新奇事件簿 挑战侏罗纪任务

This year will see one of the world's biggest ever dinosaur¹ digs. Paleontologists from across the globe will go to a special site in the U.S. state of Wyoming to join the dig. A paleontologist is someone who studies fossils. The dig is called Mission Jurassic. Researchers from the USA, England and Holland will join the Mission Jurassic team. They will try to find bones from dinosaurs² that lived in the area 150 million years ago, in the Jurassic Era. The site of the dig is known as the Jurassic Mile. It is roughly 2.6 square kilometers in size. Scientists have already uncovered many interesting things over the past two years. These include dinosaur footprints, plant fossils and the bones of a 30-metre-long Diplodocus.

今年将见证世界有史以来最大的恐龙挖掘项目之一。来自世界各地的古生物学者将前往美国怀俄明州某地参与挖掘。古生物学者是研究化石的人。此次挖掘项目被称为“侏罗纪任务”。来自美国、英国和荷兰的研究人员将加入“侏罗纪任务”团队。他们将寻找生活在1.5亿年前侏罗纪时代的恐龙的骨头。挖掘地址被称为Jurassic Mile，约有2.6平方公里。在过去20多年中，科学家们在这里已经发现了很多有趣的事情。其中包括恐龙的脚印、植物化石以及一只30米长的梁龙的骨头。

The bones found at the dig will go on display in Indianapolis - at the world's largest children's museum. Professor Paul Barrett, a researcher at the museum and a co-leader of the dig, said: "This is an area that hasn't been...extensively studied....The hope is to find new material of previously³ described species and, if we're lucky, new species of dinosaurs and the animals and plants that lived around them." Another museum professor, Richard Herrington, said: "This site offers a rare opportunity to build a picture of what the real Jurassic ecosystem⁴ would have looked like 150 million years ago." He hopes to find fossils, "from plants and invertebrates⁵ to ancient crocodiles, mammals, lizards⁶ and marine⁷ life".

在该地挖掘出的骨头将在位于印第安纳波利斯的世界上最大的儿童博物馆展览。博物馆研究员兼该项目联合领导人保罗·贝莱特教授表示：“这块区域还没有被广泛研究...我们希望能发现先前描述物种的新材料，如果幸运的话，还能发现生活在此的恐龙、动物和植物新种类。”博物馆另一位教授理查德·赫林顿表示：“该地为我们提供了一次难得的机会，让我们描绘出1.5亿年前侏罗纪生态系统的真实样貌。”他希望能发现“植物、无脊椎动物、古鳄鱼、哺乳动物、蜥蜴和海洋生物”的化石。

 

1 dinosaur   

n.恐龙

参考例句：

• Are you trying to tell me that David was attacked by a dinosaur?你是想要告诉我大卫被一支恐龙所攻击？
• He stared at the faithful miniature of the dinosaur.他凝视著精确的恐龙缩小模型。

2 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》

3 previously   

adv.以前，先前（地）

参考例句：

• The bicycle tyre blew out at a previously damaged point.自行车胎在以前损坏过的地方又爆开了。
• Let me digress for a moment and explain what had happened previously.让我岔开一会儿，解释原先发生了什么。

4 ecosystem   

n.生态系统

参考例句：

• This destroyed the ecosystem of the island.这样破坏了岛上的生态系统。
• We all have an interest in maintaining the integrity of the ecosystem.维持生态系统的完整是我们共同的利益。

5 invertebrates   

n.无脊椎动物( invertebrate的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Insects and worms are all invertebrates. 昆虫和蠕虫都是无脊椎动物。 来自辞典例句
• In the earthworm and many other invertebrates, these excretory structures are called nephridia. 在蚯蚓和许多其它无脊椎动物中，这些排泄结构称为肾管。 来自辞典例句

6 lizards   

n.蜥蜴( lizard的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Nothing lives in Pompeii except crickets and beetles and lizards. 在庞培城里除了蟋蟀、甲壳虫和蜥蜴外，没有别的生物。 来自辞典例句
• Can lizards reproduce their tails? 蜥蜴的尾巴断了以后能再生吗？ 来自辞典例句

7 marine   

adj.海的；海生的；航海的；海事的；n.水兵

参考例句：

• Marine creatures are those which live in the sea. 海洋生物是生存在海里的生物。
• When the war broke out,he volunteered for the Marine Corps.战争爆发时，他自愿参加了海军陆战队。