幫失業(yè)的大象回家

More than 100 elephants kept at commercial camps and sanctuaries in Thailand are newly “unemployed” because of the coronavirus crisis.

由于冠狀病毒危機，泰國商業(yè)場所和庇護所飼養(yǎng)的100多頭大象新近“失業(yè)”。

As the number of foreign visitors dwindle during the pandemic, the facilities — which count on tourists to feed the animals — sent scores of them trudging up to 95 miles back to their native stomping grounds.

隨著疫情流行期間外國游客數量的減少，依靠游客喂養(yǎng)的這些動物，不得不跋涉95多英里回到了自己的故土。

The Save Elephant Foundation in the northern province of Chiang Mai supports fundraising appeals to feed animals still housed at tourist parks, but has also been promoting the elephants’ return home, where they can be more self-sufficient.

位于泰國北部清邁省的“拯救大象基金會”支持籌集資金的呼吁，為仍被關在旅游公園里的大象提供食物，但該基金會也一直在推動大象返回家園，在那里它們可以更加自給自足。

Since last month, the animals have marched from all over Chiang Mai to their homeland of Mae Chaem, where members of the Karen ethnic minority traditionally keep elephants in their villages.

從上個月開始，這些動物從清邁各地游行到他們的家鄉(xiāng)梅查姆，在湄查姆，卡倫少數民族傳統(tǒng)上在他們的村莊里飼養(yǎng)大象。

Sadudee Serichevee, who owns four elephants in Chiang Mai’s Mae Wang district, set up his own small Karen Elephant Experience park, bringing the animals from Mae Chaem’s Ban Huay Bong, his wife’s village.

Sadudee Serichevee在清邁的Mae Wang區(qū)擁有四頭大象，他建立了自己的小克倫大象體驗公園，從他妻子的村莊Mae Chaem的Ban Huay Bong帶來了這些大象。

But when the coronavirus crisis happened, he and his wife could no longer afford the expenses to keep them. Elephants eat as much as 660 pounds a day of grass and vegetables.

但當疫情危機發(fā)生時，他和妻子再也負擔不起養(yǎng)活他們的費用。大象每天要吃掉多達660磅的草和蔬菜。

“At first I thought the situation would be back to normal within a month or two,” Sadudee told the Associated Press. “At the end of April, I lost all hope.”

Sadudee對美聯社說：“起初，我以為一兩個月內情況會恢復正常。到四月底，我徹底失去了希望。”

So the couple decided to bring their caravan of 11 elephants back to their home turf — convincing other owners to do the same.

所以這對夫婦決定，把他們11頭大象的隊伍帶回他們的家鄉(xiāng)——說服其他主人也這么做。

“These elephants have not had a chance to return home for 20 years,” Sadudee said. “They seem to be very happy when arriving home, they make their happy noises, they run to the creek near the village and have fun along with our children.”

Sadudee說：“這些大象已經20年沒有機會回家了。他們到家時很高興，發(fā)出快樂的聲音，跑到村子附近的小溪邊，和我們的孩子們一起玩。”

The project is also active in Thailand’s northeastern province of Surin, known for its annual elephant festival. About 40 elephants returned last month to the province’s Tha Tum district, home to hundreds of the animals.

這個項目在泰國東北部的素林省也很活躍，那里以一年一度的大象節(jié)而聞名。上個月，大約40頭大象回到了該省的塔圖姆區(qū)，那里是數百頭大象的家園。

“We don’t know when COVID-19 will go away,” said Save Elephant’s founder, Saengduean Chailert. “So this is our task, to help feed the elephants that were laid off because of the outbreak.”

“我們不知道COVID-19什么時候會消失，”拯救大象基金會的創(chuàng)始人Saengduean Chailert說。“所以這是我們的任務，幫助喂養(yǎng)因疫情而失業(yè)的大象。”