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1、打败人类的五大入侵物种Invasive species are entirely a human-made phenomenon. As we developed the ability to transport ourselves around the world， we started carrying plants and animals along with us. Organisms from one part of the world were dropped in entirely new ecosystems with a lack of competitors or pred
2、ators and they took advantage of the situation by breeding and eating their way through their new homes. Some of them have pushed out native species and， in some cases， have caused ecological damage on the local ecosystem. Here are five species that we humans just cant seem to beat. 入侵物种这一现象完全是由人类一手
3、造成的。随着我们具备了把自己运往世界各地的能力，我们也开始携带各种动植物出行。来自世界某个地方的生物被丢到了全新的生态系统里，由于那里没有它们的竞争物种或是天敌，它们就充分利用这个条件，在新家里使劲繁殖，敞开了吃。它们中的一些已经把本地物种挤出局了，而且在某些情况下已经给当地的生态系统造成了生态破坏。下面是我们人类好像怎么都无法打败的五个物种。Kudzu1） 野葛The kudzu vine2） is a native of Japan and China， where it enjoys a life of ecological balance， hemmed in3） by the oth
4、er plant and animal species that it evolved alongside. It plays its biological part， fixing4） nitrogen out of the air and into the soil and helping to redistribute and spread nutrients and energy. The kudzu story would end there if it had stayed within its home range. Instead， the vine has taken on
5、an almost mythological aura5） as it has spread and smothered6） a vast range of land in the southern United States， Canada， Australia and New Zealand. The fast-growing vine， in the absence of natural predators， blazes across forests， climbing and reaching for every bit of available sunlight and its a
6、dvance has yet to be stopped in any meaningful way. There are efforts underway to develop specialized herbicides7） to combat kudzu and some people are working on tasty ways to eat it， but for now， the vine marches on.The Burmese pythons evolved in the warm tropical waters of Southern and Southeast A
7、sia， so it shouldnt be too surprising that they feel at home in the Everglades9）. The large predator is a popular choice for pet snake enthusiasts and was slowly introduced to Florida by well-meaning10） but irresponsible owners who let them go free when they were no longer wanted around the house. T
8、hese released snakes slid into the Everglades and ripped through11） the natural web of Florida life. Populations of small mammals there have dropped across the board12）. Some species have seen drops as high as 95 to 100 percent.There are tens， and possibly hundreds of thousands of Burmese pythons li
9、ving in dark， scary， swampy13） water of the Everglades. Whos ready to wade14） in there and start taking them out？ Anyone？ Its hard to see how this story has a happy ending for anyone but the Burmese pythons.When you think about rabbits， its likely that your mind springs to an image of a cute little
10、fluffy bunny hopping through the forest and occasionally giving young children chocolates and jelly beans15）. Or maybe you think about a tasty roasted dish of rabbit. Or maybe both.But how about the image of rabbits as hungry invaders， advancing in never-ending waves of colonization？ Rabbits， for as
11、 far as you can see， covering the proverbial16） horizon with their adorable little noses and their huge litters17） of fast-growing kits18）. Eating through everything. Eating， and having babies.Thats the story of the rabbits in Australia. They were introduced back in the late 1700s as a source of foo
12、d. Enough rabbits escaped captivity19） to gain a foothold20） that they havent let go of since. People have tried to stop the rabbits using fences， hunters and poisoning but have not been able to do anything more than make small localized impacts that quickly get swallowed up by the rabbits exponenti
13、al21） growth.野葛藤原产于日本和中国，它们在那里受到了与其一起进化的其他动植物物种的约束和限制，一直享受着生态平衡的生活。野葛藤发挥着自己的生物作用：它能把大气中的氮固定到土壤中，并有助于重新分配和扩散营养物质和能量。倘若野葛当年只待在原产地，它的故事也就到此为止了。然而，这种葛藤已经蔓延并覆盖了美国南部、加拿大、澳大利亚和新西兰的大片土地，开始拥有了一种近乎神话般的色彩。由于缺少天敌，这种生长迅速的葛藤席卷了成片成片的森林，四处攀爬，一丁点儿阳光也不放过，而且至今（编注：英文原文发表于2013年11月）尚无任何有效的方法可以阻挡其前进的步伐。人们正努力研发专门对付野葛的灭草剂，还
14、有一些人在研究野葛要怎么做才好吃，但在目前野葛藤依然所向披靡。缅甸蟒蛇是在南亚和东南亚温暖的热带水域里进化出来的，所以它们能在佛罗里达大沼泽地活得很滋润就不足为奇了。对宠物蛇爱好者来说，这种大型的捕食动物是颇受欢迎的选择。缅甸蟒蛇当年是被许多好心但却不负责任的主人慢慢引进到佛罗里达州的，这些人不想继续养它们时就将其放生了。这些被放生的蟒蛇溜进了佛罗里达大沼泽地，打破了佛罗里达州的自然生态网。佛罗里达州小型哺乳动物的数量全都下降了，有些物种的数量减幅高达95%100%。现在，在佛罗里达大沼泽地那黑暗、恐怖、遍布沼泽的水中，生活着成百也可能是成千上万条缅甸蟒蛇。有谁准备好走进那片沼泽并开始清理这些
15、蟒蛇吗？有人吗？很难看出，对除了缅甸蟒蛇之外的任何一方来说，这个入侵故事会有一个皆大欢喜的结局。当你想到野兔时，你的脑海里可能会跳出一幅画面：一只毛茸茸的可爱小兔子一蹦一跳地穿过森林，偶尔还给小孩子们发点儿巧克力和软心糖豆。或者，你可能会想到一道美味的烤野兔大餐。又或者这两个你都想到了。但你想到过野兔作为饥肠辘辘的入侵者，一波又一波永无休止地开拓领地的画面吗？目光所及之处都是野兔那可爱的小鼻子和一大窝又一大窝生长迅速的小兔子，遇到什么就吃什么，除了吃就是生兔宝宝。这就是野兔入侵澳大利亚的故事。18世纪后期，野兔作为一种食物来源被引进了澳大利亚。足够多的野兔逃离了圈养场所，赢得了立足之地，之后就
16、再没撒开过手。人们曾试图筑篱笆阻隔、派猎人猎杀、下毒药来阻挡野兔，但没起到什么作用，顶多也就在当地产生了一些小的影响，而且这些影响很快就被野兔的迅猛增长抵消了。Burmese Pythons8） 缅甸蟒蛇The kudzu vine2） is a native of Japan and China， where it enjoys a life of ecological balance， hemmed in3） by the other plant and animal species that it evolved alongside. It plays its biological part， fixing4） nitrogen out of the air and into the soil and helping to redistribute and spread nutrients and energy. The kudzu story would end there if it h
