纪录片《为何讲话》 第28期：鸟类学习鸣叫

Of course, this cannot be done in humans

当然 这个实验不能在人身上进行

but why shouldn't we do it with birds?

但为何不在鸟身上试试呢

Zebra finches are perfect subjects.

珍珠鸟是完美的实验对象

While the females don't sing at all,

虽然雌鸟完全不会鸣叫

the male chicks learn to sing by imitating their fathers,

雄性幼鸟却通过模仿其父来学习鸣叫

just like human children copy their parents.

就像人类幼儿模仿他们的父母一样

To recreate the conditions of the forbidden experiment,

为了再现禁忌实验的情景

Ofer and his team isolated² male chicks away from their fathers

奥弗和他的团队在雄性幼鸟学会鸣叫前

before they were taught to sing.

将其与其父隔离开来

Kept in isolation³ in specially⁴ sound-proofed cages,

被关在特制的隔音笼子里

their song developed to no more than a croak⁵.

它们的叫声嘶哑难听

One of these isolated males was added to a group of females

接着他将一只隔离后的雄鸟放入雌鸟群中

to create a new finch¹ colony.

以期造一个新的珍珠鸟群

1 finch   

n.雀科鸣禽(如燕雀，金丝雀等)

参考例句：

• This behaviour is commonly observed among several species of finch.这种行为常常可以在几种雀科鸣禽中看到。
• In Australia,it is predominantly called the Gouldian Finch.在澳大利亚，它主要还是被称之为胡锦雀。

2 isolated   

adj.与世隔绝的

参考例句：

• His bad behaviour was just an isolated incident. 他的不良行为只是个别事件。
• Patients with the disease should be isolated. 这种病的患者应予以隔离。

3 isolation   

n.隔离，孤立，分解，分离

参考例句：

• The millionaire lived in complete isolation from the outside world.这位富翁过着与世隔绝的生活。
• He retired and lived in relative isolation.他退休后，生活比较孤寂。

4 specially   

adv.特定地；特殊地；明确地

参考例句：

• They are specially packaged so that they stack easily.它们经过特别包装以便于堆放。
• The machine was designed specially for demolishing old buildings.这种机器是专为拆毁旧楼房而设计的。

5 croak   

vi.嘎嘎叫，发牢骚

参考例句：

• Everyone seemed rather out of sorts and inclined to croak.每个人似乎都有点不对劲，想发发牢骚。
• Frogs began to croak with the rainfall.蛙随着雨落开始哇哇叫。