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教 育 專 題 深 入 報 導
═══════════════════════《2003/06/27》═════
*****【本 期 內 容】
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教育專題 ◎ （國際專版）世界?事1
◎ （國際專版） 上週世界?事2
◎ （國際專版）英文部分：誰是實行一夫一妻制的海馬最大的敵人？
◎ （國際專版）上週世界?事1
◎ （國際專版）上週世界奇事2
◎ （國際專版） 中文部分：誰是實行一夫一妻制的海馬最大的敵人？
◎ 7月徵文 關於畢業典禮
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◎（國際專版）世界?事1
英文部分：印度新人水底交換戒指
編譯賴明芝
Couple Exchanges Wedding Vows Under Water
Tue June 24, 2003 07:40 AM ET
BOMBAY (Reuters) - An Indian couple married under water in a swimming
pool on Monday in a Hindu ceremony lasting 36 minutes and 33 seconds, hoping to
set a world endurance record.
Chandan Thakoor, 33, and his wife Dipti, 31, who got engaged in mid-air
a fortnight ago, exchanged their vows wearing scuba gear over their traditional
wedding clothes 12 feet under water in a Bombay suburban pool.
"The wedding was like our dream coming true," Chandan, now
dressed in a gray suit and a red tie, told a post-ceremony news conference.
The happy couple said they had felt no fear despite staying submerged
for more than half an hour, but the water pressure had left them feeling a
little giddy and breathless.
"It was an emotional moment for us," bride Dipti said.
"There was excitement and a great feeling that we had set out to
accomplish a feat and we had succeeded."
Diving instructor Ravi Kulkarni, 35, who had trained the couple for
more than a month before the big day, gave a commentary on the ceremony for
nearly 500 invitees, and for dozens of press photographers and television
cameramen.
The bride's father was among relatives who entered the water with the
officiating Hindu priest to assist the couple, their clothes weighted down to
hold their shape.
The pool was decorated to resemble a temple with orchids and marigolds
and intricately carved pillars straight from a Bollywood film set.
◎（國際專版）
上週世界?事2
英文部分：擅自闖入鮪魚宴會的大白鯊
編譯賴明芝
Great White Shark Gatecrashes Tuna Dinner Party
Tue June 24, 2003 07:37 AM ET
SYDNEY (Reuters) - A Great White Shark has gatecrashed a tuna research
project in Australia, mysteriously appearing inside a fishing pen containing
around 100 tuna.
The 13-foot shark, weighing about 1,500 pounds, is thought to have
either bitten its way into the tuna pond or leapt a 7.5 foot electrified fence
while chasing a seal last Thursday.
Scientists at the pen off the coast of the South Australian tuna
fishing town of Port Lincoln said Tuesday the shark had swum contently around
the pen, but they were not sure how the tuna felt about their uninvited guest.
A head count of the tuna showed two had disappeared.
"When the shark swims to the surface the tuna swim to the bottom
of the net and vice versa," said a spokesman for the South Australian
Research Development Institute.
The scientists, who are studying tuna feeding, said they eventually
coaxed the Great White from the cage by using a net to funnel it out through
underwater gates.
◎（國際專版）英文部分：誰是實行一夫一妻制的海馬最大的敵人？
編譯賴明芝
Monogamous Seahorse Is Its Own Worst Enemy
Tue June 24, 2003 08:19 AM ET
By Stephen Cunningham
CARNA (Reuters) - Seahorses are their own worst enemy.
Fished to the point of extinction for the traditional Chinese medicine
market, they mate for life and their unwillingness to seek new partners after
being separated has done little to improve their chances of survival.
One of their better hopes for conservation may lie in the unlikeliest
of places -- a ramshackle shed perched on the edge of the Atlantic Ocean.
Seahorse Ireland says its goal is to help save the species by
cultivating seahorses born in captivity for the growing aquarium market.
"We want to make people aware that the captive-bred seahorse is a
much better buy," said production manager Ken Maher, from the makeshift
laboratory in Connemara, west Ireland. "There's no deleterious effect on
the environment and the seahorse will survive and flourish in your tank."
Seahorses are no ordinary sea creatures, notwithstanding their monogamy
which is highly unusual for the animal kingdom. It is the male who receives
eggs from his female partner and fertilizes them himself.
