加拉帕戈斯群岛（2006）（3）

尽管地处赤道
Despite being on the equator
加拉帕戈斯稳定的温暖水域却非常有限
Galapagos has a limited number of warm stable pockets of water
珊瑚的种类寥寥无几
There’re just a couple of dozen species of coral
牡丹珊瑚伤痕遍体，是因为受到了白点叉鼻鲀的攻击
Pavona corals bear the scars of an assault by Guineafowl Puffer fish
它们大口采食海藻
They pluck crunchy mouthfuls of algae
珊瑚的侵蚀，有利于斑点鹰鳐重要的觅食地的形成
Coral errosion helps to create an important feeding ground for spotted eagle rays
它们喜欢一种加拉帕戈斯的角落
They prefer corners of Galapagos
在那里，珊瑚、贝壳的残骸和被侵蚀的熔岩混杂在一起
where the remains of corals and shells mingle with eroded lava
那些地方有大量的软体动物和介壳动物
They’re rich in mollusks and crustations
鳐鱼会用强而有力的下颚消灭它们
which the rays root out with their powerful, crushing jaws
在这片水底草原上还生活着一种特别胆小的鱼
These aquatic prairies are also home to rather nervous local residents
它们似乎特别害怕鳐鱼
They seem to find the rays particularly intimidating
其实鳐鱼并不危险
although there’s no real threat
加拉帕戈斯花♥园♥鳗
Galapagos garden eels
它们靠截获在水中漂浮的植物为食
who intercept plankton passing by
在加拉帕戈斯的其他地方，寒冷而富饶的水资源占主导地位
In the rest of Galapagos cold and fertile waters prevail
滋养了一大♥片♥绿藻地，属赤道地带最茂盛的
nourishing fields of green algae richer here than anywhere else on the equator
这是黄尾刺尾鱼的主食
This is an important food for gangs of yellow-tailed surgeon fish
养植这些绿藻的，是一条独来独往的雀鲷
This algal farmer, a solitary damselfish
突然发现这顿大餐被一群掠夺者抢走了
suddenly finds his harvest hijacked by marauders
这篇海底牧场栖息着一种古老的海洋迁徙性动物
These marine pastures are a choice habitat for an ancient ocean wanderer
太平洋绿海龟
the Pacific green turtle
通常，加拉帕戈斯绿海龟被认为是独一无二的亚种
It’s thought the Galapagos turtles are a unique subspecies
因为它们一般外表黝黑
as they are unusually dark
也许这样有助于吸收阳光，能更好地应付寒冷的水下环境
Perhaps to help them absorb the sun’s warmth and cope better in these chilly waters
这里是整个太平洋 绿海龟最集中的地方
Here is one of the richest concentrations of green turtles anywhere in the Pacific
绿海龟的聚集时间很有规律
Green turtles time their gathering carefully
每年有数月进行求偶和交♥配♥
For a few month a year they come together to greet and mate
即使在最有挑战性的环境里
Even in the most challenging conditions
也没有什么能阻挡这只强悍的雄龟完成任务
Nothing stops this ambitious male from completing the task in hand
大部分绿龟等到暖季才在海岸上产卵
Most green turtles lay their eggs on these shores during the warmer season
这个时侯洪堡洋流已经减弱
when the Humboldt current slackens
也许暖和一点更有利于孵化
Perhaps that warmth helps with incubation
小龟通常在几个月后才破蛋而出
But their hatchlings will emerge several months later
那个时侯寒冷的洪堡洋流又重整旗鼓，声势浩大
At a time when this cold current reestablishes itself with gusto
