冻结的海是无穷尽的世界 The frozen seas are worlds unto themselves
冰层之下的是个阴森奇妙 Beneath their ceiling of ice they have an eerie,
的静止空间 与上层的风浪隔绝 almost magical stillness, cut off from the storms that rage above
冬天里微弱斜射的阳光 带来少量的温暖 ln the winter, the feeble slanting rays of the sun bring little warmth
气温难得能回升过零下50度C and the temperature seldom rises above minus fifty degrees Centigrade
大多时候这里黑暗而且冷峻 For much of the year, it is dark and cripplingly cold
然而在地球的两个极端处 仍有生命的存在 Yet, there is life here - at both ends of the earth...
北极和南极 the Arctic and the Antarctic
对多数的动物而言 无论是生活于陆地或水中 For most animals, whether they live in or out of water,
当海水结冰时 都是极大的考验 the winters, when much of the sea is frozen, bring the greatest challenge
这是北半球 The Northern hemisphere
二月时由于地球的倾斜 lt's February, and as the Earth tilts on its axis,
阳光逐渐往北攀爬 the sun's rays creep slowly northwards
北极亦从严冬中重现 and the Arctic emerges from its harsh winter
北极是被大陆环绕的冰冻海洋 The Arctic is a frozen ocean surrounded by continents
当各大洲海岸间的海面结冰时 - and when the surface of the sea between the continents freezes
陆地上的掠食者 便横行其上狩猎 from shore to shore, land predators walk out onto it - to hunt
三月初的海面仍被冰层覆盖 lt's early March and the sea is still covered with ice
但四处可见从未被冻结的冰穴 But there are patches of open water - polynyas - that never freeze over
浪潮般的水流 在小岛间受到推挤 Here, where tidal currents are squeezed between islands,
剧烈的水波使冰无法在此成形 the water movement is so strong that ice cannot form
海象在冰穴中度过冬天 Walruses spend the winter in polynyas
在此它们有取之不尽的空气 Here they have permanent access to the air,
同时也能退回海中躲藏狩猎 but they can also retreat to the sea to shelter to hunt
其他哺乳动物 同样也在冰穴中过冬 Other sea mammals overwinter in the polynyas as well
例如这头年轻的北极鲸 - in this one, a young bowhead whale
此处的水流湍急 而波动的冰层十分危险 Here the current is really fast and the shifting ice is dangerous
上个秋季这只巨鲸 被冰层围绕而受困于此 This whale became trapped when ice encircled it last autumn
这里没有食物 但鲸鱼必须呼吸 There is no food here, but a whale must breathe and the only place
而方园百里内唯一可行的地方 便是这个小冰穴 that it can do so, for miles around, is in this tiny hole
它依赖体内的脂肪存活 但此时脂肪量已低的危险 lt's living entirely on its reserves of fat, but now they are dangerously low
而它要逃离困境还需再过数月 lt will be some months yet, before it can escape
其他的鲸鱼也在别处受困 Elsewhere, other whales have also been trapped
这是白鲸群 These are belugas
这小小的冰洞一直被保留着 Their tiny hole in the ice has been kept open,
但靠的不是水流 而是靠白鲸们 not by currents but by the belugas' continuous movements
持续朝上呼吸的动作 as they rise to breathe
开放的水面已远在20里外 Open water is now some twenty miles away
而冰的溶化尚需两个月的等待 lt will be two months yet before the ice melts
白鲸们此刻极度瘦弱 也大多惊恐万分 The belugas are extremely thin - and most of them are horribly scarred
但它们的伤口并非来自冰害 But their wounds were not inflicted by the ice
鲸鱼对肉食者而言是项大奖 而这些受困的白鲸 A whale would be a huge prize for any meat-eating hunter and these belugas,
