听力文摘：猫吃蜘蛛吗？

Do cats eat spiders?

猫吃蜘蛛吗？

Our answer? Yes, they do. And that’s not all cats will eat. Cats, both domestic and wild, are obligatory¹ carnivores, meaning that they don’t have the chemical tools in their bodies to access nutrients² from plants. They have to eat material from other animals to meet their nutritional³ needs.

我们的答案是“是的，猫吃蜘蛛”。但不是所有的猫都吃蜘蛛。不论是家猫还是野猫都是食肉动物，这就意味着它们不能从植物当中摄取营养。因此它们必须吃其它动物来满足这种营养需求。

But that doesn’t mean your cat won’t try to eat something non-animal. Cats will try to eat plants, and when they have difficulty digesting them they’ll vomit⁴ them onto your carpet.

这也并不意味着你的猫只吃肉。猫会尝试吃植物，如果吃的东西不好消化，可能会吐到你的地毯上。

Some plants are in fact poisonous to cats and should be kept out of their reach. Kittens like to play with string and yarn⁵, but if you don ’t watch them they may accidentally swallow some of it, which can lead to gastrointestinal obstruction⁶ and a need for surgery.

有些植物猫吃了会中毒，所以不能让它们接触到。小猫喜欢玩绳子和纱线，但如果不小心看管，它们也许会吞下一些绳线，从而导致肠道阻塞甚至需要做手术。

Yes, many cats will eat insects and spiders. Typically this appetite won’t cause them any harm, unless it’s a poisonous spider they’re batting around and dragging with their teeth. Cats do get bitten by poisonous spiders, and they suffer from the consequences of the toxins⁷.

是的，有些猫会吃昆虫和蜘蛛。这通常不会造成伤害，除非是它们用牙齿吃的毒蜘蛛。猫会被蜘蛛咬伤，并会受到毒素的伤害。

If you think your cat has been poisoned, whether by a spider, a plant, or a chemical like a household cleaning product, you should seek veterinary attention immediately. If that’s not possible, call a poison hotline that specializes in cats and dogs. They can also advise you in the matter.

如果你的猫中毒了，不论是由蜘蛛，植物或是化学植物引起的，你应该马上找兽医。如果不可能的话，给专门医治猫狗的地方打电话。他们可以提供相关帮助的建议。

1 obligatory   

adj.强制性的，义务的，必须的

参考例句：

• It is obligatory for us to obey the laws.我们必须守法。
• It is obligatory on every citizen to safeguard our great motherland.保卫我们伟大的祖国是每一个公民应尽的义务。

2 nutrients   

n.（食品或化学品）营养物，营养品( nutrient的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• a lack of essential nutrients 基本营养的缺乏
• Nutrients are absorbed into the bloodstream. 营养素被吸收进血液。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 nutritional   

adj.营养的，滋养的

参考例句：

• A diet lacking in nutritional value will not keep a person healthy.缺乏营养价值的饮食不能维持人的健康。
• The labels on food products give a lot of information about their nutritional content.食品上的标签提供很多关于营养成分的信息。

4 vomit   

v.呕吐，作呕；n.呕吐物，吐出物

参考例句：

• They gave her salty water to make her vomit.他们给她喝盐水好让她吐出来。
• She was stricken by pain and began to vomit.她感到一阵疼痛，开始呕吐起来。

5 yarn   

n.纱，纱线，纺线；奇闻漫谈，旅行轶事

参考例句：

• I stopped to have a yarn with him.我停下来跟他聊天。
• The basic structural unit of yarn is the fiber.纤维是纱的基本结构单元。

6 obstruction   

n.阻塞，堵塞；障碍物

参考例句：

• She was charged with obstruction of a police officer in the execution of his duty.她被指控妨碍警察执行任务。
• The road was cleared from obstruction.那条路已被清除了障碍。

7 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》