The truth about bats - Amy Wray

我是「蝙蝠俠」─ 艾咪‧雷

譯者: Harry Chen 審譯者: 瑞文Eleven 林Lim

Flying through the night, I watch over this world,

飛翔在夜空之中，我守護著世界，

a silent guardian, a watchful protector, a dark knight, I'm...

一名沉默的守衛、警覺的捍衛者、 黑暗的騎士，我就是....

Okay, fine. So, I'm not Batman. I'm just a bat.

好啦好啦！我不是蝙蝠俠 我不過就是隻蝙蝠。

But like Batman, I'm often misunderstood.

不過就像蝙蝠俠一樣，我總是受人誤會，

People think I'm scary, strange and dangerous.

人們認為我是可怕、詭異、危險的，

If they only knew my story, though, I'd be cheered as a hero.

只要他們曉得了我的功蹟， 我將會被當成英雄受人仰頌。

When people think of bats,

當人們想起蝙蝠時，

many think of vampires who want to suck their blood.

許多人就想到 打算吸他們血的吸血鬼，

But the truth is that out of over 1200 bat species,

但是真相是：世上超過1,200個品種，

only three are vampire bats.

其中只有3種是吸血蝙蝠，

Out of these three, only one prefers the blood of mammals,

當中又只有1種嗜吸哺乳類的血，

and even these bats mostly feed on cattle.

而牠們大多也只是吸牛血而已，

Maybe that still doesn't seem so great,

也許那聽起來也算不上什麼好事；

but vampire bats can be a great help to humans.

但吸血蝙蝠能變得對人類極為有益，

A chemical known as desmoteplase found in vampire bat saliva

在蝙蝠唾液裡發現名為 「去氨普酶」的化學物質

helps break down blood clots,

有助於溶解血栓，

and is being tested by recovering stroke victims.

已被測試來治療中風患者。

Of the remaining 1000+ species of bats, about 70% feed on insects.

其他一千多種蝙蝠大約有 70%是以昆蟲為食，

These bats help control the real vampires:

這些蝙蝠有助於管控 真正的吸血鬼「蚊子」，

mosquitos, whose nasty bites are not just annoying

其令人討厭的叮咬不僅煩人，

but spread diseases, like West Nile virus.

還會散佈像是西尼羅病毒之類的疾病，

A single little brown bat can eat 1000 insects every hour,

一隻小型棕蝠每小時 能吃掉1000隻昆蟲，

and a colony of Mexican free-tailed bats can eat several tons of moths

一群墨西哥游離尾蝠一個晚上

in just one night.

就可以吃掉數噸重之飛蛾。

In the United States alone,

單單在美國，

bats provide an estimated 3.7 billion dollars worth

蝙蝠貢獻給農人們估計有

37億美元價值之不收費害蟲控制，

of free pest control for farmers,

which benefits everyone who eats the foods that they grow.

嘉惠到食用這些食物的每一個人。

Fruit bats, also called megabats because of their large size,

果蝠因為牠們的大尺寸 而被稱為巨蝠，

are important for the role they play in plant pollination.

牠們在授粉上扮演重要的角色，

By traveling between flowers while feeding on nectar and fruits,

當覓食花蜜和果實時， 藉由在花朵間遊走，

these bats transport the pollen and seeds that help plants reproduce.

這些蝙蝠運送花粉和種子， 幫助植物繁衍，

In Southeast Asia, for example,

以東南亞而說，

the cave nectar bat is the only pollinator of the durian fruit.

長舌果蝠是榴槤唯一的授粉者，

Other bats pollinate peaches, bananas,

其他蝙蝠授粉給桃子、香蕉，

and the agave plants that tequila is made from.

以及用來製造龍舌蘭酒的龍舌蘭花，

Without them,

many of our food plants would be unable to produce the tasty fruits we enjoy.

要不是牠們，許多食用植物就 無法長出我們喜愛的美味水果。

As heroes of the ecosystem, bats have their own unique utility belts.

身為生態系統中的英雄， 蝙蝠配備了獨特的工具腰帶。

Bats have been a source of inspiration for the design of flying robots

蝙蝠向來都是設計飛行機器人、

and even an energy-efficient spy plane,

甚至是低耗電偵察機的靈感來源，

as they are the only mammal capable of true powered flight.

因為牠們是唯一能靠 自身的力量飛行的哺乳類。

Echolocation, a type of biological sonar, is also used by bats as a way to navigate

「回聲定位」是一種生物性聲納，

也是被蝙蝠用來導航 及黑暗中尋找獵物。

and find prey in the dark.

Although there's a common misconception that bats are blind,

儘管有一種普遍的錯誤觀念， 認為蝙蝠看不見，

in truth, all species of bats have sight.

