(单词翻译:单击)
听力文本
The octopus is a master of disguise.
It can change its appearance to blend in with its environment or to warn predators to back off.
This talent is due to pigment cells called chromatophores in octopus skin.
Muscle contraction expands the chromatophores and helps them change the skin color to match its surroundings.
But first, the creature has to sense those surroundings.
Not surprisingly, information about the colors in the environment comes in through the eyes.
But new research reveals that, for one octopus species at least,the skin itself can sense light and react,with no input from the eyes or brain.
Researchers from the University of California Santa Barbara worked with skin removed from the California two-spot octopus.
Not only did the skin respond to bright light, but the scientists found that the skin possesses the same family of light-sensitive proteins, called opsins,typically found in its eyes,
which implies that, in the course of evolutionary history, the same molecular mechanism that the eyes employ for light detection got co-opted for use in the skin.
The study is in the Journal of Experimental Biology.
Octopus integument was quickest to respond to blue light—which is the color best suited to travel far in water.
Study author Todd Oakley said via email of the skin's capacity that “we hypothesize the light response has some role”in“communication and camouflage.”
The exact nature of that role remains unclear.
But this evidence for light-sensing skin brightens up our understanding of how octopuses so effortlessly go incognito.
参考译文
章鱼是一位善于伪装的大师。
它可以通过改变自身肤色融入环境或警告掠食者们远离。
这种天赋是章鱼皮肤上的一种色素细胞起到了关键作用。
通过肌肉收缩扩散色素细胞，章鱼以此改变自身肤色融入周围环境。
但首先这种生物必须感知周遭环境。
不足为奇的是，周围环境中的颜色信息是通过眼睛进行感知。
但一项新的研究表明至少有一种章鱼根本不需要眼睛和大脑，仅凭皮肤本身能够感知光线并做出反应。
加州圣塔芭芭拉大学的研究人员们对从加州章鱼身上剥下的皮肤进行了研究。
他们发现这种章鱼的皮肤不仅对强光有所反应，而且上面还拥有与光敏蛋白质类似，通常在它的眼睛里才能发现的视蛋白。
这就表明着在历史进化的过程中，章鱼眼部进行光源反应的分子机制被皮肤所用。
这项研究已在《实验生物学》杂志上发表。
章鱼外皮对蓝色光做出的反应最快—而蓝色恰恰最适合在海洋环境中进行长距离旅行。
这项研究作者托德·奥克莱通过发回的电子邮件为我们揭示了章鱼皮肤神奇的能力:“我们认为这种光反应或许在章鱼交流及伪装方面有着一样的作用。”
有关这一作用的具体性质目前仍不清楚。
但是章鱼皮肤感光的这一证据有助于我们对这种生物的高超伪装能力有更进一步的了解。
译文为可可英语翻译，未经授权请勿转载！
重点讲解
1.back off 后退
例句:Back off,Mom, I'm old enough to make my own decisions!
你别管，妈妈，我已经能够自己作决定了！
2.at least 至少；最低限度
例句:Try to eat at least four slices of bread a day.
每天尽量至少吃4片面包。
3.work with 与…在一起干；从事…工作
例句:The school has won awards for its pioneering work with the community.
这所学校因其针对该社区具有开创性的工作而获奖。
4.respond to 响应；回答
例句:Some cases of arthritis respond to a gluten-free diet.
无麸质饮食对一些关节炎患者有疗效。
