万花筒 2009-04-17&04-18 松鼠爱挖洞，杀之？

Popping up all over Spokane's Finch¹ Arboretum², squirrels are becoming a growing nuisance for the city's Parks and Recreation Department.

 

It's sort of the trees or them.

 

The squirrels are digging tunnels and tearing up the grounds.

 

These holes are a serious tripping hazard.

 

That's why the Parks Department has called in reinforcements. Dubbed³ the Rodenator Pro⁴, officials plan to use this special machine to blow up some of the 100 to 150 rodents⁵.

 

They researched it, and found that this is gonna be the most cost-effective and humane⁶ way to get the job done.

 

The machine pumps propane and oxygen into the tunnels of squirrels and then sends an electric spark that causes an explosion. The shockwaves kill the squirrels and they collapse⁷ their tunnels.

 

It really needs to be done if people want an arboretum.

 

But the city's Humane Society disagrees. They're trying to stop the Rodenator Pro, saying the blasts are a temporary and unethical response. They say the problem could be solved by limiting the animal's food supply. Meanwhile, park officials are moving ahead with the explosions this week.

 

We're not gonna give up the arboretum to the ground squirrels I guess.

 

Park officials are warning area residents the explosions sound like gunshots and they should not be alarmed.

 

Diane Kepley, the Associated Press.
 

1 finch   

n.雀科鸣禽(如燕雀，金丝雀等)

参考例句：

• This behaviour is commonly observed among several species of finch.这种行为常常可以在几种雀科鸣禽中看到。
• In Australia,it is predominantly called the Gouldian Finch.在澳大利亚，它主要还是被称之为胡锦雀。

2 arboretum   

n.植物园

参考例句：

• We can go to the arboretum in the southern suburb.我们可以去南郊的植物园。
• The arboretum is full of exotic flowers and rare herbs.植物园里长满了各种奇花异草。

3 dubbed   

v.给…起绰号( dub的过去式和过去分词 )；把…称为；配音；复制

参考例句：

• Mathematics was once dubbed the handmaiden of the sciences. 数学曾一度被视为各门科学的基础。
• Is the movie dubbed or does it have subtitles? 这部电影是配音的还是打字幕的？ 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 pro   

n.赞成，赞成的意见，赞成者

参考例句：

• The two debating teams argued the question pro and con.辩论的两组从赞成与反对两方面辩这一问题。
• Are you pro or con nuclear disarmament?你是赞成还是反对核裁军？

5 rodents   

n.啮齿目动物( rodent的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Rodents carry diseases and are generally regarded as pests. 啮齿目动物传播疾病，常被当作害虫对待。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Some wild rodents in Africa also harbor the virus. 在非洲，有些野生啮齿动物也是储毒者。 来自辞典例句

6 humane   

adj.人道的，富有同情心的

参考例句：

• Is it humane to kill animals for food?宰杀牲畜来吃合乎人道吗？
• Their aim is for a more just and humane society.他们的目标是建立一个更加公正、博爱的社会。

7 collapse   

vi.累倒；昏倒；倒塌；塌陷

参考例句：

• The country's economy is on the verge of collapse.国家的经济已到了崩溃的边缘。
• The engineer made a complete diagnosis of the bridge's collapse.工程师对桥的倒塌做了一次彻底的调查分析。