From VOA Learning English, this is the Environment and Science Report.
这里是美国之音慢速英语环境和科学报道。
The poaching, or illegal killing, of rhinos in South Africa is growing worse each year. The government recently reported that a record number of rhinos were poached in 2014. The killings continue even though the government has increased efforts to try to stop poachers.
南非每年的犀牛偷猎愈发严重。政府最近报道称，2014年被偷猎的犀牛数量创造了历史记录。即使政府加大力度试图阻止偷猎者，杀戮却仍在继续。
Edna Molewa is South Africa's environmental issues minister.
埃德娜·莫莱瓦（Edna Molewa）是南非环境事务部长。
"During 2014, we (are) sad to say this, the number of 1,215 rhinos were killed. This is a rise in the number of poached rhino from 1004 in 2013. This is indeed very worrying," Molewa said.
莫莱瓦说，“我们很痛心，2014年有1215头犀牛被杀，比2013年的1004头犀牛被偷猎有所增长。这确实很令人担忧。”
That is an increase of 21 percent from 2013, a year which had more rhino killings in South Africa than ever before.
与2013年相比，这一数字增长了21%。2014年是南非历史上犀牛被偷猎最多的一年。
The World Wildlife Fund, or WWF, estimates 20,000 rhinos live in South Africa. That is more than 80 percent of the rhinos in the world.
世界野生动物基金会估计有2万头犀牛生活在南非，占到了全球犀牛总数的80%以上。
The animals are hunted for their horn. Many people in Asia believe the horn has healing power. But there is no scientific evidence for this belief. The horn is made of keratin. That is the same substance as human hair, fingernails and toenails.
犀牛因为犀牛角被猎杀。亚洲很多人认为犀牛角有治疗作用。但是这一想法目前尚没有科学证据。犀牛角是由角蛋白组成，它同人的头发、手指甲和脚趾甲是同一种物质。
Ms. Molewa said 386 suspected poachers were arrested last year, an increase from the year before. But rhino protection workers say poachers often go unpunished after arrest. South Africa's legal system is inefficient.
莫莱瓦女士表示，去年有386名涉嫌偷猎者被逮捕，比前一年有所增加。但是犀牛保护工作人员表示，偷猎者在被捕后经常逍遥法外。南非的法律体系很低效。
Ms. Molewa said more needs to be done. She said South Africa is taking strong measures to protect rhinos. She said efforts include moving some of the animals to secret places in neighboring countries.
莫莱瓦女士表示还有很多工作要做。她说，南非正在采取强力措施保护犀牛，其中包括将一些犀牛转移到邻国的秘密地点。
"Now, in the last quarter -- which is last year, 2014 -- 56 rhino have already been moved out of poaching hot spots and translocated from certain areas within the Kruger National Park to what we call an intensive protection zone -- ITZ -- as well as to other, more secure areas. And over and above that, approximately 100 rhinos have been translocated to neighboring states in the SADC region during 2014," Molewa said.
她说，“在2014年的最后一个季度有56头犀牛已经被转移出偷猎热点地区，从克鲁格国家公园内转移到了我们所说的集中保护区以及一些更安全的地区。除此之外，2014年期间还有大约100头犀牛已经被转移到属于南部非洲发展共同体地区的邻国。”
She said 200 more rhinos will be moved this year.
她说今年还将有200多头犀牛被转移。
Jo Shaw is the rhino program manager at the WWF. She spoke to VOA on Skype about the record number of rhino killings last year in South Africa.
乔·肖（Jo Shaw）是世界野生动物基金会犀牛项目的负责人。她通过Skype对美国之音谈到了去年南非犀牛被猎杀的创纪录数字。
"It's obviously extremely worrying news. We're, we're talking about a loss of a hundred rhinos a month, or, or more than three a day. We really need to see strategic, concerted action not just at a national level but internationally," Shaw said.
肖说，“这显然是非常令人担忧的消息。我们说的是每月损失100头犀牛，也就是每天多于3头。我们非常需要看到不仅在国家层面，还要在国际上看到战略协调行动。”
She says officials should find the criminal groups responsible for the poaching and punish them.
她说，有关人员应该找出对偷猎负责的犯罪团伙并予以严惩。
Conservationists and government officials are to meet in Botswana in March at the Inter-governmental Conference on Illegal Wildlife Trade.
环保主义者和政府官员将于三月份在博茨瓦纳的非法野生动物贸易政府间会议上会面。
And that's the VOA Learning English Enviornment and Science Report. I'm Marsha James.
以上就是本期美国之音慢速英语环境和科学报道的全部内容。我是玛莎·詹姆斯（Marsha James）。(51VOA.COM对本文翻译保留全部权利，未经授权请勿转载，违者必究！)