Analysis an Article (Translation Assignment)
Words by Sarah Curran, photos by Stephen
Wong & Takako Uno.
The annual
battle for the fate of the world’s whales
continues in the Southern Ocean. After more than 200 years of slaughter, isn’t it time
they were finally free ?
“WHY IT IS CALLED
the right whale?” our skipper asked. I’d heard the answer before. Every time I
hear it a shiver runs down my spine. “I was considered by early whalers to be the right whale to kill,”
he continued. “It floated well, yielded lots
of oil, and came close to shore.” A grisly explanation for so mundane a moniker, and for such an inoffensive
and passive giant.
In the
1790s the first Southern right whale was killed off Australia’s south
coast. This single act marked the start of an incessant slaughter that was to
continue for at least the next 150 years. With such murderous success,
whalers brought the species lurching
toward extinction. From an original global estimate of more than 100,000
southern right whales, a mere 7,000 survive today.
SOUTHERN
OCEAN WHALING
I stared out
at the limitless expanse of the
great Southern Ocean, gentle as it was on this day. A lone albatross skimmed
its own glassy reflection at the surface. Its appearance was a reminder that
despite the sunshine, despite the calm, this was a serious ocean: hostile,
unforgiving, and with memories of
great suffering.
We left the
tiny village of Augusta on Australia’s southwest coast and made our way out in
the hope of seeing at least the hazy spray of a blow from one of the world’s
largest and most majestic creatures,
the southern right whale. “We saw a half dozen
yesterday,” our skipper said. The history and plight of right whales is as
relevant today as it ever was; perhaps more so, as the world sees an unprecedented
push by pro whaling nations, led by
Japan, to resume the bloody days of
whaling.
Since the
birth of whaling, an estimated 26,000 southern right whales have been
killed in Australia and New Zealand, though this is undoubtedly a low estimate.
Whale catches we largely recorded in
terms of barrels of oil rather than
actual numbers of animals, and
piecing together accurate catch rates
from old poorly kept logbooks is
impossible. Such figures also didn’t
take into account calves that were
slaughter in the process, or starved without the protection and nurture of
their mothers.
The species
was so numerous in 1804 in Tasmania
in Tasmania’s Derwent River that early whalers complained the whales were a
hazard to small boats moving up and down
the waterways. By 1844, with the
advent of steam powered vessels and more
affective harpoons, the southern
right whale fishery was no longer economically viable – it had, by all accounts, reached the very edge of
extinction. But it wasn’t until 1935 that southern right whales were given
protection by the League of Nations, although numerous and frequent poaching
was commonplace. Russian whalers, for example, admitted to taking more than
3,000 whalers illegally during the 1960s, though they’d officially reported
a total take of only four.
A call from
the stern: “there she blows,” shouted a cheerful American. To our left the
distinctive V-shaped blow lifted about five meters from the water’s surface. As it breached, the head was
un mistakable. Right whales, whether from the northern or southern hemispheres, are covered with callosities; these patterns can be used by scientists
to identify and track individual whales.
There was a
little calf, an exact copy of its enormous mother. Southern rights are
large, dwarfed only by their cousins the mighty blue whale. At an enormous 18m
in length and weighing up to 60 tonnes,
they are a humbling spectacles. Next
to its mom, the little one-year-old calf probably weighed well over a
tone. That their gestation lasts for one year, can take up 12 years to mature,
and then give birth only every three to five years has hampered the southern
rights’ recovery, leaving the population ominously small.
The pair moved
slowly parallel to the boat, and I saw how this characteristic gentle amble through the world’s oceans has been part of their downfall.
That they were so easy to pursue in early whaling boats was one of the great
advantages to whalers.
UP CLOSE AND
PERSONAL
In the days of
whaling, the world’s right whales were considered to be one single population
moving north through the oceans. As science developed, morphological factors such as skull shape indicated
there were, in fact, not two but three separate species. Two species –
the Atlantic and the Pacific right whales – are found only in the northern
hemisphere, while the southern right whales live exclusively in the waters of the remote Southern Ocean.
Its now known these species never swim into the warmer tropical waters to meet,
as was once thought. They are separate and distinct species that have not
interbred for between three and 12 million years.
