英语新闻丨旅德大熊猫“梦梦”再次怀上双胞胎

The Berlin Zoo has announced that its 11-year-old female giant panda Meng Meng is pregnant again with twins and, if everything goes well, could give birth by the end of the month.

德国柏林动物园当地时间8月13日宣布，11岁的旅德大熊猫“梦梦”再次怀上双胞胎，如果一切顺利的话，大熊猫双胞胎预计将于8月底出生。

The announcement was made on Monday after zoo authorities conducted an ultrasound examination over the weekend that showed the developing fetuses. Giant panda experts from China arrived in Berlin on Sunday to assist with preparations for the ultrasound.

柏林动物园于周末对“梦梦”进行了超声波检查，检查结果显示胎儿正在发育。中国专家也已赶到柏林，为后续工作提供支持。

Meng Meng was artificially inseminated in March. According to the zoo, female giant pandas are only fertile for approximately 72 hours each year.

“梦梦”于三月进行了人工授精。据动物园介绍，雌性大熊猫每年的受孕时间为大约72小时。

"One heartbeat could initially be made out on the ultrasound equipment, and shortly thereafter a second as well," the zoo announcement said, adding that the fetuses are now 2.5 centimeters long, but will grow significantly by the end of the month.

“最初超声扫描检测到一个胎儿的心跳，不久后又发现了另一个。”动物园表示目前两个胎儿身长约2.5厘米，但到本月底将继续增长。

Gestation generally takes three to six months, but the zoo said that dormancy—a period of up to several months in giant pandas during which an egg remains suspended in the mother's uterus and does not continue to develop—was the reason for the delay in confirming Meng Meng's pregnancy.

大熊猫妊娠通常需要三到六个月，但动物园表示，大熊猫休眠状态（此期间卵子悬浮在母亲的子宫中，不会继续发育）是“梦梦”前几次孕检全都没有发现的原因。

Zoo veterinarian Franziska Sutter told media that the pregnancy was still at a risky phase.

园方兽医弗朗齐丝卡·祖特尔说告诉媒体，“梦梦”怀孕期间仍处于危险阶段。

"Amid all the enthusiasm, we have to realize that this is a very early stage of the pregnancy and that a so-called resorption, or death, of the embryo is still possible at this stage," she said.

她表示：“尽管大家都很兴奋，但我们也必须意识到，胎儿仍然有死亡的可能。”

If everything goes smoothly, the cubs will be the first in five years to be born at the Berlin Zoo after Meng Meng gave birth to twin cubs, Pit and Paule, in August 2019. They were the first giant pandas born in Germany and became stars at the zoo.

如果一切顺利，这两只双胞胎幼崽将成为柏林动物园五年来首批出生的大熊猫幼崽。2019年8月，“梦梦”生下了双胞胎幼崽Pit和Paule，它们是德国首批出生的大熊猫，成为了柏林动物园的明星。

Both Pit and Paule, whose Chinese names are Meng Xiang and Meng Yuan, returned to China in December to join the breeding program under an agreement with the Chinese government.

Pit和Paule的中文名分别是“梦想”和“梦圆”，根据此前与中国政府达成的协议，这对双胞胎将于12月返回中国参加繁育计划。

Their parents, Meng Meng and Jiao Qing, arrived at the Berlin Zoo in 2017.In early July, Ouwehands Dierenpark, a zoo in the Netherlands, announced that its giant panda Wu Wen gave birth to a cub. A second cub that was born about an hour later died shortly after birth.

它们的父母“娇庆”和“梦梦”于2017年抵达柏林动物园。7月初，荷兰欧维汉动物园宣布其大熊猫“武雯”产下一只大熊猫幼崽，大约一小时后出生的第二只幼崽在出生后不久死亡。

The surviving cub is the second born at the Dutch zoo after Fan Xing was born in 2020. Fan Xing, a female, returned to China in September last year to join the breeding program.

这只幸存的幼崽是荷兰动物园继2020 年“梵星”出生后的第二只幼崽，“梵星”是一只雌性熊猫，已于去年9月返回中国参加繁育计划。

In Spain, the Madrid Zoo Aquarium formally introduced a new pair of giant pandas, Jin Xi and Zhu Yu, in May in a ceremony attended by Queen Sofia, who has been a giant panda advocate since the 1970s.The arrival came after panda couple Bing Xing and Hua Zui Ba, accompanied by their three Madridborn cubs Chulina, You You and Jiu Jiu, returned to China on Feb 29.In Austria, the Schonbrunn Zoo in Vienna is expecting the arrival of a pair of giant pandas from China under a 10-year cooperation agreement on giant panda conservation that was signed in June.

5月，西班牙马德里动物园正式引进了一对大熊猫，“金喜”和“茱萸”，索菲亚王太后也出席了仪式，自1970年以来，索菲亚王太后一直是保护大熊猫的倡导者。在此之前，旅西大熊猫“冰星”和“花嘴巴”及其3只幼仔“竹莉娜”“久久”“友友”已于2月29日平安回家，这也是近年来归国大熊猫中的最大家族。在奥地利，维也纳美泉宫动物园期待着一对来自中国的大熊猫的到来，这是根据6月份签署的为期10年的大熊猫国际保护研究合作协议。

The giant pandas Yuan Yuan and Yang Yang, who are now in Vienna, will return to China after the expiration of an agreement this year.

目前在维也纳的大熊猫“园园”和“阳阳”将于今年协议到期后返回中国。

The two sides have applauded their successful cooperation in giant panda breeding, scientific research, technical exchanges, personnel training and public education.Yang Yang, a female, and Long Hui, a male, have had four litters in Vienna totaling five cubs through natural mating, which is a European record.

合作期间，中奥双方建立了良好的合作关系，并在大熊猫保护繁育、科学研究、技术交流、人员培训和公众教育等方面取得了丰硕成果。大熊猫“阳阳”和“龙徽”创造了通过自然交配成功繁育4胎5仔的欧洲记录。

On Aug 8, giant panda twins Bao Di and Bao Mei in Belgium's Pairi Daiza zoo celebrated their fifth birthday in a ceremony attended by new Chinese Ambassador to Belgium Fei Shengchao.

8月8日，比利时天堂动物园大熊猫双胞胎“宝弟”和“宝妹”迎来了5岁生日，中国驻比利时大使费胜潮出席了庆祝活动。

The twins and their elder brother Tian Bao, born in 2016, will leave for China this autumn to join the breeding program.

这对双胞胎和2016年出生的哥哥“天宝”将于今年秋天返回中国参加繁育计划。