说起地球上最高大的生物
The biggest living thing
我们一定会想到植物
that exists on this planet is a plant...
..like this giant sequoia tree in California.
﻿例如这棵
﻿位于加利福尼亚州的巨型红杉
﻿植物无论是巨型红杉这样的参天大树
Plants, whether they are enormous, like this one,
﻿还是个体十分微小的植物
or microscopic, are the basis of all life,
﻿都为包括人类在内的所有生命
﻿提供了生存基础
including ourselves.
﻿我们所需的每口食物
We depend upon them for every mouthful of food that we eat
and every lung full of air that we breathe.
﻿呼吸到的每口空气都离不开植物
﻿地球上的植物种类多繁多、形式多样
Plants flourish in remarkable ways,
﻿然而在它们的世界里
yet, for the most part,
﻿绝大多数的秘密依然很少为人所知
the secrets of their world have been hidden from us...
﻿现在让我们来一探究竟
..until now.
﻿如今我们利用前沿技术
Now we have new ground-breaking technology that enables us
﻿得以进入这一鲜为人知的奇妙世界
to enter their extraordinary world
﻿以植物自身的视角体验它们的生活
and see their lives from their perspective.
﻿这部系列片将为我们揭示
This series will reveal the extraordinary
﻿众多植物非凡的行为
and dramatic ways in which plants behave...
﻿我们还将探索在截然不同的生存环境
..and we will explore the challenges demanded by
﻿向它们提出的严峻挑战
the very different landscapes in which they live.
热带雨林
The tropics.
﻿这里是地球上生物物种最为丰富
The richest and most competitive place
同时竞争也最为激烈的地区
in which to survive.
﻿奇异的水世界
The bizarre water world...
﻿巨型植物激烈对战
..where giants fight ferocious battles,
植物绝杀动物
and plants eat animals alive.
﻿荒漠世界
Deserts...
﻿啊
Agh!
﻿以及超乎想象的极端环境
A world of extremes.
﻿以及超乎想象的极端环境
﻿在季节性变化明显的地区
Seasonal lands...
﻿生存取决于精准的时机把握
..where survival depends on precision timing.
﻿生存取决于精准的时机把握
﻿每一集节目中我们都将关注
And everywhere, we will explore the critical
﻿植物与动物乃至与我们人类之间
and intimate relationships between plants and animals,
﻿重要而密切的关系
including ourselves.
﻿让我们一起
Join me in a world that takes you by surprise...
﻿步入这个奇妙迷人的绿色世界
﻿以植物的视角另辟蹊径
..and see our planet as never before...
﻿重新审视我们的地球
..from the plants' perspective.
﻿欢迎收看
This is The Green Planet.
﻿《绿色星球》
绿 色 星 球
雨 林 天 地
﻿我来到了位于哥斯达黎加的
I'm in Costa Rica, in the heart of a rainforest,
﻿热带雨林深处
the richest and most dynamic environment on Earth.
﻿这里的生物物种极为丰富
﻿充满生命活力
﻿尽管雨林只占地球表面的
Rainforests only cover a very small proportion
﻿很小一部分
of the Earth's surface,
﻿但生活在这里的动植物
yet they contain over half of all known
﻿占地球所有已知物种的一半以上
species of animals and plants.
﻿位于高处的繁茂林冠
Up here, the forest's canopy is bathed by life-giving sunlight.
﻿沐浴在赋予万物生机的阳光之下
﻿大树的枝干
The branches of the great trees
carry rich, flourishing sky gardens...
﻿构建了一座座多姿多彩的“空中花园”
﻿令人赏心悦目的植物不计其数
..home to countless different kinds of beautiful plants.
﻿每一个物种都演化出了
Each species has evolved its own exquisite solution
﻿独特巧妙的生存策略
to the challenges of survival.
﻿这片森林看似安静祥和
This forest world may look peaceful,
﻿亘古不变
timeless and unchanging,
﻿但事实远非如此
but that is far from the truth.
﻿这里就是战场
This is a battlefield.
﻿在这片森林中
Throughout this forest, plants are competing ferociously
﻿植物为了争夺光照
﻿彼此间展开了激烈的竞争
with one another to claim the light.
﻿这场战斗在森林的地表处最为激烈
The battle is at its fiercest on the forest floor...
﻿只有2%的阳光可以照射到地表
..where only 2% of the sunlight filters through.
﻿植物想在这里生长 就需要等待时机
Plants here have to bide their time.
﻿当一棵老树死去时
Their opportunity comes when an old tree dies.
﻿它们的机会就出现了
﻿老树倒下后 阳光就可以倾泻到地面
When that happens, sunlight floods the forest floor
for the first time in perhaps 100 years.
﻿这大概是百年一遇的良机
﻿幼苗的等待终于结束了
The seedling's wait is over.
﻿它现在必须全力冲向天空
It must now race skywards
﻿在林冠层占据一席之地
and claim a place in the canopy.
﻿但它无法独享这一刻
But it's not alone.
﻿竞争对手无处不在
Rivals are everywhere,
﻿每株幼苗都有自己的生存策略
each with its own survival strategy.
Some plants, like this monstera,
﻿像这棵龟背竹属植物
﻿它极力伸展开裂的叶片
stretch out divided leaves to collect what light they can.
﻿尽可能地吸收阳光
﻿近旁的藤蔓挥动卷须
This vine is groping blindly around with its tendrils.
﻿盲目地在空中探索
﻿想搭个顺风车得到更多的光照
It attempts to reach the light by hitching a ride.
﻿它的卷须具备十分敏锐的触觉
Its tendrils are highly sensitive to touch.
