「孤岛化」。随着道路和城市的建造，大自然被切割成一块块的「绿岛」。曾是完整的天然区域被分割成零散的部份。这意味掠食动物常与猎物分隔两地。举例来说，巴西的蚁鸟会跟踪一群群的军蚁，如此才能猎食试图逃离军蚁的昆虫。蚁鸟习惯在阴暗的森林里活动，根本不会冒险进入空旷地带，因此，如果一条道路将森林一分为二，而军蚁越过道路，蚁鸟便不会跟随，于是失去了主要食物来源。

Pollution is the fifth way humans are harming the Earth. Global warming brought about by human activities has worldwide consequences affecting every organism existing on our planet. If we continue damaging the global ecosystem, we will possible lose half of all species within 100 years. Clearly, we must become better stewards of our planet. Otherwise, we could lose our one and only planetary home: the Earth.

污染是人类伤害地球的第五种方式。人类活动引发的地球暖化，冲击到地球上所有生物。如果我们继续伤害地球生态，可能在一百年内就会失去一半的物种。我们显然必须更明智地管理我们的行星，否则可能失去独一无二的家园：地球。

−by Joe Henley

Vocabulary

单词发音

wreak havoc [rik][ˋhævək] 肆虐；造成严重破坏  to cause a lot of trouble with something; to ruin or damage something

habitat [ˋhæbə͵tæt] n.〔植物的〕产地; 〔动物的〕栖息地

archeological [͵ɑrkɪəˋlɑdʒɪk!] adj. 考古学的

divide [dəˋvaɪd] v. 分，划分[（+into/from）]

prey [pre] n. 被捕食的动物

venture out 探险 to go out of something cautiously

venture [ˋvɛntʃɚ] v. 冒险；大胆行事

bring about 引起, 造成 cause to happen, occur or exist

organism [ˋɔrgən͵ɪzəm] n. 生物，有机体

steward [ˋstjuwɚd] n. 财产管理人；管事；管家

one and only  唯一的; 仅有的

More Information

单词发音

canyon [ˋkænjən] n. 峡谷

parched [pɑrtʃt] adj.〔尤指由于天气炎热而〕焦干的﹐干枯的

carpet [ˋkɑrpɪt]  v. (树叶、植物等)完全覆盖，铺满

deforest [diˋfɔrɪst] v. 采伐森林, 清除树林

barren [ˋbærən] adj. 荒芜的，不毛的

uninhabitable [͵ʌnɪnˋhæbɪtəb!] adj. 不适于居住的

maltreat [mælˋtrit] v. 虐待；粗暴对待

islandization [͵aɪləndaɪˋzeʃən] n. 孤岛化 

antbird ['æntbɝd] n.蚁鸟

army ant【昆】兵蚁

bisect [baɪˋsɛkt] v. 切成两分,对分

Reading Questions

1.   Which is true of 70 percent of the major fish species?

A. They are expanding beyond their natural habitats.

B. They are reproducing faster than people can harvest them.

C. Their reproduction is leading to the extinction of a certain species.

D. They are being caught faster than they can breed.

2.   According to the article, what can happen when alien species are introduced to new environments?

A. Their populations can grow out of control and create many problems.

B. They may provide nutrition for the predators in their new environment.

C. The animals of the new environment will not know how to react.

D. No significant problems are caused by the introduction of alien species.

3.   What lesson can we learn from the Anasazi tribe that once inhabited Chao Canyon in New Mexico?

A. That we should not utilize any natural resources whatsoever; otherwise, a whole area will become a wasteland.

B. That people can take all they want from the land with no consequences.

C. That the earth’s resources are limited, and must be managed accordingly.

D. That people actually have very little impact on the natural world.

4.   What is the overall message of this article?

A. The diversity of life on earth will undoubtedly continue to grow.

B. If we don’t take better care of the planet, the diversity of life will suffer.

C. Humans are not damaging the earth, and there must be some other cause.

D. Environmentalists are blowing a few small problems way out of proportion.

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