this is the oldest island on our planet, 这是我们这个星球上最古老的岛屿,
home to strange animals with intriguing origins. 奇怪的动物的家园,有趣的起源.
where primates fly through the trees. 灵长类动物在树上飞来飞去的地方.
and dog-like creatures prowl like cats. 像狗一样的生物像猫一样徘徊.
animals found here,and nowhere else on earth, 这里发现了动物,地球上没有其他地方发现了动物,
pose tantalizing clues to an evolutionary riddle, 为进化之谜提供诱人的线索,
but the greatest zoologist of his time sailed right by. 但他那个时代最伟大的动物学家就这样驶过了.
what would charles darwin have seen 查尔斯*达尔文会看到什么？
had the beagle dropped anchor on these shores? 小猎犬在这些海岸抛锚了吗?
what mysteries would he unravel if he'd set foot 如果他踏足了,他会解开什么谜团呢？
on madagascar. 关于马达加斯加.
may,1836. 1836年5月
the hms beagle approaches the island of madagascar. hms beagle接近马达加斯加岛.
on board is a 27-year-old british naturalist 船上有一位27岁的英国博物学家
named charles darwin. 叫查尔斯*达尔文.
he's been aboard the ship, 他上了船,
circumnavigating the globe,for four-and-a-half years. 绕地球航行了四年半.
every time it lands,he explores. 每次着陆,他都会探索.
he's fascinated by the animals he finds 他被他发现的动物迷住了
and he records his thoughts in great detail. 他非常详细地记录了他的想法.
he notices patterns in nature 他注意到自然界的模式
and he begins to form a theory. 他开始形成一个理论.
but the hms beagle is a research ship with its own agenda. 但hms beagle是一艘有自己议程的研究船.
the captain's mission 船长的任务
is to survey the coast of south america 是为了调查南美洲的海岸
and take coordinates around the world. 并采取世界各地的坐标.
may 9th,1836,the beagle approaches madagascar, 1836年5月9日,比格犬接近马达加斯加,
close enough to rise and fall on the swell above its reefs, 离礁石上方的浪涛很近,可以起落,
but it sails right past without making landfall, 但它没有登陆就驶过了,
heading instead for mainland africa. 而是前往非洲大陆.
darwin must have gazed at this dense jungle, 达尔文一定凝视着这片茂密的丛林,
knowing nothing of the natural wonders he was missing. 对他所缺少的自然奇观一无所知.
but what if,instead,the ship had moored here? 但是,如果相反,船停泊在这里呢？
what if darwin had had the chance to explore? 如果达尔文有机会探索呢？
he would find lush rainforests in the east. 他会在东部发现茂密的热带雨林.
pristine wetlands along the coasts. 沿海的原始湿地.
a large expanse of central,grassland plains. 广阔的中部草原平原.
a mountainous spine rising above 9,000 feet. 一条高高9000英尺的山脊.
dry,spiny forests in the south and west. 南部和西部干燥多刺的森林.
all surrounded by coral reefs. 都被珊瑚礁包围着.
a diverse eden,where each animal 一个多样化的伊甸园,每个动物都在那里
has adapted in unique and astonishing ways. 以独特而惊人的方式适应.
this is the story of the mysterious creatures darwin 这是神秘生物达尔文的故事
would have seen if his voyage had made just one more stop. 如果他的航行再停留一站,我会看到的.
here,in the dry,western forests, 在这里,在干燥的西部森林里,
a strange beast lurks amongst 800-year-old trees. 一只奇怪的野兽潜伏在有800年历史的树丛中.
muscular. 肌肉发达.
powerful. 强大.
but what is it? 但它是什么？
young charles would struggle to pinpoint its ancestry. 年轻的查尔斯很难确定它的祖先.
semi-retractable claws, 半伸缩爪,
large eye sockets, 大眼窝,
and sharp teeth point to the cat family, 和锋利的牙齿指向猫科,
but a long neck and dog-like face suggest otherwise. 但长长的脖子和狗一样的脸表明并非如此.
though darwin might not have seen leopards, 虽然达尔文可能没有看到豹子,
tigers,and jaguars,he would know of their existence. 老虎和美洲虎,他会知道它们的存在.
