BBC 自然世界：沙漠蚂蚁帝国（2011）

即便是那些受伤严重的
Even those badly damaged during the emergence
也会拼尽全力完成自己的使命
are driven to try and complete their mission.
尽管死伤严重
Despite such heavy losses.
仍会有数百个新的蜜蚁巢穴在峡谷中开始挖掘
hundreds of new honey ant nests will be excavated along the canyon.
这些蚁后都很幸运
These queens are the lucky ones,
她们追随着畜栏蚁后六年前的脚步
retracing the steps the Corral queen took six years earlier
那时她刚刚降落在这里
when she first landed here.
但是只有极少数能坚持这么久或者这么成功
But few will last as long or be as successful.
眼下她们的首要任务是钻入地下
For now, their main concern is to get themselves underground
在土壤变得干涸硬如磐石之前
before the soil dries and becomes unworkable.
有些蚁后似乎不太愿意和他人分享成果
Some queens seem less willing to share than others.
这对她们日后在地下的共同发展来说不是个好兆头
Which doesn’t bode well for their future together underground.
随着黄昏来临势头逐渐减弱
As dusk settles, the emergence slows.
在夜色的掩护下 捕食者出现了
Under cover of darkness, predators start to appear.
蚁群为峡谷中许多动物提供了一次绝佳的捕猎时机
The emergence marks a brief boom-time for many in the canyon.
在距离畜栏蚁穴仅仅几米远的地方
Just a few metres from the Corral nest,
另一个种类的蜜蚁刚出巢探险
another species of honey ant ventures out
立刻就开始收集坠落的尸体了
and immediately starts gathering up the fallen.
尽管它们两家紧紧相邻
Although they are next door neighbours,
却永远不会碰见对方
they will never meet.
因为这种蜜蚁只在天黑后出巢
because these honey ants only come out after dark.
所以这个巨大的蜜蚁巢穴得以和
By working at night, this large honey ant nest can co-exist
相邻的畜栏巢穴共存 相安无事
right next to the Corral colony, without conflict.
除了活动时间不同外 两个蚁群的生活完全一样
Other than this time-shift, the two species lead identical lives,
都有一个巨大的巢穴
occupying a massive nest.
装满了贮存着糖蜜的蜜蚁
lined with honey-filled repletes,
由强大的蚁后监管着
and overseen by an-all powerful queen.
第二天早上 马蹄峡谷内的壮观景象终于平息了
By the next morning, the emergence in Horseshoe Canyon is over.
下一次就要等到明年的雨季了
There won’t be another until it rains again next year.
这个夏天 畜栏蚁后把数量游戏玩到了极致
This summer, the Corral queen has played the numbers game to perfection.
她的一部分女儿将很有可能存活
There’s a good chance some of her daughters will have survived
足够长的时间来建立起自己的帝国
long enough to start their own colonies.
而她的统治还远远没有结束
and her reign is far from over.
如果幸运的话 她还能活15年
With luck, she could live for another 15 years.
但是今年的胜利过后
But after this year’s triumph,
蚁后的运气可能就不会这么好了
the Corral queen’s luck is about to change.
到第八年 蚁巢的财富已大大减少
By the eighth year, the colony’s fortunes have plummeted.
雨偶尔才下 而且雨量很小
The rains have been sporadic and light.
溪流已经干涸
The streams have run dry.
植被♥干♥枯
The vegetation parched.
峡谷的环境十分严苛
The canyon is held tight
经历着持续的干旱
in the grip of drought.
灼热的温度使蚁巢中新生命的降生
The intense heat is making life
变得几乎不可能
almost impossible for the Corral colony.
工蚁们面临着被烤焦的危险
The workers run the risk of being cooked alive
所以不能在巢外停留太久
if they stay out foraging for too long.
活下来的唯一办法就是不断中途休息
The only way to survive is to take repeated time-outs
避免热度造成致命伤害
from the lethal heat.
离地面几厘米高处的温度
Temperatures a few centimeters above ground
可以比地表的低好几度
can be several degrees cooler than at the surface.
所以蚂蚁要活命就必须向高处爬
So the ants must climb or die.
在上面待了几分钟以后
A few minutes up here
它们的体温就比较低了 可以爬下来继续冒险
and they’ve cooled enough to risk venturing back down
重新开始寻找食物了
to resume their search for food.
连风也没能缓解蚁群的困境
Even the wind brings no respite to the hard-pressed colony.
灼热的空气在山谷中回旋 使得
As the scorching air swirls around the canyon, getting back
回到巢穴的庇护所成了一次性命攸关的冒险
to the sanctuary of the nest can become a life or death struggle.
完全没有降雨 食物供应也基本失去了来源
With so little rain, the food supply has dwindled to almost nothing.
峡谷正逐渐变成尘暴区
The canyon is slowly turning into a dustbowl.
在享受了几年的成功后
After enjoying years of success,
蚁后面临着一生中最大的挑战
the queen is now facing her most severe challenge.
这个夏天没能生出带翅膀的蚂蚁
No winged ants have been produced this summer.
产卵的数量也越来越少
Egg-laying has slowed to a trickle.
