鸽子也能当摄影师？是的，你没看错，它们在100多年前就在空中拍照了。
The Pigeon Photographer
by Starre Vartan
The first images taken of the Earth from above were taken by balloons and kites. But next on the list were pigeons. Yes, those birds that urban-dwellers love to hate were sent to the skies, where they captured views few had seen before.
image /ˈɪmɪdʒ/ n. 图片
balloon /bəˈluːn/ n. 气球（这里指热气球）
kite /kaɪt/ n. 风筝
pigeon /ˈpɪdʒən/ n. 鸽子、信鸽
urban /ˈɜːb(ə)n/ adj. 城市的
dweller /ˈdwelə(r)/ n. 居民、居住者
capture /ˈkæptʃə(r)/ v. 拍照、拍摄
German inventor Julius Neubronner began working with pigeons in 1907. He had already been working with homing pigeons to deliver the medications he mixed up for his patients, and he knew what the birds were capable of. He designed a lightweight breast harness fitted on the birds that was attached to a two-lens camera.
inventor /ɪnˈventə(r)/ n. 发明家（由invent加上表示人的后缀-or）
homing pigeon 赛鸽（从任何地方都能找路回家的鸽子）
deliver /dɪˈlɪvə(r)/ v. 递送
medication /ˌmedɪˈkeɪʃ(ə)n/ n. 药物
capable /ˈkeɪpəb(ə)l/ adj. 有能力的
lightweight /ˈlaɪtweɪt/ adj. 重量轻的（由light和weight组成）
harness /ˈhɑːnəs/ n. （起固定作用的）背带
fit /fɪt/ v. 安置、适配
attach /əˈtætʃ/ v. 固定、附着
lens /lenz/ n. 镜头、透镜
The pigeons were trained to carry the cameras, which weighed from 30 to 75 grams, which was equivalent to the weight of the medications they had previously carried.
equivalent /ɪˈkwɪv(ə)l(ə)nt/ adj. 相等的、等同的
Before setting the birds free, Neubronner would inflate the left-hand chamber. The air would slowly escape as the bird took off into the sky, and when it was deflated, it would activate a piston（活塞） to trigger the shutter to snap a picture – basically this was like a mechanical version of a camera timer anyone of us might use today.
inflate /ɪnˈfleɪt/ v. 充气、使膨胀
chamber /ˈtʃeɪmbə(r)/ n. 腔、空腔
take off 起飞
deflate /dɪˈfleɪt/ v. 放气、瘪下来
activate /ˈæktɪveɪt/ v. 激活（由active加后缀-ate变成动词）
trigger /ˈtrɪɡə(r)/ v. 触发、引发
shutter /ˈʃʌtə(r)/ n. 快门
snap /snæp/ v. 拍照、抓拍
basically /ˈbeɪsɪk(ə)li/ adv. 基本上、大体上
mechanical /məˈkænɪk(ə)l/ adj. 机械的、机械驱动的
version /ˈvɜːʃ(ə)n/ n. 版本、变体
timer /ˈtaɪmə(r)/ n. 定时器
The pigeons were taken about 100 kilometers away from home, then released. Since the birds didn't want to carry their load any further than they had to, they would make a beeline for home, flying at heights of anywhere from 45 to 90 meters.
release /rɪˈliːs/ v. 释放
load /ləʊd/ n. 负载
make a beeline /ˈbiːlaɪn/ for something 直奔某物而去
The photos were a sensation, and Neubronner became famous, especially after he did public demonstrations of his bird-cameras at the 1909 International Photographic Exhibition in Dresden and the 1909 International Aviation Exhibition in Frankfurt. Interested spectators could watch the birds arrive, and wait as picture postcards were made from the images they brought back of their city from that very day.
sensation /senˈseɪʃ(ə)n/ n. 轰动一时的东西
demonstration /ˌdemənˈstreɪʃ(ə)n/ n. 演示、示范（由demonstrate加后缀-ion变成名词）
photographic /ˌfəʊtəˈɡræfɪk/ adj. 照相的（由photograph加后缀-ic变成形容词）
exhibition /ˌeksɪˈbɪʃ(ə)n/ n. 展览
aviation /ˌeɪviˈeɪʃ(ə)n/ n. 航空
spectator /spekˈteɪtə(r)/ n. 旁观者、观众
very /ˈveri/ adj. 恰好是（表示强调）
Neubronner also invented a portable, horse-drawn dovecote（鸽舍） on wheels that could be used as he moved from one place to another. It had an attached darkroom so photos could be developed on the spot.
portable /ˈpɔːtəb(ə)l/ adj. 可移动的、便携的
darkroom /ˈdɑːkruːm/ n. （冲洗胶片的）暗房（由dark和room组成）
on the spot 当场
The inventor went on to develop nine different versions of the camera, including a panoramic（广角的） one. While he rose to fame for his creative invention, it was never the success he intended. Though the idea was tested prior to World War I in military contexts (and the state acquired his invention), it wasn't used much, especially as aviation photography gained ground.
fame /feɪm/ n. 名声、名气（rise to fame就是变得有名）
creative /kriːˈeɪtɪv/ adj. 创造性的、有创意的（由create加后缀-ive变成形容词）
prior /praɪə(r)/ to 在…之前
military /ˈmɪlɪt(ə)ri/ adj. 军用的、军事的
context /ˈkɒntekst/ n. 情境、情况
state /steɪt/ n. 国家、政府
acquire /əˈkwaɪə(r)/ v. 获得、购得
photography /fəˈtɒɡrəfi/ n. 摄影、照相术
gain ground 变得更流行、变得更成功
Pigeon post was used frequently during war time and even during battles, however, so Neubronner's mobile dovecote was found valuable in that context. And there are unverified（未经证实的） reports that pigeon photography may have been used in World War II in specific circumstances.
frequently /ˈfriːkw(ə)ntli/ adv. 频繁地（由frequent加后缀-ly变成副词）
battle /ˈbæt(ə)l/ n. 战役、战斗
mobile /ˈməʊbaɪl/ adj. 可移动的
specific /spəˈsɪfɪk/ adj. 特定的
circumstance /ˈsɜːkəmstɑːns/ n. 情况、情形
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