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Florida's Three Sisters Springs got a little crowded this week when more than 300 manatees swam quickly into the springs, prompting park officials to close the springs to human swimmers and kayakers. |
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佛羅里達的三姐妹泉本週變得有點擁擠了，原因是三百多頭海牛迅速游入泉內，促使公園主管單位禁止人類泳客與獨木舟客進入。 |
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Up to 600 manatees winter in Florida Kings Bay and Crystal River from November to March, but the population drops to 30 manatees for the rest of the year. |
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有多達六百頭海牛會在十一月到三月到佛羅里達的國王灣與水晶河過冬，但海牛數目在其他時間會減少到三十頭。 |
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The warm waters of Three Sisters Springs, part of Crystal River National Wildlife Refuge, allow manatees to live safely during the winter months, when the open waters can get dangerously cold for the gentle mammals. |
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三姐妹泉位在水晶河國家野生動物保護區裡，溫暖的泉水可讓海牛在冬季月份期間安全棲息，因為開放水域對於這種溫和的哺乳類動物而言可能會冷到造成危害。 |
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About 80 miles north of Tampa, it's also a popular place for visitors to see and swim with the manatees. |
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這裡位於坦帕以北約八十英里處，也是遊客前來觀看海牛以及與海牛共泳的熱門景點。 |
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Three Sisters Springs is the only "confined-water body in the United States" open for the public to see wintering manatees, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, which manages Three Sisters Springs for the city of Crystal River and the state. |
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三姐妹泉是唯一一個開放大眾觀賞過冬海牛的「美國境內封閉水域」，為水晶河市與佛州管理三姐妹泉的美國魚類及野生動物管理局表示。 |
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Though the springs closed Monday and reopened Tuesday, the refuge's policy is to close them again as needed. |
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三姐妹泉雖在週一關閉，週二又重新開放了，但該保護區的政策是必要的時候會再次關閉。 |
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Noting increasing manatee harassment at the springs since 1979, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has been considering a policy to restrict access to the manatees during the winter months. |
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美國魚類及野生動物管理局注意到從一九七九年以來三姐妹泉區有愈來愈多海牛遭侵擾的情況發生，因此一直在考慮於冬季月份期間實施限制遊客接近海牛的政策。 |
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"Swimming with manatees is a tremendous experience, and I know that when done properly, everyone benefits," said Andrew Gude, who manages Crystal River National Wildlife Refuge, as well as Lower Suwannee, Cedar Keys and Chassahowitzka National Wildlife Refuges, in a December statement. |
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"It is the experience of a lifetime." |
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「與海牛共泳是一種非常棒的體驗，而且我知道，如果處理得宜，大家都受益，」水晶河國家野生動物保護區暨下薩旺尼河、錫達礁與查薩霍維茨卡國家野生動物保護區的主管安德魯．古德在一份十二月發布的聲明中表示：「這是一種畢生難得的體驗。」 |
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Though swimmers and snorkelers protested the move, many day trippers have preferred to admire the animals from afar. |
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The manatees' tendency to defecate where they live can make the waters unsanitary for human swimming. |
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儘管泳客和浮潛人士對此舉表達抗議，許多單日遊客卻都寧可在遠處觀賞這些動物。由於海牛會在自己的棲息地排便，因此人類在該水域游泳可能不衛生。 |
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