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[自然世界]
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翻译 校对: Tina 时间轴：GGwhywhy
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后期: WiLL 总监： Joanna
东非一片热带森林 A tropical hill forest in east Africa
动物群落间和平共存 a place where animal communities coexist
捕食者与猎物间平衡发展 a natural balance between predators and prey
自古皆然 It's always been this way
但在森林的这一处 But in this part of the forest,
情况即将改变 things are about to change
一种非凡捕食者正在驱进 An extraordinary predator is moving in
它能横扫这片森林 One that will ravage this forest
地球上最可怕的杀手 probably the most formidable killer on earth
它不是单独个体 而是整个大军 It's not an individual but an entire army
蚂蚁大军 an army of ants
这支精锐部队是个超级有机体 This elite fighting force is a super organism
两千万雌蚁和少数雄蚁行动如一 20 million sisters and a few males acting as one
地球上最庞大的单一家庭 the largest single family on the planet
家庭头领是只新蚁后 The head of the family is a new queen
她将生育下一代 She'll produce the next generation
蚂蚁大军必须保证幼蚁存活 and the army must keep her offspring alive
他们必须成功捕猎 They must hunt successfully
否则蚁群无法壮大 or the colony cannot grow
故事就始于一个 Our story is set in a parallel world to our own
小而强大的怪物漫游之地 a place where miniture monsters roam,
以暴力为法则 violence is the law
以数量与力量制胜 and the most numerous and powerful survive
可怕烈蚁的虫吃虫世界 This is the bug-eats-bug world of the dreaded Siafu,
非洲行军蚁 the African driver ants
[蚂蚁攻击]
行军蚁没有固定巢穴 Driver ants don't have a permanent home
它们是游牧部落 they are nomads
每隔23天左右 Every 23 days or so,
它们就从森林这处搬往另一处 they move from one part of the forest to another
如今他们在这里 and now they are here,
开辟新的猎场 somewhere exploring new hunting grounds
寻找暂住之地 and searching for a temporary home
从地狱来的邻居 the neighbors from hell
尽管数量庞大 Yet despite their huge numbers,
你几乎不会注意到它们的存在 you'd hardly notice they were here at all
它们避开光线 They shun the light, operating down there
在地面的枯叶间活动 mainly amongst the dead leaves on the forest floor
他们是一群侵略者 They're swarm raiders,
在林中穿梭 spreading through the forest
猎杀任何会动的东西 searching relentlessly for anything that moves
胃口极大的超级捕食者 A super predator with a mother of all appetites
以强大群体狩猎 By hunting in such enormous group,
行军蚁能击败 the ants can bring down creatures
比自己大得多的生物 much larger than themselves
当一只蚂蚁找到猎物 When one ant finds prey,
她会释放一种化学警示气味 she releases a chemical alarm signal
很快数百只蚂蚁会加入进攻 and within seconds hundreds of ants join the attack
他们的体型差异很大 They vary considerably in size
最大的是兵蚁 半英寸长 The largest is a soldier, half an inch long
[1.27厘米]
跟所有工蚁一样 没有眼睛 and like all the workers she has no eyes
她完全看不见 She's totally blind
靠两条触角辨别方向 She finds her way about using her two antennae
每条触角都有数百万毛发 each covered in millions of hairs
以及能感应气味 震动 and sensory pits alive to smells,
和触摸的感觉窝 viberations and touch
它的脑部极小 Her brain is minute
而巨大的头部充满肌肉 Instead, her large head is packed with muscles
以移动庞大锋利的颚 that move her gigantic razor-sharp jaws
它的工作是保护蚁群 Her job is to protect the colony
因为行军蚁也有天敌 for even driver ants have enemies
需要切割较重物体时 And when heavy duty cutting is required
强有力的颚 her powerful jaws can slice
能轻松割穿猎物的毛皮 through a victim's skin like a knife through butter
大部分攻击及屠杀工作 Most of the attacking and
由中型的工蚁承担 butchering though is the job of the medium worker
体型约为兵蚁一半 She's about half the size of a soldier,
同样看不见 配有较小的 also blind and equipped with smaller
但嵌齿的颚 but tooth-studded jaws
以此 兵蚁和工蚁 Between them, soldiers and
