【英语时差8,16】识人费时

It takes one to know one, in this Moment of Science.   Yael: Don, what are you doing with all that candy?

Don: Oh great--now I'm going to have to find someplace else to hide my stash¹ of goodies. You just can't trust anyone these days.

Y: Now if that isn't the pot calling the kettle black!

D: What are you implying?

Y: Well, did you know that in several laboratory experiments scrub jays, relatives of the blue jay, hid their extra food more cautiously when other jays were around? In fact, if another scrub jay was visible when the first jay buried its food, the first jay was more likely to dig up the food later and rebury it in another location.

D: So what does that have to do with my candy?

Y: Well, it shows that some birds are capable of more complicated behavior than we previously² thought. Scrub jays are notorious for stealing food from each other so the fact that they behave more cautiously when other scrub jays are present might mean that they're able to speculate about the future behavior of their observers. Birds from species not known for thievery don't show the same reburying behavior.

D: Oh, so you're arguing something like, "It takes one to know one."Y: Exactly. In fact, when scientists allowed some scrub jays to dig up another jay's food after seeing where it was buried, the birds allowed to steal were more likely to rebury their own food later, when given the chance.

D: Hey, are you implying that the reason I hide my candy stash is because I steal other people's candy?

Y: Well, I am missing some peanut butter cups. And if the beak³ fits...  

1 stash   

v.藏或贮存于一秘密处所；n.隐藏处

参考例句：

• Stash away both what you lost and gained,for life continues on.将得失深藏心底吧，为了那未来的生活。
• That's supposed to be in our private stash.这是我的私人珍藏。

2 previously   

adv.以前，先前（地）

参考例句：

• The bicycle tyre blew out at a previously damaged point.自行车胎在以前损坏过的地方又爆开了。
• Let me digress for a moment and explain what had happened previously.让我岔开一会儿，解释原先发生了什么。

3 beak   

n.鸟嘴，茶壶嘴，钩形鼻

参考例句：

• The bird had a worm in its beak.鸟儿嘴里叼着一条虫。
• This bird employs its beak as a weapon.这种鸟用嘴作武器。