SSS 2012-04-24
时间：2018-12-24 作者：英语课 分类：Scientific American(四)月
英语课
This is Scientific Americans 60 Second Science, I am Cynthia Graber, this will just take a minute~
Want to suss out the existence of a shy mammal in a tropical jungle? Just check a bloodsucking leech 1.
Scientists estimate that about a quarter of the world’s mammal species are under threat of extinction 2. And researchers want to know where these mammals live. The problem? Many are tough to find. Especially in dense 3 tropical rain forests.
So researchers in Denmark got the idea of testing a proxy 4: leeches 5, which feed off those elusive 6 mammals. First they figured out that a mammal’s DNA 7 could still be found in a leech up to four months after it got slurped 8. Then the researchers headed to a Vietnamese jungle.
They collected 25 leeches. Which provided evidence for six mammal species, some rare. One, an Annamite striped rabbit, had been described there in 1996 but not been found since. The research was published in the journal Current Biology.
The leech technique is easy to teach to local residents, and could yield important information about biodiversity in a region. Plus, unlike reclusive mammals, leeches leap at the opportunity to approach humans. But instead of getting a meal, the leeches will feed us their collection of DNA data.
Thanks for the minute for Scientific Americans 60 second Science, I am Cynthia Graber.
1 leech
n.水蛭，吸血鬼，榨取他人利益的人；vt.以水蛭吸血；vi.依附于别人
- A leech is a small blood-sucking worm and usually lives in water.水蛭是一种小型吸血虫，通常生活在水中。
- One-side love like a greedy leech absorbed my time and my mirth.单相思如同一只贪婪的水蛭，吸走了我的时间和欢笑。
2 extinction
n.熄灭，消亡，消灭，灭绝，绝种
- The plant is now in danger of extinction.这种植物现在有绝种的危险。
- The island's way of life is doomed to extinction.这个岛上的生活方式注定要消失。
3 dense
a.密集的，稠密的，浓密的；密度大的
- The general ambushed his troops in the dense woods. 将军把部队埋伏在浓密的树林里。
- The path was completely covered by the dense foliage. 小路被树叶厚厚地盖了一层。
4 proxy
n.代理权，代表权；（对代理人的）委托书；代理人
- You may appoint a proxy to vote for you.你可以委托他人代你投票。
- We enclose a form of proxy for use at the Annual General Meeting.我们附上委任年度大会代表的表格。
5 leeches
n.水蛭( leech的名词复数 )；蚂蟥；榨取他人脂膏者；医生
- The usurers are leeches;they have drained us dry. 高利贷者是吸血鬼，他们吸干了我们的血汗。 来自《简明英汉词典》
- Does it run in the genes to live as leeches? 你们家是不是遗传的，都以欺压别人为生？ 来自电影对白
6 elusive
adj.难以表达(捉摸)的；令人困惑的；逃避的
- Try to catch the elusive charm of the original in translation.翻译时设法把握住原文中难以捉摸的风韵。
- Interpol have searched all the corners of the earth for the elusive hijackers.国际刑警组织已在世界各地搜查在逃的飞机劫持者。