大象女王

睿智且温柔的灵魂
Wise and gentle soul.
你是否记得
Do you remember…
我们曾拥有一切的时光
when we had it all?
你是否梦见
Do you dream…
我们不得不离开的时候
of when we had to leave?
是否忆起带领我们走出困境
When you led us out…
还有一切是如何开始的
and how it all began.
大 象 女 王
这个故事始于一个被暴雨填满的水坑旁
Our story starts beside a water hole that was filled by the storm.
在这成群结队活动的是世上仅存的长牙象
Among the great herds here are the world’s last giant tuskers.
它们血统高贵的祖先曾遍布非洲大♥陆♥
Descendants of a noble lineage that once stretched across Africa.
它们的女王叫雅典娜
Queen of them all is Athena.
这位五十岁的女族长 领导着整个大家族
She is a 50-year-old matriarch, head of her extended family.
和大多数人一样 它也有邻居
Like most of us, she has neighbors.
这也是它们的故事
And this is their story too.
它的家族由有血缘关系的母象和幼象组成
Her family is made up of female relatives and their calves.
它们如此亲近 幼象们
They are so close that the youngsters
几乎如兄弟姐妹一般
might as well be brothers and sisters.
雅典娜家族依赖于它的经验与智慧
Athena’s family rely on her experience and wisdom,
因为它的决策关乎家族的生存
for she makes the decisions that determine their survival.
它最小的女儿 公主 一岁大了
Her most recent daughter, Princess, is a year old,
和它的母亲一样沉着
and calm, like her mother.
这是威威
Then there’s Wewe,
象群里的淘气鬼
the herd’s naughty boy.
它总想和公主一起玩耍
He’s always trying to make friends with Princess.
但是有些过分 导致它经常受到教训
But he tries too hard, and often it just gets him into trouble.
作为公象 威威在长大前会一直留在家族里
As a boy, Wewe will stay with the family until he’s a teenager
之后便会离开家族 加入都是公象的族群
and then leave home to join an all-male herd.
米米是家族里最小的幼象
Mimi is the family’s newest arrival.
它出生于暴雨之中
She was born in the storm.
它刚刚开始一生的学习
It’s day one for her on a lifetime of learning.
在未来的两年里
For the next two years,
它完全依赖母亲的乳汁生存
she’ll be totally dependent on her mother’s milk.
它的母亲玛拉五年才生育一次
Her mother, Mala, gives birth only once in five years,
所以每头新生的幼象都弥足珍贵
which makes every calf precious.
尽管喂养它的是玛拉
While Mala might be the one who feeds her,
米米会得到整个家族的爱护
Mimi will be cherished by them all,
因为养育一头幼象需要整个家族的努力
for it takes a herd to raise an elephant calf.
这是雅典娜的王国
This is Athena’s kingdom.
目前而言 它的王国应有尽有
For now, it has everything they need.
它每天都会把家族带到大水坑
Every day she brings her family to the main water hole,
它的邻居们可能会有点伤脑筋
which can be a nuisance for her neighbors.
但是它们需要大象
But they need the elephants
因为它们制♥造♥并维护水坑
’cause they made the water hole and now keep it open.
不过对于牛蛙来说 这宛如一场永无止境的施工
But for bullfrog, it can feel like the construction never ends.
家族大多数的邻居生活在大象脚下
Most of the family’s neighbors live at elephant toenail height.
它们都以某种方式依赖着巨大的朋友
In one way or another, they all depend on their giant friends.
水坑是它们共同的家
The water hole is home to them all.
但是从太阳升起的那一刻
But from the moment the sun comes out,
水坑便开始缩小
it starts to shrink.
于是扩大家族的竞赛开始了
So the race is on to raise their families.
牛蛙马上就加入了竞赛
Bullfrog is on it immediately,
很快就会有小蝌蚪出生
and there will be tadpoles in no time.
水下 鳉鱼无从得知
Beneath them, the killifish have no way of knowing
雅典娜家族会对它们有何帮助
how or when Athena’s family will help them.
此时此刻 它们眼中只有彼此
For now, they have eyes only for each other.
雄鱼每次紧靠雌鱼 雌鱼都会产下一枚鱼卵
Each time the male hugs the female, she lays an egg…
然后将其掩埋
and then buries it.
随着夜幕降临 雅典娜清楚自己必须格外警惕
With nightfall, Athena knows she has to be especially vigilant.
因此它的家族会站着睡觉
So her family will sleep on their feet
以便于保护威威和米米
to better protect Wewe and Mimi.
不过对于它们的一些邻居而言
But for some of their neighbors…
聚会才刚刚开始
the party is just getting going.
如果你是一只雌性泡沫蛙
If you’re a female foam frog,
仅有一位伴侣是远远不够的
a single partner is simply not enough.
它邀请一大群泡沫蛙加入泡沫聚会
She invites a whole crowd to a foam party.
这是本季雅典娜的水坑的第一场盛事
It’s the first event of the season at Athena’s water hole.