几乎能击败任何猎物 medium workers can bring down almost anything
包括跟蝗虫一样 including creatures as large and powerful
大而有力的生物 as a grasshopper
他们以压倒性数量 They rely on overwhelming numbers
及耐力捕获猎物 and sheer persistence to capture their prey
他们也承担大部分运输工作 They also provide most of the transport
在他们腿上轻快游走的是更小的工蚁 Skittering above their feet is one of the smaller workers
跟其他一样看不见 Blind like the others
只有八分之一英寸长 and just an 8th of an inch long
[约3毫米]
她是个帮手 she's a general helper who can
帮忙捕杀 筑巢 清洁等工作 do any job from butchering to building,to cleaning
三种蚂蚁合作 All 3 types cooperate to carry
沿猎食线路将猎物 push or pull their prey along the supply lines
从前线搬至下个巢穴 from the swarm's raiding front to their next home
新领地的第一天 During day one in the new territory
先遣队就小有收获 the advance party has had some success
蚂蚁大军跟任何大军一样需要储粮 The ant army like any army marches on its stomach
第一批食粮已妥善隐藏 And the first provisions have been stashed away
以备蚁群后方的到来 ready for the arrival of the rest of the colony
第一波工蚁 Already the first wave of workers
已进入森林 is moving into the forest
它们沿着前方蚂蚁留下的 They follow chemical trails that
足以维持一天的 last for about a day
气味痕迹前进 laid down by the ants ahead of them
新巢穴是一棵树 Their new home is in a hollow
倒下后的空洞 at the base of a fallen tree
但目前还在建造中 But the property is still only a building site
建筑工蚁扩大面积 Construction workers enlarge the area
地面工蚁将岩屑 while ground workers shift debris
从主穴搬离 from the main chamber
这些小生物很强壮 These tiny creatures are strong
每只蚂蚁的负重 Each is carrying a load that in human
以人类尺度计算 terms would be more than enough
奥运举重员也无法承担 for an Olympic weight-lifter
它们能在两天内 Together, they'll shift
搬移多达80磅泥土 up to 80 pounds of soil in a couple of days
[约36公斤]
它们得快速工作 And they'll have to work fast
因为蚁群主力 for the main colony is
将从旧巢慢慢注入 beginning to trickle in from the old nest site
进入新巢穴时 When they enter the new chamber,
部分工蚁会连在一起 some of the workers link together to
组成蚂蚁索环 form long garlands of ants
连接地板和天花 that join floor to ceiling
它们开始在蚁巢中形成一个 They start to form a protective bivouac
形如大圆篮子的保护性营地 shaped like a large round basket inside the nest hollow
整座巢穴 And the whole structure
将完全由蚂蚁组成 will be made entirely of living ants
它们所等待的是 All they're waiting for now
足够的工蚁来填充空隙 is enough workers to fill the gaps
旧巢与新巢之间 Between the old nest and the new,
筑路工蚁铺建 road gangs prepare the route
剩余部队行走的道路 along which the rest of the colony will trek
它们开掘道路 They excavate
建造路堤 build embankments
挖掘隧道 and dig tunnels,
总是极力隐藏自己 always trying to keep themselves hidden from view
它们清除大块的泥土 They clear the highway of large
以保持道路畅通 pieces of soil that might slow down the traffic
饥饿的劳动工需要食物 And a hungry workforce must eat
由于长着巨型的颚 due to their enormous jaws
较大的蚂蚁无法自己吃食 the larger ones can't feed themselves
由较小的蚂蚁喂食 so smaller ants spoon-feed them
但首先得捕获食物 But first they must catch the food
先遣队已从 The advance party has
落叶层下找出蚯蚓 uncovered earthworms from under the leaf litter
蚂蚁寻找蚯蚓体节间的薄弱部位 The ants search for weak points between segments
用触角不停触摸探视 Their feelers constantly tasting and touching
一旦发现正确部位 When they've found the right spot, their
下颚会以相当于 jaws close with the equivalent force
压碎机的力量合并 of a car crushing machine
蚯蚓一分为二 and one worm becomes two
蚯蚓被切成小块 It's been divided into handy chunks
然后搬回营地 and then hauled back to camp
所有肉食都通过捷径 All the meat is fast track
有序地运到巢穴深处的厨房 to the kitchen orderlies deep in the nest
在这里 食物被切开 Here, it's choped,
