双语新闻：露脊鲸的数量减少的速度正放缓，但威胁依然存在

The North Atlantic right whale is one of the world's most endangered large whale species.

北大西洋露脊鲸是世界上最濒危的大型鲸鱼物种之一。

Its population loss appears to be slowing. But scientists warn that the large sea animals still face threats from getting caught in fishing equipment, being struck by ships, and warming oceans.

其数量减少的速度似乎正在放缓。但科学家警告说，大型海洋动物仍然面临着被捕鱼设备捕获、被船只撞击和海洋变暖的威胁。

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) says that by the early 1890s, commercial whalers almost destroyed the species. They got their name from being the "right" whales to hunt because they floated when they were killed.

美国国家海洋和大气管理局(NOAA)表示，到19世纪90年代初，商业捕鲸者几乎摧毁了这个物种。它们之所以得名，是因为它们是“合适的”鲸鱼，因为它们被杀死后会漂浮在水面上。

Commercial whale fishing is no longer a threat, but its population has never fully returned. They have been protected under United States law for many years now.

商业捕鲸不再是一种威胁，但其数量从未完全恢复。他们多年来一直受到美国法律的保护。

The North Atlantic right whale is about 16 meters long and weighs more than 63,000 kilograms. The whales can probably live for 70 years. However, female North Atlantic right whales are now only living to around 45 years old. Such reduced lifespans are caused by human activities, not old age.

北大西洋露脊鲸身长约16米，体重超过6.3万公斤。鲸鱼大概能活70年。然而，雌性北大西洋露脊鲸现在只能活到45岁左右。这种寿命缩短是由人类活动造成的，而不是衰老。

The NOAA estimates that fewer than 350 right whales are remaining off the U.S. East Coast. From 2010 to 2020, their population fell by about 25 percent.

美国国家海洋和大气管理局估计，美国东海岸的露脊鲸数量不到350头。从2010年到2020年，它们的数量下降了大约25%。

This week, the North Atlantic Right Whale Consortium (NARWC) said the population decrease appears to have leveled off. A strong birthing year in 2021, when 18 baby whales, or calves, were born, kept whale population numbers up, the NARWC said.

本周，北大西洋露脊鲸协会(NARWC)表示，数量的减少似乎已经趋于平稳。NARWC表示，2021年是一个强劲的出生年，当时有18只幼鲸或幼鲸出生，使鲸鱼数量保持增长。

However, the organization warned that the high number of deaths faced by whales from getting caught in fishing equipment or struck by ships remains a major problem for the whales.

然而，该组织警告说，大量鲸鱼因被捕鱼设备捕获或被船只撞击而死亡，这仍然是鲸鱼面临的一个主要问题。

"The news is less bad than it has been. My heart is a little less heavy, but certainly not light or hopeful," said Philip Hamilton. He is a member of NARWC and a senior scientist at the Anderson Cabot Center for Ocean Life at the New England Aquarium. "It shouldn't be dependent on the whales to give birth to enough calves to reverse what we're doing to them."

“消息没有过去那么糟糕。我的心情不那么沉重了，但肯定不会轻松或充满希望。”他是NARWC的成员，也是新英格兰水族馆安德森卡伯特海洋生物中心的高级科学家。“不应该依赖鲸鱼生足够多的幼崽来扭转我们对它们所做的事情。”

Scientists say another reason why whale numbers are decreasing is warming oceans and climate change. The whales eat very small ocean organisms called copepods. They travel from calving grounds off the coasts of Florida and Georgia to feeding grounds off New England and Canada every year.

科学家表示，鲸鱼数量减少的另一个原因是海洋变暖和气候变化。鲸鱼吃非常小的海洋生物，叫做桡足类。它们每年都会从佛罗里达和乔治亚海岸的产崽地迁徙到新英格兰和加拿大的觅食地。

As waters have warmed, the whales must travel outside of protected areas of the ocean in search of food. That has left them open to strikes with large ships and getting trapped in commercial fishing equipment. Those are the biggest causes of early death.

随着海水变暖，鲸鱼必须离开海洋保护区去寻找食物。这使得他们容易受到大型船只的袭击，并被困在商业捕鱼设备中。这些都是导致过早死亡的主要原因。

Many fishermen have opposed proposed fishing restrictions that they fear would hurt their business rather than help whales. Dave Cousens, a past president of the Maine Lobstermen's Association, has called the proposed rules "nonsensical."

许多渔民反对拟议的捕鱼限制，他们担心这会损害他们的生意，而不是帮助鲸鱼。缅因州捕虾人协会的前任主席戴夫·库森斯称拟议的规定“毫无意义”。

But environmental groups want new federal rules to save the species, including one to make ships slow down for whales.

但环保组织希望出台新的联邦法规来拯救这一物种，其中包括让船只减速捕鲸。