TED演讲:野火的必要性(3)

 　　That's well more than the 115-140 degrees that signal the moment when serotinous seeds can be freed. 这远远高于华氏115-140度，即晚熟球果种子能被释放的所需温度。

　　At those temperatures, the cones¹ burst open, releasing millions of seeds, 达到那些温度时，球果裂开释放出数以百万的种子

　　which are carried by the hot air to form new forests. 种子随热空气而飘散，形成新的森林。

　　After the fire, carbon-rich soils and an open sunlit landscape help lodgepole seeds germinate² quickly and sprout³ in abundance. 大火之后，富含碳的泥土及空旷多阳的地形促使满地的美国黑松种子迅速发芽生长。

　　From the death of the old forest comes the birth of the new. 老森林的死亡带来新森林的诞生。

　　Fires are also important for the wider ecosystem⁴ as a whole. 火对于整个更广泛的生态系统也很重要。

　　Without wildfires to rejuvenate⁵ trees, key forest species would disappear, 没有森林大火来更新树木，主要树木品种便会消失

　　and so would the many creatures that depend on them. 很多依靠这些树木的生物亦会消失。

　　And if a fire-dependent forest goes too long without burning, that raises the risk of a catastrophic blaze,  而如果一个依赖火的森林太久没有被燃烧会提高灾难性大火的风险火灾

　　which could destroy a forest completely, not to mention people's homes and lives. 足以烧毁整个森林更不要说人类的居所和生命。

　　That's why forest rangers⁶ sometimes intentionally⁷ start controlled burns 这正是为何森林管理员有时故意进行可控制的火烧

　　to reduce fuels in order to keep the more dangerous wildfires at bay. 藉此减少可燃物，避免更危险的森林大火。

　　They may be frightening and destructive forces of nature, 森林大火或许是骇人的自然破坏

　　but wildfires are also vital to the existence of healthy boreal forest ecosystems⁸. 但它们对于维持北方针叶林的健康生态系统必不可少

　　By coming to terms with that, we can protect ourselves from their more damaging effects while enabling the forests,  接受这样的事实我们可保护自己，免于它们进一步的伤害同时让森林

　　like the legendary⁹ phoenix¹⁰, to rise reborn from their own ashes. 如同传说中的凤凰从自身的灰烬中，浴火重生。

1 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

2 germinate   

v.发芽；发生；发展

参考例句：

• Seeds will not germinate without water.没有水，种子是不会发芽的。
• Can thin and hollow seeds germinate?瘦瘪的种子能够发芽吗？

3 sprout   

n.芽，萌芽；vt.使发芽，摘去芽；vi.长芽，抽条

参考例句：

• When do deer first sprout horns?鹿在多大的时候开始长出角？
• It takes about a week for the seeds to sprout.这些种子大约要一周后才会发芽。

4 ecosystem   

n.生态系统

参考例句：

• This destroyed the ecosystem of the island.这样破坏了岛上的生态系统。
• We all have an interest in maintaining the integrity of the ecosystem.维持生态系统的完整是我们共同的利益。

5 rejuvenate   

v.(使)返老还童；(使)恢复活力

参考例句：

• The mountain air will rejuvenate you.山里的空气会使你恢复活力。
• Exercise is perhaps the most effective way to rejuvenate your skin.锻炼可能是使皮肤恢复活力的最好手段。

6 rangers   

护林者( ranger的名词复数 )； 突击队员

参考例句：

• Do you know where the Rangers Stadium is? 你知道Rangers体育场在哪吗？ 来自超越目标英语 第3册
• Now I'm a Rangers' fan, so I like to be near the stadium. 现在我是Rangers的爱好者，所以我想离体育场近一点。 来自超越目标英语 第3册

7 intentionally   

ad.故意地，有意地

参考例句：

• I didn't say it intentionally. 我是无心说的。
• The local authority ruled that he had made himself intentionally homeless and was therefore not entitled to be rehoused. 当地政府裁定他是有意居无定所，因此没有资格再获得提供住房。

8 ecosystems   

n.生态系统( ecosystem的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• There are highly sensitive and delicately balanced ecosystems in the forest. 森林里有高度敏感、灵敏平衡的各种生态系统。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Madagascar's ecosystems range from rainforest to semi-desert. 马达加斯加生态系统类型多样，从雨林到半荒漠等不一而足。 来自辞典例句

9 legendary   

adj.传奇（中）的，闻名遐迩的；n.传奇（文学）

参考例句：

• Legendary stories are passed down from parents to children.传奇故事是由父母传给孩子们的。
• Odysseus was a legendary Greek hero.奥狄修斯是传说中的希腊英雄。

10 phoenix   

n.凤凰，长生(不死)鸟；引申为重生

参考例句：

• The airline rose like a phoenix from the ashes.这家航空公司又起死回生了。
• The phoenix worship of China is fetish worship not totem adoration.中国凤崇拜是灵物崇拜而非图腾崇拜。