?A dinosaur of colorful feathers

By Pete Musto/覃云華（譯）

◆語篇導讀

古生物學家最近發掘了一個幾乎完整的彩虹恐龍化石，推測它的羽毛鮮艷、寬大，科學家們給它命名為“彩虹恐龍”，這種恐龍大約生活在1.61億年前的侏羅紀時期。你想知道這種恐龍的更多的情況嗎？

Scientists have recently announced the discovery of a small,bird-like dinosaur from China which had unusual,colorful feathers.

The scientists named the dinosaur Caihong,which were discovered having the nearly complete and almosttotally undamaged fossilin Hebei Province.

The structures of Caihong in the fossil suggest that the creature had wide,shiny feathers;and this kind of colorful dinosaur lived 161 million years ago during the Jurassic Period of earth’s history.Caihong had many bird-like qualities.It was two-legged and had a long,small head with sharp teeth,and it had boney crests above its eyes,and it hunted other smaller animals for food,but researchers doubt that it could actually fly.

Scientists say many dinosaurs had feathers.Because birds evolved from small feathered dinosaurs near the end of the Jurassic Period.Its feathers could have served the purpose of gaining the attention of sexual partners while also providing protection from heat and cold.

Caihong had two kinds of feathers.It is also the earliest-known creature with feathers that did not have the same shape on both sides.This is a physical quality that modern birds have and use to direct themselves while flying.

Xu Xing,a paleontologist with the Chinese Academy of Sciences,said,“It is similar to some early birds such as Archaeopteryx.”Then,he added,“To be honest,I am not sure what function the feathers have,and I don’t think that you can completely exclude the possibility that the feathers helped the animal to fly in the air.”

◆詞語積淀

announce/?'na?ns/v.宣布；宣告；預示

undamaged/?n'd?mId?d/adj.未損壞的；未受傷害的

fossil/'f?sl/n.化石；思想僵化的人

crest/krest/n.鳥冠；頂峰

evolve/i'v?lv/v.（使）逐步發展；進化

paleontologist/p?lI?n't?l?d?Ist/n.古生物學者

Archaeopteryx/,ɑ?ki'?pterIks/n.始祖鳥

◆典句賞析

1.The structures of Caihong in the fossil suggest that the creature had wide,shiny feathers.彩虹恐龍的化石結構表明這種生物擁有寬大、靚麗的羽毛。

這是一個復合句，that引導的是賓語從句。在口語中，引導賓語從句的連詞that可以省略。本句中的主句謂語動詞是一般現在時態，因此從句用了所需要的時態——一般過去時態；the structures of可以視為一個固定的詞組，意為“……的結構”。

【即時嘗試】他們相信計算機終將代替人類。

2.Its feathers could have served the purpose of gaining the attention of sexual partners while also providing protection from heat and cold.它的羽毛可能是為了吸引異性關注，同時可以保暖隔熱。

while doing是一種省略形式，相當于while sb./sth.be doing。當while引導狀語從句時，若主從句中的主語相同，或者主語為it，從句的謂語動詞又含有be的某種形式時，可以把狀語從句的主語和be動詞一起省略；the purpose of是固定詞組，意為“……的目的”。

【即時嘗試】吃飯時，安靜地吃東西并且吃完自己餐盤里的所有食物是禮貌的行為。

3.It is also the earliest-known creature with feathers that did not have the same shape on both sides.它同樣是已知最早的兩側羽毛具有不對稱結構的生物。

此句為含that引導的定語從句的復合句。關系詞that指物時，可以和which互換。但當先行詞為all、much、little、few、something、anything、everything、nothing 或被all、any、every、no、some等修飾時，只能用that。

【即時嘗試】請找一間足夠大的能住下我們全體的房間。

譯文助讀

近日，科學家宣布發現了一種來自中國的小型鳥類恐龍，有著異常炫目的彩色羽毛。

科學家將這些在中國河北省發現的幾乎完好無損的恐龍化石命名中的恐龍為“彩虹恐龍”。

這種存活于1.61億年前的侏羅紀時期的彩虹恐龍的化石結構表明這種生物擁有寬大、靚麗的羽毛。“彩虹恐龍”具有多種鳥類特質，它有兩條腿，頭部細長、牙齒鋒利。它的眼睛上方有如骨的鳥冠，靠捕捉其他小動物為生，但是研究人員懷疑它是否真的能飛。

科學家表示，很多恐龍都有羽毛。因為鳥類是由侏羅紀時期末期的有羽毛的小型恐龍演化而來的。它的羽毛可能是為了吸引異性關注，同時可以保暖隔熱。

“彩虹恐龍”有兩種羽毛；它同樣是已知最早的兩側羽毛具有不對稱結構的生物。用不對稱結構平衡飛行是現代鳥類具備的飛行時掌控方向的物理特性。

中國科學院的一名古生物學家徐星說：“這種恐龍與始祖鳥等早期鳥類相似。”徐星還表示：“老實說，我不清楚羽毛的具體功能，我認為你不能完全排除羽毛用來幫助飛行的可能性”。