嚼碎并分发给其他蚂蚁 chewed and distributed to the other ants
先遣队保证塞满储藏室的同时 And while the advance party ensures the larder is full
庞大家庭的其他成员准备 the rest of the huge family prepares
离开旧的巢穴 to leave the old nest site
第二天 大迁移正在进行 It's day two and the massive excuation is underway
蚂蚁沿着熟悉的道路前进 The ants march along well-worn tracks
原本前线蚁群 originally the foraging
从旧巢出发的掠食路线 trails between the old nest and the swarm front
现已成为蚁后和蚁群 but now the main roads along
通过的主要干线 which queen and colony will pass
它们的足迹 Their track is about the
有两个足球场尾部相接那么长 length of two football pitches laid end to end
而且它们并非徒手迁移 And they're not travelling empty-handed
每只蚂蚁身下挂着一只幼虫或蛹 Each ant carries a larva or a pupa hung below her body
相当于人类 The equivalent of us running a marathon
背一袋土豆跑马拉松 while carrying a sack of potatoes
中途没有休息 and not stopping for a rest
整个迁移将花上三天 The entire emigration can take up to 3 days
过程看似混乱 It seems chaotic
但每只蚂蚁 but every ant in this
在非一般的混乱中 extraordinary melee knows exactly
都深知其职 what she's doing
有巨颚的兵蚁列在路边 Giant soldiers with their massive jaws line the route
护送搬运卵的工蚁 so the workers with their precious
在活的大道中安全转移 cargo can travel safely along a living avenue
通行率可达每小时25万只蚂蚁 They're passing at a rate of 250,000 ants an hour
有些无意间背负渗入者 Some unwittingly carry infiltrators
小蚂蚁也是更小的螨虫的宿主 Even tiny ants are host to even tinier mites
侵略军的数量在增大 The invading army is building in numbers
蚁后随臣民迁移 Traveling with her subjects is the queen
身长2英寸 At 2 inches long,
[约5厘米]
世上最大的蚂蚁 she is the largest ant in the world
她是新蚁后 And she is a new queen
其母后的蚁群过大并划分后 When her mother's colony grew too large and divided
一半工蚁转而效忠她 half the workers switched their allegiance
并伴随她第一次迁移 and now accompany her on her first emigration
她庞大的身躯一路 Her enormous bulk has been coaxed along the trail
被护送到巢穴中心 and now she takes her place at the heart of the nest
蚁后入住她的宫殿 The queen is in her palace
已颇具雏形的宫殿 and what a palace it's become
一个活的营地 It's a living bivouac
由蚂蚁组成的巢穴 a nest made entirely of ants
所有内墙都由蚂蚁组成 All its internal walls are made of ants
所有走廊及卧室 all its corridors and chambers
均由活的砖块砌成 constructed of living bricks
当蚁群都聚集在 And when they are all assembled
新的大本营 in their new stronghold,
会形成世上最庞大的军队之一 they form one of the largest concentrations of ants on earth
由活的墙保护的是育幼室 Protected by these living walls are the nurseries
一波波的幼虫搬运工在此卸货 where wave after wave of brood carriers deliver their load
第三天结束时 By the end of day three,
育幼室将塞满幼虫和蛹 they're packed with larvae and pupae
在蚁后室 In the royal chamber,
蚁后还未重新开始正常工作 the queen has yet to restart her normal duties
迁移前 她停止产卵 Before her journey, she stopped egg
减轻体重 production in order to slim down
以便迁移 and make traveling easier
如今 她跟处女蚁后一样 Now, like a virgin queen
散发一种特殊气味 she produces a special scent that
吸引从其他巢穴飞入的雄蚁 attracts winged male ants who fly in from other nests
雄蚁同样体型巨大 The male is also enormous,
跟蚁后体型相当 on a similar scale to the queen
蚁后散发的气味极具魅力 The scents she produces are irresistible
只需小量便可吸引雄蚁 Just a few molecules will grab a male's attention
雄蚁设法进入巢穴 He searches for a way into the nest
但守卫发现了他 But a guard patrol has found him
其他蚂蚁最初视他为食物 and at first the other ants see him as food
他已陷入致命危险 He's actually in mortal danger
大军把他当成猎物涌向他 The army smothers him as if he were prey
但又有些犹豫 but their attentions falter
雄蚁也释放气味 He also produces scents to
证明自己适合交配 demonstrate his fitness to be consort
