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(单词翻译)
The toucan1's long bill has long perplexed2 biologists. Darwin theorized that it attracted mates. Other suggested uses ranged from fruit peeling to territorial3 defense4. But a report in the July 24th issue of the journal Science offers another explanation as to why one-third of the bird is all schnoz. The authors of the report say the toucan's bill is so big because it acts like a radiator5 strapped6 to its face. When a toucan needs to cool down, its beak7 heats up. The immense surface area of the beak allows heat to quickly dissipate. In fact, the scientists say, as a toucan lowers its body temperature in preparation for sleep, it can cool 10 degrees Celsius8 in just minutes.
The scientists used infrared9 thermography, the same kind of technology used in heat-sensing cameras, to observe toucans10 at different ambient temperatures. When outside temperatures rose, the bill also heated up, but the bird’s core body temperature did not. The scientists speculate that other big-billed birds may regulate their body temperatures this way. Since birds don’t sweat, having a handy heat dissipater undoubtedly11 keeps their feathers from getting ruffled12.
1 toucan | |
n.巨嘴鸟,犀鸟 | |
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2 perplexed | |
adj.不知所措的 | |
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3 territorial | |
adj.领土的,领地的 | |
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4 defense | |
n.防御,保卫;[pl.]防务工事;辩护,答辩 | |
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5 radiator | |
n.暖气片,散热器 | |
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6 strapped | |
adj.用皮带捆住的,用皮带装饰的;身无分文的;缺钱;手头紧v.用皮带捆扎(strap的过去式和过去分词);用皮带抽打;包扎;给…打绷带 | |
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7 beak | |
n.鸟嘴,茶壶嘴,钩形鼻 | |
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8 Celsius | |
adj.摄氏温度计的,摄氏的 | |
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9 infrared | |
adj./n.红外线(的) | |
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10 toucans | |
n.巨嘴鸟,犀鸟( toucan的名词复数 ) | |
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11 undoubtedly | |
adv.确实地,无疑地 | |
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12 ruffled | |
adj. 有褶饰边的, 起皱的 动词ruffle的过去式和过去分词 | |
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