7. Myth: Ostriches bury their heads in the sand when scared or threatened.

谬误7：鸵鸟在受到惊吓或威胁时把头埋在沙子里。

Although this myth serves as the perfect metaphor for someone who’s clearly in denial about something or other, the fact is that it’s patently untrue. The truth is that ostriches, or any other bird or mammal, would not be able to breathe if its head were buried in the sand. The simple explanation for this myth is that ostriches bury their eggs in holes in the ground and often turn the eggs (with their beaks) and tend to the eggs several times a day. From a distance it often seems like the ostrich has its head buried in the sand.

虽然这个谬误可恰如其分的比喻那些视而不见，自欺欺人的人，但事实上，这是绝对不真实的。事实是，鸵鸟，或任何其它鸟类或哺乳动物，如果把自己的头埋在沙子里，就不能呼吸。对这一谬误的简单解释就是鸵鸟把蛋埋在地洞里，常常一天几次翻动(用自己的喙)并看顾鸟蛋。从远处看，总是看起来像是鸵鸟把自己的头埋在沙子里。