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BBC.Life.2009-生命
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Our planet may be home to 30 million different kinds of animals and plants. |
我们的星球 大约是3千多万种动植物的家 |
Each individual locked in its own life-long fight for survival . |
每个物种都会为生存而奋斗一生 |
individual:n.个人;有个性的人;adj.单独的;个别的; survival:n.幸存,残存;幸存者,残存物;
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Everywhere you look, on land or in the ocean, there are extraordinary examples of the lengths living things go to to stay alive. |
无论你将目光投向何方,陆地还是海洋 总会看到为生存而战的壮观事例 |
extraordinary:adj.非凡的;特别的;离奇的;临时的;特派的;
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This is the coast of Florida. |
这里是弗罗里达海岸 |
Here, strange scars on the sea bed hint at one animal's remarkable strategy . |
海床上奇怪的图案 暗示着某种动物独特的战术 |
hint:n.提示;暗示;迹象;窍门;v.暗示;透露;示意; remarkable:adj.卓越的;非凡的;值得注意的; strategy:n.策略;行动计划;部署;战略;
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These are bottlenose dolphins, one of the most intelligent animals on Earth. |
它们是宽吻海豚 地球上最聪明的动物之一 |
bottlenose:n.宽吻海豚; intelligent:adj.有才智的;悟性强的;聪明的;有智力的
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Their prey is very elusive , fast-swimming fish. |
它们的猎物是迅速、灵巧的鱼 |
prey:n.猎物;受害者;受骗者;v.折磨;掠夺;捕食(on,upon);损害(on,upon); elusive:adj.难懂的;易忘的;逃避的;难捉摸的;
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But the dolphins have invented a completely new way of hunting. |
但是海豚们进化出了一种全新的捕猎技巧 |
By beating its tail down hard, this dolphin stirs up the shallow silt . |
通过用力向下拍尾巴,将淤泥搅动起来 |
dolphin:n.海豚; stirs:n.搅拌;轰动;vt.搅拌;激起;惹起;vi.搅动;传播;走动; silt:n.淤泥,泥沙;煤粉;残渣;vi.淤塞,充塞;为淤泥堵塞;vt.使淤塞;充塞;
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And by swimming in a tight circle it creates a ring of mushrooming mud around a shoal of fish. |
再通过绕圈游动 用浑浊的泥水将一大群鱼包围起来 |
shoal:n.浅滩;鱼群;潜在危险;vi.变浅;vt.使变浅;驶入;adj.浅的;
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The contracting ring traps the fish just like a net. |
再像收网一样缩小包围圈 |
contracting:adj.缔约的;承包的;收缩的; traps:n.陷阱,捕捉器; v.使落入险境; (trap的第三人称单数和复数)
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Panicked , the fish jump to escape. |
由于恐慌,小鱼们四下乱跳 |
Panicked:v.(使)惊慌,惊慌失措;(panic的过去分词和过去式)
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Right into the open mouths of the waiting dolphins. |
海豚们张嘴以待,很多鱼落入口中 |
Again and again , the lead dolphin creates a circle, before they all line up with perfect timing. |
通过默契的组织、协作 海豚们造出一个接一个的包围圈 |
Again and again:adv.再三地,反复地;
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These dolphins are the only ones known to have developed this hunting behaviour and it gives them an edge. |
这群海豚,用这种目前已知的独一无二的捕猎方式奠定一种优势 |
This sort of advantage may mean the difference between life and death in the survival of the fittest. |
这种优势在这个适者生存的世界里 也许就决定着生或死 |
advantage:n.有利条件:优势:优点:
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This series reveals the most spectacular and extraordinary strategies that animals and plants have developed to stay alive. |
这些事例能显示出动植物 一些奇特而又壮观的生存策略 |
series:n.系列,连续;[电]串联;级数;丛书; reveals:v.揭示;显示;透露;展示;(reveal的第三人称单数) spectacular:adj.壮观的;壮丽的;令人惊叹的;n.壮观的场面;精彩的表演; strategies:n.策略;行动计划;部署;战略;(strategy的复数)
