纪录片《恐龙的战争》 繁衍生息（14）

Dividing cells also form brains, sensors¹,

分裂的细胞也构成了大脑，

and weaponry needed to protect this dinosaur² as it grows up.

感受器官以及在成长阶段保护自身的武器。

At this embryonic³ stage, tiny genetic⁴ differences, changes that might only affect one in a billion traits,

在胚胎期，基因的微小差异可能只会改变十亿分之一的性状，

make the difference between a hatchling that survives and one that's chomped⁵, stepped on, or even starves to death.

但却使有的幼崽能活下来而有的则被吃掉，被踩死甚至活活饿死。

To be able to actually see a baby T. Rex hatching would be something akin⁶ to the excitement you would get by going into space.

见到霸王龙幼崽的孵化与去往太空一样令人兴奋。

So I probably would give maybe just a little more money to go into space than I would to see a T. Rex hatching, but not much more.

所以我去太空的开支只可能比看霸王龙孵化的开支多一点但也不会很多。

The age of dinosaurs⁷ is an era of sophisticated biodiversity, diversity that proves one thing...

恐龙时代是一个体现生物多样性的纪元，多样性证明了一件事

evolution creates not just one, but many strategies for survival.

进化创造的生存之路有许多条。

Yet for one creature, that strategy seems almost cruel.

然而对于个体生物，求生策略至关重要。

Over her lifetime, a female Sauroposeidon produces thousands of eggs,

雌性波塞东龙一生能产上千只蛋，

yet only two or three survive to adulthood⁸.

然而只有两到三只能活到成年。

So what that tells us is that many, many...

那告诉我们很多很多...

almost all of the offspring are being killed and eaten by predators⁹.

几乎全部后代都被捕食者杀死并吃掉了。

Losing virtually all of your offspring to carnivores sounds like an evolutionary¹⁰ nightmare.

将所有后代都拱手让给食肉动物听上去像进化史上的噩梦。

But, in fact, it's just the opposite.

但事实恰恰相反。

That one survivor¹¹, that one in 3,000,

那个幸运儿，三千分之一

may just possess the single trait giving it the ability to make a quick escape as its siblings¹² are eaten.

可能含有单一性状使兄弟姐妹们被吃掉的时候自己能够快速逃脱。

Or it might inherit a genetic combination that allows it to grow stronger, bigger, and maybe even just a tiny bit faster.

亦或是继承了一个基因组合可以使自己更强，更庞大甚至是更快更灵活。

The Sauropods are probably digging these nests, probably kicking out a little hole with the hind¹³ foot,

波塞东龙可能只是挖下巢穴用后肢打了一个小洞蹲下，

squatting¹⁴ down, depositing a few eggs...maybe five or six, maybe a dozen...

产下几只蛋可能是五六个，也可能十来个把它们埋起来，

covering them up, and then just walking away, forgetting about them.

然后一走了之忘得一干二净。

For months, Sauroposeidon eggs are left unguarded, warmed and protected by nothing more than dirt and rotting vegetation.

这之后的数月，波塞东龙蛋无人守护，只能靠尘土和腐败的植物来保暖，并提供保护。

The nests become killing¹⁵ fields.

巢穴变成了血腥的战场。

So I'm sure that many, many Sauropod nests were found and destroyed by predators before the babies could even hatch.

所以我确信，很多波塞东龙的巢穴在幼龙没有孵化前就被捕食者发现并破坏掉了。

Yet with so much stacked against them, Sauroposeidon thrived for 15 million years.

尽管对它们来说有种种不利，但波塞东龙顽强地生存了一千五百万年。

They're an evolutionary success story.

它们堪称一部成功的进化史。

But some scientists believe they could have achieved even more.

但很多科学家相信它们能做得更好。

1 sensors   

n.传感器，灵敏元件( sensor的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• There were more than 2000 sensors here. 这里装有两千多个灵敏元件。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Significant changes have been noted where sensors were exposed to trichloride. 当传感器暴露在三氯化物中时，有很大变化。 来自辞典例句

2 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。

3 embryonic   

adj.胚胎的

参考例句：

• It is still in an embryonic stage.它还处于萌芽阶段。
• The plan,as yet,only exists in embryonic form.这个计划迄今为止还只是在酝酿之中。

4 genetic   

adj.遗传的，遗传学的

参考例句：

• It's very difficult to treat genetic diseases.遗传性疾病治疗起来很困难。
• Each daughter cell can receive a full complement of the genetic information.每个子细胞可以收到遗传信息的一个完全补偿物。

5 chomped   

v.切齿，格格地咬牙，咬响牙齿( chomp的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• He chomped his way through two hot dogs. 他呼哧呼哧地吃掉了两个热狗。
• The boy chomped his sandwich. 这个男孩大口嚼着三明治。 来自互联网

6 akin   

adj.同族的，类似的

参考例句：

• She painted flowers and birds pictures akin to those of earlier feminine painters.她画一些同早期女画家类似的花鸟画。
• Listening to his life story is akin to reading a good adventure novel.听他的人生故事犹如阅读一本精彩的冒险小说。

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 adulthood   

n.成年，成人期

参考例句：

• Some infantile actions survive into adulthood.某些婴儿期的行为一直保持到成年期。
• Few people nowadays are able to maintain friendships into adulthood.如今很少有人能将友谊维持到成年。

9 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》

10 evolutionary   

adj.进化的；演化的，演变的；[生]进化论的

参考例句：

• Life has its own evolutionary process.生命有其自身的进化过程。
• These are fascinating questions to be resolved by the evolutionary studies of plants.这些十分吸引人的问题将在研究植物进化过程中得以解决。

11 survivor   

n.生存者，残存者，幸存者

参考例句：

• The sole survivor of the crash was an infant.这次撞车的惟一幸存者是一个婴儿。
• There was only one survivor of the plane crash.这次飞机失事中只有一名幸存者。

12 siblings   

n.兄弟，姐妹( sibling的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• A triplet sleeps amongst its two siblings. 一个三胞胎睡在其两个同胞之间。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• She has no way of tracking the donor or her half-siblings down. 她没办法找到那个捐精者或她的兄弟姐妹。 来自时文部分

13 hind   

adj.后面的，后部的

参考例句：

• The animal is able to stand up on its hind limbs.这种动物能够用后肢站立。
• Don't hind her in her studies.不要在学业上扯她后腿。

14 squatting   

v.像动物一样蹲下( squat的现在分词 )；非法擅自占用（土地或房屋）；为获得其所有权；而占用某片公共用地。

参考例句：

• They ended up squatting in the empty houses on Oxford Road. 他们落得在牛津路偷住空房的境地。
• They've been squatting in an apartment for the past two years. 他们过去两年来一直擅自占用一套公寓。 来自《简明英汉词典》

15 killing   

n.巨额利润；突然赚大钱，发大财

参考例句：

• Investors are set to make a killing from the sell-off.投资者准备清仓以便大赚一笔。
• Last week my brother made a killing on Wall Street.上个周我兄弟在华尔街赚了一大笔。