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：中国中医药协会日前召开媒体沟通会，就目前备受舆论关注的“活熊取胆”做出回应，否认活熊取胆很残忍的说法，并承诺可以协助媒体参观对公众封闭的养熊场。

  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.

  近些年来，用于医疗用途的活熊取胆招致了动物权利保护人士的强烈反对。反对者称这些熊遭受的残忍取胆手术，将对腹壁和胆囊造成永久性伤害，造成严重的疾病甚至死亡。

  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.

  活熊取胆抗议浪潮在过去的几周愈发激烈，这主要是因为在2月1日证监会公告的一批排队上市企业的名单，从事活熊取胆的福建药企归真堂就赫然在列。

  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.

  据媒体报道，归真堂药业计划通过IPO筹股来集资，扩大养熊场的规模增加养殖熊的数量。

  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.

  中国中药协会会长房书亭表示，媒体和工作对活熊取胆的过程有相当大的误解。

  "Such cruel practices happened more than 20 years ago," he said at a news conference on Thursday afternoon.

  在周四下午召开的新闻发布会上他表示，这种残忍的方式只在20多年前采用过。

  "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.

  “现在取熊胆的过程只要10秒钟，在这样短暂的瞬间，黑熊不会感受到任何痛苦或异感，还能如常玩耍进食。”

  "Based on what I saw on the farms, the bears look very comfortable after the extraction."

  “根据我在养熊场的观察，那些熊在取胆的过程中看起来很舒服。