Level 3 Reading 3B

Ch.6 Reading 3B

第6章 阅读3B

TRACKING THE SNOW LEOPARD "When a snow leopard stalks its prey among the mountain walls, it moves ... softly, slowly," explains Indian biologist Raghunandan Singh Chundawat, who has studied the animal for years. "If it knocks a stone loose, it will reach out a foot to stop it from falling and making noise." One might be moving right now, perfectly silent, maybe close by. But where? Best known for its spotted coat and long distinctive tail, the snow leopard is one of the world's most secretive animals. These elusive cats can only be found high in the remote, mountainous regions of Central Asia. For this reason, and because they hunt primarily at night, they are very rarely seen. Snow leopards have been officially protected since 1975, but enforcing this law has proven difficult. Many continue to be killed for their fur and body parts, which are worth a fortune on the black market. In recent years, though, conflict with local herders has also led to a number of snow leopard deaths. This is because the big cats kill the herders' animals, and drag the bodies away high up in the mountains to eat. As a result of these pressures, the current snow leopard population is estimated at only 4,000 to 7,000, and some fear that the actual number may already have dropped below 3,500. The only way to reverse this trend and bring these cats back from their threatened status, say conservationists, is to make them more valuable alive than dead. A Fragile Relationship Because farming is difficult in Central Asia's cold, dry landscape, traditional cultures depend mostly on livestock (mainly sheep and goats) to survive in these mountainous regions. At night, when snow leopards hunt, herders' animals are in danger of snow leopard attacks. If a family loses even a few animals, it can push them into desperate poverty. "The wolf comes and kills, eats, and goes somewhere else," said one herder, "but snow leopards are always around. They have killed one or two animals many times ... Everybody wanted to finish this leopard."

追踪雪豹 “当雪豹在山墙间悄悄地追捕猎物时，它会……轻轻地、缓慢地移动。” 研究这种动物多年的印度生物学家Raghunandan Singh Chundawat解释道。 “如果它把石头撞松，它会伸出一只脚来阻止它掉落并发出噪音。” 一个人可能正在移动，完全沉默，也许就在附近。但在哪里？ 最出名的是它的斑点外套和长而独特的尾巴， 雪豹是世界上最神秘的动物之一。 这些难以捉摸的猫只能在中亚偏远山区的高处找到。 因此，由于它们主要在夜间狩猎，所以很少被看到。 雪豹自1975年以来一直受到官方保护，但事实证明，执行这项法律很困难。 许多人继续因皮毛和身体部位而被杀害，这些部位在黑市上价值不菲。 然而，近年来，与当地牧民的冲突也导致了一些雪豹死亡。 这是因为大型猫科动物会杀死牧民的动物， 把尸体拖到山上吃。 由于这些压力，目前的雪豹种群估计只有4000到7000只， 一些人担心实际数字可能已经降至3500以下。 环保主义者说，扭转这一趋势，让这些猫从受威胁的状态中恢复过来的唯一方法是， 就是让它们活着比死了更有价值。 脆弱的关系 由于在中亚寒冷干燥的土地上耕种很困难，传统文化主要依赖牲畜 （主要是绵羊和山羊）在这些山区生存。 晚上，当雪豹狩猎时，牧民的动物有雪豹袭击的危险。 如果一个家庭失去了哪怕是几只动物，都可能使它们陷入极度贫困。 一位牧民说：“狼来了，杀了，吃了，又去了别的地方，但雪豹总是在附近。”。 他们多次杀死一两只动物。..每个人都想干掉这只豹子。"

To address this problem, local religious leaders have called for an end to snow leopard killings, saying that these wild animals have the right to exist peacefully. They've also tried to convince people that the leopards are quite rare, and thus it is important to protect them. The Value of Preservation Financial incentives are also helping to slow snow leopard killings. The organization Snow Leopard Conservancy India Trust has established Himalayan Homestays, a program that sends visitors to herders' houses. For a clean room and bed, meals with the family, and an introduction to their culture, visitors pay about ten U.S. dollars a night. If guests come once every two weeks through the tourist season, the herders will earn enough income to replace the animals lost to snow leopards. In addition, the organization helps herders build protective fences that keep out snow leopards. It also conducts environmental classes at village schools, and trains the organization's members as nature guides, available for hire. In exchange, the herders agree not to kill snow leopards. In Mongolia, a project called Snow Leopard Enterprises (SLE) helps herder communities earn extra money in exchange for their promise to protect the endangered cat. Women in Mongolian herder communities make a variety of products—yarn for making clothes, decorative floor rugs, and toys—using the wool from their herds. SLE buys these items from herding families and sells them abroad. Herders must agree to protect the snow leopards and to encourage neighbors to do the same. The arrangement increases herders' incomes by 10 to 15 percent, and elevates the status of the women. If no one in the community kills the protected animals over the course of a year, the program members are rewarded with a 20 percent bonus in addition to the money they've already made. An independent review in 2006 found no snow leopard killings in areas where SLE operates. Today, the organization continues to add more communities. Projects like the Homestays program in India and SLE's business in Mongolia are doing well. Though they cover only a small part of the snow leopard's homeland, they make the leopards more valuable to more people each year. If these programs continue to do well, the snow leopard may just have a fighting chance.

为了解决这个问题，当地宗教领袖呼吁结束雪豹杀戮， 说这些野生动物有权和平生存。 他们还试图说服人们，豹子非常罕见，因此保护它们很重要。 保存的价值 财政激励也有助于减缓雪豹的杀戮。 雪豹保护印度信托组织建立了喜马拉雅家园，这是一个将游客送到牧民家的项目。 为了一个干净的房间和床，与家人一起吃饭，并介绍他们的文化， 游客每晚支付约10美元。 如果游客在旅游旺季每两周来一次， 牧民们将获得足够的收入来弥补因雪豹而损失的动物。 此外，该组织还帮助牧民建造防护围栏，防止雪豹进入。 它还在乡村学校开设环境课程，并培训该组织的成员担任可供租用的自然导游。 作为交换，牧民们同意不杀死雪豹。 在蒙古，一个名为雪豹企业（SLE）的项目帮助牧民社区赚取额外收入 以换取他们保护濒危猫的承诺。 蒙古牧民社区的妇女生产各种产品——制作衣服的纱线， 装饰性的地毯和玩具——使用他们牛群的羊毛。 SLE从牧民家庭购买这些物品，并将其销往国外。 牧民必须同意保护雪豹，并鼓励邻居也这样做。 这一安排使牧民的收入增加了10%至15%，并提高了妇女的地位。 如果一年内社区中没有人杀死受保护的动物， 除了已经赚到的钱外，项目成员还将获得20%的奖金。 2006年的一项独立审查发现，SLE活动地区没有雪豹死亡事件。 今天，该组织继续增加更多的社区。 印度的寄宿家庭项目和SLE在蒙古的业务都做得很好。 虽然它们只覆盖了雪豹家园的一小部分， 他们每年都让豹子对更多的人更有价值。 如果这些项目继续表现良好，雪豹可能只有一次战斗的机会。

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