纪录片《我们的地球》 第348期 广袤草原(13)

Each blade is cut to length and placed into a garden of fungus¹.

每根叶片都被切成一定长度，放入菌圃。

The rotting grass feeds the fungus, and in turn the fungus feeds the ants.

真菌以腐烂的叶片为食，而真菌又成为蚂蚁的食物。

But feeding 5,000,000 workers requires intensive agriculture.

养活五百万劳动者需要大规模的高效耕作。

Luckily, they are an industrious² lot.

幸好它们都很勤劳。

This colony alone will collect over half a ton of grass every year.

仅这一个蚁群，每年就能收集五百多公斤草。

With billions of ant colonies across the world's grasslands³

数十亿蚁群遍布全球草原，

all doing exactly the same thing, that's a mind-boggling amount of grass.

都在做相同的事，它们消耗的草数量惊人。

It's estimated that over one third of the grass that grows on Earth will be harvested by an insect.

据估计，地球上超过三分之一的草都会被这种昆虫采去。

In northern Australia, termites⁴ memorialise their industry in sculpture.

在澳大利亚北部，白蚁辛勤的劳作体现在雕塑上。

These astonishing mounds⁵ are 10 feet tall.

这些令人叹为观止的白蚁丘有三米高。

They're always built on a north-south axis⁶, which is why their builders are called compass termites.

全部建成南北走向，因此它们的建筑者被称为罗盘白蚁。

These castles of clay protect their builders from extremes of heat and seasonal⁷ floods experienced on many grasslands.

这些粘土造就的城堡保护着它们的主人不受草原酷暑和季节性洪水的伤害。

Termites manage to do what most grass eaters can't, break down dead grass and extract the nutrients⁸.

白蚁与大多数食草动物不同，它们能分解枯草，提取养分。

But they themselves can be food for those that can reach them.

但也有动物能探进蚁穴将它们吃掉。

1 fungus   

n.真菌，真菌类植物

参考例句：

• Mushrooms are a type of fungus.蘑菇是一种真菌。
• This fungus can just be detected by the unaided eye.这种真菌只用肉眼就能检查出。

2 industrious   

adj.勤劳的，刻苦的，奋发的

参考例句：

• If the tiller is industrious,the farmland is productive.人勤地不懒。
• She was an industrious and willing worker.她是个勤劳肯干的员工。

3 grasslands   

n.草原，牧场( grassland的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Songs were heard ringing loud and clear over the grasslands. 草原上扬起清亮激越的歌声。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• Grasslands have been broken and planted to wheat. 草原已经开垦出来，种上了小麦。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 termites   

n.白蚁( termite的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Termites are principally tropical in distribution. 白蚁主要分布在热带地区。 来自辞典例句
• This spray will exterminate the termites. 这种喷剂能消灭白蚁。 来自辞典例句

5 mounds   

土堆，土丘( mound的名词复数 )； 一大堆

参考例句：

• We had mounds of tasteless rice. 我们有成堆成堆的淡而无味的米饭。
• Ah! and there's the cemetery' - cemetery, he must have meant. 'You see the mounds? 啊，这就是同墓，”——我想他要说的一定是公墓，“看到那些土墩了吗？

6 axis   

n.轴，轴线，中心线；坐标轴，基准线

参考例句：

• The earth's axis is the line between the North and South Poles.地轴是南北极之间的线。
• The axis of a circle is its diameter.圆的轴线是其直径。

7 seasonal   

adj.季节的，季节性的

参考例句：

• The town relies on the seasonal tourist industry for jobs.这个城镇依靠季节性旅游业提供就业机会。
• The hors d'oeuvre is seasonal vegetables.餐前小吃是应时蔬菜。

8 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》