最后的隐世净土 The last hidden world
中国 China
数世纪来 旅人传诵着关于这片神奇土地 For centuries, travellers to China have told tales of magical landscapes
以及那些神奇生物的传说 and surprising creatures
中国文明是世界最古老的文明 Chinese civilization is the world's oldest
而如今是最宏博的 and today it's largest
那数十亿的人民 with well over a billion people
现存超过五十个民族 It's home to more than 50 distinct ethnic groups
以及各式各样贴近自然的 and a wide range of traditional life styles
传统生活方式 often inclose partnership with nature
我们都知道中国面对着着众多社会 环境问题 We know that China faces immense social and environmental problems
但这里也存在着令人窒息的美丽 but there is great beauty here too
中国有着世界最高峰 China is home to the world's highest mountains,
从无垠的炙热沙漠 vast deserts ranging from from searing hot
到麻木大脑的寒冷地带 to mind numbing cold
以及那蒸笼般的森林中 steaming forests
隐匿的各种珍稀生物 harboring rare creatures
天际下广阔无垠的草原 grassy plains beneath vast horizons
以及富饶的热带海洋 and rich tropical seas
现在 我们第一次有机会 Now, for the first time ever
深入探索这片伟大的土地 we can explore the whole of this great country
接触栖息于此的珍奇生物 meet some of the surprising and exotic creatures that live here
目睹中国这片神奇土地上 and consider the relationship of the people and wildlife of China
人与野生世界的羁绊 to the remarkable landscaping which they live
这就是最原味的中国 This is wild China
我们的中国探索之旅始于南方的亚热带 Our exploration of China begins in the warm subtropical south
漓江的渔人和鱼鸟栖坐在竹筏上 On the Li River fishermen and birds perch on bamboo rafts
这个组合已延续千年之久 a partnership that goes back more than a thousand years
这景致已为世人所熟悉 This scenery is known throughout the world
那是中国水墨永恒的主题 a recurring motif in Chinese paintings
和旅人永远的胜地 and a major tourist attraction
中国南部是片有英国国土 The south of China is a vast area
九倍之大的广阔土地 eight times larger than the UK
这里 It's a landscape of hills
是山雨的国度 but also of water
这里一年之中有250天在降雨 It rains here for up to 250 days a year
到处都是积水 and standing water is everywhere
在扬子江的涝原 In a floodplain of the Yangtse River
黑尾鹬在泥泞中寻索着虫子 black-tailed godwits probe the mud in search of worms
并非只有野生动物在这样的环境下茁壮成长 But it isn't just wildlife that thrive in this environment
沼泽般湿润肥沃的土地为作物家族最显著的成员提供了最理想的环境 the swampy ground provides ideal conditions for the remarkable member of the grass family
这就是稻米 rice
中国有着至少8000年的稻米种植史 The Chinese have been cultivating rice for at least 8 thousand years
他们改变了这块土地 It has transformed the landscape
对云南南部的农民而言 冬末是个繁忙的季节 Late winter in southern Yunnan is a busy time for local farmers
因为他们要为即将来临的春天整顿这片古老的稻田 as they prepare the age-old paddy field ready for the coming spring
元阳县的山坡以2000M之势 These hill slopes of Yuanyang county
斜插于红河谷地的河床 plunge nearly 2000m to the floor of the Red River Valley
包含了上千由原始刨掘工具所创造出的梯田 each contains literally thousands of stack terraces carved out by hand using basic digging tools
云南的梯田是中国最古老人类耕作痕迹中 Yunnan's rice terraces are among the oldest human structures in China
依旧被耕种使用的土地 still ploughed as they always have been
正如千百年来的习俗一样 by domesticated water buffaloes
源自云南河谷的家养水牛承担了耕作的重任 whose ancestors originated in these very valleys
这片人力开拓的土地是工业化前中国最惊奇宏伟的壮景 This man-made landscape is one of the most amazing engineering feats of preindustrial China
似乎这里的每一寸土地 It seems as if every square inch of land
都被打上了农耕的痕迹 has been pressed into cultivation
当薄暮降临 As evening approaches
另一场古老的仪式上演 an age-old ritual unfolds
现在是交配的季节 It's the mating season
雄禾田蛙们为了吸引异性而卖力高鸣 and male paddy frogs are competing for the attention of females
但这并非总能为你吸引来关注的目光 But it dosen't always pay to draw too much attention to youself
中国池鹭是个饕餮掠食者 The Chinese Pond Heron is a crapulous predator
就算在耕作过的稻田中央 Even in the middle of a ploughed paddy field
也会上演喙与爪的血腥剧目 nature is red in beak and claw
或许这看上去像一场屠杀 This may look like a slaughter
但每只池鹭一次只能吞噬一只蛙 but as each heron can swallow only one frog at a time
此时剩余的多数派得以逃生并获得了明日再度高歌的机会 the vast majority will escape to croak another day
元阳县这样广泛种植水稻的 Terrace paddies like those of YunYang county are found across much of southern China
