世界上唯一有毒的灵长类动物可以解释为什么人类对猫过敏

For those with a severe cat allergy, any location that harbours a pet feline can become a toxic no-go zone.

对于那些有严重猫过敏的人,任何藏有宠物猫的地方都可能成为有毒的禁区。

Research on another tragically cute mammal now suggests this might be no accident of nature – cats really are trying to keep us away.

现在,对另一种可悲可爱的哺乳动物的研究表明,这可能不是大自然的意外-猫真的是想让我们远离。

A study on the world's only known example of a venomous primate has found a surprising similarity between a key protein in its armpit glands and the allergen found in cats, raising the suggestion that if one evolved as a defensive weapon, so might the other.

一项对世界上唯一已知的有毒灵长类动物例子的研究发现,它的腋腺中的一种关键蛋白质与猫身上发现的过敏原之间有着惊人的相似之处,这表明,如果一种进化成了防御武器,那么另一种也可能进化成防御武器。

It's a finding that not only puts cat allergies into a new context, but could lead to treatments for those suffering the effects of an unpleasant encounter with either animal.

这一发现不仅将猫过敏置于一个新的背景下,而且可能导致对那些遭受与任何一种动物的不愉快遭遇影响的人的治疗。

Slow lorises (Nycticebus sp.) are several species of primate commonly found in the wilds of South and Southeast Asia.

慢罗瑞斯(Nycticebus sp.)是几种常见于南亚和东南亚野生动物的灵长类动物。

Looking at one, you'd swear it was dreamed up in a Hasbro toy workshop for toddlers.

看着其中一个,你会发誓它是在孩之宝为蹒跚学步的孩子们设计的玩具车间里构思出来的。

But don't let the looks fool you.

但不要让外表愚弄了你。

Inside the loris's mouth are rows of tiny, razor-sharp teeth used to both tear into small prey and keep predators and competitors at bay.

在懒猴的嘴里是一排排细小的锋利的牙齿,用来撕裂小猎物,并将捕食者和竞争者拒之门外。

As if a bite isn't enough, when threatened, the fluff monsters put their hands up and lick the glands tucked away in their armpits, dosing their spit with a rich array of compounds fine-tuned to help transform a tiny cut into a festering hole of dead flesh.

好像咬一口还不够,当受到威胁时,毛茸茸的怪物就会举起双手,舔腋窝里的腺体,在唾液中加入大量经过微调的化合物,以帮助将微小的伤口转变为腐烂的死肉洞穴。

"Generally slow lorises use their venom to fight with other slow lorises, causing very slow-to-heal wounds," says biologist Bryan Fry from the University of Queensland in Australia.

澳大利亚昆士兰大学的生物学家布莱恩·弗莱(Bryan Fry)说:“通常情况下,慢速懒虫使用它们的毒液与其他慢速懒虫战斗,造成非常缓慢的伤口愈合。”

"But, when humans are bitten, the victim will display symptoms as if they're going into allergic shock."

“但是,当人类被叮咬时,受害者会表现出症状,就好像他们将进入过敏性休克。”