he wrote in his journal, 他在日记中写道,
in the cat tribe,most of the species 在猫族中,大多数物种
are striped or spotted in lines. 有条纹或有斑点.
but this creature has no markings. 但这种生物没有标记.
it is neither dog nor cat. 它既不是狗也不是猫.
and its call is more like that of a goose. 它的叫声更像是一只鹅.
it's a fossa. 这是一个窝.
a predatory enigma,found nowhere else on earth. 一个掠夺性的谜团,在地球上找不到其他地方.
these sounds lure this male from his territory, 这些声音从他的领地引诱这个雄性,
into unfamiliar ground. 进入陌生的地方.
it's november,the end of the dry season; 现在是十一月,旱季结束;
the only time of year when fossa come together to mate. 这是一年中唯一一个窝聚集在一起交配的时候.
like all other fossa males within earshot, 像所有其他窝男性在耳内,
he's drawn to this female. 他被这个女人吸引住了.
but he has got here first. 但他已经先到了这里.
he sends a signal to other males in the area, 他向该地区的其他男性发出信号,
marking the ground with secretions 用分泌物标记地面
from the base of his tail. 从他的尾巴底部.
finding her was the easy part. 找到她是件容易的事.
now,his climbing skills will be put to the test. 现在,他的攀岩技巧将受到考验.
he doesn't have long. 他没多久了.
competition is on the way. 竞争正在进行中.
he might be the first to arrive. 他可能是第一个来的.
but female fossa are ruthless, 但雌性窝是无情的,
choosing only the fittest and strongest males. 只选择适者生存和最强壮的男性.
she will eject from the tree any suitor 她会从树上弹出任何追求者
that doesn't meet with her approval. 这不符合她的同意.
she eyes up her potential mate 她盯着她的潜在伴侣
and signals her acceptance. 并表示她接受.
it's a precarious process that can last for several hours! 这是一个不稳定的过程,可以持续几个小时！
another male arrives. 另一个男性到达.
this could be trouble. 这可能是麻烦.
the second male is younger and less experienced. 第二个男性更年轻,经验较少.
and she's still locked in coitus with the first. 她还在和第一个交媾.
a queue forms,male number three arrives! 排成一队,三号男来了！
he's larger and older, 他又大又老,
and might be a better choice than her first suitor. 也许是比她的第一个追求者更好的选择.
the males might have to fight it out. 雄性可能不得不反抗.
but a battle this high above ground 但这场高高在上的战斗
could put them all in hot water! 可以把它们都放在热水里！
there are now three competing male fossas in the tree. 现在树上有三个相互竞争的雄性化石.
and still,the female remains locked with the first! 尽管如此,女性仍然与第一个锁定！
finally,she frees herself 最后,她释放了自己
and attacks the newest arrival. 攻击最新来的人.
fossa females are clearly in charge when it comes to mating. 在交配方面,窝雌性显然是负责的.
she returns to her first suitor. 她回到了她的第一个追求者.
he'll be one of up to eight males 他将是最多八个雄性中的一个
she'll mate with over the coming week. 她会在接下来的一周里交配.
as more arrive,they must all wait in line 随着更多的人到达,他们都必须排队等候
until she's ready. 直到她准备好了.
darwin had traveled the world and yet never 达尔文周游世界,但从未
would have seen anything quite like the fossa, 会看到像窝一样的东西,
nor the animals it hunted. 也不是它猎杀的动物.
this looks like a monkey,but it isn't, 这看起来像一只猴子,但它不是,
and those are very strange toes. 那些脚趾很奇怪.
spotted! 被发现了！
the only escape here is up. 这里唯一的出路就是了.
this is an island of climbers, 这是一个登山者的岛屿,
but the fossa can climb too. 但窝也可以爬.
the prey,a lemur,escapes to the high,thinner branches. 猎物,狐猴,逃到高,较薄的树枝.
for millions of years, 几百万年来,
these two animals have evolved side-by-side. 这两种动物是并肩进化的.
both equally well-adapted to this forested realm. 两者都同样很好地适应了这个森林领域.
