英语听力：自然百科 大堡礁 自然奇迹(15)（在线收听）

During the lowest tides,the water runs off and whole sections of living coral are normally beyond the water,are exposed.

最低潮时，海水流干，活珊瑚露出全貌。正常情况被淹没在水底的部分得以展现。

The level of water on the reef top decreases dramatically,getting ever shallower,and going from a stable environment,to ever changing hostile one.

珊瑚礁顶端的水位下降得很显著，变得非常浅，从一种稳定的状态变成一个不停改变的危险状态。

It's almost as though some mighty force has lifted the reef right out of the water,these are extreme conditions.

就好像一种强大的力量举起了珊瑚礁把它托出水面，这些都是非常极端的条件。

As the exposed corals start to heat up,

显露出水面的珊瑚礁逐渐升温，

the tiny polyps retract inside their stony skelectons for protection,

珊瑚虫退回到珊瑚骨架内以保护自己。

then they secrete mucouscan,it acts as sunscreen, and there is no skimping on quantity,an area no larger than the size of a coffee table can produce five meters of the stuff.

接着它们开始分泌有遮光作用的粘液，在分泌量上它们毫不吝惜。一张咖啡桌般大小面积的珊瑚虫就可以分泌出5升液体。

As the tides retreat to the edge of the reef,it cuts off pools of water,for most animals like the sea cucumboers and starfish,the best way to stay alive is by taking refuge in these rock pools.

在潮水完全退到礁石区以外后，留下的只有被礁石分割开来的潮汐地。对于大多数动物来说，比如海参，海星，最佳的生存方法就是暂时避居在这些潮汐池中。