野性南美洲（2000）

亚马逊河是地球上最伟大的河
The Amazon is the mightiest river on earth.
离入海口还有1千英里远
A thousand miles before it reaches the sea
主水道已经有10英里宽
its main channel is already ten miles wide.
和大海交会时
By the time it meets the ocean
它已经承载了世界上1/5的河水
it carries a fifth of all the river water in the world
每秒钟把4千5百万加仑的汹涌水量倾泄进入大西洋
spilling an incredible forty five million gallons a second into the Atlantic.
亚马逊河每年一定会溢出河岸
Every year, without fail the Amazon bursts its banks
淹没的森林面♥积♥跟英格兰一样大
and floods an area of forest the size of England.
这么剧烈的水位变化
This huge change in water level
这么广大的地区
over such a vast area
对当地所有生物造成巨大影响
affects everything that lives here in a dramatic way.
亚马逊河从安地斯山流到大西洋，长4千英里
Over its four thousand mile course from the Andes to the Atlantic
沿途纳入的支流约有1100条
the Amazon is swollen by some eleven hundred tributaries.
其中有几条本身就是大河
Several are massive rivers in their own right.
流域面♥积♥涵盖40%的南美大♥陆♥
Between them they drain forty percent of the continent.
有3千种鱼类住在这个水世界里
Three thousand kinds of fish live in this waterworld.
有鱼的地方就有捕鱼的猎人
And where there are fish there are fish hunters.
大水獭
Giant otters.
它们的确很庞大 从鼻子到尾巴近两公尺长
They really are giants nearly two metres from nose to tail.
当地人称呼它们是..河狼
Local people call them 'Iobos del rio' wolves of the river.
它们虽然只吃鱼类维生
They live almost entirely on fish
不过却有能力杀死凯门鳄跟森蚺
though they can kill caiman and anacondas.
它们是亚马逊的顶级掠食者之一
They're one of the top predators of the Amazon
就像是..水中的美洲虎
the aquatic equivalent of the jaguar.
水獭大多独来独往
Most otters are solitary but these are very sociable.
这些却喜欢群居，以家庭为单位 一家差不多有6只
They live in family groups of about half a dozen
成员为一对父母 加上几岁大的小水獭
a mated pair and their full grown young from previous years.
它们横跨了两个世界
The otters bridge two worlds.
它们在河里找食物吃
All their food comes from the river
却在干燥的陆地上睡觉及养育后代
but they sleep and rear their cubs on dry land.
因此河水水位的改变对它们的生活影响很大
So their lives are profoundly affected by the changing level of the river
这一条河的源头远在西方
which has its origins far to the west
安地斯山峰上
in the distant peaks of the Andes.
河水从山区俯冲而下之后
After a first precipitous rush from the mountains
河道变得平坦而曲折
the river's course is flat and winding.
接下来的3千5百英里
For the next three and a half thousand miles
每英里水位只下降两英寸
it drops barely two inches a mile.
河流一路缓慢蜿蜒流过冲积平原
As sluggish meanders twist across the floodplain
这些河流不断改道
their course is constantly changing
创造出新的水道及湖泊
creating new channels and lakes.
因此它不再只是一条河
This is more than just a river
而是一个河流系统
it's a whole river system.
现在是十月 干季的高峰期
It's October the height of the dry season.
亚马逊河处于最低水位
The Amazon is at its lowest ebb
瘦得像皮包骨
and showing its bare bones.
每年只有几星期的时间
For just a few weeks each year
沙洲会完全浮出水面
sandbanks rise clear of the water
提供一个短暂的机会
giving a brief window of opportunity
给当地一种最特别的动物
for one of the Amazon's most remarkable animals.
黄耳龟
Giant river turtles.
世界上最大的淡水龟之一
They're one of the largest fresh water turtles in the world
身长超过1公尺，体重超过40公斤
over a metre long and weighing more than forty kilos.
它们每年回到同样的地点产卵
They come back to the same place each year to lay their eggs.
这是一场与时间的竞赛
But this is a race against time
因为沙洲很快会被河水淹没
because the sandbanks will soon be flooded again.
来到这里两个星期后
For two weeks after they arrive
怀孕的母龟做起日光浴来
the pregnant females bask in the sun.
这样可以让体内的卵加速发育
This hastens the development of the eggs
这样可以让体内的卵加速发育
still inside their bodies.
巨大的母龟在产卵之前
When she's ready
会挖出1公尺深的洞
each huge female digs a hole a metre deep.
在里头产下1百颗软壳蛋
In it she'll lay a hundred soft-shelled eggs.
这些行为引来其他动物的注意
But all this activity doesn't go unnoticed.
理想的沙洲非常的稀少
Good sandbanks are few and far between
后来筑巢的乌龟常会不小心
so early clutches of eggs are often accidentally dug up
挖出其他乌龟产的蛋
by turtles nesting later.
