地球热带岛屿（2020）（1）

远隔重洋 在海的那边
Far away, cut off by vast oceans...
坐落着诸多热带岛屿
..Lie Earth's tropical islands.
流落荒岛的奇异动物们以此为家
Home to remarkable animal castaways...
独♥立♥进化
..That have evolved in isolation.
人类文化以独特的方式适应着这里的环境
And human cultures that have adapted in extraordinary ways.
从生物多样性惊人的婆罗洲丛林
From the jungles of Borneo with their staggering wild diversity...
到夏威夷 这个最偏远的岛链
..To Hawaii, the most remote island chain,
最顽强的开拓者主宰着这里
colonised by only the hardiest pioneers.
马达加斯加岛 世界上最古老的岛屿
And Madagascar, the oldest island of all...
在那里 时间造就了数千奇特的物种
..Where time has given rise to thousands of unique species.
这些热带岛屿
These tropical islands
已演化出让人叹为观止的独特生态圈
have developed into astonishing and unique worlds.
地球上
Cradling precious life .
再也找不到如此珍奇的生命
found nowhere else on Earth
印度洋的热带水域中
In the tropical waters of the Indian Ocean...
分布着地球上最古老的岛屿
..Lies the oldest island on Earth.
马达加斯加岛
Madagascar.
与世隔绝的时间最长
Isolated for longer than any other island.
生命用时间 以最令人惊讶的方式
Life has had time to evolve in the most surprising ways.
进化出15000多个特有物种
With over 15,000 species found nowhere else.
马达加斯加拥有世界上
Madagascar boasts more unique plants and animals
最独特的动植物
than any other island on the planet.
马达加斯加形成于近9000万年前
Madagascar was formed nearly 90 million years ago.
被称为冈瓦纳大♥陆♥的巨型大♥陆♥ 分♥裂♥解体
Giant landmass, known as Gondwana, broke apart.
随着印度从非洲分♥裂♥出来
As India split from Africa,
马达加斯加岛成为了沧海遗珠
Madagascar was cast adrift.
这座岛屿 面♥积♥与法国相当
It's a vast island almost the size of France.
遍布着诸多令人瞠目的远古栖息地
And home to an astonishing array of ancient habitats.
核心地带 伫立着诸多高原
At its heart lie the highlands,
巍峨的山脊
an immense mountainous spine
决定了岛上的气候
that determines the island's climate.
从印度洋吹拂而来的暖湿气流
Warm, wet air blows in off the Indian Ocean,
为马达加斯加东部带来了丰沛的雨水
drenching the east of Madagascar with rain.
但山脉阻挡了雨水的西进
But the mountains block this rain from reaching the west,
形成了大♥片♥的沙漠
creating a great expanse of desert.
这片干旱之地绵延了半个西海岸
This arid landscape stretches halfway up the west coast.
就是在这 大约5500万年前
It was here, around 55 million years ago,
一些流落的动物被冲上海岸
that a few animal castaways washed ashore.
在穿越非洲300英里的艰程中 意外地存活下来
Having somehow survived the 300-mile crossing from Africa.
其中最早到达的哺乳动物
One of the very first mammals to arrive
是一种古老的灵长类动物
was an ancient species of primate.
它们的直系后代至今仍生活在沙漠中
And their direct descendants still live here in the desert today.
环尾狐猴
Ring-tailed lemurs.
晨光初现
It's dawn.
一家九口沐浴着清晨的阳光
And a family of nine soak up the warmth of the early morning sun,
为即将到来的一天储存必需的能量
preserving vital energy for the day ahead.
这只小狐猴
This young lemur
只有六个月大
is just six months old...
出生在 岛上最恶劣的地方
..And born into the harshest habitat on the island.
多刺林
Known as the Spiny Forest.
坚韧粗糙的小叶子几乎没有营养
Tiny leathery leaves provide little nourishment.
这只队伍每天花上8个小时
The troop spends up to eight hours a day
在沙漠里四处搜寻食物
scouring the desert for food.
即使是毒性最大的植物也不放过
Tackling even the most hostile vegetation.
从大戟属植物中渗出的粘液
The sticky sap that oozes out of Euphorbia plants
具有腐蚀性
can be caustic,
会灼伤人类皮肤
and burn human flesh.
然而 环尾狐猴却能抵抗这种腐蚀力
Yet ringtails are resistant to their corrosive powers.
大戟属植物的汁液还富含脂肪
Euphorbia sap is also rich in fats.
提供的能量
Much-needed fuel
让这只小狐猴得以在荒漠中生存下去
that will help this young lemur survive this inhospitable desert.
