地球上有着无数的生命形式 In the countless landscapes of life on Earth,
它们并非总是像看上去那样 things are not always what they seem.
貌似脆弱的 What appears fragile
可能凶猛 may be fierce.
看似单纯无害的 What appears innocent
却可能工于心计 may be calculating.
巧妙的幻觉不仅是一种生存手段 Clever illusion is more than a means of survival.
它也是爱的故事 It's also a story of love
而且是一种神秘的力量 and of the mysterious force
不停地驱使着所有生命 relentlessly driving all living things
用各种必要的方法 to reproduce themselves...
来进行自我繁殖 ..by any means necessary
这也包括欺骗 including deception.
我生活在这样的森林里 I live in forests like this.
不过我几乎生活在各种地方 But then,I live almost everywhere.
这片热带雨林看起来静若止水 This tropical forest appears still,
但是各处的生命都在遵循着 but everywhere living things
基因无言的指令来寻找配偶 are following the mute commands of their genes to find mates
以保证自己物种的延续 and to ensure that their species lives on.
人们或许认为重要的生命形式 One might imagine that the most important life forms
必然巨大 are large,
或是壮硕 or flashy,
或是机灵 or smart.
但是小东西间的爱才是 But it is love among the little things
巨大生命机器的驱动力 that actually runs the vast machinery of life.
地球上一些最重要的事物在隐秘的 Some of the most important events on Earth occur quietly
小世界里悄悄地发生 in small and hidden worlds.
宏大生命架构中有些关键的物种 And some species critical to the grand scheme of life
会出人意料 are not what you expect.
这个故事就是关于所有生命中 This is a story about one of the most vital
最重要而精巧的一个 and ingenious of all living things.
这是我的故事 It's my story.
我是花 I'm a flower.
我要代表所有花朵来从我们的视角 I'm going to tell you,on behalf of all flowers
讲述生命的故事 about life from our point of view.
人们把我们当成美丽而脆弱事物 You think we're just fragile wisps of beauty
却不知道美丽是我们的策略 unaware that beauty is our strategy.
我们比人们想得更加重要 We're more important than you know.
在长久的岁月里帮助生命繁盛 We've helped life prosper across the ages.
如果没有我们 Without us,
人类都无法生存 humans might not survive.
生命之翼
花粉
================================== 本字幕仅供学习交流 严禁用于商业用途 ==================================
==================== 纪录片之家 倾情奉献 http://www.jlpzj.net/ ====================
美丽并非总是只像表面那样 Beauty is not always what it seems.
================================= 翻译&时间轴: 样子 @纪录片之家 =================================
美丽也可以是一种生存和 Beauty can be a tool of survival
引诱的工具 and seduction.
每片森里的每一次翅膀的拍动 Every beat of every wing in every forest
都在以某种方式让生命的河川 is somehow keeping the great enterprise of life
向前奔流 streaming forward.
生命的永不停歇 The constant motion of life
让爱的联系有了可能 makes love connections possible.
有翅膀和腿脚的动物能去搜寻配偶 Animals with wings and legs can search for mates.
但是我们植物 But we plants
永远扎根在一个地方 are for ever rooted in one place.
所以我们通过提供奖励 So we entice animals to us
引诱动物来找我们 by offering rewards.
等它们到来时 When they come,
我们用它们 we use them
来构建我们自己无法完成的 to make the love connections
爱之纽带 we can't make ourselves.
在这片巴拿马的森林里 In this forest in Panama,
热带兰花蜂闻到了一种美妙味道 a tropical orchid bee has picked up an alluring scent
它在寻找气味的来源 and he's searching for the source.
那是我 It's me,
一株兰花 an orchid.
我是所有花朵中最狡黠的一种 And I'm one of the most cunning of all flowers.
我的香味 My perfume
是个圈套 is a trick.
兰花蜂要依靠我的帮助来完成 The orchid bee depends on me for help
生命中的核心任务 with his central mission in life -
与雌性交配 to mate with a female.
几周以来 For weeks,
它在从兰花上收集香味油 he collects scent oils from orchids.
它最后会把这些香气的混合物 Eventually,he uses his mix of fragrances
用作一种兰花香水 as a kind of orchid "cologne"
来吸引异性 to attract a female.
这香味的来源是我 The scents come from me,
一株水桶兰 a bucket orchid.
这水桶是我圈套的一部分 The bucket is part of my trick.
