廣州酷暑難耐 "最悲傷北極熊"商場"接客"引熱議
More than 285,000 people have signed a petition calling for the closure of an aquarium in southern China that is home to an animal dubbed "the world's saddest polar bear".
近日，超過285000人簽署請願書，號召關停中國南方一水族館，該水族館是一隻被稱爲"世界上最悲傷北極熊"的家。The lethargic bear, whose name is Pizza, is on show at an "ocean theme park" located inside the Grandview shopping centre in the city of Guangzhou.
這隻了無生氣的北極熊名叫比薩，它被關在廣州美視購物中心的"海洋主題公園"展覽中。The aquarium made international headlines after its opening in early January with one Hong Kong-based animal rights charity denouncing it as a "horrifying" animal prison.
今年1月初，該水族館開業不久即受到一家香港動物權益慈善機構的譴責，稱其爲"恐怖的"動物監獄，並登上國際新聞頭條。
The park's management initially rejected claims that Pizza was being mistreated. "The polar bear in the aquarium is very happy," Li Chengtang, its deputy manager, told the Guangzhou Daily newspaper.
該公園管理人員最初拒絕承認比薩受到了虐待。副總經理李先生接受《廣州日報》採訪時並表示："北極熊在水族館裏非常開心。"
However, amid outrage over the dismal conditions in which the animals were being forced to live, as tourists posed for selfies beside them, members of the Hong Kong-based charity Animals Asia were invited to visit the aquarium in April.
然而，羣衆對於動物們被迫住在淒涼環境中的憤慨情緒很嚴重，因爲遊客經常在動物們旁邊自拍。今年4月，總部位於香港的亞洲動物基金會成員受邀參觀了該水族館。Animals Asia said there was no indication the aquarium would be closed or its animals, which also include arctic wolves, beluga whales and walrus calves, rehoused. However, writing last week, Dave Neale, the group's animal welfare director, said the park's directors had promised "a better life for its animals" as a result of pressure.
根據亞洲動物基金會表示，目前沒有關閉水族館或將動物重新安置的跡象，被關的動物除了北極熊還有北極狼、白鯨、海象等。不過，該組織動物福利總監大衛·尼爾表示，該公園主管迫於壓力已承諾"給動物們更好的生活"。While China's economic boom is fading, the country's amusement park industry is booming as an increasingly affluent middle-class seeks new forms of entertainment. According to one campaigning group, China is currently home to at least 39 ocean theme parks. More than a dozen more are scheduled to open over the next two years.
儘管中國經濟增速放緩，國內觀光遊樂業卻一片繁榮，因爲越來越多富裕的中層人士在尋求新的娛樂方式。據一活動組織表示，中國目前至少有39家海洋主題公園，未來兩年內至少還有12家計劃開園。Calls for the aquarium's closure continued this week on Chinese social media. "It is torture! Please boycott it!" read one comment on Weibo. Animal Asia said it would continue to fight to improve conditions in such attractions.
本週，號召關停水族館的呼聲仍在中國社交媒體上持續。微博上有人評論道："這是虐待！請抵制！" 亞洲動物基金會表示，他們將繼續爲提高類似場所的動物生存狀況而奮鬥。
