书城教材教辅智慧教育活动用书-科普长廊
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第28章 Fish Are Socially Intelligent Out of Our Mind

Fish are socially intelligent creatures that do not deserve their reputation as the dim-wits① of the animal kingdom. Rather than simply being instinct-driven, the group says fish are cunning, manipulative② and even cultured. Fish were now seen as highly intelligent creatures.

Gone is the image of fish as drudging③ and dim-witted pea-brains, driven largely by ’instinct’, with what little behavioral④ flexibility⑤ they possess being severely hampered by an infamous’three-second memory’.

Now, fish are regarded as steeped⑥ in social intelligence, pursuing Machiavellian strategies of manipulation, punishment and reconciliation⑦, exhibiting stable cultural traditions, and co-operating to inspect predators and catch food.

Fish can recognize individual “shoal mates”, social prestige and even tracked relationships. They use tools, building complex nests and exhibiting long-term memories.

Fish were the most ancient of the major vertebrate⑧ groups, giving them “ample time” to evolve complex, adaptable and diverse behavior patterns that rivaled those of other vertebrates.

① dim-witn. 傻瓜;笨蛋

② manipulativeadj. 操作的;用手控制的

③ drudgev. 做苦工

④ behavioraladj. 行为的

⑤ flexibilityn. 易曲性;适应性,灵活性;弹性

⑥ steepedadj. 沉浸在……中的;充满……的

⑦ reconciliationn. 和解,和好

⑧ vertebrateadj. 有脊椎的;脊椎动物的

鱼类的指挥超乎我们的想象

鱼是具有社会智商的动物,它们不应被称为动物王国中的笨蛋。 鱼类不是简单地凭本能行事,它们很机灵,有控制能力,甚至很有教养。 目前鱼被认为是非常聪明的动物。

过去鱼类被看作单调乏味、脑袋只有豌豆大的笨蛋,只会受‘本能’驱使,仅有的一点儿行动灵活性也被它那臭名昭著的‘三秒钟记性’严重阻碍了。

现在,鱼被认为充满着社会智商,运用马基雅维利式的策略,诸如操纵、惩罚和顺从,表现出固有的文化传统,并通过合作来勘查敌情和捕捉食物。

鱼可以识别各自的鱼群伙伴,社会威望,甚至相关的人际关系。 它们会使用工具,修筑结构复杂的窝,还表现出长期的记忆力。

鱼是最古老的主要脊椎动物,他们有“足够多的时间”来进化出复杂多样并且有适应能力的行为模式,与其他脊椎动物相抗衡。