弄蛇人與噴毒眼鏡蛇

西非橫斑眼鏡蛇，世界上速度最快、最危險的蛇之一，它會向前噴出毒液。這毒液噴在皮膚上沒事，但要是有個傷口，或是進入嘴裡，就得小心了。若噴到眼睛上，一小點就能弄瞎你。我們來看一下弄蛇人如何與它鬥智鬥勇。  膽小者慎入！！！

 

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Afternoon winds are fairly common at this time of year. But most aren’t as violent as this one, thousands of tons of sand moving at up to 40 miles an hour. I can’t carry on in this. I need to find a shelter spot and wait until it all blows over.

每年在這個季節下午經常颳風，但很少颳得這麼大，成千噸的沙子以60多公裡的時速飛舞著。我感到很難受，我必須找到一個避風處。

★ fairly  ad.相當地

★ up to  多達，高達

★ shelter  n.庇護

 

The following morning, as I wait for Gram’s call, I spot an ominous S-shape trail leading under the front wheels of my vehicle. It looks like I wasn’t the only one using my car to escape the sand storm and the cold desert night.

第二天早晨，在等格雷姆電話的時候，我發現車的前輪底下有一條不祥的S形痕跡。看來不止我自己用這輛車來躲避沙暴和沙漠裡寒冷的夜晚。

★★★ ominous  a.不祥的

★ wheel  n.車輪

 

This guy is quite tangled up here and he’s got himself hooked.

這傢伙藏得挺好，盤著不肯出來。

★★★ tangled  a.糾纏的，纏結的

★ hook  vt.鉤住，牢牢抓住

 

Western barred spitting cobra. These are one of the fastest and most dangerous snakes.

西非橫斑眼鏡蛇，世界上速度最快、最危險的蛇之一。

★★★ barred  a.有條紋的

★★★ spitting cobra  噴毒眼鏡蛇

 

Gorgeous movement he has, actually moves with his hood raised, isn’t that incredible.

動作真漂亮，頭一直昂著移動，不可思議吧。

★★ gorgeous  a.優雅的，引人入勝的

★★★ hood  n.風帽

★ incredible  a.不可思議的

 

Watch him spit. He’s going for me straightaway. Watch him, watch his mouth just go slightly open. These are the best spitters in the whole world. They are incredible spitters. They don’t have to throw their bodies, they don’t have to move, as long as I’m moving very slowly. Watch, if I make a sudden movement, how he spits straight at me. Watch this.

它在噴毒，朝我噴了一口，快看，看它的嘴巴是微微張開的。這是全世界最會噴毒液的蛇，噴毒技術一流，它們身體不用撲，動都不動。我得慢慢地，非常慢地移動。一有突然的動作，它就會噴我一口。

★ spit  v.吐口水；（發怒時）發呼嚕呼嚕聲

★ straightaway  ad.直截了當地

★ slightly  ad.些微地

★ incredible  a.不可思議的

 

This venom is fine. It can get on your skin. It’s not a problem. It can’t soak in the skin. It’s nothing to worry about. But if it gets into a wound, if you』ve got a cut on your hand or you get it into the mouth. You』ve got to be very careful.

這毒液在皮膚上沒事，沒有問題。不會被吸收進去，沒關係的。但要是有個傷口，手上有個口子或是進入嘴裡，就得小心了。

★★★ venom  n.毒液

★ soak  vi.滲透

 

Some snakes have to throw the venom forward. These guys are such fantastic spitters. They have venom glands on each side of the jaw surrounded by muscle and all he does is contract the muscle and that squirts the venom forward.

有幾種蛇噴射毒液得向前撲，這些蛇噴起毒液來更厲害。它們的下巴兩邊都有毒腺，被肌肉包圍，肌肉一收縮就會向前噴出毒液。

★★★ venom  n.毒液

★★ gland  n腺

★ jaw  n.下巴

★ contract  v.（使）收縮

★★★ squirt  v.擠，噴射      

 

See how alert he is. And you know, as with other cobras, you fool with them, you try to tease them, you try to get them to go away form you to look away, look how he keep steadily on me here.

看它警惕性有多高，不像其它眼鏡蛇那樣好糊弄。想逗它，讓它走開或者往旁邊看都沒用，它就這麼一直盯著我。

★ alert  a.警覺的

★★★ cobra  n.眼鏡蛇

★ tease  vt.戲弄

★ steadily  ad.穩定地，穩固地

 

He gives a little bit of spray. It’s almost imperceptible. Just let you have it like that. You』ve got enough venom to stop any animals dead in the track.

它噴了一點毒液，幾乎感覺不到，它就給你這麼一下。這些毒液一般就會讓別的動物不去惹它。

★ spray  n.噴霧

★★★ imperceptible  a.感覺不到的

★★★ venom  n.毒液

★ dead in the track  毫無進展

 

Is it possible to see it? tremendous amount of venom on there. One little speck like that is enough to actually blind you if you don’t wash that very quickly.

可以看見嗎？那上面毒液可不少，就那麼一點就能弄瞎你，除非你很快去清洗乾淨。

★ tremendous  a.巨大的

★★★ venom  n.毒液

★★★ speck  n.汙點，小點

 

Have you ever seen a snake react like that? He’s so much faster than other cobras. I』ve touched other cobras and actually stroked their heads like that. But this guy is so intent.

看到蛇的反應了嗎？它比別的眼鏡蛇反應快多了。我碰過別的眼鏡蛇，有時還會像這樣摸它們的頭，但這傢伙太警覺了。

★ react  vi.反應

★★★ cobra  n.眼鏡蛇

★ stroke  vt.輕觸

★ intent  a.專注的

 

 

 

 

註：一星詞彙為四級難度，二星詞彙為六級、考研難度，三星詞彙為雅思、託福及以上難度，大家根據自己的考試要求選擇性學習。