時(shí)差N小時(shí):不安的大象

Here's a gruesome hypothetical:If you and yourfamily were rounded up, and you were forced towatch as older relatives were killed, how would itaffect you?

設(shè)想這樣一個(gè)可怕的場(chǎng)景：你和家人遭受圍捕，你被迫目睹長(zhǎng)輩被殺，這會(huì)對(duì)你產(chǎn)生怎樣的影響?

Needless to say, you'd be horrified.

毫無疑問，你嚇壞了。

You'd probably also be deeply disturbed for a longtime afterwards. Maybe forever.

你可能會(huì)在之后的很長(zhǎng)一段時(shí)間內(nèi)都深感不安，或許這種感覺會(huì)持續(xù)一生。

For some non human species, that grisly scenario is all too common.

對(duì)于除人以外的一些生物而言，這種可怕的場(chǎng)景是十分常見的。

For instance, up until a fewdecades ago elephant populations were regularly culled.

比如幾十年前，大象會(huì)經(jīng)常遭受屠殺，借此控制它們的種群數(shù)量。

That is, family groups were herded into atight space so that hunters could shoot and kill theolder individuals.

捕獵者會(huì)將整個(gè)大象家族趕入一個(gè)狹小的空間，并槍殺其中一些年老的大象。

The practice was actually meant to help elephants, because park officials worried they'd growtoo numerous and overrun the area.

因?yàn)楣珗@管理員擔(dān)心大象數(shù)量的增多會(huì)超出園區(qū)的負(fù)載限度，所以這種獵殺大象的行為實(shí)際上是在幫助它們。

But research has shown that the surviving elephants are often deeply disturbed.

但是調(diào)查表明，那些在獵殺中幸存下來的大象常常會(huì)深感不安。

One study foundthat elephants from a culled group had serious problems with social and otherbehaviors.

一項(xiàng)研究顯示，這些幸存的大象在社交和其他行為方面會(huì)出現(xiàn)嚴(yán)重的問題。

For example, a group of orphaned male elephants killed more than one-hundred rhinocerosesover adecade-behavior that's highly abnormal.

例如，一群失去親人的雄性大象在近十年中殺死了一百多頭犀牛。這是極端反常的行為。

Another study found that culling survivors responded chaotically to elephant calls broadcastbyscientists in a nearby jeep.

失去長(zhǎng)輩即失去經(jīng)驗(yàn)，另一項(xiàng)研究顯示，當(dāng)科學(xué)家在那些幸存下來大象附近的一輛吉普車中播放大象的叫聲時(shí)，它們的回應(yīng)十分混亂。

The animals seemed at a loss-sometimes taking defensive measures,but not necessarily inresponse to calls from alien or more socially dominant females, as they normally would.

它們顯得茫然無措，有時(shí)還會(huì)采取防御措施。這并不像它們?cè)谡Ｇ闆r下回應(yīng)外來客或是族群中地位更高的母象所表現(xiàn)出的那樣。

Scientists speculate that's because elephants typically learn these important behaviors fromtheir elders.

科學(xué)家推測(cè)這是因?yàn)榇笙笸ǔ?huì)從長(zhǎng)輩身上學(xué)到這些重要的行為。

And when those elders are culled or poached, the younger elephants may not learn how torespond to potential threats.

當(dāng)長(zhǎng)輩遭受屠殺或偷獵后，年幼的小象在面臨潛在威脅時(shí)會(huì)顯得不知所措。

Elephants that don't know how to defend themselves have less chance of surviving andreproducing.

不知道怎樣保護(hù)自己的大象，其幸存機(jī)率便會(huì)降低，繁殖能力也會(huì)減弱。

Although culling is no longer practiced, poaching is. And it may have similar effects.

盡管如今屠殺大象的行為已經(jīng)消失，但非法狩獵仍會(huì)產(chǎn)生類似的效果。