经济学人下载:有翅膀的恶魔 沿海居民的梦魇

Britain
英国

The War on Seagulls: Fighting Them on the Beaches.
海鸥之战：海滩阻击战

Seaside towns are in a flat about belligerent birds
海边小镇正对这种好战的鸟类严阵以待。

SAVOURING the moment before the first bite of a pasty on a beautiful sunny day, Pamela, a holidaymaker, gazed across Porthgwidden beach in St Ives, on the Cornish coast.
在一个阳光明媚的日子，一个名为帕梅拉的度假者来到康沃尔海岸，她凝视圣艾夫斯的波斯唯登沙滩，正尽情享受馅饼入口之前的这一刻

She didn’t see the seagull until it was too late.
当她看到海鸥的时候为时已晚。

The bird missed the pasty but took a chunk out of her hand.
海鸥没咬到馅饼，却咬掉了她手上的肉。

Blood poured down her arm and the seagull squawked away.
鲜血顺着她的手臂涌出，海鸥叫着飞走了。

Seagull attacks are a big problem in coastal settlements, where about a tenth of Britons live.
海鸥的袭击在沿海的居住区是个严重的问题，而有约十分之一的英国人都在沿海地区生活。

Politicians want change.
政治家们想改变现状。

On February 7th Oliver Colvile, MP for Plymouth, Sutton and Devonport, led a debate in Parliament about the menace.
2月7日，普利茅斯萨顿和德文波特选区的国会议员奥利弗·克维拉在议会上发起了一场关于海鸥威胁的辩论。

MPs shared their horror stories.
国会议员们分享了他们一个个恐怖的故事。

John Woodcock, who represents Barrow and Furness on the north-west coast, spoke of the “blighted and besieged people” of his embattled constituency.
位于西北海岸的巴罗和弗内斯的代表约翰·伍德科克谈到了他被海鸥围困的选区中饱受摧残、深陷困扰的人们。

It is difficult to fight back against the feathered fiends.
抵抗这些有羽毛的恶魔是非常艰难的。

All species of gull are protected, making a widespread cull impossible.
所有的鸥类物种都是被保护的，因此进行大规模的限量捕杀是不可能的。

Yet polls suggest that most Britons—normally a sentimental bunch when it comes to animals—would like the legislation changed.
虽然英国人在涉及到动物问题时一般都多愁善感，但是民意调查却显示大部分的英国人希望通过修改立法。

Brexiteers point out that, after leaving the EU, Britain will be able to set more bloodthirsty conservation policies.
脱欧支持者们指出，在脱离欧盟之后，英国政府就能够设立更多比较残忍的保护政策。

Those in the know see little point in a cull, however.
然而，那些知情人士却对限量捕杀不以为然。

Among them is Ron Tulley, a local councillor in St Ives, where giant, beady-eyed gulls saunter down the main drag.
其中包括罗恩·塔里，他是圣艾夫斯的地方政务委员会委员，而在圣艾夫斯的主要街道上就有体型巨大、眼睛锐利的海鸥休闲漫步。

In July a girl was airlifted to hospital after plunging off a harbour wall when a seagull swooped for her ice-cream.
在七月份，一只海鸥从天上俯冲而下啄食一个女孩的冰淇淋，导致女孩从海港的堤岸护边上跌落，是救援飞机将她送至医院的。

Mr Tulley nonetheless argues that localised culls would not solve the problem.
即便如此，塔里仍称局部的限量捕杀并不能解决问题。

Seagulls would continue to be attracted by the throngs of people eating pasties and chips.
吃馅饼和薯条的庞大人群会继续诱惑着海鸥。

At this time of year up to 750,000 herring gulls (the archetypal seagull) circle over Britain, so a nationwide cull would be costly.
每年的这个时候，多达七十五万只鲭鸥（通常的海鸥品种）在英国盘旋，所以全国范围内的限量捕杀成本高昂。

Seaside towns can wage war in subtler ways.
海边小镇可以以更微妙的方式对付海鸥。

Rubbish in the streets is sure to attract the birds.
大街上的垃圾必然会吸引鸟类。

Putting coloured bunting up, or fitting spikes to buildings, deters them.
立起鲜艳的旗帜和给建筑安上尖钉阻止了它们乱翻垃圾。

But council budgets are tight.
但委员会预算紧张。

Per-person spending by Cornwall’s local government has fallen by about a fifth since 2009, squeezing spending on the environment and refuse.
康沃尔地方政府的人均支出自2009年以来已经下降了约五分之一，这压缩了用于环境治理和废弃物处理的经费。

More money looks unlikely to arrive, so tourists will have to stay alert.
获得更多的资金来保障安全是不太可能了，所以游客将不得不保持警惕。

Seagulls like to approach from behind, which means no more fish and chips with your feet dangling over the harbourside—but at least no nasty surprises.
海鸥喜欢从人身后靠近，这就意味着坐在港口双脚闲晃时再不能吃炸鱼和薯条了，但是这样至少能避免引来令人讨厌的“惊喜“。