Koko是一只会令人类怀疑自己的大猩猩。原来，大猩猩真的这么聪明。
当地时间6月19日清晨， 46岁的大猩猩Koko在美国加州于睡梦中离世。
成立Koko研究项目的大猩猩基金会(The Gorilla Foundation)发文哀悼：
“Koko — the gorilla known for her extraordinary mastery of sign language, and as the primary ambassador for her endangered species — passed away yesterday morning in her sleep at the age of 46. ”
“Koko作为（西部低地大猩猩）濒危物种的代表，以她卓越的手语能力而著名。她于昨天（6月19日）清晨在睡梦中离世。”
“Koko touched the lives of millions as an ambassador for all gorillas and an icon for interspecies communication and empathy. She was beloved and will be deeply missed.”
“Koko作为所有大猩猩的代言人，以及物种间交流和共鸣的标志，感动了千百万人。她深受爱戴，会被人们深深怀念。”
据大猩猩基金会报道，Koko的智商在75-95之间，相较之下，大多数人的智商在85到115之间。Koko学会了一千多种美式手语(American Sign Language)，能理解两千多个英文单词。尽管有专家对Koko的手语掌握程度有所质疑，但不可否认的是，她是一只相当聪慧的大猩猩。
不同寻常的Koko用她的一生告诉人们：万物皆有灵，共情是不分物种界限的。
According to The Gorilla Foundation, Koko had an IQ of between 75 and 95 and reportedly understood 1,000 words of American Sign Language (ASL) and 2,000 words of spoken English. Yet some experts questioned the accuracy of Koko’s supposed sign language skills, saying that she only mastered a number of modified ASL signs. Admittedly, regardless of how many words Koko understood, she was an intelligent gorilla.
一位老牌“明猩”Star Koko
1971年7月4日，Koko出生在旧金山动物园。因为恰逢美国国庆日，她被取名为“hanabiko”，意为“烟花的孩子”。
Koko, the Westland Lowland Gorilla, was born in the San Francisco Zoo on July 4, 1971. Koko was named “Hanabi-Ko”, which means “fireworks child” in English, due to her birth coinciding with the American Independence Day.
1972年，25岁的美国姑娘佩妮(Francine “Penny” Patterson)还在攻读斯坦福大学的心理学博士。遇见Koko后，佩妮决定研究猩猩是否可以通过手语（ASL）交流。
American Sign Language (ASL) is a visual-spatial modal language used by deaf communities in the United States and most of Anglophone Canada.
起初，佩妮只想在四年内教会Koko三个手势： “吃”、“喝”和“更多”。她想拿到博士学位后就离开Koko。但Koko在几周内就学会了这些手势，她极强的模仿能力和学习速度令佩妮赞叹不已。由此，开始了一人一猩长达数十年的陪伴。
Francine “Penny” Patterson was Koko's sign language tutor. They first met in 1972. At that time, Penny was a 25-year-old psychology PhD student at Stanford University and aimed to only teach Koko three hand-signs - “eat”, “drink” and “more” – in the four years it takes to achieve a PhD.
However, Koko proved Penny’s preconceptions wrong. The gorilla learned the signs by imitating Penny’s behaviors within weeks. From then on, the duo spent dozens of years together as teacher and student.
由于大猩猩本身就有自己的一套手语系统，Koko将人类的手语手势融会贯通，创造了属于自己的一套手势，即Gorilla Sign Language (GSL)。
当Koko遇到不认识的生词，她会用已知的词汇创造出新的单词。比如，当她意识到自己不是人类后，她用“好人大猩猩(fine person gorilla)”来形容自己。
看看Koko眼中的世间万物应该怎么描述吧↓↓↓
抓头发的梳子(scratch comb) → 发刷(hair brush)
手指的手镯(finger bracelet)→戒指(ring)
酸奶(yogurt)→像牛奶水果糖的食物(milk fruit candy food)
狮子(lion)→更大的猫(more cat)
Koko还发表过很多令人哭笑不得或富有“哲理”的“猩言猩语”↓↓↓
难过的女人(sad woman)→哭泣的嘴唇(cry lip)
不懂你的人(person not understanding you)→坏人(bad, fake)
活着的意义(the meaning of life)→有礼貌(People be polite)和善良(People have goodness)
不愉快的回忆(remembering something unpleasant)→red red red bad sorry（这条请大家自行理解……）
凭借着“开挂”般的智慧，Koko在7岁和14岁分别登上了《国家地理杂志》(National Geographic)的封面，成为当红一时的“明猩”。《国家地理杂志》也在Koko去世后进行了报道：
“National Geographic magazine featured Koko of its cover twice: First in October 1978, with a photograph that she took of herself in a mirror (perhaps making it one of the earliest prominent animal selfies). She also appeared a second time on the cover in January 1985, in a story about Koko and her pet kitten.”