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For every creature , every day is full of challenges, all of which must be overcome , somehow , in order to survive. |
对任何物种来说,每一天都充满挑战 必须克服,然后生存下来 |
creature:n.生物;动物;(具有某种特征的)人; overcome:vt.克服;胜过;vi.克服;得胜; somehow:adv.以某种方法;莫名其妙地;
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Kenya, famous for its big cats. |
肯尼亚, 以大型猫科动物闻名于世 |
The supreme hunters. |
顶级猎手 |
supreme:adj.最高的;至高的;最重要的;n.至高;霸权;
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Cheetahs specialise in hunting at speed. |
猎豹专靠速度捕猎 |
specialise:v.专门研究(或从事);专攻;
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Though fast, they are fragile creatures , built to sprint after small prey. |
尽管很快,但因为自身力量不足 它们天生只能捕捉小型猎物 |
fragile:adj.脆的;易碎的; creatures:n.生物;动物;(具有某种特征的)人(creature的复数) sprint:vi.冲刺,全速跑;n.冲刺;短跑;vt.全速奔跑;
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They don't have the strength or weight of a lion to bring down larger animals. |
它们不具备像狮子那样的力量和体重 来扑倒大型猎物 |
bring down:降低;打倒,打死;击落;
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This male is different. |
这只公豹是不同的 |
He doesn't hunt alone. He's learnt that there is strength in numbers. |
并不单独捕猎,它明白“豹多力量大”的道理 |
But here there are not just two, but three cheetahs. |
而且不只两头,而是三头 |
A band of brothers. |
兄弟连 |
band:n.带;波段;频带;箍;v.加彩条(或嵌条等);(将价格、收入等)划分档次;
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They have changed their tactics and, by doing so, have taken their prey by surprise. |
它们改变战术 对猎物发动偷袭 |
tactics:n.战术:策略:手段:兵法(tactic的复数)
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They have learnt that working together they can bring down large prey. |
它们学会了只要团结合作 就能捕捉大的猎物 |
An ostrich . |
鸵鸟 |
ostrich:n.鸵鸟;鸵鸟般的人;
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A bird that towers over a cheetah and is more than twice as heavy. |
一种远比猎豹高大而且几乎比它们重两倍的鸟 |
It can't fly to escape danger, but it can lash out with a deadly kick. |
虽然逃跑时不能飞,但拥有致命的“弹腿一踢” |
lash:v.鞭打;冲击;摆动;扎捆;煽动;讽刺;n.鞭打;睫毛;鞭子;责骂;讽刺; deadly:adj.致命的;非常的;死一般的;adv.非常;如死一般地;
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A female , unaware as yet , of any danger. |
一只雌鸵鸟没有留意到任何危险 |
female:adj.女性的;雌性的;柔弱的,柔和的;n.女人;[动]雌性动物; unaware:adj.不知道的,无意的;未察觉到的;adv.意外地;不知不觉地; as yet:至今仍;
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Even with three of them this is still highly risky. |
即便三头豹子,也要冒较高的风险 |
highly:adv.高度地;非常;非常赞许地;
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If one gets injured the other two couldn't hope to tackle such large prey. |
如果有一头受伤,另两头是搞不定这么大的猎物的 |
injured:adj.受伤的:委屈的: v.伤害,使受伤: n.伤员; tackle:v.处理; n.用具;
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On the other hand , if they get it right, the rewards are huge. |
反之,如果这笔买卖成了 回报是相当丰厚的 |
On the other hand:另一方面; rewards:n.[劳经]奖励; v.[劳经]奖赏;
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The male has spotted one of the brothers, but only one. |
雄鸵鸟已经发现了一头豹子,只是一头 |
spotted:adj.有花点的;有斑点的;v.看见;看出;发现;让步;(spot的过去分词和过去式)
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It's not too worried. |
它并没有怎么担心 |
Then suddenly there are three! |
忽然变成三头! |
The female is slower to realise the danger and the cheetahs switch targets. |
雌鸵鸟意识到危险时,已经有点晚了 猎豹也改变了目标 |