Bats

Not all sounds made by animals serve as language, and we have only to turn to that extraordinary discovery of echo-location in bats to see a case in which the voice plays a strictly utilitarian role.

To get a full appreciation of what this means we must turn first to some recent human inventions. Everyone knows that if he shouts in the vicinity of a wall or a mountainside, an echo will come back. The further off this solid obstruction the longer time will elapse for the return of the echo. A sound made by tapping on the hull of a ship will be reflected from the sea bottom, and by measuring the time interval between the taps and the receipt of the echoes the depth of the sea at that point can be calculated. So was born the echo-sounding apparatus, now in general use in ships. Every solid object will reflect a sound, varying according to the size and nature of the object. A shoal of fish will do this. So it is a comparatively simple step from locating the sea bottom to locating a shoal of fish. With experience, and with improved apparatus, it is now possible not only to locate a shoal but to tell if it is herring, cod, or other well-known fish, by the pattern of its echo.

A few years ago it was found that certain bats emit squeaks and by receiving the echoes they could locate and steer clear of obstacles–or locate flying insects on which they feed. This echo-location in bats is often compared with radar, the principle of which is similar.

词汇

utilitarian / juːˌtɪlɪˈtɛərɪən / objects and buildings are designed to be useful rather than attractive. (物体、建筑等) 实用的
vicinity / vɪˈsɪnɪtɪ / If something is in the vicinity of a particular place, it is near it. (在…) 附近
elapse / ɪˈlæps / When time elapses, it passes. (时间) 流逝
tap / tæp / If you tap something, you hit it with a quick light blow or a series of quick light blows. 轻敲
apparatus / ˌæpəˈreɪtəs / the equipment, such as tools and machines, which is used to do a particular job or activity. 设备
shoal / ʃəʊl / A shoal of fish is a large group of them swimming together. 鱼群
herring / ˈhɛrɪŋ / A herring is a long silver-coloured fish. Herring live in large groups in the ocean. 鲱 (鱼)
cod / kɒd / Cod are a type of large edible fish. 鳕鱼
emit / ɪˈmɪt / To emit a sound or noise means to produce it. 发出 (声音或噪音)
squeak / skwiːk / If something or someone squeaks, they make a short, high-pitched sound. 发出短而尖的声音
steer / stɪə / If you steer clear of someone or something, you deliberately avoid them. 有意避开某人/某物

Trading standards

Chickens slaughtered in the United States, claim officials in Brussels, are not fit to grace European tables. No, say the Americans: our fowl are fine, we simply clean them in a different way. These days, it is differences in national regulations, far more than tariffs, that put sand in the wheels of trade between rich countries. It is not just farmers who are complaining . An electric razor that meets the European Union’s safety standards must be approved by American testers before it can be sold in the United States, and an American-made dialysis machine needs the EU’s okay before it hits the market in Europe.

As it happens, a razor that is safe in Europe is unlikely to electrocute Americans. So, ask businesses on both sides of the Atlantic, why have two lots of tests where one would do? Politicians agree, in principle, so America and the EU have been trying to reach a deal which would eliminate the need to double-test many products. They hope to finish in time for a trade summit between America and EU on May 28th. Although negotiators are optimistic, the details are complex enough that they may be hard-pressed to get a deal at all.

Why? One difficulty is to construct the agreements. The Americans would happily reach one accord on standards for medical devices and then hammer out different pacts covering, say, electronic goods and drug manufacturing. The EU-following fine continental traditions—wants agreement on general principles, which could be applied to many types of products and have extended to other countries.

