VOA标准英语2008年-Environmentalists Urge Australia to Disuse Shar

Environmentalists are calling on Australian authorities to stop using massive nets to keep sharks away from beaches. Officials say the nets, which will be erected¹ Monday, have saved the lives of many swimmers and surfers. But environmentalists believe the nets can kill migrating whales and endangered grey nurse sharks without making the water any safer for bathers. Phil Mercer reports from Sydney.
　
A baby humpback whale drowns after becoming caught in anti-shark netting off the Gold Coast of Queensland (File)

Australia's shark nets are erected at the start of spring in the southern hemisphere, when bathers head to the shore for a respite² from the warming weather.

The meshed³ barriers positioned along the coast of the country's most populous⁴ state, New South Wales, were first introduced 70 years ago.

Environmentalists believe they are no longer needed and do not enhance the safety of swimmers or surfers.

They say most of the nets are in such disrepair they do not provide an effective barrier against shark attacks.

Campaigners say the netting has exacted a terrible toll⁵ on wildlife, such as turtles, whales, endangered grey nurse sharks and fish, which have died after being caught up in the netting.

Cate Faehrmann, the Executive Director of the Nature Conservation Council of New South Wales, says erecting⁷ the nets is a waste of time.

"It's almost an irrational⁸ fear, I suppose, by the public of being a victim of a shark attack which has, in fact, ensured we put up these nets come every spring. Yet, in fact, almost half of all sharks are caught on the beach side of the net. So, they swim over, they swim around. It's a tokenistic gesture for the public yet it has dire⁶ consequences for marine⁹ life," said Faehrmann.

The New South Wales state government argues that the nets are an effective way of protecting swimmers. Officials say statistics prove their case and that there has only been a single fatal shark attack in local waters in the 70 years since the nets were introduced. Before that time in New South Wales there was on average one fatal attack every year.

Environmentalists have called on the authorities to stop using the coastal¹⁰ nets and have urged ministers to investigate the use of electronic shark deterrent¹¹ devices currently being used off South African beaches.

 

1 ERECTED   

adj. 直立的，竖立的，笔直的 vt. 使 ... 直立，建立

参考例句：

• A monument to him was erected in St Paul's Cathedral. 在圣保罗大教堂为他修了一座纪念碑。
• A monument was erected to the memory of that great scientist. 树立了一块纪念碑纪念那位伟大的科学家。

2 respite   

n.休息，中止，暂缓

参考例句：

• She was interrogated without respite for twenty-four hours.她被不间断地审问了二十四小时。
• Devaluation would only give the economy a brief respite.贬值只能让经济得到暂时的缓解。

3 meshed   

有孔的，有孔眼的，啮合的

参考例句：

• The wheels meshed well. 机轮啮合良好。
• Their senses of humor meshed perfectly. 他们的幽默感配合得天衣无缝。

4 populous   

adj.人口稠密的，人口众多的

参考例句：

• London is the most populous area of Britain.伦敦是英国人口最稠密的地区。
• China is the most populous developing country in the world.中国是世界上人口最多的发展中国家。

5 toll   

n.过路(桥)费；损失，伤亡人数；v.敲(钟)

参考例句：

• The hailstone took a heavy toll of the crops in our village last night.昨晚那场冰雹损坏了我们村的庄稼。
• The war took a heavy toll of human life.这次战争夺去了许多人的生命。

6 dire   

adj.可怕的，悲惨的，阴惨的，极端的

参考例句：

• There were dire warnings about the dangers of watching too much TV.曾经有人就看电视太多的危害性提出严重警告。
• We were indeed in dire straits.But we pulled through.那时我们的困难真是大极了，但是我们渡过了困难。

7 erecting   

v.使直立，竖起( erect的现在分词 )；建立

参考例句：

• Nations can restrict their foreign trade by erecting barriers to exports as well as imports. 象设置进口壁垒那样，各国可以通过设置出口壁垒来限制对外贸易。 来自辞典例句
• Could you tell me the specific lift-slab procedure for erecting buildings? 能否告之用升板法安装楼房的具体程序？ 来自互联网

8 irrational   

adj.无理性的，失去理性的

参考例句：

• After taking the drug she became completely irrational.她在吸毒后变得完全失去了理性。
• There are also signs of irrational exuberance among some investors.在某些投资者中是存在非理性繁荣的征象的。

9 marine   

adj.海的；海生的；航海的；海事的；n.水兵

参考例句：

• Marine creatures are those which live in the sea. 海洋生物是生存在海里的生物。
• When the war broke out,he volunteered for the Marine Corps.战争爆发时，他自愿参加了海军陆战队。

10 coastal   

adj.海岸的，沿海的，沿岸的

参考例句：

• The ocean waves are slowly eating away the coastal rocks.大海的波浪慢慢地侵蚀着岸边的岩石。
• This country will fortify the coastal areas.该国将加强沿海地区的防御。

11 deterrent   

n.阻碍物，制止物；adj.威慑的，遏制的

参考例句：

• Large fines act as a deterrent to motorists.高额罚款是对开车的人的制约。
• I put a net over my strawberries as a deterrent to the birds.我在草莓上罩了网，免得鸟歇上去。