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LuisZambranoGonzales_Axolotl_2021E-_这些蝾螈互食彼此却不死_
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| In 1864, French zoologist August Duméril was baffled while investigating the axolotl . |
1864 年,法国动物学家 August Duméril 在研究蝾螈时感到困惑不解。 |
| Unlike many other amphibians , which transform into terrestrial adults, axolotls retain their juvenile characteristics and never leave the water. |
与成年后变成陆地生活的 其它两栖类动物不同, 美西螈一直保持青少年特征, 而且从不离开水。 |
| In an attempt to induce metamorphosis , |
为了诱导它们变形, |
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zoologist:n.动物学家; baffled:adj.带有挡板的;v.阻碍;使迷惑(baffle的过去式); investigating:v.调查;研究;审查;(investigate的现在分词) axolotl:n.蝾螈;[脊椎]美西螈(幼体,实验用动物); amphibians:n.两栖动物;[古生]两栖类; transform:v.使改变;使改观;使转换;n.[数]变换式;[化]反式; terrestrial:adj.地球的;陆地的,[生物]陆生的;人间的;n.陆地生物;地球上的人; retain:v.保留;保持;持有;继续拥有; juvenile:adj.青少年的;幼稚的;n.青少年;少年读物; characteristics:n.特征;特点;品质;(characteristic的复数) In an attempt to:力图;试图;企图; induce:v.导致;引起;诱使;劝说; metamorphosis:n.变形;变质;
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| Duméril spent months removing their gills . |
Duméril 花了几个月的时间 切除它们的鳃。 |
| But in most instances , the axolotls simply... grew them back. |
但多数情况下, 美西螈很快又长出了鳃。 |
| Indeed, axolotls are masters of regeneration : they can flawlessly regenerate body parts ranging from amputated limbs and crushed spines to parts of their eyes and brains. |
的确,美西螈是再生大师: 它们能完美地长出身体部位, 从断肢、脊椎到部分眼睛和大脑。 |
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gills:n.鱼鳃(gill的复数); v.除去鱼的鳃和内脏; instances:n.相依物体,例子; v.举例说明(instance的第三人称单数形式); regeneration:n.[生物][化学][物]再生,重生;重建; flawlessly:adv.完美无瑕地; regenerate:vt.使再生;革新;vi.再生;革新;adj.再生的;革新的; amputated:切断;锯掉;截(肢)(amputate的过去式和过去分词); limbs:n.[解剖]四肢(limb的复数); crushed:v.压坏;压伤;挤压变形;(crush的过去分词和过去式) spines:n.[解剖]脊柱;棘状突起;体刺(spine的复数);
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| So how do they do it? And what other secrets are they keeping? |
那它们如何做到的呢？ 它们还有哪些秘密呢？ |
| This extraordinary salamander is native to the wetlands in Mexico City. |
这种奇特的蝾螈的栖息地 是墨西哥城的湿地, |
| Ancient Aztec people considered it the incarnation of a God named Xolotl— hence the axolotl’s name, roughly meaning “water monster .” |
古代阿兹特克人认为 它是名为 Xolotl 的神的化身—— 名称美西螈（Axolotl）由此而来, 意思大致是“水怪”。 |
| Axolotls reach sexual maturity with gills and a tadpole-like dorsal fin. |
长出鳃和蝌蚪状的背鳍后, 美西螈达到性成熟。 |
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extraordinary:adj.非凡的;特别的;离奇的;临时的;特派的; salamander:n.火蜥蜴;蝾螈目动物;耐火的人;烤箱; native:adj.本国的;土著的;天然的;与生俱来的;天赋的;n.本地人;土产;当地居民; wetlands:n.湿地(wetland的复数形式);沼泽地;塘地; incarnation:n.化身;道成肉身;典型; hence:adv.因此;今后; roughly:adv.粗糙地;概略地; monster:n.怪物;恶魔;庞然大物;adj.巨大的; sexual:adj.性的;性别的;有性的; maturity:n.成熟;到期;完备; dorsal:adj.背部的;背的,背侧的;
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| Scientists think their forever-young condition, called “neoteny,” evolved because of their stable habitat . |
科学家们认为,这种 “幼态化”的永远年轻状态, 是因为栖息地稳定的进化结果。 |
| For salamanders that develop in waters that dry up, efficiently transitioning to land is essential . |
对生活在会干涸水域的蝾螈来说, 有效转移到陆地生活至关重要。 |
| But the lakes axolotls evolved in were unchanging year-round and didn't host many aquatic predators . |
但美西螈演化所处的湖泊终年不变, 而且湖里没有太多的水生捕食者。 |
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evolved:v.(使)逐渐形成;进化;进化形成;(evolve的过去分词和过去式) stable:n.马厩;牛棚;adj.稳定的;牢固的;坚定的;vi.被关在马厩;赶入马房; habitat:n.[生态]栖息地,产地; salamanders:n.[脊椎]蝾螈;火蜥蜴(salamander的复数形式); efficiently:adv.有效地;效率高地(efficient的副词形式); transitioning:v.经历转变过程;过渡;(transition的现在分词) essential:n.要点;要素;实质;必需品;adj.完全必要的;必不可少的;极其重要的;本质的; unchanging:adj.不变的; year-round:adj.(开放,使用或运转等)一年到头的;整年;全年;全年的; aquatic:adj.水生的;水栖的;在水中或水面进行的;n.水上运动;水生植物或动物; predators:n.捕食性动物;实行弱肉强食的人(或机构);掠夺者;(predator的复数)
