VOA慢速英语2019--新西兰计划到2050年消灭虫害

New Zealand Plans to Be Rid of Pests by 2050

New Zealand is three years into what many consider to be the world's largest animal protection program. The Predator¹ Free 2050 government program has a goal of removing all non-native pests by the year 2050 to protect the country's native wildlife.

One area on New Zealand's South Island has not heard the sounds of native birds in years. This is because of predator pests, including possums, rats and stoats.

Dave Butler is the head of the Brook² Waimarama Sanctuary³ near the city of Nelson. He directed a program that dropped poison from a helicopter, which killed pests in the sanctuary area. This permitted native animals to increase in number once again.

"We saw the first season after the pest removal big increases in some of the common birds here, the tuis and the fantails and so on.”

The sanctuary was completed in September 2016. It takes seven hours to walk around the pest-free area. Butler says there are plans to expand the project.

"We have got the opportunity of working back into the city from here. It is a 10 minutes' drive away and bringing these amazing birds back into peoples' gardens. And then this way we have sort of got 100,000 hectares of native forest to start restoring and bringing that back, and that all ties into the very exciting, challenging vision the country has of predator-free 2050…”

Butler added that settlers who arrived in New Zealand introduced animals such rats, possums and stoats that put native wildlife at risk.

Sky Davies is the manager of Tasman Environmental Trust. She said she does love the idea of killing⁴ animals. But she sees it as a necessary step toward saving New Zealand’s native species.

"So if we want to save species that are only found in New Zealand, nowhere else in the world, the unfortunate fact is that we need to kill these predators⁵ that are causing their demise⁶."

But some people consider the Predator Free 2050 project to be problematic.

Jamie Steer⁷ is a senior biodiversity advisor⁸ at the Greater Wellington Regional Council. He said he does not expect the program to work.

"One of my biggest issues with Predator Free 2050 is that it sets up public expectations that it just cannot possibly live up to. It creates the impression that the removal of just five introduced mammals will be a game-changer for conservation in New Zealand, when it would actually be nothing of the sort.”

Still, hundreds of community conservation projects and science and environmental agencies have joined the government’s war on pests.

I’m Jonathan Evans.

Words in This Story

demise – n. the end of something that is thought of as being like a death

game-changer – n. a newly introduced element or factor that changes an existing situation or activity in a significant way

impression - n. an idea or belief that is usually not clear or certain

predator – n. an animal that lives by killing and eating other animals; an animal that preys⁹ on other animals

pest – n. an animal or insect that causes problems for people especially by damaging crops

species – n. a group of animals or plants that are similar and can produce young animals or plants; a group of related animals or plants that is smaller than a genus

1 predator   

n.捕食其它动物的动物；捕食者

参考例句：

• The final part of this chapter was devoted to a brief summary of predator species.本章最后部分简要总结了食肉动物。
• Komodo dragon is the largest living lizard and a fearsome predator.科摩多龙是目前存在的最大蜥蜴，它是一种令人恐惧的捕食性动物。

2 brook   

n.小河，溪；v.忍受，容让

参考例句：

• In our room we could hear the murmur of a distant brook.在我们房间能听到远处小溪汩汩的流水声。
• The brook trickled through the valley.小溪涓涓流过峡谷。

3 sanctuary   

n.圣所，圣堂，寺庙；禁猎区，保护区

参考例句：

• There was a sanctuary of political refugees behind the hospital.医院后面有一个政治难民的避难所。
• Most countries refuse to give sanctuary to people who hijack aeroplanes.大多数国家拒绝对劫机者提供庇护。

4 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。

5 predators   

n.食肉动物( predator的名词复数 )；奴役他人者（尤指在财务或性关系方面）

参考例句：

• birds and their earthbound predators 鸟和地面上捕食它们的动物
• The eyes of predators are highly sensitive to the slightest movement. 捕食性动物的眼睛能感觉到最细小的动静。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 demise   

n.死亡；v.让渡，遗赠，转让

参考例句：

• He praised the union's aims but predicted its early demise.他赞扬协会的目标，但预期这一协会很快会消亡。
• The war brought about the industry's sudden demise.战争道致这个行业就这么突然垮了。

7 steer   

vt.驾驶，为…操舵；引导；vi.驾驶

参考例句：

• If you push the car, I'll steer it.如果你来推车，我就来驾车。
• It's no use trying to steer the boy into a course of action that suits you.想说服这孩子按你的方式行事是徒劳的。

8 advisor   

n.顾问，指导老师，劝告者

参考例句：

• They employed me as an advisor.他们聘请我当顾问。
• The professor is engaged as a technical advisor.这位教授被聘请为技术顾问。

9 preys   

v.掠食( prey的第三人称单数 )；掠食；折磨；（人）靠欺诈为生

参考例句：

• His misfortune preys upon his mind. 他的不幸使她心中苦恼。 来自辞典例句
• The owl preys on mice. 猫头鹰捕食老鼠。 来自辞典例句