A long-distance love story
Keywords
- lovestruck (a) 熱戀的
- reunite (v) 團聚；統一
- chick (n) 雛鳥
- reunification (n) 團聚
- starvation (n) 飢餓
- predator (n) 掠奪者
- fashion (v) 以手工製作
- migration (n) 遷徙
- pledge (v) 發誓
- swift (a) 迅速的
For the past 15 years, a lovestruck stork, Klepetan, has faithfully returned from its winter home in South Africa to the same rooftop in a country village in Croatia, where he is reunited with his disabled wife, Malena. It is a love story that has caught the attention of millions.
Tens of thousands of storks have to make this 5000-mile migratory journey from Africa to Croatia each spring. On the 1993 journey, Malena was shot and couldn’t fly properly. Luckily, she was discovered by a school janitor, Stjepan Vokic, who has looked after her ever since. One day 15 years ago, Klepetan saw her and the pair have been inseparable since. Over the years, the couple have dozens of chicks. But every winter Klepetan has to join other storks who fly to their winter home in South Africa. Every spring, people wait to watch the reunification of Klepetan and Melana, fearing that Klepetan may not make its way back to Melana.
Migratory birds brave numerous threats on their journey – from storms to starvation, predators to power lines. However, there’s one particular threat of Klepetan’s – a 100 mile stretch that takes Klepetan over Lebanon. It is here that some storks are shot down from the sky by hunters.
Vokic was so concerned about Klepetan that he wrote a letter to the President of Lebanon, using a pen fashioned from one of Klepetan’s feathers. The heartfelt letter urges the President to pen a law offering stronger protection for birds during the critical migration seasons. The Lebanese President read the letter and pledged to stop the annual slaughter in his country.
Any action needs to be swift and decisive and followed with action on the ground. For the lovestruck stork who returns to his partner every year like clockwork, the clock is ticking.
To know more, please visit https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5awBLJOPnK0
過去15年來， 一隻戀愛中的鸛Klepetan，從牠南非過冬用的家，忠誠地回到克羅埃西亞一個農村的屋頂，在這裡牠跟受傷的太太Malena團聚。這是一個吸引好幾百萬人關注的愛情故事。
幾萬隻的鸛每年春天必需完成距離5000英里從非洲回到克羅埃西亞的遷徙。在1993年的遷徙旅程中，Malena被射傷了，從此再也無法飛行。
幸運地，一位學校警衛發現了他，從此就照顧Malena。15年前的某一天 Klepeton看見Malena，兩隻鸛就也分不開了。
幾年來他們生了十幾隻幼鸛，但是每年冬天Klepeton必須要加入其他的鸛，前往南非的家過冬，每年春天人們就等待著Klepeton跟Malena的團圓，心中卻害怕Klepeton 也許無法安全的回到Malena身邊。
候鳥在遷徙的旅程中，必須面對許多的挑戰，從暴風雨、飢餓、掠奪者、電線等都是，對Klepeton來講還有一項非常特別的旅程要渡過，那就是100英里橫越黎巴嫩，就是這一片土地上，有一些的鸛會從天空被獵人給射殺。
Vokic非常擔心Klepeton，所以他寫一封信給黎巴嫩總統。寫信的筆用的就是從Klepton身上的一隻羽毛。這一封信請求黎巴嫩總統通過法律對鳥類提供更進一步的保護，尤其是在非常嚴峻的遷徙季節。黎巴嫩總統讀了這一封信，而且宣示要阻止 每年在黎巴嫩發生的候鳥屠殺。
任何的行動都必須要快而堅決，並且要好好執行。對於這隻戀愛中的鸛，每年飛回到他愛妻的身邊像定時的鐘一樣，時間正一分一秒的溜走。
超凡遠距 