2015考研英语阅读侵略性物种_大学英语阅读

2015考研英语阅读侵略性物种

　　Buckthorn is notorious for overshadowing other plants and thus inhibiting their growth.

　　鼠李属植物臭名昭著，因为它遮挡其他植物，继而抑制其生长。

　　That thins the forest understorey and increases visibility which, Dr Magle reckons, helpspredators spot nests that denser vegetation would hide.

　　玛格拉博士认为，森林下层林木由此变稀薄，能见度增加。这有利于肉食动物找到能被密集植物隐藏的巢穴。

　　So the predators come looking.

　　于是，肉食动物前来寻找。

　　Besides overshadowing its neighbours, buckthorn also engages in chemical warfare.

　　鼠李属植物除了挡住了他的邻居，还参与了化学战争。

　　Its leaves are full of a toxin called emodin that discourages browsers.

　　它的叶子充满了一种名为大黄素的毒素，使得食草动物望而却步。

　　Allison Sacerdote-Velat, one of Dr Magle s colleagues at Lincoln Park Zoo, and Richard King ofNorthern Illinois University, wondered what effect this chemical has on the world when theleaves fall off.

　　阿里森，和北部伊利诺斯州大学的瑞查德，均好奇当叶子脱落后，这种化学物对地面有何影响。

　　Emodin, they found, when they tested it on frogspawn, kills embryonic frogs. And when theyanalysed some local ponds, they discovered the chemical in them. Amphibian numbers havebeen falling in many places, including America, and many causes have been suggested.Emodin is surely not the only one. But it probably does not help.