新奇事件簿 科学家将利用DNA寻找尼斯湖水怪（在线收听）

There is a legendary monster that people say lives in the deep Loch Ness lake in the north of Scotland. It is called the Loch Ness Monster, or "Nessie" for short. It looks kind of like a dinosaur, with a small head on a long neck and humps on its back. People first spotted Nessie in 1933. Since then, there have been many sightings and a few photographs. Now, scientists from New Zealand will use a special technique to see if there really is a Loch Ness Monster. A research team, led by Professor Neil Gemmell of the University of Otago, will use a technique called eDNA sampling to try and find some of Nessie's DNA. Professor Gemmell says this will show if the monster really exists or not.

人们一直流传着一个关于怪物的传说，传说它们住在苏格兰北部的尼斯湖深处。它们被称为尼斯湖水怪或简称“Nessie”。它们看起来就像是某种恐龙，小小的头长长的脖子，背部还有驼峰。人们于1933年首次发现了这种怪物。自那时起，一直有很多目击者和一些相关照片。现在，来自新西兰的科学家们将利用一种特殊技术弄清楚是否真的有尼斯湖水怪。由奥塔格大学，尼尔.格摩尔教授带领的一支研究团队将领用一种被称为eDNA样本的技术尝试寻找尼斯湖水怪的DNA。格摩尔教授表示这将证明这种怪物是否真的存在。

Sightings of the Loch Ness Monster are often in the newspapers. Loch Ness is in the Scottish Highlands. The word "loch" is the Scots word for "lake". Many scientists have tried to find the monster before. They have even sent sonar equipment to the bottom of the loch, which is 230 metres deep. All of the photographs that people have taken of Nessie over the years are blurred. Some people say they are just car tyres floating in the water. Gemmell says he will test water from the loch. He said there should be DNA from the monster's skin, urine and other things. He will check all DNA found and make sure it is not from other marine animals. If he finds DNA not known to scientists, that could belong to Nessie.

看见尼斯湖水怪的消息经常出现在报纸上。尼斯湖位于苏格兰高地。“Loch”一词是苏格兰语“湖”的意思。之前也有很多科学家试图寻找这种怪物。他们甚至将声呐设备放入湖底，该湖深度为230米。多年来，人们所拍摄的尼斯湖水怪的所有照片都是模糊不清的。一些人表示所谓水怪只不过是漂浮在湖面的汽车轮胎而已。格摩尔称他将对湖水进行检测。他表示湖水中应该有来自怪物皮肤、尿液和其他物质中的DNA。他将检测所有发现的DNA并确定这些DNA是否来自其他海中动物。如果他发现科学家未知的DNA，那么该DNA可能属于尼斯湖水怪。