1 00:00:17,760 --> 00:00:29,760 《地球脉动2》 第一季 第五集 2 00:00:36,060 --> 00:00:38,950 地球上四分之一的土地 One quarter of all the land on Earth 3 00:00:38,950 --> 00:00:43,100 覆盖着唯一一种伟大的植被 is covered by a single, remarkable type of plant. 4 00:00:49,380 --> 00:00:54,170 它们几乎坚不可摧 一天可以长高六十厘米 Almost indestructible, it can grow two feet in a day... 5 00:01:00,660 --> 00:01:04,520 连巨型动物都能藏匿其中 And be tall enough to hide a giant. 6 00:01:08,580 --> 00:01:10,680 那就是草本 That plant is grass, 7 00:01:11,270 --> 00:01:14,830 草本植物构建出来的世界独具一格 and the world it creates is truly unique. 8 00:01:28,720 --> 00:01:32,700 印度北部的草是地球上长得最高的 The grass in northern India is the tallest on the planet, 9 00:01:32,710 --> 00:01:37,300 这里是众多神奇生物的家园 home to some of the most impressive creatures to tread the Earth. 10 00:01:52,650 --> 00:01:54,670 现在正当好时候 These are the good times, 11 00:01:54,890 --> 00:01:59,060 可再过几个月 这些青草就会消失 but in just a few months, all this fresh growth will be gone, 12 00:01:59,220 --> 00:02:02,650 动物们将被迫迁徙 and the animals will be forced to move on. 13 00:02:05,330 --> 00:02:10,360 地球上的草原都是如此 That is the way things are on grasslands across the planet. 14 00:02:14,080 --> 00:02:18,680 重复着富足 消亡 重生的循环 A cycle of abundance, destruction and rebirth 15 00:02:18,720 --> 00:02:21,490 从而影响着栖息在这里的所有生命 that affects every creature that lives here. 16 00:02:26,520 --> 00:02:32,120 草原 17 00:02:36,820 --> 00:02:41,920 辽阔的欧亚草原区是地球上最大的草原地带 The largest grassland on Earth, the vast Eurasian Steppe, 18 00:02:41,920 --> 00:02:45,750 覆盖距离达到地球周长的三分之一 stretches one third of the way around our planet. 19 00:02:45,760 --> 00:02:49,270 英语解说 大卫·爱登堡 20 00:02:49,990 --> 00:02:55,560 青草随春雨而生 也带来了新生命 Spring rain has brought fresh grass, and with it, new life. 21 00:02:59,800 --> 00:03:04,920 一种冰川时代存活至今的生物 高鼻羚羊幼崽 A relic from the Ice Age, a baby Saiga antelope, 22 00:03:05,060 --> 00:03:06,860 出生才三小时 just three hours old. 23 00:03:10,240 --> 00:03:13,120 陪伴它的只有它的孪生兄弟 His only company, his twin. 24 00:03:13,980 --> 00:03:15,910 在它们能站起来之前 Until they can stand, 25 00:03:16,000 --> 00:03:19,160 母亲会将它们藏在草丛中 their mother has left them hidden in the grass. 26 00:03:26,800 --> 00:03:30,810 这样应该很安全 只要保持安静 They should be safe, as long as they remain quiet. 27 00:03:36,020 --> 00:03:39,280 对这两只小羊来说 时间紧迫 For these calves, the clock is already ticking. 28 00:03:40,610 --> 00:03:42,700 羚羊群很快就要离开 Their herd will soon be moving on, 29 00:03:42,700 --> 00:03:45,450 去寻找最新鲜的草场 seeking the freshest new grass. 30 00:04:03,530 --> 00:04:05,870 高鼻羚羊四肢瘦长 Their lanky legs are a sure sign 31 00:04:05,910 --> 00:04:08,510 预示着它们一生都将奔波在路上 that they're built for a life on the move. 32 00:04:33,670 --> 00:04:36,740 高鼻羚羊总会产下孪生幼崽 Saiga always give birth to twins, 33 00:04:36,740 --> 00:04:40,690 这样能够在草源充足时迅速繁衍 so their numbers grow rapidly just when grass is plentiful. 34 00:04:44,340 --> 00:04:48,160 它们的鼻子长相奇怪 却能够勘测到 Their bizarrely shaped nose can detect fresh growth 35 00:04:48,160 --> 00:04:50,320 几百公里外的青草长势 from hundreds of miles away. 36 00:05:02,160 --> 00:05:05,660 这两只小羊即将与其他草原动物一样 The young twins will now begin the nomadic life 37 00:05:05,660 --> 00:05:10,390 开始辽阔草原上不断迁徙的生活 they share with most animals on the world's open plains. 38 00:05:32,170 --> 00:05:38,360 降雨量不足以养育森林时就会出现草原 Grasslands occur where rain is too sporadic for forests to exist. 39 00:05:48,550 --> 00:05:52,100 草原生长所需的年降雨量 The rain that a grassland needs to survive for a year 40 00:05:52,210 --> 00:05:54,760 可能会一次来临 might arrive all at once. 41 00:06:15,990 --> 00:06:21,450 这样的暴雨在二十四小时内能达到三百毫米降雨量 Storms like these can release 12 inches of rain in 24 hours. 