科學家們稱，他們在亞南極地區的英屬南喬治亞島的沿海水域看到了數量驚人的藍鯨。他們在歷時23天的調查中統計了55頭藍鯨，這是自商業捕鯨活動結束后，幾十年來前所未有的。

Whale experts have described the number of sightings as astonishing and say it's a positive sign that Antarctic Blues are making a solid recovery from their catastrophic collapse.

鯨魚專家們稱看到這么多鯨魚令人震驚，并表示這是一個積極的跡象，表明了南極藍鯨正從災難性的毀滅中穩步恢復。

When the whaling industry set up business in South Georgia in the early 1900s, it’s estimated there might have been nearly a quarter of a million of these majestic animals in the Southern Ocean. But within just a few decades, butchery on an industrial scale had reduced their numbers to a few hundred.

20世紀初，當捕鯨業在南喬治亞開展業務時，南冰洋中估計有近25萬頭這種大型動物。但在短短幾十年里，大規模的殘殺活動使它們的數量減少到了幾百頭。

South Georgia's waters teem with the shrimp-like krill that whales love to eat, so Blues really ought to be returning to this productive feeding ground, and after 50 years of protection this seems finally to be the case. The last assessment of Antarctic Blue whale numbers was done in 1997 and estimated the abundance at just over 2,000. The next assessment will come out in a couple of years and may indicate that there are now up to 10,000.

南喬治亞的水域生產像磷蝦等鯨魚愛吃的蝦類，所以藍鯨確實應該回到這片物產豐富的覓食地。經過50年的保護，這似乎終于成為現實。上一次對南極藍鯨的評估是在1997年進行的，當時估計的數量剛剛超過2000頭。下一次的評估數量將在幾年后公布，可能會顯示藍鯨的數量近萬。

詞匯

astonishing 驚人的
catastrophic 災難性的，毀滅性的
majestic 雄偉的
butchery 殘殺
industrial scale 大規模，工業規模
teem with 充滿，盛產
krill 磷蝦
feeding ground 覓食地
assessment 評估
abundance 豐富、大量

閱讀理解：請在讀完上文后，回答下列問題 。

1. Which industry led to the decline in the number of blue whales?

2. What has caused experts to say the recovery of blue whale numbers is a positive sign?

3.  Other than blue whales, what else can be found in the waters around South Georgia?

4. True or false? The next assessment will probably show that the number of blue whales has increased.

答案

1. Which industry led to the decline in the number of blue whales?
The whaling industry led to butchery on an industrial scale and reduced the numbers of blue whales.

2. What has caused experts to say the recovery of blue whale numbers is a positive sign?
Whale experts have described the number of sightings as astonishing and say it's a positive sign that Antarctic Blues are making a solid recovery from their catastrophic collapse.

3.  Other than blue whales, what else can be found in the waters around South Georgia?
South Georgia's waters teem with the shrimp-like krill that whales love to eat. 

4. True or false? The next assessment will probably show that the number of blue whales has increased.
True.The next assessment will come out in a couple of years and may indicate that there are now up to 10,000 blue whales – so an increase.