【英语时差8,16】食人鱼

 Piranha! For most people, the name sparks horror-movie images of vicious schools of fish that can reduce a human to a skeleton in minutes.   But do they really deserve this fearsome reputation? Piranhas are freshwater fish that are found in rivers and floodplains of South America. The most well-known species is the red-bellied piranha, but there are nearly forty other different species of piranha.

They aren't very large, but do have a mouth full of razor-sharp teeth and a strong jaw¹. So it may surprise you to learn that piranhas are not the bloodthirsty killers² portrayed³ in films. They aren't even strict carnivores!

Most piranha species are omnivores and scavengers. Their diet is mostly made of insects and other fish, but also plants. During the rainy season when food is plentiful⁴, piranhas eat more plants and insects. But in the dry season when ponds and rivers dry up and food becomes more scarce, piranha turn to meat-eating, usually in the form of other fish. Piranhas occasionally bite humans or other mammals when very hungry or threatened, but serious attacks are extremely rare.

Another common belief is that piranha form large schools for hunting, allowing them to attack larger prey⁵ than a single fish could. However, researchers found that piranha most likely group together as a defense⁶ against such predators⁷ as river dolphins, caimans and bigger fish, and not to engage in feeding-frenzies.

Despite their sharp teeth and nasty reputation, these scavengers really spend their days grazing on different foods in their environment and huddle⁸ together for safety.

So while piranha may not win your hearts with cuddly⁹ good looks, they are probably more victim than vicious.  

1 jaw   

n.颚，颌，说教，流言蜚语；v.喋喋不休，教训

参考例句：

• He delivered a right hook to his opponent's jaw.他给了对方下巴一记右钩拳。
• A strong square jaw is a sign of firm character.强健的方下巴是刚毅性格的标志。

2 killers   

凶手( killer的名词复数 )； 消灭…者； 致命物； 极难的事

参考例句：

• He remained steadfast in his determination to bring the killers to justice. 他要将杀人凶手绳之以法的决心一直没有动摇。
• They were professional killers who did in John. 杀死约翰的这些人是职业杀手。

3 portrayed   

v.画像( portray的过去式和过去分词 )；描述；描绘；描画

参考例句：

• Throughout the trial, he portrayed himself as the victim. 在审讯过程中，他始终把自己说成是受害者。
• The author portrayed his father as a vicious drunkard. 作者把他父亲描绘成一个可恶的酒鬼。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

4 plentiful   

adj.富裕的，丰富的

参考例句：

• Their family has a plentiful harvest this year.他们家今年又丰收了。
• Rainfall is plentiful in the area.这个地区雨量充足。

5 prey   

n.被掠食者，牺牲者，掠食；v.捕食，掠夺，折磨

参考例句：

• Stronger animals prey on weaker ones.弱肉强食。
• The lion was hunting for its prey.狮子在寻找猎物。

6 defense   

n.防御，保卫；[pl.]防务工事；辩护，答辩

参考例句：

• The accused has the right to defense.被告人有权获得辩护。
• The war has impacted the area with military and defense workers.战争使那个地区挤满了军队和防御工程人员。

7 predators   

n.食肉动物( predator的名词复数 )；奴役他人者（尤指在财务或性关系方面）

参考例句：

• birds and their earthbound predators 鸟和地面上捕食它们的动物
• The eyes of predators are highly sensitive to the slightest movement. 捕食性动物的眼睛能感觉到最细小的动静。 来自《简明英汉词典》

8 huddle   

vi.挤作一团；蜷缩；vt.聚集；n.挤在一起的人

参考例句：

• They like living in a huddle.他们喜欢杂居在一起。
• The cold wind made the boy huddle inside his coat.寒风使这个男孩卷缩在他的外衣里。

9 cuddly   

adj.抱着很舒服的，可爱的

参考例句：

• The beautiful crib from Mom and Dad is so cuddly.爸爸妈妈送的漂亮婴儿床真舒服。
• You can't call a hedgehog cuddly.你不能说刺猬逗人喜爱。