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Study: Humpback Whale Singing Linked to Loneliness
研究称驼背鲸唱歌与孤独有关
A new study suggests the singing noises made by humpback whales might be a sign of loneliness.
一项新的研究表明，座头鲸发出的歌声可能是孤独的标志。
Scientists who recorded humpback whale behavior in Australia discovered that fewer whales made the singing noises, also called wailing1, as their population grew.
在澳大利亚记录座头鲸行为的科学家们发现，随着鲸鱼数量的增加，越来越少的鲸鱼发出这种叫叫声，也叫嚎啕大哭。
"Humpback whale song is loud and travels far in the ocean," said marine2 biologist Rebecca Dunlop of the University of Queensland in Brisbane. She has long studied humpback whales and helped lead the new study. Her work has centered on humpbacks that reproduce near Australia's Great Barrier Reef.
布里斯班昆士兰大学的海洋生物学家丽贝卡·邓洛普（Rebecca Dunlop）说：“驼背鲸的歌声很响亮，在海洋中传播得很远。”。她长期以来一直研究座头鲸，并帮助领导了这项新研究。她的研究重点是在澳大利亚大堡礁附近繁殖的座头鲸。
Dunlop told The Associated Press she made an unexpected find as whale numbers sharply rose following the end of commercial whaling. "It was getting more difficult to actually find singers," she said.
邓洛普告诉美联社，在商业捕鲸结束后，鲸鱼数量急剧增加，她做出了一个意外的发现。她说：“找到歌手越来越难了。”。
Dunlop added, "When there were fewer of them, there was a lot of singing – now that there are lots of them, no need to be singing so much."
邓洛普补充道，“当他们少的时候，有很多人在唱歌——现在他们多了，没必要唱那么多。”
Scientists first began to hear and study the complex songs of the humpback whales in the 1970s. They used underwater microphones to do so. Only male whales sing. Scientists think the whales sing to seek mates or show power.
20世纪70年代，科学家们首次开始听到和研究座头鲸的复杂歌声。他们使用水下麦克风来做到这一点。只有雄鲸会唱歌。科学家认为鲸鱼唱歌是为了寻找配偶或显示力量。
Eastern Australia's humpback whales came close to disappearing in the 1960s, when their number dropped to around 200. But over time the population began to regrow, climbing to about 27,000 whales by 2015. That number is near estimated pre-whaling levels.
20世纪60年代，东澳大利亚的座头鲸接近灭绝，当时它们的数量降至200头左右。但随着时间的推移，鲸鱼的数量开始重新增长，到2015年，鲸鱼数量攀升至约27000头。这个数字接近捕鲸前的估计水平。
As the density3 of whales increased, their singing behaviors changed. While 2 in 10 males made wailing noises in 2004, 10 years later the number had dropped to 1 in 10, Dunlop said. The team's study appeared in a recent issue of Nature Communications Biology.
随着鲸鱼密度的增加，它们的歌唱行为也发生了变化。邓洛普说，2004年，每10名男性中就有2人发出哀嚎声，但10年后，这一数字已降至1/10。该团队的研究发表在最近一期的《自然通讯生物学》上。
Dunlop said she thinks singing played a big part in bringing in mates when populations were severely4 reduced. "It was hard just to find other whales in the area, because there weren't many," she added.
邓洛普说，她认为当人口严重减少时，唱歌在吸引配偶方面发挥了重要作用。她补充道：“在该地区很难找到其他鲸鱼，因为鲸鱼不多。”。
When humpbacks live in denser5 populations, males looking for mates also have to deal with competing whales. Dunlop explained the singing noises might bring in other possible mates.
当座头鲸生活在更密集的种群中时，寻找配偶的雄性也必须与竞争的鲸鱼打交道。邓洛普解释说，歌声可能会带来其他可能的配偶。
Boris Worm is an ocean biologist at Canada's Dalhousie University. He was not involved in the research. "As animal populations recover, they change their behavior – they have different constraints," Worm said.
鲍里斯·沃姆是加拿大达尔豪斯大学的海洋生物学家。他没有参与这项研究。沃姆说：“随着动物种群的恢复，它们会改变自己的行为——它们受到不同的约束。”。
The research suggests the seas are still noisy with humpback whale sounds. Many humpbacks seek to bring in mates with a combination of singing and physical movements, the study notes.
研究表明，海洋中仍然有座头鲸的声音。研究指出，许多驼背鲸试图通过唱歌和身体动作的结合来吸引配偶。
The large increase in the humpback population during the study period provided valuable data about changes in the animals' behavior, said Simon Ingram. He studies humpback whales at the University of Plymouth in Britain.
西蒙·英格拉姆（Simon Ingram）表示，研究期间座头鲸数量的大幅增加为动物行为的变化提供了宝贵的数据。他在英国普利茅斯大学研究座头鲸。
Ingram said humpback whales must have been singers long before whaling reduced their numbers. But the new study demonstrates how necessary their complex and beautiful songs were to their survival and recovery, he added.
英格拉姆说，座头鲸在捕鲸减少它们的数量之前一定很早就已经是歌手了。但他补充道，新的研究表明，他们复杂而优美的歌曲对他们的生存和康复是多么必要。
"Clearly singing became incredibly valuable when their numbers were very low," Ingram said.
英格拉姆说：“很明显，当他们的数量很低时，唱歌变得非常有价值。”。
Words in This Story
commercial – adj. related to business or the part of a business or service aimed at making a profit
constraint6 – n. something that limits what a person can do
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1
wailing
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| v.哭叫，哀号( wail的现在分词 )；沱 | |
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marine
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| adj.海的；海生的；航海的；海事的；n.水兵 | |
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density
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| n.密集，密度，浓度 | |
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severely
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| adv.严格地；严厉地；非常恶劣地 | |
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denser
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| adj. 不易看透的, 密集的, 浓厚的, 愚钝的 | |
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constraint
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| n.(on)约束，限制；限制(或约束)性的事物 | |
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