最后的狮子（2011）

The smaller cub has gained a renewed confidence
小狮子又重获自信
by being one of just two cubs now.
他是天生的猎者
In his heart he is a hunter,
以狮子的倔强天性
always ready to explore the endless possibilities
时刻准备探索等待着他们的机会
that lie in wait for a cub with a restless spirit.
对小雄狮来说 这是个机会
For the young male, it was a close call…
他本以为自己的第一次狩猎轻而易举
He may have thought he so nearly notched up his first kill,
但小猎人今天吃了一惊
but that little hunter’s heart did skip a small beat today.
大象让他们怯懦地撤退了
The cowardly withdrawal by the elephant
这证实了他需要另寻机会
confirms that there will be another chance,
也许得再长大一些
perhaps when he’s a bit older.
此前
Until today,
她一心专注于逃命
she had only time to focus on escape and survival,
但现在她得想办法让她的幼崽
but now she must find a way to get her cubs
安全度过他们最重要的第一年
safely through their first critical year,
直到他们能够照顾自己
until they can fend for themselves.
而作为一名单身母亲
And as a single mother,
这将花费她全部的精力和智慧
this will take every ounce of her energy and intelligence.
大火和人类的向北迁居步伐
The fire and march of human settlements to the north
使其他动物逃到这座岛
have driven other animal refugees
寻求庇护
towards the island.
杜巴即将改变
Duba is about to change.
这些是非洲最有攻击性的动物之一
These are some of Africa’s most aggressive animals.
他们的尖角和巨大的身躯
Their sharp horns and bone-crushing bodies
是绝佳的武器
are perfect weapons,
而族群的庞大数量令他们颇具信心
and their massive numbers give them confidence.
兽群的头领
At the head of the herd
是他们中最可怕的那头
is one of the most fearsome of them,
一头脸上有疤 将近一吨♥重的公牛
a scar-faced bull weighing almost a ton.
在过去的几周 这座岛一直归她
For the past few weeks this has been her island.
水牛的抵达带来了捕食的希望
The arrival of the buffalo brings hope as possible prey,
但也带来了恐惧
but also fear.
他们将是她在岛上的新敌人
These will be her new enemies on the island.
水牛并不易于捕获
Buffalo are not easy prey.
他们不喜欢狮子的气味
They dislike the scent of lions,
也无畏发起攻击
and they don’t hesitate to attack.
对幼崽而言
For the cubs,
此前的生活一直是连续的逃亡
life so far has been a litany of narrow escapes,
一大群敌人伺机干掉他们
one long line of enemies out to get them,
算是百兽之王一种奇怪的开始生活的方式
a strange way to start life as king of the beasts.
随着越来越多的动物
With more and more of the newcomers
涌入她的岛
flowing onto her island,
母狮和幼崽与他们的冲突在所难免
Ma di Tau and her cubs are destined to run into them again.
兽群的探路者如今发现了
The herd’s pathfinder is now aware
岛上有狮子的存在
that this island has lions,
从此他会一直警觉
and from now on he’ll always be on the alert.
这将是几乎每天都要上演的冲突
It will be an almost daily conflict,
在这种开阔又封闭的空间中避无可避
unavoidable in this open, yet confined space.
如果她不想成为他们角下败将
If she is not going to be at their mercy,
就得更加了解他们
she will have to learn more about this new presence.
她得试探他们的弱点
She will have to test them for weaknesses
在他们坚实战备的外墙前
and she must look beyond
她需要把眼光放远
the strong outer wall of their heavy armaments.
她得及时成为
In time she must become expert
寻找弱点的专家
at finding those weak points.
盔甲下细小隐匿的疏漏
Small, hidden chinks in the armor
将跃然眼中
that will stumble out into view
刺♥激♥她的猎者本能
and excite her instincts as a huntress.
夜晚是她的优势
Night is an advantage for her.
她能藏于新月的阴影中
She can hide in the shadows of a crescent moon
目光炯炯直盯着猎物
and let her eyes brighten to take in her quarry.
她现在得藏起踪迹
Now she has to become invisible.
这是孤独的猎人最擅长的
It is what a solitary hunter does best.
潮湿的草地把她装扮成了无言的幽灵
The damp grass helps her perform like a silent ghost,
在现实与虚幻中穿梭自如
flitting in and out of reality.
