关于草泥马 你不知道的10件事（中英双语）
小译说
羊驼又被大家戏称为“草泥马”，呆萌的外表让它成为了名副其实的网红。你了解这种可爱的生物吗？跟随小译一起去看看吧！
Alpacas may just be the cutest of all the Camelidae family, which includes llamas, guanacos and vicunas from South America, and Bactrian and Dromedary camels from Asia and Africa. With their floppy furry tufts, slender necks, ingénue eyes and coy Clara Bow grins, they are the "it" girls and boys of the ungulate world.
羊驼也许是骆驼科大家族中最可爱的物种，骆驼科包括来自南美的大羊驼、原驼和小羊驼，以及来自亚洲和非洲的双峰驼和单峰驼。羊驼有着松软的茸毛、纤细的脖子、天真的眼睛和腼腆的笑容，它们是有蹄类动物界的可爱小孩。
But beyond their charming, quirky good looks, these creatures are responsible for bearing some of the silkiest, most versatile fiber found in nature, for which they are shorn annually.
不过除了迷人奇特的外表之外，它们还拥有自然界中最柔滑、用途最为广泛的纤维，因此每年羊驼都离不开被剪毛的命运。
Alpaca is a specialty fiber that has been described as stronger than mohair, finer than cashmere, smoother than silk, softer than cotton, warmer than goose down and better-breathing than thermal knits. Along with that, alpacas themselves possess some pretty remarkable personality traits.
羊驼毛是一种特殊的纤维，据说比马海毛更结实，比羊绒更细，比丝绸更顺滑，比棉花更柔软，比鹅绒更温暖，比保暖针织品更透气。同时，羊驼还有一些非常显著的性格特征。
The last weekend in September is National Alpaca Farm Days, so in honor of all things Vicugna pacos, we"re filling you in on everything you never knew about these captivating camelids.
9月的最后一个周末是全美羊驼农场节，本文将向你介绍这些迷人骆驼科动物不为人知的那些事。
1.羊驼源自古老时代
1. They"re ancient
Alpacas were domesticated by the Incas more than 6,000 years ago and raised for their exquisite fleece. Due to its quality and all of its superhero characteristics, alpaca fiber was reserved exclusively for the elite and nobility.
羊驼早在6000多年前就被印加人驯养，并因其精致的毛而被饲养。由于羊驼纤维的上等品质和绝佳特质，当时只有精英和贵族才可拥有。
2.饲养羊驼很流行
2. They"re trendy
In 1984, a small group of importers brought the first of a carefully selected herd to the United States and Canada, and they’ve been dotting the bucolic landscape ever since. The North American herd has grown from a few alpacas in zoos and private farms to about 20,000.
1984年，一小群进口商将第一批精心挑选的羊驼引入美国和加拿大，从那以后，羊驼就一直在这片田园风光中繁衍生息。北美羊驼已经从动物园和私人农场里的屈指可数发展到约2万只。
3.羊驼毛品质上等、防过敏
3. They grow superlative, hypoallergenic fleece
Alpaca fiber is much like sheep’s wool, but warmer and not itchy. It is lacking in lanolin, which makes it hypoallergenic and also allows it to be processed without the need for high temperatures or harsh chemicals in washing.
羊驼纤维很像羊毛，但更温暖且不致痒。它缺乏羊毛脂，因此具有低致敏性，也无需通过高温或刺激性洗涤化学物进行处理。
4.羊驼毛阻燃
4. They"re flame-resistant
Well, technically their fiber is flame-resistant, meeting the standards of the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission"s rigid testing specifications as a Class 1 fiber for use in clothing and furnishings.
从技术上讲，羊驼纤维是阻燃的，符合美国消费品安全委员会严格的检验规格，是用于服装和装饰材料的Ⅰ类纤维。
5.羊驼毛防水
5. They"re water-resistant
Like wool, alpaca fiber is water-resistant, but it can wick away moisture because of its unique ability to mimic cotton in moisture regain. These attributes are what make alpaca feel lighter than wool but warmer than cotton in cool and damp climates.
和羊毛一样，羊驼毛防水，不过它具有像棉花一样的吸湿性，而这种独特能力使羊驼毛可以吸走水分。这些特性使羊驼毛在凉爽潮湿的气候中比羊毛更轻，比棉花更暖。
6.羊驼毛有彩虹般的色彩
6. They come in a rainbow of hues
Alpaca fiber comes in 22 colors and hundreds of shades, from white to light rose gray to dark fawn, in addition to the blends that can be made from those, thus minimizing the need for pollution-intensive dying.
羊驼纤维有22种颜色和数百种色调，从白色到浅粉灰色，再到深黄褐色，应有尽有。这些多彩的羊驼毛不仅可以制成混纺纤维，还能因此减少染色带来的污染。
7.世界上有两种羊驼
7. There are two types of alpacas in this world...
Alpacas come in two types: Suri and the huacaya. The suri has fiber that grows long and forms silky dreadlocks. The huacaya has a wooly, dense, crimped fleece — like a teddy bear — giving it a very wooly appearance. About 90 percent of all alpacas in the North America are huacayas.
羊驼有两种：苏力羊驼和瓦卡亚羊驼。苏力羊驼的纤维很长，形成顺滑的长丝。瓦卡亚羊驼毛发浓密且卷曲，像泰迪熊一样，看起来毛茸茸的。北美约90%的羊驼都是瓦卡亚羊驼。
8.羊驼可以杂交
8. They can mix and match
Alpacas and llamas can successfully cross-breed. The offspring they create are known as huarizo, which are valued for their longer fleece.
羊驼和大羊驼能成功杂交。二者的后代叫华里柔，因其驼毛更长而更加珍贵。
9.羊驼共享一个“卫生间”
9. They share a bathroom
Alpacas use a communal dung pile (where they do not graze, thankfully). Because of their predisposition for using a dung pile, some alpacas have been successfully house-trained.
羊驼会在同一地点排便(谢天谢地，它们不在那吃草)。由于它们喜欢定点排便，一些羊驼已经被成功驯化，学会了不在室内大小便。
10.羊驼的叫声
10. They hum and haw ... and orgle
Humming is the most common sound that alpacas make. Alpacas hum when they are curious, content, worried, bored, fearful, distressed or cautious. When startled or in danger, a staccato braying is started by one animal, then followed by the rest of the herd in the direction of the potential threat. During breeding, the male alpaca Romeo emits a unique throaty vocalization called “orgling.”
“哼哼”声是羊驼最常发出的声音。它们在感到好奇、满足、担心、无聊、恐惧、痛苦或变得警惕时，就会发出“哼哼”声。当受到惊吓或处于危险中时，一只羊驼会发出断断续续的叫声，然后处于潜在危险中的其它羊驼也会跟着叫起来。在繁殖过程中，公羊驼会发出一种独特的低沉的声音。
During the National Alpaca Farm Days, alpaca farms across the country will open their gates to visitors of all ages to meet the wooly loves.
全美羊驼农场节期间，全国各地的羊驼养殖场将对所有年龄段的游客开放，参观者可以借此机会去看看这群毛茸茸的小动物。
本文为百度翻译原创内容
翻译：张楚（北语） 编辑：Vivian
文章来源：mother nature network