12-13-06

瑞士環保人士擔心白暨豚已滅絕 (Swiss Conservationist Fears Baiji Dolphin is Extinct)

一名瑞士環保人士說，一個科學家小組沒能找到曾經在長江裏生活的一種稀有淡水豚，因此幾乎可以肯定已經滅絕。致力於保護白暨豚的瑞士環保團體的負責人弗魯格星期三說，6個星期的考察沒有發現白暨豚的蹤跡。他宣佈白暨豚滅絕，並稱之為中國和世界的損失。

弗魯格承認，長江中可能還有兩三隻白暨豚，但是它們沒有任何存活的機會。由於長江的污染、過度捕撈和航運的影響，長鼻子的白暨豚多年來一直屬於瀕危物種。據信白暨豚是世界上最古老的淡水哺乳動物之一，已經生存了大約2千5百萬年。

A Swiss conservationist says a team of scientists has failed to find a rare freshwater dolphin that once swam in China's Yangtze river, making it almost certain the animal is extinct. August Pfluger, the head of a Swiss environmental group dedicated to saving the baiji dolphin said Wednesday that a six-week expedition found no trace of the species.

He declared the baiji extinct, calling it a loss for China and the world. Pfluger acknowledged there could be a two or three of the dolphins left in the river, but they have no chance of survival. The long-nosed baiji had been critically endangered for years, due to pollution, overfishing and shipping along the Yangtze river. The animal is believed to be among the world's oldest fresh-water mammals, having been around for some 25 million years.

美法院令前安然主管入獄服刑 (U.S. Court Orders Former Enron Executive to Prison)

美國一家上訴法院下令捲入美國歷史上最大公司醜聞之一的前安然公司行政主管傑弗裏.斯基林立刻入獄服刑24年。法院星期二駁回了傑弗裏.斯基林提出的在其就欺詐和同謀定罪上訴期間免於羈押的請求。斯基林將前往明尼蘇達州一家低戒備級別的聯邦監獄服刑。對他的判決是10月份公佈的。

今年53歲的斯基林被指控向投資者隱瞞安然公司經營狀況惡化的實情。他被判的刑期是所有捲入醜聞的前安然公司管理人員中最長的。安然在2001年破產時是全美第七大企業。安然的倒閉造成成千上萬名僱員失業，而且也導致僱員徹底失去了估計總額為20億美元的養老金計劃。

A U.S. appeals court has ordered former Enron executive Jeffrey Skilling to immediately report to prison to begin serving a 24-year sentencefor his role in one of the biggest corporate scandals in U.S. history. The court Tuesday denied Jeffrey Skilling's request to remain free while he appeals fraud and conspiracy convictions. He is to report to alow-security federal prison in the U.S. state of Minnesota to begin serving the sentence handed down in October.

The 53-year-old Skilling was charged with hiding Enron's failing financial health from investors. His sentence is the longest handed out to disgraced former Enron executives. Enron was the seventh-largest company in the United States when it collapsed in bankruptcy in 2001. Enron's collapse resulted in thousands of employees losing their jobs and wiped out an estimated two-billion dollars in employees' pension plans.