Giant Fish
美音、自然拼读、分级阅读与词汇复习
Table of Contents A Whopper of a Fish.
内容表 A 乱鱼.
4 Huge Checkerboard.
4个大跳板
5 Out to Sea.
5出出出海会.
7 Huge Fish, Tiny Food.
7个大鱼 小食物
9 Giant Puppies.
9"巨猫".
12 Staying Alive.
12"活着"
14 Mega Fish.
14"巨鱼"
15 Glossary.
15 词汇。
16 A Whopper of a Fish You’re snorkeling off the western coast of Australia when you suddenly notice an enormous dark shape swimming up from the depths.
16 A 鲸鱼之霸 在澳洲西海岸下潜,
As it gets closer, you realize that it’s a shark the size of a school bus.
当它越来越近的时候,你意识到它是一个像校车大小的鲨鱼。
Your heart pounds wildly in your chest.
你的心在你的胸口疯狂地跳动
Scared?
害怕吗?
There’s no need to be—it’s a whale shark!
也不必成为鲸鲨。
Whale sharks are the biggest fish in the world, but big doesn’t always mean dangerous.
鲸鲨是世界上最大的鱼类,
These creatures are so peaceful that people can safely swim beside them.
这些生物太平和了 人们可以安全地游到它们旁边
Swimmers often describe them as elegant and majestic.
游泳者们经常把他们描述为优雅而雄伟.
Still, there’s no denying the fact that whale sharks are giants among animals.
鲸鲨是动物中的巨兽。
Whale shark length: 40 feet (12.
鲸鲨长度:40英尺(12.
2 m); weight: 40,000 pounds (18,144 kg) Human height: 6 feet (1.
2米);体重:4万磅(18,144公斤) 人高:6英尺(1.
8 m); weight: 175 pounds (79.
8米);体重:175磅(79.
4 kg) How Big Is It?
4公斤) 其大小如何?
Huge Checkerboard If you’ve ever seen a whale shark in the wild or in photographs, you’re not likely to mistake it for any other type of fish.
巨大的检查板 如果你在野外或照片中见过一头鲸鲨,
A whale shark has a wide, flat head and a blunt snout with a gigantic mouth.
鲸鲨头部宽而扁平 有口大而钝的鼻孔
It often swims with its mouth open.
常以口开而取之而取之而取之.
Like other sharks, whale sharks have rough skin and sharp scales, which are called dermal denticles (“skin teeth”).
与其他鲨鱼一样,鲸鲨有粗糙的皮肤和尖锐的鳞片,被称作皮肤凹陷("皮肤牙齿").
Their back is dark—bluish, grayish, or brownish—with a distinctive pattern of light-colored spots and stripes often described as similar to a checkerboard or domino.
它们的背部为深色 -- -- 黑色、灰色或褐色 -- -- 有明显的浅色斑点和条纹,通常被描述为与跳棋或多米诺相似。
Scientists don’t know the purpose of this unusual color pattern.
科学家不知道这种不寻常的颜色图案的目的。
Some think it might help shield whale sharks from too much sunlight at the water’s surface.
有些人认为这可能有助于保护鲸鲨免受水面上过多阳光的侵袭。
Others think the pattern may be for camouflage, but adults are so large that predators are rarely a problem.
其他人则认为这种模式可能是为伪装而作,但成年人如此之大以至于捕食者很少成为问题.
However, the color pattern may keep young whale sharks safe by helping them blend in with their surroundings.
然而,颜色图案可能通过帮助幼鲸鲨鱼与周围环境相融合来保持安全.
Each whale shark has a unique color pattern, which scientists can use to identify it.
每只鲸鲨都有独特的颜色图案,科学家可以用来识别.
What Makes a Whale Shark a Fish?
鲸鲨是什么?
A whale shark uses its whole body to swim—not just its tail and back end like other sharks.
鲸鲨用全身来游泳, 不只是尾巴和后端,
Large back fin and tail fin Mouth at the front of its head (not under its snout like other sharks) Five large gill slits on each side Most fish • have a backbone • breathe with gills • live in water • have tails and paired fins • are cold-blooded • have scales • lay eggs Like all sharks, a whale shark has a skeleton made of cartilage instead of bone.
头部前部有大后鳍和尾鳍口(不像其他鲨鱼那样在鼻下) 每边有5个大 gi片 · 多数鱼有脊椎; 和所有鲨鱼一样,鲸鲨有骨架由软骨而不是骨骼所制成.
Out to Sea Whale sharks live in tropical and warm temperate regions of the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian Oceans.
向出海去 出海去 出海去 鲸鲨生活在大西洋,太平洋和印度洋等热带和暖温带地区.
They swim in the open ocean as well as close to shore.
它们在开阔的海洋中游泳,也靠近岸上.
