彭蒙惠英语：Send in the Rescue Rats

Send in the Rescue Rats

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The researchers train the rats to search for human odor by stimulating¹ the reward center when it finds its target smell. Once the rats are trained, they are set to forage² for the target smell, while electrodes record their neural³ activity patterns. This allows researchers to identify the brainwave patterns associated with finding that smell. They are also able to train the rats to sniff⁴ out the explosives TNT and RDX—key after terrorist attacks that may leave buildings harboring unexploded bombs.

 

Signals from the rat’s brain are relayed to a radio transmitter pack strapped⁵ to the animal’s back. Rescuers are able to follow the rat’s position by tracking these signals. They are also developing software that will recognize the “aha!” moment when the rat has found its target, so rescuers will know where to start digging.

 

Robots vs. rats

 

Other teams looking at ways to seek people trapped under debris⁶ have designed wheeled, tracked or even snake-like robots that can slither into wrecked⁷ buildings. But rats have several advantages. “Artificial noses don’t work well when there are other smells around,” says Christiane Linster, an olfaction expert at Cornell University in New York. “Rats are good at that.” Rats are also adept⁸ at navigating⁹ over unexpected obstacles, and of course, they don’t need an electricity supply.

 

Rats to the rescue

 

Rescue teams welcome the idea. “It would be absolutely fantastic,” says Julie Ryan of International Rescue Corps¹⁰ in Scotland, which flies rescuers to disaster zones around the world. “A rat could get in voids and spaces we couldn’t get to. And a rat would try to get out if it didn’t feel safe.”

 

Vocabulary Focus

forage (v) [5fCridV] to go from place to place searching for something, especially food

harbor (v) [5hB:bE] to protect someone or something from detection by providing a hiding place

relay (v) [5ri:lei] to broadcast a signal, message or program

adept (adj) [E5dept] having a natural ability to do something that needs skill

 

老鼠救援队出场

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研究人员在老鼠找到目标气味时会刺激它们的敏感中枢，这是他们训练老鼠搜寻人类气味的方式。老鼠训练成功之后，就会开始搜寻特定的气味，与此同时电极会记录下它们神经活动的类型。研究人员得以藉此辨别老鼠在找到特定气味时出现的脑电波模式。他们还能训练老鼠嗅出 TNT 及 RDX 等炸药的味道。在恐怖分子攻击行动过后，建筑物内可能仍藏有未爆炸弹，所以这项能力变得极为重要。

来自老鼠脑部的信号，会传送到固定在老鼠背上的无线电发射器。救援人员可以追踪这些信号以了解老鼠所在的位置。他们也在研发一种软件，希望可以掌握老鼠找到标的物时发出“哈！就是它！”的那一瞬间，这样救援人员就可以知道应该从哪里开始挖掘。

 

机器人与老鼠

还有一些其它的团队，同样也在研究搜寻困在瓦砾堆下幸存者的方法。他们设计出加装有轮子的、或有履带的、甚至外形像蛇的机器人，这些机器人可以蜿蜒滑入崩塌的建筑物中。但是，老鼠有好几方面胜过机器人。纽约康奈尔大学的嗅觉专家克莉斯蒂安·林斯特表示：“在掺有其它气味的环境中，人工鼻子的效果并不好。老鼠这方面则很厉害。”老鼠也可以灵活地克服预料之外的障碍，当然还有一点，那就是：它们不需要电力供应。

 

老鼠伸出援手

救援小组很喜欢这个点子。苏格兰国际救援组织经常运送救援人员至全球各灾区，成员之一的朱莉·莱恩说：“这简直太棒了。老鼠可以钻进我们无法进入的缝隙或空间里。而且如果老鼠觉得那里不安全，它们就会设法离开。”

 

1 stimulating   

adj.有启发性的，能激发人思考的

参考例句：

• shower gel containing plant extracts that have a stimulating effect on the skin 含有对皮肤有益的植物精华的沐浴凝胶
• This is a drug for stimulating nerves. 这是一种兴奋剂。

2 forage   

n.(牛马的)饲料，粮草；v.搜寻，翻寻

参考例句：

• They were forced to forage for clothing and fuel.他们不得不去寻找衣服和燃料。
• Now the nutritive value of the forage is reduced.此时牧草的营养价值也下降了。

3 neural   

adj.神经的，神经系统的

参考例句：

• The neural network can preferably solve the non- linear problem.利用神经网络建模可以较好地解决非线性问题。
• The information transmission in neural system depends on neurotransmitters.信息传递的神经途径有赖于神经递质。

4 sniff   

vi.嗅…味道；抽鼻涕；对嗤之以鼻，蔑视

参考例句：

• The police used dogs to sniff out the criminals in their hiding - place.警察使用警犬查出了罪犯的藏身地点。
• When Munchie meets a dog on the beach, they sniff each other for a while.当麦奇在海滩上碰到另一条狗的时候，他们会彼此嗅一会儿。

5 strapped   

adj.用皮带捆住的，用皮带装饰的；身无分文的；缺钱；手头紧v.用皮带捆扎(strap的过去式和过去分词)；用皮带抽打；包扎；给…打绷带

参考例句：

• Make sure that the child is strapped tightly into the buggy. 一定要把孩子牢牢地拴在婴儿车上。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The soldiers' great coats were strapped on their packs. 战士们的厚大衣扎捆在背包上。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 debris   

n.瓦砾堆，废墟，碎片

参考例句：

• After the bombing there was a lot of debris everywhere.轰炸之后到处瓦砾成堆。
• Bacteria sticks to food debris in the teeth,causing decay.细菌附着在牙缝中的食物残渣上，导致蛀牙。

7 wrecked   

adj.失事的，遇难的

参考例句：

• the hulk of a wrecked ship 遇难轮船的残骸
• the salvage of the wrecked tanker 对失事油轮的打捞

8 adept   

adj.老练的，精通的

参考例句：

• When it comes to photography,I'm not an adept.要说照相，我不是内行。
• He was highly adept at avoiding trouble.他十分善于避开麻烦。

9 navigating   

v.给（船舶、飞机等）引航，导航( navigate的现在分词 )；（从海上、空中等）横越；横渡；飞跃

参考例句：

• These can also be very useful when navigating time-based documents, such as video and audio. 它对于和时间有关的文档非常有用，比如视频和音频文档。 来自About Face 3交互设计精髓
• Vehicles slowed to a crawl on city roads, navigating slushy snow. 汽车在市区路上行驶缓慢，穿越泥泞的雪地。 来自互联网

10 corps   

n.(通信等兵种的)部队；(同类作的)一组

参考例句：

• The medical corps were cited for bravery in combat.医疗队由于在战场上的英勇表现而受嘉奖。
• When the war broke out,he volunteered for the Marine Corps.战争爆发时，他自愿参加了海军陆战队。