Dr Myron Shekell from Washington University believes Yoda in Star Wars was based on the tiny tarsier due to its huge eyes, tiny frame and the fact that it speaks a secret language.

華盛頓大學的麥倫·謝凱爾博士認為，《星球大戰》中的尤達原型是眼鏡猴，因為它們都有著大眼睛、小身體，說著神秘的語言。

It's a question that sparks endless debate among Star Wars fans; who exactly was the inspiration behind the legendary Yoda?

這一話題在《星球大戰》粉絲中引發爭論不斷，尤達的創作靈感究竟從何而來？

Some believe the Jedi master was modeled on Albert Einstein, while others suggest the character's creator, Stuart Freeborn, designed Yoda based on himself.

有人認為絕地武士的原型是阿爾伯特·愛因斯坦，也有人認為尤達這個角色是設計者斯圖爾特·福利伯恩以自己為原型設計的。

Now one biologist is arguing that Yoda was in fact based on a tiny, wide-eyed creature, named the tarsier, which can be found in the trees of Indonesia, Philippines and Borneo.

如今，一位生物學家認為，尤達的形象取自體形小、眼睛大的生物，叫作眼鏡猴，它們在印度尼西亞、菲律賓和婆羅洲的森林中很常見。

And it's easy to see why. They some of the biggest eyes relative to body size in the animal kingdom. They are incredibly small in size and have mysterious form of communication.

原因顯而易見。眼鏡猴是眼睛占身體比例最大的動物，它們的身體非常小，交流方式也很神秘。

According to Matt Simon at Wired, one of the world's experts on the creature, Myron Shekell, from Washington University believes the similarities between Yoda and the tarsier are striking.

據美國《連線》雜志馬特·西蒙的文章稱，世界眼鏡猴專家、華盛頓大學的麥倫博士認為，尤達和眼鏡猴有著驚人的相似之處。

'I work closely with a guy who knows Harrison Ford, and Harrison Ford of course knows Lucas, so we've been trying to get the actual answer for a while,' he told Wired.

他向《連線》雜志透露：“我與一位認識哈里森·福特的人合作密切，而哈里森·福特當然認識盧卡斯，所以我們一直希望得到真正的答案。”

'But we don't have it really confirmed.'

“但我們目前并不十分確定。”

There are believed to be around 10 species of tarsier. Growing to just 15.2 cm (6 inches) in length and weighing less than an average wristwatch, the tarsier is one of the smallest primates in the world.

世界上現有眼鏡猴約十種。它們的體長只有152厘米（六英寸），體重不到一塊普通手表的分量，是世界上最小的靈長類動物之一。

It also has long hind limbs and its feet have extremely elongated tarsus bones, hence his name.

眼鏡猴后肢很長，踝骨細長，因此又名跗猴。

After dark, it can jump more than 40 times its own body length in a surprising display of agility.

天黑后，它們跳躍高度可達體長的40倍以上，彈跳力驚人。

The casual mammal is often seen in inquisitive mode, caught with one eye closed as if in cahoots with the photographer.

眼鏡猴常常表現出好奇的樣子，閉上一只眼睛好像在跟攝影師串通好了一樣。

While they are famous for not saying much at all, research several years ago found that they are real chatterbox' – in ultrasound.

它們也以“寡言少語”著稱，不過幾年前的一項調查卻發現它們實際上是“話匣子”，只不過是用超聲波交流而已。

Researchers from Humboldt State University in California in fact found that the 'minimum frequency' of its call is 67 kHz - higher than any land-based animal bar rodents and some bats – and occasionally rising to 70 kHz.

加利福尼亞洪堡州立大學的研究人員發現，它們叫聲的最低頻率是67千赫，有時甚至能達到70千赫，高于除嚙齒動物和蝙蝠外的任何陸地生物。

Anything above 20 kHz is inaudible to a human, with dogs able to detect sounds pitched up to 23 kHz.

人類聽不到20千赫以上的聲音，而狗可以察覺到高達23千赫的聲音。

This means that the creatures effectively have a secret language that they can use to warn each other of predators.

這意味著動物們具有有效的秘密語言，可以用來相互警告，以躲避捕食者。

Vocabulary

biologist: 生物學家

wristwatch: 手表

primate: 靈長類動物

elongate: 伸長的

agility: 靈活

inquisitive: 好奇的

chatterbox: 話匣子

ultrasound: 超聲

rodent: 嚙齒動物

inaudible: 聽不見的

predator: 捕食者

（譯者：xinxin10? 編輯：王偉）