2007-08-02, Save The Koalas 拯救考拉熊

It's the picture postcard symbol of Australia.
'Cause they're nice and furry¹ and cuddly².
They are looking like toys.
I'll be really hard put to find another mammal that is so recognizable internationally and so beloved.

But love alone, the experts say, is not enough to ensure the koala's future.

Um, I can tell you that I believe the koala's future in this country is bleak⁴, very bleak.

The eucalyptus⁵ forests that have been home to koalas are being increasingly claimed and cleared for housing, farms and roads. And according to Deborah Tabart, the executive director of the Australian Koala Foundation, each tree lost just adds pressure to these animals' precarious⁶ state.

Well, this is, um, exactly the sort of habitat that used to be all over Australia. Um, this is prime koala habitat. And in the last two hundred years since we've been here, we've cleared about 80% of this.

So the foundation is pushing for a National Koala Act, a law to protect the remaining forests, including incentives⁷ for private landowners to help.

To have a visionary piece of legislation that says: look, this is the way it is, we are not telling you that you can't do everything. But if you want something for future generations, you are going to have to make some concessions⁸, 'cause you can't keep doing it the way it is.

According to a 1996 study done for the foundation, the koalas are a big revenue earner, contributing around three quarters of a billion U.S. dollars every year to the Australian economy. The Lone³ Pine Koala Sanctuary⁹ in Brisbane combines conservation and tourism to the delight of visitors.

Okay, welcome to Lone Pine, gonna come through here and hold my koala?

The foundation says the koala has been decimated over the past two centuries, estimating the population has declined from about ten million to possibly fewer than 100,000, which is why the foundation is so determined¹⁰ to make the National Koala Act a reality.

1 furry   

adj.毛皮的；似毛皮的；毛皮制的

参考例句：

• This furry material will make a warm coat for the winter.这件毛皮料在冬天会是一件保暖的大衣。
• Mugsy is a big furry brown dog,who wiggles when she is happy.马格斯是一只棕色大长毛狗，当她高兴得时候她会摇尾巴。

2 cuddly   

adj.抱着很舒服的，可爱的

参考例句：

• The beautiful crib from Mom and Dad is so cuddly.爸爸妈妈送的漂亮婴儿床真舒服。
• You can't call a hedgehog cuddly.你不能说刺猬逗人喜爱。

3 lone   

adj.孤寂的，单独的；唯一的

参考例句：

• A lone sea gull flew across the sky.一只孤独的海鸥在空中飞过。
• She could see a lone figure on the deserted beach.她在空旷的海滩上能看到一个孤独的身影。

4 bleak   

adj.(天气)阴冷的；凄凉的；暗淡的

参考例句：

• They showed me into a bleak waiting room.他们引我来到一间阴冷的会客室。
• The company's prospects look pretty bleak.这家公司的前景异常暗淡。

5 eucalyptus   

n.桉树，桉属植物

参考例句：

• Eucalyptus oil is good for easing muscular aches and pains.桉树油可以很好地缓解肌肉的疼痛。
• The birds rustled in the eucalyptus trees.鸟在桉树弄出沙沙的响声。

6 precarious   

adj.不安定的，靠不住的；根据不足的

参考例句：

• Our financial situation had become precarious.我们的财务状况已变得不稳定了。
• He earned a precarious living as an artist.作为一个艺术家，他过得是朝不保夕的生活。

7 incentives   

激励某人做某事的事物( incentive的名词复数 )； 刺激； 诱因； 动机

参考例句：

• tax incentives to encourage savings 鼓励储蓄的税收措施
• Furthermore, subsidies provide incentives only for investments in equipment. 更有甚者，提供津贴仅是为鼓励增添设备的投资。 来自英汉非文学 - 环境法 - 环境法

8 concessions   

n.（尤指由政府或雇主给予的）特许权( concession的名词复数 )；承认；减价；（在某地的）特许经营权

参考例句：

• The firm will be forced to make concessions if it wants to avoid a strike. 要想避免罢工，公司将不得不作出一些让步。
• The concessions did little to placate the students. 让步根本未能平息学生的愤怒。

9 sanctuary   

n.圣所，圣堂，寺庙；禁猎区，保护区

参考例句：

• There was a sanctuary of political refugees behind the hospital.医院后面有一个政治难民的避难所。
• Most countries refuse to give sanctuary to people who hijack aeroplanes.大多数国家拒绝对劫机者提供庇护。

10 determined   

adj.坚定的；有决心的

参考例句：

• I have determined on going to Tibet after graduation.我已决定毕业后去西藏。
• He determined to view the rooms behind the office.他决定查看一下办公室后面的房间。