美丽中国Wild_China-全集-中英文对照

2021年1月26日发(作者：bass)
- 1 -
美丽中国（
Wild China
）

第一集

龙之心

Heart of the Dragon

校正版


最后的隐世净土

The last hidden world
中国

China
数世纪来

旅人传诵着关于这片神奇土地


For centuries, travellers
to China have told
tales of
magical
landscapes
以及那些神奇生物的传说

and surprising creatures
中国文明是世界最古老的文明

Chinese civilization is the world's oldest
而如今是最宏博的

and today it's largest
那数十亿的人民

with well over a billion people
现存超过五十个民族

It's
home
to
more
than
50
distinct
ethnic
groups
以及各式各样贴近自然的

and a wide range of traditional life styles
传统生活方式

often inclose partnership with nature
我们都知道中国面对着着众多社会

环境问题


We

know


that
China
faces
immense
social
and
environmental problems
但这里也存在着令人窒息的美丽

but there is great beauty here too
中国有着世界最高峰


China
is
home
to
the
world's
highest
mountains,
从无垠的炙热沙漠

vast deserts ranging from from searing hot
到麻木大脑的寒冷地带

to mind numbing cold
以及那蒸笼般的森林中

steaming forests
隐匿的各种珍稀生物

harboring rare creatures
天际下广阔无垠的草原

grassy plains beneath vast horizons
以及富饶的热带海洋

and rich tropical seas
现在

我们第一次有机会

Now, for the first time ever
深入探索这片伟大的土地

we
can
explore
the
whole
of
this
great
country
接触栖息于此的珍奇生物

meet
some
of
the
surprising
and
exotic
creatures
that live here
目睹中国这片神奇土地上

and
consider
the
relationship
of
the
people
and
wildlife of China
人与野生世界的羁绊

to the remarkable landscaping which they live
这就是最原味的中国

This is wild China
仅以此献给我们多灾多难但美丽依旧的祖国


For our troubled but drop-dead beautiful motherland
- 2 -
我们的中国探索之旅始于南方的亚热带


Our
exploration
of
China
begins
in
the
warm
subtropical south
漓江的渔人和鱼鸟栖坐在竹筏上


On
the
Li
River
fishermen
and
birds
perch
on
bamboo rafts
这个组合已延续千年之久

a
partnership
that
goes
back
more
than
a
thousand years
这景致已为世人所熟悉

This scenery is known throughout the world
那是中国水墨永恒的主题

a recurring motif in Chinese paintings
和旅人永远的胜地

and a major tourist attraction
中国南部是片有英国国土

The south of China is a vast area
九倍之大的广阔土地

eight times larger than the UK
这里

是山雨的国度

It's a landscape of hills

but also of water
这里一年之中有
250
天在降雨

It rains here for up to 250 days a year
到处都是积水

and standing water is everywhere
在扬子江的涝原

In a floodplain of the Yangtse River
黑尾鹬在泥泞中寻索着虫子


black-tailed
godwits
probe
the
mud
in
search
of
worms
并非只有野生动物在这样的环境下茁壮成长


But it isn't just wildlife that thrive in this environment
沼泽般湿润肥沃的土地为作物家族最显著的成员提供了最理想的环境


the swampy
ground provides
ideal conditions
for the remarkable
member of
the
grass family
这就是稻米

rice
中国有着至少
8000
年的稻米种植史


The
Chinese
have
been
cultivating
rice
for
at
least
8
thousand years
他们改变了这块土地

It has transformed the landscape
对云南南部的农民而言

冬末是个繁忙的季节


Late
winter
in
southern
Yunnan
is
a
busy
time
for
local farmers
因为他们要为即将来临的春天整顿这片古老的稻田


as
they
prepare
the
age-old
paddy
field

ready
for
the
coming spring
元阳县的山坡以
2000M
之势

These hill slopes of Yuanyang county
斜插于红河谷地的河床

plunge
nearly 2000m
to the
floor of the
Red
River Valley
包含了上千由原始刨掘工具所创造出的梯田


each contains
literally
thousands of stack terraces carved out by
hand
using basic
digging tools
- 3 -
云南的梯田是中国最古老人类耕作痕迹中


Yunnan's
rice
terraces
are
among
the
oldest
human
structures in China
依旧被耕种使用的土地

still ploughed as they always have been
正如千百年来的习俗一样


by domesticated water buffaloes
源自云南河谷的家养水牛承担了耕作的重任


whose
ancestors
originated
in
these
very
valleys
这片人力开拓的土地是工业化前中国最惊奇宏伟的壮景


This
man-made
landscape
is
one
of
the
most
amazing
engineering
feats
of
preindustrial China
似乎这里的每一寸土地

It seems as if every square inch of land
都被打上了农耕的痕迹

has been pressed into cultivation
当薄暮降临

As evening approaches
另一场古老的仪式上演

an age-old ritual unfolds
现在是交配的季节

It's the mating season
雄禾田蛙们为了吸引异性而卖力高鸣


and
male paddy frogs are competing
for the attention of
females
但这并非总能为你吸引来关注的目光


But
it dosen't always pay to draw too
much attention to
youself
中国池鹭是个饕餮掠食者

The
Chinese
Pond
Heron
is
a
crapulous
predator
就算在耕作过的稻田中央

Even
in
the
middle
of
a
ploughed
paddy
field
也会上演喙与爪的血腥剧目

nature is red in beak and claw
或许这看上去像一场屠杀

This may look like a slaughter
但每只池鹭一次只能吞噬一只蛙

but
as
each
heron
can
swallow
only
one frog at a time
此时剩余的多数派得以逃生并获得了明日再度高歌的机会


the vast majority will escape to croak
another day
元阳县这样广泛种植水稻的


Terrace
paddies
like
those
of
YunYang
county
are
found
across
much
of
southern China
梯田横贯中国南部

This whole vast landscape is dominated by rice
cultivation
苗族人在炎热的贵州发展了高度发达的水稻种植


In heated Guizhou province the Miao minority have developed a remarkable
rice culture
苗族人把木屋建立在陡峭低产的山壁上


With
every
inch
of
fertile
land
given
over
to
rice cultivation
- 4 -
用其余每寸丰饶的土地来种植水稻


the
Miao
build
their
wooden
houses
on
the
steepest
and
least
productive
hillsides
所有东西在中国农村都自有其用处

In
Chinese
rural
life
everything
has a use
牛棚里的肥料在太阳下晒干用作煮饭的燃料


dried
in
the
sun
manure
from
the
cowsheds
would
be
used
as
cooking fuel
中午时分

宋家人正饱餐以米和蔬菜为主的中饭


It's
midday
and
the
Song
family
are

tucking
into
a
lunch
of
rice
and
vegetables
老祖父宋古永置身于天伦之乐外

Oblivious to the domestic chitchat
寻思着重要的事情

granddad
Guyong
Song
has
serious
maters
on
his
mind
春季是稻禾生长的伊始时节

Spring
is
a
start
of
the
rice
growing season
庄稼的长势决定了来年宋家人的生计


the
success
of
the
crop
will
determin
how
well
the
family
will
eat
next year
因而选择合适的时机进行耕作是至关重要的

so
planting
at
the
right
time
is
critical
时机的选择取决于当年的天气情况

The
ideal
date
depends
on
what
the
weather
will do this year
而这些却是永难估料的

never easy to predict
但是身边就存在着贴心小帮手

But there
is some surprising
help
at hand
宋家厅堂房梁上的是一对刚从冬季迁徙中归来的金腰燕

On
the
cielling
of
the
Song's
living
room

a
pair
of
red-rumpedswallow
newly arrive from their winter migration
他们正在为装潢新一年度的宅邸而忙碌

is busy fixing up last year's nest
在中国

动物们被赋予独特的象征意义并被细心呵护

In China animals are valued does
much
for their symbolic
meaning as
for
many
good

they may do
苗族人笃信成双燕终身相伴不离不弃

Miao people believe that swallow pairs
remain
faithful
for life
因此他们的存在被视为

so their presence is a favor and a
blessing
幸福生活与美满婚姻的象征

bringing
happiness
to a
marriage and
good
luck
to a home
如大多数苗人一样

宋家起居室的窗子可以眺望见成片的梯田


Like
most Miao dwellings, the Song's
living
room windows
look out over the
paddy fields
- 5 -
从早春起

一扇窗子便为了方便燕子往返穿飞而敞开

From early spring, one of these windows is always left open to let the swallows come
and go freely
古老爹知晓每年燕子归来的确切时间


Each year granddad Gu knows the exact day the swallows return
苗族人坚信这些鸟儿的归来预示着春季的来临


Miao people believe the birds arrival predicts the timing of a season ahead
然而今年

他们姗姗来迟

This year, they were late
因而古老爹和其他族中长老一致认为今年的插秧应当推迟


so Gu and
the other
community elders
have agreed
that rice planting should be
delayed accordingly
当苗族人为了插秧而整备田地时

As
the
Miao
prepare
their
fields
for
planting
燕子们或搜集修整巢穴用的泥巴

the
swallows
collect
mud
to
repair
their nests
或穿越新耕的稻田追逐昆虫

and
chase
after
insects
across
the
newly
ploughed paddies
最终

经过了几周的准备

Finally, after weeks of preparation
这个预定种植的时刻来临了

the
ordained
time
for
planting
has
arrived
首先

秧苗必须从苗床上连根拔起

but
first the seedlings
must be
uproot
from
the
nursery beds
扎成捆移植到高处山地

and
bundled
up
ready
to
be
transported
to
their new paddy
那崭新的苗床上

higher up the hillside
宋家邻里乡亲全员出动帮助移植


All the Song's
neighbors
have turned out to
help with
the
transplanting
这是一直来他们的集体协作方式

It's
how
the
community
has
always
worked
当然一旦时刻来临

宋家人也会做出相同行为来报恩


when the time comes, the Songs will return the favor
当农户们忙碌在田埂间时

While
the
farmers
are
busy
in
the
fields
飞燕们则衔着修整巢穴的材料来来往往


the swallows fly back and forth with material for their nest
人多力量大

Many hands make light work
插秧的整个过程只持续了仅一个多小时

planting
the
new paddy
takes a
little
more
than an hour
当工作完成

农户们得以休息

Job done, the villagers can relax
至少在明天来临之前

at least until tomorrow
然而对这些筑巢的飞鸟而言

修筑家园的宏大工程


But
for
the
nesting
swallows,
the
work
of
raising a family
- 6 -
才刚刚开始

has only just begun
新耕种的田地里

In the newly planted fields
白鹭在寻找食物

little egrets hunt for foods
稻田成了虫鱼蝌蚪的乐园

The
rice
paddy
harbor
tadpoles
fish
and insects
而白鹭正好以此哺育幼鸟

and egrets have chicks to feed
重庆自然保护区建立于
1996
年

This
colony
in
Chongqing
province
is
established in 1996
当成群的鸟儿安家在阳光村后方的小竹林


when
a
few
dozen
birds
build
nests
in
the

bamboo
grove
behind
YanGuang village
当地人将其视为幸运的使者

Believing they were assigned of luck
他们最初小心保护这些白鹭和他们的栖息地


local
people
initially
protected
the
egrets
and
the
colony grove
但当村长病重后他们的态度发生了转变


But
their
attitude
change
when
the
head
of
the
village fell ill
当政府开始介入保护鸟群时

They
blame
the
birds
and
were
all
set
to
destroy their nests
他们开始敌视鸟群并着手摧毁巢穴

when the
local
government stepped
in to
protect them
易弯曲的竹子或许并非安家的最佳场所

Bendy
bamboo
may
not
be
the
safest
nesting place
但至少这些小家伙们不会成为捕食者的腹中餐


but
at
least
these
youngsters
won't
end
up
at
someone's dinner
这些小家伙刚从母亲嘴里分得美食

These chicks
have
just
had a
meal delivered
by their mom
对新生的小嘴着实是一大挑战

quite a challenge for litter beaks
介于他们的栖息地是受保护的

Providing their colonies are protected
像白鹭这样的候鸟是少数直接从发达的水稻种植中获益的鸟类


wading
birds
like
egrets
are
among
the
few
wild
creatures
which
benefit
directly from intensive rice cultivation
水稻生长需要大量的水

Growing rice needs lots of water
但即便是在多雨的南方

有些土地也面临缺水的危机

but even in the rainy south, there are landscapes where water is surprisingly scarce
相当于法国和西班牙国土加起来那么大

This vast area of southwest China

的中国西南的广阔土地

the size of France and Spain combined
因为宛如被干燥中空的谷地隔离开来的巨大蛋盒般


is famous for its clusters of conical hills
连绵的锥形山脉而闻名于世

like
giant
upturned
egg
carton

seperated
by
dry
empty valleys
这就是喀斯特地貌

This is the karst
- 7 -
石灰石地貌俨然成为南部中国的标志性特征


a limestone terrain which has become the defining image of southern
China
喀斯特地貌通常以突起的裸岩状态分布