﻿咫尺之遥的龟背竹属植物成为了目标
And a suitable target is in range.
﻿锁定
Got it!
﻿在卷须缠牢之后
The vine tightens its grip
﻿藤蔓开始向上攀爬
and begins to haul itself upwards.
﻿不过它被森林中
But it's now overtaken
﻿一种生长最快的树木轻松赶超
by the forest's fastest-growing tree.
﻿这是一棵年幼的轻木
A young balsa.
﻿它巨大的叶片长到了 40厘米宽
Its giant leaves are already 40cm across
﻿足以夺走下方植物的光线
and are stealing the light from its rivals below.
﻿但轻木要谈胜利还为时尚早
But the balsa's battle is not yet won.
﻿还有一种藤蔓在伺机行动
Other, different vines are lying in wait.
﻿这种藤蔓的卷须附有，十多个小爪般的倒钩
Each is armed with dozens of claw-like hooks.
﻿只要任何一个倒钩命中目标
If just one hook gets a grip,
﻿藤蔓就最展开死命缠绞
the vine will be able to smother its victim.
﻿然而轻木的叶片上
But the balsa is defended by a shield of slippery hairs.
﻿长满了柔滑的绒毛如同盾牌一般
﻿藤蔓的倒钩难以抓牢
The vine's hooks just can't get a hold.
﻿轻木扫落纠缠者
The balsa brushes them aside...
﻿继续冲向天空
..and continues to rush skywards...
﻿它的那些手下败将只能在阴影中
..leaving the losers in its shadow
to fight among themselves.
﻿继续厮杀
这棵轻木终于在这场阳光之战中胜出
This balsa has won its battle for the light.
﻿这番战斗只用了一年多的时间
And it's done so in a little over a year.
﻿一年时间大多数树木只能长三厘米
Most trees would have grown an inch or so in that time,
﻿但这棵轻木已经长到10米左右了
but this one is already 30 feet - 10 metres - tall.
﻿轻木之所以能脱颖而出
Balsas owe their success
to the special character of their wood.
﻿是因为其特殊的木质
如果这段树干来自于硬木树种
If this section of tree trunk came from a hardwood tree,
it would be really quite heavy.
﻿那么它就会非常重
﻿但实际上它来自于轻木
But as it is,
it's from balsa,
﻿你看它的质量很轻
and it's really very light,
and that's because of its internal structure.
﻿其奥秘就在于轻木的内部结构
﻿在显微镜下
Under the microscope, balsawood looks like a honeycomb.
﻿轻木木材的横截面就像一个蜂巢
﻿它的内部有很多孔隙
It contains more air than wood,
﻿因此它能生长得飞快
so, not only can it grow very fast,
﻿以较轻的质量
but it gets the maximum height for minimum weight.
﻿达到多数植物无法企及的高度
﻿但要实现快速生长
But fast growth needs something else.
﻿植物离不开外界的支持
﻿它们需要养料 大量的养料
Fuel...
..and lots of it.
﻿植物的叶片在吸收阳光之后
That fuel is created in a plant's leaves,
as they soak up the sun.
﻿才会产生另一种养料
﻿而产生养料的过程
It's a process called photosynthesis...
﻿就是我们常说的光合作用
﻿这种化学反应是地球上所有生命的基础
..a chemical reaction that is the basis of all life on Earth.
Leaves are covered by thousands of microscopic pores
﻿叶片上有着成千上万的小孔
called stomata.
﻿它们被称为气孔
﻿气孔打开时
When open, they extract carbon dioxide from the air,
﻿就会从空气中吸收二氧化碳
and, using energy from the sun,
﻿并利用太阳的能量
combine it with nutrients to build the plant's tissues.
﻿将其与营养物质结合构成植物的组织
﻿而对我们至关重要的是
And critically for us, the process releases the oxygen
﻿光合作用会释放出
﻿人类及其它动物呼吸时所需的氧气
that we and all animals need in order to breathe.
﻿但对植物来说 它们也处于被动之处
But for plants, there is a downside.
These precious, energy-packed leaves attract predators...
﻿这些富含能量的宝贵茎叶会引来天敌
﻿它们形形色色
..in every shape...
大小不同
..size...
﻿行为各异
..and agility.
﻿树懒的移动速度非常缓慢
A sloth can only move slowly,
﻿它的食谱很单一
but you don't need speed to gather leaves,
﻿采集树叶的工作没必要过于匆忙
and it eats nothing else.
﻿这里的植物
The plants here are under constant attack
﻿不断遭受各种食叶天敌的侵扰
from all kinds of leaf-eaters,
﻿但其中最贪婪的却很难被人们发现
but the most voracious by far is hardly ever seen.
﻿它每天吞噬的叶子多达50000片左右
It consumes 50,000 leaves every day.
﻿甚至能在林间开辟出这样一大片空地
It's created this great clearing in the forest...
﻿而它就生活在我的脚下
..and it lives just beneath my feet.
﻿它是一种叫白环菇属的真菌
It's called leucoagaricus.
﻿既不是动物也不是植物
It's neither animal nor plant.
﻿而是一种真菌
It's a fungus.
﻿它生活在地下大约5米深的地方
It lives five metres underground,
﻿距离它所要吞噬的叶子很远
far from the leaves that it devours.
﻿为了得到叶子
To get them,
﻿它雇用了热带地区最好的采叶工人
it employs the best leaf-gatherers in the tropics.
﻿切叶蚁
Leafcutter ants.
﻿数以百万的切叶蚁为真菌提供食物
Millions of them provide the fungus with its food,
﻿﻿作为回报 真菌也会生长出微小的蘑菇喂养切叶蚁
and in return, the fungus cultivates tiny mushrooms as food for the ants.
