全通翻譯/翻譯社

　　Long revered as a symbol of wealth, status, and prestige in Chinese society, shark fin soup sells for up to US$100 a bowl and is often served at weddingbanquets and corporate celebrations. Its supposed benefits of improving one's skin, preventing heart disease, lowering cholesterol, and boosting sexual vitalityhave made it a hot commodity. _(1)_
　　Sharks are near the top of the marine ecosystem, so they help keep everything in balance. Even so, they grow slowly, taking nearly 15 years to reachmaturity. _(2)_ This means that the shark fin industry's killing of 1.5 million sharks per week is throwing the ecosystem out of whack, not to mention threatening 30 percent of shark species with extinction. The biggest complaint about the shark fin industry is the inhumane practice of finning. _(3)_
　　The plight of sharks might just be getting a reprieve. Taiwan, which has the fourth largest shark fin industry in the world, recently passed a ban on shark finning. _(4)_ The new law doesn't restrict fishermen from catching sharks, though. Instead, the ban makes it illegal to return to port with the sharks already cut up into pieces. Taiwan has joined the US, Australia, and the European Union in making shark finning illegal. _(5)_ Sharks that are alive are a lot more valuable to the world than those that are dead.

(A) Sharks also produce very few offspring.
(B) This makes it the first place in Asia to do so.
(C) Now is the time for Taiwan, Hong Kong, and the rest of the world to ban thepossession, use, and consumption of shark fins altogether.
(D) However, this taste of luxury comes at an extremely high cost to the environment.
(E) This involves catching sharks, cutting off their fins, and then savagely dumping the rest of the animals back into the ocean alive.

搶救鯊魚大作戰
台灣是亞洲第 1 個禁止獵取鯊魚鰭這種不人道行徑的國家。
　　在華人社會，魚翅湯長久以來就被尊為財富、地位和名望的象徵，1 碗湯要價高達 100 美元，是婚宴和公司行號慶祝活動上常見的菜餚。它傳聞中的功效包括改善膚質、預防心臟病、降低膽固醇和提高性能力，這些在在使魚翅湯成為暢銷商品。然而，這類奢華的味蕾享受卻讓環境付出極高的代價。
　　鯊魚位居海洋生態系統的頂端附近，因而有助於生態系統的平衡。即使如此，牠們的生長速度緩慢，將近 15 年才能到達成熟期。再者，鯊魚繁衍的後代為數稀少。這意味著魚翅產業每星期殺害 150 萬頭鯊魚，使得生態系統大為紊亂，更不用說讓百分之三十的鯊魚種類面臨滅絕的威脅。針對魚翅產業最大的不滿是獵取魚鰭的不人道行徑。這包含了獵捕鯊魚、割下魚鰭，並殘忍地將剩下的魚體活生生丟回海洋。
　　如今，鯊魚面對的困境可能得到緩解。名列全世界魚翅產業規模第 4 位的台灣，最近通過獵取鯊魚鰭的禁令。這讓台灣成為亞洲首先實行此舉的國家。不過新的法令不限制漁業人士捕鯊，但回港的漁船上載有被肢解的鯊魚則屬違法。台灣已和美國、澳洲和歐盟共同加入禁止獵取鯊魚鰭的行列。現在正是台灣、香港和全世界其他國家完全禁止擁有、使用以及食用魚翅的時候。比起死掉的鯊魚，活著的鯊魚對世界來得更有價值。
答案： 1. (D)　2. (A)　3. (E)　4. (B)　5. (C)