梯田横贯中国南部 This whole vast landscape is dominated by rice cultivation
苗族人在炎热的贵州发展了高度发达的水稻种植 In heated Guizhou province the Miao minority have developed a remarkable rice culture
苗族人把木屋建立在陡峭低产的山壁上 With every inch of fertile land given over to rice cultivation
用其余每寸丰饶的土地来种植水稻 the Miao build their wooden houses on the steepest and least productive hillsides
所有东西在中国农村都自有其用处 In Chinese rural life everything has a use
牛棚里的肥料在太阳下晒干用作煮饭的燃料 dried in the sun manure from the cowsheds would be used as cooking fuel
中午时分 宋家人正饱餐以米和蔬菜为主的中饭 It's midday and the Song family are tucking into a lunch of rice and vegetables
老祖父宋古永置身于天伦之乐外 Oblivious to the domestic chitchat
寻思着重要的事情 granddad Guyong Song has serious maters on his mind
春季是稻禾生长的伊始时节 Spring is a start of the rice growing season
庄稼的长势决定了来年宋家人的生计 the success of the crop will determin how well the family will eat next year
因而选择合适的时机进行耕作是至关重要的 so planting at the right time is critical
时机的选择取决于当年的天气情况 The ideal date depends on what the weather will do this year
而这些却是永难估料的 never easy to predict
但是身边就存在着贴心小帮手 But there is some surprising help at hand
宋家厅堂房梁上的是一对刚从冬季迁徙中归来的金腰燕 On the cielling of the Song's living room a pair of red-rumped swallow newly arrive from their winter migration
他们正在为装潢新一年度的宅邸而忙碌 is busy fixing up last year's nest
在中国 动物们被赋予独特的象征意义并被细心呵护 In China animals are valued does much for their symbolic meaning as for many good they may do
苗族人笃信成双燕终身相伴不离不弃 Miao people believe that swallow pairs remain faithful for life
因此他们的存在被视为 so their presence is a favor and a blessing
幸福生活与美满婚姻的象征 bringing happiness to a marriage and good luck to a home
如大多数苗人一样 宋家起居室的窗子可以眺望见成片的梯田 Like most Miao dwellings, the Song's living room windows look out over the paddy fields
从早春起 一扇窗子便为了方便燕子往返穿飞而敞开 From early spring, one of these windows is always left open to let the swallows come and go freely
古老爹知晓每年燕子归来的确切时间 Each year granddad Gu knows the exact day the swallows return
苗族人坚信这些鸟儿的归来预示着春季的来临 Miao people believe the birds arrival predicts the timing of a season ahead
然而今年 他们姗姗来迟 This year, they were late
因而古老爹和其他族中长老一致认为今年的插秧应当推迟 so Gu and the other community elders have agreed that rice planting should be delayed accordingly
当苗族人为了插秧而整备田地时 As the Miao prepare their fields for planting
燕子们或搜集修整巢穴用的泥巴 the swallows collect mud to repair their nests
或穿越新耕的稻田追逐昆虫 and chase after insects across the newly ploughed paddies
最终 经过了几周的准备 Finally, after weeks of preparation
这个预定种植的时刻来临了 the ordained time for planting has arrived
首先 秧苗必须从苗床上连根拔起 but first the seedlings must be uproot from the nursery beds
扎成捆移植到高处山地 and bundled up ready to be transported to their new paddy
那崭新的苗床上 higher up the hillside
宋家邻里乡亲全员出动帮助移植 All the Song's neighbors have turned out to help with the transplanting
这是一直来他们的集体协作方式 It's how the community has always worked
当然一旦时刻来临 宋家人也会做出相同行为来报恩 when the time comes, the Songs will return the favor
当农户们忙碌在田埂间时 While the farmers are busy in the fields
飞燕们则衔着修整巢穴的材料来来往往 the swallows fly back and forth with material for their nest
人多力量大 Many hands make light work
插秧的整个过程只持续了仅一个多小时 planting the new paddy takes a little more than an hour
当工作完成 农户们得以休息 Job done, the villagers can relax
至少在明天来临之前 at least until tomorrow
然而对这些筑巢的飞鸟而言 修筑家园的宏大工程 But for the nesting swallows, the work of raising a family
才刚刚开始 has only just begun
新耕种的田地里 In the newly planted fields
白鹭在寻找食物 little egrets hunt for foods
稻田成了虫 鱼 蝌蚪的乐园 The rice paddy harbor tadpoles fish and insects
而白鹭正好以此哺育幼鸟 and egrets have chicks to feed
重庆自然保护区建立于1996年 This colony in Chongqing province is established in 1996
当成群的鸟儿安家在阳光村后方的小竹林 when a few dozen birds build nests in the bamboo grove behind YanGuang village
当地人将其视为幸运的使者 Believing they were assigned of luck
他们最初小心保护这些白鹭和他们的栖息地 local people initially protected the egrets and the colony grove
但当村长病重后他们的态度发生了转变 But their attitude change when the head of the village fell ill
