长城始建于中国汉代 The Great Wall of China was built by the Han Chinese
为了抵御来自北方的游牧民族而建 to keep out the nomadic tribes from the north
当时把这些游牧民族称为戎狄 They called these people barbarians
并且认为他们的土地贫瘠且 and their lands were considered barren
不适宜人类生息 and uninhabitable
中国的北方确实是一个笼罩在严酷寒冬之中的 Northern China is indeed a harsh place
艰辛之地 of terrible winters
无情的夏天 ferocious summers
严酷的沙漠 harsh deserts
但是这块多彩多姿的土地 But it is far from lifeless
却充满了勃勃生机 With colorful places
有着令人惊讶生物 surprising creatures
奇风异俗的人民 amazing people
以及独特的景致 and strange landscapes
旅途越发深入 景致越发精彩 The further we travel, the more extreme it becomes
长城以北的人民与野生生命 So how do people and wildlife cope
是如何应对艰苦的自然环境和种种生存挑战 with hardships and challenges of life beyond the Wall
长城是中国古代 The northern limits of ancient China
北部的边界 were defined by the Great Wall
自东蜿蜒向西约5000公里 which meanders for nearly 5000km from east to west
当时定居于中原地带的汉族人 The settled Han people of the Chinese heartland
常常被被来自于北方的 were invaded many times by warlike tribes
游牧部落所侵略 from the north
长城的修建保护了汉族人免于 The Great Wall was built to protect the Han Chinese
遭受侵略 from invasion
为了展现勇猛豪迈的北方壮士 To meet those fearsome northerners
以及这块土地上的野生生命 and the wild creatures who share their world
我们必须离开庇护所 we must leave the shelter of the Wall
深入探索未知的世界 and travel into the unknown
中国的东北部在历史上被称为满洲 Northeast China was known historically as Manchuria
她的上游河段与巴黎位于同一纬度 Its upper reaches are on the same latitude as Paris
但是到了冬季 这儿却是—— but in winter, it is one of the coldest
地球上最冷最不利于生存的地方 most hostile places on the planet
刺骨的寒风定期从西伯利亚袭来 Bitter winds from Siberia
并将气温降至零下四十度 regularly bring temperatures of 40° below 0
四季常绿的茂密森林覆盖了这片土地 Dense forests of evergreen trees cover these lands
难以穿越的大峡谷增添本来就 and a rugged terrain is made even more difficult
崎岖不平的地形的复杂度 by impenetrable ravines
从一条冰封的河流开始了我们的旅途 We start our journey on a frozen river
蛇行于中国的最东北角与 snaking between China's northeastern most corner
西伯利亚之间 and Siberia
中国人叫她 The Chinese call it
黑龙江 the "Black Dragon River"
居住在这儿的人 The people who live here
并非勇猛豪迈的北方壮士 aren't exactly fearsome warriors
他们在严冬中奔忙求存 They are too busy coping with the harsh winter conditions
并以创造性的方式 and they respond to the challenge
去应对所面临的挑战 in some creative ways
黑龙江是 The Black Dragon river is home to
中国最小的族群 one of the smallest ethnic groups in China
赫哲人的家园 the Hezhe people
不只是自行车 It's not just bicycles
与这个冰雪覆盖的世界不相称 that seem out of place in this icy world
遗弃在一边的渔船和渔网 Fishing boats and nets lie abandoned
离敞开的水面还有很长一段距离 a long way from open water
在一米深的冰盖下面 Underneather a meter of solid ice
游弋着不计其数的鱼儿 swim a huge variety of fish
其中包括足以养活 including 500-pound sturgeon
一个赫哲家庭一星期的500磅重的鲟鱼 enough to feed a family of Hezhe for weeks
但是他们怎样捕捉到猎物呢 But how can they catch their quarries
首先他们必须在冰面上凿穿一个 First they must chisel a hole through the ice
够得着下面水面的洞 to reach the water below
然后他们需要在冰面下 Then they need to set their fishing net
布置渔网 under the ice
这是一个真正的挑战 a real challenge
第二个洞已经凿好了 A second hole is made
距离第一个洞20米远 20 meters away from the first
同时将一个重物系在线上丢进去 and a weighted string is dropped in
然后用一个长竹竿钩住线 Then a long bamboo pole is used to hook the string
把网送到冰下安置的地点 and pull the net into position beneath the ice
过些日子 After a few days
来检查渔网 the nets are checked
这些日子以来 These days,
几乎没有人能捕到一条稀有的大鲟鱼 almost nobody catches a rare giant sturgeon
黑龙江就像是很多其他的河流一样 The Black Dragon river has been overfished
已经被捕捞过度 like so many others
但即使是捕到这样小的鱼 But even these smaller fish
也是一件可喜可贺的事情 are a welcome catch
几秒钟内鱼就被冻僵了 Frozen with in seconds
这些鱼在保证新鲜的情况下 the fish are guaranteed to stay fresh
被摇摆的自行车带回家 for the wobbly cycle right home
位于黑龙江南面的森林 The forests that lie south of the Black Dragon river
被冰雪覆盖超过半年了 are bound up in snow for more than half the year
死一般的寂静 It's deathly silent
这里大多数动物都已经冬眠 Most of the animals here are either hibernating
或因寒冬得到来迁徙到南边去了 or have migrated south for the winter
