VOA慢速英语(翻译+字幕+讲解):烟囱雨燕数量正在减少
日期:2019-11-19 17:24

(单词翻译:单击)

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听力文本

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Chimney Swift Bird Numbers Declining
People across the United States are putting up tall, narrow structures to help a little bird called the chimney swift. They hope the birds will use these structures as nesting areas and resting places.
Chimney swift numbers are decreasing as the shape and design of the nation's buildings change. People are tearing down old factory buildings and schools. Many of these structures have chimneys -- enclosed structures or pipes that release smoke into the air.
Today, most American homes do not have chimneys. And many homeowners who do have chimneys cover up the top to keep animals out.
Chimney swift numbers have fallen by more than 70 percent since the 1960s, scientists estimate, and by more than one-third over the past 16 years.
That large drop led the International Union for the Conservation of Nature to declare swifts as "vulnerable." That is the last step before they are considered "endangered."
Building take chimneys and towers
Bird lovers are building chimney-like birdhouses as summer homes for swifts. Several are set up around the city of Birmingham, Alabama, where Greg Harber has been watching the birds for almost 10 years.
"It does give us hope that if we put them up ... they will use them," Harber said as swifts flew close to a real chimney.
Georgean and Paul Kyle often get credit for starting the current interest in building towers. The Kyles told The Associated Press in an email that they have put up more than 100 nesting towers in Central Texas.
Eighty percent of those built before the birds' March arrival get nests their first year.
Hundreds of migrating swifts make use of two of the 6.1-meter-tall towers, the Kyles said.
Jim Bonner is director of the Audubon Society of Western Pennsylvania. He says his group has built or helped with about 150 towers in Pennsylvania.
Why have chimney swift numbers declined?
But the link between the drop in chimney swift numbers and chimney loss is not clear. The flying insects that swifts eat also appear to be declining.
University of Connecticut professor Margaret Rubega thinks the cause of the birds' decline could be in South America.
"Chimney swifts are fundamentally a South American bird that visits North America for four months," she said.
Rubega said a big problem is that scientists have only a few reports of small numbers of chimney swifts in the upper Amazon Basin. So, they do not really know where the little birds spend the winter, let alone what may be happening to them there.
However, three less common western species of swifts also migrate to Central or South America. Their numbers are unchanged or even increasing somewhat.
I'm John Russell.

重点解析

1.put up 建造;举起

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The hunting dog put up some partridges.
猎狗惊起了几只鹧鸪Qpw(WQp*Ihh@b|2wPo

2.flying insects 飞虫

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Spider weaves net everyday. Its net can stick small flying insects.
蜘蛛每天织网PE6XLeBeH_.0*hU。它的网能粘住小飞虫P5ih!+ypl#%_G

3.tear down 拆除

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We have to tear down this sick system -- so the sick can live.
我们必须破除这个不良制度,这样病人才能存活DcO+gL]PWqg;N)

4.cover up 掩盖

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Lies cannot cover up the facts.
谎言掩盖不了事实_ek!m7KSA1

5.Hundreds of migrating swifts make use of two of the 6.1-meter-tall towers, the Kyles said.

make use of 利用

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Parents must make use of their natural ability to empathize.
父母必须发挥其天性,设身处地从子女的角度感受54bSfl)~]N9BaF0WgY
We should train them to make use of reference books.
我们应训练他们学会使用参考书&q=xUzl^U^CfgYFqxk!H

6.So, they do not really know where the little birds spend the winter, let alone what may be happening to them there.

let alone 更别提

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He did not have enough money to have the tire patched up, let alone buy a new one.
他的钱还不够补这个轮胎,更别提买个新的了TdcH]f%6S0MHAK
We fear no death, let alone difficulties.
我们死都不怕,何况困难?

