国家地理-2008-07-07 Realm of the Puma 安第斯山脉的美洲狮（在线收听）

From its northern border with Peru, Chile stretches some 2,700 miles to the bottom of South America, longer than the distance from New York City to Los Angeles.

 Strung out along its entire length are the Andes Mountains. Here among these rocky peaks, life goes civilized and wild has learnt to thrive.

 In Torres Del Paine National Park, pumas have found a refuge. A young female stakes out her territory. She'll range over 60 square miles in search of food.

 The puma's main prey is the guanaco, the camel of the Andes. Catching one is not easy. The herd keeps alert while grazing, ready to flee at a moment’s notice.

 Even after a successful hunt, repeat meals aren't guaranteed. While the puma sleeps, grey foxes discover her catch, and snatch a bite. It attracts the attention of condors gliding overhead. Outweighed and out-numbered, the foxes scamper away, leaving the carcass to be stripped clean by the condors.

 When times are lean, pumas will take their chances with other prey. Most of Chile's agriculture is centered around the coastal low lands, but these wild open spaces make excellent ranching.

 The puma has yet to learn that hunting sheep can make herself the hunted. Though protected by law within the park, they are fair game outside. Ranchers place large bounties on pumas, and will shoot on sight.

 She manages to escape, reappearing in a few days later. This female has learned an important lesson about surviving in the Andes. In time, she will develop her hunting skills, she will use them to feed her cubs, and continue the puma’s role in a rugged, majestic environment of the Chilean Andes.

 Vocabulary Mix:

string (sb/sth) out: (cause sb/sth to) be spread out in a long, thin line.

 guanaco: A reddish-brown South American ruminant mammal(Lama guanicoe)  related to and resembling the domesticated llama. 原驼：产于南美洲的一种反刍性哺乳动物（栗色羊驼 羊驼属） ，与家养驼羊相关且近似

 condor: Either of two New World vultures,Vultur gryphus  of the Andes or Gymnogyps californianus,  a nearly extinct vulture of the mountains of California, having a bare head and neck and dull black plumage containing variable amounts of white. With a wingspan of about three meters (ten feet), they are the largest birds in the Western Hemisphere. 神鹰，秃鹫，兀鹫：西半球的两种兀鹫之一，即安第斯山区的康多兀鹫 或加利福尼亚山区濒于灭绝的 加州兀鹫 ，其头部与颈部无毛，羽毛呈暗黑色并带有些许白色，双翅展开长约3米(10英尺），它们是西半球最大的鸟类