则在北极熊伸手可及之处 trapped by the ice, are within reach of polar bears
意识到危机的白鲸们 尽可能潜藏水中 Well aware of the danger, the belugas stay submerged as long as they can
但它们最久只能闭气20分钟 But they can only hold their breath for about twenty minutes
捉捕一头4公尺长 1吨重的鲸鱼并非易事 Catching a four-metre long whale that weighs one ton is no easy task
即使它已因饥饿而瘦弱 - even if that whale is weakened by starvation
但一头白鲸绝对值得等待 But a beluga is well worth waiting for
冰洞一天天扩大 Day by day, as the hole gets bigger,
北极熊捕获白鲸的难度 也越来越高 it becomes increasingly difficult for the bear to land a whale
维持毛发不含盐分的 良好状况是保暖的要点 Keeping its fur in good condition and free from salt is important for warmth
北极熊用雪来当除垢纸 - and the bear uses snow like blotting paper
这些白鲸在过去半年来 受过许多熊的攻击 These belugas have been attacked by many bears over the last six months
有些已被猎食 - and some have been caught
这也许经过漫长的等待及耐心 然而当这样的猎物到手 lt may have taken a long time and a lot of patience, but a catch,
带来的是 能供给热量的丰盛鲸脂 when it's made, brings abundant rewards of energy rich blubber
海鸥在这种时节依赖熊的猎杀 Gulls rely on bear-kills at this time of the year
被血染红的冰 能吸引它们跋涉前来 - and the colour of blood staining the ice attracts them from a long way away
存活的白鲸仍面对着 漫长的等待 The remaining belugas still have a long wait before they are released
直到能离脱它们的监牢 及猎杀者的威胁 from their prison and the threat of slaughter
北极狐也依赖 北极熊的狩猎行为 Arctic foxes also rely on the polar bears to hunt on their behalf
它们是北极圈的无赖 总伺机掠夺熊群留下的腐食 They're the jackals of the north and scavenge from bear kills whenever they can
冬天及早春时 它们全然依赖熊群维生 ln winter and early spring, they are wholly dependent on bears
只有夏季当海上的冰溶化时 Only in the summer, when the sea ice melts,
它们才会自己捕食 will they regularly catch prey for themselves
它们无力捕捉成年的海豹 They are not strong enough to tackle adult seals,
但它们绝对足以 对付小海豹或海鸟 but can certainly take new-born pups or birds
这只狡猾的狐狸 正要埋藏它的战利品 This canny individual is going to bury its prize
以备未来的不时之需 - it may need it during the uncertain times ahead
熊的存在影响了所有 The presence of bears affects the behaviour of almost
在此的动物 无论小或大 all the animals here - big and small
它们尽量远离水边 破碎的冰块边缘 The bears tend to avoid the fringe of fragmented ice bordering open water
在那里行走是很费力的 - where travelling can be very laborious
但也因此碎冰区域成了 But that very fact makes this area - the pack ice
海豹产下下一代的绝佳地点 - a particularly good place for seals to pup
竖琴海豹在此处哺育 Harp seals breed here
小海豹与生俱有十分适合 Their pups are born with white coats which camouflage them
雪地的保护色 very effectively against the snow
竖琴海豹的哺乳期十分短暂 Harp seals have a very short nursing period
是不稳定碎冰上的生存条件 - a necessity on this unstable pack ice
但哺乳需求密集 But suckling is intensive
小海豹摄取百分之45脂肪 的母奶约12天后 The pup feeds for just twelve days on milk that is 45 percent fat
便被遗弃开始独立维生 Then it is abandoned and has to fend for itself
这是只雄海豹 A male hooded seal
这个惊人的鼻息 是为了警示其他雄性 This impressive nasal display is used to warn away other males...
