冰冻星球（2011）

the largest island in the world.
与它的名字不同 格陵兰岛以白色为主
Despite its name, Greenland is mostly white,
被一块硕大的冰原覆盖
covered by a giant ice sheet
它的大小是英国的六倍
six times the size of the United Kingdom.
在岛中♥央♥ 冰层有三千米厚
In the middle of the island, the ice is nearly two miles thick.
一个荒凉寂静的世界
It's a bleak, quiet world.
海水融化成的宝石蓝湖泊
Sapphire-blue melt lakes
表明一个变化正在悄然发生
are the first sign that a dynamic process is underway.
每个湖的形成需要几天时间
Each lake forms in a matter of days,
湖面慢慢扩大 宽达几公里
expanding until it's miles across
最后开始溢出
and starts to overflow.
流水在冰面上开凿出条条水道
The spill water then carves its way through the ice.
蜿蜒在冰雪三角洲上的融水
The water courses through an icy delta
正如流淌在冷血巨兽的动脉中血液
like blood along the arteries of a cold-blooded monster,
而且只苏醒中的巨兽
a monster that is stirring.
没有任何征兆
And without warning,
水流被凭空出现的天井打断
the water suddenly plunges down an open shaft,
垂直坠入冰原之心
falling a vertical mile into the heart of the ice sheet.
融水还有着出人意料的作用
This meltwater has a surprising effect -
在冰面与其下岩石床间
it lubricates the junction between the ice
起到润滑的作用
and the rock floor beneath,
整个冰原都在移♥动♥
so the entire ice sheet is now on the move,
顺着地势滑向海洋
sliding downhill into the ocean.
雅各布港冰川
This, Jakobshavn Isbrae,
是地球上流动最快的冰川
is the fastest-flowing glacier on our planet,
移♥动♥速度约为40米每天
moving as much as 40 metres a day.
冰川所到之处 一切都被夷为平地
As it advances, it destroys everything in its path,
它顺势滑向海洋
even cutting its way
即便是格陵兰岛最雄伟的山脉
through Greenland's great mountain ranges
也无法阻挡它前行的脚步
on its drive downwards towards the sea.
随着速度的加快
When speeded up,
固态冰川如河水般流淌
these solid rivers of ice seem to flow just like liquid rivers.
其巨大冲击力
This is the titanic force
可以切入高山 夷平陆地
that cuts down mountains and levels the surface of continents.
冰川正迈向其长征的终点
The ice is now entering the last stage of its descent.
由于速度越来越快
As it gains speed,
巨大的冰隙随之出现 深至冰川最深处
huge crevasses open that extend down to its very core.
临近大海时
It's reached the ocean,
重达百万吨♥的冰川
and millions of tonnes of ice
失去了岩层支撑
have lost the support of their rocky bed.
崩塌已不可避免
Something must give.
这些坍塌的冰块预示着
These icefalls are an ominous sign of what is about to happen...
冰川即将分崩离析
a rupture deep within the glacier.
一座巨大冰山就此诞生
A colossal iceberg is born.
这一整块巨冰
This single block of ice,
纵横均可达数百米
many hundreds of metres across,
足以令人类最雄伟的建筑相形见绌
would dwarf the biggest of mankind's buildings.
每年 格陵兰的冰川
Every year, tens of thousands of icebergs
都会孕育数以万计的冰山
are spawned by Greenland's glaciers,
此外 随着气候不断变暖
and their number is steadily increasing
新生冰山的数量还在增加
as the climate continues to warm.
遍布北冰洋的冰山碎片
The break-up of the bergs fills the bays of the Arctic
尽显大自然的鬼斧神工
with exquisite ice sculptures.
同时 还为海洋带来了大量冰冷的淡水
It also releases great volumes of cold, fresh water into the sea.
格陵兰的冰川融水
Greenland's meltwater
影响到洋流的流向
influences the course of the ocean currents,
而这又会对全球气候构成影响
which, in turn, has an effect on the weather around the world.
很多人不知道 北冰洋离人类家园其实很近
The Arctic is closer to home than many of us realise.
它涵盖了三块大♥陆♥的极北区域
It includes the northernmost parts of the three continents
欧洲 亚洲 北美 人类大多居住于此
on which most of us live - Europe, Asia and North America.
我们南行之旅遇到的第一片荒原
The first bare land we reach on our journey south
就是寸草不生的所谓"冻土带"
is a bleak treeless wilderness known as tundra.
春季 动物从南部向北迁徙
Each spring, animals travel up from the south,
春水融融下丰饶的牧草
to be ready for the rich grazing
唱出了生之召唤
that will be unveiled by the spring melt.
