年最值得一读的好书之《章鱼的灵魂》
Good books take readers on journeys in their minds. The announcement of this year’s US National Book Awards finalists has highlighted a number of modern literary gems.
一本好的书能带领读者徜徉心灵的海洋。今年美国国家图书奖的入围书目无疑是现代文学的瑰宝。
The books tackle a range of topics, from science to friendship to culture. Here are some standouts to add to your reading list.
图书涵盖了各种主题，从科学、友谊到文化。下面为各位推荐其中几本好书。
The Soul of an Octopus
《章鱼的灵魂》
by Sy Montgomery
作者：赛餠哥马利
Publisher: Atria Books
出版商：阿特里亚图书
“A good book might illuminate something you knew little about, transform your world view, or move you in ways you didn’t think possible. The Soul of an Octopus delivers on all three,” the magazine New Scientist commented.
“一本好书能为你开启未知世界的大门，它能改变你的世界观，亦或为你打开曾以为不可能的路。《章鱼的灵魂》满足了上面三个条件，“《新科学家》杂志评价说。
After writing about birds, pigs and tigers, US naturalist Sy Montgomery decided to choose these polypod animals as the subject of her latest book, The Soul of an Octopus:A Surprising Exploration into the Wonder of Consciousness.
继写过鸟、猪和老虎后，美国博物学家赛餠哥马利决定以多足动物为自己新书的主题，新书名为《章鱼的灵魂：意识奇迹的意外探险》。
“Here is a baggy, boneless body that can pour itself into the tiniest spaces, has venom like a snake, ink like an old fashioned pen, a beak like a parrot, can taste with their skin, and can change color and shape,” Montgomery explained to the National Geographic on why octopuses intrigue her.
蒙哥马利在向《国家地理》杂志解释章鱼是如何给自己灵感时说：“这是一个松松垮垮的无骨肉体，它能进入最小的空间，有蛇一样的毒液，有老式钢笔一样的墨汁，有鸟一般的喙状物，可以通过皮肤尝味道，可以任意改变颜色和形状。”
In the book, Montgomery explores the emotional world of the octopus. She uses different experiments to show that they possess consciousness as well as individual personalities.
书中，蒙哥马利探寻了章鱼的情感世界。她通过不同的实验展示了章鱼和人一样也是有意识的。
For example, based on her research, she finds out that Octavia, an octopus caught in the wild, is friendly and good at multi-tasking. And Kali, who has been living at the New England Aquarium, is playful and loves exploring.
比如，在研究的基础上，她发现一个从野外抓回来的，叫奥克塔维亚的章鱼，十分友善并且擅于同时处理多个任务。而另一只生活在新英格兰水族馆名为卡莉的章鱼，则顽皮而热爱探索。
Montgomery is a good storyteller. Her skillful writing weaves facts together with personal narratives, which makes the book very informative but easy to read.
蒙哥马利很会讲故事。她用高超的写作技巧把事实和个人叙述穿插起来，让这本书简单易懂又不失知识性。