但是这里有一个例外 But there is an exception
野猪漫步在东北的森林里 Wild boars roam the forests of the northeast
正如赫哲人一样 Like the Hezhe people
野猪们发现在在冬天觅食是件非常困难的事情 the boars find it difficult to gather food in winter
为了生存，在激烈的动物界 To survive, they follow their noses
它们凭着嗅觉觅食 among the keenest of the animal kingdom
它们吃几乎所有发掘出来的东西 They will eat almost anything they unearth
但是有一种高能食物尤其重要 but one energy-rich food source is particularly valued
核桃 walnuts
当一只幸运的野猪发现核桃后 When a lucky boar finds a walnut
总会产生麻烦 thers is bound to be trouble
尽管有争抢 But despite the squabbles
野猪是群栖动物，它们仍然成群聚在一起生活 wild boars are social animals and gather together in groups
在严寒的环境里 Staying close together may help them to keep warm
靠近点儿能让他们暖和点儿 in the extreme cold
还有一个群居的理由 But there is another reason for group living
就是更能留意着周围的危险 more ears to listen out for danger
东北虎也住在这些森林里 Siberian tigers also live in these forests
但是现在 But these days
只算关在笼子里的 only in captivity
整个中国的东北虎 There may be less than a dozen
可能也不足十二只了 wild Siberian tigers left in China
尽管繁育中心有许多东北虎 though there are many more in breeding centers
这个横道河子围场 This enclosure of Hengdaohezi
从1986年开始繁育虎 started breeding tigers in 1986
为中国药材市场 to supply bones and body parts
提供虎骨和虎其他部分 for the Chinese medicine market
中国在20世纪90年代禁止老虎身体部位的交易 Trade in tiger parts was banned in China in the 1990s
所以现在的繁育中心 and the breeding center
成了旅游景点 is now just a tourist attraction
东北的森林一直延伸到中国 俄国 以及内蒙古交界 The forests of northeast stretch to where the chinese, Russian and Mongolian borders meet
这是大批的动物在迁徙 Here, a surprising herd of animals is on the move
几百年前 The reindeer were introduced to china hundreds of years ago
驯鹿被来自西伯利亚的鄂温克人 by the nomadic Ewenki people
传入了中国 who came here from Siberia
四月的下旬 It's late April
这位妇女正在召唤驯鹿 and the women are calling int heir reindeer
这些驯鹿是半野驯鹿 which are semi-wild
它们在森林里度过了整个冬天 and have spent all winter away in the forest.
人鹿的关系很特别 This a very special relationship
每头驯鹿都有自己的名字 Each reindeer has its own name
许多驯鹿是由这位妇女一手养大的 and many were hand-reared by these women
分开几个月后他们又聚在一起了 finally reunited after months apart
他们将一起生活到秋天 They will now remain together until autumn
这位鄂温克妇女急切地查看动物们的情况 The Owenke women are anxious to check the condition of their animals
看看哪头驯鹿怀孕了 and to see which of the reindeer might be pregnant
81岁的Malia Suel 81-year old, Malia Suel
在寒冷的北方始终过着游牧生活 is one of only 30 Owenke people still living their nomadic life
过这种生活的鄂温克人只有30个了 in these cold northern lands.
几乎她所有的族人 Almost all her fellow Owenke
放弃了森林生活 have given up the forest life.
搬进了现代城市的钢筋水泥房子里 to settle in concrete houses in modern cities .
现在放牧驯鹿的人像东北虎那样少了 The reindeer herders are now almost as rare as wild Siberian tigers
这一家将喜添新丁了 There is about to be a new addition to the family.
这位妇女像接生婆一样 The women act as midwives to the new born calves
照料刚出生的鹿仔度过新生 helping to nurture them through their first precious minutes of life.
但是它们周围的世界日新月异 But the world around them is changing fast.
他们可能是能承受这种生活的最后一代了 This could be the last generation this ancient partnership will endure.
这或许就是长城北边的部落民族 This is hardly the image of the dangerous tribal people
生活的缩影 that the Great Wall was built to keep at bay.
顺着中国和北朝鲜的边境 Along China's border with North Korea
有这一地区最著名的山 is this region's most famous moutain
长白山 Changbaishan
长白的意思是“一直都是白色的” Its name means ever white
它环抱着世界上最高的火山湖 and it harvest the world's higheat volcanic lake
尽管在五月中旬这里仍然白雪皑皑 Even in mid May there is still ice everywhere
这里也有季节变化的征兆 but there are signs that the seasons are changing
从南边吹来的暖风 Warmer winds arrive from the south
在几个星期的时间里 and within a few short weeks 就使长白山发生了变化 Changbai Mountain is transformed.
水再度自山坡流下 Water begins to flow down the mountainside once more
润泽了大地 replenishing the landscape.
六月来了 It's June
昆虫们准备享用取之不尽的花 and insects emerge to take advantage of the abundance of flowers.
