《星球大战》中尤达的原型是眼镜猴？

 　　Dr Myron Shekell from Washington University believes Yoda in Star Wars was based on the tiny tarsier due to its huge eyes, tiny frame and the fact that it speaks a secret language.

　　华盛顿大学的麦伦·谢凯尔博士认为，《星球大战》中的尤达原型是眼镜猴，因为它们都有着大眼睛、小身体，说着神秘的语言。

　　It's a question that sparks endless debate among Star Wars fans; who exactly was the inspiration behind the legendary² Yoda?

　　这一话题在《星球大战》粉丝中引发争论不断，尤达的创作灵感究竟从何而来？

　　Some believe the Jedi master was modeled on Albert Einstein, while others suggest the character's creator, Stuart Freeborn, designed Yoda based on himself.

　　有人认为绝地武士的原型是阿尔伯特·爱因斯坦，也有人认为尤达这个角色是设计者斯图尔特·福利伯恩以自己为原型设计的。

　　《星球大战》中尤达的原型是眼镜猴？

　　Now one biologist is arguing that Yoda was in fact based on a tiny, wide-eyed creature, named the tarsier, which can be found in the trees of Indonesia, Philippines and Borneo.

　　如今，一位生物学家认为，尤达的形象取自体形小、眼睛大的生物，叫作眼镜猴，它们在印度尼西亚、菲律宾和婆罗洲的森林中很常见。

　　And it's easy to see why. They some of the biggest eyes relative to body size in the animal kingdom. They are incredibly small in size and have mysterious form of communication.

　　原因显而易见。眼镜猴是眼睛占身体比例最大的动物，它们的身体非常小，交流方式也很神秘。

　　According to Matt Simon at Wired, one of the world's experts on the creature, Myron Shekell, from Washington University believes the similarities between Yoda and the tarsier are striking.

　　据美国《连线》杂志马特·西蒙的文章称，世界眼镜猴专家、华盛顿大学的麦伦博士认为，尤达和眼镜猴有着惊人的相似之处。

　　'I work closely with a guy who knows Harrison Ford³, and Harrison Ford of course knows Lucas, so we've been trying to get the actual answer for a while,' he told Wired.

　　他向《连线》杂志透露：“我与一位认识哈里森·福特的人合作密切，而哈里森·福特当然认识卢卡斯，所以我们一直希望得到真正的答案。”

　　'But we don't have it really confirmed.'

　　“但我们目前并不十分确定。”

　　There are believed to be around 10 species of tarsier. Growing to just 15.2 cm (6 inches) in length and weighing less than an average wristwatch, the tarsier is one of the smallest primates⁴ in the world.

　　世界上现有眼镜猴约十种。它们的体长只有152厘米（六英寸），体重不到一块普通手表的分量，是世界上最小的灵长类动物之一。

　　It also has long hind¹ limbs and its feet have extremely elongated⁵ tarsus bones, hence his name.

　　眼镜猴后肢很长，踝骨细长，因此又名跗猴。

　　After dark, it can jump more than 40 times its own body length in a surprising display of agility⁶.

　　天黑后，它们跳跃高度可达体长的40倍以上，弹跳力惊人。

　　The casual mammal is often seen in inquisitive⁷ mode, caught with one eye closed as if in cahoots with the photographer.

　　眼镜猴常常表现出好奇的样子，闭上一只眼睛好像在跟摄影师串通好了一样。

　　While they are famous for not saying much at all, research several years ago found that they are real chatterbox' – in ultrasound.

　　它们也以“寡言少语”著称，不过几年前的一项调查却发现它们实际上是“话匣子”，只不过是用超声波交流而已。

　　Researchers from Humboldt State University in California in fact found that the 'minimum frequency' of its call is 67 kHz - higher than any land-based animal bar rodents⁸ and some bats – and occasionally rising to 70 kHz.

　　加利福尼亚洪堡州立大学的研究人员发现，它们叫声的最低频率是67千赫，有时甚至能达到70千赫，高于除啮齿动物和蝙蝠外的任何陆地生物。

　　Anything above 20 kHz is inaudible to a human, with dogs able to detect sounds pitched up to 23 kHz.

　　人类听不到20千赫以上的声音，而狗可以察觉到高达23千赫的声音。

　　This means that the creatures effectively have a secret language that they can use to warn each other of predators⁹.

　　这意味着动物们具有有效的秘密语言，可以用来相互警告，以躲避捕食者。

　　Vocabulary

　　biologist: 生物学家

　　wristwatch: 手表

　　primate: 灵长类动物

　　elongate: 伸长的

　　agility: 灵活

　　inquisitive: 好奇的

　　chatterbox: 话匣子

　　ultrasound: 超声

　　rodent: 啮齿动物

　　inaudible: 听不见的

　　predator: 捕食者

1 hind   

adj.后面的，后部的

参考例句：

• The animal is able to stand up on its hind limbs.这种动物能够用后肢站立。
• Don't hind her in her studies.不要在学业上扯她后腿。

2 legendary   

adj.传奇（中）的，闻名遐迩的；n.传奇（文学）

参考例句：

• Legendary stories are passed down from parents to children.传奇故事是由父母传给孩子们的。
• Odysseus was a legendary Greek hero.奥狄修斯是传说中的希腊英雄。

3 Ford   

n.浅滩，水浅可涉处；v.涉水，涉过

参考例句：

• They were guarding the bridge,so we forded the river.他们驻守在那座桥上，所以我们只能涉水过河。
• If you decide to ford a stream,be extremely careful.如果已决定要涉过小溪，必须极度小心。

4 primates   

primate的复数

参考例句：

• Primates are alert, inquisitive animals. 灵长目动物是机灵、好奇的动物。
• Consciousness or cerebration has been said to have emerged in the evolution of higher primates. 据说意识或思考在较高级灵长类的进化中已出现。

5 elongated   

v.延长，加长( elongate的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Modigliani's women have strangely elongated faces. 莫迪里阿尼画中的妇女都长着奇长无比的脸。
• A piece of rubber can be elongated by streching. 一块橡皮可以拉长。 来自《用法词典》

6 agility   

n.敏捷，活泼

参考例句：

• The boy came upstairs with agility.那男孩敏捷地走上楼来。
• His intellect and mental agility have never been in doubt.他的才智和机敏从未受到怀疑。

7 inquisitive   

adj.求知欲强的，好奇的，好寻根究底的

参考例句：

• Children are usually inquisitive.小孩通常很好问。
• A pat answer is not going to satisfy an inquisitive audience.陈腔烂调的答案不能满足好奇的听众。

8 rodents   

n.啮齿目动物( rodent的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Rodents carry diseases and are generally regarded as pests. 啮齿目动物传播疾病，常被当作害虫对待。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Some wild rodents in Africa also harbor the virus. 在非洲，有些野生啮齿动物也是储毒者。 来自辞典例句

9 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》