与巨兽同行（2005）

But they're not related to dinosaurs.
它们的后代是另一种完全不同的生物
Their descendents will be of a very different kind.
Reptiles have now spread all across the globe.
爬虫动物在地球上扩散
清晨,基龙在太阳下取暖
Edaphosaurus bask in the early morning sun.
They're three metres long, as big as hippos,
它们身长三米,体型比河马大
and, like them, they're vegetarians.
但跟河马一样是素食者
它们的生命会是一场漫长的战事
Life in their new Permian home is a constant battle with the elements.
气候极端,从炎夏到寒冬
The climate swings between seasonal extremes.
From burning summers, to freezing winters.
这时出现了一种新植物
A new species of plant has evolved,
able to withstand this cold, dry atmosphere.
它能承受这寒冷和干燥的天气
Primitive conifers.
它们是远古的针叶树
在这恶劣的环境下
In this harsh world,
creatures need ways to regulate their body temperature.
生物要寻找方法调节体温
Edaphosaurus are sluggish autumn morning chill,
秋天早晨,基龙特别迟钝
but they'll soon warm up.
但它们的体温很快升高起来
这全赖背部的巨型翼板
Thanks to the huge sail on their backs.
它们的脊骨靠细小的血管
Their backbone has tall spines connected by a thin membrane of blood filled skin.
与长长的脊椎相连
若基龙需要散热
This large surface area can lose heat fast, if the Edaphosaurus need to cool down.
这大♥片♥皮肤就能迅速下调温度
若需要增加热力
While to heat up,
只消将翼板向着太阳
they simply turn their sails towards the sun,
就像一块太阳电池板
like a solar panel.
我们体内亦藏有这古怪的电池板
Amazingly, these strange sailbacks are related to us.
它们是哺乳动物所有
They're part of a very special group of creatures called mammal like reptiles.
时至今日,我们亦以这系统控制体温
It's down to them that we have control over our body temperature today.
但基龙不是唯一拥有这电池板的生物
But Edphosaurus aren't the only sailbacks,
and now their biggest enemy is one of their own kind.
它们的敌人亦与它一样
这是长棘龙,是凶恶的食肉动物
This is Dimetrodon, a vicious carnivore.
它是地球上体型最大的爬虫类
The biggest reptile on Earth.
它爱攻击成年基龙
She'd normally attack adult Edaphosaurus,
但今日它要避免受伤
but today she wants to avoid injury.
因为它已经怀孕,正准备产卵
She's pregnant and almost ready to lay her eggs.
它找到一只体型小,而又软弱的目标
She finds a smaller, softer target.
今次只是模拟攻击
This was only a mock charge,
以分散敌方,使它们遗下幼小
a tactic to disperse the group and expose the vulnerable young.
惊恐的基龙用血将翼板涨红
The panicking Edaphosaurus flush their sails with blood,
以分散猎食者注意
flashing an eye spot to distract the predator's attention
避免脆弱的头部受到攻击
from their vulnerable head.
但长棘龙看穿它们的技俩
But Dimetrodon can see through their disguise.
它锁定了目标
She locks on to her victim.
除了十足的体型和力量
As well as her sheer size and power,
长棘龙有一项杀人绝技
Dimetrodon has a killer edge.
它就如哺乳类动物
As a mammal like reptile, she's evolved specialised teeth.
进化出独特的牙齿切开兽肉
Incisors shear off chunks of flesh.
锯齿状的犬齿用以撕开肉类
Serrated canines cut and slice.
而人类亦承袭了同样的牙齿
We humans have inherited these same meat eating teeth.
但我们的版本要小得多
We have a smaller version in our mouths today.
小基龙注定逃不过了
The young Edaphosaurus didn't stand a chance.
这是长棘龙重要的杀戮时刻
This is a crucial kill for the Dimetrodon.
它要于产卵前
Before she lays
吃足够未来七个月所需的食物
she needs to eat enough to last her for the next seven months.
为了增加宝宝的生存机会
To boost her babies chances of survival,
它进化出照料的意识,守卫龙蛋
she's evolved a basic form of parental care.
Guarding her eggs.
但血腥的气味
But the smell of blood has attracted more Dimetrodon.
吸引了愈来愈多长棘龙
Highly aggressive males.
它们是高度攻击性的雄性
The female knows better than to defend her kill.
雌性对此清楚不过,唯有离开
雄性吃饱后,大概就只会剩下骨头
By the time the group has finished
there'll be nothing left but bones.
今日,狮子会进食七成尸体
While lions today consume seventy per cent of a carcass,
但长棘龙却是九♥成♥
Dimetrodon eat ninety.
But they'll only eat intestines after shaking out the waste inside.
它们会将肠内的脏物弄走才进食肠脏
因为长棘龙不能消化粪便
Dung is one thing a Dimetrodon can't stomach.
雌性以泥土和树木筑巢
The female has built a nesting mound of earth and wood.
