Tiny World subtitle
Season 1
EPISODE-3 Island
Planet Earth is so spectacular, it's easy to miss the smaller things in life. But take a closer look... and there's a whole undiscovered world. A world where tiny heroes... and little monsters... need incredible superpowers... to help them triumph against giant odds. The Caribbean(n. 加勒比海；加勒比地区；加勒比人). It looks like paradise(n. （某些宗教所指的）天堂，天国；乐土（指美好的环境）). And it seems a pretty nice home for the Cuban(adj. 古巴的；古巴人的) bee hummingbird(n. 蜂鸟). Not all that much bigger than a bee. It's the smallest bird in the world. There are all sorts of little castaways(n. 被抛弃的人) that have found their way to these islands. Many are the tiniest of their kind and found nowhere else on Earth. Food and space is so limited on islands. It's often survival of the smallest. But paradise has a darker side. When hurricane season hits, tiny animals must face some of the greatest forces on the planet. On sunny days, life on a Caribbean island is buzzing(adj. 嗡嗡响的) with possibilities. A male bee hummingbird. Looking for a mate... and dressed to impress. But this female's busy. She's caring for two chicks, just hatched from eggs the size of coffee beans. Into a home the size of an espresso cup(n. （用蒸汽加压煮出的）浓咖啡). In four days, they'll double in size on a diet of insects and nectar(n. 花蜜；果汁). Providing all this food is a mammoth(n. 猛犸，毛象；庞然大物) task. Hummingbirds burn energy faster than any other animal. So she must visit hundreds of flowers a day. She's so tiny, bugs are major competition. And while she feeds, the nest is unprotected. Even a single ant is a threat. And as more swarm(v. （昆虫）成群飞行；（人）蜂涌，涌动) in, the chicks are in serious danger. Just in time. She's back to save the day(反败为胜；挽救局面). Over time(随着时间的过去), Caribbean creatures have evolved, shrinking(v. 缩水，收缩；变小，缩小) down to make the most of what little food they can find. A thread snake(线蛇), as thin as a strand(n. （绳、线、毛发等的）股，缕) of spaghetti... and half as long. He's an ant hunter... of sorts. Adult ants are too large to get his tiny jaws around. But their larvae(n. 幼虫，幼体（larva 的复数）) go down nicely. Many of these miniature(n. 小种植物（或动物）) marvels(n. 令人惊异的人（或事），奇迹) are unique to a single island. Just half the length of a matchstick(n. 火柴棍，火柴杆), the dwarf gecko(n. 壁虎) is one of the smallest lizards in the world. The perfect size to hunt micro-bugs down here in the leaf litter. But perhaps a little on the small side when up against a tropical(adj. 热带的) storm. Raindrops(n. 雨滴；雨点) hit like bombs. The mother hummingbird does all she can to shelter her chicks. Others fly for cover. But the storm is so overwhelming(adj. 难以抗拒的，令人不知所措的；巨大的，压倒性的)... there's no choice but to abandon her nest. On the forest floor, the runoff(n. 径流) becomes a tidal(adj. 潮汐的，受潮汐影响的) wave. But size is a dwarf gecko's superpower. So small, so light, he literally(adv. （用于夸张地强调）简直) walks on water. And stays afloat(adv. 漂浮着) until the flood recedes(v. 逐渐远离，渐渐退去). With over 15 tropical storms battering(v. 混合；打碎) the Caribbean each year, paradise can quickly turn into hell. The hummingbird's chicks have been swept away. She must start all over again... before the next storm hits. In the wake of(紧紧跟随；随着……而来) a storm, vegetation(n. （总称）植物，植被) is washed out to sea. And with it, creatures are cast adrift(adj. 漂流的，随波逐流的)(随波逐流). Occasionally(adv. 偶然，偶尔), a voyager(n. 航海者，航行者，远航者) is lucky enough to reach new shores. This is how many animals colonize(v. 在……开拓殖民地，移民于殖民地) new islands. Small and hardy, Anolis(n. 安乐晰) lizards make successful stowaways(n. 偷渡者). But others arrived here long before her. Hutias(硬毛鼠) and iguanas(n. 鬣蜥) survive by scavenging(v. 打扫) on whatever washes up. She needs to get off(离开) the beach. Just a few meters between her and safety. It only takes a few brave pioneers to start a whole new population. The storm has delivered a bounty(n. 慷慨；丰富) for beachcombers(n. （美）海岸巨浪) of all sizes... from hutia to sand hoppers(n. 漏斗). But not everyone's on the hunt for food. This hermit crab(n. 寄居蟹，寄生蟹) is looking for a new home. Hers is in serious disrepair(n. 失修，塌毁；破损). A new supply of shells has washed up in the storm. But finding the right fit isn't easy. She's only the size of a golf ball. But hermit crabs can grow as big as a coconut(n. 椰子；椰子肉) and must keep upgrading their shells to match. With a never-ending demand for bigger homes, hermit crabs have come up with an ingenious(adj. 灵巧的，有独创性的) solution. When a crab finds a shell that doesn't fit... it signals to others to come and inspect(v. 检查，审视). And when the right-sized hermit arrives... they form a housing chain. Big to small. The largest moves first. Then each takes the newly vacated(v. 空出，腾出) property one size up. She's late to the party. But there's always one shell left over. The smallest. Somehow, a crab just knows when it's found the right home. Finally, a proper shelter. She'll need it. This time of year, bad weather is never far away. Further inland(adj. 内陆的，内地的), rivers are still raging(v. 发怒，怒斥；猛烈地继续，激烈进行；迅速蔓延) from the last storm... carrying rainwater(n. 