纪录片《巨龙的奥秘》 第06期 霸王龙登场

These giant animals lumbered¹ slowly across the landscape in large herds².

这些巨大的动物成群结队，在陆地上缓慢行走

With tiny brains the size of a golf ball,

它们的脑只有高尔夫球那么大

they were neither quick-witted nor fleet-footed. They didn't need to be.

所以它们既不聪明，也不灵敏，可是它们根本不需要这些

Sheer size was their defense³.

庞大的体型是最好的防御武器

Only the youngest or the sickest were at risk from smaller predators⁴.

只有老弱病残者才会面临较小的掠食恐龙的威胁

The reign⁵ of the long-necks lasted for 60 million years, and then they died out; no one knows why.

蜥脚类恐龙的统治持续了6000万年，接着它们就灭亡了，没有人知道原因

By the end of the final age of dinosaurs⁷, the Cretaceous Period, things were very different.

到了恐龙时代的末期——白垩纪，情况变得很不一样

A new and more vicious species of dinosaur⁶ arrived on the scene, the massive carnivorous tyrannosaurs.

一种全新并且更为凶猛的恐龙登上了历史舞台，巨大的食肉霸王龙

They were enormous. They were the biggest carnivores known.

它们庞大无比，而且是已知最大的食肉动物

For the next 25 million years, these huge meat-eaters preyed⁸ upon everything around them.

在之后的2500万年里，这种巨型食肉恐龙捕食身边所有的动物

These giant predators never met the long-necked herbivores.

这些高大的掠食动物永远不会碰上植食蜥脚类恐龙

But there was a part of the world where evolution took a different path... South America.

但在地球上的某个地方，进化却走上了一条不同的道路。南美洲

Millions of years ago, when dinosaurs first appeared, all the land was connected in one huge super-continent, Pangea.

亿万年前，当恐龙刚开始出现时，所有的陆地板块都联结为一块超大陆--盘古大陆

1 lumbered   

砍伐（lumber的过去式与过去分词形式）

参考例句：

• A rhinoceros lumbered towards them. 一头犀牛笨重地向他们走来。
• A heavy truck lumbered by. 一辆重型卡车隆隆驶过。

2 herds   

兽群( herd的名词复数 )； 牧群； 人群； 群众

参考例句：

• Regularly at daybreak they drive their herds to the pasture. 每天天一亮他们就把牲畜赶到草场上去。
• There we saw herds of cows grazing on the pasture. 我们在那里看到一群群的牛在草地上吃草。

3 defense   

n.防御，保卫；[pl.]防务工事；辩护，答辩

参考例句：

• The accused has the right to defense.被告人有权获得辩护。
• The war has impacted the area with military and defense workers.战争使那个地区挤满了军队和防御工程人员。

4 predators   

n.食肉动物( predator的名词复数 )；奴役他人者（尤指在财务或性关系方面）

参考例句：

• birds and their earthbound predators 鸟和地面上捕食它们的动物
• The eyes of predators are highly sensitive to the slightest movement. 捕食性动物的眼睛能感觉到最细小的动静。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 reign   

n.统治时期，统治，支配，盛行；v.占优势

参考例句：

• The reign of Queen Elizabeth lapped over into the seventeenth century.伊丽莎白王朝延至17世纪。
• The reign of Zhu Yuanzhang lasted about 31 years.朱元璋统治了大约三十一年。

6 dinosaur   

n.恐龙

参考例句：

• Are you trying to tell me that David was attacked by a dinosaur?你是想要告诉我大卫被一支恐龙所攻击？
• He stared at the faithful miniature of the dinosaur.他凝视著精确的恐龙缩小模型。

7 dinosaurs   

n.恐龙( dinosaur的名词复数 )；守旧落伍的人，过时落后的东西

参考例句：

• The brontosaurus was one of the largest of all dinosaurs. 雷龙是所有恐龙中最大的一种。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Dinosaurs have been extinct for millions of years. 恐龙绝种已有几百万年了。 来自《简明英汉词典》

8 preyed   

v.掠食( prey的过去式和过去分词 )；掠食；折磨；（人）靠欺诈为生

参考例句：

• Remorse preyed upon his mind. 悔恨使他内心痛苦。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
• He had been unwise and it preyed on his conscience. 他做得不太明智，这一直让他良心不安。 来自辞典例句