常春藤解析英语 103 Eye of the Leopard 花豹之眼

Eye of the Leopard 花豹之眼

by Matthew Brown

A new two-hour program shows us a leopard''s struggle for survival in the wilds of Africa.

长达两小时的新节目带领我们探索非洲荒野上一只花豹的生存之道。

This month, the National Geographic Channel presents a new program you won''t want to miss. Husband-and-wife filmmakers Dereck and Beverly Joubert spent three years following the life of a single leopard. The result of their work is the two-hour special Eye of the Leopard, an enthralling journey deep into the rarely seen lives of leopards.

The project began when the filmmakers were observing leopards in Botswana, Africa. One leopard in particular caught their attention. The cat had a birthmark that made her stand out from all the others, and they named her Legadema, which means "light from the sky." As they followed Legadema over the next few years, they watched as she grew from an eight-month-old cub to an adult.

Leopards are skillful predators, but in their harsh environment, survival cannot be taken for granted. Legadema and her mother were forced to fight off baboons and escape from scavenging hyenas. While documenting the leopards'' adventures, the Jouberts chose to respect the natural environment and didn''t allow themselves to interfere in the leopards'' existence, even when the animals faced great danger.

As Legadema grew, she refined her hunting skills, moving from lizards and squirrels to warthogs, impalas, and even dangerous baboons. One incredible episode is particularly memorable and shows that leopards aren''t simply fierce hunting machines. Legadema kills a mother baboon, and then finds the young baby baboon still clinging to its mother. To the filmmakers'' amazement—and ours—Legadema doesn''t harm the baby baboon. Instead, she lies down and wraps herself around it protectively. When a scavenging hyena comes along, Legadema carefully lifts the baby to safety. For viewers, this complex scene brings different emotions, but one thing is certain: watching Legadema protect the baby baboon is unforgettable.

Rarely do we get a chance to learn so much about the mysterious lives of leopards. Tune in to Eye of the Leopard for insight into a leopard''s world.

1. How did filming of Eye of the Leopard begin?

(A) The filmmakers spent three years with a tribe of leopards.

(B) The filmmakers noticed Legadema and they watched her raise her cubs.

(C) The filmmakers were following an adult leopard named Legadema.

(D) The filmmakers were watching leopards and they noticed one particular young cub.

2. Why didn''t the Jouberts interfere in the leopards'' lives?

(A) It was too dangerous.

(B) They were too far away.

(C) They thought it was wrong to disturb nature.

(D) It was illegal.

3. What is surprising about the scene where Legadema kills a baboon?

(A) It''s unusual for an animal to care for another animal''s young.

(B) It''s strange for a leopard not to run away after killing its prey.

(C) Legadema decides to raise the baby baboon herself.

(D) Baboons usually hunt leopards.

4. In the first and last paragraphs, the article suggests that this program is worth watching because _____.

(A) the filmmakers are married

(B) no one was sure that leopards existed until now

(C) Africa is a difficult place to film

(D) opportunities to learn about leopards are rare

Rarely do we get a chance to learn so much about the mysterious lives of leopards.

注意:

rarely(很少)、seldom(很少)、hardly(几乎不)、scarcely(几乎不)、never(从不)等否定副词置于句首时，其后的句子须采倒装句构。

例: Rarely does a movie do so well for so long.

(很少有电影可以热卖这么久。)

例: Never have I seen such acts of generosity.

(我从来没见过像这样慷慨大方的行为。)

leopard n. 花豹

observe vt. 观察

birthmark n. 胎记

cub n. 幼兽

predator n. 猎食者

harsh a.(天气、环境等)恶劣的，严峻的

baboon n. 狒狒

scavenging a. 觅食的

scavenge vt.(动物)以(腐肉)为食

hyena n. 鬣狗，土狼

document vt.(以记述、拍摄电影或照片的方式)纪录 & n. 纪录;文件

documentary n. 纪录片

lizard n. 蜥蜴

squirrel n. 松鼠

warthog n. 疣猪

impala n.(非洲的)黑斑羚

memorable a. 难忘的

wrap vt. 卷起;包住

complex a. 错综复杂的;难懂的

unforgettable a. 难忘的

prey n. 猎物

catch/grab one''s attention　　吸引某人的注意

care for...　　照料……

present vt. 上演;呈献

present sb with sth

= present sth to sb　　 将某物呈献给某人;颁发某物给某人

例: The group presented the basketball player with an award.

