纪录片《我们的地球》 第179期 多样浅海(13)

By midsummer, the surface nutrients¹ have all been absorbed.

直到夏至，海洋表面的养分全部被摄取。

The algae² die and the food chain collapses³.

藻类死亡，食物链因此崩溃。

In a few special places, however

然而在少数特别的地方，

the temperate⁴ seas sustain these levels of life throughout the summer.

气候温和的海域维持这个生命水平贯穿整个夏季。

Along the coast of California,

在加利福尼亚沿海，

ocean currents carry a constant supply of nutrients up from the depths to the surface layers.

洋流持续不断的把养分从海底带到海平面上来。

These upwellings fertilize⁵ forests of giant kelp, that thrive in the summer sunshine.

这种上升洋流给巨藻带来了大量养分在夏日阳光照射下它们飞速生长。

The algal towers are as high as a three story house, and they can grow by half a meter a day.

这片巨藻林有足有三层楼那么高，它们每天还能长半米。

Life in the kelp is as full of drama, as in any other forest, but the cast is less familiar.

海藻中的生命充满戏剧性，跟其他森林一样，但演员们仍不太为人知。

An army of sea urchins⁷ is mounting an attack.

一大群紫海胆正在发动进攻。

The urchin⁶ plague strikes at the kelp's holdfasts their crucial attachments⁸ to the rock.

海胆们正在吃巨藻的固着器--把巨藻固定在石头上的重要装置。

Holdfasts are extremely tough, but each urchin has five teeth,

固着器非常坚硬，但是每只海胆有5个锋利的牙齿，

which are self sharpening and are replaced every few months.

而且每隔几个月就换牙。

Urchins fell vast areas of kelp forest,

海胆吃掉了大片的海藻森林，

creating clearings know as urchin barrens, yet barrens is a poor description.

把它们变成了不毛之地，无法形容的荒凉。

1 nutrients   

n.（食品或化学品）营养物，营养品( nutrient的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• a lack of essential nutrients 基本营养的缺乏
• Nutrients are absorbed into the bloodstream. 营养素被吸收进血液。 来自《简明英汉词典》

2 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。

3 collapses   

折叠( collapse的第三人称单数 )； 倒塌； 崩溃； （尤指工作劳累后）坐下

参考例句：

• This bridge table collapses. 这张桥牌桌子能折叠。
• Once Russia collapses, the last chance to stop Hitler will be gone. 一旦俄国垮台，抑止希特勒的最后机会就没有了。

4 temperate   

adj.温和的，温带的，自我克制的，不过分的

参考例句：

• Asia extends across the frigid,temperate and tropical zones.亚洲地跨寒、温、热三带。
• Great Britain has a temperate climate.英国气候温和。

5 fertilize   

v.使受精，施肥于，使肥沃

参考例句：

• Fertilizer is a substance put on land to fertilize it.肥料是施在地里使之肥沃的物质。
• Reading will fertilize his vocabulary.阅读会丰富他的词汇。

6 urchin   

n.顽童；海胆

参考例句：

• You should sheer off the urchin.你应该躲避这顽童。
• He is a most wicked urchin.他是个非常调皮的顽童。

7 urchins   

n.顽童( urchin的名词复数 )；淘气鬼；猬；海胆

参考例句：

• Some dozen barefooted urchins ganged in from the riverside. 几十个赤足的顽童从河边成群结队而来。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• People said that he had jaundice and urchins nicknamed him "Yellow Fellow." 别人说他是黄胆病，孩子们也就叫他“黄胖”了。 来自汉英文学 - 中国现代小说

8 attachments   

n.（用电子邮件发送的）附件( attachment的名词复数 )；附着；连接；附属物

参考例句：

• The vacuum cleaner has four different attachments. 吸尘器有四个不同的附件。
• It's an electric drill with a range of different attachments. 这是一个带有各种配件的电钻。