Part I
Today we continue our series on ecology and conservation with a look at a particularly endangered member of the black bear family.One in ten black bears is actually born with a white coat, which is the result of a special gene that surfaces in a few. Local people have named it ‘the spirit bear’. And according to the legends of these communities, its snowy fur brings with it a special power. Because of this, it has always been highly regarded by them—so much that they do not speak of seeing it to anyone else. It is their way of protecting it when strangers visit the area.十分之一的黑熊实际上生来就有白色的皮毛，这是少数黑熊身上出现的特殊基因的结果。1. conservation|ˌkɑːnsərˈveɪʃ(ə)n|noun. conservation is saving and protecting the environment (对环境的) 保护E.g.:a four-nation regional meeting on elephant conservation
一次有关大象保护的4国区域性会议
verb. to put sb/sth in a situation in which they could be harmed or damaged 使遭危险；危及；危害
E.g.: The sea turtle is an endangered species (= it may soon no longer exist).
海龟是濒危物种。
verb. to suddenly appear or become obvious after having been hidden for a while （隐藏或被掩盖一段时间后）露面，重新出现，显露，被披露
E.g.: She surfaced again years later in London.
多年后她又出现在伦敦。
4. community |kəˈmjuːnəti|noun. a group of people who share the same religion, race, job, etc. 团体；社团；界
E.g.: the Polish community in London
在伦敦的波兰侨民团体
verb. to think about sb/sth in a particular way 将…认为；把…视为；看待
E.g.: Her work is very highly regarded.
她的工作受到高度评价。
The white bear's habitat is quite interesting. The bear's strong relationship with the old-growth rainforest is a complex one.The white bear relies on the huge centuries-old trees in the forest in many ways.For example, the old-growth trees have extremely long roots that help prevent erosion of the soil along the banks of the many fish streams.Keeping these banks intact is important because these streams are home to salmon, which are the bear's main food source. In return, the bear's feeding habits nurture the forest. As the bears eat the salmon, they discard the skin and bones in great amounts on the forest floor, which provide vital nutrients. These produce lush vegetation that sustains thousands of other types of life forms, from birds to insects and more.例如，原始树木的根非常长，有助于防止许多鱼溪沿岸土壤的侵蚀。noun. the place where a particular type of animal or plant is normally found （动植物的）生活环境，栖息地
E.g.: The panda's natural habitat is the bamboo forest.
大熊猫的天然栖息地是竹林。
adj. complete and not damaged 完好无损；完整
E.g.: Most of the house remains intact even after two hundred years.
虽然过了两百年，这房子的大部分还保持完好。
verb. to care for and protect sb/sth while they are growing and developing 养育；养护；培养
E.g.: These delicate plants need careful nurturing.
这些幼嫩的植物需要精心培育。
verb. to get rid of sth that you no longer want or need 丢弃；抛弃
E.g.: The room was littered with discarded newspapers.
adj. (of plants, gardens, etc.植物、花园等) growing thickly and strongly in a way that is attractive; covered in healthy grass and plants 茂盛的；茂密的；草木繁茂的
E.g.: the lush green meadows bordering the river
verb. to provide enough of what sb/sth needs in order to live or exist 维持（生命、生存）
E.g.: Which planets can sustain life?
Part III
Today, the spirit bear lives off the coast of the province of British Columbia on a few islands. There is great concern for their survival since it is estimated that less than two hundred of these white bears remain.The best way to protect them is to make every effort to preserve the delicate balance of their forest environment—in other words, their ecosystem. The greatest threat to the bear’s existence is the loss of its habitat.Over many years, logging companies have stripped the land by cutting down a large number of trees. In addition, they have built roads which have fractured the areas where the bear usually feeds, and many hibernation sites have also been lost. The logging of the trees along the streams has damaged the places where the bears fish. To make matters worse, the number of salmon in those streams is declining because there is no legal limit on fishing at the moment.人们非常担心它们的生存，因为据估计，这些白熊仅存不到两百只。prep. if something is situated off a place such as a coast, room, or road, it is near to it or next to it, but not exactly in it 在离 (某地) 不远处E.g.: The boat was anchored off the northern coast of the peninsula.
那只船停泊在了离半岛北海岸不远处。
verb. to keep a particular quality, feature, etc.; to make sure that sth is kept 保护；维护；保留
E.g.: Efforts to preserve the peace have failed.
维护和平的努力失败了。
adj. easily damaged or broken 易损的；易碎的；脆弱的
E.g.: the delicate ecological balance of the rainforest
热带雨林极易被破坏的生态平衡
noun. logging is the activity of cutting down trees in order to sell the wood 伐木
E.g.: Logging companies would have to leave a central area of the forest before the end of the year.
伐木公司可能得于年底前在森林中留出一个中心地带。
verb. to remove all the things from a place and leave it empty 从（某处）拿走所有东西；使（某处）空无一物
E.g.: Thieves had stripped the house bare.
窃贼把房子劫掠一空。
verb. (of a society, an organization, etc.团体、组织等) to split into several parts so that it no longer functions or exists; to split a society or an organization, etc. in this way （使）分裂
E.g.: The company was fractured into several smaller groups.
这家公司被肢解成几家小公司。
noun. the greatest or smallest amount of sth that is allowed 极限；限量；限额
E.g.: They were travelling at a speed that was double the legal limit.
他们正以两倍于法定限速的速度行驶。
All these influences have a negative impact on the spirit bear's very existence, which is made all the more fragile by the fact that reproduction among these bears has always been disappointingly low.And so, what’s the situation going forward? Community organizations, environmental groups and the British Columbia government are now working together on the problem. The government is now requiring logging companies to adopt a better logging method, which is a positive step.However, these measures alone may not be sufficient to ensure a healthy population of the spirit bear in the future. Other steps also need to be taken. While it is important to maintain the spirit bear's habitat, there also needs to be more emphasis on its expansion. The move is justified as it will also create space for other bears that are losing their homes.所有这些影响都对灵熊的生存产生了负面影响，而由于灵熊的繁殖率一直低得令人失望，灵熊的生存变得更加脆弱。adj. used to emphasize a noun （加强名词的语气）仅仅的，唯独的，甚至于E.g.: The very thought of drink made him feel sick.adj. weak and uncertain; easily destroyed or spoilt 不牢固的；脆弱的E.g.: The economy remains extremely fragile.3. reproduction |ˌriːprəˈdʌkʃ(ə)n|noun. the act or process of producing babies, young animals or plants 生殖；繁殖
E.g.: sexual reproduction
有性繁殖
verb. to start to use a particular method or to show a particular attitude towards sb/sth 采用（某方法）；采取（某态度）
E.g.: All three teams adopted different approaches to the problem.
三个队处理这个问题的方法各不相同。
5. justified|ˈdʒʌstɪfaɪd|adj. existing or done for a good reason 事出有因；合乎情理
E.g.: His fears proved justified.
他之所以害怕，证明是有原因的。
10个月宝宝每天需要喝多少奶粉？
