纪录片《我们的地球》 第328期 极端沙漠(19)

Darkling beetles² race to the top of the dunes⁴ to reach the fog before it vanishes.

拟步甲狂奔至沙丘顶部，要赶在薄雾消失之前吸收水分。

Some of the Namib's dunes are 1,000 feet high, the tallest in the world.

纳米布的沙丘有些高达300米，堪称世界之最。

For a beetle¹ no larger than a thumbnail,

对于拇指盖大小的甲虫来说，

this is the equivalent of us climbing a dune³ twice the height of Everest.

攀爬距离相当于人类攀爬一座比珠穆朗玛峰高两倍的沙丘。

But even more impressive is what it does next.

但更令人印象深刻的是它接下来的举动。

Standing⁵ perfectly⁶ still, facing into the wind, the beetle does a headstand.

身体正直，迎面朝风，甲虫倒立在沙丘上。

Fog begins to condense on its body.

薄雾开始在它身上凝结成水滴。

Microscopic⁷ bumps on its wing cases direct the water to grooves⁸ that channel it towards the mouth.

鞘翅上的小凸起将水引到通向嘴部的一个小沟渠里。

Before returning down the slip face, it will drink 40% of its body weight.

在回到背风坡上之前，它要喝下百分之四十体重的水分。

This little beetle has learned how to conjure⁹ water out of the air in one of the driest places on earth.

这只小甲虫学会了如何在地球上最干燥的地方之一从空气中变出水来。

1 beetle   

n.甲虫，近视眼的人

参考例句：

• A firefly is a type of beetle.萤火虫是一种甲虫。
• He saw a shiny green beetle on a leaf.我看见树叶上有一只闪闪发光的绿色甲虫。

2 beetles   

n.甲虫( beetle的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Beetles bury pellets of dung and lay their eggs within them. 甲壳虫把粪粒埋起来，然后在里面产卵。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• This kind of beetles have hard shell. 这类甲虫有坚硬的外壳。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

3 dune   

n.(由风吹积而成的)沙丘

参考例句：

• The sand massed to form a dune.沙积集起来成了沙丘。
• Cute Jim sat on the dune eating a prune in June.可爱的吉姆在六月天坐在沙丘上吃着话梅。

4 dunes   

沙丘( dune的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The boy galloped over the dunes barefoot. 那男孩光着脚在沙丘间飞跑。
• Dragging the fully laden boat across the sand dunes was no mean feat. 将满载货物的船拖过沙丘是一件了不起的事。

5 standing   

n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的

参考例句：

• After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
• They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。

6 perfectly   

adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地

参考例句：

• The witnesses were each perfectly certain of what they said.证人们个个对自己所说的话十分肯定。
• Everything that we're doing is all perfectly above board.我们做的每件事情都是光明正大的。

7 microscopic   

adj.微小的，细微的，极小的，显微的

参考例句：

• It's impossible to read his microscopic handwriting.不可能看清他那极小的书写字迹。
• A plant's lungs are the microscopic pores in its leaves.植物的肺就是其叶片上微细的气孔。

8 grooves   

n.沟( groove的名词复数 )；槽；老一套；（某种）音乐节奏v.沟( groove的第三人称单数 )；槽；老一套；（某种）音乐节奏

参考例句：

• Wheels leave grooves in a dirt road. 车轮在泥路上留下了凹痕。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Sliding doors move in grooves. 滑动门在槽沟中移动。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

9 conjure   

v.恳求，祈求；变魔术，变戏法

参考例句：

• I conjure you not to betray me.我恳求你不要背弃我。
• I can't simply conjure up the money out of thin air.我是不能像变魔术似的把钱变来。