加拉帕戈斯群岛（2006）（1）

它们是龟类中体型最大的，重量超过550磅
They are the largest of their kind in the world weighing up to 550 pounds
水是岛上的稀缺资源 而巨龟可以一个月不喝水
Water is a scarce resource on this island and giant tortoises can survive months without it
但是在雨季 它们会聚集在各个“淡水池”中集体解渴
But during the wetter season they gather to quench their thirst among a scattering of freshwater pools
乌龟的绿洲
A tortoise oasis
大约有5千只巨龟生活在阿尔塞多岛 这里是最大的乌龟集中地
Around 5000 live here on Alcedo it’s the greatest concentration found anywhere in Galapagos
尽管乌龟由巨大的盔甲保护身体，它们非常容易感染 自己不能摆脱掉的皮肤寄生虫
Despite their extensive body armor, tortoises are vulnerable to skin parasites which they are unable to remove themselves
因此它们和小鸟建立非比寻常的关系
so that they’ve developed a remarkable relationship with finches
当它们需要服务的时候，它们会缓慢地站起来
When they need service it’s a sort of slow motion pit stop
小鸟的盛宴
A finch eating frenzy
这只巨龟的寿命可能达到150岁
This giant tortoise could live to be 150 years old
在它活着的时候，它的岛屿伊莎贝拉
During his lifetime, the island he roams – Isabela
将于加拉帕戈斯的移♥动♥带上偏移东南20英尺
will be transported about 20 feet southeast on the Galapagos conveyer belt
但是距离现在100万年后 也就是6000只巨龟的总寿命
But a million years from now that’s about 6,000 tortoise lifetimes
伊莎贝拉岛将移到加拉帕戈斯岛的正中心
Isabela will be carried right to the heart of the Galapagos archipelago
到达这些成熟的中年时期的岛屿所在的位置
to where these mature mid-aged islands now lie
圣克鲁斯岛因为远离火山热点
Santa Cruz has been pulled so far from the hotspot,
它的火山现在已经变成古代的遗迹
but its volcanos are now ancient ruins
在历经岁月的沧桑之后，早已消失在茫茫的丛林之中
worn by the passage of time and swallowed by forest
在这座古老的岛屿上，生长各种植物，一片生机盎然
Plants and soils now cover this aging island teeming with life
岛上的山峰依旧高耸入云，山上则常年下雨
Its peaks are still high enough to generate clouds and receive regular rainfall
这是加拉帕戈斯群岛中为数不多的，储有淡水的奇妙的地方
It’s one of few places in Galapagos where there’re magical freshwater pools
在整个早上在海上的辛苦觅食之后 军舰鸟便飞到这里整理羽毛 吮吸翅膀上的水
After a morning spent foraging at sea, frigate birds come here to bath their feathers and to sip on the wing
构成森林的土壤 是一层叠一层的有机土，富含火山岩浆的成分
These forest basins are created by layer on layer of rich volcanic soil packed over porous lava
水沿路流到别处 于海岸边缘的水草丰茂的礁湖聚集
Elsewhere, the water filters its way through to reemerge near the coast in brackish lagoons
这里还生活着令人惊讶的客人 大火烈鸟
They are home to the most unlikely Galapagos residents
来自加勒比海而偶然留这里的
chance immigrants from the Caribbean
岛上大约有500只火烈鸟，全部生活在这块珍贵的栖息地
There are only about 500 flamingos in Galapagos limited to this rare habitat
在这座成熟岛屿的边缘地带，天气较为干旱和炎热
Along the margins of these mature islands where it’s drier and hotter
触目望去，是一片巨型仙人掌林
The landscape is dominated by giant cactus forest
它成了岛上猛禽绝妙的瞭望台
Offering a perfect watchtower for the islands’ top land predator
加拉帕戈斯鹰
the Galapagos hawk
海岸上的什么东西吸引了他的注意力
Something on the shoreline catches its attention
它们通用捕食小蜥蜴、鸟和昆虫
Small lizards, birds and insects are the normal quarry
但是一年中也有几个星期，它可以捕食到更多的美食
But for a few weeks a year there’s much more on offer
海鬣蜥喜欢在海边
Marine iguanas prefer to keep to the water’s edge
但是在产卵期，雌性海鬣蜥必须到内陆 找一块松软的地方产卵
But during the nesting season, females must brave it inland to find soft soil in which to lay their eggs
但她一路上必须非常小心
but she must go carefully
