Panda exchanges, like the one that sent two bears to Washington’s National Zoo this week, are governed by closely held contracts. In most countries, they are never released.

华盛顿国家动物园迎来了两只大熊猫，这样的大熊猫交流受到严格控制的合同约束。在大多数国家，相关合同永远不会被公布。

Lawyers for the Smithsonian, which operates the National Zoo, cited a confidentiality clause and refused to release a 2020 contract. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, which regulates the import and export of exotic species, provided a San Diego Zoo contract with key passages blacked out.

史密森尼学会负责运营国家动物园，该学会的律师援引一项保密条款拒绝公布2020年的合同。负责监管外来物种进出口的美国鱼类及野生动物管理局提供了一份圣地亚哥动物园的合同，其中关键段落被涂黑。

But my colleagues and I found full copies of those documents and others in regulatory filings.

但我和同事在监管文件中找到了相关文件和其他文件的完整副本。

The contracts govern two pandas at the National Zoo and two more that arrived in San Diego this summer.

这些合同涉及国家动物园的两大熊猫和今年夏天抵达圣地亚哥的另外两只大熊猫。

Comparing these contracts with past agreements revealed that American zoo administrators are ceding increasing authority to the China Wildlife Conservation Association, a government group that administers many panda agreements.

将这些合同与过去的协议进行比较，可以发现美国动物园管理方正在将越来越多的权力割让给中国野生动物保护协会，后者是一个管理多项大熊猫协议的政府组织。

今年，雄性大熊猫云川在精心策划的媒体活动中抵达圣地亚哥。但动物园管理人员同意就对记者透露的信息范围设限。

China’s national forestry bureau, which oversees the wildlife group, did not respond to a request to comment.

负责监管该野生动物组织的中国国家林业和草原局没有回应置评请求。

Here are a few of the terms.

以下是部分条款。

Watch What You Tell Journalists

注意你对记者说的话

The arrival of pandas in Washington and San Diego were highly choreographed media events. But zoo administrators have agreed to limit what they tell journalists.

大熊猫抵达华盛顿和圣地亚哥是精心策划的媒体事件。但动物园管理人员同意限制他们向记者透露的内容。

Administrators cannot discuss panda illness, death, disease or “any other important matters” without first consulting with their Chinese partners, whose views “shall be fully respected.”

管理人员不得在未事先咨询中国合作伙伴的情况下讨论大熊猫生病、死亡、疾病或“任何其他重要事项”，中方合作伙伴的意见“应得到充分尊重”。

“In cases where release of related information to the outside world or acceptance of media interviews is necessary, it shall be implemented only after communication and consultation between the parties and a consensus is reached,” the contracts read. “And where no consensus is reached, no news shall be released.”

合同中写道：“如需对外发布相关信息或接受媒体采访，应在双方沟通协商并达成共识后实施。如果无法达成共识，则不得发布任何消息。”

在没有事先与中国合作伙伴协商的情况下，动物园方不能与记者讨论大熊猫的健康状况或“任何其他重要事项”。

In a statement, the San Diego Zoo said it was common for partners to discuss animal well-being “and come to a mutual understanding before sharing updates publicly.”

圣地亚哥动物园在声明中表示，合作伙伴之间讨论动物福利“并在对外更新情况之前达成共识”是很常见的。

Previous contracts did not contain such “information management” restrictions.

此前的相关合同并不包含此类“信息管理”限制。

Don’t Talk About the Money

不要谈钱

Zoos pay up to $1.1 million a year to rent pairs of pandas from China. To raise money, zoos court donations from everyday people and big-ticket philanthropists.

动物园每年从中国租借一对大熊猫的费用高达110万美元。为筹集资金，动物园会向普通民众和大慈善家募捐。

The arrangement is, at its heart, a rental. China retains ownership of the pandas, and zoos pay for the right to display and breed them for a decade.

这种安排本质上是一种租赁。中国保留大熊猫的所有权，动物园买下十年的展示权和繁殖权。

But the China Wildlife Conservation Association prohibits zoos from discussing the deal in that way. “Commercial terms such as ‘lease,’ ‘rental,’ ‘loan agreement’ or ‘contract’ shall not be used,” the National Zoo’s current contract dictates.

但中国野生动物保护协会禁止动物园以这种角度讨论这笔交易。国家动物园的现行合同规定，“不得使用‘租赁’、‘租金’、‘借用协议’或‘合同’等商业术语”。

The zoo previously referred to this contract as a “loan.” Not anymore. Now it is a “cooperative research and breeding agreement.”

