VOA慢速英语2019 尼斯湖水怪可能是一条鳗鱼

Loch Ness Monster May Be an Eel¹

Scotland’s famous Loch Ness monster could possibly be a large eel, scientists announced last week. The scientists made the announcement after they completed a study of genetic² material from the Loch’s cold waters.

科学家上周宣布，苏格兰著名的尼斯湖水怪可能是一条大鳗鱼。科学家们完成了该湖冷水中遗传物质的研究后宣布了这一消息。

Deoxyribonucleic acid, or DNA³, is a substance found in the cells of plants and animals. DNA is made up of genes⁴, which carry a huge amount of information.

脱氧核糖核酸，或称DNA，是一种存在于动植物细胞中的物质。DNA是由携带大量遗传信息的基因组成的。

The scientists said their DNA results ruled out the presence of large animals such as dinosaurs⁵. But there was a lot of eel DNA in the water, said Neil Gemmell, a geneticist from the University of Otago in New Zealand.

科学家们说，他们的DNA结果排除了恐龙等大型动物存在过在这片水域中的可能性。但新西兰奥塔哥大学的遗传学家尼尔·格默尔说，海水中含有大量鳗鱼DNA。

We don't know whether these samples we've collected are from a giant beast or just an ordinary one - so there's still this element of 'we just don't know,' he said.

他说:“我们不知道我们收集的这些样本是来自巨型动物还是普通动物，所以仍然有‘我们不得而知’的成分。”

Gemmell noted⁶, however, that nobody had ever caught something as big as a giant eel in the Loch. Eels⁷ are long, bony fish that look like snakes. They are usually thin and have soft skin.

然而，格默尔指出，从来没有人在湖中钓到过像巨型鳗鱼一样大的东西。鳗鱼是一种长而多骨的鱼，看起来像蛇。它们通常很瘦，皮肤很柔软。

The international team of scientists collected water samples of what they are calling environmental DNA, or eDNA. Scientists have also used eDNA sampling as a tool to study sea life like whales and sharks.

国际科学家小组收集了他们所谓的环境DNA 或称eDNA的水样，还利用eDNA样本来研究鲸鱼和鲨鱼等海洋生物。

The Reuters news agency describes how eDNA works: Whenever a creature moves through its environment, it leaves behind very small amounts of DNA from skin, scales, hair and waste. Scientists can capture the DNA, then try to identify the order of the genetic information. They can identify an animal by comparing the captured DNA to large computer databases.

路透社描述了eDNA的作用原理:当一种生物在它所处的环境中移动时，它会从皮肤、鳞片、毛发和废物中留下非常少量的DNA。科学家可以获得这些DNA，然后通过这些DNA确定遗传信息的顺序。他们可以通过将获得的DNA信息与大型计算机数据库进行比较来识别动物类别。

The Loch Ness monster has a long history.

尼斯湖水怪有着悠久的历史。

Saint Columba, a member of a Christian⁸ religious community, is said to have banished¹⁰ a "water beast" to the bottom of the River Ness in the 6th century.

据说基督教社区的一员圣哥伦巴在公元6世纪时曾将一只“水兽”放逐到尼斯河的底部。

The most famous picture of the Loch Ness monster was taken in 1934. It shows a head on a long neck coming out of the water.

尼斯湖水怪最著名的照片问世于1934年。照片上是露出水面的长着长脖子的一个头。

This photograph is known as the "surgeon's photo." It was a hoax¹¹. Investigators¹² said it actually shows a model of a sea monster connected to a child's toy submarine.

这张照片就是著名的“外科医生的照片”。调查人员说这是个骗局，它实际上是一个与儿童玩具潜艇相连的海怪模型。

There have been many unsuccessful attempts to find the Loch Ness monster.

人们曾多次试图寻找尼斯湖水怪，但都没有成功。

In 2003, the British Broadcasting Corporation paid for scientific research that used sonar beams and satellites to study the full length of the loch.

