日本的捕鲸活动有着悠久的历史，但随着外界的反对和国际捕鲸委员会的禁止，日本在 1988 年停止了商业捕鲸活动。然而在去年的 12 月，日本突然宣布退出国际捕鲸委员会，并在不久前重新开始了商业捕鲸活动。为什么日本会不顾国际社会的抨击而一意孤行地继续捕鲸呢？捕鲸活动在日本到底还能存在多久？

Whaling ships set sail as Japan resumes commercial hunts

Japan began its first commercial whale hunts in more than three decades on Monday, brushing aside outrage over its resumption of a practice that conservationists say is cruel and outdated.
在周一，日本开始了 30 多年来的首次商业捕鲸活动，对恢复捕鲸习俗引发的愤怒置之不理。环保人士称，这一习俗是残忍且过时的。
The hunts come after Japan decided to withdraw from the International Whaling Commission, a move slammed by activists and anti-whaling countries but welcomed by Japanese whaling communities.
在此次捕鲸活动之前，日本决定退出国际捕鲸委员会，该举动受到活动人士和反捕鲸国家的猛烈抨击，但日本捕鲸团体对此表示欢迎。
Whaling has long proved a rare diplomatic flashpoint for Tokyo, which says the practice is a Japanese tradition that should not be subject to international interference.
长期以来，捕鲸一直是日本一个罕见的外交冲突爆发点。日本政府表示，捕鲸行为是日本的一项传统，不应受到国际干涉。
With its withdrawal from the IWC, Tokyo will carry out whale hunting off Japan, but will end the most controversial hunts in the Antarctic.
在退出国际捕鲸委员会后，日本将在本国附近进行捕鲸活动，但其最具争议的南极洲捕鲸活动也将结束。
Some believe that Japan's return to commercial whale hunting will effectively sound the death knell for the industry.
有些人认为，日本重启商业捕鲸实际上将敲响捕鲸产业的丧钟。
"Japan is quitting high-seas whaling... that is a huge step towards the end of killing whales for their meat and other products," said Patrick Ramage, director of marine conservation at the International Fund for Animal Welfare. He said commercial whaling in Japanese waters was unlikely to have much of a future given dwindling subsidies and the shrinking market for whale meat.
国际爱护动物基金会海洋保护项目负责人帕特里克·拉姆奇表示：“日本正放弃公海捕鲸活动......这是对终结捕杀鲸鱼以获取鲸鱼肉和其他产品这一目标，迈出的一大步。”他还表示，鉴于捕鲸业的补贴减少和鲸鱼肉市场的萎缩，在日本海域进行的商业捕鲸活动很可能前景不佳。
"What we are seeing is the beginning of the end of Japanese whaling."
“我们正目睹的是日本捕鲸业终结的开始。”