VOA慢速英語：科羅拉多河下游發(fā)現(xiàn)入侵魚類

VOA慢速英語：科羅拉多河下游發(fā)現(xiàn)入侵魚類

Biologists in the American West are worried about an invasive kind of fish recently found in part of the Colorado River.
最近在科羅拉多河部分地區(qū)發(fā)現(xiàn)的一種侵入性魚類，美國西部的生物學(xué)家為此十分擔(dān)心。
 
Biologists have been working there to protect native fish which are threatened by the appearance of the smallmouth bass.
生物學(xué)家一直在那里工作，以保護受到小嘴鱸出現(xiàn)威脅的本地魚類。
 
National Park Service fisheries biologist Jeff Arnold found three young smallmouth bass in the lower Colorado River recently. The park service confirmed that the fish had been found and were likely reproducing in the Colorado River below the Glen Canyon Dam in the Southwestern state of Arizona.
杰夫阿諾德是國家公園管理局漁業(yè)生物學(xué)家，他最近在科羅拉多河下游發(fā)現(xiàn)了三只年輕的小嘴鱸魚。公園服務(wù)部門證實，確實已經(jīng)發(fā)現(xiàn)了這條魚，并且它們很可能在格倫峽谷大壩下方的科羅拉多河中繁殖。
 
The Colorado River is a major river of North America. It travels through parts of seven western U.S. states. Construction of the Glen Canyon Dam formed Lake Powell.
科羅拉多河是北美的一條主要河流，穿越美國西部七個州的部分地區(qū)。格倫峽谷大壩的建設(shè)形成了鮑威爾湖。
 
Smallmouth bass are a popular sport fish. But they feed on another kind of fish called the humpback chub. The humpback chub is an ancient fish that is native to the river but is threatened. Biologists like Arnold have been working to help the threatened fish recover.
它們可能是一種深受喜愛的運動魚，但小嘴鱸魚以座頭鰱為食。座頭鰱是一種古老的魚類，原產(chǎn)于河流，像阿諾德這樣的生物學(xué)家一直在努力恢復(fù)這種魚群，但目前因小嘴鱸魚的出現(xiàn)而受到威脅。
 
Predators like the smallmouth bass have caused problems for the upper river's environment. But they were held back for years in Lake Powell by the Glen Canyon Dam.
像小嘴鱸魚這樣的捕食者已經(jīng)給上游的環(huán)境帶來了破壞，但他們之前一直被格倫峽谷大壩困在鮑威爾湖。
 
However, with water levels dropping, the invasive fish have gotten past the dam and closer to where the chub remain.
然而，隨著水位下降，入侵魚已經(jīng)越過大壩，更靠近鰱魚了。
 
Brian Healy has worked with the humpback chub for more than 10 years. He established the Native Fish Ecology and Conservation Program.
布賴恩·希利 (Brian Healy) 與座頭鰱一起工作了10多年,他建立了本地魚類生態(tài)和保護計劃。
 
Healy said, "It's pretty devastating to see all the hard work and effort you've put into removing other invasive species and translocating populations around to protect the fish and to see all that effort overturned really quickly."
希利說：“當(dāng)你看到為了保護魚類而把所有的努力和精力都投入到消滅其他入侵物種和遷移魚群上，而這些努力很快將要被推翻了，這是相當(dāng)令人震驚的。”
 
As lake levels drop, non-native fish that live in warm surface waters in Lake Powell are getting closer to the dam and its penstocks. Penstocks are underground steel tubes that carry water to machines that produce electricity from the water current. The water is then released on the other side of the dam.
隨著湖水水位下降，生活在鮑威爾湖溫暖地表水中的非本地魚類越來越靠近大壩及其壓力管。壓力管是地下鋼管，可將水輸送到通過水流發(fā)電的機器。然后水被釋放到大壩的另一邊。
 
If predator fish continue to flow through the penstocks and populate the river below the dam, they could harm native fish. That could undo years of work restoring the river's environment.
如果捕食性魚類繼續(xù)流經(jīng)壓力管道并在大壩下方的河流中棲息，它們可能會傷害本地魚類,那么多年來恢復(fù)河流環(huán)境的工作很可能付諸東流。
 
The chub almost disappeared years ago. But the fish have come back with help from fish biologists and scientists and engineers. Agencies spend millions of dollars each year to keep invasive species under control in the upper part of the river.
鰱魚幾年前幾乎消失了。但在魚類生物學(xué)家、科學(xué)家和工程師的努力下，這種魚又回來了。機構(gòu)每年花費數(shù)百萬美元來控制河流上游的入侵物種。
 
The Endangered Species Act is a law that requires government agencies to act in ways that will not harm threatened animals. That includes structures like the Glen Canyon Dam.
《瀕危物種法》是一項要求政府機構(gòu)以不會傷害受威脅動物的方式行事的法律,包括了像格倫峽谷大壩這樣的結(jié)構(gòu)。
 
Federal, state, and other government leaders are expected to release a plan in August containing ideas for policymakers. Their aim is to control smallmouth bass and other predatory fish below the dam.
預(yù)計聯(lián)邦、州和其他政府領(lǐng)導(dǎo)人將在8月發(fā)布一項計劃，其中包含政策制定者的目標(biāo):控制大壩下的小嘴鱸和其他掠食性魚類。
 
The National Park Service, U.S. Geological Survey, and Arizona Game and Fish Department are moving quickly to try and contain the problem. During an emergency meeting, they decided to increase efforts to follow fish populations and block off the part of the river where the smallmouth bass were found.
國家公園管理局、美國地質(zhì)調(diào)查局和亞利桑那州野生動物和魚類部門正在迅速采取行動，試圖控制這一問題。在一次緊急會議上，他們決定加大力度追蹤魚類種群，并封鎖發(fā)現(xiàn)小嘴鱸魚的河流部分。
 
Arnold said the nets being used cannot keep out smaller fish. But he noted it is the best his group can do with available resources.
阿諾德說，目前正在使用的網(wǎng)無法阻擋較小的魚,但這是團隊利用可用資源所能做的最好的。
 
Experts say leaving more water in Lake Powell would be the best answer. But that is difficult under current dry conditions.
專家說，在鮑威爾湖留下更多的水將是最好的解決方法,但在目前干燥的條件下很難實現(xiàn)。
 
In June, the Department of the Interior told the seven states that depend on the Colorado River to save nearly 5 billion cubic meters of water. It is unclear where that water will be stored. But Healy hopes Lake Powell is being considered.
6 月，內(nèi)政部表示依賴科羅拉多河的七個州節(jié)約了近50億立方米的水。目前尚不清楚這些水將儲存在哪里,但希利希望鮑威爾湖有這個機會。
 
I'm Gregory Stachel.
格雷戈里·斯塔切爾報道。