时差N小时 黑猩猩或使用手语与人类沟通(上)（在线收听）

Chattering Chimps

喋喋不休的黑猩猩！

We talk to our house pets all the time, but wouldn’t it be great if your cat could answer you in English?

我们经常跟家里的宠物聊天。如果你的猫能用英语回应，那岂不是很棒？

Well, maybe it wouldn’t be so great!

不过，或许并没有你想象的那么美好。

We tend to assume that, because they don’t speak human language, other animals are dumb, or emotionless, or might make a good cheeseburger.

我们倾向于假设其他动物不会说人类语言，便想当然觉得它们愚蠢或认为它们没有感情，甚至认为它们只适合用来制作芝士汉堡。

If we could ask them what they think, we might have to reconsider how we think!

如果问一问动物们自己的想法，那么人类可能就得重新改观了。

In the 1960′s, psychologists Beatrice and Robert Gardner decided to do just this.

20世纪60年代，心理学家碧翠斯（Beatrice）和罗伯特·加德纳（Robert Gardner）打算印证这一想法。

They wanted to see if chimpanzees had the mental capacity for language.

他们想要确认黑猩猩是否具备语言方面的心智能力。

Now since chimps can’t make the verbal sounds that humans can, so the Gardners tried teaching chimpanzees sign language.

由于黑猩猩无法像人类那样口头发声，加德纳夫妇就尝试教他们手势语。

The results surprise almost everyone who hears about these studies.

研究结果令几乎所有知晓该研究的人目瞪口呆。

Not only was sign language possible for chimps, some acquired vocabularies of several hundred words.

黑猩猩不仅有学会手势语的可能性，甚至还能挑战数百个词汇。