Koko还曾作为主角，出现在1999年PBS发布的纪录片“A Conversation With Koko The Gorilla”中。她还在2015年参加了法国一家公益组织推出的活动，用手语告诉人类“我代表自然，我爱人类，也爱地球，但是人类太笨了……保护地球，迫在眉睫。”
爱猫如命的“猫奴”Cat-lover Koko
Koko对猫的喜爱，从三只小猫的画册就开始了。在她还小时，经常指着画册上的小猫图案，比划手语说“猫。”
作为一个不折不扣的“猫奴”，Koko真正的“猩猫奇缘”从1983年的圣诞节开始。
那时，Koko打手语表示想要只小猫当做礼物。刚开始研究人员理解错了，给了她一个毛绒玩具。当时Koko就用手语接连表示难过，也不愿和玩具小猫玩耍。
Koko’s connection with cats started on Christmas 1983, when she asked for a cat as a present. Researchers gave her a stuffed animal, but this was not what Koko expected. She continuously signed “sad.” Ron Chon, a biologist with the Gorilla Foundation, told the Los Angeles Times in 1985 that “she was terribly upset.”
于是，Koko在1984年终于有了第一只属于自己的小猫，还给它起名为“全球(All Ball)”。她将“全球”视如己出，抚育它、照顾它、逗它玩。可结局并不美好，仅半年后，小猫就遭遇车祸死亡。Koko得知这件事后，她发出悲鸣，不断用手语表示“难过，不好，皱眉。”
A surprising birthday present, a real kitten, pleased Koko in 1984. “All Ball”, which was the name Koko gave to her kitten, tragically died at six months old when it was run over by a car.
Researchers broke the news to Koko. The gorilla reacted with horror, whimpering and making a hooting sound that gorillas make when they are sad. Over and over, she signed the words “sad”, “bad” and “frown”.
在Koko的44岁生日上，研究人员又送给她小猫作为礼物，不过这次是两只。Koko看到小猫后，十分喜爱“小灰”，而另一只“小黑”因为喜欢Koko也留了下来。
Koko adopted another two kittens on her 44th birthday. Now nearly two-years-old, both the cats named “Ms. Black” and “Ms. Grey”, maintained a strong connection with Koko.
罗宾·威廉姆斯的好朋友Koko, Robin Williams’ friend
2001年，美国著名喜剧演员罗宾·威廉姆斯(Robin Williams)参与大猩猩基金会的推广活动时遇见了Koko。
威廉姆斯同Koko相处时间不长，却建立了一段非常稳固的友谊。顽皮的Koko还在中途抢走了威廉姆斯的眼镜，转身戴在了自己身上，十分有模有样。
Robin Williams, the renowned American actor and comedian, met Koko in 2001 at the Gorilla Foundation in California and the two quickly became friends. They tickled each other, laughed and hugged. Koko even took Williams’ glasses and put them on her head.
2014年威廉姆斯去世，享年63岁。Koko得知后，虽无法用人类的语言说出自己的想法，却用最真实的神情哀悼威廉姆斯的辞世——低头、嘴唇颤抖，泪眼朦胧。
Sadly, Williams committed suicide in August 2014 at the age of 63. When staff of the research center told Koko the news, she was quickly moved close to tears by the somber mood and sat hunched over with a quivering lip.
如果没有KokoIf Koko did not exist作为Koko的手语老师和长久相伴的人，佩妮曾在纪录片中这样评价这只大猩猩：
“She has a very strong sense of self… She’s playful, can be very silly. She’s got a good sense of humor. She can be very stubborn, very willful.”
如果没有Koko，在那个认知受限的年代，我们很难了解动物也拥有自我认知。他们和人类十分相似，会有悲伤、快乐、愤怒、失望的种种情感；他们也可以十分聪明，理解人类的语言、模仿、学习并交流使用。
Koko looked at herself in a mirror. Although most gorillas fail the mirror test (MSR), which is a significant measure of testing one’s self-awareness, Koko passed it.
Koko drank apple juice from a wine glass.
Koko also drew “pictures” while using the pen and paints chosen by herself.
Koko tried even learned to play guitar!
When Koko met kittens, she asked a staff to put the kitten on her head. So lovely.
Koko used a hair brush to comb her hair.
Koko曾这样形容她眼中的死亡(death)——“舒适的洞里再见(comfortable hole bye)”。
如今Koko找到了那个“舒适的洞”，希望她能像2017年过生日时一样，永远无忧无虑。
Farewell, Koko!
（图片来源：Koko & The Gorilla Foundation, National Geographic和相关影视素材）
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