42 00:06:32,420 --> 00:06:35,590 淋起来可不好受 Not much fun if you're out in it. 43 00:06:47,320 --> 00:06:50,720 最终土壤无法继续吸收雨水 Eventually the earth can't soak up any more, 44 00:06:53,910 --> 00:06:57,790 草原也完全变了样子 and the grassland undergoes a radical change. 45 00:07:04,480 --> 00:07:09,440 许多植物会被淹死 而草本却会茁壮生长 Many plants would drown here, but grasses thrive. 46 00:07:12,390 --> 00:07:13,710 它们长得飞快 They grow so fast, 47 00:07:13,720 --> 00:07:17,730 茎叶迅速伸出水面 沐浴在阳光下 their leaves quickly rise above the water and into the sunlight. 48 00:07:22,010 --> 00:07:23,920 在南非 Here in southern Africa, 49 00:07:23,930 --> 00:07:28,950 降水能让世界上最奇特的草原之一改头换面 water transforms one of the most remarkable grasslands on Earth, 50 00:07:31,260 --> 00:07:32,870 奥卡万戈三角洲 the Okavango. 51 00:07:36,160 --> 00:07:41,130 每年都有近一万三千平方公里的草原被水淹没 Every year, 5,000 square miles of grassland are flooded. 52 00:07:49,030 --> 00:07:53,680 对于狮群来说 这成了最大的问题 For one pride of lions, this poses a major problem. 53 00:07:55,810 --> 00:07:58,220 虽然猎物众多 There may be plenty of prey around, 54 00:07:58,460 --> 00:08:01,480 但狮子并不擅长在水中捕猎 but lions struggle to run it down in water. 55 00:08:08,720 --> 00:08:11,320 狮群中有三个月的幼崽 The pride has three-month-old cubs. 56 00:08:11,600 --> 00:08:13,730 它们以前从未见过水 They've never seen water before. 57 00:08:17,630 --> 00:08:20,130 如果母狮们短时间内捕不到猎物 If their mothers don't make a kill soon, 58 00:08:20,410 --> 00:08:23,490 这些幼崽可能撑不过这周 the cubs might not survive the week. 59 00:08:32,930 --> 00:08:34,730 受洪水滋养 But fuelled by the flood, 60 00:08:34,730 --> 00:08:39,120 蓬勃生长的青草吸引来新的猎物 the eruption of grass attracts new possible prey. 61 00:08:42,060 --> 00:08:45,390 数量超过两千头的水牛群接踵而至 Buffalo arrive in herds 2,000 strong. 62 00:08:53,010 --> 00:08:56,500 强大 好斗 抱团前进 Powerful, aggressive and united, 63 00:08:56,500 --> 00:08:59,660 狮子能遇到的动物中 水牛是最危险的 they're the most dangerous animal a lion can face. 64 00:09:38,510 --> 00:09:40,810 体型最大的公牛不会逃跑 The biggest bulls don't run. 65 00:09:43,280 --> 00:09:46,970 他们仗着身形庞大 并不惧怕狮子 They're simply too huge to be scared of lions. 66 00:09:49,300 --> 00:09:54,780 重达九百公斤 他比五头母狮加起来都重 At 900 kilos, he weighs more than all five lionesses combined. 67 00:09:59,060 --> 00:10:01,730 虽然狮群占据了数量优势 The pride do have numbers on their side, 68 00:10:03,090 --> 00:10:06,390 但如果被水牛角扫到 可能会直接丧命 but one sweep of his horns could be deadly. 69 00:10:20,580 --> 00:10:22,590 一头母狮正面诱敌 One distracts the bull up front, 70 00:10:22,600 --> 00:10:25,190 她的姐妹从后方进攻 while her sisters attack from behind. 71 00:10:36,420 --> 00:10:38,940 母狮们必须想办法压倒公牛 The cats must somehow topple the buffalo, 72 00:10:38,950 --> 00:10:42,420 但沼泽太过湿滑 脚底无法借力 but with swamp under foot, they can't get any traction. 73 00:11:27,150 --> 00:11:29,020 公牛逐渐虚弱 The bull is weakening, 74 00:11:29,820 --> 00:11:32,180 但狮群也露出疲态 but the lions are tiring, too. 75 00:11:37,300 --> 00:11:41,430 现在是体力与毅力的双重考验 It's now a battle of will as much as strength. 76 00:11:44,170 --> 00:11:48,350 要想活下去 公牛必须想办法甩掉母狮 To live, the bull must somehow shake off the lioness. 77 00:12:27,390 --> 00:12:29,210 这头公牛受了伤 The bull is wounded, 78 00:12:29,230 --> 00:12:33,110 但幸亏有五厘米厚的牛皮 他会慢慢痊愈 but thanks to his two-inch-thick hide, he will recover. 79 00:12:39,020 --> 00:12:42,860 而狮群 只能忍饥挨饿了 For the pride, these are hungry times. 