【轻松英文阅读】爱玩耍的海豚

 Dolphins are well-known for their playfulness and intelligence. They have many similarities to humans. They have large brains. They are extremely social animals. They use sounds to communicate. The list goes on. However, you will find this latest discovery very surprising.

 

It appears dolphins like to get high and they do it intentionally¹. A team from the BBC made this discovery when making a documentary on bottlenose dolphins. The dolphin’s drug of choice is puffer fish toxin². However, they don’t actually eat the puffer fish. Such large amounts of the toxin would be deadly, but in smaller amounts it is like a narcotic³. It appears puffer fish release small amounts of toxin when they are threatened. The dolphins will gently nibble⁴ on the puffer fish to provoke them and make them produce the toxins⁵.

 

The BBC team filmed the dolphins gently chewing a puffer fish and passing it around. Afterwards, the dolphins began displaying strange behavior. For example, they would put their noses near the surface and study their own reflections in fascination⁶.

1 intentionally   

ad.故意地，有意地

参考例句：

• I didn't say it intentionally. 我是无心说的。
• The local authority ruled that he had made himself intentionally homeless and was therefore not entitled to be rehoused. 当地政府裁定他是有意居无定所，因此没有资格再获得提供住房。

2 toxin   

n.毒素，毒质

参考例句：

• Experts have linked this condition to a build-up of toxins in the body.专家已把这一病症与体内毒素的积累联系起来。
• Tests showed increased levels of toxin in shellfish.检验表明水生有壳动物的毒素水平提高了。

3 narcotic   

n.麻醉药，镇静剂；adj.麻醉的，催眠的

参考例句：

• Opium is classed under the head of narcotic.鸦片是归入麻醉剂一类的东西。
• No medical worker is allowed to prescribe any narcotic drug for herself.医务人员不得为自己开处方使用麻醉药品。

4 nibble   

n.轻咬，啃；v.一点点地咬，慢慢啃，吹毛求疵

参考例句：

• Inflation began to nibble away at their savings.通货膨胀开始蚕食他们的存款。
• The birds cling to the wall and nibble at the brickwork.鸟儿们紧贴在墙上，啄着砖缝。

5 toxins   

n.毒素( toxin的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The seas have been used as a receptacle for a range of industrial toxins. 海洋成了各种有毒工业废料的大容器。
• Most toxins are naturally excreted from the body. 大部分毒素被自然排出体外。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 fascination   

n.令人着迷的事物，魅力，迷恋

参考例句：

• He had a deep fascination with all forms of transport.他对所有的运输工具都很着迷。
• His letters have been a source of fascination to a wide audience.广大观众一直迷恋于他的来信。