环尾狐猴只是众多狐猴中的一种
Ringtails are just one of the many species of lemur.
这些灵长类动物只生活在马达加斯加
These primates are found only on Madagascar.
它们古老的祖先穿过小岛向东迁移
Their ancient ancestors gradually spread east across the island.
适应了马达加斯加多种多样的栖息环境
Adapting to each of Madagascar's varied habitats.
如今演化出100多个不同的物种
They now number more than 100 different species.
人类大概在几千年前
Humans are thought to have arrived on this island
才来到这座岛上
just a few thousand years ago.
依次从亚洲 非洲而来
First from Asia, and then from Africa,
而后定居在沿海地区
they settled on the coast.
西部沿岸的人向内陆挺进
Pushing inland,
面临着危机四伏的沙漠
those in the west faced the hostile desert.
距离海岸线只有20英里的地方坐落着安波塔卡村
Just 20 miles from the coastline lies the village of Ampotaka.
现在是旱季
It's the dry season.
温度经常高达40摄氏度
Temperatures often reach 40 degrees Celsius.
已经有十个月滴雨未落了
It hasn't rained for ten months now.
最近的供水点在40英里外
With their nearest water supply over 40 miles away,
生活 举步维艰
life is a daily struggle.
今年收获的甜瓜
The remains of this year's melon harvest
勉强提供的汁水刚够煮食
provide just enough water to cook with.
62岁的阿道夫 经历了最干旱的时期
At 62, Adolphe has lived through the driest of years.
今天 阿道夫和他的儿子莱里斯一起
Today, Adolphe is joined by his son Leris...
去探访他们生存的秘密
..To visit the secret to their survival.
猴面包树
The baobab.
被称为“生命之树”
Known as "The Tree Of Life."
寿命高达1000多年
They can live for over 1,000 years.
高30米
Growing up to 30 metres high,
猴面包树可在
baobabs can hold vast
粗壮的树干里存储大量的雨水
quantities of water in their immense trunks...
即使滴雨未下也可存活数年
..And can survive for years without a single drop of rain.
对阿道夫来说 这棵猴面包树就是生命的延续
For Adolphe, this baobab provides a lifeline.
通过挖空柔软的树干 他们造了一个水箱
By hollowing out the soft trunk, they created a tank,
在短暂的雨季可以装满水
which they could fill with water during the brief rainy season.
这个活水库能储存几千升水
This living reservoir can store thousands of litres of water.
但这个旱季
But this dry season has
旷日持久 树已经空了
lasted so long that the tree is already empty.
不过 这也是一个修剪新生树皮的重要时机
Still, it's an important opportunity to trim back the growing bark,
来保持储水箱的大小
maintaining the tank's size
为盼望已久的雨水做好准备
ready for the rain they hope will come soon.
这个水箱可能已经干了
This tank may have run dry.
但阿道夫从父亲那儿继承了七个"水箱"
But Adolphe inherited seven of these wells from his father.
只有一个还有些水
Only one still holds any water.
只够维持几个星期
With only enough water to last a few more weeks,
阿道夫和家人非常担心
it's a worrying time for Adolphe and his family.
在这个沙漠中能否生存 全看何时降雨
Survival in this desert depends on the arrival of the rains.
在森林地表
On the forest floor,
有迹象表明 天气在变化
there are signs that the weather is changing.
小拉堡德变色龙
Tiny Labord's chameleons,
只有三厘米长 开始孵化了
only three centimetres long, begin to hatch.
它们的寿命只有四个月
They live for only four months.
是陆地上寿命最短的脊椎动物
The shortest lifespan of any land vertebrate.
对这只年轻的雄性而言
For this young male,
就是一场和时间的赛跑
it's a race against time.
在旱季 食物很少
In the dry season, there is little food.
但它孵化的时机正好
But his hatching is perfectly timed.
雨季要开始了
It's the start of the rainy season.
干涸的大地
The parched landscape is transformed
一片翠绿
into a flush of green.
正是成长中的变色龙所需要的
Just what this growing chameleon needs.
两只眼睛能独♥立♥转动
As his eyes can move independently...
能看到各个方位上的美餐
..He can spot a meal in any direction...
接着 两只眼睛锁定目标 判断距离
..And, by locking both eyes onto a target, judge distance.
致命地精准
With deadly accuracy.
食物充足
With so much food on offer,
雄性拉堡德变色龙能在两个月内
the male Labord's chameleon can grow five times his size
长到原来的五倍
in just two months.
成为带有突出犄角的成年雄性
Transforming into an adult male with an eye-catching horn.
一只雌性靠近
A female approaches.
但情敌出现了
But the male has a rival.
生命过于短暂
With such short lives,