纪录片《冰冻星球》 第23期 极地之春（6）

 

Year after year, the caterpillar¹ slows down in the autumn

每逢秋天 毛虫的行动变得迟缓

and then freezes solid.

直至冻僵

But eventually, a very special spring arrives.

终于 不同寻常的春天来临了

This one will be its last.

这将是它最后一个春天

It's now 14 years old

它现在已经14岁了

the world's oldest caterpillar.

是世界上最长寿的毛虫

Its remaining days now become frantic².

接下来的日子里 它异常繁忙

It starts to weave a silk cocoon³.

它开始织茧

Inside, its body is changing into one that can fly and search,

在茧里 它会转变成会飞行能觅食的蛾

abilities that will be crucial in the days ahead.

这些能力在日后非常重要

It's waited over a decade for this spring

这个春天 它已经等了十几年了

and now, its time is near.

破茧成蝶的时间越来越接近了

All across the Arctic, moths⁴ are emerging.

蛾开始在整个北极大量涌现

After completing their 14-year preparation,

经过了14年的准备

they now have just a few days to find a partner and mate.

它们现在只有几天时间找配偶交配

No life illustrates⁵ more vividly⁶

没其他生物能更生动地展现出

the shortness of the Arctic spring

北极春天的短暂

or the struggle to survive in this most seasonal⁷ of places.

和在这季节最多变地方生存的艰辛

1 caterpillar   

n.毛虫，蝴蝶的幼虫

参考例句：

• A butterfly is produced by metamorphosis from a caterpillar.蝴蝶是由毛虫脱胎变成的。
• A caterpillar must pass through the cocoon stage to become a butterfly.毛毛虫必须经过茧的阶段才能变成蝴蝶。

2 frantic   

adj.狂乱的，错乱的，激昂的

参考例句：

• I've had a frantic rush to get my work done.我急急忙忙地赶完工作。
• He made frantic dash for the departing train.他发疯似地冲向正开出的火车。

3 cocoon   

n.茧

参考例句：

• A cocoon is a kind of silk covering made by an insect.蚕茧是由昆虫制造的一种由丝组成的外包层。
• The beautiful butterfly emerged from the cocoon.美丽的蝴蝶自茧中出现。

4 moths   

n.蛾( moth的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The moths have eaten holes in my wool coat. 蛀虫将我的羊毛衫蛀蚀了几个小洞。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The moths tapped and blurred at the window screen. 飞蛾在窗帘上跳来跳去，弄上了许多污点。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

5 illustrates   

给…加插图( illustrate的第三人称单数 )； 说明； 表明； （用示例、图画等）说明

参考例句：

• This historical novel illustrates the breaking up of feudal society in microcosm. 这部历史小说是走向崩溃的封建社会的缩影。
• Alfred Adler, a famous doctor, had an experience which illustrates this. 阿尔弗莱德 - 阿德勒是一位著名的医生，他有过可以说明这点的经历。 来自中级百科部分

6 vividly   

adv.清楚地，鲜明地，生动地

参考例句：

• The speaker pictured the suffering of the poor vividly.演讲者很生动地描述了穷人的生活。
• The characters in the book are vividly presented.这本书里的人物写得栩栩如生。

7 seasonal   

adj.季节的，季节性的

参考例句：

• The town relies on the seasonal tourist industry for jobs.这个城镇依靠季节性旅游业提供就业机会。
• The hors d'oeuvre is seasonal vegetables.餐前小吃是应时蔬菜。