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Hey squeaks, look what we have here?
嘿，吱吱，看看这里有什么？
We just got an awesome question from one of our viewers,
我们从观众那里收到了一个不错的问题，
they want to know why do animals have tails.
他们想知道动物为什么有尾巴。
That's such a great question.
这个问题很好。
Lots of animals have tails.
许多动物都有尾巴。
Yes, including rats Squeaks, but humans don't.
是的，包括吱吱，但人类没有。
Personally, I'm pretty glad we don't have tails.
就我个人而言，我很高兴我们没有尾巴。
Can you imagine trying to sit in class at school with the tail getting in the way all the time?
你能想象自己坐在学校教室里，尾巴一直挡你道的情境吗？
But the real reason other animals have tails is that they need them and we don't.
其他动物有尾巴的真正原因是它们需要它，而我们不需要。
I bet you can even guess what some animals use their tails for.
我打赌你甚至能猜到一些动物用尾巴做什么。
When you think of an animal with a tail, what's the first one that comes to mind?
当你思考什么动物有尾巴时，首先想到的是什么？
A dog. That's a great one, Squeaks.
狗。吱吱，说的不错。
Maybe you have a dog in your family or you know someone who does,
你家里也许有只狗，或者你知道谁有狗，
and I bet you've seen that dog wag their tail a lot.
我打赌你一定见过狗摇尾巴。
When dogs wag their tails that often, because they're happy or excited.
狗经常摇尾巴是因为它们高兴或兴奋。
Since they can't talk using words, their tails do the talking for them,
因为它们不能用语言说话，所以尾巴能为它们代言，
and if you see a dog with their tail lowered between their legs that might mean they're scared.
如果你看到狗把尾巴夹在两腿之间，这可能意味着它们很害怕。
So that's one reason some animals have tails to help show what they're feeling.
所以一些动物有尾巴的一个原因是它能帮助它们表达感觉。
Can you think of any other animals that have tails?
你还能想到其他有尾巴的动物吗？
Maybe one you'd see on a farm.
也许你在农场见过。
Yeah, horses have tails too. Sometimes horses use their tails to communicate like dogs do,
是的，马也有尾巴。有时马能像狗一样用尾巴交流，
but their tails are also useful for something else.
但它们的尾巴还有别的用途。
Flicking away all those pesky flies buzzing around them.
即把那些烦人的苍蝇赶走。
Some other animals like cows do the same thing.
其他一些动物，比如奶牛也做同样的事情。
That's true, Squeaks. there's another very important example that we haven't talked about yet.
吱吱，你说的没错，还有另外一个重要的例子我们还没讨论。
Rats. Rats mainly use their tails for a different reason, to help them balance.
老鼠。老鼠使用尾巴的原因不同，它是为了帮助它们保持平衡。
You know, how sometimes if you're walking along the edge of a curb
你知道的，有时候你在路边走得时候，
and you start to feel like you might lose your balance,
会开始感觉自己好像要失去平衡了，
you can throw your arms out to the side like this and keep yourself from falling over.
这时你可以像这样把手臂伸到一边，不让自己摔倒。
Well, rats and lots of other animals use their tails in the same way.
老鼠和其他许多动物也以同样的方式使用尾巴。
If they're climbing something really high or narrow where they might fall,
如果它们爬到非常高或者非常窄的地方，可能要掉下去，
they can stretch out their tail to help keep their balance, just like you stretch out your arms.
它们可以伸出尾巴来保持平衡，就像你伸出手臂一样。
Cats use their tails for balance too.
猫也用尾巴来保持平衡。
Which is really important for them because they jump very high.
这对它们真得很重要，因为它们跳得非常高。
And some animals like monkeys can actually use their tails almost like an extra hand.
有些动物比如猴子，实际可以把它们的尾巴当成额外的手。
A monkey's tail helps them balance, but they can also use it to hang on to the tree branches and sway.
猴子的尾巴可以帮助它们保持平衡，但它们也可以把尾巴挂在树枝上摇摆。
I know, it would be so much fun. It'd be like having a swing set wherever you go.
我知道，这一定非常有趣。这就像你不管去哪儿，都有一个秋千一样。
So whether they're using their tails to communicate, flick away bugs or balance,
所以尾巴不管是用来交流，还是用来赶走虫子或者保持平衡，
tails are really important for lots of animals.
它们对许多动物都很重要。
And there are plenty of other ways animals use their tails that we haven't even talked about.
动物使用尾巴还有很多其他方式，我们甚至还没讲过。
But humans don't have a tail at all.
但人类根本没有尾巴。
Because we don't need one for any of those reasons.
因为我们不需要为了这些原因有个尾巴。
We have other ways to show what we're thinking or feeling like by talking
我们有其他方式来表达我们的想法或感觉，
or even just using our faces to smile or frown.
我们甚至只用脸微笑或皱眉就能表达。
If bugs bother us, we can swat them away with our hands.
如果虫子骚扰我们，我们可以用手把它们赶走。
And since we walk on two legs, we don't need a tail to help us balance.
由于我们用两条腿走路，所以不需要尾巴来帮助我们平衡。
We can use our arms for that, like when you're walking on the edge of a curb.
比如你在路边走的时候，我们可以用手臂来保持平衡。
So even though tails are really helpful for a lot of other animals,
所以即使尾巴对很多其他动物都很有帮助，
for us humans, they would mostly just get in the way.
但对我们人类来说，它们大多只会碍手碍脚。
Thanks for asking such a good question.
谢谢你问了一个这么好的问题。
Do you have more questions about animals or the human body or anything else?
你对动物或人类或其他事物有更多疑问吗？
Ask a grown-up to help you leave a comment down below
找个大人帮忙在下方留言
or send us an email to kids@scishow.com.
或发邮件至kids@scishow.com。
Thanks, and we'll see you next time, here at the Fort.
感谢您收看，我们下期见，沃斯堡等你哦！
