英语听力：自然百科 冰冻星球 前往地球尽头(6)

For those who can get here in summer, this waters provide a feast of epic¹ proportions.

对于那些夏天能到这来的动物来说,这水提供了一个空前绝后的盛宴。

But the good times will be very short, a problem that traces all life in the polar regions.

但是过去的好时光短暂,所有极地地区的生命群体都面临一个问题。

Journeying south across the Arctic ocean, the first land you reach is Greenland, the largest island in the world.

从北冰洋南部启程,你到达的第一片土地是达格陵兰岛, 这是世界上最大的岛屿。

Despite its name, Greenland is mostly white, covered by a giant ice sheet, six times the size of United Kingdom.

除了它的名字,格陵兰岛主要是白色的,由巨大的冰层覆盖,是英国的六倍。

In the middle of the island, the ice is nearly two miles thick.

在岛中央，冰几乎有两英里厚。

It is a bleak², quiet world. Sapphire-blue, melt lakes are the first sign that the dynamic process is underway.

这是一个冰冷,安静的世界。天蓝色，融化湖泊是第一个迹象，它表明动态过程正在进行中。

Each lake forms in a matter of days, expanding until it's miles across and starts to overflow³.

每一个湖在几天之内形成,扩展直到几英里宽,之后开始溢出。

The slow water then carves its way through the ice.

缓慢的水然后通过冰开始被雕刻。

The water crosses through an icy delta⁴, like blood along the arteries⁵ of a cold-blooded monster, a monster that is stirring.

水通过一个冰冷的三角洲,就像随着血液随着动脉流入身体的冷血怪物一样,这是一只正在搅拌的怪物。

And without warning the water suddenly plunges⁶ down an open shaft⁷, falling a vertical⁸ mile into the heart of the ice sheet.

而且没有预告，水突然奔流不止，垂直下降到冰层的中心。

This melt water has a surprising effect. It lubricates the junction⁹ between the ice and the rock floor beneath, so the entire ice sheet is now on the move, sliding down hill into the ocean.

1 epic   

n.史诗，叙事诗；adj.史诗般的，壮丽的

参考例句：

• I gave up my epic and wrote this little tale instead.我放弃了写叙事诗，而写了这个小故事。
• They held a banquet of epic proportions.他们举行了盛大的宴会。

2 bleak   

adj.(天气)阴冷的；凄凉的；暗淡的

参考例句：

• They showed me into a bleak waiting room.他们引我来到一间阴冷的会客室。
• The company's prospects look pretty bleak.这家公司的前景异常暗淡。

3 overflow   

v.(使)外溢，(使)溢出；溢出，流出，漫出

参考例句：

• The overflow from the bath ran on to the floor.浴缸里的水溢到了地板上。
• After a long period of rain,the river may overflow its banks.长时间的下雨天后，河水可能溢出岸来。

4 delta   

n.（流的）角洲

参考例句：

• He has been to the delta of the Nile.他曾去过尼罗河三角洲。
• The Nile divides at its mouth and forms a delta.尼罗河在河口分岔，形成了一个三角洲。

5 arteries   

n.动脉( artery的名词复数 )；干线，要道

参考例句：

• Even grafting new blood vessels in place of the diseased coronary arteries has been tried. 甚至移植新血管代替不健康的冠状动脉的方法都已经试过。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• This is the place where the three main arteries of West London traffic met. 这就是伦敦西部三条主要交通干线的交汇处。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 plunges   

n.跳进，投入vt.使投入，使插入，使陷入vi.投入，跳进，陷入v.颠簸( plunge的第三人称单数 )；暴跌；骤降；突降

参考例句：

• Even before he plunges into his program, he has his audience in his pocket. 他的节目甚至还没有出场，就已控制住了观众。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• 'Monseigneur, he precipitated himself over the hill-side, head first, as a person plunges into the river.' “大人，他头冲下跳下山坡去了，像往河里跳一样。” 来自英汉文学 - 双城记

7 shaft   

n.(工具的)柄，杆状物

参考例句：

• He was wounded by a shaft.他被箭击中受伤。
• This is the shaft of a steam engine.这是一个蒸汽机主轴。

8 vertical   

adj.垂直的，顶点的，纵向的；n.垂直物，垂直的位置

参考例句：

• The northern side of the mountain is almost vertical.这座山的北坡几乎是垂直的。
• Vertical air motions are not measured by this system.垂直气流的运动不用这种系统来测量。

9 junction   

n.连接，接合；交叉点，接合处，枢纽站

参考例句：

• There's a bridge at the junction of the two rivers.两河的汇合处有座桥。
• You must give way when you come to this junction.你到了这个路口必须让路。