but they bear no resemblance 但它们没有相似之处
to anything darwin would have seen elsewhere. 达尔文在其他地方看到的任何东西.
he might well have asked, 他很可能会问,
where did these arboreal creatures come from? 这些树栖生物是从哪里来的？
the closest landmass to madagascar is africa, 离马达加斯加最近的大陆是非洲,
250 miles across the indian ocean. 横跨印度洋250英里.
that would surely have been his first guess. 这肯定是他的第一个猜测.
and he'd be right. 他是对的.
young charles wouldn't have known it at the time, 年轻的查尔斯当时是不会知道的,
but madagascar was once attached to africa. 但马达加斯加曾经附属于非洲.
it wasn't until 1912 that geologists 直到1912年地质学家
proposed the theory of today's continents drifting apart 提出了今天大陆四分五裂的理论
from a single land mass. 从一个单一的土地上.
180 million years ago the giant,southern supercontinent, 一亿八千万年前的南方超大陆,
gondwanaland,began to break apart. 冈瓦纳兰,开始分裂.
madagascar split from africa and then from india. 马达加斯加从非洲分裂,然后从印度分裂.
80 million years ago,it was on its own. 8000万年前,它是独立的.
modern genetic studies reveal that the fossa's ancestor, 现代遗传研究表明窝的祖先,
which it shares with the mongoose, 它和猫鼬一样,
did indeed come from africa, 确实来自非洲,
but here's the conundrum. 但这里的难题.
the fossa only colonized madagascar 窝只殖民马达加斯加
long after it separated from africa! 很久之后,它从非洲分离！
so how did this burly land mammal get here? 那么这个魁梧的陆地哺乳动物是怎么来到这里的？
it couldn't swim, 它不会游泳,
and it surely couldn't fly. 它肯定飞不起来.
the most popular theory today? 今天最流行的理论？
rafting. 漂流.
great floods washed trees 大洪水冲刷树木
and rafts of vegetation out to sea. 和草木筏出海.
and,with them,castaways, 和他们一起,漂流者,
carried on strong currents to faraway lands. 带着强大的水流到遥远的地方.
back then,ocean circulation followed 那时,海洋环流随之而来
a slightly different pattern. 略有不同的模式.
for about 30 million years,powerful currents flowed east, 在大约3000万年的时间里,强大的洋流向东流,
from africa to madagascar. 从非洲到马达加斯加.
providing the window for this bizarre migration. 为这种奇怪的迁移提供了窗口.
by the time the fossa's ancestor arrived, 到窝的祖先来的时候,
it was late to the party. 聚会已经晚了.
numerous species had already made this crossing. 许多物种已经进行了这次穿越.
one of them,a tiny primate,arriving 30 million years 其中一个,一个微小的灵长类动物,到达3000万年
ahead of the fossa! 在窝前面！
it wasn't a monkey because monkeys hadn't evolved yet. 它不是猴子,因为猴子还没有进化.
isolated on this island,this primitive primate 这个岛上的原始灵长类动物
gave rise to something else completely. 完全产生了别的东西.
lemurs. 狐猴
weighing just over an ounce,this nocturnal mouse lemur 这只夜间活动的老鼠狐猴体重刚过一盎司
is one of the smallest primates in the world. 是世界上最小的灵长类动物之一.
during the heat of the day,she slows her metabolism 在炎热的一天,她减缓了她的新陈代谢
in a state of torpor to conserve energy and water. 在迟钝的状态下,节约能源和水.
perhaps this is how her ancestors 也许这就是她的祖先
survived the ocean crossing? 从渡海中幸存下来？
night falls. 夜幕降临.
temperatures drop. 气温下降.
sleepy becomes tenacious. 困变得顽强.
her eyes contain a light-reflecting layer, 她的眼睛里有一层光反射层,
which helps her to see in the dark, 这有助于她在黑暗中看到,
while her sensitive nose leads her 当她敏感的鼻子引导她的时候
to flowers,laden with pollen. 花,充满花粉.
she devours the protein-packed superfood, 她吞噬蛋白质包装的超级食物,
but that's just her starter. 但这只是她的开始.
the fragrant aroma draws in her second course. 芬芳的香气在她的第二道菜中吸引.
