英语听力文摘 English Digest 245、世界上最小的鱼
时间：2019-03-09 作者：英语课 分类：英语听力文摘 English Digest
Smallest Fish
最小的鱼
澳洲科学家宣称，他们发现了世界上最小的鱼类，这种鱼的寿命只有两个月，也不会发育出鱼鳍，牙齿和鱼鳞等构造。
这种鱼名为大型婴儿鱼(Stout 1 Infantfish)，是澳洲博物馆研究期刊中描述的三十二种新鱼类之一。
A fish that was captured about twenty-five years ago, but which was left unstudied all this time, is now revealed to be a new species. And not only that, but the new species sets the new world record for smallest and lightest fish, as well as for smallest and lightest animal with a backbone 2.
The largest of the specimens 3 studied, and the only female, measures about a third of an inch long. The males are a tad over a quarter inch long. They weigh so little that it would take about five hundred thousand of the little guys and gals 4 to accumulate a pound.
The fish do possess characteristics typical of fish larvae 5. They lack pigmentation and are transparent 6. And they lack teeth and scales. Fish with these characteristics are called infantfish even though they’re mature. Scientists call this new species stout infantfish because they’re a tad thicker than other infantfish.
And where can one find world's smallest and lightest fish?
Australia’s Great Barrier Reef, but only a handful of specimens have been found so far.
Notes
1.larvae
n. 幼虫，名词larva的复数形式
2.pigmentation n. 染色, 着色, 色素沉淀
3. Great Barrier Reef 大堡礁
大堡礁（Great Barrier Reef Queensland, Australia）是世界七大自然景观之一，也是澳大利亚人最引以为自豪的天然景观。又称为“透明清澈的海中野生王国”。 大堡礁位于澳大利亚东北部昆士兰省对开，是一处延绵2000公里的地段，它纵贯蜿蜒于澳大利亚东海岸，全长2011公里，最宽处161公里。南端最远离海岸241公里，北端离海岸仅16公里。在落潮时，部分的珊瑚礁露出水面形成珊瑚岛。这里景色迷人、险峻莫测，水流异常复杂，生存着400余种不同类型的珊瑚礁，其中有世界上最大的珊瑚礁，鱼类1500种，软体动物达4000余种，聚集的鸟类242种，有着得天独厚的科学研究条件，这里还是某些濒临灭绝的动物物种（如人鱼和巨型绿龟）的栖息地。
- He cut a stout stick to help him walk.他砍了一根结实的枝条用来拄着走路。
- The stout old man waddled across the road.那肥胖的老人一跩一跩地穿过马路。
- The Chinese people have backbone.中国人民有骨气。
- The backbone is an articulate structure.脊椎骨是一种关节相连的结构。
- Astronauts have brought back specimens of rock from the moon. 宇航员从月球带回了岩石标本。
- The traveler brought back some specimens of the rocks from the mountains. 那位旅行者从山上带回了一些岩石标本。 来自《简明英汉词典》
- Jim came skipping out at the gate with a tin pail, and singing Buffalo Gals. 这时，吉姆手里提着一个锡皮桶，嘴中唱着“布法罗的女娃们”蹦蹦跳跳地从大门口跑出来。 来自英汉文学 - 汤姆历险
- An' dey thinks dey wants mousy lil gals wid bird's tastes an' no sense at all. 他们想要的是耗子般的小姑娘，胃口小得像雀子，一点儿见识也没有。 来自飘（部分）
- Larvae are parasitic on sheep.幼虫寄生在绵羊的身上。
- The larvae prey upon small aphids.这种幼虫以小蚜虫为食。
- The water is so transparent that we can see the fishes swimming.水清澈透明，可以看到鱼儿游来游去。
- The window glass is transparent.窗玻璃是透明的。