国家地理-2008-07-07 Realm of the Puma 安第斯山脉的美洲狮

From its northern border with Peru, Chile stretches some 2,700 miles to the bottom of South America, longer than the distance from New York City to Los Angeles.

 Strung out along its entire length are the Andes Mountains. Here among these rocky peaks, life goes civilized¹ and wild has learnt to thrive.

 In Torres Del Paine National Park, pumas³ have found a refuge. A young female stakes out her territory. She'll range over 60 square miles in search of food.

 The puma²'s main prey⁴ is the guanaco, the camel of the Andes. Catching⁵ one is not easy. The herd⁶ keeps alert while grazing, ready to flee at a moment’s notice.

 Even after a successful hunt, repeat meals aren't guaranteed. While the puma sleeps, grey foxes discover her catch, and snatch a bite. It attracts the attention of condors⁷ gliding⁸ overhead. Outweighed⁹ and out-numbered, the foxes scamper¹⁰ away, leaving the carcass to be stripped clean by the condors.

 When times are lean, pumas will take their chances with other prey. Most of Chile's agriculture is centered around the coastal¹¹ low lands, but these wild open spaces make excellent ranching¹².

 The puma has yet to learn that hunting sheep can make herself the hunted. Though protected by law within the park, they are fair game outside. Ranchers place large bounties¹³ on pumas, and will shoot on sight.

 She manages to escape, reappearing in a few days later. This female has learned an important lesson about surviving in the Andes. In time, she will develop her hunting skills, she will use them to feed her cubs¹⁴, and continue the puma’s role in a rugged¹⁵, majestic¹⁶ environment of the Chilean Andes.

 Vocabulary Mix:

string (sb/sth) out: (cause sb/sth to) be spread out in a long, thin line.

 guanaco: A reddish-brown South American ruminant mammal(Lama guanicoe)  related to and resembling the domesticated¹⁷ llama. 原驼：产于南美洲的一种反刍性哺乳动物（栗色羊驼 羊驼属） ，与家养驼羊相关且近似

 condor: Either of two New World vultures,Vultur gryphus  of the Andes or Gymnogyps californianus,  a nearly extinct vulture of the mountains of California, having a bare head and neck and dull black plumage containing variable amounts of white. With a wingspan of about three meters (ten feet), they are the largest birds in the Western Hemisphere. 神鹰，秃鹫，兀鹫：西半球的两种兀鹫之一，即安第斯山区的康多兀鹫 或加利福尼亚山区濒于灭绝的 加州兀鹫 ，其头部与颈部无毛，羽毛呈暗黑色并带有些许白色，双翅展开长约3米(10英尺），它们是西半球最大的鸟类

1 civilized   

a.有教养的，文雅的

参考例句：

• Racism is abhorrent to a civilized society. 文明社会憎恶种族主义。
• rising crime in our so-called civilized societies 在我们所谓文明社会中日益增多的犯罪行为

2 puma   

美洲豹

参考例句：

• The police and the volunteers combed the forest for the lost puma from the zoo.警察和志愿者们在森林里到处寻找动物园迷失的美洲狮。
• A businessman on a fishing trip saw the puma up a tree.一位商人去钓鱼，看见那只美洲狮在树上。

3 pumas   

n.美洲狮( puma的名词复数 )；彪马；于1948年成立于德国荷索金劳勒(Herzogenaurach)的国际运动品牌；创始人：鲁道夫及达斯勒。

参考例句：

• Pumas are large, cat-like animals which are found in America. 美洲狮是一种体形似猫的大动物，产于美洲。 来自新概念英语第三册
• But forget that for the pumas and lynx at the Queens Zoo. 而皇后动物园的美洲狮和猞猁却完全不吃这一套。 来自互联网

4 prey   

n.被掠食者，牺牲者，掠食；v.捕食，掠夺，折磨

参考例句：

• Stronger animals prey on weaker ones.弱肉强食。
• The lion was hunting for its prey.狮子在寻找猎物。

5 catching   

adj.易传染的，有魅力的，迷人的，接住

参考例句：

• There are those who think eczema is catching.有人就是认为湿疹会传染。
• Enthusiasm is very catching.热情非常富有感染力。

6 herd   

n.兽群，牧群；vt.使集中，把…赶在一起

参考例句：

• She drove the herd of cattle through the wilderness.她赶着牛群穿过荒野。
• He had no opinions of his own but simply follow the herd.他从无主见，只是人云亦云。

7 condors   

n.神鹰( condor的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• What would our condors feed on if no one was in danger? 你不发生危险，那我们秃鹰吃啥呢？ 来自互联网
• Yo mama so fat she has been declared a natural habitat for Condors. Yomama是如此之肥，她被定为秃鹰的自然栖息地。 来自互联网

8 gliding   

v. 滑翔 adj. 滑动的

参考例句：

• Swans went gliding past. 天鹅滑行而过。
• The weather forecast has put a question mark against the chance of doing any gliding tomorrow. 天气预报对明天是否能举行滑翔表示怀疑。

9 outweighed   

v.在重量上超过( outweigh的过去式和过去分词 )；在重要性或价值方面超过

参考例句：

• This boxer outweighed by his opponent 20 pounds. 这个拳击选手体重比他的对手重20磅。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• She outweighed me by ten pounds, and sometimes she knocked me down. 她的体重超过我十磅，有时竟把我撞倒。 来自百科语句

10 scamper   

v.奔跑，快跑

参考例句：

• She loves to scamper through the woods of the forest.她喜欢在森林里的树林中穿梭嬉戏。
• The flash sent the foxes scampering away.闪光惊得狐狸四处逃窜。

11 coastal   

adj.海岸的，沿海的，沿岸的

参考例句：

• The ocean waves are slowly eating away the coastal rocks.大海的波浪慢慢地侵蚀着岸边的岩石。
• This country will fortify the coastal areas.该国将加强沿海地区的防御。

12 ranching   

adj.放牧的

参考例句：

• They cleared large tracts of forest for farming, logging and ranching. 他们清除了大片的森林以经营农耕、采伐与畜牧。
• This is a trade center in a ranching and oil-producing region. 这是一个牧场与产油区的贸易中心。

13 bounties   

（由政府提供的）奖金( bounty的名词复数 )； 赏金； 慷慨； 大方

参考例句：

• They paid bounties for people to give up their weapons. 他们向放下武器的人发放赏金。
• This foundation provided bounties of more than 5 million last year. 去年该基金会赠款达五百万元以上。

14 cubs   

n.幼小的兽，不懂规矩的年轻人( cub的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• a lioness guarding her cubs 守护幼崽的母狮
• Lion cubs depend on their mother to feed them. 狮子的幼仔依靠母狮喂养。 来自《简明英汉词典》

15 rugged   

adj.高低不平的，粗糙的，粗壮的，强健的

参考例句：

• Football players must be rugged.足球运动员必须健壮。
• The Rocky Mountains have rugged mountains and roads.落基山脉有崇山峻岭和崎岖不平的道路。

16 majestic   

adj.雄伟的，壮丽的，庄严的，威严的，崇高的

参考例句：

• In the distance rose the majestic Alps.远处耸立着雄伟的阿尔卑斯山。
• He looks majestic in uniform.他穿上军装显得很威风。

17 domesticated   

adj.喜欢家庭生活的；（指动物）被驯养了的v.驯化( domesticate的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• He is thoroughly domesticated and cooks a delicious chicken casserole. 他精于家务，烹制的砂锅炖小鸡非常可口。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The donkey is a domesticated form of the African wild ass. 驴是非洲野驴的一种已驯化的品种。 来自《简明英汉词典》