2018年catti三級筆譯實(shí)務(wù)試題：深海生物

　　漢譯英

　　前不久，科學(xué)家們對深海生物還知之甚少，也不太相信它們正受到威脅。現(xiàn)在，隨著深海探測技術(shù)的發(fā)展，研究人員發(fā)現(xiàn) 660 多英尺，即 200 米深的海底生存著大量多種多樣的物種。但與此同時(shí)，漁業(yè)人員也可以依靠技術(shù)到達(dá)以前更深的地方，進(jìn)行海底拖網(wǎng)捕撈，而此種深海捕撈則可在幾分鐘內(nèi)就把大自然幾百年乃至幾千年的一切毀滅。

　　例如，世界上的許多種珊瑚在二百多米深的海底才能找到。此外，據(jù)估計(jì)世界上一些最高的海底山約有一半位于深海海底。這些海底隆起的地方，海洋生物特別豐富。

　　這些深海生態(tài)系統(tǒng)為魚類和其它生物提供生存、產(chǎn)卵、繁殖的場所，俄保護(hù)它們免遭大海流和獵食者的侵襲。此外，據(jù)信這些深海生態(tài)系統(tǒng)蘊(yùn)藏著世界上最豐富的生命寶庫，估計(jì)有五十萬至一億種生物生活在這些大體上未經(jīng)勘探極脆弱的生態(tài)系統(tǒng)中。

　　當(dāng)我們現(xiàn)在剛剛開始認(rèn)識這些地區(qū)極其豐富的生物多樣性，并發(fā)現(xiàn)這些新物種可能為人類社會(huì)帶來好處時(shí)--如新食品和新藥品，這些地區(qū)卻面臨著永遠(yuǎn)消失的危險(xiǎn)。由于確定物種豐富地區(qū)的能路增強(qiáng)，由于拖網(wǎng)捕澇能到達(dá)比過去更深的區(qū)域，商業(yè)漁船可把足球場大小的拖網(wǎng)撒入海中，碰上什么捕撈什么，同時(shí)損壞了脆弱的珊瑚，破壞礁石和海底山的脆弱結(jié)構(gòu)，而正是這些東西為生活在深海海底的無數(shù)魚類和其它海洋生物提供了賴以生存的場所。

　　因?yàn)樯詈：５淄暇W(wǎng)捕撈是最近才出現(xiàn)的一種現(xiàn)象，它所造成的損害還是有限的。如能趕緊采取措施防止這些在公海上的破壞活動(dòng)，它為海洋環(huán)境和子孫后代帶來的好處將是無法估量的。這些好處將遠(yuǎn)遠(yuǎn)超過漁業(yè)短期內(nèi)需承擔(dān)的花費(fèi)。

　　參考譯文

　　Many of the world's coral species, for example, are found at depths of more than 200 meters. It is also estimated that roughly half of the world's highest seamounts - areas that rise from the ocean floor and are particularly rich in marine life - are also found in the deep ocean.

　　These deep sea ecosystems provide shelter, spawning and breeding areas for fish and other creatures, as well as protection from strong currents and predators. Moreover, they are believed to harbor some of the most extensive reservoirs of life on earth, with estimates ranging from 500,000 to 100 million species inhabiting these largely unexplored and highly fragile ecosystems.

　　Yet just as we are beginning to recognize the tremendous diversity of life in these areas, along with the potential benefits newly found species may hold for human society in the form of potential food products and new medicines, they are at risk of being lost forever. With enhanced ability both to identify where these species-rich areas are located and to trawl in deeper water than before, commercial fishing vessels are now beginning to reach down with nets the size of football fields, catching everything in their path while simultaneously crushing fragile corals and breaking up the delicate structure of reefs and seamounts that provide critical habitat to the countless species of fish and other marine life that inhabit the deep ocean floor.

　　Because deep sea bottom trawling is a recent phenomenon, the damage that has been done is still limited. If steps are taken quickly to prevent this kind of destructive activity from occurring on the high seas, the benefits both to the marine environment and to future generations are incalculable. And they far outweigh the short-term costs to the fishing industry.