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Leopard seals resemble their terrestrial namesakes in two ways. They have polka-dot pelts.
豹形海豹和它們的大陸同名者兩個相似之處。它們都有帶圓點的皮毛。
And they are powerful, generally solitary carnivores that are quite capable of killing a human being if they so choose—
它們都是強大而孤獨的食肉動物，如果愿意，它們甚至能夠殺死一個人
as has indeed happened once, in 2003, when a British marine biologist was the victim.
正如2003年所發生的那樣，當時一名英國海洋生物學家是其受害者。
Curiously, though, there have also been reports of leopard seals behaving in a friendly manner towards people—
但奇怪的是，也有很多報道稱，豹形海豹對人類表現得很友好—
apparently trying to present gifts, in the form of prey, to divers. Until now, there has been no explanation for this philanthropy.
顯然它們是想把獵物當成禮物送給潛水者。直到現在，對于這種慈善行為都沒有任何解釋。
But work just published in Polar Biology by James Robbins of Plymouth University, in Britain,
但英國普利茅斯大學的詹姆斯·羅賓斯在《極地生物學》發表的一篇文章表明
suggests that what the seals are actually looking for is a dining partner.
其實海豹是在尋找一個用餐伙伴。
Mr Robbins and his team were studying leopard seals in the waters around South Georgia,
羅賓斯先生和他的團隊正在南喬治亞島水域研究豹形海豹
an island in the Southern Ocean 1,500km from the tip of the Antarctic peninsula.
這個島嶼位于南大洋，距南極半島頂端1500公里。
Instead of diving, or watching from ships, they used drones to carry out their observations.
他們沒有采取潛水或從船上觀察的方式，而是使用無人機進行觀察。
These drones recorded hitherto unobserved behaviour on the part of the animals.
這些無人機記錄了這些動物迄今未被觀察到的行為。
First, belying their solitary reputation, the seals came together in groups to attack king penguins
首先，為了掩飾它們孤獨的名聲，海豹們成群結隊地攻擊帝企鵝
(twice the size of the gentoo penguin in the photograph) that were entering the sea from a rookery on the island.
（是照片中巴布亞企鵝體型的兩倍），這些帝企鵝是從島上的一個群棲地進入大海的。
Second, when a seal did catch a penguin in these circumstances it would sometimes offer to share it with a neighbour
第二，在此情境中，當有海豹抓住一只企鵝后，有時它愿意和一位鄰居共享美餐
in a way reminiscent of divers' tales of gift giving.
這種方式令人回憶起了潛水員們贈送禮物的故事。
What looked like an aberration might thus be a normal way of behaving. But why?
因此，一種看似怪異的行為可能是一種正常的行為方式。但為什么這樣？
Mr Robbins's suggestion is that sharing a penguin with a neighbour makes it easier to eat.
羅賓斯先生認為和一位鄰居共享是為了更容易享用企鵝。
A close look at footage the drones recorded shows that seals in such partnerships take it in turns to feed.
仔細看看無人機記錄的片段，可以發現海豹在這種伙伴關系中輪流進食。
One holds the bird tight in its jaws while the other rips off a chunk of flesh and swallows it. Then they swap roles.
一只海豹緊緊抓住企鵝的咽喉，另一只撕下一大塊肉并吞咽進去。然后它們交換角色。
By contrast, for a lone seal to reduce a penguin to bite-sized chunks means
相比之下，單獨一只海豹要把一只企鵝咬成小塊，
whipping the prey around in its jaws with as much force as it can muster, in order to tear lumps of flesh free from the carcass.
這意味著它要使出最大的力氣猛擊獵物的咽喉，以便從尸體上撕下一塊塊肉。
This commonly happens, but is thought to be extremely tiring. Better, therefore, to find a buddy and enjoy a meal together.
種情況經常發生，但被認為是非常麻煩的。因此更好的方式是找一個伙伴，共同享用美餐。
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