动物游戏的例子 SH25翻译：动物游戏之谜
下面是好好范文网小编收集整理的动物游戏的例子 SH25翻译：动物游戏之谜，仅供参考，欢迎大家阅读！
SH25翻译：动物游戏之谜（周立明）
Translation: Mysteries of Animal Games (ZhouLiming)
(translated by: alexcwlin; edited by: Adam Lam)
在缅甸的热带丛林里，高达十几米的树顶上，两只叶猴跳荡着、嬉闹着。
In a tropical jungle of Burma, two langurs arejumping, swinging and playing on tops of trees ten and then some meters high.
它们依仗长尾巴出色的平衡功能，在树枝上玩着“走钢丝”和“倒立”的把戏；
Owing to the remarkable balancing power of theirlong tails, they can perform high-wire and hand-stand acts on tree branches.
它俩相互推挤，好像竭力要把对方推下树去，
The two of them are pushing each other as if they weretrying hard to shove the other one down the tree.
可被推的一方总是抓住树枝，巧妙地跳开去，绝不会失足坠地……
The pushed one always is able to hold on tobranches and jump away dextrously (2) without ever slipping and falling to theground.
它们是在打架吗?
Are they fighting?
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在北极地区的冰雪陡坡上，一群北极渡鸦发出欢快的聒噪声。
On a steep icy slope of North Pole Region, a flockof North Pole ravens are cawing gleefully.
它们飞上坡顶，像小孩坐滑梯一样一只挨着一只滑雪而下，滑到坡底后，
They fly up to the top of the slope and slide downto the bottom one next to the other like slide-playing children.
又飞上去……
Then they fly back up again.
它们是在表演吗？
Are they doing a show?
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在美洲巴塔哥尼亚附近的大海里，
The scene is in an ocean close to Patagonia of theAmerica Continent.
每当刮起大风时，成群的露脊鲸把尾鳍高高举出水面，正对着大风．
Every time when strong gusts blow, a pod of right-whaleswould kick up their tail fins like sails facing the wind.
以便像船帆似的．让大风推着它们，得意洋洋地“驶”向海岸。
They would let the wind push them forward so thatthey could “sail” towards shore in elation.
靠近海岸后，这些巨大的海兽又会潜回去，重复刚才的举动……
Once they approach close to shore, these giganticmarine mammals would swim back under water to repeat the act just now.
露脊鲸又是在干什么呢?
What are these right-whales doing?
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动物学家对此做出的解释也许会使我们吃惊：
Explanations from zoologists possibly could shockus.
这些动物是在游戏!并不是童话故事中拟人化的“游戏”，而是实实在在的游戏，是与人类儿童的游戏行为有着相似特征的游戏行为。
These animals are playing games—not the personifiedkind of games in fairy tales, but real games which behaviors are similar to howhuman children conduct themselves in their games.
动物的游戏行为，被认为是动物行为中最复杂、最难以捉模、引起争论最多的行为。
Animals’ behaviors in playing games are consideredthe most complicated, unpredictable and controversial among all theirbehaviors.
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研究动物行为的科学家，按照动物游戏的形式，把它们分成三种最基本的类型：单独游戏、战斗游戏、操纵事物的游戏。
Scientists who study animal behaviors have dividedanimal games into three basic types according to their formats: isolated game,war game and manipulative game.
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单独游戏的特征是无需伙伴，动物个体可以独自进行。
In isolated game, there is no need for a partnerand an animal can play unaccompanied.
单独游戏时，动物常常兴高采烈地独自奔跑、跳跃，在原地打圈子。
In playing a game alone, an animal often excitedlyruns, leaps, or swirls around at the same spot all by itself.
例如，马驹常常欢快地连续扬起前蹄，轻盈地蹦跳；
For example, a horse regularly repeats kicking itsfront hooves in the air joyously and hops around lissomely.
猴类喜欢在地上翻滚，拉着树枝荡秋千……
Monkeys like to roll all over the ground or swingaround by holding onto tree branches.
单独游戏时动物显得自由自在，
In playing alone, animals show they are carefree.
这是最基本的游戏行为。
This is the most basic game behavior.
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战斗游戏得由两个以上的个体参加，是一种社会行为。
War game takes two or more individuals toparticipate, and is a social behavior.
战斗游戏时，动物互相亲密地厮打，
When a war game is played, animals tussle with oneanother intimately.
