VOA标准英语2008年-Large Gorilla Population Discovered in Congo

More than 125,000 western lowland gorillas² have been discovered deep in the forests of the Republic of Congo, at least doubling their estimated population. Primatologists say the newly discovered gorilla¹ population now puts their estimated numbers at between 175,000 and 225,000. Tendai Maphosa has more from VOA's London News Center.
　
Gorilla family at Virunga National Park in DRC (undated photo)

Before a census³ conducted by the Wildlife Conservation Society, scientists believed fewer than 100,000 of the gorillas still existed. The news was greeted with excitement at the International Primatological Society Congress under way in Edinburgh, Scotland.

Harvard University's Richard Wrangham who is the president of the International Primatological Society tells VOA unexplored forests are still throwing up some pleasant surprises.

"One of the things that we increasingly appreciate is that we do not yet know everything; we are still describing large numbers of species, amazingly we have 43 new species since the year 2000," said Richard Wrangham.

Despite the good news scientists are concerned that monkeys, apes and lemurs face extinction⁴ around the world. Wrangham says loss of habitat is the greatest threat to the survival of the primates⁵.

"That's partly from people just cutting down forest in order to be able to plant their crops but a lot of it is coming from big monocultures, a lot of it from logging, a lot of it from mining, so a lot of it from industrial actions as well," he said.

Wrangham adds that forest clearance⁶ for growing crops for biofuels is going to intensify⁷ the loss of land for the primates. Also, he says, primates are hunted for meat in parts of Asia and Africa where gorilla and chimpanzee meat are said to fetch high prices. While primates are endangered across the globe, scientists say the situation is worse in Asia. Wrangham explains that once again, loss of habitat is largely to blame.

"In Asia of the 120 taxa [types of animals] - almost three-quarters of them - 71 percent of them are vulnerable, endangered or critically endangered, they are just reduced to tiny populations and of course now the threat is some of these might get lost altogether," said Wrangham.

While the picture is gloomy, Wrangham says reducing deforestation, especially through the burning of forests for agriculture could go a long way towards reversing the extinction of some primates.

 

1 gorilla   

n.大猩猩，暴徒，打手

参考例句：

• I was awed by the huge gorilla.那只大猩猩使我惊惧。
• A gorilla is just a speechless animal.猩猩只不过是一种不会说话的动物。

2 gorillas   

n.大猩猩( gorilla的名词复数 )；暴徒，打手

参考例句：

• the similitude between humans and gorillas 人类和大猩猩的相像
• Each family of gorillas is led by a great silverbacked patriarch. 每个大星星家族都由一个魁梧的、长着银色被毛的族长带领着。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 census   

n.(官方的)人口调查，人口普查

参考例句：

• A census of population is taken every ten years.人口普查每10年进行一次。
• The census is taken one time every four years in our country.我国每四年一次人口普查。

4 extinction   

n.熄灭，消亡，消灭，灭绝，绝种

参考例句：

• The plant is now in danger of extinction.这种植物现在有绝种的危险。
• The island's way of life is doomed to extinction.这个岛上的生活方式注定要消失。

5 primates   

primate的复数

参考例句：

• Primates are alert, inquisitive animals. 灵长目动物是机灵、好奇的动物。
• Consciousness or cerebration has been said to have emerged in the evolution of higher primates. 据说意识或思考在较高级灵长类的进化中已出现。

6 clearance   

n.净空；许可(证)；清算；清除，清理

参考例句：

• There was a clearance of only ten centimetres between the two walls.两堵墙之间只有十厘米的空隙。
• The ship sailed as soon as it got clearance. 那艘船一办好离港手续立刻启航了。

7 intensify   

vt.加强；变强；加剧

参考例句：

• We must intensify our educational work among our own troops.我们必须加强自己部队的教育工作。
• They were ordered to intensify their patrols to protect our air space.他们奉命加强巡逻，保卫我国的领空。