帝企鹅宝宝的生命轮回之旅

最可爱的小雪更好的呢
most adorable chick in the colony?
爸爸的责任是把这些偷小孩的企鹅挡在身后
Dad has his work cut out keeping these kid-snatchers at bay.
但母性泛滥的企鹅不止这些
And they aren’t the only broody penguins…
很快 许多偷小孩的企鹅聚集在一起
Soon, there are so many baby-snatchers,
他们从各个方向挡住了爸爸的路
they block the father’s path at every turn.
他的宝宝被追求者们挤在中间
As his chick gets smothered by admirers,
他已无能为力
there’s nothing he can do.
对于孤单的雌企鹅来说
For these lone females,
养育宝宝的欲望是如此的强烈
the urge to nurture a chick of their own is overwhelming.
在夺子大战中 她们可能会害死小雪
In the frenzy, they are in danger of loving him to death.
当爸爸终于赶来救他时
When Dad can finally reach him,
小雪已经危在旦夕
his little chick is in real peril.
一个幸运的突破
Then a lucky break
他抢回了伤痕累累的宝宝
he gets his battered baby back.
没有什么比孩子的安全更重要
Nothing is more important than the safety of your young.
时间飞逝 春去夏至
As the weeks go by, spring turns to summer.
海面冰层融化 海洋更近了
The sea ice melts and the ocean gets closer.
这意味着养育小企鹅更加容易
It means feeding the chicks is easy,
所以他们都长大得很快
so they are growing up fast.
小企鹅们自己组成了一群小而舒适的团体
They hang out together in small, comforting huddles.
但小雪还没准备好离开父母
But Snow Chick isn’t ready to cut the ties,
虽然他已经钻不进爸爸的育儿袋了
despite being too big for his father’s pouch.
情况变得有点尴尬
It’s starting to get embarrassing…
虽然已经拖了很久
It’s long overdue,
爸爸终于说服他去小团伙里找地方待着
but his father finally persuades him to find his place in the gang.
但加入小团体是需要技巧的
But there’s an art to joining a huddle
他还没能掌握其中奥妙
and he hasn’t mastered it.
但熟能生巧
But practice makes perfect,
首先要弄明白的是面朝哪边站
and the first thing to work out is which way to face.
当有鹅挤到你背后的时候
You know you’ve got it right
你就知道自己做对了
when someone snuggles in behind you.
终于加入了
Accepted at last.
这是在他成长中的一个重要里程碑
This is a huge milestone in his development
这意味着
it means that,
父母双方终于可以一起去捕鱼了
for the first time, both parents can go fishing.
小雪不知道
The chick is not so sure
自己有没有准备好被留在这儿
he’s ready to be left on his own.
但育儿所无形的墙和他的本能告诉他
But the colony has invisible walls and he instinctively knows
他们不能出去
they mustn’t be crossed.
被大鹅们留下的小雪
The adults left behind
失去了父母的照料
don’t have the caring ways of his parents.
在他们回来之前
Until they return,
他必须找到一位族群里的保姆
he must find one of the colony’s childminders.
一只没有生产的企鹅
A penguin who hasn’t bred
会担任保姆 为未来做练习
takes on the role as practice for the future.
她会照顾他
She’ll take him under her wing,
但他必须要听话
but only if he does as he’s told.
她坚信遵守纪律才是好孩子
She’s a firm believer in discipline.
有那么多小企鹅要照顾
With so many chicks in her care,
决不允许有鹅掉队
stragglers won’t be tolerated.
他必须要振作起来
He will just have to toughen up.
但这种严厉的新措施是有原因的
But there’s a reason for the new, strict regime.
由于天气变暖
With the warmer days,
海洋离这里更近了
the open sea is closer now
新的不速之客轻易就能抵达育儿所
and new and unwelcome visitors can reach the colony easily.
一只大海燕
A giant petrel.
他们总是会挑最小的企鹅
They always pick on the smallest.
他被抓住了
He’s caught!
但只是叼住了绒毛
But just by his baby fluff.
现在保姆变得可亲切了
The childminder is welcome now.
于是变成了一场死亡捉迷藏
It’s now a deadly game of hide-and-seek.
幸运的是
Luckily,
海燕看到了更加容易到手的残羹冷炙
the petrel spots an easier meal of scraps…
小雪学到了宝贵的一课
..And the chick has learned a valuable lesson.
春光飞逝
As spring continues,
融化的冰层引来了另一位访客
the melting ice brings another new arrival.
阿德利企鹅
The Adelie penguin.
