纪录片《冰冻星球》 第2期 世界的尽头（2）

 

The poles are permanently¹ capped with ice.

冰天雪地是两极永恒的主题

Nowhere is colder,windier or more hostile to life.

对于生命那里的酷寒狂风是最严苛的挑战.

I'm standing² at the North Pole-the very top of the Earth.

我的脚下就是北极点-世界之巅

Up here, it's easy to see why the polar regions are so cold.

身临其境时体会更加深刻 为何极地地区如此寒冷.

The sun never rises high enough in the sky to warm my back

太阳的直射角度很小,鲜有阳光照射下来

and those rays that do strike the surface are mostly reflected back from this great whiteness.

而即使光线到达了地表,大部分也会被这白茫茫的冰雪反射回去.

But the fundamental problem is that there's no sun here at all for half the year.

但最重要的问题是这里有半年的时间完全没有阳光照射.

The polar winter is unrivalled in its harshness.A night that lasts for months.

极地冬季的严酷无与伦比,一个夜晚可持续数月之久.

Only the toughest stay, as temperatures plunge³ to minus 70 degrees centigrade.

随着温度骤降到零下70摄氏度,只有最顽强的生命才能存活下来.

And yet, the greatest challenge to life here is not the cold,but the extreme swings between the seasons.

然而对于生命来说最大的挑战并非寒冷,而是剧烈的四季更迭.

When the sun finally returns,an extraordinary transformation⁴ begins.

当太阳再次升起时,一次翻天覆地的转变开始了.

This frozen world begins to melt away.

这个冰冻的世界开始融化

1 permanently   

adv.永恒地，永久地，固定不变地

参考例句：

• The accident left him permanently scarred.那次事故给他留下了永久的伤疤。
• The ship is now permanently moored on the Thames in London.该船现在永久地停泊在伦敦泰晤士河边。

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 plunge   

v.跳入，(使)投入，(使)陷入；猛冲

参考例句：

• Test pool's water temperature before you plunge in.在你跳入之前你应该测试水温。
• That would plunge them in the broil of the two countries.那将会使他们陷入这两国的争斗之中。

4 transformation   

n.变化；改造；转变

参考例句：

• Going to college brought about a dramatic transformation in her outlook.上大学使她的观念发生了巨大的变化。
• He was struggling to make the transformation from single man to responsible husband.他正在努力使自己由单身汉变为可靠的丈夫。