候鸟迁徙到了温暖的环境里 The warm weather sees the arrival of migrant birds
在南方过冬的野翁鸟 Stonechats that have spent the winter in the south of China
回到这里哺育幼鸟 return here to raise their chicks
周围有丰富的昆虫作为食物 With so many insects around
野翁鸟可能要生好几窝小鸟呢 the stonechats may have several broods
从长白山向西 Heading west from Changbai Mountain
森林逐渐变成了起伏的草原 the forests give way to rolling grasslands
长城一直延伸到远方 The Great Wall stretches off into the distance
被看做是内蒙古大草原的南界 defining the southern limits of the vast Mongolian steppe
长城北面是广阔的草原 North of the Wall are huge areas of grassland
我们路途中有一个地方很重要 but one place on our journey is particularly significant
高草丛中 In the tall grass
赤狐正在哺育幼狐 a family of red foxes is raising its cubs
现在，它们享有这片草原 Today, they have this meadow pretty much to themselves
但事情并不总是这样的 But it wasn't always the case
八百年前 Eight centuries ago
这里应该有丰富的居民 this palce would've been teeming with people
现在这些距离北京不远的废墟 Now these ruins in a field the short distance from Beijing
都曾是中国上都 are all that remains of the great city of Xanadu
大城市上都的遗迹 once the summer capital of China
在这些残垣断壁之中 Within these walls
据说蒙古首领 it is said that the leader of the Mongolians
伟大的可汗忽必烈曾经欢迎马可波罗来到中国 the mighty Kubla Khan welcomed Marco Polo to China
蒙古骑士建立了历史上最大的帝国 Mongolian warriors established the greatest empire in history
一直延伸到欧洲的边界 stretching to the borders of Europe
由于害怕这个骁勇善战的部落 Feared of this worrior tribe is the main reason
汉人修建了长城 the Han Chinese built the Great Wall
蒙古人与马的亲密关系 The cornerstone of the Mongolian supremacy
是其制霸的基石 was their relationship with horses
这是他们在战争中获胜的原因 This is what brought them such success in war
蒙古骑兵在夜晚旅行 The Mongolian riders travelled at night
由于不顾惜马匹 and rode with spare horses
他们可以长距离涉敌并能比敌人更迅速地撤退 so they could move huge distances strike and then retreat quicker than their opponents
蒙古文化的中心是赛马 At the heart of the Mongolian culture is horse racing
每个七月举行一年一度的那达慕大会 The annual Nadam Festival held each July
这是一个让蒙古年轻人展示马术的机会 is a chance for young Mongolians to show off their horsemanship
据说蒙古人都出生在马鞍上 It's said that Mongolian people are born in the saddle
甚至连孩子都是造诣深厚的骑手 Even as children,they are consummate riders
马术不仅是古代蒙古战士 Horsemanship was the core of the Mongolian success
成功的核心 as warriores in the past
也是如今游牧生活的必备技能 and is central to their lives as nomads today
在巴音布鲁克草原 In a area of grassland know as Bayanbulak
游牧家族开始集合 families of nomadic Mongolians are gathering
巴音布鲁克的意为“富有的源头” The name, Bayanbulak, means rich headwaters
他们来到这里搭建临时住所 and they come here to set up temporary homes
为了在丰茂的夏季牧场放牧牲口 to graze their lifetock on the lush summer pastures
为了给牲口寻找新鲜的牧草 The search for fresh fodder for their animals
他们四处游牧 keeps them on the go
搬家如此的方便 and being able to move home so easily
是个实实在在的优势 with a real-life vantage
蒙古家庭仅需要几分钟 It takes only a few minuts for the Monolian family
就能搭起他们的蒙古包 to set up their yurts .
但是蒙古人们并没有独占这块土地 But Mongolians don't have this place all to themselves.
丰富的资源同样吸引来不计其数的鸟类 The rich resources also attracked a huge variety of birds,
蓑羽鹤 Demoiselle Cranes
涉水鸟类和水禽 wading birds and waterfowl
被从亚洲各个角落吸引迁徙到这里的 migrate here from all over Asia
河流和湿地 drawn to rivers and wetlands
在附近的山脉的冰雪融水中觅食 fed by glacial melt water from nearby mountains
这个地方在中国被称为 This place is known in China
天鹅湖 as Swan Lake
这是世界上最重要的大天鹅繁殖地 It's the world's most important breeding site for whooperswans
当然也毋庸置疑的成为了蚊子的繁殖地 and arguably mosquitos as well.
