Luis國際資訊事務所

by Marcus Maurice
As the sun goes down, predators get ready to strike.

　　When most people think of hyenas, they picture cowardly scavengers that gang up on and steal from other animals that have recently made a kill. Actually, this stereotype is not totally true, especially for spotted hyenas, which kill up to 95 percent of the food they eat. Also, spotted hyenas have been known to ward off bigger animals like leopards and lions from prey they have killed themselves. Even though they will sometimes wander around in the early mornings, hyenas are nocturnal animals, which are the focus of one of the episodes in this month's National Geographic Channel's (NGC) Night Stalkers.
　　NGC spares no expense with revolutionary technology, such as high-definition remote controlled thermal cameras which allow continuous viewing of a forest waterhole day and night. NGC's cameramen shoot thirsty animals coming to refresh themselves in the water while many predators stealthily stalk them. In Night Stalkers: Hyena, NGC's cameras capture these vicious creatures in their natural element. Innocent animals, such as tapir, deer, peccaries, and monkeys, cautiously approach the waterhole, hoping for refreshment. Out of nowhere, hyenas appear, but the small animals have no chance and end up as dinner for a pack of blood-thirsty killers.
　　Night Stalkers is unique because the cameras penetrate the darkness and reveal what really goes on at night. While the hyenas are brutal, they also have a playful side that is shown. Learn how hyenas, as well as leopards and crocodiles, interact in the heart of darkness this month with NGC's Night Stalkers.

當太陽下山後，獵食者準備出擊。
　　大部分人想到鬣狗時，會想像一群膽小的食腐動物聚集在一起，從其他動物身邊偷走牠們最近獵捕來的食物。事實上，這種刻板印象並非完全屬實，尤其是對斑 鬣狗而言，因為他們高達百分之九十五的食物都是靠自己獵殺。此外，斑鬣狗為人所知的就是會驅趕豹和獅子這類體型較大的動物，避免牠們接近自己獵殺回來的獵 物。雖然斑鬣狗有時會在清晨到處遊蕩，但牠們屬於夜行性動物，也是本月份國家地理頻道《夜行追蹤》系列節目之一的主角。
　　國家地理頻道不惜成本，運用像是高解析度的熱感應遙控攝影機這種創新科技，記錄某處森林水坑從早到晚的連續影像。國家地理頻道的攝影師拍下口渴的動物 在水邊解渴，而許多肉食動物卻暗地尾隨在後的畫面。在《夜行追蹤：鬣狗》節目中，攝影機捕捉這些處在自然生存環境中的凶猛動物。貘、鹿、野豬和猴子等無辜 的動物小心翼翼地接近水坑，希望能夠喝口水。這時鬣狗不知從哪裡冒出來，但體型小的動物根本沒有逃生的機會，最後成為這群嗜血殺手的盤中飧。
　　《夜行追蹤》是個特別的節目，因為攝影機穿透黑暗，展現在夜晚中所發生的事。雖然鬣狗生性凶殘，但牠們也展露出愛玩的一面。跟著本月份國家地理頻道的《夜行追蹤》，一起了解鬣狗、豹和鱷魚在黑暗中與同類及其他動物之間的互動。

1. cowardly a. 膽小的
例: Billy is cowardly and panics all the time.
（比利很膽小，總是驚慌失措。）

2. gang up on...　　結夥對付……
gang vi. 成群結隊 & n.（歹徒的）一群
例: The bullies ganged up on Jim and took his lunch money.
（這些惡霸結夥欺侮吉姆，搶走他的午餐錢。）

3. stereotype n. 刻板印象
例: My friend Kathy does not fit the stereotype of a typical Korean girl.
（我的朋友凱西不符合一般人對韓國女孩的刻板印象。）

4. ward off...　　避開∕防止……
例: Kelly lit the incense to ward off the mosquitoes.
（凱莉點蚊香來驅走蚊子。）