也为嬴得一个伴侣 带帽海豹也在碎冰上哺育 ...and to win a mate Hooded seals also breed on pack ice
它们的幼儿只吸奶4日 Their pups suckle for only four days
是哺乳类中所知哺乳期最短的 - the shortest nursing period known for any mammal
而北极熊的威胁使它们 - and all because the threat of polar bears
只得在不稳定的冰上哺乳 caused them to breed on the unstable ice
有的海豹选在较北方的厚冰上 Another Arctic seal opts for the solid ice further north
由于熊在此占地利优势 Because it's easy for bears to hunt here,
这些环海豹需格外警觉 并且藏匿后代 these ringed seals must be particularly vigilant and have to hide their pups
环海豹相较下体形较小 Ringed seals are comparatively small, so they can give birth
所以它们能在雪中的洞穴生产 to their pups in little caves, or lairs, under the snow
这一只小海豹被隐藏 并受到坏天气的保护 Here, a pup is out of sight and protected from bad weather
三月底四月初母熊 带小熊 ln late March and into April, female bears emerge from winter
从洞穴中出现 dens with their new cubs
这个母亲已有至少五个月未进食 她此刻是饥饿的，非常饥饿 The mother has not eaten for at least five months and she's hungry - very hungry
如果她无法补获海豹 lf she doesn't succeed in catching a regular supply of seals,
她便无法哺乳而小熊便会死亡 her milk will fail and her cub will die
熊与生俱有极度灵敏的嗅觉 Bears have an extraordinarily sensitive sense of smell
它们可以嗅出两公里外 藏于雪中的小海豹 and can detect seal pups hidden in the snow from two kilometres away
但母环海豹会使用几个洞穴 But a female ringed seal uses several lairs
熊群可能需要突击数次 and a bear will almost certainly have to break into a number
才能找到小海豹 before it finds one that is occupied
现在是小海豹学习的关键时刻 This is a crucial time for the cub
从观察并模仿母亲的动作中 By watching its mother hunt and by copying her actions,
它开始培养了授猎技巧的基础 it's beginning to acquire the rudiments of its own hunting skills
玩耍对肌肉的锻炼 及协调也很重要 Play is also important for developing muscles and improving co-ordination
日复一日太阳越升越高 As the days go by, the sun rises higher
并几乎连夜晚 都停留在地平线上 and remains above the horizon even at night
母熊不断的狩猎 The female bear continues to hunt
直到小熊体力不支 until her cub is too tired and can't keep up
她闻到了什么 She has smelt something
小海豹从洞穴的洞逃脱 直遁到底下的海水中 The pup escapes through a hole in its lair that leads to the sea below
狩猎能成功的机率 只有百分之五 Only one in twenty hunts is successful
但这个母亲必须赶紧找一只小海豹 否则她的小熊就将饿死 But this mother must find a seal pup soon if her cub is not to starve to death
夏季来临 阳光开始融化海上的冰 As spring turns into summer, the sun's heat begins to melt the sea ice
海水又可通行无阻 北极夏季的访客回归 Now the ocean is accessible and the Arctic's summer visitors return
候鸟从南方归来筑巢 Migrating birds arrive from the south to nest
并仰赖如今唾手可得的海鲜 and feed on the seafood that's now within their reach
布鲁尼克的海鸠 就像是北方的企鹅 Brunnich's guillemots are the northern equivalent of penguins
但它们有飞行的能力 But they have retained the power of flight,
因为它们必须把巢筑在 for they need to reach cliff ledges
熊或狐狸到不了的悬崖峭壁上 where their nests will be safe from predatory bears and foxes
幸好它们在空中 和在水中一样来去自如 Nonetheless, they are as at home in the water as in the air
它们潜入50尺左右的水中抓鱼 They dive down to a depth of fifty metres or more to catch fish
六月时冰会开始裂开 ln June, the ice begins to fracture
这些裂缝为需呼吸空气的动物 The cracks - or leads - form useful corridors
提供了换气的通道 of open water for air-breathing animals
迁徙回到这里的白鲸 Belugas, migrating to their feeding grounds,
靠这些裂缝 来穿越受冰覆盖的海洋 use these leads to penetrate the ice-covered seas
到达它们爱吃的北极鳕鱼 and reach areas where their preferred food,