Karst landscapes are often

studded with rocky outcrops
这迫使当地农民只得在破碎的小块土地上耕作

forcing
local
farmers
to
cultivate
tiny fields
当地人是中国最贫穷的居民之一


The people who live here

are among the poorest in China
在毗邻的云南省

In neighboring Yunnan province
遍布着石灰石

limestone
rocks
have
taken
over
entirely
这就是著名的石林

This is the famous Stone Forest
无数年侵蚀作用的产物

the
product
of
countless
years
of
erosion
造就了无数的狭道与巅峰

producing a
maze of deep
gullets
and sharp-edged
pinnacles
石灰石有一个独性

那就是能被雨水分解


Limestone has a strange property that is dissolves in
rain water
在数千年的漫长光阴中

水的侵蚀深入到岩床的心脏地带

Over
many
thousands
of
years,
water
has
corrode
its
way
deep
into
the
heart
o
f
the
bedrock itself
这一自然奇观成为了著名的旅游景点

This
natural
wonder
has
a
famous
tourist spot
每年的访客数量多达
200
万人

receiving
close
to
2
million
visitors
each year
中国人特别喜好奇形怪状的岩石

The
Chinese
are
fond
of
curiously
shaped rocks
并以为嶙峋怪石冠上千奇百怪的名字为乐

and
many
have
been
given
fanciful
names
但没人来猜测这个块怪石的名字

No prices for guessing what this one is
called
但百闻不如置身这片奇妙山地亲身一见


But
there
is
more to
this
lands

cape

than
meets
the
eye
在中国醒
目的喀
斯特
地貌下





China
has
literally
thousands
of
mysterious caverns
隐匿着无数的神秘洞穴

concealed beneath the
visible
landscape
of the karst
这些隐秘世界大多不为世人所知

Much
of
this
hidden
world
has
never
been
seen
by human eyes
而现在他们将被展现在世人眼前

And it's only just now being explored
- 8 -
奇险洞穴中再现了一场终极的探险

For
a
growing
band
of
intrepid
young
Chinese explorers
主角是一群日渐成长

初生牛犊般的年轻探险家


caves represent the ultimate adventure
探索一个洞穴

犹如一场穿越时空的探险


Exploring a cave
is
like taking
the
journey
through time
常年积水叮咚伴随着无止境般的旅途


a
journey
which
endless
raindrops
would
have
followed
over
countless
centuries
水滴潺潺落下

Fed by countless drips and trickles
地下河流深切入岩

the
subterranean
river
carves
ever
deeper into the rock
石灰岩河床将洞穴的河道分割成千沟万壑


The
cave
river's
course
is
channeled
by
the
beds
of limestone
石灰岩薄弱处被河水冲刷差距的陡坡处水量激增


A
weakness
in
the
rock
can
not
allow
the
river
to
increase
its
gradient flowrate
为洞穴探险带来相当的挑战

providing
a
real
challenge
for
the
cave
explorers
水流到达地下水位后便停止下流


The downward rushes halted when the water table is reached
这里缓缓流动的河流切割出一条圆形隧道


Here
the slow
flowing
river carves
tunnels
with a
more rounded
profile
这静谧的世界是穴居鱼的家

This tranquil world
is home to specialized
cave fishes
比如无目金鲃

like the eye-less Golden Barb
中国或许拥有地球上种类最为繁多的

China
may
have
unique
kinds
of
cave
evolved fishes
洞穴进化鱼

than anywhere else on Earth
在地下水位线

Above the water table
远古洞穴溢满的河水中充斥着石笋和钟乳石


ancient
caverns
abandoned
by
the
river
slowly
fill
up
with
stalactites
and stalagmites
含有沉积物的水流

St

alactites
form
as
trickling
water
deposites
tiny
quantities of rock
在千万年间
“
滴水成石
”

over hundreds or thousands of years
含有石灰质的水滴落石床形成石笋


Stalagmites
grow
up where
lime
laid and drips
hit
the cave floor
- 9 -
迄今为止被探索发掘的中国洞穴是中国大地上的九牛一毛


So
far,
only
a
fraction
of
China's
caves
have
been
thoroughly prospected
而被发掘的洞穴不断为我们展现地底奇观


and
caves
are
constantly
discovering
new
subterranean marvels
许多在后来被开发成了商业景点


many of which are subsequently developed into commercial
show caves
探索者沿着洞穴河流出山谷的轨迹逃离了黑暗

Finally escaping the darkness
在远离出发地的河谷


the
cave
river
and
its
human
explorers
emerge
in
a
valley
far
from
where
their
journey began
这场冒险拉上了帷幕

or now the adventure is over
源自洞穴河流

Rivers which issue from caves
为喀斯特地区提供了生命之泉

are the key to survival in the karst country
贵州的垂直峡谷

This vertical gorge in Guizhou province
成为了当地野生动物的密集焦点

is a focal point for the region's wildlife
这是世界上最珍稀的灵长类之一

This is one of the world's rarest primates
白颊黑叶猴

Francois's langur
在中国他们只残存于两个南部省份

In China,
they survive
in
just two southern
provinces
贵州与广西

Guizhou and Guangxi
多半栖息于崎岖的石灰岩地貌地带

always in ragged limestone terrains
正如大
多数
猴子一
样

他们
是社会
性生
物
Like
most
monkeys,
they're
social
creatures
并且他们乐于耗费大把时间为彼此整理仪容
and
spend
a
great
deal
of
time
grooming each other
叶猴是个不折不扣以嫩芽、嫩叶、水果为食的素食主义者


Langurs are essentially
vegetarian
with a diet of buds,
fruits, and tender
young leaves
叶猴宝宝裹着姜黄色的毛发出生

Babies are born with ginger fur
这些毛发随着生长逐渐从尾部开始变成黑色

which gradually turns black from the tail end
叶猴宝宝虎钳般的爪

Young infants have a vise-like grip
帮助他们附着在妈妈身上以保证安全

used for cling on to mom for dare life
随着年龄的增长

As they get older
他们越发胆大，并开始常识更多刺激

they get bolder and take more risks
这些是经历诸多冒险后的幸存者

Those
have
survive
spend
a
lot
of
time
travelling
尽管经验丰富的成年叶猴深知

Yet
experienced
adults
know
exactly
where
to
find
seasonal food
到守备范围内不同区域的哪里去寻觅当季的食物

in
different
parts
of
their
range
- 10 -
在如此陡峭的地带

In such steep terrain
旅途顺利包含了高超的攀爬技巧

travel
involves
a
high
level
of
climbing
skill
这些猴子打会走路起就是卓越的攀岩专家


These
monkeys
are spectacularly
good rock climbers
from
the time
they
learnt to walk
叶猴族群

In langur society
是母系社会

females rule the roost
并且是举家迁徙的领队人物

and
take
the
lead
when
the
family
is
on
the move
峭壁一侧

One section of cliff
分泌的水是富含矿物质的

woops is a trickle of mineral-rich water
这对猴
子们
而言
是不
可抗
拒的
诱惑



which
the
monkeys
seem
to
find
irresistible
如今麻阳河自然保护区已鲜有危及猴宝宝的捕食者


These
days
there
are
few
predators
in
the
Mayanghe
Reserve
which
might pose a risk to baby monkey
然而在过去的数个世纪

but
in
past
centuries,
this
area
of
south
China
中国南部的这个地区是豹子

巨蟒

甚至老虎的家


was home to leopards, pythons, and even tigers
为了在暗夜潜行者的利爪下存活

To survive dangerous night prowlers
叶猴们前往地底

the langurs went underground
用他们的高超的攀爬技巧爬到洞穴上方寻找庇护所

using their rock climbing skills to seek shelter in inaccessible caverns
夜视镜在近乎黑暗的坏境下记录下

Filmed
in
near
darkness
using
a
night
vision camera
叶猴一家爬上了

the troop clambers along familiar ledges
被数代猴族磨蚀光润的石壁的情景

worn smooth by generations before them
当冬日寒冷来袭

During cold winter weather
猴子们则冒险潜入

the monkeys venture deeper underground
空气相对保持温暖的地下

where the air stays comparatively warm
旅途的终点

At last, journeys end,
高悬的庇护所使得最激进的捕食者都束手无策


a
coated
niche
beyond
the
reach
of
even
the
most
enterprising
predator
并非只有猴子们在洞穴中寻找遮蔽

But it's not just monkeys that find shelter
in caves
这些孩子们刚放学

These children are off to school

在中国农村每天早上都意味着一段

In rural China,
that
may
mean a
long
trek
each morning
穿越一两个洞穴的艰苦跋涉

passing
through
a
cave
or
two
on
the
way
- 11 -
然而并非所有孩子都要徒步上学

But
not
all
pupils
have
to
walk
to
school
这些孩子是寄宿生

These children are boarders
当孩子们快要到达学校时

As the day pupils near journey's end
住宿生还在做早饭

the boarders are still making breakfast
校园内仿若被关掉了灯一般黑暗


In the school
yard, someone seems to
have switched
the lights off
但这里其实并没有正规的操场

But this is no ordinary play ground

以及正规的学校

and no ordinary school
只不过是座

Its house
洞穴中的房屋而已

inside a cave
天然拱顶阻隔了雨水

A
natural
vault
of
rock
keeps
out
the
rain
为教室省去了屋顶

so
there
is
no
need
for
a
roof
on
the
classroom
中东洞穴学校由六个班级

Zhongdong cave school is made up of 6
classes
共
200
名学生组成

with a total of 200 children
如同这所学校般

这个洞穴住宅区

As well as a school, the cave
houses 18
families
是
18
户人家和他们牲畜的聚居地

together with their livestock
这或许是世界上唯一在洞穴中饲养的牛了

This
could
be
the
only
cave
dwelling
cows on Earth
放学后是游戏的时间

With school
work over,
it's play time at
last
在中国南方

洞穴不仅用于遮蔽

In southern China, caves aren't just used
for shelter
他们也能为当地人带来恩惠

they can be a source of revenue
for
the
community
数代的人持续受到洞穴的恩泽

People
have
been
visiting
this
cave
for
generations
洞穴地底覆盖了满满鸟粪

The cave floor is covered in guano
仅仅十分钟时间就能让农人满载而归


so
plentiful
that
10
minutes'
work
can
fill
these
farmer's baskets
这是一种宝贵的天然肥料

This
used
as
a
valuable
source
of
fertilizer
鸟粪的源头能听到河水上空的鸟鸣


A clue to the source of the guano can be heard above the noise
of the river
噪音因为山洞而被放大

The sound originates high up in the roof
of the cave
入口处聚满了雨燕

The entrance is full of swifts
- 12 -
他们是社交性动物

They are very sociable birds
约
200000
多的共享贵州南部的洞穴


more
than
200,000
of
them
share
this
cave
in
southern
Guizhou province
中国最大的雨燕栖息地

The biggest swift colony in China
如今

中国的家燕多数将巢穴建在建筑物的屋顶


These days, Chinese
house swifts

mostly
nest
in the roofs
of buildings
但其实在房屋被发明出来之前

but
rock
crevasses
like
these
were
their
original home
这样的岩缝才是他们原本安家的地方

long before houses were invented
尽管雨燕依靠洞穴遮蔽

Though
the
swifts
depend
on
the
cave
for shelter
他们却必定在日落前归巢

they
never
stray
further
than
the
limits
of daylight
因为他们的眼睛无法在黑夜中看清事物

as their eyes can't see in dark

然而洞穴深处

However, deep inside the cavern
是一群更适应地下

are the creatures are better equipped
隐秘生活的居民

for subterranean life
一群蝙蝠刚刚醒来

A colony of bats is just waking up
他们运用超声波在黑夜中确定自己的方位


using
ultrasonic
squeaks
to
orientate
themselves
in
the darkness
夜晚是狩猎时间

Night is the time to go hunting
Rickett
鼠耳蝠是亚洲蝙蝠中唯一


Rickett's
mouse-eared
bat
is
the
only
bat
in
Asia
which
specializes
in
catching fishes
通过在水面依靠声波对涟漪的反射追踪游鱼的蝙蝠种


tracking
them
down
from
the
sound
reflection
of
ripples
on
the
water surface
这种非凡的技巧仅在数年前被发现


This extraordinary behavior
was only discovered
in the
last couple
of years
现在首次被记录下来展示给世人

and has never been filmed before
如果说在黑暗中追捕游鱼是如此的不可思议

If
catching
fish
in
the
dark
is
impressive
想象下倒挂状态下不用爪子吞食滑溜溜的米诺鱼是怎样的神奇场景


imagine
eating
a
slippery
minnow
with
no
hands
while
hanging
upside down
拂晓降临至桂林的喀斯特山地

Dawn, over the karst hills of Guilin
这些山地的嶙峋奇秀归功于



These
remarkable
hills
owe
their
peculiar shapes
漓江那弱酸性的水质

to the mildly acid waters of the Li River
- 13 -
亿万年的侵蚀褪去了他们的本来面目


whose
meandering course over eons of time
has corrode away their
basis
只剩下坚硬的河道残留下来

until only the rocky course remained
漓江是中国最清澈的河流之一

Li is one of the cleanest rivers in China
是捕鱼者和他们训练有素的鸬鹚最爱的捕获点


a favorite spot for fishermen with their trained cormorants
这帮七八十岁的男人全部姓黄

The men, all called Huang, come from the
same village
他们来自同一个村落

now in their seventies and eighties
他们毕生都以捕鱼卫生

they've been fishermen all their lives
在释放鱼鸟之前

Before they release the birds
他们在鸟的脖子上松松的系一条套索

they tie a noose, loosely around the neck
以防止鸟儿私自将捕到的鱼吞进肚子里

to
stop
them
swallowing
any
fish
they
may catch
伴随着即兴的舞蹈，

黄老汉鼓励着他的鸟儿们跳入水中


Chancing and dancing, the
Huangs encourage their birds to take the
plunge
在水下

Under

water
鸬鹚的狩猎本能暴发

the cormorant's hunting instinct kicks in
他们化身为水下的游鱼追踪导弹

turning them into fish seeking missiles
一只鸬鹚小分队搭档合作齐心协力

Working together,
一早上便能收获颇丰


a good cormorant team can catch a couple of dozen decent-sized
fish
in
a morning
鸟儿们被训练过只能带着鱼儿回到筏子


The birds return
to the raft
with
their
fish because
they've been trained
to do so
从出生的那一刻起

From the time it first hatched
鸬鹚们就开始被训练为忠仆


each of
these
cormorants
has been reared
to a
life of obedience to
its master
这些鸟儿是高效的奴隶

The birds are, in effect, slaves
但是它们并不是白痴

But they are not stupid
据说鸬鹚能够记住它们捕获的鱼的数目


It's
said
the
cormorants
can
key
the
tally
of
the
fish they catch
至少能记住七条

at least up to seven
除非它们不时得到打赏

当然这不过是收回一点自己的劳动成果罢了


So
unless
they
get
a
reward
now
and
then,they
simply
withdraw their labor
渔夫理所当然得把最好的鱼留给自己

The
fishermen
of
course
keep
the
best
fish
for themselves
鸬鹚则能享受剩余的部分

The cormorants get the leftover tiddlies
- 14 -
项圈摘除后

鸟儿们终于能享用它的战利品了


With its collar removed
，
the bird can at last swallow its prize
最美妙的莫过于得到额外的打赏

Best of all,when it isn't meant to have...