80 00:12:51,010 --> 00:12:56,380 但等到水位降低 便会有新生命来临 But, ultimately, once the water recedes, there will be new life, 81 00:12:56,980 --> 00:12:59,840 也就有了新的食物来源 and new food to benefit all. 82 00:13:08,770 --> 00:13:12,900 只要条件适宜 草本植物可以在短短几天内 In the right conditions, grasses have the extraordinary ability 83 00:13:12,910 --> 00:13:18,070 完成从发芽到开花的全过程 to grow from first shoots to flower in a matter of only days. 84 00:13:24,850 --> 00:13:29,570 青草变成一棵棵微型果树 Grasses become the miniature equivalents of fruiting trees. 85 00:13:36,830 --> 00:13:39,420 对于住在其中的生物来说 And for creatures living within the grass, 86 00:13:39,560 --> 00:13:44,540 这样的草丛就像雨林一样高大葱郁 this is a landscape as vast and towering as any rainforest. 87 00:13:49,590 --> 00:13:52,810 非常适合建造小树屋 And excellent place to build a tiny tree house 88 00:13:55,080 --> 00:13:56,870 供巢鼠居住 for a harvest mouse. 89 00:14:08,790 --> 00:14:13,280 夏季的欧洲草原食物充盈 During summer, European meadowlands are full of food, 90 00:14:16,780 --> 00:14:19,170 只看谁能捷足先登 but only for those that can reach it. 91 00:14:38,290 --> 00:14:41,410 爬草比爬树更困难 Climbing grass is harder than climbing trees, 92 00:14:41,410 --> 00:14:45,310 主要是因为草茎不会静止不动 not least because their stems just won't stay still. 93 00:14:52,940 --> 00:14:56,450 她的尾巴可以抓握物体 就像第五只手 Her prehensile tail acts like a fifth limb, 94 00:14:56,450 --> 00:15:00,660 让她如林中穿梭的猴子一般敏捷灵活 so she's as agile as a monkey clambering around in a tree. 95 00:15:08,980 --> 00:15:10,420 和森林中一样 And just as well, 96 00:15:10,450 --> 00:15:13,040 这片草丛中最好的食物 for the best food in this tiny forest 97 00:15:13,040 --> 00:15:15,250 也在植株最顶端 is at the very top of its canopy. 98 00:15:26,160 --> 00:15:29,440 但爬到高处觅食 就会暴露自己 Feeding up here, she's exposed. 99 00:15:37,010 --> 00:15:38,500 一只仓鸮 A barn owl. 100 00:16:10,500 --> 00:16:12,330 动作不算灵巧 Not her finest move... 101 00:16:16,200 --> 00:16:17,720 但也算成功逃命 But it did the trick. 102 00:16:19,840 --> 00:16:23,560 巢鼠鲜少在地面行动 Harvest mice seldom go all the way down to the ground. 103 00:16:26,890 --> 00:16:30,530 这里的世界复杂而危险 It's a tangled and dangerous world down here. 104 00:16:44,000 --> 00:16:48,680 但她能够通过解读头顶的草茎来辨明方向 But she can read the pattern of the stems overhead like a map, 105 00:16:49,650 --> 00:16:51,870 从而找到回家的路 and so find her way home. 106 00:16:59,930 --> 00:17:02,530 时机刚好 And not a minute too soon. 107 00:17:07,310 --> 00:17:09,730 幼崽嗷嗷待哺 There are mouths to feed. 108 00:17:23,690 --> 00:17:26,110 她的宝宝们必须迅速长大 Her babies must fatten up quickly. 109 00:17:28,210 --> 00:17:30,740 他们要趁着夏季食物充盈时 They need to harvest the summer grasses 110 00:17:30,980 --> 00:17:33,120 尽量进食成长 while they're still rich with food. 111 00:17:41,620 --> 00:17:43,830 非洲稀树草原亦是如此 On the African savannah, too, 112 00:17:43,830 --> 00:17:46,970 应季时草地生命丰富多彩 seasonal grasses are filled with life, 113 00:17:47,160 --> 00:17:48,900 但却不会持续太久 but it won't last long. 114 00:17:52,460 --> 00:17:56,010 红喉蜂虎是卓越的空中猎手 Carmine bee-eaters are superb aerial hunters, 115 00:17:57,580 --> 00:18:01,670 十分擅长捕食飞行中的昆虫 experts at catching insects in midair. 116 00:18:08,760 --> 00:18:12,430 但它们无法将猎物赶出草丛 But they have no way of flushing their prey out of the grass. 117 00:18:22,890 --> 00:18:26,860 一旦警觉起来 大多数昆虫会静止不动 Once alarmed, most insects stay put. 118 00:18:29,780 --> 00:18:34,260 红喉蜂虎需要找帮手来捣乱 The bee-eaters need someone to stir things up a bit. 119 00:18:39,670 --> 00:18:41,340 一只灰颈鹭鸨 A kori bustard. 120 00:18:46,190 --> 00:18:48,630 它是世界上体重最大的飞禽 It's the world's heaviest flying bird, 121 00:18:48,630 --> 00:18:52,140 凭它庞大的身躯 应该能轰出一些虫子 so it should be bulky enough to kick up some insects. 122 00:18:59,720 --> 00:19:00,970 成功了 Bingo! 123 00:19:03,890 --> 00:19:06,280 直到有别的蜂虎加入 Until someone else comes along 124 00:19:07,640 --> 00:19:09,480 打乱它的计划 and cramps your style. 