2015-01-11Reading鸟鸣+滞育的作用+中世纪欧洲的犁和马(词句整理)

Birdsong

Words & Phrases

1.genes (hereditary information) and environment both have a crucial role to play

in the behavioral development of animals：基因（遗传信息）和环境在动物的行为发展中都有重要作用

crucial：adj. 重要的=critical=fundamental=essential=important

2.hand-reared chicks：一手养大的小鸟

rear：v. 养育=raise

3.They are thus able to store a memory of the sound within their brain and then

match their own output to their recollection of it when they mature.

Within：prep. 在…内部=in

Match…to…把…和…匹配

Recollection：n. 回忆

Mature：v. 成熟；adj. 成熟的

4.These constraints may be in their brain’s circuitry, the young bird hatching with a

rough idea of the sounds that it should copy.

brain’s circuitry：大脑的回路

hatch：v. 孵化

rough idea：大致粗略的想法

5.The crude song of a bird reared in isolation gives some clues as to what this

rough idea may be

a bird reared in isolation：被孤立养大的鸟

as to：关于=about=concerning

6.In other cases the main learning period is when they set up their territories and

interact with neighbors for the first time, enabling them to match their neighbor’s songs and so countering with them.

set up their territories：成立它们的领地

counter：v. 对抗=resist

counterexample：反例；counterargument：反对观点

7.There are some species which produce normal sounds even if deaf, so that they

cannot hear their own efforts, much less copy those of others.

Deaf：adj. 聋的

much less：更不用提=let alone

Syntax

1.Thus, in a number of species, it has been found that they will not copy from

recordings, but will do so from a live tutor.

do so代替前文出现的copy from recordings

整句话意思是：因此，在许多物种中，发现它们不会从录音中模仿发声，但会从一个鲜活的导师那里模仿发声。

Abstract →

1.In general, however, the constraints on learning which birds have ensure that they

Constraints

整句话的中文意思是：然而整体来看，对“学习哪些鸟叫声”的限制确保了它们只学自己所属于的物种的鸟的恰当的叫声。

ensure：v. 确保，保证

appropriate：adj. 恰当的，合适的=suitable

2.However, not all birds show the same learning pattern as do chaffinches.

下文中提到的鸟类还有什么不同于chaffinches的声音学习模式？

The Role of Diapause

Words & Phrases

1.The role of diapauses: 滞育的作用

Diapauses：n. 滞育，发育停止，间歇期

2.If conditions within an organism’s environment occasionally or regularly become

harsh, it may be advantageous for an organism to have a resistant stage built into the life cycle.

within：prep. =in, 在…内部

harsh：adj. （气候或条件）艰苦的，恶劣的Harsh climates or conditions are very difficult for people, animals, and plants to live in.

a resistant stage: 一个抵抗阶段

3.with different levels of suppression of physiological activities

伴随着不同程度的生理活动的压制

4.the temperate and polar regions：温带和极地地区

5.many seeds require a period of stratification, exposure to low temperatures for

some minimum period, before they will germinate

a period of stratification：层化期

exposure to low temperatures：暴露于低温

minimum period：最短的时间

germinate：v. 发芽

6.following the winter conditions rather than immediately prior to their onset

在冬天之后而不是紧挨着冬天开始之前

7.In contrast：相反，不同的是

Contrast是对比，找不同点

Compare是类比，找相同点

当然有时候不严格区分，compare也可以泛指比较

8.pose considerable problems for organisms

给生物构成大量的问题

9.the severity of the unfavorable period：不利时期的严重性

severity=seriousness严重性（考过词汇题）