每日英語跟讀 Ep.1005: About Australia - Australian stinging trees contain ’scorpion-like venom’ 澳洲螫人樹含有「類似蠍子的毒物」與喜鵲俯衝猛撲

Australia is notorious for its venomous spiders, snakes and sea creatures, but researchers have now identified "scorpion-like" toxins secreted by a tree that can cause excruciating pain for weeks.

澳洲的有毒蜘蛛、蛇和海洋生物惡名昭彰，但是研究人員現在辨識出一種樹木分泌的「類似蠍子」的毒物，能使人極度疼痛達數週。

Split-second contact with the dendrocnide tree, a rainforest nettle known by its indigenous name gympie-gympie, delivers a sting far more potent than similar plants found in the US or Europe.

與這種生長在熱帶雨林、當地名為「金皮金皮」的火麻樹屬樹木接觸瞬間，就能造成劇烈刺痛，疼痛程度遠比在美國或歐洲發現的類似樹種還嚴重。

Irina Vetter, an associate professor at the University of Queensland’s Institute for Molecular Bioscience, said the research team discovered a new class of neurotoxin miniproteins, which they christened ’gympietides’.

昆士蘭大學分子生物科學研究所副教授維特說，研究團隊發現一類新的神經毒素微蛋白，他們將它命名為「金皮潮」。

Vetter said the long-lasting pain inflicted by the tree may be explained by the gympietides permanently altering the chemical makeup of the affected sensory neurons － not due to the fine hairs getting stuck in the skin.

維特說，「金皮潮」會對受影響的感覺神經元化學組成，造成永久性的改變，而非細小絨毛卡在皮膚裡，這或許可解釋這種樹為何造成長時間的疼痛。

Magpie swoops Australian reporter moments before he goes on air／準備進入現場報導前 澳洲記者遭喜鵲俯衝猛撲

A magpie swooped an Australian reporter in the face on Monday, moments before the journalist went live on air for the evening bulletin.

1隻喜鵲週一俯衝撲向一名澳洲記者的臉，就在這名記者為晚間時段準備現場報導之前。

Nine Network reporter, Brett McLeod, was preparing for his live cross outdoors when the crow-like bird dived at his face but he quickly regained his composure and delivered his piece to the camera.

這隻像烏鴉的鳥朝他臉上俯衝時，「九號電視網」記者布雷特．麥克利奧德正準備在戶外進入現場報導，但他迅速恢復沉著並對鏡頭完成報導。

The black-and-white Australian magpie, not related to the European magpies famous for taking glittering treasures for their nests, tend to attack anyone who comes close to their suburban nests.

黑白相間的澳洲喜鵲，和帶發光寶物回巢而知名的歐洲喜鵲無關，往往對接近牠們位於郊外鳥巢的任何人發動攻擊。

Spring is widely known as the ’swooping season’ to Australians when birds, mostly magpies, attack humans and even other birds when they stray too close while its fledglings hatch and nest.

Source article: https://features.ltn.com.tw/english/article/paper/1409467 ; https://features.ltn.com.tw/english/article/paper/1410492