大裂谷：美丽的非洲心脏（2010）

(绵绵细雨)
RAIN PATTERS GENTLY
(呼噜声)
GRUNTS
又下起了雨
It's raining...again.
在非洲的维龙加山脉往上2.5英里的地方
2.5 miles up in Africa's Virunga mountains,
气候相当的恶劣
the weather is mostly miserable.
这里找不到避难所
There's no point looking for shelter.
居住在这里的大猩猩的毛皮很厚实
The resident gorillas' fur
即使全身湿透，也足以让它们保持温暖
is thick enough to keep them warm, even when it's wet.
对于爱晒太阳的人
For sun lovers,
维加龙绝对不是一个度假胜地
the Virungas wouldn't rate high as a holiday destination.
但如果没有雨
But without this rain,
大猩猩不会有这样丰富的食物
the gorillas wouldn't have food in such abundance.
而且也不会有山下的葱郁草原
And there would be no grass on the plains below.
雷声
THUNDER RUMBLES
牛羚叫声
WILDEBEEST LOW
在非洲的大裂谷中
Across Africa's vast Rift Valley,
雨季和自然景观有着密不可分的联♥系♥
it's where the rain falls and how it interacts with the landscape
它将决定谁会繁荣，谁会死去
that determines who will prosper and who will die.
大裂谷沿着东非跨越3000英里
Spanning 3,000 miles along the length of East Africa,
是一个复杂而庞大的山谷，包括火山和草原
the Great Rift is a complex of enormous valleys, volcanoes and grassy plains.
大裂谷是数百万年间
The Great Rift was created
在非洲地下的超热熔岩柱不断上推
when a plume of super-hot lava pushed up beneath Africa
而形成的
over millions of years.
当整个地区被抬高超过1英里
But once the whole area had been lifted more than a mile high,
周围开始出现裂缝...
cracks appeared around the margins...
..便造就了东部大裂谷...
..creating the Eastern Rift on one side...
..以及西部大裂谷
..and the Western Rift on the other.
在大裂谷的巨大的裂缝中
In the giant clefts of the Rift Valley,
雨水聚集成浩瀚的湖泊
water collects in vast lakes,
这里是无数色彩斑斓的鱼类的家园
home to dazzling arrays of colourful fish.
雷声
THUNDER RUMBLES
雨水浇透了大裂谷的山脉，也哺养着非洲的最大的河流
The Rift's rain-drenched mountains in turn feed Africa's mightiest rivers,
它的支流，在旱季时变成了草原上兽群的生命源泉
whose tributaries provide a lifeline for thirsty game in times of drought.
但是在这，不是所有的淡水都可以饮用
But not all the fresh water here is good for life.
从火山爆发出的火山灰把东部裂谷的浅水湖变成了沼泽湿地
Ash from volcanic eruptions turns the shallow lakes of the Eastern Rift
一个腐蚀性极强的死亡陷阱
into caustic death traps.
在最北端，大裂谷一头扎进红色海
At its northern end, the Great Rift plunges into the Red Sea,
创造了令人眼花缭乱的珊瑚世界
creating a dazzling world of coral
和隐藏着无数秘密的深深海沟
and ocean trenches hiding deep secrets.
这种极佳的水声环境是世界上绝无仅有的
Few places on Earth provide such a range of aquatic habitats.
因此，野生动物该如何把握机会
So how has wildlife adapted
去适应大裂谷和水下世界的挑战呢
to the challenges and opportunities of the Great Rift's watery worlds?
河马咆哮声
HIPPOS BELLOW
大裂谷中所有的水都源自雨水
All the water in the Rift begins as rain.
信风聚集于非洲的上空
Converging trade winds create cloud masses
形成飘浮不定的云团
which move up and down the length of Africa,
每年会有两次雨季
producing two rainy seasons each year,
带来各种生物的生命之水
bringing the landscape to life.
在漫长的雨季结束时, 大裂谷的河流溢满了水
At the end of the long wet season, the Rift's rivers are brimful of water.
并衍生出河马和其他沿江居民丰富的食物
There's abundant food for the hippos and other riverside residents.
但这样的好景不会持续太久
But the good times won't last for long.
当雨水向北撤退，草原再度变得干涸
As the rains retreat northwards and the grasslands dry and wither,
野生动物的饮用水
drinking water becomes increasingly scarce
变得越来越缺乏
for the Great Rift's wild inhabitants.
水在稀树草原，湖泊，池塘慢慢蒸发
In the savannas, lakes and pools evaporate
最后只剩下河流了
until only the rivers remain.
草原日益干旱，严重威胁到这些非洲水牛的生存
The increasingly arid landscape poses a problem for these African buffalo.
由于干草是难以消化
Because dry grass is difficult to digest,
水牛每日需饮水34升
each buffalo needs to drink 34 litres a day.
由于靠近河流的牧草被吃光
As the grazing close to the river is used up,
它们每天面临着越来越长的跋涉
they face a longer and longer daily trek
去寻找牧草和水源
between their feeding grounds and watering places.
水牛从很远的地方就能闻到水的气味
Buffaloes can smell water from a long way off
并按照既定路线穿越丛林
and follow established trails through the bush
因而可以轻松找到水源
which lead to favourite drinking spots.
当水牛喝水时，牛椋鸟抓住最佳时机
As the buffaloes drink, fluttering oxpeckers get a chance
清除它们身上的壁虱和其他寄生虫
to remove ticks and other parasites from their faces.