蜜蜂必须要爬上一处蜡质斜坡 The bee has to climb a waxy slope
才能够到香味油 to reach the scent oils
它被巧妙的藏在盖子下面 cleverly hidden beneath a hood.
我在水桶里面 I've filled my bucket
装满了能让蜜蜂沉没的粘稠液体 with a sticky fluid that makes the bee sink.
我留下了唯一的逃生线路 I provide only one escape route
这会把它带到我希望它去的地方 which leads him just where I want him.
在兰花蜂爬出后 After the bee climbs out,
我会紧紧地抱着它 I grip him tightly.
我把两个花粉囊粘在它的背上 I glue two pollen sacs to his back,
每个花粉囊里装着数万颗花粉 each filled with tens of thousands of pollen grains.
这些是我产生的所有花粉 These are the only pollen sacs I will ever produce,
所以在胶水变干之前 so I won't let him go
我是不会放它走的 until the glue is dry.
我可能会等一个小时 I may wait an hour
甚至更久 or more
之后才会松开它 before loosening my grip.
这只蜜蜂 This one bee
现在承载着我的传奇 now carries my legacy.
当它那一天再次闻到另一株 When he comes upon the scent of an other orchid
气味相同的兰花时 that same day,
它会直奔那兰花而去 he heads right for it.
如果它滑进第二株兰花的水桶里 If he slips into the bucket of this second orchid,
背上粘着的花粉囊就会松脱 the pollen sacs on his back will come unglued.
授粉就能完成了 Pollination can occur.
新一代的兰花就此开始 A new orchid generation can begin.
自然如何能创造出如此精巧的策略 How nature has created such intricate strategies
是生命的谜团 is a mystery of life.
不过如果我们能够在时光中回溯 Yet we can unravel some of the puzzle
就能解开一些秘密 if we go back in time.
在近两亿年前 Back nearly 200 million years,
时值爬行动物纪元 during the Age of Reptiles,
哺乳动物最大也只有老鼠般大小 there were no mammals larger than a mouse.
在很长一段时间里 For a very long time,
世界上也没有任何花朵 there were no flowers,either.
没有花朵时 Without flowers,
地球是个单调的地方 Earth was a drab place.
但在大约一亿三千五百万年前 But about 135 million years ago,
生命开始因为一种新的事物 life began to change dramatically
而发生了剧烈变化 because of an invention.
当恐龙在这样的森林里游荡之时 When dinosaurs roamed forests like this,
多数植物靠风来传播花粉 most plants spread their pollen on the wind.
如果运气够好 If they were lucky,
会有几枚花粉粒会飘到另一棵树上 a few pollen grains would reach another tree
形成能够变成下一代的种子 creating seeds that would become the next generation.
这办法今天对松树和草等很多植物 It still works today for pines,grasses
仍然有效 and many other plants.
但是这样效率并不算很高 But it's not very efficient.
大多数花粉都被浪费了 Most of the pollen goes to waste.
有些久远过去的未知植物 Some unknown plant in the deep past,
可能是木兰属的祖先 perhaps a magnolia ancestor
产生了一种能够保证将花粉直接 produced a device that would ensure delivery of pollen
传给配偶的设计 directly to a mate.
这其实是生命历史中 It would prove to be one of the most important events
最重要的事件之一 in the history of life.
这个设计 The device
就是我 was me.
一朵花 A flower.
我们花朵的作用就像是广告牌 Our blossoms act like advertising billboards
我们的香气和美味的奖励 Our perfumes and tasty rewards
把经过的生物吸引过来 lure passing creatures to us.
我们在它们身上粘上花粉 And we load them up with pollen.
它们在不知不觉中带去其它花朵 They will unknowingly carry to other flowers.
甲虫是我们最早的“爱情信使” Beetles were among our first "love messengers."
我们的果实 Our fruit,
种子 seeds,
花蜜和花粉 nectar and pollen
变成数百万物种的重要食物 became crucial foods for millions of species.
我们的繁盛 We flourished
成了生命形式的基础 and became a keystone life form.
如今 Today,
我们的授粉机制将全球的生命 our pollination schemes knit together the fabric of life
编织在一起 across the planet.
随着时间 Over time,
我们的授粉策略渐渐进化 our pollination tactics evolved.
授粉者也随之适应 Pollinators adapted in turn.
各处的生命因此变得 And life everywhere became
异乎寻常的多种多样 infinitely more diverse.