词汇

slaughter / ˈslɔːtə / If large numbers of people or animals are slaughtered, they are killed in a way that is cruel or unnecessary. 屠杀
grace / ɡreɪs / If you say that something graces a place or a person, you mean that it makes them more attractive. 使优美
fowl / faʊl / A fowl is a bird, especially one that can be eaten as food, such as a duck or a chicken. 家禽
razor / ˈreɪzə / A razor is a tool that people use for shaving. 剃刀
dialysis / daɪˈælɪsɪs / Dialysis or kidney dialysis is a method of treating kidney failure by using a machine to remove waste material from the kidneys. (肾的)透析
electrocute / ɪˈlɛktrəˌkjuːt / If someone is electrocuted, they are accidentally killed or badly injured when they touch something connected to a source of electricity. 使…触电 (死亡或受伤)
hammer If people hammer out an agreement or treaty, they succeed in producing it after a long or difficult discussion. (经过长时间或艰难的讨论) 制定出
continental / ˌkɒntɪˈnɛntəl / Continental is used to refer to something that belongs to or relates to a continent. 大陆的

Royal espionage

Alfred the Great acted as his own spy, visiting Danish camps disguised as a minstrel. In those days wandering minstrels were welcome everywhere. They were not fighting men, and their harp was their passport. Alfred had learned many of their ballads in his youth, and could vary his programme with acrobatic tricks and simple conjuring.

While Alfred’s little army slowly began to gather at Athelney, the king himself set out to penetrate the camp of Guthrum, the commander of the Danish invaders. These had settled down for the winter at Chippenham: thither Alfred went. He noticed at once that discipline was slack: the Danes had the self-confidence of conquerors, and their security precautions were casual. They lived well, on the proceeds of raids on neighbouring regions. There they collected women as well as food and drink, and a life of ease had made them soft. Alfred stayed in the camp a week before he returned to Athelney. The force there assembled was trivial compared with the Danish horde. But Alfred had deduced that the Danes were no longer fit for prolonged battle : and that their commissariat had no organization, but depended on irregular raids.

So, faced with the Danish advance, Alfred did not risk open battle but harried the enemy. He was constantly on the move, drawing the Danes after him. His patrols halted the raiding parties: hunger assailed the Danish army. Now Alfred began a long series of skirmishes–and within a month the Danes had surrendered. The episode could reasonably serve as a unique epic of royal espionage!

词汇

espionage / ˈɛspɪəˌnɑːʒ / Espionage is the activity of finding out the political, military, or industrial secrets of your enemies or rivals by using spies. 间谍活动
minstrel / ˈmɪnstrəl / a minstrel was a singer and musician who travelled around
harp / hɑːp / You play the harp by plucking the strings with your fingers. 竖琴
ballad / ˈbæləd / A ballad is a long song or poem which tells a story in simple language. 叙事歌; 民间叙事诗
acrobatic / ˈækrəˌbætɪk / An acrobatic movement or display involves difficult physical acts such as jumping and balancing, especially in a circus. 杂技的
conjuring / ˈkʌndʒərɪŋ / the performance of tricks that appear to defy natural laws 魔术
penetrate / ˈpɛnɪˌtreɪt / If something or someone penetrates a physical object or an area, they succeed in getting into it or passing through it. 进入; 穿透
proceeds /‘prosidz/ The proceeds of an event or activity are the money that has been obtained from it. (某事件或活动带来的) 收入
raid / reɪd / When soldiers raid a place, they make a sudden armed attack against it, with the aim of causing damage rather than occupying any of the enemy’s land. 突袭
horde / hɔːd / If you describe a crowd of people as a horde, you mean that the crowd is very large and excited and, often, rather frightening or unpleasant. (通常指熙攘纷扰的) 一大群人
commissariat / ˌkɒmɪˈsɛərɪət / a government department before 1946 (前苏联)1946年前的政府部门 (Now called ministry)
harry / ˈhærɪ / If someone harries you, they keep bothering you or trying to get something from you. (不断)骚扰; 纠缠
patrol / pəˈtrəʊl / When soldiers, police, or guards patrol an area or building, they move around it in order to make sure that there is no trouble there. 在…巡逻
halt / hɔːlt / When a person or a vehicle halts or when something halts them, they stop moving in the direction they were going and stand still. 使停住; 停住
assail / əˈseɪl / If someone assails you, they attack you violently. 攻击
skirmish / ˈskɜːmɪʃ / A skirmish is a minor battle. 小规模战斗; 小冲突
epic / ˈɛpɪk / An epic is a long book, poem, or film whose story extends over a long period of time or tells of great events. 史诗; 史诗般的作品