如果通过大军检验则被接受 If he passes muster, he'll be accepted
如果不通过 则会被吃掉 and if he doesn't, he'll be for the chop
蚁群想剪断他的翅膀 They try to clip his wings,
他才能穿过巢穴入口 so he'll fit through the nest entrance
雄蚁很配合 but he cooperates
利用腹部末端的螫针 using spikes at the end of his abdomen,
扯掉一只翅膀 he pulls one off himself
任何东西都不会浪费 Nothing is wasted
即使翅膀也有营养价值 even a wing has some nutritional value
其他工蚁带他进入巢穴 The rest of the workers take him into the nest
他取得他们的支持 he has their support,
至少暂时如此 at least for the time being
他将接受观察 he's on probation
跟蚁后交配前 Until he actually mates with the queen,
他仍可能受攻击 he could still be attacked
另一只翅膀也被摘除 Another wing is removed
他很快就能体面地 He'll soon be presentable
觐见蚁后 for his audience with the queen
进入新领土的第五天 It's day 5 in the new territory
没有进行婚飞 There's no nuptial flight
蚁后的新配偶 instead the queen's new
被直接带入蚁后室 consort is guided directly to the royal chamber
他不是蚁后的第一任配偶 He's not the first consort to the queen
或许也不是最后一任 and he probably won't be the last
行军蚁后相对非常滥交 Driver ant queens are, for ants, unusually promiscuous
他只是蚁后一生中临幸的众多追求者之一 he'll be one of many suitors she'll entertain during her lifetime
雄蚁交配完并退出后 即会死亡 His job done, he retires from the royal chamber and dies
短暂而多产的一生 a short but productive life
他将是数百万饥饿待哺的 for he'll father several million new ants
新生蚂蚁的父亲 with hungry mouths
宝贵的巢穴 The precious building for
为蚁群提供源源不断的食物 the colony to provide more and more food
突袭军向西进发 The raiders head west
而且不限于地面 and they don't stay on the ground
树林里食物丰盛 There's plenty to eat up here in the trees
一只雄犀鸟将幼鸟 A male hornbill cements his family
安置在树干的洞里 into a hole in a trunk
留下一个狭小缝隙传递食物 leaving a small gap through which he passes food
这样能防树蛇 但防不住蚂蚁 It will keep out tree snakes but not ants
行军蚁在几小时内 Driver ants would strip the flesh from
就能剥去雌犀鸟 the female hornbill and her chicks
及幼鸟的皮 in a matter of hours
难怪雄鸟会紧张 He's understandably nervous
蚂蚁爬树就如跑步般 The ants are as adept at climbing as
驾轻就熟 they're at running
在阴暗潮湿的森林 As long as the forest is dark and humid
他们在树上能灵活得 they seem as at home in the trees
就像在地上 as they are on the ground
大军步步逼近 The army is close
但却遥不可及 but not close enough
如果蚂蚁爬得太高 太分散 If the ants climb too high and are too spread out
数量上无法制伏猎物 they'll be too few to overwhelm prey
鸟巢无法够及 This nest is out of reach
幼鸟安全了 her family is safe
但树上的猎物数不胜数 But there's plenty more prey up here
蛞蝓是行军蚁的理想猎物 Slugs are fair game for dirver ants
它们不会逃跑 they don't run away
第一只蚂蚁接触 The first ant makes contact
接着第二只 And then another
其他一拥而上 others come running
蛞蝓试图无视进攻 The slug tries to sit out the attack
但蚂蚁数量太多 There're so many ants
受害者只剩唯一退路 The victim uses the only escape route left to it
但蚂蚁也跳下来 The ants fall too
他们通常用这种非凡方式 they often use this unconventional
从树上跳下 way to get down from the trees
可怜的蛞蝓 But the unforturnate slug
从油锅上掉进了火炉里 has fallen from the frying pan into the fire
无数蚂蚁在地面伺机而动 And aweful lot of ants are milling about down here
他们涌向猎物 They smother their prey
但蛞蝓还有一招锦囊妙计 But the slug has a trick up its sleeve
成效虽慢 但保护性高 It may be slow, but it's well-protected
蛞蝓的身体覆盖着一层 Its entire body is covered in a thick
厚厚的有毒黏液 and noxious slime
粘性非常强 It's so glutinous that's
蚂蚁的颚一旦进去便拔不出 once their jaws are in, they can't get them out
其他蚂蚁想伸出援手 Other ants seem to give a helping hand
这只已被牢牢粘住 But this one is firmly stuck
不管如何挣扎 就是无法挣脱 Try as she might, she just can't get away
有些不仅是颚被粘牢 For some, it's not just their jaws that are trapped
