地球热带岛屿之旅（2020）

Far away, cut off by vast oceans...
远隔重洋 在海的那边
..Lie Earth's tropical islands.
坐落着诸多热带岛屿
Home to remarkable animal castaways...
流落荒岛的奇异动物们以此为家
..That have evolved in isolation.
独♥立♥进化
And human cultures that have adapted in extraordinary ways.
人类文化以独特的方式适应着这里的环境
From the jungles of Borneo with their staggering wild diversity...
从生物多样性惊人的婆罗洲丛林
..To Hawaii, the most remote island chain,
到夏威夷 这个最偏远的岛链
colonised by only the hardiest pioneers.
最顽强的开拓者主宰着这里
And Madagascar, the oldest island of all...
马达加斯加岛 世界上最古老的岛屿
..Where time has given rise to thousands of unique species.
在那里 时间造就了数千奇特的物种
These tropical islands
这些热带岛屿
have developed into astonishing and unique worlds.
已演化出让人叹为观止的独特生态圈
Cradling precious life .
地球上
found nowhere else on Earth
再也找不到如此珍奇的生命
马达加斯加
In the tropical waters of the Indian Ocean...
印度洋的热带水域中
..Lies the oldest island on Earth.
分布着地球上最古老的岛屿
Madagascar.
马达加斯加岛
Isolated for longer than any other island.
与世隔绝的时间最长
Life has had time to evolve in the most surprising ways.
生命用时间 以最令人惊讶的方式
With over 15,000 species found nowhere else.
进化出15000多个特有物种
Madagascar boasts more unique plants and animals
马达加斯加拥有世界上
than any other island on the planet.
最独特的动植物
Madagascar was formed nearly 90 million years ago.
马达加斯加形成于近9000万年前
推测存在于南半球的古大♥陆♥
也称南方大♥陆♥ 因印度中部的冈瓦纳地方而得名
Giant landmass, known as Gondwana, broke apart.
被称为冈瓦纳大♥陆♥的巨型大♥陆♥ 分♥裂♥解体
As India split from Africa,
随着印度从非洲分♥裂♥出来
Madagascar was cast adrift.
马达加斯加岛成为了沧海遗珠
It's a vast island almost the size of France.
这座岛屿 面♥积♥与法国相当
And home to an astonishing array of ancient habitats.
遍布着诸多令人瞠目的远古栖息地
At its heart lie the highlands,
核心地带 伫立着诸多高原
an immense mountainous spine
巍峨的山脊
that determines the island's climate.
决定了岛上的气候
Warm, wet air blows in off the Indian Ocean,
从印度洋吹拂而来的暖湿气流
drenching the east of Madagascar with rain.
为马达加斯加东部带来了丰沛的雨水
But the mountains block this rain from reaching the west,
但山脉阻挡了雨水的西进
creating a great expanse of desert.
形成了大♥片♥的沙漠
This arid landscape stretches halfway up the west coast.
这片干旱之地绵延了半个西海岸
It was here, around 55 million years ago,
就是在这 大约5500万年前
that a few animal castaways washed ashore.
一些流落的动物被冲上海岸
Having somehow survived the 300-mile crossing from Africa.
在穿越非洲300英里的艰程中 意外地存活下来
One of the very first mammals to arrive
其中最早到达的哺乳动物
was an ancient species of primate.
是一种古老的灵长类动物
And their direct descendants still live here in the desert today.
它们的直系后代至今仍生活在沙漠中
Ring-tailed lemurs.
环尾狐猴
It's dawn.
晨光初现
And a family of nine soak up the warmth of the early morning sun,
一家九口沐浴着清晨的阳光
preserving vital energy for the day ahead.
为即将到来的一天储存必需的能量
This young lemur
这只小狐猴
is just six months old...
只有六个月大
..And born into the harshest habitat on the island.
出生在 岛上最恶劣的地方
Known as the Spiny Forest.
多刺林
Tiny leathery leaves provide little nourishment.
坚韧粗糙的小叶子几乎没有营养
The troop spends up to eight hours a day
这只队伍每天花上8个小时
scouring the desert for food.
在沙漠里四处搜寻食物
Tackling even the most hostile vegetation.
即使是毒性最大的植物也不放过
The sticky sap that oozes out of Euphorbia plants
从大戟属植物中渗出的粘液
can be caustic,
具有腐蚀性
and burn human flesh.
会灼伤人类皮肤
Yet ringtails are resistant to their corrosive powers.
然而 环尾狐猴却能抵抗这种腐蚀力
Euphorbia sap is also rich in fats.
大戟属植物的汁液还富含脂肪
Much-needed fuel
提供的能量
that will help this young lemur survive this inhospitable desert.