对驯鹿来说
For the caribou,
时机至关重要
the timing is critical.
到来过早便会被暴风雪所吞噬
Arrive early and a winter storm could kill you.
到来过晚便无法蓄积足够的脂肪
Delay too long and you may fail to lay down the fat
挨过极地的寒冬
needed to survive a polar winter.
继续南行
Further south still,
静谧 颔首 白雪覆盖的树木
and stooped, shrouded figures
一扫冻土带孤寂的阴霾
end the flat monotony of the tundra.
这便是林木生长线 我们首次领略到
This is the tree line, the first place on our journey
滋滋暖意 潺潺流水
with sufficient warmth and liquid water
令草木得以生长
to enable a tree to grow.
存活于此是如此艰难
Surviving here is so crushingly difficult,
幼苗也许需要数百年光阴
that it can take hundreds of years for a seedling
才得以长为低矮的灌木
to grow into a stunted shrub.
但是 即便低矮的树木
But even small trees
也可成为食肉动物的隐蔽所
can provide cover for a predator.
加拿大北部的狼群
Wolves. These, in northern Canada,
拥有同类中最大的体型 最强的攻击力
are the largest and most powerful in the world
它们准备猎食了
and they are setting out to hunt.
这个狼群达25只
The pack is 25 strong,
意味着它们的目标难逃厄运
a sign that the prey they are seeking is formidable.
这些野牛较其低纬同类体型更大
These bison are even bigger than their southern cousins
是北美洲最大的陆生动物
and the largest land animals in North America.
狼与野牛在此代代抗衡
For generations, wolves and bison here
于是得以进化
have been shaped by their battles with each other,
成为同物种的佼佼者
making each the most impressive of its kind.
野牛不会在林中栖息过久
The bison will not stay long among the trees.
这里并非安全地带
They're not safe here.
狼群逐渐靠近
The wolves are closing in,
可惜在林中伏击野牛的机会业已丧失
but their chance of ambushing the bison in the woods has passed.
猎物已进入空旷区域
Their prey are now in the open
结伴而行 以保安全
and grouped together for safety.
狼群若想一击成功
The wolves will need to work as a team
便需要协作作战
if they are to make a kill.
它们呈围攻之势 企图扰乱阵脚
They circle the herd, trying to unsettle it
进而各个击破
and split it up.
不过野牛角锋锐利 相当危险
But the bison are armed and dangerous.
如能互为犄角 便可保持不败
They will be safe as long as they stick together.
狼群让战斗升级 率先挑衅
The wolves up their game, harrying the herd,
先对牛群进行骚扰
a ploy to trigger a stampede
从而孤立出一个孱弱者
and split away one of the smaller ones.
野牛们以幼崽为中心 组成防御性外♥围♥
The bison form a defensive circle around their young,
它们的角朝外
horns pointing outwards.
狼群需要找一只野牛作为突破口
The wolves need a bison to break rank.
然而形势发生了变化 狼群不得不撤退
But the tables are turning and now the wolves have to retreat.
狼群将注意力集中到野牛群的后部
The pack focus their attention on the rear of the herd
野牛们开始陷入恐慌
and the bison begin to panic.
一只幼年野牛落后了
A young bison falls behind.
即使才一岁 这头野牛也比狼高大
Even this yearling dwarfs the wolves.
拼命奔跑 牛群的唯一想法就是逃命
Running head-down, the herd's only thought is escape.
狼群的幸运时刻到了
A stroke of luck for the wolves.
这场杀戮足够狼群维持几日的生计
The kill will feed the pack for several days.
但是接下来它们又得继续猎食了
But then they will have to resume the chase.
即便在地球的尽头 冰冻的国度中
At the frozen ends of our planet,
为了生存而进行的斗争也不曾缓解
the struggle for survival never eases.
林木生长线以南 冬天更短了
South of the tree line, the winters are shorter,
因此树木长得更快更高
so trees grow faster and taller
树林已现雏形
and forests begin to appear.
当来自南方的暖湿气流
As the warm, humid air from the south
遇到北极的冷空气
meets the cold, arctic air,
前者携带的水分便凝结成冰晶和雪花
the moisture it carries crystallises and snowflakes
从空中徐徐飘落
fall from the sky.
每片雪花都以一粒灰尘为中心
Each crystal forms around a particle of dust.
且具有六边对称性
All have a six-fold symmetry
但世界上却没有两片完全相同的雪花
but no two have ever been found with exactly the same shape.
雪花的多样性和复杂性令人叹为观止