纪录片《我们的地球》 第82期 洞穴迷宫(21)

Many of these crystals were made of gypsum, a mineral that comes from limestone¹,

许多结晶都是由石膏组成，一种硫酸钙沉积而来的矿物，

and there was mile after mile of them.

它们绵延不绝

Water is the creator of most caves, but unlike all other limestone caves,

水是大部分洞穴的建造者，但是和其它石灰岩溶洞不同的是

Lechuguilla's rock had not been eaten away by running rainwater. Something else was responsible.

龙舌兰洞中的岩石并非被流水侵蚀。而是因为其它的作用力。

The only water Lechuguilla has are these wonderfully still, clear pools.

龙舌兰洞中唯一的水来自这些平静清澈的水塘

As the explorers went deeper into the cave,

随着探险家们深入洞穴

they came across whole galleries filled with the most unusual formations,

他们发现了成片叹为观止的地貌

like these five-metre cones² frosted with the most delicate crystals.

例如这些5米高的石锥，上面布满了雪霜一样的松脆结晶

It was Lechuguilla's gypsum crystals that made scientists question how these caverns³ were formed.

龙舌兰洞的石膏结晶群，使科学家们产生了这个巨洞如何形成的疑问

They discovered that Lechuguilla's limestone had actually been eaten away

他们发现龙舌兰洞的石灰岩，实际上是被硫酸侵蚀的

by sulphuric acid cutting through literally⁴ miles of limestone.

凿穿了差不多数英里的石灰岩。

1 limestone   

n.石灰石

参考例句：

• Limestone is often used in building construction.石灰岩常用于建筑。
• Cement is made from limestone.水泥是由石灰石制成的。

2 cones   

n.（人眼）圆锥细胞；圆锥体( cone的名词复数 )；球果；圆锥形东西；（盛冰淇淋的）锥形蛋卷筒

参考例句：

• In the pines squirrels commonly chew off and drop entire cones. 松树上的松鼠通常咬掉和弄落整个球果。 来自辞典例句
• Many children would rather eat ice cream from cones than from dishes. 许多小孩喜欢吃蛋卷冰淇淋胜过盘装冰淇淋。 来自辞典例句

3 caverns   

大山洞，大洞穴( cavern的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Within were dark caverns; what was inside them, no one could see. 里面是一个黑洞，这里面有什么东西，谁也望不见。 来自汉英文学 - 家（1-26） - 家（1-26）
• UNDERGROUND Under water grottos, caverns Filled with apes That eat figs. 在水帘洞里，挤满了猿争吃无花果。

4 literally   

adv.照字面意义，逐字地；确实

参考例句：

• He translated the passage literally.他逐字逐句地翻译这段文字。
• Sometimes she would not sit down till she was literally faint.有时候，她不走到真正要昏厥了，决不肯坐下来。