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Parrots have an uncanny ability to mimic human speech.
鹦鹉有着模仿人类语言的神奇能力。
Their mad vocal skills have let them co-host TED Talks, sing in heavy metal bands
它们出色的声乐技巧让它们成为TED的主持人，在重金属乐队担任主唱
and made them the pet of choice to deliver punchlines in pirate movies.
并从众宠物中脱颖而出，承包海盗系列电影中的笑点。
Part of this is just being able to make the sounds that we do.
其中部分原因是因为鹦鹉能够模仿人类说话。
Parrots have articulate tongues which can move around in their mouths and shift frequencies to make human-like vowel sounds
鹦鹉有着灵活的舌头且发音清晰，能够在口中有频率地来回移动并发出类似人类的声音
but mostly, parrots have unique brains.
但主要来讲，鹦鹉都有着独特的大脑。
When the majority of birds chirp or sing, they're making noises that are hardwired
当大部分鸟类叽叽喳喳歌唱时，它们会发出固定的噪音
but parrots can create new vocalizations which scientists call vocal learning.
但鹦鹉能够创造出新的发音，科学家称之为声乐学习。
Not only that but something about their neurons make them incredibly good at vocal mimicry,
不仅是这样，鹦鹉的神经元中的特别之处使它们非常擅于声音模仿、
replicating the sounds or calls of other species.
复制其他物种的声音或呼叫声。
Only three types of birds are capable of vocal learning: hummingbirds, songbirds and parrots.
只有三种鸟有声乐学习的能力：蜂鸟、黄莺和鹦鹉。
Scientists don't know exactly how vocal learning helps them
科学家们并不清楚声乐学习能够如何帮助到它们
but freestyling might let different groups of birds tell each other apart
但自由式模仿也许让不同鸟类辨别出彼此
which could help them identify enemies and form strong social bonds.
帮助它们辨别敌人并形成强烈的社会联系。
Despite being very different birds, hummingbirds, songbirds and parrots
虽然种类不同，蜂鸟、黄莺和鹦鹉的大脑中
all have seven clusters of neurons in their brain called song nuclei.
有七个神经元群，被称为发声核。
Since other birds don't have these brain regions, scientists think they've got to be behind vocal learning.
由于其他鸟类并没有这些大脑区域，科学家认为它们是在声乐学习之后才形成这种区域。
The song nuclei are surrounded by or next to parts of the brain that control movement.
发声核被大脑中的控制运动的部分所包围或位于这个部分的旁边。
The ones involved in learning are towards the front of the brain and those involved in sound production are farther back.
参与声乐学习的区域在大脑前部而那些参与发声的区域则在更后边。
But just having song nuclei doesn't explain why parrots are so much better at, well, parroting speech.
但仅有发声核并不能解释为什么鹦鹉如此擅长，呃，鹦鹉学舌。
Now most research on mimicry and parrots uses the common parakeet or budgie as a model for the whole group.
如今在很多模仿和鹦鹉的研究中，都是用普通的长尾小鹦鹉或虎皮鹦鹉作为鹦鹉群的代表。
But in 2015 researchers took a look at the brains of a bunch of different parrots
但2015年，研究员们观察了不同鹦鹉的大脑
and found that they all had something that hummingbirds and songbirds didn't:
并发现它们都有一些蜂鸟和黄莺所没有的：
an extra layer or shell, surrounding each nucleus.
围绕在每个核周围的加固层或加固壳周围。
It's a bit like the candy coating on a skittle.
就有点像是彩虹堂的那层糖衣。
Parrots have the full candy while other birds just have the fruity core.
鹦鹉是实心的糖果而其他鸟类有着果味的糖心。
And differences in the amount of shells seem to correlate to mimicking abilities.
加固壳的数量似乎与模仿能力相互关联。
Expert imitators, like the African Grey Parrot have much larger shell regions
相比模仿技能不足的模仿者，比如虎皮鹦鹉和桃脸情侣鹦鹉，
and smaller cores than copycats who are less skilled like budgies and peach face lovebirds.
模仿能手，比如非洲灰鹦鹉的加固壳区更大，但核心却更小。
So far, it's just a correlation, so these shells may not be the reason or the only reason why parrots are super mimics,
目前这仅是一种互相关联，因此这些加固壳或许并不是解释鹦鹉超级模仿能力的原因或者这并不是唯一的原因，
not to mention scientists don't know how the shells function right now,
更何况科学家们还不清楚这些加固壳的功能，
although they know that the shells link to each other and make different connections than the course.
虽然他们知道加固壳相互连接并产生不同的关联。
Based on similarities and in the types of genes expressed in each brain region,
基于相似性以及每个大脑区域不同的基因表达，
scientists think that this double-layered song system may have come about
科学家们认为这个双层的发声系统的产生
because song nuclei got duplicated more than 29 million years ago.
是因为发声核早在2900万年前就进行复制了。
we humans didn't gain our refined linguistic abilities until millions of years later,
我们人类直到百万年之后才习得精炼的语言能力，
so when it really comes down to it, who's mimicking whom?
所以归根到底，到底是谁在模仿谁呢？
Thanks to our patron on Patron, Joann Kaye for asking and thanks to all of our patrons
感谢Patron的观众Joann Kaye的提问，也谢谢所有观众
because your support keeps these answers coming.
因为你们的支持才有了这些节目。
If you want to ask the Scishow team questions or vote on a couple that we should answer, head on over to patrons.com/scishow
如果你想向科学秀提问或是对问题进行投票，请登录patrons.com/scishow。