两个月后 他们现在为自己的幼崽而战
Two mothers now battle for the survival of their young,
水牛绝望转起进攻
buffalo desperate to deflect an attack.
雌狮急欲往后跑 又迅速停下
Lioness eager to double back and strike quick,
为给幼崽谋得口粮发起致命的攻击
fatal blows to earn a meal for her cubs.
这是非洲的永恒之舞
It’s the eternal dance of Africa.
幼狮们还得再饿一阵
The young lions will go hungry a little longer.
小水牛逃跑时 给疤脸公牛带去了
When the buffalo calf escapes, it carries a chilling message
几乎丧命而归的恐怖消息
of a near-miss written in blood back to the scar-faced bull.
这是在跟时间赛跑
It’s a race against time.
幼崽们越长大 奶水需求越大
The cubs are demanding more from Ma di Tau
而母狮快断奶了
as they grow and her milk dries up.
小雄狮不想竞争
The small male doesn’t seem to want to compete.
当他黏着母亲撒娇时
But while he bonds with his mother,
他妹妹一直比他更壮实
his sister grows stronger all the time.
她孩子的存亡紧逼着她
Her cubs survival is a hard taskmaster for her,
不顾灼热的气温和湿气
and despite the searing heat and humidity,
她迫使自己站起身来
she forces herself up again,
再次踏上追捕水牛的征程
back onto the path of the buffalo.
她好像明白了只要自己能破除障碍
She seems to understand that the herd will provide,
水牛群会是一根救命稻草
if she can just crack that code.
她想到了个新主意
She has a fresh tactic in mind.
她尝试了一次很复杂的攻击
Having taken up her position,
继续开展她的攻势
she tries something very sophisticated.
公开地全力出击 而不是绝望式的冲锋
A full on, out in the open, rather desperate charge.
兽群受惊了
It panics the herd.
狮子狩猎不仅是一场智力游戏
A lion hunt is as much a mind game
更是一场暴♥力♥轰炸
as it is a physical explosion of violence.
她不知道狩猎的骚动
What she doesn’t know is that the commotion of the hunt
引起了对岸的兴趣
has drawn interest from across the river.
银眼
Silver Eye.
此处只有一小波水流
Only a thin strip of water divides them
分开了他们
at this point in the river.
母狮专注于激烈的打斗
The intensity keeps Ma di Tau focused,
或许太过专注了
perhaps too focused.
夜晚掩藏了许多大胆且危险的事物
The night hides many a bold and sinister thing.
改变的迹象时常来源于
Signs of change often come
微风中草地的细小动向
in the slight shift of grass in the breeze,
或是带给母狮烦扰消息的
or a hint of a scent that brings disturbing news
一丝气味
to Ma di Tau.
她和幼崽们又站在气势汹汹的
She and her cubs once again stand directly in the path
半瞎雌狮和她的手下面前
of an aggressive, half-blind lioness and her followers.
母狮的敌视警告
Ma di Tau’s hostile warning
给她与巨狮们的对抗赢得了时间
buys her time against these huge lions,
这些狮子虽缺少像她一样熟知地形的自信
who present a united force
但仍是股联合的力量
though lack the confidence of her local knowledge.
幼崽们理解了她的动作
The cubs understand her body language.
他们知道该怎么做
They know what to do.
这片领土是她最后的选择
This territory is her last option.
她无他处可去
There is nowhere else for her to go.
如果她逃出这座岛
If she flees from the island,
就立刻得面对
she’ll immediately have to face
在远处对岸巡视的雄狮
the males patrolling the far bank.
而如果要避开他们
And if she were to avoid them,
眼前会是人类 村落和枪炮
at the horizon there are people, villages, guns.
河水是她的防御工事 也是囚笼
The river is her defense and her confinement.
是她最后的阵营
Her last stand.
这座岛跟非洲其他地区
This island lives and breathes
所使用的规则并不相同
by a different set of rules to the rest of Africa.
狮群在占领这片土地之前
The pride has some lessons to learn
还有一些东西要学
before they can call it their own.
第一课就是在杜巴岛上
The first is that it’s a mistake
千万别睡得太沉
to sleep too deeply on Duba island,
尤其是在疤脸公牛嗅到
especially when a scar-faced bull
他的孩子流血的时候
has smelled the spilled blood of his young.
母狮听到了水牛的攻击
Ma di Tau hears the buffalo attack.
她以自己痛苦的经历想象出这场混战