许多种类的青蛙正在消失
许多种类的青蛙正在消失
Andrew Blaustein: We are undergoing an unprecedented extinction event in our time right now where amphibians, many populations throughout the world, are disappearing.
安德鲁·布劳斯汀：我们正在经历一场在这个年代空前的灭绝事件——全世界许多种类的蛙类正在消失。
That’s ecologist Andrew Blaustein. He told us that scientists have recently learned more about diseases that may be killing millions of frogs and other amphibians.
这是生态学家安德鲁·布劳斯汀，他告诉我们，科学家们最近对可能造成几百万只蛙类和其他两栖类动物死亡的疾病有了更多了解。
Blaustein: One of them is this thing called the chytrid fungus,which is a fungus that really wasn’t well known until about 10 years ago and it seems to be correlated with many of the amphibian declines especially in the tropics.
布劳斯汀：罪魁祸首之一被称为壶菌，它是一种似乎与许多种两栖类动物大量死亡——尤其在热带——有关的真菌，我们近十年才开始对这种真菌有较深的了解。
Although the chytrid fungus and other diseases can spread naturally among frogs, Blaustein noted that human destruction of their habitat is also to blame.
布劳斯汀强调，虽然壶菌和其他疾病可以在蛙类中自然传播，但人类对其栖息地的破坏也应受到谴责。
Blaustein: It could trigger a stress response, and then just like people, frogs can get diseases when they’re stressed.
Frogs eat lots of mosquitoes and flies. So if frogs were to disappear entirely, Blaustein said, we humans would feel the consequences. 布劳斯汀：栖息地被破坏会引起严重反应，就像人一样，蛙类精神紧张时也会患上疾病。
蛙类可以消灭大量蚊子和苍蝇，因此，布劳斯汀说，如果它们即将完全消失，人类会体会到后果如何。
Blaustein: We would have a heck of a lot more insect pests around.And, Blaustein noted, frogs are also important sources of new medicines. 布劳斯汀：我们身边会多出许多许多害虫。
另外，布劳斯汀还强调，蛙类还是新型药物的重要来源。
Blaustein: Frogs are often hopping pharmaceutical systems. They have so many antibacterial and anti-viral and anti-fungal compounds on their backs.They’ve even isolated certain kinds of medicine that can slow down the HIV virus.
布劳斯汀：蛙类还经常是药物的来源。它们的背上含有非常多的抗细菌、抗病毒和抗真菌的化合物，我们甚至还能从中分离出某种可以降低艾滋病毒活力的药物。