she's a gatherer,but she's also a hunter. 她是一个采集者,但她也是一个猎人.
and the darkness makes it easy for her. 黑暗使她很容易.
when the lemurs' ancestral castaways 当狐猴祖先的漂流者
arrived on these shores,there were no large predators 抵达这些海岸,没有大型食肉动物
to threaten them and no other primates 威胁他们而不是其他灵长类动物
competing for life in the trees. 在树上争夺生命.
this was lemur paradise,waiting to be colonized. 这是狐猴的天堂,等待被殖民.
these new primates quickly explored every corner 这些新的灵长类动物迅速探索了每一个角落
of the island,filling each new habitat they came across. 在岛上,填补了他们遇到的每一个新的栖息地.
on the galapagos islands, 在加拉帕戈斯群岛,
darwin had noted variation in 13 species of finches. 达尔文注意到13种雀类的变异.
they helped inspire his theory 他们帮助启发了他的理论
of evolution and natural selection, 进化与自然选择,
but lemur adaptation may have blown his mind! 但狐猴适应可能已经吹他的头脑！
from those few,early pioneers, 从那些少数,早期的开拓者,
more than 100 species of lemur evolved. 超过100种狐猴进化.
that's more than a third of all primate species 这是所有灵长类动物物种的三分之一以上
on the planet,found only here,on madagascar. 在这个星球上,只有在这里,在马达加斯加.
some have teeth adapted to crush and consume seeds, 一些有适应粉碎和消耗种子的牙齿,
while others eat only the fruit or leaves. 而其他人只吃水果或叶子.
some sleep high up in the canopy, 有些人睡在树冠上,
while others shelter inside tree hollows. 而其他人则躲在树洞里.
if young charles had wandered 如果年轻的查尔斯流浪过
into the north-eastern forests of madagascar, 进入马达加斯加东北部森林,
he'd have heard these haunting calls. 他会听到这些令人难以忘怀的电话.
they come from the largest lemur on the island. 它们来自岛上最大的狐猴.
this is an indri. 这是一个indri.
it uses long legs to bounce sideways through the trees, 它用长腿在树上侧身弹跳,
able to launch itself up to 30 feet. 能够发射到30英尺.
it seems to almost fly. 它似乎几乎飞了.
neither monkey nor ape,lemurs' evolutionary line 既不是猴子也不是猿,狐猴的进化线
split off from other primates 65 million years ago. 6500万年前与其他灵长类动物分离.
some ancient,primate traits darwin would have recognized. 达尔文会认识到一些古老的灵长类动物特征.
a large,upright body, 一个大而直立的身体,
lack of a prehensile tail, 缺乏一个prehensile尾巴,
defined fingers, 定义的手指,
and nails instead of claws. 用钉子代替爪子.
indris live in small,family groups, 印度支那生活在小家庭群体中,
a monogamous pair and their offspring. 一夫一妻制的一对和他们的后代.
the youngster is just a few months old. 这个年轻人只有几个月大.
he'd better hold on! 他最好坚持住！
he's starting to take his first steps, 他开始迈出第一步了,
but it'll be another year before he's able 但再过一年他就能
to fly through the canopy like his mother. 像他母亲一样穿过树冠.
each day,the family searches for the freshest fruits 每天,全家人都在寻找最新鲜的水果
and flowers,using their highly-tuned sense of smell. 还有花,用它们高度协调的嗅觉.
they eat more than 70 different plant species, 他们吃超过70种不同的植物,
only found in these north-eastern forests. 只在东北部的森林里发现.
at two-and-a-half-feet tall, 身高两英尺半,
indris are the largest lemurs on madagascar today, 印度支那是马达加斯加今天最大的狐猴,
but they're tiny compared to their ancestors 但与他们的祖先相比,他们很小
that once lived here. 曾经住在这里.
archaeoindris.
a giant lemur weighing up to 440 pounds. 重达440磅的巨型狐猴.
as much as an adult,male gorilla! 不亚于成人,雄性大猩猩！
they were among the largest primates ever 它们是有史以来最大的灵长类动物之一
to have walked the earth. 走遍大地.