国家动物园此前将相关合同称为“借用”。现在并非如此，而是“合作研究与繁殖协议”。

大熊猫交流本质上是一种租赁。中国保留大熊猫的所有权，动物园则购买十年的展示和繁殖权。

But even the term “loan” was a euphemism, said Ron Kagan, the former chief executive of the Detroit Zoo. Under his tenure, the zoo passed on hosting pandas because of ethical concerns about paying for a threatened species, among other reasons.

但底特律动物园前首席执行官罗恩·卡根表示，即使是“借用”一词也是一种委婉的说法。在他任职期间，底特律动物园放弃了饲养大熊猫，原因之一是考虑到为濒危物种付费的伦理担忧。

“You can call it whatever you want,” he said. “It’s not a loan if you’re paying.”

“随便你怎么说，”他说。“如果你付了钱，那就不是借。”

All-Expense Paid Travel

全额支付差旅费用

Zoos have agreed to pay for Chinese panda experts to travel to the United States regularly to give advice.

美国各家动物园同意支付中国大熊猫专家定期前往美国提供建议的费用。

American zoos will pay for airfare, hotels and a daily stipend of $100 to $150 per person. “Payment shall be made by the American Party in cash or by other means directly to the experts themselves,” the two contracts say.

美国动物园支付机票、酒店费用以及每人每天100至150美元的津贴。“美方应以现金或其他方式直接向专家支付费用，”两份合同写道。

Zoos are also required to fly in experts to conduct research, help pandas acclimate and in some cases, consult on procedures like artificial inseminations.

动物园还必须负责前来进行研究，帮助大熊猫适应环境专家的机票费用，在某些情况下，这些专家还会就人工授精等程序提供咨询。

Restrictions on Live Panda Cams

对大熊猫直播摄像头的限制

Last year, a panda at the Memphis Zoo, Le Le, died after panda enthusiasts watched him deteriorate on the zoo’s live video feed.

去年，孟菲斯动物园的一只大熊猫乐乐在大熊猫爱好者通过动物园直播视频看到它病情恶化后死亡。

纪念去年在孟菲斯动物园去世大熊猫乐乐的物品。

The zoo’s female, Ya Ya, came under scrutiny, too, with animal welfare groups and Chinese panda fans saying that she was too thin and had mangy fur.

这家动物园的雌性大熊猫丫丫也受到了关注，动物福利组织和中国大熊猫爱好者称它太瘦，毛皮粗糙。

Some even paid for a billboard in Times Square.

有些人甚至付费在时报广场广告牌上展示它的情况

The zoo said that Le Le died of heart disease and that Ya Ya had a genetic condition that gave her patchy fur.

孟菲斯动物园方称乐乐死于心脏病，丫丫患有遗传病，导致毛皮斑驳。

Some zoos previously promoted live, round-the-clock panda feeds. Going forward, they have agreed to limit their live feeds.

一些动物园之前曾宣传全天直播大熊猫视频。这些动物园同意今后对直播进行限制。

The San Diego zoo says it will now offer only a daytime feed. The zoo’s contract says it may show only “video footage or images that are first reviewed, edited when necessary, and approved” by the zoo.

圣地亚哥动物园表示，现在只提供白天的视频。该动物园的合同规定，只能播放“动物园首先审阅、必要时编辑和批准的视频片段或图像”。

Melissa Songer, a Smithsonian conservation biologist, said in August that the National Zoo pushed back on this provision. Its contract is less restrictive. But the zoo will offer footage on a delay, Dr. Songer said.

史密森尼保护生物学家梅丽莎·松格8月表示，国家动物园拒绝了这一规定。其合同限制较少。但松格表示，动物园将延迟提供录像。

美国动物园同意限制大熊猫直播。

Break the Rules? Deal’s Off.

违反规定？交易取消。

The China Wildlife Conservation Association can terminate the contract and recall pandas to China for a variety of reasons.

中国野生动物保护协会可以以各种理由终止合同并召回大熊猫。

The “unauthorized release of relevant information” to the public is one example.

“未经授权向公众发布相关信息”就是一个例子。

The Chinese group can also recall pandas for “improper feeding management” or “health issues in giant pandas with a risk of death.”

该协会还可以“饲养管理不当”或“大熊猫出现健康问题，有死亡风险”为由召回大熊猫。

These clauses, too, were added after Le Le’s death.

这些条款也是在乐乐死亡后添加的。