VOA常速英语2105--动物园的动物们展现与生俱来艺术天赋

动物园的动物们展现与生俱来艺术天赋

Francois began his artistic¹ career two years ago. The sloth² bear has a unique way to paint, using his breath. His keeper, Stacey Tabellario, said that although it might look odd, it's actually a very natural behavior.

弗朗索瓦的艺术生涯始于2年前。这头长毛熊能够通过呼吸进行独特的绘画创作。它的饲养员史黛西·塔贝莱奥表示尽管听起来有些匪夷所思，但实际上是这种动物的正常行为。

"They have got big, big lungs, and they can suck things up and then in the same breath they can exhale³ a huge amount of air.So we took this natural behavior of the exhale. We stuff up one of those tubes full of paint and ask them to exhale through it. And that expels all of the paint onto the canvas, making these really cool paintings.”

“长毛熊的肺部非常大，一呼一吸就能产生大量空气。因此我们利用这种呼气的自然动作。我们在一条管子里放上颜料然后让长毛熊向管子里吹气。这样所有的颜料就会被喷上画布出非常棒的作品就此诞生。”

Animal artists come in all shapes and sizes at the Smithsonian's National Zoo. They use a variety of techniques to create masterpieces with nontoxic, water-based paint.Many use their paws or claws.Apes will use paintbrushes.

史密森尼国家动物园里有着各种各样具有这种创作天赋的动物艺术家们。凭借无毒的水制颜料，它们运用各式技法创作各种杰作。很多动物都是肉掌和爪。而猩猩这样的猿类则会拿起画笔作画。

But like humans, not every animal wants to paint, said small-mammals keeper Kenton Kerns.

小动物饲养员肯顿·克恩斯表示但是同人类一样，不是每种动物都喜欢创作。

"Painting is absolutely a choice.So if it is very clear to us if an animal does not want to do a painting session ...we will stop right away. We will choose other animal and give them an opportunity to do it.”

“动物们会选择是否作画。如果一只动物不想参与，我们就会马上停止。让其他动物试试是否有创作激情。”

Tabellario said 24-year-old Francois seems to enjoy expressing his inner artist.

塔贝莱奥表示24岁的弗朗索瓦特别喜欢表现自己与生俱来的艺术天分。

“When I set up the materials for painting activity, he comes and sits next to them and waits until we are ready to start painting.I also see where his eyes go, that he does see the paints come out of the tube and land on the canvas. ”

“当我准备好作画的各种工具，它就会走过来坐在旁边，等着我们开始创作。我还注意到它的眼部动作，眼睛会注意颜料从管子里喷出然后落到画布上。”

Music is also part of the arts enrichment program.Tabellario, who is the zoo's Enrichment and Training Committee chair, says physically⁴ and mentally stimulating⁵ activities are an integral part of the daily care. Trainiers have a lot of tools-everything from tablet computers to toys in the enclosures.

音乐也是这个艺术熏陶项目的一部分。动物园丰富及训练委员会主席塔贝莱奥表示体力与智力刺激训练是日常照顾动物的必要组成部分。训练师们拥有从平板电脑到玩具在内的各种工具。

The program offers other benefits as well,said Kerns.

克恩斯表示这个项目也有其他益处。

“Every interaction between keeper staff and their animals creates some sort of bond.And hopefully, especially enrichment sessions like this create a stronger bond.”

“饲养员和动物间的任何交流都能增进沟通的纽带。我们也希望这个项目能够建立更强的纽带。”

 

The one-of-a-kind works of art created by the animals are popular with zoo visitors and are sold at the zoo's fundraising events.

动物们的创作特别受到游客的喜爱，并且这些作品一般会在动物园筹款活动中出售。

1 artistic   

adj.艺术(家)的，美术(家)的；善于艺术创作的

参考例句：

• The picture on this screen is a good artistic work.这屏风上的画是件很好的艺术品。
• These artistic handicrafts are very popular with foreign friends.外国朋友很喜欢这些美术工艺品。

2 sloth   

n.[动]树懒；懒惰，懒散

参考例句：

• Absence of competition makes for sloth.没有竞争会导致懒惰。
• The sloth spends most of its time hanging upside down from the branches.大部分时间里树懒都是倒挂在树枝上。

3 exhale   

v.呼气，散出，吐出，蒸发

参考例句：

• Sweet odours exhale from flowers.花儿散发出花香。
• Wade exhaled a cloud of smoke and coughed.韦德吐出一口烟，然后咳嗽起来。

4 physically   

adj.物质上，体格上，身体上，按自然规律

参考例句：

• He was out of sorts physically,as well as disordered mentally.他浑身不舒服，心绪也很乱。
• Every time I think about it I feel physically sick.一想起那件事我就感到极恶心。

5 stimulating   

adj.有启发性的，能激发人思考的

参考例句：

• shower gel containing plant extracts that have a stimulating effect on the skin 含有对皮肤有益的植物精华的沐浴凝胶
• This is a drug for stimulating nerves. 这是一种兴奋剂。