Salmon and Their Predators

Salmon and Their Predators On the shores of Alaska, a spectacular annual event is about to take place. Each July, predators gather for the biggest feast of the year, but it will only last a few weeks. Brown bears come down from the hills. Wolves appear out of the woods. And seals assemble in the ocean. The coast is the only place where hunters from the sea meet those from land and air. Bears have a sense of smell 2,000 times better than ours and can even detect prey out at sea. They know the salmon are coming. They also know the best fishing spots and are prepared to fight for them. After years' feeding out in the Pacific, the salmon are returning to spawn. But before they head upriver, they must pause and modify their bodies to function in fresh water. The young and overeager try to catch the salmon while they’re still in the surf. Those with experience are more patient. After six months of starvation in a winter den, all this food is just too tempting for the youngster. Wise old bears wait for the salmon to move into the river, where they know the fishing will be easier. The incoming tide signals a change. The experienced bears now take up their prized fishing spots at the mouth of the river. The salmon are finally here. As the fish are funnelled into shallower water, a seal gets its chance. The wolves will have to wait. Bears dominate the river-mouth. These bears rely on the salmon run for nearly 90% of their year’s food. Most of the salmon make it upstream past the bears, but now they must run the gauntlet of wolves. The salmon will sustain the wolves through the rest of the summer.  salmon [ˈsæmən] n. 鲑鱼；大马哈鱼；三文鱼 spectacular [spekˈtækjələ(r)] adj. 壮观的；壮丽的；令人惊叹的 feast [fiːst] n. 盛宴；宴会 v. 尽情享用，饱餐（《背诵营1》第91课学过） assemble [əˈsembl] v. 集合，聚集 vt. 装配；组装 spawn [spɔːn] vi. 产卵 vt.（使）产生，（使）突然增长 n.（鱼、青蛙等的）卵 upriver [ˌʌpˈrɪvər] adj.（朝）上游的；向水源的 adv. 在上游；从上游；向上游 modify [ˈmɒdɪfaɪ; ˈmɑːdɪfaɪ] vt. 修改，改造 overeager [‘əuvə'ri:ɡə] adj. 过于热切的，过于渴望的 surf [sɜːf; sɜːrf] n. 海浪；拍岸浪花 v. 上网，网上冲浪 den [den] n.（动物的）巢穴，窝；（从事秘密非法活动的）巢穴，老窝 tempting [ˈtemptɪŋ] adj. 诱人的；吸引人的 youngster [ˈjʌŋstə(r)] n. 年轻人；少年 funnel [ˈfʌnl] n. 漏斗 v.（使）流经漏斗；（使）流经漏斗或狭窄空间 upstream [ˌʌpˈstriːm] adv. 向（在）上游；逆流地 adj. 向（在）上游的；逆流而上的 gauntlet [ˈɡɔːntlət] n. 长手套；（古时士兵戴的）金属护手；夹道鞭笞的刑罚；交叉射击；严酷考验 sustain [səˈsteɪn] vt. 保持，维持，使持续，使继续；维持……的生命，供养；经历，遭受（尤指破坏或损失）