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KristiinaHurme_HummingBirdFlight_2020E-_蜂鸟飞行的惊人秘密_-
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| And the clock starts... |
即将开始...... |
| now. |
就是现在。 |
| Did you miss it? |
你看到了吗？ |
| It wasn’t some bug buzzing by or a weird trick of the light. |
那不是什么嗡嗡飞过的虫子, 也不是什么奇怪的光线把戏。 |
| You just saw a hummingbird perform astonishing aerial acrobatics , eat lunch in midair , pollinate a flower, and then escape a threat upside down— all in a matter of seconds. |
你刚刚看到的是一只蜂鸟。牠表演了惊人的空中特技: 在半空中吃午餐,为一朵花授粉,然后 倒着飞来逃离威胁。 一切都发生在数秒之间。 |
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bug:n.臭虫,小虫;故障;窃听器;v.烦扰,打扰;装窃听器; buzzing:v.发出嗡嗡声;发出蜂鸣声;充满兴奋(或活动等);(buzz的现在分词) weird:adj.奇怪的;奇异的;离奇的;n.命运;宿命;命运女神; hummingbird:n.蜂鸟; perform:v.表演;执行;履行;演出;工作,运转(好/不好); astonishing:adj.令人十分惊讶的;v.使十分惊讶;使吃惊;(astonish的现在分词) aerial:adj.从飞机上的;空中的;空气中的;地表以上的;n.天线; acrobatics:n.杂技;巧妙手法; midair:n.半空中; pollinate:vt.对...授粉;
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| So let’s slow down the action, and unpack each step in this blazing-fast feast . |
让我们放慢这些动作, 拆解这场如闪电般快速的视觉飨宴。 |
| First up, their incredibly rapid flight. |
首先,是牠们极其快速的飞行。 |
| Hummingbirds typically beat their wings 30 to 40 times per second, creating the high-frequency hum they’re named for. |
蜂鸟每秒通常能拍翅 30 到 40 下, 这会产生高频的嗡嗡声, 牠们的英文名字也是由此而来。 |
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unpack:vt.卸下…;解除…的负担;vi.打开包裹; feast:n.盛宴;宴会;(宗教的)节日;v.尽情享用(美味佳肴); incredibly:adv.难以置信地;非常地; Hummingbirds:n.[鸟]蜂鸟(hummingbird的复数形式); typically:adv.代表性地;作为特色地; high-frequency:adj.高频率的;高周波的;
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| To flap their wings at this speed, hummingbirds have evolved giant pectoral muscles that comprise over a third of some species’ bodyweight. |
为了以这种高速拍打翅膀, 蜂鸟进化出巨大的胸肌, 有几种蜂鸟的胸肌 甚至占了体重的三分之一。 |
| But the real secret to their fine-tuned flight is all in the wrist . |
但这个精心调整的飞行方式, 奥秘在于牠们的腕关节。 |
| Most birds only generate lift on the downstroke of each flap, while using the upward recovery stroke to set up their next wing beat. |
绝大多数的鸟,只能在每次 往下挥翅的时候产生升力, 而翅膀往上时, 则是为下一次的挥翅做准备。 |
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flap:n.拍打,拍打声; v.拍动; (帽边等)垂下; evolved:v.(使)逐渐形成;进化;进化形成;(evolve的过去分词和过去式) giant:n.巨人;伟人;巨兽;adj.巨大的;特大的 pectoral:adj.胸的;肺病的;n.胸饰;治疗胸肺药物; muscles:n.肌肉(muscle的复数); comprise:vt.包含;由…组成; fine-tuned:vt.调整;使有规则;对进行微调; wrist:n.手腕;腕关节;v.用腕力移动[送出,抛掷等]; generate:v.产生;引起; downstroke:n.下行程;下行冲程;向下的一笔; upward:adj.向上的;上升的;adv.向上; recovery:n.恢复,复原;痊愈;重获;
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| Hummingbirds however, turn their wrists during the upstroke , changing their wing’s angle to flap in a figure 8 pattern that continually generates lift throughout their wingbeats . |
但蜂鸟在举起翅膀时, 会转动牠们的腕关节, 改变翅膀的角度, 以 8 字型拍打翅膀, 如此一来,在整个拍翅的过程中, 就能持续产出升力。 |
| Alongside their massive muscles, this special lift-producing technique allows hummingbirds to achieve sustained hovering flight— an aerial feat no other bird can perform. |
除了牠们巨大的肌肉, 这种特殊的腾升技术, 让牠们能够在空中悬浮, 这是其他鸟类都无法做到的空中绝技。 |
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wrists:n.手腕(wrist的复数); upstroke:n.向上的一击;书写时向上的一笔;[机]上行程;上行运动; continually:adv.不断地;频繁地; generates:[计]生成;发生; throughout:adv.自始至终,到处;全部;prep.贯穿,遍及; wingbeats:n.扑棱; massive:adj.大量的;巨大的,厚重的;魁伟的; technique:n.技巧,技术;手法; sustained:adj.持续的; v.维持; (sustain的过去分词和过去式) hovering:v.翱翔;盘旋;踌躇;靠近(某事物);处于不稳定状态(hover的现在分词) feat:n.功绩,壮举;技艺表演;adj.合适的;灵巧的;
