纪录片《我们的地球》 第195期 季节森林(09)

The American conifer forests may not be the richest in animal life,

美洲的针叶林可能不是动物的乐园，

but their trees are extraordinary.

但这些树木非常特别。

This giant sequoia¹, a relative of the redwood, is the largest living thing on Earth.

这些美洲杉是红杉的亲戚，也是世界上最大的生物。

Known as General Sherman, it's the weight of ten blue whales.

谢尔曼将军树有十头蓝鲸那么重。

Higher up in the nearby mountains, bristlecone pines, the oldest organisms on the planet.

附近的高山上，狐尾松是地球上最长寿的生物。

Some have been here for five thousand years.

有的在这里已经待了5000年。

They were alive before the pyramids were built and were already three thousand years old when Christ was born.

它们在金字塔建造之前就发芽了，耶稣诞生的时候它们已经活了3000年。

Across the Equator, in the southern hemisphere there are forests that mirror those of the north.

穿越赤道来到南半球，这里的森林如同北半球的翻版。

Here in South America, araucaria trees or monkey puzzles are like the conifers of the Taiga.

这是南美洲，绰号叫“猴子谜”的南洋杉看上去和极地针叶林没什么两样。

They have waterproof² scales, instead of needles

它们用防水的鳞片代替了针叶，

and their cones³ look a little different but the principles are the same.

球果也有些不同，不过它们在本质上还是一样的。

Slender billed parakeets rather than crossbills, extract their seeds.

尖嘴锥尾鹦鹉和交喙鸟一样啄出种籽取食。

1 sequoia   

n.红杉

参考例句：

• The sequoia national forest is at the southern end of the sierra nevada range.红杉国家公园位于内华达山脉南端尽头处。
• The photo shows the enormous general Sherman tree in California's sequoia national park.照片显示的是加利福尼亚州红杉国家公园内巨大的谢尔曼将军树。

2 waterproof   

n.防水材料；adj.防水的；v.使...能防水

参考例句：

• My mother bought me a waterproof watch.我妈妈给我买了一块防水手表。
• All the electronics are housed in a waterproof box.所有电子设备都储放在一个防水盒中。

3 cones   

n.（人眼）圆锥细胞；圆锥体( cone的名词复数 )；球果；圆锥形东西；（盛冰淇淋的）锥形蛋卷筒

参考例句：

• In the pines squirrels commonly chew off and drop entire cones. 松树上的松鼠通常咬掉和弄落整个球果。 来自辞典例句
• Many children would rather eat ice cream from cones than from dishes. 许多小孩喜欢吃蛋卷冰淇淋胜过盘装冰淇淋。 来自辞典例句