英语听力精选进阶版 14406

Mystery of ocean 'duck' sound solved

Summary

25 April 2014

A sound like a duck heard in the Southern Ocean has confused scientists for 50 years. But the mystery has now been solved, according to research published in the Royal Society journal Biology Letters.

Reporter:

Rebecca Morelle

Report

This is the noise that's puzzled scientists for more than 50 years. The mysterious sound can be heard in the winter in the seas around Antarctica and Australia.

It's nicknamed "the bio-duck" by those who think it sounds like a duck quacking¹.

Now researchers say acoustic² recorders attached to two Antarctic minke whales have revealed that the bizarre noise is the animal's underwater chatter³.

Scientists say solving this long-standing mystery will help them to learn more about these little-studied mammals and help them to establish where the whales can be found.

1 quacking   

v.（鸭子）发出嘎嘎声( quack的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• For the rest it was just a noise, a quack-quack-quacking. 除此之外，便是一片噪声，一片嘎嘎嘎的叫嚣。 来自英汉文学
• The eyeless creature with the quacking voice would never be vaporized. 那没眼睛的鸭子嗓也不会给蒸发。 来自英汉文学

2 acoustic   

adj.听觉的，声音的；(乐器)原声的

参考例句：

• The hall has a fine acoustic.这个大厅的传音效果很好。
• Animals use a whole rang of acoustic, visual,and chemical signals in their systems of communication.动物利用各种各样的听觉、视觉和化学信号来进行交流。

3 chatter   

vi.／n.喋喋不休；短促尖叫；(牙齿)打战

参考例句：

• Her continuous chatter vexes me.她的喋喋不休使我烦透了。
• I've had enough of their continual chatter.我已厌烦了他们喋喋不休的闲谈。