练健美的大猩猩能卧推多重？：英语精读讲义

The bench press is considered a hallmark of all powerlifters and a true test of your raw physical strength. 短語搭配

卧推被认为是所有力量举运动员的标志，也是对你纯粹体能的真正考验。

With some light training, pretty much any human is able to bench press their own weight. 短語搭配

经过一些适度的训练，几乎所有人类都能卧推与自身体重相当的重量。

But what about a full-grown male silverback gorilla?

但是一头成年雄性银背大猩猩呢？

How much would a wild gorilla really bench if they were trained to do so?

如果野生大猩猩经过训练，它们到底能卧推多少重量？

Mountain gorillas are pound for pound one of the strongest animals in the world. 習語

山地大猩猩按体重比例来算是世界上最强壮的动物之一。

In fact, 表達脈絡

事实上，

a ranking looking at animal strength versus body weight found that the top four strongest animals in the world were, in order, 短語搭配

一项比较动物力量与体重的排名发现，世界上最强壮的四种动物依次为：

number one,

第一名，

the dung beetle,

屎壳郎，

which can lift weight up to 1,000 times its own body weight. 語法

它能举起自身体重高达1000倍的重量。

That would be the equivalent of the average human picking up a small building and chucking it over their shoulder. 短語搭配

这就相当于一个普通人抓起一栋小楼并把它扛在肩上。

At number two is the rhinoceros beetle that can grow to 6 in and carry weight up to 850 times its own body weight. 語法

第二名是独角仙，它能长到6英寸，并能搬动自身体重高达850倍的重量。

That would be the equivalent of a human carrying a train passenger car.

这相当于一个人扛着一节火车客车厢。

At number three is the leaf-cutter ant,

第三名是切叶蚁，

which can carry the weight up to 50 times its own body weight,

它能搬动高达自身体重50倍的重量，

or the equivalent of a human carrying a not-quite-adult hippopotamus.

也就是相当于一个人扛着一头半大河马。

At number four is the gorilla,

第四名就是大猩猩，

capable of carrying objects up to 10 times their own body weight. 短語搭配

能够搬动高达自身体重10倍的物体。

Gorillas need all this strength in order to defend their group of younger males, females, 語法

大猩猩需要所有这些力量，以便保护它们族群中的年轻雄性、雌性，

and babies from wandering predators or other males looking to take over a group for themselves. 短語動詞

以及幼崽，免受流浪掠食者或其他企图占领该族群的雄性的侵害。

While rare, 語法

虽然罕见，

fights between big silverbacks are vicious and often end in the death or severe injury to one or both of the animals. 短語搭配

但大型银背大猩猩之间的打斗极其凶狠，且往往以其中一方或双方死亡或受重伤而告终。

Because of their massive strength,

鉴于它们强大的力量，

it's perhaps surprising then to discover that gorillas actually prefer not to fight and actively engage in threatening displays and false charges to scare away competitors. 講解

发现大猩猩其实更倾向于避免战斗，而是积极采取威吓展示和虚张声势的冲锋来吓跑竞争对手，或许会让人感到惊讶。

After all, 表達脈絡

毕竟，

even if you were a big bad silverback in charge, 語法

即使你是一头掌权的强悍银背大猩猩，

you probably would rather find a more diplomatic solution to a problem than going toe-to-toe with another gorilla that has almost as much strength as you. 習語

你可能也会宁愿找到一个更讲究策略的解决方案，而不是去和另一头力量几乎与你不相上下的大猩猩单挑。

With great power comes great responsibility, 文化背景

能力越大，责任越大，

but also an extremely high risk of death or injury,

但也伴随着极高的死亡或受伤风险，

and gorillas simply rather not risk it most of the time.

大多数时候大猩猩实在不愿意去冒这个险。

In fact,

事实上，

gorillas are amongst some of the most peaceful primates next to bonobos,

大猩猩是仅次于倭黑猩猩的最爱好和平的灵长类动物之一，

though they have suffered a maligned reputation around the world thanks to their fearsome displays and massive size. 短語搭配

尽管它们因为可怕的示威姿态和巨大的体型而在全世界背负着被诽谤的恶名。

In truth,

实际上，

a wild gorilla would prefer to avoid a confrontation with you,

一头野生大猩猩会宁愿避免与你发生冲突，

and if he did charge,

如果它真的冲过来了，

it's almost certainly going to be a false charge meant to scare you away. 語法

那几乎可以肯定是虚张声势的冲锋，意图把你吓跑。

Outside of zoos where animals can be extremely depressed or stressed by their living situation,

除了在动物园中，动物可能会因其生存环境而感到极度抑郁或压力过大之外，

wild gorillas have only ever been recorded attacking humans who were actively hunting them

现有的记录显示，野生大猩猩只袭击过正在积极猎捕它们的人类，

or when in fear of being harmed by the human.

或者是出于害怕受到人类伤害时才会这么做。

But,

但是，

let's say that we wanted to train a gorilla to go for the world record in bench pressing. 講解

假设我们想训练一头大猩猩去挑战卧推世界纪录。

Well,

嗯，

actually a gorilla would be easily able to beat the world record even without training. 短語搭配

实际上，一头大猩猩甚至不需要训练，就能轻松打破世界纪录。

But,

但是，

let's say we wanted to figure out what the maximum power of a gorilla would be 短語動詞

假设我们想弄清楚一头大猩猩的最大力量究竟是多少，

because they use their arms for walking around, 語法

因为它们经常用双臂四处行走、

climbing,

攀爬、

punching poachers in the face,

朝偷猎者的脸上挥拳，

and pulling down thick tree branches so they can munch on leaves and fruits. 講解

以及拉下粗大的树枝好让它们能咀嚼树叶和水果。

Gorillas have seriously more developed arms than humans do.

