纪录片《我们的地球》 第236期 偏远岛屿(07)

The largest, the indri, seldom comes down from the branches.

体型最大的马达加斯加大狐猴极少下树。

The much smaller ringtails wander in troops across the forest floor, searching for food.

体型小许多的环尾狐猴成群结队地扫荡森林地面，寻找食物。

And tiny bamboo lemurs eat nothing except bamboo.

极小的驯狐猴只吃竹子。

With few competitors, lemurs have been free to colonise almost every environment on the island.

因为竞争者极少，狐猴能够在整片岛屿上生活。

Even the most extreme.

甚至是环境极其恶劣的地方。

This baby sifaka has a hard life ahead of it.

这只幼小的冕狐猴成长之路十分艰辛。

He's been born in the most arid¹ and hostile corner of Madagascar's vast landscape.

他出生在马达加斯加广阔土地上最贫瘠干旱的地方。

If he is to survive here, he has much to learn.

他还需要学习很多东西，才能在这存活下去。

The spiny² forest is like a desert.

刺森林的环境类似沙漠

It rarely rains, so water and food is very hard to find.

由于很少下雨，水和食物都很难获取。

Moving from tree to tree is a perilous³ business.

在树间跳跃穿梭十分危险。

Here, nearly all the plants are covered with ferocious⁴ spines⁵.

这里几乎所有的植物表面都布满尖刺。

His mother searches the tree tops for the youngest leaves.

幼崽的妈妈在树顶寻找鲜嫩的叶子。

They provide the only food and water to sustain the family.

嫩叶提供了这个家庭唯一的食物和水。

At three months old, the youngster is starting to explore.

小狐猴三个月大时便开始探索世界。

All too soon he will have to fend⁶ for himself up here.

很快他将不得不自己上树寻找食物了。

But it's altogether easier to stay on mother's back.

但总归还是待在妈妈的背上最轻松。

If he can master the strange ways of this forest...

如果他能掌握这片森林中特有的生存方法，

he will have a little corner of Madagascar to himself.

就能在马达加斯加岛上谋得一席之地。

1 arid   

adj.干旱的；(土地)贫瘠的

参考例句：

• These trees will shield off arid winds and protect the fields.这些树能挡住旱风,保护农田。
• There are serious problems of land degradation in some arid zones.在一些干旱地带存在严重的土地退化问题。

2 spiny   

adj.多刺的，刺状的；n.多刺的东西

参考例句：

• This is the Asiatic ornamental shrub with spiny branches and pink blossoms.这就是亚洲的一种观赏灌木，具有多刺的枝和粉红色的花。
• Stay away from a spiny cactus.远离多刺仙人掌。

3 perilous   

adj.危险的，冒险的

参考例句：

• The journey through the jungle was perilous.穿过丛林的旅行充满了危险。
• We have been carried in safety through a perilous crisis.历经一连串危机，我们如今已安然无恙。

4 ferocious   

adj.凶猛的，残暴的，极度的，十分强烈的

参考例句：

• The ferocious winds seemed about to tear the ship to pieces.狂风仿佛要把船撕成碎片似的。
• The ferocious panther is chasing a rabbit.那只凶猛的豹子正追赶一只兔子。

5 spines   

n.脊柱( spine的名词复数 )；脊椎；（动植物的）刺；书脊

参考例句：

• Porcupines use their spines to protect themselves. 豪猪用身上的刺毛来自卫。
• The cactus has spines. 仙人掌有刺。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

6 fend   

v.照料（自己），（自己）谋生，挡开，避开

参考例句：

• I've had to fend for myself since I was 14.我从十四岁时起就不得不照料自己。
• He raised his arm up to fend branches from his eyes.他举手将树枝从他眼前挡开。