当政府开始介入保护鸟群时 They blame the birds and were all set to destroy their nests
他们开始敌视鸟群并着手摧毁巢穴 when the local government stepped in to protect them
易弯曲的竹子或许并非安家的最佳场所 Bendy bamboo may not be the safest nesting place
但至少这些小家伙们不会成为捕食者的腹中餐 but at least these youngsters won't end up at someone's dinner
这些小家伙刚从母亲嘴里分得美食 These chicks have just had a meal delivered by their mom
对新生的小嘴着实是一大挑战 quite a challenge for litter beaks
介于他们的栖息地是受保护的 Providing their colonies are protected
像白鹭这样的候鸟是少数直接从发达的水稻种植中获益的鸟类 wading birds like egrets are among the few wild creatures which benefit directly from intensive rice cultivation
水稻生长需要大量的水 Growing rice needs lots of water
但即便是在多雨的南方 有些土地也面临缺水的危机 but even in the rainy south, there are landscapes where water is surprisingly scarce
相当于法国和西班牙国土加起来那么大 This vast area of southwest China
的中国西南的广阔土地 the size of France and Spain combined
因为宛如被干燥中空的谷地隔离开来的巨大蛋盒般 is famous for its clusters of conical hills
连绵的锥形山脉而闻名于世 like giant upturned egg carton seperated by dry empty valleys
这就是喀斯特地貌 This is the karst
石灰石地貌俨然成为南部中国的标志性特征 a limestone terrain which has become the defining image of southern China
喀斯特地貌通常以突起的裸岩状态分布 Karst landscapes are often studded with rocky outcrops
这迫使当地农民只得在破碎的小块土地上耕作 forcing local farmers to cultivate tiny fields
当地人是中国最贫穷的居民之一 The people who live here are among the poorest in China
在毗邻的云南省 In neighboring Yunnan province
遍布着石灰石 limestone rocks have taken over entirely
这就是著名的石林 This is the famous Stone Forest
无数年侵蚀作用的产物 the product of countless years of erosion
造就了无数的狭道与巅峰 producing a maze of deep gullets and sharp-edged pinnacles
石灰石有一个独性 那就是能被雨水分解 Limestone has a strange property that is dissolves in rain water
在数千年的漫长光阴中 水的侵蚀深入到岩床的心脏地带 Over many thousands of years, water has corrode its way deep into the heart of the bedrock itself
这一自然奇观成为了著名的旅游景点 This natural wonder has a famous tourist spot
每年的访客数量多达200万人 receiving close to 2 million visitors each year
中国人特别喜好奇形怪状的岩石 The Chinese are fond of curiously shaped rocks
并以为嶙峋怪石冠上千奇百怪的名字为乐 and many have been given fanciful names
但没人来猜测这个块怪石的名字 No prices for guessing what this one is called
但百闻不如置身这片奇妙山地亲身一见 But there is more to this landscape than meets the eye
在中国醒目的喀斯特地貌下 China has literally thousands of mysterious caverns
隐匿着无数的神秘洞穴 concealed beneath the visible landscape of the karst
这些隐秘世界大多不为世人所知 Much of this hidden world has never been seen by human eyes
而现在他们将被展现在世人眼前 And it's only just now being explored
奇险洞穴中再现了一场终极的探险 For a growing band of intrepid young Chinese explorers
主角是一群日渐成长 初生牛犊般的年轻探险家 caves represent the ultimate adventure
探索一个洞穴 犹如一场穿越时空的探险 Exploring a cave is like taking the journey through time
常年积水叮咚伴随着无止境般的旅途 a journey which endless raindrops would have followed over countless centuries
水滴潺潺落下 Fed by countless drips and trickles
地下河流深切入岩 the subterranean river carves ever deeper into the rock
石灰岩河床将洞穴的河道分割成千沟万壑 The cave river's course is channeled by the beds of limestone
石灰岩薄弱处被河水冲刷差距的陡坡处水量激增 A weakness in the rock can not allow the river to increase its gradient flowrate
为洞穴探险带来相当的挑战 providing a real challenge for the cave explorers
水流到达地下水位后便停止下流 The downward rushes halted when the water table is reached
这里缓缓流动的河流切割出一条圆形隧道 Here the slow flowing river carves tunnels with a more rounded profile
这静谧的世界是穴居鱼的家 This tranquil world is home to specialized cave fishes
比如无目金鲃 like the eye-less Golden Barb
中国或许拥有地球上种类最为繁多的 China may have unique kinds of cave evolved fishes
洞穴进化鱼 than anywhere else on Earth
在地下水位线 Above the water table
远古洞穴溢满的河水中充斥着石笋和钟乳石 ancient caverns abandoned by the river slowly fill up with stalactites and stalagmites
含有沉积物的水流 Stalactites form as trickling water deposites tiny quantities of rock
在千万年间“滴水成石” over hundreds or thousands of years
含有石灰质的水滴落石床形成石笋 Stalagmites grow up where lime laid and drips hit the cave floor
迄今为止被探索发掘的中国洞穴是中国大地上的九牛一毛 So far, only a fraction of China's caves have been thoroughly prospected
