Maiasaura?was named 'good mother lizard' because scientists believe it cared for its young after they hatched.慈母龍得名是因?yàn)榭茖W(xué)家們相信這種恐龍會在幼崽孵化后照顧它們

In 1979, in montana, USA, scientists found some dinosaur nests with the skeletons of baby dinosaurs in them - they named the creatures Maiasaura. A year before, a single dinosaur nest had been found in the same place.

1979年，科學(xué)家們在美國蒙大拿州發(fā)現(xiàn)了一些恐龍巢穴，其中有若干恐龍幼崽的骨骼 ----- 這些生物叫做慈母龍。一年前，在同一地點(diǎn)發(fā)現(xiàn)過一個(gè)單獨(dú)的恐龍巢穴。

Muddy nests泥土巢穴

The nests were hollows, scooped out of muddy ground, and were about the size of a big, round dining room table. The parents may have lined the nest with soft plants, before the female laid between 18 and 30 hard-shelled eggs in it.

這些凹陷的巢穴被挖好，和泥濘的地面隔絕開來，尺寸和大號餐廳圓桌相當(dāng)?？铸埜改競兛赡軙仍诔惭ɡ镤佉恍┤彳浀闹参?，之后雌性會在其中產(chǎn)下18-30枚外殼堅(jiān)硬的蛋。

Good mothers好媽媽

Scientists think that Maiasaura?mothers, and perhaps fathers as well, guarded the eggs in the nest, protecting them from any dinosaur that tried to steal them. The mothers may have sat on the eggs to keep them warm, going off to feed while other adults watched over them.

科學(xué)家們認(rèn)為雌性慈母龍會守護(hù)巢穴里的蛋以保護(hù)它們免受企圖偷蛋的任何恐龍威脅，雄性可能也會參與護(hù)巢。這些母親可能會坐在蛋上好讓它們保持溫暖，等到其他成年恐龍看護(hù)時(shí)再去覓食。

Feeding baby喂養(yǎng)幼崽

When the babies hatched out, the parents looked after them and brought them food. The young dinosaurs ate all sorts of plants as well as fruit and seeds. Maiasaura parents may have chewed up tough plants before giving them to the babies. Experts think that parents fed the young until they were old enough to leave the nest and find their own food.

當(dāng)幼崽孵化后，父母們會照看它們并為其帶去食物。這些幼年恐龍吃各種類型的植物，也吃果實(shí)和種子。慈母龍父母可能會在喂食幼崽之前先咀嚼較硬的植物。專家們認(rèn)為父母們會持續(xù)照顧幼崽直到它們長到足夠年齡，可以離開巢穴獨(dú)自出去覓食。

All alone無依無靠

Before these babies were found, scientists thought that female dinosaurs left their babies to hatch out and take care of themselves alone.

在這一發(fā)現(xiàn)之前，科學(xué)家們一直認(rèn)為雌性恐龍會在孵化完成后丟下幼崽離開，任由它們自生自滅。

Huge herds大群

So many nests with skeletons and pieces of eggshell have been found in one place in the USA that some palaeontologists have suggested huge herds of Maiasaura?lived in North America. They roamed through the forests, but returned to the same nesting site each year. They probably used the same nests again and again. When the young had grown enough to look after themselves, they stayed with the herd. Eventually, the herd moved on in search of fresh plants to eat.

在美國同一地區(qū)發(fā)現(xiàn)了如此之多的巢穴，里面遍布骨骼和蛋殼碎片，這讓一些科學(xué)家認(rèn)為住在北美的慈母龍過著群居生活且群體規(guī)模很大。它們漫步穿越森林，但每年會回到同一筑巢點(diǎn)。它們有可能年復(fù)一年地使用同一巢穴。當(dāng)幼年恐龍長到足夠年齡可以照顧自己了，它們會留在群體里。最終，龍群會為覓食新鮮植物而不斷奔波。

Monster facts怪獸真相
Name名稱：Maiasaura, means 'good mother lizard'，慈母龍，意為‘好媽媽蜥蜴’
Size體型：about 9m long and 3m high，約9米長3米高
Food食物：plants, leaves, fruit and seeds，植物、葉子、果實(shí)和種子
Lived生存年代及分布：between about 90-66 million years ago in the late Cretaceous Period in Montana, USA，9000至6600萬年前的晚白堊紀(jì)，美國蒙大拿州

Duck's bill鴨嘴

Maiasaura was a big dinosaur, about as long as a double-decker bus. It usually walked on its long back legs and had a big, flat tail, which it held out straight. When feeding on the ground it may have rested on its front legs then reared up on its back legs to reach the leaves of trees. The front of its mouth was shaped like a duck's bill. Further back in its mouth were rows of teeth which ground up the plants it cut off with its beak. On top of its head, above its eyes, was a short bony knob.

