纪录片《我们的地球》 第108期 冰封世界(04)

Even at the height of summer, less than three per cent of Antarctica is free of ice,

即使是盛夏，南极洲也只有不到3％的地方没有被冰封

and nearly all of that exposed rock is found in one place, the Antarctic Peninsula.

几乎所有的裸岩都集中在同一个地方，即南极半岛。

Its long arm extends further north than the rest of the continent, so spring arrives here first.

这里与南极洲的其它地方相比更靠近北边，所以春天先来到这里。

The thaw¹ unlocks sheltered bays that provide refuge from the relentless² battering³ of the Southern Ocean.

解冻后出现一些风平浪静的海湾，可以躲避南极洋无情的风浪。

In the depths, something stirs. Humpback whales.

水里有动静。座头鲸！

They have travelled over 5,000 miles to reach these waters.

它们经过5000英里的漫长旅程终于来到了这片水域

The whales are harvesting krill,

这些鲸现在正美美地享受着磷虾大餐

shrimp-like creatures that begin to swarm⁴ here as soon as the ice retreats.

冰层一融化各种各样的虾就会聚集在这里

Diving into the heart of the swarm, teams of whales spiral round each other in close coordination⁵.

潜入到虾群中后，座头鲸会共同配合，紧密协作。

Now they turn, blasting air from their blowholes, and ascend⁶ towards their prey⁷.

现在座头鲸转身，利用呼吸孔吐气，喷向猎物

The krill becomes concentrated as the spiralling net of bubbles draws inwards.

螺旋型的气泡网逐渐收紧，把磷虾聚在一起。

1 thaw   

v.（使）融化，（使）变得友善；n.融化，缓和

参考例句：

• The snow is beginning to thaw.雪已开始融化。
• The spring thaw caused heavy flooding.春天解冻引起了洪水泛滥。

2 relentless   

adj.残酷的，不留情的，无怜悯心的

参考例句：

• The traffic noise is relentless.交通车辆的噪音一刻也不停止。
• Their training has to be relentless.他们的训练必须是无情的。

3 battering   

n.用坏，损坏v.连续猛击( batter的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• The film took a battering from critics in the US. 该影片在美国遭遇到批评家的猛烈抨击。
• He kept battering away at the door. 他接连不断地砸门。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 swarm   

n.(昆虫)等一大群；vi.成群飞舞；蜂拥而入

参考例句：

• There is a swarm of bees in the tree.这树上有一窝蜜蜂。
• A swarm of ants are moving busily.一群蚂蚁正在忙碌地搬家。

5 coordination   

n.协调，协作

参考例句：

• Gymnastics is a sport that requires a considerable level of coordination.体操是一项需要高协调性的运动。
• The perfect coordination of the dancers and singers added a rhythmic charm to the performance.舞蹈演员和歌手们配合得很好，使演出更具魅力。

6 ascend   

vi.渐渐上升，升高；vt.攀登，登上

参考例句：

• We watched the airplane ascend higher and higher.我们看着飞机逐渐升高。
• We ascend in the order of time and of development.我们按时间和发展顺序向上溯。

7 prey   

n.被掠食者，牺牲者，掠食；v.捕食，掠夺，折磨

参考例句：

• Stronger animals prey on weaker ones.弱肉强食。
• The lion was hunting for its prey.狮子在寻找猎物。