125 00:19:15,280 --> 00:19:19,880 没关系 也许等会还有更好的机会 Never mind, perhaps there are bigger opportunities ahead. 126 00:19:22,830 --> 00:19:25,040 鸵鸟怎么样 What about an ostrich? 127 00:19:27,320 --> 00:19:29,090 它们是体重最大的鸟类 The heaviest bird of all. 128 00:19:34,870 --> 00:19:38,860 这次有足够的交通工具了 This time there's more than enough transport to go around. 129 00:19:49,130 --> 00:19:53,330 很快 几乎每只鸵鸟都有了自己的乘客 Soon, almost every ostrich has its own passenger. 130 00:20:01,320 --> 00:20:05,730 不过搭便车的也得意不了多久 But free riders are only tolerated for so long. 131 00:20:12,180 --> 00:20:14,190 蜂虎真正需要的 What the bee-eaters really need 132 00:20:14,200 --> 00:20:18,130 是体型大到根本注意不到它们的动物 is a creature so big it won't even notice them. 133 00:20:28,370 --> 00:20:31,110 非洲公象夷平草地之势 Nothing cuts a swathe through grass 134 00:20:31,120 --> 00:20:33,880 没有动物能与之比肩 like an African bull elephant. 135 00:20:50,430 --> 00:20:55,090 诀窍是尽可能飞在这位“大块头”的近前方 The trick is to fly as close to the front of the giant as possible. 136 00:20:55,370 --> 00:20:59,250 想取得奖赏 必须在刹那间出手 They only have a split second to grab the prize. 137 00:21:08,860 --> 00:21:13,570 越来越多昆虫被赶出来 竞争也愈发激烈 As more insects are stirred up, the competition intensifies. 138 00:21:36,050 --> 00:21:40,790 夏天即将结束 储备食物的竞赛已然打响 With summer drawing to a close, the race to stock up is on. 139 00:21:46,080 --> 00:21:51,800 草很快就会枯萎 屯食良机转瞬即逝 Soon, the grass will wither, and this opportunity will have gone. 140 00:22:01,290 --> 00:22:03,860 到了旱季 As the dry season takes hold, 141 00:22:04,040 --> 00:22:07,500 地面的食物愈发稀缺 food becomes increasingly thin on the ground. 142 00:22:09,530 --> 00:22:13,600 只有在真正身怀绝技的草原捕猎者 Now, only the most specialised predators on the plains 143 00:22:13,600 --> 00:22:15,000 才能维持生活 can make a living. 144 00:22:20,410 --> 00:22:25,620 她虽然形似猎豹 但这只猫并非短跑能手 She may be spotted like a cheetah, but this cat is no sprinter. 145 00:22:38,660 --> 00:22:44,760 相反 修长的四肢给予她独特的猎捕优势 Instead, she has extra-long legs which give her a high vantage point. 146 00:22:55,570 --> 00:23:01,480 不过薮猫最主要的武器 是她雷达般的双耳 But a serval cat's main weapon are enormous radar ears. 147 00:23:05,470 --> 00:23:09,130 能精确定位草丛中猎物的藏身之处 They help her pinpoint prey hiding in the grass. 148 00:23:17,800 --> 00:23:21,270 可是她的猎物十分机警 But the prey she seeks are canny. 149 00:23:24,900 --> 00:23:26,700 非洲沟齿沼鼠 Southern vlei rats. 150 00:23:29,670 --> 00:23:33,680 他们知道持续移动会暴露行踪 They know that any sustained movement can give them away. 151 00:23:39,110 --> 00:23:42,200 于是选择短距离爆冲 So they move in short bursts. 152 00:23:49,910 --> 00:23:53,900 但是最细微的窸窣声也会被薮猫察觉 But even the slightest rustle will give her a clue. 153 00:24:16,780 --> 00:24:18,020 快找到了 Warm. 154 00:24:30,650 --> 00:24:31,880 更接近了 Warmer. 155 00:24:46,800 --> 00:24:47,930 没抓到 Missed. 156 00:26:10,560 --> 00:26:14,180 形势好的时候 她一天能抓十只 In better times, she could catch 10 a day, 157 00:26:15,150 --> 00:26:20,180 但现在啮齿动物数量极少 她只能挨饿了 but now, with so few rodents around, she will have to go hungry. 158 00:26:22,450 --> 00:26:27,470 随着干旱加剧 草原生活更加艰难 As drought intensifies, life gets tougher for all. 159 00:26:34,170 --> 00:26:38,160 定居于此的捕食者只能选择熬过去 Predators with permanent territories must tough it out, 160 00:26:38,810 --> 00:26:43,090 因为大部分猎物都已远去 while most of their prey disappear over the horizon. 161 00:26:47,190 --> 00:26:48,910 为了抵御饥饿 To avoid starvation, 162 00:26:48,920 --> 00:26:53,460 草原动物大多随水草迁徙 many grassland animals follow a nomadic way of life. 163 00:26:55,450 --> 00:26:59,700 超过两百万头牛羚奔走在东非大草原 Over 2,000,000 wildebeests wander the East African savannahs 164 00:26:59,700 --> 00:27:01,680 追逐着雨水 chasing the rains. 