广州酷暑难耐 "最悲伤北极熊"商场"接客"引热议
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，超过285000人签署请愿书，号召关停中国南方一水族馆，该水族馆是一只被称为"世界上最悲伤北极熊"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.
这只了无生气的北极熊名叫比萨，它被关在广州美视购物中心的"海洋主题公园"展览中。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，该水族馆开业不久即受到一家香港动物权益慈善机构的谴责，称其为"恐怖的"动物监狱，并登上国际新闻头条。
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.
该公园管理人员最初拒绝承认比萨受到了虐待。副总经理李先生接受《广州日报》采访时并表示："北极熊在水族馆里非常开心。"
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，群众对于动物们被迫住在凄凉环境中的愤慨情绪很严重，因为游客经常在动物们旁边自拍。今年4月，总部位于香港的亚洲动物基金会成员受邀参观了该水族馆。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.
根据亚洲动物基金会表示，目前没有关闭水族馆或将动物重新安置的迹象，被关的动物除了北极熊还有北极狼、白鲸、海象等。不过，该组织动物福利总监大卫·尼尔表示，该公园主管迫于压力已承诺"给动物们更好的生活"。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.
尽管中国经济增速放缓，国内观光游乐业却一片繁荣，因为越来越多富裕的中层人士在寻求新的娱乐方式。据一活动组织表示，中国目前至少有39家海洋主题公园，未来两年内至少还有12家计划开园。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.
本周，号召关停水族馆的呼声仍在中国社交媒体上持续。微博上有人评论道："这是虐待！请抵制！" 亚洲动物基金会表示，他们将继续为提高类似场所的动物生存状况而奋斗。