而被发掘的洞穴不断为我们展现地底奇观 and caves are constantly discovering new subterranean marvels
许多在后来被开发成了商业景点 many of which are subsequently developed into commercial show caves
探索者沿着洞穴河流出山谷的轨迹逃离了黑暗 Finally escaping the darkness
在远离出发地的河谷 the cave river and its human explorers emerge in a valley far from where their journey began
这场冒险拉上了帷幕 or now the adventure is over
源自洞穴河流 Rivers which issue from caves
为喀斯特地区提供了生命之泉 are the key to survival in the karst country
贵州的垂直峡谷 This vertical gorge in Guizhou province
成为了当地野生动物的密集焦点 is a focal point for the region's wildlife
这是世界上最珍稀的灵长类之一 This is one of the world's rarest primates
白颊黑叶猴 Francois's langur
在中国他们只残存于两个南部省份 In China, they survive in just two southern provinces
贵州与广西 Guizhou and Guangxi
多半栖息于崎岖的石灰岩地貌地带 always in ragged limestone terrains
正如大多数猴子一样 他们是社会性生物 Like most monkeys, they're social creatures
并且他们乐于耗费大把时间为彼此整理仪容 and spend a great deal of time grooming each other
叶猴是个不折不扣以嫩芽、嫩叶、水果为食的素食主义者 Langurs are essentially vegetarian with a diet of buds, fruits, and tender young leaves
叶猴宝宝裹着姜黄色的毛发出生 Babies are born with ginger fur
这些毛发随着生长逐渐从尾部开始变成黑色 which gradually turns black from the tail end
叶猴宝宝虎钳般的爪 Young infants have a vise-like grip
帮助他们附着在妈妈身上以保证安全 used for cling on to mom for dare life
随着年龄的增长 As they get older
他们越发胆大，并开始常识更多刺激 they get bolder and take more risks
这些是经历诸多冒险后的幸存者 Those have survive spend a lot of time travelling
尽管经验丰富的成年叶猴深知 Yet experienced adults know exactly where to find seasonal food
到守备范围内不同区域的哪里去寻觅当季的食物 in different parts of their range
在如此陡峭的地带 In such steep terrain
旅途顺利包含了高超的攀爬技巧 travel involves a high level of climbing skill
这些猴子打会走路起就是卓越的攀岩专家 These monkeys are spectacularly good rock climbers from the time they learnt to walk
叶猴族群 In langur society
是母系社会 females rule the roost
并且是举家迁徙的领队人物 and take the lead when the family is on the move
峭壁一侧 One section of cliff
分泌的水是富含矿物质的 woops is a trickle of mineral-rich water
这对猴子们而言是不可抗拒的诱惑 which the monkeys seem to find irresistible
如今麻阳河自然保护区已鲜有危及猴宝宝的捕食者 These days there are few predators in the Mayanghe Reserve which might pose a risk to baby monkey
然而在过去的数个世纪 but in past centuries, this area of south China
中国南部的这个地区是豹子 巨蟒 甚至老虎的家 was home to leopards, pythons, and even tigers
为了在暗夜潜行者的利爪下存活 To survive dangerous night prowlers
叶猴们前往地底 the langurs went underground
用他们的高超的攀爬技巧爬到洞穴上方寻找庇护所 using their rock climbing skills to seek shelter in inaccessible caverns
夜视镜在近乎黑暗的坏境下记录下 Filmed in near darkness using a night vision camera
叶猴一家爬上了 the troop clambers along familiar ledges
被数代猴族磨蚀光润的石壁的情景 worn smooth by generations before them
当冬日寒冷来袭 During cold winter weather
猴子们则冒险潜入 the monkeys venture deeper underground
空气相对保持温暖的地下 where the air stays comparatively warm
旅途的终点 At last, journeys end,
高悬的庇护所使得最激进的捕食者都束手无策 a coated niche beyond the reach of even the most enterprising predator
并非只有猴子们在洞穴中寻找遮蔽 But it's not just monkeys that find shelter in caves
这些孩子们刚放学 These children are off to school
在中国农村每天早上都意味着一段 In rural China, that may mean a long trek each morning
穿越一两个洞穴的艰苦跋涉 passing through a cave or two on the way
然而并非所有孩子都要徒步上学 But not all pupils have to walk to school
这些孩子是寄宿生 These children are boarders
当孩子们快要到达学校时 As the day pupils near journey's end
住宿生还在做早饭 the boarders are still making breakfast
校园内仿若被关掉了灯一般黑暗 In the school yard, someone seems to have switched the lights off
但这里其实并没有正规的操场 But this is no ordinary play ground
以及正规的学校 and no ordinary school
只不过是座 Its house
洞穴中的房屋而已 inside a cave
天然拱顶阻隔了雨水 A natural vault of rock keeps out the rain
为教室省去了屋顶 so there is no need for a roof on the classroom
中东洞穴学校由六个班级 Zhongdong cave school is made up of 6 classes
共200名学生组成 with a total of 200 children
如同这所学校般 这个洞穴住宅区 As well as a school, the cave houses 18 families
是18户人家和他们牲畜的聚居地 together with their livestock
这或许是世界上唯一在洞穴中饲养的牛了 This could be the only cave dwelling cows on Earth
