2022年12月13日 VOA慢速英語：小型內(nèi)華達蟾蜍因電力項目而被列為瀕危物種

A power center that will create electricity by pumping hot water from the earth sounds like a good idea. The company that hopes to build the power center in a part of western Nevada says it will create electricity without creating very much pollution.
通過從地下抽取熱水來發(fā)電的電力中心聽起來是個好主意。希望在內(nèi)華達州西部的部分地區(qū)建造電力中心的公司表示，它將在不產(chǎn)生太多污染的情況下發(fā)電。
 
But the U.S. government's Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) says the project will greatly change the area where a very small toad lives. A toad is a small animal that looks like a frog but has dry skin and lives on land.
但美國政府的魚類和野生動物服務(wù)局 (FWS) 表示，該項目將極大地改變一只非常小的蟾蜍生活的區(qū)域。蟾蜍是一種小動物，外形像青蛙，但皮膚干燥，生活在陸地上。
 
The Dixie Valley toad lives in a small area about 160 kilometers from Reno, Nevada. It is the only place it is known to exist on Earth.
迪克西谷蟾蜍生活在距內(nèi)華達州雷諾約 160 公里的一小片區(qū)域。這是地球上唯一已知的它存在的地方。
 
Because of the power center plans, the FWS in April temporarily moved the toad from its "threatened" list to its "endangered list." Animals on the endangered list are at a much higher risk of going extinct, or no longer existing.
由于電力中心計劃，F(xiàn)WS 在 4 月份暫時將蟾蜍從“受威脅”名單移至“瀕危名單”。瀕危名單上的動物滅絕或不再存在的風險要高得多。
 
Last week, the FWS finalized that temporary move. It officially declared the Dixie Valley toad an endangered species.
上周，F(xiàn)WS 最終確定了這一臨時舉措。它正式宣布迪克西谷蟾蜍為瀕危物種。
 
In its final ruling, the FWS said it was concerned that the power center will take the hot water from the ground before it can reach the surface naturally. The place where hot water comes up through the ground is a hot spring. The toads can only live on land that stays warm and wet because of the water from the ground.
FWS 在其最終裁決中表示，它擔心電力中心會在熱水自然到達地表之前從地下取走熱水。熱水從地下冒出來的地方就是溫泉。由于來自地面的水，蟾蜍只能生活在溫暖濕潤的土地上。
 
FWS experts do not believe the toad will be able to adapt, or get used to, to the new environment. "These conditions could result in the species no longer persisting," or living, the FWS wrote.
FWS 專家認為蟾蜍無法適應(yīng)或習慣新環(huán)境. FWS 寫道：“這些條件可能導(dǎo)致該物種不再存在，”或無法生存。
 
The FWS also noted that the power project will change the conditions too quickly to give the toad a chance to adapt.
FWS 還指出，電力項目將過快地改變條件，使蟾蜍沒有機會適應(yīng).
 
An environmental advocacy group called the Center for Biological Diversity said it was pleased with the FWS decision to protect the toad.
一個名為生物多樣性中心的環(huán)境倡導(dǎo)組織表示，它對 FWS 保護蟾蜍的決定感到高興。
Patrick Donnelly is the group's director for the area that includes Nevada. He called the decision an "essential step to prevent the extinction" of a special animal.
帕特里克·唐納利 (Patrick Donnelly) 是該組織負責包括內(nèi)華達在內(nèi)的地區(qū)的主管。他稱這一決定是“防止一種特殊動物滅絕的必要步驟”。
 
Donnelly agreed that clean energy is important in fighting the climate crisis. "But," he said, "it can't come at the cost of extinction."
唐納利同意清潔能源對于應(yīng)對氣候危機非常重要。 “但是，”他說，“它不能以滅絕為代價。”
 
The power company behind the project is called Ormat Technology. Its original plan called for building two power plants that would produce 60 megawatts of electricity.
該項目背后的電力公司名為 Ormat Technology。它最初的計劃是建造兩座發(fā)電廠，發(fā)電量將達到 60 兆瓦。
 
Environmental activists took legal action to block the building of the power plant late last year. A Reno judge is still considering the case.
去年年底，環(huán)保人士采取法律行動阻止了發(fā)電廠的建設(shè)。里諾的一名法官仍在審理此案。
 
In October, Ormat asked the judge to put the case on hold while it developed a new plan to build just one plant that would produce only 12 megawatts of power.
10 月，Ormat 要求法官擱置此案，同時它制定了一項新計劃，只建造一座發(fā)電量僅為 12 兆瓦的電廠。
 
Ormat's Vice President is Paul Thomsen. He said the company's plan to create the power center will "support the fight against climate change" and is in line with U.S. President Joe Biden's plans to create clean energy.
Ormat 的副總裁是 Paul Thomsen。他表示，該公司創(chuàng)建電力中心的計劃將“支持應(yīng)對氣候變化”，符合美國總統(tǒng)喬·拜登創(chuàng)建清潔能源的計劃。
 
Thomsen said the FWS ruling was not surprising, considering the emergency move to protect the toad last April. He also said the ruling does not change what Ormat is already doing to reduce and avoid possible harmful effects on the toad.
湯姆森表示，考慮到去年 4 月采取的緊急行動來保護蟾蜍，F(xiàn)WS 的裁決并不令人意外。他還表示，該裁決不會改變 Ormat 已經(jīng)在做的事情，以減少和避免對蟾蜍的可能有害影響。