而如今

现
代捕鱼
技术
的激
烈竞
争



These
days,competition
for
modern
fishing techniques
意味着使黄老汉已不能仅靠鸬鹚捕鱼这一传统的手段谋生了


means
the
Huangs
can't
make
a
living
from
traditional
cormorant
fishing alone
这一流传了
1300
多年的传统

And this 1300-year old tradition
如今只能成为取悦游客的表演

is
now
practiced
mostly
to
entertain
tourists
但在贵州省附近的草海湖上

But
on
Caohai
lake
in
nearby
Guizhou
Province
一种与众不同的捕鱼业正在蓬勃发展

an
even
more
unusual
fishing
industry
is
alive and well
庚钟胜正在去为夜间布网的路上

Geng
Zhongsheng
is
on
his
way
to
set
out
his
net for the night
老庚的怪网是一种一头扎起来的管状装置


Geng's
net
is
a
strange
tubular
contraption
with
a
closed off end
上百渔夫依靠这个

More
than
a
hundred
fishermen
make
their
living
from the lake
水质富矿的高产湖泊为生

Its
mineral-rich
waters
are
highly
productive
并在此布下天罗地网

and there are nets everywhere
第二天清早老耿和他的儿子回来收获他们猎物


The
next
morning,
Geng
returns
with
his
son
to
collect his catch
乍看之下收获平平

At first sight, it looks disappointing
小鱼
.
虾米
.
和扭个不停的虫子

Tiny
fishes,
lots
of
shrimps,
and
some
wriggling bugs
然而老耿看上去来并不那么消沉

Geng doesn't seem too down hearted
大鱼被保持存活

The larger fish are kept alive
这是唯一在酷暑下保鲜的办法

the only way they'll stay fresh in the heat
令人吃惊的是

一些虫子也被专门挑捡出来


Surprisingly,
some
of
the
bugs
are
also
singled
out
for
special treatment
它们是蜻蜓的幼虫

They are the young stage of dragonflies
以蠕虫和蝌蚪为食的掠食者

predators
that
feed
on
worms
and
tadpoles
这里是世界上蜻蜓卵收获最丰的地方


Nowhere
else
in
the
world
are
dragonfly
nymphs
harvested like this
- 15 -
回到家后

老耿把他的获物在屋顶上摊开晒干


Back home, Geng spreads his catch on the
roof to dry
在中国，但凡能吃的东西都不会被浪费


It's
being
in
China,
nothing
edible
would
be wasted
在遥远的南方有这样一种说法

There is a saying in the far south
“
长腿的唯桌子不吃


will eat anything with
legs, except
a table;
长翅膀的独飞机不啃
”

and
anything
with
wings,
except
a
plane.
几个钟头后

这些晒干了的昆虫便会被带到市场上卖掉


Within
a
few
hours,
the
dried
insects
are
ready
to
be
backed
up
and
taken to market
其中蜻蜓蛹能卖到最好的价格

Its
the
dragonfly
nymphs
that
fetch
the
best price
幸运的是

草海的蜻蜓资源非常丰富且高速再生


Fortunately, Caohai's dragonflies are abundant and fast
breeding
所以老耿和其他的渔民远不会危及它们的数量


so Geng and
his
fellow
fishermen
have
so
far
had
little
impact on
their numbers
但绝非所有野生动物都这样生机勃勃

But not all wildlife is so resilient
这所上海附近的佛庙

This buddhist temple near Shanghai
有一段与之相关的传奇故事

has
an
extraordinary
story
attached
to
it
2007
年
5
月

In May 2007
一支狂野中国摄制组在这所寺庙的鱼塘里


A
Wild
China
camera
team
filmed
this
peculiar
Swinhoe's turtle
拍摄到了这只罕见的斑龟

in the temple's fishpond
据寺庙的和尚所说

这只龟在明朝期间被赐予寺庙


According
to the
monks,
this turtle had been
given to the temple during
the
Ming dynasty
至今已有
400
余年历史了

over 400 years ago
它被认为是地球上最老的动物

It
was
thought to be the oldest
animal
on Earth
软壳龟被很多从中国人视为神赐的馈赠


Soft
shell
turtles
are
considerd
a
god- made
delicacy
by
many Chinese
在被记录下的时候

and when it was filmed
它已是中国仅存的三只斑龟之一

this was one of just
three Swinhoe's
Turtles
left
alive in China
他的同胞们

The rest of its kind
- 16 -
被当作食物剿杀殆尽

having been rounded up and eaten
悲痛人心的是在拍摄后的短短几周后

Sadly, just a few weeks after filming
这只远古的生物与世长辞了

this ancient creature died
他的其他同类现在被散养在不同动物园保护着


The
remaining
individuals of
its species are currently kept
in
seperate zoos
据测算现在斑龟在自然界中已经灭绝了


and
Swinhoe's
Turtle
is
now
reckoned
extinct in the wild
事实上

中国
25
种淡水龟中

In
fact,
most
of
the
25
types
of
fresh
water
turtles in China
多数都已然濒危

are now vanishingly rare
杜绝物种灭绝的唯一途径

The answer to extinction
就是加以保护

is protection
这里有贯穿中国南方的不断壮大的自然保护区网络


And
there
is
now
a
growing
network
of
nature
reserves
through
southern China
其中

张家界天子山那由沙石构成的高耸的


Of these, the Tianzi Mountain Reserve at Zangjiajie is perhaps the
most visited by Chinese nature lovers
塔状反重力地貌最受中国自然爱好者的青睐


who
come
to
marvel
at
the
gravity-defying
landscape
of
soaring
sand
stone pinnacles
蜿蜒在张家界的山峰间清澈见底的溪流

Winding between Zhangjiajie's peaks
居住着一种中国最奇怪的生物


crystal
clear
mountain
streams
are
home
to
what
is
perhaps
China's
strangest creature
这种奇异的动物

This bizarre animal
属于蝾螈的一种

is a type of newt
中国大鲵

the Chinese Giant Salamander
在中国

它被称之为娃娃鱼

In
China,
it
is
known
as
the
baby
fish
这名称源自当他悲伤时发出的类似婴儿哭泣的声音

because when distressed, it makes a sound like a crying infant
成年体长
1~1.5
米

It
grows
up
to
a
meter
and
a
half
long
这使它成为世界上最大的两栖类动物

making
it
the
world's
largest
amphibian
在自然条件下

一只大鲵可以活到十岁


Under natural conditions, a Giant Salamander may live
decades
但是和很多其他中国动物一样

But like so many Chinese animals
它被视为美味佳肴

it is considered delicious to eat
- 17 -
尽管被列为国家级保护动物

Despite
being
classed
as
protected
species
大鲵仍然被当作食物非法买卖

giant
salamanders
are
still
illegally
sold for food
现在娃娃鱼已经非常稀有

and the baby fish is now rare
在自然界濒临灭绝了

and endangered in the wild
幸运的是在像张家界这样的一些地方

Fortunately
in
a
few
areas
like
Zhangjiajie,
大鲵在政府的严格保护下得以幸存


Giang
Salamanders
still
survive
under
strict
official protection
张家界的河流向东北注入

The
rivers
of
Zhangjiajie
flow
northeast
into
the
Yangtse floodplain
以鱼米之乡文明的长江平原

known as the land of fish and rice
在安徽省一个湖泊的小岛上

On
an
island
in
a
lake
in
Anhui
province
一只小龙蠢蠢欲动

a dragon is stirring
这里是中国最大最稀有爬行动物的古老家园

This is the ancestral home of China's largest and rarest reptile
一种传说中的神秘生物

A creature of mystery and legend
龙卵是非常珍贵的

Dragon eggs are greatly prized
这些孩子们需要快点孵化出来

these babies need to hatch out quick
看起来有人正在进行搜寻

It
would
seem
someone
is
on
their
trail
对一只无助的爬行类幼仔来说

For a helpless baby reptile
囚禁在令人窒息的蛋壳的坚韧隔膜里

imprisoned in a leathery membrane inside a
choky shell
在孵化过程中

a process of hatching
需要拼尽全力挣扎

is a titanic struggle
时间在不断流逝

And time is running out
小鳄鱼需要耗费
2
个小时才能将脑袋伸出蛋壳


It's
taken
2
hours
for
the
little
dragon
to
get
its
head
out of this egg
现在是拼尽全力

It needs to gather its strength now
进行最后奋力一击的时刻

a final massive push
最终获得自由

Free at last
扬子幼鳄出于本能的向巢的表面爬去


the baby Chinese alligators instinctively head upwards toward the surface
of the nest
迎接全新的世界

and a
……

side world
但造访者并不是它们的同类

But
the
visitors
are
not
what
they
seem
佘淑珍和她的儿子就住在附近

Sheshuzhen
and
her
son
live
nearby
- 18 -
她已经照顾当地的扬子鳄
20
多年了

She has been caring for her local alligators for
over 20 years
所以当这些蛋快要孵化的时候她有一个不错的主意

so she had fair idea when the eggs will likely to hatch
回到家里

她建了一个用网围起来

Back home, she's built a pond,
以隔离捕食者的水塘

surrounded
by
netting
to
keep
out
predators
在接下来的六个月内加以保护

where
her
charges
will
spend
the
next 6 months
直到他们长得足够自立

until
they
are
big
enough
to
fend
for themselves
过去的
20
年里

For the past twenty years
靠着像这样小规模的保护措施中国
150
只野生扬子鳄免遭灭绝


small
scale
conservation
projects
like
this
are
all
that
have
kept
China's
150 wild alligators from extinction
就在饲养鳄鱼村落的正南方

Just south of the alligator country
黎明破晓之光照耀出一幅不同的画卷

dawn
breaks
over
a
very
different
landscape
黄山那海拔
1800
米的

The 1800 meter high granite peaks
花岗岩巅峰

of the Huangshan
又称为黄之山

or yellow mountain
对中国人而言

To the Chinese
黄山松象征着自然蓬勃的生命力与不屈的精神


Huangshan's
pines
are
peak
mines,the
strength,
and
resilience of nature
其中一些树据说已超过千岁

Some
of
these
trees
are
thought
to
be
over
a
thousand years old
在这花岗岩巅峰下

Bellow the granite peaks
陡峭峡谷的森林中隐藏着令人惊讶的居
steep forest in the valleys

shelter surprising
inhabitants
黄山猕猴

Huangshan macaques
隶属中国西部西藏短尾猴家族中稀有的分支


rare
descendents
of
the
Tibetan
macaques
of
western China
自得其乐的生活在这政府保护的山谷中


are
unique
to
these
mountain
valleys
where
they
enjoy
strict
official protection
在树梢度过了早上之后

After
a
morning
spent
in
the
treetops
猴群转移到了山谷的阴凉处

the
troop
is
heading
for
the
shade
of the valley
这是它们躲避酷暑的绝佳契机

a
chance
for
the
grownups
escape
the heat
- 19 -
他们甚至还在溪流中寻觅零食

and
maybe
pickup
a
lanch
snack
from the stream
正如多数猴子社会一样

As in most monkey societies
相互梳理毛发是社交的重要一环

social
contact
involves
a
lot
of
grooming
梳理毛发对成年猴子非常有益

Grooming
is
all
very
well
for
grownups
但是年轻的小猕猴总爱尽情挥霍精力

But
young
macaques
have
energy
to burn
所谓猴性难改

Like so much monkey business
起初不过是顽皮的混战

what
starts
off
is
a
bit
of
playful
rough-and-tumble
随后就会暴走失控

soon begin to get out of hand
然而猴王早就看穿了一切

The
alpha
male
has
seen
it
all
before
他全然一副眼不见心不烦的样子

he's not in the least bothered
然而却有人虎视眈眈的关注着一切


but
someone
or
something
is
watching

with
a
less
than
friendly interest
五步蛇是拥有死亡之吻的暗杀者
The Chinese
Moccasin
is ambush predator
with a
deadly bite
这是中国最大最恐怖的剧毒蛇之一


