練健美的大猩猩能臥推多重？：英語精讀講義

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

臥推被認為是所有力量舉運動員的標誌，也是對你純粹體能的真正考驗。

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

經過一些適度的訓練，幾乎所有人類都能臥推與自身體重相當的重量。

But what about a full-grown male silverback gorilla?

但是一頭成年雄性銀背大猩猩呢？

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

如果野生大猩猩經過訓練，牠們到底能臥推多少重量？

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

山地大猩猩按體重比例來算是世界上最強壯的動物之一。

In fact, 表達脈絡

事實上，

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

一項比較動物力量與體重的排名發現，世界上最強壯的四種動物依次為：

number one,

第一名，

the dung beetle,

糞金龜，

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

牠能舉起自身體重高達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. 片語搭配

這就相當於一個普通人抓起一棟小樓並把它扛在肩上。

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

第二名是獨角仙，牠能長到6英寸，並能搬動自身體重高達850倍的重量。

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

這相當於一個人扛著一節火車客車廂。

At number three is the leaf-cutter ant,

第三名是切葉蟻，

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

牠能搬動高達自身體重50倍的重量，

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

也就是相當於一個人扛著一頭半大河馬。

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. 片語搭配

能夠搬動高達自身體重10倍的物體。

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

大猩猩需要所有這些力量，以便保護牠們族群中的年輕雄性、雌性，

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

以及幼崽，免受流浪掠食者或其他企圖佔領該族群的雄性的侵害。

While rare, 文法

雖然罕見，

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

但大型銀背大猩猩之間的打鬥極其兇狠，且往往以其中一方或雙方死亡或受重傷而告終。

Because of their massive strength,

鑑於牠們強大的力量，

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

發現大猩猩其實更傾向於避免戰鬥，而是積極採取威嚇展示和虛張聲勢的衝鋒來嚇跑競爭對手，或許會讓人感到驚訝。

After all, 表達脈絡

畢竟，

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

即使你是一頭掌權的強悍銀背大猩猩，

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. 慣用語

你可能也會寧願找到一個更講究策略的解決方案，而不是去和另一頭力量幾乎與你不相上下的大猩猩單挑。

With great power comes great responsibility, 文化背景

能力越大，責任越大，

but also an extremely high risk of death or injury,

但也伴隨著極高的死亡或受傷風險，

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

大多數時候大猩猩實在不願意去冒這個險。

In fact,

事實上，

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

大猩猩是僅次於倭黑猩猩的最愛好和平的靈長類動物之一，

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

儘管牠們因為可怕的示威姿態和巨大的體型而在全世界背負著被誹謗的惡名。

In truth,

實際上，

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

一頭野生大猩猩會寧願避免與你發生衝突，

and if he did charge,

如果牠真的衝過來了，

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

那幾乎可以肯定是虛張聲勢的衝鋒，意圖把你嚇跑。

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

除了在動物園中，動物可能會因其生存環境而感到極度抑鬱或壓力過大之外，

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

現有的記錄顯示，野生大猩猩只襲擊過正在積極獵捕牠們的人類，

or when in fear of being harmed by the human.

或者是出於害怕受到人類傷害時才會這麼做。

But,

但是，

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

假設我們想訓練一頭大猩猩去挑戰臥推世界紀錄。

Well,

嗯，

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

實際上，一頭大猩猩甚至不需要訓練，就能輕鬆打破世界紀錄。

But,

但是，

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

假設我們想弄清楚一頭大猩猩的最大力量究竟是多少，

because they use their arms for walking around, 文法

因為牠們經常用雙臂四處行走、

climbing,

攀爬、

punching poachers in the face,

朝偷獵者的臉上揮拳，

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

以及拉下粗大的樹枝好讓牠們能咀嚼樹葉和水果。

Gorillas have seriously more developed arms than humans do.

大猩猩的手臂發達程度絕對遠超人類。

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

牠們的上半身力量大約是普通人的六倍。

So,

所以，

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

即便是最虛弱的大猩猩，打破這個紀錄也毫無問題。

But,

但是，

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

一頭大猩猩所能舉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

無裝備臥推的世界紀錄是739.6磅，

set by American Julius Maddox. 文法

由美國人朱利葉斯·馬多克斯（Julius Maddox）創下。

This isn't the greatest weight ever bench pressed,

這並不是有史以來臥推的最大重量，

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

因為那些更大的數字是借助臥推背心完成的。

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

臥推背心是由極其堅硬的布料或材料製成的襯衫，牠能人為地將某些肌肉移到更有利的位置，

allowing for more lifting potential. 文法

從而提升舉重潛力。

Also,

此外，

we're not interested in having our gorilla cheat.

我們對讓大猩猩作弊沒興趣。

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

牠得採用純天然的方式來完成。

Also,

還有，

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

許多借助裝備的臥推紀錄保持者從未接受過藥物檢測，

and once more,

所以再說一遍，

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

我們絕不讓大猩猩靠作弊來獲得榮譽。

At one of the latest weigh-ins, 用詞

在最近的一次稱重中，

Julius weighed a whopping 449 lb, 用詞

朱利葉斯重達驚人的449磅，

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

這意味著他能夠臥推自身體重164%的重量。

Assuming that with training, 文法

假設經過訓練，

a gorilla could match the level of fitness Julius has,

一頭大猩猩能達到朱利葉斯那樣的體能水平，

that means that the average male gorilla,

那就意味著一頭平均體型的雄性大猩猩，

which weighs 430 lb,

其體重為430磅，

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

能夠臥推驚人的4242磅。

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

有記錄以來最大的一頭大猩猩在1938年被擊斃，重達483磅，

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

如果牠當時是去接受力量舉訓練而不是被白痴開槍打死，

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

牠將能夠舉起令人難以置信的4753磅。

That is a serious amount of lifting potential,

這絕對是極度驚人的舉重潛力，

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

一頭訓練有素的力量舉大猩猩在搬家的時候肯定能派上大用場。

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

一位史達林時代的科學家曾夢想創造一支由基因改造的人類-大猩猩混血士兵組成的軍隊，

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

他們將擁有大猩猩的力量和人類的智慧。

For us, though,

不過對我們來說，

we think the scientist was in the wrong business 慣用語

我們認為這位科學家入錯行了，

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

因為如果我們把基因工程的力量用在邪門歪道上，

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

我們肯定會成立一家由人類-大猩猩混血兒組成的搬家公司，

who could effortlessly lift furniture over their head.

他們可以毫不費力地把家具舉過頭頂。

Moving would be a snap, 慣用語

搬家會變得輕而易舉，

and because they aren't really people,

而且因為他們不完全是人，

you could,

你可以，

much like the average American worker,

就像對待普通美國工人那樣，

deny them health insurance or benefits of any sort

拒絕給他們提供醫療保險或任何形式的福利，

while literally paying them bananas. 表達脈絡

然後真就只付給他們香蕉當工資。

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

你認為我們能把一頭大猩猩訓練成力量舉運動員嗎？

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

你認為一頭肌肉發達的大猩猩能舉起多少重量？

Are you an unemployed geneticist with few, 文法

你是一個沒受僱的遺傳學家，幾乎沒有，

if any,

甚至沒有任何，

moral scruples looking for an exciting business opportunity? 講解

道德底線，並在尋找令人興奮的商業機會嗎？

Let us know in the comments.

請在評論區告訴我們。

And if you enjoyed this video,

如果你喜歡這個影片，

don't forget to like,

別忘了按讚、

share,

分享，

and subscribe for more great content.

並訂閱以獲取更多精彩內容。