Eight Rescued Orangutans Return to the Wild in Borneo

Eight orangutans are living freely in Borneo again. On Friday, rescue workers released the animals into a protected forest reserve on the west side of the island. The group includes three mothers, their three daughters, and two adult males.

released the animals into= 將動物放歸到（某地）on the west side of= 在……的西側或西部

The animals lost their homes during severe summer wildfires. Fires burned the trees and destroyed their food, forcing them closer to humans. Before their rescue, one mother named Mama Nopi survived on a coconut and rubber farm with her three young offspring. In total, wildlife workers rescued 46 orangutans from the fires in August and September.

forcing them closer to= 迫使牠們更靠近……（分詞構文表伴隨或結果）In total= 總共、合計

Rescue officials explained that this year's fires were stronger because of the El Niño weather pattern. The rescue team said moving the eight apes to the protected reserve was necessary because their old forests were no longer safe.

because of= 因為、由於（後接名詞，表示原因）no longer= 不再、已不再

Orangutans are critically endangered, which means they are at serious risk of disappearing. Today, only about 104,000 orangutans remain in Borneo and Sumatra, down from more than 230,000 a century ago. For these eight animals, the protected forest gives them a safe home in the wild.

which means= 這意味著、也就是說（用於補充說明前述句子的意涵）down from= 與先前的（較高數值）相比減少至

學習筆記

文法整理

句型	意思
released the animals into	將動物放歸到（某地）
on the west side of	在……的西側或西部
forcing them closer to	迫使牠們更靠近……（分詞構文表伴隨或結果）
In total	總共、合計
because of	因為、由於（後接名詞，表示原因）
no longer	不再、已不再
which means	這意味著、也就是說（用於補充說明前述句子的意涵）
down from	與先前的（較高數值）相比減少至

詞彙整理

單字	意思
destroyed	遭到摧毀或嚴重破壞的；毀壞殆盡的。
protected	受到保護的；免於危險、傷害或破壞的。
released	新作品、新產品等正式推出，供大眾購買、觀看或使用。
survived	活下來；沒有死亡
remain	維持某種狀態；仍然是某種情形。
severe	嚴重的；程度很深、影響很大的。

延伸學習

•單字「offspring」（後代、幼崽）為單複數同形，即使指多隻幼獸也不加 -s，如文中的「three young offspring」。
•在探討生態保育的新聞報導中，常使用「down from...」（由……減少至）來對比過去與現在的數據，突顯物種數量的銳減程度。
•「critically endangered」（極危）是世界自然保護聯盟（IUCN）瀕危物種紅色名錄的官方評級，表示該物種在野外面臨極高的滅絕風險。