the first humans to set foot on madagascar, 第一批踏上马达加斯加的人类,
about 2,000 years ago, 大约2000年前,
would have seen them walking 会看到他们走路的
and even swinging on low branches, 甚至在低矮的树枝上摇摆,
but about 1,000 years later,they went extinct. 但大约1000年后,它们灭绝了.
if,in 1836,darwin had reached the interior, 如果在1836年,达尔文到达了内陆,
he would have noticed rich rainforest 他会注意到丰富的雨林
giving way to wetlands 让位于湿地
lined with giant bamboo. 衬着巨大的竹子.
here,he would find 在这里,他会发现
the most highly-specialized lemur of all. 最高度专业化的狐猴.
a creature able to eat something poisonous. 能吃有毒东西的生物.
this is the greater bamboo lemur. 这是更大的竹狐猴.
darwin would have seen them across madagascar, 达尔文会在马达加斯加看到它们,
but today,there are fewer than 500 individuals left. 但今天,只剩下不到500人.
until recently,the species 直到最近,该物种
was thought to be almost extinct, 被认为几乎灭绝了,
save for one location in the southeast. 留在东南部的一个地方.
then,this group was discovered 250 miles north, 然后,这个小组被发现250英里以北,
in an area where they hadn't been seen 在一个没人看到他们的地方
for more than a century. 一个多世纪了.
along with the giant and red pandas,these are among 除了大熊猫和小熊猫,它们也是其中之一.
the few mammals in the world that can eat bamboo. 世界上少数能吃竹子的哺乳动物.
just a few ounces of this plant 这种植物只有几盎司
contains enough cyanide to kill a human, 含有足够的氰化物来杀死一个人,
but it is all they eat. 但这是他们吃的.
an enzyme in their stomach 他们胃里的一种酶
enables them to neutralize the cyanide. 使他们能够中和氰化物.
sharp teeth help them to bite through the hard, 锋利的牙齿帮助他们通过硬咬,
pithy exterior to access the soft flesh inside. 精妙的外表可以进入里面柔软的肉.
these adaptations allow this lemur 这些适应允许这种狐猴
to thrive on a plant that no other lemur can exploit, 在其他狐猴无法利用的植物上茁壮成长,
but year-by-year,madagascar's dry season is getting longer, 但一年比一年,马达加斯加的旱季越来越长,
reducing the fresh,green shoots the bamboo lemur relies on. 减少竹狐猴所依赖的新鲜绿芽.
if these lemurs are to survive, 如果这些狐猴能活下来,
they must adapt to a new source of food. 他们必须适应新的食物来源.
but can they make the transition in time? 但他们能及时过渡吗？
some 20 million years after lemurs arrived on these shores, 狐猴到达这些海岸大约2000万年后,
yet another castaway made its way across from africa. 又有一个被抛弃的人从非洲横渡过来.
by then,the treetops were dominated by lemurs. 到那时,树梢被狐猴占主导地位.
but below the canopy was a dark world for the taking. 但树冠下面是一个黑暗的世界.
the shadows of madagascar's eastern forests, 马达加斯加东部森林的阴影,
is where its descendants still lurk today! 是它的后代今天仍然潜伏的地方！
this strange creature would have 这个奇怪的生物会
surely confused the young charles darwin. 肯定混淆了年轻的查尔斯*达尔文.
it looks like a shrew with its long snout 它看起来像一个长鼻子的泼妇
or it could be mistaken for a hedgehog with its spiny coat, 或者它可能被误认为是刺猬与它的多刺的外套,
but it's neither. 但两者都不是.
it's a lowland streaked tenrec. 这是一个低地条纹的tenrec.
one of around 30 tenrec species 约30个tenrec物种之一
that are found only on madagascar. 只有在马达加斯加才能找到.
surprisingly,the tenrecs' ancestor in africa 令人惊讶的是,tenrecs在非洲的祖先
also gave rise to elephants,aardvarks and manatees. 还产生了大象,土豚和海牛.
here on madagascar,just like the lemurs, 在马达加斯加,就像狐猴一样,
tenrecs diversified to fill almost every available niche. tenrecs多样化,以填补几乎每一个可用的利基.
