盘点2011-《时代》年度十大动物故事

英语自学网

　　We're frequently told that a dog is man's best friend — but not if that man happened to be Osama bin Laden. One of the overlooked story lines in the remarkable operation carried out by the American commando team that went to Pakistan and killed the al-Qaeda leader in the early hours of May 2 is the role played by the only member on four legs. Wearing canine armor, the trained military dog, believed to be either a German shepherd or a Belgian Malinois, was attached to a human SEAL and lowered from a helicopter into the compound in Abbottabad. He had the ability to sniff out hidden explosives and find any secret rooms of bin Laden's. And if any of the bad guys had tried to escape, the dog could have easily given chase, seeing as a shepherd or a Malinois runs twice as quickly as humans.
        　　1. 军犬狭路相逢本·拉登
       

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        　　都说狗是人类最忠实的伙伴 -- 可倘若这个人是奥萨马·本·拉登，那也要另当别论了。
        　　在5月2日清晨，美国突击队在巴基斯坦成功执行任务并击毙了基地组织领导人本·拉登，而鲜为人知的是，团队里唯一一个四条腿的成员扮演了这次任务中一个相当重要的角色。这条身披防护衣、训练有素的超级军犬，看起来像是德国牧羊犬或者马里努阿犬，身上配有 SEAL（美国海军突击部队）字样，跳下直升机后便潜入了本拉登在阿伯塔巴德的藏身之所。他不仅能嗅探出埋藏的炸弹而且能找到本拉登的秘密藏身之地，还能像德国牧羊犬或者玛伦牧羊犬那样以人类两倍的速度不费吹灰之力地追上那些企图逃跑的匪徒。
        　　If the dog ever needs a reference, it doesn't get much better than having the following remark on your resume, courtesy of General David Petraeus, then commander of U.S. forces in Afghanistan (he's also said the military needs more dogs): "The capability they bring to the fight cannot be replicated by man or machine."
        　　“如果军犬也需要一封推荐信，那么在你的简历上加上下面的话是再好不过的评价了”，David Petraeus，驻阿富汗美军指挥官（他还声称军事战斗需要更多的军犬），“他们所具备的战斗能力是人类或者机器无法取代的。”
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        　2. Knut the Polar Bear Drowns2. 北极熊克努特之死
        　　Born at the Berlin Zoo in December 2006, the cuddly cub Knut, dubbed Cute Knut, quickly became the most famous polar bear in the world. And when he died tragically this year at the age of 4, his passing made headlines around the world.
        　　2006 年 12 月出生于柏林动物园的这只超萌的小北极熊，名为克努特，在出生不久很快便成了闻名世界的北极熊。然而，他在四岁那年突然猝死的消息再次成了轰动一时的头条新闻。
        　　His fame stemmed from Knut's mother, who rejected him at birth, leading him to be reared by zookeeper Thomas Dorflein (Knut was the first polar bear to be born and raised at the Berlin Zoo in 33 years). The apotheosis of his fame was perhaps when he shared a Vanity Fair cover with Leonardo DiCaprio in 2007, featuring a photo of Knut taken by Annie Leibovitz. His death was (sadly) worthy of a movie, especially since video was taken. Knut collapsed into a pool of water in his enclosure, while hundreds of visitors watched in horror. Pathology experts said Knut's cause of death was drowning, following an apparent seizure due to his suffering from encephalitis, a swelling of the brain most likely triggered by an infection. "We all held him so dearly. He was the star of the Berlin zoos," Berlin Mayor Klaus Wowereit said.
        　　他的星运还要拜其母亲从生下他之后就抛弃了他所赐，因此抚养他的重任落到了动物园管理员Thomas Dorflein 的肩上 (克努特当时是 33 年以来第一只出生于柏林动物园并且由人工饲养的北极熊)。2007 年，红极一时的克努特的一张由知名摄影师安妮·莱波维兹拍摄的照片曾和大明星莱昂纳多.迪卡普里奥同登《名利场》杂志封面。他的离世可以拍成一部电影，因为当时整个过程已经被现场录制了下来。那天克努特在众目睽睽之下突然滑落进饲养池的游泳池里，几百名游客目击了他的死亡。病理学专家声称克努特是因为溺水并伴随脑炎导致的癫痫发作而死，而脑部的肿胀很有可能是因为感染导致。柏林市长克劳斯沃维莱特表示：“我们都对他依依不舍，他是柏林动物园的明星”。
            
