气候变化严重威胁到帝企鹅的海冰环境。
A new study suggests that 98 percent of Emperor penguin groups may be pushed close to extinction by the year 2100. And about 70 percent of their groups will be in danger by 2050. The research was published in the journal Global Change Biology.
一项新研究表明，到2100年，98%的帝企鹅种群可能会濒临灭绝。到2050年，它们70%的种群将处于危险当中。这项研究发表在《全球变化生物学》杂志上。
The United States Fish and Wildlife Service recently announced a plan to list the Emperor penguins as threatened under the Endangered Species Act.
美国鱼类和野生动物管理局最近宣布了一项计划，将帝企鹅列为《濒危物种法》下的受威胁物种。
Stephanie Jenouvrier is a penguin ecologist at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. She said that Emperor penguins need secure sea ice to reproduce, to feed and to molt. Molting is the replacement of their old feathers with new ones.
斯蒂芬妮·杰诺威耶是伍兹霍尔海洋研究所的企鹅生态学家。她说帝企鹅需要安全的海冰来繁殖、进食和换羽。换羽是指用它们用新羽毛换掉旧羽毛。
The new study looked at overall warming developments and the increasing likelihood of extreme weather changes because of global warming. The study noted that extremely low levels of sea ice in 2016 led to a large reproduction failure of an Emperor penguin group in Antarctica's Halley Bay.
这项新研究着眼于由于全球变暖造成的整体变暖进展以及极端天气变化的可能性越来越大。该研究指出，2016年极低的海冰水平导致南极洲哈雷湾的帝企鹅种群大规模繁殖失败。
That year, seasonal sea ice broke up before young penguins had time to develop waterproof adult feathers. About 10,000 baby birds drowned, Jenouvrier said. The group did not recover afterward.
那一年，季节性海冰在年幼企鹅有时间长出防水的成年羽毛之前就破裂了。杰诺威耶表示，大约有1万只幼鸟被淹死。这个种群此后没有恢复。
Emperor penguins reproduce only in Antarctica during winter. Temperatures can reach minus 40 degrees Celsius, and wind speeds can reach 144 kilometers per hour. The penguins survive by gathering in groups of several thousand birds. But they cannot survive without enough sea ice.
帝企鹅只有冬季期间在南极洲繁殖。气温可达零下40度，风速可达每小时144公里。企鹅通过数千只聚集到一起来生存。但是如果没有足够的海冰，它们就无法生存。
Sarah Uhlemann is international program director at the nonprofit Center for Biological Diversity. She said, "These penguins are hard hit by the climate crisis, and the U.S. government is finally recognizing that threat."
萨拉·乌尔曼是非营利性生物多样性中心的国际项目主任。她说：“这些企鹅受到了气候危机的重创，美国政府终于意识到了这种威胁。”
The U.S. government has listed other species outside the country as threatened, including the polar bear. Polar bears live in Arctic areas and are also threatened by climate change and sea ice loss.
美国政府已经将包括北极熊在内的其它国外物种列为受威胁物种。北极熊生活在北极地区，也受到气候变化和海冰流失的威胁。
Emperor penguins are the world's largest penguins. There are currently between 625,000 and 650,000 of them worldwide.
帝企鹅是全球最大的企鹅。目前全球大约有62.5万到65万只。
Placing Emperor penguins on the threatened list provides protections, such as a ban against importing them for business purposes. Possible effects on the penguins must also be studied by U.S. sea fisheries currently operating in Antarctica.
将帝企鹅列入受威胁名单可以提供保护，例如禁止出于商业目的引进帝企鹅。目前在南极洲运作的美国海洋渔业对企鹅可能产生的影响也必须进行研究。
Martha Williams is principal deputy director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. She said climate change affects many animal species around the world. She added, "The decisions made by policymakers today and during the next few decades will determine the fate of the Emperor penguin."
玛莎·威廉姆斯是美国鱼类和野生动物管理局的首席副主任。她说气候变化影响到世界各地的许多动物物种。她还表示：“决策者现在和未来几十年做出的决定将决定帝企鹅的命运。”
I'm Jonathan Evans.
我是乔纳森·埃文斯。(51VOA.COM原创翻译，请勿转载，违者必究！)