看似战斗激烈，其实极有分寸，
It may seem like a hard-fought battle but they allknow how far they can go.
它们配合默契，绝不会引起伤害。
The actions are well coordinated with clearunderstanding that their actions never cause injuries.
研究者认为，战斗游戏可能要比真的战斗更为困难，因为这种游戏要求双方的攻击有分寸，
Researchers are of the opinion that war game ismore difficult than real battle because it requires all sides to know theirlimits in aggression.
对伙伴十分信赖，动物严格地自我控制，使游戏不会发展成真的战斗。
Also they need to have high level of trust in theirpartners and exercise self-restraint strictly so that a game would not festerinto a real fight.
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操纵周围事物的游戏，在一定程度上表现出动物支配环境的能力。
A game in manipulating surrounding objects is, to acertain degree, demonstrates an animal’s ability in dictating environment.
北极熊常常玩这样的游戏：
Polar bear always plays this type of game.
把一根棍子或石块衔上山坡，从坡上扔下来，自己跟在后面追，
It would carry a stick or rock up a slope in itsmouth, and then throw it down and chase after it.
追上石块或棍子后，再把它们衔上去。
When the bear catches up to the rock or stick, itwould carry it up the slope again in its mouth.
野象喜欢把杂草老藤滚成草球，然后用象牙“踢”草球。
Wild elephant likes to roll weeds and vines into aball and then uses its tusk to “kick” the weed ball.
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近二十年来，动物的游戏行为引起了研究者的极大兴趣，成为行为研究中最有争议的领域。
In the recent twenty some odd years, animals’ gamebehaviors arouse great interests of researchers and become one of the mostcontroversial areas in behavioral research.
争议的焦点，是动物为什么要进行游戏。
The focus of the controversy is why animals wouldengage in games?
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生物世界有一条普遍规律，就是尽可能节省能量。
In the animal kingdom, a commonly observed rule isto save energy to the greatest extent possible.
在动物身上，无论从形态结构、生理过程，还是行为方面去分析，尽可能节省能量的例子比比皆是。
Examples in applying this rule to animals, whetherit is from the perspective of physique construction, physiological process, orbehavioral pattern, are copious.
那么，动物为什么要消耗大量能量来进行这种没有明确目的的游戏呢？
Why then would animals consume large amounts ofenergy to engage in these purposeless games?
对此，研究者有着不同的看法。
In this regard, researches have different views.
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著名的黑猩猩研究者珍妮•古多尔发现，幼小的黑猩猩常常玩这样的游戏：
The renowned chimpanzee researcher Jane van LawickGoodall has discovered a little chimpanzee always plays a game like this.
用手掌舀一点水，用牙齿嚼烂树叶，来汲取手掌中的水。
It would scoop some water in its palm, and thenchew plant leaves into tiny bits with its teeth to absorb the water in itspalm.
而成年黑猩猩在干旱的季节，就是用嚼烂的树叶汲取树洞中的水解渴的。
In drought season, grown-up chimpanzees would usechewed-up leaves to absorb water in tree holes to quench thirst.
根据这样的发现，一些科学家认为，游戏行为是未来生活的排演或演习，
Following this discovery, some scientists believegame behaviors are rehearsals or practices for living in the future.
游戏行为使得动物从小就能熟悉未来生活中要掌握的各种“技能”，例如追逐、躲藏、搏斗等等，
Game behaviors afford animals to get familiar at ayoung age with different life-essential “skills”, such as chasing, hiding,tussling, etc.
熟悉未来动物社会中将要结成的各种关系。这对于动物将来的生存适应是非常重要的。
Such behaviors also provide opportunities for thoseanimals to foster different relationships that are very important for theseanimals’ future survival and adaptation.
这种假说可以称为“演习说”，基本观点是“游戏是生活的演习”。
These presumptions can be labelled as “practicehypothesis” on the fundamental standpoint that “game is practice ofliving”.
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有一些科学家不同意“演习说”。
Some scientists disagree with the “practicehypothesis”.
他们指出，游戏行为并不限于幼小动物，成年动物也同样需要。
They point out game behaviors are not limited toyoung animals, and adult animals have similar needs too.
他们举出不少成年动物游戏的例子。
They have illustrated many cases where adultanimals play games as well.
对于成年动物来说，不存在用游戏来演习生活的需要。
For these adult animals, the necessity for practiceof living does not exist.