﻿真菌释放出化学信号
The fungus releases chemical signals
﻿告诉工蚁们它想“吃”什么种类的叶子
that tell the worker ants what type of leaf it wants to eat.
﻿负责侦察的工蚁
Scouts are sent out with the latest orders.
﻿带着最新下达的命令出发了
﻿工蚁行进成百上千米
Worker ants will travel hundreds of metres
﻿前往寻找符合要求的叶子
to find the right kind.
﻿今天它们采摘的对象就是这棵年轻的红木属植物
Today's crop is being taken from a young bixa tree.
﻿它只有几年的树龄
Just a few years old and still battling to reach the canopy,
﻿正在力图跻身高处
it can ill afford to lose any of its leaves.
﻿任何一片叶子对它都很重要
﻿切叶蚁只需短短几分钟
Between them, the ants can demolish a large leaf
in a matter of minutes.
﻿就能分解一大片叶子
﻿切割叶片的声音
The sound of cutting attracts more ants.
﻿引来了更多的同伴
﻿现在碎叶片将被送往地下
Now the pieces are carried back to the underground fungus.
﻿真菌的所在处
﻿切叶蚁的行进速度
The ants can run at speeds of two metres a minute.
﻿可以达到每分钟两米左右
﻿每只切叶蚁能承担十倍于自身重量的负荷
And each can carry a load ten times its own weight.
﻿在丛林的地面上
It's a river of leaves across the jungle floor...
﻿运输队伍仿佛溪流一般
﻿它们形成了深入森林数公里的采叶网络
..part of a vast network that extends for miles
through the forest.
﻿为了避开路障防止拥堵
To avoid congestion,
﻿工蚁还会自挖通道
worker ants dig trenches around obstacles.
﻿每小时会有数以千计的叶片
Thousands of pieces are delivered every hour
﻿被送往等待大块朵颐的真菌那里
to the waiting fungus.
﻿有了叶片的持续供应
Fed by such a continuous supply,
﻿真菌迅速生长
the fungus grows rapidly,
﻿挤满了它所生活的巢室
filling the chambers in which it lives...
﻿于是切叶蚁不断地为它们开掘空间
..so, the ants excavate more space.
﻿看来真菌占据了上风
It seems that the fungus has the upper hand...
﻿而红木奄奄一息
..and the bixa tree will not survive.
﻿但此时红木发起了反击
But it fights back...
﻿它使用了一种化学武器
..using chemical warfare.
﻿红木的叶子里产生了一种毒素
The bixa tree floods its leaves with toxins
﻿可以杀死地下的真菌
that could kill the distant fungus.
﻿当切叶蚁把切碎的叶片运到地下的时候
As the ants carry the fragments back, they are themselves
﻿就是替红木给真菌下了毒
poisoning the fungus on the tree's behalf.
﻿这是一次远程攻击
It's a long-distance attack.
﻿在毒素的作用下
As the poison takes effect, the ants sense
﻿切叶蚁发现真菌开始变得衰弱
that their fungus is weakening...
﻿真菌及时发出信号
..and they respond to its signals
﻿要求切叶蚁更换树叶来源
by changing to another source of leaves.
﻿受害植物的化学手段迫使切叶蚁
So, the plant's chemical response
﻿不断地从一棵树转移到另一棵树
forces the ants to constantly switch from tree to tree.
﻿一方攻击对方便会展开反击
Strike and counterstrike.
﻿这样就能保证每棵植物
And that ensures that enough leaves remain uneaten
﻿留有足够的叶子恢复生长
for each tree to recover.
﻿一旦植物成年
Once a plant becomes adult,
﻿它们的能量将主要用于繁殖
it can switch its energies
﻿而不再是生长
from growth to reproduction.
﻿美洲的热带雨林从墨西哥
The tropical forests of the Americas stretch from Mexico
﻿一直延伸至亚马孙河的南部流域
to the southern reaches of the Amazon.
﻿这里生长着超过10万种形态各异的植物
They contain more than 100,000 different species of plants,
﻿每一种都拥有十分独到的生存策略
each with its own particular survival strategy.
﻿有一种植物的生长速度极快
One species that has adopted a grow-fast lifestyle
﻿它在这片广袤的地区随处可见
flourishes throughout this vast region.
﻿这就是轻木
The balsa.
﻿但轻木为此付出了高昂的代价
But it has to pay a high price for doing so.
﻿它的树干质地较轻
The lightweight wood that enables it
﻿虽然能够快速生长
to grow at such speed is not strong
﻿却不坚固 很容易被折断
and is easily broken.
﻿因此轻木的树龄很难超过20年
Few balsas live longer than 20 years.
﻿这棵轻木短暂的一生行将结束
This one is approaching the end of its brief life,
﻿现在它必须抓紧时间完成繁殖
so, the time has come for it to reproduce.
﻿轻木不惜耗费大量能量
It has used a huge amount of energy to produce
﻿绽放出森林中最为绚丽的花朵
some of the most extravagant flowers in the forest,
﻿而且多得难以计数
in immense numbers.
﻿每朵花的大小与人的手掌相仿
Each is the size of a human hand.
﻿夜幕降临
As night falls,
﻿轻木备好了一场美味的盛宴
the tree prepares an enticing treat.
﻿这是只蜜熊
This is a kinkajou,
﻿这类浣熊主要以果实为生
a kind of fruit-eating racoon.
﻿轻木的花朵里
Each flower is filled with huge quantities
﻿满是香浓可口的花蜜
of exceptionally rich nectar,
supercharged with sugar.
