纪录片《为何讲话》 第9期：人类独特的的生理结构（在线收听）

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 anatomy.

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 fixed low down in our throat.

它在我们喉咙的底部

This makes the vocal tract 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 incapable 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 astounding.

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