天鹅湖的草场为在这里 The pastures at Swan Lake provide endless amount of lush grass
做巢的鸟儿和在这里觅食的牲口 for birds to nest in
提供了近乎无尽的丰茂青草 and for lifestock to eat
似乎每个人都丰衣足食 It would seem that's plenty for everybody
但有时候为保舒适也需要保持距离 but occasionally they can't get too close for comfort
800年前 800 years ago
当时的蒙古人被认为是世界上最凶悍的民族 the Mongolians were the most feared people on Earth
但是他们也有着感性的一面 but they have a spiritual side as well
天鹅湖里的鸟儿们 The birds of Swan Lake
过着无忧无虑的生活 have little cause to worry
因为蒙古人保护天鹅 The Mongolians protect the swans,
崇敬他们 and venerate them,
称其为——神之使者 calling them birds of God
随着环境变得越发干燥 The Great Wall's journey through northern China continues westward
我们长城之旅途经中国北部 by setting a landscape that becomes increasingly parched
继续向西延伸 Our journey has brought us halfway across northern China
草原变得炎热 and the grasslands are becoming hot
干燥 dry
荒凉 and desolate
荒地上游荡的生物使这里看来更像非洲而非亚洲 Wandering these wastes are creatures that look more African than Asian
这些是鹅喉羚 These are Goitred Gazelles
纤细 skittish
而易受惊吓 and easily startled
当受到威胁时 它们会像狂奔的马一样快 When threatened by danger, they are as fast as a race horse
但是在这样酷热的环境下 But in this intense heat
它们享受着平静 they favor a gentler pace
这里几乎没有积水 There is little standing water here
但是羚羊有一种非同寻常的能力 but the gazelles have remarkable ability
从干草中提取水分 to extract moisture from dry grass
然而为了找到足够的食物 although finding enough worth eating
它们不停的移动着 keeps them constantly on the move
即使在这里 在沙漠里 Even out here, in the semi-deserts
长城仍然进行着它的长征 the wall continues its long march
这段长城由土凝筑而成 Here it's made of a little more than compacted earth
但是因为几乎没有降水 But with hardly any rain falling
数个世纪后的它仍然未遭多少侵蚀 it suffered very little erosion over the centuries
为了修建它成百上千的人付出了宝贵的生命 Hundreds of thousands of people lost their lives building it
但看起来它仍然不足以信任 Yet it seems hard to believe
以至于有人觉得这些遥远的废墟需要防护 that anyone felt that these distant wastelands needed protecting
但是长城仍然有一个终结的惊奇 But the Wall still has one final surprise
这就是嘉峪关 This is Jiayuguan
这沙漠里强大的碉堡 the mighty fortress in the desert
600年前建于明朝 Built in the Ming dynasty over 600 years ago
传说中这座城堡的建造 legend says that the construction of the fortress
是具有非常严密的计划的 was so meticulousily planned
以至于专门制作的十万块砖中 that 100,000 bricks were specially made
只有一块被弃置不用 and only one brick was left unused
这座城堡标志着中国长城的结束 This fortress marks the end of the Great Wall of China
世界上最伟大的人造障碍 the greatest man-made barrier on Earth
但是在这之前 坐落着一个更为可怕的障碍 But ahead, lies an even more formidable barrier
一个巨大的向西方伸展的沙漠无人地带 a vast no man's land of deserts that stretch westward
延伸到亚洲中部边缘 to the borders of central Asia
嘉峪关的城堡被认为是 Jiayuguan fortress was considered
中国文明最后的前哨 to be the last outpost of Chinese civilization
从这一点往更远处 坐落着绝对的荒漠 Beyond this point, lays utter desolation
中国最大的沙漠——塔克拉玛干 坐落于此 China's largest desert, the Taklamakan lies out here
它的名字被翻译成 Its name has been translated as
有去无回 you go in, and you never come out
这是一个酷热的地方 This is a place of intense heat
烈风吹舞着狂沙 abrasive wind blown sand
完全与生命作对 Totally hostile to life
虽然有足够勇敢的人们为之冒生命危险 Yet, there was a route through the desert
但至今仍然没有穿过沙漠的明确路线 for those brave enough to risk their lives for it
人们为沙漠的恐惧所诱惑 People were lured into the horrors of the deserts
是因为中国有一个如此强大的 because the Chinese had a secret so powerful
以至于可以改变历史历程的秘密 that it changed the course of history
那个秘密的答案埋藏在遥远的过去 The key to that secret lies in the distant past
传说 Legend has it
在五千年前 at around 5000 years ago
一位公主在她的花园中漫步 a princess was walking in her garden
突然有样不寻常的东西掉进茶杯中 when something unusual fell into her teacup
一种神奇的纤维从中抽了出来 A magical thread was extracted
它比黄金或珠宝更加贵重 and it became more prized than gold or jade
这种纤维 就是丝 The thread, was silk
这些渺小虫子孕育了无数 Incredibly, such a beautiful substance and all the history behind it
美丽丝线和引人入胜的传奇故事 come from a humble little insect
它就是蚕 the silkworm
蚕蛾每次产下数百个卵 Silk moths lay several hundred eggs
而孵化后的小蚁蚕 and the tiny caterpillars that emerge
只以桑叶为食 eat nothing but mulberry leaves
在长达五十天的暴饮暴食之后 After 50 days of gluttony
他们增重至幼虫体重的一万倍 they've grown 10 thousand times heavier
然而这个时期 But this stage
丝腺占了体重的四分之一 25 percent of their body mass is made up of silk glands
在转化成蛾的过程中 In the process of turning into adult moths
他们从一条丝开始吐丝成茧 they spin a cocoon from a single strand of silk
丝长甚至超过千米 which can be over a thousand meters long
丝质纤维因其超凡韧性和艳丽色泽 It was the legendary strength and brightness of silk fibers
而广受欢迎 that made it so sought-after
五千多年来 For over 5000 years,
人们在纤莹的丝线上编织出巨大的财富 people built great fortunes and mighty kingdoms
和强大的帝国 on these delicate threads.
