TheBrillianceoftheBirds..doc

The Brilliance of the Birds 鸟类的智慧 What are the most intelligent creatures on the planet? Humans come first. After Homo sapiens, most people might answer chimpanzees, and then maybe dogs and dolphins. But what about birds? The science writer?Jennifer Ackerman?offers a lyrical testimony to the wonders of avian intelligence in her new book, “The Genius of Birds.” There have long been hints of bird smarts, and it’s become an active field of scientific inquiry, and Ackerman serves as tour guide. She answered questions from Mind Matters editor?Gareth Cook. 地球上最聪明的生物是什么呢？答案非人类莫属。在最聪明生物排行榜上，智人（注：现代人的学名）被列为首位，其次是多数人认为的黑猩猩，接下来也许轮到狗和海豚了。然而，鸟类排在第几位呢？科普作家珍妮弗·阿克曼在其新书《鸟类的天才智商》中，将鸟类智慧的神奇之处娓娓道来。长久以来，种种迹象都表明了鸟类智慧的存在，它也成为了科学探索中的热门研究领域，而阿克曼正是此项研究的引领者。她回答了来自《心智问题》编辑加雷斯·库克的一系列问题。 What drew you to birds? 是什么吸引你研究鸟类的？ I’ve watched birds for most of my life. I admire all the usual things about them. Their plumage and song. Their intense way of living. Their flight. I also admire their resourcefulness and pluck. I’ve always been intrigued by their smart behavior, whether learned or innate. 我一生中的大部分时间都用来观察鸟类。它们日常生活中的一切都令我着迷：那些色彩艳丽的羽毛，动人心弦的吟唱，精力旺盛的生活，还有翱翔天际的快乐。我也很欣赏它们的机智和勇气，而且一直好奇这些聪明行为的缘由，无论这些行为是与生俱来还是后天使然。 I grew up in Washington, D.C. — the second youngest in a gaggle of five girls. My parents had precious little time for one-on-one. Especially my dad, who had a demanding government job. So when he asked me if I wanted to go bird watching with him one spring morning when I was seven or eight, I jumped at the chance. It was magical, going out in the dark woods along the CO canal and listening for bird song. My father had learned his calls and songs in Boy Scout camp from an expert, an elderly Greek man named Apollo, so he was pretty good at identifying birds, even the shy woodland species. Eventually he gave me my own copy of?Peterson’s Field Guide, along with a small pair of binoculars. I’ve loved birds ever since. 我在华盛顿特区长大，家里的五个姐妹中我排行老三。父母照顾每个孩子的时间是十分有限的，尤其父亲还任职于要求严格的政府部门。所以，在我七八岁