纪录片《冰冻星球》 第4期 世界的尽头（4）

 

Over the next two weeks, the male sees off many rivals

接下来的两周内 公熊击败了多位对手

but the battles take their toll¹ on him.

但他也为战斗付出了代价

He is almost spent,

他已筋疲力竭

but he has ensured that

但他已确保

no other bears have mated with his female.

不会再有公熊与他的伴侣交配

It's time for the couple

这对伴侣

to go their separate ways.

分道扬镳的时候到了

She will give birth to his cubs², alone, in nine months' time

九个月之后 她将独自产下他的幼崽

and he may never see her again.

也许他们将天涯永别

He returns to the frozen ocean,

他回到了冰冻的海洋

no doubt relieved to resume his solitary³ ways,

安详的重新开始独居生活

and just in time.

时机正正好

The ice beneath his feet will soon be gone.

他脚下的冰不久就要消失

Each spring, the Arctic Ocean undergoes

每到春天 北冰洋都要经历

an extraordinary transformation⁴.

一次非凡的转变

An area of sea ice the size of Europe melts,

面积如欧洲大小的海冰融化

exposing the rich waters beneath.

冰下富饶的海域重见天日

Short-tailed shearwaters have travelled 10,000 miles

短尾鹱[短尾水剃鸟]从一万六千公里外的

from Australia to be here.

澳大利亚飞行至此

18 million visitors darken the skies,

一千八百万只迁徙鸟遮蔽了天空

the largest gathering⁵ of sea birds on the planet.

地球上最庞大的海鸟群在此聚集

 

1 toll   

n.过路(桥)费；损失，伤亡人数；v.敲(钟)

参考例句：

• The hailstone took a heavy toll of the crops in our village last night.昨晚那场冰雹损坏了我们村的庄稼。
• The war took a heavy toll of human life.这次战争夺去了许多人的生命。

2 cubs   

n.幼小的兽，不懂规矩的年轻人( cub的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• a lioness guarding her cubs 守护幼崽的母狮
• Lion cubs depend on their mother to feed them. 狮子的幼仔依靠母狮喂养。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 solitary   

adj.孤独的，独立的，荒凉的；n.隐士

参考例句：

• I am rather fond of a solitary stroll in the country.我颇喜欢在乡间独自徜徉。
• The castle rises in solitary splendour on the fringe of the desert.这座城堡巍然耸立在沙漠的边际，显得十分壮美。

4 transformation   

n.变化；改造；转变

参考例句：

• Going to college brought about a dramatic transformation in her outlook.上大学使她的观念发生了巨大的变化。
• He was struggling to make the transformation from single man to responsible husband.他正在努力使自己由单身汉变为可靠的丈夫。

5 gathering   

n.集会，聚会，聚集

参考例句：

• He called on Mr. White to speak at the gathering.他请怀特先生在集会上讲话。
• He is on the wing gathering material for his novels.他正忙于为他的小说收集资料。