Roadrunner's Race Against Time

The great American deserts cover over two-and-a-half million square kilometres. Here, roasted by the sun and blasted by the wind, the rocks disintegrate and mountains, particle by particle, are reduced to sand.
美洲大沙漠的面积超过 250 万平方公里。在这里，经过太阳的炙烤和狂风的吹袭，岩石崩裂，山峦化为了一粒一粒的沙土。

These pillars are all that remain of a plateau where dinosaurs once roamed. Few animals can now survive here. In summer, as in all deserts, the enemy is heat. And it returns every day. At seven in the morning, the temperature is already 25 degrees Celsius.
这些石柱是恐龙曾经出没的高原仅存的遗迹。现在很少有动物能在这里生存。在夏天，就像在所有的沙漠一样，炎热是敌人。且每天往复。早上7点，气温已经达到25摄氏度。

The clock is ticking for one unusual descendant of the dinosaurs. A roadrunner, found only in the deserts of North America. Built for a life on the ground. He can run at over 30km an hour, but the prey he seeks are one step ahead.
对于一种不寻常的恐龙后代来说，时间正在流逝。他是走鹃，只能在北美的沙漠中找到。在地面上生活。他能以每小时超过30公里的速度奔跑，但他寻找的猎物却领先一步。

The roadrunner's challenge is picking the right target. A Gila Monster — too big. By mid-morning, it will be 40 degrees Celsius. Even the smallest lizards will soon head for cover. A centipede, slim pickings for a morning's work.
走鹃的挑战是选择正确的目标。毒蜥对他来说太大了。到上午10点左右，气温将达到40摄氏度。即使是最小的蜥蜴也会迅速寻找阴蔽之处。忙活一上午，也只收获了一只蜈蚣。

Hunting should get easier and prey will stay out longer once the summer's peak begins to fade.
一旦夏季的高温开始消退，狩猎应该会变得更容易，猎物也会停留更长时间。

词汇表
great American desert 美洲大沙漠：旧地理名称，原指北美、包括大平原地区在内的广袤半干旱地域。
roast 炙烤，暴露在太阳下使受热发烫
blast 吹袭， 喷射 (水流或气流)
disintegrate 破裂，粉碎，瓦解
remain 遗迹，剩余物
plateau 高原
roam 出没，漫步，闲逛
clock is ticking 时间紧迫，时间流逝
descendant 后代，子孙
roadrunner 走鹃（杜鹃属，见于北美）
prey 猎物，捕获物
one step ahead 领先一步，保持稍弱优势
Gila Monster 毒蜥（多出现在美国西南部沙漠）
slim pickings 收获甚微，选择很少

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