0819翻译：生物入侵者（梅涛）
Translation: Invasive Species (Mei Tao)
(translated by: alexcwlin; edited by: Adam Lam)
当你在路边草地或自家庭院里发现一两只从未见过的甲虫时，你肯定不会感到惊讶。
When you find on a roadside grass patch or a family courtyard one or two beetles which you have never seen before, for sure you won’t be alarmed.
但在生物学家和生态学家们看来，这或许不是件寻常小事。
But from the perspective of biologists and ecologists, maybe it is not a normal trivial matter.
专家们把这种原本生活在异国他乡、通过非自然途径迁移到新的生态环境中的“移民”称为“生物入侵者”
These “immigrants”, which originally resided in foreign habitats, have migrated to new ecological environments through unnatural channels. Experts call them “invasive species”.
它们不仅会破坏某个地区原有的生态系统，而且还可能给人类社会造成难以估量的经济损失。
Not only that they would damage the existing ecosystem of a certain area, furthermore, they could bring about immeasurable economic losses to society of mankind.
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在人类文明的早期，陆路和航海技术尚不发达，
In the early years of human civilization, technologies in traveling over land and sea were not fully developed.
自然界中的生态平衡并没有受到太大破坏。
Ecological equilibrium in nature did not experience severe damages.
在自然条件下，一颗蒲公英的种子可能随风飘荡几十千米后才会落地，
Under natural conditions, a dandelion seed could possibly drift for several tens of thousands meters in the wind before it hit the ground.
如果各种条件适合，它会在那里生根、发芽、成长；
If various conditions were suitable, they would take roots, spout, and grow at that spot.
山间溪水中的鱼虾可能随着水流游到大江大河中安家落户……
Fish and shrimps from mountain creeks could swim to large rivers and waterways to settle down.
凡此种种，都是在没有人为干预的条件下缓慢进行的，
All these would proceed slowly without human intervention.
时间和空间跨度都非常有限，因此不会造成生态系统的严重失衡。
The spans of time and space were very limited and so they would not seriously upset the equilibrium of ecosystem.
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如果一个物种在新的生存环境中不受同类的食物竞争以及天敌伤害等诸多因素制约，它很可能会无节制地繁衍。
If a new species in new living environment is not subject to constraints from various factors such as competition for food of same species or casualties from natural enemies, it could possibly reproduce without restraints.
1988年，几只原本生活在欧洲大陆的斑贝(一种类似河蚌的软体动物)被一艘货船带到北美大陆。
In 1988, several zebra mussels (a mollusk species similar to freshwater mussels) native to Europe mainland were brought to North America continent.
当时，这些混杂在仓底货物中的“偷渡者”并没有引起当地人的注意，
At that time, these stowaways mixed in cargoes at the bottom of a hull did not attract attention of the locals.
它们被随便丢弃在五大湖附近的水域中。
They were discarded casually in waters of the Great Lakes.
然而令人始料不及的是，这里竟成了斑贝的“天堂”。
But what took people by surprise was this area became the “paradise” of zebra mussels.
由于没有天敌的制约，斑贝的数量便急剧增加，
Since they were not inhibited by natural enemies, the number of zebra mussels multiplied exponentially.
五大湖内的疏水管道几乎全被它们“占领”了。
Drainage pipes of the five Great Lakes were almost “taken over” by them.
到目前为止，人们为了清理和更换管道已耗资数十亿美元。
Up until today, people have spent several billion dollars in clean-up and piping-replacement.
来自亚洲的天牛和南美的红蚂蚁是另外两种困扰美国人的“入侵者”，
Long-horned beetles from Asia and red ants from South America are another two types of “invaders” that have been persecuting Americans.
前者疯狂破坏芝加哥和纽约的树木，
The former insects relentlessly destroy trees in Chicago and New York areas.
后者则专门叮咬人畜，传播疾病。
The latter ones solely bite men and animals plus they spread diseases.
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“生物入侵者”在给人类造成难以估量的经济损失的同时，也对被入侵地的其他物种以及物种的多样性构成极大威胁。
At the same time that these “invasive species” cause inestimable economic damages to mankind, they also imperil the existing species occupying the invaded territories in many ways.
二战期间，棕树蛇随一艘军用货船落户关岛，
During World War II, brown-tree snakes from a military freighter settled down in Guam.
这种栖息在树上的爬行动物专门捕食鸟类，
These reptiles which inhabit on trees specifically prey on birds.
偷袭鸟巢，吞食鸟蛋。
They sneak up to birds’ nests and swallow bird eggs.
从二战至今，关岛本地的11种鸟类中已有9种被棕树蛇赶尽杀绝，
Since World War II, nine out of the eleven types of local birds have been exterminated by brown-tree snakes.
仅存的两种鸟类的数量也在与日俱减，随时有绝种的危险。
Number of the remaining two types of birds is fast diminishing by the day, and they are at risk of extinction anytime.
一些生物学家在乘坐由关岛飞往夏威夷的飞机上曾先后6次看到棕树蛇的身影。
Some biologists who took a flight from Guam to Hawaii witnessed the presence of brown-tree snakes six times on the plane.
