鸟类的重要性 -- -- 高级

What was once trusted with important messages?
::曾经被重要信息所信任的是什么?

A carrier pigeon or messenger pigeon is a homing pigeon (specifically the domesticated rock pigeon, Columba livia ) that is used to carry messages. Most homing or racing type pigeons were used to carry messages. Carrier pigeons were used to carry messages in World War I and World War II. Because of their importance to those war efforts, thirty-two pigeons were presented with the Dickin Medal to honor the work of in war.
::运输鸽或信鸽是用来传递信息的信鸽(特别是家养的岩石鸽,Columba Livia),大多数随身携带或赛跑的鸽子都用来传递信息,在第一次世界大战和第二次世界大战中,运输鸽子被用来传递信息。 由于鸽子对于这些战争努力的重要性,有32只鸽子被授予Dickin奖章,以表彰战争工作。

Relationship with Humans
::与人类的关系

Since birds are highly visible and common animals, humans have had a relationship with them for a very long time. Sometimes, these relationships are mutualistic, like the cooperative honey-gathering among honeyguides and African peoples such as the Borana. Other times, they may be commensal, as when , such as the house sparrow, have benefited from human activities. Several bird species have become commercially significant as food sources, and others as agricultural pests. Human activities can also have a negative effect on birds, threatening numerous bird species with extinction .
::由于鸟类是高度可见和常见的动物,人类与鸟类的关系已经很长一段时间了。 有时,这些关系是相互的,就像蜂蜜制导和波拉纳等非洲民族之间合作收集蜂蜜一样。 有时,它们可能是相互的,比如家禽麻雀等,何时从人类活动中受益。 几种鸟类作为食物来源在商业上变得重要,另一些则成为农业害虫。 人类活动也可能对鸟类产生负面影响,威胁众多鸟类物种灭绝。

About 120–130 species have become extinct as a result of human activity since the 17 ^th century—and hundreds more before then. One famous example is the extermination of the passenger pigeon in the United States by hunting and habitat destruction during the 19 ^th century. The passenger pigeon was once the most common bird in North America. Currently, about 1,200 species of birds are threatened with extinction by human activities, though efforts are underway to protect them.
::自17世纪以来,由于人类的活动,大约120-130种物种已经灭绝 — — 在那之前还有数百种。 一个著名的例子是19世纪通过狩猎和破坏栖息地消灭了美国乘客鸽。 乘客鸽曾经是北美最常见的鸟类。 目前,约有1200种鸟类由于人类活动而濒临灭绝,尽管保护它们的努力正在进行之中。

Economic Importance
::经济重要性

Many species are of economic importance, mostly as sources of food acquired through hunting or farming. Some species, particularly songbirds and parrots , are popular as pets. Other uses include the harvesting of guano (droppings) for use as a fertilizer. 
::许多物种具有经济重要性,大多是通过狩猎或耕作获得的粮食来源,有些物种,特别是小鸟和鹦鹉,作为宠物很受欢迎,其他用途包括收获guano(滴子)作为肥料使用。

Domesticated birds, such as chickens and turkeys, are raised for meat and eggs . Chickens account for much of human poultry consumption, although turkeys, ducks, and geese are also relatively common. Many species of birds are also hunted for meat. Bird hunting is primarily a recreational activity, except in extremely undeveloped areas. The most important birds hunted in North and South America are waterfowl ; other widely hunted birds include pheasants, wild turkeys, quail, doves, partridges, grouse, snipes, and woodcocks.
::养鸡和火鸡等家禽养成肉和鸡蛋,鸡肉占人类家禽消费的大部分,尽管火鸡、鸭和鹅也比较普遍,许多鸟类也捕食肉类,鸟类狩猎主要是娱乐性活动,但极不发达地区除外,在北美和南美洲捕食的最重要鸟类是水禽;其他广泛捕食的鸟类包括野鸡、野火鸡、、鸽子、子、小山脊、瓜类、狙击和木鸡。

Other commercially valuable products from birds include feathers (especially the down feathers of geese and ducks), which are used as insulation in clothing and bedding.
::鸟类的其他商业贵重产品包括羽毛(特别是鹅和鸭的下羽毛),用作衣物和床上的绝缘。

Some birds can act as vectors for spreading diseases, such as psittacosis, salmonellosis, campylobacteriosis, giardiasis , and cryptosporidiosis, over long distances. For example, feral pigeons are often considered pests, owing to concerns that they spread diseases, such as psittacosis and salmonellosis, in their feces . Some also consider pigeons an invasive species. Every year, millions of dollars are spent by cities to clean up pigeon feces and to “pigeon-proof” buildings.
::一些鸟类可以在长距离内作为传播疾病的病媒,如虫病、沙门氏菌病、硬性球菌病、虫病和密码吸附病。 例如,野生鸽子往往被视为害虫,因为它们担心在粪便中传播诸如虫病和沙门氏菌等疾病。有些鸟类还把鸽子视为一种侵入性物种。 城市每年花费数百万美元清理鸽子粪和“防虫”建筑。

The red-billed quelea ( Quelea quelea ) is the world's most numerous bird species (excluding domesticated species), with an estimated adult breeding of 1.5 billion. It is a small passerine bird of the weaver family Ploceidae. Quelea are native to sub-Saharan Africa. They are regarded as pests by farmers because they feed on grain and rice, and large flocks of quelea frequently destroy entire fields of cereal crops.
::红蛋白(Queea quelea)是世界上数量最多的鸟类物种(不包括家养种的物种),估计有15亿成人繁殖,是编织家庭Ploceidae的一只小过鸟。 Qualea是撒哈拉以南非洲的本地人,农民认为它们是害虫,因为他们食用谷物和大米,而大批的奎莱人常常摧毁整个谷物作物田。

Study of Birds
::鸟类研究

Ornithology (from the Greek words ornis, meaning "bird," and logos, meaning "knowledge") is the branch of zoology concerned with the study of birds. The science of ornithology has a long history, and studies of birds aided the refinement of key concepts of biology . By studying birds, we have developed our understanding of , evolution, island , , and even learning .
::鸟类学(从希腊的奥尼斯语,意思是“鸟 ” , 标志,意思是“知识 ” ) 是研究鸟类的动物学分支。 鸟类科学历史悠久,鸟类研究有助于完善生物学的关键概念。 通过研究鸟类,我们发展了我们对鸟类、进化、岛屿甚至学习的理解。

Summary
::摘要

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• Since birds are highly visible and common animals, humans have had a relationship with them for a very long time.
  ::由于鸟类是高度可见和常见的动物,人类与鸟类有着很长一段时间的关系。
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• About 120–130 species have become extinct as a result of human activity since the 17th century—and hundreds more before then.
  ::自17世纪以来,由于人类的活动,大约120-130种物种已经灭绝,此前已有数百种物种灭绝。
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• Many species are of economic importance, mostly as sources of food acquired through hunting or farming.
  ::许多物种具有经济重要性,大多是通过狩猎或耕作获得的粮食来源。
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• Some birds can act as vectors for spreading diseases.
  ::有些鸟类可以作为传播疾病的媒介。

Review
::回顾

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1. Give examples of both beneficial relationships and harmful relationships between birds and humans.
   ::举例说明鸟类与人类之间的有益关系和有害关系。
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2. What are the most important birds for hunting in North and South America?
   ::北美和南美洲最重要的猎鸟是什么?
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3. What is the most numerous bird species?
   ::最众多的鸟类物种是什么?