大千世界:啮齿类动物有蜜蜂、大象

大伙肯定都觉得大象怕老鼠...其实不然，大象真正怕的居然是蜜蜂!

Don: Hey Yaël, have you ever heard that old wives' tale about how elephants are afraid of smallrodents like mice and rats?

Yaël: Yeah, Don. But like many old wives' tales this one is incorrect, as the experiment has been done several times. For example, a few years ago John Stossel of the TV show 20/20 introduced a mouse to some circus elephants and the big guys didn't even blink an eye.

D: Hmm. And what if the rodent was a big as a cow? Do you think the elephant would be afraid of something that big?

Y: Well I don't know, but I can tell you the thought of a rat that big is definitely creepy me out! Rodents that big don't exist do they?

D: Well not today, but four million years ago they did! A record setting twenty-one- inch-long rat skull was discovered in Uruguay. It is thought to have belonged to a rat the size of a bull.

Y: Ahh!!

D: Not to worry though, analysis of the skull led researchers to conclude that the big rat ate only veggies.

Y: Phew!

D: So elephants would likely not fear such a large rodent either.

Y: Then that old wives' tale is likely wrong no matter the size of the rodent! But did you know that elephants are afraid of something smaller than a common mouse?

D: Really? What's that?

Y: Bees. Scientists have noted that elephants tend to avoid trees with beehives, will run away if they hear buzzing, and have been seen fleeing from the little buzzers over long distances.

D: Hmm. I guess its time to revise that old wives' tale then isn't it?

D:嗨，Y. 你有没有听说过像大象害怕老鼠这类小型啮齿类动物的谬误?

Y:是的，唐。就像许多谬论一样，这个同样已经被多次试验证实是错误的。举例说，几年前在一个电视表演节目2020上，约翰把一只老鼠和几头马戏团大象放在一起，但是这些大家伙根本没把它放在眼里。

D:嗯。但是如果这些啮齿类动物如牛一样大，结果又是什么样的呢?你认为大象会害怕那么大个的生物吗?

Y:我不知道，但是我告诉你，一想到老鼠会有那么大就让我毛骨悚然!啮齿类动物没有那么大个的吧，是吧?

D:今天是没有体型那么大的啮齿类动物了，但是在四百万年前，它们确实存在过。在乌拉圭发现了这样一个记录，上面记载着发现了21英尺长的老鼠的头盖骨。估计拥有这个头盖骨的老鼠体型应该和一头公牛一样大小。

Y:天啊!

D:但是不要担心，研究人员通过对这个头盖骨的分析发现这个巨型老鼠是个食素者。

Y:唔!(放心地松了口气)

D:所以大象也不会害怕这种大型的啮齿类动物。

Y:所以不管啮齿类动物的体型是大是小，大象都不会害怕它们。但是你知道大象害怕一种比老鼠还小的生物吗?

D:真的?是什么?

Y:是密蜂。科学家们已经指出大象往往总是避开有蜂房的树木，当它们听到蜜蜂的嗡嗡的声音就会跑开，而且还被见到为了躲避这些小的蜜蜂还会跑开很远。

D:嗯。我想是时候改正这个谬误了，不是吗?

old wives' tale

n. 无稽之谈;愚蠢的迷信

The saying "Lightning never strikes twice in the same place" is a dangerous old wives' tale that has brought death to many people.

“雷永远不会在同一地方打第二次”这一谚语是很危险的迷信，曾经使许多人丧生。

rodent

a. 咬的, 啮齿类的

n. 啮齿动物

The squirrel is an example of a rodent.

松鼠，啮齿类动物的代表.

creepy

a. 爬行的, 令人毛骨悚然的

I get a creepy feeling when he looks at me.

当他看著我的时候,我觉得不寒而栗。

Uruguay n. 乌拉圭

veggie

n. 素食者

My families are all veggies. 我家人都是素食者。

beehive

n. 蜂箱，蜂房

Scientists have noted that elephants tend to avoid trees with beehives.

科学家们指出大象往往避开有蜂房的树木。

It is thought to have belonged to a rat the size of a bull.

belong to v. 属于

例句：

Does this radio belong to you?

这台收音机是你的吗?

Scientists have noted that elephants tend to avoid trees with beehives, will run away if they hear buzzing, and have been seen fleeing from the little buzzers over long distances.

that后接note的宾语从句，Scientists为后面并列三个句子的主语。

tend to v. 有...的倾向,往往

例句：

Modern furniture design tends to simplicity.

现代家具设计越来越简单。