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The War on Seagulls: Fighting Them on the Beaches.
海鷗之戰：海灘阻擊戰
Seaside towns are in a flat about belligerent birds
海邊小鎮正對這種好戰的鳥類嚴陣以待。
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.
在一個陽光明媚的日子，一個名為帕梅拉的度假者來到康沃爾海岸，她凝視圣艾夫斯的波斯唯登沙灘，正盡情享受餡餅入口之前的這一刻。
She didn’t see the seagull until it was too late.
當她看到海鷗的時候為時已晚。
The bird missed the pasty but took a chunk out of her hand.
海鷗沒咬到餡餅，卻咬掉了她手上的肉。
Blood poured down her arm and the seagull squawked away.
鮮血順著她的手臂涌出，海鷗叫著飛走了。
Seagull attacks are a big problem in coastal settlements, where about a tenth of Britons live.
海鷗的襲擊在沿海的居住區是個嚴重的問題，而有約十分之一的英國人都在沿海地區生活。
Politicians want change.
政治家們想改變現狀。
On February 7th Oliver Colvile, MP for Plymouth, Sutton and Devonport, led a debate in Parliament about the menace.
2月7日，普利茅斯薩頓和德文波特選區的國會議員奧利弗·克維拉在議會上發起了一場關于海鷗威脅的辯論。
MPs shared their horror stories.
國會議員們分享了他們一個個恐怖的故事。
John Woodcock, who represents Barrow and Furness on the north-west coast, spoke of the “blighted and besieged people” of his embattled constituency.
位于西北海岸的巴羅和弗內斯的代表約翰·伍德科克談到了他被海鷗圍困的選區中飽受摧殘、深陷困擾的人們。
It is difficult to fight back against the feathered fiends.
抵抗這些有羽毛的惡魔是非常艱難的。
All species of gull are protected, making a widespread cull impossible.
所有的鷗類物種都是被保護的，因此進行大規模的限量捕殺是不可能的。
Yet polls suggest that most Britons—normally a sentimental bunch when it comes to animals—would like the legislation changed.
雖然英國人在涉及到動物問題時一般都多愁善感，但是民意調查卻顯示大部分的英國人希望通過修改立法。
Brexiteers point out that, after leaving the EU, Britain will be able to set more bloodthirsty conservation policies.
脫歐支持者們指出，在脫離歐盟之后，英國政府就能夠設立更多比較殘忍的保護政策。
Those in the know see little point in a cull, however.
然而，那些知情人士卻對限量捕殺不以為然。
Among them is Ron Tulley, a local councillor in St Ives, where giant, beady-eyed gulls saunter down the main drag.
其中包括羅恩·塔里，他是圣艾夫斯的地方政務委員會委員，而在圣艾夫斯的主要街道上就有體型巨大、眼睛銳利的海鷗休閑漫步。
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，一只海鷗從天上俯沖而下啄食一個女孩的冰淇淋，導致女孩從海港的堤岸護邊上跌落，是救援飛機將她送至醫院的。
Mr Tulley nonetheless argues that localised culls would not solve the problem.
即便如此，塔里仍稱局部的限量捕殺并不能解決問題。
Seagulls would continue to be attracted by the throngs of people eating pasties and chips.
吃餡餅和薯條的龐大人群會繼續誘惑著海鷗。
At this time of year up to 750,000 herring gulls (the archetypal seagull) circle over Britain, so a nationwide cull would be costly.
每年的這個時候，多達七十五萬只鯖鷗（通常的海鷗品種）在英國盤旋，所以全國范圍內的限量捕殺成本高昂。
Seaside towns can wage war in subtler ways.
海邊小鎮可以以更微妙的方式對付海鷗。
Rubbish in the streets is sure to attract the birds.
大街上的垃圾必然會吸引鳥類。
Putting coloured bunting up, or fitting spikes to buildings, deters them.
立起鮮艷的旗幟和給建筑安上尖釘阻止了它們亂翻垃圾。
But council budgets are tight.
但委員會預算緊張。
Per-person spending by Cornwall’s local government has fallen by about a fifth since 2009, squeezing spending on the environment and refuse.
康沃爾地方政府的人均支出自2009年以來已經下降了約五分之一，這壓縮了用于環境治理和廢棄物處理的經費。
More money looks unlikely to arrive, so tourists will have to stay alert.
獲得更多的資金來保障安全是不太可能了，所以游客將不得不保持警惕。
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.
海鷗喜歡從人身后靠近，這就意味著坐在港口雙腳閑晃時再不能吃炸魚和薯條了，但是這樣至少能避免引來令人討厭的“驚喜“。
譯文來源考研英語時事閱讀