5. wander vi. 閒晃，徘徊
wander around (...)　　（在……附近）閒晃
例: It's dangerous to wander around the city at night.
（晚間在城市中閒晃是很危險的。）

6. nocturnal a. 夜間活動的，夜行性的
例: Rarely can you see an owl in action during the day because it is nocturnal.
（白天你很少會看到貓頭鷹活動，因為牠們是夜行性動物。）

7. spare no expense　　不惜費用
例: Louis spared no expense for Peggy's birthday present.
（路易斯砸重金購買佩琪的生日禮物。）

8. continuous a. 連續的，不中斷的
continual a. 持續的（偶有閒歇）
例: Astronauts require a continuous supply of oxygen while in space.
（太空人在太空時需要不斷的氧氣供應。）
例: I was annoyed by the sound of Adam's continual snoring.
（亞當持續的打呼聲令我心煩。）

9. refresh vt. 使振作精神，使恢復活力
例: The music refreshed my spirit, so I feel much better now.
（那音樂讓我精神為之一振，現在我感覺好多了。）

10. capture vt. 拍攝；（用照片）捕捉
例: The photographer captured the exact moment the lightning struck.
（這名攝影師捕捉到閃電打下來的那一瞬間。）

11. innocent a. 無害的，無辜的；無罪的
be innocent of...　　無……之罪
例: I believe Tom is innocent of the crime he's been accused of.
（我相信湯姆沒有犯下被指控的罪行。）

12. cautiously adv. 小心翼翼地
例: The zookeeper cautiously approached the injured lion to treat its wound.
（動物管理員小心翼翼地接近那頭受傷的獅子，幫牠處理傷口。）

13. approach vt. & vi. 接近
be fast approaching　　即將到來，即將來臨
= be drawing near
= be near at hand
= be (just) around the corner
例: Leo shook with fear as the fierce dog approached him.
（當惡狗接近他時，李奧害怕地發抖。）
例: Winter is fast approaching, so I need to buy a new coat.
（冬天就要來了，所以我需要買件新外套。）

14. out of nowhere
= from nowhere
不知從哪冒出來的，突然出現
例: A ball came out of nowhere and hit me in the head.
（1 顆不知從哪飛來的球砸到了我的頭。）

15. a pack of...　　一群（狗、狼、野獸等）
例: The deer was pursued by a pack of wolves.
（那隻鹿被一群狼追逐。）

16. penetrate vt. 穿過，穿透
例: The stray bullet penetrated the soldier's helmet but not his head.
（流彈打穿士兵的頭盔，但沒打中他的頭。）

17. interact vi. 互動；交流
interact with sb　　與某人互動∕交流
例: You should try to interact with people rather than sitting in the corner alone.
（你該試著和別人互動，而不要一個人坐在角落。）

1. stalker n. 跟蹤者
stalk vt. 悄悄地跟蹤；偷偷靠近
2. hyena n. 鬣狗，土狼（其吠聲有如人的獰笑聲或哈哈大笑聲）
3. scavenger n. 食腐動物
4. spotted a. 有斑點的
5. leopard n. 豹
6. prey n. 被捕食的動物
7. revolutionary a. 完全創新的
8. high-definition a. 高解析度的
9. thermal a. 熱量的，熱的
a thermal camera 熱感攝影機（能夠感測到波長較長的紅外線）
10. waterhole n.（乾旱地區野生動物飲水的）水坑，水池
11. shoot vt. 拍攝
三態為：shoot, shot , shot。
12. predator n. 掠食者；肉食動物
13. stealthily adv. 偷偷摸摸地，暗地裡
14. vicious a. 凶惡的
15. element n.（生物的）生存環境，活動領域
16. tapir n. 貘
17. peccary n.（原產於熱帶美洲的）野豬
18. refreshment n. 精神恢復
19. blood-thirsty a. 嗜血的
20. brutal a. 粗暴的，殘忍的
21. playful a. 玩耍的，嬉戲的
22. crocodile n. 鱷魚