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Even without the guidance of organized religion, some animals instinctively know that it's a good thing to help others.
即使沒有類似人類宗教的指引，有些動(dòng)物仍能本能地救助處于危難中的其它動(dòng)物。
For example, when a bird spots a predator, instead of just flying away, it calls out in alarm and warns everyone in the vicinity.
比如，一只小鳥發(fā)現(xiàn)了捕食者，它就會(huì)發(fā)出叫聲以警示和提醒附近其它的小動(dòng)物們。
When a dolphin is injured, other dolphins help it swim up to the surface and get some air.
如果一只海豚受傷了，那么其他海豚也會(huì)幫助它一直游到岸邊以呼吸新鮮空氣。
And in a lab experiment that was set up so that one rat had to sit on a platform or else his rat friends would get an electrical shock when they tried to feed, the rats quickly learned to cooperate and take turns sitting on the platform.
在類似試驗(yàn)中，一只老鼠必須要坐在一個(gè)平臺(tái)上以防止它的朋友們?cè)噲D進(jìn)食時(shí)被電擊，很快老鼠們就學(xué)會(huì)了如何協(xié)作，它們輪流坐在平臺(tái)上以防止同伴被電擊。
You might think that evolution would work against this kind of altruism since, instead of concentrating on their own survival, animals spend time and energy helping others.
因?yàn)檫@些動(dòng)物們不僅僅只關(guān)心自己的生命，也會(huì)花費(fèi)時(shí)間與精力去幫助其他動(dòng)物。所以，你可能會(huì)認(rèn)為進(jìn)化過程會(huì)有悖于這種利他主義。
But evolutionists suggest that when animals help animals who are their genetic relatives, or who are likely to return the favor later on, they are actually helping their species to survive the process of natural selection.
但進(jìn)化論者認(rèn)為，當(dāng)動(dòng)物們?cè)趲椭切┻z傳親屬，或可能會(huì)在稍后回報(bào)其所提供的這種幫助時(shí)，它們實(shí)際上是在幫助它們的種群能夠在自然選擇的過程中存活下來。
Some animals will even sacrifice their own lives to insure the survival of the larger group. The worker honeybee, for example, will die defending her hive if necessary.
某些動(dòng)物甚至?xí)奚约旱纳员Ｈ蠓N群的存活。比如說工蜂，在保護(hù)蜂巢的過程中就會(huì)不惜犧牲生命。
Even acts that seem selfish may end up helping the group in the long run. For instance, when there isn't enough food to go around, wasps and termites will cannibalize their nest-mates. Gruesome as this may seem, it insures the colony's survival through tough times.
甚至，某些看上去貌似自私的行為實(shí)際長遠(yuǎn)看來也有助于種群存活。比如說，當(dāng)附近沒有足夠的食物時(shí)，黃蜂和白蟻就會(huì)對(duì)它們同族的伙伴進(jìn)行蠶食。也許聽上去很可怕，但實(shí)際上這保證了艱難時(shí)期種群的存活。
Although here at A Moment of Science, we don't condone human cannibalism, we still hope that these examples of altruism in animals will give you some food for thought.
我們《科學(xué)一刻》欄目雖然不能寬恕人類自相殘殺的行為，但我們希望，這些存在于動(dòng)物之間的利他主義將會(huì)帶給大家一些發(fā)人深省的思想。??