在难以忍♥受的压力之下
Under the intolerable stress,
最珍贵的食品室也消耗殆尽了
even the precious larders are being drained.
畜栏蚁穴已经今非昔比
The Corral colony is no longer the force it was
蚁后第一次暴露在危险之中
and for the first time, the queen is vulnerable.
到夏末的时候
By late summer.
畜栏的水槽成了方圆数公里内仅有的水源
the Corral tanks contain the only standing water for miles around.
峡谷中机动性更高的昆虫
The canyon’s more mobile insects
都被吸引到了这片最后的绿洲
are drawn to this one last oasis.
对那些能够远距离飞行的昆虫来说 这是救命水
For those able to travel, this water is a life-saver.
蜜蜂和黄蜂可以把水运回远处的蜂巢
Bees and wasps can carry the water back to their distant nests.
但这个小小的水池恰好在
But this tiny pool of water lies just beyond the boundary
畜栏蚁群的领土之外
of.the Corral colony’s’territory.
没有任何盼头
With no end in sight,
这样危急的关头需要挺而走险的行为
such desperate times call for desperate measures.
随着搜寻范围的扩展 一小队畜栏工蚁
As the search widens, a small group of Corral workers
向水槽进军了
head towards the trough.
这片区域它们并不熟悉
This is unfamiliar ground for them
它们正在走向灾难
and they are heading toward disaster.
在水槽附近 它们遭遇了另一群蜜蚁
Near the trough, they stumble across other honey ants
然后是一个蚁穴的入口
and then a nest entrance.
这里离畜栏蚁穴只有40米
It’s only 40 metres from the Corral colony.
但这段距离足以保持两个蚁群间的互不侵扰
but that’s been enough to keep the two nests in mutual ignorance
已经维持了多年
for all these years.
这些蜜蚁和畜栏工蚁们
These new honey ants are unlike any the Corral workers
曾遇到过的完全不同
have encountered before.
它们更大 具有侵略性
They are big and aggressive.
然而工蚁们没有退缩 迎难而上
Instead of backing down, they meet the .challenge head-on
摩擦逐渐升级
and the encounter begins to escalate.
它们开始摆出微妙的姿势
They begin the delicate posturing
以评估敌我双方的实力强弱
• that allows them to assess each other’s strengths and weaknesses.
结果很快就出来了
It soon becomes clear
这个水槽蚁群更加强壮
that this Trough colony is the stronger.
也许居住在永久水源附近
Perhaps living close to permanent water
给了他们得天独厚的优势
has given them a crucial advantage.
历史性的第一次
For the first time in its history.
畜栏蚁群遇到了竞争对手
the Corral colony may have met its match.
这不是个好消息
This is not good news.
因为情绪越来越激动
Increasingly excited,
其中一只畜栏工蚁向巢穴喷射了毒液
one of the Corral workers fires poisonous spray at the nest.
但这种行为只是激怒了水槽蚂蚁
But this only galvanizes the Trough ants
它们开始了全面的反♥攻♥
into launching an all-out counter attack.
发现大事不妙后
Sensing the worst,
畜栏工蚁开始向自己的巢穴撤退
the Corral workers begin to fall back towards their own nest.
水槽蚂蚁紧追不舍
The Trough workers go on the offensive.
撤退随即变成了溃散
The retreat quickly turns into a rout.
落伍的工蚁被甩在后面
Stragglers are picked off.
战斗朝着畜栏蚂蚁的入口去了
The fight is carried right to the entrance of the Corral colony.
这下哪怕是在自家门口 它们也无法控制局面了
Even here on their own doorstep, they can’t hold their ground.
水槽蚂蚁乘胜进入了蚁穴
The attacking Trough workers drive on into the nest.
当攻击的消息传到蚁后那儿时
As news of the attack reaches the Corral queen.
她逃向了最深的房♥间
she withdraws to the deepest chambers.
她的保育员随从紧随其后 带着珍贵的后代
her entourage of nurses in tow, carrying the valuable brood.
战火蔓延到隧♥道♥内
The battle spreads down into the tunnels.
缓慢而无情地
Slowly, inexorably,
整个通道陷入了一片混战
it spreads down through the shafts
直到巢穴的最深处
towards the deeper part of the nest.
贮蜜蚁被杀死
The repletes are slaughtered.
或者拖走留着日后再吃
Or dragged away to be eaten later.
有些死去的工蚁被搬走以备继续加工
Some dead workers are carried off for processing.
入侵者掠走了一切从蚁卵到新生的蚂蚁
The invaders take everything, from eggs to newborns.
大多立刻就被吃掉了
Many are eaten where they fall.
只有一只意外闯入的甲虫似乎免受侵犯
Only a trespassing beetle seems immune to attack.
它们把洞穴一个接一个地清空
They empty chamber after chamber.
最终 入侵者战胜了最后的抵抗者
Finally, the invaders overcome the last resistance
闯入了蚁后的房♥间
and break through into the royal bunker.
畜栏蚁后和她的后代
The Corral queen and her broods
被困住 束手无策
are trapped and completely helpless