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人类可以吹空调躲避高温,那小动物们呢?(上)

2022-10-08来源:和谐英语

This is Scientific American’s 60-Second Science. I'm Ashleigh Papp.

这里是科学美国人——60秒科学系列,我是阿什利·帕普。

It's summertime in New York City–birds are chirping, insects are scurrying, and everything feels alive!

正值纽约夏季,鸟儿叽叽喳喳,虫儿窜来窜去,一切都生机勃勃!

While recent heat waves have pushed a lot of us indoors to the respite of air conditioning, the critters of this city were left to fend for themselves.

最近的热浪让我们很多人都躲在室内,享受空调带来的喘息之机,而这座城市的小动物们却只能自谋生路了。

Many would be surprised that they're going to be doing the same exact things that most humans are doing, you know, they're not going to be pushing it, they're gonna be taking their time and seeking those, you know, shadier spots in the park.

许多人会惊讶于它们将会做和大多数人类一样的事情--它们不会急于求成,它们会从容不迫,在公园里寻找更阴凉的地方。

Tha's Sunny Corrao, an environmental scientist.

这是环境科学家桑尼·科劳。

I work with the New York City Parks Department as part of our wildlife unit, a small but mighty team that focuses on how New Yorkers can coexist with wildlife in an urban environment.

我在纽约城市公园部门工作,是我们野生动物部门的一员,这是一个虽小却强的团队,专注于纽约人如何在城市环境中与野生动物共存。

From the birds and squirrels, to raccoons and even the turtles–here's how urban wildlife is responding as the mercury rises.

从鸟儿、松鼠,到浣熊,甚至乌龟--以下是城市野生动物在气温上升时的反应。

Let's start with the birds.

让我们从鸟儿开始谈起。

Obviously, there are a lot of different species of birds that can be found all across the city, from your pigeons, to your larger birds of prey.

显然,在城市的各个角落都能找到很多不同种类的鸟类,从体型较小的鸽子到更大一点的猛禽。

And what's interesting about birds is they will not, they don't sweat through their skin, like humans and other mammals do.

鸟类的有趣之处在于它们不像人类和其他哺乳动物那样通过皮肤出汗。

Instead, birds lose heat through exposed skin–which, if you think about the last time you saw a bird in Prospect Park, there really isn't much exposed aside from their feet, legs, and beak.

相反,鸟类通过露出的皮肤散热——如果你回想一下上次在展望公园看到的鸟儿,除了脚、腿和嘴外,真的没有多少裸露在外的皮肤。

Sometimes, when temps really spike, birds can pant–kind of a like a dog–to get rid of their excess heat.

有时,当气温飙升时,鸟会像狗一样喘气,散发多余的热量。

Ultimately, these tactics help but usually aren't enough during a heat wave. So ...

这些策略最终会有所帮助,但在热浪天气中通常不够。所以......

They'll find everything from a little puddle from a recent rainstorm.

鸟儿会从最近一场暴雨的小水坑中降温。

Or maybe the hydrants that are opened down the street, to fountains and even the spray showers in our playgrounds across the city.

或是会从街道上打开的消防栓,喷泉,甚至全城游乐场上的喷雾中降温。

You can find birds that will be seeking refuge in the water to kind of help cool off.

你会发现鸟儿会在水中寻求庇护来帮助降温。