            

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        　　3. Animal Terror in Ohio3. 俄亥俄州的野生动物“恐怖行动”
        　　Sixty-two-year-old exotic-animal collector Terry Thompson set his animals loose at his 73-acre (30 hectare) Muskingum County Animal Farm in Zanesville, Ohio, on Oct. 18. State deputies were forced to take drastic action, and when the dust settled, there were 49 deaths, including those of baboons, black bears, lions and rare Bengal tigers. Thompson turned a gun on himself, taking his own life. Authorities defended their decision to shoot and kill the animals, saying it was for the protection of the public. It's still not known why Thompson released the animals, though there has been speculation that he was in over his head and having difficulties caring for them.
        　　62 岁高龄的珍奇动物爱好收藏家 Terry Thompson 在俄亥俄州，赞斯维尔市的马斯金格姆县建立了一个 73 英亩（相当于 30 公顷 ）野生动物农场来散养他的动物们。而州代表们则果断行动，待尘埃落定，死亡动物数目达 49 ，包括狒狒，黑熊，狮子和珍贵的孟加拉虎。Thompson 不顾自己的安危地举起了猎枪。当局者却对他们下令枪杀动物地决定辩解道“那是为了保护民众。”到底 Thompson 为什么要把动物放出来我们依然未可知，但有猜测说可能是他也因为没办法照顾这么多动物而伤脑筋了。
            
            

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        　　4. Afghanistan and Libya Zoos Survive War4. 阿富汗动物园和利比亚动物园的生存之战
        　　If you were to play word association with either Libya or Afghanistan in 2011, chances are that the word zoo wouldn't make the top of the list. But both Tripoli and Kabul's zoos played a small if significant part in the broader story. In Libya, the zoo was located in the former Gaddafi stronghold of Abu Salim, where the employees and — of course — the animals had to handle considerable food and water shortages. Ibrahim Basha, the head keeper for 24 years, said the Gaddafi regime frequently failed to make monthly payments, meaning that it owed the company that provided the animals' food more than $1.5 million. Even one of Gaddafi's sons, Saadi (who owned nine of the zoo's 19 lions and loved to check on their progress), stopped visiting. As for the zoo's employees, only 15 of the 100 were willing to work.
        　　在 2011 年中，假入你想和利比亚或者阿富汗玩猜字游戏，那么最好别选动物园这个词。因为的黎波里动物园和喀布尔动物园都上演了微小却意涵深远的一幕。在利比亚，动物园建在阿布萨利姆，前卡扎菲的大本营，当然了，人和动物都在面临严重的食物缺乏和供水问题。Ibrahim Basha，是一位任职 24 年的看守负责人，他说卡扎菲当权时常常拨不出每月的经费，拖欠动物饲料超过1.5亿美元。而且卡扎菲的儿子 Saadi （领养了动物园 19 头狮子中的 9 头并热衷关注他们的成长），也再也不来了。而现在动物园的工作人员，只有 15% 的人还来这里工作。
        　　In Kabul, it could be argued that the worst was already over. Following the collapse of the communist regime in 1992, the Afghan civil war decimated the zoo; with nobody to feed them, the better part of 400 animals died of hunger. Yet the rise of the Taliban (it came to power in 1996) stopped the bleeding as the insurgents built new outer walls and gave food to the surviving animals. What's more, China and Pakistan have given animals as diplomatic gifts over the years, bolstering the number of both creatures and visitors, who, admittedly, visit as much for the shade afforded by the zoo as by a desire to spend time with the animals.
        　　在阿富汗的首都喀布尔，可以说最糟糕的日子已经过去了。因为 1992 年共产党政权垮台时，阿富汗内战已经毁了动物园。当时因为没有人饲养，最好的 400 多只动物已经饿死了。而塔利班的崛起使得惨剧告一段落，因为叛乱分子正好建立了外墙并且给幸存的动物们喂了些食物。此后的几年里，中国和巴基斯坦又赠送了一些珍稀物种给阿富汗作为外交礼物，大大增加了物种和数量，同时也吸引了更多的游客，他们不无感慨，在更多地看到动物园背负的伤痛之后会更想多陪陪这些动物们。
            