在雨林中就有一个范例 There's an example in this rain forest.
我们中的一些 Some of us
开始把花蜜藏在管子里面 began hiding our nectar in tubes.
这促使一些授粉者变得特化 It encouraged some pollinators to specialize
发展出一种互利的关系 developing mutually beneficial relationships.
这些授粉者演化出了长嘴 One of these pollinators evolved a longer beak
能伸进蜜管 for nectar tubes...
还有能够每秒拍打两百次的翅膀 ..and wings that can beat up to 200 times a second.
有了这些独特的特技飞行能力 With these unique aerobatic skills,
蜂鸟能够在空中悬停进食 hummingbirds can hover to feed
并做出空中舞蹈者一样的动作 and maneuver like airborne dancers.
如今 Now,
在数千万年之后 after millions of years,
授粉协作关系几乎 pollination partnerships occur
无处不在 almost everywhere.
既在雨林这样的富饶栖息地 In luxurious habitats like the rain forest,
也在地球上最严酷的一些地方 but also in some of the harshest places on Earth.
墨西哥北部的索诺兰沙漠 The Sonoran Desert of northern Mexico
是一个酷热的世界 is a world of blistering heat.
我也在这里安家 I live here,too.
我们仙人掌是开花植物 We cacti are flowering plants
是这片贫瘠世界生命的中心 central to life in this arid world.
我们能够生存长达一百五十年 Living as long as 150 years,
我们喂养了 we help feed
世世代代的沙漠生物 generation after generation of desert creatures.
我们是活着的水箱 We are living water tanks.
这是我们的生存之道 That's how we survive.
但是为了繁殖 But to reproduce,
我们的盟友是一种 we form alliances
非同寻常的生物 with unusual partners.
在这个严酷的世界里 In this harsh realm,
我们的策略不是进行欺骗 our strategy is not to deceive,
而是照顾 but to nurture.
在经过授粉后 When pollinated,
我们仙人掌花朵变成果实 we cactus flowers turn into fruit
里面有孕育着新一代的种子 with seeds to start a new generation.
在夏日的野外 So,on summer nights,
为了能吸引授粉者 to attract pollinators,
我们开放出几朵多蜜的花 we open a few nectar-filled flowers...
并且等待 ..and we wait.
在夜晚中的别处 Elsewhere in the night,
我们的授粉者也在等待 our pollinators wait,too.
当时机合适的时候 When the time is right,
它们会离开 they will leave their home
在科特斯海一座岛屿上的家 on an island in the Sea of Cortez
来寻找在沙漠中 to search for the white flowers
呼唤它们的白色花朵 beckoning from the desert.
这些食蜜的蝙蝠 These nectar-feeding bats
都是雌性 are all female.
它们怀孕后就离开雄性居住 They live apart from males while pregnant.
多数就快要生产了 Most are due to give birth soon.
有些已经开始哺乳了 Some are already nursing.
它们急切地需要营养 They desperately need nourishment.
粘在它们脸上的花粉在下一棵 Pollen sticking to their faces rubs off
仙人掌上被擦掉并完成授粉 and pollinates the flower of the next cactus.
新妈妈大吃花蜜 A new mother gulps nectar
这样它才能哺育刚刚出生的宝宝 so she can nurse a baby born only moments ago.
每朵花 Each flower
都只开一夜 opens on only one night -
它的唯一机会 its sole opportunity
就是靠这些翅膀在沙漠中传播花粉 to spread its pollen across the desert on wings.
在动物和植物世界中 In billions of these brief intersections
数十亿个这种短暂交集 of the animal and plant worlds,
让生命能自我繁衍 life regenerates itself
生生不息 over and over again.
如果花朵被授粉并受精后 If the flowers were pollinated and fertilized,
它们将变成富有营养的果实 they will become nourishing fruit.
饥饿的动物们开始等待 A wait begins among hungry creatures
仙人掌的下一个礼物 for the next gifts of the cacti.
在一个非常不同的世界里 A waiting game has also begun
非常不同的花朵 among very different flowers
也开始了一场等待游戏 in a very different world.
这是美国中西部的农场 The farm fields of the American Midwest.
我也在这里生活 I live here,too.
我是一种在庄稼附近生活的银莲花 I'm a kind of wildflower growing near the crops.
我每年春天 Each spring,
都等待远方匆匆赶来的一种授粉者 I wait for a pollinator to sweep in from far away.
