2022年12月13日 VOA慢速英语：肯尼亚的马赛人从猎杀狮子转向奥运会

 

The Maasai people are easily the most identifiable in Kenya with their very colorful clothing. They raise animals and live near some of Kenya's most visited wildlife parks. Their hunting has often been considered a threat to some wildlife populations.
马赛人穿着五颜六色的衣服，很容易成为肯尼亚最容易辨认的人。他们饲养动物，住在肯尼亚一些游客最多的野生动物园附近。他们的狩猎通常被认为对某些野生动物种群构成威胁。
 
It is traditional for a young Maasai man, called a moran, to kill a lion with a spear to prove himself as a man. With the kill, a moran would earn a "lion name" and approval among young women.
年轻的马赛人（称为 moran）用长矛杀死狮子以证明自己是一个男人是一种传统。通过猎杀，莫兰人将赢得“狮子名”和年轻女性的认可。
 
But the Maasai appears to be ending the tradition of hunting lions with spears. Instead, young Maasai will compete in javelin throwing at an event called the Maasai Olympics.
但马赛人似乎正在结束用长矛猎杀狮子的传统。相反，年轻的马赛人将参加一项名为马赛人奥运会的标枪比赛。
 
Mingati Samanya, at the age of 69, is one of the Maasai elders. During his youth, Samanya killed two lions to show he was a man. That is how he received the "lion name" Mingati in the Maa language.
69 岁的 Mingati Samanya 是马赛族长老之一。在他年轻的时候，Samanya 杀死了两只狮子以表明他是一个男人。这就是他在马阿语中获得“狮子名”Mingati 的方式。
 
Samanya is now among the elders who are pushing young Maasai to do something different to prove themselves. That includes taking part in javelin throwing, jumping, and other activities during the community Olympics.
Samanya 现在是推动年轻马赛人做一些不同的事情来证明自己的长者之一。这包括在社区奥运会期间参加标枪投掷、跳跃和其他活动。
 
On Saturday, at the Kimana Sanctuary near Mount Kilimanjaro, young men and some women competed for medals and money.
周六，在乞力马扎罗山附近的 Kimana 保护区，年轻男子和一些女子为奖牌和金钱展开了角逐。
 
"During our time, we killed lions and did not benefit with anything. Right now, when the morans throw a javelin and run, they get money," Samanya told The Associated Press. The money, he added, could help provide for their families.
Samanya 告诉美联社：“在我们那个时代，我们杀死了狮子，但没有从中获益。现在，当莫兰人投掷标枪并逃跑时，他们就能得到钱。”他补充说，这笔钱可以帮助养家糊口。
 
Vivian Nganini attended the Maasai Olympics while wearing a traditional wedding dress. She said girls of today prefer the modern moran.
薇薇安·恩加尼尼 (Vivian Nganini) 穿着传统婚纱参加了马赛奥运会。她说，现在的女孩更喜欢现代风格的莫兰。
 
"At least when they run, they can win some money and be able to take care of their wives and children," said the 22-year-old.
“至少当她们跑步时，她们可以赢得一些钱，并且能够照顾他们的妻子和孩子，”这位 22 岁的女孩说.
 
The Maasai Olympics also are part of wider environmental protection efforts.
马赛奥运会也是更广泛的环境保护工作的一部分。
 
"The cultural side of warriors wanting to kill lions … is solved by this event," said Craig Millar. He is with the Big Life Foundation, an environmental organization.
“勇士想要杀死狮子的文化方面......通过这次活动得到了解决，”克雷格米勒说。他在环保组织 Big Life Foundation 工作。
 
The lion population in parts of the Kimana Sanctuary has increased 10 times over the last 20 years, Millar said. He credited various measures like anti-poaching laws and payment programs to ease the loss of Maasai-owned farm animals to predators like lions.
Millar 说，在过去 20 年里，Kimana 保护区部分地区的狮子数量增加了 10 倍。他将反偷猎法和支付计划等各种措施归功于减少马赛人拥有的农场动物被狮子等掠食者夺走的情况。
 
But other dangers remain for wildlife. Parts of Kenya and East Africa have experienced four straight seasons with little rainfall. Hundreds of elephants, wildebeests, zebras and other animals have died, said a recent report by wildlife officials.
但野生动物仍然面临其他危险。肯尼亚和东非的部分地区经历了连续四个降雨量很少的季节。野生动物官员最近的一份报告称，已有数百头大象、牛羚、斑马和其他动物死亡。
 
During such long dry periods, the risk of human-wildlife conflict increases. But communities living near parks are pushed to protect and exist with wild animals.
在如此漫长的干旱时期，人类与野生动物发生冲突的风险会增加。但住在公园附近的社区被迫保护野生动物并与它们共存。
 

Baba Sito is an elder who lives near the Kimana Sanctuary. "We now understand the benefits of wildlife to the country's economy and direct benefits to us, the Maasai, who live near the parks," he said.

Baba Sito 是一位住在基马纳保护区附近的老人。 “我们现在了解野生动物对国家经济的好处，以及对我们这些住在公园附近的马赛人的直接好处，”他说。