国家地理:World's Tallest Tree 树之最

Redwoods are the tallest living trees on the planet. And one of the best places to see them is northern California's Redwood National Forest. They can reach 300 feet high or higher, and their massive trunks can grow to more than 20 feet wide. Recently, a couple of naturalists¹ were searching these woods for tall trees when they spotted² something extraordinary.

I said "Michael, get back here, we've got a real tall one." We get our preliminary measurement. And it was so, so amazing, I, I couldn't believe it, you know, it was 4 feet taller than the tallest tree.

They christened the tree "Hyperion" and called in Humboldt State University biologist Steve Sillett to investigate their find. (Yeah, good to know?) Steve is a top redwood researcher with a passion for tall trees.

I think the redwoods are one of the most fascinating species on the Earth. They are at least as fascinating as humans to me.

With the help of the Save-the-Redwoods League and the National Park Service, Steve is studying how a tree can grow this tall and still survive.

I think the big thing that we are really interested in is understanding the biophysical limits to tree height: how tall can they grow?

Steve wants to know the exact height of this tree and measuring from the ground just won't cut it.

The best way to measure tree height is to climb to the top and lower a tape with a weight straight to the ground.

But the best way as usual is also the hardest. Hyperion's lowest branches are 25 stories up. To get to them, Steve uses a powerful crossbow to launch fishing line up and over the tree's branches. Then with the help of wife and climbing partner Marie Antoine, he uses the line to hoist³ his climbing rope into the tree.

Really it is a big one.

With the rope in place, Steve and Marie walk their way up into the canopy⁴. The climbers move through a high-rise habitat, high above the forest floor. A variety of mosses⁵, lichens⁶ and insects make themselves at home in Hyperion's boughs⁷.

So here we are about 300 feet in what may be the world's tallest living tree. And it goes a long way above us, so we are, we still probably are about half hour to an hour from the top. Let's come up to there. Kinda want to put you through here.

lichen: a simple composite plant consisting of a fungus in association with an alga, typically growing on rocks, walls, and trees

bough: a main branch of a tree

1 naturalists   

n.博物学家( naturalist的名词复数 )；（文学艺术的）自然主义者

参考例句：

• Naturalists differ much in determining what characters are of generic value. 自然学者对于不同性状决定生物的属的含义上，各有各的见解。 来自辞典例句
• This fact has led naturalists to believe that the Isthmus was formerly open. 使许多自然学者相信这个地蛱在以前原是开通的。 来自辞典例句

2 spotted   

adj.有斑点的，斑纹的，弄污了的

参考例句：

• The milkman selected the spotted cows,from among a herd of two hundred.牛奶商从一群200头牛中选出有斑点的牛。
• Sam's shop stocks short spotted socks.山姆的商店屯积了有斑点的短袜。

3 hoist   

n.升高，起重机，推动；v.升起，升高，举起

参考例句：

• By using a hoist the movers were able to sling the piano to the third floor.搬运工人用吊车才把钢琴吊到3楼。
• Hoist the Chinese flag on the flagpole,please!请在旗杆上升起中国国旗！

4 canopy   

n.天篷，遮篷

参考例句：

• The trees formed a leafy canopy above their heads.树木在他们头顶上空形成了一个枝叶茂盛的遮篷。
• They lay down under a canopy of stars.他们躺在繁星点点的天幕下。

5 mosses   

n. 藓类, 苔藓植物 名词moss的复数形式

参考例句：

• Ferns, mosses and fungi spread by means of spores. 蕨类植物、苔藓和真菌通过孢子传播蔓生。
• The only plants to be found in Antarctica are algae, mosses, and lichens. 在南极洲所发现的植物只有藻类、苔藓和地衣。

6 lichens   

n.地衣( lichen的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The only plants to be found in Antarctica are algae, mosses, and lichens. 在南极洲所发现的植物只有藻类、苔藓和地衣。 来自辞典例句
• Litmus: Mixture of coloured organic compounds obtained from several species of lichens. 石蕊：从几种地衣类植物中获取的带色有机化合物的混合物。 来自互联网

7 boughs   

大树枝( bough的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The green boughs glittered with all their pearls of dew. 绿枝上闪烁着露珠的光彩。
• A breeze sighed in the higher boughs. 微风在高高的树枝上叹息着。