我们的星球（2019）

He can reach into the canopy,
它能够着树冠
and he could be the solution to their problem.
也许能破解它们的困境
The old female has known him all her life
老母象与它自幼相识
and turned to him for help before.
之前也向它求助过
Elephants can only survive here
大象之所以能在这里生存
because of knowledge passed down over generations.
是因为它们的知识能代代相传
But less than 20 matriarchs still survive,
但是现存母象首领数目不足二十头
and if their knowledge is lost,
如果它们的知识失传了
elephants may no longer be able to live here.
大象可能就无法继续在此生存
Deserts cannot support large numbers of animals the year round,
沙漠并非全年都能养活大量动物
and even those specially adapted to these conditions
即使那些已进化得适应这种环境的动物
can only survive in small numbers.
都只能少量存活
But on very special occasions,
但在极少数情况下
deserts are transformed.
沙漠会被彻底改变
Once in a decade,
十年一遇的
there may be a cloudburst.
倾盆大雨
A single one can turn the desert green.
一场就能让沙漠变为绿洲
In southern California,
在南加州
the change is visible from space.
这种变化在太空仍旧肉眼可见
Hundreds of square kilometers suddenly bloom.
数百平方公里的土地倏忽间生机盎然
If such transformations become regular,
如果这种转变能时常发生
a new habitat may develop.
也许会孕育出一个新栖息地
Grasslands.
草原
One of our planet's most productive landscapes.
地球上最生机勃勃的地形之一
They support the greatest aggregations of large animals on Earth.
它们供养着地球上最大的大型动物群落
The Serengeti sustains herds of over a million wildebeest.
塞伦盖蒂有着一百多万头角马的群落
They follow the rains to crop the newly sprung grass.
它们追随降水寻觅新生青草
These vast herds attract predators.
这些庞大群落会引来掠食者
Five male cheetahs.
五只雄性猎豹
One of the largest coalitions ever observed.
是人类观测到规模最大的猎豹团体之一
They dominate a territory of 450 square kilometers.
它们主宰着四百五十平方公里的领土
They patrol it together,
它们一起巡逻
and that attracts attention.
而这引人注目
A change of strategy is needed
如果它们想要成功狩猎
if they're to hunt successfully.
就得改变策略
They need cover.
就需要隐蔽自己
An adult wildebeest is a formidable opponent.
成年角马是令人生畏的对手
Four of the cheetahs start the stalk,
四头猎豹开始悄悄靠近
walking directly towards the prey.
径直向猎物的方向走去
The fifth creeps around the side.
第五头偷偷从边上包抄
They need to get really close
只有距离足够近
before making their final sprint.
才能发起最后的冲刺
They're nearly there.
就快到了
All five break cover,
五头猎豹冲出藏身之处
each cat chasing a different target.
追击目标各不相同
It's chaos.
场面一片混乱
A single cheetah is not strong enough to defend its prize.
一头猎豹的力量不足以赢得战利品
They must work together.
它们必须齐心协力
These dramas only continue
这些精彩场面之所以能够不断上演
because the Serengeti is protected,
是因为六十五年以来
and has been for over 65 years.
塞伦盖蒂一直都处于保护之中
But the Serengeti is an exception.
然而塞伦盖蒂是个特例
Across the planet,
纵观整个星球
space for grasslands has been steadily disappearing.
草原面♥积♥始终在持续衰退
A hundred and eighty years ago,
一百八十年前
herds of bison, millions strong,
数以百万计的美洲野牛
grazed the Great Plains of North America.
在北美大平原成群结队地觅食
They roamed across a prairie
它们所栖息的大草原
a hundred times larger than the Serengeti.
比塞伦盖蒂还要广阔一百倍
This was the true wild west.
这里曾经是真正的狂野西部
Every summer, the males roared their challenges
每到夏季 雄性野牛咆哮着发出挑战
and fought for possession of the females.
为争夺母牛而决斗
As the rut intensified,
随着发♥情♥期的临近
the fights became more brutal.
决斗变得愈发残酷
Today, however, most of the prairie is silent.
而如今 草原大部分地区一片萧肃
Humans slaughtered the great herds.
