新视野研究生英语读说写2课文翻译

新视野研究生英语读说写2课文翻译

新视野研究生英语读说写2英语原文加翻译及课后答案

Unit3 濒危物种vs.人类需求

Martha Grace Low

1、The most famous endangered species on earth were the

dinosaurs. They died out in one of five "great extinctions "that

have occured in the millions of years since life began on this

planet ----periods in which, for natural causes ,a large percentage

of the specices that ecisted simply disappeared .We are now in

the middle of a six great extinction ,but this one has been caused

by human activity. Consequently ,the importance of preserving

species is a popular topic today ,particurlarly in the industrialized

world .

地球上最著名的濒危动物是恐龙。自从地球上有生命以来，发生过5次“大灭绝”，每次都是由于自然的原因使得曾经存在的很多物种消失。恐龙就在几百万年中5次“大灭绝”中的其中一次灭绝。现在我们正处在第六次“大灭绝”的中期，但这次人类活动造成的。因此，物种保护的重要性成了当今的热门话题，尤其是在当今工业化世界。

2、But no discussion of endangered species is complete

without an examination of the reasons behind its causes,which

are human needs.In Africa ,where the world's population is

growing the fastest are shringking as people clear lands for

homes and farms and cut wood for fuel.Herds of goats and sheep

eat the vegetation,leaving the bare soil to be carried away by

wind and water .Human kill wildlife to protect their crops ,and

may also kill them for the illegal trade in ivory ,rhinoceros

horns ,furs .In Latin America and Southeast Asia ,rainforests are

cleared for farmlands and for fuel and timber .The loss of the forest endangers many species of plants and destroys many

animals'habitats.or natural homes .And in the oceans ,fish

supplies have been greatly reduced by overfishing and by

pollutin.

但是，如果不考察导致物种濒危背后的原因而去讨论物种灭绝是不全面的。其背后的原因就是人类需要。在全球人口增长速度最快的非洲，森林在不断萎缩，因为人们为了住房和农场而开垦土地，为了燃料而砍伐树木。成群的山羊和绵羊吃掉草皮，造成土壤裸露而被风和水流带走。人们杀害野生动物以保护农作物，或去做非法象牙、犀牛角、皮毛贸易。在拉丁美洲和东南亚，为了农田、燃料和木材，雨林被砍伐。森林减失危及许多种植物，并破坏许多动物的栖息环境或自然家园。而在海洋，过度捕鱼和污染已使鱼的供应大大减少了。

3、Humans want to survive just as every other species

does .we need food ,shelter ,and a place to rear our young ,So

how do our activities endanger other species ?Speciefically ,there

are three major ways ,We kill off animals directly in some

cases ,We may want their meat ,bones .skins ,tusks .horns,or

feathers ;or we may wantto protect our crops and livestock from

them ,By overhunting ,Euro-Americans endangered the buffalo

in North America ,and in the nin eteenth century hunters drove

to extinction the passenger pigeon ,which was probably the most

populous species that have ever lived.

人类和其他物种一样都渴望生存。我们需要食物、住所和哺育后代的地方。那么，我们的行为是怎样危及其他物种的呢？具体说来，主要有三种途径。我们有时直接杀死动物，或许是因为希望得到它们的肉、骨头、皮、牙、角或羽毛；或许是为了保护农作物和牲畜。由于过度狩猎，欧裔美国人使北美的野牛濒于灭绝。19世纪灭绝的旅鸽就是由于过度狩猎所致，而旅鸽曾经可能是生活在地球上的数量最多的鸟类。

4、Another way that we endanger native life-forms is by introducing foreign species into their habitat .A prime example

of this was the introduction of European rabbits into Australia .

where they multiplied until they endangered the native species

of grazing animals by eating all the vegetation .This became a

terrible problem that has finally been brought under some

control ,though not completely solved.

我们危及当地生态的另一种方式是引进外来物种。一个突出的例子是把欧洲的兔子引入澳洲。在澳洲，它们的数量倍增，以至吃掉所有植被，危及当地其他的吃草动物。这就造成了一个可怕的问题。虽然这一问题最后得到了一定的控制，但并没有完全解决。

7、Many people's answer is thar every life-form has a right

to exist,and that no other reason is needed for preserving it,A

more common reason is the beauty of many species .Certain

species also provide humans with economic value ,But scientists

identify two additional reasons which may not be obvious to

most of us.

许多人的回答是：每个物种都有生存的权利，因而保护它们不需要其它任何理由。而一个更加普遍的理由是物种多样化可使地球更加美丽。况且某些物种对人类还有经济价值。然而科学家却给出了另外两个我们大多数人可能没有意识到的理由。

8、one of these reasons is that each life -form occupies a

special place within its ecosystem --that is .its community of plant

and animal life ,in combination with the nonliving components

of its environment such as the climate ,soil .water .and air.For

instance within a forest the larger trees drop off little twigs and

debris.making a layer that holds water in the soil for other plants

to use .The roots hold the soil and prevent it from washing away

in rainstorms.Whether living or dead.the tree provides shelter for

animals and birds and food for insects.As the dead tree rots

away,it enriches the soil of the forest floor ,enabling other plants to spring up in its place Such large trees are an example of what

we call keystone species ;if they disappeared from their

ecosystem .the consequences would be felt throughout the

community of other species living in the forest ,"The loss of

akeystone species is like a drill accidentally striking a powerline

",says biologist Edward wilson of Harvard University ."It causes

lights to go out all over " During the current sixth great

extinction .three species of life-forms are dying out every