《哈利•波特》致印度猫头鹰减少

    印度环境部长近日对《哈利波特》系列作品公开指责，称该系列作品的风靡让越来越多的人通过非法途径购买猫头鹰，从而导致印度野生猫头鹰的数量日渐减少。在《哈利波特》电影中，主角哈利?波特有一只名为“海德薇”的白色猫头鹰当作宠物和信使。该电影2001年在印度上映后在当地掀起了一股“哈利?波特”热潮，民众纷纷效仿哈利开始养猫头鹰当宠物。连城市中产阶级也受到《哈利波特》的影响对猫头鹰产生莫名其妙的迷恋，并且想要购买猫头鹰给自己的孩子当礼物。猫头鹰在印度教的很多吉庆的场合都被当作祭祀品，而近年来，濒危猫头鹰频繁被捕猎、贩卖或猎杀，导致猫头鹰数量急剧下降。
    Harry¹ Potter has been blamed for the dwindling² number of wild owls⁴ in India, according to the country’s Environment Minister, Jairam Ramesh.
    Mr Ramesh said the craze for Harry Potter in India had led to an increase in people buying owls from illegal bird traders.
    "Following Harry Potter, there seems to be a strange fascination⁵ even among the urban middle classes for presenting their children with owls," Mr Ramesh told the BBC.
    A report by conservation group Traffic suggested tough measures should be put in place to protect owls from an upcoming Hindu festival – Diwali - because thousands of owls are sacrificed on Hindu "auspicious⁶ occasions".
    The author of the report, Abrar Ahmed, decided⁷ to investigate the owl³ trade after being asked to get a white owl for a boy's Harry Potter-themed 10th birthday.
    "This was probably one of the strangest demands made to me as an ornithologist," he wrote.
    Mr Ahmed found that endangered owls are being caught, traded or sacrificed in black magic rituals, while others are killed for medicine.
    "The sacrifice of owls on auspicious occasions appears to be a regular practice and [there could be] a possible increase in trade and sacrifices around Diwali," the Imperilled Custodians⁸ of the Night report says.
    Harry Potter publishers Bloomsbury declined to comment on the BBC report.
 

1 harry   

vt.掠夺，蹂躏，使苦恼

参考例句：

• Today,people feel more hurried and harried.今天，人们感到更加忙碌和苦恼。
• Obama harried business by Healthcare Reform plan.奥巴马用医改掠夺了商界。

2 dwindling   

adj.逐渐减少的v.逐渐变少或变小( dwindle的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• The number of wild animals on the earth is dwindling. 地球上野生动物的数量正日渐减少。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He is struggling to come to terms with his dwindling authority. 他正努力适应自己权力被削弱这一局面。 来自辞典例句

3 owl   

n.猫头鹰，枭

参考例句：

• Her new glasses make her look like an owl.她的新眼镜让她看上去像只猫头鹰。
• I'm a night owl and seldom go to bed until after midnight.我睡得很晚，经常半夜后才睡觉。

4 owls   

n.猫头鹰( owl的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• 'Clumsy fellows,'said I; 'they must still be drunk as owls.' “这些笨蛋，”我说，“他们大概还醉得像死猪一样。” 来自英汉文学 - 金银岛
• The great majority of barn owls are reared in captivity. 大多数仓鸮都是笼养的。 来自辞典例句

5 fascination   

n.令人着迷的事物，魅力，迷恋

参考例句：

• He had a deep fascination with all forms of transport.他对所有的运输工具都很着迷。
• His letters have been a source of fascination to a wide audience.广大观众一直迷恋于他的来信。

6 auspicious   

adj.吉利的；幸运的，吉兆的

参考例句：

• The publication of my first book was an auspicious beginning of my career.我的第一本书的出版是我事业吉祥的开始。
• With favorable weather conditions it was an auspicious moment to set sail.风和日丽，正是扬帆出海的黄道吉日。

7 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

8 custodians   

n.看守人，保管人( custodian的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• If we aren't good custodians for our planet, what right do we have to be here? 如果我们作为自己星球的管理者不称职我们还有什么理由留在这里？ 来自电影对白
• Custodians primarily responsible for the inspection of vehicles, access, custody. 保管员主要负责车辆的验收、出入、保管。 来自互联网