They are often seen swimming at the surface, and they also dive as deep as 6,000 feet (1,829 m).
它们常被看到在地表上游泳,也下潜到6000英尺(1,829米)深.
They’re strong swimmers but are slow compared to the fastest shark, the shortfin mako, which speeds along at over 30 miles per hour (48 kmph).
与速度最快的鲨鱼(短鳍马可)相比,
Whale sharks can swim for long distances at a rate of 2.
鲸鲨可以以2.
4 miles per hour (3.
每小时4英里(3.
9 kmph).
9 kmph) (英语).
Whale sharks are usually solitary but are often seen with remoras—a type of fish with a sucker- like structure—attached to their body.
鲸鲨通常都是被隔离的,但常被看到被取回(remoras)——一种带有类似结构的吸虫的鱼——附着在身上.
Whale sharks may also travel with groups of large fish that have similar feeding habits.
鲸鲨还可以与有类似喂养习惯的大鱼群一起出行.
Whale sharks migrate long distances, although the reasons aren’t clear.
虽然原因不明,
The behavior could be related to breeding, finding food, or other reasons.
行为可能与繁殖,寻找食物或其他原因有关.
Migrations are commonly more than 1,240 miles (2,000 km) long.
迁徙通常有1,240多英里(2,000公里)长.
One whale shark was recorded migrating 8,077 miles (13,000 km) over a period of more than three years.
据记录,一只鲸鲨在三年多的时间里迁徙了8 077英里(13,000公里)。
Whale sharks gather all over the world in places called aggregation sites.
鲸鲨聚集在世界各地 地点被称为集合地。
The largest, called the Afuera (Spanish for “out” or “outside”), is located off the coast of Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula.
最大的称为"Afuera" (西班牙语为"出"或"出"),位于墨西哥尤卡坦半岛外海.
Over four hundred whale sharks have been observed there at the same time, feeding on large quantities of fish eggs.
同时在那里观测到400多只鲸鲨,以大量鱼卵为食.
Another large group was seen swimming near coral reefs in the Red Sea.
另一大群被看见在红海珊瑚礁附近游泳.
Scientists study these gatherings to learn more about whale shark behavior, including where these huge fish feed and breed.
科学家研究这些聚会,以更多地了解鲸鲨的行为,包括这些巨大的鱼类的喂养和繁殖地点.
Where Whale Sharks Live AUSTRALIA ASIA EUROPE AFRICA SOUTH AMERICA NORTH AMERICA ATLANTIC OCEAN INDIAN OCEAN PACIFIC OCEAN PACIFIC OCEAN Equator Whale shark habitat and migration range Remoras help keep whale sharks free of parasites and get food and protection in return.
鲸鲨在哪里 实况转播 澳洲欧洲 南-北美洲 印度洋 太平洋 太平洋 太平洋赤道 鲸鲨栖息地和迁徙范围 Remoras有助于使鲸鲨没有寄生虫,并获得食物和保护作为回报.
Huge Fish, Tiny Food Whale sharks are different from most other sharks in that they don’t actively hunt for food and are not considered predators.
大鱼,小食物 鲸鲨与大多数其他鲨鱼不同,
They eat plankton— microscopic ocean animals and plants that drift in the water.
他们吃浮游生物——微缩的海洋动物和在水中漂流的植物。
Another food source is micronekton— tiny animals that can swim.
另一种食物来源是微纳克通-能游泳的小动物.
Krill, which are similar to shrimp, are a favorite food of whale sharks.
与虾类相近的磷虾是鲸鲨最喜爱的食物.
They may also eat small fish, squid, plants, fish eggs, and occasionally larger fish such as tuna.
它们也可能吃小鱼,鱿鱼,植物,鱼蛋等,偶尔也会吃金枪鱼等较大鱼类.
Whale sharks eat using a process called filter feeding.
鲸鲨用一种叫做过滤喂食的过程来吃.
When they open their mouth, the ocean water carries in various types of food.
当它们张开口时,海水携带着各种类型的食物.
As the water flows toward their gills, five pairs of spongy filter pads trap the small animals and plants.
随着水流向它们的 gi, 有五对海绵过滤垫 困住小动物和植物。
Then the water flows out through their external gill slits.
然后水流出 他们的外 gi被割去。
Filter feeding in whale sharks involves one of two main strategies.
鲸鲨的过滤喂养涉及两个主要策略之一.
Passive feeding, also known as ram feeding, is a calm activity in which a whale shark swims with its mouth open and its head bobbing from side to side.
被动取食也叫"公羊取食",是一种平静的活动,其中鲸鲨会口开口地游来游去,头部会从一面向一面跳去.
With passive feeding, a whale shark swallows anything that flows in, including ocean trash.
