VOA标准英语2010年-Conservation Groups in Coastal Kenya W

Kenya's ocean waters are home to five out of the world's eight species of turtles. All are classified as either endangered or critically endangered, and are threatened by poaching, fishing nets, development and pollution. The conservation groups Watamu Turtle Watch and  Funzi Island Turtle Club are striving to protect the turtles in Kenya.

 There's a sense of joy in the evening, as newborn turtles wriggle¹ out of their nest and waddle² to the ocean to begin their lives.  Members of a local conservation group, Watamu Turtle Watch, have been observing the nest for a couple of days.  They stand by to make sure the hatchlings reach their destination.

Conservationists estimate that only about one percent of these hatchlings will make it to adulthood³.

Andrew Wamukota heads the Kenya Sea Turtle Conservation Committee, or KESCOM, which coordinates⁴ turtle conservation and education activities along Kenya's more than 500-kilometer coastline. "The majority of turtles are actually killed out of human activities," said Wamukota. "For example, of all the turtles that are killed out at sea, 85 percent of them are actually due to gill net fisheries. Another very huge percent is due to poaching and destruction of habitats."

 Wamukota also says coastal⁵ communities have long made the turtle an important part of their diets and tradition.  "They use turtle meat as food, they use turtle oil as medicine, they use turtle eggs as aphrodisiacs and other things," said Wamukota.  "Therefore, to be able to shift the behavior of these people, to look at the turtle the other way around, then you have to involve them in the conservation of the same."

Wamukota says his organization works with a number of groups along the coast to educate communities and tourists about the importance of conserving⁶ turtles and protecting the wider coastal environment.

The Watamu Turtle Watch rescues turtles that are caught in fishermen's nets. Club official Nelly Kadagi explains.  "With our turtle release program, it is a compensation-based program where when the fishermen give us a call to go and rescue a turtle, we check the biometric measurements, tag the turtle, and compensate⁷ the fishermen for the time and effort they have taken to save these turtles and call us," she said.

Kadagi says her organization has released more than 5,000 turtles back into the ocean since the group started 10 years ago. It also runs a rehabilitation⁸ center to treat injured or sick turtles.  In addition, it teaches fishermen and others why it is important to conserve⁹ turtles.

"Each species of turtle plays a very vital role in the whole ecosystem¹⁰ functioning," said Kadagi.  "For example, green turtles feed on sea grass, so they bring the balance between the sea grass ecosystem and also the other species that are existing in the sea grass ecosystem.  The leatherback turtles feed on jellyfish so they bring the balance - if they (leatherback turtles) are not there, it means there will be a jellyfish explosion and that will not be good for the whole functioning of the marine¹¹ environment."

Coastal development and pollution also threaten the turtles' survival.  Hotels and other structures built too close to the water prevent female turtles from nesting.  Baby turtles hatching at night head to buildings' bright lights rather than the ocean, dying in the process.

Turtles choke on plastic bags and other garbage dumped into the ocean.  To combat that, the Funzi Island Turtle Club regularly cleans beaches and replants mangroves. Members make and sell handicrafts fashioned from old flip-flops and other materials.

There are no reliable statistics on the number of turtles in Kenyan waters or estimates of the number of turtles killed each year.  The most common turtle species in Kenya are the green, hawksbill and olive ridley.

 

1 wriggle   

v./n.蠕动，扭动；蜿蜒

参考例句：

• I've got an appointment I can't wriggle out of.我有个推脱不掉的约会。
• Children wriggle themselves when they are bored.小孩子感到厌烦时就会扭动他们的身体。

2 waddle   

vi.摇摆地走；n.摇摆的走路(样子)

参考例句：

• I am pregnant.I waddle awkwardly and my big stomach pressed against the weight of the world. 我怀孕了，我滑稽可笑地瞒珊而行，大肚子上压着全世界的重量。
• We waddle and hop and have lots of fun.我们走起路来摇摇摆摆，还一跳一跳的。我们的生活很有趣。

3 adulthood   

n.成年，成人期

参考例句：

• Some infantile actions survive into adulthood.某些婴儿期的行为一直保持到成年期。
• Few people nowadays are able to maintain friendships into adulthood.如今很少有人能将友谊维持到成年。

4 coordinates   

n.相配之衣物；坐标( coordinate的名词复数 )；（颜色协调的）配套服装；[复数]女套服；同等重要的人（或物）v.使协调，使调和( coordinate的第三人称单数 )；协调；协同；成为同等

参考例句：

• The town coordinates on this map are 695037. 该镇在这幅地图上的坐标是695037。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, headed by the Emergency Relief Coordinator, coordinates all UN emergency relief. 联合国人道主义事务协调厅在紧急救济协调员领导下，负责协调联合国的所有紧急救济工作。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 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。

6 conserving   

v.保护，保藏，保存( conserve的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• Contour planning with or without terracing is effective in conserving both soil and moisture. 顺等高线栽植，无论做或不做梯田对于保持水土都能有效。 来自辞典例句
• Economic savings, consistent with a conserving society and the public philosophy. 经济节约，符合创建节约型社会的公共理念。 来自互联网

7 compensate   

vt.补偿，赔偿；酬报 vi.弥补；补偿；抵消

参考例句：

• She used her good looks to compensate her lack of intelligence. 她利用她漂亮的外表来弥补智力的不足。
• Nothing can compensate for the loss of one's health. 一个人失去了键康是不可弥补的。

8 rehabilitation   

n.康复，悔过自新，修复，复兴，复职，复位

参考例句：

• He's booked himself into a rehabilitation clinic.他自己联系了一家康复诊所。
• No one can really make me rehabilitation of injuries.已经没有人可以真正令我的伤康复了。

9 conserve   

vt.保存，保护，节约，节省，守恒，不灭

参考例句：

• He writes on both sides of the sheet to conserve paper.他在纸张的两面都写字以节省用纸。
• Conserve your energy,you'll need it!保存你的精力，你会用得着的！

10 ecosystem   

n.生态系统

参考例句：

• This destroyed the ecosystem of the island.这样破坏了岛上的生态系统。
• We all have an interest in maintaining the integrity of the ecosystem.维持生态系统的完整是我们共同的利益。

11 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。