❷A dinosaur of colorful feathers

By Pete Musto/覃云华（译）

◆语篇导读

古生物学家最近发掘了一个几乎完整的彩虹恐龙化石，推测它的羽毛鲜艳、宽大，科学家们给它命名为“彩虹恐龙”，这种恐龙大约生活在1.61亿年前的侏罗纪时期。你想知道这种恐龙的更多的情况吗？

Scientists have recently announced the discovery of a small,bird-like dinosaur from China which had unusual,colorful feathers.

The scientists named the dinosaur Caihong,which were discovered having the nearly complete and almosttotally undamaged fossilin Hebei Province.

The structures of Caihong in the fossil suggest that the creature had wide,shiny feathers;and this kind of colorful dinosaur lived 161 million years ago during the Jurassic Period of earth’s history.Caihong had many bird-like qualities.It was two-legged and had a long,small head with sharp teeth,and it had boney crests above its eyes,and it hunted other smaller animals for food,but researchers doubt that it could actually fly.

Scientists say many dinosaurs had feathers.Because birds evolved from small feathered dinosaurs near the end of the Jurassic Period.Its feathers could have served the purpose of gaining the attention of sexual partners while also providing protection from heat and cold.

Caihong had two kinds of feathers.It is also the earliest-known creature with feathers that did not have the same shape on both sides.This is a physical quality that modern birds have and use to direct themselves while flying.

Xu Xing,a paleontologist with the Chinese Academy of Sciences,said,“It is similar to some early birds such as Archaeopteryx.”Then,he added,“To be honest,I am not sure what function the feathers have,and I don’t think that you can completely exclude the possibility that the feathers helped the animal to fly in the air.”

◆词语积淀

announce/ə'naʊns/v.宣布；宣告；预示

undamaged/ʌn'dæmIdʒd/adj.未损坏的；未受伤害的

fossil/'fɒsl/n.化石；思想僵化的人

crest/krest/n.鸟冠；顶峰

evolve/i'vɒlv/v.（使）逐步发展；进化

paleontologist/pælIɒn'tɒlədʒIst/n.古生物学者

Archaeopteryx/,ɑːki'ɒpterIks/n.始祖鸟

◆典句赏析

1.The structures of Caihong in the fossil suggest that the creature had wide,shiny feathers.彩虹恐龙的化石结构表明这种生物拥有宽大、靓丽的羽毛。

这是一个复合句，that引导的是宾语从句。在口语中，引导宾语从句的连词that可以省略。本句中的主句谓语动词是一般现在时态，因此从句用了所需要的时态——一般过去时态；the structures of可以视为一个固定的词组，意为“……的结构”。

【即时尝试】他们相信计算机终将代替人类。

2.Its feathers could have served the purpose of gaining the attention of sexual partners while also providing protection from heat and cold.它的羽毛可能是为了吸引异性关注，同时可以保暖隔热。

while doing是一种省略形式，相当于while sb./sth.be doing。当while引导状语从句时，若主从句中的主语相同，或者主语为it，从句的谓语动词又含有be的某种形式时，可以把状语从句的主语和be动词一起省略；the purpose of是固定词组，意为“……的目的”。

【即时尝试】吃饭时，安静地吃东西并且吃完自己餐盘里的所有食物是礼貌的行为。

3.It is also the earliest-known creature with feathers that did not have the same shape on both sides.它同样是已知最早的两侧羽毛具有不对称结构的生物。

此句为含that引导的定语从句的复合句。关系词that指物时，可以和which互换。但当先行词为all、much、little、few、something、anything、everything、nothing 或被all、any、every、no、some等修饰时，只能用that。

【即时尝试】请找一间足够大的能住下我们全体的房间。

译文助读

近日，科学家宣布发现了一种来自中国的小型鸟类恐龙，有着异常炫目的彩色羽毛。

科学家将这些在中国河北省发现的几乎完好无损的恐龙化石命名中的恐龙为“彩虹恐龙”。

这种存活于1.61亿年前的侏罗纪时期的彩虹恐龙的化石结构表明这种生物拥有宽大、靓丽的羽毛。“彩虹恐龙”具有多种鸟类特质，它有两条腿，头部细长、牙齿锋利。它的眼睛上方有如骨的鸟冠，靠捕捉其他小动物为生，但是研究人员怀疑它是否真的能飞。

科学家表示，很多恐龙都有羽毛。因为鸟类是由侏罗纪时期末期的有羽毛的小型恐龙演化而来的。它的羽毛可能是为了吸引异性关注，同时可以保暖隔热。

“彩虹恐龙”有两种羽毛；它同样是已知最早的两侧羽毛具有不对称结构的生物。用不对称结构平衡飞行是现代鸟类具备的飞行时掌控方向的物理特性。

中国科学院的一名古生物学家徐星说：“这种恐龙与始祖鸟等早期鸟类相似。”徐星还表示：“老实说，我不清楚羽毛的具体功能，我认为你不能完全排除羽毛用来帮助飞行的可能性”。