165 00:27:15,820 --> 00:27:18,180 不过它们并不孤单 And they are not alone. 166 00:27:20,280 --> 00:27:21,970 展翅飞来这里 Arriving on the wing, 167 00:27:21,980 --> 00:27:26,010 杰氏巧织雀也在寻找鲜嫩的草 Jackson's Widowbirds also seek fresh grass. 168 00:27:27,940 --> 00:27:31,790 然而 它们却不只是为食物而来 Although, it's not just food that they're after. 169 00:27:36,230 --> 00:27:38,630 这只雄鸟想求偶 This male wants a mate. 170 00:27:41,850 --> 00:27:45,620 为此他已长出漂亮的繁殖羽 He's grown elaborate breeding plumage for this moment, 171 00:27:46,970 --> 00:27:50,320 但他需要舞台来展现自我 but he needs a stage on which to show it off. 172 00:27:54,710 --> 00:27:57,120 细心挑选草茎 By carefully selecting grass blades, 173 00:27:57,120 --> 00:27:59,640 每一根修剪到合适的长度 each trimmed to the correct length, 174 00:27:59,740 --> 00:28:02,400 他正在进行非常独特的创作 he's creating something very special. 175 00:28:17,600 --> 00:28:20,380 他需要一块平地 He needs an even surface, 176 00:28:22,400 --> 00:28:24,120 和一个中央摆设 and a centre-piece. 177 00:28:26,670 --> 00:28:28,560 舞台已经布置好了 The stage is set. 178 00:28:29,490 --> 00:28:34,560 他的单身公寓干净整洁 很能吸引雌鸟 His bachelor pad is sufficiently neat and tidy to attract a female. 179 00:28:36,160 --> 00:28:37,610 问题是 The problem is, 180 00:28:37,820 --> 00:28:39,190 她能看到吗 can she see it? 181 00:28:43,090 --> 00:28:44,730 他还有竞争对手 He has competition. 182 00:28:55,050 --> 00:28:59,770 园艺设计可能不足以打动女士们 It might take more than a little gardening to impress the ladies. 183 00:29:02,040 --> 00:29:04,130 跳起来是个好办法 Jumping is the right idea, 184 00:29:05,350 --> 00:29:08,060 但他低估了草的高度 but he's misjudged the height of the grass. 185 00:29:18,130 --> 00:29:20,440 他的对手显得很轻松 His rival makes it look easy. 186 00:29:44,360 --> 00:29:47,030 他得加把劲了 Time to raise his game. 187 00:30:23,680 --> 00:30:26,150 不仅要看谁跳得高 It's not only who jumps the highest, 188 00:30:26,150 --> 00:30:29,000 还要看谁能跳得久 but who can keep doing so the longest. 189 00:30:38,020 --> 00:30:43,390 对手们无法坚持下去 相继退出竞争 Unable to go the distance, his rivals drop out one by one. 190 00:30:48,000 --> 00:30:51,600 他的耐力吸引了爱侣 Stamina has won him admirers, 191 00:30:52,600 --> 00:30:56,240 现在可以展示他的求爱舞台了 now he can show off his courtship arena... 192 00:31:05,700 --> 00:31:09,810 再来一场浪漫的捉迷藏游戏 And engage in a little romantic hide-and-seek. 193 00:31:21,950 --> 00:31:25,100 他终于得偿所愿 Finally, he's done enough. 194 00:31:36,870 --> 00:31:41,730 东非大草原养育着成千上万的食草动物 The East African savannahs support millions of grazers. 195 00:31:42,620 --> 00:31:46,580 每年会吃掉数百万吨草 Each year they devour millions of tons of grass, 196 00:31:48,740 --> 00:31:50,900 然而有一种生物 and yet there's one creature here 197 00:31:50,910 --> 00:31:56,450 对草原造成的影响 远大于其他动物的总和 whose impact is far greater than all these animals combined. 198 00:32:00,230 --> 00:32:03,780 地球上有草的地方 都有它们的踪影 They're found wherever grass grows on the planet, 199 00:32:04,130 --> 00:32:07,860 但它们的辛苦劳作几乎难以察觉 yet their labours go almost entirely unnoticed. 200 00:32:12,610 --> 00:32:15,600 其中最出色的 One of the most remarkable is found here 201 00:32:15,600 --> 00:32:18,480 出现在南美洲草原 on the grasslands of South America. 202 00:32:21,390 --> 00:32:23,630 这些叶片十分坚硬 These blades are so tough 203 00:32:23,640 --> 00:32:27,620 几乎没有大型食草动物能消化得了 that virtually no large grass eaters can stomach them. 204 00:32:28,620 --> 00:32:32,820 然而却被小小的切叶蚁 Yet they're harvested on an industrial scale... 205 00:32:36,580 --> 00:32:39,840 大规模采集 ...by tiny grass cutter ants. 206 00:32:46,580 --> 00:32:49,890 可它们根本无法消化叶片 But they themselves can't digest one bit of it. 207 00:32:52,830 --> 00:32:54,500 那到底是为什么呢 So, why bother? 