大裂谷：美丽的非洲心脏（2010）

约20万人提供了必需的蛋白质...
for around 20 million people in countries bordering the lake...
...这一切与舞动的湖蝇有着密不可分的关系
..and all this vast bounty originates from tiny fluttering midges.
从马拉维湖出发，雪利河一直流入赞比西河,
From Lake Malawi, the Shire River flows into the mighty Zambezi,
这就表明已经到达了非洲大裂谷的最南端
which marks the southern limit of the African rift system.
赞比西河上游
Upstream, the Zambezi
穿过汤加高原火山岩区域
slices through the volcanic rocks of the Tonga Plateau
将之分解成狭窄的巴托卡峡谷
to crash down into the narrow Batoka Gorge.
它超过1英里宽
More than a mile wide,
每秒钟有1♥0♥0♥0♥0♥吨♥水倾泻而下
with up to 10,000 tonnes of water pouring over its lip every second,
这就是世界上最大的瀑布
this is the world's largest waterfall.
本地人称它为，莫西奥图尼亚
Its local name, Mosi-oa-Tunya,
意思是“烟雾雷鸣”
translates as the "Smoke That Thunders".
1855年，大卫利文斯以当时英国维多利亚女王的名字
In 1855, David Livingstone renamed them Victoria Falls
重新命名为“维多利亚瀑布”
in honour of his queen.
在千里之外的东北部，大裂谷有另一个截然不同的臂膊
A thousand miles to the north-east, the Rift has another quite distinct arm.
这里的湖泊与众不同
Here lie lakes very different
从浩瀚的内海一直延伸到大裂谷西部
from the vast inland seas of the Western Rift,
生物很难在湖里生存
lakes that are hostile to life.
这就是坦桑尼亚北部的纳特龙湖
This is Lake Natron in northern Tanzania,
有时也被称为“死亡之湖”
sometimes known as the Lake of Death.
经过无数个世纪的蒸发
Countless centuries of evaporation
将火山矿物质浓缩成色彩斑斓的水
have concentrated volcanic minerals in its strangely coloured waters
更要命的是，这些腐蚀性极强的湖水甚至可以溶解人的肌肤
to the point where they are so caustic they can dissolve human skin.
然而，有一个动物
However, there is one animal
似乎产生了对有腐蚀性湖水的免疫力
that seems immune to this cocktail of corrosive chemicals.
每年，在纳特龙湖上都有成群的火烈鸟接踵而来
Each year, huge flocks of flamingos converge on Lake Natron.
在浅滩
In the shallows,
这些鸟儿充分展现其独特的觅食技巧
the birds demonstrate their unique feeding technique,
从喙的前端吸水，再从侧面排出去
pumping water through hair-fringed channels in their beak
进而提取湖中的蓝藻
to extract micro-organisms called cyanobacteria
以及湖中繁盛的矿物质
which flourish in the lake's peculiar mineral cocktail.
蓝藻中含有它们羽毛必须的色素
The cyanobacteria contain a pigment which colours the birds' feathers.
成年火烈鸟只会选择羽毛艳丽的配偶
Adult flamingos only choose mates with colourful plumage,
所以它们物种的存亡
so the survival of their species
与大裂谷奇特的矿物质湖泊是分不开的
is linked to the peculiar chemistry of the rift's volcanic lakes.
火烈鸟可以涉足充满腐蚀性物质的湖水
The flamingos are able to wade around in the caustic waters
因为他们的腿有抵抗力很强的皮层
because their legs are protected by resistant scales.
在邻近的马加迪湖，生存面临着更为严峻的挑战
In neighbouring Lake Magadi, life faces an even tougher challenge.
涌动的火山温泉
Fed by volcanic springs,
使马加迪的水不仅具有腐蚀性
Magadi's waters are not only caustic
这里的水甚至热得可以将鸡蛋煮熟
but in places they're hot enough to poach an egg.
令人惊讶的是，有一种动物不仅能够生存
Amazingly, there's a creature that's able to survive
且完全生活在这样致命的水中
completely submerged in this deadly brew.
