Let’s Save Our Elephants Together

曲永華

大象是人類的好朋友，但是由于不法分子的偷獵捕殺，大象種群的數(shù)量越來越少。今天，保護(hù)大象的生存與繁衍，已經(jīng)是全人類的共同責(zé)任。所以我們要像愛護(hù)朋友一樣愛護(hù)大象，努力為大象創(chuàng)造更好的生存環(huán)境。

We know that elephants look elegant and strong with their long tusks. However， this unique feature is the same reason why the animal is endangered. Many of them are killed for their tusks. People make elephant tusks into crafts and jewelry and sell them to rich people.

But can these priceless body parts grow back？ The answer is no. The tusks are gone forever after being removed， Live Science said.

The elephants’ tusks are actually part of their teeth. Nearly all African elephants and most male Asian elephants have these long teeth. About one-third of the tusk is embedded in the animal’s skull. The tusk has a nerve running down its center. Once you lose a tooth， you will never grow a new one.

Elephant use their tusks to protect themselves， lift objects， dig for water and gather food. But losing the tusk is not what kills them. The way in which they lose the tusk is what matters. Usually， people get tusks culling， which means killing old and weak elephants. They also take tusks from the elephants that have died naturally.

However， these sources aren’t enough to keep up with the demand for ivory. Therefore， some poachers poison healthy elephants and cut their faces open to remove the tusks. About 27，000 elephants are killed by poachers each year， according to National Geographic. As a result of poaching， some African elephants gradually evolved without tusks， which has allowed them to survive.

In the country of Mozambique， there was a civil war that lasted from 1975 to 1992. At that time， about 90 percent of African elephants were killed for their ivory and meat. The ivory was sold to buy weapons and the soldiers ate the meat， National Geographic reported.

Scientists recently found that about a third of younger female elephants——the generation born after the war ended in 1992——never developed tusks.

難點(diǎn)解讀

elegant：優(yōu)雅;漂亮

tusks：象牙

unique feature：獨(dú)特之處

crafts：工藝品

priceless：無價(jià)的

embedded：嵌入

skull：頭骨

nerve：神經(jīng)

culling：捕殺

demand：需求

poachers：偷獵者

evolved：進(jìn)化

survive：幸存，活下來

weapons：武器

However， this unique feature is the same reason why the animal is endangered.

然而，這種獨(dú)特的特征也是這種動(dòng)物瀕臨滅絕的原因。

But can these priceless body parts grow back？

但這些無價(jià)之寶的身體部位還能再長(zhǎng)出來嗎？

The tusk has a nerve running down its center.

象牙的中央活躍著一根神經(jīng)。

Once you lose a tooth， you will never grow a new one.

你一旦失去一顆牙齒， 將不會(huì)長(zhǎng)出一顆新的。

Usually， people get tusks culling， which means killing old and weak elephants.

通常，人們獵取象牙意味著要?dú)⑺滥昀象w弱的大象。

However， these sources aren’t enough to keep up with the demand for ivory.

然而，這些來源不足以滿足對(duì)象牙的需求。

In the country of Mozambique， there was a civil war that lasted from 1975 to 1992.

在莫桑比克，從1975年到1992年發(fā)生了一場(chǎng)內(nèi)戰(zhàn)。