它建了一个深深的洞穴
Inside, she digs a deep burrow.
And starts to lay her eggs.
开始产卵
She covers her brood carefully, ready to begin her guard duty.
它小心藏起卵,开始守护的工作
Egg thieves lurk in the shadows.
但黑暗之中到处都是小偷
例如这食肉的两栖动物
Like this carnivorous amphibian.
但它体型太小,不适合全面进攻
But he's too small to make a full frontal attack.
它要等长棘龙转个身才肆意偷袭
He'll have to bide his time until the female turns her back.
The mother must also constantly monitor the nest's temperature.
长棘龙妈妈亦要时刻留意巢穴的温度
Temperature control is vital for reptiles even before they hatch.
对爬虫类动物而言,温度控制很重要
The mother piles on more earth if the babies are too cold.
若宝宝太冷,妈妈就要盖上更多泥土
若太暖,就要除去一些
And will remove a layer if they're too warm, otherwise the babies will die.
不然宝宝就会死去
It's going to be a long seven months.
这会是很漫长的七个月
秋天转成寒冷的冬天
As autumn turns to bitterly cold winter,
风景亦随之改变
the landscape is transformed.
雌性仍时刻保持警觉
Still the female keeps her vigil,
getting weaker all the time from lack of food.
但因为缺乏食物,它已日渐虚弱
Until finally winter melts into spring.
直至春天来到
因为天气较温暖
With the warmer weather,
基龙在针叶树下躲懒
the Edaphosaurus laze beneath the conifers,
shading their sails from the sun to avoid overheating.
以遮蔽翼板散热
巢穴那一边,还有其他活动
But there's much activity at the nesting mound.
但今次参与的不是妈妈
And it's not the mother who's digging.
而是另一头渴望产卵的雌性
Another female is desperate to lay her eggs.
若它取得这片小丘
If she takes over the mound,
它会走进去,然后杀死里面的孩子
she'll dig out and kill the incubating young already inside.
巢内的妈妈虽然很虚弱
The resident mother may be weak,
但它不会轻言放弃
but she won't give up her nest without a fight.
这场战事,双方都不能败阵
It's a battle neither can afford to lose.
第二天早上
Next morning, just one female remains at the nesting mound.
小丘只剩下一头雌性
它是原居此地的母亲
It's the resident mother. She's managed to wrestle off her rival.
它成功打败对手
But not without a sacrifice.
但它还是有牺牲的
She won't be able to defend her eggs or herself for much longer.
它已受不住再新一轮攻击了
And the thieving amphibian is poised to seize his chance.
两栖动物在这时来到
把握了好时机
As summer arrives, the Edaphosaurus are thriving in the heat.
夏天,基龙茁壮成长
幼小慢慢长大
The young have grown and test out their newfound strength.
正在测试力量
But the mother Dimetrodon has reached the end of hers.
但长棘龙妈妈正面对死亡
又有另一个入侵者来到
So weak, she's helpless as another intruder attacks her nest.
它虚弱得无法抵御
Luckily this large male has got his teeth
幸好这雄性已找到另一只猎物
into something more substantial than her young. The amphibian.
两栖类动物
The precious eggs are safe and ready to hatch.
龙蛋终于安全,并快将孵出
妈妈听到孩子吱吱叫的声音
The mother can hear them squeaking.
它终于完成目标
She's achieved her goal.
但它的母性亦随之终结
But at this moment her maternal bond is severed.
它并不如哺乳动物后代
Unlike her mammal descendents, she won't nurture her young.
不会养育子女
它会随天性,为自己寻找食物
Her instinct now is to save herself, by finding food.
因为没有母亲保护
Without their mother's protection,
小长棘龙要独力照顾自己
the babies will have to be ready to go it alone.
它们要走进这冒险世界
They take their first steps into a perilous world
and must make a mad dash for the safety of the trees.
并巩往安全的树林
A danger in a familiar form awaits them.
熟悉的敌人原来早在附近等着
成年长棘龙会和同类争食
Adult Dimetrodon are cannibals.
但不是所有孩子都是无助的
Not all babies are helpless.
它们有的已懂得保护自己
Some already instinctively know how to defend themselves.
它们跑进成年长棘龙
They roll in dung. Something the adults can't stand.
无法忍♥受的粪便里
Repelling their pursuers long enough to get a head start.
藉以分散追捕者的注意
有一只成年长棘龙既肚饿又绝望
One adult is driven on by hunger and desperation.
那是长棘龙妈妈
The mother. She'll weed out weaker babies straight away,
它会除去较虚弱的宝宝
让强壮的宝宝,以至它的后代
which helps the strong ones and her species as a whole survive.
可以继续繁衍
这时,爬虫已在陆地站稳阵脚
And now the reptiles evolve to tighten their grip on land.
Their legs straighten and lengthen,
它们的脚更直和更长
令站立时更加笔直,以增强速度
holding them more upright and giving them speed.
它们的脊骨和肌肉愈来愈强壮