在冬天的藏身处 Arctic cod, has spent the winter
雄鲸鱼经常会潜入 约500公尺处去觅食 The males regularly dive to about five hundred metres to find fish
肺部较小的雌鲸及幼鲸 则只潜到约350公尺深处 The females and young, which have smaller lungs, only go to about 350
六月底七月初时 独角鲸出现了 ln late June and July, narwhals arrive
通常没有角的雌鲸 会先与小鲸鱼出现 The females, who usually lack tusks, come first with their new calves
雄鲸稍晚才会现身 The males follow a little later
它们同样会从裂缝中 向上寻找新的觅食点 They also move up the leads in search of fresh feeding grounds
巨头鲸 长可达18公尺重100吨 Bowheads. Up to 1 8 metres long and weighing a hundred tonnes,
是唯一会整年 停留在北极的大鲸鱼 these are the only large whales that stay in the Arctic all year round
它们不吃鱼 它们的目标是较小的动物 They are not after fish They are seeking smaller prey
虽然拥有动物界中最大 像车库般的嘴巴 Despite having the largest mouths in the animal kingdom,
它们吃的却是微小的甲壳类 the size of a small garage, they eat tiny crustaceans
以上颚边4尺长的鲸须 - copepods - straining them from the water with the four-metre long strips
将它们从水中过滤出来 of baleen that hang from their upper jaws
夏天时它们储存足够的能量 ln the summer they store enough energy to last them
以撑过食物贫乏的冬天 through the following winter, when food will be less abundant
融冰时北极熊被迫移至陆地 As the ice melts away, the polar bears are forced to head for land
它们的泳技绝佳 必要时可以横越 They are excellent swimmers and can cover a hundred miles
100英里的水 of continuous open water if need be
东方的绿岛上 在八月时冰已融尽 Off east Greenland, there is little ice left by August,
海象群爬上岸休息 so walruses haul out to rest on land
此时正值脱皮期 At this time of the year they are moulting,
可以换去受伤长虫的皮肤 getting rid of their old scarred and parasite-ridden skin
浸泡冰水 有助于纾缓皮肤痒的状况 A bathe in the cold water brings some relief from the itching
但即使如此 仍免不了搔痒的怪动作 But even there, the odd scratch is irresistible
它们每天都会到深海一游 They make daily excursions out to deeper water
在20尺深处 它们停在沉淀物上 Down at 20 metres, they root around in the sediment,
靠灵敏的毛发找寻软壳蚌类 using their sensitive bristles to search out soft-shelled clams
一但找到蚌类 便用有力 Once they find a clam, they suck its flesh from the shell
结实的嘴将蚌肉吸出 with their powerful, muscular mouths
海象在此深度能觅食约5分钟 Walruses can feed for about five minutes at this depth
然后就得回水面呼吸 before they have to return to the surface to breathe
北极的其他地方 白鲸开始成群聚集 Elsewhere in the Arctic, belugas are gathering in their thousands
它们只聚集在几个大的海湾 They congregate in just a few large estuaries
各种年龄和尺寸的白鲸都到此 Belugas of all ages and sizes come here
甚至是幼小的白鲸 There are even young calves
有些年纪小到只有几周大的 还需要协助 Some are so young - born only a week or so ago - that they need help
它们游在母亲的背上 因此能更顺畅的呼吸 They swim on their mothers' backs so that they can breathe more easily
当潮水上涨白鲸顺势上游 As the tide moves up the estuary, the belugas follow,
游进难以想像的浅滩 swimming into surprisingly shallow water
它们像海象一样需要脱皮 Like walruses, they also need to moult
借着温水及配合了 与碎石的摩擦 A combination of warm fresh water and vigorous rubbing
便能达到目的 against the gravel does the trick
它们在此停留数天或数周 They remain here for days, or even weeks,
所以社交活动也十分重要 so it's likely that socialising is also important to them
脱皮后它们会重回海中觅食 After moulting, they head back out to sea to feed
秋天来临海上再次开始结冰 lt's now autumn and the sea begins to freeze over, once again
薄冰在水面成形再层层堆叠 Thin sheets of ice form at the surface and pile up,
渐渐形成一个无法穿透的屏障 layer upon layer, gradually creating an impenetrable barrier
