1993年1月英语四级 - 阅读理解B

By 1970, according to a World Wildlife Fund report, only about 4,500 tigers survived throughout the world-half of them in India. Mr. Foresters, who followed and counted tiger footprints, estimated that in May 1972 only about 1,800 tigers existed in India. Project Tiger Supported by W. W. F. was immediately launched. Nine tiger reserves were created, with armed guards protecting them.
根据世界野生动物基金会的一份报告，到1970年，全世界只有大约4500只老虎存活下来，其中一半在印度。Foresters先生跟踪并统计了老虎的足迹，他估计1972年5月，印度只存在大约1800只老虎。世界野生动物基金会支持的“老虎计划”随即启动，建立了九个老虎保护区由武装警卫保护。

The project provided opportunities for researchers from India and abroad to study tigers in the reserves and gather previously unavailable information about their habits. Studies show that a male tiger may control a hunting territory of between 10 and 20 sq.kms, depending on its age, size and strength. The territory of male includes the smaller territories of three or four tigresses. A tiger marks the boundaries of its territories by spraying urine and other bodily liquids on bushes. But it tries to avoid territorial fights, being guided by the distinctive body smell of other tigers. Tigers fight to death only when a tigress is defending her young, or when a tiger is guarding a tigress from the attentions of other males.
该项目为印度和国外的研究人员提供了研究保护区老虎的机会，并收集了以前无法获得的关于老虎习性的信息。研究表明，雄性老虎可能控制10至20平方公里的狩猎区域，这取决于它的年龄、体型和力量。雄虎的领地包括三到四只雌虎的较小领地。雄虎通过喷洒尿液以及灌木丛中的其他体液来标记其领地的边界。但它受到其他雄虎独特气味的引导，试图避免领土争夺。雄虎只有在雌虎保护幼崽的时候，或者在保护雌虎不受其他雄虎的时候才会拼死搏斗。

The popular image of the tiger is that of a merciless and unconquerable hunter. But studies show that it catches only one of 20 victims it tries to attack.
老虎的流行形象是一个无情、不可战胜的猎手。但研究表明，它试图攻击的20位受害者中，只有一个会被它抓住。

Fears have recently developed that Project Tiger has been too successful. It has enabled the tiger population to double (by mid-80s), but India’s human population has also grown out of control. Currently it is 750 million and likely to be 900 million by the end of the century. Land problem is becoming serious and many rural people feel bitter about the fact that some rich forests are reserved for tigers. A growing number of attacks by tigers on man has added to the hostility.
最近，人们开始担心“老虎计划”过于成功。它使老虎的数量增加了一倍（到80年代中期），但印度的人口也失去了控制。目前为7.5亿，到本世纪末可能达到9亿。土地问题越来越严重，许多农村人对一些茂密的森林作为老虎保护区感到痛苦。越来越多的老虎袭击人类，加剧了敌意。