来源: http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-38641709
[1] Christy Kroboth gave up her career as a dental nurse to focus on animals with a lot more teeth - alligators. When she started training as an alligator catcher she was the only woman in her class, but - as she describes here - that made her even more determined to show she could jump on an animal many times her size, and tape its jaws tightly shut.
[2] When I first got my licence I was only doing this as a hobby, I'd go to work as a dental assistant and catch my alligators on the side.
[3] But I got well known for taking the alligators alive, and I'm now doing this as my full time job.
[1] Christy Kroboth放弃了她作为牙科护士的职业生涯，专注于拥有更多牙齿的动物 - 鳄鱼。 当她开始接受鳄鱼捕手训练时，她是班上唯一的女性，但是 - 正如她在这里所描述的那样 - 这让她更加坚定地表明她可以跳过她的体型多倍的动物，并将它的下颚紧紧地扣住。
[2]当我第一次获得执照时，我只是作为一个业余爱好，我会去做牙科助理工作，并抓住我的鳄鱼。
[3]但我因为让鳄鱼活着而闻名，我现在正在做这个全职工作。
[4] I've been a true animal lover all my life. I blame it on my mom. When we were little she was the one that would stop the car, pull over, and help turtles and ducks cross the road. We took in all the strays - cats, dogs, whatever needed a home.
[5] Where I live in the south part of Texas we have a lot of alligators and there are these big master-plan communities that have manmade ponds and these ponds have alligators in them.
[6] The homeowners are so afraid that they're going to eat their kids and that they're going to eat their dogs, but in the past 100 years we've only had one person killed by an alligator, so it's all just superstition.
[4]我一生都是真正的动物爱好者。 我把它归咎于我的妈妈。 当我们小的时候，她会停下车，拉过来，帮助乌龟和鸭子过马路。 我们接受了所有的流浪狗 - 猫，狗，无论家里需要什么。
[5]我住在德克萨斯州南部的地方，我们有很多短吻鳄，这些大型的总体规划社区都有人造池塘，这些池塘里面都有鳄鱼。
[6]房主非常害怕他们会吃他们的孩子，他们会吃他们的狗，但在过去的100年里，我们只有一个人被鳄鱼杀死，所以这一切都只是 迷信。
[7] These alligators have been around since the dinosaurs. They're great for the ecosystem, they keep all the aquatic life in check. They're actually really shy animals and they don't want to hurt anybody.
[8] But people think of these guys as monsters. They have this vision in their head, and when I noticed this I thought, "What can I do to help change people's mindset?"
[9] You can't just go out and catch an alligator because alligators are protected by the state here in Texas. You have to have a special licence and a permit.
[7]这些短吻鳄自恐龙以来一直存在。 它们对生态系统非常有益，它们可以控制所有的水生生物。 他们实际上是非常害羞的动物，他们不想伤害任何人。
[8]但人们认为这些人是怪物。 他们头脑中有这个愿景，当我注意到这一点时，我想，“我能做些什么来帮助改变人们的心态？”
[9]你不能只是出去捕捉鳄鱼，因为短吻鳄受到德克萨斯州的保护。 您必须拥有特殊许可证和许可证。
[10] I registered to be an alligator hunter with Texas Parks and Wildlife and we had to go through a whole training course.
[11] I was the only girl in the class and also the youngest. We had to go through the rules, laws and regulations, and then the trainer told us: "OK, you've all passed the paperwork, now let's go do this hands-on."
[12] I'd never even touched an alligator before and for a split second I thought, "I can't do this." I called my mom and I said, "Mom, I can't do this!" And, of course, mom is like, "Come home right now, don't do it!"
[10]我注册成为德克萨斯公园和野生动物的鳄鱼猎人，我们不得不经历一整个培训课程。
[11]我是班上唯一的女孩，也是最年轻的女孩。 我们必须遵守规则，法律和法规，然后教练告诉我们：“好的，你们都通过了文书工作，现在让我们亲自动手。”
[12]我以前从来没有碰过一只短吻鳄，我想，“我不能这样做。” 我打电话给妈妈说：“妈妈，我不能这样做！” 而且，当然，妈妈就像，“现在回家，不要这样做！”
[13] But something told me: "I have to do this - not only for the alligators, but to prove to these big ol' country boys that I can."
