They fear exposure of their weaknesses and hide beneath layers of protective pride and pretensions.

他们害怕暴露自己的弱点，因此将自己隐藏在层层骄傲和矫饰之下。

The fear is that melting ice, along with increased snow and rain, could reduce the density and salinity of the top layers of the sea, making them more buoyant.

人们担忧的是正在融化的冰和不断增加的雨雪可能降低海洋表层水体的密度和盐度，导致其更容易滞留在海洋表层。