【创作不易，您的关注[惊喜]是我持续的动力[送心]】

也许是1991年的电影“沉默的羔羊”中最具标志性的一句话出自汉尼拔·莱克特医生(安东尼·霍普金斯饰演):“我就着蚕豆和美味的基安蒂酒葡萄酒吃了他的肝脏。”老汉平静而令人毛骨悚然地说出了这句话[恐惧]。

Perhaps the most iconic line from 1991’s “The Silence of the Lambs” comes from Dr. Hannibal Lecter (played by Anthony Hopkins): “I ate his liver with some fava beans and a nice Chianti.” He delivers the line calmly and creepily, but most people don’t realize there’s a joke in his choice of sides.

显然，肝脏太馋人了，动物也喜欢。这不，有两条虎鲸大虎和二虎，最喜欢猎杀大白鲨来啃食它们的肝脏。

Apparently, liver’s too mouthwatering to pass up for some creatures in the animal kingdom, though. Take, for example, the tale of Starboard and Port, two killer whales with a penchant for systematically hunting down great white sharks to nibble on their livers.

<生词学习：mouthwatering 令人垂涎欲滴的>

这是顶级掠食者的可怕故事，他们通过海洋恐怖统治获得“杀手”的名号。

Here’s the gruesome story of the apex predators who’ve put the “killer” back in killer whales through their oceanic reign of terror.

BYE-BYE, GREAT WHITES 再见，大白鲨

大白鲨位于食物链的顶端，这是有充分理由的。它们可以长到6米多长，重达3吨。它们的下颚包含一排排锋利的锯齿状牙齿，可以长达17厘米。作为机会主义掠食者，它们以不分青红皂白、有时是毁灭性的撕咬而闻名，这种撕咬也会给人类带来严重伤害。

Great white sharks rank near the top of the food chain, and with good reason. According to Oceana, they grow upwards of 20 feet long and tip the scales at 6,600 pounds. Their jaws contain rows of razor-sharp, serrated teeth capable of growing up to 6.6 inches tall. As opportunistic predators, they have a reputation for indiscriminate (sometimes devastating) bites that can leave humans in a world of hurt.

但是，尽管几十年来对鲨鱼攻击的歇斯底里，这些食肉鱼其实更喜欢海狮，海豹，海豚，海鸟和海龟。更重要的是，就像“食人者汉尼拔”一样，他们可以吃其他鲨鱼。换句话说，大白鲨在海洋食物链中占有一席之地。我们大概是这样认为的，直到大虎和二虎，两只雄性虎鲸出现了。自2017年以来，这对虎鲸一直在南非甘斯拜海岸屠杀大白鲨，犯罪现场很可怕[恐惧]。

But despite decades of hysteria about shark attacks, these predatory fish prefer sea lions, seals, dolphins, seabirds, and turtles. What’s more, like “Cannibal Hannibal,” they’re okay with eating other sharks. In other words, great whites hold their own in the ocean food chain. Or so we thought until Starboard and Port, two male orcas, entered the picture. The pair have been slaughtering great whites since 2017 off the Gansbaai coast in South Africa, leaving plenty of grisly evidence behind.

MURDER MOST OCEANIC 谋杀大多数海洋生物

科学家们发现了至少八只鲨鱼的遗骸，它们在最近几年被虎鲸二人组撕成碎片，带有一场可怕盛宴的迹象。除了一条鲨鱼，其他鲨鱼都被冲上岸，肝脏不见了。一些受害者的心也被吞噬了。虎鲸的凶残从它们的名字就能看出来，并通过目睹它们吞食从海狮到蓝鲸的一切而得到证实。尽管如此，在有记录的历史中，很难找到另一次两条虎鲸如此彻底地影响了当地的生态系统。显然，大虎和二虎已经进阶到可以肆虐一群鲨鱼了。

Scientists have discovered the remains of at least eight sharks the orca duo has torn to shreds in recent years, bearing signs of a horrific feast. All but one shark washed ashore with its liver missing. And some victims have had their hearts devoured, too. The ferocity of killer whales is celebrated in their name and confirmed through sightings of them devouring everything from sea lions to blue whales. Nevertheless, it’s hard to find another time in recorded history where two orcas have so drastically impacted local ecosystems. Clearly, Starboard and Port have taken it next level, wreaking havoc on shark populations, as the African Journal of Marine Science reports.

自2017年以来，研究人员表示，鲨鱼目击事件大幅减少。不仅是因为杀戮，也是因为大白鲨现在倾向于避开大虎和二虎的地盘。你能责怪他们吗？科学家通过标记和长期观察知道这一点。在大屠杀开始之前，距离开普敦75英里的甘斯拜海岸的这些地区挤满了大白鲨。但是凶残的虎鲸已经封锁了海岸。

Since 2017, researchers say shark sightings have nose-dived. Not only because of the killings but also the tendency of great whites to now avoid Starboard and Port’s hunting grounds. And can you blame them? Scientists know this because of tagging data and long-term sightings. Before the killing spree began, these areas of the Gansbaai coast, 75 miles from Cape Town, swarmed with great whites. But the murderous orcas have locked down the coast.

南非爱吃肝脏的虎鲸 THE LIVER-LOVING ORCAS OF SOUTH AFRICA

由于大量的大白鲨曾经游过甘斯拜附近的水域，当地鲨鱼观赏曾经很活跃，吸引了来自世界各地的游客。但是新的主要吸引力是虎鲸本身。大虎和二虎被证明很容易辨认，因为它们的战斗伤疤，暴露了无数次与有牙齿的猎物的争斗。每只鲸鱼的背鳍都向一边收缩，大虎和二虎又有“左舷”和“右舷”的名字。当然，在二人组去的地方，鲨鱼的尸体会被冲上海岸…无情无义。

Because of the large number of great white sharks that once swam the waters near Gansbaai, an active shark observing industry had developed, drawing tourists from all over the world. But the new main attractions are the orcas themselves. Starboard and Port prove easily recognizable because of their battle scars, betraying countless tussles with toothy prey. Each whale’s dorsal fin has collapsed to one side, inspiring the names Port and Starboard. Of course, where the duo goes, shark bodies wash up on shore … heartless and liverless.

为什么大虎和二虎会有如此有针对性的杀戮？一些科学家认为这是他们的天性和遗传。近年来，虎鲸的一个新亚种在南非海岸被发现，以其扁平的牙齿和无懈可击的鲨鱼捕猎技巧而闻名。一些人认为这两只雄性虎鲸属于这个亚群。但是在解开这个海洋大小的谜团之前，科学家强调需要对鲨鱼和鲸鱼做更多的观察。

Why are Starboard and Port on such a targeted killing spree? Some scientists hypothesize it’s in their DNA. In recent years a new subspecies of orca has been discovered off the coast of South Africa, distinguished by its flat teeth and impeccable shark hunting skills. Some believe the two male orcas in question belong to this subgroup. But before the ocean-sized mystery can be solved, scientists stress more shark and whale observation is needed.