Another battle is being waged here but on a much longer time scale.
这里又开辟了一个新的战场,可是不会持续多久
These loose boulders are the mountains' crumbling bones.
这些散落的石块是从山脊上崩裂下来的
The Rockies are no longer rising but slowly disintegrating.
落基山脉已不再上升,却是在慢慢地崩塌
All mountains everywhere are being worn down by frost, snow and ice.
世界各地的高山都在不断经受森林、积雪和冰川的消蚀
The Alps were raised some 15 million years ago
阿尔卑斯山崛起于1500万年前
as Africa, drifting northwards, collided with the southern edge of Europe.
原因是非洲板块向北漂移,与欧洲南麓相撞
These spires are the eroded remains of an ancient seabed that once stretched between the two continents.
曾经连接两块大陆的古老海床侵蚀后留下了一座座尖耸的山峰
But these are just the Alpine foothills.
可是这些只是阿尔卑斯山麓地带的小山
The range at its centre rises to three miles high and is crowned with permanent snows.
山脉中心地带的山峰伫立高达3英里,并且终年覆盖积雪。