[The Guardian] Paw outcome? New Zealand council proposes banning all cats
Paw outcome? New Zealand council proposes banning all cats
A regional council in New Zealand has proposed banning all domestic cats in an attempt to protect native animals.
Environment Southland’s “pest plan” calls for all domestic cats in the region to be neutered, microchipped and registered. Then, when a cat dies, residents would not be permitted to have another.
Ali Meade, the council’s biosecurity operations manager, said that if the move was approved the improvement for the environment and bird life would be vast.
Omaui resident Nico Jarvis told the Otago Daily Times that she was shocked and planned a petition against the plan, She said that her three cats were the only way to combat a rodent problem in the area. “If I cannot have a cat, it almost becomes unhealthy for me to live in my house, ” she said.
Jarvis likened the plan to living in a “police state … It’s not even regulating people’s ability to have a cat. It’s saying you can’t have a cat.”
The move comes as New Zealand works on an ambitious goal to become predator-free by 2050. That plan is devoted to wiping out introduced species of rats, stoats and possums.
Economist turned parliamentary candidate Gareth Morgan has long proposed wiping out cats from New Zealand as a way to protect native species from what he called “natural born killers”.
- paw:(n) [pɔː] 爪子 back
-1. an animal’s foot that has nails or claw s 〔动物的〕爪子
a lion’s paw
-2. someone’s hand - used when you are annoyed or angry 〔某人的〕手〔用于不悦或生气时〕
Keep your filthy paws off me! 把你的脏爪子从我身上拿开！
- paw:(v)
-1. if an animal paws a surface, it touches or rubs one place several times with its paw. 用爪子[前足，蹄等]抓[触，扒，刨]
His horse pawed the ground. 他的马刨着地面.
[+ at]
The dog’s pawing at the door again - let him out. 那只狗又在扒门了——让它出去吧.
-2. to feel or touch someone in a rough or sexual way that is offensive. 〔粗鲁或放肆地〕摸弄
He’d had too much to drink and started pawing me.
- council:(n) [‘kaʊns(ə)l; -sɪl] 地方议会 back
-1. a group of people that are chosen to make rules, laws or decisions, or to give advice. 委员会；理事会
the council for civil liberties. 公民自由委员会
the UN Security Council 联合国安全理事会
-2. the organization that is responsible for local government in a particular area in Britain. 〔英国地方政府的〕政务委员会，地方议会
local council elections. 地方议会选举.
He sent a letter to the council to complain about the noise. 他给地方议会寄了封信去投诉噪音问题.
County/District/City etc Council
Northampton Borough Council 北安普顿自治镇议会
council leader/officer/worker etc 地方议会领袖/官员/工作人员等
council chamber/offices 地方议会会议厅/办公室
-3. a group of people elected to the government of a city in the US. 〔美国的〕市议会
the Los Angeles city council 洛杉矶市议会
- ban:(v) [bæn] 禁止 back
to say that something must not be done, seen, used etc. 禁止，取缔
Smoking is banned in the building. 大楼内禁止吸烟.
ban sb from doing sth
Charlie’s been banned from driving for a year. Charlie 被禁驾一年.
a banned substance/drug (= a drug that people competing in a sport are not allowed to take because it improves their performance) 〔体育竞技〕违禁药品
- ban:(n)
an official order that prevents something from being used or done. 禁止，禁令
a call to lift the ban on homosexuals in the military. 要求取消军中严禁同性恋的呼声
[+ on ]
a total ban on cigarette advertising. 香烟广告的全面禁止
a complete/total ben 彻底禁止
They are seeking a complete ban on nuclear testing. 他们在寻求彻底禁止核试验.
an international/worldwide/global ban 国际禁令；全球范围内的禁止
an international ban on trade in endangered species. 国际濒危物种贸易禁令
a lifetime ban 终身禁止
He faces a lifetime ban from athletics. 他面临终身禁赛的处罚.
an export/import ban 出口/进口禁令
The export ban on live cattle was brought in some years ago. 活牛出口禁令是几年前实施的.
- domestic:(a) [də’mestɪk] 馴養的, 家庭的 back
-1. relating to family relationships and life at home 家庭的；家事的.
Unfortunately his domestic life wasn’t very happy. 不幸的是，他的家庭生活并不幸福.
families that can afford domestic help. 请得起人帮忙做家务的家庭
an organization that supports women facing domestic violence. 对面临家庭暴力的妇女提供援助的组织.
domestic tasks/chores/responsibilities etc
Nowadays there is more sharing of domestic chores. 如今分担家务已变得更为常见了.
-2. used in people’s homes 家用的
a new tax on domestic fuel. 对家用燃料征收的一种新税
-3. relating to or happending in one particular country and not involving any other countries. 国内的，本国的
domestic market/economy/demand etc
the booming domestic economy 迅速增长的国内经济.
US foreign and domestic policy 美国的对外及对内政策
our nation’s domestic affairs. 我国的内政.
- in an attempt to: 試圖, 力圖 back
They are meeting in London in an attempt to reach a compromise. 他們將在倫敦舉行會談, 試圖達成妥協.
Two factories were closed in an attempt to cut costs. 為了削減開支, 兩家工廠關門了.
- pest:(n) [pest] 害蟲 back
-1. a small animal or insect that destorys crops or food supplies. 〔毁坏庄稼或食物的〕有害小动物；害虫
a chemical used in pest control. 用于防治虫害的一种化学品
-2. an annoying person, especially a child. 令人讨厌的人〔尤指孩子〕
- neuter:(v) [‘njuːtə] 阉割 back
-1. to remove part of the sex organs of an animal so that it cannot produce babies. 阉割〔动物〕
a neutered tomcat 被阉割的公猫
-2. to remove power from something or to stop something from being effective - used to show disapproval. 使失去作用，使丧失效力〔含贬义〕
Plans to reform local government are designed to neuter local democracy. 改革地方政府的计划旨在压制地方民主.