我在北美很繁盛 I thrive across North America,
但被当做一种野草 but I'm considered a weed.
人们把我叫做“牛奶草” "Milkweed," people call me,
这是因为我那特别的汁液 because of my special sap.
我产生一种乳状毒液 I make a milky poison
能让吃到我的动物生病 that can sicken many animals that might feed on me.
但我也产生甜美的花蜜 But I also produce sweet nectar
能够吸引一种美丽的授粉者 that draws a kind of beautiful pollinator
从千余公里外的藏身处赶来 from a hidden retreat more than 1,000 miles away.
在中墨西哥山上的一片森林里 In a forest on a mountain in central Mexico,
聚集这数以亿计的帝王蝶 monarch butterflies are amassed by the tens of millions
等待着升起的太阳来温暖身体 waiting for the rising sun to energize their bodies.
它们非常密集 In clusters so dense,
能够压弯大树 they can bend the trees.
它们在休息 They rest
并且在为自己 and prepare themselves
远途的北方牛奶草之旅 for the long journey northward
做好准备 to reach the milkweed.
每年秋天 Every autumn,
它们为了躲避北方的严寒 to avoid freezing in the north,
最远从加拿大 they fly here
飞到这里过冬 from as faraway as Canada
栖居在海拔 and perch in fir trees
三千多米高处的杉林里面 at an elevation of more than 11,000 feet.
这里的气候非常适合 It's the perfect climate
让它们在冬季里保留能量 to help them conserve energy through the winter.
早晨的太阳晒热了它们的翅膀 As the morning sun warms their wings,
它们开始群体向下飞去 they begin to cascade downward.
为了生存 To stay alive,
它们必须要依赖上个秋天 they must rely on stored fat
所积累储存的脂肪 they accumulated last fall.
但要把脂肪转化成能量 But to turn fat into energy,
它们需要水 they need water.
它们每天的任务 Their mission each day
就是到下面去寻找饮水 is to search for a drink of water.
为了从这里飞到美国南部 They must maintain their strength
它们必须要为之保持 for the exhausting flight from here
足够的体力 to the southern U.S..
从那里 From there,
这些帝王蝶的儿孙们 the children and grandchildren of these monarchs
将会在夏日里继续 will journey on northward
北上到加拿大 through the summer to Canada.
帝王蝶喝够了水后 Their thirst quenched,
在午后返回到了树上 the monarchs return to the trees by late afternoon.
到下个秋天 By next autumn,
它们的曾曾孙辈 their great-great grandchildren
将会回到这些同样的森林 will return to these same forests.
它们很快就会出发 Soon they will set out
进行地球上最长的蝴蝶迁徙 on the longest migration of any butterfly on Earth
就为了找到半个大陆之外 to reach a little-noticed weed
鲜有人知的野草 half a continent away.
并非所有植物和动物的关系 Not all plant and animal relationships
都那么奇特 are so exotic.
不过就算一个熟悉的 But even a familiar one
普通食物和著名昆虫间的关系 involving a common food and well-known insect
都是隐秘之美的例证 is an example of hidden beauty.
人们培育这种开花植物的目的 People raise this flowering plant,
不是为了它的花 not for the flowers
而是由花朵长成的东西 but for what the flowers turn into.
我也在这里生活 I live here,too.
我是番茄的花朵 I'm a tomato flower,
而且我把花粉紧紧地锁起来 and I lock up my pollen tightly,
只有最有效率的授粉者才能得到 so that only the most efficient pollinators can get it.
我最喜欢的 My favorite
是一位非常辛勤的工人 is a very hard worker -
大黄蜂 the bumblebee,
它会为产卵的蜂后和发育中的幼蜂 who gathers pollen for the egg-laying queen
收集花粉 and the developing young.
大黄蜂是少数几种会照顾 Bumblebees are one of the few insects
后代的昆虫之一 that care for their offspring.
当蜂房出现损坏时 When damage occurs in the hive,
工蜂会迅速进行修整 a worker quickly repairs the cell.
用花蜜酿成的蜂蜜 Honey made from flower nectar
被存在蜡质罐子里 is kept in wax pots.
成蜂吃下它 The adults eat it
再把它反刍到蜂巢里 and regurgitate it into the cells
来哺育幼蜂 to feed the young.
它们需要很多花粉和花蜜 They need a lot of pollen and nectar,
搜寻工作持续而且繁杂 and searching for it is a constant chore.
