段落A

In my view, it is perfectly possible for many species of animals living in zoos or wildlife parks to have a quality of life as high as, or higher than, in the wild. Animals in good zoos get a varied and high-quality diet with all the supplements required, and any illnesses they might have will be treated. Their movement might be somewhat restricted, but they have a safe environment in which to live, and they are spared bullying and social ostracism by others of their kind. They do not suffer from the threat or stress of predators, or the irritation and pain of parasites or injuries. The average captive animal will have a greater life expectancy compared with its wild counterpart, and will not die of drought, of starvation or in the jaws of a predator. A lot of very nasty things happen to truly ‘wild’ animals that simply don’t happen in good zoos, and to view a life that is ‘free’ as one that is automatically ‘good’ is, I think, an error. Furthermore, zoos serve several key purposes.

在我看来，许多生活在动物园或野生动物公园的动物种类都有可能享受与野外生活一样高甚至更高的生活质量。良好动物园的动物会得到多样化和高质量的饮食，以及所需的所有补充剂，任何可能患病的动物都会得到治疗。它们的活动可能会受到一定程度的限制，但它们生活在一个安全的环境中，不会遭受其他同类动物的欺凌和社会排斥。它们不会遭受来自捕食者的威胁或压力，也不会受到寄生虫或受伤的烦恼和疼痛。与野外同类相比，平均驯养动物的寿命更长，不会死于干旱、饥饿或被捕食者的噬食。对于真正的“野生”动物来说，会发生很多非常恶劣的事情，而这些事情在良好的动物园中根本不会发生。认为“自由”生活就一定是“好”的生活，我认为是错误的。此外，动物园还有几个关键目的。

段落B

Firstly, zoos aid conservation. Colossal numbers of species are becoming extinct across the world, and many more are increasingly threatened and therefore risk extinction. Moreover, some of these collapses have been sudden, dramatic and unexpected, or were simply discovered very late in the day. A species protected in captivity can be bred up to provide a reservoir population against a population crash or extinction in the wild. A good number of species only exist in captivity, with many of these living in zoos. Still more only exist in the wild because they have been reintroduced from zoos, or have wild populations that have been boosted by captive bred animals. Without these efforts there would be fewer species alive today. Although reintroduction successes are few and far between, the numbers are increasing, and the very fact that species have been saved or reintroduced as a result of captive breeding proves the value of such initiatives.

首先，动物园有助于保护。全球范围内有大量物种濒临灭绝，更多物种面临着日益威胁，因此有濒危的风险。此外，一些物种的灭绝是突然、戏剧性且意外的，或者是在非常晚的时候才被发现的。在囚禁中受到保护的物种可以被繁殖，以提供对野外种群崩溃或灭绝的保护。许多物种只存在于囚禁中，其中许多生活在动物园中。还有更多的物种之所以存在于野外，是因为它们已经被从动物园重新引入，或者野外种群已经得到囚禁动物的增加。如果没有这些努力，今天活着的物种将会更少。尽管重新引入的成功案例寥寥无几，但数量正在增加，囚禁繁殖的动物已经被拯救或重新引入，这一事实证明了这些举措的价值。

段落C

Zoos also provide education. Many children and adults, especially those in cities, will never see a wild animal beyond a fox or pigeon. While it is true that television documentaries are becoming ever more detailed and impressive, and many natural history specimens are on display in museums, there really is nothing to compare with seeing a living creature in the flesh, hearing it, smelling it, watching what it does and having the time to absorb details. That alone will bring a greater understanding and perspective to many, and hopefully give them a greater appreciation for wildlife, conservation efforts and how they can contribute.

动物园还提供教育。许多儿童和成年人，尤其是城市中的人，永远不会看到野外的动物，除了狐狸或鸽子。尽管电视纪录片变得越来越详细和令人印象深刻，许多自然历史标本在博物馆里展出，但确实没有什么可以与亲眼看到活生生的生物、听到它、闻到它、观察它的行为和有时间吸收细节相比。这将使许多人有更深的理解和视角，希望他们对野生动物、保护工作以及他们如何贡献有更大的欣赏。

段落D

In addition to this, there is also the education that can take place in zoos through signs, talks and presentations which directly communicate information to visitors about the animals they are seeing and their place in the world. This was an area where zoos used to be lacking, but they are now increasingly sophisticated in their communication and outreach work. Many zoos also work directly to educate conservation workers in other countries, or send their animal keepers abroad to contribute their knowledge and skills to those working in zoos and reserves, thereby helping to improve conditions and reintroductions all over the world.

此外，动物园还可以通过标识、讲话和演讲进行教育，直接向参观者传达有关动物及其在世界上的地位的信息。这曾经是动物园的一个缺点，但现在它们在沟通和外展工作方面变得越来越复杂。许多动物园还直接致力于教育其他国家的保护工作者，或者派遣他们的动物管理员到国外，为那些在动物园和保护区工作的人贡献他们的知识和技能，从而帮助改善全球各地的条件和重新引入工作。

段落E

Zoos also play a key role in research. If we are to save wild species and restore and repair ecosystems we need to know about how key species live, act and react. Being able to undertake research on animals in zoos where there is less risk and fewer variables means real changes can be effected on wild populations. Finding out about, for example, the oestrus cycle of an animal or its breeding rate helps us manage wild populations. Procedures such as capturing and moving at-risk or dangerous individuals are bolstered by knowledge gained in zoos about doses for anaesthetics, and by experience in handling and transporting animals. This can make a real difference to conservation efforts and to the reduction of human-animal conflicts, and can provide a knowledge base for helping with the increasing threats of habitat destruction and other problems.

动物园还在研究中起着关键作用。如果我们要拯救野生物种并恢复和修复生态系统，我们需要了解关键物种的生活、行为和反应。能够在动物园进行研究，其中风险较小，变量较少，意味着真正可以对野生种群产生影响。了解例如动物的发情周期或繁殖率这样的信息，有助于我们管理野生物种群。例如，在动物园获得关于麻醉剂剂量的知识，以及在处理和运输动物方面的经验，可以加强类似捕捉和移动处于危险或危险的个体的程序。这可以对保护工作产生真正影响，并减少人与动物的冲突，并为帮助应对日益增加的栖息地破坏和其他问题提供知识基础。

段落F

In conclusion, considering the many ongoing global threats to the environment, it is hard for me to see zoos as anything other than essential to the long-term survival of numerous species. They are vital not just in terms of protecting animals, but as a means of learning about them to aid those still in the wild, as well as educating and informing the general population about these animals and their world so that they can assist or at least accept the need to be more environmentally conscious. Without them, the world would be, and would increasingly become, a much poorer place.