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Why do Cats Purr? 每月一问：猫为什么会发出呜呜的声音？

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Tracy is petting her boyfriend Manuel’s cat, Pablo:  崔西正在抚弄她男朋友马纽耶的爱猫帕卜罗：

M: Listen to him purr. He’s so content. I’d be too if you were stroking my head.

妳听牠呜呜的叫声，一副好满足的样子。如果妳摸我的头，我也会很满足。

T: No way! You’re in the doghouse for being late.

门都没有！你迟到了，所以我不想理你。

M: (purr) I’m so sorry about that. Please!

（作呜呜声）我很抱歉迟到了，求求妳不要这样嘛！

T: Nice show of submission. Hey, other than showing contentment or acquiescence, cats will apparently purr when they’re injured or dying. I wonder why?

好乖哦。嘿，除了表示满足或默许外，猫受伤或快死时，很明显地也会发出呜呜的声音，不知道是什么原因？

M: You know the old saying, “A cat has nine lives”?

妳听过「猫有九条命」这句格言吗？

T: Sure. I was just reading in your cat book that about 90 percent of cats survive falls from high-rise buildings. But what’s that got to do with Pablo’s vibrating larynx?

当然。我刚才正在读你的爱猫手册，上面说猫从高楼摔落地面，百分之九十都能存活。不过那和帕卜罗的喉头震动有甚么关系?

M: Ah, not only his larynx, but also his diaphragm. Purring creates vibrations that go through the whole body. Any vet knows that feline bones mend much faster than canine bones.

啊，不只和喉头有关，还和牠的横膈膜有关。猫发出呜呜声会产生震动，这些震动会传到全身，任何一位兽医【注】都知道猫科动物的骨骼愈合速度比犬科动物快得多。

T: So, the vibrations promote healing?

所以说，震动能促进伤口复原？

M: Yep. According to recent research, bones and tendons heal better when exposed to frequencies from about 20 to 140 hertz. Purring falls exactly in that range.

是的。根据最新研究，曝露在频率20至140赫兹之间时，骨骼和肌腱是比较容易愈合的，而猫发出的呜呜声刚好就落在这个频率范围内。

T: No kidding. You know, there’s a biomechanical stimulator at my gym. Apparently, those machines encourage muscular recovery.

真不是盖的。你晓得吗，我去的那家健身房里有一台生物力学促进机器。很明显地，那台机器能帮助肌肉复健。

M: Same idea. That’s why it’s likely that purring evolved in cats as a healing mechanism. (purrs)

道理是相同的。所以有可能猫发出呜呜声已经发展成一种自我复原的机制了。（作呜呜声）

T: All right. You hold Pablo. I’ll stroke your head.

好吧，你来抱帕卜罗，我来摸你的头。

－by E.D. Stalph

Vocabulary

单词发音

purr [pɝ] v.（猫等满足地）呜呜叫

content [kənˋtɛnt] adj. 满足的，满意的

in the doghouse 【美】【俚】（因做错事而）丢脸的；失宠的  in trouble; in (someone's) disfavor

submission [sʌbˋmɪʃən] n. 屈从；归顺; 柔顺

acquiescence [͵ækwɪˋɛsəns] n. 默认；默许；默从

saying [ˋseɪŋ] n. 格言，警句，谚语

high-rise  [ˋhaɪˋraɪz] adj. 高楼的

larynx [ˋlærɪŋks] n.【解】喉头

diaphragm [ˋdaɪə͵fræm] n.【解】横隔膜

feline [ˋfilaɪn] adj. 猫的; 猫科的

mend [mɛnd] v. 康复，痊愈

canine [ˋkenaɪn] adj. 犬的，狗的

tendon [ˋtɛndən] n.【解】腱

hertz [ˋhɝts] n.【电】赫兹（频率单位：周/秒）

biomechanical 生物力学的

stimulator 刺激器

encourage [ɪnˋkɝɪdʒ] v. 促进，助长；激发

evolve [ɪˋvɑlv] v. 发展；进化

Sentence of the Day

Cats are often able to get better when they are as sick as a dog.

猫病得很严重时往往都能复原。

as sick as a dog 病得十分严重