﻿其中含有大量的糖分
﻿真是难以抗拒的美味
Irresistible!
﻿蜜熊贪婪地取食花蜜
The kinkajous drink so greedily
﻿花粉沾得它们满脸都是
that they get pollen all over their faces.
﻿沾有花粉的蜜熊
So, as they move from tree to tree,
﻿就这样从一棵轻木移动到另一棵
they carry pollen with them.
﻿不过轻木必须做到万无一失
But the balsa leaves little to chance.
﻿花蜜似乎所剩无几了
The nectar might appear to have run out,
﻿但这只是盛宴的第一轮而已
but this is just the first round.
﻿现在轻木的花朵里再次注满了花蜜
Now the balsa refills its flowers,
﻿引诱蜜熊再次光顾
enticing the kinkajous back to repeat the process...
﻿这样的过程一夜会重复7次
..seven times a night.
﻿传粉就这样完成了
Pollination is complete.
﻿至于蜜熊
And the kinkajous - they also get well served,
﻿这样的宴席令它们心满意足
﻿短短几周内就能享受到超过50升花蜜
with over 100 pints of nectar in just a few weeks.
﻿这样的生存策略
Both plant and animal do well out of this arrangement.
﻿使得动植物双方互利共赢
﻿但在热带世界里
But in the tropical world, that isn't always so.
﻿情况并非总是如此
﻿这里是加里曼丹岛
Borneo.
﻿在京那巴鲁山上 有这样一种植物
Here, on the slopes of Mount Kinabalu,
﻿叶子宛如水瓶里面盛满了液体
live plants that eat animals
﻿伺机捕食动物
using pitcher-shaped leaves full of water.
﻿那些被蜜糖吸引而来的昆虫
Insects are attracted by the expectation of nectar,
﻿往往有来无回
but tumble into the pitcher,
﻿落入瓶中难逃被淹死并分解消化的厄运
where they are drowned and absorbed.
﻿在山坡低处
On the lower slopes of the mountain,
﻿生长着一种根本没有叶子的植物
a plant grows that has no leaves at all.
﻿它甚至连茎都没有
Or even a stem.
﻿我们能看到的只有这个
All that can be seen is this -
它的花苞
a bud.
﻿这是一种寄生植物
It is a parasite.
﻿它身体的其余部分侵入了一种藤本植物的组织中
The rest of its body lies within the tissues of a liana,
﻿以此获取养分
on which it feeds.
﻿大约5年后花苞终于绽放
After about five years,
the bud finally opens into a monstrous flower.
﻿变成可怕的巨型花朵
﻿它只有一天左右的时间完成授粉
It now has only a day or so in which to be pollinated
﻿之后就会逐渐枯萎
before it starts to wither.
﻿它的花瓣呈现出血红色
Its petals are the colour of blood.
﻿表面质地坚硬凹凸不平
Their surface is tough and warty.
﻿这朵花似乎长有绒毛
It appears to have fur.
﻿甚至还有胡须和牙齿
Even whiskers and teeth.
﻿乍看之下
At first sight, it might be mistaken for a dead animal.
﻿它可能会被误认为是一具动物的尸体
﻿它就是凯氏大王花
This is rafflesia, the corpse flower.
﻿又被称为腐尸花
﻿凯氏大王花的直径能达到一米
A metre across, it's the world's biggest flower.
﻿是世界上最大的花
﻿这是一朵雄花
And this one is a male.
﻿花朵中央散发着一股刺鼻的腐臭气味
From its centre comes the pungent odour of death.
﻿不是所有动物都能接受这种气味
It's a scent that might not appeal to every animal.
﻿但臭味会让丽蝇趋之若鹫
But it's very attractive to carrion flies.
﻿它们通常喜欢在腐肉上产卵
They lay their eggs on rotting flesh.
﻿这股恶臭引诱丽蝇步步深入
The scent lures the fly deep into the flower
﻿寻找腐肉
in search of meat.
﻿这只丽蝇一无所获
The fly finds nothing.
﻿然而凯氏大王花
The rafflesia, however, has the fly exactly where it wants it.
﻿却将它引到了自己期望的位置
﻿花粉粘到了丽蝇的背上
It's stuck pollen to the fly's back.
﻿这朵雄花若想成功授粉
If this male rafflesia's strategy is to work,
﻿携带花粉的丽蝇
the fly carrying its pollen must now visit
﻿现在必须造访一朵雌花
a female corpse flower...
﻿比如说这一朵
..such as this one.
﻿成功了
Success!
﻿一旦顺利受粉
Once pollinated, plants are able to produce seeds,
﻿植物就能结出种子
﻿也就是下一代
the next generation,
﻿不过森林里同样生活着一群
but once again, there are animals all over the forest
﻿以种子为食的动物
that are eager to make a meal of them.
﻿这里是马来群岛
The Malay Archipelago,
a vast tropical world of 1,000 islands.
﻿数不胜数的岛屿
﻿组成了一个广阔的热带世界
﻿参天大树随处可见
It's home to giants -
﻿这里拥有热带地区最高的树木
the tallest trees in the tropics,
﻿其中很多存活了成百上千年
many of which live for centuries.
﻿这些树木能够产生大量的种子
They produce seeds in enormous numbers,
but only do so when the time is right.
﻿但它们必须等待合适的时机
﻿这棵大树
This individual hasn't produced a single seed
﻿此前十年里没有结出一颗种子
for nearly a decade,
﻿但在最近几周里
but in the last weeks, it has become festooned
﻿它的枝头上硕果累累
with more than 10,000 of them.
