The amount of plastic pollution in the oceans is rapidly increasing.
海洋中的塑料污染量正在迅速增加。
This is problematic, as at least 700 species of marine animals — including sharks, whales, seabirds and turtles — can become entangled in the stuff or mistake it for a tasty snack.
这是有问题的，因为至少700种海洋动物——包括鲨鱼、鲸鱼、海鸟和海龟——可能会被这些东西缠住，或者误认为是美味的零食。
While we know that some species seem to eat plastic because it looks like jellyfish or some other food source, less research has been carried out into what plastic smells like to marine animals.
虽然我们知道有些物种似乎吃塑料，因为它看起来像水母或其他食物来源，但塑料对海洋动物的气味进行的研究较少。
But now, a study from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill has found that the coating of algae and microbes that naturally builds up on ocean plastics causes the rubbish to give off the aroma of food.
但是现在，来自北卡罗来纳大学教堂山分校的一项研究发现，海藻和微生物在海洋塑料中自然形成的涂层使垃圾散发出食物的香味。
The researchers took 15 captive-reared loggerhead turtles, each around five months old, and placed them in a laboratory aquarium.
研究人员捕获了15只圈养的红海龟，每只大约5个月大，并将它们放在实验室的水族馆中。
They then piped in aromas of clean water, clean plastic, turtle food, and plastic that had been soaking in the marine environment for five weeks.
然后，他们将纯净水、干净塑料、海龟食物和在海洋环境中浸泡了五周的塑料的香味输入管道。
The turtles showed no reaction to the odours of clean water or clean plastic.
这些海龟对干净水或干净塑料的气味没有反应。
But when they were exposed to the smells of ocean-soaked plastic or turtle food, they exhibited foraging behaviour — like poking their noses out of the water and showing increased activity.
但当它们暴露在海洋浸泡过的塑料或海龟食物的气味中时，它们会表现出觅食行为——比如将鼻子伸出水面，并表现出更多的活动。
"This finding is important because it's the first demonstration that the odour of ocean plastics causes animals to eat them," said Dr Kenneth J Lohmann, who took part in the study.
参与这项研究的肯尼斯·J·洛曼博士说：“这一发现很重要，因为这是第一次证明海洋塑料的气味会导致动物吃掉塑料。”
"It's common to find loggerhead turtles with their digestive systems fully or partially blocked because they've eaten plastic materials. There also are increasing reports of sea turtles that have become ill and stranded on the beach due to their ingestion of plastic."
“由于食用了塑料材料，红海龟的消化系统完全或部分被堵塞的情况很常见。此外，越来越多的报告称，海龟因摄入塑料而生病并搁浅在海滩上。”
According to the researchers, areas of the ocean with dense concentrations of plastic may trick turtles and other animals into thinking that there is an abundant food source, when the reverse is true.
根据研究人员的说法，海洋中塑料密集的区域可能会诱使海龟和其他动物认为有丰富的食物来源，而事实恰恰相反。
"Once these plastics are in the ocean, we don't have a good way to remove them or prevent them from smelling like food," said Lohmann. "The best thing we can do is to keep plastic from getting into the ocean at all."
洛曼说：“一旦这些塑料进入海洋，我们就没有办法去除它们，或者防止它们闻起来像食物。我们能做的最好的事情就是阻止塑料进入海洋。”
plastic pollution 白色污染
Problematic 有问题的
Entangled in the stuff 纠缠在这些东西里
algae and microbes 藻类及其微生物
captive-reared 圈养的
a laboratory aquarium 实验室水族馆
｜气味
smell n. 气味
普通用词，指任何通过嗅觉器官感受到的气味，可以是好闻的或难闻的。
The rose gave off a sweet smell.
玫瑰发出芬芳的香气。
The smell is offensive.
这气味很呛人。
scent n. 气味，香味
指某物的香味，或人、动物身上散发出的气味。
The scent of lemons filled the hall.
柠檬香味充满了大厅。
The breeze wafted with scents of the grass.
微风送来阵阵青草香。
The hounds followed their game by scent.
猎犬循着臭迹追踪猎物。
put/throw sb off the scent
使失去线索；摆脱追踪者；
on the scent (of sth)
已获得线索；已掌握蛛丝马迹
fragrance n. 芳香，香味
指怡人的气味，尤指鲜花等散发出的香气。
The air is full of the fragrance of roses.
空气中满是玫瑰花的香味。
odour (美亦作odor) n. 气味
指易于辨别的强烈气味，多指难闻的臭味，常用于科技文章中。
This liquid has an extremely unpleasant odour.
这种液体有种特别难闻的气味。
stink n. 恶臭
The air is full of the stink of decayed fish.
空气中充满了烂鱼的臭味。
The stink nearly blew my head off.
那臭味都快把我熏死了。
pipe in 用管道输入
exhibit foraging behaviour 表现出觅食行为
digestive system 消化系统
ingestion of 摄入
become stranded on the beach 搁浅在海滩上
dense concentrations of 密集的
trick ... into doing 使诈..让做
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