时差N小时 食人鱼

Piranha! For most people, the name sparks horror-movie images of vicious schools of fish that can reduce a human to a skeleton in minutes.

食人鱼！对大多数人来讲，这个名字会使人联想起邪恶鱼群的恐怖电影，这种鱼能使人在几分种之内变成一个骨架。

But do they really deserve this fearsome reputation? Piranhas are freshwater fish that are found in rivers and floodplains of South America. The most well-known species is the red-bellied piranha, but there are nearly forty other different species of piranha.

然而它们真的配得上这样恐怖的名声吗？食人鱼是一种淡水鱼类，多发现于河流及南美涝原上。最出名的种群莫过于红肚水虎鱼，不过水虎鱼的种类其实有大约四十种。

They aren't very large, but do have a mouth full of razor-sharp teeth and a strong jaw¹. So it may surprise you to learn that piranhas are not the bloodthirsty killers² portrayed³ in films. They aren't even strict carnivores!

它们体型不大，但嘴巴里布满了如刮胡刀般锋利的牙齿和强壮的下颚。所以当了解到食人鱼并非如电影里刻画的那样残忍嗜血时，你肯定会感到惊讶。严格来说，它们甚至连食肉动物都不算！

Most piranha species are omnivores and scavengers. Their diet is mostly made of insects and other fish, but also plants. During the rainy season when food is plentiful⁴, piranhas eat more plants and insects. But in the dry season when ponds and rivers dry up and food becomes more scarce, piranha turn to meat-eating, usually in the form of other fish. Piranhas occasionally bite humans or other mammals when very hungry or threatened, but serious attacks are extremely rare.

大多种类的食人鱼是杂食动物、食腐动物。它们多以昆虫以及其它鱼类为食，但也吃植物。在雨季食物丰富时，食人鱼多数吃植物和昆虫。遇上旱季河流和湖泊干涸时，食物变得匮乏，食人鱼就开始吃肉，基本上是吃其他鱼类。但在饥饿或者受到威胁时，食人鱼偶尔会攻击人类或其他哺乳动物，但很少出现严重袭击事件。

Another common belief is that piranha form large schools for hunting, allowing them to attack larger prey⁵ than a single fish could. However, researchers found that piranha most likely group together as a defense⁶ against such predators⁷ as river dolphins, caimans and bigger fish, and not to engage in feeding-frenzies.

人们普遍认为食人鱼聚成一大群是为了捕食，这样相对于单兵作战更易捕猎到较大的猎物。但是，研究者们发现食人鱼拉帮结伙更多是为了抵御食肉动物——如河豚、凯门鳄和一些大型鱼类的攻击，而不是忙于觅食。

Despite their sharp teeth and nasty reputation, these scavengers really spend their days grazing on different foods in their environment and huddle⁸ together for safety.

尽管它们牙齿锋利，臭名昭著，但这些食腐动物的确是以在自己的地盘觅食度日，出于安全原因才群聚在一起。

So while piranha may not win your hearts with cuddly⁹ good looks, they are probably more victim than vicious.

食人鱼没有可爱的样貌来赢得你心，与此同时它们更有可能是受害者。

1 jaw   

n.颚，颌，说教，流言蜚语；v.喋喋不休，教训

参考例句：

• He delivered a right hook to his opponent's jaw.他给了对方下巴一记右钩拳。
• A strong square jaw is a sign of firm character.强健的方下巴是刚毅性格的标志。

2 killers   

凶手( killer的名词复数 )； 消灭…者； 致命物； 极难的事

参考例句：

• He remained steadfast in his determination to bring the killers to justice. 他要将杀人凶手绳之以法的决心一直没有动摇。
• They were professional killers who did in John. 杀死约翰的这些人是职业杀手。

3 portrayed   

v.画像( portray的过去式和过去分词 )；描述；描绘；描画

参考例句：

• Throughout the trial, he portrayed himself as the victim. 在审讯过程中，他始终把自己说成是受害者。
• The author portrayed his father as a vicious drunkard. 作者把他父亲描绘成一个可恶的酒鬼。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

4 plentiful   

adj.富裕的，丰富的

参考例句：

• Their family has a plentiful harvest this year.他们家今年又丰收了。
• Rainfall is plentiful in the area.这个地区雨量充足。

5 prey   

n.被掠食者，牺牲者，掠食；v.捕食，掠夺，折磨

参考例句：

• Stronger animals prey on weaker ones.弱肉强食。
• The lion was hunting for its prey.狮子在寻找猎物。

6 defense   

n.防御，保卫；[pl.]防务工事；辩护，答辩

参考例句：

• The accused has the right to defense.被告人有权获得辩护。
• The war has impacted the area with military and defense workers.战争使那个地区挤满了军队和防御工程人员。

7 predators   

n.食肉动物( predator的名词复数 )；奴役他人者（尤指在财务或性关系方面）

参考例句：

• birds and their earthbound predators 鸟和地面上捕食它们的动物
• The eyes of predators are highly sensitive to the slightest movement. 捕食性动物的眼睛能感觉到最细小的动静。 来自《简明英汉词典》

8 huddle   

vi.挤作一团；蜷缩；vt.聚集；n.挤在一起的人

参考例句：

• They like living in a huddle.他们喜欢杂居在一起。
• The cold wind made the boy huddle inside his coat.寒风使这个男孩卷缩在他的外衣里。

9 cuddly   

adj.抱着很舒服的，可爱的

参考例句：

• The beautiful crib from Mom and Dad is so cuddly.爸爸妈妈送的漂亮婴儿床真舒服。
• You can't call a hedgehog cuddly.你不能说刺猬逗人喜爱。