纪录片《侏罗纪之谜》 第03期

In many ways the late Jurassic is really the golden age of dinosaurs¹.

从许多方面来讲，晚侏罗世都可以算是恐龙的黄金时期

We have a tremendous diversity of different kinds of dinosaurs, meat-eaters and plant-eaters, forms with armour².

各种各样的恐龙种类非常之多，食肉恐龙、植食恐龙、有盔甲的恐龙

All around the world we see these dinosaurs.

世界各地都能见到这些恐龙

But it wasn't just the variety of dinosaurs that made this their golden age.

可是它成为恐龙的黄金时代并不只是因为种类繁多

The late Jurassic was also the era of the giants.

晚侏罗世还是巨龙的时代

We have dinosaurs of tremendous size, we have plant-eaters 40ft tall,

我们发现了体型极其庞大的恐龙，有40英尺高的植食恐龙

we have animals that must have weighed 50 or 60 tons,

有重达50～60吨的恐龙

so these are immense animals and they're everywhere.

所以那时有许多巨型恐龙，它们遍布世界各地

But the dinosaurs didn't start off like this.

不过恐龙刚登场时可不是这样

50 million years earlier in the early Jurassic they were very different.

在5亿年前的早侏罗世，它们非常不同

We have many fewer different kinds of dinosaurs, they're relatively³ primitive⁴ looking dinosaurs

恐龙的种类数非常少，它们是长相比较原始的恐龙

and compared to what we see in the late Jurassic, they're much less spectacular animals.

与晚侏罗世的那些恐龙相比，这些动物就相形见绌了

We don't see the sizes and shapes and diversities that we see at that time.

我们没有见到与这个时期一样的体型、模样和多样性

They're relatively dull looking animals compared to what we see later.

与我们后来见到的那些相比，这些动物显得很不起眼

And there was nothing to suggest that these early dinosaurs would grow and diversify⁵ to so completely dominate the planet for so long.

没有什么能解释这些早期恐龙如何壮大并多样化，成为长久以来地球上的霸主。

1 dinosaurs   

n.恐龙( dinosaur的名词复数 )；守旧落伍的人，过时落后的东西

参考例句：

• The brontosaurus was one of the largest of all dinosaurs. 雷龙是所有恐龙中最大的一种。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Dinosaurs have been extinct for millions of years. 恐龙绝种已有几百万年了。 来自《简明英汉词典》

2 armour   

（=armor）n.盔甲；装甲部队

参考例句：

• His body was encased in shining armour.他全身披着明晃晃的甲胄。
• Bulletproof cars sheathed in armour.防弹车护有装甲。

3 relatively   

adv.比较...地，相对地

参考例句：

• The rabbit is a relatively recent introduction in Australia.兔子是相对较新引入澳大利亚的物种。
• The operation was relatively painless.手术相对来说不痛。

4 primitive   

adj.原始的；简单的；n.原(始)人，原始事物

参考例句：

• It is a primitive instinct to flee a place of danger.逃离危险的地方是一种原始本能。
• His book describes the march of the civilization of a primitive society.他的著作描述了一个原始社会的开化过程。

5 diversify   

v.（使）不同，（使）变得多样化

参考例句：

• Our company is trying to diversify.我们公司正力图往多样化方面发展。
• Hills and woods diversify the landscape.山陵和树木点缀景色。