The Wild Caribbean’s Secret Shores 野性加勒比
- 详细资料
- 创建于 2008年9月17日
- 最后更新于 2024年5月25日
- 发布于 2012年2月11日
- 作者：Mike Lee
- 点击数：298
课文朗读
课文讲解
Stretching 2,735 kilometers from Panama to southern Mexico is the Caribbean’s western shore. This area of the Caribbean has thousands of islands surrounded by brilliant blue water and colorful reefs that are bursting with life. The BBC’s Wild Caribbean takes us to these secret shores.
从巴拿马到墨西哥南部，加勒比海西岸绵延了2,735公里。这个区域有数千座岛屿，都被富含生命力的蔚蓝海水及五颜六色的珊瑚礁所围绕着。BBC的《野性加勒比》带我们畅游这些秘密海岸。
Less than ten miles off the coast of Panama is the Bocas del Toro archipelago, where a peculiar underwater creature lives. The mangrove trees thriving in salt water there serve as a shelter for the upside-down jellyfish. True to their name, these odd creatures float upside-down to allow sunlight to reach their tentacles. This is because they grow their main source of nutrients, algae, on their tentacles.
博卡斯德尔托罗群岛位于巴拿马外海不到十英里处，这里住着一种非常独特的水中动物。蓬勃生长于浅海的红树林是倒立水母的庇护所。恰如其名，这种奇特的生物会头上脚下漂浮，好让阳光照射到触角，这是因为牠们主要的营养来源──海藻──长在触角上。
On the larger mangrove islands live three-toed sloths. With their long claws acting like grappling hooks, they slowly climb the tangled mess of mangrove branches looking for leaves. They move so slowly that potential predators actually have trouble seeing them move at all. If a predator gets too close, the sloths have a surprising getaway: they take to the water. The Caribbean is the only place in the world where sloths have adapted to swimming in salt water.
在较大的红树林岛上住着南美三趾树懒，有着像爪钩一样的长爪，牠们可以缓慢地在枝干纠结的红树林间寻找树叶。由于三趾树懒移动得非常缓慢，因此潜在的掠食者几乎无法注意到牠们在动。如果掠食者太靠近，这种树懒还有一种出乎意料的逃脱策略：水遁。加勒比海是世界上唯一有树懒能在海水中游泳的地方。
Vocabulary
单词发音
surround [səˋraʊnd] v. 围，围绕
peculiar [pɪˋkjuljɚ] adj. 奇怪的; 罕见的
thrive [θraɪv] v. 茁壮成长
shelter [ˋʃɛltɚ] n. 躲避处；避难所
adapt to [əˋdæpt] v. 适应[（+to）]
More Information
单词发音
Caribbean [͵kærəˋbiən] n. 加勒比海
Panama [ˋpænə͵mɑ] 巴拿马
Mexico [ˋmɛksɪ͵ko] n. 墨西哥
burst [bɝst] v.（用进行式）塞满，几乎要胀破[（+with）]
archipelago [͵ɑrkəˋpɛlə͵go] n. 群岛，列岛
mangrove [ˋmæŋgrov] n. 红树林
jellyfish [ˋdʒɛlɪ͵fɪʃ] n. 水母
tentacle [ˋtɛntək!] n. 触须，触手，触角
algae [`ældʒi] n. 藻类（植物）
sloth [sloθ] n. 树懒
grappling hook 爪钩
tangle [ˋtæŋg!] v. 使纠结，使纠缠
predator [ˋprɛdətɚ] n. 食肉动物；掠夺者
getaway [ˋgɛtə͵we] n. 逃跑
课文朗读
课文讲解
The Caribbean coast of Costa Rica is lined with lush forests that are home to some of the most intelligent animals on Earth, capuchin monkeys. They jump bravely from tree to tree, eating just about anything. When the sea is at low tide, they head to the swamps for a feast of delicious clams. With their hands full of fresh seafood, they scramble to the nearest tree and smash open the shells to feed on the tasty insides.