它们发现了附近的菜园 They spot a garden nearby.
在觅食者进行调查时 As the foragers investigate,
它们会看到人眼所看不到的东西 they see things invisible to the human eye.
因为蜜蜂能接收紫外线 Because they are able to perceive ultraviolet light,
它们能发现花朵上的斑纹 bees can detect markings produced by flowers
并且以此来直接找到花蜜和花粉 to guide pollinators directly to nectar and pollen.
菜园能提供的食物不够蜜蜂所需 The bees need more food than the garden can provide.
在前方 Ahead,
它们看到了所要寻找的 they see what they're looking for.
于是一次奇妙的授粉开始了 So begins a fascinating kind of pollination.
蜜蜂紧紧咬住花朵 The bee bites to hold on tight,
然后通过每秒钟四百四十次的 then blasts the locked-up pollen loose
飞行肌肉振动来让 by vibrating her flight muscles
被深深锁住的花粉松动 up to 440 times per second.
它把花粉装进后腿上的小篮 She packs the pollen into baskets on her back legs.
它的振动和音符中的A差不多 Her vibration rate is the same as the musical note A.
它就像是活的音叉 She's like a living tuning fork.
“嗡嗡授粉”的植物不多 Few flowers are "buzz pollinated,"
但里面包括人类最喜欢的一些食物 but they include some favorite foods enjoyed by human beings.
工蜂们会一直这样 The workers will keep at this
直到收集到足够的花粉 until they have enough pollen
能够喂养蜂巢中正在发育的新一代 to feed the colony's newly developing brood.
这种花朵的馈赠 Such flower rewards
养活了数十亿的生物 sustain billions of creatures,
有时就在几乎没什么可吃的地方 sometimes in places where there is little else to eat.
在索诺兰沙漠里过去了几周 Weeks have passed in the Sonoran Desert.
我的仙人掌花现在已经变成了果实 My cactus flowers should have turned to fruit by now.
雌性蝙蝠就靠它们维系 The female bats are depending on it.
如果没有一种新的食物来源 They can't continue to nurse their young
它们就没法继续喂养后代 without a new source of food.
仙人掌可能是它们唯一的希望 The cacti may be their only hope.
从岛屿洞穴 From their island cave,
它们要进行漫长的夜间飞行 they make a long night flight
来回的距离有上百公里 A round-trip of more than 60 miles.
这是一段艰难的旅程 It's a demanding journey,
不过盛宴就在等待 but a feast awaits.
蝙蝠妈妈们需要营养 The mothers need nourishment.
那些怀有身孕的也是一样 And so do those carrying new life within.
在它们大啖果实之时 As they gorge on the fruit,
也同样吃下了里面的种子 they are also consuming seeds
种子之后会被它们散播到沙漠各处 which they eventually spread across the desert.
我们是索诺兰沙漠生命的关键 We cacti are key to Sonoran Desert life.
但我们仙人掌也离不开蝙蝠的帮助 But we couldn't endure without the help of bats.
同样蝙蝠和它们的孩子们 And the bats and their young
离开我们的帮助也无法生存 couldn't survive without our help.
这种植物和动物间至关重要的联系 This crucial connection between plants and animals
让沙漠仍有生命 helps keep the desert alive.
还有其他动物也依靠仙人掌果实 There are others who depend on the cactus fruit,
在夜间进行收集 collecting it at night,
这样每天都能吃到新鲜的 so it can be consumed fresh each day.
他们的祖先对仙人掌果实喜爱有加 Their distant ancestors so adored cactus fruit
甚至让仙人掌成为 that they honored the cacti
其部落的保留成员 as revered members of their tribes.
如今 Today,
这不仅能给人们带来甜蜜的快乐 it's a way for people to provide for their families,
也是养家的一种方法 as well as a sweet pleasure.
它甜到 So sweet
让人们在花园里种下仙人掌种子 that people plant cacti seeds in their gardens.
从花朵的视角来说 From a flower's point of view,
人类只是我们用来达成目的的 humans are just another species we can use
另一个物种 for our purposes.
不过一处的美味馈赠 But a delicious reward in one place
在另一处则能引发冲突 can be the cause of conflict in another.
和沙漠不同 Unlike the desert,
热带雨林里的资源很丰富 a tropical rain forest is rich in resources
竞争也很激烈 and competition.
