Level 2 Reading 6A

Ch.11

第11章

Reading 6A CITIES BENEATH THE SEA For uncounted generations, trillions upon trillions of coral polyps have lived and died, leaving behind a material called limestone. Prized throughout history, limestone was used to construct the Great Pyramids of Egypt, as well as many churches and castles. Yet the greatest limestone structures in the world are built underwater, by the coral polyps themselves. We call them reefs. They can be even larger in scale than the most impressive buildings and structures made by humans. A Variety of Life Indeed, a living coral reef is remarkable, a "city beneath the sea"filled with a rich variety of life. Most coral reefs can be found in warm, shallow oceans. They occupy just a small part of the ocean floor, but host 25 percent of all ocean life. Coral reefs display nature's most brilliant colors. Each reef is full of colorful fish as well as coral that form wonderful patterns. In addition to their beauty, the reefs are an important food source for fish, and for humans. In fact, reef fish make up a significant percentage of the global fish catch.

阅读6A 海底城市 无数代人以来，数以万亿计的珊瑚虫生存和死亡，留下了一种叫做石灰岩的物质。 石灰石在整个历史上都很珍贵，被用来建造埃及的大金字塔，以及许多教堂和城堡。 然而，世界上最大的石灰岩结构是由珊瑚虫自己在水下建造的。 我们称之为珊瑚礁。 它们的规模甚至可能比人类建造的最令人印象深刻的建筑和结构还要大。 生活的多样性 事实上，活珊瑚礁是非凡的，一个充满丰富多样生命的“海底城市”。 大多数珊瑚礁都可以在温暖的浅海中找到。 它们只占海底的一小部分，但却拥有25%的海洋生物。 珊瑚礁展现出大自然最灿烂的色彩。 每个珊瑚礁都充满了五颜六色的鱼和珊瑚，形成了奇妙的图案。 除了美丽之外，珊瑚礁还是鱼类和人类的重要食物来源。 事实上，珊瑚礁鱼类在全球鱼类捕捞量中占很大比例。

Threats to Coral Reefs Various human activities can cause great harm to the world's coral reefs. For example, reefs can be damaged when the coral is taken for use in building materials, jewelry-making, or to fill aquariums. Illegal fishing methods like blast and cyanide fishing also harm the reefs. These methods can help fishermen get a good catch, but their negative effects on the reefs are significant. Blast fishing involves setting off bombs in the water to kill as many fish as possible. This kills most living things nearby and causes damage to the reef's structure. In cyanide fishing, fishermen release liquid cyanide—a very dangerous and deadly chemical—into the reef. As a result, the fish become stunned, which makes them easy to collect. Meanwhile, the reef is damaged by the cyanide, which kills large numbers of coral polyps. The reef is also damaged by the fishermen who break it apart looking for the stunned fish. Another threat is water pollution. When floods in Australia covered the Great Barrier Reef with dirty freshwater, the quality of the water changed and chemicals killed the reef life. This is happening to many reefs around the world. In addition, global warming has caused many reefs to become sick. Warmer temperatures have turned them white, in a process known as coral bleaching. A 2018 UN Report predicted that up to 99 percent of the world's coral reefs may decline if global warming continues. Reasons for Hope These threats to coral reefs are very serious, but there is reason to hope that they will survive. If we take steps toward coral reef conservation, it is likely that these tiny creatures—which survived natural threats for millions of years—will be able to rebuild. As conservationist Robert Richmond says, "Given a chance, they can come back."

珊瑚礁的威胁 各种人类活动都会对世界珊瑚礁造成极大的危害。 例如，当珊瑚被用于建筑材料、珠宝制作或填充水族馆时，珊瑚礁可能会受损。 爆破和氰化物捕鱼等非法捕鱼方法也会损害珊瑚礁。 这些方法可以帮助渔民获得良好的捕捞效果，但它们对珊瑚礁的负面影响是巨大的。 爆破捕鱼涉及在水中引爆炸弹，以杀死尽可能多的鱼。 这会杀死附近的大多数生物，并对珊瑚礁的结构造成破坏。 在氰化物捕鱼中，渔民将液态氰化物——一种非常危险和致命的化学物质——释放到珊瑚礁中。 结果，鱼变得目瞪口呆，这使得它们很容易被收集。 与此同时，珊瑚礁被氰化物破坏，氰化物会杀死大量珊瑚虫。 渔民们为了寻找受惊的鱼而将珊瑚礁拆开，也破坏了珊瑚礁。 另一个威胁是水污染。 当澳大利亚的洪水淹没大堡礁时， 水质发生了变化，化学物质杀死了珊瑚礁的生命。 世界各地的许多珊瑚礁都在发生这种情况。 此外，全球变暖导致许多珊瑚礁生病。 温度升高使它们变白，这一过程被称为珊瑚白化。 2018年的一份联合国报告预测，如果全球变暖继续下去，世界上多达99%的珊瑚礁可能会减少。 希望的理由 这些对珊瑚礁的威胁非常严重，但有理由希望它们能够幸存下来。 如果我们采取措施保护珊瑚礁， 这些在自然威胁下存活了数百万年的微小生物很可能能够重建。 正如环保主义者罗伯特·里士满所说：“只要有机会，它们就可以回来。”

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