(该团体颁奖给这名篮球员。)

enthralling a. 迷人的

enthrall vt. 迷住，使着迷

例: Billy was enthralled by the movie about aliens.

(比利很迷那部关于外星人的电影。)

in particular　　特别地;尤其

= particularly adv.

例: Everyone in my family loves ice cream, my sister in particular.

= Everyone in my family loves ice cream, particularly my sister.

(我家里的每个人都喜欢吃冰淇淋，尤其是我妹妹。)

stand out　　显眼;突出;杰出

例: My yellow bicycle really stands out from the other bikes.

(我的黄色脚踏车在其它脚踏车中特别显眼。)

skillful a. 有技术的，老练的

be skillful in/at...　　对……很在行

= be skilled in/at...

例: Terry is skillful in diving, and he''s competed in several events.

(泰瑞的跳水技术一流，他参加过多次跳水比赛。)

take...for granted　　把……视为理所当然

例: Gary broke up with Tracy because she took him for granted.

(盖瑞和崔西分手是因为她不够重视他。)

escape from...　　从……逃脱

例: Nelly managed to escape from her kidnapper.

(纳莉设法从绑架者那儿逃走。)

interfere in...　　干涉∕干预……

interfere with...　　妨碍……

例: Please don''t interfere in my friendships!

(请你不要干涉我的交友状况。)

例: I try not to interfere with my dad''s work.

(我试着不妨碍我爸工作。)

existence n. 生存;存在

come into existence　　产生，发生;开始存在

= come into being

例: The legend came into existence shortly after the war.

(这个传说是在战争后不久传出来的。)

refine vt. 改进，使完善

例: Your painting style isn''t bad, but you should try to refine it a little.

(你的画风还不错，但应该还有精进的空间。)

cling to...　　紧紧黏着∕抓住……

例: The child clung to his mother while the firecrackers exploded.

(这个小孩在鞭炮响起时紧紧抓着母亲。)

to + 所有格 + amazement　　令某人惊讶的是

注意:

『to + 所有格 + 表情绪的名词』可形成介词词组，通常置于句首，修饰全句。常见的有：

to one''s delight　　令某人高兴的是

to one''s disappointment　　令某人失望的是

to one'' sorrow　　令某人难过的是

to one''s satisfaction　　令某人满意的是

例: To Al''s delight, his son graduated with honors.

(令艾尔高兴的是，他的儿子以优异成绩毕业。)

protectively adv. 保护性地

protective a. 保护的，防护的

be protective of...　　保护……

例: Kyle is protective of his little brother and doesn''t let anyone make fun of him.

(凯尔很保护自己的小弟，绝不让别人捉弄他。)

lift...to safety　　将……举起到安全的地方

lead/take...to safety　　将……带到安全的地方

例: The rescue helicopter found the missing ship and led it to safety.

(救难直升机找到失踪的船只，并指引它到安全的地方。)

insight n. 洞察力，见识(常与介词 into 并用)

例: The research provides insights into solar energy.

(这项研究提供有关太阳能的深刻见解。)

be worth + N/V-ing　　值得……

例: This movie is worth watching. I''ve seen it twice.

