蓝色星球（2001）

The frozen seas are worlds unto themselves
冻结的海是无穷尽的世界
Beneath their ceiling of ice they have an eerie,
冰层之下的是个阴森奇妙
almost magical stillness, cut off from the storms that rage above
的静止空间 与上层的风浪隔绝
ln the winter, the feeble slanting rays of the sun bring little warmth
冬天里微弱斜射的阳光 带来少量的温暖
and the temperature seldom rises above minus fifty degrees Centigrade
气温难得能回升过零下50度C
For much of the year, it is dark and cripplingly cold
大多时候这里黑暗而且冷峻
Yet, there is life here - at both ends of the earth...
然而在地球的两个极端处 仍有生命的存在
the Arctic and the Antarctic
北极和南极
For most animals, whether they live in or out of water,
对多数的动物而言 无论是生活于陆地或水中
the winters, when much of the sea is frozen, bring the greatest challenge
当海水结冰时 都是极大的考验
The Northern hemisphere
这是北半球
lt's February, and as the Earth tilts on its axis,
二月时由于地球的倾斜
the sun's rays creep slowly northwards
阳光逐渐往北攀爬
and the Arctic emerges from its harsh winter
北极亦从严冬中重现
The Arctic is a frozen ocean surrounded by continents
北极是被大♥陆♥环绕的冰冻海洋
and when the surface of the sea between the continents freezes
当各大洲海岸间的海面结冰时
from shore to shore, land predators walk out onto it - to hunt
陆地上的掠食者 便横行其上狩猎
lt's early March and the sea is still covered with ice
三月初的海面仍被冰层覆盖
But there are patches of open water - polynyas - that never freeze over
但四处可见从未被冻结的冰穴
Here, where tidal currents are squeezed between islands,
浪潮般的水流 在小岛间受到推挤
the water movement is so strong that ice cannot form
剧烈的水波使冰无法在此成形
Walruses spend the winter in polynyas
海象在冰穴中度过冬天
Here they have permanent access to the air,
在此它们有取之不尽的空气
but they can also retreat to the sea to shelter to hunt
同时也能退回海中躲藏狩猎
Other sea mammals overwinter in the polynyas as well
其他哺乳动物 同样也在冰穴中过冬
in this one, a young bowhead whale
例如这头年轻的北极鲸
Here the current is really fast and the shifting ice is dangerous
此处的水流湍急 而波动的冰层十分危险
This whale became trapped when ice encircled it last autumn
上个秋季这只巨鲸 被冰层围绕而受困于此
There is no food here, but a whale must breathe and the only place
这里没有食物 但鲸鱼必须呼吸
that it can do so, for miles around, is in this tiny hole
而方园百里内唯一可行的地方 便是这个小冰穴
lt's living entirely on its reserves of fat, but now they are dangerously low
它依赖体内的脂肪存活 但此时脂肪量已低的危险
lt will be some months yet, before it can escape
而它要逃离困境还需再过数月
Elsewhere, other whales have also been trapped
其他的鲸鱼也在别处受困
These are belugas
这是白鲸群
Their tiny hole in the ice has been kept open,
这小小的冰洞一直被保留着
not by currents but by the belugas' continuous movements
但靠的不是水流 而是靠白鲸们
as they rise to breathe
持续朝上呼吸的动作
Open water is now some twenty miles away
开放的水面已远在20里外
lt will be two months yet before the ice melts
而冰的溶化尚需两个月的等待
The belugas are extremely thin - and most of them are horribly scarred
白鲸们此刻极度瘦弱 也大多惊恐万分
But their wounds were not inflicted by the ice
但它们的伤口并非来自冰害
A whale would be a huge prize for any meat-eating hunter and these belugas,
鲸鱼对肉食者而言是项大奖 而这些受困的白鲸
trapped by the ice, are within reach of polar bears
则在北极熊伸手可及之处
Well aware of the danger, the belugas stay submerged as long as they can
意识到危机的白鲸们 尽可能潜藏水中
But they can only hold their breath for about twenty minutes
但它们最久只能闭气20分钟
Catching a four-metre long whale that weighs one ton is no easy task
捉捕一头4公尺长 1吨♥重的鲸鱼并非易事
even if that whale is weakened by starvation
即使它已因饥饿而瘦弱
But a beluga is well worth waiting for
但一头白鲸绝对值得等待
Day by day, as the hole gets bigger,
冰洞一天天扩大
it becomes increasingly difficult for the bear to land a whale
北极熊捕获白鲸的难度 也越来越高
Keeping its fur in good condition and free from salt is important for warmth
维持毛发不含盐分的 良好状况是保暖的要点
and the bear uses snow like blotting paper
北极熊用雪来当除垢纸
These belugas have been attacked by many bears over the last six months
这些白鲸在过去半年来 受过许多熊的攻击
and some have been caught
有些已被猎食
lt may have taken a long time and a lot of patience, but a catch,
这也许经过漫长的等待及耐心 然而当这样的猎物到手
when it's made, brings abundant rewards of energy rich blubber
带来的是 能供给热量的丰盛鲸脂
Gulls rely on bear-kills at this time of the year
海鸥在这种时节依赖熊的猎杀
and the colour of blood staining the ice attracts them from a long way away
被血染红的冰 能吸引它们跋涉前来
The remaining belugas still have a long wait before they are released
存活的白鲸仍面对着 漫长的等待
from their prison and the threat of slaughter
直到能离脱它们的监牢 及猎杀者的威胁
Arctic foxes also rely on the polar bears to hunt on their behalf
北极狐也依赖 北极熊的狩猎行为
They're the jackals of the north and scavenge from bear kills whenever they can
它们是北极圈的无赖 总伺机掠夺熊群留下的腐食
