纪录片《恐龙的战争》 繁衍生息（4）

It's all about getting your genes¹ in the next generation.

你只想把自己的基因传给下一代。

Evolution tends to favor types of displays between members of the same species that are not necessarily lethal²,

进化常常偏爱相同物种中成员间的各种形态的表现形式，那未必会是致命的，

that it becomes clear that the one who wins that match has something better than the other one...

那很清楚地表明在战斗中获胜的一方一定是在某方面强于对手更健康的外形，

a healthier pattern, a more vigorous display, hinting at a better internal condition, a more healthy condition.

更具活力的表现，都暗示着其内部状况更优秀也更健康。

One of those things that seem to be ture in the animal kingdom of the day is that when animals have extreme structures,

在动物王国里，有一条颠扑不破的真理说的是，当动物拥有终极构造时，

they do use them as a display-board and advertising-board, especially during the breeding season.

它们一定会拿来当做自己的"标签"和"宣传板"，在繁殖季节尤为突出。

Weighing in at six tons, Triceratops are the street fighters of the Cretaceous.

体重达六吨的三角龙是白垩纪时期的街头斗士。

For this brute³, the most powerful herbivore of all time, evolution means getting stronger, tougher and meaner.

对这种野兽来说，作为史上最强大的食草动物，进化就意味着变得更强壮，更坚韧，还有更凶恶。

And those are exactly the traits females look for in males.

而这些特性正是雌性恐龙所看重的。

Triceratops' bony frill forms a defensive⁴ shield.

三角龙的骨质褶边形成了一块防御盾牌。

A strong one is a sign of strength and power.

强壮的盾牌就是力量和能力的象征。

But maybe it advertises something else as well.

但也许这也能展现其他东西。

The frill might have evolved as a defensive measure against predators⁵.

这些褶边已进化成了一项能够抵御食肉动物的防御措施。

It might have evolved as a species-recognition character.

那也许是一种属于这个物种独有的特征。

But there's no reason why it couldn't have been taken advantage of in the evolutionary⁶ process as a sexual billboard⁷.

但它们也有充分的理由在进化的过程中把这当成一块"求偶广告牌"。

So a Triceratops' frill could, like a peacock's feathers, be a display of virility⁸?

那么三角龙的褶边能像孔雀的尾羽一样成为一种炫耀的资本吗？

One clue is that it changes color.

线索之一就是它会变色。

The bone that forms this shield is riddled⁹ with a meshwork of arteries¹⁰ and veins¹¹.

形成盾牌的骨头上布满了纵横交错的动脉和静脉。

In times of stress or excitement, hormones¹² are released into the bloodstream.

在紧张或兴奋的情况下荷尔蒙就会被释放到血液中。

Arteries in the neck widen, and blood rushes to the frill, turning it blood red.

此时颈动脉就会扩张，血液会直冲褶边把它变成了血红色。

It's a ritualized drama with one single goal.

这种仪式化的戏剧性变化其目的只有一个。

They're gonna have to demonstrate to the females that they're the biggest and healthiest and perhaps smartest of the males,

它们想向雌性恐龙证明自己是最强壮的，最健康的，也许还是最聪明的，

that they have earned the right to reproduce by proving themselves worthy¹³.

雄性恐龙它们要证明自己配得上获得繁殖的权利。

1 genes   

n.基因( gene的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• You have good genes from your parents, so you should live a long time. 你从父母那儿获得优良的基因，所以能够活得很长。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Differences will help to reveal the functions of the genes. 它们间的差异将会帮助我们揭开基因多种功能。 来自英汉非文学 - 生命科学 - 生物技术的世纪

2 lethal   

adj.致死的；毁灭性的

参考例句：

• A hammer can be a lethal weapon.铁锤可以是致命的武器。
• She took a lethal amount of poison and died.她服了致命剂量的毒药死了。

3 brute   

n.野兽，兽性

参考例句：

• The aggressor troops are not many degrees removed from the brute.侵略军简直象一群野兽。
• That dog is a dangerous brute.It bites people.那条狗是危险的畜牲，它咬人。

4 defensive   

adj.防御的；防卫的；防守的

参考例句：

• Their questions about the money put her on the defensive.他们问到钱的问题，使她警觉起来。
• The Government hastily organized defensive measures against the raids.政府急忙布置了防卫措施抵御空袭。

5 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》

6 evolutionary   

adj.进化的；演化的，演变的；[生]进化论的

参考例句：

• Life has its own evolutionary process.生命有其自身的进化过程。
• These are fascinating questions to be resolved by the evolutionary studies of plants.这些十分吸引人的问题将在研究植物进化过程中得以解决。

7 billboard   

n.布告板，揭示栏，广告牌

参考例句：

• He ploughed his energies into his father's billboard business.他把精力投入到父亲的广告牌业务中。
• Billboard spreads will be simpler and more eye-catching.广告牌广告会比较简单且更引人注目。

8 virility   

n.雄劲，丈夫气

参考例句：

• He wanted his sons to become strong,virile,and athletic like himself.他希望他的儿子们能长得像他一样强壮、阳刚而又健美。
• He is a tall,virile man with rugged good looks.他是个身材高大、体魄健壮、相貌粗犷英俊的男子。

9 riddled   

adj.布满的；充斥的；泛滥的v.解谜，出谜题(riddle的过去分词形式)

参考例句：

• The beams are riddled with woodworm. 这些木梁被蛀虫蛀得都是洞。
• The bodies of the hostages were found riddled with bullets. 在人质的尸体上发现了很多弹孔。 来自《简明英汉词典》

10 arteries   

n.动脉( artery的名词复数 )；干线，要道

参考例句：

• Even grafting new blood vessels in place of the diseased coronary arteries has been tried. 甚至移植新血管代替不健康的冠状动脉的方法都已经试过。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• This is the place where the three main arteries of West London traffic met. 这就是伦敦西部三条主要交通干线的交汇处。 来自《简明英汉词典》

11 veins   

n.纹理；矿脉( vein的名词复数 )；静脉；叶脉；纹理

参考例句：

• The blood flows from the capillaries back into the veins. 血从毛细血管流回静脉。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• I felt a pleasant glow in all my veins from the wine. 喝过酒后我浑身的血都热烘烘的，感到很舒服。 来自《简明英汉词典》

12 hormones   

n. 荷尔蒙，激素 名词hormone的复数形式

参考例句：

• This hormone interacts closely with other hormones in the body. 这种荷尔蒙与体內其他荷尔蒙紧密地相互作用。
• The adrenals produce a large per cent of a man's sex hormones. 肾上腺分泌人体的大部分性激素。

13 worthy   

adj.(of)值得的，配得上的；有价值的

参考例句：

• I did not esteem him to be worthy of trust.我认为他不值得信赖。
• There occurred nothing that was worthy to be mentioned.没有值得一提的事发生。