翻译：鸟类甚众的北京，观鸟者却甚少

原文：Beijing has lots of birds, but few birdwatchers

Among the capitals of big economies, Beijing enjoys a surprising distinction. Despite its sometimes harsh weather and chronically polluted air, it hosts more spe­cies of birds than any other such city apart from Brasília. Remarkably, however, bird­ watching remains uncommon.

在大型经济体的首都中，北京享有不同凡响的地位。尽管被时不时的严酷天气和长期污染的空气侵袭，在除巴西利亚以外的其他首都城市中，它仍然栖息了最多样的鸟类。但即便如此，观鸟在这里依旧是一件不寻常的事情。

In many countries, birders play an im­portant role in spotting changes in bird populations and avian behaviour. A British enthusiast in Beijing, Terry Townshend, has recently set up a means of doing so without needing to stand for hours out­ doors. It involves a digital listening device, installed on the roof of a 15­-storey building in northern Beijing. For several months until mid­-November it recorded the night­ time calls of migratory birds flying above. The sounds will be used to identify night­ flying species, some of which are not com­monly seen overhead by day. The tech­nique has been used in America and Eu­rope, but Mr Townshend thinks this is its first known application in Asia.

在许多国家，观鸟者在辨识鸟类数量以及行为变化中发挥了重要作用。Terry Townshend 是一位待在北京的英国观鸟爱好者，他最近找到了一个不必花数小时在户外就能观鸟的方式。这主要依赖于一个数码监听设备，安装在北京北部一个 15 层高的楼顶上。到 11 月中旬的数月中，它记录下了不少候鸟在夜晚飞过上空时发出的叫声。这些声音将被用来确认鸟的种类，其中一些鸟在白天不易看到。这项技术已经应用于美国和欧洲，而 Townshend 先生认为这是它第一次在亚洲使用。

Such dedication is rare among ama­teurs. China has little history of birdwatch­ing. Only in the 19th century, led by West­ern ornithologists, did the scientific study of birds begin. Birdwatching as a pastime has emerged only in the past two decades, helped by rising incomes that have al­lowed people to buy spotting scopes, bin­oculars and cameras.

这种全情投入在业余爱好者中挺少见。中国观鸟活动的历史很短。直至 19 世纪，在西方鸟类学家的指导下，中国关于鸟类的科学研究才开始起步。而观鸟作为一种业余消遣活动的兴起，仅仅发生在过去二十年。这有赖于居民收入的提升，让一些人有足够的闲钱用来买（观鸟用的）鉴识望远镜、双筒望远镜和相机。

In other countries, enthusiasts have played a big role in drawing public atten­tion to human threats to birds. Chinese of­ficials sometimes pay attention to gentle recommendations about ways to improve the environment. But they frown on activ­ism. So harm caused to birds or their habi­tats can go unremarked. One British birder laments the recent draining of supposedly protected paddies by the Wenyu, a river in Beijing that had been a place of rest for about 200 migratory species.

在其他国家，公众意识到人类活动对鸟类形成的威胁，很大程度归功于观鸟爱好者们的活动。中国的官员们有时会留意一些关于环保的温和提议，但对环保激进主义不以为然。因此，人类对鸟及其栖息地的伤害并未被大众注意到。一位英国观鸟者为最近本应受温榆河保护的稻田被排干而感到惋惜。温榆河是北京的一条河流，有大约 200 种候鸟在此栖息。

Birdwatching groups in China mostly avoid campaigning. Many of their mem­bers stick to taking photographs and do not even bother with binoculars. There is, however, a small but growing number of local birders who closely monitor bird mi­gration. Mr Townshend’s listening device may provide other valuable insights. He plans to install more.

中国的观鸟群体大都避免参与社会运动。许多人坚持只拍照片，甚至不愿花费钱与精力购置双筒望远镜。尽管如此，仍有一小群本土观鸟者在紧密追踪候鸟的迁徙，他们的数量也在逐渐增加。Townshend 先生的监听设备可能对此提供了一些有价值的启发。他准备安装更多这样的设备。