大猩猩的手臂发达程度绝对远超人类。

Their upper body strength is around six times greater than the average human. 語法

它们的上半身力量大约是普通人的六倍。

So,

所以，

breaking that record is no problem for even the weakest gorilla. 短語搭配

即便是最虚弱的大猩猩，打破这个纪录也毫无问题。

But,

但是，

what would be the maximum a gorilla could be able to lift?

一头大猩猩所能举起的最大重量到底是多少呢？

Right now,

目前，

the world record for a raw bench press is 739.6 lb, 用詞

无装备卧推的世界纪录是739.6磅，

set by American Julius Maddox. 語法

由美国人朱利叶斯·马多克斯（Julius Maddox）创下。

This isn't the greatest weight ever bench pressed,

这并不是有史以来卧推的最大重量，

as those numbers were accomplished with the help of a bench shirt. 短語搭配

因为那些更大的数字是借助卧推背心完成的。

A bench shirt is a shirt of extremely rigid fabric or materials that artificially move certain muscles into better positioning, 文化背景

卧推背心是由极其坚硬的布料或材料制成的衬衫，它能人为地将某些肌肉移到更有利的位置，

allowing for more lifting potential. 語法

从而提升举重潜力。

Also,

此外，

we're not interested in having our gorilla cheat.

我们对让大猩猩作弊没兴趣。

He's going to do things the all-natural way.

它得采用纯天然的方式来完成。

Also,

还有，

a lot of those record holders for non-raw presses were never drug tested,

许多借助装备的卧推纪录保持者从未接受过药物检测，

and once more,

所以再说一遍，

we're not going to let our gorilla cheat his way to glory. 語法

我们绝不让大猩猩靠作弊来获得荣誉。

At one of the latest weigh-ins, 用詞

在最近的一次称重中，

Julius weighed a whopping 449 lb, 用詞

朱利叶斯重达惊人的449磅，

meaning that he was able to bench press 164% of his body weight. 表達脈絡

这意味着他能够卧推自身体重164%的重量。

Assuming that with training, 語法

假设经过训练，

a gorilla could match the level of fitness Julius has,

一头大猩猩能达到朱利叶斯那样的体能水平，

that means that the average male gorilla,

那就意味着一头平均体型的雄性大猩猩，

which weighs 430 lb,

其体重为430磅，

would be able to bench press a whopping 4,242 lb.

能够卧推惊人的4242磅。

The largest gorilla on record was an animal shot in 1938 who weighed in at 483 lb, 講解

有记录以来最大的一头大猩猩在1938年被击毙，重达483磅，

and if he had been trained to powerlift instead of being shot by idiots, 語法

如果它当时是去接受力量举训练而不是被白痴开枪打死，

he would have been able to lift an incredible 4,753 lb.

它将能够举起令人难以置信的4753磅。

That is a serious amount of lifting potential,

这绝对是极度惊人的举重潜力，

and a trained powerlifter gorilla would be able to come in handy when moving day comes around. 講解

一头训练有素的力量举大猩猩在搬家的时候肯定能派上大用场。

A Stalin-era scientist once dreamt of creating an army of genetically engineered human-gorilla hybrid soldiers 講解

一位斯大林时代的科学家曾梦想创造一支由基因改造的人类-大猩猩混血士兵组成的军队，

who would have the strength of a gorilla and the intelligence of a man.

他们将拥有大猩猩的力量和人类的智慧。

For us, though,

不过对我们来说，

we think the scientist was in the wrong business 習語

我们认为这位科学家入错行了，

because if we used the power of genetic engineering for evil,

因为如果我们把基因工程的力量用在邪门歪道上，

we would definitely create a moving company made up of hybrid human-gorillas 短語動詞

我们肯定会成立一家由人类-大猩猩混血儿组成的搬家公司，

who could effortlessly lift furniture over their head.

他们可以毫不费力地把家具举过头顶。

Moving would be a snap, 習語

搬家会变得轻而易举，

and because they aren't really people,

而且因为他们不完全是人，

you could,

你可以，

much like the average American worker,

就像对待普通美国工人那样，

deny them health insurance or benefits of any sort

拒绝给他们提供医疗保险或任何形式的福利，

while literally paying them bananas. 表達脈絡

然后真就只付给他们香蕉当工资。

Do you think we could ever train a gorilla to be a powerlifter?

你认为我们能把一头大猩猩训练成力量举运动员吗？

How much do you think a hulked-out gorilla would be able to lift? 文化背景

你认为一头肌肉发达的大猩猩能举起多少重量？

Are you an unemployed geneticist with few, 語法

你是一个没受雇的遗传学家，几乎没有，

if any,

甚至没有任何，

moral scruples looking for an exciting business opportunity? 講解

道德底线，并在寻找令人兴奋的商业机会吗？

Let us know in the comments.

请在评论区告诉我们。

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