The Chinese proverb "the weasel pays respect to the hen without the best of intentions" became all too real with the arrival of the Year of the Rooster.
随着鸡年的到来,中国的一句谚语“黄鼠狼给鸡拜年”真的成为了现实。
Recently, a picture of a "Siberian weasel" paying New Year respects to a hen went viral. However, the "Siberian weasel" in the picture was not Siberian, said an expert.
近日,一张一只“西伯利亚黄鼠狼”给一只母鸡“拜年”的照片迅速走红。但是一位专家指出,照片中的这只“西伯利亚黄鼠狼”并不是来自西伯利亚。
"The animal in the picture is not a Siberian weasel. It's a least weasel," said Dr. Zhang Jinshuo, who works at the Institute of Zoology at the Chinese Academy of Sciences, adding that Siberian weasels are larger than least weasels.
来自中国社科院动物研究所的张劲硕博士表示:“照片中的这只动物不是西伯利亚黄鼠狼,只是一只普通的伶鼬。”他还表示,西伯利亚黄鼠狼要比普通的伶鼬大一些。
According to Zhang, the main difference between the two is that Siberian weasels have a pale back and belly and a black face.
据张劲硕博士称,这两种动物之间主要的区别在于,西伯利亚黄鼠狼的背部和腹部是白色的,而脸则是黑的。
Zhang also noted the proverb and pointed out that weasels do not usually eat chickens. Typically, they eat other small animals like rats.
此外,张劲硕还提到了那句谚语,并指出黄鼠狼其实不常吃鸡。通常来说,它们的食物是老鼠等其他一些小动物。
He said weasels only attack chickens and other domestic fowl when they are starving and no other food source can be found.
他表示,只有在饿得不行而又找不到其他食物的时候,黄鼠狼才会袭击鸡和其他家禽。