外刊阅读-泰国上千头大象正挨饿

Thai elephants face starvation

泰国上千头大象正挨饿

More than 1,000 elephants face 1.________(starve) in Thailand because the coronavirus crisis has slashed revenue from tourism, conservationists say. An almost total 2.___________( absent )of visitors means that many caretakers are struggling 3.___________( afford)food for Thailand's 4,000 captive elephants.

The animals can eat up to 200kg of food a day. Lek Chailert, founder of the Save Elephant Foundation, told the BBC: "If there is no support forthcoming to keep them safe, these elephants, some of whom are pregnant, will either starve to death 4._________may be put on to the streets to beg."

Alternatively, some elephants may 5._________(sell) to zoos or they may be returned 6._____the illegal logging business, 7._________officially banned the use of elephants in 1989. "It's a very bleak outlook 8._________ some financial help is received immediately," Lek Chailert adds. 9.________is a challenge to keep the animals fed and healthy at the best of times but now it's the dry season, which makes the situation even 10. _____________( extreme).

slash 削减；斜线；猛砍

revenue 税收收入；财政收入；收益

conservationist/ˌkɑːnsərˈveɪʃənɪst/ n. （自然环境、野生动植物等）保护主义者

caretaker/ˈkerteɪkər/ n. 看管者；看门人；守护者

captive/ˈkæptɪv/ n. 俘虏；迷恋者adj. 被俘虏的；被迷住的

forthcoming即将来临的

logging（木材）采运作业

alternative供选择的；选择性的；交替的

feed fed fed

1.starvation

2.absence

3. to afford

4.or

5.be sold

6.to

7.which

8.unless

9.It 10. more extreme

环保人士称，由于新冠肺炎疫情导致旅游业收入锐减，泰国有超过1000头大象面临饥饿困境。几乎完全没有游客到访意味着许多看护员很难负担得起圈养大象的食物。泰国有4000头圈养大象。

大象每天可以吃掉多达200公斤的食物。拯救大象基金会的创始人蕾克·查略特告诉英国广播公司："如果今后没有援助来保证它们的安全，这些大象要么饿死，要么就会被扔到街上乞讨，其中一些大象还怀孕了。"

一些大象可能会被卖给动物园，或被送回非法伐木行业，该行业自1989年起正式禁止使用大象。蕾克·查略特补充道：“除非立即得到一些财政援助，否则前景非常暗淡。" 即使在最好的情况下，喂养动物并保证其健康也不是易事，但现在是旱季，这使得情况更加棘手。