这也是兀鹫一年一次的大好机会
For the vultures too this is a once a year opportunity.
不过好日子只有几天
But it only lasts a few days.
乌龟很快就离开了
The turtles will soon be gone.
幸存的蛋在45天之后孵化
In forty five days the surviving eggs will hatch
比其他种类的乌龟快多了
far quicker than other turtles.
再过1，2个星期
Just a week or two later
沙洲再度没入水中
the sandbanks will be drowned again.
如果河水提前上涨就会把蛋冲走
If the rivers rise early all the eggs are lost.
在干季的高峰期
At the peak of the dry season
沙洲将分散四处的支流
broad reaches of river can be almost cut off
跟主流隔了开来
as sandbars separate them from the main flow.
鱼儿都挤在这些湖里头
Fish become concentrated in these lagoons
对掠食者来说是手到擒来的猎物
so for predators the killing is easy.
凯门鳄跟鹭鸟聚在这里，想在狩猎季节大捞一笔
Caiman and egrets gather to take advantage of the best hunting of the year.
鱼儿躲进芦苇丛里
The fish take shelter in the reeds
但是在浅水处，很容易到手
but in shallow water they're easier to catch.
鹭鸟飞的很低，然后从旁边攻击
Striking low and from the side makes it harder
等猎物看到它们的时候已经来不及了
for the egrets' prey to see them until it's too late.
有的时候凯门鳄会合力
Sometimes the caiman seem to work together
把鱼赶到浅水区
to herd fish into the shallows.
把鱼群全都集中在一起
The shoals of prey become even more concentrated.
水里到处堆满了鱼
The water literally heaves with fish.
有这么多猎物可以挑
With so many to choose from
根本不用选择目标
there's no need to single out a target.
随便往前一冲，都捉得到鱼
A random lunge can be just as effective
凯门鳄一攻击
and as each caiman strikes
就把鱼儿吓得逃进另一张大嘴里
it panics fish into the jaws of another.
不过，好景不长
But the good times won't last long.
凯门鳄必须把握良机大吃一顿
The caiman must make the most of them while they can.
这一场盛宴可以让它们撑上好几个月
A feast like this could keep them going for months.
对多数的鱼来说 干季可不是个好时节
For most fish the dry season is not a good time.
各种动物都要吃它们
They're on everyone's menu
它们的食物却不够 许多鱼都要饿上几个月
and their own food's so scarce that many will not eat for months.
有些鸟的日子也不好过
Some of the birds are having a hard time too.
图伊鹦哥吃的是种子
Tui parakeets are seed eaters
这棵马拉巴栗的种子是难得的美味
and the seeds of this munguba tree are a rare treat
马拉巴栗利用风散播自己的种子
The munguba uses the wind to scatter its seeds.
种子都包在绒毛降落伞里
Each one is carried on a parachute of fluff
但是如果落在水面上
but if it lands in the water
发芽的机会就不大
there's not much chance of it germinating.
这些是脂鲤科鱼类 也有人称它为南美鳟鱼
These are Brycon sometimes called South American trout.
它们饿得受不了
They're so hungry
还会跳起来吃这些没有什么养分的种子
they jump at the chance of even these meagre mouthfuls.
它们可以跳到身体四倍长的高度
They can leap up to four times their body length.
虽然水位很低 大一点的河还是可以航行
Even at low water the larger rivers are still navigable.
亚马逊的主河道上
On the Amazon's main channel
远洋渔船可以航行到伊基多斯市
seagoing ships can reach as far as the city of lquitos
它距离大海有两千英里
over two thousand miles from the ocean.
河流是主要的交通干道
The rivers are the main arteries of travel.
当地人全年都靠它过活
Local people depend on them throughout the year.
岸边的部落主要是靠捕鱼维生
Riverside communities rely heavily on fish for their livelihood.
人类..跟自然界的掠食者一样
For the people as for the natural predators
低水位是他们捕鱼的最佳时机
low water is also the best time to make a catch.
河水带着远山冲下来的淤泥
Laden with silt from the distant mountains
通常非常混浊
the rivers are often very muddy.
大白天都看不到河里的东西
It's hard to see much under water during the day
到了晚上..更不用说了
At night, the problem is even worse.
红外线摄影机可以让我们在黑暗中追踪动静
Infra-red cameras let us follow the action in total darkness.
但是鱼儿要怎么找路呢？
But how do the fish find their way?
以这些寄生鲶来说..它们的嗅觉很敏锐
Some, like these Candiru have an acute sense of smell.
可以侦测到些微血液或腐烂的气味
They can detect the slightest trace of blood or decay.
困在鱼网里的鱼得来全不费工夫
Fish trapped in fishermen's nets are easy meat.
寄生鲶像水中的兀鹫
Like aquatic vultures
它会紧追着血肉而来