bubble50 DH Freelance 中翻英 英翻中

原文字數:596

譯文字數:1105

Penguin chicks rescued by unlikely hero[1]

企鵝幼崽被意想不到的英雄給救了

Penguins have an undeserved reputation as funny and somewhat ridiculous animals and it’s easy to see why: they’re cute, flightless birds that waddle about like fluffy, drunk toddlers. Hollywood casts Danny Devito as your human equivalent for a reason.

企鵝被不當的稱為是一種好笑又有點蠢的動物，不過這也容易理解：它們是一種可愛而不會飛的鳥類，走路搖搖擺擺的像毛茸茸又喝醉酒的小嬰孩。好萊塢讓丹尼·德維托扮演企鵝的人類化身也不是沒有原因的。

However, underestimating them is a mistake that might cost you dearly, as one petrel bird discovered when it attacked a group of emperor penguin chicks hoping for an easy meal.

然而，低估它們卻是一個錯誤的選擇，可能會讓你付出沉重的代價，就像一隻海燕被發現時正在攻擊一群皇帝企鵝的幼崽，希望可以吃個便飯。

As these chicks made their way to the sea without their parents’ supervision for the first time, a predatory giant petrel swooped in for what it thought would prove a quick kill. The chicks initially tried to flee, but struggled with running on land, and, in a case of ironically unhappy feet, one of them slipped and fell, becoming an easy prey to the predatory bird.

當這些幼崽第一次在沒有父母監督的情形之下，要進入大海的時候，一隻掠食性的巨型海燕猛然撲了過去，它還以為能夠快速擊殺它們。一開始這些幼崽試著要逃跑，但是在陸地上跑太困難了，結果還諷刺地發生了一件一點也不快樂的絆到腳[2]事件，其中一隻滑了一跤跌倒了，成了猛禽手到擒來的獵物。

When the petrel grabbed him by the neck with its strong beak, it looked like there was little or no hope left for the clumsy chick, but a tactical fall allowed it to escape and slide away back to its group.

當海燕用牠強而有力的喙抓住牠的脖子時，看起來這隻傻傻的幼崽幾乎沒救了，結果一個戰略性摔倒讓它逃脫並滑回它的小團隊之中。

Rejoined by their fallen companion, the chicks assembled into a defensive circle that allowed them to protect each other from all sides. The hunt was brought to a stall. After a tense stand off, the arrival of an adult adelie, a smaller, but extremely feisty species of penguin, finally set the petrel on the run.

掉隊的那隻歸隊後，這些幼崽組成一個讓牠們可以從四面八方保護彼此的防守圈。狩獵行動就此陷入了僵局。在緊張的對峙之後，一隻成年阿德利的到來(一種較小但極其活潑好鬥的企鵝)，終於把海燕給打跑了。

Predators like the petrel are just one of the many dangers encountered daily by penguins.

像海燕這樣的掠食者只是企鵝每天會遇到的許多危險之一。

What strategies do they adopt to survive in one of the most inhospitable environment in the world?

牠們又是採取了哪些策略才能在這個世界上條件最惡劣的環境中生存呢？

STRENGTH IN NUMBERS

數量上的優勢

Strength in numbers is the most known survival strategy for penguins. Huddling together allows them to find shelter from the extreme cold and unforgiving snow storms, but also functions as protection to fight off some of the many, deadly predators that inhabit Antarctica.

數量上的優勢是企鵝最知名的生存策略。縮在一起能保護牠們不受極端寒冷和無情的暴風雪的打擊，同時也可以起到抵禦南極上許多致命掠食者的保護作用。

COUNTERSHADING

反蔭蔽

Disguise is another fundamental skill for the survival of penguins. Their typical black and white coat is more than just a fabulous look: the colour arrangement provides penguins with counter-shading, a method of camouflage used by many animals where their top colour is much darker than their underside. In the case of penguins, it allows them to stay hidden from both predators and preys when in the sea: their white belly blends them with the bright sea surface, while the black feathers make them disappear into the dark bottom of the ocean. Fashionable AND practical!

偽裝是企鵝生存的另一項基本技能。牠們典型的黑白外皮可不僅僅是一個漂亮的外觀而已：這個顏色的排列能為企鵝提供反蔭蔽，這是一種許多上側顏色比下側顏色還要深的動物會使用的偽裝方法。在企鵝的情況中，它可以讓它們在海中保持對掠食者和獵物的隱藏：它們白色的腹部能將它們與明亮的海面融為一體，而黑色的羽毛則能讓它們消失在黑暗的海洋底部。既時尚又實用！

TOBOGGANING

滑行(英文原指滑平底雪橇)

Penguin bellies are not just useful for camouflage: when on land, they are also the tools that provide them with their fastest escape technique, tobogganing, the word that better describes when penguins slide on their belly to gain speed on ice. Curiously, Penguins have been observed tobogganing not only to escape predators or move faster, but also just for fun.

企鵝的腹部不僅在偽裝時有用：在陸地上，它們也是能為企鵝提供最快逃生技術的工具。滑行這個詞能更好地描述出企鵝在冰上用腹部滑行來加快速度的動作。奇怪的是，有觀察到，企鵝滑行這個動作不只是用來逃避掠食者或移動得更快而已，它也會被單純地用來滑好玩的。

JUMPING

跳躍

There’s another, amazing technique Penguins use to escape predators, and that’s jumping out of water up to nine feet straight. For small, flightless birds, that seems like an incredible feat, and Penguins achieve it by trapping air bubbles under their plumage before diving. When they then release these air-bubbles as they swim towards the surface, the air coats their bodies like a lubricant, allowing them to achieve the great speed that lets them go airborne once outside the water.

還有另一種企鵝用來逃避掠食者的驚人技術，那就是牠們可以從水中跳出，直達九英尺之高。對於又小又不會飛的鳥類來說，這是一項令人難以置信的壯舉，企鵝藉由在潛水前將氣泡保存在羽毛下的方式來做到這點。在他們向水面游動時會同時釋放這些氣泡，空氣就會像潤滑劑一樣覆蓋在它們的身上，讓它們可以達到很快的速度，使它們一旦出了水就能飛到空中。

These are only some of penguins’ surprising skills. Discover more of their unexpected survival secrets below.

這些只是企鵝驚人技能中的一部分。想知道更多有關牠們意想不到的生存秘密，請看下方。