保護動物 墨西哥禁止動物馬戲表演

Tigers jumping through flames, horses rearing elegantly and elephants standing on their hind legs - animals have played a large role in Mexican circuses for generations.
老虎跳火圈，馬羣騰立表演，大象後腿站立…多年來，這些動物們在墨西哥馬戲團的表演中發揮了巨大的作用。

But not for much longer, with Mexico's government banning the use of animals in performances last month.
但是這樣的好景不會太長了，上個月墨西哥政府已頒佈法令禁止馬戲團使用動物表演。

Lawmakers in the Latin American country have given acts a year to adapt to the law, so the animal shows will go on for the time being - as these incredible pictures show.
爲了適應這項法律，該國的法律制定者給出了一年的適應期，所以如圖所示的動物表演暫時仍可看到。

These images, taken at a circus in Mexico City, show just how large a part animals play in Mexican performances.
這些拍攝於墨西哥城的一個馬戲團的圖片顯示，在動物表演佔了很大一部分。

Tigers are seen jumping through fiery rings and dancing with matadors, all to the applause of the audience.
圖片中我們可以看到老虎從燃燒的火圈中跳出，和打扮成鬥牛士的演員們共舞，引起臺下觀衆的陣陣歡呼。

Meanwhile elephants and horses are both seen rearing on their hind legs, as animals perform alongside Mexicans in a tradition that dates back more than 200 years.
除此之外，還可以看到大象和馬羣都用兩隻後腿直立站着的場景。動物們的這些表演一直伴隨着墨西哥人，是一項可以追溯到200年前的傳統。

But animal rights activists say the creatures are mistreated, leading them to celebrate the incoming change in the law.
但是動物權利保護者稱這些動物受到虐待，法令的頒佈對它們來說可喜可賀。

However, performers dispute this, saying the creatures are born and raised in the circuses they perform in and do not know another way of life.
然而，馬戲團的表演者卻不這樣認爲，他們說這些動物在馬戲團出生、長大、訓練、表演，除此之外，它們不懂得任何其他技能。

Armando Cedeno, president of the Mexican circus association, said 50,000 circus employees could lose their jobs, and as many as 3,500 would be affected by the changes.
墨西哥馬戲團協會的主席阿曼多稱，禁令的頒佈會讓馬戲團的5萬多名員工失業，超過3500頭動物會受到影響。

He said: 'It is impossible to take these animals back to their natural habitat, because they would die.'
他說：“讓這些動物重回大自然不太可能，因爲它們會死掉的。”

Circus performers took to the streets of Mexico City to protest against the law, holding public shows without animals to highlight what performances will look like this time next year.
馬戲團的演員們走上墨西哥街頭抗議新法令，他們還舉辦沒有動物參與的公共演出，以強調明年這個時候他們只能這樣表演。

The animals are well fed, cleaned and cared for, the performers claim.
他們還聲稱，動物們都得到了很好的照顧，他們吃得好，住的地方也乾淨。

Any circuses found to be flouting the ban could be fined up to $70,000 and animals will be seized.
任何無視這項法令的馬戲團都會被處以高達7萬美元的罰款，而且動物也會被強行帶走。

The ban is the latest in a wave of animal rights legislation passed in Latin American countries.
這項禁令是拉丁美洲國家近來在動物權利立法浪潮中最近通過的一項法令。

Six Mexican states have already banned the use of animals in the circus, as do South American countries, Bolivia, Peru, Paraguay and Colombia.
墨西哥已有六個州禁止在馬戲團中使用動物表演，頒佈同樣禁令的還有包括玻利維亞、祕魯、巴拉圭和哥倫比亞等在內的幾個南美洲國家。

Bullfighting is still legal in most countries, but some campaigners have called for it to end in Mexico.
鬥牛在多數國家是合法的，但是也有人呼籲在墨西哥禁止鬥牛。

Parts of Ecuador do not allow the final killing of the bull to take place in front of an audience.
在厄瓜多爾的部分地區不允許在觀衆面前屠殺公牛。