Nature Stinks!

Nature stinks. Written by Kira Fried. Focus question. How does being stinky help plants and animals?

大自然可太臭啦。 作者：基拉·弗里德 核心问题 气味臭臭的对动植物有什么帮助呢？

Stinky nature. If you've ever smelled a skunk, you know it is not a nice odor. In fact, it's terrible. Did you know that both plants and animals can smell bad? Stinky plants usually smell bad to attract insects that help them reproduce. Animals give off odors to attract mates and keep other animals away. Whether plant or animal, nature's smelliest living things use odors to help them survive.

臭臭的大自然 如果你闻过臭鼬的味道，就知道那气味可不好闻。 说真的，那味道太难受了。 你知道吗？植物和动物都会发出难闻的气味哦。 散发臭味的植物通常是靠难闻的气味吸引昆虫，帮它们繁殖后代。 动物散发气味是为了吸引配偶，同时赶走其他动物。 不管是植物还是动物，大自然里最臭的这些生物都靠气味活下去哦。

Stinky furry animals. Skunks are probably the most famous smelly animals. They use their odor to keep enemies away. When an enemy gets near, a skunk growls and stumps its feet. If that doesn't scare the enemy away, look out. The skunk lifts its tail and sprays a terrible smelling liquid. The liquid shoots out from the area near the base of its tail. Striped pole cats may smell even worse than their skunk cousins. A striped pole cat's spray can cause burning pain.

臭臭的毛茸茸小动物 臭鼬可能是最有名的臭臭动物啦。 它们靠自己的臭味赶走敌人。 当敌人靠近时，臭鼬会低吼，还会使劲跺脚。 如果这招吓不走敌人，你可要小心啦。 臭鼬会翘起尾巴，喷出一股臭得离谱的液体。 这股液体是从它尾巴根部附近的位置喷出来的。 斑纹艾鼬的味道可能比它们的远亲臭鼬还要臭。 斑纹艾鼬喷出的液体还会带来灼痛感哦。

Skunks and striped pole cats aren't the only stinky furry animals. The lesser anteater is four times stinkier than a skunk. It, too, shoots a smelly liquid from the area near the base of its tail. Then there's the opossum. An opossum will pretend to be dead, called playing possum, if an enemy is near. It stays still and releases stinky green slime.

臭臭的毛茸茸动物可不只有臭鼬和斑纹艾鼬哦。 小食蚁兽的臭味是臭鼬的四倍。 它也会从尾巴根部附近的位置喷出臭臭的液体。 还有负鼠哦。 当敌人靠近时，负鼠会装死， 也就是我们说的“装负鼠”，来骗过敌人。 它会一动不动，还会释放出臭臭的绿色黏液。

A smelly liquid marks the spot where a wolverine has been. A wolverine, or nasty cat, also pees on saved food before hiding it. The smell helps the wolverine find the food later. And keeps other animals from eating it.

狼獾去过的地方都会留下臭臭的液体做标记。 狼獾又叫恶猫，它们还会在藏储存的食物之前往食物上撒尿。 这股气味能帮狼獾之后找到这些食物， 还能防止其他动物偷吃。

The release of scent can be a warning as well. Male musk oxen fight each other to mate with females. Males use their stinky urine to tell other males to keep away. The urine sticks to their long belly hair and makes them smell terrible.

释放气味也可以当成警告哦。 公麝牛会为了和母麝牛交配互相打斗。 公麝牛会用自己臭烘烘的尿液警告其他公麝牛离远点。 尿液会沾在它们肚子上的长毛上，让它们闻起来臭极了。