﻿结出了上万颗种子
Each seed has the potential to produce a giant,
﻿每颗种子都有可能像父辈那样
﻿成长为参天大树
like its parent.
﻿但成功与否依然取决于
But success will depend...
﻿时机
..on timing.
﻿一些喜食种子的动物聚了过来
Seed-hunters are gathering.
﻿例如这只婆罗洲须猪
Bearded pigs.
﻿但这些种子来自于一棵龙脑香科植物
But these seeds have been produced by a dipterocarp...
﻿
..trees that create the tropical world's
﻿这类植物堪称热带世界最大的种子圃
largest seed nursery.
﻿经过多年的等待
After years of waiting,
thousands upon thousands of individual dipterocarps
﻿成千上万棵龙脑香科植物
﻿结出的下一代种子
have synchronised to produce the next generation,
﻿在几乎完全相同的时间成熟了
all at exactly the same time.
﻿现在所有这些种子
And now these seeds will face the dangers below together.
﻿将共同面对树下暗藏的危机
﻿数以亿计的种子同时从树上落下
By releasing billions of seeds all at the same time,
﻿令婆罗洲须猪和其它动物应接不暇
they swamp the pigs and any other animals
﻿它们根本吃不过来
with more than they could possibly eat.
﻿这为一些种子赢得了生根发芽的时间
And that buys time for some of the seeds to take root
and sprout.
﻿龙脑香科植物的繁殖策略成功了
The tree's strategy has worked.
﻿但是如果这株树苗
But a seedling will have to overcome many more dangers
﻿想要成长为参天大树
﻿就必须在今后的若干年里
over the years if it, too, is to become a giant.
﻿设法克服各种各样的困难
﻿热带森林中存在诸多不利因素
And there are many ways in a tropical forest
﻿它们都有可能导致一棵树
by which a tree's life can be ended
﻿在进入壮年之前就宣告生命的结束
before it reaches its prime.
﻿这里是澳大利亚的最北端
The northernmost tip of Australia.
﻿这里有一片世界上最古老的雨林
This is the world's most ancient rainforest.
Battles between animals and plants
﻿动植物之间的斗争
﻿在这里已经持续了大约1.8亿年
have raged here for 180 million years.
﻿因此植物们有充足的时间
So, the plants have had time to develop effective defences.
﻿演化出有效的防御措施
﻿这是一棵见血封喉
This is a poison arrow tree,
﻿它是 一种具备强大防御能力的热带植物
one of the tropical world's most heavily defended plants.
Its trunk is tall and slippery
﻿它的树干很高表面光滑
and exudes a poisonous sap.
﻿能分泌出有毒的汁液
﻿见血封喉看似无懈可击
It appears to be almost invulnerable.
﻿但即便如此
But even so,
﻿在步入成年之前
just as this individual reaches maturity,
its life has become endangered.
﻿见血封喉的生命同样会岌岌可危
﻿每到季风时节
Each monsoon season,
﻿见血封喉的树冠都会遭到入侵
it is invaded from above.
﻿数百只燕八哥鸟纷纷到来
It attracts hundreds of shining starlings.
﻿巨大而光滑的树干
Its immense smooth trunk makes its high branches above
﻿让树冠处的枝条成为安全的筑巢处
a safe place to nest,
﻿但多年来
but over the years,
﻿这给树木自身带来了巨大的隐患
this has created a major problem for the tree.
After feeding, the starlings return to the nest
﻿燕八哥鸟饱餐一顿后
﻿会回到巢中消化食物
to digest their food,
﻿随后的事情可想而知
with inevitable consequences.
﻿它们一年能排出近250公斤的粪便
Every year,they produce almost a quarter of a ton of droppings.
﻿鸟粪里含有的化学毒素
The toxic chemicals they contain
﻿导致见血封喉的四面八方寸草不生
create a dead zone that completely surrounds the tree.
﻿地面的毒素渗透到它自己的根部
The toxins are absorbed by its roots
﻿并沿着树干输送到每一片叶子
and travel up through the trunk and into every leaf.
﻿一根根枝干枯萎折断
Branch by branch,
﻿这棵见血封喉一步步走向死亡
the tree is slowly dying.
﻿聪明反被聪明误
It has become a victim of its own success.
﻿它自己就这样被毒死了
It has been poisoned.
﻿现在一场新的战斗打响了
Now a new battle begins...
﻿这棵死去的大树
..one to claim the tree's dead body
﻿及其富含的营养物质
and the vast amount of nutrients that it contains.
﻿成为争夺的目标
﻿在自然世界中类似的战斗随处可见
It's a battle that is fought throughout the natural world...
﻿只不过故事的主角很少会引起我们的注意
..involving a group of organisms
that we rarely notice.
﻿在热带雨林的地表
Here, on the floor of a tropical rainforest,
﻿环境阴暗 潮湿 也很炎热
it's dark, it's humid
and it's hot -
﻿这正是真菌的理想生长条件
ideal conditions for fungi.
﻿我们通常认为真菌是类似这样的
We normally think of fungi as things like this.
Mushrooms of one kind or another.
﻿各种各样的蘑菇
﻿但它们其实是真菌的子实体
But these are just the fruiting bodies.
﻿真菌大多藏在落叶和泥土中
They exist for most of the time
hidden in the leaf litter and the earth
﻿若隐若现的白丝
﻿形成了纵横交错的网络
as a network of fine white threads.
﻿这群彼此竞争的真菌
The threads of competing fungi envelop their victim's body,
﻿纷纷用菌丝裹住死树
﻿分泌出消化树木组织的酶
releasing enzymes which digest the tree's tissues
﻿分解树木的营养物质
and unlock the nutrients within.