有半年时间，加拉帕戈斯受洪堡洋流影响
For half the year, the Humboldt current dominates Galapagos
随之而来是凉爽而干燥的东南信风
arriving with cool and dry southeasterly trade winds
信风带来“加鲁亚季节”
And it brings with it the ‘Garua Season’
“雾季”
The misty season
此时，上升流最强，营养物含量达到最丰富的程度
It’s now, with upwelling at its strongest and the water’s most productive
龟、鱼和海鸟有了可靠的食物源
that turtles, fish and seabirds can bank on a steady supply of food
全世界三分之一的蓝脚鲣鸟生活在加拉帕戈斯
Three quarters of the world’s population of blue-footed boobies live in the Galapagos
在条件有利的时候，蓝脚鲣鸟总是反应迅速
They react fast when conditions are favorable
脚是方便的刹车工具
Feet, a handy breaks
鲣鸟，即“Booby”，来自“Bobo”一词
The name booby derives from the word ‘bobo’
在西班牙语里意为“小丑”
the Spanish for ‘clown’
也许是因为鲣鸟夸张的抬脚姿势
Perhaps because of their exaggerated footsteps
这种求偶舞是加拉帕戈斯独有的仪式
This courtship dance is a Galapagos ritual
脚抬得越高，机会就越大
The higher his foot lift, the better his chances
它仰头向天表示有兴趣
Sky pointing builds her interest
雌鸟有所表示，在模仿雄鸟的姿势
She commits, mirroring his every move
现在回到基本的要求
It’s back to basics
鲣鸟能随时停止繁殖
Boobies can switch off their breeding season at any moment
如果洋流没有来的话
if the ocean fails to deliver
在气候好的一年下两三个蛋
In a good year, 2 or 3 eggs are laid
雌鸟和雄鸟共同承担遮阳和孵化的任务
with both parents taking turns to shade and incubate
纳斯卡鲣鸟是蓝脚鲣鸟的近亲
Nazca boobies are close relatives of blue-footed boobies
但它们的觅食地离海岸更远、捕食范围也更广
but feed much further off shore with a wider hunting range
它们的繁殖虽然有固定的周期
They also had a fixed breeding cycle
但其中的故事却非常曲折
But there’s a twist in their tale
纳斯卡鲣鸟一次下两个蛋，如果两个蛋都能顺利孵化
Nazca boobies lay 2 eggs
那么，两只雏鸟的年龄将相差三至七天
and if both successfully hatch there’s an age gap of 3-7 days
大雏鸟将很快建立权威
The older, larger chick is quick to stamp his authority
这是恃强凌弱的野蛮做法
It’s a brutal, bullying business
大雏鸟拼命地把小雏鸟往巢外推
The elder sibling pushes the other as far from the nest as possible
尽管这就发生在母鸟的喙底下
Although this happens right under the mother’s beak
母鸟却无动于衷
She does nothing to intervene
被驱逐出去的雏鸟要么脱水而死，要么被其他动物吃掉
The evicted chick now faces certain death through dehydration or predation
永远只有一只雏鸟能活下来
Only one chick ever survives
没有人能够真正理解，为什么只有纳斯卡鲣鸟的同巢雏鸟相互残杀
No one fully understands why siblicide always occurs among Nazca boobies
难道母鸟下蛋时，想到了一个蛋可能会遭到毁坏 而下两个蛋作为保险措施？
Do the parents produce 2 eggs as insurance policy in case one is destroyed?
或者这是一种进化残留现象？
Or is this an evolutionary relic from the past
这种鸟曾经能够轻松地养大两只雏鸟
when this species was comfortably able to raise 2 young?