事實上各種蝙蝠都有視力，

And some have even adapted large eyes to see better in dim lighting.

而且有些甚至還演化成大眼睛， 能在微弱的光線下看得更清楚。

Many people worry about getting infected by bats,

許多人擔心受到蝙蝠的感染，

and like any other animals, bats can carry diseases, like rabies.

就像其他動物一樣，蝙蝠有可能帶有 像是狂犬病之類的疾病，

In reality, though, less than .5% of all bats carry this virus.

即便如此，事實上只有少於0.5% 的蝙蝠帶有狂犬病病毒，

That's about the same odds as getting the same result on a coin flip

那約是連續八次投擲硬幣，

eight times in a row.

出現同一面的機率。

The perception that bats are often diseased

蝙蝠總是帶有疾病的認知

may come from the fact that sick bats,

可能來自於病變的蝙蝠，

who may show unusual behavior, emerge during the daytime,

這些蝙蝠表現出異常的行為， 像是在白天的時候現踪

or be unable to fly,

或是無法飛行，

are more likely to be encountered by people.

就比較可能會被人們撞見。

So a good way to protect yourself is to protect bats as well,

所以保護自己的方法 也連同可保護蝙蝠，

keeping them healthy, protecting their habitats,

那就是：讓牠們健康並保護其棲地，

and reducing their risk of transmitting disease.

還有減少牠們傳播疾病的風險。

In North America, bats are threatened by a devastating sickness

在北美，蝙蝠受到滅絕性疾病

called white-nose syndrome.

白鼻症的威脅，

This fungal infection causes bats to wake up

這種真菌感染導致 蝙蝠在冬眠時甦醒，

while hibernating during a winter.

Unable to find food, they expend large amounts of energy,

無法發現食物又耗費大量的體力，

and eventually starve to death.

而最終就因為飢餓死掉了；

White-nose syndrome has wiped out entire caves full of bats,

白鼻症可以滅絕掉 整個洞穴裡的蝙蝠，

with a mortality rate that can exceed 90%.

死亡率高於90%以上。

Climate change and habitat destruction

氣候異變和棲息地破壞，

also pose serious threats to bat populations.

也對蝙蝠的族群帶來嚴重的威脅，

For example, in January 2014, a record heat wave in Australia

例如澳洲2014年1月 一個創歷史紀錄的熱浪，

caused over 100,000 bats to die from heat exhaustion.

造成超過10萬隻蝙蝠 因高溫而死亡，

Some people just want to watch the world burn,

有人就是想看到世界燃燒起來；

and bats all over the world are threatened by damage to the places that we call home,

全世界的蝙蝠都受到 棲息地破壞的威脅，

including mangrove swamps,

包括了紅樹林沼地、原始森林、

old-growth forests,

and, of course, bat caves.

當然了還有蝙蝠洞穴。

So even though I'm the hero of the story, I do need to be saved.

因此即便我是這故事裡的英雄， 我也需要被人拯救，

And now that you know the true story about us bats,

現在你曉得了我們的真實故事，

you can learn how to protect such heroic animals.

你可以學習如何來保護 這種英雄般的動物，

Install a properly designed bat box,

設置一個設計完善的蝙蝠箱子，

one of the easiest ways to provide shelter for bats.

最簡單的方式提供蝙蝠住所。

Discourage the use of pesticides, which can harm bats

勸人不要使用殺蟲劑， 那是會傷害到蝙蝠，

when we try to feed on the insects you want to get rid of in the first place.

當有人想吃昆蟲時會馬上回絕。

Avoid going into caves where you might disturb hibernating bats,

避免進入洞穴裡面， 你可能會侵擾到正在冬眠的蝙蝠，

and always decontaminate your gear after visiting a cave.

還有在參觀洞穴之後 務必消毒你裝備。

If you have unwanted bats living in an attic or barn,

假如在閣樓或糧倉有不請自來的蝙蝠，

contact your local government to safely and humanely relocate us.

聯絡當地政府機關 來安全、人道地重新安置我們，

And if you come across a bat, do not attempt to handle it,

如果你遇到蝙蝠的話不要抓它，

but instead, call Animal Control.

改以打個電話給動物管制局。

Batman might want to keep his identity secret,

蝙蝠俠可能想要 保持他的身分不為人知，

but a great way to help real bats is by continuing to learn about them

但是幫助真正的蝙蝠的最佳辦法 則是透過持續地認識牠們，

and spreading the truth that they are real heroes,

以及傳達牠們真正的英雄事實，

even if their good deeds are often unseen.

即便牠們總是善行不為人知。

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