侏罗纪搏击俱乐部 第115期:找到十二具完整骨骸

 　　Their teeth were recurved which means they start to point backwards¹ and they were also very blade-like and had serrated edges.

　　它们的牙齿后弯曲，这意味着它们开始指向后方，它们也是很像利刃边缘呈锯齿状。

　　Three tons of terror moving at 30 miles an hour would have been a stunning² sight.

　　三吨重的恐怖猛兽以20英里的时速移动，这可会是惊人的一幕。

　　What made them even more fearsome was that they hunted in packs.

　　让它们更加可怕的是它们成群狩猎。

　　We've collected in fact 12 good skeletons in southern Alberta.

　　事实上我们在阿尔伯塔南部找到了十二具完整骨骸。

　　In addition to that, we have a bone bed that Barnum Brown worked in 1910 where we have parts of 23 skeletons of Albertosaurus.

　　除此之外，巴纳姆·布朗1910年时考察过的骨床有部分二十三副阿尔伯特龙的骨骸

　　And these are everything from 2-year-olds to 25-year-olds.

　　这些从两岁到二十五岁的都有。

　　As adults, as juveniles³, or sub-adults or we called teenagers, all found together at the same time at the same place.

　　成年恐龙、幼年恐龙还有快成年的青年恐龙，都在同一时间同一地点被发现。

　　And this suggested that they may have operated in family groups,so they may not have nearly been very powerful predators⁵, they may have be very powerful pack hunting predators.

　　这表明它们可能以家庭为单位进行活动，也许它们不是那么厉害的掠食者，但它们会是非常厉害的群体掠食者。

　　Fossils of varying sizes have been found very closely together pointing to the fact that Albertosaurus may have lived in family units.

　　尺寸不一的化石在相距甚近的地方被发现表明阿尔伯特龙有可能以家庭为单位活动。

　　This would have increased the survival of their young and helped the Albertosaurus expend⁶ its territory.

　　这样能增加它们幼崽的生存机会也能帮助阿尔伯特龙拓展势力范围。

　　But even these well-adapted dinosaurs⁷ were vulnerable to climate change.

　　不过即使这些适应力很强的恐龙在气候变化面前也不堪一击。

　　In the late Cretaceous period, temperatures inexplicably⁸ began to climb.

　　在晚白垩纪时期气温莫名地又开始攀升。

　　A pretty dramatic change in the climate was becoming obvious at the end of the Cretaceous.

　　这一气候上相当剧烈的变化在白垩纪末期变得愈发明显。

　　We find fossil evidence of cold-blooded animals and plants that don't really tolerate the cold that well being found in the polar regions.

　　我们在极地地区发现了一些不能忍受寒冷的冷血动物和植物的化石证据。

　　Why the earth began to warm after the cooling period is still a mystery.

　　地球为什么在寒冷时期之后又开始变暖现在仍是个迷。

　　One interesting hypothesis involves the larger amounts of water that once covered much of the earth.

　　一种有趣的假说用曾经大量覆盖地球的水来解释。

　　Rather than absorbed the heat, they may have radiated it back into the atmosphere and cause a green house effect.

　　它们不是吸收热量，而是将其反射到空气中形成温室效应。

　　Whatever the case, these changes were tough to deal with for some dinosaurs, especially those up north.

　　无论是为什么，这些变化对一些恐龙来说并不好对付，特别是在北面生活的那些。

　　As temperatures rose in the late Cretaceous period, lush foliage⁹ grew, supporting larger and larger herbivores.

　　随着白垩纪晚期气温回升，茂盛的植物大量生长，供养着越来越大的植食动物。

　　These giant plant eaters like Triceratops developed horns for protection.

　　这些像三角龙一样的巨大的植食者进化出角来进行防御。

　　The meat eater also adapted.

　　食肉者也随之而改变。

　　The result was a predator⁴ whose name instills fear even today.

　　结果是一种名字即使是今天也让人胆寒的掠食者。

　　The king of the dinosaurs - Tyrannosaurus Rex.

　　恐龙之王，雷克斯暴龙。

　　Tyrannosaurus Rex is without a doubt the biggest and baddest predator that ever walked North America and quite possibly the world.

　　雷克斯暴龙毫无疑问是北美地区很可能是全世界出现过的最大最厉害的掠食者。

　　They first appeared during the late Cretaceous about 68 million years ago and lived right up to the extinction¹⁰ of the dinosaurs about 3 million years later.

　　它们最早出现于白垩纪晚期大约六千八百万年前，一直生活到三百万年之后恐龙灭绝的时候。

　　Their range included Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, New Mexico, South Dakota and Canada, and even as far south as Texas.

　　它们分布于蒙大拿州、怀俄明州、科罗拉多州、新墨西哥州、南达科他州和加拿大，甚至最南达到德克萨斯州。

　　T-Rex stood out as the largest predator.

　　霸王龙是出类拔萃的最大掠食者。

　　It weighed up to seven tons, stood nearly five meters tall, and measured thirteen meters in length.

　　重量可达七吨，站立高度近五米，长度为十三米。

1 backwards   

adv.往回地，向原处，倒，相反，前后倒置地

参考例句：

• He turned on the light and began to pace backwards and forwards.他打开电灯并开始走来走去。
• All the girls fell over backwards to get the party ready.姑娘们迫不及待地为聚会做准备。

2 stunning   

adj.极好的；使人晕倒的

参考例句：

• His plays are distinguished only by their stunning mediocrity.他的戏剧与众不同之处就是平凡得出奇。
• The finished effect was absolutely stunning.完工后的效果非常美。

3 juveniles   

n.青少年( juvenile的名词复数 )；扮演少年角色的演员；未成年人

参考例句：

• Do you think that punishment for violent crimes should be the same for juveniles and adults? 你对暴力犯罪的惩罚对于青少年和成人应一样吗？ 来自生活英语口语25天快训
• Juveniles Should we not exactly in need of such strength and conviction? 少年的我们难道不正是需要这种力量和信念吗？ 来自互联网

4 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。

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 expend   

vt.花费，消费，消耗

参考例句：

• Don't expend all your time on such a useless job.不要把时间消耗在这种无用的工作上。
• They expend all their strength in trying to climb out.他们费尽全力想爬出来。

7 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》

8 inexplicably   

adv.无法说明地，难以理解地，令人难以理解的是

参考例句：

• Inexplicably, Mary said she loved John. 真是不可思议，玛丽说她爱约翰。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Inexplicably, she never turned up. 令人不解的是，她从未露面。 来自辞典例句

9 foliage   

n.叶子，树叶，簇叶

参考例句：

• The path was completely covered by the dense foliage.小路被树叶厚厚地盖了一层。
• Dark foliage clothes the hills.浓密的树叶覆盖着群山。

10 extinction   

n.熄灭，消亡，消灭，灭绝，绝种

参考例句：

• The plant is now in danger of extinction.这种植物现在有绝种的危险。
• The island's way of life is doomed to extinction.这个岛上的生活方式注定要消失。