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The Goldfish Invasion That Is Threatening A Colorado Lake's Ecosystem
金鱼入侵科罗拉多湖
For the casual visitor, Teller Lake in Boulder, Colorado looks like a delightful fishbowl filled with thousands of gorgeous orange, black, and white goldfish floating around. However, to the Colorado Parks and Wildlife Department they are a group of invasive species that could end up disrupting the lake's entire ecosystem if not removed soon.
对普通参观者来说，科罗拉多的Teller湖看起来就像一个巨型鱼缸，里面有上千条橘色、黑色和白色的金鱼游来游去。然而，对于科罗拉多公园和野生动物部门来说，这些鱼如果不及时清走，就会给整个生态系统带来严重威胁。
In fact, park officials believe that the 3,000 - 4,000 specimens currently floating around are all a result of a few unwanted pet goldfish that were dumped into the lake. The problem lies in the fact that these fish are not native to the lake, which means that they have no predators. This allows them to reproduce and multiply in large numbers.
事实上，公园的负责人认为，这三四千条金鱼应该是被人在湖中放生的宠物金鱼繁殖的结果。由于这些鱼不是湖中野生的，因而它们并没有天敌，所以就开始疯狂的繁殖生长。
While that may appear to be the most humane thing to do, it is extremely dangerous, not to mention illegal. That's because as this non-native species grow in numbers, they compete with the existing fish for food sources like plankton and small insects. Another major cause for concern is the diseases the goldfish may be harboring. This could be fatal to the native species since they do not have the immunity to fight new illnesses.
虽然放生鱼类很人性，带来的后果却是危险的，甚至还会违法。因为这些非湖中原生的鱼类会大量繁殖，抢夺其他鱼类的口粮，诸如浮游生物和小昆虫。另一个主要令人担忧的因素是他们携带的疾病对原生鱼类也会有致命的危险，因为原生鱼类对新的疾病没有免疫。
The Colorado Parks and Wildlife biologists, therefore, have no option but to extract the fish from the lake in most efficient manner. They are currently contemplating three options - draining the lake, stunning the fish with electricity or using a chemical that interferes with their respiratory system. The fish will then be sent to the local raptor rehabilitation facility and fed to injured birds of prey like eagles and osprey.
科罗拉多公园和野生生物学家目前没有其他选择，只能选择把金鱼从湖中移走这种比较有效的方法。他们现在制定出三种方案：抽干湖水，用电击或者化学方法干扰这些鱼的生殖系统。然后把鱼送到有本地天敌生存的环境下或者直接喂给受伤的鹰或鹳这类食鱼猛禽。
According to experts, the best way to dispose of unwanted fish or any other animal is to get advice from the people that originally sold them the pet. They say that most owners believe they are doing the "right thing" by returning their "exotic" pet back to the wilderness. However, saving one pet often results in destroying the area's ecosystem and hurting other innocent animals.
专家称，处理不想喂养的鱼或者其他动物的最好的方式是咨询下这些宠物的卖家。许多主人认为把这些“外来”宠物重新放入野外是件好事。然而，“救助”一个宠物也许会造成破坏该地区整个生态系统或者伤害其他无辜动物的代价。
译文属可可英语原创，仅供学习和交流使用，未经许可，请勿转载。