ln winter and early spring, they are wholly dependent on bears
冬天及早春时 它们全然依赖熊群维生
Only in the summer, when the sea ice melts,
只有夏季当海上的冰溶化时
will they regularly catch prey for themselves
它们才会自己捕食
They are not strong enough to tackle adult seals,
它们无力捕捉成年的海豹
but can certainly take new-born pups or birds
但它们绝对足以 对付小海豹或海鸟
This canny individual is going to bury its prize
这只狡猾的狐狸 正要埋藏它的战利品
it may need it during the uncertain times ahead
以备未来的不时之需
The presence of bears affects the behaviour of almost
熊的存在影响了所有
all the animals here - big and small
在此的动物 无论小或大
The bears tend to avoid the fringe of fragmented ice bordering open water
它们尽量远离水边 破碎的冰块边缘
where travelling can be very laborious
在那里行走是很费力的
But that very fact makes this area - the pack ice
但也因此碎冰区域成了
a particularly good place for seals to pup
海豹产下下一代的绝佳地点
Harp seals breed here
竖琴海豹在此处哺育
Their pups are born with white coats which camouflage them
小海豹与生俱有十分适合
very effectively against the snow
雪地的保护色
Harp seals have a very short nursing period
竖琴海豹的哺乳期十分短暂
a necessity on this unstable pack ice
是不稳定碎冰上的生存条件
But suckling is intensive
但哺乳需求密集
The pup feeds for just twelve days on milk that is 45 percent fat
小海豹摄取百分之45脂肪 的母奶约12天后
Then it is abandoned and has to fend for itself
便被遗弃开始独♥立♥维生
A male hooded seal
这是只雄海豹
This impressive nasal display is used to warn away other males...
这个惊人的鼻息 是为了警示其他雄性
...and to win a mate Hooded seals also breed on pack ice
也为嬴得一个伴侣 带帽海豹也在碎冰上哺育
Their pups suckle for only four days
它们的幼儿只吸奶4日
the shortest nursing period known for any mammal
是哺乳类中所知哺乳期最短的
and all because the threat of polar bears
而北极熊的威胁使它们
caused them to breed on the unstable ice
只得在不稳定的冰上哺乳
Another Arctic seal opts for the solid ice further north
有的海豹选在较北方的厚冰上
Because it's easy for bears to hunt here,
由于熊在此占地利优势
these ringed seals must be particularly vigilant and have to hide their pups
这些环海豹需格外警觉 并且藏匿后代
Ringed seals are comparatively small, so they can give birth
环海豹相较下♥体♥形较小
to their pups in little caves, or lairs, under the snow
所以它们能在雪中的洞穴生产
Here, a pup is out of sight and protected from bad weather
这一只小海豹被隐藏 并受到坏天气的保护
ln late March and into April, female bears emerge from winter
三月底四月初母熊 带小熊
dens with their new cubs
从洞穴中出现
The mother has not eaten for at least five months and she's hungry - very hungry
这个母亲已有至少五个月未进食 她此刻是饥饿的，非常饥饿
lf she doesn't succeed in catching a regular supply of seals,
如果她无法补获海豹
her milk will fail and her cub will die
她便无法哺乳而小熊便会死亡
Bears have an extraordinarily sensitive sense of smell
熊与生俱有极度灵敏的嗅觉
and can detect seal pups hidden in the snow from two kilometres away
它们可以嗅出两公里外 藏于雪中的小海豹
But a female ringed seal uses several lairs
但母环海豹会使用几个洞穴
and a bear will almost certainly have to break into a number
熊群可能需要突击数次
before it finds one that is occupied
才能找到小海豹
This is a crucial time for the cub
现在是小海豹学习的关键时刻
By watching its mother hunt and by copying her actions,
从观察并模仿母亲的动作中
it's beginning to acquire the rudiments of its own hunting skills
它开始培养了授猎技巧的基础
Play is also important for developing muscles and improving co-ordination
玩耍对肌肉的锻炼 及协调也很重要
As the days go by, the sun rises higher
日复一日太阳越升越高
and remains above the horizon even at night
并几乎连夜晚 都停留在地平线上
The female bear continues to hunt
母熊不断的狩猎
until her cub is too tired and can't keep up
直到小熊体力不支
She has smelt something
她闻到了什么
The pup escapes through a hole in its lair that leads to the sea below
小海豹从洞穴的洞逃脱 直遁到底下的海水中
Only one in twenty hunts is successful
狩猎能成功的机率 只有百分之五
But this mother must find a seal pup soon if her cub is not to starve to death
但这个母亲必须赶紧找一只小海豹 否则她的小熊就将饿死
As spring turns into summer, the sun's heat begins to melt the sea ice
夏季来临 阳光开始融化海上的冰
Now the ocean is accessible and the Arctic's summer visitors return
海水又可通行无阻 北极夏季的访客回归
Migrating birds arrive from the south to nest
候鸟从南方归来筑巢
and feed on the seafood that's now within their reach
并仰赖如今唾手可得的海鲜
Brunnich's guillemots are the northern equivalent of penguins
布鲁尼克的海鸠 就像是北方的企鹅
But they have retained the power of flight,
但它们有飞行的能力
for they need to reach cliff ledges
因为它们必须把巢筑在
where their nests will be safe from predatory bears and foxes
熊或狐狸到不了的悬崖峭壁上
Nonetheless, they are as at home in the water as in the air
幸好它们在空中 和在水中一样来去自如
They dive down to a depth of fifty metres or more to catch fish
它们潜入50尺左右的水中抓鱼
ln June, the ice begins to fracture
六月时冰会开始裂开
The cracks - or leads - form useful corridors
这些裂缝为需呼吸空气的动物