Koko是一隻會令人類懷疑自己的大猩猩。原來，大猩猩真的這麼聰明。
當地時間6月19日清晨， 46歲的大猩猩Koko在美國加州於睡夢中離世。
成立Koko研究項目的大猩猩基金會(The Gorilla Foundation)發文哀悼：
“Koko — the gorilla known for her extraordinary mastery of sign language, and as the primary ambassador for her endangered species — passed away yesterday morning in her sleep at the age of 46. ”
“Koko作為（西部低地大猩猩）瀕危物種的代表，以她卓越的手語能力而著名。她於昨天（6月19日）清晨在睡夢中離世。”
“Koko touched the lives of millions as an ambassador for all gorillas and an icon for interspecies communication and empathy. She was beloved and will be deeply missed.”
“Koko作為所有大猩猩的代言人，以及物種間交流和共鳴的標誌，感動了千百萬人。她深受愛戴，會被人們深深懷念。”
據大猩猩基金會報道，Koko的智商在75-95之間，相較之下，大多數人的智商在85到115之間。Koko學會了一千多種美式手語(American Sign Language)，能理解兩千多個英文單詞。儘管有專家對Koko的手語掌握程度有所質疑，但不可否認的是，她是一隻相當聰慧的大猩猩。
不同尋常的Koko用她的一生告訴人們：萬物皆有靈，共情是不分物種界限的。
According to The Gorilla Foundation, Koko had an IQ of between 75 and 95 and reportedly understood 1,000 words of American Sign Language (ASL) and 2,000 words of spoken English. Yet some experts questioned the accuracy of Koko’s supposed sign language skills, saying that she only mastered a number of modified ASL signs. Admittedly, regardless of how many words Koko understood, she was an intelligent gorilla.
一位老牌“明猩”
Star Koko
1971年7月4日，Koko出生在舊金山動物園。因為恰逢美國國慶日，她被取名為“hanabiko”，意為“煙花的孩子”。
Koko, the Westland Lowland Gorilla, was born in the San Francisco Zoo on July 4, 1971. Koko was named “Hanabi-Ko”, which means “fireworks child” in English, due to her birth coinciding with the American Independence Day.
1972年，25歲的美國姑娘佩妮(Francine “Penny” Patterson)還在攻讀斯坦福大學的心理學博士。遇見Koko後，佩妮決定研究猩猩是否可以通過手語（ASL）交流。
American Sign Language (ASL) is a visual-spatial modal language used by deaf communities in the United States and most of Anglophone Canada.
起初，佩妮只想在四年內教會Koko三個手勢： “吃”、“喝”和“更多”。她想拿到博士學位後就離開Koko。但Koko在幾周內就學會了這些手勢，她極強的模仿能力和學習速度令佩妮讚歎不已。由此，開始了一人一猩長達數十年的陪伴。
Francine “Penny” Patterson was Koko's sign language tutor. They first met in 1972. At that time, Penny was a 25-year-old psychology PhD student at Stanford University and aimed to only teach Koko three hand-signs - “eat”, “drink” and “more” – in the four years it takes to achieve a PhD.
However, Koko proved Penny’s preconceptions wrong. The gorilla learned the signs by imitating Penny’s behaviors within weeks. From then on, the duo spent dozens of years together as teacher and student.
由於大猩猩本身就有自己的一套手語系統，Koko將人類的手語手勢融會貫通，創造了屬於自己的一套手勢，即Gorilla Sign Language (GSL)。
當Koko遇到不認識的生詞，她會用已知的詞彙創造出新的單詞。比如，當她意識到自己不是人類後，她用“好人大猩猩(fine person gorilla)”來形容自己。
看看Koko眼中的世間萬物應該怎麼描述吧↓↓↓
抓頭髮的梳子(scratch comb) → 發刷(hair brush)
手指的手鐲(finger bracelet)→戒指(ring)
酸奶(yogurt)→像牛奶水果糖的食物(milk fruit candy food)
獅子(lion)→更大的貓(more cat)
Koko還發表過很多令人哭笑不得或富有“哲理”的“猩言猩語”↓↓↓
難過的女人(sad woman)→哭泣的嘴唇(cry lip)
不懂你的人(person not understanding you)→壞人(bad, fake)
活著的意義(the meaning of life)→有禮貌(People be polite)和善良(People have goodness)
不愉快的回憶(remembering something unpleasant)→red red red bad sorry（這條請大家自行理解……）
憑藉著“開掛”般的智慧，Koko在7歲和14歲分別登上了《國家地理雜誌》(National Geographic)的封面，成為當紅一時的“明猩”。《國家地理雜誌》也在Koko去世後進行了報道：
“National Geographic magazine featured Koko of its cover twice: First in October 1978, with a photograph that she took of herself in a mirror (perhaps making it one of the earliest prominent animal selfies). She also appeared a second time on the cover in January 1985, in a story about Koko and her pet kitten.”
