科学美国人60秒 甜美歌声带来了新鸟类物种

 That, of course, is the sound of the Himalayan forest thrush. And that sound was a clue to field researchers that they might have a new species of bird on their hands. Even though it was in the bush. You know what I mean.

这是喜马拉雅深林中画眉的歌声。这个歌声会告诉田野研究员这里可能有新的鸟类物种。即使它在灌木丛中，那又怎样。你懂我的意思。

You see, the Himalayan forest thrush looks a great deal like another well-known bird called the alpine¹ thrush. They’re both found in northeastern India and nearby parts of China. But the alpine thrush has a raspy song compared with the more mellifluous² Himalayan forest thrush.

喜马拉雅画眉和著名的高山画眉有很多相似之处。它们存在于印度东北部以及中国附近地区。但是，喜马拉雅画眉的歌声甜美如蜜，但高山画眉的歌声却有些刺耳。

One of the researchers, Shashank Dalvi of India’s National Center for Biological Sciences and the Wildlife Conservation Society, likened the two different birds to Rod Stewart versus³ Adele.

来自于印度的国家生物科学中心和野生动物保护协会的的沙·代尔维，将它们比作为罗德·斯图尔特和阿黛尔。

Further analyses, including of the birds’ DNA⁴, confirmed that the song differences were indicative of these birds indeed belonging to two separate species. The finding is in the journal Avian Research.

通过对鸟类的DNA等进一步分析，证明了这两种鸟歌声不同,表明,实际上它们属于不同的物种。该研究结果发表在《鸟类学研究》杂志上。

The discovery of a new bird species is relatively⁵ rare. Since the year 2000, ornithologists have found five new species annually⁶ on average, mostly in South America. So this newly characterized thrush—only the fourth new species found in India since it became independent in 1947—should send birdwatchers from all over the world flocking. I mean, it’s a sound discovery.

发现新的鸟类物种是相当罕见的。自从2000年，鸟类学家平均每年发现5种新物种，而这些新的物种主要集中在南美洲。所以，自1947年印度独立以后，这种具有新特征的画眉，是在印度发现的第四个新物种。这项新发现应引起世界观鸟者蜂拥而至。我的意思是，这样才是惊奇的发现。

1 alpine   

adj.高山的；n.高山植物

参考例句：

• Alpine flowers are abundant there.那里有很多高山地带的花。
• Its main attractions are alpine lakes and waterfalls .它以高山湖泊和瀑布群为主要特色。

2 mellifluous   

adj.（音乐等）柔美流畅的

参考例句：

• Soon the room is filled with Bates' mellifluous tones.很快，房间里便充满了贝茨动听的声音。
• Her voice was distinctive,soft and mellifluous.她的嗓音甜美，清脆而柔和。

3 versus   

prep.以…为对手，对；与…相比之下

参考例句：

• The big match tonight is England versus Spain.今晚的大赛是英格兰对西班牙。
• The most exciting game was Harvard versus Yale.最富紧张刺激的球赛是哈佛队对耶鲁队。

4 DNA   

(缩)deoxyribonucleic acid 脱氧核糖核酸

参考例句：

• DNA is stored in the nucleus of a cell.脱氧核糖核酸储存于细胞的细胞核里。
• Gene mutations are alterations in the DNA code.基因突变是指DNA密码的改变。

5 relatively   

adv.比较...地，相对地

参考例句：

• The rabbit is a relatively recent introduction in Australia.兔子是相对较新引入澳大利亚的物种。
• The operation was relatively painless.手术相对来说不痛。

6 annually   

adv.一年一次，每年

参考例句：

• Many migratory birds visit this lake annually.许多候鸟每年到这个湖上作短期逗留。
• They celebrate their wedding anniversary annually.他们每年庆祝一番结婚纪念日。