208 00:32:58,730 --> 00:33:01,600 答案在地下 The answer is underground, 209 00:33:03,470 --> 00:33:05,990 可谓别出心裁 and it's very ingenious. 210 00:33:10,490 --> 00:33:16,330 每根叶片都被切成一定长度 放入菌圃 Each blade is cut to length and placed into a garden of fungus. 211 00:33:21,230 --> 00:33:24,220 真菌以腐烂的叶片为食 The rotting grass feeds the fungus, 212 00:33:24,220 --> 00:33:28,270 而真菌又成为蚂蚁的食物 and in turn the fungus feeds the ants. 213 00:33:31,650 --> 00:33:36,640 养活五百万劳动者需要大规模的高效耕作 But feeding 5,000,000 workers requires intensive agriculture. 214 00:33:38,910 --> 00:33:42,590 幸好它们都很勤劳 Luckily, they are an industrious lot. 215 00:33:46,910 --> 00:33:52,420 仅这一个蚁群 每年就能收集五百多公斤草 This colony alone will collect over half a ton of grass every year. 216 00:33:56,400 --> 00:34:00,000 数十亿蚁群遍布全球草原 With billions of ant colonies across the world's grasslands 217 00:34:00,010 --> 00:34:02,570 都在做相同的事 all doing exactly the same thing, 218 00:34:02,740 --> 00:34:06,020 它们消耗的草数量惊人 that's a mind-boggling amount of grass. 219 00:34:35,130 --> 00:34:39,710 据估计 地球上超过三分之一的草 It's estimated that over one third of the grass that grows on Earth 220 00:34:39,740 --> 00:34:42,970 都会被这种昆虫采去 will be harvested by an insect. 221 00:34:48,860 --> 00:34:50,460 在澳大利亚北部 In northern Australia, 222 00:34:50,460 --> 00:34:55,270 白蚁辛勤的劳作体现在雕塑上 termites memorialise their industry in sculpture. 223 00:35:02,700 --> 00:35:06,450 这些令人叹为观止的白蚁丘有三米高 These astonishing mounds are 10 feet tall. 224 00:35:07,130 --> 00:35:10,320 全部建成南北走向 They're always built on a north-south axis, 225 00:35:10,320 --> 00:35:14,170 因此它们的建筑者被称为罗盘白蚁 which is why their builders are called compass termites. 226 00:35:27,860 --> 00:35:29,720 这些粘土造就的城堡 These castles of clay 227 00:35:29,720 --> 00:35:32,600 保护着它们的主人 protect their builders from extremes of heat 228 00:35:32,600 --> 00:35:37,020 不受草原酷暑和季节性洪水的伤害 and seasonal floods experienced on many grasslands. 229 00:35:48,680 --> 00:35:53,440 白蚁与大多数食草动物不同 Termites manage to do what most grass eaters can't, 230 00:35:54,280 --> 00:35:58,110 它们能分解枯草 提取养分 break down dead grass and extract the nutrients. 231 00:35:59,110 --> 00:36:03,440 但也有动物能探进蚁穴将它们吃掉 But they themselves can be food for those that can reach them. 232 00:36:09,090 --> 00:36:10,910 六十厘米长的舌头 A two-foot-long tongue 233 00:36:12,540 --> 00:36:15,060 上面布满极小的钩子 covered in microscopic hooks, 234 00:36:18,320 --> 00:36:23,050 加之比迅猛龙还要长的爪子 followed by claws longer than those of a velociraptor. 235 00:36:29,140 --> 00:36:33,020 这是一只生活在南美平原上的大食蚁兽 A giant anteater on the plains of South America. 236 00:36:37,990 --> 00:36:41,300 它每天可以吞食两万只昆虫 It can devour 20,000 insects a day. 237 00:36:46,630 --> 00:36:52,270 有力的前肢让它们能够轻易地掰开白蚁巢 Powerful forelegs enable it to rip apart a termite hill with ease. 238 00:37:02,490 --> 00:37:08,080 太阳炙烤草原 白蚁面临着新的危险 And as the sun bakes the grass, the termites face new danger. 239 00:37:31,020 --> 00:37:35,440 几分钟内 大火就将草原化为灰烬 In minutes, fire turns grassland to ash. 240 00:37:49,580 --> 00:37:51,810 但是草不会被大火烧尽 But the grasses are not dead. 241 00:37:52,350 --> 00:37:55,800 它们的地下茎完好无损 Their underground stems are unharmed. 242 00:37:58,760 --> 00:38:01,570 数周 数月就这么过去了 Weeks, months may pass, 243 00:38:01,680 --> 00:38:04,540 但是雨季终将来临 but eventually the rains will return 244 00:38:04,540 --> 00:38:06,910 青草又会重新发芽 and the grass will sprout again. 245 00:38:14,120 --> 00:38:19,890 一些草原不仅要忍受火的炙烤 还有冰霜 Some grasslands must endure not only fire, but ice. 246 00:38:25,010 --> 00:38:26,720 冬季来临 As winter approaches, 247 00:38:26,720 --> 00:38:30,300 北美的草原开始霜冻 the prairies of North America begin to freeze. 