大象能过目不忘？鳄鱼爱哭鼻子？三月份的兔子发了疯？土拨鼠能报春？蝙蝠是个睁眼瞎？老狗学不了新把戏？骆驼真把水藏在驼峰里？这些说法到底哪条是真哪条是假呢？
Sometimes it's hard to separate fact from fiction, especially with the many myths that involve animals. Their behavior can certainly be mysterious to say the least1), so it's no wonder that some of these creatures have become the focal2) point of speculation. Take a peek at these 7 animal myths and discover which ones are actually true and which are merely urban legend3).
有时候你很难区分事实与假象，特别当你要区分的是一些关于动物的迷思的时候。退一步说，动物的习性确实能很神秘，因而某些动物会成为猜想的焦点也就不足为奇了。扫一眼这七个动物迷思，看一看哪些是真的，哪些又只是传闻而已呢？
7. An Elephant Never Forgets大象能过目不忘
This expression likely stemmed4) from the fact that the elephant has the biggest brain of all land animals—and apparently, the bigger the mass, the better the memory. Elephants are able to retain a mental map of their entire home range5). Elephants also travel in packs6) and when the group gets too big, the eldest daughter breaks off to start her own contingent7), yet she never forgets her roots. One researcher witnessed a mother and daughter elephant recognizing each other after 23 years of separation.
这一说法很可能源自这样一个事实，即大象的大脑容量之大，居所有陆生动物之首——显然，脑容量越大，记忆力就越好。大象能将自己的活动区域都了熟于心。大象还喜成群而行，而当象群规模过大时，大女儿就会自立门户，建立自己的象群，但她从不会忘本。一位研究者就目睹过这样一幕：一头母象和它的女儿在阔别23年之后仍能认出彼此。
6. March Hares Are Mad 三月的兔子很疯狂
The expression "mad as a March hare" first came into fashion during the 1500s. Back then, "mad" meant crazy or wild, and this could certainly be used to describe the behavior that was commonly exhibited by the normally shy and quiet hare during the spring mating season (which in Europe primarily meant the month of March). Their odd conduct included boxing with potential paramours8), but contrary to early belief, it was the female throwing the one-two punch9).
“三月的兔子很疯狂”这一说法最早在16世纪开始流行。当时，“疯狂”指的是狂热或者狂野，这个词当然就可以用来形容春天(在欧洲，春天主要指的是三月)交配时节那些平常羞怯而安静的兔子普遍会有的行为。它们的古怪行为包括与潜在的情敌“打拳击”。不过，和人们早先认定的不同，打出“连环拳”的可是母兔哦。
5. Crocodiles Are Crybabies 鳄鱼爱哭鼻子
The phrase "crocodile's tears" implies fake emotion. It actually comes from an ancient fable that crocodiles weep while both luring and killing their preys. In reality, crocodiles can't chew, so they are forced to rip their food into chunks and swallow them whole. As luck would have it10), the glands11) that keep their eyes moist are right near their throats, so their eating habits actually force tears into their eyes.
“鳄鱼的眼泪”这个短语意指虚假的感情。它实际上起源于一个古老的寓言故事：鳄鱼在引诱和捕杀猎物的时候都会流眼泪。事实上，鳄鱼无法咀嚼，它们不得不将猎物撕成大块大块后囫囵吞下。而碰巧那些能让它们的眼睛保持湿润的泪腺就长在喉咙附近，所以实际上是它们的进食习惯迫使它们“哭鼻子”。
4. Groundhogs Can Predict the Arrival of Spring 土拨鼠能报春
It's the only mammal to have its own day named after it and as legend goes, every Feb. 2, the groundhog emerges from hibernation. If it sees its shadow, six more weeks of winter lie ahead, and if not, spring is on the way! In reality, groundhogs prepare for six months of hibernation by eating up to one-third of their weight on daily basis. When they emerge, they actually do respond to changes in light and temperature, two factors that play a part in determining the forecast.
世上只有一种哺乳动物有以自己命名的节日，那便是土拨鼠。根据传说，每年的2月2日是土拨鼠从冬眠中苏醒的日子。如果土拨鼠醒来能看到自己的影子，那再过六个星期才会迎来春天；如果土拨鼠看不到自己的影子，那春天即将来临！事实上，为了这六个月的冬眠，土拨鼠每天会吃下多达自身体重三分之一的食物。当土拨鼠从冬眠中苏醒，它们确实会对外界的光线和温度作出反应，而光和温度正是预测天气变化的两大因素。
3. Are Bats Really Blind? 蝙蝠真是睁眼瞎?
This saying has become a fixture of everyday vernacular12) and the assumption likely developed because bats primarily use a form of sonar to navigate through dark areas and avoid obstacles. However, their eyes, while small and sometimes poorly developed, are also completely functional, not to mention the fact that they have excellent hearing and sense of smell. Perhaps the saying should be changed to "keen as a bat"?
