纪录片《南太平洋》 第83期 无尽深蓝（17）

Specks¹ of land were just as vital to our shipwrecked survivors².

即使是小小岛屿对海难幸存者也至关重要

Not that they were easy to find.

然而岛屿却难以寻觅

Only 1% of the Pacific is land.

太平洋上只有百分之一的面积是陆地

On the 20th December, the sailors arrived on the Pitcairn Islands,

12月20日，水手们到达皮特凯恩群岛

over 2000 miles from where they were first shipwrecked.

距离海难发生地超过三千二百公里

Described by them as "a paradise before our very eyes",

他们称之为"眼前的天堂"

the starving sailors quickly set to work on the island's wildlife.

饥肠辘辘的水手们很快开始猎捕岛上的野生动物

But the good times were not to last.

但美好的时光非常短暂

Within a week, they'd eaten all its seabirds.

不到一周，他们就吃光了所有的海鸟

Leaving three of their group behind on this now impoverished³ island,

三名水手留在了这座已经资源殆尽的岛上

the others chose to take their chances back at sea.

其他人选择继续航行碰碰运气

They could've ridden the prevailing⁴ winds to the nearby Society Islands, but they were terrified of cannibals.

他们本可以乘盛行风前往附近的社会群岛，但他们惧怕岛上的食人族

Instead, they struck out east, to the distant shores of South America, 2,500 miles away

于是他们出发向东，前往距离此处四千公里的南美洲海岸

and back into the dreaded⁵ Desolate⁶ Region.

再度回到令人胆寒的荒凉海域。

1 specks   

n.眼镜；斑点，微粒，污点( speck的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Minutes later Brown spotted two specks in the ocean. 几分钟后布朗发现海洋中有两个小点。 来自英汉非文学 - 百科语料821
• Do you ever seem to see specks in front of your eyes? 你眼睛前面曾似乎看见过小点吗？ 来自辞典例句

2 survivors   

幸存者，残存者，生还者( survivor的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The survivors were adrift in a lifeboat for six days. 幸存者在救生艇上漂流了六天。
• survivors clinging to a raft 紧紧抓住救生筏的幸存者

3 impoverished   

adj.穷困的，无力的，用尽了的v.使（某人）贫穷( impoverish的过去式和过去分词 )；使（某物）贫瘠或恶化

参考例句：

• the impoverished areas of the city 这个城市的贫民区
• They were impoverished by a prolonged spell of unemployment. 他们因长期失业而一贫如洗。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 prevailing   

adj.盛行的；占优势的；主要的

参考例句：

• She wears a fashionable hair style prevailing in the city.她的发型是这个城市流行的款式。
• This reflects attitudes and values prevailing in society.这反映了社会上盛行的态度和价值观。

5 dreaded   

adj.令人畏惧的；害怕的v.害怕，恐惧，担心( dread的过去式和过去分词)

参考例句：

• The dreaded moment had finally arrived. 可怕的时刻终于来到了。
• He dreaded having to spend Christmas in hospital. 他害怕非得在医院过圣诞节不可。 来自《用法词典》

6 desolate   

adj.荒凉的，荒芜的；孤独的，凄凉的；v.使荒芜，使孤寂

参考例句：

• The city was burned into a desolate waste.那座城市被烧成一片废墟。
• We all felt absolutely desolate when she left.她走后，我们都觉得万分孤寂。