新奇事件簿 撒哈拉沙漠曾是地球历史上最危险地区

A team of paleontologists has uncovered what they believe was the most dangerous place in the history of the Earth. It is not a crime-ridden, inner-city ghetto¹ or a hellish war zone. It was an area of the Sahara Desert in Morocco that 100 million years ago was a scary place to be. The team of fossil hunters said an area near the Morocco-Algeria border was home to a terrifying array of ferocious² predators³ - rather like the beasts from Jurassic Park, but on steroids. The paleontologists have dubbed⁴ the area as being the "most dangerous place in the history of planet Earth". Their claim is based on the discovery of an array of fossils found in ancient rock formations called the Kem Kem group deep in the Sahara.

一组古生物学家发现了他们认为是地球历史上最危险的地方。这个地方不是犯罪猖獗的贫民区，也不是地狱般的战区。而是摩洛哥撒哈拉大沙漠的一个区域，一亿年前，这里曾是一个可怕的地方。化石勘探团队称摩洛哥和阿尔及利亚边境附近的一个地区是一群可怕的凶猛食肉动物的家园，它们很像《侏罗纪公园》里的野兽，但更加极端。古生物学家们将这个区域称为“地球历史上最危险的地方”。他们的这种说法是基于在位于撒哈拉沙漠深处Kem Kem group的古岩层中发现的一系列化石。

Professor David Martill wrote about the significance of the study. He said: "This is the most comprehensive piece of work on fossil vertebrates from the Sahara in almost a century." He added: "This place was filled with absolutely enormous fish...probably four or even five times larger than today's....There was an enormous freshwater saw shark...with the most fearsome of teeth. They are like barbed daggers⁵, but beautifully shiny." Dr Nizar Ibrahim, lead author of the report into the research, said it was a truly inhospitable habitat. He said it was, "a place where a human time-traveller would not last very long". He said the study provides "a window into Africa's age of dinosaurs⁶".

David Martill教授写到了这项研究的意义。他表示：“这是近一个世纪以来对撒哈拉沙漠脊椎动物化石最全面的研究。”他补充道：“这个地方到处都是非常巨大的鱼类，可能是现在鱼类的四倍，甚至是五倍......那里曾有一只巨大的淡水锯鲨......长有最可怕的牙齿。它们像是带刺的匕首，但闪耀着漂亮的光芒。”该研究报告的主要作者Nizar Ibrahim博士称，这确实是一个不适宜居住的栖息地。他称这里是“一个人类时间旅行者都不会呆太久的地方”。他表示该研究提供了“一扇了解非洲恐龙时代的窗户”。

1 ghetto   

n.少数民族聚居区，贫民区

参考例句：

• Racism and crime still flourish in the ghetto.城市贫民区的种族主义和犯罪仍然十分猖獗。
• I saw that achievement as a possible pattern for the entire ghetto.我把获得的成就看作整个黑人区可以仿效的榜样。

2 ferocious   

adj.凶猛的，残暴的，极度的，十分强烈的

参考例句：

• The ferocious winds seemed about to tear the ship to pieces.狂风仿佛要把船撕成碎片似的。
• The ferocious panther is chasing a rabbit.那只凶猛的豹子正追赶一只兔子。

3 predators   

n.食肉动物( predator的名词复数 )；奴役他人者（尤指在财务或性关系方面）

参考例句：

• birds and their earthbound predators 鸟和地面上捕食它们的动物
• The eyes of predators are highly sensitive to the slightest movement. 捕食性动物的眼睛能感觉到最细小的动静。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 dubbed   

v.给…起绰号( dub的过去式和过去分词 )；把…称为；配音；复制

参考例句：

• Mathematics was once dubbed the handmaiden of the sciences. 数学曾一度被视为各门科学的基础。
• Is the movie dubbed or does it have subtitles? 这部电影是配音的还是打字幕的？ 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 daggers   

匕首，短剑( dagger的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• I will speak daggers to her, but use none. 我要用利剑一样的话刺痛她的心，但绝不是真用利剑。
• The world lives at daggers drawn in a cold war. 世界在冷战中剑拨弩张。

6 dinosaurs   

n.恐龙( dinosaur的名词复数 )；守旧落伍的人，过时落后的东西

参考例句：

• The brontosaurus was one of the largest of all dinosaurs. 雷龙是所有恐龙中最大的一种。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Dinosaurs have been extinct for millions of years. 恐龙绝种已有几百万年了。 来自《简明英汉词典》