爱思英语编者按：预测世界杯，信贝利不如信保罗。保罗是谁？保罗是德国的一只章鱼(octopus)，它预测球赛结果屡屡应验，一举成名。日前，保罗再度出手，德国队将在四分之一决赛中打败阿根廷队。尽管很多人认为“保罗”的预测纯属巧合，而非有什么超人的能力。不过，科学研究表明，不少动物的确具备超越人类的感知能力。

当赌球者正试图通过科技手段来预测南非世界杯上的赔率时，动物王国的一位成员用行为证明他只需要取出贝类，便创下了百发百中的预测记录。

While bookmakers are using a scientific approach to calculate the odds at the World Cup in South Africa, a member of the animal kingdom proved he only needs shellfish for a 100 percent prediction record.更多信息请访问：http://www.engbus.cn/

在成功预言了本年度世界杯德国队前四场比赛结果后，章鱼“保罗”似乎已经对德国国旗产生了好感。
Octopus Paul seems to have taken a liking to the German flag after he successfully foretold the team's four outcomes in this year’s tournament.

海洋馆工作人员将两个塑料盒子放进保罗所在的玻璃缸中，一个盒子上贴着德国国旗，另一个盒子是对手的国旗，每个盒子里装有一小块食物。保罗先打开哪个盒子，就表明那个盒子所代表的国家将获胜。
Two plastic boxes, one with a German flag and one with their opponent's, are lowered into Paul's tank at Sea Life, each with a tasty morsel of food inside.The box which Paul opens first is adjudged to be his predicted winner.

在本周六的四分之一决赛中，他再一次预测德国的出线，而这一次德国的对手是阿根廷队。
Now he has picked Germany to win again, this time over Argentina, in their quarter final match on Saturday.

保罗已然成为德国奥伯豪森市海洋馆中一位明星成员，同时他的预测也得到媒体的密切关注。
Paul has become a star attraction at the Sea Life Aquarium in the German city of Oberhausen, and his predictions are closely monitored by the media.

该海洋馆发言人表示，保罗花费了一个小时的时间才做出这个最新选择，这或许也预示着两队在四分之一决赛中势必要激战一场。
Aquarium spokeswoman said Paul took about an hour before he made his latest choice, which could mean it will be tough for both teams in the quarter final.

对于德国队的球迷来说似乎是个好消息。
It looks like a good thing for German football fans.

尽管很多人都对此半信半疑，但保罗的预测到目前为之的确是全部应验。

There are plenty people that don’t believe this, but Paul is two for two so far.

他预测了6月13号德国大胜澳大利亚队。数日后，出乎大多数赌家的意料，他预测了德国队将负于塞尔维亚。
He foresaw the German trouncing of Australia on June 13. A few days later — bucking the bookies — he called Serbia’s upset over Germany.

我们不要忘了，还有几位预测球赛的动物好手，像开姆尼茨动物园河马“贝蒂”就曾预测德国队将击败塞尔维亚。而也是在同一个动物园中，一只名叫“利昂”的豪猪则偏爱澳大利亚队。开姆尼茨动物园的工作人员又向别的动物求助，他们的最新顾问“安东”是只绢毛猴，而“安东”选择了一些水果以表示对加纳的支持。
Let’s not forget about the other football-prognosticating animals, like Petty, a pygmy hippo at the Chemnitz Zoo who picked Germany to beat Serbia, or Leon, a porcupine — also in Chemnitz — who liked Australia. The Chemnitz staff turns to a new animal for each game, and their latest consultant, Anton the tamarin monkey, has chosen a morsel of fruit in favor of Ghana.

鉴于预测预测事物的天性，动物们无法预测平局情况的发生。但这点小事显然难不倒“保罗”。海洋馆的员工介绍，这只章鱼在执行上次的任务，即预测2008年欧洲杯的赛事结果时，其命中率也有8成。
Given the nature of their prognostications, the animals have trouble calling a tie. But such trifles haven’t slowed down Paul. According to Sea Life staff, the octopus notched an 80 percent record of forecasts during his last assignment — the UEFA European Championship tournament in 2008.

相关词汇

assignment 工作, 任务
 
bookmaker 博奕庄家
 
bookie 赌注经纪人
 
buck 抵制；反抗
 
liking 喜爱,喜好
 
morsel 少量
 
notch 赢得,赢取
 
odds 投注赔率
 
porcupine 豪猪
 
prognosticate 预言;预示
 
tournament 锦标赛; 联赛
 
trifle 小事，琐事
 
trounce 使大败