248 00:38:46,630 --> 00:38:49,260 夏季 美洲野牛四处漫步 In summer, bison roamed freely, 249 00:38:49,270 --> 00:38:53,350 享用着取之不尽的大片青草 almost continuously cropping the abundant green grass. 250 00:38:55,030 --> 00:38:58,330 现在青草不仅枯萎结冰 Now, that grass is not only withered and frozen, 251 00:38:58,730 --> 00:39:00,840 马上还会被大雪掩埋 it's about to be buried. 252 00:39:22,960 --> 00:39:28,270 六千万吨的积雪覆盖在野牛群的领地上 Sixty million tons of snow now blanket this herd's territory. 253 00:39:31,960 --> 00:39:35,270 在厚厚的积雪中行动非常耗费体力 Pushing through deep snow is exhausting work, 254 00:39:35,370 --> 00:39:38,490 美洲野牛越来越饥饿 and the bison are now slowly starving. 255 00:39:45,480 --> 00:39:49,240 仅仅保暖都需要耗费大量的能量 Just keeping warm saps huge amounts of energy. 256 00:39:55,420 --> 00:40:00,100 他们厚重的皮毛可耐受零下三十度的低温 Their thick coats can insulate them down to minus 20 Fahrenheit. 257 00:40:00,800 --> 00:40:02,970 现在是零下四十度 It's now minus 40. 258 00:40:06,030 --> 00:40:08,740 唯一能让他们活下去的食物 The only thing that will keep them alive 259 00:40:08,920 --> 00:40:11,800 被深埋在一米深的积雪之下 is buried beneath three feet of snow. 260 00:40:16,740 --> 00:40:20,780 他们意想不到的邻居也面临着同样的问题 And that's a problem shared with a surprising neighbour. 261 00:40:39,030 --> 00:40:43,100 狐狸在搜寻的食物也被深埋在积雪之下 The food the fox seeks is also deep beneath the snow. 262 00:40:55,730 --> 00:40:57,920 这两种生物能否生存下去 The survival of both creatures 263 00:40:57,920 --> 00:41:00,910 取决于能否挖到地面的食物 depends on getting through to the ground. 264 00:41:06,350 --> 00:41:10,460 对于美洲野牛来说 用蛮力就可以做到 For the bison, it will be a matter of brute strength. 265 00:41:15,000 --> 00:41:20,370 强大的颈部肌肉让他们每天可以铲五吨的雪 Massive neck muscles enable them to shovel five tonnes of snow a day. 266 00:41:26,760 --> 00:41:30,110 他们小巧的邻居则需要更高的准头 Their light-weight neighbour needs more precision. 267 00:41:58,370 --> 00:42:00,990 美洲野牛达到了目的 The bison have reached their goal, 268 00:42:01,310 --> 00:42:04,150 一大口枯草 a mouthful of withered grass. 269 00:42:07,880 --> 00:42:12,850 在美洲野牛挖过的地方狐狸也见缝插针 And where the bison have dug, the fox now spots an opportunity. 270 00:42:21,860 --> 00:42:24,450 每一步都至关重要 Every footstep counts, 271 00:42:27,020 --> 00:42:29,020 但是时机... but he mustn't break through... 272 00:42:29,940 --> 00:42:30,920 还未到 Yet. 273 00:42:34,270 --> 00:42:38,220 他仔细监听着猎物的一举一动 He listens carefully to pinpoint his target. 274 00:42:43,800 --> 00:42:45,130 它在移动 It's moving. 275 00:43:07,440 --> 00:43:08,680 一只野鼠 A vole. 276 00:43:11,110 --> 00:43:14,520 虽然小 但是比一嘴干草的 Small, but 100 times more nutritious 277 00:43:14,530 --> 00:43:17,270 营养价值高上百倍 than a mouthful of dried grass. 278 00:43:23,640 --> 00:43:26,370 想要在这草原上度过严冬 To get through the winter on these prairies, 279 00:43:26,370 --> 00:43:30,470 有时候脑子比蛮力更加重要 sometimes brain beats brawn. 280 00:43:36,950 --> 00:43:40,130 最终 所有草原上的生物 Ultimately, life on all grasslands 281 00:43:40,130 --> 00:43:43,140 都依赖于季节的更迭 depends on the turn of the seasons. 282 00:44:09,450 --> 00:44:13,600 在树木生存极限八百公里以北的地方 Five hundred miles further north than any tree can survive, 283 00:44:13,610 --> 00:44:16,120 青草春风吹又生 grass returns to life. 284 00:44:27,210 --> 00:44:30,800 雌性北美驯鹿远赴北方 Caribou females have journeyed to the far north 285 00:44:31,350 --> 00:44:32,790 来此产仔 to calve. 286 00:44:36,530 --> 00:44:39,420 超过七万只驯鹿幼崽 Over 70,000 caribou babies 287 00:44:39,420 --> 00:44:42,090 将在几天内出生 will be born in the next few days. 288 00:44:46,470 --> 00:44:48,180 小鹿出生的时候 As the calves appear, 289 00:44:48,180 --> 00:44:51,990 也正是青草发新芽的时候 so too do the leaves of the newly sprouting grass. 