美国国家公共电台 NPR Nature's Ready For Her Close-Up: 'Planet Earth II' Returns In Ultra High-Def

 

STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:

The BBC series "Planet Earth" was one of the first blockbuster high-definition TV shows a decade ago. Tomorrow, "Planet Earth II" debuts¹ on BBC America. And this time, it is said to be in ultrahigh def. Reporter Will Huntsberry found an early sign of its popularity. The online trailer promoting this has already been seen more than 9 million times.

WILL HUNTSBERRY, BYLINE²: The two-minute online clip has all the tension of the best chase scenes. There's just a sandy strip of ground with a baby iguana³ and a whole lot of hungry snakes.

(SOUNDBITE OF TV SHOW, "PLANET EARTH II")

HUNTSBERRY: The baby iguana makes a dash for safety. The snakes are close behind. It's about to get away. But then...

(SOUNDBITE OF TV SHOW, "PLANET EARTH II")

HUNTSBERRY: ...The iguana is swallowed in a swarming⁴ ball. Incredibly, it gets free. It jumps for the highest rock. And...

(SOUNDBITE OF TV SHOW, "PLANET EARTH II")

DAVID ATTENBOROUGH: (As narrator) A near-miraculous escape.

HUNTSBERRY: David Attenborough, famed naturalist⁵ and narrator.

(SOUNDBITE OF TV SHOW, "PLANET EARTH II")

ATTENBOROUGH: (As narrator) The lucky survivors⁶ could begin learning the unique way of life demanded by this hostile island.

HUNTSBERRY: "Planet Earth II" uses all the devices of narrative⁷ filmmaking. There is emotional scoring, heavy editing and, most crucially, an individual animal's struggle to survive. Along with ultrahigh definition cameras, the series uses innovations in photography, like drones and lightweight steady cams, to get right up next to animals. Here's the show's executive producer, Mike Gunton.

MIKE GUNTON: Once you're with those creatures - once you're in their world, almost looking at it through their eyes, you can tell a slightly more emotionally connecting story.

HUNTSBERRY: The biggest departure from the first series is an entire episode devoted⁸ to cities. Most of the episode shows animals thriving in human environments until we meet sea turtle hatchlings in Barbados. Instead of heading towards the moonlight and the sea, they're heading towards the street lights and a road.

(SOUNDBITE OF TV SHOW, "PLANET EARTH II")

ATTENBOROUGH: (As narrator) The lights become more and more bewildering. Eighty percent of all hatchlings on this beach are now disorientated by the lights of the town.

HUNTSBERRY: The series strives for wonder. But each episode of "Planet Earth II" includes at least one scene like this, illustrating⁹ nature's increasing fragility.

For NPR News, I'm Will Huntsberry.

(SOUNDBITE OF SHOCKLINE'S "MAYA BAY")

1 debuts   

演员首次演出( debut的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• He never really debuts the idea of taking money from his parents any longer. 他从此就再也没有认真起过向父母要钱的念头。
• This young soprano debuts next month at the metropolitan opera. 这位年轻的女高音歌唱家下个月将在纽约大都会歌剧院举行首演。

2 byline   

n.署名；v.署名

参考例句：

• His byline was absent as well.他的署名也不见了。
• We wish to thank the author of this article which carries no byline.我们要感谢这篇文章的那位没有署名的作者。

3 iguana   

n.美洲大蜥蜴，鬣鳞蜥

参考例句：

• With an iguana,you really don't have to say surprise.惊喜两字已经不足以形容这只鬣鳞蜥了。
• I'm going to turn on my computer and make a movie starring my pet iguanadj.打开计算机准备制作一部关于我的宠物蜥蜴的电影。

4 swarming   

密集( swarm的现在分词 )； 云集； 成群地移动； 蜜蜂或其他飞行昆虫成群地飞来飞去

参考例句：

• The sacks of rice were swarming with bugs. 一袋袋的米里长满了虫子。
• The beach is swarming with bathers. 海滩满是海水浴的人。

5 naturalist   

n.博物学家(尤指直接观察动植物者)

参考例句：

• He was a printer by trade and naturalist by avocation.他从事印刷业，同时是个博物学爱好者。
• The naturalist told us many stories about birds.博物学家给我们讲述了许多有关鸟儿的故事。

6 survivors   

幸存者，残存者，生还者( survivor的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The survivors were adrift in a lifeboat for six days. 幸存者在救生艇上漂流了六天。
• survivors clinging to a raft 紧紧抓住救生筏的幸存者

7 narrative   

n.叙述，故事；adj.叙事的，故事体的

参考例句：

• He was a writer of great narrative power.他是一位颇有记述能力的作家。
• Neither author was very strong on narrative.两个作者都不是很善于讲故事。

8 devoted   

adj.忠诚的，忠实的，热心的，献身于...的

参考例句：

• He devoted his life to the educational cause of the motherland.他为祖国的教育事业贡献了一生。
• We devoted a lengthy and full discussion to this topic.我们对这个题目进行了长时间的充分讨论。

9 illustrating   

给…加插图( illustrate的现在分词 )； 说明； 表明； （用示例、图画等）说明

参考例句：

• He upstaged the other speakers by illustrating his talk with slides. 他演讲中配上幻灯片，比其他演讲人更吸引听众。
• Material illustrating detailed structure of graptolites has been etched from limestone by means of hydrofluoric acid. 表明笔石详细构造的物质是利用氢氟酸从石灰岩中侵蚀出来。