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第一段
1 .Today we're going to be looking at the ecological impact of the feral camel in Australia.
今天我们要来看看澳大利亚野化骆驼对生态的影响。
2 .As you know, a feral animal is one that survives in the wild even though it originally lived with people,
如你们所知，野化动物是指那些原本与人一起生活、
3 .in a domestic situation.
处于家养状态，如今却在野外生存的动物。
4 .Camels are not native to Australia,
骆驼并非澳大利亚的本土物种，
5 .so how did they get here or, more importantly, why?
那么它们是怎么来到这里的，或者更重要的是，为什么会来到这里？
第二段
1 .The importation of camels began in 1840 and continued through to 1907.
骆驼的引进始于1840年，一直持续到1907年。
2 .They were brought here to aid in opening up the arid and semi-arid regions of inland Australia.
它们被带到这里，是为了协助开发澳大利亚内陆的干旱和半干旱地区。
3 .Initially they provided transport for people and goods involved in exploration or mining in the outback.
最初，它们为在内陆地区从事勘探或采矿的人员和货物提供运输。
4 .They were also used to carry equipment for the construction of railways and telegraph lines.
它们还被用来运送修建铁路和电报线路的设备。
5 .And often, they were the only way many remote settlements could receive supplies.
而且很多时候，它们是许多偏远定居点获得补给的唯一途径。
第三段
1 .Where did they come from ?
它们来自哪里呢？
2 .Well, curiously enough,
嗯，说来有趣，
3 .from as far afield as China and Mongolia - that was the large, woolly,
它们来自遥远的中国和蒙古——那是体型庞大、毛茸茸的
4 .two-humped Bactrian camel - and of course there were dromedaries (the typical Arabian camels used primarily for riding);
双峰双峰驼——当然还有单峰驼（也就是主要用来骑乘的典型阿拉伯骆驼）；
5 .but most of them were fro,n lowland India.
但大多数来自印度低地。
6 .These ones, in particular,
尤其是这些，
7 .were very large and powerful and they were used to carry or move heavy freight.
体型非常庞大强壮，被用来驮运或搬运沉重的货物。
8 .What we have noware feral camels that are mixtures of. these different breeds.
我们现在有的是这些不同品种杂交而成的野化骆驼。
第四段
1 .Why are they feral?
它们为什么变成了野化动物呢？
2 .Well, once the railways were up and running and motor vehicles were becoming more common in the outback,
嗯，当铁路投入运营、机动车在内陆地区越来越普遍之后，
3 .they weren' t needed any more.
它们就不再被需要了。
4 .So, many of the 20,000 or so domesticated camels that were around in 1930 were just let go.
于是，1930年左右存在的约两万头家养骆驼中，许多就被直接放归野外了。
5 .And because they were so well adapted to desert conditions,
而由于它们非常适应沙漠环境，
6 .they thrived and bred and spread right across central Australia.
它们繁衍生息，遍布整个澳大利亚中部。
第五段
1 .What' s the problem? You might ask.
你可能会问，问题出在哪儿呢？
2 .After all they' re just camels living in the desert.
毕竟它们只是生活在沙漠里的骆驼而已。
3 .The problem is that they are an introduced animal - a very large one at that - and they do extensive damage to the desert eco - system.
问题在于它们是外来引进动物——而且体型还非常大——对沙漠生态系统造成了严重破坏。
4 .They wander up to 70 kilometres in one day,
它们一天能游荡多达70公里，
5 .grazing on whatever vegetation is available - that might be grass, shrubs or trees up to 3.5 metres high.
啃食任何能找到的植被——可能是草、灌木，也可能是高达3.5米的树木。
6 .In times of drought,
在干旱时期，
7 .when water is scarce,
当水源稀缺时，
8 .they are capable of drinking up to 200 litres each in three minutes,
它们每头能在三分钟内喝下多达200升水，
9 .although if they're consuming a lot of green moist plant material,
不过，如果它们摄入了大量含水丰富的绿色植物，
10 .they don't need that much.
