The special function of zebras’ stripes

Monday

The special function of zebras’ stripes

斑马斑纹的如此功能

HOW the zebra gets its stripes? This question sounds like quite profound. So the answer to the question just leaves to the zoologists. However, the zoologists do let their imaginations rip. Some regard the stripes as camouflage. While others suggest it's a way to display an individual’s fitness with stripes. Even, one researcher believed that stripes are to zebra what faces are to people.

斑马身上为什么会长斑纹呢？这个问题有些深奥，所以这个问题的答案就交给动物学家们。然而这些动物学家们也是天马行空，有一些认为斑纹是保护色，有些人则认为斑纹是一种个体属性彰显的方式。甚至，有位研究人员认为斑马的斑纹就像人的脸一样。

Actually, I wonder if all have noticed that different zebras have totally different stripes. Irregular stripes would let potential mates know that whether the partners are up to expectation or not. And allowing them to recognize each other, since every zebra has a unique stripe-print.

其实，不知道大家发现没有，不同斑马的斑纹是完全不一样的。而且不规则的斑纹给潜在伴侣传递信息让他们了解是否符合期望。而且由于每个斑马的斑纹都是独一无二的，能够让斑马同类辨认彼此。

However, there was one other idea, originally dreamed up in the 1980s, declaimed that stripe is a sophisticated and mysterious form of fly repellent. Some even speculated that predators might get dizzy watching a herd of stripes gallop by. Just imagine what the stripes look like to the predators. Laughing!!!

然而，20世纪80年代出现的此类想法宣称：斑纹是一种精致且神秘的防蝇利器。甚至，有些人猜测说捕食者在飞奔捕食时看到一堆斑纹时会晕头转向。来吧，想象一下在这些捕食者眼里这些斑纹到底是怎样的画面。偷笑中！！！

Now, a team of investigators led by Gabor Horvath of Eotvos University in Budapest report in the Journal of Experimental Biology that they think they have proved the original suggestion—the stripes can repel the tsetse flies.

现在，由布达佩斯罗兰大学的Gabor Horvath领导的一组研究人员在《实验生物学报》上发表论文证明了最初的想法--斑纹可以击退苍蝇。

But tsetse are not the only dipteran foes for zebra, and since they are rarely found in the meadows of Hungary. Then Dr. Horvath plumped for studying an almost same kind of obnoxious alternative: the horsefly. Horseflies transmit disease too. They also bite incessantly, thus keeping grazing beasts from their dinner. Indeed, previous research has shown that fly attacks on horses and cattle reduce their body fat and milk production. Such research has also shown somethingodd: horseflies attack black horses in preference to white ones.

但是舌蝇并非是斑马唯一的长有翅膀的天敌。而且舌蝇在匈牙利的草原上并非常见。所以Horvath博士转而研究同样一种令人厌恶的舌蝇替代品：马蝇。马蝇同样传播疾病。而且，他们也属于寄生式叮咬，从而使食草野兽减少进食。事实上，已有研究表明被马蝇袭击过的马和牛出现身体脂肪和产奶量降低的情况。这些研究还发现一些奇怪的现象：跟白马相比，马蝇更倾向于叮咬黑马。

That fact got Dr. Horvath wondering how they would react to the striped horse—in other words, the zebras. However, the zebras are hard to cooperate the experiment. The actual zebras insist on moving around and swishing their tails all the time. Consequently, the team conducted their study using inanimate objects. Some were painted stripes of various widths and others. While some were actual models of zebra. They put the objects in a field infested with horseflies and counted the number of insects they trapped. Finally, they found out that the least attractive pattern of stripes was precisely those of the sort of width found on zebra.

这一事实使得Horvath博士想知道马蝇会对条纹马也就是斑马作何反应。其实，活斑马很难配合实验。而且，斑马一直甩动尾巴并且动来动去。有些实验对象被涂成宽度各异的条纹图案还有其他颜色。然而有些事真实的斑马模型。他们把这些实验对象放到一个满是马蝇的场所，并且计算实验对象上被吸引的马蝇数量。最后，他们发现最没有吸引力的条纹样式就是斑马身上的斑纹样式。

As a result, zebra stripes do repel horseflies. But the exact reason is still unclear. And Dr. Horvath believes that it might be related to a horsefly’s ability to see polarized light. But there is another obvious question, though, is why other species have not evolved this super form of fly repellent, and what the consequences would have been if they could.

所以，斑马斑纹可以击退马蝇。但是，具体原因尚还是谜团。不过，Horvath博士坚信这原因可能跟马蝇识别偏振光的能力有关。然而，这里有一个显而易见的问题就是为什么其他物种没有进化出这种强大的防蝇能力，以及其他物种如果也进化成这样会有怎样的后果。

If humans, for example, were black-and-white striped, then the world’s racial problems might not be so bad. And if the businessmen take advantage of that, the anti-mosquito equipment may be invented in the close future.

例如，如果人类也自带黑白条纹，那么世界上的种族问题也不会这么糟糕。而且，如果商家利用这些，那么防蚊利器是不是也在不久的将来面市！

知识点

gallop

美 ['ɡæləp] 英 ['ɡæləp]

n.奔驰；飞快；骑马奔驰；高速度

v. 奔驰；奔跑；飞跑；骑马奔驰

例句：

All the horses broke into a gallop.

所有马突然飞奔起来。

They have the appearance of horses, and they gallop along like cavalry.

他们形如马，奔跑如马兵。

obnoxious

美 [ɑb'nɑkʃəs] 英 [əb'nɒkʃəs]

adj. 极讨厌的；可憎的；令人作呕的

extremely unpleasant, especially in a way that offends people

例句：

The fly is obnoxious to everybody.

苍蝇是人人厌恶的。

predator

美 ['predətər] 英 ['predətə(r)]

n. 捕食者；掠夺者；捕食性动物；弱肉强食的人（或机构）

an animal that kills and eats other animals; a person or an organization that uses weaker people for their own advantage

例句：

The population of final predators is often too large.

最终捕食者的群组通常越来越庞大。

camouflage

美 ['kæmə.flɑʒ] 英 ['kæmə.flɑːʒ]

n. 隐蔽；（动物的）保护色；隐瞒

v. 伪装；掩饰

例句：

In fact, a zebra with its striped covering is a camouflage animal.

事实上，带有条纹的斑马是一种带有保护色的动物。

He said that the network gives people the opportunity to camouflage.

他说网络给人们伪装的机会。

Everything is now for the future of dream weaving wings, soar to great heights to dream in reality!

现在的一切都是为将来的梦想编织翅膀，让梦想在现实中展翅高飞！

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★ 作者：陈珺洁，感性与理性的融合，渴望汲取世间最美的精华，跨越世界去进行无止尽的修行！我在英语共读等你！