This
is
one
of
China's
largest
and
most
feared
venomous snakes
但是猴子们已经与这种危险的毒蛇共存了数千年


But
the
mondkeys
have
lived
alongside
these
dangerous
serpent
for
thousands of years
每当发现由这种斑点的蛇时它们就用这种特殊的叫声来相互警告


They use this, specific alarm call, to warn each other whenever a snake
is spotted
一旦警报响起

毒蛇的袭击便对猴子丧失了威胁


Once its cover is blown, the bite proposes no threat to the
monkeys
他们转移至安全的树梢

now safe in the treetops
一切归于平静

And life soon returens to normal
夏末的中国南部

By
later
summer,
the
rice
fields
of
southern China
是一片璀璨的金色稻海

have turn to gold
如今是丰收的季节

The time
has come
to bring
in
the
harvest
如今现代高产人工田占据了中国的大片土地


Nowadays,
modern
high
yield
strains
are
grown
throughout
much
of
the rice lands
受化学肥料的滋养

Boosted by chemical fertilizers
- 20 -
并用联合收割机进行大规模收割

and reaped by combine harvesters
这里是世界上最大的水稻种植区

This
is
the
great
rice
bowl
of
China
占据世界水稻产量的四分之一

producing
a
quarter
of
the
world's
rice
被机器轰鸣惊扰的虫子

Insects,
stirred
up
by
the
noisy
machines,
马
上
成为
了一
群
红尾
燕的
腹
中餐






are
snapped
up
by
gangs
of
red-rumped swallows
包括新生儿
——

including this year's youngsters
数周前刚刚羽翼丰满的新燕

who
have
fledged
several
weeks
ago
这也许是它们在动身渡冬到来前最后的聚餐了


This
could
be
their
last
feast
before
they
head
for
the winter
机械农具最适宜在山谷低地的平坦处工作


Mechanized
farming
works
best
in
the
flat
bottom
valleys
of the lowland
在南面

浙江省连绵起伏的丘陵地带

To
the
south,
in
the
terraced
hills
in
Zhejiang province
人们坚持这一种古老而又简单的生活方式

an
older
and
simpler
lifestyle
persists
现在是清晨
7
点

It's 7 in the morning
龙现村最成功的商人

and
Longxian's
most
successful
business man
出门工作

is off to work
在
金
黄
梯
田
环< br>绕
的
小
村
落




















In
the
golden
terraces
surrounding the village
饱满的稻穗正待收获

the
ears
of
rice
are
plump
and
right
for harvesting
然而今天稻子却不是老杨心中首位

But
today,
rice
isn't
upon
the
most
in
Mr Yang's mind
他有更重要的事要做

He has bigger fish to fry
在山谷地带丰割已然开始

Further
at
valley,
the
harvest
has
already began
老杨的田地也临近丰收

Yang's fields are ripe too
但收割却尚未完成

but they haven't been drained yet
这是因为稻米并非他最主要的作物

That's
because
for
him,
rice
is
not
the main crop
他带上山坡的篮子泄露了老杨营生的秘密


The
baskets
he's
carried
up
the
hillside
give
a
clue
to
Yang's business
在他开工前

But before he starts work
- 21 -
他先需要释放些水出来

he
needs to
let some water out of
the system
谜底随着水位的下降

As the water level drops
而水落石出

the mystery is revealed
金鲤

golden carp
龙现人在很久前便沿用稻鱼共生至今


Longxian
villages
discoverd
the
benefits
of
transferring
wild
caught
carp
into
their paddy fields long ago
这一传统延续了七百多年之久

The
tradition
has
been
going
on
here

for
at
least 700 years
当禾田里的水位下降

As
the
water
level
in
the
paddy
drops
竹阀门阻止了金鲤的潜逃

bamboo
gate
stop
the
fish's
escaping
这一神奇的生态养殖方式

The
beauty
of
this
farming
method
同时同地丰获了两大农产

is that
it delivers
two crops

from the
same
field at
the same time
鱼

与米

fish

and rice
如此充满智慧的生态养殖

Smart ecology like this
即
便
今
时今
日
也
在为
中
国
农
副
产品
的

is
what
enables
China
to
be
largely
self-sufficient in food
自给自足奠定着基础

even today
回到村庄后

Back in the village
老杨进入自己的熏房

Yang has his own smoke house
为贩售而准备他的鱼

where
he
preserves
his
fish
ready for market
龙现鲤有着柔软的鳞

Longxian
carp
have
unusually
soft scales
和美妙的味道

and a very delicate flavor
这或许拜当地水质所赐

perhaps
as
a
result
of
the
local
water
此时此刻的熏房外

Meanwhile,
outside
the
smoke
house
古灵精怪的小家伙们蠢蠢欲动

there
is
something
fishy
going
on
为了庆祝丰收

To mark the harvest
村民举行了一场盛会

the village is staging a party
龙现小学的孩子们

Children from Longxian school
为了此刻的盛会准备了数周

have spent weeks preparing
for their big
moment
全村上下在这天前来捧场

Everyone
from
the
community
is
here
to
support them
- 22 -
水稻种植循环体系完美无缺

The
rice
growing
cycle
is
complete
十一月

By November
中国北方日渐寒冷

northern
China
is
becoming
distinctly chilly
而南方则相对温暖和煦

but the south is still relatively warm and
welcoming
飞鸟掠过鄱阳湖广阔的湖面

Accross
the
vast
expanse
of
Poyang lake
聚集在一起

the birds are gathering
苔原天鹅从遥远的北西伯利亚迁徙至此


Tundra
swans
are
long-distance
migrant
from
northern Siberia
对中国人而言

他们象征着至高无上的自然美


To
the
Chinese,
they
symbolize
the
essence
of
natural beauty
鄱阳湖自然保护区为超过
100
个种类

The
Poyang
Lake
Nature
Reserve
offers
winter
refuge
to
more
than
a
quarter
of
a
million birds
25
万之多鸟类的提供天然栖息地

for than 100 species
成为中国南方最令人叹为观止的自然盛景

creating
one
of
southern
China's
finest wildlife experiences
最后抵达此地的是跨越千山万水

The
last
birds
to
arrive
at
Poyang
艰难跋涉至此的鸟群

are those
which
have
made the
longest
journey
to get here
他们来自西伯利亚北极海岸

All the way from the arctic coast
of Siberia
西伯利亚鹤在中国被成为白鹤

The
Siberian
Crane,
known
in
China,
the
White Crane
被视作吉祥的象征

is seen as a symbol of good luck
每年这些濒临灭绝的鸟儿们


Each
year,
almost
the
entire
world
population
of
these
critically
endangered birds
都要为了在鄱阳湖过寒假

make a 9000km round trip
而跋涉
9000
公里的往返旅行

to spend the winter at Poyang
和白鹤一样

Like the white cranes
中国南部众多独特生物不得不面对人类开发利用自然


many of southern China's unique animals face pressure from exploitation and
competition with people
所带来的环境与资源压力

over space and resources
然而这些生命力旺盛的野生动物

But
if China
is
leaving proof of
anything
- 23 -
证明了中国正在采取行动

it
is
that
wildlife
is
surprisingly
resilient
通过适当的措施

Given the right help
即便是最珍稀的生物也能获得救赎

even
the
rarest
creatures
can
return
from the brink
只要我们展现意志

If we show the will
大自然

会为我们找到出路

nature

will find the way.

美丽中国（
Wild China
）第二集

香格里拉

Shangri-La

翻腾的云海之下

Beneath billowing clouds,
在中国西南遥远的云南省

in
China's
far
southwestern
Yunnan province,
有一个神秘而又充满传奇的地方

lies
a
place
of
mystery
and
legend.
这儿有着世界上最久远的雨林以及奔腾的河流


Of
mighty rivers and some of

the oldest jungles
in the world.
藏匿于此的河谷养育了奇异而又独特的动物


Here,
hidden
valleys
nurture
strange

and
unique creatures,
同时也孕育了多彩的民族风情

and colourful tribal cultures.
雨林在远离热带的北部地区是罕见的


Jungles are rarely
found
this

far
north
of the tropics.
可是

为什么却得以在此茁壮成长

So, why do they thrive here?
为何整个中国崎岖不平的山地里

却蕴藏着富饶多姿的自然财富

And how has this rugged
landscape come to harbour the
greatest
natural wealth
in all
China?
在中国西南部的一个偏远的角落里

In
the
remote
southwest
corner
of China,
即将举行一场庆典

a
celebration
is
about
to
take
place.
傣族人为他们一年中最重要的节日收集水


Dai
people
collect
water
for
the
most
important
festival of their year.
傣族人也称自己为水之民

The
Dai
call
themselves
the
people
of the water.
云南的河谷地带

是他们的两千多年来繁衍生息的故里


Yunnan's
river
valleys
have
been
their
home
for
over
2,000 years.
把河水带到寺庙

By bringing
the river water to the
temple,
敬俸傣族人最神圣的两件事物
——

they
honour
the
two
things
holiest to them -
- 24 -
佛教和他们的家园

Buddhism and their home.
傣族人感恩养育了傣族文化的河流以及肥沃的土地


The Dai
give thanks
for
the rivers and
fertile
lands which
have
nurtured
their culture.
或许这看上去只是为了打上一场大水仗的借口


Though
to
some
it
might
seem
just
an
excuse

for
the
biggest
water
fight of all time.
随着小镇的发展以及现代化

傣族人的生活正发生着改变


Dai
lives
are
changing
as
towns
get
bigger
and modernize
泼水节依旧是众所周知的

著名的傣族节日


but
the
Water
Splashing
Festival
is
still
celebrated by all.
河流穿越了傣族人生活与习俗的心脏地带


The rivers which
lie at the heart of

Dai
life
and culture
发源于西藏遥远的山脉之中

flow
from the distant
mountains
of Tibet,
河水向南流经了宏伟的平行峡谷中的云南中部


southward
through
central
Yunnan
in
great
parallel gorges.
傣族人现在居住在与越南以及老挝接壤的热带地区


The
Dai
now
live
in
the
borders
of
tropical
Vietnam and Laos,
他们的传说讲述了先辈是怎样来到这儿的


but
their
legends
tell
of
how
their
ancestors
came here
从寒冷而又遥远的北方山区顺流而下


by
following
the
rivers
from
mountain
lands
in
the
cold far north.
头枕着遥远的喜马拉雅山脉东部的末端

Lying at the far eastern end of the
Himalayas,
横断山脉构成了滇北的边界并与西藏相交


the
Hengduan
mountains
form
Yunnan's
northern
border with Tibet.
卡瓦格博峰是横断山脉之上的王冠

也是圣洁朝圣者旅途的一站


Kawakarpo, crown of the Hengduan range, is a site of holy
pilgrimage.
然而

她那令人敬畏的顶点至今未被征服

Yet,
its
formidable
peak
remains
unconquered.
云南的山不但遥远而且崎岖

Yunnan's
mountains
are
remote,
rugged
and
inaccessible.
- 25 -
这里空气稀薄而且气温能骤降至零下四十度


Here
the
air
is
thin
and
temperatures
can
drop
below
minus 40 degrees.
这里是地球上独一无二的动物


This
is
home
to
an
animal
that's
found
nowhere
else on Earth.
又称扁鼻黑金丝猴即传说中的雪猴

滇金丝猴的家园


The Yunnan snub-nosed monkey.
只有在极少数与世隔绝的山林中

才能看到它们的踪影


It's
found
only
in
these
few
isolated
mountain
forests.
在如此高海拔的地区

难以寻觅其它灵长类动物的踪迹


No other primate lives at such high altitudes.
这些是真正的专家

but these are true specialists.
这些出没在远古深山中的原住民

有着一些通灵的传说


These
ancient
mountain
dwellers
have
inspired
legends.
当地的傈僳族人就把它们当作自己的祖先


Local Lisu people consider them their ancestors,
并把它们称为：
“
山中野老
”

calling
them

wild
men
of
the
mountains
在大雪之中即使是这些专家也不能够进食


During
heavy
snowfalls,
even
these
specialists
cannot feed.
对滇金丝猴来说似乎又来到了一个新奇的地方

It
seems a strange place
for a
monkey.
在另一场雪到了之前

滇金丝猴抓紧时间寻找食物


Between snows,
the
monkeys
waste
no time
in their search
for food.
在高海拔地区

只有少数水果与嫩叶可供食用


At
this
altitude,
there
are
few
fruits
or
tender
leaves to eat.
百分之九十的日常饮食由

不常见的成捆精细干有机物组成


90%
of
their
diet
is
made
up
of
the
fine
dry
wisps
of
a
curious
organism.
其中一半是真菌

另外一半是植物地衣

Half
fungus,
half
plant
-
it's
lichen.
提起猴子人们通常联想到的是低地雨林


How
have
monkeys,
normally
associated
with
lowland
jungle,
缘何他们选择在偏远的山地繁衍生息呢

come
to
live
such
a
remote
mountain
existence?
- 26 -
它们并非这些孤耸的高峰上唯一醒目的生命


This is not the only remarkable animal found within these isolated high
peaks.
一只中国小熊猫

