這是一條名叫米格爾·沃森的電鰻為你帶來的節(jié)日燈展

這是一條名叫米格爾·沃森的電鰻為你帶來的節(jié)日燈展

If you happen to enjoy the festive light display at the Tennessee Aquarium over the holidays, you can thank a certain electric eel for it.

如果你在假期碰巧喜歡田納西水族館的節(jié)日燈展，你可以感謝某種電鰻。

Although the eel in question probably doesn't care either way. Miguel Wattson is just doing what comes naturally.

盡管問題中的鰻魚可能并不關(guān)心這兩種情況。米格爾·沃森只是在做自然而然的事情。

This year, staff at the Chattanooga-based facility devised a way to link the eel's electrical discharges to the holiday tree. Along the way, they hope to shed some light on one of nature's most fascinating creatures.

今年，這家位于查塔努加的工廠的員工設(shè)計出了一種方法，將鰻魚的放電與節(jié)日樹連接起來。在此過程中，他們希望能對大自然中最迷人的生物之一有所了解。

"That's a great thing about what we do," Thom Benson, director of external affairs for the Tennessee Aquarium, tells MNN. "The Christmas tree is a wonderful hook to get attention. But once you get people's attention, then you can talk about how fantastic this electrical capability is."

田納西州水族館對外事務(wù)主任湯姆·本森告訴MNN:“這是我們所做的一件偉大的事情。”“圣誕樹是吸引注意力的絕佳誘餌。但一旦你引起了人們的注意，你就可以談?wù)撨@種電能力有多么神奇了。”

The aquarium has long tapped into Miguel's jolting genius. His tank is typically attached to sensors that parlay his every shock into light and sound. Only this time, he's creating a holiday buzz.

米格爾令人震驚的天賦在水族館早就得到了發(fā)揮。他的坦克是典型的附著在傳感器上，利用他的每一次震動產(chǎn)生光和聲音。只是這一次，他制造了一種節(jié)日氣氛。

And no, Miguel isn't being overworked over the holidays. In fact, he has no idea he's spreading so much Christmas cheer. Basically, his standard electrical arsenal comes in two flavors: low and high voltage. Low-voltage shocks are typically reserved for communicating or navigating his surroundings.

而且米格爾在假期里也沒有過度勞累。事實上，他不知道自己傳播了這么多圣誕快樂?；旧希臉藴孰娖鲙煊袃煞N:低電壓和高電壓。低壓沖擊通常是為了交流或?qū)Ш剿闹車?/p>

"It's similar in a way to echolocation for bats," Benson explains.

“這在某種程度上類似于蝙蝠的回聲定位，”本森解釋道。

But when Migeul gets excited — like when food makes an appearance in his tank — he switches to high voltage. And the holiday display goes from twinkle-twinkle to seasonal supernova.

但是當米吉爾興奮起來的時候——就像食物出現(xiàn)在他的水箱里一樣——他就會切換到高電壓。節(jié)日的展示從閃爍到季節(jié)性的超新星。

Miguel isn't directly powering the display — although technically, a big eel power quite a few 40-watt light bulbs without breaking a sweat.

米格爾并沒有直接為顯示器供電——盡管從技術(shù)上講，一條大鰻魚可以毫不費力地為幾個40瓦的燈泡供電。

Instead, a sound and light board translates Miguel's various jolts into holiday cheer.

相反，一塊聲光板將米格爾的各種顛簸轉(zhuǎn)化為節(jié)日的歡樂。

But this eel doesn't just spark joy among aquarium-goers. He's casually famous on social media too, with nearly 40,000 followers on Twitter.

但這條鰻魚不僅讓水族館的游客們歡欣鼓舞。他在社交媒體上也很出名，在Twitter上有近4萬名粉絲。

A sound and light board in Miguel Wattson's tank senses his every jolt. (Photo: Tennessee Aquarium)

By thrusting an unassuming eel into the bright lights of celebrity — even as an unlikely holiday ambassador — aquarium staff are hoping he can make a connection with people.

水族館的工作人員希望通過將一條不張揚的鰻魚推到名人的聚光燈下——即使它不太可能成為節(jié)日大使——它能與人們建立聯(lián)系。

Not only can we learn much from an eel's strange and surprising ways, but we may even find common ground. Or water.

我們不僅可以從一條鰻魚奇怪而驚人的方式中學(xué)到很多東西，而且我們甚至可以找到共同點。或水。

"These animals depend on the same thing we do," Benson says. "Clean fresh water."

“這些動物依賴于我們做的同樣的事情，”本森說。“清潔淡水。”

Which is why, in addition to being a purveyor of holiday cheer, Miguel is also an ambassador for the increasingly imperiled resource.

這就是為什么米格爾不僅是節(jié)日慶祝的傳播者，也是這個日益瀕危資源的代言人。

"That's part of the fun of these things — to capture people's attention and their imagination," Benson says. "But then impart some knowledge … and help them appreciate these animals for what they are. And they're very fascinating creatures."

本森說:“這是這些事情的樂趣之一——吸引人們的注意力和想象力。”“然后傳授一些知識……幫助他們欣賞這些動物的本來面目。”它們是非常迷人的生物。”

And who knows how far Miguel's foray into holiday traditions will take him? Perhaps, as Benson suggests, an electric eel will inspire a Christmas ditty someday. Much like how a certain red-nosed reindeer found his way into holiday lore.

誰知道米格爾對節(jié)日傳統(tǒng)的突襲會讓他走多遠?也許，正如本森所建議的那樣，一條電鰻總有一天會成為圣誕小調(diào)的靈感來源。就像某只紅鼻子馴鹿是如何進入節(jié)日傳說的一樣。