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.

A      在我看来，那些生活在动物园或野生动物园中的物种，其生活质量很可能不会亚于生活在野外的物种。在符合标准的动物园中生活的动物都有着多样化且高质量的饮食来补充它们所需的营养，并且任何它们可能得的疾病都可以得到治疗。它们的行动可能会受到一些限制，但在一个安全的生活环境下，它们不会受到任何欺凌和其他同类对它们的社会排斥。它们不会受到捕食者的威胁或压力，也不会受到寄生虫或病痛带来的的刺激或痛苦。与野生动物相比，圈养动物的平均寿命更长，而且不会死于干旱、饥饿或捕食者。许多非常糟糕的事情发生在真正的“野生“动物身上，而这在符合标准的动物园里是不会发生的，而且我认为想当然地把“自由的“生活看作是“优质的“生活，这是一种错误的观念。此外，动物园的存在有几个关键性的目的。

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.

B        首先，动物园有利于保护动物。世界各地有大量的物种正在走向灭绝，更多的物种正受到越来越严重的威胁，而因此濒临灭绝。此外，有些灭绝是突然的、戏剧性的、出乎意料的，又或者只是在当天很晚的时候才被发现。一个被圈养保护的物种可以培育出储备种群，以此来抵消这个种群在野外中受害的数量并防止其灭绝。许多物种只生存在人工饲养的环境中，其中有许多生活在动物园里。还有更多的物种只生存在野外，因为它们曾被动物园放归，或者是由于圈养动物的繁殖而增加了野生种群。如果没有这些努力，如今存在的物种会更少尽管动物放归的成功案例少之又少，但其数量仍在不断增加，而且物种通过圈养繁殖而被拯救或被放归的事实本身就证明了这类举措的价值。

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.

C     动物园也提供了教育价值。许多儿童和成人，尤其是那些住在城市里的人，他们除了狐狸和鸽子外，再也见不到其他野生动物了。虽然电视纪录片确实拍得越来越详尽且令人印象深刻，还有许多自然历史标本陈列在博物馆，但这完全比不上亲身观察生物的肉体，倾听它们的鸣叫、闻到它们的气味，观察它们在做什么，并有时间来了解更多细节。仅这一点就会让许多人了解更多对动物的理解和看法，还能有望让他们更好地了解野生动物、保护措施以及它们自身能做出的贡献。

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.

D       除此之外，在动物园里还可以通过标志、对话和展示直接向游客传达他们看到的动物及其在世界上的位置信息，从而达到教育的目的。这方面是动物园曾经缺乏的，但是现在他们在沟通和推广的工作上越来越精细。许多动物园还直接为其他国家的动物保护人员提供教育，或派遣他们的动物饲养员到国外，向在动物园和保护区工作的人贡献他们的知识和技能，从而帮助改善世界范围内的动物园条件和动物放归技术。

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.

E        动物园在研究中也起着关键作用。如果我们要拯救野生物种，恢复和修复生态系统，我们就需要知道关键物种如何生存、活动和反应的。在动物园里对动物进行研究是可行的，因为那里的风险更小，变量更少，这意味着可以真正了解野生种群的变化原因。例如，了解动物的发情周期或繁殖率有助于我们控制野生种群的数量。诸如捕获和转移处于风险或具有危险的物种等措施，是通过在动物园获得的关于麻醉剂量的知识和处理及运输动物的经验的支持。这将对保护工作和减少人类与动物之间的冲突产生真正的影响，并为应对日益严重的栖息地破坏威胁和其他问题提供知识基础。

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.

F       总而言之，考虑到许多持续的全球化的环境威胁，我很难想到其他比设立动物园对多数物种的长期生存更好的方式。他们不仅在保护动物方面是至关重要的，且可以作为一种学习手段来帮助那些仍然生活在野外的物种，以及教育并告知大众有关这些动物及其世界的知识，这样他们至少可以协助或接受对更强的环保意识的需要。如果没有它们，这个世界将会逐渐变得贫瘠。