on the ground,in the trees,and even in water. 在地上,在树上,甚至在水中.
these babies are just three-weeks-old, 这些婴儿只有三周大,
but mom's had enough of feeding them. 但妈妈已经吃够了.
it's time to get them out of the nest. 是时候让他们离开巢穴了.
their eyesight is poor, 他们的视力很差,
so they rely on smell and hearing to find food. 所以他们依靠嗅觉和听觉来寻找食物.
their spines will protect them against predators, 它们的刺会保护它们免受掠食者的侵害,
but they also double-up as a communication device. 但它们也兼作通信设备.
by rubbing them together,they create vibrations, 通过将它们摩擦在一起,它们会产生振动,
which they use to alert each other of potential danger. 他们用它来提醒对方潜在的危险.
a wireless security network! 一个无线安全网络！
the youngsters will stay with mother 孩子们会和妈妈呆在一起
for another few weeks and then they're on their own. 再过几个星期,他们就靠自己了.
the family of five sets about finding food, 五口之家关于寻找食物,
but a thunderstorm interrupts their foraging. 但是一场雷雨打断了他们的觅食.
these central-eastern forests 这些中东部森林
are doused often with tropical rain. 经常被热带雨淋湿.
as scary as it might seem, 看起来很可怕,
the downpour could be very helpful. 倾盆大雨可能会很有帮助.
the forest floor comes alive with their favorite food. 森林的地面充满了他们最喜欢的食物.
earth worms. 蚯蚓.
it's a tenrec family feast, 这是一个tenrec家庭盛宴,
and the kids have shocking table manners! 孩子们的餐桌礼仪令人震惊！
worms will be hard to come by in the drier,winter months. 在较干燥的冬季,蠕虫很难找到.
the youngsters need to make the most 年轻人需要充分利用
of the plentiful supply while they can. 虽然他们可以提供充足的供应.
if madagascar's tenrecs,lemurs,and the fossa 如果马达加斯加的tenrecs,狐猴和窝
all came from africa, 都来自非洲,
where are the lions,giraffes,and antelopes? 狮子,长颈鹿和羚羊在哪里？
darwin would have noted an absence 达尔文会注意到
of these typical african mammals, 这些典型的非洲哺乳动物,
but if he'd stopped here in 1836, 但如果他在1836年停在这里,
he might have recognized one. 他可能认出了一个.
the hippo. 河马.
there are none on the island today, 今天岛上没有,
but three distinct species once lived in madagascar. 但三个不同的物种曾经生活在马达加斯加.
the last of which were seen little more than a century ago. 最后一个是一个多世纪前看到的.
it's 250 miles across the mozambique channel 全长250英里 莫桑比克海峡
and hippos cannot swim. 河马不会游泳.
they're semi-aquatic; 它们是半水生的;
only able to walk along the bottom of a river or lake. 只能沿着河流或湖泊的底部行走.
so,how did they cross the ocean from africa? 那么,他们是如何从非洲穿越海洋的？
perhaps water levels were much lower then, 也许那时水位要低得多,
exposing a land bridge across the channel? 露出一座横跨英吉利海峡的陆桥？
a question that is yet to be answered. 一个有待回答的问题.
the island's hippos were small, 岛上的河马很小,
standing only two-and-a-half-feet tall, 只有两英尺半高,
but their ancestors were considerably bigger. 但他们的祖先要大得多.
farther back in the island's history, 更远的地方是岛上的历史,
madagascar was ruled by giants. 马达加斯加被巨人统治.
gorilla-sized archaeoindris swung from the trees. 大猩猩大小的archaeoindris从树上摆动.
a giant fossa,more than three times the size 一个巨大的窝,大小是它的三倍多
of those today,patrolled the forests. 今天,在森林里巡逻.
an elephant bird,called vorombe titan,stood 10-feet-tall, 一只大象鸟,被称为vorombe titan,站在10英尺高,
weighed almost a ton and laid 12-inch-long eggs, 重近一吨,下了12英寸长的鸡蛋,
but none of these giants were alive when darwin sailed by. 但当达尔文航行时,这些巨人都没有活着.
