評(píng)論
打印
It's time to go again to the A Moment of Science mailbag. A listener writes:
又到了再次查看科學(xué)一刻來信的時(shí)候了。一位聽眾朋友寫到：
Dear A Moment of Science,I know that gorillas and chimpanzees can learn sign language and use it to communicate.
親愛的科學(xué)一刻：我知道大猩猩和黑猩猩能夠?qū)W習(xí)手勢(shì)并用它進(jìn)行交流。
But can other animals use sign language, too?
但是其他動(dòng)物呢，它們也會(huì)使用手語么？
Good question. And the answer is, maybe.
問得好。答案是：可能會(huì)。
To be clear, gorillas and chimps are the only animals that have so far been taught to use human sign language.
明確的說，大猩猩和黑猩猩是迄今為止被教授使用人類手語的僅有的兩種動(dòng)物。
But some other animals do seem to use a form of sign language, or at least use gestures to communicate with other species.
但是某些其它動(dòng)物似乎也在使用一種形式的手語進(jìn)行交流，或是至少能使用手勢(shì)與同類進(jìn)行交流。
Like, for example, fish.
比如說：魚類。
Really? How can fish use sign language?
真的么？魚怎么能使用手語呢？
You know how some fish hunt in cooperation with other types of fish?
你知道一些魚是如何與其它種類的魚共同合作捕獵的么？
Scientists have found that these animals have ways of using gestures to communicate during a hunt.
科學(xué)家發(fā)現(xiàn)這些動(dòng)物在獵食的過程中會(huì)使用手勢(shì)來進(jìn)行彼此間的交流。
For example, when grouper and eels are on the prowl, grouper will sometimes position themselves where prey is hiding.
例如，石斑魚和鰻魚在來回游動(dòng)的時(shí)候，石斑魚會(huì)不時(shí)地在獵物的躲藏處停下。
And they do a sort of headstand and shake their head in the direction of the hidden prey.
接著它們會(huì)做一個(gè)頭倒立的姿勢(shì)并朝著獵物躲藏的地方不斷搖頭。
Taking the signal, eels then slither in and flush out the prey.
收到信號(hào)后，鰻魚就會(huì)滑行過去并把獵物驅(qū)趕出來。
Trout do something similar with octopuses.
鱒魚也會(huì)同章魚進(jìn)行類似的合作捕食。
That's cool, but does it really qualify as sign language?
這太酷了！不過這種行為真的能稱之為一種手語么？
It depends how you define it.
這取決于你如何定義手語。
But typically, scientists define a referential gesture as one that's directed toward an object, isn't used for an immediate mechanical purpose, is aimed at a recipient, and is then used by that recipient to do something like chase or catch prey.
但是通常來說，科學(xué)家認(rèn)為，當(dāng)一種姿勢(shì)在指向某個(gè)物體的時(shí)候，就可以把它看作一種具有參考意義的手勢(shì)。它并不是用于一種即時(shí)的無意義的目的，而是指向接受者的。接受者再通過這一手勢(shì)所傳達(dá)的信息來追趕或捕獲獵物。