- neuter:(a) 〔名词、代词等〕中性的
a neuter noun, pronoun etc belongs to a class of words that have different inflections from masculine or feminine words. 〔名词、代词等〕中性的
- microchipped: 植入晶片 back
They have been microchipped to enable ongoing monitoring. 它们还被植入晶片，以便人们能够一直监测它们的情况.
- vast:(a) [vɑːst] 大量的 back
-1. extremely large. 巨大的；广大的；广阔的
The refugees come across the border in vast numbers. 大量难民涌过边境.
In the past five years, there has been a vast improvement in graduation rates. 过去的五年内，毕业率大幅度提高
vast amounts/numbers/quantities/sums etc (of sth)
The government will have to borrow vast amounts of money. 政府将不得不借用巨额资金.
vast areas/expanses/tracts etc (of sth)
vast areas of rainforest 大片大片的雨林.
-2. the vast majority (of sth)
used when you want to emphasize that something is true about almost all of a group of people or things. (…的)绝大多数
The vast majority of books on the subject are complete rubbish. 有关这一话题的绝大多数书籍都是一派胡言.
- petition:(n) [pɪ’tɪʃ(ə)n] 請願書 back
-1. a written request signed by a lot of people, asking someone in authority to do something or change something. 请愿（书）
Local residents have drwan up a petition to protest the hospital closure. 当地居民已草拟了一份请愿书，抗议关闭医院.
[+ for/against ]
a petition against the new road 反对修筑新路的请愿.
The wanted me to sign a petition against experiments on animals. 他们想让我在一份反对用动物做实验的请愿书上签名.
-2. an official letter to law court, asking for a legal case to be considered 诉状.
[+ for ]
She is threatening to file a petition for divorce. 她在威胁说要提出离婚诉讼.
-3. a formal prayer or request to someone in authority or to God. 正式请求；祈求；祈祷
- petition:(v)
-1. to ask the government or an organization to do something by sending them a petition. 〔向政府或组织〕请愿，请求
petition sb to do sth
Villagers petitioned the local authority to provide better bus services. 村民请愿要求地方当局提供更好的公共汽车服务.
[+ against/for ]
Residents are petition against the new road. 居民们正在请愿抗议修建那条新路.
-2. to make a formal request to someone in authority, to a court of law, or to God. 〔向当权者、法庭或上帝〕正式请求；祈求；祈祷
More and more couples are petitioning for divorce. 申请离婚的夫妻越来越多.
- rodent:(n) [‘rəʊd(ə)nt] 啮齿动物 back
any small animal of the type that has long sharp front teeth, such as a rat or a rabbit. 啮齿动物〔如老鼠、兔子〕.
- regulate:(v) [‘regjʊleɪt] 控制, 管理 back
-1. to control an activity or process, especially by rules. 〔尤指通过规章〕控制，管理
strict rules regulating the use of chemicals in food. 限制化学品在食物中使用的严格规定
-2. to make a machine or your body work at a particular speed, temperature etc. 调整，校准，调节
People sweat to regulate their body heat. 人出汗以调节体温.
- ambitious:(a) 野心勃勃的 [æm’bɪʃəs] back
-1. determined to be successful, rich, powerful etc 有抱负的，有雄心的；野心勃勃的
Alfred was intensely ambitious, obsessed with the idea of becoming rich. Alfred 雄心勃勃，一心想着发财.
[+ for ]
mothers who are highly ambitious for their children (= who want their children to be successful) 望子成龙的母亲
-2. an ambitious plan, idea etc shows a desire to do something good but difficult. 〔计划、想法等〕宏大的，艰巨的
an ambitious engineering project. 宏伟的工程项目
an over-ambitious health reform program. 冒进的医疗改革计划
predator-free:(phrasal) 沒有食肉動物 [‘predətə] back
predator:(n) 食肉动物
-1. an animal that kills and eats other animals. 掠食动物，捕食性动物
-2. someone who tries to use another person’s weakness to get advantages. 利用别人的弱点谋取利益的人，损人利己的人
a sexual predator 性侵犯者
- devoted:(v) [dɪ’vəʊt] 致力於 back
-1. to use all or most of your time, effort etc in order to do something or help someone. 致力，献身，倾注
devote your time/energy/attention etc to sth
He devoted his energies to writing films. 他致力于电影剧本的创作.
devote yourslef to sth
She devoted herself full-time to her business. 她把全部时间都倾注在生意上.
In everyday English, people usually say put time/energy etc into something rather than devote time/energy etc to something.
He put a lot of time into the project. 他在这个项目上投入了大量时间
-2. to use a particular area, period of time, or amount of space for a specific purpose. 把…用于
devote sth to sth
The meeting will be devoted to health and safety issues. 这次会议将专门讨论健康和安全问题.
- wipe out:(phrasal verb) [waɪp] 消滅, 徹底摧毀 back
To wipe out something such as a place or a group of people or animals means to destory them completely. 摧毁; 使灭绝
Experts say if the island is not protected, the spill could wipe out the gulf’s turtle population. 专家们说如果那座小岛得不到保护，此次泄露有可能使该海湾地区的海龟灭绝.
- species:(n) [‘spiːʃiːz; -ʃɪz; ‘spiːs-] [生物] 物种 back
a group of animals or plants whose members are similar and can breed together to produce young animals or plants. 〔动植物的〕物种，种
Seven species of birds of prey have been observed. 已有七种猛禽被观察到.
pandas and other endangered species 熊猫以及其他濒危物种
- stoat:(n) [stəʊt] 白鼬 back
- possum:(n) [‘pɒsəm] 袋貂 back