放学后是游戏的时间 With school work over, it's play time at last
在中国南方 洞穴不仅用于遮蔽 In southern China, caves aren't just used for shelter
他们也能为当地人带来恩惠 they can be a source of revenue for the community
数代的人持续受到洞穴的恩泽 People have been visiting this cave for generations
洞穴地底覆盖了满满鸟粪 The cave floor is covered in guano
仅仅十分钟时间就能让农人满载而归 so plentiful that 10 minutes' work can fill these farmer's baskets
这是一种宝贵的天然肥料 This used as a valuable source of fertilizer
鸟粪的源头能听到河水上空的鸟鸣 A clue to the source of the guano can be heard above the noise of the river
噪音因为山洞而被放大 The sound originates high up in the roof of the cave
入口处聚满了雨燕 The entrance is full of swifts
他们是社交性动物 They are very sociable birds
约200000多的共享贵州南部的洞穴 more than 200,000 of them share this cave in southern Guizhou province
中国最大的雨燕栖息地 The biggest swift colony in China
如今 中国的家燕多数将巢穴建在建筑物的屋顶 These days, Chinese house swifts mostly nest in the roofs of buildings
但其实在房屋被发明出来之前 but rock crevasses like these were their original home
这样的岩缝才是他们原本安家的地方 long before houses were invented
尽管雨燕依靠洞穴遮蔽 Though the swifts depend on the cave for shelter
他们却必定在日落前归巢 they never stray further than the limits of daylight
因为他们的眼睛无法在黑夜中看清事物 as their eyes can't see in dark
然而洞穴深处 However, deep inside the cavern
是一群更适应地下 are the creatures are better equipped
隐秘生活的居民 for subterranean life
一群蝙蝠刚刚醒来 A colony of bats is just waking up
他们运用超声波在黑夜中确定自己的方位 using ultrasonic squeaks to orientate themselves in the darkness
夜晚是狩猎时间 Night is the time to go hunting
Rickett鼠耳蝠是亚洲蝙蝠中唯一 Rickett's mouse-eared bat is the only bat in Asia which specializes in catching fishes
通过在水面依靠声波对涟漪的反射追踪游鱼的蝙蝠种 tracking them down from the sound reflection of ripples on the water surface
这种非凡的技巧仅在数年前被发现 This extraordinary behavior was only discovered in the last couple of years
现在首次被记录下来展示给世人 and has never been filmed before
如果说在黑暗中追捕游鱼是如此的不可思议 If catching fish in the dark is impressive
想象下倒挂状态下不用爪子吞食滑溜溜的米诺鱼是怎样的神奇场景 imagine eating a slippery minnow with no hands while hanging upside down
拂晓降临至桂林的喀斯特山地 Dawn, over the karst hills of Guilin
这些山地的嶙峋奇秀归功于 These remarkable hills owe their peculiar shapes
漓江那弱酸性的水质 to the mildly acid waters of the Li River
亿万年的侵蚀褪去了他们的本来面目 whose meandering course over eons of time has corrode away their basis
只剩下坚硬的河道残留下来 until only the rocky course remained
漓江是中国最清澈的河流之一 Li is one of the cleanest rivers in China
是捕鱼者和他们训练有素的鸬鹚最爱的捕获点 a favorite spot for fishermen with their trained cormorants
这帮七八十岁的男人全部姓黄 The men, all called Huang, come from the same village
他们来自同一个村落 now in their seventies and eighties
他们毕生都以捕鱼为生 they've been fishermen all their lives
在释放鱼鸟之前 Before they release the birds
他们在鸟的脖子上松松的系一条套索 they tie a noose, loosely around the neck
以防止鸟儿私自将捕到的鱼吞进肚子里 to stop them swallowing any fish they may catch
伴随着即兴的舞蹈， 黄老汉鼓励着他的鸟儿们跳入水中 Chancing and dancing, the Huangs encourage their birds to take the plunge
在水下 Underwater
鸬鹚的狩猎本能暴发 the cormorant's hunting instinct kicks in
他们化身为水下的游鱼追踪导弹 turning them into fish seeking missiles
一只鸬鹚小分队搭档合作齐心协力 Working together,
一早上便能收获颇丰 a good cormorant team can catch a couple of dozen decent-sized fish in a morning
鸟儿们被训练过只能带着鱼儿回到筏子 The birds return to the raft with their fish because they've been trained to do so
从出生的那一刻起 From the time it first hatched
鸬鹚们就开始被训练为忠仆 each of these cormorants has been reared to a life of obedience to its master
这些鸟儿是高效的奴隶 The birds are, in effect, slaves
但是它们并不是白痴 But they are not stupid
据说鸬鹚能够记住它们捕获的鱼的数目 It's said the cormorants can key the tally of the fish they catch
至少能记住七条 at least up to seven
除非它们不时得到打赏 当然这不过是收回一点自己的劳动成果罢了 So unless they get a reward now and then,they simply withdraw their labor
渔夫理所当然得把最好的鱼留给自己 The fishermen of course keep the best fish for themselves
鸬鹚则能享受剩余的部分 The cormorants get the leftover tiddlies
项圈摘除后 鸟儿们终于能享用它的战利品了 With its collar removed，the bird can at last swallow its prize
最美妙的莫过于得到额外的打赏 Best of all,when it isn't meant to have...