不管是那种情况
Whatever the case,
对于纳斯卡鲣鸟，这种方式是在 这个残酷的世界存活下来的有效手段
for Nazca boobies this system is very effective in a world where the stakes are so high
在加拉帕戈斯，海洋既能哺育又能毁灭生命
In Galapagos, the ocean is both a giver and a taker
这里的生命已经以非凡的方式适应了这种反复无常
Life has found some extraordinary ways to deal with its mood swings
但在这些荒凉的海岸上，自然的杀伤力仍然非常强大
But on these remote shores it’s still a hostage to the elements
每隔三到十年，加拉帕戈斯就会出现严重的失控局面
Every 3-10 years conditions in Galapagos get seriously out of kilter
厄瓜多尔人把这种现象成为“厄尔尼诺”
It’s an event described by the people of Ecuador and Peru as El Nino
意为“圣婴”，因为厄尔尼诺就发生在圣诞节前后
meaning ‘the boy child’ because it often begins around Christmas
信风强度减弱，洪堡洋流威力消退
Trade winds diminish and the cool Humboldt current slackens
不再对加拉帕戈斯造成任何影响
Failing to make its impact felt in Galapagos
取而代之的是一股向东的、暖和的表层洋流
It is replaced by much warmer surface waters moving east across the Pacific
热带大雨给干旱的大地带来了滋润
Tropical downpours sweep in bringing welcome relief to the land
江河诞生
Rivers are born
草木茂盛
Plants flourish
但是，厄尔尼诺对海洋的影响是灾难性的
But the impact of El Nino on the ocean is catastrophic
上一次厄尔尼诺袭来的时候，大部分海狮的幼子都被活活地饿死
When it last truck most sea lion pubs starved to death
母海狮不能产奶
Mothers were unable to produce enough milk
因为它们失去了主食——沙丁鱼
because of extreme shortages of their main prey – Sardines
一些领地死了一半数量的海狮
In some colonies, more than half of all sea lions died
对于海鬣蜥，厄尔尼诺的影响简直是致命的
For marine iguanas the impact of El Nino can be just as dire
温暖的海水破坏了它们的主食——绿藻
Warmer water wipes out green algae – their main food source
这些岛屿靠海洋提供养料
These islands depend on the ocean as a provider of life
但是不保证任何事情
but nothing is guaranteed
地质力量和气候力量在不断地改变加拉帕戈斯的面貌
Profound geological and climatic forces constantly reshape Galapagos
这里的生命极富韧性，有很好的适应能力
Life here is resilient and adaptable to change
很快就能从灾难中恢复过来
and with time, it can recover from natural catastrophe
加拉帕戈斯是生长着世界上最大的原始森林的热带群岛
Galapagos is the most pristine tropical archipelago in the world
百分之九十五的原生动植物至今仍然完好
95% of native wildlife is still intact
与世隔绝的状态对岛屿起了一定的保护作用
Isolation has helped protect these islands
但最近一股能够引起变化的新力量开始形成
But in recent times a new force of change has emerged
这种力量正在迅速增强
one that is rapidly gaining momentum
人类自己！
ourselves
每年来加拉帕戈斯的游客已超过十万
More than 100,000 visitors come to Galapagos each year
对这座岛屿的兴趣日益加深还表现在
To help support this growing interest
本地的人口在最近五十年突飞猛进
the local population was dramatically risen in the last 50 years
数量从两千不到激增到三万
from less than 2,000 to 30,000
维持游客和居民所需的物质在急速增长
The resources needed to sustain visitors and residents are spiraling
通往南美大♥陆♥的空中和海上桥梁应运而生
There’s now a sort of air and sea bridge with mainland South America
随着人群和商品源源不断地流入，加拉帕戈斯不再与世隔绝
With a constant stream of people and goods. Galapagos is no longer isolated
有害的物种也随之而来
And with this flow of traffic
对脆弱的现状构成了威胁
come unwanted species that threatened the delicate status quo
引入的物种已超过原生物种
Already there are more introduced plants here than native ones
奎宁树原本作为药用植物被引入这里
Quinine trees brought in as a medical crop
现在却多得快要吞噬海燕筑巢的地方
swamp natural habitat where rare birds like petrels nest
尽管人们千方百计地要解决问题，然而，挑战与日俱增
Despite efforts to curb the problems the challenges keep on growing
在所有引进的物种里面，山羊最具破坏性
Of all the introduced species goats have been the most destructive
它们几个世纪前就被海盗、捕鲸者和水手带到这里
They were brought here centuries ago by buccaneers,
作为可靠食物源
whalers and sealers as a reliable food supply
但现在它们吃光了这里的土地 这对巨龟等原生动物构成了严重威胁
but they’ve stripped the native plants
out competing animals like giant tortoises
尽管困难重重，唯一可行的方法只有采取消灭行动
Hard though it is
the only viable solution to this problem is eradication
在最近两年
Over the last 2 years
加拉帕戈斯最大两座岛上的几万只山羊被清除
tens of thousands of goats have been removed from 2 of the largest Galapagos islands
现在，这片土地有了复苏机会
The land now has a chance to recover
加拉帕戈斯被恐惧、被诅咒了几百年
Galapagos was, for centuries feared and reviled
但自从两百年前达尔文来过之后
But ever since Charles Darwin’s visit nearly 200 years ago
我们开始以新的眼光审视这些岛屿，它们已经引起了全世界的关注
we’ve seen these islands in a new light and it has captured the attention of the world