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As you may have heard, frogs and toads have had a rough time over the past several years.
就如你聽說的那樣，青蛙和蟾蜍在過去的數(shù)年中都過得很艱難。
Some populations have vanished entirely, while others suffer disease and gross deformities likeextra or missing limbs.
有些種群已經(jīng)完全消失了，有些患上了疾病，有些嚴重畸形，如多長了或是失去了四肢。
And now there's more bad news for the spring-legged amphibians—maletoads living near farms are likely to develop female sex organs and other female features,according to scientists at the University of Florida.
現(xiàn)今佛羅里達大學科學家們的研究帶來了更壞的消息，他們發(fā)現(xiàn)生活在農(nóng)田周圍的這些擁有彈簧腿的兩棲雄性動物，極有可能演變生長出雌性性器官，并表現(xiàn)出其它雌性的特征。
What is it about farming that causes toads to gender jump?
是什么樣的農(nóng)田耕作讓青蛙有如此的性別跳躍呢？
The Florida researchers aren't certain,but one likely culprit is atrazine, a weed killer used widely by sugar cane farmers.
佛羅里達大學的研究人員還不確定，但其中可能的罪魁禍首之一就是阿特拉津，一種被種植甘蔗的農(nóng)民廣泛使用的除草劑。
Other farm-related chemicals could also play a role.
其它與農(nóng)田有關(guān)的化學物質(zhì)也有可能。
In order to probe the possible causes of frog and toad deformities, the researchers collected specimens from various sites.
為了查明引起青蛙和蟾蜍畸形的原因，研究人員從多個地點搜集了樣本。
Some of the toads lived nearsuburban development, some near farms.
一些青蛙生活在城郊郊發(fā)展地帶，一些生活在農(nóng)田附近。
The male specimens collected near farms were mostlikely to show signs of feminization.
在農(nóng)田周圍搜集的雄性樣本也多半表現(xiàn)出雌性化的跡象。
For example, of the male toads living near large farms, forty-percent had both testes and ovaries.
例如，在大農(nóng)場附近居住的雄性青蛙，百分之四十同時擁有睪丸和卵巢。
Another twenty-percent of these toads had a developing Bidder's organ—an organ that'snormally without function in male toads, but that can change into an ovary if the testes stop working.
其余的百分之二十擁有正在進化中的畢氏器官—在雄性青蛙體中中并沒有任何功能，但是一旦睪丸停止工作，這個器官就會轉(zhuǎn)變?yōu)槁殉病?/p>
Some of the male toads were found with Bidder's organs full of eggs.
一些雄性青蛙被發(fā)現(xiàn)擁有裝滿卵的畢氏器官。
Part of the problemis that the feminized toads are most likely sterile.
問題的一部分就是雌性化的青蛙有可能會不孕。
Without virile male toads, the females are left high and dry, and toad populations dwindle.
如果沒有陽剛的雄性青蛙，雌性青蛙就會處于孤立無援的境地，青蛙的數(shù)量就會減少。
