听力文摘：为什么斑马身上有条纹？

Why Do Zebras Have Stripes?

为什么斑马身上有条纹？

For many animals, camouflage¹ is an important part of survival. A leopard’s spotted² coat and a polar bear’s white fur help them blend into their respective environments.

对于很多动物来说，伪装是生存的重要部分。猎豹的花斑和北极熊的白毛都能帮助他们融入各自的生存环境当中。

But a zebra’s bold stripes can’t help to disguise it in its natural habitat, the open plains of Africa.or can they?

而斑马醒目的条纹却不能帮助它们融合到自己所生活的开阔平原当中，能吗？

Why Zebras Have Stripes? On this moment of science.

本期的科学一刻，为您讲解为什么斑马身上有条纹？

The zebra’s bold markings can also help to conceal³ it. In 1844, naturalist⁴ Francis Galton pointed⁵ out that stripes can help disguise zebras in the dim, grayish light of an African night. Fifty years later, an artist named Abbot Thayer suggested that stripes could help actually change the way a predator⁶ sees a zebra.

斑马醒目的斑纹也可以把自己隐藏起来。1844年，自然学家Francis Galton指出，这些条纹可以帮助斑马在非洲夜晚那灰暗的微光下伪装自己。五十年后，一位名叫Abbot Thayer的艺术家提出这些条纹可能会改变猎食者看到的斑马形象。

The zebra’s bold markings draw the viewer’s attention to the stripes themselves, not the shape of the animal. So when a predator looks at a zebra, it sees stripes first, and then the zebra. This split second of recognition gives the fleet-footed zebra a chance to escape.

斑马醒目的斑纹把观察者的注意力吸引到斑纹本身，而不是动物的轮廓。因此，当猎食动物看斑马时，它先注意到的是斑纹，然后才是斑马。这不到一秒的时间给了动作很快的斑马逃脱的机会。

To other zebras in the herd⁷, the flash of stripes they see when one zebra starts to flee from an approaching lion is a “follow me” signal. Like the white flash of a deer’s tail, it alerts the entire herd to danger. The approaching lion, on the other hand, often loses his initial target in the confusing mass of moving stripes.

当一匹斑马开始逃避正在靠近的狮子时，斑马群中的其他斑马看到的闪动条纹对它们来说意味着“跟我来”的信号。跟鹿尾后闪动的白点一样，这对整群动物来说是危险警报。而另一方面，对正在靠近的狮子来说，在一团令人眼花缭乱的移动斑纹之中经常会找不到最初定位的目标。

Stripes also allow young zebras in search of a meal to identify their mothers. When mating, adult zebras use stripes to recognize members of their own species.

斑纹也可以帮助正在找食的年轻斑马辨别自己的母亲。在交配时，成年斑马则可以通过斑纹来识别自己的同类。

As one nineteenth century breeder discovered, a female zebra will object vehemently⁹ to mating with a male ass⁸. But when the rejected suitor was disguised with hand-painted stripes, the female zebra happily accepted him.

正如一们19世纪的育种学家发现的，雌斑马会强烈拒绝同公驴交配。但是这匹被拒的求爱者被伪装上手绘的斑纹后，雌斑马就会很乐意接受它。

1 camouflage   

n./v.掩饰，伪装

参考例句：

• The white fur of the polar bear is a natural camouflage.北极熊身上的白色的浓密软毛是一种天然的伪装。
• The animal's markings provide effective camouflage.这种动物身上的斑纹是很有效的伪装。

2 spotted   

adj.有斑点的，斑纹的，弄污了的

参考例句：

• The milkman selected the spotted cows,from among a herd of two hundred.牛奶商从一群200头牛中选出有斑点的牛。
• Sam's shop stocks short spotted socks.山姆的商店屯积了有斑点的短袜。

3 conceal   

v.隐藏，隐瞒，隐蔽

参考例句：

• He had to conceal his identity to escape the police.为了躲避警方，他只好隐瞒身份。
• He could hardly conceal his joy at his departure.他几乎掩饰不住临行时的喜悦。

4 naturalist   

n.博物学家(尤指直接观察动植物者)

参考例句：

• He was a printer by trade and naturalist by avocation.他从事印刷业，同时是个博物学爱好者。
• The naturalist told us many stories about birds.博物学家给我们讲述了许多有关鸟儿的故事。

5 pointed   

adj.尖的，直截了当的

参考例句：

• He gave me a very sharp pointed pencil.他给我一支削得非常尖的铅笔。
• She wished to show Mrs.John Dashwood by this pointed invitation to her brother.她想通过对达茨伍德夫人提出直截了当的邀请向她的哥哥表示出来。

6 predator   

n.捕食其它动物的动物；捕食者

参考例句：

• The final part of this chapter was devoted to a brief summary of predator species.本章最后部分简要总结了食肉动物。
• Komodo dragon is the largest living lizard and a fearsome predator.科摩多龙是目前存在的最大蜥蜴，它是一种令人恐惧的捕食性动物。

7 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。

8 ass   

n.驴；傻瓜，蠢笨的人

参考例句：

• He is not an ass as they make him.他不象大家猜想的那样笨。
• An ass endures his burden but not more than his burden.驴能负重但不能超过它能力所负担的。

9 vehemently   

adv. 热烈地

参考例句：

• He argued with his wife so vehemently that he talked himself hoarse. 他和妻子争论得很激烈，以致讲话的声音都嘶哑了。
• Both women vehemently deny the charges against them. 两名妇女都激烈地否认了对她们的指控。