侏罗纪搏击俱乐部 第7期:搏斗的证据

 　　When the paleontologists studied the tooth marks, they used high powered microscope to look deeper into the evidence.

　　当古生物学家们研究这些齿痕时，他们使用高倍显微镜来更深入地了解这些证据。

　　What they found were tell-tale serrations meaning the culprit who chewed these bones had serrated teeth and jaws¹ powerful enough to cut the bone.

　　他们发现了泄露秘密的锯齿痕迹，这表明咬到这些骨头的肇事者拥有锯齿状牙齿，而且颌部有力能够切开骨头。

　　Since no other dinosaur² on Madagascar had been found with teeth this large, pretty much ruled out all of the predators³.

　　因为在马达加斯加没有其它恐龙有这么大的牙齿，这就基本排除了所有其它掠食者。

　　Measuring the width, length and serrated edges of the teeth and calculating the spacing between the teeth and the jaw,通过测量这些牙齿的宽度长度和锯齿状边缘并且计算牙齿和颌骨间的间隙，scientists were able to determine that the teeth and jaws of Majungasaurus match the gash⁴ marks in the bone almost perfectly⁵.

　　科学家们能够确定玛君龙的牙齿和颌部与骨头上沟痕的匹配近乎完美。

　　Majungasaurus has serrated teeth. Each one of those little serrations is call a denticle.

　　玛君龙有锯齿状的牙齿。每一个这样小的锯齿叫做小齿。

　　The denticle marks found in the bones were spaced about 0.48 millimeters apart.

　　在被发现的骨头上的小齿痕迹之间的间隙大概是0.48毫米。

　　In studying Majungasaurus teeth, paleontologists just discovered that they had an average spacing for about 0.5 millimeters.

　　通过研究玛君龙牙齿古生物学家们也发现了这些小齿间隙的均值是大概0.5毫米。

　　That's nearly identical to those left on the bone.

　　这和骨头上的痕迹几乎一模一样。

　　What began as a routine dig was looking to change history.

　　一次例行的挖掘看来会改变历史。

　　Two Majungasaurus in a fight to the death.

　　两头玛君龙进行了生死搏斗。

　　These bite marks were not just the result of the fight.

　　这些咬痕不只是搏斗的结果。

　　One Majungasaurus appears to have eaten the other.

　　看起来一头玛君龙吃了另一头。

　　We know that this isn't just fighting, not just bite marks on the snort, for example.

　　我们知道这不仅是打斗不像是在鼻子上留下的咬痕。

　　These are tooth marks that are on the inside bones of the body,在其身体内部的骨头上也有齿痕，

　　on leg bones and back bones and ribs⁶ that you couldn't get to from the outside.

　　包括腿骨、脊柱和肋骨这样的地方从外面咬不到。

　　So clearly, at least on occasion, Majungasaurus ate other Majungasaurus.

　　所以很明显，起码有一次一头玛君龙吃了另一头。

　　With what appeared to be proof that they were looking at cannibalism⁷,在看来好像是同类相食的证据之外，

　　other evidence was needed to piece together why these creatures might have fought this battle.

　　仍然需要其它证据来弄清楚为什么它们要进行这场搏斗。

 

1 jaws   

n.口部；嘴

参考例句：

• The antelope could not escape the crocodile's gaping jaws. 那只羚羊无法从鱷鱼张开的大口中逃脱。
• The scored jaws of a vise help it bite the work. 台钳上有刻痕的虎钳牙帮助它紧咬住工件。

2 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。

3 predators   

n.食肉动物( predator的名词复数 )；奴役他人者（尤指在财务或性关系方面）

参考例句：

• birds and their earthbound predators 鸟和地面上捕食它们的动物
• The eyes of predators are highly sensitive to the slightest movement. 捕食性动物的眼睛能感觉到最细小的动静。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 gash   

v.深切，划开；n.(深长的)切(伤)口；裂缝

参考例句：

• The deep gash in his arm would take weeks to heal over.他胳膊上的割伤很深，需要几个星期的时间才能痊愈。
• After the collision,the body of the ship had a big gash.船被撞后，船身裂开了一个大口子。

5 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。

6 ribs   

n.肋骨( rib的名词复数 )；（船或屋顶等的）肋拱；肋骨状的东西；（织物的）凸条花纹

参考例句：

• He suffered cracked ribs and bruising. 他断了肋骨还有挫伤。
• Make a small incision below the ribs. 在肋骨下方切开一个小口。

7 cannibalism   

n.同类相食；吃人肉

参考例句：

• The war is just like the cannibalism of animals.战争就如同动物之间的互相残。
• They were forced to practise cannibalism in order to survive.他们被迫人吃人以求活下去。