纪录片《恐龙的战争》 完美捕食（15）

Quetzalcoatlus lives by its own rules.

风神翼龙有着自己的生存准则。

Most meat eaters keep their distance from the hatchlings of an apex¹ predator², but not this reptile³.

大多数肉食动物都会远离顶级捕食者的幼崽，风神翼龙则不然。

There probably weren't many animals in the Cretaceous that would dare to try to grab a baby Tyrannosaurus Rex.

在白垩纪，大概没多少动物敢动雷克斯霸王龙的幼崽。

A Quetzalcoatlus could probably manage it.

风神翼龙就敢。

These big pterosaurs like Quetzalcoatlus were probably eating baby dinosaurs⁵ right and left,

这种大型翼龙很可能逮住小恐龙大快朵颐，

and then when they want to, boom, they push down, they spring into the air, and they flap away.

然后只要它们想走，就随时一跃冲上天空，纵身飞走。

For Quetzalcoatlus, the key to snapping up baby dinosaurs is a quick getaway.

对于风神翼龙而言成功吃掉小恐龙，关键还要迅速撤离。

But escape is no problem for a reptile that can pull 2.5 G's on takeoff,

而逃跑根本不是问题，尤其对这样一个能以2.5倍重力加速度起飞

reaching 30 miles per hour in less than a second.

瞬间达到三十英里时速飞行的爬行动物来说。

If you're a Quetzalcoatlus and you live in a land full of Tyrannosaurs in the latest Cretaceous,

如果你是只风神翼龙，生活在到处是雷克斯霸王龙的白垩纪末期，

you need to take off in a hurry sometimes.

你就得迅速起飞。

Quetzalcoatlus is unlike any other dinosaur⁴ in the Cretaceous.

风神翼龙不同于白垩纪时期的其他任何恐龙。

Speed, agility⁶, and sophisticated biology allow it to survive for millions of years in a brutal⁷ environment.

迅速，敏捷和复杂的生理结构使它在残酷恶劣的环境下生存了几百万年。

But this is a world inhabited by the most-advanced predators⁸ nature has ever produced.

但这是一个由自然界中顶级食肉动物占据的世界。

Even prehistoric⁹ killers¹⁰ like Deinonychus and Tyrannosaurus Rex know that no matter how many tools they have at the exposal,

甚至史前最凶猛的恐爪龙以及雷克斯霸王龙都知道，无论它们准备了多少狩猎工具，

attacking plant eaters is hugely risky¹¹.

袭击食草动物还是有很大风险的。

Every hunt might be your last.

每一次捕猎都可能是最后一次。

1 apex   

n.顶点，最高点

参考例句：

• He reached the apex of power in the early 1930s.他在三十年代初达到了权力的顶峰。
• His election to the presidency was the apex of his career.当选总统是他一生事业的顶峰。

2 predator   

n.捕食其它动物的动物；捕食者

参考例句：

• The final part of this chapter was devoted to a brief summary of predator species.本章最后部分简要总结了食肉动物。
• Komodo dragon is the largest living lizard and a fearsome predator.科摩多龙是目前存在的最大蜥蜴，它是一种令人恐惧的捕食性动物。

3 reptile   

n.爬行动物；两栖动物

参考例句：

• The frog is not a true reptile.青蛙并非真正的爬行动物。
• So you should not be surprised to see someone keep a reptile as a pet.所以，你不必惊奇有人养了一只爬行动物作为宠物。

4 dinosaur   

n.恐龙

参考例句：

• Are you trying to tell me that David was attacked by a dinosaur?你是想要告诉我大卫被一支恐龙所攻击？
• He stared at the faithful miniature of the dinosaur.他凝视著精确的恐龙缩小模型。

5 dinosaurs   

n.恐龙( dinosaur的名词复数 )；守旧落伍的人，过时落后的东西

参考例句：

• The brontosaurus was one of the largest of all dinosaurs. 雷龙是所有恐龙中最大的一种。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Dinosaurs have been extinct for millions of years. 恐龙绝种已有几百万年了。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 agility   

n.敏捷，活泼

参考例句：

• The boy came upstairs with agility.那男孩敏捷地走上楼来。
• His intellect and mental agility have never been in doubt.他的才智和机敏从未受到怀疑。

7 brutal   

adj.残忍的，野蛮的，不讲理的

参考例句：

• She has to face the brutal reality.她不得不去面对冷酷的现实。
• They're brutal people behind their civilised veneer.他们表面上温文有礼，骨子里却是野蛮残忍。

8 predators   

n.食肉动物( predator的名词复数 )；奴役他人者（尤指在财务或性关系方面）

参考例句：

• birds and their earthbound predators 鸟和地面上捕食它们的动物
• The eyes of predators are highly sensitive to the slightest movement. 捕食性动物的眼睛能感觉到最细小的动静。 来自《简明英汉词典》

9 prehistoric   

adj.（有记载的）历史以前的，史前的，古老的

参考例句：

• They have found prehistoric remains.他们发现了史前遗迹。
• It was rather like an exhibition of prehistoric electronic equipment.这儿倒像是在展览古老的电子设备。

10 killers   

凶手( killer的名词复数 )； 消灭…者； 致命物； 极难的事

参考例句：

• He remained steadfast in his determination to bring the killers to justice. 他要将杀人凶手绳之以法的决心一直没有动摇。
• They were professional killers who did in John. 杀死约翰的这些人是职业杀手。

11 risky   

adj.有风险的，冒险的

参考例句：

• It may be risky but we will chance it anyhow.这可能有危险，但我们无论如何要冒一冒险。
• He is well aware how risky this investment is.他心里对这项投资的风险十分清楚。