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Brushing Up On Animal Teeth 牙好壮壮妙用多

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课文讲解

繁體中文譯本

Whether munching, chewing, nibbling, or biting, our teeth have to put up with a lot of wear and tear, and for this reason, they are the strongest parts of our body. This is just as true for animals as it is for humans, but the world of animal teeth is a far more varied and fascinating one.

无论是喀滋喀滋地大口啃、嚼，或是小口细咽、轻咬，我们的牙齿都必须承受相当程度的磨损。正因如此，它们是我们身体中最强壮的部位。在动物身上也是如此、但是动物牙齿的世界却更加多变而迷人。

One animal that is well-known for its teeth is the spookily named vampire bat. It is so called because of its bloodsucking habit along the lines of Dracula and company. However, unlike its fictional namesakes, which use long canine “fangs” to pierce their victims’ skins, the vampire bat employs its razor-sharp front teeth, the incisors, to do the job. These incisors remain permanently sharp, as they lack the usual enamel coating. In comparison, the bat’s canines are not capable of much damage and are mainly used to shave off fur so that the prey’s skin is left exposed for the incisors to make a neat incision.

因牙齿而闻名的其中一种动物是光听名字就令人毛骨悚然的吸血蝙蝠。牠们因为有着与德古拉伯爵及其同类相同的吸血习性而得名。然而，不同于这些使用獠牙刺穿受害者肌肤的虚构同名人物，吸血蝙蝠利用锋利无比的前牙（亦即门齿）来办事。这些门齿因缺乏一般的珐琅质层而能永久维持尖锐。相较之下，蝙蝠的犬齿不能承受过多的损害，多半用来剃除猎物的毛发使其皮肤外露，好让门齿能够划出一道整齐的切口。

The rodent family, which includes mice and hamsters, also depends on specialized teeth for feeding, but in quite a different way from vampire bats. Rodents possess a pair of continuously growingincisors, which are prevented from getting too long because the animals spend so much time gnawing on tough foods like seeds and nuts. Canine teeth, which are usually the preserve of meat-eaters, are absent from rodents’ mouths. Nevertheless, despite lacking the canines of carnivores, a few species of rodents, like squirrels, are known to supplement their mostly vegetarian diet with the odd baby bird or insect.

包括家鼠、仓鼠在内的啮齿科动物也都倚赖专门的牙齿进食，但和吸血蝙蝠的进食方式大不相同。啮齿动物拥有一对长个不停的门齿，但由于牠们大部分时间都在啃咬如种子与坚果类的坚硬食物，因此能防止其门齿变得过长。通常为食肉动物所专有犬齿，它们在啮齿动物的嘴巴里是找不到的。不过，尽管缺乏肉食动物的犬齿，少数啮齿动物，例如松鼠，偶尔会以幼鸟或昆虫来补充牠们几乎全素的饮食。

Vocabulary

单词发音

put up with 容忍, 忍受 to endure without complaint

varied [ˋvɛrɪd] adj. 各种各样的；不相同的

company [ˋkʌmpənɪ] n. 同伴（们），朋友（们）

victim [ˋvɪktɪm] n. 受害者; 牺牲者

employ [ɪmˋplɔɪ] v. 使用，利用

permanently [ˋpɝmənəntlɪ] adv. 永久地；长期不变地

specialized [ˋspɛʃəl͵aɪzd] adj. 专门的

possess [pəˋzɛs] v. 拥有，持有

continuously [kənˋtɪnjʊəslɪ] adv. 连续不断地

prevent [prɪˋvɛnt] v. 阻止；制止；妨碍[（+from）]

preserve [prɪˋzɝv] n.〔某羣体〕独有[专有]的活动; 独占的事物（或范围）an activity, kind of work etc in which only certain people are allowed to take part

despite [dɪˋspaɪt] prep. 尽管

vegetarian [͵vɛdʒəˋtɛrɪən] adj. 素食主义者的,  n. 素食主义者

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单词发音

munch [mʌntʃ] v. 津津有味地嚼

nibble [ˋnɪb!] v. 一点点地咬（或吃）

wear and tear 损耗 loss, damage, or depreciation resulting from ordinary use and exposure

spookily [ˋspukɪlɪ] adv.【非正式】阴森恐怖地﹐使人毛骨悚然地

along the lines of 以相同的方式 similar in type

namesake [ˋnem͵sek] n. 同名物

canine [ˋkenaɪn] adj. 犬的，狗的

fang [fæŋ] n.〔蛇﹑野狗等的〕尖牙; 毒牙

pierce [pɪrs] v. 刺穿，刺破

razor [ˋrezɚ] n. 剃刀﹐刮胡刀

incisor [ɪnˋsaɪzɚ] n. 门牙；前齿

enamel [ɪˋnæm!] n. 珐琅

shave [ʃev] v. 剃去……上的毛发；刮

incision [ɪnˋsɪʒən] n. 切口﹐切痕

rodent [ˋrodnt] n. 啮齿目动物

hamster [ˋhæmstɚ] n.【动】仓鼠

gnaw [nɔ] v. 咬，啃，啮

carnivore [ˋkɑrnə͵vɔr] n. 食肉动物；食虫植物

squirrel [ˋskwɝəl] n. 松鼠

odd [ɑd] adj. 临时的，不固定的；非经常的; 额外的

课文朗读

课文讲解

Of all the animal kingdom, sharks perhaps possess the most formidable collection of teeth. Most sharks have multiple rows of teeth along both upper and lower jaws, which often contain as many as 30 teeth per row, adding up to hundreds in total. The teeth themselves range from thin and needle-like ones for gripping prey to flat ones for crushing shells and bones. In a way, sharks’ teeth are not just limited to their mouths. The millions of tiny, sharp scales that cover their skin are miniature versions of teeth, protecting them from damage and parasites, as well as enabling them to move faster through the water.

