七个世界，一个星球（2019）

但应付澳洲野犬仍绰绰有余
...but they can still outrun a dingo.
澳洲野犬决定采取伏击战术
Maybe an ambush will work.
但是就连刚独♥立♥的年轻袋鼠也让它们望洋兴叹
But even young, newly independent kangaroos seem uncatchable.
在开阔平坦的草原上
Across these open, flat plains,
澳洲野犬要想靠速度制胜 明显是不自量力
the dingoes are just not fast enough.
但这只白色雌性澳洲野犬能够成为群体首领 靠的是它的持久耐力
But what makes the white female their leader is her stamina
尤其是智慧
and, particularly, her intelligence.
今天它已经奔跑了近30公里 但它仍旧没有放弃
She has run 18 miles today, but she still doesn't give up.
又一群袋鼠 这次的地势崎岖不平
A different group of kangaroos, this time on uneven ground.
这正是它期待已久的机会
It's what she's been looking for.
在山坡上追赶袋鼠群 让它有些力不从心
Driving them uphill, she's struggling to keep up with them.
袋鼠群在山峰另一侧开始下坡 速度越来越快
And as they hurtle down the other side, the kangaroos pick up speed.
它们很容易靠速度脱离险境 只要能稳住步伐
They will easily outpace her, if they stay in control.
白色首领之所以锲而不舍 还有更重要的原因
The white dingo has more than one reason to be so relentless.
它要养育幼崽
She's a mother.
这样的画面非常罕见
This is a rare sight.
澳洲野犬的幼崽很难看到
Dingo pups are hardly ever seen.
一顿饭就如此大费周章
With so much effort for just one meal,
开阔的草原实在不适合澳洲野犬养育幼崽
the open plains are tough places on which to raise young.
这些是桉树
These are gumtrees.
桉树叶中因为含有有毒物质 让大多数动物望而却步
They have leaves that are poisonous to most animals.
但树袋熊是个例外
But not the koala.
它们唯一的食物就是桉树叶
They eat almost nothing else.
森林地面上也有针鼹四处出没
There are echidnas in these forests, too -
这种哺乳动物没有育儿袋 而是像爬行动物一样产卵
mammals that don't even have pouches but lay eggs, like reptiles.
这里还生活着一种最近刚被发现的暗♥杀♥高手
And there is an assassin here that has only recently been discovered.
它是一种跳蛛
A Jotus jumping spider.
这只雌性的身长只有5毫米
She's only 5mm long,
虽然个头小 却是凶残成性的隐秘猎手
but, nonetheless, she's a stealthy and ferocious hunter.
它在纠缠错杂的草丛中寻找猎物
She searches for prey among the grass stems.
它一心追逐猎物 始终专心致志地捕食 猎杀
She's single-minded and focused on hunting.
但今天或许有所不同
But today might be different.
眼前的物体很陌生
This is something new,
速度也很快
something fast...
应付起来比较棘手
...and a little trickier.
但这是什么呢
But what is it?
是食物吗
Is it food?
这是一只正在寻找伴侣的雄性跳蛛
It's a male Jotus, looking for a mate.
它需要吸引雌性的注意
He needs to catch her attention,
但这种雌性跳蛛只能交♥配♥一次
but female Jotus only mate once.
如果已经交♥配♥ 它会毫不留情地杀死雄性
If she's mated before, she might kill him.
雄性必须小心翼翼地讨好雌性
He will need to seduce her with care.
它挥舞螯肢 亮明自己的意图
Waving his arms makes his intentions clear.
我是朋友 不是食物
He's a friend, not food.
目前雌性还没有攻击的迹象
No sign of an attack...yet.
但雌性对它似乎并不感兴趣
But she doesn't seem particularly impressed.
是时候亮出自己的绝招了
Time to try his best move...
荡起双桨
...the double paddle.
这招杀手锏绝对能打动雌性
That surely will do the trick.
最后一次挥动
One final wave...
雌性最终臣服在它的魅力下
...and he's tamed her.
静静地任由摆布
She stays still for just long enough.
随后 雄性快速撤退 以免雌性改变主意
And then he retreats quickly, before she has second thoughts.
继续深入澳大利亚腹地
If you travel still further towards the centre of Australia,
大地再次变幻出不同的景色
the landscape changes yet again.
树木和青草渐渐失去踪影
Trees and grass disappear.
在整个史前时期 这块大♥陆♥继续向北漂移
The continent, throughout prehistory, continued to drift north,
随着进入热带地区 气候变得越发炎热
and as it entered the tropics, it got hotter and hotter.
数千年来 大♥陆♥中部的草原干枯
Over thousands of years, the grasslands of the centre dried,
湖泊与河流干涸 露出沙土
and lakes and rivers turned dust.
炽热的狂风侵蚀岩石 留下滚滚黄沙
The rocks have been reduced to sand by the hot, blasting winds.
现在澳大利亚的中心地带就是一片巨大的沙漠
Now Australia's centre is one vast desert.
它的广阔无垠几乎让人难以想象
Its immensity is almost impossible to comprehend.
这列向北行驶的火车将近有1000米长
This train running north is a half a mile long.
它的行进时速高达80公里
Travelling at nearly 50 miles an hour,
纵贯大♥陆♥需要将近3天时间
it takes almost three days to get from one side to another.
