The Arctic tern's epic journey 北极燕鸥的漫长迁徙之旅

时间:2023-04-05 16:16:03

(单词翻译:单击)

The Arctic tern's epic1 journey 北极燕鸥的漫长迁徙之旅

北极燕鸥是一种特别的鸟。迁徙时,它们从北极圈飞往南极圈,再飞回起点,整个旅程非比寻常,历时一年之久。这种鸟的迁徙路线在全球鸟类中属最长,但它们在途中也会停下来歇歇脚。北极燕鸥在英国北部繁殖,以北大西洋中部的鱼类为食,为漫长的旅程积攒体力。本期节目介绍这种鸟漫长而艰苦的迁徙之旅。

词汇:bird migration2 鸟类迁徙

Back in 2010, an international research team fitted tracking devices to birds they believed to be special – Arctic terns. And it turns out they were right, as described in US journal, PNAS. The Arctic tern has an extraordinary year-long migration from the Arctic Circle to the Antarctic Circle and back again.

What does this route look like? Arctic terns begin their migration in the Northern hemisphere in the summer, which is breeding season. As it gets colder and darker, turning to winter, the birds fly southward, parallel to the coast of South America or hugging the coast of the African continent to reach their winter feeding ground, the Antarctic Circle. And they do not always fly in a straight line. While heading back up north, their flight path mimics an S-shape which they follow to save energy while navigating3 the wind systems in the different hemispheres. This journey is a round-trip of up to 35,000km long, which makes the Arctic tern's migration the longest of any bird. Plus, they see more daylight than any other animal on Earth!

But, on this epic journey, the birds do take some well-deserved breaks. Heading northward4, the population stops on the north and west coast of the UK to breed. A female lays one to three eggs in a nest, and after an incubation period of around three weeks, they hatch, and fluffy5 brown and grey chicks emerge. Meanwhile, the adult birds feed in the shallow coastal6 waters on fish, such as sand-eels. In contrast, while heading south, the birds appear to stop off in the middle of the North Atlantic Ocean, where they indulge on fish and zooplankton, preparing themselves for their long journey ahead.

So, if you ever see a little black and white bird with red legs and a red beak, show them some appreciation7. They have flown a long way to see you! 

词汇表

tracking device 跟踪装置
Arctic tern 北极燕鸥
migration 迁徙
Arctic Circle 北极圈
Antarctic Circle 南极圈
route 路线
Northern hemisphere 北半球
breeding 繁殖
southward 向南地
continent 大陆
feeding ground 觅食地
flight path 飞行路线
wind system 风系
round-trip 往返旅程
lay 产(蛋)
nest 鸟窝,鸟巢
incubation 孵化
hatch (雏鸟)孵出,破壳而出
chick 雏鸟
stop off 中途停留
zooplankton 浮游动物
beak (鸟)嘴,喙


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1 epic ui5zz     
n.史诗,叙事诗;adj.史诗般的,壮丽的
参考例句:
  • I gave up my epic and wrote this little tale instead.我放弃了写叙事诗,而写了这个小故事。
  • They held a banquet of epic proportions.他们举行了盛大的宴会。
2 migration mDpxj     
n.迁移,移居,(鸟类等的)迁徙
参考例句:
  • Swallows begin their migration south in autumn.燕子在秋季开始向南方迁移。
  • He described the vernal migration of birds in detail.他详细地描述了鸟的春季移居。
3 navigating 7b03ffaa93948a9ae00f8802b1000da5     
v.给(船舶、飞机等)引航,导航( navigate的现在分词 );(从海上、空中等)横越;横渡;飞跃
参考例句:
  • These can also be very useful when navigating time-based documents, such as video and audio. 它对于和时间有关的文档非常有用,比如视频和音频文档。 来自About Face 3交互设计精髓
  • Vehicles slowed to a crawl on city roads, navigating slushy snow. 汽车在市区路上行驶缓慢,穿越泥泞的雪地。 来自互联网
4 northward YHexe     
adv.向北;n.北方的地区
参考例句:
  • He pointed his boat northward.他将船驶向北方。
  • I would have a chance to head northward quickly.我就很快有机会去北方了。
5 fluffy CQjzv     
adj.有绒毛的,空洞的
参考例句:
  • Newly hatched chicks are like fluffy balls.刚孵出的小鸡像绒毛球。
  • The steamed bread is very fluffy.馒头很暄。
6 coastal WWiyh     
adj.海岸的,沿海的,沿岸的
参考例句:
  • The ocean waves are slowly eating away the coastal rocks.大海的波浪慢慢地侵蚀着岸边的岩石。
  • This country will fortify the coastal areas.该国将加强沿海地区的防御。
7 appreciation Pv9zs     
n.评价;欣赏;感谢;领会,理解;价格上涨
参考例句:
  • I would like to express my appreciation and thanks to you all.我想对你们所有人表达我的感激和谢意。
  • I'll be sending them a donation in appreciation of their help.我将送给他们一笔捐款以感谢他们的帮助。

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