英语PK台 第783期:动物穿上义肢 快乐玩耍

 Dialogue 1

MARK: Hey Jingjing, I remember you told me about a dog that was up for adoption 1. Did it ever find a good home?
马克: 嗨，京晶，我记得你跟我说过有只小狗需要被领养。它找到一户好人家了吗?
JINGJING: Yes, actually; and luckily the owners are very generous.
京晶: 嗯找到了, 而且幸运的是，它的新主人非常慷慨。
MARK: That's always good. But what's so special about these owners?
马克: 慷慨总是好的。不过这家新主人有什么特别之处呢?
JINGJING: Hold on a second. I'll show you the picture.ie
京晶: 等一下，我给你看张照片。
MARK: Huh? Why does that dog have wheels instead of hind 2 legs?
马克: 咦? 为什么那只狗没有后腿而是装着轮子?
JINGJING: Well, after the operation, its legs recovered somewhat, but had too much nerve damage to be used. So, the vet 3 made this little cart.
京晶: 因为手术后，它的腿虽然恢复了一些，但是神经损伤太严重了，无法正常使用。所以兽医给它做了这个小车。
MARK: Oh, I see it's fastened on. So the dog runs on its front legs and wheels around.
马克: 哦，我看到它的身子和小车被固定在一起了。所以这只狗是运用它的前腿和轮子走动。
JINGJING: Yeah. It can really move too. Let me show you the video.
京晶: 是的。它能移动得很好。我来给你看个视频。
MARK: Oh, wow. That's so cool, a disabled dog can still play fetch.
马克: 哇哦，这太酷了，一只残疾的狗居然还能玩叼取飞盘的游戏。
JINGJING: Definitely. It likes going for walks—and plays happily with other dogs.
京晶: 完全没问题。它喜欢散步，也喜欢和其他狗狗一起快乐地玩耍。
MARK: Ok, I have to ask: is everything all right, down there, in terms of going to the bathroom?
马克: 好吧，不过我想问一下，它自己上厕所方便吗?
JINGJING: I'm not really sure how much control it has. I forgot to ask. But the owners told me they are pretty careful what they feed it.
京晶: 我不确定它自己能控制多少，我忘了问了。但它的主人告诉我，他们会非常小心地选择喂它的食物。
MARK: I bet that helps keep the mess to a minimum. What's its name?
马克: 我敢说这有助于把麻烦降到最低。这只狗叫什么名字?
JINGJING: You'll never guess.
京晶: 你肯定猜不到。
MARK: Hmm, is it Hawking 4?
马克: 嗯，它不会叫霍金吧?
JINGJING: What?! Are you psychic 5 or something? That's what they call him, after the famous physicist 6.
京晶: 天呐? ! 你是先知还是怎么的? 这真是他的名字，是以著名的物理学家命名的。
MARK: Haha. I'm just happy to know Hawking has a loving and humorous home.
马克: 哈哈。我很高兴知道霍金有一个充满爱和幽默的家庭。
New words : 习语短语
up for adoption
可以被领养的状态
available for new owners/parents
vet 兽医
doctor for animals (veterinarian, or veterinary physician)
play fetch
投掷寻回游戏
a game between humans and animals: throw a ball or a stick, the animal runs and gets it
keep the mess to a minimum
避免过于杂乱
avoid too much mess
Are you psychic or something?
你是怎么猜到的？有心理神通吗？
How did you guess? You had no way of knowing.
Dialogue 2
JINGJING: Mark, if you're interested in bionic pets, I can share a movie with you.
京晶: 马克，如果你对仿生宠物感兴趣，我可以和你分享一部电影。
MARK: Bionic pets? You mean, like that wheelchair fitted up for that dog, Hawking?
马克: 仿生宠物? 你是说，就像那个装了轮椅的叫霍金的狗狗那样的?
JINGJING: Yes, but not limited to wheelchairs. The movie is called My Bionic Pet. It's a PBS documentary made in 2014.
京晶: 是的，但不仅限于轮椅。这部电影叫《我的仿生宠物》。是美国公共电视台2014年制作的纪录片。
MARK: Wow, so that includes prosthetics, then?
马克: 哇，那其中包括义肢了?
JINGJING: Yes, but not just that either. I don't remember if it was in the movie or on a website I saw, but there was a sea turtle that researchers outfitted 7 with something like a diving suit. It only had one flipper 8 and could only swim in circles. After getting help from human friends, it could fend 9 for itself in the wild.
京晶: 是的，但也不仅限于此。我不记得是在电影里还是网站上看到过，有研究人员给一只海龟穿上了量身定制的潜水服。它原来只有一只鳍，只能绕着圈游泳。在得到人类朋友的帮助后，它就可以自己在野外生存下去了。
MARK: Wow, so this is not just for pets.
马克: 哇，所以仿生学不仅限用于家养宠物。
JINGJING: No. A lot of bionics are used for farm animals. I remember seeing a sheep with a prosthetic front leg.
京晶: 对。许多仿生学被用于农场动物。我记得看到过一只羊踩着一条义肢前腿。
MARK: Did it have a wheel?
马克: 它也带轮子吗?
JINGJING: No. But they were able to fashion the knee joint 10 and make the hoof 11 as much like a natural one as possible.
京晶: 没有。但他们能够制作膝关节部位，并使蹄子尽可能看起来和真的一样。
MARK: That's great technology. Stuff like that must cost an arm and a leg, though.
马克: 这真是伟大的技术。不过这样的东西肯定要花很多钱吧。
JINGJING: A lot of people buy health insurance for their pets and livestock 12. That helps pay for bionics in the rare cases when it's needed.
京晶: 有很多人都为他们的宠物和牲畜买了健康保险。这有助于在意外的情况下支付仿生学的费用。
MARK: Hmm. I guess, next time I get a dog or a cat, I'll have to think about buying health insurance.
马克: 嗯，我想下次我养狗或养猫的时候，就会考虑买健康保险了。
JINGJING: It's a good thing to have. Anyway, I'll send you that movie later, along with some cute pictures of bionic animals.
京晶: 这是件好事。不管怎样，我稍后会把那部电影和一些仿生动物的可爱图片一起发给你。
MARK: Ok, thanks Jingjing.
马克: 好的, 谢谢京晶。
New words : 习语短语
fitted up 量身定制
helped with an object that was specially designed for the person or animal that will use it
prosthetics 义肢
man-made hands, feet, arms and legs
fend for itself 存活，照料自己
survive, defend itself, live pretty well