加拉帕戈斯群岛（2006）（1）

西经90度
90 degrees west
南纬1度
1 degree south
一个隐藏在太平洋中的世界
A world lost in the vastness of the Pacific
它是最奇异的动植物的乐园
Home to the strangest life imaginable
被大自然威力无比的力量所控制
Governed by nature’s brutal forces
这些岛屿改变了我们对地球生命的理解
Islands which have transformed our understanding of life on earth
【加拉帕戈斯群岛】
Galapagos lies remote,
位于南美洲海岸600英里处
600 miles off the coast of South America
横跨赤道
astride the Equator
分散着13座主岛，100多座小岛、礁石和暗礁
a scattering of 13 main islands with more than 100 islets, rocks and reefs
每座岛屿都有自己的特点
Each island has its own character
有些覆盖着森林，隐藏着形形色♥色♥的生物
Some are cloaked in forest concealing life.
有些是弥漫着滚滚浓烟的巨岛，崎岖、险峻
Others, smouldering giants, rugged and austere
海盗的藏匿之处
home to pirates,
巨型蜥蜴的巢穴
lair of dragons
这里的一切奇怪生物 都是大自然鬼斧神工的杰作
All are the creation of one of the strangest features found anywhere on our planet
『 烈 火 中 诞 生 』
加拉帕戈斯群岛绝不是普通的岛屿
Galapagos are no ordinary islands
一个神秘的史前世界
a mysterious prehistoric world
一处深刻影像了人类生活的风景
a landscape that profoundly influences life
这些岛屿笔直地插在地球的心脏
These islands are plumbed directly into the heart of the earth
一块超热的巨石，俨然从数百英里之深的地壳里直冲上地面
An artery of superheated rock rises to the surface from hundreds of miles beneath the crust
它就是火山热点
It’s a volcanic hotspot
加拉帕戈斯群岛即使在波涛之下
Galapagos constantly simmers even beneath the waves
也永远处于沸腾状态
这些细小的气泡是帮助我们解开这座岛屿诞生之谜的关键线索
These tiny bubbles of gas give a vital clue to the genesis of the islands
海烟囱就像压力活门
Sea vents are like pressure valves
从地壳下面的熔岩室不断释放能量
releasing growing tension from chambers of molten rock beneath the crust.
但是，如果压力过大，岩浆就会到达喷发点
But if the pressure gets too much this magma reaches bursting point
加拉帕戈斯最大的火山——席格内格拉
The largest of all the Galapagos volcanos – Sierra Negra
最近爆发了，浓烟笼罩了天空7英里
recently blew smoke and ash 7 miles into the sky
这里唯一的河是流淌着炙热的 岩浆的河，温度达到摄氏1100度
The only rivers here are rivers of red hot rock at a scorching 1100 degrees Celsius
加拉帕戈斯是地球上火山最多的地方之一
Galapagos is one of the most volcanic places on earth
火山热点在这里已经活跃了几百万年
The hotspot has been active for millions of years
形成了一个又一个的岛屿
building island after island
但不是解释这些岛屿如何诞生
But it’s not just how these islands are born
而是这些岛屿诞生的地方，使得加拉帕戈斯如此与众不同
but where they’re born that makes Galapagos so special
这里汇集了的四大主要洋流
They emerged at the crossroads of four ocean currents
自太平洋各个角落流入
sweeping in from all corners of the Pacific
寒流和暖流的交互作用 产生了极其丰富的海洋生命
This interplay of warm and cold currents generates an extraordinary diversity of marine life
500多种的鱼类，值得这里成为最大的浮游生物圈
Over 500 species of fish make the most of these plankton-rich waters
生活在这里的鱼类，比如这些班棘粘鱼
Among them, residents like these barnacle blennies
还有奇特的花♥园♥鳗
and strange garden eels
甚至连喜欢到处寻找食物的槌头双髻鲨也大量聚集在此地
Even ocean travelers like scalloped hammerheads gather in huge numbers
环绕加拉帕戈斯群岛的洋流 也吸引了来自太平洋另一端的生物
The converging currents that envelop Galapagos have also brought creatures to these shores from opposite ends of the Pacific
加拉帕戈斯海狮和加州海狮是近亲
Galapagos sea lions are related to Californian sea lions,
他们来自北方
they came here from the North
在这里畅游的企鹅，它们的祖先来自遥远的南极
And from as far south as the Subantarctic swam the ancestors of these birds