            

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        　　5. Man's Best Friend — to the End5. 与人至死不渝的朋友
        　　Dogs haven't just been used in volatile situations this year; they have wanted to pay their respects in sensitive ones too. Thirty-five-year-old Navy SEAL Jon Tumilson was one of 22 SEALs (and among 30 Americans) who tragically lost their lives when their Chinook helicopter was shot down by Afghan insurgents in August. At Tumilson's funeral, his beloved dog Hawkeye (known to Tumilson's family and friends as his "son") lay at the foot of the casket throughout the ceremony. The heartbreaking image of Hawkeye that was taken by Tumilson's cousin Lisa Pembleton is surely one of the most poignant of the year. "I took this picture, and that was my view throughout the entire funeral," she said. "I couldn't not take a picture." Hawkeye is now being cared for by a friend of Tumilson's, but it's evident that he'll never forget his previous owner.
        　　狗不光出现今年那些充满危险的局面中，同时也在情感方面表现了他们感性的一面。8 月份一架美军运输直升机被阿富汗叛乱分子击落，22 名美国海军特种部队海豹特遣队的成员（队伍中一共 30 名美国人）因此丧生，而 35 岁的 Jon Tumilson 是其中之一。在 Tumilson 的葬礼上，他的爱犬 Hawkeye （被 Tumilson 的家人和朋友视为 Tumilson 的儿子）自始至终躺在棺木的下角。由 Tumilson 的外甥女 Lisa Pembleton 拍摄的这张心碎的 Hawkeye 被公认为是本年度最刻骨铭心的一幕。“我拍了这张照片，因为它是整个葬礼在我脑中的缩影。”她说，“我必须要把它记录下来。” 现在 Hawkeye 由 Tumilson 的一个朋友照看，但是可以明确的一点是它永远也不会忘记它曾经的主人。
            
            

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        　　6. Reptile Jailbreak: The Egyptian Cobra That Fled the Bronx Zoo
        　　6. 爬虫版越狱：布朗克斯动物园的埃及眼镜蛇大逃亡
        　　Here's a slippery story if ever we saw one. A 24-in. (61 cm) Egyptian cobra went on the loose at the Bronx Zoo in March, scaring the bejesus out of everyone nearby. A frantic, days-long search thankfully resulted in finding the snake simply residing in a dark corner of the reptile house, just 200 ft. (61 m) from her cage.
        　　这是一个似曾相识的逃出生天的故事。今年 3 月份，布朗克斯动物园里一条 24 英寸（大概 61 厘米）长的埃及眼镜蛇闲来无事索性出游，结果吓坏了附近居民。恐慌之余是连续数日的搜捕，结果发现它安静地蜷缩在爬虫类动物馆一个黑漆漆角落里，而距离她的小巢仅 200 英尺（61 米）之遥。
        　　Nevertheless, the missing-snake story became an online sensation. One clever chap set up a Twitter account — @BronxZoosCobra — that spat out zingers with unbridled relish ("Does anyone know if the Whole Foods in Columbus Circle sells organic mice?") and gained more than 200,000 followers. There would be an "appearance" on Conan when the snake, ahem, took out the keyboardist, to say nothing of a Facebook campaign for the snake to host Saturday Night Live (cue the "Well, there's been worse" remarks).
        　　尽管虚惊一场，但是这条迷路的小蛇也成了网络上热议的话题。有聪明人专门建立了一个 Twitter 账号 - @BronxZoosCobra 并此大肆发表精辟言论（“有没有人知道克伦比亚圆环附近的全天然食品店是否有卖有机老鼠的？”），一下子得到 20 多万人的追捧。
            