这是水牛唯一可以容忍♥牛椋鸟
It's the only time they will tolerate
在它们最敏感的眼睛和耳朵边缘觅食的机会
sharp beaks picking around sensitive eyes and ears.
呼噜声
TRUMPETING AND GRUNTING
大象更加依赖河流
Elephants are even more dependent on the river.
在这个炎热的季节
In this hot climate, an adult elephant
为了生存，成年大象每天需要喝200公升的水
needs to drink a staggering 200 litres a day just to survive.
这个象群与其他大象分享同一个水源
This family share their favourite drinking spot with other elephants.
以解它们干渴之苦
So as well as slaking their thirst,
河流为大象们提供了社交之地
the river provides a focus for their social life.
河泥也保护着大象免受非洲烈日的灼伤之苦
River mud provides excellent protection against the African sun.
大象们喝饱了水、涂上了防晒膏后
With a belly full of water and a coat of sunscreen,
它们又走向了炽热的大草原
the elephants head off towards the blistering savanna.
虽然水位下降对大象和水牛来说是一个坏消息
While the falling water level is bad for elephants and buffaloes,
但却正是这些食蜂鸟所需要的
it's just what these bee-eaters need.
它们在大裂谷的河堤上掘洞产卵
They dig their nesting burrows in the vertical banks of Rift Valley rivers,
而河堤只在旱季水位下降时才能露出来
which are only exposed in the dry season once water levels have fallen.
鸟叫声
BEE-EATERS TWITTER
三个月前，这整片产卵地都在水下
Three months ago, this entire nesting site was underwater
而且这些鸟也都远在刚果的丛林中
and the birds were far away in the jungles of the Congo.
在河堤上筑巢的食蜂鸟显得焦躁不安
Nesting on an exposed mud cliff makes the bee-eaters nervous.
因为它们看见
And with good reason.
一只非洲鹗也在岸上筑巢了
An African fish eagle has taken up residence on the bank-top.
它可不是到这里来欣赏风景
But it's not here to admire the view.
非洲鹗的脚很大
Fish eagles' huge feet
这是捕食水面灵活的鱼儿的最佳武器
are designed to grab slippery fish from the water surface,
但它们还有其他更好的猎物
but they are good for other prey too.
萎缩的河流制♥造♥了一个对大裂谷生物来说很严重的问题
The shrinking rivers create a serious problem for another Rift resident.
河马对水是绝对依赖的 - 它们只有
Hippos' dependence on water is absolute - they only feel safe
泡在水中，才会感到安全
where it's deep enough for them to submerge completely.
河马在夜里进食
Hippos feed at night
它们需要花一天的时间来消化夜间的进食
and spend the day digesting their dinner in the safety of the river.
成年河马在休息...
While the grown-ups snooze...
..小河马在玩耍
..the youngsters play.
小河马对新事物都很好奇的
Young hippos are very curious.
嘶嘶声
HISSES
由于河水日渐退缩
As the river shrinks,
河马们都云集在其中的几处深水河段
the hippos crowd together in the few remaining deep-water pools.
每一段河流，都有一个占领导席位的雄性河马
Each stretch of river is controlled by a dominant bull,
它允许顺从、尊重它的河马
who tolerates other hippos in his patch
待在它的领地
so long as they behave themselves and defer to him.
河马在保持头自下而上的同时向四面八方喷洒粪便
Keeping your head down and bottom up while spraying dung in all directions
算作是河马良好的社会礼仪
counts as good manners in hippo society.
但离得最近的河马♥会♥认为是非常恶劣的行为.
But jostling your neighbour is considered very bad behaviour.
特别是在这么拥挤的条件下，很容易引起骚动
Any ruckus in such crowded conditions spreads like a shock wave,
造成易怒的河马暴跳如雷.
causing a multiple pile-up of grumpy hippos.
这对于河马是坏消息
It's bad news for the hippo at the end
谁闯入它们的领地都会遭到暴♥力♥对抗
who gets pushed into the path of the resident bully.
一旦恢复了群体秩序，它们都会平静下来
Once the pecking order has been restored, everyone can settle down.
但是，在大裂谷的河流世界生活，还有其阴暗的一面
But there's a darker side to life in the Rift's river world.
在旱季的高峰期
At the peak of the dry season,
炭疽热疫情横扫拥挤不堪的河流
an anthrax epidemic sweeps through the crowded colony,
杀死了几十只河马
killing dozens of hippos.
死亡的栖息笼罩着这里
The smell of death carries in the current.
几个小时之内，河马尸体
Within a few hours, the hippo carcass
吸引了下游100多英里外的鳄鱼
has attracted more than a hundred crocodiles from far downstream.
鳄鱼有高效的免疫系统
Crocs' ultra-efficient immune system
使这些爬行动物吃了河马尸体不会生病
allows these reptiles to eat diseased meat without getting sick.
较小的鳄鱼退在后面，而它们的长辈在狼吞虎咽...
The smaller crocs hang back while their elders guzzle and gulp...
...也给了在混乱中寻找鱼儿的苍鹭一丝机会
..shadowed by a hopeful heron on the lookout for fish.
但今天是鳄鱼的好日子
But it's the crocs' day.
在大裂谷的水域，生与死离得很近
Life and death are never far apart in the waters of the Great Rift.
但是，并非每一个湖泊或河流
But not every lake or river
都能得到季节和阳光的怜悯
is at the mercy of the seasons and the sun.