人类屠戮了庞大的牛群
Less than 30,000 wild bison remain,
现存的美洲野牛不到三万头
and 90 percent of the prairie has been lost,
百分之九十的大草原已经消失
most of it to agriculture.
其中大部分成为农业用地
What we eat, and how we produce it,
我们的饮食习惯和食品工业
will determine the future of our planet's grasslands.
决定了地球上草原的未来命运
Our past could show us how we can feed ourselves
历史证明 我们能养活自己
and still leave room for nature.
同时为自然界留有余地
The ancient hay meadows of Hungary,
古老的匈牙利干草草原
still farmed in the traditional way,
仍旧以传统方式耕种
provide habitats of extraordinary richness.
是物种异常丰富的生物栖息地
Butterflies are abundant.
蝴蝶数量繁多
One species has an almost unbelievably
这个物种的生命周期极其复杂
complex life cycle.
令人难以置信
The Alcon blue.
大蓝蝶
Each female must mate and lay eggs on just one species of plant,
所有雌蝶只会在同一种植株上交♥配♥产卵
the marsh gentian.
蓝色龙胆
The eggs soon hatch into caterpillars.
卵很快孵化成毛虫
High up on the plants,
毛虫待在植株顶端
they're safe from predators below.
避开了地面掠食者
But then,
但随后
the caterpillars do something seemingly suicidal.
毛虫却做出了近似于自杀的行为
They abseil down on threads of silk to the ground below...
它们顺着丝滑落到地面上
and into danger.
进入危险地带
They have no defense against the marauding ants,
它们无力抵御凶悍的蚂蚁
which carry them off.
任其把自己拖走
But this is exactly what the caterpillars need to happen.
但这正是毛虫所期待的结果
They're producing a scent like that emitted by an ant larva.
它们散发出一种类似蚂蚁幼虫的气味
The ants respond by taking them back to their nest.
蚂蚁继而将它们搬回蚁穴
There, they deposit them in the colony's brood chamber.
随后 蚂蚁将毛虫存放在育婴室里
The purple-colored caterpillars,
紫色的毛虫
lying among the ants' own white larvae,
躺在蚂蚁的白色幼虫中间
give off just the right signals.
发出合适的信♥号♥♥
And the nurse ants rush to feed them.
就会有保育蚁匆匆前来喂养它们
But there is more.
但不止如此
The caterpillars now start
毛虫现在开始
to mimic the sounds made by the queen ant,
模仿蚁后发出的声音
and, as a result, the ants treat them like royalty.
于是蚂蚁将它们奉为皇家贵族
If food gets short,
食物紧缺的时候
the ants will even feed
蚂蚁甚至会
the caterpillars instead of their own young.
喂养毛虫而忽视自己的后代
They give them such quantities of food
由于蚂蚁提供了充足的食物
that the caterpillars grow hugely.
毛虫得以快速生长 体型巨大
And there, underground,
就这样 毛虫在地下
the caterpillars feed and grow for nearly two years.
存活近两年时间 摄取食物不断长大
Until, one day,
直到某一天
there is nothing for the ants to feed.
红蚁们无需喂养它们了
The caterpillars have pupated.
毛虫化蛹
But a few weeks later,
但几周后
out crawls an Alcon blue butterfly.
一只大蓝蝶破茧而出
Now, they begin to leave the nest
现在它们要离开蚁穴
that has been their home for the last 23 months.
离开这个生活了二十三个月的家
The young adult makes its way out of the nest
这只年轻的成虫成功爬出蚁穴
and clambers up a grass stem.
攀上一株草茎
Its wings expand as it prepares to fly off and find a mate.
它的翅膀舒展开来 准备出发寻找配偶
This complex life may be laborsaving for the butterfly,
复杂的生长过程也许为蝴蝶节省了力气
but it's risky.
但也是有风险的
If anything happened to the ants or to the gentian,
如果红蚁或者龙胆草遭遇不测
the Alcon blue would become extinct.
大蓝蝶也会随之灭绝
Only tiny fragments of these ancient meadows
在欧洲 目前尚存的古老草场
are left in Europe.
寥寥无几
But beyond them to the east,
但是在遥远的东方
once stretched grasslands
草原曾经占据
that extended for a fifth of the way around the world,
地球赤道长度的五分之一
from Romania to China.
从罗马尼亚一直延伸到中国