We were
suddenly and quite unexpectedly surrounded by a pod of southern right whales
and their calves. The still Southern Ocean and the rugged coastline of Augusta
couldn’t have provided a better backdrop. The entire boat was silent for a
few moments until a small child
broke the spell as a large whale approached the motionless vessel.
I could feel
the boat list as everyone rushed to the stern to get in as close as possible.
“How close would it come?” a lady asked me. Without waiting for any response
she lined up on the stern, her camera pointing seaward. The whale surfaced
slightly and disappeared under the boat, only to appear moments later on the
other side to the delight of the spectators.
There was complete silence once more as everyone held their breaths. Nervous whispers followed. “It’s over here,” from the portside. “No, here”
from the stern. And then with an unexpected rush of water the whale’s head
surfaced, nudging the side of the boat.
The boat
rocked. Those hanging over the barrier withdrew in shock. This creature was
almost the size of our vessel and I had no reservations
that it could, if it so wished, tip us over or at least have a fighting chance
of doing so. The skipper looked concerned. “That’s not usual,” he muttered into
the microphone, “so I’ll move away from this particularly curious individual.”
Strict
guidelines control whale watching in Australia and the skipper was as much
concerned for the whale as for his passengers.
It was too late: The whale was back and apparently enjoying the tiny creatures
snapping away above, and screeching with glee at the close encounter. Looking
around I counted eight whales plus our curious friend as the skipper
tried to put some distance between us. The lady next to me stood, shaking her
head and smiling. “It’s unbelievable, truly unbelievable,” she said, as we
pointed bow toward shore and headed home.
LONG ROAD TO
RECOVERY
The southern
right whales is making a slow recovery in the Southern Ocean. With increasing
pressure from boat strikes,
accidental capture in nets, pollution,
climate changed, and the strongest calls
yet to resume commercial whaling, their fate – and the fate of other whales
around the world – is again in question. Their northern right whale cousins have not fared so well and are
already on the slippery road to extinction, according to scientists. American
whalers all but totally annihilated their populations;
illegal whaling by the Soviets in the last century only halted the recovery.
They are considered among the most endangered species in the world.
Japan’s
whaling fleet continued this year with its annual whaling programme in the
Southern Ocean and its self-imposed catch quotas. Under the banner of
“scientific whaling,” Japan claims
it intends to provide enough evidence on healthy whale populations to justify a
return to commercial whaling. Anti whaling advocates
object that information can be gathered
by nonfatal methods, and that their
scientific programme is nothing but a guise for the real business of commercial whaling. The political battle between pro
whaling and anti whaling nations looks likely to continue, as do the yearly standoffs between the whalers and their
old adversaries Sea Shepherd and
Greenpeace.
This year’s
frontline actions called for
diplomacy from Australia. Increasingly frustrated by Japan, which will not
recognize Australia’s jurisdiction in the Southern Ocean and cease whaling, an
Australian customs vessel intervened
to rescue two hostages when
activist boarding the whaling vessel, Yishin Maru, were captured by crew.
Whether you agree with such frontline tactics
or not, such groups keep the
issue firmly in the media, and on the political agenda.
At last year’s
International Whaling Commission (IWC) meeting in Alaska, Japan announced its
plans to resume hunting humpback whales and threatened to leave the IWC. If
Japan leaves the IWC it would only widen the divide and isolate Japan even
more from the growing anti whaling nations that see resumption of whaling
as a moral rather than an economics decision. This year’s hunt included quotas for 935 minke, 50 endangered fin
whales, and the controversial humpback whale hunt in an area internationally
recognized as the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary.
Humpback
whales have been protected since the mind-1960s, and Japan’s decision caused a
tidal wave of disapproval across the world. So great was the response that
Japan withdrew its plans for the kill. No such luck for the minke and fin
whales that are still on the menu.
That the
world’s great whales continue to suffer more than a few camera flashes at our hands remains one of
the saddest and most tragic legacies
in human history. What we must decide is, Are we prepared to repeat history?
With technology at our fingertips,
it’s unlikely any whale population will survive a 21st century
onslaught.
ENGLISH
SYNTAX :
1.
More than 200 years : Quantifier
2.
200 years : Cardinal Number
3.