他们还指出，有些动物的游戏与生存适应毫无关系，
They also point out some animal games have nothingto do with survival and adaptation.
例如河马喜欢玩从水下吹起浮在水面上的树叶的游戏，渡鸦喜欢玩从雪坡上滑梯的游戏等。
Examples of such games include blowing up floatingleaves from underwater by hippopotamuses, playing slides on icy slopes byravens, etc.
这些科学家认为，动物游戏是为了“自我娱乐”，而“自我娱乐”是动物天性的表现，正像捕食、逃避敌害、繁殖行为等是动物的天性一样。
These scientists believe animals games are playedfor “self-entertaining”, and “self-entertaining” is an illustration of animals’nature as much as hunting, danger-dodging, reproductive behaviors, etc. all ofwhich are innate to animals.
越是进化程度高、智力发达的动物，这种“自我娱乐”的天性越强。
The higher an animal is on evolution advancement andintellectual development, the stronger instinctive need it has for“self-entertainment”.
游戏正是这种自我娱乐的集中表现。
Game is exactly a focused expression of such a kindof self-entertainment.
通过自得其乐的游戏，使动物紧张的自然竞争生活得到某种调剂和补偿，
Self-derived pleasures through games are able tomoderate and compensate somewhat animals’ tension from their competitive lives innatural environment.
使它们在生理上、心理上容易保持平衡，
Consequently it would be easy for them to maintaina balance physiologically and psychologically.
从而得到一定的自我安抚和自我保护。
At the same time, they would attain certain self-appeasementand self-preservation.
因而，不仅幼小动物，成年动物也需要游戏。
Therefore games are needed not only for smallanimals, but adult animals as well.
以上假说可以称为“自娱说”。
The above presumption could be labelled as“self-entertainment hypothesis”.
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不久前，美国加州大学神经生理学家汉斯•特贝、哈佛大学社会生物学家斯塔•阿特曼等提出一种引人注目的新假说——“学习说”。
Not too long ago, US California University (1)neurophysiologist Hans Tobi (1) and Harvard University socio-biologist StarrAltman (1) have proposed a new attention-grabbing presumption labelled as “learninghypothesis”.
他们认为，游戏是一种实践性很强的学习行为。
They believe game is a practice oriented learningbehavior.
特贝曾经在卡那里群岛上研究黑猩猩的学习行为。
Tobi have conducted researches on learningbehaviors of chimpanzees on Canary Islands.
他发现，如果给黑猩猩一根棍子，它们就会用棍子做出各种游戏行为：会用棍子互相赶来赶去，像人们赶鸭子似的；也会用棍子去取挂着的食物。
He has found if you give sticks to chimpanzees,they would use the sticks to conduct different game activities, such as herdingone another around like human herding ducks or taking food that are hanginghigh up at somewhere.
经历过这种游戏的黑猩猩，在今后生活中容易学会使用棍子。
Chimpanzees that have experienced these sorts ofgames could easily learn how to use sticks in lives henceforth.
同样，“捉迷藏”和追逐游戏，也使动物学会利用有利地形保护自己的本领。
Similarly “hide and seek” and chasing-one-anothergames would allow animals to learn how to exploit favorable topography toprotect themselves.
游戏的实践性强，能产生直接的效果反馈，
Games would provide good practices by nature and generatedirect feedbacks on results.
对锻炼动物的速度、敏捷、隐蔽、争斗、利用环境等能力很有效。
They would be effective in training their abilitiesin speed, agility, camouflage, tussling, and environmental exploitation.
游戏向动物提供了大量机会，使它们能把自身的各种天赋技能和复杂的自然环境、社会环境巧妙地结合起来，
They would also present ample of opportunities toanimals so that they could niftily integrate their own inborn skills withnatural and social environments.
因而无论对幼小动物还是成年动物，游戏都是一种十分重要的学习行为。
Therefore games would be very essential learningbehaviors for both small and adult animals.
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美国爱达荷大学的约翰•贝叶和加拿大动物学家保尔•赖特认为，游戏不仅是学习，而且是“锻炼”。
John Bayeux (1) of Idaho University and Canadianzoologist Paul Wright (1) are of the opinion that game is not only a processfor learning, but for “training” as well.
贝叶注意到，西伯利亚羱羊的游戏带有明显的锻炼倾向：
Bayeux has noticed games for ibexes in Siberia havepalpable training tendency.