而如今 现代捕鱼技术的激烈竞争 These days,competition for modern fishing techniques
意味着使黄老汉已不能仅靠鸬鹚捕鱼这一传统的手段谋生了 means the Huangs can't make a living from traditional cormorant fishing alone
这一流传了1300多年的传统 And this 1300-year old tradition
如今只能成为取悦游客的表演 is now practiced mostly to entertain tourists
但在贵州省附近的草海湖上 But on Caohai lake in nearby Guizhou Province
一种与众不同的捕鱼业正在蓬勃发展 an even more unusual fishing industry is alive and well
庚钟胜正在去为夜间布网的路上 Geng Zhongsheng is on his way to set out his net for the night
老庚的怪网是一种一头扎起来的管状装置 Geng's net is a strange tubular contraption with a closed off end
上百渔夫依靠这个 More than a hundred fishermen make their living from the lake
水质富矿的高产湖泊为生 Its mineral-rich waters are highly productive
并在此布下天罗地网 and there are nets everywhere
第二天清早老耿和他的儿子回来收获他们猎物 The next morning, Geng returns with his son to collect his catch
乍看之下收获平平 At first sight, it looks disappointing
小鱼.虾米.和扭个不停的虫子 Tiny fishes, lots of shrimps, and some wriggling bugs
然而老耿看上去来并不那么消沉 Geng doesn't seem too down hearted
大鱼被保持存活 The larger fish are kept alive
这是唯一在酷暑下保鲜的办法 the only way they'll stay fresh in the heat
令人吃惊的是 一些虫子也被专门挑捡出来 Surprisingly, some of the bugs are also singled out for special treatment
它们是蜻蜓的幼虫 They are the young stage of dragonflies
以蠕虫和蝌蚪为食的掠食者 predators that feed on worms and tadpoles
这里是世界上蜻蜓卵收获最丰的地方 Nowhere else in the world are dragonfly nymphs harvested like this
回到家后 老耿把他的获物在屋顶上摊开晒干 Back home, Geng spreads his catch on the roof to dry
在中国，但凡能吃的东西都不会被浪费 It's being in China, nothing edible would be wasted
在遥远的南方有这样一种说法 There is a saying in the far south
“长腿的唯桌子不吃 "We will eat anything with legs, except a table;
长翅膀的独飞机不啃” and anything with wings, except a plane."
几个钟头后 这些晒干了的昆虫便会被带到市场上卖掉 Within a few hours, the dried insects are ready to be backed up and taken to market
其中蜻蜓蛹能卖到最好的价格 Its the dragonfly nymphs that fetch the best price
幸运的是 草海的蜻蜓资源非常丰富且高速再生 Fortunately, Caohai's dragonflies are abundant and fast breeding
所以老耿和其他的渔民远不会危及它们的数量 so Geng and his fellow fishermen have so far had little impact on their numbers
但绝非所有野生动物都这样生机勃勃 But not all wildlife is so resilient
这所上海附近的佛庙 This buddhist temple near Shanghai
有一段与之相关的传奇故事 has an extraordinary story attached to it
2007年5月 In May 2007
一支狂野中国摄制组在这所寺庙的鱼塘里 A Wild China camera team filmed this peculiar Swinhoe's turtle
拍摄到了这只罕见的斑龟 in the temple's fishpond
据寺庙的和尚所说 这只龟在明朝期间被赐予寺庙 According to the monks, this turtle had been given to the temple during the Ming dynasty
至今已有400余年历史了 over 400 years ago
它被认为是地球上最老的动物 It was thought to be the oldest animal on Earth
软壳龟被很多从中国人视为神赐的馈赠 Soft shell turtles are considerd a god-made delicacy by many Chinese
在被记录下的时候 and when it was filmed
它已是中国仅存的三只斑龟之一 this was one of just three Swinhoe's Turtles left alive in China
他的同胞们 The rest of its kind
被当作食物剿杀殆尽 having been rounded up and eaten
悲痛人心的是在拍摄后的短短几周后 Sadly, just a few weeks after filming
这只远古的生物与世长辞了 this ancient creature died
他的其他同类现在被散养在不同动物园保护着 The remaining individuals of its species are currently kept in seperate zoos
据测算现在斑龟在自然界中已经灭绝了 and Swinhoe's Turtle is now reckoned extinct in the wild
事实上 中国25种淡水龟中 In fact, most of the 25 types of fresh water turtles in China
多数都已然濒危 are now vanishingly rare
杜绝物种灭绝的唯一途径 The answer to extinction
就是加以保护 is protection
这里有贯穿中国南方的不断壮大的自然保护区网络 And there is now a growing network of nature reserves through southern China
其中 张家界天子山那由沙石构成的高耸的 Of these, the Tianzi Mountain Reserve at Zangjiajie is perhaps the most visited by Chinese nature lovers
塔状反重力地貌最受中国自然爱好者的青睐 who come to marvel at the gravity-defying landscape of soaring sand stone pinnacles
蜿蜒在张家界的山峰间清澈见底的溪流 Winding between Zhangjiajie's peaks
居住着一种中国最奇怪的生物 crystal clear mountain streams are home to what is perhaps China's strangest creature
这种奇异的动物 This bizarre animal
属于蝾螈的一种 is a type of newt
中国大鲵 the Chinese Giant Salamander
在中国 它被称之为娃娃鱼 In China, it is known as the baby fish
这名称源自当他悲伤时发出的类似婴儿哭泣的声音 because when distressed, it makes a sound like a crying infant
成年体长1~1.5米 It grows up to a meter and a half long
这使它成为世界上最大的两栖类动物 making it the world's largest amphibian
在自然条件下 一只大鲵可以活到十岁 Under natural conditions, a Giant Salamander may live decades
但是和很多其他中国动物一样 But like so many Chinese animals
它被视为美味佳肴 it is considered delicious to eat
