Being transparent （or nearly so） doesn't mean animals have nothing to hide. On the contrary， their lack of color can help them escape predators1） which actually see right through them.

透明（或近乎透明）并不意味著動(dòng)物沒有什么好隱藏的。相反，顏色的缺失有助于它們躲避天敵，因?yàn)樘鞌硨?shí)際上直接對(duì)它們“視而不見”。

Transparent Sea Cucumber

Slow moving， soft bodied bottom dwellers for the most part， sea cucumbers are ancient offspring of sea creatures who have evolved a variety of ways to survive and thrive over hundreds of millions of years of evolution. For some sea cucumbers， being transparent allows them to fly under the radar2）， as it were3）， of predators in search of a quick and easy kill.

Lightly tinted4） in rosy pink， Enypniastes sea cucumbers live in the pitch-black5） ocean depths far below the 656-foot （around 200 m） threshold6） where sunlight is unable to go through. The species was discovered in the northern Gulf of Mexico， 1.7 miles beneath the surface.

透明海參

在數(shù)億年的進(jìn)化中，許多海洋生物演變出了各種方式來求得生存和繁盛，海參正是其中的一種。作為古老的海洋生物的后代，海參大多身體柔軟，行動(dòng)緩慢，且棲居在海底。對(duì)于一些海參而言，透明能使它們?cè)谝欢ǔ潭壬隙汩_那些想要輕而易舉殲滅獵物、速戰(zhàn)速?zèng)Q的天敵的視線。

夢(mèng)海鼠這種海參身體呈淡粉色，生活在漆黑的深海之中，那里的深度遠(yuǎn)超陽(yáng)光可穿透的水下656英尺（約200米）這一臨界值。人們?cè)谀鞲鐬潮辈康暮Ｏ?.7英里（編注：約2736米）處發(fā)現(xiàn)過這種海參。

Transparent Butterfly

Butterflies of the species Greta Oto are commonly called clearwings7） or glasswings. It's not that these butterflies have evolved transparent wings， more like they have dispensed with8） the growth of colored scales9） that normally cover the wings of butterflies and moths. Wash an average butterfly （well， imagine doing so） and you'll end up with something that looks a lot like Greta Oto.

Glasswing butterflies are found from Mexico through Panama and have wingspans of 2.2 to 2.4 inches （around 5.6 to 6.1 cm） in width. It is thought that their mostly transparent wings make these butterflies less visible when in flight.

透明蝴蝶

寬紋黑脈綃蝶是蝴蝶的一種，俗稱“透翅蝶”或“玻璃翼蝶”。這不是說這種蝴蝶已經(jīng)進(jìn)化出了透明的翅膀，而是說它們的翅膀上沒有蝴蝶和飛蛾翅膀上常見的那種彩色翅瓣。用水清洗一只普通蝴蝶（當(dāng)然，這只是假設(shè)），最終所得到的蝴蝶的模樣就會(huì)跟寬紋黑脈綃蝶相差無幾。

玻璃翼蝶分布在墨西哥至巴拿馬一帶，翼展長(zhǎng)2.2～2.4英寸（約5.6～6.1厘米）。據(jù)說，這些蝴蝶近乎透明的翅膀能讓它們?cè)陲w行時(shí)不那么顯眼。

Transparent-headed Barreleyefish

The Pacific Barreleye （Macropinna microstoma） was first described in 1939 but specimens of this unusual deep sea fish suffered damage when raised to the surface through low-pressure shallow surface waters. In 2009， researchers at the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute （MBARI） using remote-operated cameras were able to observe barreleyes in their element10）—2，000 to 2，600 feet （around 600 to 800 meters） below sea level off the coast of central California. What they saw astonished them： the barreleye's eyes rotate within a transparent， fluid-filled head shield.

Viewed head on， the barreleye's face looks normal but what seem to be eyes are actually their nostrils. The eyes are the vivid green structures located within the fish's head， where they can be directed to look upwards while the fish remains horizontal11）.

腦袋透明的管眼魚

關(guān)于太平洋管眼魚（學(xué)名“大鰭后肛魚”）的記載最早出現(xiàn)在1939年，但這種奇異的深海魚的標(biāo)本在通過低壓淺海水域被帶上到海面的過程中會(huì)受損。2009年，美國(guó)蒙特雷灣水族館研究所（MBARI）的研究人員使用遙控?cái)z像機(jī)才得以觀察到自然環(huán)境下的管眼魚——它們生活在加利福尼亞州中部海岸外2000～2600英尺（約600～800米）深的海水里。研究人員驚奇地發(fā)現(xiàn)：管眼魚的眼睛長(zhǎng)在一個(gè)充滿液體的透明頭部護(hù)罩里，而且還會(huì)旋轉(zhuǎn)。

從正面看，管眼魚的臉部看起來很普通，但貌似是眼睛的部位實(shí)則是它們的鼻孔。它們的眼睛實(shí)際上是長(zhǎng)在管眼魚腦袋里的鮮綠色結(jié)構(gòu)，可以在它們的身體保持水平狀態(tài)時(shí)朝上看。

Transparent Cave Crayfish12）

Caves are some of the darkest places on the planet—even sophisticated light-gathering instruments are unable to register a single photon13） in the deepest， darkest caves. Under these conditions， creatures including fish， spiders， insects and crayfish have evolved into \"troglobites14）\"： animals so precisely adapted to living in darkness that they cannot survive outside cave environments. Under such conditions， neither eyes nor color are necessary.

Cave crayfish range from whitish albinos15） to nearly translucent16） in appearance. If their chitinous17） exoskeletons18） were as thin as skin they would certainly be considered to be transparent.

