导读:日本标志性的樱花节可能会成为过去，樱花树受到了入侵害虫的威胁。
There are fears that Japan’s iconic cherry blossom festivals could be a thing of past as the trees are threatened by an invasive pest, it’s reported.
据报道，人们担心日本标志性的樱花节可能会成为过去，因为樱花树受到了入侵害虫的威胁。
The culprit is the red-necked longhorn beetle - or aromia bungii - a species of beetle whose larvae feed on cherry and peach trees, often killing them, the Asahi Shinbun newspaper reports.
罪魁祸首是红颈天牛，别称桃红颈天牛，是一种幼虫生长在樱桃数和桃树上的生物，经常杀害这些树木，据《朝日新闻》报道。
Up to 4 cm (1.5 inches) long, the insect is thought to be native to China and South Korea, but has already been making its presence felt in Japan in the past few years.
这种长达4厘米（1.5英寸）的昆虫被认为原产于中国和韩国，但已经在日本生存了几年。
The Japanese government has classified it as harmful to the ecosystem, and in February sent guidance urging local governments to take action to bring it under control, according to Asahi Shinbun.
日本政府已经将它归类为有害于生态系统的物种，并在二月份发放了督促地方政府采取行动的指南，要控制住它们的扩散，据《朝日新闻》报道。
One pesticide tested has reportedly shown promise.
经测试，有一种农药已经显示对其有效。
Loss of the trees could endanger hanami - literally "flower viewing" - Japan’s much-loved spring tradition of holding outdoor parties under flowering cherry trees to admire their transient beauty.
树木的损失可能危及到这项称为花见（hanami）的活动——字面意思是“赏花”——这是日本备受欢迎的传统户外活动，人们聚会在树下欣赏这春日里稍纵即逝的樱花。
"If no measures are taken to address the issue, the culture of hanami will vanish from Japan within 20 to 30 years in the worst case," says Ryutaro Iwata, a professor of forestry and entomology at Nihon University.
“如果不采取措施来解决这个问题，赏花文化在最坏的情况下将于20年至30年后从日本消失，”日本大学林业与昆虫学教授岩田龙太郎说。
The beetle was first spotted in Japan in 2012, but is thought to have entered the country earlier, as the larvae can take up to three years to mature into adults.
“如果不采取措施来解决这个问题，赏花文化在最坏的情况下将于20年至30年后从日本消失，”日本大学林业与昆虫学教授岩田龙太郎说。
The beetle was first spotted in Japan in 2012, but is thought to have entered the country earlier, as the larvae can take up to three years to mature into adults.
这种天牛首次于2012年在日本被发现，但被认为更早进入国内，因为幼虫可能需要三年才能成熟为成虫。
As far back as 2013, of 2,600 cherry trees surveyed in one town - Soka in central Saitama Prefecture - 100 had already been affected by the pest, and some had died.
早在2013年对一个小镇——埼玉县中心的索卡镇——2600棵樱花树的调查中，已有100棵树受到虫害，且有的已经死亡。
The news prompted wanted posters to go up in the town urging people to tread on the beetles.
该消息促使海报在镇上发放，敦促人们杀害这些天牛。
Since then, they’ve been spotted across Japan, including Tokyo and Osaka.
其后，在日本全国，包括东京和大阪都发现了它们的足迹。
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