In the Roman twilight¹, nature's great dancers flock to the stage.

在罗马的暮色中，大自然的杰出舞者们涌向舞台。

 

The acrobatic twirls like wisps of smoke.

它们在空中矫捷地回旋，好似缕缕青烟。

 

A synchronised spectacle of breathtaking beauty.

群鸟齐飞，蔚为壮观。

 

The starlings migrate in winter, south to Africa, nesting at night in central Rome for warmth, flying in formation to avoid predators².

欧椋鸟在冬天南迁到非洲，晚上在罗马市中心筑巢取暖，排成编队飞行以躲避捕食者。

 

A murmuration it's called, and this city of art marvels³ at the show.

这就是所谓的 “椋鸟群飞” 现象，这座艺术之城对这场空中演出赞不绝口。

 

But beneath their charm, Rome is rotting, and it's a hell of a mess.

但在魅力四射的鸟群下方，罗马却遍地狼藉，脏乱不堪。

 

Mark Lowen, BBC correspondent

In the cold light of day, the other side of these gorgeous birds is clear. And for those unlucky enough to be in the wrong place at the wrong time, it is not exactly sightly, it can be a safety hazard, and I can tell you that even with a mask, the stench is rancid.

马克·洛文     BBC通讯员

“壮观过后的次日白天，这些美丽的鸟儿的另一面则清晰可见。对于那些不幸在错误的时间出现在错误的地点的人来说，这一面并不美观，甚至可能是一个安全隐患。我可以告诉大家，即使戴着口罩，也是臭气熏天。”

 

"I slipped on the droppings when it was muddy," this man says, "the world has invented everything, just not bird underpants!"

“有一次，泥泞不堪的道路上满是鸟粪，我滑倒了。” 这位男士说到，他还说：“人类发明了一切，就是没发明给鸟穿的内裤！”

 

Beside the ancient forum⁴, a new attempt to try to solve the problem.

在这个古老的广场旁边，人们在尝试用一种新方法解决这个问题。

 

City officials shining lasers onto trees, which the birds dislike, prompting them to move on.

市政府官员用欧椋鸟讨厌的激光照射树木，促使它们继续飞行。

 

The project is focused on Rome's tourist heart, in a bid to clean up its image.

这个项目重点维护罗马的主要旅游景点，以改善城市形象。

 

Marco Leva, Environmental Officer

This doesn't cause the birds any stress – it's more like a nuisance for them. I do this work, but I'm actually a nature lover. We're not stopping them from sleeping, we're just telling them to find another location, and it works ­– this tree used to be completely full, and now there are about ten percent of what there were.

马可·莱瓦      环境官员

“这个方法不会给鸟带来任何不适和压力，对鸟来说，激光更像是一个惹人讨厌的东西。虽然我做这项工作，但我其实是个热爱大自然的人。我们并没有阻止鸟睡觉，而只是告诉它们去找另一个地方休息，这个方法很管用，这棵树上曾经停满了鸟，现在树上的鸟只有过去的10%左右。”

 

In ancient Rome the starlings were seen to augur⁵ the gods' wishes. Centuries on, these dazzling creatures keep visiting. How man and nature can coexist is the eternal problem of the Eternal City.

在古罗马，人们认为欧椋鸟预示着神明的愿望。几个世纪以来，这些耀眼的生物不断造访。人与自然如何共存？这是罗马这座永恒之城所面临的长期问题。

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