研究人员：非洲大象数量急剧下降
📖 逐句对照翻译
African elephants are Earth's largest land animals.
非洲象是地球上最大的陆生动物。
They are very intelligent and highly social.
它们非常聪明，而且高度社会化。
A recent study also says that numbers of African elephants sharply decreased over about fifty years.
最近的一项研究还表明，非洲象的数量在约五十年间急剧减少。
The researchers described their work as the most comprehensive study of the two African elephant species - the savanna elephant and forest elephant.
研究人员称他们的工作是对两种非洲象——草原象和森林象——最全面的研究。
The study used data gathered at 475 areas in 37 countries from 1964 through 2016.
该研究使用了1964年至2016年间在37个国家的475个地区收集的数据。
It found that savanna elephant populations fell by about 70 percent on average and forest elephant populations dropped by about 90 percent on average.
研究发现，稀树草原象种群平均减少了约70%，森林象种群平均减少了约90%。
The researchers mainly blame the decline on illegal hunting and the loss of the animals’ natural environment.
研究人员主要将这一数量下降归咎于非法狩猎和动物自然栖息环境的丧失。
However, the report also says populations of each species increased in other places because of wildlife protection programs.
然而，报告还指出，由于野生动物保护项目，每个物种的数量在其他地方有所增加。
"A lot of the lost populations won't come back, and many low-density populations face continued pressures.
许多消失的种群将无法恢复，而许多低密度种群仍面临持续的压力。
We likely will lose more populations going forward,” said George Wittemyer.
乔治·维特迈尔表示：“未来我们可能会失去更多的种群。”
He is a Colorado State University professor who works with the conservation group Save the Elephants.
他是科罗拉多州立大学的教授，与“拯救大象”保护组织合作。
Wittemyer helped lead the study, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
维特迈尔协助领导了这项研究，该研究发表在《美国国家科学院院刊》上。
Illegal hunting of animals is also called poaching.
非法猎捕动物也被称为偷猎。
Elephant poachers usually kill the animals in order to remove their tusks.
偷猎大象的人通常为了取下象牙而杀死大象。
These prized objects are then sold on illegal markets, driven mostly by demand in China and other parts of Asia.
这些珍贵的物品随后在非法市场上出售，主要受中国和亚洲其他地区的需求驱动。
The research says agricultural expansion is mainly responsible for the loss of elephant habitat, meaning the natural areas where the animal lives.
研究指出，农业扩张是导致大象栖息地丧失的主要原因，栖息地即大象赖以生存的自然区域。
Poaching has mostly affected forest elephants.
偷猎主要影响的是森林象。
Its population is estimated to be about one-third that of savanna elephants.
其种群数量估计约为稀树草原象的三分之一。
Poaching has been especially damaged populations in northern and eastern Africa, such as Mali, Chad and Nigeria.
偷猎对非洲北部和东部地区，如马里、乍得和尼日利亚的种群造成了特别严重的损害。
But, in southern Africa, elephant populations rose at 42 percent of the studied areas.
但在南部非洲，大象数量在研究区域中的42%里有所增长。
"We have seen real success in a number of places across Africa, but particularly in southern Africa, with strong growth in populations in Botswana, Zimbabwe and Namibia,” Wittemyer said.
维特迈尔说：“我们在非洲多个地区都看到了真正的成功，尤其是在南部非洲，博茨瓦纳、津巴布韦和纳米比亚的象群数量增长强劲。”
He credited conservation efforts by governments and independent organizations for the growth.
他将这一增长归功于各国政府和独立组织的保护努力。
The study did not provide a continent-wide population count.
该研究未提供整个大陆的人口数量统计。
It says the different methods used for counting over different periods made it impossible to keep a unified count of the African elephants.
报告指出，由于不同时期采用了不同的计数方法，因此无法对非洲象进行统一计数。
Instead, it estimates population trends in each of the studied areas.
相反，它估计了每个研究区域的人口趋势。
A separate report from conservationists places the population of African elephants at between 415,000 and 540,000 as of 2016, the last year of the study period.
一份来自环保人士的独立报告显示，截至2016年，即研究期的最后一年，非洲象的数量在41.5万至54万之间。
It remains the most recent comprehensive continent-wide estimate.
它仍然是最近一次覆盖整个大陆的综合性估算。
Colorado State’s Wittemyer said, "While the trends are not good, it is important to recognize the successes we have had and continue to have. Learning how and where we can be successful in conserving elephants is as important as recognizing the severity of the decline they have experienced."
科罗拉多州立大学的维特迈尔表示：“尽管趋势不妙，但认识到我们已经取得并仍在取得的成功十分重要。了解我们如何以及在何处能够成功保护大象，与认识到大象数量下降的严重性同样重要。”
I’m Caty Weaver.
我是凯蒂·韦弗。
Will Dunham reported this story for Reuters.
威尔·邓纳姆为路透社报道了这则新闻。
Hai Do adapted the story for Learning English.
海杜为《学英语》改编了这个故事。
