【趣谈英语】海豚与河豚鱼-Dolphins Get High on Puffer Fish

Pre-Listening Vocabulary

 

get high: to experience a mood change from a drug or other substance

toxin¹: a poisonous substance

trance: a relaxed state in which you are not fully² aware

sceptic: a person who has doubts about something

ferment³: convert into alcohol

immune: protected from the effects of an illness or substance

 

Dolphins Get High on Puffer Fish

In a 2015 documentary on dolphin behaviour, a filmmaker claimed that dolphins get high on puffer fish. Puffer fish release a poisonous nerve toxin that can be deadly to humans. In the film footage, the dolphins don’t eat the fish. They toss the fish around like a ball, and take turns with it. Afterwards, the dolphins appear to be in a trance-like state. The filmmaker suggests that dolphins use puffer fish to enjoy a natural high, just as other animals enjoy fermented⁴ sugarcane, nectar, or berries. Some sceptics say there is no scientific proof that puffer fish give dolphins a natural high. One researcher says that the dolphins would have to eat the puffer fish to feel the effects of the toxins⁵. Another says dolphins may be immune to the toxins, like some sharks. Regardless of whether or not dolphins are affected⁶ by the toxins, they certainly have fun playing with objects, including ball-shaped fish.

1 toxin   

n.毒素，毒质

参考例句：

• Experts have linked this condition to a build-up of toxins in the body.专家已把这一病症与体内毒素的积累联系起来。
• Tests showed increased levels of toxin in shellfish.检验表明水生有壳动物的毒素水平提高了。

2 fully   

adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地

参考例句：

• The doctor asked me to breathe in,then to breathe out fully.医生让我先吸气，然后全部呼出。
• They soon became fully integrated into the local community.他们很快就完全融入了当地人的圈子。

3 ferment   

vt.使发酵；n./vt.（使）激动，（使）动乱

参考例句：

• Fruit juices ferment if they are kept a long time.果汁若是放置很久，就会发酵。
• The sixties were a time of theological ferment.六十年代是神学上骚动的时代。

4 fermented   

v.（使）发酵( ferment的过去式和过去分词 )；（使）激动；骚动；骚扰

参考例句：

• When wine is fermented, it gives off gas. 酒发酵时发出气泡。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• His speeches fermented trouble among the workers. 他的演讲在工人中引起骚动。 来自辞典例句

5 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》

6 affected   

adj.不自然的，假装的

参考例句：

• She showed an affected interest in our subject.她假装对我们的课题感到兴趣。
• His manners are affected.他的态度不自然。