地球海洋中十大最強生物(1)

The five oceans contain some of the greatest mysteries on the planet, and scientists estimate that nearly two-thirds of marine life remain completely unknown to us. Marine life is incredibly diverse and sometimes feels as old as time, and some of the oldest animals in existence live in the sea. The oceans are home to some of the largest and most powerful animals on Earth. They come from many different groups, too. Some are mammals, some are reptiles and some are fish. Some species have been seriously studied by scientists both in nature reserves and in their natural habitats, but other species remain elusive and even mysterious. The wonders of the sea have been immortalized in literature and Hollywood films, yet they are still rarely portrayed accurately. Films and novels often make these powerful creatures out to be enormous, bloodthirsty monsters when in reality, most of these species would probably rather that humans left them alone and respected their is a list of ten of the strongest animals in the our miraculous seas:

五大洋孕育着地球上最神奇的動物，科學家預測，大約有2/3的海洋生物仍不爲人所知。海洋生物種類繁多，這些生物可能自古就有，而有些最古老的生物目前仍舊生活在海洋之中。海洋是地球上某些體型上最爲巨大，力量上最爲強大的動物們的棲息地。它們隸屬於不同的類別。它們中有哺乳動物、爬行動物和魚類等。科學家已在自然保護區和生物的棲息地對一些動物做過深入研究。但還有一些動物種類仍很神祕，不爲人類所知。文學和好萊塢影視已使海洋奇觀成爲經典，但它們的刻畫往往存在瑕疵。影視、書籍經常把這些巨型生物描述成巨大、嗜血的猛獸。但現實是，它們寧願人類不去幹擾它們的生活，尊重它們的棲息地。以下是海洋十強動物榜：

er Whales

10.虎鯨

Killer whales, also known as orcas, will prey on almost any animal they find either in the sea or even in the air over the water. Killer whales are the largest species of the dolphin family, and they can weigh up to six tons and grow to almost 32 feet long. Their size makes them the largest warm-blooded animal predator currently in existence. Killer whales have unique teeth which can grow up to four inches long. Killer whales can live in many sea environments including oceans, seas and coastal areas. They travel long distances, and they can live almost anywhere, from near the equator to the most chilly northern waters. These beautiful creatures also live in groups called pods. The pods have a social hierarchy, but despite this, the killer whales also form bonds between one another. Killer whales are considered to be at the top of their food chain because they have no predators except for humans. A killer whale's teeth are very large, they are a unique shape and their teeth often number between 40-56 in total. A killer whale does not chew its food. Instead, because of the unique makeup of the teeth, an orca uses its teeth to tear it into small pieces before swallowing.

虎鯨，也叫逆戟鯨，無論是水中游行還是掠過水麪飛行的動物，幾乎都會成爲它們的盤中餐。虎鯨在海豚科動物中體型最大，體重重達6噸，體長長達32英尺。因爲體型大，它們成了現存最大的恆溫食肉動物。虎鯨牙齒特殊，長達4英寸。虎鯨可在不同水域生存，如海洋，或沿海地區。它們遊行距離長，適應能力強——不論是炎熱赤道海域，還是最冷的極地海域，都有它們的身影。虎鯨羣居，具有社會等級，但除社羣外，它們還會和其他虎鯨結對。除人類外，虎鯨別無天敵，因此它們被視爲食物鏈頂端的動物。虎鯨牙齒巨大，形狀奇特，數量通常在40到56顆不等。它們根本就不咀嚼獵物，而是在吞食前，用特殊的牙齒將食物撕成小塊兒。

Despite their name, killer whales do not attack humans. Killer whales will eat seals, porpoises, sea lions and even small whales and sharks. In one instance, a killer whale was caught holding a shark upside-down and forcing it to suffocate. Because they are top predators, killer whales may have long life spans. Provided they survive the first six months of their life, a female may live 46 to 50 years and a male may live up to 38 years old.

虎鯨名兒雖兇狠，卻不會攻擊人類；但它們會捕食海豹、海豚、海獅甚至幼鯨和鯊魚等。有次，我們看到一頭虎鯨張開巨盆大口把一隻鯊魚一口吞下，含在嘴裏使其窒息而亡。因爲虎鯨高居食物鏈頂端，它們的壽命一般會很長。只要平安度過前6個月，雌鯨可活46到50年，雄鯨可活38年之久。

t White Sharks

9.大白鯊

Great White Sharks are one of the most famous creatures in the sea thanks to Hollywood movies, such as “Jaws.” Unlike whales, sharks are fish, not mammals. They are also definitely carnivorous. Great white sharks can grow up 15 or 20 feet in length and weigh 5,000 pounds or more, making them the largest predatory fish in the sea. Despite their size, they can swim up to 15 miles per hour and even breach (throw themselves out of the water). Great White Sharks have one of the strongest bites of all fish, and their teeth cut through flesh like a knife through warm butter. Their bite force is said to be one ton per square inch. It is their teeth that make their bites so powerful and devastating, as they have up to 300 serrated triangle shaped teeth in several rows.

