In November 2007, a ship bound for South Korea struck a tower supporting the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge. More than 53 ,000 gallons of oil were released into the San Francisco Bay. Then tides carried the engine fuel into the Pacific Ocean.
2007年11月，一艘驶往韩国的船只撞上了支撑旧金山-奥克兰湾桥的桥塔。超过5.3万加仑石油泄漏至旧金山湾。随后潮汐将发动机燃料带入太平洋。
The accident was the region's worst oil spill in many years, More than 50 beach areas had to close.
这是该地区多年来最严重的石油泄漏事故。50多处海滩区域被迫关闭。
One biologist said it was the kind of event that can “* push a species into extinction". This was not the cace. But the oil spill greatly harmed area wildlife, including birds and fish. It also disturbed the area's fishing industry for several years.
一位生物学家称，这类事件可能"促使物种走向灭绝"。这种情况虽未发生，但漏油事件严重损害了区域野生动物，包括鸟类和鱼类。它还使该地区渔业连续数年遭受困扰。
Environmentalists scrambled to save the bay's wildlife. Michael Ziccardi is the director of a wildlife care group. He said that more than 1 ,000 oil-soaked birds were taken to a treatment centre.
环保人士紧急动员拯救湾区野生动物。迈克尔·齐卡尔迪是一家野生动物保护组织的负责人。他表示有超过1000只被原油浸透的鸟类被送往治疗中心。
Most of the birds were sea ducks called surf scoters, They live on the water's surface. Ziccardi explained that the oil seeps into the birds’skin. This makes them unable to control their body temperature. It also forces them to move onto land, where they are at risk of starving. Fish, particularly Pacific herring, were also severely affected.
其中多数是名为斑头海番鸭的海鸭。它们栖息于水面。齐卡尔迪解释称原油会渗入鸟类皮肤，这使它们无法调节体温，同时迫使它们登陆，面临饥饿威胁。鱼类（特别是太平洋鲱鱼）也受到严重影响。
The spill happened a month before the start of their spawning season. That's when herring return from the ocean to the bay to lay their eggs. Scientists figure that 14 to 29 percent of the herring spawned that season was lost due to the oil spill.
泄漏事件发生在其产卵季开始前一个月。这个时期鲱鱼会从海洋返回海湾产卵。科学家估算该产卵季中14%至29%的鲱鱼因漏油事件而损失。
And almost no herring hatched in these areas. As a result , the bay's herring population from 2008 to 2009 was the lowest ever recorded.
这些区域几乎没有任何鲱鱼卵完成孵化。因此，2008至2009年湾区记录的鲱鱼数量创下历史最低值。
The ship's pilot pled guilty to carelessness. The companies that owned and operated the ship were fined. They had to pay more than $44 million. Most of the money was used for three purposes It helped restore areas affected by the spill, It improved wildlife habitats. And it upgraded recreational spaces around the bay.
该船引航员承认玩忽职守罪。船舶所属及运营公司被处以罚款。他们必须支付超过4400万美元。这笔资金主要用于三个领域：协助恢复受泄漏影响的区域；改善野生动物栖息地；升级湾区周边的休闲空间。
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In November 2007, a ship bound for South Korea struck a tower supporting the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge. More than 53 ,000 gallons of oil were released into the San Francisco Bay. Then tides carried the engine fuel into the Pacific Ocean.
The accident was the region's worst oil spill in many years, More than 50 beach areas had to close.
One biologist said it was the kind of event that can “* push a species into extinction". This was not the cace. But the oil spill greatly harmed area wildlife, including birds and fish. It also disturbed the area's fishing industry for several years.
Environmentalists scrambled to save the bay's wildlife. Michael Ziccardi is the director of a wildlife care group. He said that more than 1 ,000 oil-soaked birds were taken to a treatment centre.
Most of the birds were sea ducks called surf scoters, They live on the water's surface. Ziccardi explained that the oil seeps into the birds’skin. This makes them unable to control their body temperature. It also forces them to move onto land, where they are at risk of starving. Fish, particularly Pacific herring, were also severely affected.
The spill happened a month before the start of their spawning season. That's when herring return from the ocean to the bay to lay their eggs. Scientists figure that 14 to 29 percent of the herring spawned that season was lost due to the oil spill.
And almost no herring hatched in these areas. As a result , the bay's herring population from 2008 to 2009 was the lowest ever recorded.
The ship's pilot pled guilty to carelessness. The companies that owned and operated the ship were fined. They had to pay more than $44 million. Most of the money was used for three purposes It helped restore areas affected by the spill, It improved wildlife habitats. And it upgraded recreational spaces around the bay.