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The tortoise too will head for shade.
陸龜也要找個陰涼的地方
It spends much of its day cooling off under trees
它們白天多半在樹下乘涼
where it's sure to leave undigested seeds in its dung.
順便隨著糞便排出 沒有消化的種子
Now the seeds wait for the rains to come.
種子靜靜地等著下雨
Of the 40 million or so seeds a cactus produces in its lifetime,
仙人掌終其一生 可以制造四千多萬顆種子
the chances are that only one will develop into a plant
但多半只有一顆會長成
that outlives its parent.
壽命超過親代的子代
If it was lucky enough to find shade,
就算幸運地找到遮蔭的種子
a seed will still take ten years to become a five centimetre tall cactus.
還是得花上十年才能長成 一棵五公分高的仙人掌
To reach the size of its parents, possibly ten metres,
要長成像親代 那樣的十公尺仙人掌
will take at least 100 years.
至少得花一百年
Plants can survive in the most unlikely and inhospitable places on Earth.
植物能在世上 最嚴酷惡劣的環境生存
Here on Socotra, a remote island in the Arabian Sea,
阿拉伯海偏遠島嶼 索科特拉的旱季
the dry season is brutal.
讓人吃不消
But this strange tree has a strategy to survive it.
但這種奇特的樹木有生存妙招
