企鹅生存的环境相对艰难，因为它们面临着来自各方面的威胁，尤其是在养育后代的过程中，企鹅父母必须24小时全程照看。但在这个照看过程中，企鹅父母是如何睡觉的呢？本文介绍了一项相关研究。
Chinstrap penguins get their name from the thin black line under their chins, which looks like a strap (带子) holding on a black hat or helmet. Like other penguins, they spend much of their time in the water, catching fish to eat. But when the time comes to raise their young, they return to land.
帽带企鹅的名字来源于它们下巴下的一条细线，这条细线看起来像是一条固定在黑色帽子或头盔上的带子。和其他企鹅一样，它们大部分时间都在水中捕鱼。但到了养育幼崽的时候，它们就会回到陆地上。
▲ The eggs are often laid in nests made of small rocks to keep the eggs from freezing. One parent takes care of the nest for long periods of time, while the other parent hunts for food. The parent must constantly keep a sharp lookout. Birds called brown skuas target the eggs and young penguins of careless parents. Other penguins in these crowded areas may take stones from the nest, putting the young in danger. But it’s hard to stay alert and protect a nest 24 hours a day. Getting a good night’s sleep could be deadly for the young.
▲ 蛋通常产在由小石头制成的巢穴中，以防止蛋结冰。父母一方长时间照顾巢穴，另一方则觅食。家长必须时刻保持警惕。被称为棕色臭鼬的鸟类以粗心父母的蛋和幼企鹅为目标。在这些拥挤地区的其他企鹅可能会从巢穴中拿走石头，使幼企鹅处于危险之中。但要保持警惕并24小时保护巢穴是很困难的。睡个好觉对幼崽来说可能是致命的。
Scientist Won Young Lee noticed that the chinstrap parents were constantly blinking (眨) their eyes. He wondered if more was happening than just blinking. So he and a group of scientists attached tiny electrical devices to the heads of 14 chinstrap penguins. The devices allowed the scientists to measure the brain activity of the penguins. At the same time, the scientists recorded the birds on video. Eleven days of studying the penguins revealed that the tired parents were actually sleeping in short bursts — about four seconds at a time. By doing this thousands of times daily, they get about 11 hours of sleep a day.
科学家李元英（Won Young Lee）注意到，帽带企鹅父母不停地眨眼。他想知道是否发生了比眨眼更多的事情。因此，他和一群科学家在14只帽带企鹅的头上安装了微型电子设备。这些设备使科学家能够测量企鹅的大脑活动。与此同时，科学家们把这些鸟录了下来。对企鹅进行了11天的研究，结果显示，疲惫的父母实际上是在短时间内睡觉——每次大约4秒。通过每天数千次这样做，他们每天可以睡11个小时左右。
It’s not clear if the microsleeps allow the penguins to actually feel rested, or if it’s just enough to allow them to keep going. But the penguins are able to keep up the pattern for weeks, which allows them to protect their nests, eggs, and babies. The scientists don’t know yet if the penguins sleep this way at other times of the year, or only when they’re raising their young. They also don’t know if other kinds of penguins have similar sleeping habits. But scientists who study how animals sleep say that this is an important study, and especially impressive because it was carried out in the penguins’ natural environment.
目前尚不清楚微睡眠是否能让企鹅真正感到休息，或者这是否足以让它们继续前行。但企鹅能够在数周内保持这种模式，这使它们能够保护自己的巢穴、蛋和婴儿。科学家们还不知道企鹅是在一年中的其他时间以这种方式睡觉，还是只在养育幼企鹅的时候。他们也不知道其他种类的企鹅是否有类似的睡眠习惯。但研究动物睡眠方式的科学家表示，这是一项重要的研究，尤其令人印象深刻，因为它是在企鹅的自然环境中进行的。
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