国家地理 求偶时刻

Ok, here is the clinic for you guys out there on the “Dos and Don’ts” of finding emotional joy and carnal fulfillment in its most primitive¹ form, if you get my drift.

好了，这是给你们开的诊所，告诉你们什么是该做的，什么是不该做的如果你们明白我的意思，那就是在最原始的形式中寻找情感的快乐和肉体的满足。

This male wildebeest dashes up to this herd² of females, oblivious³ to the fact that other wildebeest males consider him about as welcome as a plague of locusts⁴.

这只雄性角马冲向这群雌性角马，没有注意到其他的雄性角马认为它像蝗虫一样受欢迎。

See? You can't just move in on another guy's turf without getting, you know, clipped.

看到了吗?你不可能在别人的地盘上移动而不被夹住。

But of course, our hero doesn't get the message, and doesn't stop trying to conjugate⁵ the verb.

但是，当然，我们的英雄并没有得到这个信息，也没有停止改变动词形式。

He humps, they dump.

他弓起。他们弓起。

(Of) Course, he leaps to his feet, as if to say "Huh, yeah, I meant to do that.

(当然)他跳了起来，好像在说:“啊，是啊，我想那样做。”

No problem. It's under control. I'm cool." "Yeah, right. "

(当然)他跳了起来，好像在说:“啊，是啊，我想那样做。”

The male springbok antelope⁶, however, has it all worked out.

然而，雄性羚羊却把这一切都解决了。

His mating strategy is to gently touch flanks of the female as a way of asking if she wants to do what comes naturally.

他的交配策略是温柔地抚摸雌性的侧翼，以询问她是否想做顺水推舟的事情。

If we could put words to his actions:

如果我们可以用言语来形容他的行为：

"Ok, are you ready? Ah em, no?

“好了,你准备好了吗?啊哦,不是吗?

Ok, how about now?

好的,现在呢?

That's been five seconds.

5秒了。

Ok, um, how about now?

好，那现在呢?

Now? Is now OK? Ok, how about now?

现在？现在好吗？好的,现在呢？

Ok, I'm gonna take that for a yes.

好吧，我就当是吧。

That, well,ok... Oops. Huh hem⁷, wait a minute, it's ... Ok, standing⁸ still can also be a signal, so uh...

那,好吧…哦。哼哼，等一下，是……好的，站着不动也可能是一个信号，所以呃…

Yeah, you know, I'd better go back to that leg thing."

是啊，你知道，我最好还是回到那条腿上。”

In case you wonder just how primal⁹ the lust¹⁰ for the female really is, consider these two male lions.

如果你想知道雄性对的欲望到底有多原始，想想这两只雄狮吧。

Pals¹¹, hunting partners.

朋友,打猎的伙伴。

You know, they're classic best buds, nothing can come between them.

你知道的，它们是经典的最佳拍档，没有什么能把它们分开。

That is until this Venus of the veldt.

直到这个大草原上的金星。

This leonine, a bit of feminine flush struts¹² her stuff before the two of them. And then...

这个狮子，带着雌性气息在他们面前炫耀她的东西。然后……

Years of brotherly comradery torn asunder¹³ in seconds, slaughtered¹⁴ by Cupid's bow.

多年的兄弟情谊在几秒钟内被撕碎，被丘比特之弓屠杀。

The loser slinks away to lick his wounds.

失败者溜走去舔伤口。

He's lost the girl and his best friend.

他失去了那个女孩和他最好的朋友。

Eh, but wait a minute.

嗯，但是等一下。

Haho, another female!

太棒了，还有一只雌狮子！

No, she is just here to toss another shovelful¹⁵ of dirt on the coffin¹⁶.

不，她只是来把另一铲土扔到棺材上。

Some days, you just can't win for losing.

