Level 2 Reading 2A

Ch.3

第3章

Reading 2A SONG OF THE HUMPBACK Herman Melville, the writer of the famous whale story Moby Dick, once wrote that humpback whales were "the most lighthearted of all the whales." A favorite of whale watchers everywhere, they often swim in ocean areas close to land and are active at the surface. They can often be seen breaching, or rising out of the water, and then coming down with a great splash. Humpbacks are intelligent animals, and can be seen working together to hunt schools of small fish. And, if you listen closely, you might even hear one singing. Recording Gentle Giants Marine biologist jim Darling has studied the songs of humpback whales for more than 25 years. While recording whale songs on a boat near Hawaii, he invited author Douglas Chadwick to experience diving with a humpback. In the water, Chadwick heard the whale's songs in a way he had never heard them before. "Suddenly, I no longer heard the whale's voice in my ears," he said. "I felt it inside my head and bones."

阅读2A 座头鲸之歌 赫尔曼·梅尔维尔，著名的鲸鱼故事《白鲸记》的作者， 曾写道，座头鲸是“所有鲸鱼中最轻松的。” 它们是世界各地观鲸者的最爱，经常在靠近陆地的海域游泳，在水面上活动。 经常可以看到它们破裂，或从水中升起，然后溅落下来。 座头鲸是聪明的动物，可以看到它们一起捕食成群的小鱼。 而且，如果你仔细听，你甚至可能会听到一个人在唱歌。 记录温柔巨人 海洋生物学家吉姆·达林对座头鲸的歌声研究了25年多。 在夏威夷附近的一艘船上录制鲸鱼的歌声时， 他邀请作家道格拉斯·查德威克体验座头鲸潜水。 在水中，查德威克以一种他从未听过的方式听到了鲸鱼的歌声。 “突然间，我耳朵里再也听不到鲸鱼的声音了，”他说。 “我感觉到它在我的头和骨头里。”

When swimming with the whale, Chadwick could see that it was aware of him, but not worried by his presence. The 13-meter-long giant looked him over curiously, but never harmed him. The whale then swam under the boat. It pointed its head down to the ocean floor and, with flippers extended out to its sides, began to sing. Up in the boat, Darling recorded the whale's song. Humpback whale songs can be long and complex, sometimes lasting for 30 minutes or more. They are perhaps the longest songs sung by any animal. Why Do They Sing? Darling says that only male humpbacks sing, but for unknown reasons. One idea is that they sing to attract females. However, when a group of scientists played recordings of whale songs in the ocean, female whales did not respond. Another idea is that male humpbacks use their songs to let other males know they are in the area. Researchers have also found that humpback whale songs are different in different parts of the world, perhaps like whale national anthems. They may also be like hit tunes on the radio, changing over time— from one year to the next, or even over a single breeding season. There is still so much the scientists don't know, and years of study lie ahead for whale researchers like Jim Darling. "Why do I do it?" he wonders aloud. "Human beings like puzzles. I want to know." Another member of the research team, photographer Flip Nicklin, recalls a special moment he had while interacting with a humpback. While he was snorkeling some distance from the huge animal, it approached him until it was just a few meters away. It then gently carried Nicklin toward its eye with a flipper, as if examining him. Apparently, the desire to understand a different species goes both ways.

当和鲸鱼一起游泳时，查德威克可以看到它认出了他，但并不担心他的存在。 这个13米长的巨人好奇地打量着他，但从未伤害过他。 随后，鲸鱼在船下游动。 它把头伸到海底，鳍伸到身体两侧，开始唱歌。 在船上，达林录下了鲸鱼的歌声。 座头鲸的歌声可能长而复杂，有时持续30分钟或更长时间。 它们可能是任何动物唱的最长的歌。 他们为什么唱歌？ 达林说，只有雄性座头鲸会唱歌，但原因不明。 一个想法是，它们唱歌是为了吸引雌性。 然而，当一群科学家在海洋中播放鲸鱼歌声的录音时，雌性鲸鱼没有反应。 另一个想法是，雄性座头鲸用它们的歌声让其他雄性知道它们在这个地区。 研究人员还发现，座头鲸的歌声在世界不同地区是不同的， 也许就像鲸鱼的国歌。 它们也可能像收音机里的热门歌曲，随着时间的推移而变化-- 从一年到下一年，甚至在一个繁殖季节。 科学家们还不知道很多事情， 像吉姆·达林这样的鲸鱼研究人员还有数年的研究工作要做。 “我为什么要这么做？”他大声问道。 “人类喜欢拼图。我想知道。” 研究小组的另一名成员，摄影师Flip Nicklin回忆起他与座头鲸互动时的一个特殊时刻。 当他在离这只巨大的动物一段距离的地方浮潜时，它向他靠近，直到只有几米远。 然后，它用鳍状肢轻轻地把尼克林抬向眼睛，仿佛在打量他。 显然，了解不同物种的愿望是双向的。

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