it took just five weeks 只用了五个星期
observing life on the galapagos islands 观察加拉帕戈斯群岛上的生活
to inspire darwin to write the origin of species. 启发达尔文写《物种起源》
what insights would he have had 他会有什么见解呢？
if he'd stopped on these shores? 如果他在这些海岸停下来？
he missed out on this spectacular diversity 他错过了这个壮观的多样性
of new life forms and strange animal behaviors, 新的生命形式和奇怪的动物行为,
yet his writings apply to madagascar perfectly. 然而,他的着作完全适用于马达加斯加.
from so simple a beginning,endless forms most beautiful 从这么简单的一开始,无尽的形式最美丽
and most wonderful have been,and are being,evolved. 最美妙的是,并且正在进化.
survival here means blending in. 在这里生存意味着融入.
even with his attention to detail, 即使他对细节的关注,
he might not have seen this animal. 他可能没见过这种动物.
the leaf-tailed gecko. 叶尾壁虎.
even the familiar here is unfamiliar. 即使是熟悉的这里是陌生的.
these are chameleons. 这些是变色龙.
there are more than 160 species globally, 全球有超过160种,
almost half of which live only here in madagascar. 其中近一半只生活在马达加斯加.
from the smallest,the inch-long brookesia. 从最小的,一英寸长的brookesia.
to the largest,the size of a small cat; 到最大,一只小猫咪的大小;
the parson's chameleon. 牧师的变色龙.
it grows up to 27 inches from nose to tail tip. 它从鼻子到尾尖长到27英寸.
it can spot prey up to 30 feet away, 它能在30英尺外发现猎物,
but reaching it can be slow going. 但达到它可能会很慢.
its skin is made up of millions of chromatophores, 它的皮肤是由数以百万计的色谱团组成的,
light-reflecting cells that help it to move unnoticed. 光反射细胞,帮助它移动不被注意.
once the prey is in range,there's no escape. 一旦猎物进入射程,就无法逃脱.
its tongue,which is twice its body length, 它的舌头,是它体长的两倍,
can accelerate at the equivalent 可以加速在等效
of zero to 60 miles per hour in 10 milliseconds. 在10毫秒内每小时0到60英里.
today,there is still much to discover on madagascar. 今天,马达加斯加还有很多值得探索的地方.
in the last 20 years, 在过去的20年里,
more than 600 new species have been found. 已经发现了600多个新物种.
the most elusive creature on the island 岛上最难以捉摸的生物
is an animal that was thought to be extinct for two decades, 是一种被认为已经灭绝了二十年的动物,
only re-discovered in 1957. 1957年才重新发现.
if darwin had stayed a night in this forest, 如果达尔文在这片森林里呆了一晚,
it would have startled him for sure! 肯定会吓到他的！
this is an aye-aye. 这是对的.
it leaps like a lemur. 它像狐猴一样跳跃.
has the long,bushy tail of a fox. 有狐狸长而浓密的尾巴.
and gnarled,spidery claws. 还有粗糙的蜘蛛爪.
rodent-like incisors, 啮齿动物样门牙,
eyes that seem to look right through you. 看起来像是透过你的眼睛.
giant,floppy ears to amplify the smallest sounds 巨大的,松软的耳朵放大最小的声音
and a long,middle finger with a sinister hook. 还有一个长长的中指,带着一个险恶的钩子.
the aye-aye scours the dark forest for food. 是啊,是啊,是啊,是啊,是啊,是啊,是啊,是啊,是啊,是啊.
the elongated finger taps at the bark. 细长的手指轻拍树皮.
vibrations give away empty spaces 振动释放出空旷的空间
where grubs and other prey hide. 幼虫和其他猎物藏身的地方.
the long,hooked digit leaves the defenseless larvae 长长的,钩状的数字留下了手无寸铁的幼虫
with no escape. 无路可逃.
sharp incisors drill through bark 锋利的门牙钻过树皮
with mechanical efficiency. 具有机械效率.
the aye-aye has evolved to fill the niche aye-aye已经进化来填补这个利基
occupied elsewhere by woodpeckers, 被啄木鸟占领的其他地方,
but its precise place in the evolutionary tree 但它在进化树上的确切位置
remains a mystery. 仍然是个谜.
