你听说过“笨蛋企鹅”吗？

——南京学校：崔兴晨

各位烤鸭应该听到过jackass一词，经常用来指人，意思是傻瓜、笨蛋，但你有听过有种企鹅就叫jackass吗？难道企鹅也有笨蛋吗？

Jackass penguin其实指的是非洲企鹅African penguin。因为jackass其实还有公驴donkey的意思，而非洲企鹅与彼此沟通交流的方式正是通过它们驴子般的嘶叫donkey-like bray。

当大家想到企鹅时，脑海中肯定会想到南极Antarctic，周围冰天雪地的景象；其实不然，非洲企鹅正如其名，是生活在非洲西南岸的企鹅，主要分布于纳米比亚和南非，以及近伊丽莎白港的岛上，学名为斑嘴环企鹅。

The African penguin is one of the smallest penguin species, and it averages about 60 cm tall and weighs up to 3.6 kg. Males are generally slightly larger than their female counterparts. Their feathers are white on the belly and black on the back, and they have a distinct, sharply pointed beak and black feet. Their short tails and flipper-like wings that help them navigate in the water.

非洲企鹅是体型最小的企鹅之一，平均高60厘米，重3.6千克，雄鸟通常略大于雌鸟。他们的胸部和腹部羽毛是白色，背部羽毛黑色，有着独特的、尖锐的喙和黑色的脚。它们的短尾巴和鳍状一样的翅膀帮助它们在水中航行。

One of its most distinctive features is a small pink gland above each eye, which helps them cope with high temperatures in South Africa. The hotter the penguin gets, the more blood flows to these areas, where it is cooled by the surrounding air, and keeps the bird cooler. Because of the increased blood flow, these bare patches get pinker as a penguin warms up.

非洲企鹅最显着的特征之一是每只眼睛上方的粉红色小腺体，这有助于它们应对南非的高温。 当企鹅越热时，流向腺体的血液就越多，在那里它被周围的空气冷却，并使企鹅保持凉爽。 由于血流量增加，当企鹅变暖时，这些裸露的斑块会变得更粉。

While the African penguin may not be found in freezing temperatures, they are covered in an array of black, white, and gray dense, waterproof feathers that keep them dry and warm in the cold waters off the African coast. African penguins have been severely affected by overfishing, forcing them to swim further and further offshore in search of food and feeding grounds.

虽然非洲企鹅不是生活在在寒冷的温度下，但它们身上覆盖着一系列黑色、白色和灰色的致密防水羽毛，使它们在非洲海岸附近的冷水中保持干燥和温暖。过度捕捞使非洲企鹅受到严重影响，迫使它们游得越来越远，寻找食物和觅食地。

Tips

非洲企鹅虽然属于鸟类，但却不会飞flightless，各位烤鸭想知道原因的话，可以去做一下九分达人听力4中Test1 Section4的题哦~

像企鹅、海鸥、渡渡鸟等多种鸟类都在雅思听力中出现过，各位烤鸭要注意掌握相关词汇！