英语听力：自然百科 冰冻星球 前往地球尽头(16)

Exhausted¹, it no longer has the energy to pull itself to safety. And the killers² are moving in. Game over. Although such team hunts are rarely seen, scientists believe they may be the most complex ever documented in the natural world. They were first witnessed by Captain Scott and his men when they came to explore Antarctic one hundred years ago.

它已经疲惫不看,不可能再有力气把自己带到安全的地方。猎手们咄咄逼近。游戏结束。虽然这样的团队狩猎非常罕见,科学家们相信这可能是在自然世界从未有过的最复杂记录。当100年前史考特船长和他的队员第一次探索南极时曾遇到过这种情况。

Journeying further south, the fragmenting ice is replaced by a permanent sheet that doesn't know even the heat of summer. It is a barrier that many creatures find impossible. It repels³ even powerful mink⁴ whales. They have to turn back if they can't no longer reach the air that they need to breathe.

继续向南旅行,破碎的冰被取代,即使在炎热的夏天也会无人知晓。这是一个许多生物不可能发现的屏障。它甚至排斥强大鲸鱼。如果需要呼吸,它们必须回头。

Under the ice, life has to be extremely specialized⁵ to survive.Few of us will ever experience this strange,mysterious world. And as yet, no one knows much about it. The crystalized surface of ice-style tights provides a home for ice fish whose bodies are full of antifreeze. The sailing of ice shelters those living below it from the violent polar weather that rages above. Little here has changed for millions of years. The cold allows animals to grow very slowly and become giants.

冰层之下,这里的生命在艰难的存活。我们中很少有人会经历这个奇怪的、神秘的世界。到目前为止,还没有人了解的更多。水晶般的外表使这种生物变得无比耐寒抗冻。酷寒天气锻炼了这里的生物。这里已经改变了数百万年。寒冷的天气使动物生长非常缓慢,成为庞然大物。

1 exhausted   

adj.极其疲惫的，精疲力尽的

参考例句：

• It was a long haul home and we arrived exhausted.搬运回家的这段路程特别长，到家时我们已筋疲力尽。
• Jenny was exhausted by the hustle of city life.珍妮被城市生活的忙乱弄得筋疲力尽。

2 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。

3 repels   

v.击退( repel的第三人称单数 )；使厌恶；排斥；推开

参考例句：

• His manner repels me. 他的举止让我厌恶。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Her callous attitude repels me. 她冷酷无情的态度引起我的反感。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 mink   

n.貂，貂皮

参考例句：

• She was wearing a blue dress and a mink coat.她穿着一身蓝色的套装和一件貂皮大衣。
• He started a mink ranch and made a fortune in five years. 他开了个水貂养殖场，五年之内就赚了不少钱。

5 specialized   

adj.专门的，专业化的

参考例句：

• There are many specialized agencies in the United Nations.联合国有许多专门机构。
• These tools are very specialized.这些是专用工具。