侏罗纪搏击俱乐部 第171期:重塑恐龙的最后时刻

 　　The impact of this asteroid¹ was unparalleled.

　　这次小行星的撞击威力空前。

　　The power it released was greater than the combined force of man's entire nuclear arsenal².

　　它释放的能量比人类整个核武库加起来都要强大。

　　Recreating the sequence of events that happened immediately following something as cataclysmic as this event can be difficult because so much of the evidence was obliterated³ at the moment of impact.

　　要重塑如此规模的灾难事件发生后的事件顺序非常困难，因为很多证据在撞击的时候就被摧毁了。

　　But by relying on worldwide evidence, we can formulate⁴ a pretty accurate idea of what occurred.

　　不过根据世界范围的证据，我们可以构建比较准确的情况。

　　Gathering⁵ information from scientists around the world and looking closely at the evidence, the following scenario⁶ recreates the final moments of the dinosaurs⁷.

　　科学家们在世界各地收集信息并仔细检验这些证据，下面的场景重塑了恐龙的最后时刻。

　　After colliding with another asteroid millions of miles from earth, fragments of the Baptistina asteroid were thrown into space.

　　与另一颗小行星在距地球几百万英里外撞击之后，巴蒂斯缇娜小行星的碎片被抛入太空。

　　110 million years ago, one of those pieces struck the moon.

　　一亿一千万年前，其中一块击中了月球。

　　Another even larger piece was speeding towards earth.

　　另一个更大的碎片正飞速飞向地球。

　　Planet earth, 65 million years ago, 24 hours to impact.

　　行星地球，六千五百万年前，距离撞击二十四小时。

　　As dinosaurs on the dark side of the earth sleep, those on the other side go about their daily business of survival.

　　在地球入夜一侧的恐龙还在睡觉，地球另一侧的恐龙在重复着为了生存的日常行为。

　　Plant eaters continue to graze, while predators⁸ seek opportunities to make a kill.

　　植食者继续吃草，而掠食者则寻找机会进行猎杀。

　　They are unaware⁹ that an asteroid streaks¹⁰ through space towards them.

　　它们不知道一颗小行星正穿过太空向它们飞来。

　　It appears as just another star among the millions of stars in space, but the asteroid moves closer.

　　它在太空中就如同是数百万星星中的一颗，不过它却越来越近。

　　12 hours to impact.

　　距离撞击十二小时。

　　The island of Madagascar, a male Majungatholus is on the hunt for prey¹¹.

　　在马达加斯加岛，一头雄性玛君龙正在狩猎。

　　His attention is focused on his next meal.

　　它的注意力在下一餐上。

　　The male is tracking his prey.

　　雄性正在跟踪猎物。

　　Using his senses as he moves closer to his quarry¹², as soon as he is close enough, he'll attack.

　　它在靠近它的猎物时使用它的感官，一旦它距猎物足够近，它就会发动攻击。

　　But unknown to him, moments from now, food will be the last thing on his mind.

　　不过它不知道，此后不久，食物是它最不用担心的东西。

　　Halfway¹³ around the world, in what will become south Dakota, a family of Tyrannosaurus Rex makes their way towards a river to drink.

　　半个地球之外，在当时的南达科塔，一家雷克斯暴龙正在前往河边饮水。

　　Tyrannosaurs are family animals.

　　暴龙是家族动物。

　　They live in groups because it gives them a better chance at survival.

　　它们群体生活因为那给了它们有更好的生存机会。

　　Hunting together makes it easier to ambush¹⁴ and capture prey, and keeping their young nearby offers them protection from rivals.

　　群体狩猎使得伏击和捕获猎物更加容易，而且能把幼兽带在身边，不易受到竞争者的伤害。

　　They're the biggest land predators on earth, but even their might is no match for nature's fury.

　　它们是地球上最大的陆生掠食者，不过即使它们威力也比不了自然的暴怒。

　　3 hours to impact.

　　距离撞击三小时。

　　Unknown to earth's inhabitants, 129,000 miles away, the asteroid is moving at a speed of 43,000 miles per hour.

　　地球上的生灵并不知道，129,000英里之外，一颗小行星正在以时速43,000英里飞来。

　　Within 25,000 miles of earth, the asteroid begins to glow as the light of the sun begins to illuminate¹⁵ it.

　　在离地球25,000英里时，小行星开始发亮因为太阳的光线照亮了它。

　　The earth's gravitational pull begins to draw it closer, causing it to speed up.

　　地球的地心引力开始将它拉得更近，使之加速。

　　Deep within a prehistoric¹⁶ forest, a group of raptors uses the trees to shade themselves from intense sun.

　　在一片史前森林的深处，一群迅猛龙正在用树荫来遮挡烈日的照射。

　　No amount of shade will protect them from the heat that is about to set in on planet earth.

　　但在即将进入地球的热浪中，没什么能为它们提供保护。

　　By mid¹⁷ day, the temperatures reach 90 degrees.

　　到了中午，气温达到摄氏90度。

　　Those in the northern hemisphere can see a bright light in the sky.

