2018.7.8英文阅读The talented gorilla

2018.7.8英文阅读The talented gorilla

Koko, the gorilla, famous for using sign language, dies at 46

因使用手语而闻名的大猩猩可可 46 岁去世

Koko, the gorilla whose apparent aptitude for sign language endeared her to fans around the world, died in her sleep on Tuesday morning, according to the Gorilla Foundation, which oversaw her care. She was 46.

大猩猩可可在手语方面有着显著的天赋，这令她受到全世界粉丝的喜爱。据大猩猩基金会提供的消息，可可于周二清晨在睡梦中离世，享年 46 岁。

Koko was born Hanabi-ko, Japanese for "Fireworks Child," on July 4, 1971, at the San Francisco Zoo, according to the Gorilla Foundation. She became an instant celebrity in her youth thanks to an early facility with American Sign Language. That fame was bolstered over the years as Koko, a western lowland gorilla, charmed entertainers like Fred Rogers and Robin Williams as well as their audiences.

大猩猩基金会表示，可可于 1971 年 7 月 4 日出生在旧金山动物园，并且生来就是"Hanabi-ko"，在日语中它的意思是“花火之子”。得益于很早就显露出的美国手语天赋，她在青少年时期迅速走红。时过经年，可可这只西部低地大猩猩甚至令弗雷德·罗杰斯和罗宾·威廉姆斯这样的艺人及其观众都为之着迷，名声也因此愈发显赫。

In 2001, Koko met Robin Williams, building an instant rapport with the actor and comedian. Williams spoke fondly of the experience in interviews and even joked about their encounter in a standup routine. After he died in 2014, Koko was reportedly crestfallen.

在 2001 年，可可见到了罗宾·威廉姆斯。她很快就和这位演员兼笑匠打成一片。在采访中威廉姆斯提及这段经历时甚是欢喜，甚至在脱口秀的固定表演环节调侃过他们的相遇。2014 年威廉姆斯离世之后，可可据说变得垂头丧气的。

Koko's language skills earned her a spot on the cover of National Geographic in 1978 and 1985, and she was the subject of many documentaries. By the time of her death, Koko’s vocabulary had ballooned to more than 2,000 words, according to the foundation.

1978 年和 1985 年，可可的语言能力为她挣来了国家地理杂志的封面位置，同时她也是许多纪录片的研究对象。基金会表示，在她离世的时候，她暴涨的词汇量已经超过了 2000 个单词。

"Koko touched the lives of millions as an ambassador for all gorillas and an icon for interspecies communication and empathy," the Gorilla Foundation said in a statement. "She was beloved and will be deeply missed."   

“可可既是大猩猩的形象大使，又是跨物种交际和共鸣的典型存在，她以这样的身份触动了数万人的人生。”大猩猩基金会在一份声明中说道，“她曾为人所爱，并将被深深缅怀。”

—————  文章来源 / 纽约时报

重点词汇

aptitude/ˈæptɪtuːd/

n. 天资，天赋

endear/ɪnˈdɪr/

v. 使喜爱，使爱慕

oversee/ˌoʊvərˈsiː/

v. 监督，管理

facility/fəˈsɪləti/

n. 天赋，才能

bolster/ˈboʊlstər/

v. 增加，加强

lowland/ˈloʊlənd/

adj. 低地的

rapport/ræˈpɔːr/

n. 融洽关系

e.g.

There was little rapport between them.

She was able to establish a good rapport with the children.

standup/ˈstænd ʌp/

adj. 站在观众面前表演的

crestfallen /ˈkrestfɔːlən/

adj. 沮丧的，垂头丧气的

spot/spɑːt/

n. 封面位置

balloon/bəˈluːn/

v. 膨胀，涨大

e.g.

I ate out of boredom and I just ballooned up.

interspecies/ˌɪntərˈspiːʃiːz/

adj. 跨物种间的