養鳥業 Aviculture

養鳥業 Aviculture

● 字源

Aviculture（養鳥業）由拉丁文 avis（「鳥」）加上 cultura（「耕種、培養」）組成，十九世紀晚期進入英語，字面意為「鳥類的飼養」。現代用法指人類飼養、繁殖鳥類的活動，目的包括觀賞與寵物、取得蛋與羽毛，以及繁殖瀕危物種供保育與野放。養鳥業屬於廣義的畜牧業，與保育生物學也有關聯，因為圈養繁殖是保存稀有鳥種的重要手段。中文譯為「養鳥業」。

● 例句（70字長句）

Seldom did casual hobbyists ever realize that aviculture, which entails the patient breeding and care of captive birds to supply pets, eggs, and feathers as well as to rear endangered species for release into protected habitats, is practiced less for the modest profit it brings than for the fragile genetic diversity it preserves, until wild bird populations, if left unprotected, vanished from distant forests that had always seemed perfectly secure.

● 排列為比較容易閱讀的方式

Seldom did casual hobbyists ever realize that aviculture,

which entails the patient breeding and care of captive birds to supply pets, eggs, and feathers as well as to rear endangered species for release into protected habitats,

is practiced less for the modest profit it brings than for the fragile genetic diversity it preserves,

until wild bird populations,

if left unprotected,

vanished from distant forests

that had always seemed perfectly secure.

● 分解為原初的短小句

Casual hobbyists seldom realized something.

（Seldom 置句首，主詞與助動詞倒裝為 did hobbyists；ever 加強否定語氣；realize 後接 that 名詞子句。）

Aviculture entails the patient breeding and care of captive birds.

（which 非限定關係子句，entail 表「牽涉、需要」；breeding and care 為並列名詞。）

The breeding supplies pets, eggs, and feathers.

（to supply 為不定詞片語，表目的；三項名詞以逗號並列。）

The breeding also rears endangered species for release into protected habitats.

（as well as to rear 與前一目的並列；for release 為「介詞＋名詞」，表用途。）

Aviculture is practiced less for the profit than for the diversity.

（less A than B 表「與其看重 A，不如看重 B」；is practiced 為被動語態。）

Aviculture brings the modest profit.

（the modest profit it brings 省略了關係代名詞 that，it 回指 aviculture。）

Aviculture preserves the fragile genetic diversity.

（the fragile genetic diversity it preserves 同樣省略 that。）

Wild bird populations vanished from distant forests.

（until 引導時間副詞子句；vanish 為不及物動詞，後接 from 表「從……消失」。）

The wild bird populations were left unprotected.

（if left unprotected 為省略「主詞＋be」的條件子句。）

The forests had always seemed perfectly secure.

（that had always seemed perfectly secure 為限定關係子句；過去完成式表「此前一直」。）

● 文法解析

Seldom 否定副詞倒裝結構：

Seldom did casual hobbyists ever realize 以否定副詞置句首，助動詞 did 移到主詞 hobbyists 之前，語氣比 Casual hobbyists seldom realized 更強，ever 再加重「從未」的意味。倒裝只作用於主句，that 之後的名詞子句恢復正常語序。本句把倒裝放在最前面，卻把 until 子句留到最後，讀者要讀完整個 that 子句，才知道「很少意識到」其實是「直到野鳥消失才意識到」。

which 非限定子句與 as well as：

aviculture, which entails ... 插在主詞 aviculture 與謂語 is practiced 之間，屬補充說明。to supply pets, eggs, and feathers as well as to rear endangered species 以 as well as 把「供應產品」與「繁殖瀕危物種」兩個不定詞目的並列，說明養鳥業不只是商業飼養。for release into protected habitats 再以「介詞＋名詞」交代繁殖後的去向。

less ... than 比較結構與省略關係代名詞：

is practiced less for the modest profit it brings than for the fragile genetic diversity it preserves 以 less A than B 作價值翻轉：被看重的程度，利潤較低，基因多樣性較高。the modest profit it brings 與 the fragile genetic diversity it preserves 都省略了受格關係代名詞 that，是限定關係子句中常見的省略，兩個子句平行，使對照更清楚。

until 子句與 if left unprotected 省略結構：

until wild bird populations ... vanished 以 until 引入轉折，說明認知的改變要等到危機出現。if left unprotected 夾在主詞 populations 與謂語 vanished 之間，為 if they are left unprotected 的省略，省略了「主詞＋be」，they 指 wild bird populations。這個插入語使主詞與動詞隔開，閱讀時要先記住 populations，等到 vanished 才連得上。

that had always seemed perfectly secure：

that 引導限定關係子句修飾 forests，代替 forests 作子句主詞。had always seemed 使用過去完成式，表示在鳥群消失之前，人們一直認為森林安穩無虞，與主句過去式 vanished 形成對照，呈現「長久以為安全，後來才發現脆弱」的反轉，也呼應全句「保育價值遠大於利潤」的主旨。