它会在雄蛙制♥造♥的泡沫里产卵
She’ll lay her eggs in the froth whipped up by the males,
卵会在里面安全地发育
and they will develop safely inside.
树上 一只埃及雁在竞赛中领先一步
Up above, an Egyptian goose is a step ahead.
它几周前就产下蛋
She laid her eggs a few weeks ago.
幼鸟两个月后才能飞起来
It will be two months before her chicks are ready to fly.
在那之前 水坑就是它们的家
Until then, the water hole will be their home.
米米还太小 雅典娜不会带家族远离水坑
With Mimi so young, Athena won’t move far from the water.
在新生的幼象开始增重和变壮前
She’s always cautious until a newborn
它总是小心谨慎
starts to put on weight and gets stronger.
威威第一次见到比自己小的同伴
It’s the first time Wewe has met someone younger,
它竭尽所能地想和它交朋友
and he’s doing his best to make friends.
有些鸟刚开始筑巢
While some are getting started with their nests,
有些鸟已经在收尾
others are finishing up.
泡沫蛙们度过了一个漫长的夜晚
It’s been a long night for the foam frogs,
它们开始感到疲惫
and they’re beginning to tire.
不过有一只参加聚会的泡沫蛙 能搭便车回家
But for one reveler, at least there’s a taxi ride home.
有时候 泡沫蛙会被带着移♥动♥
Sometimes, a foam frog gets taken for a ride
无论它是否愿意
whether he wants it or not.
泡沫蛙很乐意晒日光浴
The foam frog is happy to sit out in the sun.
但是阳光可能会灼伤幼象的皮肤
But it can burn a baby’s skin,
所以威威带着米米到乘凉的最佳去处
so Wewe shows Mimi where best to find shade.
惬意的生活
While the living is easy,
使雅典娜能够放松 并让幼象们歇息
Athena can relax and allow the babies to rest.
可是威威从来闲不住
But Wewe never goes down for long.
它对米米的降生感到很兴奋
He’s excited by Mimi’s arrival
它更想叫醒新朋友来一起玩
and would rather try and wake his new friend to play.
米米必须尽可能地休息
Mimi must rest while she can.
为了不拖累家族 它需要变得更强壮
She needs to get strong so she can keep up with her family.
雁妈妈想把幼鸟
Mother Goose wants to get her chicks
带到水坑的安全处
to the safety of the water hole.
它们同样是刚出生
It’s day one for them too.
精疲力竭的一夜后 它们不慌不忙
And after a tiring night, they are in no hurry.
此外 它的设想需要一大步信仰之跃
Besides, what she’s proposing requires a huge leap of faith.
幼鸟们有两种互相冲突的本能
They’ve a conflict of instinct
一是希望待在一起 一是和父母团聚
between wanting to stay together and joining their parents.
猛禽一飞过 它们就下决心
It takes just a flyby to convince them
生存下来的最好机会
that their best chance of surviving
是和父母待在一起
is to stick close to Mum and Dad.
每个家族中 都有一个慢吞吞的
In any family, there is always one who is last and late.
就叫它斯蒂芬吧
We’ll call him Stephen.
父母指望着幼鸟紧跟它们
The parents rely on their young keeping up with them,
所以它们并不知道斯蒂芬掉队了
so they don’t know that Stephen’s left behind.
偶尔 慢吞吞的也很幸运
Just occasionally, last and late is also lucky.
雅典娜对于王国的了解
Athena’s knowledge of the kingdom
数个世纪以来一直在母亲和女儿间代代相传
has been handed down from mother to daughter over centuries.
它的象牙是女族长中最大的
Her tusks are the largest of any matriarch.
象牙上的缺口是多年来勾草挂藤所造成的
The notch comes from years of snagging grass and vines.
它最喜欢的藤蔓每年只开花几天的时间
The vines she likes most flower for just a few days each year.
它知道去哪找它们
And she knows just where to find them.
家族只想着饱餐一顿
The prospect of a feast
对于脚下的情况浑然不觉
distracts the family from what’s happening at toenail height,
所以邻居们只好自觉地让路
so it’s up to her neighbors to get out of the way.
变色龙依靠拟态来保护自己
Chameleon relies on her camouflage for protection.
但有时选择与环境融为一体
But there are times when choosing to stay still and blend in
是最糟糕的决定
is the worst decision to make.
它现在可能已经达到了
She’s probably as close to panic
变色龙恐慌的最高境界
as a chameleon ever comes.
对雅典娜家族来说
For Athena’s family,
雨季在家的生活 步调舒缓
life at home in the green season acquires a gentle rhythm.
它带大家进食 等气温升高
She’ll let them eat until it warms up
就带它们去饮水
and then lead them down for a drink.
暴雨过后才四天
It’s been only four days since the storm,
但泡沫蛙的巢穴已经晒足了阳光
but the foam frogs’ nests have baked in the sun.
它们已经准备好了