时差N小时 如何训练你的狗狗(下)

But it was hard for wolves.

但对狼而言却是难事。

Wolves that have been raised by people should have had the same success at finding the sealed container, but they didn't.

被人类所抚养的狼应该和狗一样找到密封容器,但它们却未能成功。

Even chimpanzees, which are very smart animals indeed, weren't as fast at finding the food as dogs.

甚至是黑猩猩这种非常聪明的动物也无法像狗狗那样能够迅速发现其中诀窍。

What does this mean?

这代表着什么呢?

One interpretation¹ is that dogs do, in fact, have a natural ability to understand forms of human communication.

一种解释是狗狗们事实上有一种天然理解人类交流形式的能力。

Even nine-week old puppies found the food, suggesting the skill is there before training.

即使出生刚满9周的小狗也可以找到食物,这表明未经过训练就已经拥有天生技能。

Wolves don't have the skill, suggesting that it has developed in dogs since the time they branched off from their evolutionary² predecessors³.

而狼并不具备这种能力,这表明自从从先祖中分离时狼已经从狗类中得以进化。

There is debate about this idea.

关于这个想法存在着争论。

But Tomasello thinks that in the past fifteen thousand years, as human beings and dogs have evolved together, the basis for fido's ability to understand what you mean may have become encoded in his genes⁴.

但是托马塞洛认为在过去的15000年里,随着人类和狗一同进化,狗狗理解人类意图的能力可能已经融入到自身基因当中。

1 interpretation   

n.解释，说明，描述；艺术处理

参考例句：

• His statement admits of one interpretation only.他的话只有一种解释。
• Analysis and interpretation is a very personal thing.分析与说明是个很主观的事情。

2 evolutionary   

adj.进化的；演化的，演变的；[生]进化论的

参考例句：

• Life has its own evolutionary process.生命有其自身的进化过程。
• These are fascinating questions to be resolved by the evolutionary studies of plants.这些十分吸引人的问题将在研究植物进化过程中得以解决。

3 predecessors   

n.前任( predecessor的名词复数 )；前辈；（被取代的）原有事物；前身

参考例句：

• The new government set about dismantling their predecessors' legislation. 新政府正着手废除其前任所制定的法律。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Will new plan be any more acceptable than its predecessors? 新计划比原先的计划更能令人满意吗？ 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 genes   

n.基因( gene的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• You have good genes from your parents, so you should live a long time. 你从父母那儿获得优良的基因，所以能够活得很长。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Differences will help to reveal the functions of the genes. 它们间的差异将会帮助我们揭开基因多种功能。 来自英汉非文学 - 生命科学 - 生物技术的世纪