如今澳大利亚是地球上有人居住的最干燥的大♥陆♥
Australia today is the driest inhabited continent on Earth.
这里有70%的土地几乎滴雨不沾
Rain hardly ever falls in 70% of it.
从太空上看 曾经的砂岩分崩离析 含有氧化铁的沙土
From space, the continent is seen to be stained red by iron oxide -
形成了一片红色的荒漠
rust from its disintegrating rocks.
数千年的风化侵蚀在陆地表面 形成深浅不一的线条
In the surface are lines carved by winds over millennia.
大♥陆♥骨架在风剥雨蚀下 光秃秃地裸♥露♥在外
The very bones of the continent are now stripped bare...
这些曾经是连绵山脉的基础
...the foundations of what once were mountains.
它的中心是巍峨的艾尔斯岩石 又名乌鲁鲁巨石
At its heart stands the great rock mountain of Uluru...
大约6万年前 首批原住民来到此地时 将其视为圣地
...sacred to the first people to arrive here 60,000 years ago.
这里几乎没有土壤 没有植物 没有动物
There is almost no soil here, few plants, few animals
也没有永久性水源
and almost no permanent water.
只有最顽强的生命才能生存
It's a place where only the toughest can survive.
这里是爬行动物的天下
This is the land of reptiles.
澳大利亚拥有比其它大♥陆♥更加丰富多样的爬行动物
Australia has more species of them than any other continent.
眼斑巨蜥身长大约两米
The perentie, two metres long,
是当地最大的爬行动物 现在它渴得要命
is the biggest here, and he's thirsty.
这里一年只有一两次降雨
It only rains here once or twice a year.
在干旱无雨时
And when there isn't any rain,
眼斑巨蜥通过捕食蜥蜴获取生存所需的水分
perenties get their water from eating lizards.
可供它捕食的蜥蜴有很多
There are several kinds to choose from...
鬃狮蜥
...bearded dragons...
蓝舌蜥
...blue-tongued skinks...
还有棘蜥
...and thorny devils.
这些都是它的捕食对象
All are on the menu.
棘蜥同样从食物中汲取水分
The thorny devil also gets its water from its food.
它的个头与老鼠相似
It's only the size of a mouse,
每天却需要吃成百上千只蚂蚁
but, even so, it must eat hundreds of ants every day to get what it needs.
大多数风暴云只是匆匆路过 很少会形成降雨
Most storm clouds pass by without releasing any water.
但偶尔
But just sometimes,
也会有短暂阵雨
there's a brief shower.
当地动物自然不会错过这个机会
Everyone makes the most of the opportunity.
地面温度很高 水滴降落几分钟后就会消失
It's so hot the droplets will disappear within minutes.
但棘蜥自有补水的独门绝招
But the thorny devil has a trick.
它发现了一处
He's found a tiny puddle,
只有几毫米深的小水坑
only a few millimetres deep,
随后将脚趾全部浸入其中
and he dips his toe into it.
棘蜥的皮肤就像吸墨纸
His skin is like blotting paper.
它通过毛细作用吸收水分
It collects moisture by capillary action,
体表的微小凹槽形成吸管网 直到全身闪闪发亮
sucking it up along the inter-connecting grooves until he glistens all over.
当水流入口中时
When the water reaches his mouth,
它可以高抬头部喝水
he can collect it...
同时严密注意四周的风吹草动
...while still keeping his head up, on the lookout for danger.
眼斑巨蜥的体长是棘蜥的200倍
The perentie is 200 times the size of a thorny devil.
像这样的小水坑和微不足道的水滴对它于事无补
Tiny puddles and droplets are of no use to him.
它需要的是美味多汁的蜥蜴
What he needs is a juicy lizard.
一条鬃狮蜥因为速度不及 最终沦为猎物
That was a bearded dragon that wasn't quite quick enough.
眼斑巨蜥也得以用美味解渴了
Even the perentie sometimes gets a chance to quench his thirst.
有一个物种是澳大利亚沙漠真正的主宰
There is one species that has truly conquered the Australian desert.
它们不会等待天降甘霖
They don't wait for water to come to them.
相反 每天要长途跋涉将近500公里去寻找水源
They sometimes travel over 300 miles in a single day to find it.
它们是澳大利亚最顽强的动物之一
Australia's hardiest animal...
虎皮鹦鹉
...the wild budgerigar...
它是沙漠游牧民中技艺非常娴熟的动物
...the most accomplished of all desert nomads.
会结伴飞上数周时间
These have been travelling together for weeks...
很显然这引发了一些家庭争论
...and that has evidently caused a few domestic arguments.
这是名副其实的庞大群体
This is truly an immense community.
1♥0♥0♥0♥0♥多只虎皮鹦鹉浩浩荡荡地结伴而行
There are over 10,000 budgies in this flock.
每只虎皮鹦鹉迫切希望喝水
Every one of them is thirsty.
虽然找到了这处死水潭
But although they've found this billabong...
但它们也必须小心谨慎
...they must be wary.
一只鹰 它是虎皮鹦鹉的天敌
A hawk - and one that eats budgies.
当鹰在地面停留时 虎皮鹦鹉冒险到水潭喝水
As long as it remains on the ground, the budgies will risk taking a drink.
可是鹰一旦升空 它们将会陷入危险境地
Once it takes to the air, however, the budgies are in danger.
而且鹰并非这里唯一的的猛禽
And it's not the only bird of prey here.