﻿在热带地区
There a million or so different species of fungi
﻿大约有100万种各不相同的真菌
in the tropics.
﻿有些真菌以枯枝烂叶为食
Some feed on dead plants.
﻿有些真菌专门吞噬鲜活的植物
Others eat them alive.
﻿还有些真菌会以既神秘又美丽的方式
And some reveal their existence in an eerily beautiful way.
﻿展示自己的存在
In Africa, in the Congo,
﻿在非洲国家刚果
﻿这种现象被称为“黑猩猩之火”
this is known as chimpanzee fire.
﻿随着树干不断地被真菌消化
The mysterious bioluminescent glow
﻿这种神秘的生物发光现象越来越显著
becomes brighter as the fungus digests the tree.
﻿真菌充分进食后
When fungi have fed sufficiently,
they develop their reproductive organs.
﻿就会生长出用于繁殖的
﻿每个子实体能产生数十亿的孢子
Each can produce literally billions of spores...
﻿每一个微小的颗粒
..the tiny particles
that carry the species' genetic blueprint.
﻿都携带着真菌的遗传蓝图
﻿任何一个这样的孢子
Each spore like this
﻿都可能杀死一棵树
has the potential to kill a tree.
﻿这些孢子质量很轻
The spores are so light
﻿能够被极其微弱的气流卷走
they can be carried by the slightest air currents.
﻿在每平方米的雨林中
At least a billion
﻿空气中至少飘浮着10亿个胞子
float above every square metre of rainforest.
﻿最近研究者发现
Recently, it has been discovered that these spores
﻿这些孢子的作用
﻿不只是推动死亡与腐烂
do far more than just bring death and decay.
﻿实际上它们在雨林生态系统中
They are, in fact, at the very centre
﻿发挥着核心作用
of the rainforest's life support system.
﻿在雨林上空的潮湿空气中
High in the humid air,
the spores combine with molecules of water.
孢子与水分子结合
﻿渐渐地它们聚集结为水滴
Gradually, they collect into droplets,
﻿达到一定重量后纷纷落下
which, when they are heavy enough, fall...
﻿形成雨水
..as rain.
﻿每年雨林中的降水量
Over two-and-a-half metres of rain falls every year
﻿能超过2500毫米
in a rainforest.
﻿几乎每滴雨水中
And in the centre of almost every raindrop,
﻿都含有至少一个真菌孢子
there is a fungal spore.
The world's rainforests are the richest
﻿世界各地的雨林
﻿是地球上最为多彩最具活力的生态环境
and most dynamic environments on Earth,
﻿它的存在得益于自然界中各种复杂的关联
built on complex connections and relationships.
﻿但这些联系
But these connections,
﻿无论是竞争关系 还是协作关系
competitive or collaborative,
﻿如今都已变得越来越脆弱
are now becoming increasingly fragile.
﻿大约200年前
When Charles Darwin was exploring the tropical world
﻿查尔斯・达尔文探索热带世界时
nearly 200 years ago,
﻿在自己的日记中这样写道
he wrote this in his diary.
﻿“领略过自然世界的万千美景后
"Among the scenes which are deeply impressed on my mind,
﻿在我脑海里留下最深印象的
﻿依然莫过于
"none exceed in sublimity
﻿人类之手未曾玷污过的原始森林”
"the primeval forests undefaced by the hand of man."
﻿而在今天他很难找到这样的地方了
He would struggle to find such a place today.
Today, 70% of all the world's rainforest plants
﻿今天70%的热带雨林植物
﻿就生长在距离公路
grow within a mile of a road or a clearing
﻿或人为开辟的林间空地
﻿不超过两公里的地方
that we have cut into the forest...
﻿热带世界中因此形成了新的战场
..and this is creating new battlefields
in the tropical world.
﻿由同种栽培作物组成的外来植物大军
Alien armies of identical cultivated plants
﻿现在占据了
now stand where thousands of different species once grew.
﻿原本成千上万种植物竞相生长的地方
We have planted vast regiments of crops
﻿人类种植了大批的农作物
﻿以便为自己提供食物和各类商品
in order to provide ourselves
with food and other commodities...
﻿原始森林的面积越来越小
..and the ancient forest has been reduced
﻿而且彼此割裂
to ever fewer isolated fragments.
﻿不过一切尚未山穷水尽
All, however, is not lost.
﻿小片的森林仍然可以提供庇护
The fragments can still be sanctuaries,
﻿维持内部生态的紧密联系
keeping alive the intimate relationships within them.
﻿当然森林的规模依然极为关键
Their size is nonetheless critical.
﻿这是灯蝠花
This is the seven-hour flower.
﻿这种植物在夜间开花
This plant produces its flowers at night.
﻿花朵在下午6点钟左右绽放
They open about six o'clock,
﻿每一朵花只能持续一个晚上
and each blossom only lasts that night.
It opens for about seven hours
﻿开放大约7个小时后花朵就会凋谢
and then it dies.
﻿但在开花的这段时间里
But during that time, it provides food
﻿一种特殊的动物会前来觅食
for one particular animal.
﻿科式长舌蝠
A bat.
﻿它来了
And here it is!
﻿在灯蝠花的花期
During the seven-hour flower's flowering season...
﻿科式长舌蝠几乎只以它的花蜜为食
..Underwood's bat feeds almost exclusively on its nectar.
﻿它是灯蝠花的主要传粉者
It is the plant's primary pollinator.
﻿在这种关系中双方似乎是平等的
It might seem that this is
a fairly evenly balanced relationship,
﻿但实际上并非如此
but not so.
