BBC六分钟英语听力精选：宠物如何导航回家？

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[00:11.50]Welcome to 6 Minute English, the programme where we bring you an interesting topic and six  useful words or phrases. I’m Neil.欢迎来到6分钟英语，本节目将为您带来有趣的话题以及6个实用单词。我是 尼尔。
[00:18.90]And I’m Dan. Today we’re talking about one of the last mysteries of science.我是丹。今天我 们将探索一个科学界的未解之谜。
[00:23.20]No, not if the universe will keep expanding forever, but this: how do cats and dogs find  their way home over long distances?但是这如果宇宙继续延伸下去，可能就不算了。但是这个：猫和狗是怎样从 很远的地方找到回家的路的呢？
[00:30.20]We hear incredible stories of lost pets travelling tens and even hundreds of miles home C  but scientists struggle to explain how they do it.  我们时常听到这样的故事，很多不慎丢失的宠物能够从几 十甚至几百英里意外走回家。但科学家似乎还不能解释它们是怎么找回家的。
[00:40.40]We’ll hear the view of one scientist today. But before that C I have to ask an important  question: Neil, are you a cat person or a dog person? 今天我们将听到一位科学家观点。但是在那之前，我需 要问你一个重要问题，尼尔，你是一个cat person还是dog person？
[00:48.60]Oh, that’s easy C I’m a cat person, for sure. Dogs are just a… well, they are hard work,  aren’t they?  简单，我是个猫奴。狗的话有点...不太好处理，不是吗？
[00:55.30]If you say you are ’a cat person’ it means you prefer cats. ’A coffee person’ prefers  coffee.  如果你说你是个cat person，意思就是你很喜欢猫。“coffee person”就是很喜欢咖啡的人。
[01:01.90]A ’something’ person likes or prefers that thing, often over another thing.一个“……人” 喜欢或偏好某个东西，通常更甚于另外一种。
[01:07.60]Back to the topic, I’m a cat person. But can you answer this, Dan? Recently, a cat called  Omar made headlines for being, possibly, the world’s longest cat.回到原来的话题。我很喜欢猫。但是丹你 能回答一下这个问题么？最近一只叫Omar的猫登上头条，原因似乎是它是世界上最长的猫。
[01:18.40]How long is Omar? Is it…a) 120 cm b) 80 cm Or c) 180 cm它有多长呢？A 120厘米  B 80厘米  C  180厘米
[01:28.30]I’m gonna say c) 180 cm.  我猜是C 180厘米
[01:31.40]Now, from long cats to long-distance cats.现在我们要从身体很长的猫谈到长途猫了。
[01:34.30]Scientists were scratching their heads a couple of years ago when a lost cat called Holly  travelled 200 miles to get home. How did it do it?几年前一只叫Holly的猫丢在离家200英里外的地方，但它最 后成功找到回家的路。科学家对此很费脑筋。它究竟是如何做到的呢？
[01:43.30]We say you ’scratch your head’ when you are confused about something.  你说的“scratch  your head”你的意思是对某事感到困惑。
[01:47.40]There are a few theories about how cats and dogs navigate C but we don’t yet have the full  answer.关于猫狗如何导航回家，有许多理论研究。但是都没有得到圆满的答案。
[01:53.50]Well, both cats and dogs have an extremely powerful sense of smell, of course.  猫和狗够具有 强大的嗅觉能力。
[01:58.60]Smells are like signposts C they let you know where you are. Visual landmarks also play a  role, just as they do with humans.嗅觉就相当于指示牌，可以让他们知道自己在哪。可视化路标也有重要作用， 就像对人类的作用一样，
[02:07.70] A landmark is something very easily recognised C a big building or mountain for example.   路标很容易被认出来，比如一幢大楼或一座山。
[02:13.00] And what about this one: magnets are pieces of metal which attract certain other kinds of  metal - for example, iron or steel.那这个呢：磁铁属于金属的一部分，但它可以吸引另一种金属，比如铁或者 钢。
[02:21.30]The Earth itself has a magnetic force.地球本身也存在磁力。
[02:24.40]Birds use it to help them navigate over thousands of miles C it tells them where north is.  It’s thought they have some iron in their beaks.鸟儿们根据磁力飞行数千英里――因此磁力可以告诉它们哪 边是北方。有人认为它们的嘴里带有铁质物质。
[02:32.80]But some scientists think mammals also have this capability.但有些科学家认为哺乳类动物同样有 这种能力。
[02:36.90]So we have a few ideas C smell, landmarks, magnetic forces C but can we explain how one  kitty travelled over 200 miles by itself back to its home?那么我们有点思路了，嗅觉、路标、磁力――但是 怎么解释一只猫能够独自徒步200多英里回到家呢？
[02:48.00]Let’s hear from cat and dog expert Dr John Bradshaw. How do cats build up the maps in their  heads?  来听听猫犬专家约翰・布拉德肖博士怎么说。猫咪是如何在大脑中构建地图的？
[02:55.90]What they do when they are in a new territory is explore it in a very systematic way.  它们 在陌生领域会用一种非常系统化的方式探索周围环境。
[03:01.70]So they will go out in ever-increasing circles, they’ll literally construct a mental map in  their heads.  因此它们会以自己为中心不断扩大活动范围，在头脑中构建一张虚拟地图。
[03:08.20] And so a cat that’s lost its territory probably does the same thing.  一只猫离开自己领地可 能也会做同样的事情。
[03:11.90]They’ll rely on the idea that if they go out in ever-increasing circles or rectangles   它 们会有一种想法：如果将活动范围以圆圈或矩形逐渐扩大，