加拉帕戈斯企鹅
Galapagos penguins
这里寒冷的水温，使它们在赤道地带能够存活
The cold waters here allow them to survive on the equator
好像这样的鱼群为了躲避海洋中的捕食者 所以靠近海岸
Fish shoals like these seek refuge from open ocean predators by keeping near the shoreline
但在加拉帕戈斯群岛，这种策略非常危险
But in Galapagos, this strategy can be risky
海岸线的水域是世界上最敏捷的捕猎者的狩猎区
The coastal margins are the feeding grounds for the most aerobatic hunters
蓝脚鲣鸟
blue-footed boobies
在鱼多的季节，它们聚集在一起，数以千计
When the fishing is good they gather in their thousands
每一次的进攻，都伴随着尖厉的嘶叫
Piercing calls synchronize an assault
每一次都是极速冲入水中
Plunging in unison overwhelms their prey
蓝脚鲣鸟可以潜入水底3米
Blue-footed boobies can dive in waters just 3 feet deep
但是越来越靠近海岸
But as they chase the shoals further in shore,
它们越有遭遇暗礁下的激流的危险
they risk treacherous under currents and hidden rocks
但是，最大的危险来自汹涌的海浪
But the biggest hazard is the battering surf
一旦翅膀被巨浪打折，就意味着缓慢而自然的死亡
A wing smashed by the breakers means slow and certain death
沙蟹通常以素食为主
Ghost crabs normally sift the sand for food,
但有时它们也能吃到荤味
but they always got an eye out for something meatier
对于水鸟类的生物来说，加拉帕戈斯群岛是一方乐土
For creatures of the sea and air Galapagos is a welcome sanctuary
但是，这里的岛屿并非陆地生物所向往的目的地
But these islands are not a choice destination for land animals
来到这里的，很可能是那些遭遇洪水的陆地生物
Those that came here were probably victims of flash floods
随着浮在水中的树木从大♥陆♥漂移过来
swept out from the mainland on rafts of floating trees
穿越600英里的海洋 没有食物、没有淡水
crossing 600 miles of ocean with no food and no freshwater
对于任何幸存者来说
For any survivor,
来到这样的地方，又将面临着艰巨的生存考验
landing in a place like this would be a daunting prospect
费尔南迪纳岛是加拉帕戈斯诸岛 环境最恶劣、火山活动最活跃的岛屿
Fernandina is the harshest, most volcanically active of all the Galapagos islands, a lava scar giant
这绝对是一座惊人的火山 喷口深半英里，宽约4英里
This is a single monumental volcano with a caldera half a mile deep and nearly 4 miles wide
在火山和大海相连的地方，生活着一种巨型蜥蜴
Where the volcano meets the sea dragons stir
很难看出哪里是礁石，哪里是这种爬行动物
It’s hard to tell reptile from rock
这种生物难以在地球别处找到
These creatures are found nowhere else on earth
黎明来临，这种冷血的海鬣蜥便开始吸收赤道的阳光的热量
At dawn, the cold-blooded iguanas thaw from the night’s chill absorbing the heat of the equatorial sun
当它们体温升高后，费尔南迪纳岛便开始热闹起来了
When they’ve warmed the coastline of Fernandina comes alive
岛上食物稀缺
On this island, food is scarce
找到食物唯一的途径似乎要通过自杀式的行为
and the only way to find it involves a mission that seems suicidal
只有体积较大的成年海鬣蜥才敢跳下去
Only the larger adults dare to take the plunge
海鬣蜥是蜥蜴中最强壮的种类
Marine iguanas are strong swimmers
它们屏住一口气，就能轻松潜到海底30英尺处
With a single breath, they can comfortably dive to 30 feet
所有的辛劳都是为了吃到冷水中 生长得非常茂盛的红海藻和绿海藻
And all this effort for red and green algae which thrive in the cold water
海鬣蜥是世界上唯一能在海中生活的蜥蜴
Marine iguanas are the world’s only sea lizards
但是它们的祖先在被冲到加拉帕戈斯群岛的时候
But when their distant ancestors were washed ashore in Galapagos
是陆地生物
they were land animals
为了生存，才被迫到海洋中寻找食物
To survive, they were forced to tackle the ocean
这只雄性海鬣蜥必须尽快浮出水面
This male must graze as quickly as he can
在这种寒冷的水里，体温会急速下降
In these chilling waters, his body temperature falls fast
10分钟是它能忍♥受的极限 否则肌肉就会破裂
