每日英语 第十七期
本文核心词：英语,考拉,阅读
Cool Koalas
萌酷的考拉
When you think of a cute, furry wild animal, you often picture a koala.
当你在想可爱的毛茸茸的野生动物时，你通常会想到考拉。
These adorable-looking creatures appear docile and friendly, so it’s no wonder people are concerned about the future of the species after the devastating bushfires that destroyed parts of Australia earlier this year.
这些外表可爱的动物看起来温顺友好，所以在今年早些时候，毁灭性的森林大火摧毁了澳大利亚部分地区之后，人们开始担心这一物种的未来也就不足为奇了。
Luckily, many survived, which gives us a chance to continue to learn more about them.
幸运的是，许多考拉都幸存了下来，这给了我们更多的机会继续了解他们。
Australia’s native and unique wildlife such as kangaroos, platypus and koalas, are under constant threat from human activity and natural disasters. It’s thought at least a billion animals lost their lives as a result of this year’s bushfires.
澳大利亚本土特有的野生动物，如袋鼠、鸭嘴兽和考拉，不断受到人类活动和自然灾害的威胁。据悉，今年的森林大火造成了至少10亿只动物死亡。
Recently, drones and thermal imaging technology have been used to track their movements to help them keep safe.
最近，无人机和热成像技术被用于跟踪他们的行动，以帮助他们保持安全。
Protecting these unique species is important because, as The Australian Koala Foundation estimates, there are now possibly as few as 43,000 koalas in the wild.
保护这些独特的物种很重要，因为根据澳大利亚考拉基金会估计，目前在野外的考拉可能只有43000只。
So, what is so special about koalas and what makes them so “cool”?
那么，考拉有什么特别之处，是什么让他们如此“酷”呢？
Maybe we envy their ability to sleep for up to 22 hours day! Or could it be their laid-back appearance due to the fact that they are herbivores and mainly feed on juicy eucalyptus leaves, which take a lot of time and energy to digest.
也许我们羡慕他们能一天睡22个小时！或者是因为它们是食草动物，主要以多汁的桉树叶子为食，消化这些叶子需要大量的时间和精力。
What is amazing is that because they often live in a dry and hot environment, they drink very little water. So, how do they survive?
令人惊奇的是，他们经常生活在干燥炎热的环境中却很少喝水。那么，它们是如何生存的呢？
Well, scientists have discovered that these wild mammals lick running water off the smooth surface of a tree trunk when it is raining. This phenomenon is called “stemflow”.
科学家们发现，这些野生哺乳动物会在下雨时舔掉树干光滑表面上的流水。这种现象被称为“茎流”。
Valentina Mella, the lead author of the research and an ethnologist from the University of Sydney, said: “I think the main message is that behavioral observations in the wild are very important to establish what is normal and what is unusual, and to truly understand what animals need. If we watch them carefully, they will tell us.”
该研究的第一作者，悉尼大学的人种学家瓦伦蒂娜.梅拉说：“我认为主要的信息是，野外行为观察对于确定什么是正常的，什么是不正常的，以及真正了解动物的需要是非常重要的。如果我们仔细观察，他们会告诉我们的。”
So, despite the word “koala” meaning “no drink” or “no water” in the Aboriginal language, it seems that even these sleepy creatures do need a drink sometimes.
所以，尽管“考拉”这个词在土著语言中“不喝”或“不喝水”的意思，但似乎这些昏昏欲睡的生物有时也需要喝水。
And if we’re to encourage them to flourish, we need to conserve their habitat.
如果我们要鼓励它们茁壮成长，我们就需要保护它们的栖息地。
no wonder难怪；怪不得；不足为奇
such as例如；诸如
as a result of由于...；因为...
thermal imaging technology热成像技术；利用热影像显示技术
due to由于；因为；应归于
feed on以...为食，以...为能源
eucalyptus leaves桉树叶
running water流水，活水；自来水
tree trunk树干
上期翻译
1. 我们花在作业上的时间很多。(spend)
We spend much time on (our) homework / (in) doing (our) homework.
2. 我们的英语老师坚持认为正确的发音很重要。(insist)
Our English teacher insists on the importance of the correct pronunciation.
3.你不会等很长时间意味着过不了多久下一班车就来了。(before)
That you won’t wait for long means that it won’t be long before the next bus arrives.
4.尽管她独身一人，但是她忙于妇女权利方面的工作，所以一点也不感到孤独。(as)
Alone as she is, she is so busy with her work for women’s rights that she doesn’t feel lonely at all.
5.一个人失败时几句安慰话也许会鼓励他重新站起来，甚至取得成功。(encourage)
When one fails, a few words of comfort may encourage him to stand up again and even to achieve success.
今日份
1. 班长昨天班会课没来。(absent)
2. 为了赶上其他同学，他正在努力改正自己学习中的坏习惯。(cure)
3. 毫无疑问，老师挑你作业里的毛病是为了帮助你取得更大的进步。(fault)
4. 虽然已筋疲力尽，他们还是继续搜寻事故中的幸存者。(tire)
5. 我们只有面对现实，认真分析形势，才能找到解决问题的办法。(Only)
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