哥斯达黎加的加勒比海岸生长着茂盛的树林，林间栖息着一种地球上极聪明的动物：僧帽猴。牠们勇敢地在群树间跳来跳去，而且几乎什么东西都吃。退潮时，牠们就到沼泽饱餐可口的蛤蜊。双手捧满新鲜的海产，牠们急忙跑到最近的树旁，把壳打破，享用里面美味的蛤蜊肉。
Further north, off the coast of Belize, a creature that was nearly hunted to extinction in the Caribbean can still be found: the crocodile. In shallow lagoons enclosed by bright coral and dense mangroves, young crocodiles struggle to survive. Tiny baby crocodiles will grow up to become one of the top predators in the Caribbean. As babies, though, they must dive beneath the water or remain still among the mangrove roots when stealthy predators like great egrets drop in looking for a snack. Only their stillness can save them from being eaten.
在更北边的贝里斯外海，还可以发现一种在加勒比海被猎捕到近乎灭种的动物：鳄鱼。在鲜艳珊瑚和浓密红树林所包围的浅水舄湖中，小鳄鱼努力求生。鳄鱼宝宝长大后会成为加勒比海最顶尖的掠食者。然而在长大前，当大白鹭这类鬼鬼祟祟的掠食者偶然前来寻觅点心时，小鳄鱼必须潜入水中，或者一动也不动地待在红树林的根部，只有静止不动才能让牠们免于被猎食。
The Caribbean is a place full of the beauty and the danger of the sea. The strange beasts that live there are some of the most magnificent mysteries of these secret shores.
加勒比海充满海洋之美，也隐藏了其危险的一面，栖息于此的奇特动物，更构成了这些秘密海岸最难解的谜团。
−by Joe Henley
Vocabulary
单词发音
lush [lʌʃ] adj. 苍翠繁茂的
scramble [ˋskræmb!] v. 仓促行动; 爬行，攀爬
smash [smæʃ] v. 打碎，打破
shallow [ˋʃælo] adj. 浅的
magnificent [mægˋnɪfəsənt] adj. 壮丽的
More Information
单词发音
Costa Rica 哥斯达黎加（中美洲国名）
capuchin [ˋkæpjʊ͵tʃɪn] n. 中南美的卷尾猴
clam [klæm] n. 蛤，蛤蜊
feed on 靠...为食 consume; eat
extinction [ɪkˋstɪŋkʃən] n. 灭绝；消灭
lagoon [ləˈɡun] n. 舄湖
still [stɪl] adj. 静止的，不动的
stealthy [ˋstɛlθɪ] adj. 鬼鬼祟祟的
egret [ˋigrɛt] n. 白鹭
Reading Questions
1. According to the article, which of the following statement is NOT true?
A. The Caribbean Sea boasts clean water and brightly-colored reefs.
B. The mangrove trees serve as a shelter for both baby crocodiles and jellyfish.
C. The capuchin monkeys have no difficulty getting to the claims’ inside.
D. The upside-down jellyfish is afraid of strong sunlight.
2. What do three-toed sloths in the Caribbean do to protect themselves?
A. They climb high into trees, where their enemies can’t reach them.
B. They go into the nearby water when their enemies get too close.
C. They move so quickly that their enemies can’t see them clearly.
D. They use their long sharp claws to fight off their enemies.
3. Which of the following is NOT a way that baby crocodiles escape from enemies?
A. Hide among plant roots.
B. Swim in a pond.
C. Remain motionless.
D. Dive into water.
4. What is the author’s attitude towards the Caribbean coast?
A. He is worried about the endangered animals there.
B. He is confused by its mysterious geography.
C. He is impressed by the creatures there.
D. He is interested in its natural resources.
BBC- Cappucin Monkeys - Wild Caribbean
second largest Barrier Reef on Earth- Wild Caribbean - BBC Nature
BBC- Wild Caribbean - Underwater World - Stingrays
Answer
|
1. ( D ) |
2. ( B ) |
3. ( B ) |
4. ( C ) |