英语听力文摘 English Digest 453、动物界的英雄

Wolverine–the Weasel behind the Myth
狼獾——神话背后的鼬鼠

For most people the wolverine is best known as an inspiration for the distinctive¹ design of the University of Michigan logo and as the name of an X-Men character. Real wolverines can’t fly or leap over tall buildings, but in their own way they are as powerful as comic book superheroes.

Also known as the devil bear or woods devil, the wolverine is not related to the wolf, as its name seems to suggest. Rather, the wolverine is the largest member of the weasel family.

Males are roughly the size of small brown bears and weigh between twenty and forty-five pounds. Wolverines have low, squat² bodies and large paws adorned with long, sharp claws useful for climbing trees and digging in snow and dirt.

Relative to other mammals its size, the wolverine does possess incredible strength. A powerful neck and jaws³ allow wolverines to steal food from hunting traps and even from larger predators⁴ such as wolves and bears.

On occasion, a wolverine will take down an animal up to five times its size, such as a deer or moose. And like any superhero worth his or her salt, the wolverine has exceptional endurance. It has been known to travel distances of up to ten miles without stopping or slowing down to rest.

Despite their powers, wolverines are not good hunters. They eat mostly carrion, the eggs of ground-nesting birds, and berries. Wolverines used to range as far south as New Mexico, but human hunting and land development have confined them to Alaska and arctic and sub-arctic regions of Canada. As for Michigan, the only wolverines left are the ones on the athletic⁵ field.

对多数人来说，狼獾作为独特设计的密歇根大学校徽的灵感和一名X战警的名字而出名。但是就他们本身的方式来说，现实生活中的狼獾可以在高楼上空飞行或跳跃，他们和漫画书里的超级英雄一样富有力量。

狼獾同样被认为是魔鬼熊或森林魔鬼，但是他们并不是“狼如其名”，他们与狼一点关系也没有。相反，他们是最大的鼬鼠家族成员。

雄性狼獾体积接近小棕熊，体重在20到46磅之间。狼獾个子矮小，呈蹲形。它们的爪子长有修长锋利的指甲，这对爬树和在雪里或泥里挖坑很有用。

相对于其他和其大小相当的动物来说，狼獾身体里具有惊人的力量。强有力的脖子和爪子能让狼獾从狩猎陷阱甚至是更大的食肉动物如狼群和熊群那里偷得食物。

偶尔，狼獾会拿下体积是它五倍大的动物，比如一只鹿子或驼鹿。像其他名副其实的超级英雄一样，狼獾拥有异常的忍耐力。人们熟知的是它们能行进10英里的路程而不用停下来或放慢速度歇息一下。

尽管它们拥有力量，但是它们却不是优秀的狩猎者。它们大多吃腐肉，地上造巢鸟类的蛋，和浆果。狼獾过去常常漫游在新墨西哥州最南部。但是人类的捕猎和土地的开发已经把它们限制在了阿拉斯加州，加拿大的寒带和亚寒带地区。对密歇根州来说，唯一存留的狼獾们就是生活在运动场上的那些了。

 

1 distinctive   

adj.特别的，有特色的，与众不同的

参考例句：

• She has a very distinctive way of walking.她走路的样子与别人很不相同。
• This bird has several distinctive features.这个鸟具有几种突出的特征。

2 squat   

v.蹲坐，蹲下；n.蹲下；adj.矮胖的，粗矮的

参考例句：

• For this exercise you need to get into a squat.在这次练习中你需要蹲下来。
• He is a squat man.他是一个矮胖的男人。

3 jaws   

n.口部；嘴

参考例句：

• The antelope could not escape the crocodile's gaping jaws. 那只羚羊无法从鱷鱼张开的大口中逃脱。
• The scored jaws of a vise help it bite the work. 台钳上有刻痕的虎钳牙帮助它紧咬住工件。

4 predators   

n.食肉动物( predator的名词复数 )；奴役他人者（尤指在财务或性关系方面）

参考例句：

• birds and their earthbound predators 鸟和地面上捕食它们的动物
• The eyes of predators are highly sensitive to the slightest movement. 捕食性动物的眼睛能感觉到最细小的动静。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 athletic   

adj.擅长运动的，强健的；活跃的，体格健壮的

参考例句：

• This area has been marked off for athletic practice.这块地方被划出来供体育训练之用。
• He is an athletic star.他是一个运动明星。