英语听力：自然百科 大堡礁 珊瑚礁至雨林(30)

But there are now less than 2,000 living here, and they are becoming rarer all the time.

但现在只有不到2000只食火鸟了，它们的数量一直不断减少。

Before European settlers arrived, much of the coast here was covered in forest.

早在欧洲殖民者到达之前，澳洲许多的海岸都被森林所覆盖。

And a lot of that was jungle just like this.

这样的丛林到处都是。

This is a vibrant¹ ecosystem² in its own right.

这是一个自得其利，充满活力的生态系统。

It's full of reptiles³, of birds, and you can hear all around me.

这里是爬行动物和鸟类的天堂，你可以听到它们。

But today, things have changed significantly.

但是如今，这里荣耀不再。

Much of the coastline that busts⁴ the Great Barrier Reef, 80 percent of it, in fact, has been cleaned for agriculture, and much of that has been totally cleaned for sugarcane.

紧靠大堡礁的大部分海岸线，事实上80%的海岸线森林被砍伐，为农业让路，有很多地方干净得只剩下甘蔗农场。

1 vibrant   

adj.震颤的，响亮的，充满活力的，精力充沛的，(色彩)鲜明的

参考例句：

• He always uses vibrant colours in his paintings. 他在画中总是使用鲜明的色彩。
• She gave a vibrant performance in the leading role in the school play.她在学校表演中生气盎然地扮演了主角。

2 ecosystem   

n.生态系统

参考例句：

• This destroyed the ecosystem of the island.这样破坏了岛上的生态系统。
• We all have an interest in maintaining the integrity of the ecosystem.维持生态系统的完整是我们共同的利益。

3 reptiles   

n.爬行动物，爬虫( reptile的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Snakes and crocodiles are both reptiles. 蛇和鳄鱼都是爬行动物。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Birds, reptiles and insects come from eggs. 鸟类、爬虫及昆虫是卵生的。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

4 busts   

半身雕塑像( bust的名词复数 )； 妇女的胸部； 胸围； 突击搜捕

参考例句：

• Dey bags swells up and busts. 那奶袋快胀破了。
• Marble busts all looked like a cemetery. 大理石的半身象，简直就象是坟山。