中英對照讀新聞》Scientists surprised to discover two dwarf giraffes in Namibia, Uganda 科學家驚訝在烏干達和納米比亞發現兩頭侏儒長頸鹿

納米比亞2018年3月拍到侏儒長頸鹿（右），牠當時年約4歲，左為成年雄性長頸鹿。（路透檔案照）

◎周虹汶

Being tall is the giraffe’s competitive advantage, giving it the pick of leaves from the tallest trees, so scientists were stunned to find two giraffe dwarves on different sides of Africa.

高大是長頸鹿的競爭優勢，讓牠能從最高的樹上拿到最精華的葉子，因此科學家對於在非洲不同端發現兩頭侏儒長頸鹿感到訝異。

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"It’s fascinating what our researchers out in the field found," Julian Fennessy, co-founder of the Giraffe Conservation Foundation, told Reuters in a videocall on Friday.

長頸鹿保育基金會共同創辦人朱利安‧芬內西週五在視訊電話中告訴路透，「我們研究人員在野外的發現太有趣了。」

Most giraffes grow to 4.5 - 6 metres, but in 2018, scientists working with the foundation discovered an 2.6 metre giraffe in Namibia. Three years earlier, they had also found a 2.8 metre giraffe in a Ugandan wildlife park.

多數長頸鹿生長到4.5至6公尺，但在2018年，與這個基金會合作的科學家在納米比亞發現了一隻2.6公尺的長頸鹿。在那之前3年，他們也在烏干達一處野生公園發現一頭2.8公尺的長頸鹿。

"Unfortunately there’s probably no benefit at all. Giraffes have grown taller to reach the taller trees," Fennessy said. He added that it would most likely be physically impossible for them to breed with their normal-sized counterparts. (Reuters)

芬內西說，「不幸地，這可能一點好處也沒有。長頸鹿長得較高，以觸及較高的樹。」他補充指出，對牠們而言，可能肢體上難和其正常體型的同類交配繁衍。（路透）

新聞辭典

dwarf：名詞，侏儒；形容詞，指極小的；動詞，指相形見絀。例句：This crisis may well dwarf most that have gone before.（這場危機可能比以往大多數嚴重得多。）

reach：動詞，指費勁抵達、做出決定、伸手觸及、延伸、聯繫。例句：He has been trying to reach you on the phone all day.（他打了一整天電話，試圖聯繫你。）

breed：動詞，指為了育種而飼養、動物繁衍交配、招致；名詞，指動植物的品種、人的類型。例句：She was that rare breed of actress - beautiful, sexy and funny.（她是那種少見類型的女演員—美麗、性感又風趣。）

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