            

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        　　7. Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen Take On Alligators — and Win
        　　7. 奥尔森姐妹花借鳄鱼皮上获得成功
        　　They may be ubiquitous, but the Olsen twins find themselves on this list because of a business venture. As outlandish as it may sound, the sisters' latest handbag line featured a backpack with alligator skin that was yours for a mere $39,000. The line is called the Row, but you might have come home to a row of another kind had you splashed the cash on the backpack (which, as you could guess, quickly flew off shelves).
       

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        　　在很多排行榜上我们都可见奥尔森姐妹花的身影，而今出现在十大动物之最的榜单上是因她们的一次商业投资。一如既往的古怪品味，这对姐妹花推出的最新手包系列采用的是鳄鱼皮，售价高达 3.9 万美元。这个系列取名为 Row，尽管你家里可能已经有一排其他样子的背包了。（可想而知，很快就抢购一空）
        　　Amanda Brooks, fashion director of Barneys New York, said, "I think if you were ever going to spend $39,000 on a bag, that's the bag you should buy, because I think you'd wear it for a really long time." Ashley Olsen was almost as modest: "During our last economic crisis in the U.S., the only thing that went up was Hermès."
        　　巴尼斯纽约精品店的时装总监 Amanda Brooks 表示“如果你愿意花 3.9 万美元买一个包，那这个包一定是值得你买的，因为你肯定会用很长时间。” Ashley Olsen 不无自豪地说：“从上次美国经济危机以来，只有爱马仕一直逆流而上。”
            
            

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        　　8. Foot-and-Mouth Outbreak Hits South Korea
        　　8. 口蹄疫爆发席卷南韩
        　　South Korea was rocked by a foot-and-mouth outbreak that took a considerable toll on the country's animals. The disease (which began in late 2010) was confirmed at well over a hundred farms by mid-January, and resulted in the slaughter of nearly 1.7 million animals. The situation then got even bleaker: in the hurry to contain the outbreak, more than 1 million pigs were culled, many buried alive because euthanasia drugs had run out. South Korea's government came under fire from animal-rights groups like PETA, which wanted people to "urge South Korean authorities to stop this massacre immediately." And the country's citizens were affected too, albeit in the wallet: the mass cull caused wholesale prices of beef and pork to rise 9% and 22%, respectively, over December's average prices.
       

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        　　南韩爆发的口蹄疫波及了一大批国家动物。经证实这次疫情（始于 2010 年末）至 1 月中旬共席卷 100 多个农场，导致将近 1.7 亿只动物被迫宰杀。而形式并没有扭转：为了快速控制疫情，1 亿多只猪被宰杀，而由于安乐死药物用光了，很多猪都被活埋了。南韩政府的屠宰行为为此遭到 PETA （善待动物组织）等动物权益保护组织的抨击。PETA 希望人们能一起抵制韩国当局的这种大屠杀行为。同时韩国居民也间接遭受口蹄疫影响，当然是在经济上：因为大屠杀导致牛肉和猪肉批发价格分别较 2010 年 12 月的平均价格提高 9% 和22%。
            
            

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        　　9. Yvonne, the World's Most Famous Dairy Cow9. 闻名世界的奶牛 YvonneFame can be attained in myriad ways. For some, it involves reality-TV shows and marriages that last for 72 days. But if you're a German dairy cow named Yvonne, just going for a simple stroll can propel you to glory. Back in May, Yvonne navigated her way past electrified fencing in the pasture where she was grazing and headed for the woods near her small Bavarian commune of Zangberg. Her "escape" captured media attention across Germany, as she became a symbol for the freedom and dignity of animals everywhere, though particularly cows, which are often seen as being nothing more than a source of meat and milk.
       