让这只小狐猴得以在荒漠中生存下去
Ringtails are just one of the many species of lemur.
环尾狐猴只是众多狐猴中的一种
These primates are found only on Madagascar.
这些灵长类动物只生活在马达加斯加
Their ancient ancestors gradually spread east across the island.
它们古老的祖先穿过小岛向东迁移
Adapting to each of Madagascar's varied habitats.
适应了马达加斯加多种多样的栖息环境
They now number more than 100 different species.
如今演化出100多个不同的物种
Humans are thought to have arrived on this island
人类大概在几千年前
just a few thousand years ago.
才来到这座岛上
First from Asia, and then from Africa,
依次从亚洲 非洲而来
they settled on the coast.
而后定居在沿海地区
Pushing inland,
西部沿岸的人向内陆挺进
those in the west faced the hostile desert.
面临着危机四伏的沙漠
Just 20 miles from the coastline lies the village of Ampotaka.
距离海岸线只有20英里的地方坐落着安波塔卡村
It's the dry season.
现在是旱季
Temperatures often reach 40 degrees Celsius.
温度经常高达40摄氏度
It hasn't rained for ten months now.
已经有十个月滴雨未落了
With their nearest water supply over 40 miles away,
最近的供水点在40英里外
life is a daily struggle.
生活 举步维艰
The remains of this year's melon harvest
今年收获的甜瓜
provide just enough water to cook with.
勉强提供的汁水刚够煮食
At 62, Adolphe has lived through the driest of years.
62岁的阿道夫 经历了最干旱的时期
老天爷不下雨 村子里的人生活得很艰难
我们苦不堪言
Today, Adolphe is joined by his son Leris...
今天 阿道夫和他的儿子莱里斯一起
..To visit the secret to their survival.
去探访他们生存的秘密
The baobab.
猴面包树
Known as "The Tree Of Life."
被称为“生命之树”
They can live for over 1,000 years.
寿命高达1000多年
Growing up to 30 metres high,
高30米
baobabs can hold vast
猴面包树可在
quantities of water in their immense trunks...
粗壮的树干里存储大量的雨水
..And can survive for years without a single drop of rain.
即使滴雨未下也可存活数年
For Adolphe, this baobab provides a lifeline.
对阿道夫来说 这棵猴面包树就是生命的延续
我们的祖先来自沿海
他们发现一棵猴面包树里有点水
因而决定在树里挖个洞
By hollowing out the soft trunk, they created a tank,
通过挖空柔软的树干 他们造了一个水箱
which they could fill with water during the brief rainy season.
在短暂的雨季可以装满水
然后所有的村民也开始这样做
This living reservoir can store thousands of litres of water.
这个活水库能储存几千升水
But this dry season has
但这个旱季
lasted so long that the tree is already empty.
旷日持久 树已经空了
Still, it's an important opportunity to trim back the growing bark,
不过 这也是一个修剪新生树皮的重要时机
maintaining the tank's size
来保持储水箱的大小
ready for the rain they hope will come soon.
为盼望已久的雨水做好准备
This tank may have run dry.
这个水箱可能已经干了
But Adolphe inherited seven of these wells from his father.
但阿道夫从父亲那儿继承了七个"水箱"
Only one still holds any water.
只有一个还有些水
小心点儿 别洒出来
With only enough water to last a few more weeks,
只够维持几个星期
it's a worrying time for Adolphe and his family.
阿道夫和家人非常担心
Survival in this desert depends on the arrival of the rains.
在这个沙漠中能否生存 全看何时降雨
On the forest floor,
在森林地表
there are signs that the weather is changing.
有迹象表明 天气在变化
Tiny Labord's chameleons,
小拉堡德变色龙
only three centimetres long, begin to hatch.
只有三厘米长 开始孵化了
They live for only four months.
它们的寿命只有四个月
The shortest lifespan of any land vertebrate.
是陆地上寿命最短的脊椎动物
For this young male,
对这只年轻的雄性而言
it's a race against time.
就是一场和时间的赛跑
In the dry season, there is little food.
在旱季 食物很少
But his hatching is perfectly timed.
但它孵化的时机正好
It's the start of the rainy season.
雨季要开始了
The parched landscape is transformed
干涸的大地
into a flush of green.
一片翠绿
Just what this growing chameleon needs.
正是成长中的变色龙所需要的
As his eyes can move independently...
两只眼睛能独♥立♥转动
..He can spot a meal in any direction...
能看到各个方位上的美餐
..And, by locking both eyes onto a target, judge distance.
接着 两只眼睛锁定目标 判断距离
With deadly accuracy.
致命地精准
With so much food on offer,
食物充足
the male Labord's chameleon can grow five times his size
雄性拉堡德变色龙能在两个月内