尽管被列为国家级保护动物 Despite being classed as protected species
大鲵仍然被当作食物非法买卖 giant salamanders are still illegally sold for food
现在娃娃鱼已经非常稀有 and the baby fish is now rare
在自然界濒临灭绝了 and endangered in the wild
幸运的是在像张家界这样的一些地方 Fortunately in a few areas like Zhangjiajie,
大鲵在政府的严格保护下得以幸存 Giang Salamanders still survive under strict official protection
张家界的河流向东北注入 The rivers of Zhangjiajie flow northeast into the Yangtse floodplain
以鱼米之乡文明的长江平原 known as the land of fish and rice
在安徽省一个湖泊的小岛上 On an island in a lake in Anhui province
一只小龙蠢蠢欲动 a dragon is stirring
这里是中国最大最稀有爬行动物的古老家园 This is the ancestral home of China's largest and rarest reptile
一种传说中的神秘生物 A creature of mystery and legend
龙卵是非常珍贵的 Dragon eggs are greatly prized
这些孩子们需要快点孵化出来 these babies need to hatch out quick
看起来有人正在进行搜寻 It would seem someone is on their trail
对一只无助的爬行类幼仔来说 For a helpless baby reptile
囚禁在令人窒息的蛋壳的坚韧隔膜里 imprisoned in a leathery membrane inside a choky shell
在孵化过程中 a process of hatching
需要拼尽全力挣扎 is a titanic struggle
时间在不断流逝 And time is running out
小鳄鱼需要耗费2个小时才能将脑袋伸出蛋壳 It's taken 2 hours for the little dragon to get its head out of this egg
现在是拼尽全力 It needs to gather its strength now
进行最后奋力一击的时刻 a final massive push
最终获得自由 Free at last
扬子幼鳄出于本能的向巢的表面爬去 the baby Chinese alligators instinctively head upwards toward the surface of the nest
迎接全新的世界 and waiting outside world
但造访者并不是它们的同类 But the visitors are not what they seem
佘淑珍和她的儿子就住在附近 Sheshuzhen and her son live nearby
她已经照顾当地的扬子鳄20多年了 She has been caring for her local alligators for over 20 years
所以当这些蛋快要孵化的时候她有一个不错的主意 so she had fair idea when the eggs will likely to hatch
回到家里 她建了一个用网围起来 Back home, she's built a pond,
以隔离捕食者的水塘 surrounded by netting to keep out predators
在接下来的六个月内加以保护 where her charges will spend the next 6 months
直到他们长得足够自立 until they are big enough to fend for themselves
过去的20年里 For the past twenty years
靠着像这样小规模的保护措施中国150只野生扬子鳄免遭灭绝 small scale conservation projects like this are all that have kept China's 150 wild alligators from extinction
就在饲养鳄鱼村落的正南方 Just south of the alligator country
黎明破晓之光照耀出一幅不同的画卷 dawn breaks over a very different landscape
黄山那海拔1800米的 The 1,800 meter high granite peaks
花岗岩巅峰 of the Huangshan
又称为黄之山 or yellow mountain
对中国人而言 To the Chinese
黄山松象征着自然蓬勃的生命力与不屈的精神 Huangshan's pines are peak mines,the strength, and resilience of nature
其中一些树据说已超过千岁 Some of these trees are thought to be over a thousand years old
在这花岗岩巅峰下 Bellow the granite peaks
陡峭峡谷的森林中隐藏着令人惊讶的居民 steep forest in the valleys shelter surprising inhabitants
黄山猕猴 Huangshan macaques
隶属中国西部西藏短尾猴家族中稀有的分支 rare descendents of the Tibetan macaques of western China
自得其乐的生活在这政府保护的山谷中 are unique to these mountain valleys where they enjoy strict official protection
在树梢度过了早上之后 After a morning spent in the treetops
猴群转移到了山谷的阴凉处 the troop is heading for the shade of the valley
这是它们躲避酷暑的绝佳契机 a chance for the grownups escape the heat
他们甚至还在溪流中寻觅零食 and maybe pickup a lanch snack from the stream
正如多数猴子社会一样 As in most monkey societies
相互梳理毛发是社交的重要一环 social contact involves a lot of grooming
梳理毛发对成年猴子非常有益 Grooming is all very well for grownups
但是年轻的小猕猴总爱尽情挥霍精力 But young macaques have energy to burn
所谓猴性难改 Like so much monkey business
起初不过是顽皮的混战 what starts off is a bit of playful rough-and-tumble
随后就会暴走失控 soon begin to get out of hand
然而猴王早就看穿了一切 The alpha male has seen it all before
他全然一副眼不见心不烦的样子 he's not in the least bothered
然而却有人虎视眈眈的关注着一切 but someone or something is watching with a less than friendly interest
五步蛇是拥有死亡之吻的暗杀者 The Chinese Moccasin is ambush predator with a deadly bite
这是中国最大最恐怖的剧毒蛇之一 This is one of China's largest and most feared venomous snakes
但是猴子们已经与这种危险的毒蛇共存了数千年 But the mondkeys have lived alongside these dangerous serpent for thousands of years
每当发现由这种斑点的蛇时它们就用这种特殊的叫声来相互警告 They use this, specific alarm call, to warn each other whenever a snake is spotted
一旦警报响起 毒蛇的袭击便对猴子丧失了威胁 Once its cover is blown, the bite proposes no threat to the monkeys
他们转移至安全的树梢 now safe in the treetops
一切归于平静 And life soon returens to normal
夏末的中国南部 By later summer, the rice fields of southern China
是一片璀璨的金色稻海 have turn to gold
如今是丰收的季节 The time has come to bring in the harvest
如今现代高产人工田占据了中国的大片土地 Nowadays, modern high yield strains are grown throughout much of the rice lands
