By Jonathan/覃云华(译)
◆语篇导读
因为人类活动导致自然界环境的变化,狮子、老虎等许多哺乳动物为了避免与人类接触,可能会减少活动或迁移到偏远地方,或通过夜间不眠的方式警惕可能受到的袭击,并且减少觅食的时间。
Lions,tigers and other mammals are staying awake at night to avoid human beings,a new study finds.
Scientists have long known that human activities can lead to changes in nature.Many mammals may move around less or travel to distant places to avoid contact with people.By being awake at night,mammals can also be on guard against possible attackers and spend less time looking for food.
The latest research has found even activities like hiking and camping can frighten animals and cause them to become more active at night.
Kaitlyn Gaynor of the University of California,Berkeley led the study.She said,“It suggests that animals might be cautious when people are around them.We may think that we leave no trace when we're just hiking in the woods,but our mere presence can have lasting consequences.”
She and her team of researchers examined 76 other studies involving 62 species on six continents.Among the animal studies were lions in Tanzania,tigers in Nepal,and otters in Brazil.
Researchers compared how much time those animals were active at night in areas of human activity,such as hunting,hiking and farming.The team found that,on average,human presence caused an increase of about 20 percent in night time activity,even in creatures that usually sleep at night.
“Humans can do their thing during the day,wildlife can do their thing at night,”Kaitlyn Gaynor said.Gaynor added,that way,people would be sharing the planet with many other species.
◆词语积淀
mammal/'mæml/n.哺乳动物
avoid/ə'vɔɪd/vt.避免;躲避
contact/'kɒntækt/n.接触;联系;熟人 v.联系;联络(如用电话或信件)
attacker/ə'tækə(r)/n.攻击者;抨击者
consequence/'kɒnsɪkwəns/n.结果;后果
involve/ɪn'vɒlv/vt.包含;(使)忙于;牵涉;(使)卷入
continent/'kɒntɪnənt/n.大陆;洲
on average平均;通常;普通
◆典语赏析
1.It suggests that animals might be cautious when people are around them.We may think that we leave no trace when we're just hiking in the woods,but our mere presence can have lasting consequences.这表明周围有人时,动物会十分谨慎。我们可能会认为,当我们只是在森林徒步旅行时不会留下任何痕迹,但是我们只要出现就会产生持久性的影响。
It suggests that表示“这表明……”之意,that引导的是宾语从句,此句中suggest表示“暗示;指明”之意;suggest后接宾语从句时,从句谓语既可用陈述语气,也可用虚拟语气,其区别与suggest所表示的意思有关:若suggest表示“建议”,则其后接的 that从句谓语通常用“(should+)动词原形”这样的虚拟语气形式;若suggest表示“暗示;意指;表明”等意思,则其后接的that从句要用陈述语气。
【即时尝试】她建议班会不要在星期六举行。
2.The team found that,on average,human presence caused an increase of about 20 percent in night time activity,even in creatures that usually sleep at night.该研究小组发现,平均来说,人类活动会导致动物在夜间活动增加约20%,即使那些通常在夜间睡觉的生物也不例外。
句子“The team found that...”中,that引导的是宾语从句,而句子“in creatures that usually sleep at night”中that引导的是定语从句;that在定语从句中既可指代人也可指代物。先行词是人或者物时,可以用that来引导;而关系代词that在从句中可充当主语或者是宾语,当关系代词在句中充当定语从句的宾语时,常常省略。当that引导宾语从句时,that为连词,不充当任何成分,可以省略。
【即时尝试】老师告诉学生们地球是圆的。
(答案见第63页)
译文助读
一项最新研究发现,狮子、老虎等其他哺乳动物为了躲避人类选择昼伏夜出。
科学家们早就知晓人类活动会导致自然界环境的变化。为了避免与人类接触,许多哺乳动物可能会减少活动或迁移到偏远地方。哺乳动物通过夜间不眠的方式警惕可能受到的袭击,并且减少觅食的时间。
最新研究发现,即使是徒步旅行和露营等户外活动也会让动物受惊,导致其在夜间更加活跃。
加利福尼亚大学伯克利分校的凯特林·盖纳开展了这项研究。她说:“这表明周围有人时,动物会十分谨慎。我们可能会认为,当我们只是在森林徒步旅行时不会留下任何痕迹,但是我们只要出现就会产生持久性的影响。”
凯特林和同组的研究人员调查了其他76份涉及六大洲62个物种的研究。研究对象包括坦桑尼亚的狮子、尼泊尔的老虎和巴西的水獭等。
研究人员比较了这些动物在人类活动(如打猎、远足和耕作)区域的夜间活动时间。该研究小组发现,平均来说,人类活动会导致动物在夜间活动的几率增加约20%,即使那些通常在夜间睡觉的生物也不例外。
凯特林·盖纳说:“人类可以在白天活动,而野生动物可以在夜间活动。”盖纳补充说,如此,人类就可以和其他许多物种共享这个星球了。