她就快挣脱了 She's almost free
接着惊奇的事发生了 then something remarkable happens
一些工蚁搬来些小泥粒 Some of the workers begin to bring particles of soil
放在蛞蝓身上 and place them on the slug
这样一来 黏液就像 In this way, the slime is soaked up
吸水纸上的墨水般被吸光 like ink on blotting paper
蛞蝓渐渐地 Gradually the slug
消失在小泥粒和蚂蚁脚下 disappears under a riving mass of earth and ants
随着保护衣的失效 With its protective coat neutralised,
蚂蚁由下攻击蛞蝓 the ants attack the slug underneath
蛞蝓慢慢被切碎 Slowly the victim is sliced up
一片片 小肉块被搬移 Piece by piece, small chunks are pulled away
肉被移走后 As the flesh is removed,
屠夫们摇身变为搬运工 the butchers switch roles and become transporters
将食物沿着 They carry the food along
掠食路线搬回营地 the foraging trails back to camp
幼虫今晚能饱餐一顿 the larvae will be fed tonight
第十天 蚁后恢复超级母亲的 By day 10, the queen resumes her primary role
主要作用 as super mother
终极产卵机器 the ultimate egg-laying machine
一头进食 Food is served to her at one end
另一头产卵 and eggs appear at the other
一个月能产多达两百万只卵 She produces a staggering 2 million eggs a month
蚂蚁们在蚁后周围忙碌着 A palace of staff bustles around her
收集卵并悉心照顾蚁后 collecting packages of eggs grooming her constantly
她是蚁群中最具价值的资源 She's the colony's most valueable asset
连接未来的纽带 a link to the future
她身边的蚂蚁都鞠躬尽瘁 The ants around her are quite prepared to die for her
并非出于对母亲的爱 not because of any love for a mother
仅仅是在保护 but simply because they're protecting the
成就他们自己的 blueprints that makes them
未来蓝图 what they are and what they do
蚂蚁捡起珍贵的卵 They pick up clumps of the precious
小心地运到育幼室 eggs and gently carry them away to the nursery
已经庞大的蚂蚁数量还在以指数增长 The already huge ant population is increasing exponentially
对食物的需求也在不断增大 and the demand for food is growing astronomically
食物的需求量空前高涨 There's a need for a greater than ever increasing rations
扫荡完北部和西部 Having raided to the north and west
并消灭完所有 and eliminated every living thing
会爬的生物 that slithers or crawls
大军向南进发 the column heads south
他们来到一片潮湿的沼泽地 The raid takes them into a wet and swampy area
但这不算什么 This is no deterrent
行军蚁精通跨越崎岖地带 diver ants are proficient at crossing difficult terrain
但河流却是他们也无法跨越的 But a river is something even they can't manage
他们已达领土的南部边缘 They've reached the southern edge of their territory
水和蚂蚁无法交融 and water and ants don't mix
他们只能返回内陆 They head back inland
却遇到另一个障碍 and straight into another barrier
但小水塘也不算什么 But a shallow pond is no obstacle
为了跨越水塘 In order to cross,
蚂蚁们建了座桥 the ants simply build a bridge
由树叶和蚂蚁本身建成的 It's made out of leaves and the ants themselves
一座活桥 a living bridge
这群侵略者跨过水塘 The swarm raiders stream across the pond
但收获不佳 but the raid is failing
只有少量食物 They're carrying little food
蚂蚁大军撤退了 the ants retreat
但时来运转 But fortunes change
突袭军找到 the raiding party has
一个看似强劲的猎物 flushed out what seems an unassailable quarry
淡水蟹在森林中很常见 Freshwater crabs are common in the forest,
但却是行军蚁的理想猎物 but a surprising target for ants
最初 突袭队使用惯用招数 At first, the raiders do what's natural
爬到猎物的身上 They swarm or over their intended victim
但没法用小颚 but there's no way their tiny jaws
刺入淡水蟹厚厚的外壳 are going to pierce the crab's thick outer skeleton
自然地 他们转而找薄弱点 Instinctively, they probe for its weak points
一小队蚂蚁检查腿和爪子 One group examines the legs and claws for a way in
这具有危险性 It has its dangers
蚂蚁们找到脆弱的关节 They search for the vulnerable joints
并进入腿部 and hack their way into the leg
用刀一样的颚 using knife-like mandibles,
割下软组织 they slice away the soft tissue
