VOA标准英语2008年-Environmentalists Say Japanese Whalers Chased F

By Phil Mercer
Sydney
14 January 2008

The environmental group Greenpeace has claimed to have driven Japan's controversial whaling fleet out of Antarctic hunting grounds after a dramatic chase through thick fog and rough seas. Activists¹ have promised to harass² the Japanese fleet and disrupt its plan to kill nearly one thousand minke and fin³ whales. Phil Mercer in Sydney reports.

The Greenpeace ship Esperanza found six Japanese whaling vessels⁴ over the weekend after 10 days of scouring⁵ the icy waters of the Southern Ocean.

The global environmental group has promised to use nonviolent action to stop the ships from killing⁶ whales.

A Greenpeace spokeswoman, Sarah Holden, says the Japanese vessels "scattered⁷ and ran" when they realized the Esperanza was heading toward them...

"They sent one of the hunter vessels to check us out and the rest of them just ran right in front of us and we are going further and further north," she said. "We've chased them out of the whaling grounds. We're very happy about that."

Greenpeace's success could, however, be short-lived.

The Japanese fleet is expected to re-fuel from a tanker⁸ in the area before returning to the hunting grounds.

Japan plans to catch 935 minke and 50 fin whales over the Antarctic summer for what Tokyo has says are research purposes.

Under worldwide pressure, Japan has given up plans to include 50 humpback whales in this season's hunt.

The Australian government also has a ship shadowing Japan's whaling fleet, and air patrols are watching the hunt.

If they find evidence that Japan is violating international rules on whaling, the Australian government could mount an international court challenge against the whalers.

Japan argues that years of a global hunting ban have allowed whale populations to grow enough to allow hunting. Many Japanese say that hunting and eating whales are part of their traditions and should be allowed. Other governments and many environmental groups say, however, that whale populations are too fragile to tolerate hunting. They also complain because Japan sells the meat of whales it harvests for research.

1 activists   

n.（政治活动的）积极分子，活动家( activist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• His research work was attacked by animal rights activists . 他的研究受到了动物权益维护者的抨击。
• Party activists with lower middle class pedigrees are numerous. 党的激进分子中有很多出身于中产阶级下层。 来自《简明英汉词典》

2 harass   

vt.使烦恼，折磨，骚扰

参考例句：

• Our mission is to harass the landing of the main Japaness expeditionary force.我们的任务是骚乱日本远征军主力的登陆。
• They received the order to harass the enemy's rear.他们接到骚扰敌人后方的命令。

3 fin   

n.鳍；(飞机的)安定翼

参考例句：

• They swim using a small fin on their back.它们用背上的小鳍游动。
• The aircraft has a long tail fin.那架飞机有一个长长的尾翼。

4 vessels   

n.血管( vessel的名词复数 )；船；容器；（具有特殊品质或接受特殊品质的）人

参考例句：

• The river is navigable by vessels of up to 90 tons. 90 吨以下的船只可以从这条河通过。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• All modern vessels of any size are fitted with radar installations. 所有现代化船只都有雷达装置。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

5 scouring   

擦[洗]净，冲刷，洗涤

参考例句：

• The police are scouring the countryside for the escaped prisoners. 警察正在搜索整个乡村以捉拿逃犯。
• This is called the scouring train in wool processing. 这被称为羊毛加工中的洗涤系列。

6 killing   

n.巨额利润；突然赚大钱，发大财

参考例句：

• Investors are set to make a killing from the sell-off.投资者准备清仓以便大赚一笔。
• Last week my brother made a killing on Wall Street.上个周我兄弟在华尔街赚了一大笔。

7 scattered   

adj.分散的，稀疏的；散步的；疏疏落落的

参考例句：

• Gathering up his scattered papers,he pushed them into his case.他把散乱的文件收拾起来，塞进文件夹里。

8 tanker   

n.油轮

参考例句：

• The tanker took on 200,000 barrels of crude oil.油轮装载了二十万桶原油。
• Heavy seas had pounded the tanker into three parts.汹涌的巨浪把油轮撞成三载。