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为什么动物喝“生水”不会生病?How can animals drink water from dirty ponds and not get sick?
Watching a wild animal quenching its thirst from a murky pond or stagnant lake might raise concerns about the water's cleanliness.
看到野生动物在混浊的池塘或静止的湖水中饮水,可能会让人担心水是否干净。
After all, drinking such visibly dirty water seems like a health risk for these animals.
毕竟,这些动物饮用如此明显污浊的水,似乎对它们的健康构成了风险。
However, wild beasts not only survive but thrive by consuming water from natural sources that humans would typically avoid.
然而,野生动物不仅能从人类通常避免的自然水源中饮水生存下来,而且还能因此茁壮成长。
How do these animals manage to stay hydrated without becoming ill?
这些动物是如何在不患病的情况下维持水分的?
For humans, consuming contaminated water can lead to severe illnesses, and in some cases, even death.
对人类而言,饮用受污染的水可能会引发重病,甚至在一些情况下导致死亡。
We are cautious about sources that might be filled with bacteria, viruses, and parasites.
我们会小心那些可能含有细菌、病毒和寄生虫的水源。
In the wild, though, animals don't have the luxury of being choosy about their drinking sources.
但在野外,动物们并没有挑选饮用水源的余地。
Critically, many species develop a tolerance for harmful microorganisms found in their local water sources due to repeated exposure.
关键是,多种物种因长期暴露于本地水源中的有害微生物,逐渐对这些微生物产生了耐性。
Drinking from the same ponds regularly exposes their immune systems to the same pathogens.
经常性地从同一水塘饮用水,使得它们的免疫系统反复接触到同种病原体。
As a result, their bodies learn to identify and effectively respond to these specific germs.
因此,它们的身体习得了识别并有效应对这些特定细菌的能力。
This acquired resistance is not foolproof.
这种后天的抗性并不是绝对可靠的。
Significant changes in water quality can still make wildlife sick.
水质的重大变化仍有可能导致野生动物患病。
However, on a day-to-day basis, their defenses adjust to the familiar array of microorganisms present in their native water sources.
然而,在日复一日的生活中,它们的防御机制能够调整自身,以适应原生水源中那些熟悉的微生物群。
What might seem like ongoing low-level exposure actually functions as a form of inoculation, rather than leading to illness.
乍看之下似乎是持续的低强度接触,实则这种接触起到的是免疫作用,而非引发疾病。
Of course, not all natural water bodies are breeding grounds for contagion.
当然,并不是所有的自然水域都会成为疾病传播的温床。
Some pristine streams and lakes exist with minimal biological contamination.
一些处于原始状态的溪流和湖泊,其生物污染程度极低。
Contrary to appearances, many wilderness water sources contain fewer microorganisms than one might anticipate.
与看起来的情况相反,很多荒野中的水源含有的微生物数量,实际上比人们所预期的要少。
Furthermore, most waterborne pathogens aren't necessarily lethal, especially to animals adapted to their presence.
此外,大部分水源携带的病原并不会造成致命影响,特别是对那些已适应这些病原存在的动物来说。
What might cause a wild deer some mild stomach discomfort could prove fatal to an unaccustomed human.
对于野生鹿来说,某些物质可能只会引起轻微的胃部不适,但对于未适应它们的人类而言,这些物质却可能是致命的。
The severity of illness depends on the specific microorganism and the host it infects.
疾病的严重性依赖于特定的微生物以及它所感染的宿主。
Over time, natural selection refines this resistance.
随着时间推进,自然选择会逐渐优化这种抗性。
Animals that can tolerate dirtier water pass down advantageous genetic traits to their offspring.
能够忍受较为污浊水域的动物会把有益的遗传特性遗传给它们的后代。
Consequently, successive generations become even more resilient to the challenges posed by their local environment.
因此,随着一代代传承,后代对当地环境的挑战展现出了更强的适应性和韧性。
However, it's important not to assume that wildlife never suffer from waterborne illnesses.
然而,我们不能假定野生动物永远不会受到水源疾病的影响。
Outbreaks absolutely occur, especially when areas undergo sudden changes.
疫情肯定会爆发,特别是在地区发生突然变化时。
Additionally, sick animals tend to withdraw and hide, making it rare for researchers to directly witness the effects of these illnesses.
此外,生病的动物倾向于躲藏,这导致研究者直接观察到这些疾病效应的机会非常少。
In essence, animals endure the kind of exposure that humans would instinctively avoid through a combination of physiology, behavior, and evolutionary adaptation.
本质上,动物凭借其生理、行为和进化上的适应,能够忍受人类本能会避开的种种环境暴露。
However, we don't need to envy their adaptability.
然而,我们无需羡慕它们的适应性。
As modern humans, we possess the privilege of purifying water before consumption.
作为现代人,我们有能力在饮用之前对水进行净化。
Our technologies spare us from the continuous risks that wildlife confront every day.
我们的技术让我们避免了野生动物每日必须直面的连续风险。
Modern humans live with an unprecedented degree of insulation from the unpredictable forces of nature.
现代人类生活在一个与自然界不可预测力量隔绝的前所未有的状态中。
Our heating, plumbing, medical advancements, and food systems shield us from the harshest elements of life on this planet.
我们的供暖、水管、医疗发展和食物供给体系保护我们,让我们不受这个星球上最恶劣生存环境的侵害。
This detachment from nature might lead us to underestimate the resilience required for survival in the wild.
这种对自然的疏远可能会让我们低估了在野外生存所需的坚韧性。
Thriving in the wilderness necessitates a level of tenacity that can be challenging for us to fathom.
在荒野中茁壮成长,需要一种难以想象的坚毅程度。
From weather fluctuations and nutritional availability to exposure to microorganisms, animals are forced to adapt to the array of challenges in their environment, or fail to survive.
从天气变化、营养的获取,到面临微生物的威胁,动物必须适应环境中的种种挑战,否则就会生存不下去。
Their secret lies in their deep attunement to local rhythms, a quality honed over countless generations.
它们之所以能生存,秘诀在于与当地节奏的深度同步,这种能力是经过无数代的锤炼而形成的。
This deep connection to a specific place imparts vital lessons from which humans could learn.
这种与特定地点深层的联系赋予了我们宝贵的教训,人类可以从中汲取智慧。【贝贝英语网】