通过被动的喂食,一头鲸鲨会吞下任何流入其中的东西,包括海洋垃圾.
It can turn its stomach inside out through its mouth to get rid of the trash.
它能从口中将胃内向外翻出来清除垃圾.
Suction feeding, similar to using a vacuum cleaner, involves sucking or gulping in large amounts of water.
吸食与使用吸尘器类似,涉及大量水中吸食或粘入。
This type of feeding is useful when a high density of food is present.
当存在高密度食物时,这种喂养是有用的.
In that case, it’s possible for a whale shark to take in too much food at once.
这样的话,鲸鲨就可以同时摄取太多的食物。
If it does, it may cough to clear out any excess that builds up on its filter pads.
如果有的话,它可能会咳嗽来清除任何积聚在过滤垫上的过量.
Whale sharks pump their gills when they use suction feeding but not passive feeding.
鲸鲨在使用吸食但非被动取食时会泵出它们的 gi.
A whale shark can trap food as small as 0.
鲸鲨可以捕捉到小到0级的食物.
08 inches (2 mm) in diameter in its filter pads.
其过滤垫直径为08英寸(2毫米).
Then the water exits through its gill slits.
然后水通过它的 gi片出水.
Groups of whale sharks have been seen feeding at the ocean’s surface at sunset or after dark, when plankton are plentiful.
当浮游生物繁多时,人们看到一群鲸鲨在日出后或在黑暗后入海取食。
Whale sharks probably find their food by smell.
鲸鲨可能通过嗅觉找到食物.
Scientists determined this by looking at the placement of a whale shark’s nostrils and eyes.
科学家们通过观察鲸鲨鼻孔和眼睛的位置来决定这一点。
The nostrils are located near the top of the mouth, close to a whale shark’s food source.
鼻孔位于口上方,靠近鲸鲨的食物来源.
The tiny eyes are farther back on the head, which suggests that they play a less important role in finding food.
细小的眼睛更回头部,这表明它们在寻找食物方面起的作用不那么重要.
Giant Puppies Scientists once thought that whale sharks laid eggs.
巨猫科学家一度认为鲸鲨会下蛋.
Then, in 1995, they discovered that whale sharks give birth to live babies.
后于1995年发现鲸鲨会生出活胎.
A pregnant female that died had more than three hundred babies, or pups, growing inside her.
一个死去的孕妇有三百多个孩子,或者小狗,在她体内生长.
The growing sharks were 16 to 24 inches (42–63 cm) long.
生长的鲨鱼有16至24英寸(42至63厘米)长.
Some were more developed than others, so they would have been born sooner.
有的比有的发达,所以早生了.
Whale shark reproduction is different from human reproduction in an important way.
鲸鲨的繁殖与人类的繁殖有重要区别.
Whale shark babies do not share a blood supply with the mother and do not get nutrients directly from her.
鲸鲨宝宝不与母亲分享血液供应,也不直接从她那里得到营养.
Instead, each one is enclosed in an egg case with an egg yolk to nourish it before birth.
相反,每只被围在蛋壳上,并用蛋黄在生前喂养.
When a pup is full-grown, it breaks out of its egg case, after which the mother gives birth to it.
幼崽长出后会从蛋壳中分出,后由母亲生出.
As soon as it’s born, a pup is mature enough to survive on its own.
幼崽一出世,就足够自己活下来了。
wide—large enough to fit a person!
宽到足够适合一个人!
long.
长.
That’s as long as one and a half school buses.
连校车也一样长。
or 2,460,517 liters) in four hours.
或2,460,517升)在4小时内.
An adult whale shark may be twenty-five times as long as a newborn.
成年鲸鲨可能长于新生儿的25倍.
Babies and Adults A whale shark has 300 rows of tiny teeth, but it doesn’t use them for eating.
婴儿和成年人 鲸鲨有300行细齿,
Whale shark pups look like adult whale sharks except for their smaller size.
鲸鲨幼崽除了体型较小外,外形还像成年鲸鲨.
No one has ever observed a whale shark birth, so scientists can only speculate about the event.
从未有人观察到鲸鲨出世,因此科学家只能猜测这一事件.
They suspect that whale sharks give birth in the open ocean rather than near shore.
他们怀疑鲸鲨在开阔的海洋中而不是在岸边生出.
Newborn pups grow more quickly than older juveniles, and females grow more quickly than males and are larger when full-grown.
新生幼崽的生长快于年长的幼崽,而雌性生长快于雄性,成年后体型较大.
Whale sharks reach maturity at around thirty years of age.
鲸鲨在30岁左右达到成熟.
No one knows how long they live, but sharks as a group live for a long time.
没有人知道他们活了多久, 但鲨鱼作为一个群体生活了很长时间。
Because of whale sharks’ large size, scientists think they could live for one hundred years.
