纪录片《我们的地球》 第75期 洞穴迷宫(14)

The Maya understood the importance of the ce ote\s,

玛雅人知道沼穴的重要性

but they could never have known that these flooded passageways were actually the beginning of subterranean¹ rivers,

但他们从不知道这些水下通道其实是地下河的入口

all of which eventually flow out to the sea.

它们最终都流向大海

Salt water, unlike fresh water, does not erode² limestone³,

咸水与淡水不同，不会溶解石灰岩

so most sea caves are created by the mechanical pounding of the waves.

所以大部分海洋洞窟是在海浪的机械冲击下形成的

The rocky outcrops of New zealand's Poor Knights⁴ Islands are riddled⁵ with sea caves.

新西兰坡·骑士岛的岩礁下布满了海蚀洞

And just like those in Borneo, they have become important shelters for many species.

与婆罗洲的洞窟一样，它们也成了许多动物的重要庇护所。

After a day feeding in the open water,

经过一天开放水域的觅食之后

vast shoals of demoiselle fish return to the caves, which they use as a refuge from predators⁶.

大群雀鲷返回到洞窟中，这里是它们躲避天敌的地方。

For these fish, the caves are a night-time retreat, but they're not the only commuters in here.

对于这些鱼来说，洞穴是理想的过夜场所，但它们并非这里的唯一住客。

There are other fish working to a different schedule.

这里还有其它按照不同日程表生活的鱼。

1 subterranean   

adj.地下的，地表下的

参考例句：

• London has 9 miles of such subterranean passages.伦敦像这样的地下通道有9英里长。
• We wandered through subterranean passages.我们漫游地下通道。

2 erode   

v.侵蚀，腐蚀，使...减少、减弱或消失

参考例句：

• Once exposed,soil is quickly eroded by wind and rain.一旦暴露在外，土壤很快就会被风雨侵蚀。
• Competition in the financial marketplace has eroded profits.金融市场的竞争降低了利润。

3 limestone   

n.石灰石

参考例句：

• Limestone is often used in building construction.石灰岩常用于建筑。
• Cement is made from limestone.水泥是由石灰石制成的。

4 knights   

骑士； （中古时代的）武士( knight的名词复数 )； 骑士； 爵士； （国际象棋中）马

参考例句：

• stories of knights and fair maidens 关于骑士和美女的故事
• He wove a fascinating tale of knights in shining armour. 他编了一个穿着明亮盔甲的骑士的迷人故事。

5 riddled   

adj.布满的；充斥的；泛滥的v.解谜，出谜题(riddle的过去分词形式)

参考例句：

• The beams are riddled with woodworm. 这些木梁被蛀虫蛀得都是洞。
• The bodies of the hostages were found riddled with bullets. 在人质的尸体上发现了很多弹孔。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 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》