因爲好萊塢電影題材經常涉及大白鯊，如《大白鯊》，大白鯊儼然成了海洋生物明星。鯊魚不是哺乳動物，而是魚類，這與哺乳動物鯨不同，但它們也是肉食動物。大白鯊體長可達15到20英尺長，重達5000英鎊，甚至更重，這讓它們成了海洋中最大的捕食性魚類。它們體型雖大， 但卻可游出15英里/時的驕績，甚至躍出水面（就像自己把自己扔出水面）。大白鯊的咬合力在魚類中獨一無二，它們吃肉時，牙齒就像切軟化黃油的刀子。鯊魚的咬合力據說高達1噸/英寸。大白鯊的牙齒多達300顆，呈三角形，鋸齒狀，分列幾排；正是有了這些牙齒，它們的咬合力才如此之大，無堅不摧。

Great white sharks are warm blooded, which allows them to live in different water temperatures like the coastal regions of Australia, South Africa, California and the northern United States. Their warm blood and their power allows them to swim throughout the water, and it is not unusual to find them both on the surface and at depths up to 820 feet. Great white sharks live in small groups called a school, but they do not hunt together. These sharks know how powerful they are, as they slap each other to avoid serious fights because one bite from another shark can do serious permanent damage that they would rather avoid. The power and the adaptability of a great white shark can allow it to live up to 70 years, which is longer than the average lifespans of some humans.

大白鯊是恆溫動物，可以生活在不同溫度水域，從澳大利亞沿海地區到南非，從加利福尼亞到美國北部等地區都有它們的身影。由於是恆溫動物，體力又充沛，大白鯊能在水裏自由穿梭，既可以在水面看到它們的身影，也可以在820英尺深的水底看到它們。大白鯊屬羣居魚類，但它們不會集體出行獵食。它們深知自己的傷害力之強，所以它們只是互相輕輕碰觸，避免激烈打鬥，以免給對方造成永久性傷害。由於大白鯊捕食和適應能力強，它們的壽命比一些人的壽命還長，能活70年之久。

Great white sharks are often branded as killers of humans, but they perpetrate only around 10 attacks a year and not all attacks are fatal. In some cases, the shark gives a warning bite before letting go of the human.

大白鯊素以“人類殺手”聞名，但它們每年攻擊人類事件僅10起左右，有些還未造成致命傷害。有時，大白鯊張開血盆巨口，僅僅是發出警告，讓人類離開。

t Pacific Octopus

8.太平洋巨型章魚

The giant pacific octopus is a carnivorous octopus that can grow from 10 to 16 feet long and weigh up to 100 pounds. It is the biggest octopus of the species with the biggest giant pacific octopus ever recorded measuring at 30 feet across and weighing over 600 pounds. A giant pacific octopus usually feasts on shrimp, clams, and lobsters, but they are strong enough to hunt and eat sharks, too They use their mouths to puncture and tear flesh before swallowing their food.

太平洋巨型章魚屬食肉型章魚， 體長可達10-16英尺， 體重可達100英磅。記錄在案的最大的太平洋巨型章魚有30英尺寬、600多英磅重。通常情況下，太平洋巨型章魚以蝦、蛤蜊和龍蝦爲食，但同時它們也有能力捕食鯊魚。通常它們會用嘴咬穿獵物， 將其撕開，然後再加以吞嚥。

An octopus's tentacles and teeth are strong, but what is really fascinating is the strength of its suckers. An octopus's suckers can move independently of the tentacles and even “taste” the water around them. Even though the tissue that an octopus's suckers are made of resembles the same softness of jellyfish jelly, they are able to latch on to many different surfaces and not let go, even on uneven underwater surfaces. Scientists have tried to mimic an octopus's suckers, but so far they have never been able to replicate the ones found in nature. Yet, the octopus's suckers are the prototype for what may be a whole new generation of attachment devices.

章魚的觸手和牙齒非常厲害，但是真正讓人爲之着迷的是吸盤的吸力。它的吸盤能在觸手上自由移動，甚至可以感知周圍的海水。章魚的吸盤組織同水母的膠狀物一樣柔軟，但是它們能吸住各種表面不“撒手”，甚至是水下不平坦的表面。科學家們試圖仿製出章魚吸盤，但到目前爲止它們還無法複製出同真正的章魚吸盤一樣威力的仿製品。但是，章魚吸盤可能就是如今吸盤器的原型。

Octopuses are very intelligent creatures. In labs, they have been taught how to mimic another octopus and even how to solve mazes. In the wild, they are known for tormenting their neighbors in the sea. They can be found juggling crabs and throwing things at other sea creatures. Octopuses have even been taught how to open a jar, and thankfully, the scientists that taught them will probably struggle with a pickle jar again.

章魚非常聰明。科學家在實驗室中教它們模仿其他章魚甚至是走迷宮。在大海里，它們也是讓其他生物“傷腦筋”的“問題鄰居”。它們會戲耍螃蟹，也會向其他海洋生物扔東西。再比如，那些研究它們的科學家不必再爲又打不開鹹菜罐頭而苦惱了，因爲它們的章魚還學習過如何開罐頭。

校對：莊粉玲 編輯：橘子