A Chinese red panda.
这位沉默寡言的隐士

将自己生命的大部分置于树的顶端


Solitary
and
quiet,
it
spends
much
of
its
time
in
the
tree tops.
抛开它的名字

Despite its name,
让小熊猫与大熊猫扯上亲戚关系

是一件非常勉强的事情


the red panda is only a very distant relative of the giant
panda.
它在血缘上更接近臭鼬

（小熊猫有时在中文中也称火狐

英文中亦有
FireFox
既是对其的直接译名列在熊科或浣熊科是多年来一直被争论的问题最近经过基因
分析

认为与美洲大
的浣熊亲缘关系
最接近

应该单
独列为小熊科
）

It's
actually more closely related to a skunk.
但他却和大熊猫有着共同的口味嗜好

——
竹子


But
it
does
share
the
giant
panda's
taste
for bamboo.
中国西南部的小熊猫因其醒目的面部花纹而著称


Southwest
China's
red
pandas
are
known
for
their
very
strong
facial markings
这些特征将他们与其它在喜马拉雅地区

发现的火狐物种区分开来


which distinguish
them
from red pandas
found anywhere else
in
the
Himalayas.
如同猴类一般

它们被隔离在了高远的山林之中


Like
the
monkeys,
they
were
isolated
in
these
high forests
山体在巨大的造山运动中

被挨个完全抬起


when
the
mountains
quite
literally
rose
beneath them
近年来的地质学历史已经证明了这一点


in
the
greatest
mountain-building
event
in
recent
geological history.
在过去
3000
万年间

Over the last 30 million years,
印度次大陆持续向北挤压欧亚大陆


the
Indian
subcontinent
has
been
pushing
northwards
into Eurasia.
印度与西藏的交界处

On
the
border
between
India
and Tibet
巨大的岩石被推挤至海平面以上
8000
米处之高


the rocks have been raised eight kilometres above
sea level,
- 27 -
造就了世界最高大宏伟的山脉

——
喜马拉雅山


creating
the
world's
highest
mountain
range,
the
Himalayas.
对东部来说

But to the east,
岩石被皱褶进了南北走向的

绵延陡峭的山脊


the
rocks
have
buckled
into
a
series
of
steep
north-south ridges,
同时也切进了云南的心脏地带

cutting
down
through
the
heart
of Yunnan,
形成了平行的横断山脉

the
parallel
mountains
of
the
Hengduan Shan.
这些天然屏障守护着隔绝在云南


These
natural barriers serve
to
isolate Yunnan's plants
and animals
各自毗邻的河谷中的动植物

in each adjacent valley.
雪峰与斜坡间的巨大的温差

While
the
huge
temperature
range
between
the
snowy peaks
所创造的足够的优厚条件

and the warmer slopes below
使得这儿生命彰显无限生机

provides a
vast array of conditions
for
life to thrive.
春的岁月

Through spring,
横断山脉的斜坡上

上演了中国最为壮绝的自然景致


the Hengduan slopes stage one of China's greatest natural
spectacles.
此处的森林拥有世界上最多样化的植被及物种


The
forests
here are among the
most diverse botanical areas
in the world.
这里生长着超过
18000
种植物

Over
18,000
plant
species
grow
here,
其中约
3000
种植物是这儿特有的

of
which
3,000
are
found
nowhere else.
直到一个多世纪前

这里还是个未为人知的世外桃源


Until
little
more
than
a
century
ago,
this
place
was
unknown
outside China.
然而有关这个神奇隐秘的东方世界的传言

But
then
news
reached
the
West
却不胫而走

传至西方

of
a
mysterious,
hidden
world
of the orient.
隐匿在群山中

遗落人间的最后天堂

——
香格里拉


Hidden
among
the
mountains,
a
lost
Shangri-la paradise.
当时西方上流社会盛行园艺

Western
high
society,
in
the
grip
of
a
gardening craze,
- 28 -
渴望获得遥远国度的稀有物种

was
eager
for
exotic
species
from
faraway places.
这也造就了新物种的探险家

This gave rise to a new breed of celebrity
adventurers,
无畏的植物探索家

世称
“
植物猎人
”

intrepid
botanist-explorers
known
as

Plant Hunters
云南成为了他们的圣杯

（
Holy
Grail
是
Jesus
在最后的晚宴上使用的餐具

据称
有不可思议的神奇力量）

Yunnan
became
their
Holy
Grail.
其中最出名的便是
Joseph Rock
真人版的

Indiana Jones
（电影


迷失方舟的侵入
者

中的英雄）

The most famous was Joseph Rock,
a real life Indiana Jones.
胶片出色的记录了他与随行人员的一系列


Remarkable
film
footage captured
his entourage on
a series of
expeditions,
深入云南腹地的探险远征

as they pushed into the deepest corners
of Yunnan.
他发现了千姿百态的植物

In
glorious colour
he recorded the plant
life he found
并将其记录于特制的玻璃质感光片上

on special photographic glass plates.
通过将成千上万的标本送回西方

Sending
thousands
of
specimens
back
to the West,
植物猎人永远的改变了世界园艺

the
Plant
Hunters
changed
the
gardens
of
the
world forever.
Rock
的成功源自其不懈的努力

Rock's
success
was
born
of
a
massive
effort.
为了找到他的香格里拉

For, to find his Shangri-la,
他翻越了无尽连绵的山脉

not
only
had
he
to
traverse
endless
mountain ranges,
征服了世界上最深的峡谷

but
some
of
the
deepest
gorges
in
the
world.
怒江之名意为愤怒的河流

The Nujiang is called The Angry River.
绵延三百公里的急流如同那些巍峨群山

This
300-kilometre
stretch
of
raging
rapids
成为了保护野生生命的天然屏障

is
as
much
a
barrier
to
life
as
are
the
mountains above.
惊涛拍岸

WAVES CRASH
植物猎人并非第一个到这里旅行的人

But
the plant
hunters
weren't the
first people
to travel here.
怒江之上

Along the Nujiang,
有二十多座溜索桥供当地人飞越激流


less than 30 rope crossings allow locals passage across
the torrents.
小村落依山而居

Tiny hamlets cling to the slopes.
- 29 -
今天是赶集的日子

This morning, it's market day,
一大早

人们就从山谷的四处集中

drawing
people
from
up
and
down
the
valley.
猪叫声

PIG OINKS
山羊咩咩的叫

GOAT BLEATS
当地人使用这种简易吊索穿越河流

Hanging from simple rope slings,
已有数百年的历史

people
have
been
using
the
crossings
for
many
hundreds of years.
在如此狭窄陡峭的山谷中

In such narrow, precipitous gorges
这种简易的交通方式显得尤为便捷

it's by far the easiest way to get around.
虽然成功抵达彼岸

前方崎岖的山路依旧艰辛

Once
across,
the
steep
sides
mean
it's still a hike.
抵达集市前还需要数小时的艰苦跋涉

Many trek
for
hours by
foot before
they
get
to the market.
超过十二个以上的族群

居住在这片宽阔的河谷之中


The
immense
valley
is
home
to over a dozen
ethnic groups.
怒族人仅存于此

Some, like the Nu people, are found only
here.
不同族群的山民们在集市上相聚

The
markets
bring
the
mountain
tribes
together.
为了继续他的征途

To continue his expeditions,
Rock
与他的探险队必须设法越过云南的激流


Rock
had
to
get
his
entire
entourage
across
the
giant
Yunnan rivers.
他定制了用森林藤蔓特制的结实绳索来完成运载


He commissioned especially
thick
ropes
made
from
forest rattan
并记录下了整个全程

and filmed the entire event.
他们用牦牛油润滑了吊索

40
个人和
15
头骡子开始渡河


With yak butter to smooth the ride, 40 men and 15 mules made
the journey.
但并非每次都成功抵达了彼岸

Not all made it across.
在怒江河谷遥远的彼岸

On
the
far
side
of
the
great
Nujiang
gorge,
植物猎人们有了惊人的发现

the
Plant
Hunters
made
a
remarkable
discovery.
尽管远离热带

Far from the tropics,
他们却似乎进入了一片热气腾腾的热带丛林


they
seemed
to
be
entering
a
steamy,
vibrant
tropical jungle,
这就是高黎贡山的森林

the forest of Gaoligongshan.
这里的植物群落与众不同

The
flora
here
is
unlike
anywhere
else
in the world.
- 30 -
类似亚热带高山植物物种的巨大外形


Next
to subtropical
species, alpine plants
grow
in
giant form.
高达
30
多米的杜鹃花向着苍穹昂首怒放


Crowning
the
canopy,
rhododendrons,
up
to
30
metres high.
四五月间

它们将苍翠的山林染成一片嫣红


In
April
and
May,
their
flowers
turn
the
forests ruby red,
吸引了唯此独有的鸟类

attracting bird species found only here.
空气中丰富的水份供养的寄生植物

增加了枝条的负载


Constant
moisture
in
the
air
means
that
the
branches
are
laden
with
flowering epiphytes,
这些山谷中特有的小太阳鸟

精心护卫着杜鹃花的枝条


fiercely
guarded
by
tiny
sunbirds,
unique
to
these valleys.
蜂雀是花蜜的掠食者

远古以来就一直生活在热带地区


Nectar
feeders,
these
are
the
humming
birds
of
the
Old
World tropics.
高黎贡山的森林是中国部分珍稀动物的家园


The
forests
of
Gaoligongshan
are
home
to
some
of
China's
rarest wildlife.
这
是
一只
雌性
红腹
角
雉











This
is
a
female
Temminck's
Tragopan.
她有着一位绚丽夺目的雄性追求者

She has a colourful male admirer.
它希望用奇特的躲猫猫游戏来向雌性求爱


He's
hoping
to
woo
her
with
his
peculiar
peekaboo display
但她却不想轻易将芳心托付

but she's not about to be rushed.
它多彩的盘状肉髯比羽毛能更好的反射光线

（
skin wattle
肉髯

此系指颈部皮肤
上的附属物）

His colourful skin wattle reflects more light than feathers do.
对雌性来说简直就是黑暗中的霓虹灯

To her, this is like a neon sign.
是行动的时候了

Seeing
his chance,
the
male
makes his
move.
高
黎
贡
山
的< br>森
林
总
是
保
持
着
湿
润
的< br>气
候




Constant
moisture
in
the
Gaoligongshan forests
这意味着这里终年都出产水果
means
that
throughout
the
year
there
are
always
fruits on the trees.
如此丰盛的水果吸引了各式各样原本


Such abundance of food encourages a high diversity of
fruit eaters
仅存于热带地区的
“
水果派
”
们

more commonly found in the tropics.
大黑松鼠原本只生活在原始雨林中

- 31 -

The
black
giant
squirrel
is
found
only
in
undisturbed rainforest.
体长近一米的大黑松鼠

是世界上体型最大的松鼠之一


At
close
to
a
metre
in
length,
it's
one
of
the
world's
largest squirrels.
神奇之处在于这些森林远离热带却依旧繁茂


The mystery is that these forests are growing well outside
the tropics.
要是公正的说

雨林及其间的动物本不该存在于此


By
rights,
none
of
this
jungle,
or
its
animals,
should be here.
这是短尾猕猴

These are bear macaques.
他们通常只生活在热带
亚热带的丛林
中

They're
found
only
in
tropical
and
sub-tropical jungle.
之所以能够在这片方圆千米的袖珍家园生息

With a tiny home range of just a few square kilometres,
靠的是全年丰足的水果供给

they depend on the abundant fruit
这种得天独厚的饮食条件

足以媲美热带雨林


that
only
true
rainforests
can
provide
all year round.
对欧洲的植物猎人而言

To the European plant hunters,
北方的雨林简直是奇幻美妙的失落世界


these
northern
rainforests
must
have
seemed
a
fantastic
and
mysterious lost world.
然而

当他们来到这里

却发现了构造美丽的古石道

Yet,
when
they
came
here,
they
would
have
found
beautifully
constructed
ancient
stone pathways
拜此所赐

森林探索
得以进行




on
which
the
forest
could
be
explored.
蜿蜒向西深入山地

Winding westwards into the hills,
曾一度是亚洲地区的要道

these
were
once
some
of
the
most
important
highways in Asia,
西南部的茶马古道
(
即为西南丝绸之路
)

the southwestern tea and silk road.
茶马古道源于古代西南边疆的茶马互市

兴于唐宋盛于明清

Built
thousands
of years ago,
西南茶马古道越过中国的边境迎来了

远自罗马的商人与旅者


the
southwestern
tea
and
silk
road
gave
access
to
the
world
beyond
China's borders,
将这片古老土地与世界相连

carrying
tradesmen
and
travellers
from
as
far
away as Rome.
这条路上曾燃烧过连绵的战火

Wars
were
fought over
access
to this
tiny path,
也是出入当时中国的唯一咽喉要道

the only sure route in or out of China,
- 32 -
必须要保证全年畅通无阻

that
was
guaranteed
to
be
clear
of
snow
all year round.
那么

是什么造就了高黎贡山独特的气候


So,
what
causes
Gaoligongshan's
strange
and
remarkable climate?
五月后旬阵风来临

In late May, gusts of wind arrive,
带
来
了
解
开
高
黎
贡
山
气
候
之
谜
的
钥
匙



bringing
with
them
the
key
to
Gaoligongshan's mystery.
热风富含水分

The winds are
hot and saturated with
water.
它们完全来自于印度洋

They
come
all
the
way
from
the
Indian Ocean.
受云南独特地形的影响

Channelled
by
Yunnan's
unique
geography,
热带季风带来了充沛的雨量

they
bring
with
them
the
moisture
of
the
tropical monsoon.
形成于千百万年前的巨大河谷

The
giant river
valleys, created
millions
of years ago,
如同巨大的漏斗一般

act like immense funnels.
这些峡谷深邃狭长

The gorges are so deep and narrow,
引导湿热气流径直流向滇北

that
the
moist
warm
air
is
driven
right
up
into
the
north of Yunnan.
然后就是降雨

暴泄的狂流

The result is rain, in torrents!
近四个月的持续雷雨滋润着茂盛的植物


Four
months
of
daily
rainstorms
sustain
luxuriant vegetation.
季风的来临

The arrival of the monsoon
唤醒了森林中最喜好潮湿的居民


awakens one of the
forest's
most extraordinary
moisture-loving
inhabitants.
类鳄蝾螈是此处发现的

