美国科学60秒 SSS 2012-12-11
时间：2019-01-08 作者：英语课 分类：Scientific American(十二)月
英语课
What does an 800-pound gorilla 1 eat? If you said: “anything it wants,” you’re not thinking like a scientist.
A scientist would say, “Let me analyze 2 the isotopic 3 composition of its excreta and I’ll get back to you.” Because a new study shows that the ratio of carbon isotopes 4 found in mountain gorilla feces reveals how much fruit the apes have consumed. The scoop’s in the latest issue of the Proceedings 5 of the National Academy of Sciences.
Knowing what animals nosh on in the wild and how that diet fluctuates can offer a key to their health and the overall health of the species. But not all beasties like to dine al fresco 6, at least not where scientists can watch. So researchers decided 7 to reach for the scat.
As a test case they focused on four mountain gorillas 8 in a park in Uganda, because they could actually see what these apes ingested. Different plants have different ratios of carbon’s common isotopes. So for 10 months the researchers measured the carbon in the plants that went into the gorillas and then what came back out.
And they found that the dung don’t lie, at least when it comes to what’s been on Koko’s menu.
n.大猩猩，暴徒，打手
- I was awed by the huge gorilla.那只大猩猩使我惊惧。
- A gorilla is just a speechless animal.猩猩只不过是一种不会说话的动物。
vt.分析，解析 (=analyse)
- We should analyze the cause and effect of this event.我们应该分析这场事变的因果。
- The teacher tried to analyze the cause of our failure.老师设法分析我们失败的原因。
adj.同位素的，合痕的
- The isotopic signatures of most ancient limestones indicated the same process. 大多数古代石灰岩的同位素特征说明了同样的过程。 来自辞典例句
- Isotopic discrimination is not likely. 同位素甄别是不可能的。 来自辞典例句
n.同位素；同位素( isotope的名词复数 )
- the many isotopes of carbon 碳的诸多同位素
- Tritium is one of the mildest radioactive isotopes. 氚是最和缓的放射性同位素之一。 来自《简明英汉词典》
n.进程，过程，议程；诉讼(程序)；公报
- He was released on bail pending committal proceedings. 他交保获释正在候审。
- to initiate legal proceedings against sb 对某人提起诉讼
n.壁画；vt.作壁画于
- This huge fresco is extremely clear and just like nature itself.It is very harmonious.这一巨幅壁画，清晰有致且又浑然天成，十分和谐。
- So it is quite necessary to study the influence of visual thinking over fresco.因此，研究视觉思维对壁画的影响和作用是十分必要的。
adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的
- This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
- There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。