2003年，英国广播公司出资进行科学研究利用声纳波束和卫星来研究整个湖的长度。

The most recent attempt was three years ago. An unmanned vehicle found a creature, but not the one it was looking for. The discovery was, in fact, a model used in the 1970 film "The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes." It sank nearly 50 years ago.

最近的一次调查是在三年前。一辆无人驾驶汽车探测到一个生物，但不是原本计划要搜寻的目标。事实上，这一发现是1970年电影《福尔摩斯私生活》中一个场景的原型。它沉没在大约近50年前。

Words in the Story

beast – n. an especially large or dangerous animal

ordinary – adj. average; not special

sample – v. to test, study, or question something to get information

scale – n. one of many small thin plates that cover the bodies of some animals (such as fish or snakes)

database – n. a set of information of records kept on computers

banish⁹ - v. to cause (something) to go away

hoax – n. an act that is meant to trick people

sonar beam – n. sound waves, or beams of sound, that show where things are underwater

1 eel   

n.鳗鲡

参考例句：

• He used an eel spear to catch an eel.他用一只捕鳗叉捕鳗鱼。
• In Suzhou,there was a restaurant that specialized in eel noodles.苏州有一家饭馆，他们那里的招牌菜是鳗鱼面。

2 genetic   

adj.遗传的，遗传学的

参考例句：

• It's very difficult to treat genetic diseases.遗传性疾病治疗起来很困难。
• Each daughter cell can receive a full complement of the genetic information.每个子细胞可以收到遗传信息的一个完全补偿物。

3 DNA   

(缩)deoxyribonucleic acid 脱氧核糖核酸

参考例句：

• DNA is stored in the nucleus of a cell.脱氧核糖核酸储存于细胞的细胞核里。
• Gene mutations are alterations in the DNA code.基因突变是指DNA密码的改变。

4 genes   

n.基因( gene的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• You have good genes from your parents, so you should live a long time. 你从父母那儿获得优良的基因，所以能够活得很长。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Differences will help to reveal the functions of the genes. 它们间的差异将会帮助我们揭开基因多种功能。 来自英汉非文学 - 生命科学 - 生物技术的世纪

5 dinosaurs   

n.恐龙( dinosaur的名词复数 )；守旧落伍的人，过时落后的东西

参考例句：

• The brontosaurus was one of the largest of all dinosaurs. 雷龙是所有恐龙中最大的一种。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Dinosaurs have been extinct for millions of years. 恐龙绝种已有几百万年了。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

7 eels   

abbr. 电子发射器定位系统（=electronic emitter location system）

参考例句：

• Eels have been on the feed in the Lower Thames. 鳗鱼在泰晤士河下游寻食。
• She bought some eels for dinner. 她买回一些鳗鱼做晚餐。

8 Christian   

adj.基督教徒的；n.基督教徒

参考例句：

• They always addressed each other by their Christian name.他们总是以教名互相称呼。
• His mother is a sincere Christian.他母亲是个虔诚的基督教徒。

9 banish   

vt.放逐，驱逐；消除，排除

参考例句：

• The doctor advised her to banish fear and anxiety.医生劝她消除恐惧和忧虑。
• He tried to banish gloom from his thought.他试图驱除心中的忧愁。

10 banished   

v.放逐，驱逐( banish的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• He was banished to Australia, where he died five years later. 他被流放到澳大利亚，五年后在那里去世。
• He was banished to an uninhabited island for a year. 他被放逐到一个无人居住的荒岛一年。 来自《简明英汉词典》

11 hoax   

v.欺骗，哄骗，愚弄；n.愚弄人，恶作剧

参考例句：

• They were the victims of a cruel hoax.他们是一个残忍恶作剧的受害者。
• They hoax him out of his money.他们骗去他的钱。

12 investigators   

n.调查者，审查者( investigator的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• This memo could be the smoking gun that investigators have been looking for. 这份备忘录可能是调查人员一直在寻找的证据。
• The team consisted of six investigators and two secretaries. 这个团队由六个调查人员和两个秘书组成。 来自《简明英汉词典》