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The Tiniest Fish in the World 世界最小的鱼

課文朗讀

課文中英文講解

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Biologists have recently come across a new species of fish. Their find provides yet another example of our planet’s amazing diversity of life. The Paedocypris progenetica, a member of the carp ___1___, was discovered in a forest swamp on the Indonesian island of Sumatra. Its most remarkable characteristic is its ___2___. A full-grown female fish is a ___3___ 7.9 millimeters. This makes it not only the world’s smallest fish, but also the smallest vertebrate on earth.

生物学家最近偶然发现一新鱼种。他们的发现为地球令人惊讶的多样物种又提供了另一个实例。鲤鱼科的Paedocypris progenetica 是在印度尼西亚苏门答腊岛上的一处森林沼泽被发现。牠最值得注意的特征是其大小，一尾完全成熟的雌鱼仅有7.9厘长。这不只使牠成为世上最小的鱼，同时也是地球上最小的脊椎动物。

It may be difficult to appreciate such a tiny fish at first glance. Viewing them under a ___4___ glass, however, reveals their fascinating characteristics. The Paedocypris fish resemble larvae with a reduced head skeleton that leaves the brain ___5___. Their bodies are almost ___6___ transparent. Any coloration is ___7___ the contents of their stomach, not the fish themselves. Also amazing are the male fish’s unique pelvic fins, which are used for grasping.

在惊鸿一瞥之下或许很难欣赏这么微小的鱼类。然而，从放大镜底下观察，牠们就显现了迷人的特征。Paedocypris长得很像幼虫，发育不全的头骨使得脑部缺少保护。牠们的身躯几乎完全透明。有任何色彩都是因为胃容物所造成，而非牠们本身的颜色。同样令人吃惊的是，雄鱼独特的腹鳍是用来抓握。

The tea-colored swamp waters where the tiny fish were found are nearly as acidic as vinegar. Their habitat may look like an unfriendly environment, but the Paedocypris fish seem to ___8___ in it. Unfortunately, their habitat is ___9___ by fires, logging, and land development. Fearing their extinction, scientists are ___10__ learn as much as possible about the earth’s tiniest fish.

小鱼被发现的茶色沼泽水差不多就像醋一样酸。牠们的栖地看来或许像是个不利的环境，但Paedocypris鱼群似乎在里头茁壮生长。不幸的是，牠们的栖地受到火灾、伐木和土地开发所威胁。担心牠们将会绝种，科学家急于尽可能了解地球上最小的鱼。

−By Amy Lovestrand

Vocabulary

diversity [daɪˋvɝsətɪ] n. 多样性

transparent [trænsˋpɛrənt] adj. 透明的

habitat [ˈhæbɪˌtæt] n. 栖息地

extinction [ɪkˋstɪŋkʃən] n. 灭绝；消灭

More Information

come across:  偶然碰见 to meet or find by chance

carp [kɑrp] n. 鲤鱼

full-grown [fʊlˋgron] adj. 发育完全的，成熟的

vertebrate [ˋvɝtə͵bret] n. 脊椎动物

at first glance:乍看之下 when first looked at

reveal [rɪˋvil] v. 展现，显露出

larva [ˋlɑrvə] n. 幼虫；幼体(名复: larvae, larvas)

pelvic [ˋpɛlvɪk] fin 腹鳍

grasp [græsp] v. & n. 抓牢；握紧

acidic [əˋsɪdɪk] adj. 含酸的﹐ 酸性的

vinegar [ˋvɪnɪgɚ] n. 醋

logging [ˋlɔgɪŋ] n. 伐木

magnifying [ˋmægnə͵faɪɪŋ] glass  放大镜

Answer