雨水；软水) out to sea. But some are heading the other way. Tri-tri gobies(n. 虾虎鱼；刺鳍鱼) travel upstream to find the best place to breed. To avoid the competition, some males go to extraordinary lengths. He's smaller than a teaspoon(n. 茶匙；一茶匙的量), but using his fins(n. 鳍片) as suction(n. 吸；吸力；抽吸) cups and his mouth to grip(v. 握紧，夹住，紧贴), he can conquer rapids(n. 急流；湍流). This, however... could be more challenging. Gobies can scale(v. 攀登，翻越) waterfalls 350 meters high. Almost as high as the Empire State Building(帝国大厦（位于美国纽约州）). The ascent(n. 垂直上升；上坡路；攀登) will take days. Many attempt the climb... but less than 1 in 100 survive. It pays to take it steady(adj. 沉着的，冷静的). Success. And a chance to breed. Sending a new generation back downstream(adv. 顺流地；在（或向）下游). The humidity(n. 潮湿，湿气；湿度) of storm season triggers(v. 引起) an explosion of life. A Jamaican(adj. 牙买加的) montane(n. 山地森林，山下植被带) crab is only the size of a sugar cube. It doesn't need to be in water to survive. But a mother still needs it to breed. There's rainwater trapped in tiny rock pools, but it's too risky to raise a family out here. She has just the solution. Using specialized hairs, she draws a film(n. 薄膜，薄层) of water onto her shell. Now she just needs a place to keep it. An empty snail(n. 蜗牛) shell the size of a matchbox(n. 火柴盒). Perfect to hold a few drops. And secure enough for a new family. Twenty little crablets(n. 小蟹), each no bigger than a grain of sand. For the next three months, she'll keep them fed, watered, and protected in their little snail shell home. As storm season progresses, there's so much moisture(n. 潮气，水分) in the air, coqui frogs(a singing tree frog ( Eleutherodactylus coqui ), native to Puerto Rico, that has become an invasive pest in Hawaii.) can breed out of water entirely. The miracle of life begins as a single cell. Their devoted(adj. 挚爱的，忠诚的) father watches over(看守；监视；照管) them. Only the size of a strawberry, but ready to defend his brood(n. 一窝幼雏；一大家孩子) against any threat. A hungry snail... twice his size. He can't move his eggs. There's no escape. He fights back... but the snail is relentless(adj. 坚韧的，不屈不挠的；残酷无情的，不留情面的). This fearless father still has two more weeks of guard duty before his eggs finally hatch. The female hummingbird is looking for a new mate. Such a small male could be hard to find. If he wasn't so desperate(adj. 极需要的，渴望的) to be noticed. He'll have to work hard if he's gonna win her over. A tiny dancer. Finally, persistence pays off. Soon to be a mother again, she needs to build a new nest. Spiderwebs make the ideal glue to stick it all together. She begins by weaving the foundations. And in just a few days, her nest will be ready to cradle(v. 轻轻抱着) a new clutch(n. 一窝（蛋）) of precious eggs. But out at sea... something big is brewing(v. 酿造；策划阴谋). As ocean temperatures rise through the year, they fuel(v. 加剧) ever more powerful tropical storms. Caribbean anoles(n. 变色龙，变色蜥，安乐蜥) are surprisingly well-adapted to endure such extreme weather. Extra-large footpads(n. 拦路贼；拦路强盗；脚垫) help them hang on in winds of 200 kilometers per hour. But this storm is still building. This is Hurricane Dorian(n. 多利安人). A storm the size of Kansas(n. 堪萨斯州（美国州名）). When the world's most powerful weather events strike... small creatures are at their mercy(听天由命). Winds increase to 300 kilometers per hour. A direct hit brings utter(adj. 完全的，彻底的) devastation(n. 毁坏，破坏；荒废). Every year, the Caribbean is ravaged(v. 毁坏，破坏，劫掠) by hurricanes. But of the thousands of islands, only a few bear the full brunt(n. 冲击；主要冲力). Who survives is down to luck... and size. Tiny animals often have the best chance of sheltering from the storm and recovering quickly. In the middle of storm season, come rain or shine, hermit crabs head back to the beach. The new moon triggers their mass(n. 一群，一堆) migration. Over three days and nights, thousands gather. All female, all carrying eggs. The moment they touch water... the eggs hatch. Millions of microscopic(adj. 极小的，微小的) larvae(n. 幼虫，幼体) swept out to sea. They'll ride on(依靠) the currents(n. 潮流) as they grow... until it's time to come ashore(adv. 在岸上；向岸上) and colonize new lands. It's the tiniest animals that make the most of the limited opportunities on Caribbean islands. The coqui froglets(n. 幼蛙；小蛙) are now fully formed... and ready to emerge(v. 浮现，出现). Their father's devotion has given them the chance to make their own way in this big wide world. And this mother's resilience(n. 恢复力，复原力) has earned her a fresh start. A new generation of tiny miracles... found nowhere else... but on these treasured islands.
注：后缀-let表示小的意思。这篇文字中出现了froglet，crablet，应该都是表示小的蛙和螃蟹。其他类似的单词有：booklet 小册子；houselet 小房子；starlet 小星；townlet 小镇；piglet 小猪；rootlet 小根，细根；droplet 小滴，飞沫；cloudlet 小杂云；playlet 小型剧；filmlet 短（电影）片；bomblet 小型炸弹；lakelet 小湖；leaflet 小叶；statelet 小国家；springlet 小泉；streamlet 小溪；dovelet 幼鸽；hooklet 小钩子；kinglet 小国王，小王；chainlet 小链子。
更到的参见：https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Category:English_words_suffixed_with_-let和https://www.quword.com/root/search?wd=let。
