Electric Eels!
美音、自然拼读、分级阅读与词汇复习
Table of Contents Legendary Shocker.
内容表 传奇震撼器.
4 It’s a Fish!
4个 这是鱼!
6 It’s Electric!
6号是Electric!
9 Stunning Attack.
9出击.
12 Don’t Swim There!
12,别在那里游泳!
13 Future Energy Source.
13 未来能源来源。
15 Glossary.
15 词汇。
16 Legendary Shocker In 1800, German naturalist Alexander Humboldt went searching for electric eels in what is now Venezuela.
1800年,德国自然学家Alexander Humboldt在现在的委内瑞拉寻找电鳗。
He knew electric eels and their shocking abilities could help him if only he could catch some alive.
他知道电鳗及其惊人的能力能帮助他 只要他能活捉一些
Live eels could help him solve some mysteries of the little-understood force of electricity.
活生生的鳗鱼可以帮助他 解开一些关于电力的神秘之处
He knew it was too dangerous to touch the eels with his bare hands.
他知道赤手空拳碰鳗鱼太危险了
Their shocks could cause violent pain throughout a person’s body.
他们的冲击可能在整个人的体内造成暴力痛苦。
He asked local fishermen if they could help.
他问当地渔民能否提供帮助。
Humboldt spent five years (from 1799 to 1804) exploring South America.
洪堡五年(从1799年到1804年)探索南美.
Shocking Fish Story Humboldt didn’t have modern materials or equipment that would have made catching electric eels safer.
令人震撼的"鱼事"洪堡没有现代材料或设备,
His account of fishing for eels with horses became legendary among scientists.
他关于用马钓鳗鱼的叙述在科学家中成为传奇.
Only recently did a scientist confirm that electric eels do rise up out of the water to protect themselves, as Humboldt observed.
最近才有一位科学家证实,如洪堡所观察到的那样,电鳗确实从水中起而保护自己.
Before that, some scientists thought Humboldt’s story might be exaggerated, like any fish story.
在此之前,一些科学家认为洪堡的故事可能被夸大了,就像任何鱼类的故事一样.
Humboldt watched as the fishermen guided about thirty horses into a murky, shallow pond.
洪堡看着渔民们引导了大约30匹马进入了一片阴沉而浅的池塘.
He described how the thick snakelike eels rose up out of the water.
他描述了厚厚的蛇形鳗鱼从水中起出.
The eels delivered hundreds of shocks to the horses before the fishermen could catch five of them.
鳗鱼在渔民能捕捉到其中五只之前,给马带来了上百个冲击.
Humboldt studied the eels and learned much from them.
洪堡研究了鳗鱼并从中吸取了很多教训.
A picture made from Humboldt’s writing about fishing for eels with horses shows the power of electric eels.
洪堡写道用马钓鳗鱼,
It’s a Fish!
这是鱼!
Electric eels are actually long, cylinder-shaped, gray-brown fish that are often yellow or orange below their heads and on their throats.
电鳗其实是长的,圆柱形,灰褐色的鱼,其头下和喉咙上往往有黄色或橙色.
They are more closely related to catfish than to other eels, but their body shape makes them look more like eels.
它们与其他鳗鱼的关系更紧密,但其身体形状使其更像鳗鱼.
They are classified in the scientific order commonly called knifefish, which all have some ability to use electricity.
它们在科学秩序中被归类为通称"刀鱼"( knife),它们都有一定的用电能力.
Electric eels can grow as long as 2.
电鳗可以长到 2.
1 to 2.
1比2 (英语).
75 meters (7–9 ft.)
75米(7-9英尺) 平面为平面.
and weigh as much as 20 to 22 kilograms (44–48.
重达20至22公斤(44至48公斤)。
5 lb.)
5岁b.
That means they can be about as big around as an average adult human’s thigh.
也就是说,它们可以像一般的成人大腿一样大。
Male and female electric eels are much the same in color and size, so it can be difficult for scientists to tell them apart.
雄性与雌性电鳗在颜色和尺寸上都大相径庭,因此科学家很难分辨出.
Electric Eel Facts Scientific Name Electrophorus electricus Animal Type Fish Diet Fish, crustaceans, and amphibians Length 2.
