新奇事件簿 日本超级怪兽狼保卫农作物

Technology has come to the rescue of Japanese farmers. For thousands of years they have tried to keep animals away from their farms. However, engineers have invented the "Super Monster Wolf" to finally scare away wild animals that want to eat crops of rice, pumpkin¹ or sweet potato. Super Monster Wolf is a solar-powered scarecrow robot that looks like a real wolf. It has lookalike wolf hair, big scary teeth and red LED eyes with infrared² sensors³. It also has 48 different wolf howls and other noises so animals never get used to it. Super Monster Wolf will be used to keep animals like wild boar and deer out of rice paddies, farms and fruit orchards⁴. Farmers lose millions of dollars of crops every year to hungry animals.

科技终于用来帮助日本农民了。几千年来，农民们一直都尝试将动物赶离他们的农田。工程师发明了“超级怪兽狼”，能够吓走这些想吃稻米、南瓜或甜土豆农作物的野生动物。超级怪兽狼是一种太阳能的稻草人机器人，外表像真狼一样。它有着类似狼毛的皮毛、恐怖的大牙以及装有红外传感器的LED眼睛。它还能发出48种不同的狼嚎以及其他一些声音，这样动物们就不会对此有适应性。超级怪兽狼将被用于驱赶像野猪和野鹿这样的动物，不让它们靠近稻田、农田以及水果园。因为这些饥饿的动物，农民们每年损失数百万美元的农作物。

Members of Japan's agricultural association (JA) took part in trials of the Super Monster Wolf in nine locations across Japan. JA spokesman⁵ Chikao Umezawa reported that the robot wolf significantly reduced crop losses. He said it was more effective than an electric fence at keeping animals out. The robot can sense movement up to one kilometre away and immediately make its scary sounds. The robot will start being mass produced from next month. It will be 65cm long and 50cm high. The price is $4,800 but farmers will have the option of renting the wolf by the month. Japan's farmers are hoping that this new electronic aid will finally stop wild animals eating their crops.

日本农业协会（JA）成员参与了日本九个地区的超级怪兽狼试验。JA发言人Chikao Umezawa称机器狼显著减少了农作物损失。他表示在隔离动物方面，机器狼比电围网更加有效。这种机器人能够感应千米之外的活动，并能立即发出恐怖的声音。从下个月起，将对这款机器人进行大规模生产。其尺寸为长65cm、高50cm。机器人价格为4800美元，但农民们可以选择按月租赁这款机器狼。日本农民希望这款新电子设备能够最终阻止野生动物们偷吃他们的农作物。

1 pumpkin   

n.南瓜

参考例句：

• They ate turkey and pumpkin pie.他们吃了火鸡和南瓜馅饼。
• It looks like there is a person looking out of the pumpkin!看起来就像南瓜里有人在看着你！

2 infrared   

adj./n.红外线(的)

参考例句：

• Infrared is widely used in industry and medical science.红外线广泛应用于工业和医学科学。
• Infrared radiation has wavelengths longer than those of visible light.红外辐射的波长比可见光的波长长。

3 sensors   

n.传感器，灵敏元件( sensor的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• There were more than 2000 sensors here. 这里装有两千多个灵敏元件。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Significant changes have been noted where sensors were exposed to trichloride. 当传感器暴露在三氯化物中时，有很大变化。 来自辞典例句

4 orchards   

（通常指围起来的）果园( orchard的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• They turned the hills into orchards and plains into granaries. 他们把山坡变成了果园，把平地变成了粮仓。
• Some of the new planted apple orchards have also begun to bear. 有些新开的苹果园也开始结苹果了。

5 spokesman   

n.发言人，代言人

参考例句：

• The government spokesman gave a quick briefing to the reporters.政府发言人向记者们作了情况简介。
• They drew lots to decide who should be their spokesman.他们抽签决定谁是他们的发言人。