纪录片《为何讲话》 第9期：人类独特的的生理结构

Scientists believed they knew the answer.

科学家曾以为他们找到了答案

It was all down to our unique anatomy¹.

原因在于我们独特的生理结构

We have a larynx, or voice box,

我们拥有喉 或者说声匣

that's fixed² low down in our throat.

它在我们喉咙的底部

This makes the vocal³ tract⁴ longer

这使得我们拥有更长的声道

and gives us the physical ability to produce a wide variety of sounds.

从而赋予我们发出更多不同声音的能力

The voice box of all other animals

其它动物的声匣

was found to be high in the throat,

在喉咙中所处的位置较高

leaving them incapable⁵ of making the complicated sounds of speech

这使得它们无法在自己的短声道中

in their short vocal tract.

发出复杂的声音

But nobody had actually ever seen

但没人真正见过

inside the throat of an animal as it vocalised.

动物发声时其喉咙的状态

Tecumseh Fitch had a unique piece of equipment

特库姆塞·菲奇有种独特的仪器

to solve the problem,

来解决这一问题

a video X-ray machine that had been developed

那就是为了研究动物吞咽

to study animals swallowing.

而研发的视频X光机

What we found was really astounding⁶.

我们的发现真是令人震惊

It wasn't anything we were prepared for by reading the literature

结果与我们准备时阅读的文献大相径庭

and here's what we saw.

这就是我们观察到的

1 anatomy   

n.解剖学，解剖；功能，结构，组织

参考例句：

• He found out a great deal about the anatomy of animals.在动物解剖学方面，他有过许多发现。
• The hurricane's anatomy was powerful and complex.对飓风的剖析是一项庞大而复杂的工作。

2 fixed   

adj.固定的，不变的，准备好的；(计算机)固定的

参考例句：

• Have you two fixed on a date for the wedding yet?你们俩选定婚期了吗？
• Once the aim is fixed,we should not change it arbitrarily.目标一旦确定，我们就不应该随意改变。

3 vocal   

adj.直言不讳的；嗓音的；n.[pl.]声乐节目

参考例句：

• The tongue is a vocal organ.舌头是一个发音器官。
• Public opinion at last became vocal.终于舆论哗然。

4 tract   

n.传单，小册子，大片(土地或森林)

参考例句：

• He owns a large tract of forest.他拥有一大片森林。
• He wrote a tract on this subject.他曾对此写了一篇短文。

5 incapable   

adj.无能力的，不能做某事的

参考例句：

• He would be incapable of committing such a cruel deed.他不会做出这么残忍的事。
• Computers are incapable of creative thought.计算机不会创造性地思维。

6 astounding   

adj.使人震惊的vt.使震惊，使大吃一惊astound的现在分词)

参考例句：

• There was an astounding 20% increase in sales. 销售量惊人地增加了20%。
• The Chairman's remarks were so astounding that the audience listened to him with bated breath. 主席说的话令人吃惊，所以听众都屏息听他说。 来自《简明英汉词典》