慈母龍是一種大型恐龍，約有一輛雙層公交車般長。它通常有后腿行走，行走時(shí)筆直地伸著那大而平直的尾巴，而在地面覓食時(shí)它可能會先用前肢支撐再以后肢站立起來以便夠到樹頂?shù)娜~子。慈母龍吻部前端很像鴨子嘴的形狀，再往里則是成排的牙齒，用于咀嚼喙嘴切下的植物。在其頭頂，眼部上方還有一個(gè)短小的骨質(zhì)突起。

Escaping from danger逃離危險(xiǎn)

With no way of defending itself, Maiasaura probably escaped from the big meat-eating dinosaurs by running away and hiding in thick forests. It probably had good eyesight and hearing, which warned it of danger. If Maiasaura was very frightened, it may have plunged into the lakes or rivers. It swam along by waggling its tail and paddling with its front legs.

鑒于沒有任何自衛(wèi)手段，慈母龍面對大型肉食恐龍只能逃跑或躲進(jìn)濃密的森林中。它應(yīng)該有出色的視力和聽覺，這些感官能讓它得知危險(xiǎn)臨近。如果慈母龍受到驚嚇，它可能會跳進(jìn)湖泊或河里，通過擺動尾巴并用前肢劃水來游動。

It's a fact ----- egg mountain這是個(gè)事實(shí) ---- 蛋山

When palaeontologists discovered a single fossilized nest of Maiasaura in Montana, USA, they decided to excavate the site further. The following year they returned to their dig and found so many nests, packed closely together, that they named the place 'egg mountain'.

科學(xué)家們在美國蒙大拿州發(fā)現(xiàn)慈母龍的單一石化巢穴后，決定在這一地區(qū)進(jìn)一步發(fā)掘，接下來的一年里他們回到發(fā)掘點(diǎn)，發(fā)現(xiàn)了非常多的巢穴，密集地聚集在一起，這一處后來被他們成為蛋山。（譯者注：侏羅紀(jì)系列電影的古生物學(xué)顧問杰克·霍納正是慈母龍的發(fā)現(xiàn)者之一，1978年他和同事來到蒙大拿州考察，在光顧當(dāng)?shù)匦℃?zhèn)一家賣礦石的店鋪時(shí)有幸被店主展示其收藏的細(xì)小恐龍化石，杰克認(rèn)為這屬于一只很小的恐龍幼崽，在店主的指引下來到化石出土地，也就是這里提到的‘’蛋山’’開展挖掘，最終發(fā)現(xiàn)了有關(guān)慈母龍的大量化石，為古生物學(xué)界打開了一扇嶄新的大門）

Herrerasaurus was one of the first dinosaurs to roam the Earth.埃雷拉龍是最早漫步在地球上的恐龍之一

About as long as a small car, this dinosaur held its tail high off the ground when it walked. It stood upright, moving about on its long, strong back legs and probably ran very fast to catch its prey.

這種有一輛小轎車般長的恐龍?jiān)谛凶邥r(shí)將尾巴抬離地面，它能筆直地站立，靠著長而有力的后腿移動，并且為了捕獵能跑得飛快。

Fierce killer可怕的殺手

Herrerasaurus killed and ate mammals, lizards and, herhaps, other small meat-eating dinosaurs. It attacked with its front and back feet, and tore its victim with its long claws. Herrerasaurus held its prey in its short, strong front legs.

埃雷拉龍獵食哺乳動物、蜥蜴，可能也獵食其他小型肉食恐龍。攻擊時(shí)它會手腳并用，用長爪撕開受害者，抓握獵物時(shí)則用短而強(qiáng)壯的前肢。（譯者注：真正的哺乳動物在三疊紀(jì)末期到侏羅紀(jì)初期才出現(xiàn)，而且體型很小）

Sharp teeth利齒

Herrerasaurus had a large head with very long jaws. Like all meat-eating dinosaurus, its jaws were filled with many curved, sharp teeth. Herrerasaurus used these teeth to bite and tear up its food.

