纪录片《地球的力量》第一集 火山20:生命的家园

The early Earth is much more volcanic than it is today

早期地球的火山活动远远多于如今

because its core were so much hotter.

这是因为当时地核热得多

This provided enough carbon dioxide to compensate the weak sun.

这提供了足够的二氧化碳来补偿虚弱的太阳

Volcanoes prevented the young Earth from freezing over,

防止了地球被冻僵

And so early life was able to survive.

因此早期生命才得以幸存

but even this was not the end of what volcanoes have done for life on Earth.

但火山为地球生命做的贡献还不止这些。

about 600 million years ago, they also helped trigger the greatest evolutionary leap in Earth's history.

大约6亿年前，火山还触发了地球历史上最伟大的进化飞跃。

Shark bay in west Australia

西澳大利亚鲨鱼湾

is home to some of the oldest life forms on Earth.

是地球上某种最古老生命的家园

These strange domes are made of from layer upon layer of bacteria。

这些怪模怪样的圆石是由一层又一层的细菌构成的

they are called stromatolite.

被称为“叠层石”。

For most of Earth's long history,

在地球漫长历史的大部分时间里，

this was the most advanced life on the planet.

这就是地球上最高级的生命形式

For around 2 billion years, stromatolite ruled our world, unchallenged.

叠层石统治世界 时间长达大约20亿年 没有受到任何挑战。

and there was nothing to suggest that this was ever going to change.

而且没有任何迹象表明 这种状况会发生些微改变

but Earth and the stromatolites was to face a catastrophe,

但是地球和叠层石将要面临一场大难

perhaps the most serious crisis life has ever faced.

或许一场前所未有的最深重危机

重点讲解

1、compensate

a、赔偿;补偿

The official promise to compensate people for the price rise clearly hadn't been worked out properly.

显然，官方对物价上涨进行补偿的承诺没有真正兑现。

To ease financial difficulties, farmers could be compensated for their loss of subsidies.

为了缓解经济困难，农场主们损失的补贴会得到补偿。

b、抵消

MPs say it is crucial that a system is found to compensate for inflation.

下议院的议员们说关键是要找到一种抵消通货膨胀影响的机制。

The pluses more than compensated for the inconveniences involved in making the trip.

各种有利因素大大抵消了出行过程中的种种不便。

c、弥补(过失或不足)

People who sense that they are inferior have to compensate, and often over-compensate by way of outward achievement.

觉得自卑的人只有通过外在的成就来弥补自己的不足，但往往都做过了头。

No supportive words could ever compensate for the pain of being separated from her children for 10 years.

任何表示支持的言语都无法弥补与孩子们分开10年带给她的痛苦。

2、trigger

a、(枪的)扳机

A man pointed a gun at them and pulled the trigger.

一名男子拿枪指着他们，接着扣动了扳机。

b、引爆;启动;触发

The thieves must have deliberately triggered the alarm and hidden inside the house.

盗贼肯定是故意触发了报警器，然后躲在房子里。

The one thousand pound bomb was triggered by a wire.

那颗重达 1,000 磅的炸弹是由一根导线引爆的。

c、引起;发动;促使

the incident which triggered the outbreak of the First World War.

导致第一次世界大战爆发的事件

The current recession was triggered by a slump in consumer spending…

目前的经济衰退是由消费支出骤跌引起的。