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Reindeer spit is in the news.
驯鹿的唾液都已经成了新闻。
Well, now it is.
现在的确如此。
You see, reindeer and moose eat plants that contain toxins entrusted with keeping the vegetation from being so desirable.
驯鹿和驼鹿进食着含有毒素的植物，这使得整片植被看起来都没什么食欲。
But now we know that the animals's aliva can prevent the production of those toxins.
但现在我们却了解到动物的唾液能够抑制毒素的产生。
The slick finding is in the journal Biology Letters.
这项研究已经在生物学期刊上发表。
Generally speaking, plants do not like to be eaten.
一般而言植物当然不喜欢被当作佳肴享用。
And many have defenses to avoid this fate.
因此许多植物采取防御机制避免被进食的命运。
The red fescue that's favored by European reindeer and moose maintains a mutually beneficial relationship with a fungus.
而欧洲驯鹿和驼鹿推崇的紫羊茅就与一种真菌保持着互惠互利的关系。
When the host plant gets munched on, the resident fungus churns out a toxin called ergovaline.
当身为宿主的植物被咀嚼时，真菌就会大量分泌一种被称为麦角胺的毒素。
This chemical restricts blood flow to the grazer's extremities, which can lead to the loss of limbs.
这种化学物质会限制食草动物的血液流向四肢，进而引发肢体损伤。
But the battle doesn't end there.
但是这场战斗并没有以植物的完胜告终，
Because researchers found that when reindeer and moose drool is dribbled over plants, ergovaline production goes way down.
因为研究员发现驯鹿和驼鹿的唾液一旦覆盖在植物上，麦角胺的数量就会减少。
The specific secret of the spit is still unsolved.
唾液的特别奥秘之处尚未揭开。
But the researchers think that compounds in the saliva interfere with the chemical signals that switch on toxin production when the plants get'et.
但是研究员认为是唾液所含化合物对毒素产生的化学信号起到了干扰作用。
One thing they know for sure:
可以肯定的一件事是：
as they write in their report, and who can argue, the “salivary secretions of large mammals are more important than previously realized.”
研究人员在写报告的时候，肯定会辩称“大型哺乳动物分泌的唾液比之前人们所了解的更为重要。”