它是一种被称为盐碱非洲鲫鱼的小型鱼类
It's a little fish known as the alkaline tilapia.
另外，这最极端环境里
And it's made its home in the most extreme environment
生存于其中的鱼类都做了记录
in which fish life has ever been recorded.
非洲鲫鱼喜欢食用的藻类生长在火山温泉最热的地方
The algae on which the tilapia feed grow best in the volcanic springs.
因此，每个小鱼面临痛苦的选择
So each little fish faces an agonising choice -
它可以保持安全的，但会饿肚子
it can stay safe but hungry
反之则会危及生命，这不是懦夫的危险游戏
or it can risk life and fin in a dangerous game of chicken,
必须勇敢地游进温泉,去争食藻类
dashing into the hot spring, snatching a mouthful of algae,
然后飞快的返回前面的冷水里
then dashing back into cooler water before it cooks.
这些鱼的大部分时间，都徘徊在温泉的附近
Most of the fish are content to hang around the margins of the spring
但总会有一条愿意冒险或额外饥渴的鱼儿
but there's always one adventurous or extra-hungry individual
准备去享受美味
prepared to go for the jackpot.
奖品毫无疑问会有的，但这是一个非常危险的游戏
There's no question of the rewards, but it's a hugely risky game.
沿大裂谷再往北140英里
140 miles further north along the Great Rift,
博戈里亚湖的火山更是活跃
Lake Bogoria is even more volcanically active.
岸边有蒸汽喷口和涌动的喷泉
Its shores are fringed by steam vents and gushing geysers.
正如纳特龙湖，博戈里亚湖水域的火山矿产也很丰富
As with Lake Natron, volcanic minerals enrich Bogoria's waters,
为火烈鸟提供了更理想的生存环境
providing an ideal environment for even larger flocks of flamingos.
在最高峰期，这里的火烈鸟超过100万只
At the height of the season, there may be over a million birds.
FLAMINGOS SQUAWK
火烈鸟因有着非凡的求爱仪式而闻名
Flamingos are famous for their extraordinary courtship rituals.
火烈鸟的迁徙
Flamingo migration
是大裂谷最久远的谜团之一
is one of the Great Rift's most enduring mysteries.
它们的出现和消失像水位的波动一样扑朔迷离
They appear and disappear unpredictably in response to fluctuating water levels.
继续向大裂谷北部推进
Continuing northwards up the Great Rift,
一系列湖泊向上延伸至埃塞俄比亚的
a series of lakes stretch up through Ethiopia
阿萨勒湖，地球上罕有的咸水湖之一
to Lake Assal, the saltiest water body on Earth.
阿萨勒湖低于海平面以下153米
Lake Assal lies 153m below sea level,
是非洲大♥陆♥最低点
making this the Rift's, and Africa's, lowest point.
湖水来自海水温泉
The lake's waters are fed by seawater springs
在酷热的太阳下蒸发出巨大的盐场
which evaporate in the blistering heat to leave huge salt pans.
在它闪耀的外壳之下，湖面跌入地面半英里深
Beneath its glistening crust, the lake plunges over half a mile deep.
但它不是装满了水，而是一直凝结到了湖底的固体盐...
But it's not filled with water. It's solid salt all the way to the bottom...
...这是海水数十万年蒸发的结果
..the result of hundreds of thousands of years of evaporation.
紧紧相连的是阿萨勒湖以北的巴布·厄耳·曼德海峡海峡
Immediately north of Lake Assal is the Mandab Strait,
阿♥拉♥伯人称它为“眼泪之门”
known to Arabs as the Gate of Tears.
它连接着非洲和阿♥拉♥伯
It separates Africa from Arabia
而且也是印度洋和红海的交界处
and marks the junction of the Indian Ocean and the Red Sea.
在塔朱拉海湾，贫瘠的熔岩流
Here at Ghoubbet el Kharab, barren lava flows
标志着大裂谷最终与大海会和
mark the point at which the Great Rift finally meets the sea
并进入一个新的领域
and enters another world.