这个说法已成了一句固定的日常用语。这种假设可能是这么来的：蝙蝠主要利用某种声波在黑暗中导航，避开障碍物。蝙蝠的眼睛虽然小且有时视力很差，但都具有完备的视觉功能，更不用说它们都有着敏锐的听力和灵敏的嗅觉了。或许，这个说法应该改为“像蝙蝠那样敏锐”？
2. You Can't Teach an Old Dog New Tricks 老狗学不了新把戏
You can't say a dog can't learn a new thing or two just because it is approaching its more senior years. In fact, with approximately 15 minutes of training every day for two weeks straight13), even the most stubborn dog can usually learn how to sit, stay, fetch, roll over or whatever your heart desires, regardless of age. The saying is meant to14) be taken less literally about dogs and more about people—specifically, the types who have been set in their ways for so long that changing their behavior would be difficult.
你不能因为一只狗年岁大了就说它学不了一两招新把戏。事实上，每天训练约15分钟，坚持两周，即使是最难驾驭的狗都能学会坐下、立定、捡东西、打滚和你想要它做的任何动作，与狗的年龄无关。这个说法并不真是按字面意思那样说狗，而更多用来指人，特别是那些积习已久很难改变的人。
1. Do Camels Really Store Water in Their Humps? 骆驼真把水藏在驼峰里?
A camel can survive seven days without water, but not because they are carrying large reserves inside their humps. They're able to avoid dehydration15) that would kill most other animals, thanks in large part to oval-shaped red blood cells. As far as that hump goes, it's nothing more than a big mound of fat, though a useful one at that—the lump provides camels with the same amount of energy as three weeks of food. If there's any body part that excels at16) retaining water, the award goes to the camel's kidneys and intestines17). These organs are so efficient that a camel's urine comes out thick as syrup18) and their feces19) is so dry that it can fuel fires!
骆驼在没有水的情况下能存活七天，但那并不是因为它们的驼峰里储存了大量的水。脱水会造成大多数动物死亡，但骆驼却能幸免于难，这主要归功于它们体内的椭圆形红血球。驼峰里储存的则是大量脂肪，当然它也有自己的作用——驼峰可以提供等同于三周食物的热量。如果一定要指出骆驼哪个器官最擅长蓄水，那应该是骆驼的肾脏和肠子。这些器官非常高效，以至于骆驼的尿稠如浓浆，它的粪便则干燥得可以拿来生火！
1. to say the least: 退一步说
2. focal [ˈfəʊk(ə)l] adj. 焦点的；(集中)在焦点上的；有焦点的
3. urban legend: 都市传奇(指流行甚广但无法核实的街谈巷议)
4. stem [stem] vi. 起源于；基于，由……造成(from)
5. home range: 动物的活动范围
6. pack [pæk] n. (野兽、飞禽等)一群
7. contingent [kənˈtɪndʒ(ə)nt] n. 分遣队，小分队；(从整体中分出来的)一组
8. paramour [ˈpærəˌmʊə(r)] n. 情夫；情妇
9. one-two punch: (拳击中)连续两次击中。在拳击比赛中有一种威力很大的打法，就是左右拳基本上同时出击：左拳在先，又快又猛，右拳在后接踵而至，更加凶狠。这种拳往往会给对手以重创。
10. as luck would have it: 碰巧
11. gland [ɡlænd] n. 【解】腺；无分泌功能的腺状组织
12. vernacular [və(r)ˈnækjʊlə(r)] n. 日常用语；通俗语；白话
13. straight [streɪt] adv. 连续不断地
14. be meant to: 打算，有意要
15. dehydration [ˌdiːhaɪˈdreɪʃ(ə)n] n. 脱水；极度口渴
16. excel at: 擅长于(某项活动)
17. intestine [ɪnˈtestɪn] n. [常作~s] 肠
18. syrup [ˈsɪrəp] n. 糖浆；果子露
19. feces [ˈfiːsiːz] n. 粪，粪便