【精英翻譯】的部落格

Do Bulls See Red When They See Red?

鬥牛真的討厭紅色嗎？

精英翻譯社轉自https://www.ivy.com.tw/newsLetter/analysis_cont/2021042809562679319

In some Spanish-speaking countries, one of the more famous traditions is bullfighting. In a stadium, a lone man faces a bull inside a ring. This matador uses a large cape to attract the bull’s attention, eventually enraging it. The bull charges the sword-wielding matador, who is ready to skillfully sidestep the massive beast and wound the animal. Finally, the weakened bull makes one last charge at the matador, who then uses a smaller red cape. Do bulls become angry when they see red?

在一些西班牙語系的國家，有一項較為著名的傳統是鬥牛。在體育場裡，一名男子在競技場中獨自面對一頭公牛。這名鬥牛士用一件大斗篷引起公牛的注意，最後將牠激怒。這頭公牛朝著持劍的鬥牛士進攻，而後者已準備好巧妙地閃過這頭巨獸並將牠刺傷。最後，虛弱的公牛向鬥牛士做最後一次進攻，而鬥牛士這時則使用一件較小的紅斗篷。公牛看見紅色時會發怒嗎？

Most people have come to believe that the red-colored cape stirs anger in the beast. In fact, cattle lack the red retina receptor and thus do not have the ability to see red at all. Objects with a red hue are seen by cows and bulls as yellowish-gray, so the red used in bullfighting equipment has nothing to do with the animal’s behavior. Why, then, does a bull charge a matador?

多數人都開始相信那件紅色斗篷激怒了這頭野獸。事實上，牛缺乏可以感受紅色的視網膜光受體，因此完全不具有看見紅色的能力。紅色調的物品在牛的眼中看來是微黃的灰色，所以鬥牛道具所使用的紅色與這隻動物的行為無關。那麼，公牛又為何會攻擊鬥牛士呢？

The Discovery Channel’s MythBusters series conducted an interesting experiment to try and explain why. They first placed three stationary flags colored red, blue, and white in an arena with a bull. The bull charged all three. The stationary flags were then replaced by three dummies, each with one color. Again, the bull charged all three. Finally, they used real humans, each dressed in one color. The man dressed in red stood still while the men in white or blue moved around the ring. The bull attacked the latter two, not the man dressed in red.

探索頻道的《流言終結者》系列節目做了一項有趣的實驗來試著解釋為什麼。他們首先將三支分別為紅色、藍色和白色靜止的旗子和牛同置於競技場中。那隻牛向三者進攻。接著靜止的旗子被換成三個各有一種顏色的人體模型。再次地，牛又向三者進攻。最後，他們用了各穿著一種顏色的真人。穿紅衣的男子站立不動，而穿白衣或藍衣的男子在場內四處移動。這隻公牛攻擊了後兩者，而未攻擊紅衣男子。

This proved that red is not a factor in why bulls charge matadors. The whipping and swirling movement of their capes most likely angers the bull. So, why use a red cape at all? The answer: the red color better disguises the bloody end of the poor beast.

這證實了紅色並非使公牛攻擊鬥牛士的因素。最有可能激怒公牛的是斗篷迅速移動及旋轉的動作。所以，究竟為什麼要用紅色斗篷呢？答案是：紅色比較好掩飾這頭可憐猛獸的血腥結局。