纪录片《南太平洋》 第107期 水火相容（12）

Mauna Kea's future can be glimpsed in the Society Islands of French Polynesia.

莫纳克亚山在法属玻利尼西亚的社会群岛上能依稀一瞥

The peaks of these islands once rose much higher than this from the ocean floor.

这些岛的山峰曾经比海底要升的高得多

It's been almost two million years since their volcanoes first broke through the ocean.

自从火山从海洋中首次爆发以来几乎200万年。

But erosion is washing away their volcanic¹ cores.

侵蚀已洗刷掉火山本来的面貌

Now the only growth occurs just below sea level, on what was once the mountain's sloping flanks.

如今唯一的增长发生在海平面下，在惜日山脉侧面斜坡上。

In the shallow waters around an island's base, coral reefs rise towards the surface.

浅海围绕着岛屿的基部，珊瑚礁朝着海面升高。

Of all the formations in the Pacific, these reefs are by far the richest in life.

太平洋里的一切构成，这里暗礁中的生命尤为丰富

There are hundreds of different kinds of coral.

数百种不同的珊瑚

And all are made up of millions of tiny creatures called polyps, each covered in a hard skeleton.

全由一种叫珊瑚虫的微小动物产生，彼此都覆盖着坚硬的骨架。

Reefs are home to thousands of specialists...

暗礁是数千专家的家

like these razorfish that blend in to the staghorn coral around them.

像这些淡绿连鳍唇鱼与周围的雄鹿角珊瑚很协调。

But not all animals here need to blend in.

不只是这里的动物与环境协调。

1 volcanic   

adj.火山的；象火山的；由火山引起的

参考例句：

• There have been several volcanic eruptions this year.今年火山爆发了好几次。
• Volcanic activity has created thermal springs and boiling mud pools.火山活动产生了温泉和沸腾的泥浆池。