电活鱼(Electric Eel Facts) 科学名"电活鱼"(Electrictorus electorus electricus) 动物类鱼(Animal Type Fish Det) 鱼,甲壳类,和两栖动物 长度 2.
1 to 2.
1比2 (英语).
75 meters (7–9 ft.)
75米(7-9英尺) 平面为平面.
Weight 20 to 22 kilograms (44–48.
重量为20至22公斤(44至48.
5 lb.)
5岁b.
Unlike most other fish, electric eels breathe air through their mouths.
与其他大多数鱼类不同的是,电鳗通过口中呼吸出空气.
They have gills like other fish, but their gills mostly help them breathe out.
它们和其他鱼类一样有 gi,但是它们的 gi主要能帮助它们呼吸.
Electric eels open their mouths at the water’s surface, and oxygen from the air goes into their bodies through special organs in their mouths.
电鳗在水面上张开口,从空气中取出氧气通过口中的特殊器官进入体内.
The waste air they breathe out goes through their mouths and gills.
他们呼吸出来的废气会从口和 gi中流出.
Electric eels need to breathe air every few minutes and can drown if they get trapped underwater.
电鳗需要每隔几分钟呼吸一次空气,如果被困入水下,可能会被淹死.
Electric eels breathe air through their mouths.
电鳗从口中呼吸出空气.
Shocking Fact Electric eels can regenerate the tail parts of their bodies if they’re cut off, similar to some lizards and worms.
类似蜥蜴和蠕虫。
Like most other fish, electric eels have fins.
和大多数其它鱼类一样,电鳗有鳍.
They have small fins on either side of their heads and one long fin along their bellies.
它们头部两侧有小鳍,腹部有一条长鳍.
Electric eels’ belly fins run the length of their bodies.
电器鳗鱼的腹鳍会长到体长。
They also have backbones that run the length of their bodies and help them move.
它们也有能跑出身体长度的骨干来帮助它们移动.
Electric eels wave their belly fins in a kind of rippling S-shape to swim through the water.
电鳗会挥起肚鳍 在某种撕裂的S-形状中游出水面
They mostly move slowly, except when they attack.
他们大多行动缓慢,除了攻击时.
Other Electric Fish Shocking Medical History Don’t try this at home!
其他电鱼震撼医学史 别在家里尝试这个!
Ancient Greeks and Romans held live electric rays to people’s foreheads to cure headaches.
古希腊人和罗马人将活电射线接到人们的额头来治疗头痛.
A ray’s shock can cause numbness in humans, so it might have worked.
射线的冲击会给人类造成麻木,所以可能有用。
It’s Electric!
这是Electric!
An electric eel’s ability to use electricity sets it apart from other fish.
一只电鳗能用电,
It is Planet Earth’s most electric fish.
这是地球最有电能的鱼。
Scientists know that electric eels can protect themselves, navigate, hunt, and stun or kill prey using their bioelectricity.
科学家们知道,有电的鳗鱼可以利用它们的生物电能保护自己,导航,打猎,并击晕或杀死猎物.
Bioelectricity is the action of electric currents in a body.
生物电能是电流在体内的作用.
Scientists have identified other knifefish and some skates, rays, and catfish that use weak electrical abilities to navigate, communicate, or protect themselves, but none have the powerful attack shock of an electric eel.
科学家们已经发现了其他的刀鱼和一些滑冰,射线,以及使用弱电能来导航,通信,或保护自己等活鱼,但无一具有电鳗的强大攻击冲击.
Shocking Fact If an electric eel curls its body around its prey, connecting its head and tail, it can increase its shocking power.
震惊的事实 如果一头被电的鳗鱼将身体卷入猎物周围,将它的头部和尾部相接,那么它就可以增加其令人震惊的力量.
Three electric organs make up most of an electric eel’s insides and give it its powerful shocking abilities.
3个电动器官构成一头电鳗体内的大部分,并赋予它强大的震撼能力.
The electric organs start just behind the eel’s head, going down its back and on both sides through its tail.
电动器官从鳗鱼头后开始,从后向下走,从尾部向后走出。
An electric eel’s body is two-thirds electric organs.