随着关节被割开 裂口扩大 and as the joint is ripped and the tear widened
较小的工蚁就能直接 the smaller workers are able to climb
爬进蟹腿 获取里面的肌肉 right into the crab's legs to reach the muscles inside
另一队蚂蚁从口部下手 Another group checks out the mouth
他们合作默契 They seem to work together
较大的兵蚁撬开口部 The larger soldiers prise open the mouth parts,
让较小的工蚁钻进去 so smaller workers can squeeze
进攻里面的软组织 through and attack the soft tissues behind
蚂蚁体型不及螃蟹 The ants are dwarfed by the crab
但以多数同时攻击 Yet with so may attacking at one time,
即便全身武装的蟹也毫无胜算 even a fully armoured crab doesn't stand a chance
蚂蚁由内吃到外 Ants eat from inside out
第22天 突袭队 By day 22, raiding parties have
扫遍了领土的每部分 quartered almost every part of their territory
而育幼室里 and down in the brood chambers,
有四百万幼虫待哺 there are now 4 million more mouths to feed
幼虫食量巨大 The larvae are voracious
突袭队只能勉强满足 and the raiders barely keep pece
他们对食物的需求 with their demand for food
这个家庭正面临危机 The family is at a crisis point
森林只剩一片区域可探索 There's just one part of the forest left to explore
而他们在此有意外收获 And here they stumble upon an unexpected prize
一个林木白蚁冢 A mound made by forest termites
白蚁都有固定的巢穴 Termites have a permanent home
更像一座堡垒 more a fortress than a nest
里面有两百万只白蚁 Inside live 2 million residents
有翅白蚁正飞离蚁冢 now wing termites are leaving the safety of the mound
他们是未来的蚁王和蚁后 They're the future kings and queens
而且它们会进行婚飞 and they do go on a nuptial flight
傍晚 白蚁们飞离巢穴 Late in the day, they emerge from the nest
少数飞得不够远 Just a few fail to fly very far
很容易就成为猎物 they'll be easy pickings
短暂的王朝随着生命结束 The reign is very short, as with its life
蚂蚁大军涌向任何不合格的白蚁 The ants swarm over any termite that fall short
工蚁试图控制 The work detail tries to
并剪断笨重的翅膀 control and snip off the unmanageable wings
对小蚂蚁来说 For a tiny ant,
这就像跟巨大的帆摔跤 it's like wrestling with a gigantic sail
其他蚂蚁紧抓白蚁的腿 Others anchor down their victim
将其按在地面 by holding on to its legs
搬运工不停拉扯 As the hauliers keep pulling and pushing,
屠夫们不停切割 the butchers keep slicing
突袭队拖着无头死尸 The raiding party heads home
打道回府 with an almost headless victim
但他们捕获的白蚁 But their haul of a few ditch
远远无法满足蚁群 termites is far less than the colony needs
夜幕慢慢降临 As the evening draws in and
温度下降 蚂蚁昏昏欲睡 the temperature drops the ants become lethargic
于是返回巢穴休息 They head back to their nest for the night
但他们却错过了 but in returning home, they miss out on the
森林里长期以来的 biggest feast there's been in this part
最大盛宴 of the forest for a long time
有翅白蚁大部分今晚离巢 The main exodus of wing termites is this night
成千上万只同时飞出 tens of thousands emerge at the same time
这能为行军蚁提供大量食物 This would be such a glut of ant food,
能让两千万行军蚁 it would satisfy the 20 million
吃上几天 of them for several days
但行军蚁已离开 But the ants are not here
白蚁展翅飞翔 The termites are on the wing,
盛宴飞走了 the feast is flying away
而幼蚁们 and the ant brood is
需要更多食物 demanding increasingly more food
如果没有食物 If none is forthcoming,
新一代只能等待 the new generagtion could be put on hold
接下来的24小时至关重要 The next 24 hours are critical
新的一天对蚁群是新的挑战 A new day and for the ants a renewed challenge
他们搬来已有23天 This has been their home for 23 days
成功捕猎意味着森林储粮即将掏空 successful hunting means their forest larder is almost bare
大军倾巢出动 The entire army is mobilizing
突袭队进军最后一个 The raiding parties head out to the last place
能找到食物的地方 they'd found food
捕获少量有翅白蚁的地方 where they had pinned down the few wing termites
他们的方位 The bearing they've taken is
直接导向白蚁冢 leading them straight towards the termite mound itself