鹰耐心等着海鬣蜥放松警惕
The hawk patiently waits to see if she drops her guard
海鬣蜥待在自家的洞穴，周围是比较安全的
She’s reasonably safe close to her nest burrow
但它一旦远离，处境就会变得很危险
But stray too far from cover and she’s courting trouble
丰盛的食物供应，刚好有利鹰的繁殖
The family has timed its breeding to coincide with this plentiful supply of food
母鹰和公鹰轮流捕食，喂养小鹰
Both parents take turns to hunt for and feed their growing chick
这只小鹰出生才几个礼拜胃口就很大
He’s only a few weeks old but he’s got a healthy appetite
它一天就可以吃掉半只海鬣蜥
He can comfortably eat half an iguana a day
随着加拉帕戈斯岛屿不断地漂移，离诞生地越来越远 火山热点
As the Galapagos islands are carried further and further away from their place of birth, the volcanic hotspot
生命开始出现了显著的演化
there’s a remarkable progression
从光秃秃的岩石和尘烟滚滚的沙漠起
From barren rock and ash-covered deserts
生命掌握变革
life gets a grip
它从婴儿期，进入成熟期和演变期
creeping inland to mellow and diversify
但是，故事并没有到此结束
But the story doesn’t end there
每座岛屿都注定出现一次最后的繁盛期
For every island is destined for a spectacular final flourish
它们当中最古老的岛屿岛龄是费尔南迪纳岛的100倍
The oldest of them all almost 100 times older than Fernandina
在加拉帕戈斯的南面
lies on the southeastern perimeter of the archipelago
就是埃斯帕诺拉岛
Espanola
这座往昔巨大的火山岛 现在却缩成了一小块干旱的土地
Once a much larger volcano, all that remains is a dry, flat scrap of land
这座岛屿正逐渐走向死亡
This island is dying
但它漂移到这里 营养含量丰富的洪堡洋流却让他焕发出生命最后的活力
But it’s been carried to a place where the nutrient-rich Humboldt current gives it a last breath of life
这里是处在下风处的北岸，松软的沙滩 正好是海狮理想的活动场所
Its leeward northern shores have softened through time and there’re choice hangout for Galapagos sea lions
年轻的雄海狮可以控制一片海滩，吸引多达30只雌海狮
A male controls a stretch of coastline attracting up to 30 females and their young
雌海狮一胎仅产一子，用富含蛋白质和脂肪的奶汁喂养小海狮
Females give birth to a single pub nourished on milk, rich in protein and fat
小海狮长到一个月左右便加入到族群
When the pubs are about a month old they join the local creche
它盼望着轻松的生活
It looks an easy life
但是对于“沙滩之主”体重达500磅的雄海狮来说
But for this 500-pound beach master
休息时间是没有的
there’s no time to relax
不管做多大努力，它对领地的统治都很难超过3个星期
Even with every ounce of effort, he’ll be lucky to roam this stretch of sand for more than 3 weeks
就是这个原因，出现海狮领地的挑战者
This is why they are a constant challengers
这一次海狮获胜了 对手被它咬的伤痕累累
This time the beach master wins leaving his rival battered and scarred
小海狮长到一两岁 海湾就成了进行交际和捕食训练的场所
When the young sea lions are a year old or 2 old, the baby comes to training ground for social and hunting skills
这里的水非常舒适，就连海狮这种有效率的掠食动物 也喜欢花时间在这里享受
These waters are so rich and the sea lions such effective predators that it frees up time to enjoy
海洋生物很少有象海狮一样爱玩的
few sea creatures are as playful
埃斯帕诺拉的北边可避强风
Though the northern side of Espanola is reasonably sheltered from prevailing winds
南边汹涌的海浪会把所有抛在海洋里的东西冲上岸来
The southern side takes the full brunt of everything the ocean throws at it
这些悬崖峭壁是海鬣蜥的乐土 也是歇脚的海鸟筑巢的绝好平台
Yet these cliffs are a mecca for seafaring iguanas and a crucial nesting platform for resident sea birds
所有来客中最有威仪的是终日翱翔在东太平洋上空的海洋浪人
The most majestic of all is a visitor, an ocean wanderer that roams the whole eastern Pacific
弄潮信天翁是加拉帕戈斯群岛上体型最大的鸟
The waved albatross is the largest bird in Galapagos
翅膀展开时有7尺
with a 7-foot wingspan