埃雷拉龍有較大的頭部和較長的頜骨，像其他所有肉食恐龍一樣，其雙顎滿是彎曲鋒利的牙齒，是其撕咬、嚼爛食物的工具。

One land一整塊陸地

Several skeletons of this dinosaur have been discovered in northwest Argentina in recent years. Herrerasaurus lived at a time when South America was still joined to the other continents. Members of its dinosaur family have been found as far away as China.

過去幾年里（指90年代初）這種恐龍的若干具骨架化石已在阿根廷西北部出土。在埃雷拉龍生存的年代南美洲仍和其它大陸連在一起，其近親物種已有在遠(yuǎn)達(dá)中國的地方出土。（譯者注：關(guān)于這點(diǎn)我沒找到依據(jù)）

Monster facts怪獸真相
Name名稱：Herrerasaurus, means 'Herrera lizard' after the place in Argentina where it was discovered，禽龍，意為‘鬣蜥的牙齒’
Size體型：about 3m long and 1m high，約3米長1米高
Food食物：mammals, lizard and other dinosaurs，哺乳動物、蜥蜴和其他恐龍
Lived生存年代及分布：about 230-215 million years ago in the late Triassic in the north of Argentina，約2億3000萬年至2億1500萬年前的晚三疊紀(jì)，阿根廷北部

（譯者注：埃雷拉龍發(fā)現(xiàn)于阿根廷西北部的月面谷，這里因其地貌形似月球表面而得名，是世界知名的三疊紀(jì)晚期地層遺址，至今已有多具埃雷拉龍化石出土于此，盡管如今土地貧瘠，但三疊紀(jì)晚期時(shí)這個(gè)地區(qū)氣候溫暖潮濕，非常適宜動植物生存。埃雷拉龍和同一地區(qū)同一地層出土的始盜龍是已知年代最久的2種恐龍，但比起后者，埃雷拉龍已顯示出高度進(jìn)化的身體特征，特別是下頜骨中間處可活動的關(guān)節(jié)，表面恐龍有更悠久而復(fù)雜的演化歷史）

Experts are still studying complete skeletons to find out more about this armour-plated Chinese dinosaur.專家們?nèi)栽谘芯窟@種有裝甲骨板的中國恐龍的完整化石以期發(fā)現(xiàn)更多

The first fossil skull of Huayangosaurus was found in China in 1980. Since then, palaeontologists have discovered more bones, including complete skeletons of this spiny creature.

華陽龍的骨架化石最早是于1980年在中國發(fā)現(xiàn)的，從那之后古生物學(xué)家們發(fā)現(xiàn)了更多的化石，包括這種多刺生物的完整骨架。

Unusual teeth不同尋常的牙齒

Huayangosaurus had a square-shaped head and a short snout. It had small teeth at the front of its upper jaw, which it may have used to bite off ferns and other juicy plants. Its jaws were not built for chewing so it probably swallowed the plants whole.

華陽龍的頭部呈方形，口鼻部較短，上頜前端有一些小牙齒可用于咬下蕨類或其他多汁的植物。它的頜骨不適合咀嚼因此進(jìn)食時(shí)可能會將植物整個(gè)吞下。

Slow and heavy遲緩而笨重

Experts believe that this dinosaur was a slow, lumbering creature. It may have walked on all four stumpy legs, holding its small head and heavy tail quite close to the ground.

專家們相信這種恐龍是一種行動遲緩笨拙的生物，腿部像樹樁一樣短粗，四足行走，行走時(shí)小腦袋和笨重的尾巴被抬離地面的高度較低。

Plates and spikes骨板和尖刺

Along its back, Huayangosaurus may have had two rows of bony upright plates. At the end of its tail were four sharp spikes, which were probably for defence against other dinosaurs. It had extra spikes on its shoulders, which would have been very off- putting to an enemy.

沿著華陽龍的背部有2排筆直的骨板，尾部末端還有4根鋒利的可能用于自衛(wèi)的尖刺，華陽龍肩部也有夸張的尖刺，這會讓任何敵人都想遠(yuǎn)離。

Monster facts怪獸真相
Name名稱：Huayangosaurus, means 'Huayang lizard' after the place in China where it was found，華陽龍，意為‘華陽蜥蜴’，得名于發(fā)現(xiàn)它的中國地名
Size體型：about 4m long and 1.5m high，約4米長1.5米高
Food食物：soft, juicy plants，柔軟多汁的植物
Lived生存年代及分布：162-148 million years ago in the middle Jurassic in China，1億6200萬年至1億4800萬年前的侏羅紀(jì)中期，中國