搜索
unit6A课文WHATANIMALSREALLYTHINKWHATANIMALSREALLYTHINKEuqeneLindenOvertheyears,Ihavewrittenextensivelyaboutanimal-intelligenceexperimentsandthecontroversythatsurroundsthem.Doanimalsreallyhavethoughts,whatwecallconsciousness?Wonderingwhethertheremightbebetterwaystoexploreanimalintelligencethanexperimentsdesignedtoteachhumansigns,Irealizedwhatnowseemsobvious:ifanimalscanthink,theywillprobablydotheirbestthinkingwhenitservestheirownpurposes,notwhenscientistsaskthemto.AndsoIstartedtalkingtovets,animalresearchers,zookeepers.Mostdonotstudyanimalintelligence,buttheyencounterit,andthelackofit,everyday.ThestoriestheytellusrevealwhatI'mconvincedisanewwindowonanimalintelligence:thekindofmentalfeatsanimalsperformwhendealingwithcaptivityandthedominantspeciesontheplanet—humans.Let'sMakeaDealConsiderthetimeCharleneJendry,aconservationistattheColumbusZoo,learnedthatafemalegorillanamedColowashandlingasuspiciousobject.Arrivingonthescene,JendryofferedColosomepeanuts,onlytobemetwithablankstare.Realizingtheywerenegotiating,Jendryraisedthestakesandofferedapieceofpineapple.Atthispoint,whilemaintainingeyecontact,Coloopenedherhandandrevealedakeychain.Relieveditwasnotanythingdangerousorvaluable,JendrygaveColothepineapple.Carefulbargainerthatshewas,ColothenbrokethekeychainandgaveJendryalink,perhapsfiguring,WhygiveherthewholethingifIcangetabitofpineappleforeachpiece?Ifananimalcanshowskillintradingonethingforanother,whynotinhandlingmoney?OneorangutannamedChantekdidjustthatinasign-languagestudyundertakenbyanthropologistLynMilesattheUniversityofTennessee.Chantekfiguredoutthatifhedidtaskslikecleaninghisroom,he'dearncoinstospendontreatsandridesinMiles'scar.Buttheorangutan'sunderstandingofmoneyseemedtoextendfarbeyondsimpledealings.Milesfirstusedplasticchipsascoins,butChantekdecidedhecouldexpandthemoneysupplybybreakingchipsintwo.WhenMilesswitchedtometalchips,Chantekfoundpiecesoftinfoilandtriedtomakecopies.MilesalsotriedtoteachChantekmorevirtuoushabitssuchassavingandsharing.Indeed,whenIcaughtupwiththeorangutanatZooAtlanta,wherehenowlives,Isawanexampleofsharingthatanyonemightenvy.WhenMilesgaveChanteksomegrapesandaskedhimtosharethem,Chantekpromptlyateallthefruit.Then,asifhe'djustrememberedhe'dbeenaskedtoshare,hehandedMilesthestem.TaleofaWhaleWhywouldananimalwanttocooperatewithahuman?Behavioristswouldsaythatanimalscooperatewhentheylearnitisintheirinteresttodoso.Thisistrue,butIdon'tthinkitgoesfarenough.GailLaule,aconsultantonanimalbehavior,speaksofOrky,akillerwhale,sheknew.“OfalltheanimalsI'veworkedwith,hewasthemostintelligent,”shesays.“Hewouldassessasituationandthendosomethingbasedonthejudgmentshemade.”Likethetimehehelpedsaveafamilymember.WhenOrky'smate,Corky,gavebirth,thebabydidnotthriveatfirst,andkeeperstookthelittlewhaleoutofthetankbystretcherforemergencycare.Thingsbegantogowrongwhentheyreturnedthebabywhaletothetank.Astheworkershaltedthestretcherafewmetersabovethewater,thebabysuddenlybeganthrowingupthroughitsmouth.Thekeepersfeareditwouldchoke,buttheycouldnotreachthebabytohelpit.Apparentlysizinguptheproblem,Orkyswamunderthestretcherandallowedoneofthementostandonhishead,somethinghe'dneverbeentrainedtodo.Then,usinghistailtokeepsteady,Orkyletthekeeperreachupandreleasethe420-poundbabysothatitcouldslideintothewaterwithinreachofhelp.PrimateShellGameSometimesevidenceofintelligencecanbeseeninattemptstodeceive.ZookeeperHelenShewmanofSeattle'sWoodlandParkZoorecallsthatonedayshedroppedanorangethroughafeedingholeforMelati,anorangutan.Insteadofmovingawaytogetit,MelatilookedShewmanintheeyeandheldoutherhand.Thinkingtheorangemusthaverolledoffsomewhereinaccessible,Shewmangaveheranotherone.ButwhenMelatimovedoff,Shewmannoticedtheoriginalorangewashiddeninherotherhand.Towan,thecolony'sdominantmale,watchedthiswholetrick,andthenextdayhe,too,lookedShewmanintheeyeandpretendedthathehadnotyetreceivedanorange.“Areyousureyoudon'thaveone?”Shewmanasked.Hecontinuedtoholdhergazesteadilyandheldouthishand.Givingin,shegavehimanotherone,thensawthathehadbeenhidinghisorangeunderneathhisfoot.Whatisintelligenceanyway?Iflifeisaboutsurvivalofaspecies—andintelligenceismeanttoservethatsurvival—thenwecan'tcomparewithpea-brainedseaturtles,whichwereherelongbeforeusandsurvivedthedisasterthatwipedoutthedinosaurs.Still,itiscomfortingtorealizethatotherspeciesbesidesourowncanstandbackandassesstheworldaroundthem,eveniftheirhorizonsaremorelimitedthanours.intelligence:abilitytolearnandunderstand智力Docomputershaveanyintelligence?Don'tactlikesuchanidiot—useyourintelligence,(intelligenta.Withinafewyearsanintelligentcomputerwillcertainlybeanimportanttoolfordoctors.Evenifyouareintelligent,youcan'tbeanexcellentstudentwithoutworkinghard.)controversy:alotofdiscussionandargumentaboutsth.,ofteninvolvingstrongfeelingsofangerordisapproval(followedbyoverorabout)争论;争议Anewcontroversyaroseregardingthepolitician'sfinances.Thereisafierce/bitter/heatedcontroversyoverthepublishingofhisbook.surround:beorgoallaround(sth.orsb.)围绕;包围Thevillagewassurroundedbydesert.Sothevillagershadtoabandonitandmovetootherareas.Theshellsurrou