透明的洞穴螯蝦

洞穴是地球上最黑暗的地方之一——對(duì)于那些至深至黑的洞穴，即便是尖端的采光設(shè)備也無法捕捉到一個(gè)光度。生活在這種條件下的魚、蜘蛛、昆蟲和淡水螯蝦等生物已進(jìn)化成穴居生物，即完全適應(yīng)于生活在黑暗的環(huán)境之中、離開洞穴就無法存活的生物。在這種條件下，眼睛和顏色就都沒有存在的必要了。

洞穴螯蝦的外表不一，既有乳白狀的，也有近乎半透明狀的。假如它們幾丁質(zhì)的外骨骼也能薄如皮膚，想必它們也會(huì)躋身于透明動(dòng)物之列。

Transparent Jellyfish

Jellyfish can be found in all of the world's oceans and， if the predictions of some scientists can be believed， are increasing in number as the oceans warm up. Jellyfish are often transparent to some degree， often appearing as thin films that serenely19） undulate20） amongst schools of fish who don't see them … until it's too late.

Like other deep sea animals， certain species of transparent jellyfish use bioluminescence21） to attract prey close enough for the jellyfish's tentacles22） to shock them into submission23）. The Comb Jelly displays pretty rainbow colors—fatal attraction indeed！

透明水母

水母遍布全球各個(gè)大洋，而且倘若一些科學(xué)家的預(yù)測(cè)可信的話，隨著海洋的升溫，它們的數(shù)量還在增加。從某種程度上來說，水母一般都是透明的，它們往往呈薄膜狀靜靜地在魚群中漂浮，但卻沒有魚察覺到它們的存在……直到為時(shí)已晚。

有些品種的透明水母還能像其他深海動(dòng)物一樣發(fā)光，借此吸引獵物靠得足夠近，然后再用觸手將其蟄暈制服。淡海櫛水母擁有漂亮的彩虹色，這的的確確是致命的誘惑！

Transparent Salp24）

Once dismissed as25） being a rather unsophisticated， primitive form of sea life， salps are now credited with being one of the most efficient carbon sequestering26） organisms on the planet. Scientists estimate as much as 1/3 of all human-created CO2 is being processed by salps， which constantly eat phytoplankton27） and expel compact fecal28） pellets29） rich in carbon that rapidly sink to the ocean floor.

Salps are almost completely transparent， with only their constantly full stomachs breaking the pattern. Salps are normally solitary creatures but have been known to link together in elaborate chains.

透明樽海鞘

樽海鞘一度曾被視作是一種非常低級(jí)、原始的海洋生物，現(xiàn)在卻被譽(yù)為是地球上最強(qiáng)力的清碳生物之一?？茖W(xué)家估計(jì)，人類產(chǎn)生的全部二氧化碳中有多達(dá)1/3是由樽海鞘吸收處理的。它們不停地吞噬浮游植物，排出緊實(shí)且富含碳的糞便顆粒，這些糞便顆粒會(huì)快速地沉降到海底。

樽海鞘幾乎是完全透明的，唯有它們那不斷被填飽的肚子例外。樽海鞘通常單獨(dú)活動(dòng)，但正如人們所知道的那樣，它們也會(huì)以復(fù)雜的鏈狀結(jié)構(gòu)連接在一起。

1.predator [?pred?t?（r）] n. 請(qǐng)參見P45注釋6

2.under the radar： 在視線以外，不引人注目的

3.as it were： 可以說；在一定程度上

4.tint [t?nt] vt. 給……略微著色；為……輕微染色

5.pitch-black [?p?t??bl?k] adj. 烏黑的；漆黑的

6.threshold [?θre?h??ld] n. 閾；限；臨界值

7.clearwing [?kl??（r）w??] n.【昆】透翅蝶

8.dispense with： 摒棄；不再需要

9.scale [ske?l] n.【昆】（鱗翅目的）翅瓣

10.element [?el?m?nt] n. （尤指動(dòng)物的）自然環(huán)境，適宜的環(huán)境

11.horizontal [?h?r??z?ntl] adj. 水平的；橫的

12.crayfish [?kre?f??] n. 淡水螯蝦

13.photon [?f??t?n] n.【物】光子；光度（視網(wǎng)膜照度單位）

14.troglobite [?tr?ɡl?ba?t] n. （尤指居于水下無光線洞穴中的）穴居動(dòng)物，洞生動(dòng)物

15.albino [?l?bi?n??] n. 患白化病的人（或動(dòng)植物）

16.translucent [tr?ns?lu?snt] adj. 半透明的

17.chitinous [?ka?tin?s] adj.【生化】幾丁質(zhì)的，甲殼質(zhì)的

18.exoskeleton [?eks??skel?tn] n.【動(dòng)】外骨骼

19.serenely [s??ri?nli] adv. 平靜地

20.undulate [??ndjule?t] vi. 起伏；波動(dòng)

21.bioluminescence [?ba???lu?m??nesns] n. 生物發(fā)光（現(xiàn)象）；生物發(fā)的光

22.tentacle [?tent?kl] n.【動(dòng)】觸手

23.submission [s?b?m??n] n. 順從；屈服

24.salp [s?lp] n. （= salpa）【動(dòng)】樽海鞘

25.dismiss … as …： 對(duì)……不屑一提；對(duì)……不加理會(huì)

26.sequester [s??kwest?（r）] vt. 使隔絕

27.phytoplankton [?fa?t???pl??kt?n] n.【植】浮游植物群落

28.fecal [?fi?kl] adj. 糞便的；排泄物的

29.pellet [?pel?t] n. 小球；顆粒狀糞便