这是一条名叫米格尔·沃森的电鳗为你带来的节日灯展

这是一条名叫米格尔·沃森的电鳗为你带来的节日灯展

If you happen to enjoy the festive light display at the Tennessee Aquarium over the holidays, you can thank a certain electric eel for it.

如果你在假期碰巧喜欢田纳西水族馆的节日灯展，你可以感谢某种电鳗。

Although the eel in question probably doesn't care either way. Miguel Wattson is just doing what comes naturally.

尽管问题中的鳗鱼可能并不关心这两种情况。米格尔·沃森只是在做自然而然的事情。

This year, staff at the Chattanooga-based facility devised a way to link the eel's electrical discharges to the holiday tree. Along the way, they hope to shed some light on one of nature's most fascinating creatures.

今年，这家位于查塔努加的工厂的员工设计出了一种方法，将鳗鱼的放电与节日树连接起来。在此过程中，他们希望能对大自然中最迷人的生物之一有所了解。

"That's a great thing about what we do," Thom Benson, director of external affairs for the Tennessee Aquarium, tells MNN. "The Christmas tree is a wonderful hook to get attention. But once you get people's attention, then you can talk about how fantastic this electrical capability is."

田纳西州水族馆对外事务主任汤姆·本森告诉MNN:“这是我们所做的一件伟大的事情。”“圣诞树是吸引注意力的绝佳诱饵。但一旦你引起了人们的注意，你就可以谈论这种电能力有多么神奇了。”

The aquarium has long tapped into Miguel's jolting genius. His tank is typically attached to sensors that parlay his every shock into light and sound. Only this time, he's creating a holiday buzz.

米格尔令人震惊的天赋在水族馆早就得到了发挥。他的坦克是典型的附着在传感器上，利用他的每一次震动产生光和声音。只是这一次，他制造了一种节日气氛。

And no, Miguel isn't being overworked over the holidays. In fact, he has no idea he's spreading so much Christmas cheer. Basically, his standard electrical arsenal comes in two flavors: low and high voltage. Low-voltage shocks are typically reserved for communicating or navigating his surroundings.

而且米格尔在假期里也没有过度劳累。事实上，他不知道自己传播了这么多圣诞快乐。基本上，他的标准电器库有两种:低电压和高电压。低压冲击通常是为了交流或导航他的周围。

"It's similar in a way to echolocation for bats," Benson explains.

“这在某种程度上类似于蝙蝠的回声定位，”本森解释道。

But when Migeul gets excited — like when food makes an appearance in his tank — he switches to high voltage. And the holiday display goes from twinkle-twinkle to seasonal supernova.

但是当米吉尔兴奋起来的时候——就像食物出现在他的水箱里一样——他就会切换到高电压。节日的展示从闪烁到季节性的超新星。

Miguel isn't directly powering the display — although technically, a big eel power quite a few 40-watt light bulbs without breaking a sweat.

米格尔并没有直接为显示器供电——尽管从技术上讲，一条大鳗鱼可以毫不费力地为几个40瓦的灯泡供电。

Instead, a sound and light board translates Miguel's various jolts into holiday cheer.

相反，一块声光板将米格尔的各种颠簸转化为节日的欢乐。

But this eel doesn't just spark joy among aquarium-goers. He's casually famous on social media too, with nearly 40,000 followers on Twitter.

但这条鳗鱼不仅让水族馆的游客们欢欣鼓舞。他在社交媒体上也很出名，在Twitter上有近4万名粉丝。

A sound and light board in Miguel Wattson's tank senses his every jolt. (Photo: Tennessee Aquarium)

By thrusting an unassuming eel into the bright lights of celebrity — even as an unlikely holiday ambassador — aquarium staff are hoping he can make a connection with people.

水族馆的工作人员希望通过将一条不张扬的鳗鱼推到名人的聚光灯下——即使它不太可能成为节日大使——它能与人们建立联系。

Not only can we learn much from an eel's strange and surprising ways, but we may even find common ground. Or water.

我们不仅可以从一条鳗鱼奇怪而惊人的方式中学到很多东西，而且我们甚至可以找到共同点。或水。

"These animals depend on the same thing we do," Benson says. "Clean fresh water."

“这些动物依赖于我们做的同样的事情，”本森说。“清洁淡水。”

Which is why, in addition to being a purveyor of holiday cheer, Miguel is also an ambassador for the increasingly imperiled resource.

这就是为什么米格尔不仅是节日庆祝的传播者，也是这个日益濒危资源的代言人。

"That's part of the fun of these things — to capture people's attention and their imagination," Benson says. "But then impart some knowledge … and help them appreciate these animals for what they are. And they're very fascinating creatures."

本森说:“这是这些事情的乐趣之一——吸引人们的注意力和想象力。”“然后传授一些知识……帮助他们欣赏这些动物的本来面目。”它们是非常迷人的生物。”

And who knows how far Miguel's foray into holiday traditions will take him? Perhaps, as Benson suggests, an electric eel will inspire a Christmas ditty someday. Much like how a certain red-nosed reindeer found his way into holiday lore.

谁知道米格尔对节日传统的突袭会让他走多远?也许，正如本森所建议的那样，一条电鳗总有一天会成为圣诞小调的灵感来源。就像某只红鼻子驯鹿是如何进入节日传说的一样。