纪录片《南太平洋》 第111期 水火相容（16）

This is Bora Bora... a volcano in what could be called "late middle age".

这是大溪地，有一座被称为“迟到的中年”火山。

The sloping flanks have slipped further into the sea, pushing the reef away from the shore.

倾斜的侧坡滑到远处的海中，把暗礁推离了海岸。

A lagoon¹ is formed. It's a patchwork² of coral outcrops and sand.

一座浅湖形成了。一片片是露出海面的珊瑚礁和沙子。

Protected from the powerful waves of the surrounding ocean,

受到周围海洋强浪的保护

all kinds of animals take refuge in these calm, shallow waters.

各种动物都在这片宁静的浅海里得到庇护

Some take comfort in their bold appearance. But others take shelter in the coral.

有些从它们醒目的外表上得到宽心。另一些在珊瑚里得到庇护。

Such as these sedentary and appropriately named Christmas tree worms,

例如这些不爱动的，有个适当的名字，圣诞树管虫，

filtering food from the gentle currents.

从平缓的洋流中过滤食物

For many, entire lives are played out within the clumps³ of coral.

对于大多数来说，整个一生都在珊瑚丛中度过。

Mandarin⁴ fish. A dozen of them may inhabit one outcrop.

花斑连鳍。它们中的一些居住在露岩。

Males are always on the hunt for a mate. And competition is fierce.

雄鱼总是在寻找雌鱼。竞争是激烈的。

Disputes start with a polite warning.

起初的争执是有礼貌地警告。

The rising dorsal⁵ fin⁶ is a clear signal to back off.

升起背鳍是后退的明确信号。

But sometimes, going for the jugular⁷ is the only way.

有时攻击腹鳍是唯一的方法。

1 lagoon   

n.泻湖，咸水湖

参考例句：

• The lagoon was pullulated with tropical fish.那个咸水湖聚满了热带鱼。
• This area isolates a restricted lagoon environment.将这一地区隔离起来使形成一个封闭的泻湖环境。

2 patchwork   

n.混杂物；拼缝物

参考例句：

• That proposal is nothing else other than a patchwork.那个建议只是一个大杂烩而已。
• She patched new cloth to the old coat,so It'seemed mere patchwork. 她把新布初到那件旧上衣上，所以那件衣服看上去就象拼凑起来的东西。

3 clumps   

n.（树、灌木、植物等的）丛、簇( clump的名词复数 )；（土、泥等）团；块；笨重的脚步声v.（树、灌木、植物等的）丛、簇( clump的第三人称单数 )；（土、泥等）团；块；笨重的脚步声

参考例句：

• These plants quickly form dense clumps. 这些植物很快形成了浓密的树丛。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The bulbs were over. All that remained of them were clumps of brown leaves. 这些鳞茎死了，剩下的只是一丛丛的黃叶子。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 Mandarin   

n.中国官话，国语，满清官吏；adj.华丽辞藻的

参考例句：

• Just over one billion people speak Mandarin as their native tongue.大约有十亿以上的人口以华语为母语。
• Mandarin will be the new official language of the European Union.普通话会变成欧盟新的官方语言。

5 dorsal   

adj.背部的，背脊的

参考例句：

• His dorsal fin was down and his huge pectorals were spread wide.它的脊鳍朝下耷拉着，巨大的胸鳍大张着。
• The shark's dorsal fin was cut off by the fisherman.鲨鱼的背鳍被渔夫割了下来。

6 fin   

n.鳍；(飞机的)安定翼

参考例句：

• They swim using a small fin on their back.它们用背上的小鳍游动。
• The aircraft has a long tail fin.那架飞机有一个长长的尾翼。

7 jugular   

n.颈静脉

参考例句：

• He always goes for the jugular.他总是直奔要害而去。
• Bilateral internal jugular vein stenting is also a rare procedure.两侧内颈静脉支架置放术也是少见的技术。