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科学美国人60秒:鱿鱼发光的皮肤图案可能是密码

时间:2021-03-05 11:40:00 来源:可可英语编辑:aimee 可可英语APP下载 | 可可官方微信:ikekenet

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This is Scientific American's 60-second Science, I'm Susanne Bard.
这里是科学美国人——60秒科学系列，我是苏珊娜·巴德。

More than 1,500 feet below the surface of the ocean, it's darker than a moonless night.
海面以下1500多英尺的地方，比没有月亮的夜晚还要黑暗。

But even in this murky world, there's constant activity—
但即便在这个阴暗的世界里，也有持续性活动，

including groups of Humboldt squid, each the size of a small adult human, darting around in search of fish.
其中包括洪堡鱿鱼群，每只体型都如矮小成年人，它们在水中四处飞奔寻找鱼。

"You can think of them as little rocket ships. They jet through the water.
“你可以将它们想象成小型火箭船。它们在水中喷射。

And they engage in these feeding frenzies. They're always looking out for an opportunity to eat."
它们疯狂地进食。它们总在寻找进食机会。”

Stanford University biologist Ben Burford. He says feeding in a group requires careful navigation.
斯坦福大学的生物学家本·伯福德说到。他表示，群体进食需要仔细辨别方向。

"These animals are cannibalistic; they're pretty aggressive. So there's probably some risk to group living.
“这些动物会同类相食；它们非常好斗。因此群体生活可能存在一定风险。

We think a lot of the communication they do in these groups helps with that.
我们认为它们在这些群体中进行的大量交流有助于避开风险。

Like, imagine driving in heavy traffic with a bunch of aggressive drivers, say down in Los Angeles.
比如，想象一下在拥挤的交通中开车时，周围有一群好斗的司机，就像在洛杉矶那样。

Thank goodness you have turn signals and brake lights and horns on your cars, because that prevents a lot of catastrophe from happening."
谢天谢地，你的车上有转向灯、刹车灯和喇叭，因为这能避免很多灾难的发生。”

Burford thinks Humboldt squid communicate in the dark ocean by using their own form of signaling.
伯福德认为，洪堡鱿鱼用自已的信号方式在黑暗的海洋中交流。

They do it by turning their bodies into animated message boards.
它们将自己的身体变成活动留言板。

How? Like other cephalopods, they can rapidly change the pigmentation patterns on their skin by contracting and relaxing their muscles.
如何做到？像其它头足类动物那样，它们可以通过收缩和放松肌肉来迅速改变皮肤上的色素沉着图案。

What's more, their bodies can glow.
此外，他们的身体可以发光。

"They're creating a bioluminescent backlighting for their pigmentation patterns.
“它们为色素沉着图案创造生物性发光的逆光。

So it becomes somewhat like an e-reader, something you can actually read in the dark.
因此它们有点像电子阅读器，就是你可以在黑暗中阅读的东西。

They're essentially just, you know, selectively revealing and concealing different parts of a glowing body,
它们基本上会选择性地展现和隐藏发光身体的不同部位，

producing these patterns on top of a glowing body."
在发光身体表面产生这些图案。”

Burford suspected that the squids could be combining different pigmentation patterns to create complex signals.
伯福德怀疑洪堡鱿鱼能将不同色素沉着图案结合起来，创造出复杂的信号。

"So each of those elements could mean something. And they might have the potential to combine them to generate more meanings."
“因此每种元素也许都有其意义。它们可能将其结合起来制造更多意义。”

To find out, his team attached cameras to remotely operated vehicles in order to study the squids' behavior.
为了找到答案，他的团队将摄像机装在遥控水下航行器上，以研究鱿鱼的行为。

"We looked at how they arranged their patterns in sequence during prey-capture events."
“我们观察它们在捕猎活动中如何按顺序安排图案。”

The researchers found preliminary evidence that the sequence of patterns varies consistently in specific contexts.
研究人员发现，初步证据表明，在特定环境中，图案顺序会持续变化。

For example, the squid tended to flicker when many other squid were around
比如，周围有同类时，鱿鱼往往会闪烁发光；

or darken when pursuing prey, only to change their pattern just before striking.
而在追捕猎物时，鱿鱼的颜色会变暗，只在攻击前改变图案。

The study is in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
这项研究发表在《美国国家科学院院刊》上。

Burford eventually hopes to do underwater experiments in which the squid are shown playbacks of their visual signaling—
伯福德最终希望能进行水下实验，给鱿鱼展示视觉信号回放，

virtual glowing squid, if you will.
如果你愿意的话，这也称为虚拟发光鱿鱼。

Their reactions should be illuminating.
它们的反应应该很有启发性（发光）。

Thanks for listening for Scientific American's 60-second Science. I'm Susanne Bard.
谢谢大家收听科学美国人——60秒科学。我是苏珊娜·巴德。

扫描二维码进行跟读打分训练

重点讲解：
1. in search of 寻找；寻求；
Rescue workers are digging through the rubble in search of other victims.
救援人员正在废墟中挖掘，以搜寻其他受害者owVhF)F=jogYede。
2. engage in 参与；从事；
Nowadays, office workers rarely engage in regular exercise.
现在，上班族很少定期进行锻炼GDlsWaz4k[EHt]2R。
3. look out for 搜寻；
I'll look out for Mr Jackson and give him your message.
我要去找杰克逊先生，转达你的口信W)%LuZ%T|J*0X。
4. in order to 为了；以便；目的在于；
In order to get a complete picture, further information is needed.
为掌握全面情况，还需要详细资料PhT,+#x;4oCKRt。

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重点单词		查看全部解释
darken	['dɑ:kən]	想一想再看 vi. 弄暗，暗下来 vt. 使变暗，使阴郁，败坏，使模	联想记忆 X 单词darken 联想记忆： dark黑+en表动词，“变成”→变黑
selectively		想一想再看 adv. 有选择地
eventually	[i'ventjuəli]	想一想再看 adv. 终于，最后
illuminating	[i'lu:mineitiŋ]	想一想再看 adj. 照亮的，启蒙的，照明的动词illuminat
striking	['straikiŋ]	想一想再看 adj. 吸引人的，显著的 n. 打击
complex	['kɔmpleks]	想一想再看 adj. 复杂的，复合的，合成的 n. 复合体	联想记忆 X 单词complex 联想记忆： com共同+plex重叠→全部重叠→复杂的
prey	[prei]	想一想再看 n. 被掠食者，牺牲者 vi. 捕食，掠夺，使
navigation	[.nævi'geiʃən]	想一想再看 n. 航行，航海，导航
animated	['æni.meitid]	想一想再看 adj. 生气勃勃的，栩栩如生的，动画片的
constant	['kɔnstənt]	想一想再看 adj. 经常的，不变的 n. 常数，恒量	联想记忆 X 单词constant 联想记忆： con全部，stant站－我们在痛苦的军训过程中站军姿的时候－不变的