Battle for Sunlight in the Rainforest

BBC Earth｜Tropical Worlds｜The Green Planet

Throughout this forest, plants are competing ferociously with one another to claim the light. The battle is at its fiercest on the forest floor, where only 2% of the sunlight filters through. Plants here have to bide their time.
在这片森林里，植物们为了争夺阳光，相互之间展开了激烈的竞争。森林地面上的争夺最为激烈，因为只有 2% 的阳光能透过这里。这里的植物必须等待时机。

Their opportunity comes when an old tree dies. When that happens, sunlight floods the forest floor for the first time in perhaps 100 years. The seedling's wait is over. It must now race skywards and claim a place in the canopy. But it's not alone. Rivals are everywhere, each with its own survival strategy.
当一棵老树死去时，它们的机会就来了。这种情况发生时，阳光可能在100年来首次洒满森林地面。树苗的等待结束了。它现在必须迅速向天空生长，争取在树冠中占有一席之地。但它并不孤单。竞争对手无处不在，每个都有各自的生存策略。

Some plants, like this monstera, stretch out divided leaves to collect what light they can. This vine is groping blindly around with its tendrils. It attempts to reach the light by hitching a ride. Its tendrils are highly sensitive to touch. And a suitable target is in range. Got it! The vine tightens its grip and begins to haul itself upwards.
有些植物，比如这种龟背竹，会伸展出分裂的叶子来尽可能地收集光线。这株藤蔓正盲目地用它的卷须四处探索。它试图通过依附来接近光源。它的卷须对触碰非常敏感。合适的目标就在眼前。抓住了！藤蔓收紧了抓握，开始向上攀爬。

But it's now overtaken by the forest's fastest-growing tree. A young balsa. Its giant leaves are already 40cm across and are stealing the light from its rivals below. But the balsa's battle is not yet won. Other, different vines are lying in wait. Each is armed with dozens of claw-like hooks. If just one hook gets a grip, the vine will be able to smother its victim.
但它现在被森林中生长最快的树木超越了。一棵年轻的轻木。它的巨叶已经有40厘米宽，正在从下方的竞争对手那里窃取阳光。但轻木的战斗尚未获胜。其他不同的藤蔓正潜伏着。每根藤蔓都装备着数十个爪状钩子。如果任何一个钩子抓住了，藤蔓就能让受害者窒息。

But the balsa is defended by a shield of slippery hairs. The vine's hooks just can't get a hold. The balsa brushes them aside, and continues to rush skywards, leaving the losers in its shadow to fight among themselves. This balsa has won its battle for the light. And it's done so in a little over a year.
但是，轻木被一层光滑的茸毛所保护。藤蔓的钩子根本无法抓住它。轻轻而易举地将它们拂开，继续向天空冲刺，将那些失败者留在自己的阴影中相互争斗。这棵轻木赢得了对阳光的争夺战。而且，它在短短一年多的时间里就做到了。

Most trees would have grown an inch or so in that time, but this one is already 30 feet - 10 metres - tall. Balsas owe their success to the special character of their wood. If this section of tree trunk came from a hardwood tree, it would be really quite heavy. But as it is, it's from balsa, and it's really very light, and that's because of its internal structure.
大多数树木在这段时间里可能会长高一英寸左右，但这颗已经高达30英尺（约10米）了。轻木的成功归功于它们木材的特性。如果这段树干来自硬木树，它将会非常重。但事实上，它来自轻木，所以它非常轻，这正是因为它的内部结构。

Under the microscope, balsawood looks like a honeycomb. It contains more air than wood, so, not only can it grow very fast, but it gets the maximum height for minimum weight.
在显微镜下，轻木看起来像蜂窝。它所含的空气比木头还多，因此，它不仅生长得非常快，而且以最小的重量达到了最大高度。

词汇表
ferociously  猛烈地，凶猛地
claim the light 争夺阳光
filter through 透过，滤过
bide their time 耐心等待时机
seedling 幼苗
race/rush skywards 冲向天空（指植物迅速向上生长）
canopy 树冠层，（顶蓬似的）树阴
monstera 龟背竹，蓬莱蕉（因其枝干如竹，叶大翠绿像乌龟壳花纹而得名）
divided leaves  分裂的叶子，分叉生长的叶子
vine 藤蔓，攀缘植物
grope 摸索，探索
tendril （攀缘植物的）卷须
hitch a ride 搭便车（指藤蔓依附而上）
tighten its grip 收紧抓握力；加强掌控
overtake 超过，压制
balsa 轻木，巴尔沙木（原产于美洲的热带地区的一种坚固的质轻木材）
smother 使窒息，掩盖
claw-like hook 爪状钩子
shield 保护物，防护层
slippery hair 光滑的茸毛
brush aside 扫到一边，拂开
hardwood 硬木，阔叶树
internal structure  内部结构
microscope 显微镜
honeycomb 蜂窝状结构

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