纪录片《我们的地球》 第121期 冰封世界(17)

He seems increasingly desperate. It's now or never.

看起来它变得越来越拼命。这是生死关头。

He must avoid the stabbing tusks¹ if he is to win.

它必须躲开戳过来的象牙才能取胜。

The flailing² walrus³ is immensely powerful and drags the bear away from the shallows towards the safety of the herd⁴.

但不断甩动身体的海象力气大得惊人，它从浅滩被拖到海象群所在的安全地点。

It slips from his grasp.

海象从北极熊的爪子下面逃走了

Only at the height of summer, when bears are on the verge⁵ of starvation, will they risk attacking such dangerous prey⁶.

只有在盛夏，到了饿死的边缘，北极熊才会攻击这样危险的对象。

It was a gamble that this bear took and lost.

这只熊赌命一搏却输了。

The stab wounds he received from the walrus are so severe that he can barely walk.

它受了重伤，现在连走路都很困难。

The walruses⁷ are calm again, seemingly aware that the injured bear no longer poses a threat to them or their young.

海象们恢复了平静，似乎意识到受伤的熊再也不会对自己和幼仔构成威胁。

Unable to feed, this bear will not survive.

找不到食物，这只熊将无法活下来。

If the global climate continues to warm, and the Arctic ice melts sooner each year,

如果全球气候继续变暖，北极冰层融化的时间继续提前，

it is certain that more bears will share this fate.

肯定会有越来越多的熊遭受这样的命运。

1 tusks   

n.（象等动物的）长牙( tusk的名词复数 )；獠牙；尖形物；尖头

参考例句：

• The elephants are poached for their tusks. 为获取象牙而偷猎大象。
• Elephant tusks, monkey tails and salt were used in some parts of Africa. 非洲的一些地区则使用象牙、猴尾和盐。 来自英语晨读30分（高一）

2 flailing   

v.鞭打( flail的现在分词 )；用连枷脱粒；（臂或腿）无法控制地乱动；扫雷坦克

参考例句：

• He became moody and unreasonable, flailing out at Katherine at the slightest excuse. 他变得喜怒无常、不可理喻，为点鸡毛蒜皮的小事就殴打凯瑟琳。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• His arms were flailing in all directions. 他的手臂胡乱挥舞着。 来自辞典例句

3 walrus   

n.海象

参考例句：

• He is the queer old duck with the knee-length gaiters and walrus mustache.他穿着高及膝盖的皮护腿，留着海象般的八字胡，真是个古怪的老家伙。
• He seemed hardly to notice the big walrus.他几乎没有注意到那只大海象。

4 herd   

n.兽群，牧群；vt.使集中，把…赶在一起

参考例句：

• She drove the herd of cattle through the wilderness.她赶着牛群穿过荒野。
• He had no opinions of his own but simply follow the herd.他从无主见，只是人云亦云。

5 verge   

n.边，边缘；v.接近，濒临

参考例句：

• The country's economy is on the verge of collapse.国家的经济已到了崩溃的边缘。
• She was on the verge of bursting into tears.她快要哭出来了。

6 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。

7 walruses   

n.海象( walrus的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Walruses have enormous appetites and hunt for food almost constantly. 海象食欲极大，几乎一直在猎取食物。 来自互联网
• Two Atlantic walruses snuggle on an ice floe near Igloolik, Nunavut, Canada. 加拿大努勒维特伊格卢利克附近，两头大西洋海象在浮冰上相互偎依。 来自互联网