英倫翻譯社/ Trsmaster

In the animal kingdom, different kinds of animals have evolved ways to avoid predators. Gazelles can run fast, and skunks spray predators with something that smells bad. Then there are chameleons that change color to look like part of the background. However, scientists say that the need to hide is not the biggest reason that chameleons developed the ability to change colors.

University of Melbourne’s Dr. Devi Stuart-Fox says that “chameleons evolved color change for signaling.” For example, a male chameleon will put on his brightest colors to show a female that he is ready for love. To tell another male to back off, a chameleon will turn bright red. Aside from changing colors to communicate, a chameleon might also change to help keep its body temperature comfortable. When the test chameleons were shown predators, though, their color changes were not as big.

It seems that chameleons usually use color not to hide but to communicate with other chameleons. Now that we realize this, we may soon be able to start eavesdropping on these messages!

在動物王國中，不同種類的動物都演化出各種方式來躲避掠食者。瞪羚可以跑得飛快，臭鼬則會向掠食者噴射味道難聞的東西。還有會改變顏色、讓自己看起來與背景融為一體的變色龍。然而，科學家說藏匿的需求並不是變色龍發展出變色能力的最大原因。

墨爾本大學的戴維．史特瓦–福克斯教授說：「變色龍演化出變色能力是為了發出信號」。舉例來說，一隻雄性變色龍會換上最亮眼的顏色來向雌性變色龍傳達情意。為了要叫另一隻雄性變色龍退開，變色龍則會變成亮紅色。除了改變顏色來傳遞訊息外，變色龍可能也會變色以助於維持體溫舒適。不過將掠食者擺在受測的變色龍前面時，顏色改變的程度就沒那麼大。

看來變色龍改變顏色通常不是為了藏匿，而是為了與其他變色龍溝通交流。既然我們了解了這一點，我們可能很快就可以開始偷聽這些訊息了！

文章出處：Live互動英語雜誌

Every October, in windows of homes across North America, glowing faces appear. Some have scary grins, and others just look funny, but all of them are carved from pumpkins and are called jack-o’-lanterns.

Jack-o’-lanterns didn’t start out being carved from pumpkins. They were first made in Great Britain and Ireland long before people brought back pumpkins from the Americas. Back then, people carved scary faces onto turnips and put them outside their homes to keep spirits away. When these people moved to the Americas, they started using pumpkins for the jack-o’-lanterns because they were larger and easier to carve.

Pumpkins are used for a lot more than just Halloween decorations. They are good for your health, too! The chemical that makes pumpkins orange helps fight against cancer and is useful for keeping your eyes healthy. The meat of the pumpkin is also low in fat, making it great for people who are worried about their weight. Pumpkin seeds are high in vitamins and can protect your bones. It looks like pumpkins pack a health punch for your whole body!

每年十月，北美洲家家戶戶的窗前都會出現閃閃發光的臉孔。有些露出嚇人的笑臉，有些則是滑稽可笑，不過它們全都是用南瓜刻出來的，被稱為空心南瓜燈。

空心南瓜燈一開始並不是用南瓜來刻的。最初早在人們從美洲帶回南瓜之前，在英國和愛爾蘭就有人製作空心南瓜燈了。回顧當時，人們在蕪菁上刻出嚇人的臉孔並把它們放在家門外以驅趕幽靈。當這些人移居美洲後，他們開始用南瓜來製作空心南瓜燈，因為南瓜較大且比較容易雕刻。

南瓜的用途很多，不只是作為萬聖節的裝飾品而已。它們對健康也很有益！讓南瓜呈現橘色的化學物質有助於抗癌且對維持眼睛健康很有用。南瓜果肉的脂肪含量也很低，使之很適合擔心體重問題的人來食用。南瓜子富含維他命，而且可以保護骨骼。看來南瓜對你全身的健康都大有幫助！

文章出處：Live互動英語雜誌

Before a trip, it’s always a good idea to research the place you are visiting to find out about the local money and social customs. If you really want to make your travels easier, though, don’t forget one important question: Should you tip?

In the United States, most people leave a small amount of money for the waiter at the end of a restaurant meal. This isn’t the custom in all countries, though. In France and Italy, a service charge is usually already included on your bill, so tipping is not necessary. In other countries where you don’t see a service charge, it’s thoughtful to leave at least 10 percent extra for a job well done. In Japan and New Zealand, tips are rarely expected and sometimes not appreciated. If you offer one and it is refused, take the waiter at his word and put your money away.

The question of whether to tip at restaurants can be a tourist’s nightmare. It can help to look around at the other tables. If you see cash lying on a table after customers leave, that means that others are tipping, and you should, too. 