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| Hovering lets hummingbirds slow to a stop almost instantly and assess scenarios in midair. |
悬浮能让蜂鸟瞬间减速, 几乎能立即停止行进, 并评估空中的各种可能情况。 |
| Then, they can take off in any direction, reaching speeds faster than a fighter jet, relative to the bird’s size. |
然后,牠们又能往任何方向起飞, 将蜂鸟的体型纳入考量, 牠们的速度比噴射战斗机更快。 |
| And since they can beat each of their wings at different speeds and angles, the birds can perform incredible spins and turns all while flying backwards or even upside down . |
而因为牠们能以不同速度 与角度分别拍动翅膀, 牠们能在向后飞或倒着飞的时候, 同时做出惊人的急转或回旋。 |
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assess:vt.评定;估价;对…征税; scenarios:n.情节;脚本;情景介绍(scenario的复数); relative:adj.相对的;有关系的;成比例的;n.亲戚;相关物;[语]关系词;亲缘植物; incredible:adj.难以置信的,惊人的; spins:n.[物]旋转; v.[物]旋转(spin的三单形式); upside down:adj.颠倒的;乱七八糟的;
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| Of course, flying this way can be exhausting . |
当然,以这种方式飞行很耗体力。 |
| Hovering is one of the most energy intensive forms of movement in the animal kingdom. |
悬浮是动物王国中, 最耗能的移动方法之一。 |
| And relative to their body size, hummingbirds have the highest metabolic rates of all vertebrates . |
而考量到牠们的体型大小, 蜂鸟的新陈代谢率 是脊椎动物中最高的。 |
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exhausting:adj.使人精疲力竭的;v.耗尽;使筋疲力尽;(exhaust的现在分词) intensive:adj.加强的;集中的;透彻的;加强语气的;n.加强器; metabolic:adj.变化的;新陈代谢的; vertebrates:n.[脊椎]脊椎动物(vertebrate的复数);
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| This leads them to eat very frequently— often consuming an average of four meals an hour while flying. |
这让牠们必须频繁进食, 在飞行时,通常 15 分钟就得吃一餐。 |
| Fortunately , their hovering lets them eat at remarkable angles without perching , consuming food that would otherwise be impossible to reach. |
幸运的是,牠们的悬浮技能 能让牠们不必停下, 以惊人的角度,成功吃到 以平常的方法构不着的食物。 |
| Using their long slender bills, they reach deep inside flowers and pump out nectar with their thin grooved tongues. |
牠们能用细长的喙 深入花心,再用牠们细长且有沟槽的舌头, 将花蜜抽进口中。 |
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consuming:adj.消费的;强烈的;v.消耗(consume的ing形式); Fortunately:adv.幸运地; remarkable:adj.卓越的;非凡的;值得注意的; perching:v.栖息;停留;(使)坐,坐在…边沿;置于(顶上或边上);(perch的现在分词) slender:adj.细长的;苗条的;微薄的; pump:n.抽水机;泵;打气筒;v.用泵输送;涌出;奔流;快速摇动; nectar:n.[植]花蜜;甘露;神酒;任何美味的饮料; grooved:adj.带纹道的;表面有沟槽的;v.开出沟槽(groove的过去分词);
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| This sugary liquid is a hummingbird’s most important energy source , and a single bird consumes six times its weight in nectar every day over hundreds of small meals. |
这种含糖液体 是蜂鸟最重要的能量来源。 如果把一只蜂鸟每天数百顿的 简餐加起来,牠们摄取的花蜜总量, 高达自己体重的六倍。 |
| Each of these sugary snacks also pollinates the flower being visited with pollen left on the bird from previous meals. |
在蜂鸟采食每一份含糖点心的时候, 牠们同时也会沾上花粉, 为下一朵被拜访的花授粉。 |
| That's just a rough idea of what hummingbirds can do in several seconds. |
以上只是大略说明 蜂鸟在数秒内能做到什么事。 |
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sugary:adj.含糖的;甜的;糖状的;甜言蜜语的; source:n.来源;水源;原始资料; consumes:v.消耗,耗费;吃;喝;饮;使充满(强烈的感情);(consume的第三人称单数) snacks:n.点心; v.吃点心(或快餐、小吃); (snack的第三人称单数和复数) pollinates:vt.对...授粉; pollen:v.传授花粉给;n.[植]花粉; previous:adj.以前的;早先的;过早的;adv.在先;在…以前;
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| But if we hang around a little longer, we might see their aerial acrobatics put to a more dangerous test. |
但如果我们再待久一点, 我们也许能看见,牠们的空中特技 受到更危险的考验。 |
| Hummingbirds keep track of which flowers they've recently drained , as well as those they plan to drain next. |
蜂鸟总是密切关注着 牠们最近吸干的花, 还有那些牠们计画要去采蜜的花。 |
| And each bird will fight ruthlessly to defend this floral territory from their only real competition : other hummingbirds. |