a 10-minute dive is about the most he can manage before his muscles seize up
拼命游回岸边又是一件艰难的任务
Fighting the surge back to the shore is a Herculean task
更糟糕的是
And to make matters worse,
它必须躲开海狮的纠缠
he must now run the gauntlet of sea lions
海狮是海鬣蜥最不愿意碰到的东西
They are the last thing the iguana needs
海狮并不存心伤害海鬣蜥
No harm is meant
这不过是一场实力悬殊的“猫捉老鼠”游戏
it’s nothing more than a rather one-sided game of cat and mouse
海鬣蜥从食物中吸收了超量的盐分
Marine iguanas take in too much salt with their food
但是借助特殊的分泌腺，可以挤出多余的盐分来
But with the help of special glands they sneeze it out
它们欢迎这个本领高♥强♥的客人
They also welcome these resourceful visitors
细纹方蟹喜欢替它们清理海藻寄生虫和坏死的皮肤
Sally light foot crabs like to groom them for algae, parasites and dead skin
火蜥蜴是一种比海鬣蜥体型小很多的亲戚
Lava lizards, far smaller reptilian relatives
有一种特殊的本领使得它们能够在这个恶劣的海岸环境生存下来
have found their own ingenious ways to get by on this fierce shoreline
它们可以和海狮建立一种特殊的关系
They enjoy a special relationship with the sea lions
火蜥蜴能够帮助海狮除掉非常讨厌的苍蝇
The lizards rid them of flies which can be a ticklish nuisance
这只海狮和这只蜥蜴和睦相处
This sea lion accepts these predatory lizards
双方都有利
both benefit
要想在这片火山荒原上生存，就必须抓住每一个机会
Survival depends on seizing every opportunity in this volcanic wasteland
费尔南迪纳岛是加拉帕戈斯群岛中最年轻的
Fernandina is the youngest of all the main Galapagos islands
岛龄可能才3万年
It may have raised its head above the waves as recently as 30,000 years ago
位置刚好在群岛西边较远处的火山热点上
It sits right above the volcanic hotspot in the far west of the archipelago
然而，为什么同样诞生在这片火山热点上的其他岛屿
But how is it that the other islands created at this same hotspot
现在却分散在东边数百英里之外的地方？
are now scattered over hundreds of miles of ocean to the east
所有的岛屿都在移♥动♥
All the islands are moving
每一两年向东南方移♥动♥一寸
They’re traveling southeast at an inch or two a year
在一块巨大的不断往热点偏移的地质板块上，每年从南往东前进
on a massive tectonic plate which continually slides over the hotspot
自从诞生后便开始了移♥动♥
Their journey begins as soon as they are born
它们醒来的时候，便诞生了新的岛屿
And in their wake, new islands emerge
这就象一条地质输送带
It’s like a geological conveyer belt
所以，我们今天看到的加拉帕戈斯群岛只不过是时间的缩影
So the archipelago we see today is just a snapshot in time
最古老的岛屿在东边，最年轻的在西边
The oldest islands are in the east the youngest in the west
随着费尔南迪纳岛逐渐衰老，它也将被这条传送带送到 目前加拉帕戈斯群岛最大的地方
And as Fernandina ages, it will be carried on this conveyer belt to where the biggest of all the Galapagos islands currently resides
伊莎贝拉岛
Isabela
它的形状就像一只巨型的海马 长达100英里，火山像它的脊椎
It’s shaped like a giant sea horse, almost 100 miles long with a backbone of volcanos
伊莎贝拉是加拉帕戈斯群岛中属于少年时期的岛屿 寿命接近100万年
Isabela is a teenage Galapagos island nearing a million years old
这段时间足够生命在这里发展
time enough for life to settle
岛上广阔的寒冷地带高于海平面超过一英里 生长着大量的寒带植物
It’s giant calderas still tower more than a mile above sea level and are draped in vegetation
虽然伊莎贝拉开始衰老 但它仍然足够接近火山热点以保持生气
Although Isabela is softening with age it’s still close enough to the hotspot to remain active
在阿尔塞多岛火山的峰顶 生活着加拉帕戈斯群岛最具代表性的动物
On its summits, like here on Alcedo volcano live the most iconic of all Galapagos animals
它们的祖先早在数千万年前 就在这里留下了足迹
Their ancient trails carved over tens of thousands of years scar the landscape
巨龟
Giant tortoises