他们警告说，夏威夷岛上没有任何可以扼制棕树蛇繁衍的天敌，
They warned there were no natural enemies which could curb the spawning of brown-tree snakes in Hawaii.
一旦棕树蛇在夏威夷安家落户，该岛的鸟类将在劫难逃。
If these snakes are going to settle down in Hawaii, the birds in that island would be doomed.
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许多生物学家和生态学家将“生物入侵者”的增多归咎于日益繁荣的国际贸易，
Many biologists and ecologists blame the increased frequencies of “invasive species” on booming international trade.
事实上许多“生物入侵者”正是搭乘跨国贸易的“便车”达到“偷渡”目的的。
Actually invasive species hitch rides from cross-country flights in accomplishing their stow-away objective.
以目前全球新鲜水果和蔬菜贸易为例，
Take for example the global trades in fresh fruits and vegetables.
许多昆虫和昆虫的卵附着在这些货物上，其中包括危害性极大的害虫，如地中海果蝇等。
Many insects and their eggs, including certain damaging vermin such as Mediterranean fruit flies, are attached to those commodities.
尽管各国海关动植物检疫中心对这些害虫严加防范，但由于进出口货物数量极大，很难保证没有漏网之“虫”。
Even though Animal and Plant Quarantine Center at customs are very strict in guarding against these vermin, yet due to the huge import and export volumes, there is no guarantee that none of the insects could slip through.
此外，跨国宠物贸易也为“生物入侵者”提供了方便。
Besides, transnational household pet trade has facilitated the access of “invasive species”.
近年来，由于引进五彩斑斓的观赏鱼而给某些地区带来霍乱病源的消息时常见诸报端。
In recent years, stories have regularly come up in newspapers on cholera outbreak in certain areas which originates from imported ornamental fish with dazzling colors.
一些产自他乡的宠物，如蛇、蜥蜴、山猫等，往往会因主人的疏忽或被遗弃而逃出藩篱，
Also some foreign-born pet animals such as snakes, lizards, lynxes, etc. often escape from captivity due to negligence or abandonment of their owners.
啸聚山林，为害一方。
They would gang up in mountainous forests and menace the locals.
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一些生物学家们指出，一旦某种“生物入侵者”在新的环境中站稳脚跟并大规模繁衍，其数量将很难控制。
Some biologists point out once certain “invasive species” have gained a firm foothold in new environment and begun to reproduce exponentially, their quantity could be difficult to control.
即使在科学技术高度发达的今天，面对那些适应能力和繁殖能力极强的动植物，人们仍将束手无策。
Even with today’s advanced scientific technologies, people would be at a loss on what to do in predicaments where those menacing animals and plants are highly adaptive and prolific.
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|生物学和生态学界的一些学者主张人类不应该过多地干预生物物种的迁移过程，因为失衡是暂时的，
Some scholars in the biology and ecology arenas suggest humans should not unduly interfere with the migration process of organism species because imbalance is only temporary.
一个物种在新的环境中必然遵循物竞天择的法则。
In a new environment, a species must abide by the principle of survival of the fittest.
“生物入侵者”并不是都能够生存下来，
Not all “invasive species” could survive.
能够生存下来的就是强者，
Those which could survive are the strong ones.
即使生态系统中的强者也同样受到该系统中各种因素的制约，不可能为所欲为，
But in ecosystem, even the strong ones are subject to constraints of many elements in the system and could not do anything at will.
因此，自然界的平衡最终会得以实现。
Therefore equilibrium in the natural world will eventually be realized.
然而更多的学者则持反对意见，
However, more scholars are of the opposing views.
他们认为自然调节的过程是非常漫长的，
They believe materialization of the natural regulatory process drags out for too long.
如果听任“生物入侵者”自由发展，许多本土物种将难逃绝种厄运，
If “invasive species” are given a free rein, then many local species would face the specter of extinction.
自然界的物种多样性将受到严重破坏。
Nature’s diversification of species would be severely compromised.
另外，“生物入侵者”给人类社会造成的经济损失是惊人的。
In addition, the economic damages to human society caused by “invasive species” are shocking.
仅在美国，每年由“生物入侵者”造成的经济损失就高达两千多亿美元，
In USA alone, annual economic losses due to “invasive species” reach $200 billion.
面对这样的天文数字，人们岂能无动于衷?
In face of this astronomical figure, how could anybody be totally indifferent?
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目前，世界上许多国家已开始认识到这一问题的严重性，并采取了相应措施。
At present, many countries in the world have started to recognize the seriousness of this problem and are taking corresponding counter measures.
例如，美国众议院已于1996年通过了一项议案，要求各有关机构加强对有可能夹带外来物种的交通工具的监控，
For example, in 1996 United States House of Representatives passed a bill requesting different pertinent agencies to strengthen the monitoring of transportation means which could smuggle in foreign species.
为此，美国政府正在酝酿一个跨部门的监控计划.
Because of this, a United States government trans-agency monitoring plan is in the works.
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