十一月末，北极海再度被冰封 By late November, the Arctic Ocean is sealed once again by ice
北极光在冬季的天空飞舞 The lights of the aurora play in the winter sky
在地球的另一端 南极 At the other end of the planet - in the Antarctic
也有南极光 - there is the southern aurora
南极刚从冬天里复苏 Antarctica is now emerging from winter
这是世界上最寒冷的地方 This is the coldest, windiest place in the world
气温仍盘旋在 令人麻木的零下50度 Temperatures are still hovering at a numbing minus 50
重现的阳光也不具任何温暖 and the returning sun has virtually no warmth
极少动物 能存活在这样极端的环境 Very few animals can survive such extreme conditions
但皇帝企鹅可以 But emperor penguins can
站在冰冻的海上 它们忍受南极暴风的强大威力 Standing on the frozen sea, they endure the full force of the Antarctic storms
唯有紧靠一起 能让它们度过可怕的寒冬 Only by huddling together can they can survive the appalling winter months
它们轮流抵挡强风的侵袭 They take it in turns to bear the brunt of the gales
它们得以生存在此 是因南 They can only live here at all because Antarctica is surrounded
极受南海的围绕 没有掠食者能到达这里 by the Great Southern Ocean and no land predators have been able to reach it,
所以它们不像北极的动物 会受到北极熊的威胁 so unlike Arctic animals, they're not threatened by polar bears
海水依旧冻结 The sea is still frozen
但这只海豹却得以在此停留 But one seal, nonetheless, manages to stay here,
甚至度过整个寒冬 even throughout the winter...
这是纬斗海豹 ... the Weddell seal
它在水面下躲避风暴的威胁 Underwater, it's protected from the storms above
但它一整年都需有呼吸的管道 But it must have access to the air all year - in order to breathe
它们靠牙齿来确保换气口畅通 And they keep their breathing holes open - with their teeth
只有不断地磨冰 才能保有它们的呼吸通道 Only by continually scraping away at the ice can they maintain access to the air
但它们的牙齿也因此受损严重 But that means that their teeth get badly worn down
导致无法再有效地狩猎或进食 Then they can no longer hunt and eat effectively
纬斗海豹寿命不长 Weddell seals die young
南极洲既孤 The continent of Antarctica is so isolated
立地势又高 有些地方几乎有五千公尺 and so high - almost five thousand metres in places
因此相对比北极更冷 - that it's considerably colder than the Arctic
冰块由中心缓慢地 顺着大冰河向边缘滑下 lce slides slowly down from its centre towards its rim in immense glaciers
冬季时南极洲由于海水结冰 明显的扩大两倍 During winter, the continent effectively doubles in size as the sea freezes over
冰在岸边成形，并绕整个大陆 lce forms around its shores and extends outwards
向外延伸数百里 for hundreds of miles around the entire land mass
冰冻海水中生存着像虾的生物 磷虾 Under the sea-ice live small shrimp-like creatures - krill
它们已在此过了整个冬天 They have been here all winter
黑暗的时节里 它们靠冰上的海藻维生 During these dark months, they feed by scraping algae from the ice
令人称奇的是它们能缩小 Remarkably, they also shrink in size
并恢覆年幼以储存精力 and revert to their juvenile form to save energy
春季气温回暖 As the temperature rises in spring,
冰开始融化 包在冰中的气泡获得释放 the ice begins to melt and little air bubbles trapped within it are released
微小的海藻在气泡中生长 成为磷虾的主食 Microscopic algae grow around these bubbles and the krill now graze on them,
它们用蠕动的脚采集海藻 gathering them up with their beating legs
当阳光转强穿透深海 As the sun's rays grow stronger and penetrate deeper into the water,
浮游植物便开始繁衍 floating algae begin to flourish and krill leave
磷虾离开缩小的冰块 群集享受丰盛的新作物 the dwindling ice and gather in swarms as they harvest this new crop
远在北方的冰冻海水下 Far to the north, beyond the blanket of sea ice,
帽带企鹅在大海中过冬 chinstrap penguins have been overwintering in the open ocean
偶尔出现的冰山 让它们有喘息的机会 The occasional iceberg gives them the chance of a rest
