纪录片《我们的地球》 第169期 多样浅海(03)

Reefs are the work of polyps tiny colonial animals like minute sea anemones¹

珊瑚礁是珊瑚虫的产物，一种像小海葵的有机生命群体，

yet the great barrier reef is so big it can be seen from the Moon.

可是它们生成的大堡礁甚至可以在月球上看到。

It's actually two thousand separate reefs

大堡礁由超过2000个的独立珊瑚礁组成，

that together form a barrier stretching for over a thousand miles along Australia's northeastern coast.

绵延在澳大利亚东北部海岸，长度超过1000公里。

Despite it's vast size, this reef does not contain the greatest variety of marine² life on the planet.

不管有多大，这里珊瑚礁也不可能容纳全部的海洋生物。

For that one must travel north to Indonesia.

让我们去印度尼西亚的北部看看。

There are individual reefs in Indonesia that contain almost as many kinds of fish as live in the whole of the Caribbean.

印度尼西亚的这些珊瑚礁所容纳的各种鱼类几乎跟全加勒比海一样多。

There are also ten times the number of coral species.

而且珊瑚物种也要多十倍。

Corals thrive in these waters with the help of microscopic³ plants, algae⁴ that grow within the tissues of the polyps

珊瑚在一种微生植物的帮助下生长，海藻是居住在珊瑚虫里的一种共生藻，

and the polyps feed by snaring⁵ passing morsels⁶ with their tentacles⁷.

珊瑚虫利用触手抓食经过它身边的食物。

At night, the algae are inactive but then, the polyps put out even more tentacles

到了晚上，共生藻停止工作，珊瑚开始释放更多的触手，

so coral in effect feeds around the clock.

这样，珊瑚虫可以昼夜不断地有效进食。

1 anemones   

n.银莲花( anemone的名词复数 )；海葵

参考例句：

• With its powerful tentacles, it tries to prise the anemones off. 它想用强壮的触角截获海葵。 来自互联网
• Density, scale, thickness are still influencing the anemones shape. 密度、大小、厚度是受最原始的那股海葵的影响。 来自互联网

2 marine   

adj.海的；海生的；航海的；海事的；n.水兵

参考例句：

• Marine creatures are those which live in the sea. 海洋生物是生存在海里的生物。
• When the war broke out,he volunteered for the Marine Corps.战争爆发时，他自愿参加了海军陆战队。

3 microscopic   

adj.微小的，细微的，极小的，显微的

参考例句：

• It's impossible to read his microscopic handwriting.不可能看清他那极小的书写字迹。
• A plant's lungs are the microscopic pores in its leaves.植物的肺就是其叶片上微细的气孔。

4 algae   

n.水藻，海藻

参考例句：

• Most algae live in water.多数藻类生长在水中。
• Algae grow and spread quickly in the lake.湖中水藻滋蔓。

5 snaring   

v.用罗网捕捉，诱陷，陷害( snare的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• They have the ability to perform mucosal biopsies, cautery and even snaring polyps. 他们能够学习肠粘膜活检、烧灼、甚至肠息肉套扎术。 来自互联网

6 morsels   

n.一口( morsel的名词复数 )；（尤指食物）小块，碎屑

参考例句：

• They are the most delicate morsels. 这些确是最好吃的部分。 来自辞典例句
• Foxes will scratch up grass to find tasty bug and beetle morsels. 狐狸会挖草地，寻找美味的虫子和甲壳虫。 来自互联网

7 tentacles   

n.触手( tentacle的名词复数 )；触角；触须；触毛

参考例句：

• Tentacles of fear closed around her body. 恐惧的阴影笼罩着她。
• Many molluscs have tentacles. 很多软体动物有触角。 来自《简明英汉词典》