本集內容

Dealing with Rome’s starling problem 羅馬市政府為維護城市環(huán)境 用激光驅趕歐椋鳥

學習要點

有關 “humans vs nature（人類與自然）” 的詞匯

邊看邊答

How are Rome city officials encouraging the starlings to leave?

文字稿

In the Roman twilight, nature’s great dancers flock to the stage.

在羅馬的暮色中，大自然的杰出舞者們涌向舞臺。

The acrobatic twirls like wisps of smoke.

它們在空中矯捷地回旋，好似縷縷青煙。

A synchronised spectacle of breathtaking beauty.

群鳥齊飛，蔚為壯觀。

The starlings migrate in winter, south to Africa, nesting at night in central Rome for warmth, flying in formation to avoid predators.

歐椋鳥在冬天南遷到非洲，晚上在羅馬市中心筑巢取暖，排成編隊飛行以躲避捕食者。

A murmuration it’s called, and this city of art marvels at the show.

這就是所謂的 “椋鳥群飛” 現象，這座藝術之城對這場空中演出贊不絕口。

But beneath their charm, Rome is rotting, and it’s a hell of a mess.

但在魅力四射的鳥群下方，羅馬卻遍地狼藉，臟亂不堪。

Mark Lowen, BBC correspondent
In the cold light of day, the other side of these gorgeous birds is clear. And for those unlucky enough to be in the wrong place at the wrong time, it is not exactly sightly, it can be a safety hazard, and I can tell you that even with a mask, the stench is rancid.

馬克·洛文     BBC通訊員
“壯觀過后的次日白天，這些美麗的鳥兒的另一面則清晰可見。對于那些不幸在錯誤的時間出現在錯誤的地點的人來說，這一面并不美觀，甚至可能是一個安全隱患。我可以告訴大家，即使戴著口罩，也是臭氣熏天?！?

“I slipped on the droppings when it was muddy,” this man says, “the world has invented everything, just not bird underpants!”

“有一次，泥濘不堪的道路上滿是鳥糞，我滑倒了。” 這位男士說到，他還說：“人類發(fā)明了一切，就是沒發(fā)明給鳥穿的內褲！”

Beside the ancient forum, a new attempt to try to solve the problem.

在這個古老的廣場旁邊，人們在嘗試用一種新方法解決這個問題。

City officials shining lasers onto trees, which the birds dislike, prompting them to move on.

市政府官員用歐椋鳥討厭的激光照射樹木，促使它們繼續(xù)飛行。

The project is focused on Rome’s tourist heart, in a bid to clean up its image.

這個項目重點維護羅馬的主要旅游景點，以改善城市形象。

Marco Leva, Environmental Officer
This doesn’t cause the birds any stress – it’s more like a nuisance for them. I do this work, but I’m actually a nature lover. We’re not stopping them from sleeping, we’re just telling them to find another location, and it works -– this tree used to be completely full, and now there are about ten percent of what there were.

馬可·萊瓦      環(huán)境官員
“這個方法不會給鳥帶來任何不適和壓力，對鳥來說，激光更像是一個惹人討厭的東西。雖然我做這項工作，但我其實是個熱愛大自然的人。我們并沒有阻止鳥睡覺，而只是告訴它們去找另一個地方休息，這個方法很管用，這棵樹上曾經停滿了鳥，現在樹上的鳥只有過去的10%左右?！?

In ancient Rome the starlings were seen to augur the gods’ wishes. Centuries on, these dazzling creatures keep visiting. How man and nature can coexist is the eternal problem of the Eternal City.

在古羅馬，人們認為歐椋鳥預示著神明的愿望。幾個世紀以來，這些耀眼的生物不斷造訪。人與自然如何共存？這是羅馬這座永恒之城所面臨的長期問題。

詞匯

predators 捕食者，食肉動物

murmuration 椋鳥群飛

nuisance 惱人的事物，麻煩事

augur 預示

coexist 共存，共處

問題答案

City officials are shining lasers onto trees, which the birds dislike, prompting them to move on.