时差N小时 牧羊犬和狼

If you ever see a sheepdog at work, you might be amazed at how well suited its actions are to the very human concern of keeping a flock of sheep together. What's more amazing, much of a sheepdog's behavior doesn't have to be trained, but is already present as a complex set of sheep herding² instincts.

如果你曾经见过一只工作中的牧羊犬，你可能会被它们矫健的身手震撼。它们像人类一样把一群羊赶到一起，进行看管。更令人震惊的是，大部分牧羊犬的这种行为不是训练出来的，而是出于一种放牧的本能。

A scientist who studies ethology, or animal behavior, might ask how prehistoric³ shepherds first coaxed⁴ such useful behavior from their domesticated⁵ wolves, the ancestors of today's sheepdogs.

一位专门研究动物行为学的科学家可能要问，史前的牧羊人是如何训练他们圈养的狼——现在牧羊犬的祖先——首次去做这种管用的行为呢？

As a matter of fact, a sheepdog's herding instinct isn't so different from the natural hunting instincts that all wolves share. For example, when a pack of wolves hunts a herd¹ of caribou⁶, they begin by circling their prey⁷, crouching⁸ low if the caribou become too alarmed.

事实上，牧羊犬放牧的本性与狼捕猎的本性没有两样。比如，当一群狼在捕猎一群驯鹿的时候，开始时他们会围住猎物，如果驯鹿变得极其警觉，他们便屈膝保持低位。

Occasionally, if a caribou bolts, a wolf will jump up and nip at its neck, steering¹⁰ it back toward the herd. These hunting instincts help gather the prey together, making it easier to bring them down when the pack leader jumps in for the kill.

有时如果驯鹿逃跑，一只狼会跳上去咬住它的脖子，把它扭回鹿群中。这些捕猎的本能帮助狼群把猎物集中起来。当狼群领袖跳起来扑杀猎物时，捕猎就变简单了。

Early shepherds took advantage of these wolf instincts when training their domesticated dogs. The dogs viewed the shepherd as their pack leader, and they controlled the flock of sheep the same way their wolf cousins would control a herd of caribou in the wild always steering the flock toward the shepherd.

早期的牧羊人在训练牧羊犬时，就吸取了狼的这些本能。狗把牧羊人当做领袖，用狼在野外控制驯鹿群同样的方法控制羊群，并把羊群赶向牧羊人。

Indeed, it's difficult to persuade modern sheepdogs to steer⁹ their flock in any other direction. The wild instinct of directing prey toward the pack leader is still too strong. Centuries of selective breeding have refined these instincts to a considerable degree, but the foundation of a sheepdog's behavior comes from the wild.

其实，让现代的牧羊犬向任何一个方向去赶羊群都很困难。然而狼群把猎物赶到领袖那里的本能还是很强烈。几个世纪的物种选择已经很大程度上提升了这些本能，而牧羊犬行为的基础却源自荒野捕食。

1 herd   

n.兽群，牧群；vt.使集中，把…赶在一起

参考例句：

• She drove the herd of cattle through the wilderness.她赶着牛群穿过荒野。
• He had no opinions of his own but simply follow the herd.他从无主见，只是人云亦云。

2 herding   

中畜群

参考例句：

• The little boy is herding the cattle. 这个小男孩在放牛。
• They have been herding cattle on the tableland for generations. 他们世世代代在这高原上放牧。

3 prehistoric   

adj.（有记载的）历史以前的，史前的，古老的

参考例句：

• They have found prehistoric remains.他们发现了史前遗迹。
• It was rather like an exhibition of prehistoric electronic equipment.这儿倒像是在展览古老的电子设备。

4 coaxed   

v.哄，用好话劝说( coax的过去式和过去分词 )；巧言骗取；哄劝，劝诱

参考例句：

• She coaxed the horse into coming a little closer. 她哄着那匹马让它再靠近了一点。
• I coaxed my sister into taking me to the theatre. 我用好话哄姐姐带我去看戏。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

5 domesticated   

adj.喜欢家庭生活的；（指动物）被驯养了的v.驯化( domesticate的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• He is thoroughly domesticated and cooks a delicious chicken casserole. 他精于家务，烹制的砂锅炖小鸡非常可口。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The donkey is a domesticated form of the African wild ass. 驴是非洲野驴的一种已驯化的品种。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 caribou   

n.北美驯鹿

参考例句：

• Afar off he heard the squawking of caribou calves.他听到远处有一群小驯鹿尖叫的声音。
• The Eskimos played soccer on ice and used balls filled with caribou hair and grass.爱斯基摩人在冰上踢球，他们用的是驯鹿的毛发和草填充成的球。

7 prey   

n.被掠食者，牺牲者，掠食；v.捕食，掠夺，折磨

参考例句：

• Stronger animals prey on weaker ones.弱肉强食。
• The lion was hunting for its prey.狮子在寻找猎物。

8 crouching   

v.屈膝，蹲伏( crouch的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• a hulking figure crouching in the darkness 黑暗中蹲伏着的一个庞大身影
• A young man was crouching by the table, busily searching for something. 一个年轻人正蹲在桌边翻看什么。 来自汉英文学 - 散文英译

9 steer   

vt.驾驶，为…操舵；引导；vi.驾驶

参考例句：

• If you push the car, I'll steer it.如果你来推车，我就来驾车。
• It's no use trying to steer the boy into a course of action that suits you.想说服这孩子按你的方式行事是徒劳的。

10 steering   

n.操舵装置

参考例句：

• He beat his hands on the steering wheel in frustration. 他沮丧地用手打了几下方向盘。
• Steering according to the wind, he also framed his words more amicably. 他真会看风使舵，口吻也马上变得温和了。