38、（双语科普）学英语，看世界：“树懒”

Slowpokes in the Forests

森林里的慢性子

Sloths（树懒） are one of the slowest mammals on earth.

树懒是世界上最慢的哺乳动物之一。

While the average adult human can cover around a meter per step, it will take a sloth almost an entire minute to climb the same distance.

成年人类平均每步能跨出大约一米，而树懒几乎要花上整整一分钟才能爬完同样的距离。

However, since sloths rarely leave their habitats throughout their adult lives (which span roughly 20 to 30 years), their inactivity（不活动） doesn't really pose any threat to their survival.

然而，由于树懒在整个成年期（大约20到30年）很少离开它们的栖息地，因此行动迟缓也不会对它们的生存造成任何威胁。

Living in the lush（茂密的） rainforests of South America, sloths feed mostly on leaves.

树懒生活在南美洲茂密的雨林中，主要以树叶为食。

Their long and curvy claws give them such a firm grip that they can freely swing back and forth on a springy（有弹力的） branch or just stay hanging from a thick tree trunk for a while.

又长又弯的爪子使它们拥有强大的抓力，可以在有弹性的树枝上自由地来回摆动，或者在粗树干上悬挂一段时间。

Not only are they slow climbers, but they are also sluggish（缓慢的） when it comes to eating.

它们不仅爬行速度慢，吃东西也是慢吞吞的。

Since they mostly consume leaves, which are relatively hard to break down（分解）, they spend roughly two weeks digesting each meal.

由于它们主要吃树叶，而树叶相对来说较难分解，所以它们每进食一次大约需要花两周时间来进行消化。

Leaves can't provide them with much energy, either, which explains their inclination（倾向） to stay immobile most of the time.

而树叶也无法提供给它们太多能量，这就解释了它们为什么会大部分时间都保持静止。

Sloths are usually mild-tempered.

树懒通常性情温和。

The unique shape of their mouths creates the effect of a childlike smile, making them look like carefree（无忧无虑） children, playing in the park.

它们的嘴巴形状独特，像是在绽放童真的微笑，使其看起来像是无忧无虑的孩子，在公园里玩耍。

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