﻿科式长舌蝠喜欢这种花蜜
The bat likes this nectar because it's sweet,
﻿因为它很可口
﻿但它的营养价值并不高
but it's not very nourishing.
﻿这只科式长舌蝠
So the bat must visit hundreds of flowers a night...
﻿每晚需要造访数百朵灯蝠花
﻿它在进食的同时可以完成传粉工作
..and it pollinates them as if feeds.
﻿但是如果森林的面积骤减
But if a patch of forest becomes too small,
﻿花朵数量太少
with too few flowers,
﻿科式长舌蝠也将不见踪影
the bats will disappear,
﻿而没有了它们灯蝠花就无法繁殖
and without the bats, the flowers can't reproduce
﻿很快就会绝迹
and will soon die out.
﻿它们的合作关系就此终结
The partnership is broken.
﻿森林里生物的生存
Life in the forest depends on countless close relationships,
﻿依赖于无数紧密的生态关系
﻿但随着森林变得支离破碎
but they are increasingly under threat
﻿这些关系也岌岌可危
as forests become more fragmented.
﻿解决办法自然是
The solution, of course,
﻿将零星分布的森林再次连接成一片
is to join these remaining fragments together again.
﻿30年前我刚好来过这个地方
30 years ago, I came to this exact spot.
This land belonged to
﻿这片土地原本属于一家科研机构
a scientific research establishment
﻿大群的牲畜就在这里的草场上吃草
and it was covered with grass being grazed by cattle.
﻿后来科学家们将牲畜迁往别处
The scientists got rid of the cattle
and allowed nature to take its course.
﻿让一切回归自然
﻿你可以看到现在的模样
Just look at it now!
﻿这片全新的森林连接了多处分散的林地
This new forest has become a bridge
that connects several fragments,
﻿动植物之间得以恢复往来
allowing plants and animals to both renew old connections
﻿建立新的联系
and create fresh ones.
﻿当然我们依然迫切需要保护
Of course, we urgently need to protect
﻿那些尚存的健康森林
what healthy forests still remain.
﻿展望未来
But looking forward,
﻿我们还必须抓住所剩无几的机会
we must take what may well be our last chance
﻿还原那些消失的雨林
to re-establish the lost rainforest...
﻿并且帮助热带世界完成自我修复
..and help the tropical world to heal itself.
﻿世界各国必须为此通力合作
It will take the co-operation of nations around the world,
﻿若想为子孙后代
but it is the only way in which we'll be able to
﻿保留热带雨林这一自然宝藏
preserve the treasures of the tropical rainforest
﻿我们除此之外别无他法
for future generations.
﻿只有这样
And with it,
﻿我们才能守护整个绿色星球上的
ultimately protect all life on this,
our green planet.
﻿所有生命
绿 色 星 球 幕 后 花 絮
﻿《绿色星球》摄制团队的目标是
The aim of The Green Planet team was to take the viewer
﻿带领观众进入植物的世界
into the world of plants, so that it could be seen
﻿从而以植物的视角进行观察
from the plants' perspective
﻿这在以往是无法实现的
in a way that had not been possible till now.
﻿为此一套全新的拍摄系统应运而生
That meant developing an entirely new camera system.
﻿这就是带来革新的拍摄设备
And this is the game-changer -
a specially designed robot camera
﻿一台特别打造的摄影机器人
﻿我们亲切地称它“三脚树”
that we affectionately call "the Triffid".
﻿三脚树是在美国前军事工程师
The Triffid started life in the garage of an American
﻿克里斯•菲尔德的车库里诞生的
ex-military engineer, Chris Field.
﻿我看过《地球脉动》等
I'd seen quite a few of these
﻿不少宏大的纪录片
Planet Earth style documentaries,
﻿它们让我大开眼界
and they always absolutely blew my mind,
﻿尤其是那些针对植物的延时摄影画面
especially the botanic time-lapse really spoke to me.
﻿十年来克里斯结合运动控制技术
In his spare time, Chris spent a decade
﻿利用业余时间打造了一台
building elaborate motion-controlled
﻿精确的延时摄影稳定器
time-lapse camera rigs
﻿并自学植物拍摄
and teaching himself how to film plants.
﻿植物在很多方面的行为都类似于动物
Plants often behave like animals in so many ways,
and being able to see it through time-lapse is one thing
﻿延时摄影能够通过对播放速度的调节
but using the motion-control brings you into that timescale.
﻿清晰地展现出植物的整体行为
﻿我们可以看出
We could really see the potential
﻿运动控制技术在拍摄中大有可为
in how we could use this sort of movement
﻿它能彰显植物的活力
to bring plants alive
﻿将拍摄动物的方式运用到植物上
and film them in the same way that we film animals.
﻿那一头放低
Soon, Chris joins the team
﻿在英国德文郡僻静的乡村里
﻿克里斯与摄制团队展开合作
in a quiet corner of the Devon countryside
﻿机器人大军开始成形
and the robot army begins to take shape.
我们干延时摄影已有40载
After 40 years of filming time-lapse,
这些设备让我们走入了一个新世界
these rigs have opened up a whole new world for us.
﻿它能像无人机或直升机
So, it'll be like hovering around something
with a drone or helicopter, but in a time-lapse speed.
﻿在某个地方盘旋
﻿以固定的速度定时拍摄
﻿我们十分期待的是
The holy grail for us is being able to take this technology
﻿将来能把这项技术应用到野外
﻿能在世界上一些极端环境中实地操作
out into the wild, try and get the same sorts of dynamic moves
﻿实现相同的拍摄效果
in some of the most extreme environments in the world.