他们性格跳脱
A cocky character,
和懒散的帝王企鹅大相径庭
very different to the laid-back emperor.
阿德利企鹅在南极洲的夏季繁衍后代
Adelies breed in the Antarctic summer.
他是第一个到的
He’s the first to arrive
他闷头冲向育儿场所
and he’s heading straight for his breeding grounds…
正好就是帝王企鹅们的所在地
..Exactly where the emperors are living.
这些天来 最小的小雪已经融入了小团体
These days, the smallest chick is one of the gang
而小企鹅们无论做什么都要一起行动
and the youngsters do everything together.
但这种刚刚形成的和谐友谊
But this new-found harmony
马上就要被粗鲁的打断了
is about to be rudely interrupted.
阿德利企鹅到达育儿所的时候 他有任务在身
When the Adelie reaches the colony, he’s on a mission.
他要为夏季的繁衍搭建家园
He’s setting up home for the summer
他想要有属于自己的地盘
and he expects to have the place to himself.
阿德利企鹅只有半米高
Adelies are only half a metre tall,
但他们是企鹅当中最好斗的
but they’re the most pugnacious of all penguins –
他唯一的念头就是将整个育儿所据为己有
he thinks nothing of taking on the whole colony.
不肯让路的小企鹅马上就尝到了颜色
Chicks that don’t give way soon get the message.
他依依不饶 穷追猛打
He’ll be a thorn in their side
直到他们转身离开
until he’s seen the back of them.
与此同时 他鸠占鹊巢
In the meantime, he makes himself at home.
冰层融化令大海更近了
As the melt brings the sea ever closer,
父母能更频繁地看望他们的宝宝
the parents visit their chicks more frequently.
最小的企鹅还得赶上大部队的进度
The littlest still has some catching up to do,
但由于源源不断的食物供给
but with this continuous relay of food,
每只宝宝都在快速长大
everyone is piling on the pounds.
小雪不是在吃东西
When the chick isn’t eating,
就是在饥肠辘辘地等待下一餐
he spends his time hungrily waiting for his next meal.
他的妈妈回家时
When his mother does arrive,
被许多贪吃的小企鹅团团围住
she’s plagued by greedy chicks,
他们都想要骗一顿免费的午餐
all trying to blag a free lunch.
但如果她喂饱了这些冒充的
But if she feeds any of these impostors,
她自己的宝宝就要饿肚子了
her chick will go hungry.
他一定躲在小团体里的某处
He’s hidden somewhere in the huddle.
为了找到他
To find him,
她必须用自己独特而安抚的鸣叫
she must use her unique and comforting call.
小企鹅们挤得太紧
The chicks are so tightly packed,
他只能从企鹅群上翻过去找她
he can only reach her by crowd-surfing.
即使是现在 他也必须先证明自己的身份
Even now, he must undergo an identity check
才能得到吃的
before he gets a meal.
幸运的是 他通过了测试
Fortunately, he passes the test.
天气越来越暖和
With the warming weather,
雪在白天融化 夜里又结成冰
the snow melts in the day but refreezes at night,
形成了完美的片冰层
creating the perfect conditions for sheet ice.
大企鹅们早就通过了溜冰测试
The adults test out the new ice rink.
但在冰天雪地中
But in a land of ice and snow,
这是大家都必须学习的技巧
it’s a skill all must learn.
对于最小的小雪来说 这又是另一个挑战
For the smallest chick, it’s yet another challenge…
他的脚还不是最好用的溜冰鞋
..And his feet don’t make the greatest ice skates.
但我们都是从失败中学习的
But we all learn from our mistakes.
并不是所有企鹅都在冰面上举步维艰
Not everyone is struggling with the conditions.
阿德利企鹅更加灵活迅捷
Nimbler and faster,
有自己的溜冰风格
the Adelie has a skating style all of his own.
他现在还是孤身一鹅 但很快就会有伙伴了
He’s still a lone warrior, but he won’t be for long.
援军正在赶来
Reinforcements are on their way.
更多阿德利企鹅
More Adelies…
几百只
Hundreds of them!
他们正准备繁衍下一代
They’re ready to breed
什么都阻止不了他们
and nothing will stand in their way.
他们的繁衍时间正好和帝王企鹅错开
They time-share these breeding grounds with the emperors
夏季是属于他们的时间
and the summer season is their turn.
如果你块头小 那最好还是低调点
If you’re small, it’s best to keep a low profile
希望他们会去挑衅和势均力敌的对手
and hope they’ll pick on someone their own size.
强壮的小企鹅摆开了架势
While the bigger chicks are squaring up,