時事新聞:反恐知多少 動物也瘋狂
導讀：可愛乖巧的海豚和海獅充當高效反恐先鋒(pioneer)，成爲美國反恐大軍中的佼佼者。它們不僅可爲美國海軍減少鉅額損失，同時還能幫助救贖生命。
In a little-known part of the counter-terrorism world, one of the most effective detection systems is a 600-pound animal that works for about 20 pounds of fish a day.
在反恐界很少有人知道，一羣600英鎊重的動物組成了最高效的偵測體系，他們每天的工資就是20磅魚。
Since the 1960s, the United States and a handful of other countries have trained dolphins and sea lions to detect sea mines and swimmers, and to recover inert torpedoes and testing objects used in Naval exercises.
從1960年開始，美國和少數幾個國家就開始訓練海豚和海獅來負責偵測水雷和潛水者，當然也包括恢復那些沒有爆炸的魚雷和幫助海軍進行訓練。
Program officials estimate that the sea lions in the Marine Mammal Program have recovered millions of dollars of U.S. Naval torpedoes and instrumentation dropped on the sea floor.
這個項目的官員預計，海洋哺乳動物專案計劃中的海獅已經幫助恢復了落在基岸的海軍魚雷和儀器，這些設備價值上百萬美元。
The U.S. Navy kept its Marine Mammal Program a secret until the 1990s, and this spring CNN became one of only a handful of media outlets to see firsthand how the program works.
美國海軍一直保持這個祕密項目至90年代，在今年春季CNN才成爲少數幾個有機會一睹該項目運作方式的媒體。
The program trains about 75 Pacific bottlenose dolphins, with natural biosonar that tracks better than any manmade device; and 35 California sea lions, with superb underwater eyesight.
這個項目訓練了大約75只太平洋瓶鼻海豚，他們的聲納系統比任何人造設備都更爲精準；同時還有35只海獅，這些海獅在水下有超人的視力。
Not only do these trained marine mammals track and retrieve millions of dollars in U.S. military equipment, they are also helping to save lives.
這些受過訓練的海洋哺乳動物不僅幫助美國挽回了上百萬美元的軍事設備，還能夠救贖生命。
The Navy won`t disclose whether the dolphins and sea lions have effectively intercepted terrorists attempting to do harm to any U.S. facilities.
但是美國軍方並不願意透露這些海豚和海獅是否曾經有效攔截企圖破壞美軍設備的恐怖活動。
"Either way, it serves as a deterrent effect." says Christian Harris, operations supervisor for the program.
但是這個項目的負責人克里斯蒂安•哈里斯說道：“無論如何，它們都能起到威懾作用。”
The mammals can be deployed via C-130 cargo aircraft to perform their missions anywhere in the world within 72 hours. They have been used in exercises from Alaska to Hawaii, operating in great temperature and environmental ranges. They also have the capability to operate off vessels.
這些動物可在72小時內通過C-130運輸機在全球執行任何任務。他們已經在阿拉斯加和夏威夷參加過訓練，他們可在溫差巨大和氣候多變的條件下執行任務。他們甚至可以脫離艦隊指揮執行任務。
Dolphins most recently were deployed in the Iraq war, performing mine detection and clearance operations in the Persian Gulf to ensure safe passage for humanitarian ships delivering aid. Some of these Iraq war "veterans" are now back home, tasked with a new mission: guarding nuclear submarines in their homeports of Bremerton, Washington, and Groton, Connecticut.
最近，海豚被調動至伊拉克戰場上，進行礦藏探測和波斯灣海域障礙掃除工作，以保證人道主義支援的船隻可安全通過。有部分經歷了伊拉克戰爭的“老兵”已遣返回鄉，接受新的任務：保護和他們自己的港灣在一起的美國核潛艇基地——華盛頓特區的布雷默頓，以及康涅狄格州的格羅頓。