古代商人在沙漠中留下的行商路线 And the desert routes those antient traders took
成就“丝绸之路”的伟大传说 became the fabled Silk Road
从生丝中缫丝的原理自发现伊始 The principle of extracting raw silk hasn't changed
就一直未变 since it's discovered
将收获的茧倒入沸水中 Harvested cocoons are droped into boiling water
使细长的丝茧散释开来 which unravels the long filaments
然后将之收集起来纺成生丝线 These are then gathered and spun into raw silk thread
在这里——古丝绸之路上的和田 Here at Hotan, on the ancient Silk Road
纺丝仍然是在木机杼上的 silk weaving is still a cottage industry
传统作坊手工业...唧唧复唧唧 dumbly old-fashioned way on wooden looms
古代丝绸之路的商人面临的最大问题 For the ancient Silk Road traders
是怎样将贵重的丝绸 越过嘉峪关 穿过沙漠 the problem was still how to get the valuable silk from the fortress at Jiayuguan
运到中亚甚至更远的集市上 through the deserts to markets of central Asia and beyond
这些沿丝绸之路向西的商旅 Those early travellers heading west on the Silk Road
穿越世间最艰险贫瘠的土地 were setting off on the worst voyage imaginable
踏上了难以想象的艰辛旅途 through some of the most terrible places on Earth
始于世界沙丘之巅的 Starting with the world's tallest sand dunes
烈风自西狂卷而来 strong winds whipping in from the west
使沙丘变得更高 load the sand into ever higher dunes
千年的光阴 Over millennia
孕育了无数的巨大沙丘 mega-dunes build up
和众多高耸的沙墙 walls of sands soaring to over 500m tall
骆驼是唯一适应这些巨大沙丘的驮畜 camels are the only beasts of burden that tackle these monstrous dunes
他们脚掌很宽 向外张开后可防止陷入流沙之中 Their feet are wide and splay outwards to stop them sinking in loose sand
聚沙成丘的烈风 The wind that whips the sand into dunes
塑造了中国西部沙漠千奇百怪的地貌 has created other bizarre shapes in China's western deserts
这种神秘莫测的巨型结构 Mysterious giant structures
被称为雅丹风蚀地貌 known as yardangs
它由飞沙雕刻而成 were sculpted by flying sand
风还会给沙漠中的商旅带来其他危险 The wind brought other hazards to travellers in these deserts
马可·波罗写到 Marco Polo wrote
有时迷途的商旅会听到远离正途处传来 sometimes the stray travelers will hear the tramp and hum
宛如大型马队般嘈杂的行旅声 of a great cavalcade of people away from the real line of march
并误以为是他们的同伴 and taking this to be their own company
而跟随着声音的踪迹前去寻找 they will follow the sound
当破晓降临 他们会发现一切不过是个骗局 And when day breaks they find that a cheat has been put on them
自己仍深陷困境 and that they are in an ill plight
至今为止 To this day
没有人知道缘何沙漠中的小片沙地会 no one knows what causes the sands in some parts of the desert
意外下陷 to sink
无怪乎商旅们称此地为 No wonder travellers call this place
神怒 fury of God
与死海 and sea of death
但最严重的问题莫过于水源匮乏 But the most severe problem was lack of water
这个地方如此干涸的原因 The reason this place is so intensely dry
从卫星上得以一目了然 can best be appreciated from a satellite view
中国的沙漠是地球上最为远离海洋的地方 China's deserts are the farthest place on Earth from any ocean
水的缺乏造就了塔克拉玛干沙漠 This lack of water is what created the Taklamakan
这片几乎与德国等大的区域是世界上最大的流沙沙漠 an area the size of Germany covered in sand dunes through which the Silk Road traversed
这里遍布沙丘 丝绸之路贯穿其中 This is the world's largest shifting sand desert
大多数生物在此难以存活 Most living would die here
但骆驼却对适应沙漠环境得天独厚 but the camel is uniquely equipped for desert survival
它的鼻子可在吸入时加湿 Its nose humidifies the dry desert air as it breathe in
呼出时除湿 then dehumidifies it in the way out
锁住珍贵水分 conserving precious water
浓密的驼毛在夜间可以保暖 The camel's thick fur keeps it warm at night
在白天可以反射阳光 while reflecting sunlight by day
它的身体在增温6°以内 And its body temperature can rise by 6 degree Celsius
不会出汗 before it even begins to sweat
靠着这些调节 他们可以不喝水前行数日 With these adaptations they can go for days without drinking
穿越沙漠对于驼队而言 For the camel trains travel through the desert
就是从一个生命的绿洲走向下一个 is about moving between one life-saving oasis and the next
当他们终于到达水源地 When they finally do reach a drinking hole
骆驼能在10分钟内喝掉60公升水 camels can drink up to 60 liters of water in ten minutes
没有了绿洲 塔克拉玛干沙漠便丧失了生命的可能 Without oasis life in the Taklamakan
“穿越”一词也只会成为遥不可及的字眼 couldn't exist and travel would be impossible
沙漠之中 无人永生 But nothing is permanent in the desert
伴随着极端气候下的流沙 The shifting sands on the extreme climate mean
珍贵的水源随时可能消失 that these precious water sources can disappear
正如艾丁湖 This is exactly what happened in the Aydingkol Lake
这个湖床是世界第二最低地 The lake bed is the second lowest place on Earth
海拔-154米 at 154 meters below sea level
这里是中国最热的地方 It's the hottest place in China
有记录的空气温度最高达50摄氏度 with air temperatures recorded as high as 50 degree Celsius
地表温度高达80摄氏度 and ground temperatures up to 80 degrees
然而艾丁湖不远处就有一个令人称奇地方 Yet not far from Aydingkol is a surprise
一个沙漠中繁荣的人类聚居地 a thriving human settlement in the desert
吐鲁番绿洲 This is Turpan Oasis
它以品质出众的特产而驰名中国 And it's famous in China for an unexpected product
这就是葡萄 grapes
为何如此需水的植物却能在沙漠中 But how on Earth can a water-hungry crop grow in such abundance
获得丰收 in a desert？
秘密就在地下 The secret lies below ground
一种被称为坎儿井的地下水渠网 A subterranean network of canals known as karez
引导着水源在吐鲁番街道之间流动 is used to channel water around Turpan streets
并将之引入美丽的庭院当中 and into raving yards
但水从何而来 But where does the water come from?