290 00:44:55,140 --> 00:44:57,660 幼鹿必须迅速增强体能 And the calves must strengthen quickly. 291 00:44:57,670 --> 00:45:01,150 几天内他们就将跟随自己的父母 Within days they will have to keep up with their parents 292 00:45:01,150 --> 00:45:03,630 踏上无尽的征程 on a never-ending march. 293 00:45:09,000 --> 00:45:13,880 第一天 他们的速度就已经超过人类短跑健将 At one day old, they're already faster than an Olympic sprinter. 294 00:45:15,050 --> 00:45:19,270 他们正在测试自己跋山涉水用的四肢 They're testing the legs that will carry them thousands of miles, 295 00:45:20,720 --> 00:45:23,350 最好现在就知道极限在哪里 better to learn their limitations now. 296 00:45:43,790 --> 00:45:48,110 看起来很好玩 但草原上最艰苦的生活 It may look playful, but there's no harder life on the grasslands 297 00:45:48,110 --> 00:45:51,200 正等着这些他们 than that facing these infants. 298 00:45:54,450 --> 00:45:56,900 母驯鹿现在聚集起来 The caribou mothers now join together, 299 00:45:56,900 --> 00:46:00,540 每只都带着一只同样大小的幼鹿 each with an infant exactly the same age. 300 00:46:09,160 --> 00:46:11,080 她们准备启程 They're setting off on the greatest 301 00:46:11,080 --> 00:46:14,880 进行陆地上最伟大的长途跋涉 overland trek made by any animal. 302 00:46:38,560 --> 00:46:41,540 但是无论草食性动物走到哪里 But wherever grass eaters travel, 303 00:46:41,650 --> 00:46:44,190 都有捕食者等待着他们 predators lie in wait. 304 00:46:50,970 --> 00:46:55,510 就是他们 北极狼 Here they are, Arctic wolves. 305 00:47:02,440 --> 00:47:04,360 他们必须要在 They must seize their chance 306 00:47:04,360 --> 00:47:07,350 驯鹿经过领地时把握住机会 while the caribou pass through their territory. 307 00:47:44,420 --> 00:47:46,680 北极狼跑向鹿群 The wolf runs at the herd, 308 00:47:46,680 --> 00:47:49,660 试图冲散群体中的弱者 trying to flush out the weak or the slow. 309 00:47:59,320 --> 00:48:01,370 一只幼鹿走散了 A calf is separated. 310 00:48:09,570 --> 00:48:12,310 狼全力以赴捕猎的时速将近六十公里 At full tilt, 40 miles an hour, 311 00:48:12,420 --> 00:48:14,550 只比小鹿快一点点 the wolf is just faster. 312 00:48:23,120 --> 00:48:25,870 但是幼鹿的耐力更好 But the calf has stamina. 313 00:48:56,540 --> 00:48:58,750 虽然只有几周大 Only a few weeks old, 314 00:48:58,750 --> 00:49:02,590 这只幼鹿的求生欲望让人叹为观止 and this calf's will to survive is remarkable. 315 00:49:07,740 --> 00:49:09,930 而且必须如此 And it needs to be, 316 00:49:10,090 --> 00:49:13,610 这些幼鹿开始了一场 for these young caribou have now started a journey 317 00:49:13,610 --> 00:49:15,970 终其一生的旅程 that will last a lifetime. 318 00:49:19,050 --> 00:49:22,610 永远追寻着他们所需要的 Forever chasing the seasonal growth of the grass 319 00:49:22,610 --> 00:49:24,360 季节性生长的青草 on which they depend. 320 00:49:33,460 --> 00:49:36,740 和其他草原生物一样 他们依赖着 Like all grassland creatures, they are at the mercy 321 00:49:36,740 --> 00:49:41,870 这变化莫测而又极其慷慨的大草原 of these unpredictable but ultimately bountiful lands. 322 00:49:47,940 --> 00:49:52,180 青草可以在地球上最为极端的环境下生长 Grass can survive some of the harshest conditions on earth, 323 00:49:52,180 --> 00:49:57,030 经受洪水 火灾和冰霜的考验仍然生机盎然 flood, fire and frost, and still flourish. 324 00:50:07,290 --> 00:50:10,960 所以草原为地球上 So it is that grasslands provide a stage 325 00:50:10,980 --> 00:50:15,520 最壮观的野生动物群提供了舞台 for the greatest gatherings of wildlife on planet earth. 326 00:50:23,370 --> 00:50:24,480 下集预告 Next time, 327 00:50:25,540 --> 00:50:28,540 我们向地球上最新的栖息地进发 we venture to the newest habitat on Earth, 328 00:50:29,060 --> 00:50:30,380 我们的城市 our cities. 329 00:50:31,490 --> 00:50:34,050 揭示在这个人造的世界中 To reveal the extraordinary ways 330 00:50:34,880 --> 00:50:38,540 动物们神奇的生存方式 that animals survive in this man-made world.