万物简史 第494期:多灾多难的生命进程(14)
英语课
Earth has seen five major extinction 1 episodes in its time — the Ordovician, Devonian, Permian, Triassic, and Cretaceous, in that order — and many smaller ones. 地球已经目睹了5次大的灭绝事件——依次在奥陶纪、泥盆纪、二叠纪、三叠纪和白垩纪——以及许多小的灭绝事件。
The Ordovician (440 million years ago) and Devonian (365 million) each wiped out about 80 to 85 percent of species. 奥陶纪(44000万年以前)和泥盆纪(36500万年以前)分别消灭了大约80%——85%的物种。
The Triassic (210 million years ago) and Cretaceous (65 million years) each wiped out 70 to 75 percent of species. 三叠纪(2l000万年以前)和自垩纪(6500万年以前)分别消灭了70%-75%的物种。
But the real whopper was the Permian extinction of about 245 million years ago, which raised the curtain on the long age of the dinosaurs 2. 但是,真正厉害的是大约24500万年前的二叠纪灭绝,它为漫长的恐龙时代揭开了序幕。
In the Permian, at least 95 percent of animals known from the fossil record check out, never to return. 在二叠纪,至少95%从化石记录中得知的动物退了场,再也没有回来。
Even about a third of insect species went — the only occasion on which they were lost en masse. 连大约三分之一的昆虫物种也消失了——这是它们惟一损失最惨重的一次。
It is as close as we have ever come to total obliteration 3. 这也是我们最接近全军覆没的一次。
It was, truly, a mass extinction, a carnage of a magnitude that had never troubled the Earth before, says Richard Fortey. “这确实是一次大规模的灭绝,一次大屠杀。是地球上以前从来没有发生过的。”理查德·福泰说。
The Permian event was particularly devastating 4 to sea creatures. 二叠纪事件对海洋动物的破坏性尤其严重。
Trilobites vanished altogether. 三叶虫完全消失了。
Clams 5 and sea urchins 6 nearly went. 蛤蜊和海胆几乎灭绝。
Virtually all other marine 7 organisms were staggered. 实际上,所有的海生动物都七零八落。
Altogether, on land and in the water, it is thought that Earth lost 52 percent of its families, 据认为,总起来说,在陆地和水里,地球损失了52%的“科”,
that's the level above genus and below order on the grand scale of life (the subject of the next chapter) — and perhaps as many as 96 percent of all its species. 那个层次在生命的大等级表上高于“属”,低于“目”(这是下一章的题材)——以及大约多达96%的全部物种。
It would be a long time — as much as eighty million years by one reckoning — before species totals recovered. 要过很长时间——有人估计,要过长达8000万年。物种的总量才会得以恢复。
n.熄灭,消亡,消灭,灭绝,绝种
- The plant is now in danger of extinction.这种植物现在有绝种的危险。
- The island's way of life is doomed to extinction.这个岛上的生活方式注定要消失。
n.恐龙( dinosaur的名词复数 );守旧落伍的人,过时落后的东西
- 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》
n.涂去,删除;管腔闭合
- The policy is obliteration, openly acknowledged. 政策是彻底毁灭,公开承认的政策。 来自演讲部分
- "Obliteration is not a justifiable act of war" “彻底消灭并不是有理的战争行为” 来自演讲部分
adj.毁灭性的,令人震惊的,强有力的
- It is the most devastating storm in 20 years.这是20年来破坏性最大的风暴。
- Affairs do have a devastating effect on marriages.婚外情确实会对婚姻造成毁灭性的影响。
n.蛤;蚌,蛤( clam的名词复数 )v.(在沙滩上)挖蛤( clam的第三人称单数 )
- The restaurant's specialities are fried clams. 这个餐厅的特色菜是炸蚌。 来自《简明英汉词典》
- We dug clams in the flats et low tide. 退潮时我们在浅滩挖蛤蜊。 来自辞典例句
n.顽童( urchin的名词复数 );淘气鬼;猬;海胆
- Some dozen barefooted urchins ganged in from the riverside. 几十个赤足的顽童从河边成群结队而来。 来自《简明英汉词典》
- People said that he had jaundice and urchins nicknamed him "Yellow Fellow." 别人说他是黄胆病,孩子们也就叫他“黄胖”了。 来自汉英文学 - 中国现代小说
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