科学家发现新物种 圆耳象鼩萌翻网友！

 　　It may seem hard to believe that such an unusual looking animal has remained hidden for so long.

　　世界上存在如此相貌罕见而不为人知的动物，这似乎有点难以置信。

　　But scientists have only just discovered a new species of elephant shrew – or round-eared sengi - in the remote deserts of south western Africa.

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　　但科学家在遥远的西非南部刚刚发现了象鼩的一个新品种——圆耳象鼩。

　　While it is the smallest known member of the 19 sengis in the order Macroscelidea, the small creature is in fact genetically² more closely related to an elephant than a true shrew.

　　虽然这一新发现的小动物是象鼩品种中最小的，但从遗传学角度看它却是大象的亲戚，而非鼩鼱科。

　　The Etendeka round-eared sengi was discovered by scientists from the California Academy of Sciences. It is the third new species of elephant shrew to be found in the wild in the past decade.

　　这种圆耳象鼩是被加利福尼亚州科学院的科学家发现的，它是过去十年中新发现的第三种象鼩新品种。

　　The diminutive³ animal is smaller than other sengi and has rust-coloured fur, a large, hairless gland⁴ on the underside of its tail and lacks dark skin pigment⁵, according to the study published in the Journal of Mammalogy.

　　据《哺乳动物学杂志》的研究报告称，这种小动物体型比其他象鼩要小，长着黄锈色的皮毛，尾巴下方有着大型无毛腺，缺乏深色皮肤色素。

　　Its unusual appearance attracted the attention of experts Jack⁶ Dumbacher and Galen Rathbun, who noted⁷ it looked different from any museum specimens⁹ they had encountered.

　　圆耳象鼩独特的外表吸引了Jack Dumbacher和Galen Rathbun两位科学家，他们发现这种动物和他们之前看到过的任何一种博物馆样本都不一样。

　　Genetic¹ analysis showed important differences between this specimen⁸ and close relatives.

　　基因分析表明，这一品种和其他相似物种有着重要的区别。

　　Together with experts from the National Museum of Namibia and the Republic of Namibia Ministry¹⁰ of Environment and Tourism, they scoured¹¹ museums for similar animals and conducted more genetic tests, before confirming that they had found a new species.

　　两位科学家同纳米比亚国家博物馆及纳米比亚共和国环境和旅游局的专家一起，追踪了博物馆中的类似物种，做了更多的基因测试。之后才得出了这是一个新物种的结论。

　　‘The differences between this and all other known species are very subtle,’ said Dr Dumbacher.

　　Dumbacher博士说道：“这种小动物和所有相似物种的区别非常微小。”

　　Elephant shrews are restricted to Africa and despite their small size, are more closely related to elephants, manatees¹² (known as sea cows) and aardvarks than they are to true shrews.

　　象鼩生活在非洲。虽然体型微小，但和鼩类动物相比，它们与大象、海牛、土豚等大型动物的关系更密切。

1 genetic   

adj.遗传的，遗传学的

参考例句：

• It's very difficult to treat genetic diseases.遗传性疾病治疗起来很困难。
• Each daughter cell can receive a full complement of the genetic information.每个子细胞可以收到遗传信息的一个完全补偿物。

2 genetically   

adv.遗传上

参考例句：

• All the bees in the colony are genetically related. 同一群体的蜜蜂都有亲缘关系。
• Genetically modified foods have already arrived on American dinner tables. 经基因改造加工过的食物已端上了美国人的餐桌。 来自英汉非文学 - 生命科学 - 基因与食物

3 diminutive   

adj.小巧可爱的，小的

参考例句：

• Despite its diminutive size,the car is quite comfortable.尽管这辆车很小，但相当舒服。
• She has diminutive hands for an adult.作为一个成年人，她的手显得非常小。

4 gland   

n.腺体，(机)密封压盖，填料盖

参考例句：

• This is a snake's poison gland.这就是蛇的毒腺。
• Her mother has an underactive adrenal gland.她的母亲肾上腺机能不全。

5 pigment   

n.天然色素，干粉颜料

参考例句：

• The Romans used natural pigments on their fabrics and walls.古罗马人在织物和墙壁上使用天然颜料。
• Who thought he might know what the skin pigment phenomenon meant.他自认为可能知道皮肤色素出现这种现象到底是怎么回事。

6 jack   

n.插座，千斤顶，男人；v.抬起，提醒，扛举；n.（Jake）杰克

参考例句：

• I am looking for the headphone jack.我正在找寻头戴式耳机插孔。
• He lifted the car with a jack to change the flat tyre.他用千斤顶把车顶起来换下瘪轮胎。

7 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

8 specimen   

n.样本，标本

参考例句：

• You'll need tweezers to hold up the specimen.你要用镊子来夹这标本。
• This specimen is richly variegated in colour.这件标本上有很多颜色。

9 specimens   

n.样品( specimen的名词复数 )；范例；（化验的）抽样；某种类型的人

参考例句：

• 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》

10 ministry   

n.(政府的)部；牧师

参考例句：

• They sent a deputation to the ministry to complain.他们派了一个代表团到部里投诉。
• We probed the Air Ministry statements.我们调查了空军部的记录。

11 scoured   

走遍（某地）搜寻（人或物）( scour的过去式和过去分词 )； （用力）刷； 擦净； 擦亮

参考例句：

• We scoured the area for somewhere to pitch our tent. 我们四处查看，想找一个搭帐篷的地方。
• The torrents scoured out a channel down the hill side. 急流沿着山腰冲刷出一条水沟。

12 manatees   

n.海牛（水生哺乳动物，体宽扁，尾圆，有鳃状肢）( manatee的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The manatees tamed quickly. 海牛很快地被驯服。 来自互联网
• Gentle and slow moving, manatees are said to be the mythical mermaids of sailors' imaginations. 海牛游动温和而缓慢，被认为是海员遐想中富有神秘色彩的美人鱼。 来自互联网