Can a Litter of Kittens Have More than One Father? 每月一问：同一窝小猫可能同母异父吗？
- 详细资料
- 创建于 2004年11月02日
- 最后更新于 2024年5月25日
- 发布于 2011年8月07日
- 作者：Mike Lee
- 点击数：360
课文朗读
课文讲解
Bonnie’s cat, Blackie, has just had a litter of kittens. Her friend, Frank, drops by for a visit: 邦妮的爱猫小黑，不久前才产下一窝小猫。她的朋友法兰克路过到家里来拜访：
B: Aren’t they cute?
小猫真可爱啊，对不对？
F: Super cute! Especially the black ones. I love kitties. Hey, I bet their daddy is that black tom that hangs around this neighborhood.
超级可爱！尤其是那些小黑猫。我喜欢小猫。嘿，我打赌小猫的爸爸一定是那只常常在附近出没的公黑猫。
B: Most likely. But what about these tabby ones? How can two solid black cats produce tabby kittens?
很可能。但是这些小虎斑猫是怎么一回事？两只不折不扣的黑猫怎么会产下有斑纹的小猫？
F: Well, Blackie and the black tom probably both carry the gene for stripes – basic genetics, right?
或许小黑和公黑猫都带有斑纹的基因吧──这是最基本的遗传法则，对吧？
B: True, Dr Frankenstein. But how many other toms prowl this neighborhood?
是的，科学怪人博士。但是究竟还有多少其他的公猫在附近出没？
F: Lots. Are you suggesting this litter came from more than one father? Is that possible?
有很多。妳在暗示这窝小猫的爸爸至少一只以上？有可能吗？
B: Sure. Species that have litters must breed before the female ovulates. Because of this, fertilization can occur with several different males.
当然。会生出一窝宝宝的动物，是因为母的在排卵前就交配。所以啰，确实会发生同时与不同只公的受精的情况。
F: No kidding! Does this happen very often?
真不是盖的！这种情况常常发生吗？
B: Well, in the wild, a single, dominant male usually fathers all the litters in one area.
嗯，在野外，一区只有一只雄猫掌控自己的地盘，通常牠就是该区所有小猫的猫爸爸。
F: And domestic cat owners tend to control who their cats breed with, right?
而家猫的主人通常会主导自己的猫与什么对象交配，对吧？
B: Exactly. Especially owners of pedigree cats. But most cats fall somewhere between wild and domestic, so multiple fathers are fairly common.
正是。尤其纯种血统猫的主人更是如此。而大多数猫是介于野猫与家猫之间，所以好多猫爸爸的情况是很普遍的。
F: In other words, these tabby kittens have a different father from the black kittens?
换言之，这些小花猫的爸爸跟小黑猫的爸爸不一样啰？
B: Quite likely.
很可能。
F: Naughty Blackie!
顽皮的小黑！
－by E.D. Stalph
Vocabulary
单词发音
litter [ˋlɪtɚ] n.（猪，狗等生下的）一窝（仔畜）
drop by 顺便拜访
kitty [ˋkɪtɪ] n. 小猫; 猫咪（猫的昵称）
tom [tɑm] n. 雄猫; 雄性动物
tabby [ˋtæbɪ] adj. 有斑纹的
prowl [praʊl] v. 徘徊；潜行
breed [brid] v. 交配
ovulate [ˋovjʊ͵let] v. 排卵；产卵
fertilization [͵fɝt!əˋzeʃən] n.【生】受精（作用）
pedigree [ˋpɛdɪ͵gri] adj. 纯种的; n. 家世，血统
naughty [ˋnɔtɪ] adj. 顽皮的，淘气的；撒野的
Sentence of the Day
Cats really get to sow their wild oats.
猫儿到处种下风流种。
sow one’s wild oats 放荡,胡闹,干荒唐事