中英對照讀新聞》Colombia proposes shipping invasive hippos to India, Mexico 哥倫比亞提議運送入侵的河馬到印度、墨西哥

生活在前艾斯科巴所屬莊園的河馬。（美聯社）

◎魏國金

Colombia is proposing transferring at least 70 hippopotamuses that live near Pablo Escobar’s former ranch - descendants of four imported from Africa illegally by the late drug lord in the 1980s – to India and Mexico as part of a plan to control their population.

哥倫比亞提議將至少70頭生活在前艾斯科巴所屬莊園附近的河馬—這名已故毒梟1980年代從非洲非法進口4頭河馬的後代—遷移至印度與墨西哥，做為控制其數量的局部計畫。

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The hippos, which are territorial and weigh up to 3 tons, have spread far beyond the Hacienda Napoles ranch. Environmental authorities estimate there are about 130 hippos in the area in Antioquia province and their population could reach 400 in eight years.

這些具地域性、重達3噸的河馬已散佈到那不勒斯莊園之外的許多地方。環保當局估計，安蒂奧基亞省該區約有130頭河馬，其數量8年內可能達到400頭。

Escobar’s Hacienda Napoles — and the hippos — have become a local tourist attraction since the kingpin was killed by police in 1993.

艾斯科巴的那不勒斯—以及河馬—自1993年這名毒梟遭警方殺害後，已成為當地旅遊景點。

Scientists warn the hippos do not have a natural predator in Colombia and are a potential problem for biodiversity since their feces change the composition of the rivers and could impact the habitat of manatees and capybaras.

科學家警告，河馬在哥倫比亞沒有天敵，並對生物多樣性構成潛在問題，因為牠們的糞便改變河流的成份，並可能衝擊海牛與水豚的棲地。

新聞辭典

tourist attraction：名詞，旅遊景點。例句：Kenting National Park is one of the most popular tourist attractions in Pingtung.（墾丁國家公園是屏東最受歡迎的旅遊景點之一。）

biodiversity：名詞，生物多樣性。例句：Biodiversity is essential for human existence.（生物多樣性對人類生存至關重要）。

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