2009/12/09

Jellyfish As Big As Sumo Wrestlers Hit Japan 大如相撲力士的水母襲擊日本

◎魏國金

An invasion of jellyfish the size of sumo wrestlers is throwing the Japanese fishing industry into jeopardy.

有如相撲力士大小的水母入侵,正讓日本漁業陷入危難。

The vast creatures have appeared on Japan’s Pacific coast after floating from Chinese and Korean waters where they breed every year.

這種巨大生物從中國、韓國水域漂移後,已出現於日本的太平洋沿海。牠們每年在中韓海域繁殖。

The Echizen jellyfish grow up to 2.2m in diameter and can weigh over 300kg. Their size means they are capable of ruining fisherman’s nets and poisoning and crushing catches.

越前水母可長到直徑2.2公尺,重逾300公斤。牠們的塊頭意味著能夠毀壞漁夫的魚網並毒害、壓碎漁獲。

One fishing boat was even capsized after a mammoth creature got caught in its net. A local fisherman said: " I have never seen anything this big before."

一艘漁船甚至在魚網捕撈到一隻這樣的龐然大物後翻覆。當地一名漁夫說︰「我以前未曾見過任何這麼大的水母。」

Much about the jellyfish swarms remains a mystery but some scientists believe global warming and rising sea temperatures may be a factor. Japan’s Meteorological Agency says the waters of the Sea of Japan are warming at a speed three times faster than the global average.

有關越前水母群,許多仍屬謎團,但一些科學家認為,全球暖化與逐漸上升的海水溫度或許是個因素。日本氣象廳指出,日本海正以三倍於全球平均值速度逐漸升溫。

新聞辭典

throw into︰片語,使突然陷入。例句︰The news threw the family into a panic.(這個消息使那一家人頓時陷入驚恐不安。)

mammoth︰形容詞,龐然的。例句︰The scandal caused a mammoth political crisis.(這個醜聞引發重大的政治危機。)

swarm︰名詞,一大群、大批。例句︰The planes attacked American aircraft carriers in swarms.(一批批的飛機襲擊美國的航空母艦。)

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