A cockatoo flies toward a puzzle box using a stick in its mouth as a tool. THE UNIVERSITY OF VETERINARY MEDICINE
The ability to use tools is rare in the animal world, yet the cockatoos have been proven capable of more than just using tools.
在动物界中，使用工具的能力相当罕见，凤头鹦鹉却证明了自己能做的比单纯使用工具还要多。
According to a paper published in Current Biology in February, scientists designed various tasks for a group of cockatoos. The first task was getting a nut out of a puzzle box, requiring two tools: first a short, sharp tool used to cut the membrane, then a long stick to get the nut out of a hole. Five out of 10 cockatoos were able to reach the nut.
根据2月份发表在《当代生物学》上的一篇文章，研究人员为一群凤头鹦鹉设计了各种任务。第一个任务是从一个设计巧妙的盒子中，取出一枚坚果，这需要用到两种工具：首先是一件短而锋利的工具，用以切割薄膜，其次是一根长棍，用来把坚果从洞中取出。10只凤头鹦鹉中，5只可以够到坚果。
In the following tasks, the cockatoos were observed picking up tools before doing the task, showing their ability to plan ahead. Researchers also noticed that each cockatoo had a different way of carrying and using the tools.
在接下来的任务中，研究人员观察到凤头鹦鹉在执行任务前会拿起工具，这显示出鹦鹉具有提前计划的能力。他们还注意到，每只凤头鹦鹉携带、使用工具的方式都各不相同。
Using a set of tools means that the animal can “solve problems through flexibly applying some insight of a given situation,” Mark Briffa at the University of Plymouth, UK, told CNN.
英国普利茅斯大学的Mark Briffa在接受美国有线电视新闻网（CNN）采访时表示，使用一套工具意味着动物能够“根据特定情况，灵活运用洞察力解决问题”。
The great intelligence of cockatoos makes them popular pets – they can mimic sounds and dance to music. However, these smart birds may suffer from mental health issues as well. Common signs of stress and anxiety include biting and feather picking, according to the PetMD website. Biting is often regarded as a form of attack, but sometimes cockatoos bite others due to stress and fear. Feather picking can be a more serious sign that the cockatoo is unhappy. In extreme conditions, a cockatoo may pluck out all of its feathers.
凤头鹦鹉因智商高成为备受欢迎的宠物——鹦鹉们可以模仿声音，还能随着音乐跳舞。然而，这些聪明的鸟类也可能有心理健康问题。根据PetMD网站的说法，凤头鹦鹉受到压力、产生焦虑的迹象通常是咬人、啄羽毛。人们经常将咬人视为一种攻击，但有时鹦鹉咬人是出于压力和恐惧。而啄羽毛可能是一个更严重的信号，这表明凤头鹦鹉心情郁闷。极端情况下，凤头鹦鹉甚至可能会啄掉自己所有的羽毛。
Some other pets show similar troubling behaviors too. For example, according to Discover magazine, pet dogs may compulsively chew their nails or lick their bodies so much that they form ulcers. Pets crave attention, joy and excitement. As scientists learn more about animal intelligence, we should keep in mind that they may suffer from psychological illnesses just like we do.
一些别的宠物也会表现出类似的令人担忧的行为。例如，据《发现》杂志报道，宠物狗可能会强迫性地啃咬指甲或舔舐自己的身体，因此形成溃疡。宠物渴望关注、追求快乐和刺激。随着科研人员对动物智力了解得越来越多，我们应该记住，动物可能和我们一样患有心理疾病。
以上文章内容选自《21世纪学生英文报》高二898期
