英语听力：自然百科 大堡礁 珊瑚礁至雨林(18)

The soft corals are refuge for millions of small fish.

无数小鱼安全地躲在软体珊瑚中。

But they must dart¹ out from time to time to feed on the plankton² in the current.

但它们必须不时地离开避风港去捕食水流带来的浮游生物。

And wherever small fish gather, it's not long before something bigger turns up to eat them.

而但凡有鱼群的地方，就会有肉食鱼类的踪影。

A grouper!This is the Queensland grouper, it's the largest bony fish that lives on the Great Barrier Reef.

看，石斑鱼！这是一条鞍带石斑鱼，它是大堡礁最大的硬骨鱼。

Queensland groupers are real giants, this Yongala resident is known as the Volkswagen, because he's the same size as the car.

鞍带石斑鱼堪称鱼中巨人，这位扬加拉号的住户，雅号VW，因为它的体积和一辆汽车差不多。

His mouth's so big, he's quite capable of swallowing sharks and rays whole.

尤其是它的大嘴，足够吞下鲨鱼或是鳐鱼。

But another resident has an even deadlier bite.

但就致命性而言，另一张嘴才更要命。

Sea snakes have more potent³ venom⁴ than many of their land-living relatives, they put it to good use.

海蛇的毒液毒性极为强劲，其毒液比许多陆地上的蛇类还致命，而且它们很善于发挥这一专长。

The olive sea snake doesn't really look as though it's hunting, but when its small head disappears into a hole, it can trap and paralyze any fish hiding there.

橄榄海蛇看起来完全不像是在捕猎，但一旦它的小头深入某个洞中，它总能找到并毒麻里面躲藏的鱼。

It's unusual for so many predators⁵ to be swimming so close to each other, but there's so much to eat here.

一块地方的掠食者如此之多，相互摩肩接踵实属罕见，实在是因为这里的食物太丰富了。

Most of the action is on top of the wreck⁶, where the strongest currents sweep in the most food.

但大多数生命活动都发生在沉船顶部，那里强劲的水流带来了大量浮游生物。

1 dart   

v.猛冲，投掷；n.飞镖，猛冲

参考例句：

• The child made a sudden dart across the road.那小孩突然冲过马路。
• Markov died after being struck by a poison dart.马尔科夫身中毒镖而亡。

2 plankton   

n.浮游生物

参考例句：

• Plankton is at the bottom of the marine food chain.浮游生物处于海洋食物链的最底层。
• The plankton in the sea feeds many kinds of animals. 海的浮游生物成为很多种动物的食物。

3 potent   

adj.强有力的，有权势的；有效力的

参考例句：

• The medicine had a potent effect on your disease.这药物对你的病疗效很大。
• We must account of his potent influence.我们必须考虑他的强有力的影响。

4 venom   

n.毒液，恶毒，痛恨

参考例句：

• The snake injects the venom immediately after biting its prey.毒蛇咬住猎物之后马上注入毒液。
• In fact,some components of the venom may benefit human health.事实上，毒液的某些成分可能有益于人类健康。

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 wreck   

n.失事，遇难；沉船；vt.(船等)失事，遇难

参考例句：

• Weather may have been a factor in the wreck.天气可能是造成这次失事的原因之一。
• No one can wreck the friendship between us.没有人能够破坏我们之间的友谊。