线索就掩埋在荒漠之中 The clue lies on the desert floor
在这些标志着地下水路的洞穴所连成的线上 in these lines of holes which mark the course of the subterranean water ways
两千多年前 Over 2 millennia ago
当地人挖掘了长达3000多千米的 local people carved more than 3000km of
地下水渠 these canals beneath the desert
将水从远处的山上引来 diverting water from the distant mountains
在地下引水 Channeling the flow underground
可以减少水在沙漠酷热下的蒸发量 means that less water is lost to evaporation in the desert heat
八月是收获葡萄的季节 In August the grapes are harvested
这神的恩赐是如此的引人注目 This rich bounty has not go unnoticed
引得在吐鲁番葱郁葡萄园中逍遥生活的动物垂涎欲滴 In the lush vineyards of Turpan one animal misses thriving
红尾巴沙鼠是种抗旱而强韧的沙漠生命 Red-tailed gerbils are hardy desert creatures
但他们从未如同在吐鲁番般生活的逍遥自在 But those in Turpan have never had it so good
葡萄摘下后 Once the grapes have been picked
一部分会在集市上卖掉 some are sold in the market
但绝大部分被挂在荫房中风干 but most are hung up to dry in the special drying houses
任何啮齿动物都无法抗拒这种诱惑 This place is far too tempting for any rodent to resist
红尾巴沙鼠是个攀爬好手 Red-tailed gerbils are excellent climbers
但面对免费 But why bother
的馈赠还有谁会 when there is plenty of bounty lying around on the ground
迟疑放过呢 unguarded
吐鲁番的野生生物和人不是在单方面 Rather than suffering the extreme environment in which they live
承受着自然的严苛和暴虐 The wild life and people of Turban
而是以新方式面对北地恶劣的自然环境 have found innovative ways to cope with conditions beyond the Wall
但并非所有聚居地都像吐鲁番一样富饶 But not all desert communities world as resourceful as Turpan
这里和中国西部边境之间 Between here and China's western borders
有许多宏伟城市的遗迹 lie the ruins of many great cities
他们曾经拥有自己的辉煌时代 In their day they were vibrant thriving palces
但到了第五世纪 But in the fifth century
丝绸之路逐渐萧条没落 the Silk Road fortunes took a turn for the worse
又是一个有关公主的故事 Once again, a princess was involved
她将蚕偷偷地带出中国 She smuggled silkworm eggs out of china
丝绸不再是一个秘密 The secret of silk was a secret no more
中国对此暴利贸易的垄断被强制终止 And China's stranglehold on this lucrative trade was over
马可波罗13世纪踏上丝绸之路之时 Even when Marco Polo passed along the Silk Road in the 13th century
许多城市就已然消失了 many of these cities had been dead
500多年 for over 500 years
丝绸之路上最负盛名的城市却挣扎着生存了下来 But the Silk Road's most famous city managed to survive
在沙漠尽头的山峦脚下 Where the desert ends beneath vast mountain ranges
中国与中亚五国毗邻之地 China's westernmost point is only a stone's throw from the borders of five central Asian countries
这里就是中西交汇的喀什 This is Kashgar where east meets west
丝绸之路止于这个至今仍然进行丝绸贸易的地方 The silk that travelled along the Silk Road ended up here where it is still traded today
喀什以露天集市闻名 Kashgar is famous for selling everything under the sun
当地的周末集市 The local Sunday market
是亚洲地区最大最丰富的市集之一 is one of Asia's largest and most exuberant gatherings
但是环顾四周 But looking around the market
你会怀疑自己是否真的置身中国 it's hard to believe you are actually in China
喀什地区是个少数民族大熔炉 Kashgar is a melting pot of non-Chinese ethnic people
维吾尔 塔吉克 吉尔吉斯 乌兹别克以及其他民族汇聚此地 Uyghurs, Tajiks, Kirghiz, Uzbeks and many others
我们深入中国北地 Here, our journey heads northwards
原始地区的旅程开始了 into one of China's wildest places
离开了喀什和丝绸之路 Leaving Kashgar and the Silk Road behind
我们一路来到天山 we travel into the Tianshan
或称天国之山 or heavenly mountains.
