11月5日，《湿地公约》第十四届缔约方大会（COP14）在湖北武汉、瑞士日内瓦同步拉开帷幕。42个缔约方和有关国际组织的约1100名代表参与大会。大会期间，部级高级别会议、中国履行《湿地公约》三十周年成就展、湿地考察等20场活动在武汉主会场陆续展开。
关于今年我国这场重要的主场外交活动，你对湿地和《湿地公约》COP14大会有多少了解呢？
第一问：湿地有何重要作用？
Q1: Why are wetlands so important?
湿地与森林、海洋并称为地球三大生态系统，具有涵养水源、净化水质、调节气候、维护生物多样性等多种生态功能。功能如此强大的湿地却常被人类忽略。
Wetlands are among the world's most productive ecosystems, but their importance is too often ignored.
地球之肾”、“碳库”和“鸟类乐园”这三个关键词基本总结了湿地的重要作用。
Three phrases – "kidney of the Earth," "stores of carbon," and "bird sanctuaries" – emphasize the importance of wetlands.
第二问：大会标志上嵌入了哪四种动物形态？
Q2: Can you name the species which adorn the logo for COP14 on Wetlands?
来测测眼力，《湿地公约》第十四届缔约方大会标志上嵌入了四种生活在中国湿地的珍稀濒危动物的形态，你能认出它们吗？
The images of four species endemic to China's wetlands adorn the logo for the 14th Meeting of the Conference of the Contracting Parties to the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands (COP14). Can you recognize them?
“微笑天使”江豚
“四不像”麋鹿
“活化石”扬子鳄
“东方红宝石”朱鹮
They are the Yangtze finless porpoise, milu deer, the Yangtze alligator and the crested ibis, which were all once thought to be extinct in the wild, but have all witnessed stable population growth thanks to steadfast conservation efforts.
Q3: Why was Wuhan chosen to host COP14 on Wetlands?《湿地公约》COP14大会正在武汉举办，全世界的目光聚焦于此。这是中国首次承办这一国际湿地盛会，今年还是中国加入《湿地公约》30周年，因此大会在武汉设主会场具有特殊意义。The 14th Meeting of the Conference of the Contracting Parties to the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands (COP14) is being held in central China's Wuhan City. It is the first time that a Chinese city is hosting the global wetlands conservation conference. Also, this year marks the 30th anniversary of China's accession to the Ramsar Convention. 武汉是名副其实的湿地之城，是我国拥有国家级湿地公园最多的省会城市，全境拥有165条河流、166个湖泊，拥有5个湿地自然保护区、10个湿地公园，湿地面积为16.25万公顷，占全市国土面积的18.9%。
Wuhan is a natural host as it is known as the "city of rivers" and the "city of a hundred lakes." The city is home to 165 rivers, 166 lakes and about 162,000 hectares of wetlands, which account for almost 19 percent of its total area. The city's wetland network includes 63,500 hectares of small and micro wetlands and six national wetland parks.武汉今年被评为“国际湿地城市”，这是对武汉湿地保护的极大认可。全球共有43个城市获有该称号，武汉是唯一的千万级人口城市。This year, Wuhan, which has a population of 10 million, has been awarded the title of "International Wetland City" in recognition of its achievements in urban wetland ecological protection. Of the 43 "International Wetland Cities" worldwide, 13 are in China.
总而言之，武汉确实具备承办COP14大会的实力。武汉不仅能展示我国湿地修复的保护成就，更能体现城市中人与自然的和谐共生。
In sum, Wuhan has what it takes to be the host city. It is a shining example of the significant progress that China has achieved in wetlands conservation and also shows how city dwellers can live in harmony with nature.