中英對照讀新聞》World’s biggest plant discovered off Australian coast 全球最大的植物在澳洲海岸外被發現

澳洲伯斯北方約800公里處的鯊魚灣的淺灘海域環境所孕育出的這一大片海草甸，被認為是全世界最大的植物。（美聯社）

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The largest known plant on Earth - a seagrass roughly three times the size of Manhattan - has been discovered off the coast of Australia.

地球上已知的最大植物－大約是曼哈頓面積3倍大的一種海草－已在澳洲海岸外被發現。

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Using genetic testing, scientists have determined a large underwater meadow in Western Australia is in fact one plant.

使用基因測定，科學家已判定在西澳洲的一片大型水下草甸其實是一棵植物。

It is believed to have spread from a single seed over at least 4,500 years. The seagrass covers about 200 sq km , researchers from the University of Western Australia said.

據信這片草甸從一顆種子擴散而成，歷時至少4500年。西澳洲大學的研究人員說，這棵海草覆蓋的面積約200平方公里。

The team stumbled upon the discovery by accident at Shark Bay, about 800km north of Perth. They had set out to understand the genetic diversity of the species - also known as ribbon weed - which is commonly found along parts of Australia’s coast.

研究團隊在伯斯北方約800公里的鯊魚灣意外找到這發現。他們先是著手了解這些常在澳洲部份海岸被發現的物種－也被稱為絲帶海草－的基因多樣性。

Researchers collected shoots from across the bay and examined 18,000 genetic markers to create a "fingerprint" from each sample. They had aimed to discover how many plants made up the meadow.

研究人員從整個鯊魚灣蒐集幼芽，並且檢視了1萬8000個基因標記來為每個樣本製造「指紋」。他們原本目標是要找出有多少棵植物構成這片草甸。

"The answer blew us away - there was just one!" said Jane Edgeloe, the study’s lead author.

該研究主要作者珍．艾吉羅說：「這個答案讓我們大吃一驚，居然只有一棵！」

新聞辭典

meadow：名詞，牧草地、草地、草甸。

stumble on/upon ：偶然發現、偶遇、撞見。例句：They stumbled on/upon a bizarre plot. （他們偶然發現一個奇怪的陰謀。）

blow sb away：使…大為驚訝；令…非常高興。例句：This movie is so amazing, it will just blow you away.（這部電影太神奇了，只會讓你大吃一驚。）

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