[14] I ran out to the pond, got the alligator, taped him up and ended up passing the test. It was one of the happiest moments of my life and that adrenaline rush lasted the whole day.
[15] The biggest alligator I've ever caught was a 13ft (4m) male weighing more than 900lb (408kg). I'm 120lb (54kg), so he outweighed me by a good amount.
[13]但有些事情告诉我：“我必须做到这一点 - 不仅是为了鳄鱼，而且要向这些伟大的乡村男孩证明我能做到。”
[14]我跑到池塘，得到鳄鱼，把他绑起来，最后通过测试。 这是我生命中最幸福的时刻之一，肾上腺素激增持续了一整天。
[15]我遇到过的最大鳄鱼是一只体重超过900磅（408公斤）的13英尺（4米）男性。 我的体重是120磅（54公斤），所以他的体重超过了我。
[16] He was blind and lost in a parking lot and could not find his way back to the water.
[17] Usually we catch alligators by grabbing their jaws with both hands. Once you feel comfortable enough you let go with one hand and you reach the other hand into your pocket, grab your electrical [insulating] tape and tape his mouth shut. You've got to move fast.
[18] Well, this alligator was so big that my hands would not fit around his jaws. I was trying to call my buddies to help, but it was six o'clock in the morning and none of my volunteers were answering.
[16]他失明并在一个停车场迷路，无法回到水中。
[17]通常我们用双手抓住他们的下颚捕捉鳄鱼。 一旦你感觉足够舒服，你就用一只手放开，另一只手伸进口袋，抓住你的电气[绝缘]胶带，然后把嘴巴盖住。 你必须快速行动。
[18]嗯，这条鳄鱼太大了，我的手不适合他的下巴。 我试着打电话给我的伙伴们帮忙，但是早上六点钟，我的志愿者都没有回答。
[19] I was able to sucker one of the local cops into trying to help me, but he didn't want to put his hands around the alligator's mouth, which is understandable.
[20] Another way to catch an alligator is to try to outweigh them by jumping on their back, so I talked this poor cop into jumping on to the back of this alligator with me.
[21] The trick is you put all your weight down and sit completely down on the alligator. Well, the officer didn't and he kind of just danced around the alligator which any untrained person probably would.
[19]我能够吸引当地警察中的一个试图帮助我，但他不想把手放在鳄鱼的嘴上，这是可以理解的。
[20]另一种捕捉短吻鳄的方法是试图通过向后跳跃来超过它们，所以我说这个可怜的警察跟我一起跳到这条鳄鱼的背上。
[21]诀窍是你把所有的重量放下来，完全坐在鳄鱼身上。 嗯，官员没有，他只是在鳄鱼周围跳舞，任何未经训练的人可能会这样。
[22] The alligator didn't like that, so he started wiggling around, trying to get away. I knew instantly this was not going to work, so I stood up to back off and the alligator swatted me with his tail and made me fall on my bottom right there beside his un-taped mouth.
[23] We were all worn out from trying to catch this alligator for four hours, the parking lot was getting busy and stores were starting to open so I had to make the decision to call in a game warden.
[24] I got very sad because game wardens usually don't come out and catch alligators, game wardens usually come out and kill alligators.
[22]鳄鱼不喜欢那样，所以他开始摆动，试图逃脱。 我立刻就知道这不会起作用，所以我站起来退开了，鳄鱼用尾巴拍打着我，让我摔倒在我未触及的嘴旁边。
[23]我们都试图抓住这条鳄鱼四个小时，停车场越来越忙，商店开始营业，所以我不得不决定打电话给游戏监狱长。
[24]我非常伤心，因为游戏监狱长通常不会出现并捕捉鳄鱼，游戏监护人通常会出来并杀死鳄鱼。
[25] I went to my car and I started crying because I'd been defeated by this animal. I called the game warden and he said, "Christy, stop crying. I am going to come help you. Do not touch that alligator until I get there.”
[26] Well, when he said that I just got so much energy, I was so happy. I got out of my car like I could just conquer the world because somebody was coming to help me.
[27] Somehow I was able to go up to the alligator and hold his jaws in my arm and tape his mouth shut with my right hand. We ran to Home Depot and got zip ties to tie the alligator's hands behind his back like he was in handcuffs so he couldn't walk off.
