2.3公里外的傾聽
Thanks to the spread of COVID-19, Alaska’s major attractions, which are several hundred humpback whales, have enjoyed their brief “vacation.”
託COVD-19疫情蔓延的福，阿拉斯加的主要景點，數百頭座頭鯨，得以享受短暫的「假期」。
thanks to由於⋯、多虧⋯spread(n.)蔓延、流行major(adj.)重要的、主要的attraction(n.)景點，tourist attractions旅遊景點關係子句的非限定用法humpback whale座頭鯨
During a normal summer, the Glacier Bay in Alaska is filled with traffic and tourists.
在夏季，阿拉斯加冰川灣通常充滿了交通和遊客。
normal(adj.)正常的、通常的be filled with充滿traffic(n.)交通tourist(n.)遊客
COVID-19 brought all of that to a sudden stop.
COVID-19讓這一切戛然而止。
sudden(adj.)突然的stop(n.)停止、停車站
In 2019, more than 1.3 million people visited Alaska and went whale-watching on cruise ships.
2019年，超過130萬名遊客到阿拉斯加玩，並乘坐郵輪賞鯨。
go whale-watching賞鯨on cruise ships坐郵輪
Yet in 2020, there were only 48.
然而，2020年只剩下48名遊客。
Researchers took this chance to study whale behavior in the quiet environment that hasn’t existed in this area for more than a century.
研究人員藉此機會，在這百年來不曾有過的安靜環境中研究鯨魚行為。
researcher(n.)研究人員chance(n.)機會behavior(n.)行為exist(v.)存在century(n.)世紀、百年
Before COVID-19, the whales had to talk louder and stayed closer to each other, like what we humans do in a crowded bar.
發生COVID-19之前，鯨魚必須對彼此大聲說話、靠彼此很近，就像我們人類在擁擠的酒吧裡所做的那樣。
human(n.)人類crowded(adj.)擁擠的，crowd(n.)人群bar(n.)酒吧
They could only hear each other within 200m.
他們只能在200公尺內聽到對方的聲音。
within在⋯之內
But for the past 18 months, they have spread out across the bay and could hear each other over about 2.3km.
但是在過去的18個月裡，牠們分散在海灣各處，可以在大約2.3公里的距離內聽見對方。
spread out分散
As a result, mothers could leave their babies to play while they swim out to look for food.
因此鯨魚媽媽可以游出去尋找食物，讓小鯨魚自己玩耍。
as a result因此look for…尋找⋯
Some have been seen taking naps or singing songs.
有些鯨魚被看到在睡午覺或唱歌。
take a nap小睡、午睡
However, their vacation might be over soon.
然而，牠們的假期可能很快就要結束了。
over(adj.)結束的
Local business owners whose life has been put on hold during COVID-19 can’t wait to make up for lost time, and money.
在COVID-19期間生活被擱置的當地業者迫不及待地想彌補失去的時間和金錢。
business(n.)公司、企業put on hold暫停、擱置make up for lost time彌補失去的時間
What would happen to the humpback whales when cruise ships and visitors return to Alaska?
當郵輪和遊客回到阿拉斯加時，座頭鯨會發生什麼事呢？
happen(v.)發生return(v.)返回