参考译文

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烟囱雨燕数量正在减少
美国各地的人们正在建造又高又窄的建筑帮助“烟囱雨燕”生存j)wHThs0z,ra6fZAor#7。他们希望,这些建筑能成为鸟类筑巢和栖息的地方F5_v*GHlU4c(JORwBF%
随着美国建筑形状和设计的变化,烟囱雨燕的数量正逐渐减少RiYse,E9td47[Iv+。人们正在拆除废旧厂房和学校[ca4Sz~4w4F^。许多这样的建筑都有烟囱,一种封闭结构或管道以便排放烟雾i7~wZW1mERBHO
今天,烟囱已经从大多数美国家庭销声匿迹Q6bjoXk.d!2zaW.Ciui。许多有烟囱的户主将烟囱顶部遮挡起来,防止动物进入DMdycDb8zO@E3b.e
据科学家估计,自上世纪60年代以来,烟囱雨燕的数量下降了70%以上,而在过去的16年里下降了三分之一以上41GqY6SU8cEl6Je09uI
如此大幅度的减少使得国际自然保护联盟宣布雨燕是“脆弱的”E5^mY_8|mR*[v50D=Q。接下来的就是“濒危”程度#MPLd=)1dYf)KgX
带烟囱的建筑和塔楼

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烟囱雨燕数量正在减少.jpg
鸟类爱好者正在建造烟囱状的鸟舍,作为雨燕的避暑场所bW@I..WRq&v2j&Wq。在阿拉巴马州的伯明翰市,格雷格·哈伯(Greg Harber)已经观察这些鸟将近10年了%[F&M~Qj*^33KMnq[
哈伯表示,“雨燕飞近一个真正的烟囱时,这确实给了我们希望,如果我们建造这些建筑……雨燕就有地方栖身Hv[Xlz1yh)(cXW(&
保罗·凯尔和乔治安夫妇经常因调动起建造塔楼的兴趣而受到称赞^KU_co_wkI.mnc=G;I0。这对夫妇在一封电子邮件中告诉美联社,他们已经在德克萨斯州中部建造了100多座筑巢塔K4,DoEYOzv!;sG4_*
其中80%的塔楼是在3月份烟囱雨燕到来前建造的,它们在第一年就筑巢了Ba;db5O+&XqPg4m
数百只迁徙的雨燕入住了其中两座6.1米高的高塔qu8meeGKx;l802xy
吉姆·邦纳是宾夕法尼亚州西部奥杜邦协会的主任gLzfC9aUeP#k,h]5jEZ4。他表示,他的组织已经在宾夕法尼亚州建造或帮助建造了大约150座塔^0(~9;9_aD0qdAfOSmo
为什么烟囱雨燕的数量下降了?
但是,烟囱雨燕数量下降和烟囱减少之间的联系尚不清楚X~vkjTieuF&FsnP53。雨燕捕食的飞虫似乎也在减少9GwWp1yn7[vs_%aiT-r
康涅狄格大学教授玛格丽特·鲁贝加认为,烟囱雨燕数量下降的原因可能是在南美洲n0nc,4k&Sp[I
她说:“从根本上说,烟囱雨燕是一种南美鸟类,只会在北美停留四个月6#QcJY8X|E_。”
鲁贝加指出,其中一个主要问题是,科学家们只有几份关于亚马逊河盆地上游少量烟囱雨燕的报告-1,7yRj9Xzr。所以,他们真的不知道这些小鸟在哪里过冬,更别提它们在那里会发生什么^*8n!d~675rV3a2_!v
然而,三种不太常见的西部雨燕也会迁移到中美洲或南美洲1fd%CsFc-C。这些雨燕的数量没有变化,甚至有所增加YzzO[iE1s!r5vxonl
约翰·罗塞尔为您播报LOk.F7IOPt#zN

译文为可可英语翻译,未经授权请勿转载!

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重点单词
  • spidern. 蜘蛛
  • tiren. 轮胎,金属圈 v. 使疲倦,厌烦
  • stickn. 枝,杆,手杖 vt. 插于,刺入,竖起 vi. 钉
  • declinen. 衰微,跌落; 晚年 v. 降低,婉谢
  • swiftadj. 快的,迅速的 n. 雨燕,线轴 Swift n
  • creditn. 信用,荣誉,贷款,学分,赞扬,赊欠,贷方 (复)c
  • conservationn. 保存,防止流失,守恒,保护自然资源
  • speciesn. (单复同)物种,种类
  • tearn. 眼泪,(撕破的)洞或裂缝,撕扯 vt. 撕掉,扯下
  • decliningadj. 下降的,衰落的 动词decline的现在分词