在空中飞行六个月后的第一次着陆并不轻松
After 6 months in the air first touchdown is never that simple
差不多全世界的信天翁
Virtually the entire world population
大约1万2千对配偶，就在这里的埃斯帕诺拉上筑巢
some 12,000 breeding pairs nest here on Espanola
雄鸟会花数天甚至数星期等待配偶的到来
The male waits for days, sometimes weeks for the arrival of his partner
弄潮信天翁寿命可达50年，终身不换配偶
Waved albatrosses may live for up to 50 years and pair for life,
它们擅长动人的求偶舞
they rebond with the mesmerizing courtship dance
随着嘴碰嘴发出的声响，整个地盘变得热闹非凡
The whole colony comes alive with the clack of beaks
体型这样巨大的鸟类，它们的交♥配♥却很温柔
For such huge birds, mating is a gentle affair
它们的别名“波浪信天翁”来自羽毛上细致的波浪形纹理
The name ‘waved albatross’ comes from the delicate pattern of their feathers
它们将重注押于一只蛋 在两个月的孵化期中 公鸟和母鸟每次轮流孵蛋2星期，有时时间更长
Everything is gambled on a single egg which is incubated by both parents for 2 months, with each sitting for up to 2 weeks at a time sometimes longer
如此辛苦哺育的成果就是这个
And the result of such careful and diligent nurture is this
随着小鸟渐渐长大
As the chicks age,
大鸟的哺育任务便更艰巨，它们得走更远寻找食物
their parents foraging missions take them further and further afield
有时来回一次的旅程长达2000英里
involving round trips of up to 2,000 miles
大鸟把自己已经先消化了的食物喂给小鸟吃 每次都耗用差不多半加仑的油脂
The chicks are fed on predigested squid and fish guzzling nearly half a gallon of oil in one big hit
直至约6个月后 已经长大的小鸟终于可以和大鸟一起飞向天空
Finally, after almost 6 months the juveniles and their parents begin to take to the air
长大的信天翁将会返回故乡，在这里花五六年的时间繁殖后代
The young albatrosses won’t be back to breed for another 5 or 6 years
它们的旅行才刚刚开始
Their journey is just beginning
而这座岛屿的旅行就快要结束了
but this island’s journey is nearing its end
它的生命就要走向终结了
Life here outlives the land
过去的350万年里
During the last 3.5 million years
埃斯帕诺拉从诞生地“加拉帕戈斯火山热点” 漂移了100多英里
Espanola has traveled over 100 miles from its place of birth – the Galapagos hotspot
期间不断地降温、收缩、断裂和下沉
Through that time, it’s been cooling and contracting, fracturing and sinking
有一天，它终将被滚滚的波涛所淹没
One day, it will end up beneath the waves
而所有的其他岛屿最后都会跟随 由海洋输送带引领同样的宿命
All the islands will eventually follow, carried on the conveyer belt to meet the same fate
数之不尽的加拉帕戈斯岛屿来了又去
Countless Galapagos islands have come and gone
它们一直是这样，也将永远这样下去
They always have and they always will
随着时间这些岛屿变得越趋成熟
Just as the islands mature through time,
我们对它们独特的理解也在不断加深
so does our understanding of what makes them special
第一个踏上加拉帕戈斯的人
The first person to set foot on Galapagos
只祈祷有人把他从这个荒凉的地方救出
prayed only for deliverance from this wretched place
接下来的几百年
In the centuries to follow
所有来到这里的人都跟他有着同样的想法
all who came here to plunder shared his view
然而，最终有一个人从岛上的野生动物中得到启发和灵感
But in time, one man inspired by the landscape and wildlife
开始抱着不同的想法
would see things differently
发现了隐藏在这个别有洞天的岛屿里的秘密
discovering a secret that lay hidden within this island universe
这个秘密，后来不仅改变了我们对这个岛屿的看法
A secret that would transform not just how we saw these islands
而且改变了我们对地球生命的整体理解
but our whole understanding of life on earth
他的名字就叫查尔斯·达尔文
His name was Charles Darwin
下一集，我们将深入加拉帕戈斯群岛的中心地带
In the next program we travel deeper into the heart of the Galapagos
并会研究为什么唯独加拉帕戈斯这个地方
and find out why these islands more than anywhere else
能够融合如此多样的新生命
are such a crucible for new life