大象英语阅读绘本（英语阅读提升挪威）

文本导读

Norway euthanizes Freya, walrus who rose to fame for sinking boats

挪威对因压沉船只而走红的海象弗雷娅实施安乐死

Norwegian authorities euthanized Freya, a 1,300-pound walrus who rose to fame this summer for sinking boats, they announced Sunday, citing public safety concerns caused by the crowds she attracted.

挪威当局周日宣布，对今年夏天因压沉船只而走红的重达1300磅的海象弗雷娅实施了安乐死，理由是她吸引了大量人群，引发了公共安全问题。

"The decision to euthanize the walrus was made based on an overall assessment of the continued threat to human safety," Fisheries Director Frank Bakke-Jensen said in a statement.

渔业主管弗兰克·巴克-詹森在一份声明中说:“对海象实施安乐死的决定是基于对人类安全持续威胁的全面评估。”

The walrus rose to fame over the last few months as she traveled the country's coastline, damaging boats and ships after having climbed aboard to rest for days or weeks at a time.

这只海象在过去几个月里声名鹊起，因为它沿着挪威的海岸线旅行，不时爬上船休息几天或几周，损坏了大大小小的船只。

重点词汇

1. euthanize: to kill (a person or animal) painlessly, esp to relieve suffering from an incurable illness 使(人或动物)安乐死

• Beyond that, wildlife managers sometimes euthanize bears because of public safety concerns.

2. walrus: A walrus is a large, fat animal which lives in the sea. It has two long teeth called tusks that point downward. 海象

• The object is simple — the last walrus on the ice wins the gold medal and a chance to bask in the gold rays of the sun

3. rise to fame: to become famous 变得出名

• He rose to fame in the 90s as a TV presenter.

4. travel: to make a journey, usually over a long distance 长途行走

• As a young man he had travelled (= been to many parts of) the world.

5. aboard: 上船（或飞机、公共汽车、火车等）

• The flight attendant welcomed us aboard.

延伸阅读

Norwegian media outlets chronicled Freya's travels this summer, and Norwegians flocked to the Oslo coast in recent weeks to watch her eat, sleep and rest.

挪威媒体记录了弗雷娅今年夏天的旅行，挪威人最近几周蜂拥到奥斯陆海岸观看她吃饭、睡觉和休息。

Adding to the attraction was the fact that walruses typically live in herds in the Arctic, making her solo presence off the capital — about 1,200 miles from where scientists believe she was from — all the more unexpected.

更吸引人的是，在北极，海象通常是群居生活的，这让她独自出现在挪威首都附近——距离科学家认为的她的家乡约1200英里——更令人意外。

Experts said she was attracted to the boats because they reminded her of Arctic ice floes. They advised boat owners to avoid her and to park their vessels so they would be harder for her to reach.

专家说，她被这些船只吸引是因为它们让她想起了北极的浮冰。他们建议船主避开她，并把船停下，这样她就更难靠近。

More walruses are hunting on land as climate change causes ice in the Arctic to melt, increasing competition for food, which may explain the extent of Freya’s travels.

随着气候变化导致北极冰层融化，越来越多的海象开始在陆地上捕猎，增加了对食物的竞争，这也许可以解释弗雷娅旅行的范围。

The Directorate of Fisheries said in a statement last month that “euthanasia is out of the question” and that it was the “last option” given that walruses are a protected species in Norway.

渔业理事会上个月在一份声明中表示，“安乐死是不可能的”，鉴于海象在挪威是受保护的物种，这是“最后的选择”。