英语听力：自然百科 大堡礁 珊瑚礁至雨林(20)（在线收听）

This is not seaweed,but a marine relative of water lily, known as seagrass.

这些不是海藻，而是睡莲科植物的海中远亲，又称海草。

It grows in flowers in vast meadows in clear water, around the islands and along the shore of the mainland.

它们于岛屿周边广袤的水下平原以及大陆的海岸沿线生长繁殖。

And its support to creature that ancient mariners once mistook for mermaids.

它是另一特殊物种的食物，这是一种古老的海洋生物，曾被误认为美人鱼。

Gathering in a herd to a hundred or more are dugongs or sea cows.

它们就是儒艮，俗称海牛，一群有一百只甚至更多。

They are relatives of elephants.

它们是大象的表亲。

Each one can weigh nearly half a ton and march for 40 kilos of seagrass a day.

儒艮每只体重约有半吨，每天要吃约40公斤的海草。

Dugongs were once abundant, but they've had a difficult relationship with people.

儒艮曾经一度数量繁盛，但不幸的是，它们与人类的关系不佳。

Nowadays, they are trapped accidentally in fishing nets and shark protection barriers,and traditionally, aboriginal hunters targeted them because they taste good, like prime beef.

如今，它们经常会意外地被渔网困住，又或是被防鲨网勾住，当地土族把它们列在菜单上，因为它们味道可口，可以和顶级牛肉媲美。

And recovery of the population is slow.

而它们自己的繁殖速度也很慢。

A single baby is born every three to seven years.

每3到7年，母儒艮才能生下一个宝宝。

And this baby dugong may not be old enough to breed until she's 17 years old.

而它们的幼崽，要长到17岁以后才能开始繁殖。