[25]我去了车，我开始哭，因为我被这种动物打败了。 我打电话给游戏监狱长，他说，“克里斯蒂，别哭了。我会来帮助你。在我到达那里之前不要碰那条鳄鱼。”
[26]好吧，当他说我有这么多精力时，我很高兴。 我离开了车，就像我可以征服世界一样，因为有人来帮助我。
[27]不知何故，我能够走向鳄鱼，将他的下巴放在我的胳膊上，并用右手将他的嘴闭上。 我们跑到家得宝那里，用拉链将鳄鱼的双手绑在背后，就像戴着手铐一样，所以他不能走开。
[28] Then the game warden showed up and he said, "I told you not to catch him!"
[29] I said, "I'm sorry, I just had all this confidence and I was able to do it!"
[30] We had to borrow a forklift to pick the alligator up and load him in to my buddy's truck, because he was so big.
[28]然后游戏监狱长出现了，他说：“我告诉过你不要抓住他！”
[29]我说，“我很抱歉，我只是有了这些信心，我能够做到！”
[30]我们不得不借一辆叉车来挑选鳄鱼并把他装进我哥们的卡车里，因为他太大了。
[31] Potentially dangerous alligators that cannot be released back into the wild are taken to a farm with tons of acreage and tons of ponds. But if the alligator can be released in the wild we have certain release sites where we can drop them off.
[32] I have an SUV and sometimes the smaller alligators will want to climb over the seats and try to make their way to the front to help me drive, so it's me and the alligator waving at people going down the freeways.
[33] I've found out if you make it freezing cold in your car the alligators are calmer. So although it's the middle of summertime here in Houston - 97F (36C), humidity - I'm on the freeway in a jacket with gloves and a scarf and a blanket wrapped around me because my car is freezing cold.
[34] But the alligator is behaving, so that's all that matters.
[31]无法释放回野外的潜在危险的鳄鱼被带到一个有大量种植面积和数吨池塘的农场。 但如果鳄鱼可以在野外释放，我们有一些释放地点，我们可以放下它们。
[32]我有一辆SUV，有时较小的短吻鳄会想要越过座位并试图前往前方帮助我开车，所以这是我和鳄鱼在高速公路沿线的人们挥手。
[33]我发现如果你在车里冷冻，鳄鱼会比较冷静。 所以虽然这是休斯敦夏季的中间 - 97F（36C），湿度 - 我穿着夹克的高速公路上戴着手套，围巾和毯子缠绕着我，因为我的车很冷。
[34]但鳄鱼表现得很好，所以这一切都很重要。
[35] Sometimes they go to the bathroom, and alligator poo is not that great, so we'll have to roll down the windows and travel on down the road.
[36] Being the animal lover I am I think it's very important that we educate everybody on the animals that are living in their backyards and help them understand that we can all live together.
[37] I have three educational alligators, their names are Cam, Taylor and Halo. We call them our "edugators" because we take them to schools and we teach people alligator safety and alligator education.
[35]有时他们去洗手间，鳄鱼便便不是那么好，所以我们必须滚下窗户然后沿着路走。
[36]作为动物爱好者，我认为我们教育每个人生活在他们后院的动物并帮助他们了解我们所有人都能生活在一起非常重要。
[37]我有三个教育短吻鳄，他们的名字是Cam，Taylor和Halo。 我们称他们为“教育者”，因为我们将他们带到学校，我们教人们鳄鱼安全和鳄鱼教育。
[38] I work with these alligators every single day, they're used to being handled so they don't see us as a threat. They'll even sit on the couch and watch TV with me when they're not in their enclosures.
[39] When I go out on a catch sometimes there's a very afraid person there whose mindset is changed. They may say, "Oh, I understand his importance now, I like him, let's name him." When I see that change in people that's what really drives me to do what I do.
[40] That's why I wake up and why I do my job every single day.
[38]我每天都与这些短吻鳄一起工作，他们习惯于被处理，所以他们不认为我们是威胁。 当他们不在他们的围栏里时，他们甚至会坐在沙发上和我一起看电视。
[39]当我出去捕捉时，有时会有一个非常害怕的人，他的心态会发生变化。 他们可能会说，“哦，我现在明白他的重要性，我喜欢他，让我们来命名他。” 当我看到人们的变化时，真正驱使我去做我所做的事情。
[40]这就是为什么我醒来，为什么我每天都做我的工作。
