中英對照讀新聞》As Tourism Plummets in Thailand, Elephants Are Out of Work, Too 泰國觀光業跳水，大象也失業了

泰國許多大象因為武漢肺炎疫情而失業，可能會被迫投入非法伐木產業。（法新社資料照）

◎黃靖媗

A sudden drop in foreign tourists has forced the closing of dozens of elephant parks and similar tourist attractions, putting more than 1,000 elephants in Thailand out of work and endangering their futures, operators of the attractions said.

觀光景點業者表示，外國觀光客劇減，已迫使數十個大象公園與同類型景點關閉，造成泰國超過1000隻大象失業，未來岌岌可危。

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For many owners, keeping elephants fed is a urgent concern. Feeding an elephant can cost as much as $40 a day — more than three times the minimum daily wage in Thailand.

對於很多飼主而言，養活大象是個急迫的問題。養一隻大象一天最多可能需要花費40美元，是泰國最低日薪的3倍多。

The president of the Thai Elephant Alliance Association, a group of elephant attraction operators, said he feared that unless the government intervened, some elephants would be forced back onto the streets or even into illegal logging operations.

大象觀光營運者團體「泰國大象聯盟」的主席說，除非政府出面干預，否則他擔心有些大象可能會被迫重返街頭，或投入非法伐木產業。

Thailand has about 3,800 domesticated elephants. Releasing them into the forest, where about 3,000 wild elephants live, is not an option because it is illegal under Thai law.

泰國約有3800隻被馴養的大象。將牠們野放回約有3000隻野象的森林並非一個可行方案，因為此舉違反泰國法律。

新聞辭典

plummet：動詞，暴跌、大幅下跌。例句：The company’s stock plummets because of coronavirus outbreak.（該公司的股價因為冠狀病毒疫情爆發而重挫。）

endanger：動詞，危害。例句：Violating the restrictions will endanger the safety of others.（違反禁令會危害他人的安全。）

keep：動詞，飼養。例句：It’s not easy to keep an elephant.（飼養一隻大象並不容易。）

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