纪录片《我们的地球》 第87期 奇幻沙漠(04)（在线收听）

Africa's Sahara is the largest desert of all.

非洲的撒哈拉沙漠是世界上最大的沙漠

It's the size of the United States, and the biggest source of sand and dust in the entire world.

它的面积相当于美国，也是全世界最大的沙尘源

Sandstorms like these appear without warning

如此巨大的沙暴出现时毫无征兆

and reduce visibility for days over areas the size of Britain.

所到之处能见度骤降为零，几天内横扫的地区比英国还大

Dromedaries, single-humped camels, take these storms in their stride.

单峰驼--只有一个肉峰的骆驼，顶着沙暴大步行走。

The heavy sand rises only a few metres above the ground.

最重的沙子只能离开地面几米

But the dust can be blown 5,000 metres up into the sky.

但是尘埃却能被吹上5000多米高的天空

The ferocious wind, armed with grains of sand, is the agent that shapes all deserts.

夹杂着沙粒的强风，塑造了各种沙漠地形。

Reptiles have armoured, scaly skins that protect them from the stinging grains.

爬行动物的皮肤覆盖着鳞甲，能抵御刺痛的沙粒。

For insects, the bombardment can be very severe indeed.

而昆虫则得遭受猛烈“炮火”的轰击

The only escape is below the surface.

唯一的藏身之处当然是在沙子下面