　　在北半球的动物能看到天空中的亮光。

　　The night before the impact, the asteroid appears in the sky as some new, bright star.

　　在撞击的前一晚，小行星在天空中似乎是某个明亮的新星。

　　But by morning this "star" remains¹⁸ in the sky, and can be seen in total daylight.

　　不过这“星星”到了早上依然在天上，在大白天都能看见。

　　Nothing can stop it. No force can alter its course.

　　没什么能阻挡它。没什么力量能改变它的轨道。

　　Earth and her inhabitants are about to be introduced to a Baptistina asteroid.

　　地球和它的居民将要领教巴蒂斯缇娜小行星了。

　　30 minutes to impact.

　　距离撞击三十分钟。

　　The asteroid appears much larger.

　　小行星看起来更大了。

　　Silently, it closes the gap between it and the planet.

　　它在悄悄地拉近和地球的距离。

　　Life below begins to stir.

　　下面的生命开始骚动。

　　10 minutes to impact.

　　距离撞击十分钟。

　　The asteroid continues its journey.

　　小行星继续自己的旅程。

　　It grows ever larger in the summer sky.

　　在夏日的天空中变得越来越大。

　　As it draws closer, animals begin to panic.

　　随着它的临近，动物们开始恐慌。

　　Things are starting to heat up in the atmosphere.

　　空气开始升温。

　　This triggers intense electrical storms throughout the planet.

　　这引发了地球上密集的雷雨。

　　But these storms won't be there for much longer.

　　不过这些雷雨不会持续很久。

1 asteroid   

n.小行星；海盘车(动物)

参考例句：

• Astronomers have yet to witness an asteroid impact with another planet.天文学家还没有目击过小行星撞击其它行星。
• It's very unlikely that an asteroid will crash into Earth but the danger exists.小行星撞地球的可能性很小，但这样的危险还是存在的。

2 arsenal   

n.兵工厂，军械库

参考例句：

• Even the workers at the arsenal have got a secret organization.兵工厂工人暗中也有组织。
• We must be the great arsenal of democracy.我们必须成为民主的大军火库。

3 obliterated   

v.除去( obliterate的过去式和过去分词 )；涂去；擦掉；彻底破坏或毁灭

参考例句：

• The building was completely obliterated by the bomb. 炸弹把那座建筑物彻底摧毁了。
• He began to drink, drank himself to intoxication, till he slept obliterated. 他一直喝，喝到他快要迷糊地睡着了。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 formulate   

v.用公式表示；规划；设计；系统地阐述

参考例句：

• He took care to formulate his reply very clearly.他字斟句酌，清楚地做了回答。
• I was impressed by the way he could formulate his ideas.他陈述观点的方式让我印象深刻。

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。

6 scenario   

n.剧本，脚本；概要

参考例句：

• But the birth scenario is not completely accurate.然而分娩脚本并非完全准确的。
• This is a totally different scenario.这是完全不同的剧本。

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 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 unaware   

a.不知道的，未意识到的

参考例句：

• They were unaware that war was near. 他们不知道战争即将爆发。
• I was unaware of the man's presence. 我没有察觉到那人在场。

10 streaks   

n.（与周围有所不同的）条纹( streak的名词复数 )；（通常指不好的）特征（倾向）；（不断经历成功或失败的）一段时期v.快速移动( streak的第三人称单数 )；使布满条纹

参考例句：

• streaks of grey in her hair 她头上的绺绺白发
• Bacon has streaks of fat and streaks of lean. 咸肉中有几层肥的和几层瘦的。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

11 prey   

n.被掠食者，牺牲者，掠食；v.捕食，掠夺，折磨

参考例句：

• Stronger animals prey on weaker ones.弱肉强食。
• The lion was hunting for its prey.狮子在寻找猎物。

12 quarry   

n.采石场；v.采石；费力地找

参考例句：

• Michelangelo obtained his marble from a quarry.米开朗基罗从采石场获得他的大理石。
• This mountain was the site for a quarry.这座山曾经有一个采石场。

13 halfway   

adj.中途的，不彻底的，部分的；adv.半路地，在中途，在半途

参考例句：

• We had got only halfway when it began to get dark.走到半路，天就黑了。
• In study the worst danger is give up halfway.在学习上，最忌讳的是有始无终。

14 ambush   

n.埋伏(地点)；伏兵；v.埋伏；伏击

参考例句：

• Our soldiers lay in ambush in the jungle for the enemy.我方战士埋伏在丛林中等待敌人。
• Four men led by a sergeant lay in ambush at the crossroads.由一名中士率领的四名士兵埋伏在十字路口。

15 illuminate   

vt.照亮，照明；用灯光装饰；说明，阐释

参考例句：

• Dreams kindle a flame to illuminate our dark roads.梦想点燃火炬照亮我们黑暗的道路。
• They use games and drawings to illuminate their subject.他们用游戏和图画来阐明他们的主题。

16 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。

17 mid   

adj.中央的，中间的

参考例句：

• Our mid-term exam is pending.我们就要期中考试了。
• He switched over to teaching in mid-career.他在而立之年转入教学工作。

18 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。