纪录片《我们的地球》 第199期 季节森林(13)

By June the days are at their longest,

6月是白昼最长的时候，

and all across the northern hemisphere the broad leaves are hard at work.

所有北半球的阔叶树木努力生长。

On the east coast of North America it seems like any other summer's evening, but tonight is special.

在北美洲的东部，这里的夏日傍晚和其他地方一样，不过今晚非常特别。

After seventeen years underground, creatures are stirring.

在17年的地下潜伏后，生物开始活跃起来。

The nymphs of the periodical cicada have been biding¹ their time.

布鲁德X蝉（一种周期蝉）的若虫为这个机会等待了很长时间。

Now they march like zombies towards the nearest tree, and start to climb.

现在它们如朝圣般向最近的树进军，并开始攀爬。

At first, there are merely thousands, but soon, more than a billion swarm² all over the forest.

一开始不过几千只，马上10亿只若虫爬满了整个森林。

The biggest insect emergence³ on the planet is underway.

地球上最大规模的昆虫羽化就要开始了。

They invade the upper branches, where they climb out of their external skeletons and assume their adult winged form.

占据上端的树枝后，若虫开始进行转变到蝉的蜕皮动作。

At first they're white and soft, but they have until dawn to complete their transformation⁴.

一开始它们又白又软，直到黎明它们才完全转化完毕。

1 biding   

v.等待，停留( bide的现在分词 )；居住；（过去式用bided）等待；面临

参考例句：

• He was biding his time. 他正在等待时机。 来自辞典例句
• Applications:used in carbide alloy, diamond tools, biding admixture, high-temperature alloy, rechargeable cell. 用作硬质合金，磁性材料，金刚石工具，高温合金，可充电池等。 来自互联网

2 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。

3 emergence   

n.浮现，显现，出现，（植物）突出体

参考例句：

• The last decade saw the emergence of a dynamic economy.最近10年见证了经济增长的姿态。
• Language emerges and develops with the emergence and development of society.语言是随着社会的产生而产生，随着社会的发展而发展的。

4 transformation   

n.变化；改造；转变

参考例句：

• Going to college brought about a dramatic transformation in her outlook.上大学使她的观念发生了巨大的变化。
• He was struggling to make the transformation from single man to responsible husband.他正在努力使自己由单身汉变为可靠的丈夫。