2021考研英语：《经济学人》中英读译Day85

英语阅读能力依靠什么？必然是词汇的积累，但，仅仅是词汇的积累是不够了，更应该了解英语句式，不同句型所表达意义。如何培养自己的阅读语感呢？那么就跟着聚创考研网小编每天学一点英语，一起为考研筑起坚实的地基。阅读是需要积累的，就像我们需要经常和人沟通才会促进我们的表达能力一样~小伙伴跟着小编一起，每天坚持打卡，培养英语阅读能力及语感，了解文章一些经典词汇的用法。

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收拾一只企鹅

Leopard seals resemble their terrestrial namesakes in two ways. They have polka-dot pelts.And they are powerful, generally solitary carnivores that are quite capable of killing a humanbeing if they so choose—as has indeed happened once, in 2003, when a British marine biologist was the victim.Curiously, though, there have also been reports of leopard seals behaving in a friendly mannertowards people—apparently trying to present gifts, in the form of prey, to divers. Until now, there has been noexplanation for this philanthropy.

译文

豹形海豹和它们的大陆同名者两个相似之处。它们都有带圆点的皮毛。它们都是强大而孤独的食肉动物，如果愿意，它们甚至能够杀死一个人正如2003年所发生的那样，当时一名英国海洋生物学家是其受害者。但奇怪的是，也有很多报道称，豹形海豹对人类表现得很友好—显然它们是想把猎物当成礼物送给潜水者。直到现在，对于这种慈善行为都没有任何解释。

But work just published in Polar Biology by James Robbins of Plymouth University, in Britain,suggests that what the seals are actually looking for is a dining partner.Mr Robbins and his team were studying leopard seals in the waters around South Georgia,an island in the Southern Ocean 1,500km from the tip of the Antarctic peninsula.Instead of diving, or watching from ships, they used drones to carry out their observations.These drones recorded hitherto unobserved behaviour on the part of the animals.

译文

但英国普利茅斯大学的詹姆斯·罗宾斯在《极地生物学》发表的一篇文章表明其实海豹是在寻找一个用餐伙伴。罗宾斯先生和他的团队正在南乔治亚岛水域研究豹形海豹这个岛屿位于南大洋，距南极半岛顶端1500公里。他们没有采取潜水或从船上观察的方式，而是使用无人机进行观察。这些无人机记录了这些动物迄今未被观察到的行为。

First, belying their solitary reputation, the seals came together in groups to attack kingpenguins(twice the size of the gentoo penguin in the photograph) that were entering the sea from arookery on the island.Second, when a seal did catch a penguin in these circumstances it would sometimes offer toshare it with a neighbourin a way reminiscent of divers' tales of gift giving.What looked like an aberration might thus be a normal way of behaving. But why?Mr Robbins's suggestion is that sharing a penguin with a neighbour makes it easier to eat.A close look at footage the drones recorded shows that seals in such partnerships take it inturns to feed.One holds the bird tight in its jaws while the other rips off a chunk of flesh and swallows it. Then they swap roles.By contrast, for a lone seal to reduce a penguin to bite-sized chunks meanswhipping the prey around in its jaws with as much force as it can muster, in order to tearlumps of flesh free from the carcass.This commonly happens, but is thought to be extremely tiring. Better, therefore, to find abuddy and enjoy a meal together.

译文

首先，为了掩饰它们孤独的名声，海豹们成群结队地攻击帝企鹅（是照片中巴布亚企鹅体型的两倍），这些帝企鹅是从岛上的一个群栖地进入大海的。第二，在此情境中，当有海豹抓住一只企鹅后，有时它愿意和一位邻居共享美餐这种方式令人回忆起了潜水员们赠送礼物的故事。因此，一种看似怪异的行为可能是一种正常的行为方式。但为什么这样？罗宾斯先生认为和一位邻居共享是为了更容易享用企鹅。仔细看看无人机记录的片段，可以发现海豹在这种伙伴关系中轮流进食。一只海豹紧紧抓住企鹅的咽喉，另一只撕下一大块肉并吞咽进去。然后它们交换角色。相比之下，单独一只海豹要把一只企鹅咬成小块，这意味着它要使出最大的力气猛击猎物的咽喉，以便从尸体上撕下一块块肉。种情况经常发生，但被认为是非常麻烦的。因此更好的方式是找一个伙伴，共同享用美餐。

注释

1.resemble 类似；像

So many hotels resemble each other.

许多酒店看上去都差不多。

2.solitary孤独的

He was a solitary child.

他是一个孤僻的孩子。

3.carry out 执行；实行

Strict safety tests are carried out on food additives.

对食品添加剂进行了严格的安全检测。

4.rip off 扯掉

She ripped off her dress and let it fall to the floor

她一把扯下连衣裙，任其滑落到地上。

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