它们就不需要那么多水。
11 .They gather around precious water holes to get this water,
它们会聚集在珍贵的水坑周围获取水源，
12 .and the degradation of these water holes is of serious concern.
而这些水坑的退化令人严重担忧。
13 .They are crucial for the survival of a wide variety of native animals and plants.
它们对众多本土动植物的生存至关重要。
14 .Many of these are now threatened to the point of extinction.
如今其中许多已濒临灭绝。
第六段
1 .Let me also point out that these watering places have a long-standing cultural significance,
我还要指出，这些水源地具有悠久的文化意义，
2 .and many of them are sacred sites for the Aboriginal people.
其中许多是原住民的圣地。
3 .Feral camels are literally trampling all over and violating Aboriginal traditions and history. In periods of extreme drought,
野骆驼简直是在肆意践踏，冒犯原住民的传统与历史。在极度干旱时期，
4 .like Australia has experienced in recent years,
就像澳大利亚近年经历的那样，
5 .there is no limit to their quest for water.
它们对水的追寻毫无止境。
6 .Camels are big animals,and they go pretty much wherever they please.
骆驼体型庞大，几乎想去哪儿就去哪儿。
7 .They are not primarily interested in hurting people,
它们主要并不是想伤害人类，
8 .but it's not advisable to get in their way.
但最好还是别挡它们的路。
9 .They have gone into remote communities and damaged domestic infrastructure such as washing facilities in laundries and bathrooms
它们会进入偏远社区，破坏生活基础设施，比如洗衣房和浴室里的洗涤设施，
10 .as well as outside bores,taps and tanks.
以及户外的水井、水龙头和水箱。
第七段
1 .Let's see: feral camels have a negative impact on native vegetation and animals,
我们来看：野骆驼对本土植被和动物都有负面影响，
2 .water supplies, and Aboriginal and outback communities but they are no friends of the farmers, either.
对水源供应、原住民和内陆社区也是如此，但它们对农民同样不友好。
3 .They compete with livestock for pasture and they can wreck the farmer's precious property in the process,
它们与牲畜争夺牧场，还会在此过程中毁坏农民宝贵的财产，
4 .knocking down fences, windmills and water troughs.
撞倒围栏、风车和水槽。
5 .Camels also carry some of the same diseases as livestock and are likely to spread infection among cattle and other farm animals.
骆驼还携带一些与牲畜相同的疾病，很可能在牛群和其他农场动物中传播感染。
6 .On top of all that, they cause a number of collisions with trains, cars and trucks.
除此之外，它们还引发了不少与火车、汽车和卡车的碰撞事故。
7 .Oh, and one more thing,
哦，还有一点，
8 .camels are ruminants,
骆驼是反刍动物，
9 .which means they emit methane,
这意味着它们会排放甲烷，
10 .and they are having a significant impact on climate change.
对气候变化产生着重大影响。
第八段
1 .Feral camels do have some value as a resource.
野骆驼确实作为一种资源具有一些价值。
2 .There is a small export market in camel meat,
骆驼肉有一个小规模的出口市场，
3 .and the pet meat trade uses them as well.
而且宠物肉交易也会用到它们。
4 .Although camels have a reputation for being stubborn,
尽管骆驼以固执著称，
5 .and even vicious,
甚至还有攻击性，
6 .they are easy to domesticate once they are captured.
但一旦被捕获，它们很容易被驯养。
7 .We don't use them in industry any more,
我们不再把它们用于工业，
8 .but sometimes they are used by tourist operators as a novelty form of transport for their customers. Even so,
但有时旅游运营商会把它们当作一种新奇的交通工具供游客乘坐。即便如此，
9 .it would seem their usefulness is limited and far outweighed by their overall -harmful - economic, environmental,
它们的作用似乎仍然有限，远不及它们总体上——有害的——经济、环境、
10 .social and cultural impact.
社会和文化影响那么大。