Chattering Chimps
喋喋不休的黑猩猩！
We talk to our house pets all the time, but wouldn’t it be great if your cat could answer you in English?
我们经常跟家里的宠物聊天tx(oMu;3=B-E2。如果你的猫能用英语回应，那岂不是很棒？
Well, maybe it wouldn’t be so great!
不过，或许并没有你想象的那么美好So~.HHHBC&GUC6CdDAV。
We tend to assume that, because they don’t speak human language, other animals are dumb, or emotionless, or might make a good cheeseburger.
我们倾向于假设其他动物不会说人类语言，便想当然觉得它们愚蠢或认为它们没有感情，甚至认为它们只适合用来制作芝士汉堡GVBUP,XOP4n,p。

If we could ask them what they think, we might have to reconsider how we think!
如果问一问动物们自己的想法，那么人类可能就得重新改观了Gq_)r@SL[oezSsz。
In the 1960′s, psychologists Beatrice and Robert Gardner decided to do just this.
20世纪60年代，心理学家碧翠斯（Beatrice）和罗伯特·加德纳（Robert Gardner）打算印证这一想法p%e)%kEQN=t@6u。
They wanted to see if chimpanzees had the mental capacity for language.
他们想要确认黑猩猩是否具备语言方面的心智能力U,8s]B|(V[M1(w(ZmwI0。
Now since chimps can’t make the verbal sounds that humans can, so the Gardners tried teaching chimpanzees sign language.
由于黑猩猩无法像人类那样口头发声，加德纳夫妇就尝试教他们手势语%^BFlTVh9;*。
The results surprise almost everyone who hears about these studies.
研究结果令几乎所有知晓该研究的人目瞪口呆Hr;EHw4F_U。
Not only was sign language possible for chimps, some acquired vocabularies of several hundred words.
黑猩猩不仅有学会手势语的可能性，甚至还能挑战数百个词汇(s%qJK|o,GDMQ!#+)66。

译文为可可英语翻译，未经授权请勿转载!