这座伟岸的山脉坐落于 This great mountain range defines the border
中国最西北省区 between China's most northwestern province
与塔吉克斯坦和吉尔吉斯斯坦的边境交汇处 and neighboring Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan
他的宏伟顶峰几乎逼近喜马拉雅山巅峰 Its majestic peaks are nearly as high as the Himalayas
形成了一座天然长城 Forming a natural great wall
尽管常年冰雪覆盖 For much of the year it's bound up in ice
但她的冰川融水却为常绿森林的成长提供了丰足的水源 But the glacial melt water allows evergreen forests to grow
与南部沙漠遥相呼应 a far cry from the desert south of here
这些山脉成为了 These mountains are the gateway
深入中国最神奇居民和他们家园的关口 to some of China's most surprising people and places
在丘陵山谷地带 In the upland valleys
一户哈萨克族人正在高山草甸上进行 a family of Kazakhs has been grazing their livestock all summer
进行家畜的夏季放牧 on the lush alpine meadows
到了秋天 It's autumn
冬雪在短短几周内便会封锁山路 in a few weeks' time, winter snows will seal the mountain passes
因此哈萨克人决定 So the Kazakhs have decided
在还来得及的情况下 尽早收拾行李踏上旅程 to break camp and move while they still can
离开高山草甸 Turning their backs on the mountain pastures
前方等待他们的是数周一成不变 乏味烂熟的旅行线路 they have many long weeks of travel ahead of them along well worn trails
目的地和天山丰茂的牧场 The destination could hardly be more different
并没有太大区别 from the heavenly mountain's lush pastures
这条路径通往中国最原始神秘的土地 These paths head into one of China's wildest and least known places
这里是准格尔盆地 This is the Zhunge'er Basin
神额外的馈赠 an added land
它坐落于世界最北沙漠——戈壁——边际的最西方 that lies at the westernmost edge of the great Gobi desert the most northerly desert in the world
准格尔是个充满惊奇的地方 the Zhunge'er is a place of surprises
这片奇异的土地被成为五彩山 This bizarre landscape is called the
尽管鲜有生物生存于此 and though very little lives here now
霸王龙的祖先却 the ancestors of Tyrannosaurus rex
曾经在这里的山脉间游荡 once roamed these hills
他们的化石仅在2006年被发掘 Their fossils only discovered in 2006
但实际上准格尔并非真正的了无生机 But the Zhunge'er is not entirely lifeless
黑暗中的一只罗波夫斯基仓鼠正蠢蠢欲动搜索食物 In the darkness a little Roborovski's Hamster emerges to search for food
他们是世界上体积最小的仓鼠 They're the world's smallest hamsters
仅仅和一只乒乓球一般大小 the size of a ping-pong ball
他们以十只左右组成家庭 and they live in family groups around ten
与哈萨克人不同 仓鼠不靠迁徙来躲避严冬 Unlike the Kazakhs hamsters cut migrate to avoid the severity of winter
他们不得不为了艰难时刻而储备食物 They have to prepare for difficult times by storing up provisions
以在地下度过这个寒冷季节 to spend the season underground
任何一个养过仓鼠的宠物爱好者 Anyone who has kept a pet hamster
都知道他是怎样一只活泼好动的小家伙 knows what an energetic little creature it can be
仅仅一个夜晚的功夫 In a single night
一只仓鼠能跑相当于人类马拉松竞赛四倍的路程 a hamster may cover the equivalent of four human marathons
不停歇的四处搜集粮食带引发了一个问题 but foraging far and wide creates a problem
那就是怎样将货物尽数带回巢穴 how to carry the harvest back to its nest
这里仓鼠那著名的柔软颊囊发挥了他们的作用 Here the hamster's famous flexible cheek pouches come into play
他们将颊囊塞得满满 把收集的食物带回巢穴 They can be stuffed full of seeds for carrying back to the burrow
仓鼠家族在地下有专门的食物储藏室来放置大量储备 Underground the family has special food chambers to store the bounty
这些储备能支撑他们 The supply will have to last them
度过贫寒的漫长冬季 trough the lean and cold times ahead
冬季将至 Winter is on its way
数周之内 Within a few short weeks
五彩山便被西伯利亚寒风带来的 the five colored hills are blanketed in snow
降雪所覆盖 driven by icy winds from Siberia
虽然和威尼斯有着相同的纬度 Despite being at the same latitude as Venice
亚洲北部的沙漠却没有近海的升温作业 Asia's northern deserts have no nearby sea to warm them
并承受着彻骨的寒冷冬季 and so suffer bitterly cold winters
当来年春天冰雪融化时 When it melts next spring
雪水将为草甸和其他植被提供生长所需的水分 the snow will provide moisture for grasses and other plants to grow
正如长城境外的大多数地方 Like almost everywhere beyond the wall
严酷的自然环境趋势人们和野生生物 the harsh conditions force people and wildlife
不停寻索以维持生存 to keep moving to find enough to survive
哈萨克人已经到达了天山山脉 The Kazakhs have arrived from the Tianshan Mountains
以准格尔盆地的贫乏植被饲养他们的家畜 to graze their animals on the meagar pickings in the Zhunge'er
然而哈萨克人并不独享这片土地 But the Kazakhs don't have this place all to themselves.