在整个动物王国当中，鲨鱼拥有的那组牙齿应该是最令人丧胆的。多数的鲨鱼在上下颚分别有着多排牙齿，每一排通常含有多达30颗牙，加起来可达数百颗。鲨鱼牙齿本身也是样式繁多，有纤细如针、用来咬紧猎物的牙齿，还有用以压碎贝类、骨头的扁平牙齿。某种程度来说，鲨鱼牙齿并不只出现在牠们的嘴巴里。包覆在牠们身上，数百万个细小尖锐的鳞片就如同迷你版的牙齿，保护牠们不受到伤害、避免寄生虫侵扰，并让牠们能够在水中更快速地移动。

Tusks, which are sported by animals like elephants and walruses, are basically overgrown teeth, used not for eating, but for purposes such as fighting and defense. One of the most unusual tusked animals is the babirusa, or pig-deer, of Indonesia. It actually has two pairs of tusks, of which the lower serves as weapons, while the upper pair, resembling antlers, comes in handy for defensive purposes. During mating season, male babirusas fight each other for dominance, and their upper tusks help to protect their eyes from the slashing lower tusks of rivals. However, in an unfortunate and gruesome twist of fate, these curving upper tusks occasionally grow too long and end up penetrating the babirusa’s own skull, killing it.

大象、海象一类动物所拥有的长牙，基本上是过度生长的牙齿，其用途并非进食，而是为了格斗与防卫。此类动物中里头最特别的一种就属印度尼西亚的鹿豚，又被称为鹿猪。牠们实际上有两对长牙，下方的一对充当武器，而上方那对酷似鹿角的长牙，在防御时则能派上用场。交配季节期间，公鹿豚为了主导权而战斗，在面对敌手长牙的猛烈攻击时，上方的长牙有助于保护牠们的眼睛。然而命运的捉弄是不幸且恐怖的，其弯曲的上长牙有时会因长得过长，最后反而刺穿鹿豚自己的头颅致死。

So, the next time you go to the dentist with a toothache, count yourself lucky because, while your teeth may be quite plain compared to some animals, at least they’re not a threat to your life!

所以下回你牙痛去看牙医时，真该感到庆幸。因为虽然你的牙齿与动物的相较之下似乎相当平凡，但它们至少不会对你的生命造成威胁。

−by David Vickers

Vocabulary

单词发音

formidable [ˋfɔrmɪdəb!] adj. 可怕的，令人畏惧的

multiple [ˋmʌltəp!] adj. 由许多部分组成的，复合的

as many as 多达..., 有...之多

add up to 加起来 总合是 to constitute; amount to

grip [grɪp] v. 紧握；紧咬

crush [krʌʃ] v. 压碎，压坏

be limited to 局限于

miniature [ˋmɪnɪətʃɚ] adj. 小型的；微型的

parasite [ˋpærə͵saɪt] n. 寄生生物

resemble [rɪˋzɛmb!] v. 像，类似

defensive [dɪˋfɛnsɪv] adj. 防御的；保护的

rival [ˋraɪv!] n. 对手，敌手

threat [θrɛt] n. 威胁，恐吓

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单词发音

scale [skel] n. 鳞，鱼鳞

tusk [tʌsk] n.（象、野猪等的）长牙，獠牙

sport [sport] v. 引人注目地穿戴;炫耀

walrus [ˋwɔlrəs] n.【动】海象

babirusa [͵bæbɪˋrusə] n. 鹿豚（一种东印度群岛野猪）

antler [ˋæntlɚ] n. 鹿角；多叉鹿角；茸角

come in handy 派得上用场 to be useful

dominance [ˋdɑmənəns] n. 优势；支配（地位），统治（地位）

slashing [ˋslæʃɪŋ] adj. 猛冲猛打的，闯劲十足的

gruesome [ˋgrusəm] adj. 可怕的；阴森的

twist of fate 命运之转折 a fateful event; an unanticipated change in a sequence of events

penetrate [ˋpɛnə͵tret] v. 穿过；刺入

skull [skʌl] n. 头盖骨；头骨

count oneself lucky 为自己感到庆幸  consider oneself lucky; consider oneself fortunate

Reading Questions

1. How did the vampire bat get its name?

A. Its teeth look like a vampire’s.

B. It sucks blood like vampires do.

C. The famous vampire Dracula turns into one.

D. It has a spooky appearance, similar to a vampire.

2. What is special about rodents’ teeth?

A. They are particularly long.

B. They never stop growing.

C. They naturally stay very sharp.

D. Rodents have extremely strong canine teeth.

3. What do we know from the article about the babirusa?

A. Its lower tusks are a threat to its life.

B. Most males are killed by their own tusks.

C. Its upper tusks are useful for protection.

D. It possesses the longest tusks in the animal kingdom.

4. Which of the following is NOT implied in the article?

A. Human teeth are not particularly special.

B. Tusks are a longer version of normal teeth.

C. Canine teeth are mainly used for eating meat.

D. Sharks’ scales function as teeth to help them catch prey.

Answer