它们选择游戏场地时，似乎总是从“实战”出发，
In considering appropriate playground, they alwaystake the real “combat zones” as prime choices.
选择在坎坷的斜坡上奔跑追逐，在陡峭的悬崖上跳跃，好像是在锻炼它们逃避敌害的能力。
They pick rough steep slopes in running/chasing andprecipitous escarpment for leaping as if to train their ability in escapingfrom dangerous enemies.
赖特发现，哈得逊湾的北极熊冬季生活艰难，要花很大力气去捕捉海豹、鱼类，过着紧张的流浪生活。
Wright has found polar bears in Hudson Bay livethrough hardship in wintertime like stressed-out vagabonds and it would takegreat efforts for them to catch seals and fish.
到了夏季，冰雪消融了，北极熊转移到陆上生活，
When summer comes with snow and ice melted away,polar bears relocate to live on land.
这时，食物来源丰富了，北极熊不必为猎食而整天奔波。
Food becomes plentiful at these times and there isno need to be on the move all day to hunt for food.
它们吃饱喝足了，就进行各种游戏，如摔跤、奔跑、追逐、滑坡等。
After eating enough, they would proceed to play allkinds of games such as wrestling, racing, pursuing, downhill-sliding, etc.
夏季游戏好像体育运动，使北极熊在食物丰富的季节保持了身体的灵活和力量，
Playing games in summer is like physical exerciseso that polar bears can maintain their bodies’ nimbleness and strength in aseason where food is in abundance.
这对于它们冬季捕食显然大有好处。
Such activities clearly are beneficial to theirfood-foraging in winter season.
因此，这两位学者提出“锻炼说”来补充“学习说”。
Therefore these two scholars propose “traininghypothesis” to complement “learning hypothesis”.
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这几种假说，哪一种更有道理？
Which of these hypotheses are more convincing?
动物的游戏，究竟是为了“演习”，为了“自娱”，为了“学习”，还是为了“锻炼”？
Do animals play games for the purpose of “practicing”,“self-entertaining”, “learning” or “training”?
研究者们各执己见，众说纷纭。
Researchers are adamant in their own views andopinions are divergent.
而且，目前这些假说都难以圆满解释的问题是，
However, the existing hypotheses have difficultiesin fully explaining certain phenomena.
动物在游戏行为中表现出来的智能潜力、自我克制能力、创造性、想像力、狡猾、计谋、丰富多彩的通信方式等，都远远超出人们对它们的估计。
The intellect potential, self-control capability,creativity, imaginativeness, guilefulness, scheming ability, resourcefulness incommunicating, etc. as demonstrated in animals’ game behaviors far exceed whathumans estimate.
英国动物生态学家罗伯特•亨德指出：动物的游戏行为是如此复杂的行为，甚至要给这种游戏行为下一个确切的定义也很不容易。
English animal ecologist Robert Hendrix (1) pointedout animals’ game behaviors are such complicated conducts that providing themwith an accurate definition would not be easy.
游戏行为有点儿像体育运动，有点儿像演戏，
The way a game behaves is somewhat like sports playingand show-biz acting.
它既无目的，又无结果，
Often it serves no purpose and yields no results.
在动物行为中即兴发生，
It occurs at an animal’s whim.
没有一定模式，没有不变的规则，
It doesn’t have a pattern or a set rule.
内容复杂多变，实在令人捉摸不透。
The contents are unpredictably complex and fickle.
亨德和所有研究动物游戏行为的专家都相信，要解开动物游戏的所有秘密，还需要做更加深入的研究。
Hendrix and all other experts, in researchinganimal game behaviors, believe unveiling all the mysteries in animal gamesrequire more in-depth researches.
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附注：
(1) 一些英文名字翻译可能不准确。
(2) abbreviation in sentence structure
(a This phrase “The pushed one always is able to hold on to branches and jumpaway dextrously…” is abbreviated from “The pushed one always is able to hold onto branches and the pushed one always isable to jump away dextrously…” with the second “the pushed one always is able to” abbreviated.
(b) If you say “The pushed one always is able to hold on to branches and jumped away dextrously…”, then it is“The pushed one always is able to hold on to branches and the pushed one always jumped away dextrously…” with the second “the pushed one always” abbreviated,which likely is not what the writer intended to say.