"The female swims up to her chosen male partner and the two change
color as they dance around each other for hours in an elaborate courtship
ritual," said Maher.
After receiving eggs from the female, the male is pregnant for about
three weeks before giving birth.
PIONEERING LOW-COST TECHNOLOGY
The low-cost technology pioneered by Seahorse Ireland could be
transferred to poorer parts of the world, where seahorse stocks are fast
becoming depleted.
Next year, a ban on international trade in seahorses, unless they are
captive-bred or bred for scientific purposes, is due to come into operation --
a move likely to cripple the livelihoods of thousands of fishermen.
"Other conservation bodies try to say 'this is a sanctuary, no
fishing is allowed here', and try to get locals to make arts and crafts
instead," Maher said.
"But these people are fishermen who want to live near the sea. I
know I could not switch to making arts and crafts if I was in their
position."
If no alternative is provided, the trade will simply go underground,
Maher said.
An estimated 40 million seahorses a year are taken from the wild for
traditional Chinese medicine, in which they are used as an aphrodisiac and to
treat a range of ailments including heart disease.
Demand has risen in recent years to such an extent that seahorses
retail for about $1,900 a kilo (2.2 lb) in Asia.
A further one million are fished for the curio trade because seahorses
retain their shape and color when dried.
The pet trade takes another one million, but very few survive beyond a
few months or so without live food.
TRAINED TO EAT FROZEN FOOD
That's where Seahorse Ireland comes in -- it trains captive-born
seahorses to get used to frozen food.
"Once we train them to take frozen food, they can be sent all over
the world," said Maher.
Set up three years ago by Maher and his fellow marine biologist Kealan
Doyle, Seahorse Ireland has two key advantages right on its doorstep.
First, the larger of the two seahorse species local to Ireland, the
spiny seahorse, can be found in seagrass beds in and around nearby Kilkieran
Bay.
In addition, the west coast of Ireland offers an abundance of
zooplankton enriched by nutrients from the Gulf Stream, and the company has
developed a system to extract and freeze this food.
Maher dismissed criticism from some environmentalists that breeding
seahorses in captivity will serve only to boost demand, heaping more pressure
on rapidly declining stocks.
Capable of spawning 200 offspring at a go in the wild, with the right
