CHINA DAILY

 

 

The area of the Yellow River Wetland Park in Yinchuan, capital of Ningxia Hui autonomous region, was once a place local people avoided: raw sewage caused awful smells and almost no grass could grow on the land.

宁夏回族自治区首府银川坐落着一座黄河湿地公园，当地人曾对这里避之唯恐不及：未经处理的污水散发出难闻的气味，地面上几乎寸草不生。

 

Now, the park has not only become a popular destination for locals to take a walk, but also a habitat frequented by migratory birds.

现在，不仅本地人常来这散步，候鸟也经常飞到这里，把公园当作栖息地。

 

As secretary-general of Ningxia’s bird observation association, Li Zhijun witnessed the huge changes at the park. According to him, the Yinchuan Wetland Park, together with other wetland areas along the Yellow River in Ningxia, has become a famous spot for bird photographers. More habitats for migratory birds are appearing as the environment improves, added Li in an interview with China Daily.

宁夏观鸟协会秘书长李志军见证了公园的巨大变化。据他介绍，银川湿地公园和宁夏黄河沿岸的其他湿地地区已经成为鸟类摄影师的“著名景点”。李志军在接受《中国日报》采访时补充说，随着环境的改善，候鸟的栖息地越来越多。

 

The Yinchuan Wetland Park is a microcosm of China’s achievements in wetland protection. On Nov 10, seven Chinese cities were awarded “international wetland cities” at the 14th Meeting of the Conference of the Contracting Parties to the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands (COP 14). So far, there are 13 wetland cities in China, showing a great variety of patterns and styles.

银川湿地公园是中国湿地保护成就的缩影。11月10日， 在《湿地公约》第十四届缔约方大会上，中国的7个城市被授予“国际湿地城市”称号。到目前为止，中国已有13座湿地城市，且呈现出各异的模式和风格。

 

For example, Wuhan, the capital city of Hubei province, is known as a “city of a hundred lakes”. The city has five large wetland reserves, where tens of thousands of birds come to stay in wintertime, noted the National Forestry and Grassland Administration.

例如，湖北省省会武汉素有“百湖之市”的美誉。国家林业和草原局介绍称，武汉市有五大湿地保护区，冬季时有数以万计的鸟类栖息于此。

 

Liangping district in Chongqing, however, is totally different from natural wetland. It is more closely tied to human activity. People built small wetlands in rural areas. What’s more, they have combined these wetlands with organic farms, homestays, and healthcare centers, which has resulted in an income increase of 52,000 yuan per household.

然而，重庆梁平区就与天然湿地完全不同，梁平的湿地与人类活动的关系更为密切。人们在农村地区打造小型湿地，更妙的是，大家将这些湿地与有机农场、民宿和疗养中心相结合，每户因此增加了5.2万元的收入。

 

Panjin in Liaoning province is another surprising wetland city. In the past, the city has long suffered from environmental problems caused by oil production. But now in the coastal wetlands, seagrass turns a breathtaking red every autumn, creating beautiful “red beaches”.

辽宁盘锦是另一座让人惊叹的湿地城市。过去，由于石油开采，盘锦长期受环境污染问题影响。但现在，沿海湿地的海草每年秋天都会变红，美得令人屏息，最终变成一片片美不胜收的“红海滩”。

 

Chen Zhihai, a local fishery worker, said to Panjin Daily, “In the past, there were almost no wild fish and shrimp. Thanks to the efforts of ordinary Panjin people, now the wetland is back again!”

当地渔业养殖户陈志海在接受《盘锦日报》采访时表示，“原先，周围野生鱼虾几乎绝迹。如今，在盘锦人的努力下，湿地又回来了!”

 

以上文章内容选自《21世纪学生英文报》高一888期