受化学肥料的滋养 Boosted by chemical fertilizers
并用联合收割机进行大规模收割 and reaped by combine harvesters
这里是世界上最大的水稻种植区 This is the great rice bowl of China
占据世界水稻产量的四分之一 producing a quarter of the world's rice
被机器轰鸣惊扰的虫子 Insects, stirred up by the noisy machines,
马上成为了一群红尾燕的腹中餐 are snapped up by gangs of red-rumped swallows
包括新生儿—— including this year's youngsters
数周前刚刚羽翼丰满的新燕 who have fledged several weeks ago
这也许是它们在动身渡冬到来前最后的聚餐了 This could be their last feast before they head for the winter
机械农具最适宜在山谷低地的平坦处工作 Mechanized farming works best in the flat bottom valleys of the lowland
在南面 浙江省连绵起伏的丘陵地带 To the south, in the terraced hills in Zhejiang province
人们坚持这一种古老而又简单的生活方式 an older and simpler lifestyle persists
现在是清晨7点 It's 7 in the morning
龙现村最成功的商人 and Longxian's most successful business man
出门工作 is off to work
在金黄梯田环绕的小村落 In the golden terraces surrounding the village
饱满的稻穗正待收获 the ears of rice are plump and right for harvesting
然而今天稻子却不是老杨心中首位 But today, rice isn't upon the most in Mr Yang's mind
他有更重要的事要做 He has bigger fish to fry
在山谷地带丰割已然开始 Further at valley, the harvest has already began
老杨的田地也临近丰收 Yang's fields are ripe too
但收割却尚未完成 but they haven't been drained yet
这是因为稻米并非他最主要的作物 That's because for him, rice is not the main crop
他带上山坡的篮子泄露了老杨营生的秘密 The baskets he's carried up the hillside give a clue to Yang's business
在他开工前 But before he starts work
他先需要释放些水出来 he needs to let some water out of the system
谜底随着水位的下降 As the water level drops
而水落石出 the mystery is revealed
金鲤 golden carp
龙现人在很久前便沿用稻鱼共生至今 Longxian villages discoverd the benefits of transferring wild caught carp into their paddy fields long ago.
这一传统延续了七百多年之久 The tradition has been going on here for at least 700 years
当禾田里的水位下降 As the water level in the paddy drops
竹阀门阻止了金鲤的潜逃 bamboo gate stop the fish's escaping
这一神奇的生态养殖方式 The beauty of this farming method
同时同地丰获了两大农产 is that it delivers two crops from the same field at the same time
鱼 fish
与米 and rice
如此充满智慧的生态养殖 Smart ecology like this
即便今时今日也在为中国农副产品的 is what enables China to be largely self-sufficient in food
自给自足奠定着基础 even today
回到村庄后 Back in the village
老杨进入自己的熏房 Yang has his own smoke house
为贩售而准备他的鱼 where he preserves his fish ready for market
龙现鲤有着柔软的鳞 Longxian carp have unusually soft scales
和美妙的味道 and a very delicate flavor
这或许拜当地水质所赐 perhaps as a result of the local water
此时此刻的熏房外 Meanwhile, outside the smoke house
古灵精怪的小家伙们蠢蠢欲动 there is something fishy going on
为了庆祝丰收 To mark the harvest
村民举行了一场盛会 the village is staging a party
龙现小学的孩子们 Children from Longxian school
为了此刻的盛会准备了数周 have spent weeks preparing for their big moment
全村上下在这天前来捧场 Everyone from the community is here to support them
水稻种植循环体系完美无缺 The rice growing cycle is complete
十一月 By November
中国北方日渐寒冷 northern China is becoming distinctly chilly
而南方则相对温暖和煦 but the south is still relatively warm and welcoming
飞鸟掠过鄱阳湖广阔的湖面 Accross the vast expanse of Poyang lake
聚集在一起 the birds are gathering
苔原天鹅从遥远的北西伯利亚迁徙至此 Tundra swans are long-distance migrant from northern Siberia
对中国人而言 他们象征着至高无上的自然美 To the Chinese, they symbolize the essence of natural beauty
鄱阳湖自然保护区为超过100个种类 The Poyang Lake Nature Reserve offers winter refuge to more than a quarter of a million birds
25万之多鸟类的提供天然栖息地 for than 100 species
成为中国南方最令人叹为观止的自然盛景 creating one of southern China's finest wildlife experiences
最后抵达此地的是跨越千山万水 The last birds to arrive at Poyang
艰难跋涉至此的鸟群 are those which have made the longest journey to get here
他们来自西伯利亚北极海岸 All the way from the arctic coast of Siberia
西伯利亚鹤在中国被成为白鹤 The Siberian Crane, known in China, the White Crane
被视作吉祥的象征 is seen as a symbol of good luck
每年这些濒临灭绝的鸟儿们 Each year, almost the entire world population of these critically endangered birds
都要为了在鄱阳湖过寒假 make a 9000km round trip
而跋涉9000公里的往返旅行 to spend the winter at Poyang
和白鹤一样 Like the white cranes
中国南部众多独特生物不得不面对人类开发利用自然 many of southern China's unique animals face pressure from exploitation and competition with people
所带来的环境与资源压力 over space and resources
然而这些生命力旺盛的野生动物 But if China is leaving proof of anything
证明了中国正在采取行动 it is that wildlife is surprisingly resilient
通过适当的措施 Given the right help
即便是最珍稀的生物也能获得救赎 even the rarest creatures can return from the brink
只要我们展现意志 If we show the will
大自然 nature
会为我们找到出路 will find the way.