生存青睐大胆且进取者 Survival favors the bold and aggressive.
甚至貌似温和的动物 Even the seemingly gentle
也会是无畏的斗士 turn out to be warriors.
而饱含花蜜的花朵 And nectar-bearing flowers
是值得捍卫的领地 are territory to defend.
胜者能够帮助传播花粉 The winners will spread pollen
因而让森林保持葱郁 that helps keep the forest lush.
一只宣示了领地 One stakes his claim.
挑战者来了 And the challengers arrive.
对决开始了 It's a standoff.
前一只开始移动 Then,the first move.
就连勇士也可能会犯错误 Even a warrior can make a mistake.
授粉的隐秘奇迹里 The hidden spectacles of pollination
或许有几个小小的竞争者 can involve a few tiny rivals,
也会有数以亿计的远行客 or hundreds of millions of voyagers.
从墨西哥的高地森林里 From the high forests in Mexico,
帝王蝶向着北方 the great migration of monarch butterflies
北美中部 heads northward
开始了的恢弘迁徙 toward the middle of North America.
在它们每年夏季的长途旅行中 In their long round-trip each summer,
为数众多的帝王蝶 the vast monarch population
能帮助两百多种植物 will help pollinate and sustain
进行授粉并保证其繁衍 more than 200 kinds of flowers.
当迁徙的第一段到达农场的时候 As this first leg of the migration reaches farmland,
蝴蝶们已经累了 the butterflies are tiring.
这是耗费精力的飞行 It's a strenuous flight.
它们需要能量 They need fuel.
这时我就有了用途 That's where I come in.
颜色和形状各异的牛奶草 Milkweed flowers in a variety of colors and shapes
就是它们的中途加油站 serve as refueling stations
回报就是其花粉的散播 in return for a little help spreading pollen.
我们牛奶草足智多谋 We milkweeds are wily.
我们的花朵有狭窄的细缝 Our flowers have narrow slits
能抓住进食的帝王蝶的腿 that can snag the leg of a feeding monarch
把它钳在花朵上 and hold her in a vise-like grip.
等它要尽力挣脱时 When she tries to jerk free,
会绊倒一根线 she snags a cord,
释放出囊中的花粉 releasing sacs of pollen
这会被它无意中带到下一株牛奶草 she'll unknowingly carry to the next milkweed.
在迁徙的途中 As they migrate,
它们也会交配 they also mate.
这些越冬的帝王蝶世代 This over-wintering generation of monarchs
能活九个月 may live nine months.
它们属于地球上最长寿的蝴蝶 They're among the longest-lived butterflies on Earth.
不过现在它们时日不多了 But now their days are numbered.
它们必须繁衍后代 They have to produce young
好让迁徙继续进行 to keep the migration going.
有时候会有另一只雄性干扰 Sometimes another male tries to intervene.
即使在这种小型爱情故事里 Even in small love stories,
胜利也属于最为坚定的一方 victory goes to the most determined.
雄性渐渐地赢得了雌性的芳心 Eventually,the male sweeps her off her feet
并且把它带到了树枝上的私密地点 and carries her to the privacy of a tree branch.
它可能会这样拥抱着雌性 He may keep her in his embrace
达十六个小时 for up to 16 hours.
在两周内 Within two weeks,
每只雌蝶会把多达四百枚卵 each female attaches up to 400 eggs
附着在牛奶草叶片下面 to the underside of milkweed leaves,
而且只在牛奶草叶下 and only milkweed leaves.
和蜜蜂不同 Unlike bees,
帝王蝶的成功并不靠对后代的照顾 monarchs rely not on the care of their young,
而是数量 but quantity.
这么多蝶卵 Enough eggs
即使在饥饿昆虫的屠戮之下 and some are bound to survive
也总会有一些幸免于难 the onslaught of hungry insects.
帝王蝶毛虫的任务就是不停地大吃 The job of a monarch caterpillar is to eat relentlessly.
先要吃下自己的卵壳 First,its own egg case.
然后就只吃牛奶草的叶子 Then,milkweed leaves exclusively,
它们会长到孵化时的两千倍大 growing to 2,000 times its original size...
前提是能活下来 ..if it survives.
还好会有数以亿计的幸存者 Fortunately,hundreds of millions survive.
它们的妈妈选择牛奶草自有原因 Their mothers put them on milkweed for a reason.
草液里的毒素留在它们体内 The toxic sap settles in their bodies.