seen locally as a harbinger of death, 在当地被视为死亡的先兆,
few animals have inspired as many myths. 很少有动物激发了如此多的神话.
not even the galapagos has an answer to this! 甚至加拉帕戈斯群岛也没有答案！
the emergence of highly-specialized creatures 高度专业化生物的出现
like the aye-aye is a result of madagascar's long isolation. 就像aye-aye是马达加斯加长期孤立的结果.
the island is one of the world's 这个岛是世界上最大的岛屿之一.
greatest evolutionary laboratories. 最伟大的进化实验室.
and not just for animals. 而不仅仅是动物.
more than 8,000 species of plants here 这里有8000多种植物
are found nowhere else on earth. 在地球上其他地方都找不到.
for all the wonders of the natural world 为了自然界所有的奇迹
that charles darwin missed, 查尔斯*达尔文错过了,
he did once hold a piece of madagascar in his hand. 他曾经手里拿着一块马达加斯加.
in 1862,long after darwin returned 1862年,达尔文回来很久之后
from his life-changing voyage, 从他改变人生的旅程中,
he was sent some unusual orchids 他被送来了一些不寻常的兰花
from a famous british grower. 来自一个着名的英国种植者.
one of them was from madagascar. 其中一个来自马达加斯加.
on studying it,darwin noticed its 12-inch-long nectary. 在研究它时,达尔文注意到它的12英寸长的油桃.
he predicted that there must be an animal 他预言一定有一种动物
on the island with a 12-inch-long tongue. 在岛上有一个12英寸长的舌头.
how else could this flower be pollinated? 这朵花还能怎么授粉？
then,in 1903,some 20 years after darwin's death, 然后,在1903年,达尔文去世20年后,
a moth was discovered in madagascar 在马达加斯加发现了一只蛾子
with a tongue 12 inches long. 长12英寸的舌头.
charles darwin was a man ahead of his time. 查尔斯*达尔文是一个超越时代的人.
he had predicted an animal's existence 他预言了动物的存在
decades before it was discovered. 在它被发现之前几十年.
the moth became known as the predicted one. 这只蛾子被称为预测的那只.
madagascar is truly an island of marvels. 马达加斯加确实是一个奇迹之岛.
the culmination of millions of years of isolation. 数百万年孤立的高潮.
pioneered by castaways that arrived here 由抵达这里的漂流者开创
and the diverse habitatsthey adapted to, 他们适应了各种各样的习惯,
but had he stopped,darwin would have seen 但如果他停下来,达尔文就会看到
just a fraction of the species that once lived here. 只是曾经生活在这里的物种的一小部分.
something happened 2,000 years ago that changed 2000年前发生的事情发生了变化
the course of the island's evolution forever. 这是岛上永远进化的过程.
the arrival of a devastating super-predator. 一个毁灭性的超级捕食者的到来.
man. 人哪！
since humans arrived, 自从人类到达,
more than 90% of the original has been lost. 90%以上的原件已经丢失.
now,will come the true test for madagascar's residents 现在,马达加斯加居民将面临真正的考验
and for darwin's adage. 这是达尔文的格言.
it is not the strongest of the species that survives, 它不是生存下来的物种中最强壮的,
nor the most intelligent that survives. 也不是生存下来的最聪明的人.
it is the one that is the most adaptable to change. 它是最能适应变化的.
the animals seen here today 今天在这里看到的动物
are the island's success stories; 岛上的成功故事;
the winners of what darwin called natural selection. 达尔文所谓的自然选择的赢家.
many others have been lost along the way, 许多其他人在途中迷失了,
but today's habitat-change 但今天的栖息地变化
outpaces animals' ability to adapt. 超越动物的适应能力.
if evolution can't keep up,this incredible diversity 如果进化跟不上,这种令人难以置信的多样性
could be gone in a geological heartbeat. 可能在地质上消失.
what will the next chapter hold in the story 故事的下一章会有什么
of this extraordinary island? 这个非凡的岛屿？
what creatures will survive on madagascar? 什么生物会在马达加斯加生存？