在很多人看来，螃蟹算不上聪明的动物。但是科学研究表明，螃蟹有出色的空间学习能力，既会找路也能记路。（相比之下，人类当中还有很多“路盲”呢）
Crabs can learn to navigate mazes
by Brigit Katz
Spatial（跟空间有关的） learning, or the ability to find your way around an environment, has been well demonstrated in many vertebrates（脊椎动物） and a few invertebrates（无脊椎动物）, like honey bees. But a new study in Biology Letters highlights the cognitive abilities of an understudied species: the crab, which, as it turns out, is pretty good at completing mazes, too.
or /ɔː(r)/ conj. 也就是
demonstrate /ˈdemənstreɪt/ v. 展示、展现
highlight /ˈhaɪlaɪt/ v. 突出、使显著
cognitive /ˈkɒɡnətɪv/ adj. 认知的
understudied /ˌʌndəˈstʌdid/ adj. 未充分研究的（由study的过去分词加上表示不足的前缀under-）
species /ˈspiːʃiːz/ n. 物种（单数和复数都是species）
crab /kræb/ n. 蟹、螃蟹
turn out 原来是、结果是
maze /meɪz/ n. 迷宫
You might not expect that crabs would be able to perform this relatively complex task; after all, "crustaceans（甲壳动物） have a brain roughly 10 times less than the size of a bee's in terms of neuronal（神经元的） count," says study co-author Edward Pope, a marine biologist at Swansea University in Wales. But as the researchers note in the study, crustaceans live in dynamic underwater habitats, and "learning the location of, and routes to, resources should be an adaptive trait."★
perform /pəˈfɔːm/ v. 做（某事）、执行
relatively /ˈrelətɪvli/ adv. 相对而言地（由relative加后缀-ly变成副词）
complex /ˈkɒmpleks/ adj. 复杂的
task /tɑːsk/ n. 任务
roughly /ˈrʌfli/ adv. 大约
in terms of 就…来说
co- 前缀，意思是共同
marine /məˈriːn/ adj. 海洋的
biologist /baɪˈɒlədʒɪst/ n. 生物学家（由biology加上表示人的后缀-ist）
Wales /weɪlz/ n. 威尔士（是英国的一部分）
researcher /rɪˈsɜːtʃə(r)/ n. 研究者（由research加上表示人的后缀-er）
dynamic /daɪˈnæmɪk/ adj. 动态的、不断变化的
underwater /ˌʌndəˈwɔːtə(r)/ adj. 水下的（由under和water组成）
habitat /ˈhæbɪtæt/ n. 栖息地
resource /ˈriːsɔːs/ n. 资源
adaptive /əˈdæptɪv/ adj. 适应环境的（由adapt加后缀-ive变成形容词）
trait /treɪt/ n. 特点、特征
★ 这句话里location of和routes to是并列关系，一起连接后面的resources，相当于the location of resources and routes to resources
Mazes were a perfect way to put crabs' spatial learning to the test. The researchers popped 12 European shore crabs into an underwater maze, with a single crushed mussel（贻贝） – a tasty snack for crabs – at its end point. There was only one correct path through the maze, which required five changes in direction and included three dead ends.
put something to the test 检验某事物
pop /pɒp/ v. 快速放置
single /ˈsɪŋɡ(ə)l/ adj. 单个的
crush /krʌʃ/ v. 压碎
dead end 死胡同
The crabs were tested once a week for four weeks. All of the animals were initially able to complete the maze within 25 minutes, but during the first week, none made it to the end of the maze without taking wrong turns. As the experiment progressed, the crabs were able to complete the task more quickly, and with fewer mistakes. By week three, some of the crabs were able to navigate the maze without taking any wrong turns.
initially /ɪˈnɪʃ(ə)li/ adv. 最初、一开始（由initial加后缀-ly变成副词）
make it 成功做到
turn /tɜːn/ n. 转弯、改变方向
progress /prəˈɡres/ v. 逐步前进
navigate /ˈnævɪɡeɪt/ v. 找路
The smell of food was undoubtedly important in helping the crabs navigate the maze, so the team sought to determine how crabs would fare without olfactory（嗅觉的） cues to guide them. The researchers waited two weeks after the first phase of the experiment had concluded, then placed the crabs back into the maze – this time without a snack waiting at the end. All of the crabs zipped to the end of the maze within eight minutes, presumably expecting food, which suggests that they had "some memory of the maze," the study authors write.
undoubtedly /ʌnˈdaʊtɪdli/ adv. 毫无疑问地
seek /siːk/ v. 寻求（sought /sɔːt/ 是过去式）
determine /dɪˈtɜːmɪn/ v. 查明、确定
fare /feə(r)/ v. 表现（常用来表达“表现得好不好”）
cue /kjuː/ n. 信号、提示
phase /feɪz/ n. 阶段
conclude /kənˈkluːd/ v. 结束
place /pleɪs/ v. 放置
zip /zɪp/ v. 快速移动
presumably /prɪˈzjuːməbli/ adv. 想必是
suggest /səˈdʒest/ v. 暗示、表明
"We know that insects, especially ants and bees, have some impressive mental abilities but we haven't really looked for them in their aquatic（生活在水里的） counterparts," Pope says. "The fact that crabs show a similar ability to insects is, in some ways, not that surprising but it is great to be able to show it so clearly."
impressive /ɪmˈpresɪv/ adj. 令人赞叹的
mental /ˈment(ə)l/ adj. 思考的
counterpart /ˈkaʊntəpɑːt/ n. 对应的事物
in some ways 在某种程度上
Understanding crustaceans' spatial learning abilities helps scientists gauge（测量） how they might respond to the changing ocean environment. For instance, researchers can study how crabs' maze skills are affected by water that mimics（模仿） the warmer and more acidic oceans that are predicted to become a reality by 2100.
respond /rɪˈspɒnd/ v. 反应、做出回应
for instance /ˈɪnstəns/ = for example
affect /əˈfekt/ v. 影响
acidic /əˈsɪdɪk/ adj. 酸性的（由acid加后缀-ic变成形容词）
reality /rɪˈæləti/ n. 现实（由real加后缀-ity变成名词）
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