英语听力文摘 English Digest 245、世界上最小的鱼

　　Smallest Fish
最小的鱼
澳洲科学家宣称，他们发现了世界上最小的鱼类，这种鱼的寿命只有两个月，也不会发育出鱼鳍，牙齿和鱼鳞等构造。
这种鱼名为大型婴儿鱼(Stout¹ Infantfish)，是澳洲博物馆研究期刊中描述的三十二种新鱼类之一。
A fish that was captured about twenty-five years ago, but which was left unstudied all this time, is now revealed to be a new species. And not only that, but the new species sets the new world record for smallest and lightest fish, as well as for smallest and lightest animal with a backbone².
The largest of the specimens³ studied, and the only female, measures about a third of an inch long. The males are a tad over a quarter inch long. They weigh so little that it would take about five hundred thousand of the little guys and gals⁴ to accumulate a pound.
The fish do possess characteristics typical of fish larvae⁵. They lack pigmentation and are transparent⁶. And they lack teeth and scales. Fish with these characteristics are called infantfish even though they’re mature. Scientists call this new species stout infantfish because they’re a tad thicker than other infantfish.

　　And where can one find world's smallest and lightest fish?
Australia’s Great Barrier Reef, but only a handful of specimens have been found so far.
Notes
1.larvae
n. 幼虫，名词larva的复数形式
2.pigmentation n. 染色, 着色, 色素沉淀
3. Great Barrier Reef 大堡礁
大堡礁（Great Barrier Reef Queensland, Australia）是世界七大自然景观之一，也是澳大利亚人最引以为自豪的天然景观。又称为“透明清澈的海中野生王国”。 大堡礁位于澳大利亚东北部昆士兰省对开，是一处延绵2000公里的地段，它纵贯蜿蜒于澳大利亚东海岸，全长2011公里，最宽处161公里。南端最远离海岸241公里，北端离海岸仅16公里。在落潮时，部分的珊瑚礁露出水面形成珊瑚岛。这里景色迷人、险峻莫测，水流异常复杂，生存着400余种不同类型的珊瑚礁，其中有世界上最大的珊瑚礁，鱼类1500种，软体动物达4000余种，聚集的鸟类242种，有着得天独厚的科学研究条件，这里还是某些濒临灭绝的动物物种（如人鱼和巨型绿龟）的栖息地。

1 stout   

adj.强壮的，粗大的，结实的，勇猛的，矮胖的

参考例句：

• He cut a stout stick to help him walk.他砍了一根结实的枝条用来拄着走路。
• The stout old man waddled across the road.那肥胖的老人一跩一跩地穿过马路。

2 backbone   

n.脊骨，脊柱，骨干；刚毅，骨气

参考例句：

• The Chinese people have backbone.中国人民有骨气。
• The backbone is an articulate structure.脊椎骨是一种关节相连的结构。

3 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》

4 gals   

abbr.gallons （复数）加仑（液量单位）n.女孩，少女( gal的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Jim came skipping out at the gate with a tin pail, and singing Buffalo Gals. 这时，吉姆手里提着一个锡皮桶，嘴中唱着“布法罗的女娃们”蹦蹦跳跳地从大门口跑出来。 来自英汉文学 - 汤姆历险
• An' dey thinks dey wants mousy lil gals wid bird's tastes an' no sense at all. 他们想要的是耗子般的小姑娘，胃口小得像雀子，一点儿见识也没有。 来自飘（部分）

5 larvae   

n.幼虫

参考例句：

• Larvae are parasitic on sheep.幼虫寄生在绵羊的身上。
• The larvae prey upon small aphids.这种幼虫以小蚜虫为食。

6 transparent   

adj.明显的，无疑的；透明的

参考例句：

• The water is so transparent that we can see the fishes swimming.水清澈透明，可以看到鱼儿游来游去。
• The window glass is transparent.窗玻璃是透明的。