侏罗纪搏击俱乐部 第86期:高居食物链的顶端无可匹敌

 Ceratosaurus, for 20 million years, he'd been one of the unchallenged predators¹ at the top of the food chain.

角鼻龙，长达两千万年间，他高居食物链的顶端，无可匹敌。

But by using new science and re-examining the evidence at this site, it looks as if, at least once, he faced a interlope of more than twice his size as the balance of power changed and the hunter became the hunted.

不过在用新的科技对这些证据进行重新检验后，它好像曾经面对过体型是它两倍的敌手，由于力量的对比发生了变化猎手变成了猎物。

They were the earth's largest animals.

它们曾是地球上最大的动物。

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New technology and forensic² evidence helps paleontologists bring to life some of their final moments.

新的科技和现场证据如今帮助古生物学家们重现了它们生命中的最后时刻。

In a quarry³ just outside what's now Canon City in Colorado,

在科罗拉多州坎农市不远处的一处采石场，

a local farmer was tending to his land when he saw strange bones jutting⁴ up out of the earth.

一名当地的农民在整理自己土地时看到了土里支出来的奇怪骨头。

He had no idea he'd uncovered one of the most unique finds in the dinosaur⁵ history.

他根本不知道自己揭开了恐龙历史上最独特的发现。

The quarry held the remains⁶ of ten different species of dinosaurs⁷.

采石场里有十种不同恐龙的遗迹。

Nearly all were from plant eaters, but there were something more unusual.

这些差不多都是食植性恐龙，不过有一些情况更不寻常。

The skeletons had been ripped apart and most of the bones were missing.

这些骨架都被撕裂开来而且大部分的骨头都不见了。

Many of the bones showed unusual gash⁸ marks and puncture⁹ wounds.

很多骨头上有着不寻常的沟痕和穿孔。

Paleontologists started sifting¹⁰ through the evidence for clues.

古生物学家们开始仔细梳理证据找线索。

The discovery of the site near Canon City was really interesting because so many different species of dinosaurs were all found together.

在坎农市附近发现的那片场地很有意思，人们在那里集中发现了很多不同种类的恐龙。

But what makes the site really weird¹¹ is that the majority of the skeletons we've found, only the neck and skull¹² were there.

不过这个场地真正奇特的地方在于我们所发现的大多数骨架只有颈部和头骨。

And in other cases, only the tails and a few random¹³ bones.

还有一些只有尾巴和些乱七八糟的骨头。

In the hunt for dinosaurs, finding complete skeletons is rare.

寻找恐龙的过程中，很少会发现完整的骨架。

Paleontologist Dr. Larry Martin of the University of Kansas explains why.

堪萨斯大学的古生物学家拉里·马丁博士解释说。

The reason that we don't find more complete skeletons is exactly the reason why you don't get rich every time you go into a casino.

我们找不到很多完整的骨架的原因就和你不能每次进赌场都赢钱是一样的。

The odds¹⁴ are against you.

你成功的几率太小了。

Its body and its skin began to rot and fall off and eventually the bones are torn apart by scavengers and maybe taken some place else and eaten.

它的身体和皮肤开始腐烂并脱落最终骨头也会被食腐动物撕开还有可能被带到别处吃掉。

Or they get separated and are washed into different areas.

骨架还可能会被分开并冲到不同的地方。

1 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》

2 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。

3 quarry   

n.采石场；v.采石；费力地找

参考例句：

• Michelangelo obtained his marble from a quarry.米开朗基罗从采石场获得他的大理石。
• This mountain was the site for a quarry.这座山曾经有一个采石场。

4 jutting   

v.（使）突出( jut的现在分词 )；伸出；（从…）突出；高出

参考例句：

• The climbers rested on a sheltered ledge jutting out from the cliff. 登山者在悬崖的岩棚上休息。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The soldier saw a gun jutting out of some bushes. 那士兵看见丛林中有一枝枪伸出来。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

5 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。

6 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。

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 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。

9 puncture   

n.刺孔，穿孔；v.刺穿，刺破

参考例句：

• Failure did not puncture my confidence.失败并没有挫伤我的信心。
• My bicycle had a puncture and needed patching up.我的自行车胎扎了个洞，需要修补。

10 sifting   

n.筛，过滤v.筛( sift的现在分词 )；筛滤；细查；详审

参考例句：

• He lay on the beach, sifting the sand through his fingers. 他躺在沙滩上用手筛砂子玩。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• I was sifting the cinders when she came in. 她进来时，我正在筛煤渣。 来自辞典例句

11 weird   

adj.古怪的，离奇的；怪诞的，神秘而可怕的

参考例句：

• From his weird behaviour,he seems a bit of an oddity.从他不寻常的行为看来，他好像有点怪。
• His weird clothes really gas me.他的怪衣裳简直笑死人。

12 skull   

n.头骨；颅骨

参考例句：

• The skull bones fuse between the ages of fifteen and twenty-five.头骨在15至25岁之间长合。
• He fell out of the window and cracked his skull.他从窗子摔了出去，跌裂了颅骨。

13 random   

adj.随机的；任意的；n.偶然的(或随便的)行动

参考例句：

• The list is arranged in a random order.名单排列不分先后。
• On random inspection the meat was found to be bad.经抽查，发现肉变质了。

14 odds   

n.让步，机率，可能性，比率；胜败优劣之别

参考例句：

• The odds are 5 to 1 that she will win.她获胜的机会是五比一。
• Do you know the odds of winning the lottery once?你知道赢得一次彩票的几率多大吗？