国家地理:The Silent Stalker 安静的捕杀者
时间：2018-12-30 作者：英语课 分类：国家地理2007年
英语课
Under the influence of rabies, even docile 1 animals often become dangerously aggressive and bite without provocation 2. Since the virus often concentrates in the saliva 3 of the infected animal, a single bite can pass it on directly into the blood of the victim. Even a family dog or cat can become a furious agent of death. But no one in Hatumalino had seen any trace of a ferocious 4 animal, wild or domestic. Neither Margery nor Emerson reported any attack. Their bodies showed no evidence of bite wounds. How did they get infected? The autopsy 5 revealed a clue, a particular type of rabies virus. In addition to classic rabies, there is another less common form of the virus, called dumb rabies.
It has a distinct set of symptoms and they match the children's exactly. This was the virus found in Margery's brain. Different species of animals carry different strains of rabies. Near Hatumalino, there is only one creature known to carry dumb rabies that's stealthy enough to bite into living flesh without alerting its prey 6, a creature that lives in legends and nightmares----the vampire 7 bat.
Vampire bats are unique to Latin America but they are famous worldwide for their gruesome diet, fresh, flowing blood. The bats have specialized 8 teeth, look like an armor so they can be kept razor-sharp and project forward for easy cutting. With incredible precision, the vampire makes a small slice in the victim's skin usually while it sleeps. Most never feel a thing. This might explain why Emerson and Margery never knew they had been bitten. The bat then uses its abrasive 9 tongue to lap up the blood that flows from the wound. Its saliva contains agents to keep the blood flowing freely. Spit and blood often mingle 10 for 25 minutes during a meal. And if the feeding bat has active rabies, it is almost guaranteed that its host will contract the disease.
It has a distinct set of symptoms and they match the children's exactly. This was the virus found in Margery's brain. Different species of animals carry different strains of rabies. Near Hatumalino, there is only one creature known to carry dumb rabies that's stealthy enough to bite into living flesh without alerting its prey 6, a creature that lives in legends and nightmares----the vampire 7 bat.
Vampire bats are unique to Latin America but they are famous worldwide for their gruesome diet, fresh, flowing blood. The bats have specialized 8 teeth, look like an armor so they can be kept razor-sharp and project forward for easy cutting. With incredible precision, the vampire makes a small slice in the victim's skin usually while it sleeps. Most never feel a thing. This might explain why Emerson and Margery never knew they had been bitten. The bat then uses its abrasive 9 tongue to lap up the blood that flows from the wound. Its saliva contains agents to keep the blood flowing freely. Spit and blood often mingle 10 for 25 minutes during a meal. And if the feeding bat has active rabies, it is almost guaranteed that its host will contract the disease.
adj.驯服的，易控制的，容易教的
- Circus monkeys are trained to be very docile and obedient.马戏团的猴子训练得服服贴贴的。
- He is a docile and well-behaved child.他是个温顺且彬彬有礼的孩子。
n.激怒，刺激，挑拨，挑衅的事物，激怒的原因
- He's got a fiery temper and flares up at the slightest provocation.他是火爆性子，一点就着。
- They did not react to this provocation.他们对这一挑衅未作反应。
n.唾液，口水
- He wiped a dribble of saliva from his chin.他擦掉了下巴上的几滴口水。
- Saliva dribbled from the baby's mouth.唾液从婴儿的嘴里流了出来。
adj.凶猛的，残暴的，极度的，十分强烈的
- The ferocious winds seemed about to tear the ship to pieces.狂风仿佛要把船撕成碎片似的。
- The ferocious panther is chasing a rabbit.那只凶猛的豹子正追赶一只兔子。
n.尸体解剖；尸检
- They're carrying out an autopsy on the victim.他们正在给受害者验尸。
- A hemorrhagic gut was the predominant lesion at autopsy.尸检的主要发现是肠出血。
n.被掠食者，牺牲者，掠食；v.捕食，掠夺，折磨
- Stronger animals prey on weaker ones.弱肉强食。
- The lion was hunting for its prey.狮子在寻找猎物。
n.吸血鬼
- It wasn't a wife waiting there for him but a blood sucking vampire!家里的不是个老婆，而是个吸人血的妖精！
- Children were afraid to go to sleep at night because of the many legends of vampire.由于听过许多有关吸血鬼的传说，孩子们晚上不敢去睡觉。
adj.专门的，专业化的
- There are many specialized agencies in the United Nations.联合国有许多专门机构。
- These tools are very specialized.这些是专用工具。
adj.使表面磨损的；粗糙的；恼人的
- His abrasive manner has won him an unenviable notoriety.他生硬粗暴的态度让他声名狼藉。
- She had abrasions to her wrists where the abrasive rope had scraped her.她的手腕有多出磨伤，那是被粗糙的绳子擦伤的。