VOA慢速英语2017 印度尼西亚发现新的猩猩物种

New Orangutan Species Discovered in Indonesia

Scientists say they have discovered a new species of orangutans on Indonesia’s island of Sumatra.

科学家表示，他们在印尼的苏门答腊岛上发现了一种新的猩猩物种。

The population differs in several ways from the two existing orangutan species found in Sumatra and the neighboring island of Borneo.

这种物种跟苏门答腊岛以及邻近的婆罗洲岛上现有的两种猩猩物种存在若干差异。

The orangutans were found inside North Sumatra’s Batang Toru forest, the science publication Current Biology reported.

据《当代生物学》科学杂志报道，这种猩猩是在苏门答腊岛北部的巴当托鲁森林里发现的。

Researchers named the new species the Tapanuli orangutan. They say the animals are considered a new species because of genetic, skeletal and tooth differences.

研究人员将这种新物种命名为打巴奴里猩猩（Tapanuli orangutan）。他们表示，因为基因、骨骼和牙齿的差异，这种动物被认为是一种新物种。

Michael Kruetzen is a geneticist with the University of Zurich who has studied the orangutans for several years. He said he was excited to be part of the unusual discovery of a new great ape in the present day. He noted that most great apes are currently considered endangered or severely endangered.

Michael Kruetzen是苏黎世大学一名研究猩猩多年的遗传学家。他说，他很高兴成为目前这种新类人猿的不寻常发现的一部分。他指出，目前大多数类人猿都处于濒危或严重濒危状态。

Gorillas, chimpanzees and bonobos also belong to the great ape species.

大猩猩、黑猩猩和倭黑猩猩也属于类人猿类。

Orangutan – which means person of the forest in the Indonesian and Malay languages - is the world’s biggest tree-living mammal. The orange-haired animals can move easily among the trees because their arms are longer than their legs. They live more lonely lives than other great apes, spending a lot of time sleeping and eating fruit in the forest.

猩猩在印尼和马来语中意指森林中的人类，它们是地球上最大的在树上生活的哺乳动物。这种毛发橙红色的动物可以在树丛之间轻松移动，因为它们的胳膊比腿要长。它们比其它类人猿生活更加孤独，花费大量时间睡觉和吃森林里的水果。

The new study said fewer than 800 of the newly-described orangutans exist. Their low numbers make the group the most endangered of all the great ape species.

这项新研究表示，这种新发现的猩猩现存不足800来只。它们的数量稀少使其成为类人猿物种中最濒危的群体。

They live within an area covering about 1,000 square kilometers. The population is considered highly vulnerable. That is because the environment which they depend on is greatly threatened by development.

它们生活在一片大约1000平方公里的区域。该种群被认为是极度脆弱的，这是因为它们赖以生存的环境受到了人类发展的极大威胁。

Researchers say if steps are not taken quickly to reduce the current and future threats, the new species could become extinct “within our lifetime.”

研究人员表示，如果不迅速采取措施减少现有和未来的威胁，这种新物种可能会在我们有生之年内灭绝。

Research into the new species began in 2013, when an orangutan protection group in Sumatra found an injured orangutan in an area far away from the other species. The adult male orangutan had been beaten by local villagers and died of his injuries. The complete skull was examined by researchers.

对这种新物种的研究始于2013年，当时苏门答腊岛上的一个猩猩保护组织在远离其它物种的区域发现了一只受伤的猩猩。这只成年雄性猩猩受到了当地村民的殴打并因伤致死。研究人员检查了这只猩猩的完整头骨。

Among the physical differences of the new species are a notably smaller head and frizzier hair. The Tapanuli orangutans also have a different diet and are found only in higher forest areas.

这种新物种的生理差异包括头部非常小，毛发卷曲。打巴奴里猩猩的饮食习惯也不同，而且只能在高海拔森林地区找到。

There is no unified international system for recognizing new species. But to be considered, discovery claims at least require publication in a major scientific publication.

目前承认一种新的物种没有统一的国际体系。但是声称发现新物种至少需要在一家重要的科学杂志上发表。

Russell Mittermeier is head of the primate specialist group at the International Union for the Conservation of Nature. He called the finding a “remarkable discovery.” He said it puts responsibility on the Indonesian government to help the species survive.

Russell Mittermeier是国际自然保护联盟灵长类专家组的负责人。他称这是“一次非凡的发现。”他说，这使得印尼政府有责任帮助该物种生存。

Matthew Nowak is one of the writers of the study. He told the Associated Press that there are three groups of the Tapanuli orangutans that are separated by non-protected land.

Matthew Nowak是该研究的作者之一。他对美联社表示，有三群打巴奴里猩猩，它们被非保护区隔离开来。

He said forest land needs to connect the separated groups.

他说，需要用林地把这些隔开的猩猩连接起来。

In addition, the writers of the study are recommending that plans for a hydropower center in the area be stopped by the government.

此外，该研究的作者还建议，政府应该阻止该地区建设水电中心的计划。

It also recommended that remaining forest in the Sumatran area where the orangutans live be protected.

他们还建议苏门答腊岛上这些猩猩生存的其它森林也要保护起来。

I’m Bryan Lynn.

Words in This Story

species – n. group of animals or plants that are similar and can produce young animals or plants; a group of related animals or plants that is smaller than a genus

endangered – adj. used to describe a type of animal or plant that has become very rare and that could die out completely

vulnerable – adj. easy to hurt or attack physically or emotionally

extinct – adj. no longer existing

frizzy – adj. very tightly curled hair

primate – n. any member of the group of animals that includes human beings, apes, and monkeys

remarkable – adj. unusual or surprising; likely to be noticed