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| So, scientists think it was advantageous for axolotls to forgo the demands of metamorphosis. |
因此,科学家们认为 放弃变形的需求有利于美西螈, |
| However, they haven’t completely lost this ability. |
然而,它们并非完全丧失变形能力。 |
| If exposed to certain substances , axolotls will turn into adults. |
如果暴露在某些物质中, 美西螈会变为成年, |
| But they’ll often experience shorter lifespans and lose some of their self-healing abilities. |
但经常寿命较短, 也丧失一些自我修复能力。 |
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advantageous:adj.有利的;有益的; forgo:vi.放弃; vt.放弃; exposed:adj.无遮蔽的; v.暴露; (expose的过去分词和过去式) substances:n.[物]物质;基本内容;物品药物(substance的复数); lifespans:n.寿命;预期生命期限;预期使用期限; self-healing:adj.自我修复的;
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| These regenerative talents may seem like crazy superpowers to begin with, but axolotls have good use for them. |
这些再生才能可能一开始 看起来像超棒的超能力, 但美西螈善用了它们。 |
| As babies, they’re in direct competition . |
在婴儿期,它们就处于直接竞争中, |
| So, they snack on each other. |
所以,它们会吃对方。 |
| This is usually not a huge problem thanks to how quickly they can regenerate body parts. |
这通常不是一个大问题, 因为它们的身体器官 再生速度非常快。 |
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regenerative:adj.再生的,更生的;更新的; like crazy:拼命地;发疯似的; superpowers:n.超级大国;超能力;超级强权;(superpower的复数形式) competition:n.竞争;比赛,竞赛; snack:n.点心;小吃;快餐;易办到的事;v.吃点心(或快餐、小吃);
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| When an axolotl loses a limb, tissues stimulate growth in the area. |
当美西螈失去肢体时, 组织会刺激该区域的生长。 |
| Skin cells divide and cover the wound . |
皮肤细胞分裂并覆盖住伤口, |
| Then, progenitor cells, which can develop into various bodily tissues, form a mass at the site of injury and nearby nerves secrete growth-promoting proteins . |
接着,祖细胞在受伤部位形成团块, 祖细胞能发展成各种身体组织, 且附近神经分泌出促生长蛋白质。 |
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tissues:n.纸巾,手巾纸;(人、动植物细胞的)组织;(tissue的复数) stimulate:v.刺激;激发;促进;激励; wound:n.创伤,伤口;v.使受伤;受伤,伤害; progenitor:n.祖先;原著;起源; bodily:adv.整体地;亲自地;以肉体形式;adj.身体的;肉体的; mass:n.块,团; adj.群众的,民众的; v.聚集起来,聚集; site:n.地点;位置;场所;v.设置;为…选址; injury:n.伤害,损害;受伤处; nearby:adj.附近的,邻近的;adv.在附近;prep.在…附近; nerves:n.神经;神经紧张;勇气;v.鼓足勇气;振作精神;(nerve的第三人称单数和复数) secrete:v.分泌;隐藏,藏匿(小物件); growth-promoting:促生长; proteins:n.[生化]蛋白质(protein复数);
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| Over the next few weeks, a new limb emerges as cells proliferate and differentiate in coordination . |
接下来的几周里, 随着细胞的增殖和分化, 一个新的肢体出现了。 |
| This process could potentially lead to uncontrolled growth and tumor formation . |
这一过程可能导致 不可控生长和肿瘤的形成, |
| But axolotls are remarkably resistant to cancer . |
但美西螈对癌症有很强抵抗力, |
| They have a system in place that tightly controls cellular proliferation . |
它们有一个严格控制 细胞增殖的系统。 |
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emerges:vi.浮现;摆脱;暴露; proliferate:vi.增殖;扩散;激增;vt.使激增; differentiate:vi.区分,区别;vt.区分,区别; coordination:n.协调,调和;对等,同等; process:v.处理;加工;列队行进;n.过程,进行;方法,adj.经过特殊加工(或处理)的; potentially:adv.可能地,潜在地; uncontrolled:adj.不受控制的; tumor:n.肿瘤;肿块;赘生物; formation:n.形成;编队;组成;队形; remarkably:adv.非常;极为;格外;出乎意料地 resistant:adj.抵抗的,反抗的;顽固的;n.抵抗者; cancer:n.癌症;恶性肿瘤; tightly:adv.紧紧地;坚固地; cellular:adj.细胞的;多孔的;由细胞组成的;n.移动电话;单元; proliferation:n.增殖,扩散;分芽繁殖;
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| To better understand the axolotl’s baffling biology , scientists sequenced its genome . |
为更了解美西螈 令人困惑的生物学特性, 科学家们对其基因组进行了测序, |
| They found it to be more than ten times longer than a human’s. |
发现比人类的长十倍以上。 |
| Mutations can change the length of any animal’s genome. |
突变可改变任何动物基因组的长度。 |
| For whatever reason, salamanders have much more DNA than other vertebrates because they lose parts of it less frequently . |
