侏罗纪搏击俱乐部 第58期:喝水的间隙被残忍杀害

 With a bite like that, Ceratosaurus could compensate¹ for two glaring weaknesses.

有了如此恐怖的一咬，角鼻龙能够弥补两个明显弱点。

He wasn't especially fast and his claws weren't large or strong compared to other predators².

它并不算很快而它的爪子跟其它掠食者比也并不强大。

Ceratosaurus' best hope would to be get in there, take a big chunk³ of meat out and get back.

角鼻龙的最佳希望就是赶过来咬下一大块肉就走。

It would not have been good for clamping on to something, for hanging in there in close combat.

咬住什么东西并且坚持近身肉搏对它来说并不是好主意。

Just get in there, strike and get away as soon as possible.

它会尽量赶过去然后咬一口就跑。

Its skeletal design is sort of weak, so it's not really built for a full combat.

它的骨骼设计相对较弱，所以身体并不适合激烈搏斗。

It's really better designed to sort of slash⁴, grab, rip, and then run away.

它的设计更适合猛咬住猎物撕下块肉、然后就跑开。

The forensic⁵ evidence painted an intriguing⁶ picture.

现场证据描绘出一幅有趣图画。

Driven by thirst, a Stegosaurus and its baby moved out onto the lakebed to drink.

因为口渴难耐，一头剑龙和它的孩子来到湖床上饮水。

Their compact feet slip easily through the hardened upper crust, and they become mired⁷ in mud.

它们结实的脚很容易踩穿湖床变硬表层因而深陷泥中。

An easy target.

它们成了容易的目标。

Attracted by the sounds of the struggling pair, a single Ceratosaurus arrives on the scene.

被这两头剑龙挣扎的声音吸引，一头角鼻龙赶到现场。

Its long toes and splayed foot design allowed it to move across the upper crust without slipping through.

它长长脚趾和脚部张开的设计，让它能在湖床表面硬壳上移动而不会滑进泥里。

Its target - the juvenile⁸.

它的目标幼剑龙。

The juvenile is basically helpless.

幼龙基本完全无助。

It normally relies on its mother to be able to protect it, but she is stuck up to her shoulders in mud, so she can't use her main weapon which is her spiked⁹ tail.

它通常都靠妈妈来保护，不过它妈妈也陷入齐肩的泥中，所以无法使用其主要武器它那带刺的尾巴。

Like its mother, the little juvenile has spikes¹⁰, but he can't move them because he is literally¹¹ exhausted¹² from trying to get out of the mud.

小剑龙和它妈妈一样，尾巴也有尖刺，不过它已经为了挣扎出泥潭累得筋疲力尽了，没有力气摆动尾巴了。

The Ceratosaurus moves in for the kill, biting the juvenile in one of its most vulnerable areas behind the ribcage, directly in front of her hind¹³ legs.

角鼻龙上前痛下杀手，撕咬幼剑龙胸廓和后腿之间的部分，那里是剑龙防护最弱的地方。

The mother looked on helplessly as the Ceratosaurus tore open a large gash¹⁴ in the juvenile's flank.

剑龙妈妈无助地看着角鼻龙在幼龙身体侧面撕开一个大口子。

We now know that by the late Jurassic, Ceratosaurus was fast becoming extinct, desperate for easy prey¹⁵.

我们现在知道在侏罗纪晚期角鼻龙迅速走向灭绝，它们急需容易得到的猎物。

The discovery of a Ceratosaurus skeleton made it clear that it hunted the lakebed for food.

角鼻龙骨架的发现清晰地说明了它在湖床上觅食。

But there was a piece of the puzzle that experts couldn't answer.

不过这个拼图中有一块专家们也没有答案。

1 compensate   

vt.补偿，赔偿；酬报 vi.弥补；补偿；抵消

参考例句：

• She used her good looks to compensate her lack of intelligence. 她利用她漂亮的外表来弥补智力的不足。
• Nothing can compensate for the loss of one's health. 一个人失去了键康是不可弥补的。

2 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》

3 chunk   

n.厚片，大块，相当大的部分（数量）

参考例句：

• They had to be careful of floating chunks of ice.他们必须当心大块浮冰。
• The company owns a chunk of farmland near Gatwick Airport.该公司拥有盖特威克机场周边的大片农田。

4 slash   

vi.大幅度削减；vt.猛砍，尖锐抨击，大幅减少；n.猛砍，斜线，长切口，衣衩

参考例句：

• The shop plans to slash fur prices after Spring Festival.该店计划在春节之后把皮货降价。
• Don't slash your horse in that cruel way.不要那样残忍地鞭打你的马。

5 forensic   

adj.法庭的，雄辩的

参考例句：

• The report included his interpretation of the forensic evidence.该报告包括他对法庭证据的诠释。
• The judge concluded the proceeding on 10:30 Am after one hour of forensic debate.经过近一个小时的法庭辩论后，法官于10时30分宣布休庭。

6 intriguing   

adj.有趣的；迷人的v.搞阴谋诡计(intrigue的现在分词)；激起…的好奇心

参考例句：

• These discoveries raise intriguing questions. 这些发现带来了非常有趣的问题。
• It all sounds very intriguing. 这些听起来都很有趣。 来自《简明英汉词典》

7 mired   

abbr.microreciprocal degree 迈尔德（色温单位）v.深陷( mire的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The country was mired in recession. 这个国家陷入了经济衰退的困境。
• The most brilliant leadership can be mired in detail. 最有才干的领导也会陷于拘泥琐事的困境中。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

8 juvenile   

n.青少年，少年读物；adj.青少年的，幼稚的

参考例句：

• For a grown man he acted in a very juvenile manner.身为成年人，他的行为举止显得十分幼稚。
• Juvenile crime is increasing at a terrifying rate.青少年犯罪正在以惊人的速度增长。

9 spiked   

adj.有穗的；成锥形的；有尖顶的

参考例句：

• The editor spiked the story. 编辑删去了这篇报道。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• They wondered whether their drinks had been spiked. 他们有些疑惑自己的饮料里是否被偷偷搀了烈性酒。 来自辞典例句

10 spikes   

n.穗( spike的名词复数 )；跑鞋；（防滑）鞋钉；尖状物v.加烈酒于( spike的第三人称单数 )；偷偷地给某人的饮料加入（更多）酒精（ 或药物）；把尖状物钉入；打乱某人的计划

参考例句：

• a row of iron spikes on a wall 墙头的一排尖铁
• There is a row of spikes on top of the prison wall to prevent the prisoners escaping. 监狱墙头装有一排尖钉，以防犯人逃跑。 来自《简明英汉词典》

11 literally   

adv.照字面意义，逐字地；确实

参考例句：

• He translated the passage literally.他逐字逐句地翻译这段文字。
• Sometimes she would not sit down till she was literally faint.有时候，她不走到真正要昏厥了，决不肯坐下来。

12 exhausted   

adj.极其疲惫的，精疲力尽的

参考例句：

• It was a long haul home and we arrived exhausted.搬运回家的这段路程特别长，到家时我们已筋疲力尽。
• Jenny was exhausted by the hustle of city life.珍妮被城市生活的忙乱弄得筋疲力尽。

13 hind   

adj.后面的，后部的

参考例句：

• The animal is able to stand up on its hind limbs.这种动物能够用后肢站立。
• Don't hind her in her studies.不要在学业上扯她后腿。

14 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。

15 prey   

n.被掠食者，牺牲者，掠食；v.捕食，掠夺，折磨

参考例句：

• Stronger animals prey on weaker ones.弱肉强食。
• The lion was hunting for its prey.狮子在寻找猎物。