最为不凡的两栖动物之一


The crocodile newt is one of the most unusual of the many amphibian species
found here.
当雨季来临

它们开始求偶繁衍

As
the
rains
arrive,
they
emerge
to
mate.
据说鳄蝾会为其潜在的伴侣留下气味线索


The
newts
are
said
to
leave
an
odour
trail
that
potential
mates can follow.
类鳄蝾螈得名于它背上嶙峋的凸起


The
crocodile
newt
gets
its
name
from
the
bumps
along its back.
这是它们的天然防御

These are its defence.
一旦被潜在的肉食者捕获

If grabbed by a potential predator,
- 33 -
肋骨的顶部的隆起物中便会

挤压出致命的毒素


the
tips
of
its
ribs
squeeze
a
deadly
poison
from the bumps.
暴雨唤醒了另外一种森林生物

The
deluge
wakes
another
forest
inhabitant.
它那勃发向上的朝气令人叹为观止

This one
is particularly astounding
in
its vigour!
它一天能够生长一米

It can grow up to a metre a day,
使其迅速傲视四周

fast
overtaking
the
other
plants
around it.
长得愈发高挺

长势愈发猛烈

The
taller
it
grows,
the
faster
its
growth rate,
数日间便拔地而起

凌驾于灌木丛之上


so
that
in
a
matter
of
days
it
towers
above
the
undergrowth,
并且持续向着天际进发

and continues reaching for the sky.
对于出身草根的它而言

干得还不赖

Not
bad
for
what
is
essentially
a
grass.
它就是竹子

It's bamboo.
时机成熟

Given the chance,
竹子将造就出支配整个地域的庞大竹林


bamboo
will
create
immense
forests,
dominating
entire areas.
竹林的踪
迹遍及
整个中
国的西
南部





Bamboo
forests
occur
across
southwest China,
一路向东直至上海都能看到它的身影

all the way to Shanghai.
或许世界上最高耸挺拔的竹子

But probably the highest diversity of bamboos in
the world
却悠然生长在云南的山谷之中

is
found
on
the
hills
and
valleys
of
Yunnan.
尽管外表坚硬

竹子的腹中却空无一物


Though
incredibly
strong,
bamboos
have
hollow stems,
为一切能够寻径而入的生命

创造了天然完美的庇护所


a
perfect
shelter
for
any
creatures
which
can
find a way in.
这是甲虫开凿的一个入口

This
entrance
hole
was
made
by
a
beetle
但却为完全不同的生物做了嫁衣

but
it's
being
used
by
a
very
different animal.
竹节蝙蝠

A bamboo bat.
它是世界上最小的哺乳动物

体型和大黄蜂差不多一样大


The size of a bumblebee, it's one of the tiniest mammals in
the world.
- 34 -
整个聚居地内里多达
25
只竹节蝙蝠

The entire colony, up to 25 bats,
挤在比一个茶杯的空间还要狭小的竹节里


fits
into
a
single
section
of
bamboo
stem,
smaller
than a tea cup.
这简直就是挤油渣

It's quite a squeeze!
竹节内一半的空间属于竹蝠宝宝

Half the colony are babies.
尽管只有一周大而已

他们的体型却长得和妈妈一般大小了


Though barely a week old,
they are already almost as big as
their mums.
喂养这帮疯长的小家伙实在是件苦差事

Feeding such a
fast-growing brood
is
hard work.
蝙蝠母亲们只在每晚薄暮降临后外出寻觅食物


The mums leave to hunt just after dusk
each night.
小家伙们被留下来看家

Back
in
the
roost,
the
young
are
left
on their own.
翅膀上独特的肉趾帮助他们攀爬竹壁


Special
pads
on
their
wings
help
them
to
grip
on
the
bamboo walls -
绝大多数时候

most of the time.
小竹蝠们在剩下的空间里用伸展腰肢整理翅膀


The young bats use the extra space to prepare for a life
on the wing
为日后的飞行早做准备

by preening and stretching.
就像罐头里的沙丁鱼挤得满满的

将成为容易被蛇攻击的目标


Packed in
like sardines, they would
make an easy target
for a snake.
但是蛇却没有收获的机会

But
the
snake
has
no
chance
of
getting in.
入口的宽度比铅笔还要细

The
entrance
is
thinner
than
the
width of a pencil.
当蝙蝠妈妈回来时

When the mothers return,
穿过狭窄的入口

必须要依靠它们与众不同的扁平颅骨


they
can
push
through
the
narow
entrance
only
because
of
their
unusually
flattened skulls.
同样还是需要用力才能挤进去

But it's still a squeeze.
另一个深林的原住民

在竹子的采集与使用方面独辟蹊径


Bamboos are exploited in a very different way by another forest
dweller.
新鲜的竹笋是重要的深林作物

Fresh
bamboo
shoots
are
an
important
forest crop.
哈尼族有一个聚居地叫哀牢

Ai Lao Xiang is of the Hani tribe,
坐
落< br>于今
西双
版纳
州
勐海
县的
勐宋
乡





from
the
mountain
village
of
Mengsong.
- 35 -
他采集的嫩竹笋将会被烤成一道美味的菜肴


Roasted,
the
tender
shoots
he
gathers
will
make
a
tasty dish.
哈尼族不仅从树林中采集竹子

也种植各个品种竹子以供不同的用途


The
Hani
have
many
uses
for
the
different
bamboos
they
grow
and
find
in
the
forest around.
尽管竹子足够柔韧以至于可以用来穿戴

Though flexible enough to be woven,
但竹子却拥有比钢还要好的抗张强度

bamboo
has
a
higher
tensile
strength
than steel.
嫩竹子富含水分

Succulent when young,
成材的竹子制成的桌子坚固耐用

in
maturity
it's
tough
and
durable,
ideal
for
making a table
用竹子做成的水烟筒甚至可以用上一辈子

and strong enough for a pipe to
last a
lifetime.
中国西南部的人民

The people of southwest China
找到了很多种方法来利用这种用途异常广泛的植物


have found an extraordinary number of ways to exploit this most versatile
of plants.
他们正
使用
方言
谈话










THEY
SPEAK
IN
NATIVE
LANGUAGE
竹子非
凡成
功中的
一部
分原
因是






Part
of
bamboo's
phenomenal
success
因为它足够坚硬以至于只有很少的动物能够食用


is that it's so tough that few animals can
tackle it.
看

竹子确实正在遭到攻击

Yet, bamboo does come under attack.
一只竹鼬

A bamboo rat.
吃的差不多全是竹子

Feeding almost exclusively on bamboo,
它们一辈子都生活在树林之下的地道之中


they
live
their
entire
lives
in
tunnels
beneath
the forest.
细小的竹子很容易被拖进坑道中


The
thinner
species
of
bamboo
are
easy
to
attack
and
pull below.
她拥有极其出色的嗅觉

She has a fantastic sense of smell
能够透过土壤嗅到新鲜的生长物

and
can
sniff
out
the
fresh
growth
through the soil.
竹子的根一直往地下延伸

Bamboo
spreads
along
underground
stems.
非常有利于竹鼬顺根找到新鲜的竹枝

By
following
these,
new
shoots
are
found.
一旦竹枝被发现

Once a shoot is detected,
竹鼬咬断之后把竹枝拖回到她的地洞里

she
snips
it
free
and
drags
it
down
into
her burrow.
- 36 -
这只雌性竹鼬拥有着一个家庭

This female has a family.
小竹鼬出世才只有几个星期

At just a few weeks old,
小竹鼬已经能够应付最硬的竹枝了

the
youngsters
can
already
tackle
the
hardest
bamboo stems
它们是如此的渴望咬上几口

and are eager to try.
竹子坚硬的名声是如此的显赫

Bamboo's tough reputation is such,
另一个食竹高手被认为是中国的
“
攻坚专家
”


that
another
bamboo
specialist
was
known
by
the
Chinese
as,

Iron
Eating Animal
大熊猫以其独特的日常饮食而闻名于世

The
giant
panda
is
famous
for
its
exclusive diet.
大熊猫被认为在几百万年前

起源于中国的西南部


Giant pandas are thought to have originated in southwest China, millions of
years ago,
大熊猫现在已经在云南绝迹

but
they
are
no
longer
found
in
Yunnan.
近年来，恐怖的结果降临到了大熊猫钟爱的食物上


Recently,
their
specialised
diet
has
had
dire
consequences.
竹子有着难以预测的生命周期

Bamboo has a bizarre life cycle,
不常见的花季，有时在百年之内竹子才会开一次花


flowering
infrequently,
sometimes
only
once
every
hundred
years or so.
一旦竹子的花季来临，就会影响到可观数量的竹子


But
when
flowering
does
occur,
it's
on
a
massive scale,
所有的植株都将追随死神的召唤

and
it's
followed
by
the
death
of
all
of the plants.
有时，整片竹林都可能随之消亡

Sometimes
an
entire
bamboo
forest
may die.
在没有受到干扰的栖息地中

熊猫往往只是迁移到另外一片区域而已


In
undisturbed
habitat,
pandas
simply
move
to
another area
未受开花影响的不同品种的竹子依旧生机勃勃

where a different bamboo species
grows.
人类的活动已经破坏了熊猫生存区域的连续性


But
as
human
activity
has
fragmented
their
forest home,
大熊猫所面临的生存环境日益窘迫


pandas find it increasingly hard to find large enough areas in which
to survive.
野生大熊猫现在仅存活于中国中部的森林里


Wild
pandas
are
now
found
only
in
the
forests
of
Central China,
- 37 -
远离东部

far to the east.
在隐秘的云南南部热带的小型低地丛林里


But
in
the
hidden
pockets
of
lowland
jungle
in
Yunnan's
tropical south,
居住着中国最神秘的野生动物之一

live one of China's best-kept
wildlife
secrets.
深沉的咆哮

DEEP BELLOW
亚洲野象

The wild Asian elephant.
亚洲野象的一次迁徙

可以走到中国北方的北京那么远


Elephants once roamed across China as far north as
Beijing.
但是它们仅仅存活于云南的隐秘的山谷之中


But
it's
only
in
the
hidden
valleys
of
Yunnan
that
they
have survived.
大象是森林的建筑师

Elephants
are
the
architects
of
the
forest.
竹子和草是大象最喜爱的食物

Bamboos
and
grasses
are
their
favourite food
吃一些盘旋的藤蔓植物树苗以及树叶也无所谓


but saplings,
tree
leaves and twisted
lianas are all taken, with
little care.
当它们穿越森林

As they move through the forest,
大象开辟出了小块的林中空地

为森林中的地面带来了阳光


the
elephants
open
up
clearings,
bringing
light
to
the
forest floor.
这对它们的家园有着较大的影响

This
has
a
major
impact
on
their
home.
富足的森林正为那些偶尔经历改变所熟知


The
richest
forests
are
now
known
to
be
those
which
from
time
to
time
experience change.
基诺族对于森林的知识博学得让人难以置信


The
Jinou
people
are
incredibly
knowledgeable
about
their forests
他们声称能够利用在这儿找到的大多数植物


and
claim
to
have
uses
for
most
of
the
plants
that
they find there.
所有的植物都被基诺族人命名

They have names for them all,
那些吃起来应该不错

有的植物甚至还有很高的药用价值


those
good
for
eating
and
some
which
even
have
strong
medicinal qualities.
通过在这儿劳动

基诺族人扮演了一个与大象相似的角色


By
working
here, the
Jinou play a similar
role to
the elephants,
- 38 -
开发森林

拓展空间

带来了阳光与多样化


opening
up
the
forest, bringing space,
light
and diversity.

