纪录片《恐龙灭绝真相》 第06期 蕨类植物孢子

Then there was the final clue from the KT boundary a high concentration of fern spores¹.

后来第三纪界线层中又发现了最后一条线索，大量蕨类植物孢子。

Ferns flourish whenever all other plants have been killed off by some environmental devastation².

每当其它植物因为环境破坏而遭到毁灭时，蕨类植物却因此而得到兴盛。

So the predominance of fern spores known as a fern spike³ suggested something had wiped out every plant on the planet.

所以蕨类植物孢子的优势，即所谓的蕨类高峰，说明有些东西消灭了地球上所有植物。

Fern spikes⁴ were found all over the world such as in New Zealand

蕨类高峰出现在全世界各地，比如新西兰，

and this I think became stronger and stronger evidence that there was something like global darkness caused by an impact.

我认为这一证据越来越明显，它说明大碰撞引起了全球黑暗这样的事件。

So the theory grew up that vast amounts of dust created by the impact must have blocked out the sun.

所以这一理论认为由于大碰撞产生的大量烟尘遮住了太阳。

This could have plunged⁵ the world into freezing darkness for months or years.

这使得世界几个月甚至几年被冰冷和黑暗包围着。

Any dinosaurs⁶ which had escaped burning either froze or starved to death.

在大火中侥幸逃生的恐龙，不是冻死，就是饿死。

But the mammals were small and could burrow⁷ to escape the heat and the cold.

不过哺乳动物的体型很小，它们在地洞中躲过了极热和极冷的环境。

When conditions recovered they would emerge to inherit the earth.

当环境恢复正常之后，它们便现身并接管地球。

It was an elegant theory and there was only one thing missing

这种理论似乎很有说服力，只是缺少一样东西，

the impact should have left a crater⁸, two hundred kilometres across.

那就是大碰撞会留下一个至少200公里宽的陨石坑。

To be certain the theory was right, they had to find it.

为了证明这种理论，人们必须找到这个大坑。

1 spores   

n.（细菌、苔藓、蕨类植物）孢子( spore的名词复数 )v.（细菌、苔藓、蕨类植物）孢子( spore的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• Ferns, mosses and fungi spread by means of spores. 蕨类植物、苔藓和真菌通过孢子传播蔓生。
• Spores form a lipid membrane during the process of reproducing. 孢于在生殖过程中形成类脂膜。 来自英汉非文学 - 生命科学 - 预防生物武器

2 devastation   

n.毁坏；荒废；极度震惊或悲伤

参考例句：

• The bomb caused widespread devastation. 炸弹造成大面积破坏。
• There was devastation on every side. 到处都是破坏的创伤。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 spike   

n.长钉，钉鞋；v.以大钉钉牢，使...失效

参考例句：

• The spike pierced the receipts and held them in order.那个钉子穿过那些收据并使之按顺序排列。
• They'll do anything to spike the guns of the opposition.他们会使出各种手段来挫败对手。

4 spikes   

n.穗( spike的名词复数 )；跑鞋；（防滑）鞋钉；尖状物v.加烈酒于( spike的第三人称单数 )；偷偷地给某人的饮料加入（更多）酒精（ 或药物）；把尖状物钉入；打乱某人的计划

参考例句：

• a row of iron spikes on a wall 墙头的一排尖铁
• There is a row of spikes on top of the prison wall to prevent the prisoners escaping. 监狱墙头装有一排尖钉，以防犯人逃跑。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 plunged   

v.颠簸( plunge的过去式和过去分词 )；暴跌；骤降；突降

参考例句：

• The train derailed and plunged into the river. 火车脱轨栽进了河里。
• She lost her balance and plunged 100 feet to her death. 她没有站稳，从100英尺的高处跌下摔死了。

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》

7 burrow   

vt.挖掘(洞穴)；钻进；vi.挖洞；翻寻；n.地洞

参考例句：

• Earthworms burrow deep into the subsoil.蚯蚓深深地钻进底土。
• The dog had chased a rabbit into its burrow.狗把兔子追进了洞穴。

8 crater   

n.火山口，弹坑

参考例句：

• With a telescope you can see the huge crater of Ve-suvius.用望远镜你能看到巨大的维苏威火山口。
• They came to the lip of a dead crater.他们来到了一个死火山口。