The 1960s : Cardinal Number
4.
The next 150 years :
Cardinal Number
5.
100,000 southern right whales : Cardinal Number
6.
A mere 7,000 survive : Cardinal Number
7.
One of the world’s largest :
One of the
8.
An estimated 26,000 : Cardinal Number
9.
More affective : Quantifier
10.
All accounts : Quantifier
11.
3,000 whalers : Cardinal Number
12.
About five meters :
Cardinal Number
13.
A little calf :
Quantifier
14.
The little one year old calf :
Quantifier
15.
One of the great advantages : One of the
16.
Two species : Cardinal Number
17.
12 million years : Cardinal Number
18.
A few moments : Quantifier
19.
Any response : Quantifier
20.
Much concerned :
Quantifier
21.
I counted eight whales : Cardinal Number
22.
Rescue two hostages : Cardinal Number
23.
Even more from :
Quantifier
24.
A few camera flashes : Quantifier
25.
One of the saddest :
One of the
26.
A 21st century :
Cardinal Number
PLURAL NOUNS
:
1. Years :
Type 11, because the basis from year, this word ending in ‘s’ is used chiefly
as plurals.
2.
Lots of :
Type 9, because no plural is used for noncountable words.
3.
Explanation :
Type 9, because no plural is used for noncountable words.
4.
Species :
Type 7, because the singular has the same form as the plural. (species-species)
5. Memories :
Type 2, because the basis word from memory, the final ‘y’ is changed to ‘i’ and
‘es’ is added.
6. Limitless :
Type 9, because no plural is used for noncountable words.
7. Catches :
Type 1, because the basis word from catch, after a sibilant sound spelled ‘ch’,
‘es’ is added.
8. Figures :
Type 10, because the basis word from figure, this word ending in ‘s’ is
singular noncountable nouns.
9.
Dozen :
Type 6, because the plural has the same form as the singular.
10. Nations :
Type 11, because the basis word from nation, this word ending in ‘s’ is used chiefly as plurals.
11. Animals :
Type 11, because the basis word from animal, this word ending in ‘s’ is used chiefly
as plurals.
12. Waterways :
Type 2, because the basis word from waterway, the final ‘y’ is preceded by a vowel
and no change is made.
13.
Spectacles :
Type 11, because in this group are words for items that have two parts.
14.
Characteristic : Type 9, because no plural is
used for noncountable words.
15. Advantages :
Type 10, because the basis word from advantage, this word ending in ‘s’ is singular
noncountable nouns.
16.
Waters :
Type 10, because the basis word from water, this word ending in ‘s’ is singular
noncountable nouns.
17.
Breaths :
Type 10, because the basis word from breath, this word ending in ‘s’ is
singular noncountable nouns.
18. Passengers :
Type 11, because the basis word from passenger, this word ending in ‘s’ is used
chiefly as plurals.
19.
Pollution :
Type 9, because no plural is used for noncountable words.
20. Cousins :
Type 11, because the basis word from cousin, this word ending in ‘s’ is used chiefly
as plurals.
21.
Populations :
Type 11, because the basis word from population, this word ending in ‘s’ is used
chiefly as plurals.
22.
Information :
Type 9, because no plural is used for noncountable words.
23.
Business :
Type 9, because no plural is used for noncountable words.
24.
Adversaries :
Type 2, because the basis word from adversary, the final ‘y’ is changed to ‘I’ and
‘es’ is added.
25.
Customs :
Type 10, because the basis word from custom, this word ending in ‘s’ is singular
noncountable nouns.
26.
Groups :
Type 11, because the basis word from group, this word ending in ‘s’ is used chiefly
as plurals.
27. Economics :
Type 10, because the basis word from economic, this word ending in ‘s’ is singular
noncountable nouns.
28.
Decision :
Type 9, because no plural is used for noncountable words.
29.
Flashes :
Type 1, because the basis word from flash, after a sibilant sound spelled ‘sh’,
‘es’ is added.
30. Legacies :
Type 2, because the basis word from legacy, the final ‘y’ is changed to ‘i’ and
‘es’ is added.
31.
Days :
Type 2, because the basis word from day, the final ‘y’ is preceded by a vowel and
no change is made.
