科学美国人60秒 SSS Cut Road Deaths with Mountain Lions
时间：2019-02-14 作者：英语课 分类：2016年Scientific American(八)月
Are you afraid of sharks? What about snakes or spiders? Put those fears aside: because in the U.S. you’re far more likely to be killed or injured by a deer bounding across the road.
Bambi and his kind cause more 200 humans deaths each year, plus some 29,000 injuries, all because of 1.2 million collisions between vehicles and deer. Most incidents occur in the eastern U.S., where deer thrive without natural predators 1 like wolves and mountain lions.
"That's the region in the U.S. where deer-vehicle collisions are such a problem, and where it seems like an effective large carnivore restoration could make a really big difference."
University of Washington wildlife biologist Laura Prugh. She thinks it would help to reintroduce predators like mountain lions, also known as cougars 3, pumas 4 or panthers, to parts of their historic range from which they've been driven out.
Crunching 5 the numbers, the researchers say that bringing the big cats back to the eastern U.S. would mean 22 percent fewer collisions between cars and deer over three decades. Each year would see five fewer human deaths, 680 fewer injuries and a savings 6 of some $50 million. [Sophie L. Gilbert et al., Socioeconomic benefits of large carnivore recolonization through reduced wildlife-vehicle collisions, in Conservation Letters]
"Cougars have shown that they can coexist in close proximity 7 with people, with very few conflicts, in a lot of areas out west."
Still, some folks might be understandably nervous about this kind of plan. After all, reintroducing predators doesn't come without risks to pets and to livestock 8, and very occasionally to people.
"Our fear of large carnivores is so primal 9 and ingrained that I don't think it's possible to just completely override 10 it with statistics…what I hope is that knowing that there actually can be some measurable benefits might make people a little more favorably inclined and maybe balance that fear a little bit."
Indeed, the statistics show that cougars would prevent five times as many human deaths from deer-related accidents as they would cause by attacks. But it’ll be a tough sell: the press will cover cougar 2 attacks, but a statistically 11 prevented death does not make the news. Nevertheless, “If people in Hollywood can put up with having mountain lions around, I would hope that New Yorkers would be up for the challenge as well."
—Jason G. Goldman
[The above text is a transcript 12 of this podcast.]
- birds and their earthbound predators 鸟和地面上捕食它们的动物
- The eyes of predators are highly sensitive to the slightest movement. 捕食性动物的眼睛能感觉到最细小的动静。 来自《简明英汉词典》
- I saw a cougar slinking toward its prey.我看到一只美洲狮正在潜随猎物。
- I have never seen a cougar.我从未见过美洲豹。
- Cougars can kill animals eight times their size. 美洲狮可以杀死八倍于自身体积的动物。 来自互联网
- Pumas are large, cat-like animals which are found in America. 美洲狮是一种体形似猫的大动物，产于美洲。 来自新概念英语第三册
- But forget that for the pumas and lynx at the Queens Zoo. 而皇后动物园的美洲狮和猞猁却完全不吃这一套。 来自互联网
- The horses were crunching their straw at their manger. 这些马在嘎吱嘎吱地吃槽里的草。 来自《简明英汉词典》
- The dog was crunching a bone. 狗正嘎吱嘎吱地嚼骨头。 来自《简明英汉词典》
- I can't afford the vacation,for it would eat up my savings.我度不起假，那样会把我的积蓄用光的。
- By this time he had used up all his savings.到这时，他的存款已全部用完。
- Marriages in proximity of blood are forbidden by the law.法律规定禁止近亲结婚。
- Their house is in close proximity to ours.他们的房子很接近我们的。
- Both men and livestock are flourishing.人畜两旺。
- The heavy rains and flooding killed scores of livestock.暴雨和大水淹死了许多牲口。
- Jealousy is a primal emotion.嫉妒是最原始的情感。
- Money was a primal necessity to them.对于他们，钱是主要的需要。
- The welfare of a child should always override the wishes of its parents.孩子的幸福安康应该永远比父母的愿望来得更重要。
- I'm applying in advance for the authority to override him.我提前申请当局对他进行否决。
- The sample of building permits is larger and therefore, statistically satisfying. 建筑许可数的样本比较大，所以统计数据更令人满意。
- The results of each test would have to be statistically independent. 每次试验的结果在统计上必须是独立的。
- A transcript of the tapes was presented as evidence in court.一份录音带的文字本作为证据被呈交法庭。
- They wouldn't let me have a transcript of the interview.他们拒绝给我一份采访的文字整理稿。