纪录片《南太平洋》 第76期 无尽深蓝（10）

Oceanic whitetip sharks, three metres long,

远洋白鳍鲨，体长三米

and completely at home in the open ocean.

对远洋海域非常熟悉

They may not be able to dive deep enough to catch the squid themselves...

它们或许不能自行下潜至深海抓捕乌贼

but that won't stop them hanging around for scraps¹.

但这并不妨碍其徘徊在侧，分上一杯羹

Or maybe they're sizing up the calf².

它们或许也对幼鲸虎视眈眈

This one, however, is well guarded by the bulls.

但这头幼鲸有雄鲸保驾护航

But in the endless blue, where the odds³ of finding a meal are so low,

但在这片无尽蔚蓝中找到食物的概率很小

even the slimmest opportunity is worth a try.

即使机会渺茫也值得一试

Perhaps this is why the oceanic whitetip is thought to be responsible

这也是为什么在太平洋遭遇海难的水手

for more attacks on shipwrecked sailors than any other shark in the Pacific.

最可能受到远洋白鳍鲨的袭击，而非其他种类的鲨鱼

The survivors⁴ of the Essex were at the mercy of sharks.

艾萨克斯号的幸存者面对鲨鱼全无还手之力。

1 scraps   

油渣

参考例句：

• Don't litter up the floor with scraps of paper. 不要在地板上乱扔纸屑。
• A patchwork quilt is a good way of using up scraps of material. 做杂拼花布棉被是利用零碎布料的好办法。

2 calf   

n.小牛，犊，幼仔，小牛皮

参考例句：

• The cow slinked its calf.那头母牛早产了一头小牛犊。
• The calf blared for its mother.牛犊哞哞地高声叫喊找妈妈。

3 odds   

n.让步，机率，可能性，比率；胜败优劣之别

参考例句：

• The odds are 5 to 1 that she will win.她获胜的机会是五比一。
• Do you know the odds of winning the lottery once?你知道赢得一次彩票的几率多大吗？

4 survivors   

幸存者，残存者，生还者( survivor的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The survivors were adrift in a lifeboat for six days. 幸存者在救生艇上漂流了六天。
• survivors clinging to a raft 紧紧抓住救生筏的幸存者