So let's say you're a common ground squirrel. Just for a moment, pretend you're minding your own business, searching for seeds, doing whatever it is that squirrels like to do. Then, suddenly, out from behind a bush slithers a huge, sinister rattlesnake, coiled and ready to strike. What do you do?

假如你是一只普通的地松鼠，在專注于自己的事情，尋找種子吃，或者在做任何松鼠喜歡做的事。突然，從你身后的灌木叢中爬出了一條巨大的、兇惡的響尾蛇，它盤繞起身體，準(zhǔn)備好了對你進(jìn)行攻擊。你該怎么辦呢？

Obviously, you run away, play dead, or perhaps negotiate a deal of some sort. In any case, given that you're a furry, gentle squirrel and the snake is a deadly, rattling killer, whatever you do, you don't stand your ground and fight. Right?

顯然，你會選擇逃跑，裝死，也可能會與它談?wù)剹l件。鑒于自己是一只毛茸茸的，溫順的松鼠，而響尾蛇則是致命的殺手，無論如何你都不會站在原地與之進(jìn)行搏斗，對吧？

Wrong! Calling upon the instincts passed down from your ancient squirrel ancestors, you rush at the snake, kick sand in its face, try to bite its tail, and then turn your back on it and whip your tail around.

你錯了！從祖先那里繼承的本能會讓松鼠沖向響尾蛇，向它的臉上踢沙子，試圖咬它的尾巴，接著轉(zhuǎn)過身來，搖動自己的尾巴。

Now why on earth, you might be wondering, would my squirrel self take such suicidal measures? Kicking sand and biting might do some good, but tail waving? Why further taunt a venom-fanged snake already bent on violence?

你可能會感到不解，為何松鼠會選擇這種以雞蛋碰石頭的做法？踢沙子和咬尾巴可能還管點用，但搖尾巴又是意欲為何呢？面對已經(jīng)俯身做好攻擊準(zhǔn)備的、帶有毒牙的蛇，松鼠為何還要進(jìn)行挑釁呢？

As you may have guessed, there is a method to such madness. When confronted by a rattlesnake, squirrels' tails heat up, getting hotter by almost four degrees Fahrenheit. The infra-red sensors built into rattlesnakes' eye sockets sense this increase in temperature as a big, waving, fiery blotch.

可能你也猜到了，松鼠的這種看似瘋狂的做法其實是有它的道理的。當(dāng)遇到響尾蛇時，松鼠的尾巴會變熱，溫度上升大約4度（華氏）。而通過眼睛窩中的紅外線感應(yīng)組織，響尾蛇感受到的則是一個大的，擺動的紅點。

This alarming display, plus the fact that squirrels are partially immune to rattlesnake venom, actually gives the squirrel a distinct advantage when it confronts a rattlesnake. More often than not, the rattlesnake will slither away in search of a less intimidating foe.

這種讓蛇方寸大亂的表演，再加上松鼠對響尾蛇的毒液有一定的免疫力，讓松鼠在遇到響尾蛇的時候具有了本能優(yōu)勢。多數(shù)情況下，響尾蛇會爬開，去尋找不這么嚇人的獵物。

Notes:
ground squirrel: 地松鼠
negotiate a deal: 商議一筆交易；談?wù)剹l件
stand your ground: 堅持到底(堅守陣地，堅持立場，固執(zhí)己見)

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