英语听力：自然百科 大堡礁 自然奇迹(5)

Imagine all this activity, this constant even flow of life continuing for over 2,000 kilometers.

想象这里发生的活动，潮起潮落，绵延了2000公里。

It's hard to believe that such a hugh solid structure hasn't always been here.

很难想象如此巨大坚固的结构不是一成不变的。

But compared with the rest of Australia, this reef¹ is very young.

相比澳大利亚其他的珊瑚礁，这里的相对年轻。

20,000 years ago, this exact spot where I'm standing², it indeed the entire length of the Great Barrier Reef would have been high and dry.

2万年前，就在我站在的这个点，整个大堡礁是一片高于海平面的干燥地面。

Back then in the middle of the last Ice Age, sea level was 120 meters lower than it is today, and the coastline was about 30 kilometers in that direction.

再回到上一个冰河世纪的中期，海平面比现在低120米，海岸线在那个方向，离这里大约30公里。

But surprise I can go back those 20,000 years in an instant.

但是如果我能瞬间回到2万年前。

What would it look like?

会是什么样呢？

Well, for start, it wasn't even under water.

首先，肯定不在水下。

This area would have been covered in hundreds and hundreds of miles.

这里应该覆盖着大片的桉树和白千层。

Have you collected some paperbark in forest, and it wouldn't have been a fish in science.

所见之处不可能有鱼。

It was a land bounding³ with the animals of Australian plains.

这里生活着各种澳大利亚的平原动物。

1 reef   

n.礁，礁石，暗礁

参考例句：

• The ship and its crew were lost on the reef.那条船及船员都触礁遇难了。
• The ship was wrecked on a coral reef.这条船在珊瑚暗礁上撞毁了。

2 standing   

n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的

参考例句：

• After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
• They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。

3 bounding   

v.跳( bound的现在分词 )；弹回；向上弹；向上跳

参考例句：

• The little horse is bounding. 小马在跳跃。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Big rocks were bounding down. 巨石从上面滚下来。 来自《简明英汉词典》