VOA慢速英語：世界自然保護聯(lián)盟發(fā)布年度《瀕危物種紅色名錄》

Conservation Group Sees Better Future for Two Kiwi Birds

世界自然保護聯(lián)盟發(fā)布年度《瀕危物種紅色名錄》

News about endangered species often worries people. But on December 5, the International Union for the Conservation of Nature, or IUCN, had some good news. In publishing its yearly "Red List" of endangered species it noted some success for two kinds of New Zealand birds. The IUCN said the Okarito kiwi and the Northern Brown kiwi are now in less danger of disappearing from existence than in the past.

瀕危物種的相關(guān)消息經(jīng)常令人擔憂。但在12月5日，國際自然保護聯(lián)盟(簡稱IUCN)宣布了一些好消息。該組織在其年度發(fā)布的《瀕危物種紅色名錄》中提到了新西蘭在保護兩種鳥類上取得的一些成功。世界自然保護聯(lián)盟表示，奧卡里托幾維鳥和北布朗幾維鳥目前瀕臨消失的危險性要低于以往。

Key to helping the kiwis

幫助幾維鳥的關(guān)鍵

The IUCN reports that New Zealand is reducing the populations of animals that kill and hunt the birds. The animals include stoats and cats.

世界自然保護聯(lián)盟報告稱，新西蘭正在減少捕食這種鳥類的動物種群，其中包括白鼬和貓。

The number of Okarito kiwi has risen from 160 in 1995 to as many as 450 now, the IUCN said. It reported a rise in Northern Brown kiwi numbers also.

世界自然保護聯(lián)盟表示，奧卡里托幾維鳥的數(shù)量已經(jīng)從1995年的160只增加到了目前的450只。該組織也報告了北布朗幾維鳥數(shù)量的增加。

The IUCN is made up of government and non-government experts. Its studies help guide conservation policies. The Red List identifies which local species are at risk of disappearing from Earth.

世界自然保護聯(lián)盟是由政府和非政府的專家組成。其研究有助于指導保護政策。瀕危物種紅色名錄確定了哪些本土物種面臨從地球上消失的危險。

Two species are new to the IUCN endangered list. The Irrawaddy dolphin and the finless porpoise travel along the coastlines of Southeast Asia. The Red List report says these sea animals get trapped in fishing nets and are harmed by other human activities as well.

世界自然保護聯(lián)盟的瀕危物種紅色名錄上新增了兩種物種，它們是沿東南亞海岸線游走的伊洛瓦底海豚以及江豚。瀕危物種紅色名錄報告稱，這些海洋動物被困在漁網(wǎng)里，同時還受到了其它人類活動的傷害。

The use of gillnets is among the fishing methods harmful to these species. The nets are used on the Mekong River and in other major waterways. They hang across waterways and entrap everything in the path.

捕魚刺網(wǎng)的使用是對這些物種傷害最大的捕魚方式之一。這種網(wǎng)在湄公河等主要河道上使用。它們橫跨在河道上，網(wǎng)住了水路中的一切生物。

Researchers have counted for the Red List about 91,500 of almost 1.9 million described species. Of these, 25,821 are threatened, 866 no longer exist and 69 others no longer exist in the wild. The IUCN describes 11,783 species as vulnerable, 8,455 as endangered and 5,583 as critically endangered.

研究人員為這份瀕危物種紅色名錄已經(jīng)評估了190萬種已知物種中的91500種。這其中有25281種受到威脅，866種不復存在(滅絕)，還有69種在野外不復存在(野外滅絕)。

Australia's Western Ringtail possum has moved from vulnerable to critically endangered on the Red List. The IUCN said its population dropped by 80 percent over the past ten years.

澳大利亞的西部環(huán)尾負鼠從紅色名錄上的易危變成了極危。世界自然保護聯(lián)盟表示，過去十年這種動物的種群數(shù)量下降了80%。

Possum now in danger

負鼠處于危險之中

The Western Ringtail possum was once widespread in peppermint and eucalyptus forests. Now the animal has only a few disconnected places to live. High temperatures, which sicken the species, are becoming increasingly common where it lives.

西部環(huán)尾負鼠曾經(jīng)在薄荷林和桉樹林中廣泛存在。目前這種動物只在少數(shù)幾處分散的地方生存。高溫在其棲息地變得愈發(fā)普遍，而高溫天氣會使這種動物患病。

The IUCN announced its findings in Tokyo. The Toyota automobile company helps pay for IUCN studies. The group warned of habitat loss and other dangers for some newly studied Japanese native species of lizards and snakes.

世界自然保護聯(lián)盟在東京宣布了它的研究發(fā)現(xiàn)。豐田汽車公司資助了世界自然保護聯(lián)盟的研究。該組織警告說，一些新研究的日本本土蜥蜴和蛇類物種也存在喪失棲息地等風險。

I'm Jill Robbins.

我是吉爾·羅賓斯。