过度捕捞正在触及灾难性级别。根据一份进来的研究，最大的捕食品种的总量，例如吞拿鱼和剑鱼的，可能已经从1950年代减少了90%。另一份研究，上周发表于《科学》，则建议对于许多品种可能已经濒临灭绝卡片。这之所以重要，原因有数个，其中不仅仅是因为许多人依赖鱼肉作为他们日常饮食的部分。地球的居民中将近30亿人有1/5或更多的蛋白质来自鱼，这意味着鱼肉是比牛肉更大的蛋白质来源。
Overfishing is reaching catastrophic levels. According to a recent study, /the/ stock[s] of the biggest predatory species, such as tuna and swordfish, may have fallen by 90% since the 1950s. Another study, published in Science last week, suggests [extinction is] /that many species may be/ on the cards for [many species]. This matters for several[/numerous] reasons, not [the] least [of which is that] /because/ a lot of people rely on fish as part of their regular diet. Around 3 billion of the earth's inhabitants get 1/5 or more of their protein from fish, this means [that] fish are a bigger /re/source of the stuff than beef is.
难度在于，一部分，是一个问题的结果，此问题又名为公地的悲剧，也就是一个公共掌握的资源遭到过度的开发。没有人拥有公海，因此也就脆弱地处于完全法律上对任何人开放的模式。但是捕捞的大部分是在领海上进行，领海是距离一个国家海岸线蔓延12海里的范围，另外还有所谓的专属经济海域，也就是蔓延海岸线200海里的区域，这个范围内存在着一个更有限的主权。各政府，受到捕捞游说的限制，游说者更在乎今天赚钱，而不是保存未来的鱼类总量，设置了不现实的定额，此外还存在这大量的非法捕捞，未经许可在受控制的海域进行。
The difficulty is, in part, [a] consequence of [the] problem known as the tragedy of the commons, [whereby] /which means/ a commonly-held resource gets[/is] over-exploited. Nobody owns the high seas, which are therefore vulnerable [to] a [perfectly] legal/ly/ free-for-all. But most[/a lot] of fishing [is] conducted[/carried out] in territory waters [that stretch] /which is/ 12 nautical miles from a country's coastline, [as well as] /there's the/ so-called exclusive economic zones [that stretch to] 200 nautical miles from the coastline, [over] which a more limited sovereignty exists. Governments, in thrall to /the/ fishing lobbies which are more concerned about[/with] making money today than preserving /the/ fish stocks [for] the future, set unrealistic quotas, and there [is] a lot of illegal fishing, conducted without /the/ permission in controlled waters.
皮尤慈善基金会，一家美国研究组织，估算出商店出售或者餐厅端上的五条鱼中有一条就是非法捕获来的。那总计是一年2600吨鱼，价值超过230亿美元。
The Pew Charitable Trusts, an American research group, estimates that one in five fish sold in [a] shop/s/ or served in a restaurant has been caught illegally. That amounts of 26 million tones of fish a year, worth more than $23 billion.
直到现在，试图阻止这种非法贸易或多或少都是徒劳的。海洋广袤。海军和海岸护卫队巡逻则小。
Until now, attempts[/trying] to stop this illegal trade [has been] more or less futile. The oceans are vast. Navies and coastguard patrols are small.
8.31
Overfishing/over-exploited
reaching catastrophic levels/stocks have fallen by 90%/extinction is on the cards
matters for numerous reason/not the least of which
numerous/a lot of
rely on fish as part of their regular diet/get 1/5 or more of their protein from fish
source/resource
part of/in part
a consequence of the problem
the tragedy of the commons/a commonly held resource is over-exploited
be vulnerable to a perfectly legal free-for-all
be carried out/conducted
territorial waters/stretch 12 miles from a country's coastline
exclusive economic zones/stretch 200 nautical miles beyond coastlines/a more limited sovereignty exists.
in thrall to....
be concerned with....
preserving... for the future
set unrealistic quotas
illegal fishing/without permission in control waters
be caught/be fished/illegal trade
futile/
navies/coastguard patrols
vast/small
