(单词翻译:单击)
听力文本
Earth is losing wildlife at a faster rate than at any time in history. This is according to the new "Living Planet Report" from the World Wildlife Fund. The report says the global wildlife population shrank by 60 per cent between 1970 and 2014. The WWF warned that: "Earth is losing biodiversity at a rate seen only during mass extinctions." Researchers state that most of the decline in our animal population is because of "exploding human consumption". There are more and more humans on this planet. We are eating more, overfishing, cutting down trees for beef production, consuming more, and using more energy and natural resources. This has resulted in a massive loss of habitat for animals.
The report estimates that only a quarter of the world's land has been untouched by humans. This means human activity has greatly affected animals on three-quarters of Earth's surface. Researchers tracked more than 4,000 species of mammals, birds, reptiles, fish and amphibians. They say the loss of animal life is worst in South and Central America. These regions saw an 89 per cent loss in the population of vertebrates in the past four decades. The WWF wrote: "The astonishing decline in wildlife population...is a depressing reminder, and perhaps the ultimate indicator, of the pressure we put on the planet." It warned: "We can be the generation that had its chance and failed to act; that let Earth slip away."
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重点解析
1.The report says the global wildlife population shrank by 60 per cent between 1970 and 2014.
shrink 缩小
The vast forests of West Africa have shrunk.
西非那片广袤的森林已经缩小了。
2.The astonishing decline in wildlife population...is a depressing reminder.
astonishing 令人惊讶的；惊人的
The scene was astonishing to me, to every one standing by.
这情景使我和每一位旁观者都很惊诧。
参考翻译
地球野生动植物灭绝的速度比历史上任何时期都快，世界野生动物基金会（WWF）的新版《生命星球报告》说如是。报告表示全球野生动物数量在1970年和2014年之间锐减60%。WWF警告称：“地球正在失去其生物多样性，这种消失的速度仅出现在大量的消亡中。”研究人员表示多数动物数量的减少都是由于“暴涨的人类消费”。这个星球上的人也越来越多。我们吃的越来越多、过度捕鱼，为生产牛肉而砍伐树木、消耗增加，使用的能源和自然资源约越来越多。这一切导致动物居所大面积消失。
报告估计世界上仅有四分之一的土地未被人类踏足染指。这意味着人类活动对地表三分之二的动物造成了大量影响。研究人员跟踪了4000多种哺乳类动物、鸟类、爬行动物、鱼类和两栖动物。他们表示美洲南部和中部地区动物死亡情况最为严重。在过去40年中，有89%的脊椎动物在这些区域消失了。WWF写到：“野生动物数量急剧下降...让人警醒，或许这表明人类施加给地球的压力达到了极限。”其警告称：“我们可能成为有机会却没有把握机会采取行动的一代；最终导致地球灭亡。”
