It has been a dramatic change of fortunes for the blobfish. Back in 2013, the gelatinous sea creature was declared the world's ugliest animal.

水滴鱼的命运发生了翻天覆地的变化。早在2013年，这种胶状的海洋生物就被宣布为世界上最丑的动物。



But now it has been voted New Zealand's "fish of the year" in a competition aimed at raising awareness of the country's marine life and its fragile ecosystem.

但现在它被评选为新西兰“年度之鱼”， 这是在一项旨在提高人们对新西兰海洋生物及其脆弱生态系统认识的竞赛，

Organized by the Mountains to Sea Conservation Trust, the annual event seeks to familiarize New Zealanders with the wide variety of fish living in the country's fresh and sea water environments.

该活动由山海保护信托组织举办， 是一项年度活动，旨在让新西兰人熟悉生活在该国淡水和海水环境中的各种鱼类。

According to the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), blobfish – which grow to about 12 inches (30 centimeters) long – "look like a big, blobby tadpole, just a mass of pale, jelly-like flesh with puffy, loose skin, a big nose and beady, staring eyes."

据美国国家海洋和大气管理局介绍，水滴鱼体长可达12英寸（30厘米），“看起来像一只巨大的、 臃肿的蝌蚪，只是一团苍白的、果冻般的肉，皮肤松松垮垮，鼻子大，眼睛小而圆，目光呆滞。”

They are found mainly off the coast of southeastern Australia and Tasmania and usually reside at depths of 2,000 to 4,000 feet (600 to 1,200 meters).

它们主要生活在澳大利亚东南部和塔斯马尼亚岛附近的海域，通常栖息在2000至4000英尺（600至1200米）深的海域。

Votes were submitted on the website of the not-for-profit trust for just over two weeks this month, with the polls closing on March 16.

本月，非营利信托组织的网站上进行了为期两周多的投票，投票于3月16日结束。

According to the trust's announcement of the news, the orange roughy looked set for victory until its uglier rival won the backing of New Zealand radio network More FM.

根据该信托组织发布的新闻公告， 原本橙鲷鱼看似胜券在握，直到其更丑的对手获得了新西兰MoreFM广播电台的支持。

Sarah Gandy and Paul Flynn, hosts of the station's Drive show, said: "We and the people of New Zealand had had enough of other fish getting all the headlines. The blobfish had been sitting patiently on the ocean floor, mouth open waiting for the next mollusc to come through to eat. He has been bullied his whole life and we thought, 'stuff this, it's time for the blobfish to have his moment in the sun', and what a glorious moment it is!"

该电台《Drive》节目的主持人莎拉·甘迪和保罗·弗林说：“我们和新西兰人民已经看够了其他鱼类抢占所有头条新闻。水滴鱼一直耐心地坐在海底，张着嘴等待下一个软体动物游过来吃掉。它一生都饱受欺凌，我们心想，‘够了，现在该轮到水滴鱼享受它的高光时刻了’， 这真是一个辉煌的时刻！”

Kim Jones, co-director of the trust, said it was "a battle of two quirky deep sea critters, with the blobfish's unconventional beauty helping get voters over the line."

信托组织联合主任金·琼斯说，这是“两种古怪深海生物的较量，水滴鱼那非传统的美感帮助它赢得了选民的青睐。”

Speaking ahead of the event, Jones explained the idea behind the initiative: "Many of our freshwater and marine fish are found nowhere else in the world. With climate change and land use patterns putting significant strain on our waterways, many of our fish are at risk of disappearing forever."

在活动前夕，琼斯解释了这项倡议背后的理念：“我们的许多淡水和海洋鱼类在世界上其他地方都找不到。随着气候变化和土地利用方式给我们的河道带来了巨大的压力，我们的许多鱼类正面临着永远消失的风险。”

                                      素材来源：iYuba