Koko還曾作為主角，出現在1999年PBS發佈的紀錄片“A Conversation With Koko The Gorilla”中。她還在2015年參加了法國一家公益組織推出的活動，用手語告訴人類“我代表自然，我愛人類，也愛地球，但是人類太笨了……保護地球，迫在眉睫。”
愛貓如命的“貓奴”
Cat-lover Koko
Koko對貓的喜愛，從三隻小貓的畫冊就開始了。在她還小時，經常指著畫冊上的小貓圖案，比劃手語說“貓。”
作為一個不折不扣的“貓奴”，Koko真正的“猩貓奇緣”從1983年的聖誕節開始。
那時，Koko打手語表示想要只小貓當做禮物。剛開始研究人員理解錯了，給了她一個毛絨玩具。當時Koko就用手語接連表示難過，也不願和玩具小貓玩耍。
Koko’s connection with cats started on Christmas 1983, when she asked for a cat as a present. Researchers gave her a stuffed animal, but this was not what Koko expected. She continuously signed “sad.” Ron Chon, a biologist with the Gorilla Foundation, told the Los Angeles Times in 1985 that “she was terribly upset.”
於是，Koko在1984年終於有了第一隻屬於自己的小貓，還給它起名為“全球(All Ball)”。她將“全球”視如己出，撫育它、照顧它、逗它玩。可結局並不美好，僅半年後，小貓就遭遇車禍死亡。Koko得知這件事後，她發出悲鳴，不斷用手語表示“難過，不好，皺眉。”
A surprising birthday present, a real kitten, pleased Koko in 1984. “All Ball”, which was the name Koko gave to her kitten, tragically died at six months old when it was run over by a car.
Researchers broke the news to Koko. The gorilla reacted with horror, whimpering and making a hooting sound that gorillas make when they are sad. Over and over, she signed the words “sad”, “bad” and “frown”.
在Koko的44歲生日上，研究人員又送給她小貓作為禮物，不過這次是兩隻。Koko看到小貓後，十分喜愛“小灰”，而另一隻“小黑”因為喜歡Koko也留了下來。
Koko adopted another two kittens on her 44th birthday. Now nearly two-years-old, both the cats named “Ms. Black” and “Ms. Grey”, maintained a strong connection with Koko.
羅賓·威廉姆斯的好朋友
Koko, Robin Williams’ friend
2001年，美國著名喜劇演員羅賓·威廉姆斯(Robin Williams)參與大猩猩基金會的推廣活動時遇見了Koko。
威廉姆斯同Koko相處時間不長，卻建立了一段非常穩固的友誼。頑皮的Koko還在中途搶走了威廉姆斯的眼鏡，轉身戴在了自己身上，十分有模有樣。
Robin Williams, the renowned American actor and comedian, met Koko in 2001 at the Gorilla Foundation in California and the two quickly became friends. They tickled each other, laughed and hugged. Koko even took Williams’ glasses and put them on her head.
2014年威廉姆斯去世，享年63歲。Koko得知後，雖無法用人類的語言說出自己的想法，卻用最真實的神情哀悼威廉姆斯的辭世——低頭、嘴唇顫抖，淚眼朦朧。
Sadly, Williams committed suicide in August 2014 at the age of 63. When staff of the research center told Koko the news, she was quickly moved close to tears by the somber mood and sat hunched over with a quivering lip.
如果沒有Koko
If Koko did not exist
作為Koko的手語老師和長久相伴的人，佩妮曾在紀錄片中這樣評價這隻大猩猩：
“She has a very strong sense of self… She’s playful, can be very silly. She’s got a good sense of humor. She can be very stubborn, very willful.”
如果沒有Koko，在那個認知受限的年代，我們很難了解動物也擁有自我認知。他們和人類十分相似，會有悲傷、快樂、憤怒、失望的種種情感；他們也可以十分聰明，理解人類的語言、模仿、學習並交流使用。
Koko looked at herself in a mirror. Although most gorillas fail the mirror test (MSR), which is a significant measure of testing one’s self-awareness, Koko passed it.
Koko drank apple juice from a wine glass.
Koko also drew “pictures” while using the pen and paints chosen by herself.
Koko tried even learned to play guitar!
When Koko met kittens, she asked a staff to put the kitten on her head. So lovely.
Koko used a hair brush to comb her hair.
Koko曾這樣形容她眼中的死亡(death)——“舒適的洞裡再見(comfortable hole bye)”。
如今Koko找到了那個“舒適的洞”，希望她能像2017年過生日時一樣，永遠無憂無慮。
Farewell, Koko!
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