万物简史 第491期:多灾多难的生命进程(11)

 　　But come we did, though reaching our present state of eminence¹ has not of course always been straightforward². 但是，我们毕竟还是来了，虽然达到我们目前这样的卓越状态肯定不总是一帆风顺的。

　　Since life on land began, it has consisted of four megadynasties, as they are sometimes called. 自从陆地上开始有生命以来，它由4个所谓的大王朝组成。

　　The first consisted of primitive³, plodding⁴ but sometimes fairly hefty amphibians⁵ and reptiles⁶. 第一个大王朝包括行动缓慢的有时候又相当笨重的原始两栖动物和爬行动物。

　　The best-known animal of this age was the Dimetrodon, 这个年代最著名的动物是异齿龙，

　　a sail-backed creature that is commonly confused with dinosaurs⁷ (including, I note, in a picture caption⁸ in the Carl Sagan book Comet). 那是一种背部有翼的动物，常常与恐龙相混淆（我注意到，包括卡尔·萨根《彗星》一书中的一处图片说明在内）。

　　The Dimetrodon was in fact a synapsid. 异齿龙实际上是一种下孔亚纲动物。

　　So, once upon a time, were we. 我们从前曾经也是下孔亚纲动物。

　　Synapsids were one of the four main divisions of early reptilian⁹ life, the others being anapsids, euryapsids, and diapsids. 下孔亚纲是早期爬行动物的4个主要部之一，其他3个部分别是缺孔亚纲、调孔亚纲和双孔亚纲。

　　The names simply refer to the number and location of small holes to be found in the sides of their owners' skulls¹⁰. 这些名字只是指在它们的颅骨侧面发现的小孔的数量和位置。

　　Synapsids had one hole in their lower temples; diapsids had two; euryapsids had a single hole higher up. 下孔亚纲在颞颥下部有1个孔；双孔亚纲有2个孔；调孔亚纲只有上部1个孔。

　　Over time, each of these principal groupings split into further subdivisions, of which some prospered¹¹ and some faltered¹². 届时，每个主要的部又分成若干分部。其中有的兴旺，有的衰落。

　　Anapsids gave rise to the turtles, which for a time, perhaps a touch improbably, 缺孔亚纲产生了鳖。鳖一度似乎快要处于主宰地位，

　　appeared poised¹³ to predominate as the planet's most advanced and deadly species, 成为这个星球上最先进、最致命的物种，虽然这有点儿荒唐可笑。

　　before an evolutionary¹⁴ lurch¹⁵ let them settle for durability¹⁶ rather than dominance. 但是，由于进化比较缓慢，它们保持了长久的生存地位，而不是统治地位。

　　The synapsids divided into four streams, only one of which survived beyond the Permian. 下孔亚纲分成四支，只有一支闯过了二叠纪。

　　Happily, that was the stream we belonged to, and it evolved into a family of protomammals known as therapsids. These formed Megadynasty 2. 幸运的是，我们恰好属于这一支。它进化成为一个原始哺乳动物家族，被称之为兽孔目爬行动物。这类爬行动物构成了第二大王朝。

1 eminence   

n.卓越，显赫；高地，高处；名家

参考例句：

• He is a statesman of great eminence.他是个声名显赫的政治家。
• Many of the pilots were to achieve eminence in the aeronautical world.这些飞行员中很多人将会在航空界声名显赫。

2 straightforward   

adj.正直的，坦率的；易懂的，简单的

参考例句：

• A straightforward talk is better than a flowery speech.巧言不如直说。
• I must insist on your giving me a straightforward answer.我一定要你给我一个直截了当的回答。

3 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。

4 plodding   

a.proceeding in a slow or dull way

参考例句：

• They're still plodding along with their investigation. 他们仍然在不厌其烦地进行调查。
• He is plodding on with negotiations. 他正缓慢艰难地进行着谈判。

5 amphibians   

两栖动物( amphibian的名词复数 )； 水陆两用车； 水旱两生植物； 水陆两用飞行器

参考例句：

• The skin of amphibians is permeable to water. 两栖动物的皮肤是透水的。
• Two amphibians ferry them out over the sands. 两辆水陆两用车把他们渡过沙滩。

6 reptiles   

n.爬行动物，爬虫( reptile的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Snakes and crocodiles are both reptiles. 蛇和鳄鱼都是爬行动物。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Birds, reptiles and insects come from eggs. 鸟类、爬虫及昆虫是卵生的。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

7 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》

8 caption   

n.说明，字幕，标题；v.加上标题，加上说明

参考例句：

• I didn't understand the drawing until I read the caption.直到我看到这幅画的说明才弄懂其意思。
• There is a caption under the picture.图片下边附有说明。

9 reptilian   

adj.（像）爬行动物的；（像）爬虫的；卑躬屈节的；卑鄙的n.两栖动物；卑劣的人

参考例句：

• The chick is ugly and almost reptilian in its appearance. 这只小鸡长得很丑，看起来几乎像个爬行动物。 来自辞典例句
• Being from Orion do Zetas contain DNA from the Reptilian race? 齐塔人是从猎户座而来，DNA来自爬虫族吗？ 来自互联网

10 skulls   

颅骨( skull的名词复数 )； 脑袋； 脑子； 脑瓜

参考例句：

• One of the women's skulls found exceeds in capacity that of the average man of today. 现已发现的女性颅骨中，其中有一个的脑容量超过了今天的普通男子。
• We could make a whole plain white with skulls in the moonlight! 我们便能令月光下的平原变白，遍布白色的骷髅！

11 prospered   

成功，兴旺( prosper的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The organization certainly prospered under his stewardship. 不可否认，这个组织在他的管理下兴旺了起来。
• Mr. Black prospered from his wise investments. 布莱克先生由于巧妙的投资赚了不少钱。

12 faltered   

（嗓音）颤抖( falter的过去式和过去分词 )； 支吾其词； 蹒跚； 摇晃

参考例句：

• He faltered out a few words. 他支吾地说出了几句。
• "Er - but he has such a longhead!" the man faltered. 他不好意思似的嚅嗫着：“这孩子脑袋真长。”

13 poised   

a.摆好姿势不动的

参考例句：

• The hawk poised in mid-air ready to swoop. 老鹰在半空中盘旋，准备俯冲。
• Tina was tense, her hand poised over the telephone. 蒂娜心情紧张，手悬在电话机上。

14 evolutionary   

adj.进化的；演化的，演变的；[生]进化论的

参考例句：

• Life has its own evolutionary process.生命有其自身的进化过程。
• These are fascinating questions to be resolved by the evolutionary studies of plants.这些十分吸引人的问题将在研究植物进化过程中得以解决。

15 lurch   

n.突然向前或旁边倒；v.蹒跚而行

参考例句：

• It has been suggested that the ground movements were a form of lurch movements.地震的地面运动曾被认为是一种突然倾斜的运动形式。
• He walked with a lurch.他步履蹒跚。

16 durability   

n.经久性，耐用性

参考例句：

• Nylons have the virtue of durability.尼龙丝袜有耐穿的优点。