有时候，输了就赢不了。

1 primitive   

adj.原始的；简单的；n.原(始)人，原始事物

参考例句：

• It is a primitive instinct to flee a place of danger.逃离危险的地方是一种原始本能。
• His book describes the march of the civilization of a primitive society.他的著作描述了一个原始社会的开化过程。

2 herd   

n.兽群，牧群；vt.使集中，把…赶在一起

参考例句：

• She drove the herd of cattle through the wilderness.她赶着牛群穿过荒野。
• He had no opinions of his own but simply follow the herd.他从无主见，只是人云亦云。

3 oblivious   

adj.易忘的，遗忘的，忘却的，健忘的

参考例句：

• Mother has become quite oblivious after the illness.这次病后，妈妈变得特别健忘。
• He was quite oblivious of the danger.他完全没有察觉到危险。

4 locusts   

n.蝗虫( locust的名词复数 )；贪吃的人；破坏者；槐树

参考例句：

• a swarm of locusts 一大群蝗虫
• In no time the locusts came down and started eating everything. 很快蝗虫就飞落下来开始吃东西，什么都吃。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 conjugate   

vt.使成对，使结合；adj.共轭的，成对的

参考例句：

• A partition that is its own conjugate is ealled self-conjugate.一个分析如与其自身共轭称为自共轭。
• It is important to learn to conjugate irregular verbs.学会不规则动词的变化是相当重要的。

6 antelope   

n.羚羊；羚羊皮

参考例句：

• Choosing the antelope shows that China wants a Green Olympics.选择藏羚羊表示中国需要绿色奥运。
• The tiger was dragging the antelope across the field.老虎拖着羚羊穿过原野。

7 hem   

n.贴边，镶边；vt.缝贴边；(in)包围，限制

参考例句：

• The hem on her skirt needs sewing.她裙子上的褶边需要缝一缝。
• The hem of your dress needs to be let down an inch.你衣服的折边有必要放长1英寸。

8 standing   

n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的

参考例句：

• After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
• They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。

9 primal   

adj.原始的；最重要的

参考例句：

• Jealousy is a primal emotion.嫉妒是最原始的情感。
• Money was a primal necessity to them.对于他们，钱是主要的需要。

10 lust   

n.性(淫)欲；渴(欲)望；vi.对…有强烈的欲望

参考例句：

• He was filled with lust for power.他内心充满了对权力的渴望。
• Sensing the explorer's lust for gold, the chief wisely presented gold ornaments as gifts.酋长觉察出探险者们垂涎黄金的欲念，就聪明地把金饰品作为礼物赠送给他们。

11 pals   

n.朋友( pal的名词复数 )；老兄；小子；（对男子的不友好的称呼）家伙

参考例句：

• We've been pals for years. 我们是多年的哥们儿了。
• CD 8 positive cells remarkably increased in PALS and RP(P CD8+细胞在再生脾PALS和RP内均明显增加(P 来自互联网

12 struts   

（框架的）支杆( strut的名词复数 )； 支柱； 趾高气扬的步态； （尤指跳舞或表演时）卖弄

参考例句：

• The struts are firmly braced. 那些支柱上得很牢靠。
• The Struts + EJB framework is described in part four. 三、介绍Struts+EJB框架的技术组成：Struts框架和EJB组件技术。

13 asunder   

adj.分离的，化为碎片

参考例句：

• The curtains had been drawn asunder.窗帘被拉向两边。
• Your conscience,conviction,integrity,and loyalties were torn asunder.你的良心、信念、正直和忠诚都被扯得粉碎了。

14 slaughtered   

v.屠杀，杀戮，屠宰( slaughter的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The invading army slaughtered a lot of people. 侵略军杀了许多人。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Hundreds of innocent civilians were cruelly slaughtered. 数百名无辜平民遭残杀。 来自《简明英汉词典》

15 shovelful   

n．一铁铲

参考例句：

• Should I put another shovelful of coal on the fire? 我要再往火里添一铲煤吗？

16 coffin   

n.棺材，灵柩

参考例句：

• When one's coffin is covered,all discussion about him can be settled.盖棺论定。
• The coffin was placed in the grave.那口棺材已安放到坟墓里去了。