BEIJING - A Chinese medicine professional denied claims that the practice of extracting bear bile is cruel and promised to give media a chance to visit the country's bear farms.
北京：中國中醫(yī)藥協(xié)會日前召開媒體溝通會，就目前備受輿論關(guān)注的“活熊取膽”做出回應(yīng)，否認(rèn)活熊取膽很殘忍的說法，并承諾可以協(xié)助媒體參觀對公眾封閉的養(yǎng)熊場。

The extraction of bear bile for medicinal purposes has met opposition from animal rights activists in recent years. Opponents say the bears are subjected to crude surgery that leaves permanent wounds in their abdominal walls and gall bladders, causing serious diseases and even death.
近些年來，用于醫(yī)療用途的活熊取膽招致了動物權(quán)利保護人士的強烈反對。反對者稱這些熊遭受的殘忍取膽手術(shù)，將對腹壁和膽囊造成永久性傷害，造成嚴(yán)重的疾病甚至死亡。

The protest became increasingly intense in past weeks after a pharmaceutical company in Fujian province that makes medicine from bear bile filed for approval by the Growth Enterprise Board to be listed on the Shenzhen Stock Exchange.
活熊取膽抗議浪潮在過去的幾周愈發(fā)激烈，這主要是因為在2月1日證監(jiān)會公告的一批排隊上市企業(yè)的名單，從事活熊取膽的福建藥企歸真堂就赫然在列。

The company, Guizhentang Pharmaceuticals, is expected to use the funds raised by the initial public offering (IPO) to expand the size of its farm and the number of its bears, media reported.
據(jù)媒體報道，歸真堂藥業(yè)計劃通過IPO籌股來集資，擴大養(yǎng)熊場的規(guī)模增加養(yǎng)殖熊的數(shù)量。

Fang Shuting, head of the China Association of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), said there is a great misunderstanding among the media and the public about the process of extracting bear bile.
中國中藥協(xié)會會長房書亭表示，媒體和工作對活熊取膽的過程有相當(dāng)大的誤解。

"Such cruel practices happened more than 20 years ago," he said at a news conference on Thursday afternoon.
在周四下午召開的新聞發(fā)布會上他表示，這種殘忍的方式只在20多年前采用過。

"The process of extracting bear bile now only takes about 10 seconds. During that short period, the black bear feels no pain or any strange sensations, and can play and eat as usual," he said.
“現(xiàn)在取熊膽的過程只要10秒鐘，在這樣短暫的瞬間，黑熊不會感受到任何痛苦或異感，還能如常玩耍進食?！?/div>

"Based on what I saw on the farms, the bears look very comfortable after the extraction."
“根據(jù)我在養(yǎng)熊場的觀察，那些熊在取膽的過程中看起來很舒服。