(这部电影很值得看。我还看了两遍。)

本月份的国家地理频道将呈现给您绝对不容错过的全新内容。制作人德瑞克‧朱柏特和比佛莉‧朱柏特夫妇花了 3 年时间跟拍一头花豹，纪录牠的生活点滴。他们的心血将制成两个小时的特辑《花豹之眼》，这趟迷人之旅将带您一赌行踪鲜少曝光的花豹，深入了解牠们的生活。

本节目要从这对制作人夫妇在非洲的波札那观察花豹开始说起。有一只花豹特别引起他们的注意。这只猫科动物身上的胎记使她特别突出，他们将这只花豹命名为拉赫迪玛，即『天上的闪电』之意。接下来他们花了几年的时间跟随这只花豹，看着她从 8 个月大长到成年。

花豹是技巧高明的猎食者，但在艰困的环境里，谁也不能打包票自己能存活下来。拉赫迪玛和母亲被迫击退狒狒，并且躲避嗜吃腐肉的鬣狗攻击。在纪录花豹冒险经历的同时，朱柏特夫妇选择尊重自然环境，避免干预花豹的生活，即使牠们身陷险境也绝不插手。

拉赫迪玛在成长的过程中磨练自己的狩猎技巧，对象则从蜥蜴、松鼠到疣猪、黑斑羚，甚至是凶恶的狒狒。其中一段不可思议的内容尤其令人记忆深刻，因为它证明了花豹不只是凶猛的杀手。拉赫迪玛猎杀了一只母狒狒后，发现狒狒宝宝还紧抓着母亲不放。令这对制作人与观众意外的是，拉赫迪玛并没有伤害这只小狒狒。她反而躺下来用身体把小狒狒围起来加以保护。当一只觅食的鬣狗接近时，拉赫迪玛小心翼翼地把小狒狒抬起带到安全的地方。这错综复杂的一幕给观众带来的感受不尽相同，但有一点是可以确定的：看见拉赫迪玛保护小狒狒的举动实在令人难以忘怀。

我们很少有机会了解这么多关于花豹的神秘生活。敬请准时收看《花豹之眼》，一窥花豹的世界。

1. 《花豹之眼》这个节目以什么做为开场?

(A) 制作人花了 3 年时间和一群花豹相处。

(B) 制作人注意到拉赫迪玛，看她养育自己的小花豹。

(C) 制作人跟随一头名为拉赫迪玛的成年花豹。

(D) 制作人观察花豹时发现一只特别的小花豹。

题解: 根据第二段，本节目要从这对片制作人夫妇在非洲的波扎那观察花豹开始说起。一只身上有胎记的花豹特别引起他们的注意。他们花了几年的时间跟随这只花豹，看着她从 8 个月大长到成年，可知应选 (D)。

2. 为什么朱柏特夫妇不干预花豹的生活?

(A) 那样太危险了。

(B) 他们的距离太遥远。

(C) 他们认为不应该干扰自然。

(D) 这是犯法的行为。

题解: 根据第三段，在纪录花豹冒险经历的同时，朱柏特夫妇选择尊重自然环境，避免干预花豹的生活，可知应选 (C)。

3. 拉赫迪玛猎杀狒狒的那一幕发生什么令人惊讶的事?

(A) 动物会照顾另一种动物的小孩实在不寻常。

(B) 花豹捕杀猎物后没有离开实在太奇怪了。

(C) 拉赫迪玛决定自己抚养这只小狒狒。

(D) 狒狒通常会猎捕花豹。

题解: 根据第四段，拉赫迪玛猎杀母狒狒后，发现狒狒宝宝还紧抓着母亲不放。出乎众人意料之外，她并没有伤害这只小狒狒，反而躺下来用身体把小狒狒围起来加以『保护』，故选 (A)。文中并未提及拉赫迪玛后来是否继续『抚养』小狒狒，故 (C) 不可选。

4. 在第一段和最后一段的文章里提到这个节目值得一看是因为 _____。

(A) 这对制片家结婚了

(B) 直到现在我们才确认花豹的存在

(C) 非洲是个不好取景的地方

(D) 了解花豹的机会实在不多

题解: 根据第一段和最后一段，在在显示花豹的行踪飘忽，我们很少有机会了解牠们的生活，所以该节目很值得一看，故选 (D)。

标准答案: 1. (D) 2. (C) 3. (A) 4. (D)