近海处，海底壮观的水下悬崖
Offshore, the sea floor drops away in spectacular underwater cliffs -
一个水下的大裂谷
a submarine equivalent of the Great Rift Valley.
滤食性珊瑚造就了坚固的岩壁
Strong currents make these walls ideal for filter-feeding corals
给1000多种鱼类提供了生息之地
which provide a home for more than a thousand species of fish,
其中包括100多种绝无仅有的鱼类
including over a hundred found nowhere else.
在浅水处
In the surface waters,
一群印度鲭张大嘴巴搜寻着
a school of Indian mackerel trawl open-mouthed
海中丰富的浮游生物
through the rich plankton.
在远离吉布提海岸的地方
There are places off the Djibouti coast
大裂谷猛跌形成的无名深渊
where the Great Rift plunges to unknown depths.
探索这里需要特别的设备
Exploring down here takes specialised equipment.
这是第一次
This is the first time
有灯光照亮大裂谷海洋深处的角落
light has shone in this corner of the Great Rift's ocean depths.
这里有一些生物是科学完全不曾触及的领域
Some of the creatures down here may be completely unknown to science.
在黑暗的沟壑深处
From the dark depths of the trench,
丰富的养分成分涌向水面...
nutrient-rich currents well up towards the surface...
...繁盛的浮游生物，吸引着一种海洋巨兽
..creating a plankton bloom that attracts ocean giants.
鲸鲨是地球上最大的鱼
Whale sharks are the largest fish on Earth,
身长超过15米
growing over 15m long.
巨大的嘴像拖网一样在大海中捕食
Trawling the oceans with mouths agape,
它用筛状的鱼鳃过滤出的浮游生物和小鱼
their sieve-like gills sift out the plankton and small fish
是它们最爱的食物
on which they feed.
吉布提海湾是著名的一年一度鲸鲨的聚会之地
Djibouti is famous for this annual gathering of whale sharks
它们每年冬天都会跨越遥远的印度洋迁徙至此
which migrate here each winter from far across the Indian Ocean
来到这富饶的大裂谷水域
to take advantage of the Great Rift's fertile waters.
这件奇异的自然大事件的形成都要归功于
This extraordinary event owes its existence
红海最深处的火山力量
to volcanic forces deep beneath the Red Sea floor.
这种推力让非洲和阿♥拉♥伯分♥裂♥开来
Those forces are tearing Africa and Arabia apart.
随着大裂谷的延伸和扩大
As the Great Rift lengthens and widens,
红海最终汇入了地中海
the Red Sea will eventually join up with the Mediterranean,
使非洲变成了世界上最大的岛屿
making Africa the world's largest island.
与此同时，东非大裂谷继续蔓延，越来越广
Meanwhile, the East African Rift continues to spread ever wider,
渐渐充满了熔岩和周边火山的火山灰
gradually filling with lava and ash from the surrounding volcanoes.
并在雨季展露出崭新的面貌
And where seasonal rains refresh the landscape,
大裂谷的湖泊和河流
the Great Rift's lakes and rivers
将继续滋养着大量的野生动植物
will continue to sustain an abundance of wildlife.
河马哼哼声
HIPPOS GRUNT
这一集，剧组人员将继续探寻
For this episode,the crew discovered
大裂谷中气候更严峻的地方
how harsh the Great Rift can be.
他们称这里为“人间地狱”
They call this place "hell on Earth",
所以我想，这就是为什么有法籍军团在这里训练
so I guess that's why they send the French Foreign Legion here to train.
这是一个非常恶劣的地方
It's a pretty nasty place.
摄影师加文纽曼和导演英格丽考拉
Cameraman Gavin Newman and director Ingrid Kvale
发现他们自己正在大裂谷的一个最热的地方
found themselves in one of the Rift's hot spots.
噢
Ow!
也似乎是非洲风最大的地方
Seems to be the windiest place in Africa
而我必须为我热爱的动物们抓稳三脚架