> Do scarecrows actually work?
揭秘：稻草人真的能把鳥嚇走嗎？

Every Halloween, scarecrows become standard lawn decor.
每年萬圣節，稻草人都是草地上的標配裝飾物。

Trick-or-treaters might find them frightening, but what about the birds that these effigies are supposed to repel?
不給糖就搗蛋的小孩可能會被稻草人嚇到，但其實稻草人的作用本來是驅趕鳥類，它們真的能把鳥嚇走嗎？

Apparently, some birds dislike them more than others.
顯然，有些鳥真的不喜歡稻草人。

A series of tests conducted in 1980 found that small ponds near where a scarecrow was planted saw a 95 percent drop in visits by local ducks.
1980年開展的一系列測試發現，附近安插了稻草人的小池塘在當地吸引的鴨子數量減少了95%。

On the other hand, certain species don’t seem to notice them.
與此同時，某些鳥類似乎注意不到稻草人。

During the 1930s, wildlife scientist K.R. Lagler sent one scarecrow adrift on a floating buoy at a West Virginia fish hatchery.
上世紀30年代，野生動物科學家K?R?拉格勒在美國西弗吉尼亞州的一個魚苗孵化場中把稻草人放在浮標上漂流。

While most birds steered clear of the thing, he noted that it failed to deter kingfishers.
盡管多數鳥兒都會避開稻草人，但是拉格勒發現，稻草人對翠鳥沒有震懾作用。

While traditional, motionless scarecrows do work against “pest birds” (e.g. crows and blackbirds), the effect is almost always temporary.
盡管傳統的一動不動的稻草人對害鳥（比如烏鴉和烏鶇）確實有作用，但是效果基本上都持續不了多久。

However, a few tricks can up your scarecrow’s game. Researchers have learned that those with realistic facial features and brightly colored clothes are slightly better at shooing away birds.
隨著時間流逝，這些鳥類習慣了一動不動的稻草人，又會故態復萌，開始毀壞莊稼。不過，只需幾個小技巧就能讓稻草人戰斗力升級。研究人員發現，面容逼真、衣服鮮艷的稻草人對于嚇走鳥兒略勝一籌。

Also, moving a scarecrow around every few days often helps.
另外，每隔幾天就移動一下稻草人也有幫助。

According to several studies, flailing models get the very best results.
多項研究顯示，雙臂揮舞的稻草人效果最好。

In 1989, one scientist reported that a “human-like mannequin” that occasionally lurched upwards via a double propane cannon managed to keep up to six acres of sunflowers safe from blackbirds.
1989年，一名科學家報告稱，通過一個雙丙烷加農炮讓一個人體模型時不時突然冒出來，成功地讓6英畝向日葵花田免受烏鶇的侵害。

Future farmers may have plenty of high-tech options to choose from.
未來農民們可能會有很多高科技驅鳥產品供其選擇。

A robotic alternative known as the “Agrilaser” randomly deploys sweeping laser beams to keep birds away.
一款名為Agrilaser的驅鳥機器隨機掃射激光束來驅趕鳥兒。

Another contraption—the solar-powered “digital scarecrow”—detects nearby animals with an infrared eye that surveys 178,000 square feet.
另一種號稱“數字稻草人”的太陽能裝置可以用紅外探測器掃描17.8平方英尺范圍并檢測到附近的動物。

When a critter gets too close, it’s warded off with a harmless supersonic wave.
當一個動物靠得太近，這種數字稻草人就會發射無害的超聲波來驅趕動物。

> Hole-in-the-wall restaurants have become a new trend
“蒼蠅小館”頻頻上榜，美食探店你選哪個？

It seems that the era of fancy, well-known restaurants has ended as people are now more interested in finding which hole-in-the-wall restaurant has the best food.
如今，人們更感興趣的是尋找哪家不起眼的餐館最好吃，尋找高級精致餐廳似乎已經過時了。

Before, a table of delicately arranged desserts in a fancy hotel was worth showing off; nowadays, it’s more fulfilling to post hole-in-the-wall restaurants you have found on Xiaohongshu and be asked for the address in the comment section.
以前，在高檔餐廳里擺上一桌精致的甜點是值得炫耀的；如今，在小紅書上，“蒼蠅小館探店分享”帖被關注似乎更有成就感。

According to Hubei Daily, hole-in-the-wall restaurants are small restaurants that are not highly decorated or service-focused like traditional restaurants but have many delicious local dishes.
據《湖北日報》報道，“蒼蠅小館”不像傳統餐館那樣注重裝修、服務，而是更注重餐品的味道。

Though they have long served as the “canteen” of their surrounding neighborhoods, these hole-in-the-wall restaurants have gradually retreated from the busy streets as more high-rise structures are built.
一些住在附近的人，甚至會把這里當做后食堂。但隨著商業街的擴展，一些小館也逐漸隱退于市。

Many hole-in-the-wall restaurant lovers desire a more natural lifestyle, with some viewing their dining habits as a protest against consumerism.
許多蒼蠅小館愛好者渴望一種更加接地氣的生活方式，其中一些人將他們的就餐習慣視為對消費主義的抗議。

A native of Wuhan surnamed Tian is one of them. She appreciates that these humble diners cook food with care.
一位武漢人表示，她很欣賞蒼蠅小館這種用心做菜的態度。

In contrast, some internet-famous restaurants only use pre-made food or simply stir-fry their dishes, she complained. This results in the foods having similar tastes.
相比之下，一些網紅餐廳只使用預制菜，或只進行簡單的翻炒，菜品毫無特色，味道都大差不差。

Still, there are risks for both owners and fans of hole-in-the-wall restaurants.
不過，對于蒼蠅小館的老板和粉絲來說，都存在風險。

To solve these problems, Zou Zhiping, a professor at Hubei University of Economics, suggested that the government provide training and more support for these restaurants.
湖北經濟大學的鄒教授表示，為了解決這些問題，建議政府為這些小餐館提供培訓和相關支持。同樣，小餐館也應該提高自身服務能力。

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