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What do a whale and a frog have in common? According to a study published in the Proceedings¹ of the Royal Society, pound for pound, they sound the same. Sounds fishy²? I mean, if you've ever heard the eerie³ song of the humpback whale [whale song], you know that it don't (doesn't 此处可能是播音员的口误) sound like no spring peeper [frog sound].

But scientists at the University of Florida Health Science Center have compared the calls made by 500 different animals, from crickets [sound] to crocodiles [sound], and ostriches⁴ [sound] to chimps⁵ [sound]. And they find that the basic features of every animal's cry, such as frequency and duration, depend on the creature's metabolism⁶. Which, in turn, depends on the animal’s body size and temperature.

And when the calls are adjusted to account for differences in body size and temperature, a whale sounds a lot like a frog [Adjusted whale song]. And vice⁷ versa for a whale-sized frog [adjusted peeper calls].

They think there's a metabolic⁸ link, because energy use affects the nerves and muscles that animals use to sound off. 'Cause we still don't know what they're saying. And I'm not getting close enough to ask.

—Karen Hopkin

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1 proceedings
n.进程，过程，议程；诉讼(程序)；公报
参考例句：
He was released on bail pending committal proceedings. 他交保获释正在候审。 to initiate legal proceedings against sb 对某人提起诉讼

2 fishy
adj. 值得怀疑的
参考例句：
It all sounds very fishy to me.所有这些在我听起来都很可疑。 There was definitely something fishy going on.肯定当时有可疑的事情在进行中。

3 eerie
adj.怪诞的；奇异的；可怕的；胆怯的
参考例句：
It's eerie to walk through a dark wood at night.夜晚在漆黑的森林中行走很是恐怖。 I walked down the eerie dark path.我走在那条漆黑恐怖的小路上。

4 ostriches
n.鸵鸟( ostrich的名词复数 )；逃避现实的人，不愿正视现实者
参考例句：
They are the silliest lot of old ostriches I ever heard of. 他们真是我闻所未闻的一群最傻的老鸵鸟。来自辞典例句 How ostriches could bear to run so hard in this heat I never succeed in understanding. 驼鸟在这样干燥炎热的地带为什么能疾速长跑，我永远也理解不了。来自辞典例句

5 chimps
（非洲）黑猩猩( chimp的名词复数 )
参考例句：
Chimps are too scarce, and too nearly human, to be routinely slaughtered for spare parts. 黑猩猩又太少，也太接近于人类，不可以作为人器官备用件说杀就杀。来自英汉非文学 - 生命科学 - 医学的第四次革命 And as nonprimates, they provoke fewer ethical and safety-related concerns than chimps or baboons. 而且作为非灵长类，就不会产生像用黑猩猩或狒狒那样的伦理和安全方面的顾虑。来自英汉非文学 - 生命科学 - 医学的第四次革命

6 metabolism
n.新陈代谢
参考例句：
After years of dieting,Carol's metabolism was completely out of whack.经过数年的节食，卡罗尔的新陈代谢完全紊乱了。 All living matter undergoes a process of metabolism.生物都有新陈代谢。

7 vice
n.坏事；恶习；[pl.]台钳，老虎钳；adj.副的
参考例句：
He guarded himself against vice.他避免染上坏习惯。 They are sunk in the depth of vice.他们堕入了罪恶的深渊。

8 metabolic
adj.新陈代谢的
参考例句：
Impressive metabolic alternations have been undergone during embryogenesis.在胚胎发生期间经历了深刻的代谢变化。 A number of intoxicants are associated with metabolic acidosis.许多毒性物质可引起代谢性酸中毒。