flora and fauna 復習
環境省は, 小笠原諸島・西之島の保護活動を強化する意向を示しています。
Nishinoshima island ban being mulled
The Environment Ministry is considering banning people from Nishinoshima island, which is part of the Ogasawara Islands, a remote part of Tokyo. According to the ministry, Nishinoshima is the world’s sole “natural experimental site,” and its local ecological system is expected to grow from scratch having almost been destroyed by volcanic eruptions starting in 2013.
The ban is being considered in order to prevent people who visit the island from taking non-native flora and fauna with them. The Japan Meteorological Agency will shortly reduce the areas on the island that are on alert for eruptions.
The Environment Ministry plans to dispatch a research team there as early as October as a step toward discussing protective measures.
Nishinoshima is a state-owned uninhabited island where grasses and low trees used to grow, and it was a breeding site by seabirds such as the booby. However, the island’s plants were almost lost due to lava discharged in a volcanic eruption. Since then, the total land area has grown to 268 hectares — 12 times its original size of 22 hectares.
以下省略
http://the-japan-news.com/news/article/0003115921
本日取り上げる表現は “flora and fauna” です。
『リーダーズ英和中辞典』(研究社)で調べると, “flora” は「(一地域または一時期の)植物相(cf. FAUNA, SILVA)」, 一方 “fauna” は「(一地域または一時期の)動物相(cf. FLORA, AVIFAUNA)」とありました。これらを合わせた “flora and fauna” で, 「植物相と動物相」を表します。
上記の辞典によると, “Flora” は「フローラ(ローマ・イタリアの, 花と春と豊穣の女神)」であると記されていました。また, 日本語で「花の, 花模様の」を指す「フローラル “floral” 」 は, “flora” と関連していたことがわかりました。(Cayu)