如果它们能爬到上面的话 - if they can get onto it
但此时的它们 最想要的是能上岸 But at this time of year, where they really want to be is on land
如何做到却非易事 lt's just getting there that's tricky
春天来临 企鹅们开始繁衍后代 lt's spring and the penguins are returning to breed
它们上岸的需求 此时更加迫切紧急 Their need to get ashore is now urgent and imperative
时机是最大的要素 它们必须选对海浪 Doing so is all a matter of timing - and picking the right wave
它们的旅程才刚开始 But their journey has only just begun
它们多数需走上好远的路 才能找到产卵的地点 Most of them will have to walk many miles before they can find a nest site
这里是扎弗德斯基岛 此处有世上最大的企鹅群 This is Zavodovski lsland, which has the largest penguin colony in the world
约有两百万帽带企鹅在此繁衍 About two million chinstraps breed here
它们选择这里是有其原因的 - and they come to this island for a good reason
这是个活火山 lt's an active volcano
火山口的热气和浓烟 The heat from the crater and the fumeroles
使山坡无法结冰或储雪 keeps the slopes free from the ice and snow,
这些帽带企鹅因此 能比南方的企鹅提早生殖 allowing these chinstraps to start breeding earlier than those further south
但生存活火山上也有冒险之处 But then again, living on an active volcano is not without its risks
有别于皇帝企鹅 这些企鹅可以将卵下在陆地上 Unlike the emperors, these penguins are able to lay their eggs on the bare ground
难怪它们会不惜挑战大风浪 Little wonder so many of them choose to brave
也要来到此地 the mountainous waves in order to get here
往南靠洲大陆的地方 Further south, near the continent,
海水的冰层开始破裂 the blanket of sea ice is beginning to break up
冰山是冰河前端 lcebergs are gigantic fragments of ice that have broken away
碎裂的巨大碎片 into the sea from the front of glaciers
它们在冬天时被冰封入海中 During the winter they were frozen into the sea ice,
现在它们又再度沉浮于海上 but now they are set adrift once more
冰山裂开后会形成急骤的冰雨 As the bergs break up, they form brash ice
并捣乱南极半岛的逆向水流 lt litters the backwaters of the Antarctic Peninsula
小须鲸在夏天来到平静的海水 Minke whales make their way into these placid waters in summer
这是南海中为数最多的鲸种 This is the most abundant whale in the Southern Ocean
小须鲸是须鲸类体型最小的 Minkes are one of the smallest of all the baleen whales
它们像其他鲸鱼一样 到这里觅食 And like all others, they come here to feed
雄伟的座头鲸也是夏天的访客 The majestic humpback whales are also summer visitors
它们从冬天的热带繁衍地 横越千里至此 They have travelled thousands of miles from their winter
找寻这里夏天 breeding grounds in the tropics to gather the food
丰盛的食物 that becomes available here in summer
短短四个月内 它们便能累积 ln just four months, they accumulate enough fat
足够的脂肪 以维持剩余季节的体力 to provide them with energy for the whole of the rest of the year
这些动物到此的目的相同 磷虾 All these animals have come here in search of one thing - the krill
磷虾是南极食物链中的主食 Krill is the mainstay of the Antarctic food web
它们的数量惊人 lt occurs in phenomenal quantity
以数十亿为单位 - billions of individuals in a single swarm,
而整个族群可延伸数公里 and swarms can stretch for miles
毛海豹也依赖这种丰沛的食物 Fur seals also collect this rich superabundant food
磷虾群散聚各处 一旦发现，便足够将之饱餐一顿 Krill swarms are very patchy, but once found, feeding is easy
座头鲸每一大口能吞下 成千上万的磷虾 Humpbacks engulf hundreds of thousands of them in a single gargantuan mouthful
情况良好时鲸鱼会不断进食 When the going is good, the whales feed continuously,
每一头都能在一天内 吃下两公吨的磷虾 each eating up to two tonnes of krill in twenty-four hours
再往南邻近洲大陆 海中的冰依旧坚硬 Further south, near the continent, the sea ice is still sound
皇帝企鹅定居在连夏天 Here, where the ice remains for most of the summer,