电鳗的身体是三分之二的电动器官.
The organs are designed to send out shocks from the eel’s body, which can be compared to a battery with a positive and a negative end.
器官的设计是为了从鳗鱼体内发出冲击,这可以比作有正极和负极的电池.
The positive end is at the eel’s head, and the negative end is at its tail.
正端为鳗鱼头,正端为尾.
Three Electric Organs The electric eel’s three electric organs are named main, Hunter’s, and Sachs’.
三台电动机关 电鳗的三个电动器官被命名为"主","猎人"和"Sachs".
An electric eel’s electric organs can shock prey with up to 650 volts of electricity, which is enough to kill small animals and stun large ones.
电生鳗的电生器官能用高达650伏特的电能来震动猎物,这足以杀死小动物并震动大动物.
Anything in the water within 8.
水里八分之内的任何东西
5 meters (28 ft.)
5米(28英尺)长.
of the eel can feel the shock.
鳗鱼会感受到震动
For comparison, an electric eel produces a shock with five times the volts of a typical U.
相较之下,一头电鳗会以5倍于典型U的电压来产生冲击.
S.
师曰.
wall socket, which can be dangerous to humans.
墙上插座 对人类来说是危险的
Electric eels are immune to their own shocks, but scientists aren’t sure why.
但科学家并不知道为什么。
It might have something to do with their size compared to the size of their prey, how quickly the shock moves away from their bodies, or internal structures scientists don’t understand fully.
与猎物的大小相比, 震动会如何迅速远离身体,
Scientists do know that electrocytes are the special cells in an eel’s electric organs that help it shock prey, and that an eel’s electrocytes line up in long rows.
科学家们确实知道 电子细胞是鳗鱼电动器官中 帮助它冲击猎物的特殊细胞 而鳗鱼电动细胞排成一行
When an eel uses its bioelectricity, each of the electrocytes delivers a tiny shock at nearly the same time.
当一头鳗鱼使用其生物电能时,每个电囊几乎同时发出微小的冲击.
The stacking of electrocytes and the nearly simultaneous shock by each one combine to amplify those tiny shocks into one large, stunning ZAP!
电子细胞的堆积 和几乎同时发生的冲击 结合了这些微小的冲击 到一个巨大的,惊人的ZAP!
Stunning Attack Before the attack zap happens, electric eels have to find their prey.
突袭发生前 电鳗必须找到猎物
These fish live in murky water, and they have poor eyesight.
这些鱼生活在阴暗的水中,它们的视力很差.
They are also nocturnal, or most active at night.
它们是夜行的,或最活跃的夜晚。
Electric eels don’t use their eyes to hunt, relying on bioelectricity instead.
依靠生物电能,
They have a similar ability to bats and owls that find prey based on how sound bounces off objects.
它们拥有相似的蝙蝠和猫头鹰能力,根据声音如何从物体上反弹来寻找猎物.
Electric eels send out about fifty low-volt pulses, or repeating beats of electricity, every second.
电鳗会发出大约50个低伏脉冲, 或者重复电击,每秒。
Plants, animals, and nearby objects interrupt the pulses, showing the electric eels what’s around them.
植物、动物和附近的物体中断了脉冲,
When an electric eel thinks prey is nearby, it quickly sends out a group of two or three high- volt pulses.
当一头电鳗认为猎物就在附近时,它会很快地发出一组由2到3个高压脉冲组成的.
The shocks make an animal clench and twitch its muscles involuntarily, which means it can’t stop moving.
这些冲击使动物的筋骨无意识地抽搐出肌肉,
The muscle movement reveals the prey’s exact location.
肌肉运动揭示了猎物的确切位置.
Then the electric eel sends out a high-volt shock, which stops the prey’s twitching and sometimes kills it.
然后电鳗会发出高电压的冲击,这可以阻止猎物的抽搐,有时也会杀死猎物.
The electric eel moves quickly and sucks the prey through its mouth directly into its stomach.
电生鳗会迅速移动,从口中直接将猎物吸入胃中.
The prey doesn’t have time to recover and swim away.
猎物没有时间恢复并游走。
Adult electric eels mostly eat small fish, crustaceans, and amphibians.