在旅行前，研究一下你要去的地方以了解當地錢幣和社會風俗習慣總不失為一個好主意。不過，如果你真的想要讓旅行更輕鬆一點，別忘記一個重要的問題：你該給小費嗎？

在美國，大部分人在餐廳用餐完畢時會留一小筆錢給服務生。不過這不是所有國家都有的慣例。在法國和義大利，服務費通常已經包含在你的帳單金額內，所以沒有必要給小費。在其他你沒看到有收服務費的國家，為好的服務另外留至少一成的費用是貼心的作法。在日本和紐西蘭，很少人會期待收到小費，有時候甚至不會感激。如果你給小費被拒絕，就相信服務生的話，把你的錢收起來吧。

在餐廳要不要給小費的問題可能會成為觀光客的惡夢。看看四周其他桌的做法會有幫助。如果你看到客人離開後桌上有放現金，那就表示其他人有給小費，而你也應該要給。

文章出處：Live互動英語雜誌

In the movie 2012, life on Earth gets destroyed right before our eyes. Earthquakes bring down buildings, volcanoes erupt, and tsunamis swallow major cities. During these events, the main character, Jackson, realizes something: the Maya were right. The world ends on December 21, 2012, just as they had predicted with their calendar centuries ago.

Although some people believe in this doomsday idea, researchers say that it is false. NASA scientist Don Yeomans points out that this date marks only the end of a cycle of the Maya calendar. In fact, wall writings discovered recently in Xultun, Guatemala, show that the Maya calendar goes beyond the year AD 3500. 

The Maya were experts at making calendars, but they also had other advanced skills. Their civilization, centered in modern-day Central America, lasted for more than 2,000 years. At their cultural height, around AD 600, they were tracking planets across the sky. They had their own writing system and used the juice of plants to make rubber balls for sports games. They were also able to build huge stone temples and palaces without the help of wheels or metal tools.

在《二○一二》這部電影中，地球上的生命就在我們眼前被摧毀。地震震倒了建築物、火山爆發，海嘯吞沒了主要城市。當這些事件發生時，主角傑克森瞭解到一件事：瑪雅人說對了。世界會在二○一二年的十二月二十一日終結，正如同他們幾世紀前以其曆法所預測的一樣。

雖然有些人相信這種末日說法，但研究員表示這不是真的。美國國家航空暨太空總署的科學家唐．尤曼斯指出，這個日期僅意味著瑪雅曆法中一個循環的結束。事實上，最近在瓜地馬拉的序頓地區發現的壁畫文字顯示瑪雅曆法其實延續到西元三五○○年之後。

瑪雅人是編製曆法的專家，但他們還有其他的先進技術。他們的文明主要集中在今日的中美洲地區，曾持續超過兩千年之久。在他們文化的鼎盛時期，時值西元六○○年前後，他們可以追蹤各行星在天空運行的軌跡。他們有自己的書寫系統，並用植物的汁液來製作運動比賽用的橡膠球。他們沒有輪子或金屬器具的協助也能夠建造巨大的石廟和宮殿。

文章出處：Live互動英語雜誌

Have you ever wondered why poinsettias are a part of the Christmas celebration? Stories say that this custom started long ago in Mexico. It was a tradition for all the people in one village, including the children, to give gifts to decorate their church on Christmas Eve.

One year, a girl named Maria felt heartbroken because she was too poor to buy a gift for the church, but then she heard the voice of an angel telling her not to be sad. The angel had seen the love in Maria's heart and told her to pick some weeds by the side of the road to give as a gift. Obeying the voice, Maria gathered the weeds and rushed to the church.

Maria placed her humble gift next to the more expensive ones and bowed her head. When she heard sounds of surprise from the other villagers, Maria looked up and saw that the top leaves of her weeds had turned bright red. They looked like beautiful red flowers that outshone the other gifts. Now, poinsettias are a Christmas reminder that a gift given in love is the most valuable gift of all.

你可曾納悶為什麼聖誕紅是慶祝聖誕節的元素之一？傳說這個習俗是很久以前從墨西哥開始的。在某個村莊有個習俗，每逢聖誕夜，所有村民，包括小孩，都會贈送禮物來裝飾教堂。

有一年，一個名叫瑪莉亞的女孩因為太窮，沒有錢買禮物送給教堂而傷心欲絕，但就在那時她聽到一個天使的聲音告訴她不要難過。天使看到了瑪莉亞心中的愛，告訴她去採些路邊的野草送給教堂當禮物。瑪莉亞聽從聲音的吩咐，採集了野草，然後奔向教堂。

瑪莉亞將她不起眼的禮物放在比較昂貴的禮物旁邊，並低頭致意。當瑪莉亞聽到其他村民的驚呼聲時，她抬頭一望，看見野草最上面的葉子已經變成鮮紅色。它們看起來像美麗的紅花，比其他禮物更為出色。而今，聖誕紅在聖誕節時提醒我們：充滿愛的禮物是所有禮物中最珍貴的。

文章出處：Live互動英語雜誌