conditioning seahorses could breed closer to 1,000 juveniles, Maher said.
The company aims to sell seahorses for the pet market, retailing from 200
euros each, over the Internet, to be dispatched for next-day delivery.
"Seahorses travel quite well in tightly packed bags, with oxygen,
just like goldfish," Maher said.
Sales are forecast at around 30,000 next year and around 70,000 the
year after.
Over time, Maher said there are plans to open a visitor center, using
the seahorse as an icon for other endangered species.
"We will use it as a focus for conservation because it's not just
the panda in China or the river dolphin in India that are in need of
help," he said.
中文部分：印度新人水底交換戒指
編譯賴明芝
結婚是人生大事，而且發生不了太多次。為了能讓彼此的愛留下見證，不少新人在如何舉辦婚禮上頭大傷腦筋，花了不少心思。高空彈跳、開卡車、坐熱氣球等，都被不少新人採納過。也有人選擇泡在水裡完成終身大事，在印度，就有一對互許終身的愛侶這麼做。
更有看頭的是，這對新人不是只有站在游泳池裡完成終身大事而已。他們為了凸顯特別，還在水底待了36分又33秒，希望能夠打破世界紀錄。當然啦！交換戒指也是整個人在水裡進行的。為了這個大日子，潛水夫特地訓練這對新人超過1個月之久。
新人說，在水裡憋這麼久的氣，他們並不會感到害怕。只是水壓讓這對新人有點暈眩，還氣喘噓噓。這麼特別的婚禮，共有5百人受邀觀禮。
中文部分：擅自闖入鮪魚宴會的大白鯊
編譯賴明芝
2002年1月3日出刊的《自然》雜誌，報導了一篇有關大白鯊遷徙行為的研究。該研究有了驚人的新發現，原來，大白鯊並不只是生活在靠近岸邊的海域。事實上，新的研究結果顯示，大白鯊遷徙能力之強，可以從加州海岸往西遷徙數千英哩到夏威夷群島附近。相當厲害呢！
大白鯊是一般人對「食人鮫」的俗稱，牠可以說是海洋生物中最凶殘的魚類。電影「大白鯊」的驚險畫面，更是讓人對這種魚類避之唯恐不及。隨便普通一尾大白鯊的體重就超過1千公斤，身長可達7公尺以上。
最近，又有一尾長達4、5公尺的大白鯊成了新聞的主角。這一次，倒不是因為口裡有數牌「剛牙」的大白鯊又咬斷了誰的手腳，而是這尾重達7、8百公斤的大白鯊闖入了一個位於澳洲南部的鮪魚實驗場。
為了研究鮪魚進食的情形，澳洲科學家特地圍了2公尺高的電網在這個實驗場的周圍，科學家怎麼樣也想不透，這尾大白鯊是怎麼進來的，而且居然沒有被電傷。身旁游著一百隻肥滋滋的鮪魚，這尾大白鯊的心情應該十分愉悅，可是，這卻苦惱了實驗場的科學家。
想要保護實驗場裡的鮪魚，又不能傷害大白鯊，實驗人員只好把網子割破，用盡一切辦法引導這尾被列為野生保護動物的大白鯊離開。還好這個方法奏效，不請自來的大白鯊最後離開了鮪魚群。而等到大白鯊離開後，實驗人員清點了一下鮪魚的數量，結果發現還是少了兩尾。不過，想到大白鯊滿嘴寒森森的牙齒，這點損失還算小的咧！
◎（國際專版） 中文部分：誰是實行一夫一妻制的海馬最大的敵人？
編譯賴明芝
海馬是一種長相十分特別的「魚」。彎曲的頭部與身體呈現幾乎直角的外型，使之成名。就生物的分類上，海馬屬於硬骨魚綱海龍魚目海龍魚科海馬亞科的一屬。游泳的時候，海馬會把身體打的挺直，靠著擺動胸鰭和背鰭前進。比起其他魚類打橫著游的模樣，更顯趣味性。
基本上，海馬以浮游甲殼類為食。東南亞溫帶和熱帶淺水域中，有海草、紅樹林和珊瑚礁分佈的地方，都可以找到海馬的身影。也因此，這幾年人類破壞海洋生態，使得海馬的生存環境變得更惡劣了。擔心海馬生存問題的專家卻發現，海馬面臨的眾多威脅當中，最大的敵人卻是自己。
原因是，海馬過的是固定性生活，實行一夫一妻制。要解釋這個發現，還真的有點複雜。原來，海馬在中國傳統醫學中是種藥材。自古以來，不斷有人將知是為珍物而加以捕捉。碰上這幾年研究愛滋病解藥的科學家發現，海馬具有活血補身功效，可以加強人們抵抗力的特點，使得海馬身價更是大漲。
問題來了。海馬這種實行一夫一妻制的硬骨魚在面臨配偶遭到捕捉的命運後，對於找新的伴侶卻興趣缺缺。想到海馬稀奇的繁殖方式，這還了得！原來，海馬的下腹前方有個育兒囊，這是放卵、孵化及產子的地方，而且，只有雄性的海馬才有此器官。原來固定的性伴侶被抓了，雄海馬的育兒袋就裝不滿卵子，雌海馬的卵子也沒處裝了。
為了改善海馬面臨的危機，「愛爾蘭海馬」（Seahorse Ireland）這個生物科技公司花了不少心力。該機構表示，其目的在於藉由人工繁殖，來拯救因為藥材市場需求而喪命的海馬。使這個物種能夠順利延續下去。該公司產品管理人說，想要讓人們覺得人工繁殖的海馬是比較好的選擇。明年，國際貿易會有一道禁令，除非是人工繁殖的海馬，不得販售。如果能因此禁止漁民干擾在自然海域生活的海馬，達到保護海馬的效果，那也是不錯的。
受到SARS影響，今年不少畢業生都沒有畢業典禮、或是變成有點沒看頭的網路畢典。關於畢業典禮，您有沒有特別的回憶？特別的想法？特別的好點子辦畢業典禮？無論是曾在畢典後「算帳」、或是分手、報仇……歡迎您寫下難忘的畢業典禮與大家分享
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