蚂蚁和白蚁 Ants and termites have
早在一亿年前就是宿敌 been adversaries for over 100 million years
两大军队 Now their armies of today are
今天即将碰撞 on a collision course
但在实际接触前 but without any physical contact,
看不见的行军蚁不知道前方是白蚁 the blind army is as unaware of the termites ahead
白蚁也不知道行军蚁正在逼近 as the termites are of the approaching ants
行军蚁开始爬满 They begin to swarm over the outside
白蚁冢外围 of the termite towers
一时间 that for the moment,
他们只能感觉到干泥 appear to them to be just mounds of dried mud
护卫兵已就位 Guards are posted
其他蚂蚁从每个缝隙搜寻食物 while others explore every crevice for any sign of food
第一次接触 First contact,
行军蚁知道这边有动静 the ants know there's something here
改变方向 向报警气味涌去 and change direction towards the alarm signal
他们聚集在四周 They mass around,
守卫兵对任何意外保持警戒 the guards alert for any unpleasant surprises
这是未知领域 This is unknown territory
任何东西都可能在伺机而动 anything could be lying in wait down there
一只工蚁谨慎地探索洞口 A worker gingerly explores the gapping hole
侦察队会留下气味痕迹给同伴 and a scouting party lays a scent trail for others to follow
行动扩大 进攻开始 Activity increases, an assault is on
其他行军蚁找到了白蚁的觅食隧道 Other ants have found the termites' foraging tunnels
爬进里面 and scramble inside
隧道很窄 The tunnels are narrow and not
不是行军蚁喜欢的开放空间 at all like the open spaces driver ants prefer
长着巨大颚和头部的 Termite soldiers with enormous
白蚁士兵准备查看入侵情况 jaws and heads prepare to check the incursion
一个白蚁士兵向入侵者 A soldier termite confronts the invaders
表示威吓 with a threat display
但吓不退行军蚁 but it's not going to impress a driver ant
行军蚁深入巢穴 The ants penetrate deep into the nest
白蚁加强警告 and the residents intensify their warning
白蚁暂居上风 First blood is to the termites
但隧道守卫即将被击垮 but the tunnel guards are in danger of being overrun
行军蚁冲破第一道防线 The ants break through the first line of defence
行军蚁的另一波进攻轻松取胜 Another wave of ants advances unchallenged
但进攻未能按计划进行 but the attack is not going to plan
在隧道里 In the tunnels, the ants
行军蚁陷入一对一的决斗 become embroiled in one to one duels
两颚相争 陷入僵局 The jaw to jaw combat is at a stalemate
行军蚁和白蚁不相上下 ants and termites seem locked in a lethal embrace
两者势均力敌 The adversaries are well-matched
行军蚁准备撤离 The ants are pulling out
他们得另寻别处 Their army will have to look elsewhere
但不是所有都能返回蚁巢 But not all are going home
只有成功撤退的才行 Those who can move out do so
行军蚁不敌白蚁大军 the termite mound has defeated them
他们得在森林别处寻找食物 They must find food in another part of the forest
对于蚂蚁大军 巨大转折不可避免 For the ant army, a big change is inevitable
蚁后被迫转移 The queen makes ready for a journey
下层蚂蚁集齐 The lower ranks gather up all the
育幼室的所有幼蚁 larvae in the nursery
将他们搬出洞口 and move them to the nest entrance
他们已耗光 They've depleted the food
巢穴周边的食物 必须离开 supply in the vicinity of their nest and must leave
他们已逗留过久 They've outstayed their welcome
突袭队已找到 Swarm raiding parties have
一个2百码外的食物营地 located a concentration of food 200 yards further on
整个蚁群 so the entire colony
再次迁移开发领地 must relocate in order to exploit it
他们在此肆虐完 They've wreaked havoc here
继续进军 so they're moving on to terrorise
森林下一处 another part of the forest
但行军蚁对森林的平衡举足轻重 Yet the ants are important to the forest's well-being
大规模猎杀昆虫和蛞蝓 The wholesale culling of bugs
确保没有一个物种占支配地位 and slugs ensures that no one species dominates
行军蚁帮助维持大范围 Driver ants help maintain the huge range
动植物间的平衡 of plants and animals
尽管猎杀无数 Despite all the killing,
行军蚁仍是森林的重要一部分 driver ants are an essential part of forest life
在多方面 还是好的 In many ways, the good guys after all