﻿所以接下来
So, what we needed to do
﻿我们还会进一步发展这项技术
was to develop this technology even further.
﻿6个月后三脚树诞生了
Six months later, the Triffid is born...
﻿他们忐忑不安地把遥控器交给了我
..and with slight trepidation, they hand me the controls.
﻿按这里让镜头推远
That makes it go away.
And this makes it come back.
﻿按这里让镜头拉近
﻿按这个镜头会抬高
And this sends it up.
Ooh!
﻿我还是把它交给专家吧
I think I'd better hand it over to the experts.
现在我们要验证一下
Now it's time to put this new member of the team
﻿这位新成员的性能是否令人满意
properly through its paces.
﻿摄影师要锁定一个拍摄目标
The aim here is for Ollie to find a target, aim for it
and fly through it, as if he is a tiny fly
﻿镜头往前推进就好比一只小苍蝇
going through a hole in a leaf.
﻿穿过树叶上的洞
﻿说起来容易做起来难
Easier said than done.
﻿我正在寻找拍摄对象
Oops! I'm trying to find a target.
Whether the kit's going to stand up to that sort of use
﻿我们在拍摄时
拍摄时机器会超负荷工作 能否经受住考验
and the abuse that we throw at most pieces of kit
﻿还有待观察
has yet to be seen.
﻿不过它在摄影棚里工作状态良好
In the studio, it seems to be working pretty well.
﻿这仅仅是一次彩排
But this is only a dress rehearsal.
It's time for the Triffid to face the challenges
﻿现在三脚树将要面对
of the Costa Rican rainforest,
﻿哥斯达黎加的茂密雨林
﻿和切叶蚁大军的挑战
and leafcutter ants.
﻿我们要拍摄切叶蚁的行进过程
We want to film their journey all the way
从树干一路向下到根部
down the trunk and along this buttress root
再一直到它们的巢穴
and down to their nest.
﻿这段镜头需要摄制团队和三脚树
The team and the Triffid need several days
﻿在干燥环境下拍摄几天
of dry weather,
﻿但是暴风雨随时可能来袭
but a storm can hit at any moment...
﻿三脚树可不喜欢在雨天工作
..and rain is one thing the Triffid does not like.
﻿我们现在的工作环境
The conditions that we're working in now
﻿比在摄影棚里更加棘手
are a little bit more challenging than the studio.
﻿地面到处都崎岖不平
All the ground is really bumpy.
﻿数不清的植物挡住了我们的去路
We've got loads of plants in the way.
﻿我知道这是一部关于植物的系列片
I know we're making a series about plants,
﻿但它们太碍事了
but sometimes they're a complete pain in the neck!
The Triffid needs to be programmed
﻿三脚树需要经过编程
﻿才能沿着切叶蚁的行踪
to capture images from 7,000 different camera positions
﻿以7000个不同的机位捕捉图像
on the ants' trail.
﻿只要有一滴雨水落在镜头上
Just one drop of rain on the lens,
﻿或稍微晃动一下
or a wobble,
﻿整个过程就得重新开始
and the whole process will have to start again.
﻿现在我们可以知道
I think this is when we're going to find out
﻿对这项技术的尝试是不是好高骛远
if our ambition outweighs our ability.
﻿拍摄团队自然是雄心勃勃
For the crew, the ambition is certainly high.
﻿一切都取决于三脚树的表现了
Fortunately, it's all down to the Triffid now.
﻿8天来我们一直在使用三脚树
We've been filming the ants with the Triffid
﻿拍摄切叶蚁
for eight days now, and we're on our third set-up.
﻿现在是第三次实施架设
﻿进展相当缓慢
It's pretty slow going.
﻿虽然三脚树
While the Triffid seems to be handling the pressure well,
﻿看起来对压力应付的游刃有余
﻿但对拍摄团队来说
for the crew, trying to take a tree's-eye view of ants
﻿从树的视角观察切叶蚁
is turning into a bit of a nightmare.
﻿是一种前熬
﻿每天醒来 拍蚂蚁 睡觉
Wake up, film ants, go to sleep, dream of ants.
﻿梦见蚂蚁 醒来 拍蚂蚁 睡觉
Wake up, film ants, sleep, dream of ants.
﻿梦见蚂蚁 醒来 拍蚂蚁
Wake up, film ants,
﻿睡觉 梦见蚂蚁
go to sleep, dream of ants.
﻿在雨林里忙碌两周之后
After two weeks in the jungle,
﻿至少就“三脚树”而言
ambition and ability finally come together,
﻿工作成果圆满实现了预期
for the Triffid, at least.
﻿上千幅的独立图像
Thousands of individual images
﻿整合成了一段精彩纷呈的延时摄影场景
creating a single extraordinary time-lapse...
﻿在这个独特的视角下
..one that follows a river of leaves
across the jungle floor from a unique perspective.
﻿树叶像小河一般穿过森林地面
﻿对三脚树来说它的表现才刚刚开始
For the Triffid, this was just the beginning.
﻿鞠躬致意三脚树
Take a bow, Triffid.
绿色星球下一集是
Next time on The Green Planet...
水 生 世 界
..the wonder of water worlds...
..where plants hunt...
植物捕猎场景
..go on the move...
战斗将继续展开
..fight...
植物创造了供我们呼吸的氧气
..and create the air we breathe.
公益机构制作了一张海报
The Open University have produced a poster
探索植物对地球的重要作用
that explores the vital role that plants have for our planet.
如需订阅免费副本，请致电...
To order your free copy, call...
或者
..or go to...
去访问公益机构的网页链接
..and follow the links to The Open University.