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We humans pride ourselves on having large, supple brains. Butwhile our brains are larger than those of most other animals, itappears that over time our presence can result in smaller-brained animals having cerebral growthspurts.
我們人類為擁有大的，靈活的大腦而自豪。然而，盡管我們的大腦比大多數動物大，但是，經過一段時間，我們的存在似乎會讓大腦較小動物的大腦突然生長。
Scientists have found that certain small mammals-including some species of shrew, vole, bat,gopher, mouse and squirrel-have larger brains when they live near or around people in bothurban and rural areas.
科學家們發現某些小型哺乳動物─包括某些種類的鼩鼱、田鼠、蝙蝠、囊鼠、老鼠、松鼠─不論是生活在城市還是農村，當它們比鄰人類而居時，大腦會變大。
For example, one study found that the brains of urban-dwelling white-footed mice and meadowvoles are about six percent larger than their rural cousins.
例如，一項研究發現居住在城市的白足鼠和草甸田鼠，他們的大腦比它們的鄉下親屬大出6%。
Meanwhile, as habitats have become developed, rural dwelling shrews and bats have also evolvedlarger brains over the past century.
同時，隨著棲息地的擴展，在過去的一個世紀里，居住在農村的鼩鼱和蝙蝠的大腦也變大了。
Scientists speculate that the larger brains of some city living animals are due to those crittershaving to adapt to and survive in places populated by lots of people.
科學家們猜測, 一些生活在城市的動物大腦變大，是因為他們不得不在人氣旺的地方適應并生存下來。
After all, it stands to reasonthat raising baby mice and voles in busy urban and suburban places requires as much brain poweras possible.
畢竟，可以理解老鼠和田鼠要在繁華的城市和郊區生兒育女是挺費腦子的。
As for the rural animals whose brains have grown, it could be that human development in ruralareas has forced animals such as bats and shrews to forage farther afield, and that patrolling largerhunting grounds requires more brain power.
至于生活在農村的動物大腦變大，這可能是因為人類在農村的發展已經迫使像蝙蝠和鼩鼱這樣的動物到更遠的野外覓食。在更大的狩獵區巡查，更費腦力。
An important underlying point of this research is that even an organ as complex as the brain iscapable of significant evolution over relatively short periods of time.
這項研究的潛在關鍵是，即使像大腦這樣復雜的器官，也能在相對短的時間里發生重大進化。
