听力文摘:斑马能驯化吗?(在线收听

Zebra

斑马

After all, domesticating zebras is nothing new. It's not? No. In fact, people have been trying to domesticate zebras for about a hundred years. So the zebra market has already been cornered? Not exactly. There is no zebra market, because zebras can't be domesticated.

毕竟,驯化斑马并不是什么新奇事。不是吗?是的。事实上,近100年来,人们都试图驯化斑马。所以斑马市场一直处于窘境中?也不是。根本没有斑马市场,因为斑马驯化不了。

Why not? Compared to horses, zebras are pretty unpredictable. They can be very aggressive and even vicious as they get older. Plus, their body shape doesn't take a saddle very well. Trying to train and ride a zebra is pretty dangerous.

为什么?和普通马比起来,斑马相当难捉摸。他们可能十分具有攻击性,当他们变老时甚至变得凶猛。而且,他们的体型也不适合把鞍具装好。试图驯骑斑马很危险。

So it's impossible?

所以驯化他们是不可能的了?

Not impossible. Over the years, some zebras have been successfully trained, but as a group they just don't lend themselves to domestication. Some animal trainers and breeders have created zebra hybrids, such as the "zorse," a cross between a zebra and a horse, and the "zonkey", which is what you get when you cross a zebra and a donkey.

也不是不可能。多年以来,一些斑马也被成功的驯化了。但是作为一个群种,他们不会让自己被驯化。一些驯兽师和饲养员已经成功的创造了混血斑马,比如斑马马——斑马和马和混血儿;斑驴——当你将斑马和驴杂交就可以得到它。

That sounds likes creepy.

听起来让人毛骨悚然。

Yeah. So far there's no specific purpose to creating zebra hybrids; they're not stronger or more useful than regular horses and donkeys.

是啊,迄今为止,还没有特定目的要去创造混血斑马。斑马并不比普通的马和驴健壮或更有用。

  原文地址:http://www.tingroom.com/lesson/tlwz/511900.html