生长迅速的绿色植物有很强的竞争优势

Green,
fast
growing
species
are
encouraged.
这儿的昆虫资源也极其富足

Insects are in high abundance here,
以昆虫为食的动物也不少

together with the animals that
feed
on them.
基诺族人掌握的关于森林的知识

使他们能够找到植物之外的


Knowledge
of
the
forest
enables
the
Jinou
to
find
not just plants,
其它美味可口的森林食品

but other tasty forest food too.
丛林地蟹在这儿很常见

它们以充足的废叶为食


Forest
crabs
are
common
here,
feeding
on
the
abundant leaf litter.
晚餐又多了一道美味可口的菜肴

This will be a
tasty addition to
the
evening meal.
流经云
南南部
的山谷









Flowing
through
Yunnan's
southern valleys,
怒江的水量正是充沛的时候

the
once
angry
rivers
are
now
swollen,
缓慢流动河水有些温暖

their waters slow and warm.
这些富饶的低地河谷是傣族人的家园

These
fertile
lowland
valleys
are
the
home of the Dai.
水之民

The
山环水抱沿河而居

live
along
streams
which
originate
in
the
surrounding hills.
每一个家庭都拥有一个菜园子

Each
family
keeps
a
kitchen
garden
仿照森
林环境
中的
多层结
构

modelled
on
the
multi-layered
structure
of
the
surrounding forests,
傣族人对森林满怀敬重

which the Dai hold sacred.
套种不同的作物能够显著提高产量


The
gardens
are
made
more
productive
by
inter-planting
different crops.
高大向阳的作物为阴地植物提供了遮阳伞


Tall,
sun- loving
species
give
shelter
to
plants
which
thrive in the shade.
作为伙伴，大家都得以茁壮成长

As
companions,
the
plants
grow
better.
云南的森林里有十二种

以上不同品种的野生香蕉


Yunnan's
forests
are
home
to
more
than
a
dozen
wild
banana species
- 39 -
多数傣族人的菜园里的香蕉都长势良好

and banana crops grow well in most
Dai gardens.
尽管富含花蜜的硕大香蕉树花一天只绽放两个小时


The
huge
banana
flowers
are
rich
in
nectar
for
only
two hours a day,
却足以吸引周围森林中的昆虫前来采吸

大黄蜂当然也不甘落后


but
it's
enough
to
attract
a
range
of
forest
insects,
including hornets.
用它们剃刀般锋利的下颚骨

With their razor sharp mandibles,
很容易就能够采集到花蜜

they
find
it
easy
to
rob
the
flowers
of their nectar.
捕食者大黄蜂也是肉食动物

But hornets are predators too.
它们捕食其它的昆虫并带回蜂巢

They
hunt
other
insects
and
carry
them
back to their nest.
一个理想的目标

An ideal target,
但是这只蚱蜢并非免费的盘中餐

but
this
grasshopper
is
no
easy
meal.
也许要为之付出一定的代价

There may be a price to pay.
傣族猎人
Po
与
Xue Ming
利用猎人的本能


The Dai men, Po and Xue Ming, take advantage of a hunter's
instincts.
被大黄蜂蛰伤是一件很痛苦的事情

A hornet sting is agony.
现在大黄蜂的心思都在蚱蜢身上

But
for now
it's distracted,
intent on
cutting away
咬下一块足够小的蚱蜢肉以便带回蜂巢
a
piece
of
grasshopper
small
enough
to
carry back home.
成功了

Success!
白色的羽毛几乎没有迟滞黄蜂的飞行速度

The
white
feather
hardly
slows
the
hornet,
然而，更重要的是

and, more importantly,
白色羽毛能够为猎人导航

it can be seen.
猎人的狩猎现在开始了

Now the hunter is the hunted.
只要
Po
与
Xue
Ming
能够跟上

So
long
as
Po
and
Xue
Ming
can
keep up!
回到蜂巢后，其它的大黄蜂

Back at the nest, the other hornets
立即把羽毛咬碎

immediately begin to cut the feather
free.
但是为时已晚

蜂巢的位置已经暴露

But
it's
too
late.
The
nest's
location
has
been betrayed.
森林动物与当地人之间的关系


The
relationship
between
the
forest
animals
and
the
people
who live here
几乎就没有和睦的时候

was never one of harmony.
- 40 -
傣族与其他的族群认为森林是神圣不可侵犯的


Yet the fact that the Dai and other ethnic groups considered these forests
to be sacred,
并且能够为他们的生存提够保障

has ensured their survival
现在很多森林通过自然保护区的形式

被特别地保护起来


and
now
many
have
been
given
extra
protection
as
nature reserves.
身心的劳累终于获得了回报

Ingenuity and
hard work pays off
at
last.
傣族人很喜
欢食用这
种多脂
的幼虫


The
fattened
larvae
are
considered
a
delicacy by the Dai.
尽管这些森林历尽了沧桑巨变

Although
these
forests
have
experienced
a
great
deal of change,
但它们依旧是一些远古的

令人难以置信的关系的主人


they are still
host to some ancient and
incredible
relationships.
差不多六十厘米高

Almost 60 centimetres high,
这是滇南魔芋的巨大花冠

this
is
the
immense
flower
of
the
Elephant yam.
当地人称之为丛林女巫

Locals
call
it
the

of
the
Forest
夜幕降临繁星满天

丛林女巫开始释放她的魔力


As
the
stars
rise,
the
witch
begins
to
cast her spell.
森林中的气温下降了

花儿却开始升温了


The
forest
temperature
drops,
but
the
flower
starts to heat up.
热成像摄影机显示出了花的温度

A heat sensitive camera reveals the flower's
temperature
温度令人难以置信的升高了十摄氏度

rising
by
an
incredible
ten
degrees
Celsius.
在这个时候，腐肉有毒的臭气弥散在整个森林


At the same time, a noxious stench of rotting flesh fills
the forest air.
随着花朵热量的增加

臭气阵阵袭来

As
the
flower's
heat
increases,
a
cloud
of
odour rises up.
难闻的味道四处飘散

The
foul
perfume
carries
far
and
wide.
它并非没有注意到

It doesn't go unnoticed.
腐尸甲虫登场了

Carrion beetles arrive on the scene.
甲虫来到这儿寻找一顿温暖的腐肉圣宴


The
beetles
come
in
search
of
a
feast
of
warm
decaying flesh,
但是甲虫上当了

but they've been tricked.
- 41 -
滑溜的花壁使甲虫摔倒

Slippery sides ensure they tumble
直接跌进了巨花的中央

straight into the centre of the monster
flower.
这儿的空间不足以让甲虫展开它的翅膀

There's
not
enough
room
to
spread
their wings
像蜡一般光滑的花壁注定甲虫无处可逃

and
the
waxy
walls
ensure
that
there's no escape.
花儿挽留甲虫做客期间

并不会有任何凶险的事情发生


But
there's
nothing
sinister
in
the
flower's agenda.
甲虫将会在不知情的情况下成为花的助手

The
beetles
will
be
its
unwitting
helpers.
天色破晓

Dawn arrives,
花朵困住了它的俘虏一整天


but
the
flower
remains
unchanged,
holding
its
captives
through the day.
次日的夜色洒向了大地

丛林女巫再次释放它的热情


As
the
second
night
falls,
the
witch
stirs again.
一会儿，花朵珍贵的金色花粉

In a
matter of
minutes,
the
flower's precious
golden pollen
从雄蕊中挣扎而出并下坠

squeezes
from
the
stamens
and
begins to fall,
阵阵洒落在被俘获的甲虫身上

showering
onto
the
captive
beetles
below.
现在，囚徒终于被释放

Now, at
last, the prisoners are
free to
go.
花壁的质地变得粗糙起来

The
flower's
wall
changes
texture,
becoming rough
提供了理想的逃离天梯

to provide the ideal escape ladder.
满载花粉奔向自由

Loaded with their pollen parcels, they can now climb
to freedom,
正好其它的丛林女巫即将绽放

just
as
other
forest
witches
are
beginning to open.
无法抗拒的味道引诱甲虫再次造访


Seduced
by
the
irresistible
perfume,
the
beetles
are
sure
to pay a visit,
保证了授粉得以施行

so ensuring pollination,
也因此保证了这种硕大的

发出难闻气味的花得以传宗接代


and
another
generation
of
incredibly
big,
smelly flowers.
晨曦乍现

森林之鸟在树荫地下宣告它们的领地


As
dawn
arrives,
forest
birds
claim
their
territories
in the canopy.
- 42 -
鸟鸣声

BIRDSONG
这儿有一种声音在其中显得格外突兀

But
there's
one
call
which
stands
out
among the rest -
森林交响乐的艺术大师

virtuoso of the forest symphony.
奇异的声音响起

STRANGE CALL RINGS OUT
是一只长臂猿

It's a gibbon.
起
伏
的
叫
声
持
续
不
断





















UNDULATING
CALL
CONTINUES
在云南中南部偏远的山脉之中

Living
on
a
remote
mountain
range
in
south
central Yunnan
居住着中国的珍稀动物

野生长臂猿群


is
one
of
the
few
remaining
wild
gibbon
populations in China.
无量山里
的黑
冠长臂
猿








The
black-crested
gibbons
of
Wuliangshan.
他们活动范围局限在这些山林之中

They
are
confined
to
these
forest
mountains,
如此偏远而又陡峭的环境

以至于少有猎人光顾


so remote and steep that few hunters ever
come here.
对它们的社会结构来说

无量山的长臂猿是如此的与众不同


The
Wuliangshan
gibbons
are
unsual
for
their
social structure.
大多数长臂猿生活在一个小家族之中

Most gibbons live in small family
groups
由交配的双方和他们的后代所组成

consisting
of
a
mating
pair
and
their offspring.
但是这些长臂猿也过着群居的生活

But these gibbons exist in troops.
一只雄性长臂猿能够与

两只到三只的雌性交配


One
male
can
have
two
or
sometimes
three females
而且这些雌性都能怀胎生子

and all of these can have young.
通常这些小长臂猿都生活在族群之中

Often even the juveniles stay in the
community.
幼崽的吱吱声

BABY SQUEAKS
惊鸿一瞥

这只小长臂猿也许刚出生了一天

Rarely
glimpsed,
this
baby
may
be
only a day old.
如果安全度过了婴儿期

它将拥有一个充满希望的未来


If
it
survives
infancy,
then
it
has
a
promising future
与它组织严密的家庭共同生活在

宛如世外桃源的山谷中


in
these
few
valleys
with
its
close-knit family.
长臂猿的叫声响起

GIBBON CALLS RING OUT
- 43 -
长臂猿的歌声曾经

激发了中国的古代诗人的灵感


Gibbon
song
once
inspired
the
ancient
poets of China,
它们壮美的歌声回荡在崇山峻岭之间

谱写了
“
两岸猿声啼不住
”
的辉煌篇章


their
glorious
calls
echoing
far
across the hills.
可是现在

云南的森林异常的宁静

But
now,
new, strangely quiet
forests
have
come to Yunnan.
这些树能够出产一种重要而又珍贵的作物


These
trees
are
here
to
produce
an
important
and
valuable crop.
当树皮被刮开便流出了丰沛的粘液

When
the
tree
bark
is
scored,
it
yields
copious sticky sap,
没有任何动物能够以这种

又苦又粘的液体为食

so
bitter
and
tacky
that
nothing
can feed on it.
这是树木面对攻击时的自我保护

It's
the
tree's
natural
defence
against attack.
它每天都被采集

It's collected daily,
一碗又一碗

bowl by bowl.
液体将被熬制成为一种非常重要的材料


It
will
be
boiled
and
processed
into
one
of
the
most
important materials
橡胶

对发展中国家来说尤为关键

to
a
fast
developing
nation
-
rubber.
中国的橡胶林种植面积在五十年代时急速扩张


The
expansion
of
the
rubber
forests
began
in
the
'50s
when China,
美国侵略朝鲜期间对当时的中国

实行了全面的经济封锁和橡胶禁运


under a world rubber embargo,
中国对这种战略原料的需求

必须自给自足

had
to
become
self-sufficient
in
this
vital product.
北京当局把目光转向了

橡胶树唯一能够快速成材的地方


Beijing
turned
to
the
only
place
where
rubber could grow,
位于热带地区的云南南部

the tropical south of Yunnan.
高效快捷的行动开始了

With efficiency and speed,
一些世间最丰茂的森林被摧毁并焚烧殆尽


some of the world's richest forests were torn up
and burned.
取而代之的是成片的的橡胶林

Replaced with mile upon mile of rubber
plantation.
橡胶种植者的问题也接踵而至

But there was a problem for the rubber
growers.
- 44 -
尽管云南独特的天然林

While
Yunnan's
unique
natural forests
能够在延伸到北部的山坡上茁壮成长


can survive on the valley slopes which stretch to
the north...
可是一场严峻的霜冻就能毁灭这片娇弱的橡胶林


..just one severe
frost will
kill off
these delicate
rubber trees.
云南的地形为种植范围划定了天然界限


So
Yunnan's
terrain
puts
a
limit
on
how
far
the
plantations can spread,
阻
碍
了
向
北种
植
的计
划

















halting
at
least
their
northwards advance.
云南的丛林所面临的压力正逐渐加大

The
jungles
of
Yunnan
are
increasingly
under pressure.
汽车喇叭嘟嘟响

HORN BEEPS
新建的公路纵横交错在残存的树林间

New
roads
criss-cross
the
tiny
remnant forests,
以满足商业工业以及旅游业

对基础设施的需求


the
infrastructure
needed
for
trade,
industry
and,
increasingly, tourism.
这是两个截然不同的世界的交汇之处