每只蜂鸟都会为了保卫花花领地 冷酷无情地战斗, 而牠们唯一真正的竞争者 即是:其他蜂鸟。 |
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hang around:闲荡;徘徊; keep track of:记录;与…保持联系; recently:adv.最近;新近; drained:adj.精疲力竭; v.排空; (drain的过去分词和过去式) as well as:也;和…一样;不但…而且; ruthlessly:adv.无情地;残忍地;冷酷地; floral:adj.花的;植物的,植物群的;花似的; territory:n.领土,领域;范围;地域;版图; competition:n.竞争;比赛,竞赛;
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| Using their spear-like bills and blindingly fast flight, dueling hummingbirds chase each other through the air, aggressively stabbing and plucking feathers. |
决斗的两只蜂鸟用牠们尖矛般的喙, 以及令人眼花撩乱的快速飞行 在空中互相追逐, 狠刺对方并啄去羽毛。 |
| The bills of some species are specialized for fighting, with spiny tips , hooks , or even saw-like serrations . |
有些种类特化出战斗专用的喙, 它们有带刺的喙尖、倒钩, 甚至还有针状的细齿。 |
| Some hummingbirds employ these aerial fencing techniques to chase off larger birds like hawks and owls . |
有些蜂鸟也将这些空中比武技术 运用在驱逐鹰或猫头鹰等更大的鸟上。 |
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blindingly:adv.极其地,很; dueling:n.决斗;竞争;v.决斗;斗争(duel的ing形式); aggressively:adv.侵略地;攻击地;有闯劲地; stabbing:n.持刀伤人事件; adj.突然而剧烈的; v.刺,戳,捅; (stab的现在分词) plucking:v.摘;拔;拔掉,退去(死禽的毛);弹,弹拨(乐器的弦);(pluck的现在分词) species:n.[生物]物种;种类; specialized:adj.专业的; v.专门研究(或从事); (specialize的过去式和过去分词) spiny:adj.多刺的;麻烦的;尖刺状的; tips:n.尖端; v.(使)倾斜,翻覆; (tip的第三人称单数和复数) hooks:n.钩子;[机]挂钩(hook的复数);v.[机]钩;钓(hook的第三人称单数); serrations:n.(行扫描起点不一致引起屏幕上的)锯齿状;锯齿状突起(等于serrature); employ:vt.使用,采用;雇用;使忙于,使从事于;n.使用;雇用; techniques:n.技巧;技艺;工艺;技术;(technique的复数) owls:n.[鸟]猫头鹰(owl复数);
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| But the most extreme fights are between male hummingbirds competing for flowers and females. |
但最激烈的打斗莫过于两只公蜂鸟 争夺花朵与母蜂鸟。 |
| Fortunately, these duels are rarely deadly . |
幸运的是,这些决斗几乎都不会致命。 |
| After 15 to 20 seconds, one bird will typically surrender— flying off to seek its breakfast elsewhere . |
在 15 到 20 秒后, 通常就会有一只蜂鸟率先投降, 飞往别的地方寻找早餐。 |
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extreme:adj.极端的;极度的;偏激的;尽头的;n.极端;末端;最大程度;极端的事物; competing:adj.相互冲突的;相互矛盾的;v.竞争;对抗;参加比赛;(compete的现在分词) duels:n.决斗;斗争,抗争;vi.决斗; rarely:adv.很少地;难得;罕有地; deadly:adj.致命的;非常的;死一般的;adv.非常;如死一般地; seek:v.寻求;寻找;谋求; elsewhere:adv.在别处;到别处;
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| After all this fighting, feeding, and flying, hummingbirds sometimes need to sleep off the day’s events in a mild form of hibernation called torpor . |
在这些打斗、觅食跟飞行后, 蜂鸟有时必须以休眠 这种温和的冬眠形式, 恢复因白天一连串事件而消耗的体力。 |
| Their hearts— proportionally the largest in the animal kingdom— |
牠们的心脏重量占全身体重的比例 是动物王国中最高的。 |
| But when they wake up 4 to 7 hours later, their lightning-fast metabolism kicks back into gear . |
但在4到7小时后,等到牠们醒来, 牠们如闪电般快速的 新陈代谢率又会再度启动。 |
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mild:adj.温和的; n.(英国的一种)淡味麦芽啤酒; hibernation:n.冬眠;过冬;避寒; torpor:n.不活泼;麻木;懒散,迟缓; proportionally:adv.成比例地;相称地,适当地; metabolism:n.[生理]新陈代谢; gear:n.齿轮; v.适合;
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| With all this speed and strength, it’s no wonder the Aztecs revered these energetic birds as agents of the god of war Huitzilopotchli— a reminder that immense power can come in the smallest packages. |
蜂鸟拥有这种速度跟力量, 也难怪阿兹特克人 会认为这些精力充沛的鸟 是战神维齐洛波奇特利的使者。 这也提醒着我们记得:微小的事物中, 也可能蕴藏着巨大的力量。 |
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revered:v.崇敬,尊崇,敬畏(revere的过去式和过去分词); energetic:adj.精力充沛的;充满活力的;需要能量的;积极的; agents:n.代理人,经纪人;原动力;(agent的复数) immense:adj.巨大的,广大的;无边无际的;非常好的;
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