纪录片《熟食造就了人类吗》 第39期：吃太多也会卡喉咙

You'd think a python would make short shrift of mince¹

别以为蟒蛇要吃下这么点肉末轻而易举

but the pieces get stuck in its throat and

但是这些肉可能会卡在喉咙里

Stephen needs to use a feeding tube.

史蒂芬必须借助饲管

So we're taking a little bit at a time,

一次捻一点

placing it in a tube and pushing it all the way

放到饲管里 然后直接

down into the snake's stomach. There we go.

伸入到胃里 好了

It's probably not any more stressful

这要比吃一只大老鼠

than if it was eating a large rat.

可轻松多了

Both snakes are put in airtight boxes

两条蛇都被放进密封的箱子里

and left in a quiet, warm chamber²

然后放到一个安静暖和的育槽里

to begin the long, slow process of digestion³.

让它们慢慢地消化食物

Within an hour, Stephen begins measuring the oxygen levels

一小时之内 史蒂芬就开始测量

inside the snakes' containers.

育蛇箱里的氧气含量

We're measuring oxygen consumption rates.

我们在测量氧气消耗率

It's an indirect measure of energy metabolism⁴.

这是间接的测量能量代谢率的方法

It allows us to quantify how much energy they're expending⁵

可以让我们确定它们在消化食物的时候

while digesting their meals.

消耗了多少能量

Twice a day, for the next six days, the team continue the tests.

在接下来的6天里 一天测量2次

1 mince   

n.切碎物；v.切碎，矫揉做作地说

参考例句：

• Would you like me to mince the meat for you?你要我替你把肉切碎吗？
• Don't mince matters,but speak plainly.不要含糊其词，有话就直说吧。

2 chamber   

n.房间，寝室；会议厅；议院；会所

参考例句：

• For many,the dentist's surgery remains a torture chamber.对许多人来说，牙医的治疗室一直是间受刑室。
• The chamber was ablaze with light.会议厅里灯火辉煌。

3 digestion   

n.消化，吸收

参考例句：

• This kind of tea acts as an aid to digestion.这种茶可助消化。
• This food is easy of digestion.这食物容易消化。

4 metabolism   

n.新陈代谢

参考例句：

• After years of dieting,Carol's metabolism was completely out of whack.经过数年的节食，卡罗尔的新陈代谢完全紊乱了。
• All living matter undergoes a process of metabolism.生物都有新陈代谢。

5 expending   

v.花费( expend的现在分词 )；使用（钱等）做某事；用光；耗尽

参考例句：

• The heart pumps by expending and contracting of muscle. 心脏通过收缩肌肉抽取和放出（血液）。 来自互联网
• Criminal action is an action of expending cost and then producing profit. 刑事诉讼是一种需要支付成本、能够产生收益的活动。 来自互联网