成年电鳗多吃小鱼,甲壳动物和两栖动物.
Young eels mostly eat worms, insect larvae, and small fish.
幼鳗多吃蠕虫,昆虫幼虫和小鱼.
Don’t Swim There!
别在那里游泳!
Electric eels are top predators and are common in their environments, which are usually muddy or sandy slow-moving rivers.
电鳗是顶级捕食者,并常见于其环境中,通常为泥质或沙质缓流的河流.
Scientists have found them in the Amazon and Orinoco Rivers and their tributaries in northern South America.
科学家在亚马逊河和奥里诺科河及其在南美洲北部的支流发现了它们.
Because electric eels prefer slow-moving or calm fresh water, they can also be found in swamps, creeks, and ponds or along the edges of lakes in tropical plains or forests.
由于电鳗更喜欢缓慢移动或平静的淡水,它们也可以在沼泽地,小溪地,和池塘中或沿着热带平原或森林中的湖泊边缘被找到.
Because they breathe air, electric eels can survive in water with little oxygen and even out of water for hours as long as their skin stays wet.
因为它们能呼吸出空气,而电生鳗在水中能活取少量氧气,甚至能从水中出水数小时,只要皮肤保持湿润.
Electric Eel Habitat ATLANTIC OCEAN PACIFIC OCEAN SOUTH AMERICA Amazon River Orinoco River Electric Eel Habitat Electric eels mostly mate in small ponds.
电耳栖息地 南极洲 南美洲 亚马逊河 Orinoco河电耳栖所 电鳗大多在小池塘中交配.
Male eels build nests by creating bubbles with their saliva, and female eels lay hundreds of eggs in the bubbles.
雄性鳗通过用唾液创造出泡子来筑巢,雌性鳗子在泡子中产下上百个卵.
Male eels guard the nests and the hatched baby eels until they are about 10 centimeters (3.
雄性鳗为巢和被孵化出幼鱼鳗护取至约10厘米(3分).
9 in.)
9 in. (中文(简体) ).
long.
长.
Then the baby eels have to start defending themselves with their shocking abilities, which aren’t as powerful as an adult’s.
以惊人的能力来保护自己,
Young electric eels are vulnerable to animals, such as crocodiles, that might risk preying on them before they grow larger.
幼年的电鳗容易被鳄鱼等动物所感染,而鳄鱼在变大前可能面临被猎取的风险.
Black caimans, which are relatives of crocodiles, are one of the few predators that will chance trying to eat an electric eel.
黑 ca是鳄鱼的亲缘关系,是少数捕食者之一,他们可能会尝试吃一头电鳗.
Future Energy Source Scientists understand more about electric eels now than Humboldt did, but researchers are not yet done learning.
未来能源源科学家现在比洪堡更了解电鳗,但研究人员还没有完成学习.
Scientists at Yale University are looking at electrocytes as a model for cells to replace batteries in medical devices—such as pacemakers, which keep a human heart beating.
耶鲁大学的科学家们正在把电细胞视为细胞在医疗器械中更换电池的模型——例如使人心跳不停的起搏器.
Pacemaker batteries contain chemicals that could poison a patient if the device breaks.
涂料电池中含有化学物质,如果设备断裂,可能会给病人下毒.
Researchers want a battery that won’t harm the insides of a human body and won’t run out of power.
研究者想要一个不会伤害人体内部的电池,
What Humboldt wrote more than two hundred years ago could still apply today: “We are, doubtless, very far from having discovered all the secrets of the electrical action of fishes.”
洪堡二百多年前所写的今天仍然适用: “毫无疑问,我们远远没有发现鱼类电动行动的所有秘密。 “
What will electric eels help scientists understand next?
接下来电鳗会帮助科学家了解什么?
Glossary amplify (v.)
词汇扩充(五)
to make larger in amount, strength, or importance (p.
使数量、强度或重要性增加(p.
11) electric (adj.)
(11) 电 (adj.)
charged with, powered by, or producing energy that is created by moving charged particles (p.
由电荷充电、由电源充电或产生由移动电荷粒子产生的能(p.
4) electric currents (n.)
4)电流 (n.
(n.)
(无)