也不融化的结冰处 emperor penguins make their home
它们已在海中大饱口福，现在 These have been feeding out at sea and are now ready
可以回到聚落中喂食 to make their way back to the colony to feed their chicks
企鹅们在远处旁徨 lnstead of heading straight for the ice edge,
不敢直接由冰的边缘上岸 the penguins hesitate some distance from it
它们很紧张 They're nervous
它们潜入水下观察冰缘 They dive down and investigate the ice edge
合情合理的 豹纹海豹负责巡逻边境 And for good reason Leopard seals patrol this border
豹纹海豹正如同南极的北极熊 Leopard seals are the Antarctic's equivalent of polar bears
它们是最厉害的掠食者 They are the top predators
但它们最适合在水中狩猎 But they hunt most successfully in the water,
所以它们捕食的对象 在冰上较为安全 so by and large, the animals they prey on are safer out on the ice
它们慵懒的姿态 掩饰了凶猛的天性 They have a lazy grace that belies their ferocious nature
确认岸边安全后 皇帝企鹅向冰缘前进 Confident that the coast is clear, the emperor penguins head for the ice
它们决不逗留 But they certainly don't linger
回到聚落还有一段长路要走 Now they have a long walk back to the colony
皇帝企鹅聚落离冰缘有段距离 Emperor penguin colonies are some way back from the ice edge
冬季时可能长达百里 ln winter they may be as much as a hundred miles from it,
但夏天融冰后 but as the summer progresses and the ice melts,
冰缘便渐渐靠近聚落 the edge comes ever closer to the colony
当小企鹅翅膀成熟可以游泳时 So by the time the chicks are fledged and ready to take their first swim,
海水便已近在眼前 the water is close by
此聚落在海角的保护下 This colony is in the lee of a headland
因此冰层不会 受水流的影响而破裂 and that prevents the ice from being broken up by ocean currents
回程的企鹅因储存过多的食物 而举步维艰 The returning adults are so full of food that they can barely walk
由于没有掠食者的威胁 它们可以慢慢来 But with no predator to threaten them now, they can take their time
在约6千只的企鹅中 Somehow, in this melee of sixty thousand or so penguins,
父母亲必须找出它们的小企鹅 a parent has to find its chick
它回到原来留下小企鹅的地方 lt returns to the place where it last left its chick in the hope that
期盼它仍在原地 it might still be close by
但小企鹅会四处闲晃 父母亲必须试着召唤 But chicks tend to wander, so the adult has to call to it
小企鹅作出回应 也慢慢地一个个回家 The chick responds - and they slowly home in on one another
小企鹅可怜的哀求声 The plaintive entreaties of the chick stimulates
刺激母亲吐出满口的鱼 the adult to regurgitate a mouthful of fish
母亲回来后 With the return of one parent,
父亲便能往海上出发去觅食 the other is free to go to sea to feed for itself
意识到豹纹海豹的存在 Aware of the leopard seal's presence,
企鹅们成群挤在冰缘处 the penguins press together at the ice edge,
谁也不愿率先冒险潜水 unwilling to be the first to risk diving in
有时海豹会出现在冰上 企图捕捉企鹅 Occasionally, the seal comes out onto the ice and attempts to grab one
但最成功的方法还是守株待兔 But its most successful strategy by far is to lie in wait
它躲在某块冰的角落 lt hides behind a corner of ice
企鹅们信心满满地跃入海中 The emperors gain confidence and make a dash for it
首群企鹅逃过一劫 The first wave of penguins escape
它们只要在水中就是安全的 Once in open water, they will be safe
但海豹被吵杂声警醒 在一片气泡中 But the seal is alerted by the noise, and through the mass of bubbles,
它决定出击 it makes its attack
无可避免的造成了伤亡 Almost invariably, it makes a kill
海豹的离席 Encouraged by the absence of the seal,
鼓舞了其他企鹅跃入海中 the remaining penguins make a break for the open sea
不久后小企鹅便会成熟 ln time, their chicks will fledge
而当南极的秋天结束 And when the Antarctic autumn is near its end,
这些成年的企鹅 会穿越新成形的冰 these adults will walk across the newly formed ice,
到冰冻的海上度过另一个寒冬 to endure yet another winter on the frozen sea