Golden Snub-nosed Monkey: Huddling for Warmth

Seven Worlds, One Planet｜Asia



Asia's mountains stretch all the way from Afghanistan, across northern India, to here in central China. These are the mountains of Shennongjia, among China's highest. The forests here were, until comparatively recently, the least known in the world. Few outsiders had any idea of what animals might be living in them.



There were stories of humanlike monsters - Yetis, Abominable Snowmen - who left strange footprints in the snow, but little else. And indeed, there are monkeys living in these snowy forests - and they're very strange.



Meet the blue-faced, golden-coated snub-nosed snow monkey. They are among the heftiest of monkeys. Big animals keep warm more easily than small ones, and they survive in colder conditions than any other monkey on Earth. They all have snub noses. Perhaps prominent ones would only too easily get frostbitten.



The whole group huddles together at the slightest opportunity to keep warm. And who wouldn't? Even adults, if they get separated from the group, can freeze to death.



Now, in the depths of winter, food is desperately hard to find. The head of the family leads them to the edge of their territory in search of something to eat. The only food here is wretchedly unnourishing - bark, moss and lichen. There's hardly enough to sustain one monkey, let alone a family. But they share it peaceably. Survival depends on the group keeping together.



In these mountains, any food is precious. A rival group. They, too, are searching for food. The two males go head-to-head. And now the females join the fray. Outnumbered, the intruders retreat. Their leader is the last to go.



The fight was over the smallest of meals, but it was ferocious nonetheless, and the family is now scattered. But they must stay together. The youngest are already badly chilled. She can see her father, but has she the strength to reach him? Back to safety and warmth. The huddle is the only source of warmth in these bleak, frozen forests.



词汇表

golden snub-nosed monkey [ˌsnʌb ˈnəʊzd] 川金丝猴，蓝面猴，仰鼻猴(blue-faced / golden-coated / snub-nosed monkey)

stretch [stretʃ] 绵延，伸展，延伸

Afghanistan [æf'ɡænɪstæn] 阿富汗

Shennongjia 神农架（湖北省自然保护林区）

comparatively [kəmˈpærətɪvli] 相对地，比较而言

outsider [aʊtˈsaɪdə(r)] 外来者，局外人

humanlike [ˈhjuːmənlaɪk] 类人的，似人类的

Yetis / Abominable Snowman ['jeti][əˈbɒmɪnəb(ə)l][ˈsnəʊmæn] 雪人（据传生活在喜马拉雅山区，形如人类）

footprint ['fʊtprɪnt] 足迹，脚印

hefty ['hefti] 庞大的，重的

prominent [ˈprɒmɪnənt] 突出的，显著的

frostbite [ˈfrɒs(t)ˌbaɪt] 冻伤，遭受霜冻

huddle together  ['hʌd(ə)l]（因恐惧，寒冷等）挤在一起，缩成一团

freeze to death 冻死

territory [ˈterət(ə)ri] 领土，领地，地盘

wretchedly [ˈretʃɪdlɪ] 极其地，可怜地，差劲地

unnourishing [ˌʌnˈnʌrɪʃɪŋ] 无营养的

bark [bɑː(r)k] 树皮；狗叫

moss [mɒs] 苔藓，地衣

lichen [ˈlɪtʃ(ə)n] 地衣，苔藓

sustain [sə'steɪn] 支持，支撑，维持

let alone 更不用说

rival ['raɪv(ə)l]  对手，敌手，竞争者

go head-to-head 正面交锋，直接对抗

fray [freɪ] 吵闹，争吵，争斗

outnumber [ˌaʊtˈnʌmbə(r)] 比…多，数目超过

intruder [ɪnˈtruːdə(r)] 闯入者，入侵者

retreat [rɪˈtriːt] 撤退，退却，后退

ferocious [fəˈrəʊʃəs] 凶猛的，强烈的，激烈的

nonetheless [ˌnʌnðəˈles]  尽管如此，仍然，可是

scattered [ˈskætə(r)d] 分散的，离散的

chilled [tʃɪld] 已冷的，冷硬了的，冷冻的

bleak [bliːk] 荒凉的；阴冷的，寒冷的



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