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（单词翻译）

This is Scientific American's 60-Second Science. I'm Karen Hopkin. This will just take a minute.

 

If you have a dog, you know you gotta walk it. But do you know how it walks? Well, if you have no idea which foot Fido puts forward when, you’re in good company. Because according to a study published in the journal Current Biology, even places like natural history museums get it wrong half the time.

Studies published back in the late 1800s showed that all four-legged animals walk the same way. They start by moving forward their left hind1 leg, followed by the left front leg. Then they repeat the sequence on the right-hand side. Different animals differ in the timing2 of their steps.

The reason they walk that way is for stability3. Lifting one leg at a time leaves three feet on the ground, forming a nice stable tripod to stand on. But not everyone seems to know that, even folks who should. Scientists looked at 300 depictions of animals walking—in museums, anatomy4 texts, and even children’s toys. And they found that nearly half the time these images get it wrong. For a toy, that kind of inattention to detail might mean that Rex has a tendency to roll over. But for museums to mess up like that? They just don’t have a leg to stand on.

 

Thanks for the minute for Scientific American's 60-Second Science. I'm Karen Hopkin.

 


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1 hind Cyoya     
adj.后面的，后部的
参考例句：
  • The animal is able to stand up on its hind limbs.这种动物能够用后肢站立。
  • Don't hind her in her studies.不要在学业上扯她后腿。
2 timing rgUzGC     
n.时间安排，时间选择
参考例句：
  • The timing of the meeting is not convenient.会议的时间安排不合适。
  • The timing of our statement is very opportune.我们发表声明选择的时机很恰当。
3 stability 0vgwY     
n.稳定，稳固
参考例句：
  • The situation is tending towards stability.局势趋于稳定。
  • She lacks emotional stability.她的情绪不稳定。
4 anatomy Cwgzh     
n.解剖学，解剖；功能，结构，组织
参考例句：
  • He found out a great deal about the anatomy of animals.在动物解剖学方面，他有过许多发现。
  • The hurricane's anatomy was powerful and complex.对飓风的剖析是一项庞大而复杂的工作。

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