不管什么原因,蝾螈 比其他脊椎动物拥有更多 DNA, 因为它们不那么频繁地失去一部分。 |
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baffling:adj.令人困惑的; v.使困惑; biology:n.(一个地区全部的)生物;生物学; sequenced:[数][计]序列; genome:n.基因组;染色体组; Mutations:n.[遗]突变;变化;转变(mutation的复数形式); vertebrates:n.[脊椎]脊椎动物(vertebrate的复数); frequently:adv.频繁地,经常地;时常,屡次;
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| Investigating the axolotl’s genome, scientists saw many repeated sequences , most of which don't code for proteins and have no known function. |
研究美西螈的基因组时, 科学家发现了许多重复序列, 其中大多数不编码蛋白质, 也不知其功能是什么。 |
| They also found genes that are key in regeneration. |
他们还发现了再生的关键基因, |
| However, the biggest factor that sets axolotl regeneration apart may not be a set of unique genes, but how they regulate their genes. |
但美西螈与众不同的再生最大因素 可能不是一组独特的基因, 而是它们如何调节自己的基因, |
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sequences:n.[数][计]序列,顺序;继起的事(sequence的复数形式); genes:n.基因;(gene的复数) factor:n.因素;要素;[物]因数;代理人;v.做代理商;v.把…作为因素计入; unique:adj.独特的,稀罕的;[数]唯一的;n.独一无二的人或物; regulate:v.调节;控制;
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| It’s no wonder that axolotls are one of science’s most studied animals. |
难怪美西螈是科学界 研究最多的动物之一。 |
| But their population in the wild has plummeted . |
但它们在野外的数量急剧下降, |
| Hundreds of years ago, axolotls thrived under the Aztec capital. |
几百年前,美西螈 在阿兹特克首府繁荣起来, |
| Within the surrounding lakes, |
在周围的湖泊中, |
| Aztec people built islands called chinampas for growing crops. |
阿兹特克人建造了 奇南帕浮田岛来种植庄稼。 |
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plummeted:n.[测]铅锤,坠子;vi.垂直落下;(价格,水平等)骤然下跌; thrived:v.兴盛,繁荣(thrive的过去式和过去分词形式);
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| This highly productive form of agriculture created a vast system of canals, expanding the lake system’s shallow, sheltered habitat— the axolotls’ ideal environment. |
这种高产农业形式 创造了巨大的运河系统, 拓展了有庇护的湖泊浅水区栖息地 ——美西螈的理想栖息环境。 |
| But when Spanish invaders arrived, they began draining the lakes. |
但西班牙入侵者到达后, 他们开始抽干湖水; |
| And even more water has been diverted in recent years. |
近年来,更多的水被引走。 |
| Today, the entire population of wild axolotls is found in just one place, |
今天,只发现一个地方 有野生美西螈——索奇米尔科湖, |
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highly:adv.高度地;非常;非常赞许地; productive:adj.能生产的;生产的,生产性的;多产的;富有成效的; expanding:v.扩大,增加,增强细谈;详述;(expand的现在分词) invaders:n.侵略者(invader的复数);侵入种; draining:v.排空;(使)流光;放干;喝光;喝干;(drain的现在分词) diverted:v.呼叫转移,释放;(divert的过去分词和过去式)
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| Lake Xochimilco, where it’s threatened by pollution and invasive fishes. |
在那里,它们受到污染 和入侵鱼类的威胁。 |
| People are working to regenerate the ecosystem and strengthen the 2,000 year old chinampa farming tradition. |
人们正努力恢复那里的生态系统, 还强化有 2000 年历史的 奇南帕浮田岛农业传统。 |
| If interest grows, farmers could recover abandoned chinampas and support the local community— along with the axolotl. |
如果收益增加,农民可以恢复 被遗弃的奇南帕浮田岛, 支持美西螈的同时, 也支持了当地社区, |
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invasive:adj.侵略性的;攻击性的; ecosystem:n.生态系统; abandoned:adj.被抛弃的放纵的;v.抛弃;丢弃,离开;放弃;(abandon的过去分词和过去式)
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| Eventually , the benefits of saving this salamander might be even greater. |
最终,拯救美西螈的益处可能更大。 |
| Scientists hope that one day we’ll be able to apply the axolotl’s masterful tumor suppression and regenerative abilities to the human body. |
科学家们希望, 能将美西螈高超的肿瘤抑制 和再生能力应用到人体上。 |
| Perhaps its secrets are the real reason for the slimy god monster’s smile. |
也许,其秘密正是这个黏糊糊 神怪微笑的真正原因。 |
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Eventually:adv.最后,终于; apply:v.申请;涂,敷;应用;适用;请求; masterful:adj.专横的,傲慢的;主人派头的;熟练的; suppression:n.抑制;镇压;[植]压抑; slimy:adj.黏滑的;泥泞的;谄媚的,虚伪的;
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