侏罗纪搏击俱乐部 第51期:一处史前水坑

 A prehistoric¹ watering hole.

一处史前水坑。

By using cutting edge technology, some of its fossilized secrets are scientifically decoded².

通过利用前沿科技，它的一些化石秘密如今已经被科学地揭开了。

Multiple species, predators³ and prey⁴, engaged in a fight to the death.

多种动物掠食者和猎物卷入了一场生死大战。

Step by step, science expends⁵ the evidence to unravel⁶ the lives of these prehistoric creatures.

一步步科学将带来更多证据揭示这些史前生命的秘密。

They were the Earth's largest animals.

它们曾是地球上最大的动物。

New technology and forensic⁷ evidence helps paleontologists bring to life some of their final moments.

新的科技和现场证据如今帮助古生物学家们重现了它们生命中的最后时刻。

A prehistoric battle that took place about one hundred and fifty million years ago when the earth was much younger.

一场史前大战于一亿五千万年前上演，那时的地球要年轻许多。

A shallow sea had begun to split the continent that would become the Americas.

如今的美洲大陆在当时被一片浅海一分为二。

Increasing oxygen levels allowed dinosaurs⁸ to grow to an enormous proportions.

氧气浓度的提升使得恐龙能长得异常庞大。

It's the late Jurassic period.

那时是侏罗纪晚期。

Sauropods, long-necked, four legged dinosaurs, the largest land animals, evolved to reach vegetation 20 meters from the ground.

蜥脚类这类长颈四足恐龙是陆地上最大的动物，它们进化得能够到离地面二十米的植物。

In what became Utah, temperatures soared.

在当时的犹他州气温飙升。

Droughts took their toll⁹ on planet, including those at a receding¹⁰ lakebed.

干旱重创了整个星球包括正在后退的湖床上的一切。

This lake was the scene of a pre-historic graveyard¹¹.

这个湖是一片史前墓地。

Fast forward 150 million years.

快进一亿五千万年。

30 miles south of Price in Utah, where a local herder is tending to his sheep.

离犹他州普莱斯近五十公里处一位当地牧民正在照顾羊群。

Suddenly, he saw something protruding¹² from the ground.

突然，他看到了有什么东西支出了地面。

A decade would pass before paleontologists could launch their forensic investigation¹³.

古生物学家们要再过十年之后才会开始对其进行法医学调查。

The site is called the Cleveland Lloyd quarry¹⁴.

这个场地被称作克利夫兰劳埃德石场。

What was found here stunned¹⁵ the scientific world.

这里的发现震惊了科学界。

1 prehistoric   

adj.（有记载的）历史以前的，史前的，古老的

参考例句：

• They have found prehistoric remains.他们发现了史前遗迹。
• It was rather like an exhibition of prehistoric electronic equipment.这儿倒像是在展览古老的电子设备。

2 decoded   

v.译（码），解（码）( decode的过去式和过去分词 )；分析及译解电子信号

参考例句：

• The control unit decoded the 18 bits. 控制器对这18位字进行了译码。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Scientists have decoded the dog genome. 科学家已经译解了狗的基因组。 来自辞典例句

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 prey   

n.被掠食者，牺牲者，掠食；v.捕食，掠夺，折磨

参考例句：

• Stronger animals prey on weaker ones.弱肉强食。
• The lion was hunting for its prey.狮子在寻找猎物。

5 expends   

v.花费( expend的第三人称单数 )；使用（钱等）做某事；用光；耗尽

参考例句：

• The commercial value height also expends demand how many! 商业价值高低也就是消费需求多少！ 来自互联网
• The stimulation expends basis, also lies in enhances the resident income. 刺激消费的根本，还在于提高居民收入。 来自互联网

6 unravel   

v.弄清楚（秘密）；拆开，解开，松开

参考例句：

• He was good with his hands and could unravel a knot or untangle yarn that others wouldn't even attempt.他的手很灵巧，其他人甚至都不敢尝试的一些难解的绳结或缠在一起的纱线，他都能解开。
• This is the attitude that led him to unravel a mystery that long puzzled Chinese historians.正是这种态度使他解决了长期以来使中国历史学家们大惑不解的谜。

7 forensic   

adj.法庭的，雄辩的

参考例句：

• The report included his interpretation of the forensic evidence.该报告包括他对法庭证据的诠释。
• The judge concluded the proceeding on 10:30 Am after one hour of forensic debate.经过近一个小时的法庭辩论后，法官于10时30分宣布休庭。

8 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》

9 toll   

n.过路(桥)费；损失，伤亡人数；v.敲(钟)

参考例句：

• The hailstone took a heavy toll of the crops in our village last night.昨晚那场冰雹损坏了我们村的庄稼。
• The war took a heavy toll of human life.这次战争夺去了许多人的生命。

10 receding   

v.逐渐远离( recede的现在分词 )；向后倾斜；自原处后退或避开别人的注视；尤指问题

参考例句：

• Desperately he struck out after the receding lights of the yacht. 游艇的灯光渐去渐远，他拼命划水追赶。 来自辞典例句
• Sounds produced by vehicles receding from us seem lower-pitched than usual. 渐渐远离我们的运载工具发出的声似乎比平常的音调低。 来自辞典例句

11 graveyard   

n.坟场

参考例句：

• All the town was drifting toward the graveyard.全镇的人都象流水似地向那坟场涌过去。
• Living next to a graveyard would give me the creeps.居住在墓地旁边会使我毛骨悚然。

12 protruding   

v.（使某物）伸出，（使某物）突出( protrude的现在分词 )；凸

参考例句：

• He hung his coat on a nail protruding from the wall. 他把上衣挂在凸出墙面的一根钉子上。
• There is a protruding shelf over a fireplace. 壁炉上方有个突出的架子。 来自辞典例句

13 investigation   

n.调查，调查研究

参考例句：

• In an investigation,a new fact became known, which told against him.在调查中新发现了一件对他不利的事实。
• He drew the conclusion by building on his own investigation.他根据自己的调查研究作出结论。

14 quarry   

n.采石场；v.采石；费力地找

参考例句：

• Michelangelo obtained his marble from a quarry.米开朗基罗从采石场获得他的大理石。
• This mountain was the site for a quarry.这座山曾经有一个采石场。

15 stunned   

adj. 震惊的，惊讶的 动词stun的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• The fall stunned me for a moment. 那一下摔得我昏迷了片刻。
• The leaders of the Kopper Company were then stunned speechless. 科伯公司的领导们当时被惊得目瞪口呆。