他们的冬季迁徙路线使其 Their winter migration routes take them passed
绕过了沙漠中央的篱笆围栏 the fence enclosure in the desert.
篱笆这端的马 The horses on this side of the fence
是不同于蒙古人和哈萨克人家畜的存在 arent domestic animals like those belonging to the Mongolians and Kazakhs
他们是残存世间最后的野生马 These are the last wild horses on Earth
无数野马一路向西迁往欧洲 Millions of them once screeched all the way to Europe
然而现在他们只剩下寥寥数百匹 but now they barely number in the hundreds
为冬天而 For part of the winter
这些野马被隔离开 the wild horses are quarantined
以防止其与哈萨克家马交配 to stop their mating with the Kazakh's horses
如此一来 这一珍稀物种的血缘得以保持纯净 That way, the gene pool of the rare wild animals can be kept pure
然而 这里却存在一个大问题 There is a big problem, however
家畜与野生马为了共同的食物而竞争 The live stock and the wild horses compete for the same food
许多哈萨克家庭及他们的牲口 Many Kazakhs families and their flocks
在冬季穿越此地 will pass through here over the winter
当这些野马最终被从畜栏释放 By the time the wild horses can be released from the pen
多数好饲料已被啃噬殆尽 Much of the best forage will be gone
在这块原本就贫瘠的土地上 When there are so little to go around
事态很快就发展到严峻的地步 it doesn't take much for the situation to turn critical
即便在中国最人烟稀少的土地上 Even in the least inhabited parts of China
野生动物和人类也为了生存而陷入对峙 wildlife and people come into conflict in the struggle to survive
即便在这块不毛之地 Yet in this barren landscape
也固存着人与野生动物的非凡羁绊 a remarkable association between people and wildlife persists
这项传统回溯到约6000年前 A tradition harking back almost 6000 years
82岁高领的热亚继承了 Eighty-two year old Reya carries on a tradition
这一使得哈萨克人文明全国的传统习俗 that has made the Kazakhs famous throughout China
他生命中的每个冬天 Every winter for most of his life
热亚都带着一只金雕去打猎 Reya has gone hunting with a golden eagle
这只雕约莫五岁左右 This eagle is around 5 years old
他在还是只雏鸟的时候被从野外带回 it was taken from the wild as a chick
并由热亚抚育长大 and raised by Reya
他被训练为每次飞行后回到热亚身边 who trained it to return to him after each flight
在放飞这只鸟儿前 He will keep this bird for a total of ten seasons
热亚整整驯养了他两年半 before setting it free
狐狸曾经是金雕猎人最爱的猎物 Foxes were once the favorite quarry for the eagle hunters
然而这些日子他们几乎一无所获 These days they almost never catch anything
正如中国的许多地方 As in many parts of China
野生动物较之过去已经鲜有生迹 wildlife is far scarcer here than it used to be
当热亚最终释放了这只金雕 When Reya finally releases this eagle
那将会是他狩猎时光的终点 it will be the end of its hunting days
中国许多游牧民族的年轻一代 Many of the younger generation of China's nomads
放弃了他们的传统 迁入现代都市生活 are moving to modern cities on leaving their traditions behind
他们的生活不在被季节变化所制约 Their lives no longer ruled by the changing of the seasons
回溯到东北地区的往昔冬日 Back in the northeast in mid winter
长城依旧支配着这块土地 the Great Wall still dominates the landscape
最初建立以防范外敌入侵 Originally built to keep out dangerous warriors
如今成为了世界奇观 today it's a little more than a curiosity
先祖筑建了长城的汉族人 The Han Chinese whose ancestors built the Wall
现在大多聚居在如哈尔滨之类 now live in great cities like Harbin
的极北城市 far to the north.
每年 哈尔滨的艺术家们 Each year the artists of Harbin
都为了一场特殊的冬季盛会而做准备 get ready for a special winter celebration
从临近河道中取来的巨大冰块 Giant blocks of ice from nearby rivers
正被施予一场不可思议的改造 undergo a magical transfermation
中国各地的旅客们齐聚哈尔滨 Tourists flock to Harbin from all over China
来观赏这些壮美的冰雕艺术品 to see the spectacular carvings
一座冰雪之城拔地而起 and the ice city that has sprung up all around
10000名工匠辛苦劳作了整整18天 It takes 10,000 people 18 days
来建造这冰与雪的奇幻王国 to construct this icy wonderland
她在白天已足令人眼前一亮 It's impressive enough by day
然而这座梦幻岛的神奇之处 but the magic of this place only becomes apparent
在日落时方为突显 once the sun goes down
中国北方虽然是粗犷严酷 Northern China can be a harsh place
但是这里也存在着惊人的美 but also a place of great beauty
哈尔滨冰雪节展现了 The Harbin Ice Festival shows
长城建造后的人民生活态度的变化 how attitudes have changed since the Great Wall was built
北越长城的土地不再仅仅是令人胆寒的粗犷严苛 No longer are the extremes of life beyond the Wall merely to be feared
他的丰美壮丽也值得人们赞叹与折服 Now it is possible to celebrate them,too