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        　　条条大路通星途。有的可能通过 TV 真人秀，或者 72 天的闪电婚姻。但是一头名为 Yvonne 的德国奶牛，只是简单的走了几步就大功告成了。故事还需从今年 5 月讲起，Yvonne 只身穿越草地牧场的电网而奔赴赞格伯尔的巴伐利亚小公社附近的林地。她的出逃吸引了德国媒体的眼球，因而成为了动物追求自由和尊严的象征，特别是对于奶牛这种在大众眼里只是生产牛奶和牛肉的动物。
        　　Interest in the story was so high that a nearby animal-rescue farm became the informal press headquarters for journalists keen to cover Yvonne. The cow eventually joined a herd of deer (indeed, she became known as "the cow who wants to be a deer"), and after she survived a shoot-to-kill order, efforts to tranquillize and return Yvonne to the farm were suspended due to the stress that the chase had put on her. In total, she spent some three months at large. Yvonne was finally spotted by a farmer in a meadow near Stefanskirchen; his find won him a €10,000 ($14,500) reward provided by the tabloid Bild. She put up a fight when the jig was up, requiring a double dose of tranquilizers when cornered. "She is the cleverest cow in the world, no doubt about it," said Britta Freitag of the Gut Aiderbichl animal sanctuary.
        　　由于 Yvonne 的故事引起广大关注，很多记者纷纷前来报道，“使得牧场附近的动物救助农场成了一个非正式媒体总部。Yvonne 后来加入了一对鹿群 （并以“一头希望变成鹿的奶牛”而著称)，并在追捕令中侥幸还生。由于追赶 Yvonne 面临的压力，抓捕“伊冯”并将其送回牧场的努力曾一度搁浅。这样 Yvonne 享受了大约 3 个月的自由时光而最后被 Stefanskirchen 附近牧场一名农民发现。而因为这条线索他得到小报《Bild》奖励的 1 万欧元(约合1.45万美元)。抓捕过程中 Yvonne 奋勇抵抗，但在被逼到死角之后，围捕人员注射了双倍剂量的镇静剂，才最终将其制伏。Gut Aiderbichl 动物保护区的布里塔-费莱塔格说：“毫无疑问它是世界上最聪明的奶牛。”
            
            

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        　　10. Mass Animal Deaths: Birds, Fish, Cows10. 动物集体死亡现象：鸟，鱼，牛
        　　It was an inauspicious start to the year with news of mass animal deaths spreading like wildfire. Birds were at the forefront of this unfortunate phenomenon as thousands of red-winged blackbirds fell dead from the sky in Arkansas during the first weekend of 2011; officials blamed the deaths on "blunt force trauma," probably caused by either unusually loud noises or the birds flying into buildings. Just two days later, the same event took place, this time in Louisiana. It then occurred overseas, with residents in the Swedish town of Falkoping finding between 50 and 100 jackdaw carcasses strewn across their lawns and roads. But these startling scenes weren't just restricted to birds. Back in Arkansas (in fact, a day before the birds started to drop), roughly 100,000 drum fish were found dead, most likely because of disease. Then in Wisconsin, 200 dead cows were discovered in a field, the victims, it turned out, of spoiled sweet potatoes.
        　　2011 年迎来了一个不幸的开始，大量动物集体死亡的新闻以野火燎原之势迅速传播。死神的魔爪先伸向了鸟类，2011年第一个周末，美国阿肯色州数千只红翅黑鹂的尸体从天而降。官员们指出这种钝器致死的原因可能由不寻常的噪音或者鸟类撞向建筑物所致。然后短短两天后，类似的惨剧又在路易斯安那州上演。其他国家也陆续发生，瑞典法尔雪平当地居民在草地和公路上发现 50 到 100 具寒鸦尸体。大规模死亡惨剧涉及的不仅是鸟类。在大量鸟类死亡的一天前，在阿肯色州也发现 10 万多具石首鱼尸体，但很有可能是死于疾病。随后，威斯康星州又爆出牛的集体死亡事件，经证实是受污染的甘薯导致的中毒。
         
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