[03:17.30]then eventually they’ll either come across the territory or they’ll come across a smell  carried on the wind of the territory that they used to live in and then be able to go home.或许它们会 偶然找回曾经住过的地方，或者凭借风中传来的气味找回家。
[03:25.30]Cats have a systematic approach C which means they use a system.猫有一种系统的方式，也就是 说它们利用一种系统。
[03:28.90] Which is: first they walk around their area in a small circle, then a bigger one and then a  bigger one C until they have a strong mental map of the place.首先，它们会在脑海中将自己周围圈起来， 然后将圆圈不断扩大直到在头脑中勾画出这个地方的地图。
[03:38.80]Yes C a mental map is a map in your head C stored in your memory. And the area cats  explore C their home area - is called their territory.是的，心理地图是指你头脑中的地图，保存在你的记 忆中。猫所探索的地区，也就是它们的家所在的地区，就是它们的领地。
[03:47.40]Cats are territorial C which means their territory is very important to them.  猫是很有领土 意识的，领地对它们来说非常重要。
[03:52.60]Having a map is great, but what happens when a cat gets lost? 能有地图是一件很棒的事，但要是 一只猫走丢了呢？
[03:57.10]Dr Bradshaw says that again, it moves around in bigger and bigger circles, until it finds a  clue 布拉德肖博士也说了，猫会不断扩大活动范围，直到发现线索
[04:03.80]which is a landmark or a smell C that tells it where it is. Well, that’s the theory.   ― ―一个路标，或一种气味，明白自己现在的位置。就是这个理论。
[04:09.50]Though Dr Bradshaw says we really still don’t have enough data C that’s enough  information about this.就是这个理论。即使布拉德肖博士表示还缺乏足够的数据，但这些信息足以回答那个问题 了。
[04:15.70]When there is a scientific breakthrough - we’ll bring it to you in 6 Minute English, I  hope.  如果有重大科学突破，我们希望会在6分钟英语节目中告知您。
[04:20.80]For now, let’s content ourselves with Omar, possibly, the world’s longest cat. How long,  Dan?  现在，我们来谈谈Omar，这只传说中世界最长的猫。它有多长呢？丹？
[04:26.50]I said 180 cm.  我说的是180厘米。
[04:29.20]Omar measures 120 cm C that’s over two thirds of my height C and weighs a heavy 14 kg.   Omar身长120厘米，都超过我身高的三分之二了。它重达14公斤。
[04:37.20]Well, one thing, Neil, if Omar ever got lost, he’d be found in no time.哇，这样的话，尼尔， 要是Omar走丢了，它一定立刻就能被找到。
[04:41.30]He’s a landmark in himself! Which reminds me C let’s run through today’s words again.它 自己本身就是个路标。这个词提醒我了，我们来回顾一下今天的单词。
[04:46.50]If you’re a cat person, you prefer cats. If you’re an evening person C you prefer  evenings.  如果你是个cat person说明你更喜欢猫，如果你是个evening person，说明你更喜欢夜晚。
[04:52.20]I’ve always thought you were a kind person, Neil.尼尔，我一直觉得你是个善良的人。
[04:54.50]Nice of you to say, but we only use the phrase with nouns, not adjectives!很高兴听到这句话， 但是我们只有名词这么用，不是形容词！
[04:59.60] Indeed. We don’t want the listeners to be scratching their heads.确实。我们不想让听众抓头 皮。
[05:02.70]No, we can’t confuse them!不，是我们不能让他们困惑不解。
[05:04.40]So let’s explain the next one clearly C a landmark is something easily recognisable that  lets you know where you are.来看下一个词，landmark是某种很容易让人认出来，让你想起你所在的地方的标志。
[05:12.20]The bridges in London are landmarks.  这些桥在伦敦就是路标。
[05:14.40]And can we say the parks are magnets in summer?我们能不能说夏天的公园就是磁铁呢？
[05:17.10]A magnet is a piece of metal that attracts iron and steel C but we can also use the word  more widely to describe things that attract other things.磁铁是一种可以吸引铁和钢等物质的金属――但我 们可以将这个词的用法扩展一下，描述可以吸引人的其他东西。
[05:26.60]Two more words: territory is a noun C the area of land that an animal considers to be its  own.  还有两个词，territory，名词，意思是动物所以为的属于自己的领地。
[05:33.40]Animals who feel this strongly are described as territorial. Humans can be too C about land  or subjects they feel they own or control.有这种强烈的领土意识的动物可以用territorial（有地盘意识的、 领地性的）来形容。人类对自己所拥有或掌控的领土或事物也有这样的意识。
[05:42.50]And finally systematic: the adjective from system. We can talk about a systematic approach,  a systematic solution, a systematic study…最后一个systematic系统的，是系统system的形同词。我们可以讨 论一种系统的方法，系统的解决方案，一个系统化的研究……
[05:51.30]And we have systematically worked our way through all of today’s words!今天我们已经系统地浏 览了所有要学的单词！
[05:55.40]Very good! Which means C it’s time mention our own online territory C our website and  social media pages.非常好！这也意味着又到时间提一下我们在网上的地盘儿：官网、以及社交网站了。
[06:02.40]Check us out on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube, and of course  bbclearningenglish.com!  访问我们的Facebook、Twitter、Instagram以及YouTube网站，当然还有 bbclearningenglish.com！
[06:08.20]Bye bye for now.再见啦！
[06:09.10]Good Bye! 再见！

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BBC六分钟英语听力精选：宠物如何导航回家？