It's
a
meeting
of
two
very
different worlds.
象鸣

ELEPHANT TRUMPETS
大象还能在中国存活简直就是个奇迹

That elephants still exist
in China
is
remarkable
考虑到那巨大的压力

considering
the
immense
pressures
那世界上最多的人口所
带来的压力



in
the
world's
most
highly
populated country.
约
250
头野生大象依旧居住在此

The
250
or
so
wild
elephants
which
still live here
并受到严密的保护

are now strictly protected.
每年都有小象诞生在稀疏的象群中

And each year young are born to the
small herds.
倘若问
大象打
算在中
国的
何处安
居





If
elephants
were
to
survive
anywhere in China,
那必定非云南莫属

it
could only
have been
here,
in
Yunnan.
山脉引导着季风带着湿热气流径直流向滇北


The
same
mountains
which
guide
the
monsoon rains north
- 45 -
这不仅使得
Joseph Rock
的旅程充满了艰难


and
which
made Joseph
Rock's journeys so
treacherous,
也保护了云南的森林和这儿的野生动物

also
guarded
Yunnan's
forests
and
its wildlife.
象吼声

ELEPHANTS
GRUNT
AND
TRUMPET
此时此刻

群山依旧满目苍翠

For the moment, the mountains are still carpeted in a
rich green,
简单的颜色掩盖了她的美丽与富饶

deceptive in its simplicity.
也许云南是苍穹之下

中国最宝贵的自然财富


Below
the
canopy
lies
perhaps
China's
richest
natural treasure.
雅致而又独特的

Delicate and unique,
人类难以割舍的自然情怀都汇聚在这

a
complex
world
of
intricate
relationships
美丽的彩云之南



between
animals,
plants
and
people,
beneath the clouds.
美丽中国（
Wild China
）第三集

西藏

Tibet

西藏高原的陆地面积
约占中国领土的
四分之一


The
Tibetan
plateau
is
a
quarter of China.
其中的大部分极度偏远荒无人烟

Much
of
it
is
extremely
remote
and
inhospitable.
南部边界贯穿了世界上最高的山脉


Its
southern
border
runs
through
the
world's
highest
mountain range,
望而生畏的喜马拉雅山

the formidable Himalayas.
中部是暴露在风中的寒冷荒地

Its
central
part
is
a
windswept
and freezing
其面积与西欧相似

wilderness
the
size
of
Western
Europe.
难以置信这个具有挑战性的地方竟然是野生动物的家园


But
this
challenging
place
is
home
to
incredible wildlife.
这里的大型生物比中国其它任何地方还要多


There
are
more
large
creatures
here
than
anywhere
else in China.
西藏加入到新中国这个大家庭五十多年来


Tibet
has
been
a
province
of
China
for
more
than 50 years,
有着
1000
多年悠久历史的的藏传佛教

yet it has a unique character,
依旧保持着她独特的风貌

shaped
by
over
1,000
years
of
Tibetan Buddhism.
- 46 -
这
个
鲜为
人
知
的
散
发
着
古
老
气息
的
宗
教









This
obscure
and
archaic-looking religion
孕育了这个世界上最开明的文化

has
produced
one
of
the
most
enlightened
cultures on Earth.
在
这
里
人
们
与
自
然
界













Here,people
have
a
long
tradition
of
co-existing peacefully
和谐相处的悠久传统

with
the
creatures
and
landscape
around them,
促进了对脆弱自然环境的保护

a
relationship
which
has
helped
to
protect
their
fragile environment.
在这个节目中我们将展示这块承载着古老文化的厚重土地

In this programme we will discover why this harsh land with
its ancient
对我们的地球来说是多么的重要

culture is vitally important for much of
our planet.
初冬

It's the beginning of winter,
高高的青藏高原之上

high up on the Tibetan plateau.
气温会骤降到零下
40
摄氏度

The temperature
will soon drop to
minus
40 Celsius.
在这里生命中只剩下唯一的念头
——
求存
Out
here,life
is
reduced
to
a
single
imperative - survival.
对于这只盘羊
——
世界上最大的羊而言

For the argali,the
world's
largest
sheep,
这就意味着寻找几簇草丛

it
means
searching
for
a
few
tufts of grass.
从山顶到更低一些的地方

Descending
from
the
hilltops
to
lower altitudes,
盘羊为了安全而团结在一起

the
argali
band
together
for
safety.
如果顺利的话

在这里能找到足够的食物

Hopefully, down here,they'll be able
to find enough food
以帮助它们熬过残冬

to
last
them
through
the
rest
of
the winter.
尽管冬的大地是如此的贫瘠与荒凉

Although
this
winter
landscape
looks
barren
and forbidden,
西藏偏远的草地却养活着种类多的令人吃惊的生物


Tibet's
remote
grasslands
support
a
surprising
variety
of creatures.
尽管每年的这个时候难以寻觅它们的踪迹


Though at this time of year, they can be hard to
track down.
相比之下西藏的首府拉萨却熙攘异常

By
comparison,Tibet's
capital,Lhasa,is
a
hive of activity.
- 47 -
拉萨是众多朝圣者的聚集地

Lhasa
is
a
focus
for
large
numbers of pilgrims
他们每天在市内的庙宇相聚

who
congregate
at
the
city's
temples each day.
西藏供养着超过
250
万的人口

Tibet
is
home to over 2.5
million
people,
其中大部分都是虔诚
的信徒




most
of
whom
are
deeply
religious.
尽管西藏的佛教徒倾心于精致复杂的庙宇、雕塑以及画像


Though Tibetan
Buddhist worship centres on elaborate temples,statues
and images,
他们的信仰却和西藏的野生环境密切地交织在一起


its
beliefs
are
intimately
linked
with
the
wild
landscapes of Tibet.
这种关系起源于

The
starting
point
for
that
relationship
is
the
mountain range
蜿蜒在西藏南部边界的山脉

that
runs
along
Tibet's
southern
border.
喜马拉雅山脉的长度超过了
3000
千米

Over 3,000 kilometres long,
是中国真正意义上的长城

the
Himalayas
are
China's
real
Great Wall.
有上百个山峰的海拔超过了
7000
米

其中十三个的海拔超过了
8000
米


With
hundreds
of
peaks
over
7,000
metres
and 13 peaks
是地球上最高的山峰

higher
than
8,000
metres,they
are
the
highest
mountains on Earth.
西藏地区有
3
万
5
千个以上的冰川

The
Tibetan
region
contains
over
35,000 glaciers
覆盖了超过
10
万平方千米的土地

that
cover
over
100,000
square
kilometres.
组成了除去极地之外的最大的冰区

They
comprise
the
largest
area
of
ice
outside the polar regions,
接近世界冰区总面积的六分之一

and
nearly
a
sixth
of
the
world's
total.
冰川是这个地区大部分水流的源头

These
glaciers
are
the
source
of
most
of
the water in the region.
青藏高原上镶嵌着众多冰冷的湖泊

And the Tibetan plateau is studded with
glacial lakes.
坐落在西藏遥远西部海拔
4500
米处的玛旁雍错湖

At
over
4,500
metres
up,Lake Manasarovar
是世界上海拔最高的淡水湖

in
the
far
west
of
Tibet,is
the
highest
freshwater
lake in the world.
- 48 -
晚春时节

寒冷的湖水吸引了很多繁衍的鸟儿


In
late spring,the chilly
lake waters are a magnet
for
breeding birds.
这只冠毛

给它同伴衔来了杂草以此示爱


The
crested
grebe
woos
his
mate
with
offerings
of
weed for her nest.
最终爱巢为它们圆房做好了准备

Finally
the
honeymoon
suite
is
ready for action.
除了

这里还有世界上飞的最高的鸟

The
grebes
are
joined
by
the
highest
flying birds in the world.
斑头鹤在喜马拉雅山的南面过冬

Having
spent
the
winter
south
of
the Himalayas,
每
年
春
天
都
要< br>冒
险
飞
越
巅
峰







bar-headed
geese
make
the
hazardous
mountain crossing each spring
到高原的湖泊繁衍生息

to breed on the plateau's lakes.
为了安全它们在一起筑巢

The geese nest together for safety.
但如此多的小鸟同时孵出也就意味着找到亲生父母是一个很棘手的问题

But so many chicks hatching at the same time means that it can be tricky finding your
parents.
幸运的是一旦到了水里

Fortunately,once
down
at
the
water's edge,
就能够找到足够的食物

there's enough food for all of them.
凭借着高山冰川

Fed by the mountain glaciers,
青藏高原甚至形成了自己的内陆湖

the
Tibetan
plateau
even
has
its
own inland sea.
青海湖

This is Qinghai Lake,
中国最大的内陆湖

China's largest.
经过百万年的蒸发

矿物质浓缩了在湖中


Millions
of
years
of
evaporation
have
concentrated
the
minerals in the lake,
使水变得咸了

turning the water salty.
湖中丰富的鱼资源吸引了成千上万的鸬鹚

Rich
in
fish,its
waters
attract
thousands of cormorants.
西藏的湖泊不仅是野生动物的家园

But
it's
not
just
wildlife
that
values
Tibet's
lakes and seas.
其间的
水也
使得
人类
的生
命得
以延续



Their
life-giving
waters
are
also
important to people.
西藏的宗教是佛教与曾经在此地广为流传的


Tibetan religion is a unique mix of Buddhism and
much older
古
老
萨
满
教
的< br>独
特
的
混
合
体


Shamanic
beliefs
that
were
once
widespread
throughout the region.
- 49 -
这种混合信仰构成了他们与自然独特关系的基础


This
hybrid
religion
forms
the
basis
of
an
extraordinary
relationship with nature.
在萨满教义中这片土地被赋予了魔力

In
Shamanic
belief,the
land
is
imbued
with
magical properties
使之能够帮助与精神世界进行交流

which
aid
communication
with
the
spirit world.
在这里动物的头骨被装饰起来

岩石也刻上了神圣的曼特拉
(
传统的颂歌
)

Here
animal
skulls
are
decorated,and
rocks
are
carved
with
sacred mantras,
人们认为那些音节拥有精神的力量

groups
of
syllables
that
are
considered
to
have spiritual power.
人们相信诵读这些曼特拉能够产生魔音


The
reciting
of
the
mantras
is
believed
to
create
a
magical sound
在宇宙中回响

that
reverberates
through
the
universe.
大地被分别代表
了金木水火
土五种元素
的

The
landscape
is
decorated
with
multi-coloured flags which
多
彩
的
经
幡
装
饰
着














represent
the
five
elements
-
fire,wood,earth,water and iron.
经幡上印着祷文用以净化空气

安抚神灵


The
flags
are
printed
with
prayers
to
purify
the
air
and
pacify the gods,
而风会把这些祈祷带向天堂

and
the
wind
blows
the
prayers
to heaven.
印着祷文的经幡所装裱的番杆经常会被换上新的经幡


The
poles
on
which
the
prayer
flags
are
mounted
are
regularly
replenished
with fresh flags.
而旧的经幡很是珍贵

那些最接近番杆顶部的


The
old
flags
are
treasured.
Those
nearest
the
top of the pole
经幡更是象征着吉祥如意

所以经幡的争夺可能会很激烈


are
the
most
auspicious,so
competition
for
these
can get fierce!
番杆顶部的金顶

The
golden dome,which
is
mounted right at
the top of
the
prayer pole,
是所有物体当中最神圣的

is the most sacred object of all.
至少

一旦它被降下来之后是这样。

Or it will be,once it's retrieved.
古老的萨满教把魔法的力量归功于这片土地
.

The old Shamanic beliefs of Tibet ascribed
magical powers to the
landscape.
但这里还有的更多可以感知的力量

But there's a far more tangible source of
power here
- 50 -
却和魔法没有一丁点关系

which
owes
nothing
at
all
to
magic.
散布于高原上的是滚烫的温泉

Strewn
across
the
plateau
are
boiling
thermal springs,
这是在这里有百万年历史的

the
evidence
of
mighty
natural
forces
浑厚的自然力量存在的证据

which
have
been
at
work
over
millions of years.
在地下深处巨大的亚洲板块和

Deep
below
the
surface,the
vast
continental plates
印度板块互相冲击

of
Asia
and
India
are
crashing
into
each other.
地下的混乱状态使大量含硫的蒸汽喷薄而出

The
turmoil
below
erupts
in
clouds
of sulphurous steam.
由滚烫的矿物泉来孕育生命听起来并不太可能


It seems
unlikely
that scalding
mineral springs
should
support life.
但确实有种不寻常的生物因之而繁衍兴旺


But
one
unlikely
creature
thrives
here
precisely
because of them.
这种温泉蛇是西藏所特有的

The
hot
spring
snake
is
unique
to
Tibet
人们把它在高原艰苦环境存活下来的原因


and
is
believed
to
have
survived
the
inhospitable
conditions up
主要归功于这里的天然地热

on
the
plateau
principally
thanks
to
this
natural
central heating.
这些冷血的蛇在由温泉形成的溪流中游弋


These
cold-blooded
snakes
hang
out
in
streams
and
rivers
which are fed
在温泉中它们无忧无虑的生活着


by
the
hot
springs,where
they
enjoy
a
surprisingly
productive lifestyle.
滑进温暖的水中耐心地等待

脑袋在水面上下疾动静等鱼儿上钩


Slipping
into
the
warm
water,they
wait
patiently,bobbing
their
heads
on
the
look-out for fish.
正由于与形成喜马拉雅山的火山的不寻常关系


Thanks to
its unlikely
relationship with the
volcanic
forces which built the
Himalayas,
温泉蛇才得以生存在

the
hot
spring
snake
is
able
to
survive.
海拔
4500
米的地方

at altitudes up to 4,500 metres,
这使它成为了世界上过着最奢侈的生活的蛇

making
it
the
highest-living
snake
in the world.