由于鲸鲨的体型很大,科学家认为它们可以活上一百年.
Staying Alive Whale sharks are hunted for their meat, skin, fins, and liver oil.
活着 鲸鲨被猎取它们的肉,皮肤,鳍和肝油.
They are easy to hunt because they often swim near the water’s surface, and they’re vulnerable to collisions with ships for the same reason.
也容易与船只相撞。
In addition, whale sharks are often caught by accident when people are fishing for other species.
此外,在人们为其他物种捕鱼时,鲸鲨常常被意外捕获.
Pollution, destruction of their habitat, and factors related to climate change are additional threats to whale sharks.
污染、其生境被破坏以及与气候变化有关的因素是对鲸鲨的额外威胁。
Whale sharks are not yet endangered, but they are classified as “vulnerable”—in danger of becoming endangered.
鲸鲨尚未濒临灭绝,但被归类为“脆弱”鲨鱼,有濒临灭绝的危险。
Some countries have placed limits on the numbers of whale sharks that can be hunted in order to try to protect them from further decline.
一些国家对可以捕猎的鲸鲨数量加以了限制,以试图保护鲨鱼免受进一步减少.
In addition, ecotourism is helping call attention to the value of these animals as one of Earth’s treasures.
此外,生态旅游还帮助人们关注这些动物作为地球宝藏的价值。
Two snorkelers swim alongside a juvenile whale shark in Mexico’s Sea of Cortez.
两名潜水员在墨西哥科特斯海与一只幼鲸鲨同游。
A whale shark skims the ocean’s surface to feed on plankton in West Papua, Indonesia.
在印度尼西亚西巴布亚,
Whale sharks are a symbol of good luck in Japan.
鲸鲨是日本好运气的象征.
In Vietnam, they’re called “Sir Fish” and are prayed to for protection.
在越南,它们被称为"Sir Fish"并被祈求保护.
In Mexico, whale sharks are called “domino” because of the pattern of spots on their body.
在墨西哥,鲸鲨因其体内有斑点的模式而被称为"多米诺".
In Madagascar, the name for a whale shark means “many stars.”
在马达加斯加,鲸鲨的取名意为“许多恒星。 “
A Streak of Luck Mega Fish You’re snorkeling again—this time in the Gulf of Mexico.
幸运巨鱼之战 这次在墨西哥湾,
As an enormous whale shark swims near, you have no fear.
作为一个巨大的鲸鲨 游近,你没有恐惧。
You watch in wonder as it opens its mouth—as wide as a bicycle is long— and sucks in ocean water.
你看着它的口开得像自行车一样宽,它在海水中很烂;
You observe its huge gill slits pumping as it collects tiny ocean food.
你可以看到它巨大的 gi在收集微小的海洋食物时被切开。
You marvel at the elegance of this enormous creature and understand what a privilege it is to see this gentle giant up close.
你对这个巨大的生物的优雅感到惊奇 并且明白看到这个温柔的巨人靠近是多么的荣幸
Glossary aggregation (n.)
词汇汇总(n.)
a group, gathering, or collection of many things or individuals (p.
团体,聚集,或收集许多东西或个人(p.
8) distinctive (adj.)
8) 有特色(adj.)
having a quality or characteristic that is different and notable (p.
具有不同和显著的质量或特征(p.
5) endangered (adj.)
(5) 濒危(adj.)
in danger of dying out completely (p.
处于完全死亡的危险中(p.
14) migrate (v.)
14) 迁移(五.
to move from one habitat or region to another at a certain time each year (p.
每年某一时间从一个生境或区域迁移到另一个区域(p.
8) passive (adj.)
8) 被动(adj.
not active (p.
非活动(p.
10) plankton (n.)
10) 浮游生物 (n.
tiny plants and animals that live on or near the ocean’s surface (p.
生活在或靠近海洋表面的小型动植物(p.
9) predators (n.)
9) 食肉动物(n.
animals that hunt and eat other animals to survive (p.
猎取并吃取其他动物以生存的动物(p.
5) reproduction (n.)
5)再生(n.
the process of producing offspring (p.
生成后代的过程(p.
12) snout (n.)
12) 口鼻 (n.
the nose and mouth of an animal (p.
动物的鼻子和嘴 (p.
5) solitary (adj.)
(5) 单独(adj.)
single; alone (p.
单人; 单人(p.
7) temperate (adj.)
7) 温带(adj.
having mild temperatures (p.
温度(p.
7) vulnerable (adj.)
7) 弱势(adj.)
able to be hurt easily (p.
易被伤害(p.
14) Baitfish form a tight school around a whale shark to stay safe from predators.
14) 贝类鱼在鲸鲨周围形成一个紧凑的学派来躲避捕食者.