这对帝王蝶没有影响 The monarchs are unaffected,
但是吃下它们的掠食者 but a predator who eats one
很可能会不舒服 is likely to become ill
很快就学会了避开它们 and soon learns to avoid them.
每只毛虫最后会找到一个安全地点 Eventually,each caterpillar finds a secure spot
吐出丝来拉住自己 and spins silk to hold onto.
该要破茧成蝶了 It's time to become a butterfly.
毛虫用后腿抓住丝线 The caterpillar grips the silk with its back legs
头朝下挂着 and hangs upside down.
经过挤压后 Through contractions,
外皮松动了 the skin is loosened.
它最后终于裂开 Eventually it splits,
露出下面的新外壳 revealing a new casing beneath
现在是危险动作 Now,a dangerous maneuver.
在几秒之内 In a matter of seconds,
随着旧皮和腿的脱落 as the old skin and legs fall away,
它必须得从新壳里把钩子伸进丝线 she must thrust hooks from the new case into the silk.
如果这个接合处失效 If this delicate hand off fails,
它就会落到地上 she will fall to the ground,
孤弱无力 helpless
并被吃掉 and be eaten.
在这层保护壳之内 Within this protective shell,
毛虫自己在渐渐消失 her caterpillar self is fading away.
经年累月间 Across the ages,
人类见证了这种变形 humans have seen in this transformation -
变化的终极象征 the ultimate symbol of change.
它的身体开始把液体 Her body begins to pump fluid
泵入翅膀使其膨胀 that will inflate her wings.
翅膀上鳞片的形状能够反射光线 The scales on the wings are shaped to reflect light
这样就产生了艳丽的颜色 so that it produces a bright coloration.
对比强烈的橘色和黑色 Contrasting orange and black
是自然界中的警戒色 are warning colors in nature.
它体内还有牛奶草的毒素 She still carries milkweed toxins
这些颜色就在说： and these colors say,
“我可不好吃” "I'm not good to eat."
这种策略非常成功 This strategy is so successful
有些没有毒的蝴蝶也模仿 that some butterflies without poison
帝王蝶的颜色 copy the monarch's colors.
我们牛奶草会为它们提供能量 We milkweeds will provide the flight fuel
夏季里的第一代帝王蝶 as this first generation of summer
继续进行它们漫长的迁徙 continues the monarch's long migration.
授粉者没有休息 There is no rest for pollinators,
蝴蝶不休息 not for butterflies
另一种非常辛勤的劳动者也一样 and not for one very hard worker.
在农场田地里 In a farm field,
大黄蜂就要完成 bumblebees are finishing
让它筋疲力尽的嗡嗡授粉 the exhausting job of buzz pollinating.
当它们装满了花粉后 When they're loaded with pollen,
这些大黄蜂要把花粉带回家 it's time for the bees to return home
并且储藏起来 and store it.
幼虫已经开始出现 The young are beginning to emerge.
它们靠得是蜂群的宝藏 They'll need the colony's treasure
花粉和蜂蜜给它们以营养 of pollen and honey for nourishment.
不过蜂巢的财富也会带来危险 But the colony's riches can also attract danger.
臭鼬不仅会吃下花粉 A skunk will eat not only the pollen,
还有大黄蜂及其幼虫 but the bumblebees and their young.
对于巢穴的威胁 A threat to the colony
是让这些被动的大黄蜂 is one of the few times
动用其尾针 these passive bees
为数不多的情况之一 will use their stingers.
安全秩序恢复后 With safety restored,
蜂巢的生活又在继续 colony life goes on.
一只来到这个世界的小蜂 A young bee entering the world
住在用蜡制成的家里 will live on pollen and honey
以花粉和蜂蜜为生 in a home made of wax.
这些都是花朵的馈赠 All are gifts from flowers.
在一朵番茄花里 And within a tomato blossom,
也孕育了另一种新生命 another kind of new life is beginning.
这是我的繁殖方式 This is how I reproduce.
大黄蜂从另一枚番茄花上带来花粉 Pollen grains brought by bees from another tomato flower
花粉向花朵中心弹出细管 send tubes to the center of the blossom,
把繁殖细胞送到子房 delivering reproductive cells to the ovary
形成种子 forming seeds
每一枚种子都由一颗花粉长成 each of which grew from one grain of pollen.
受精之后 Fertilization occurs.
渐渐地 Gradually,
种子周围形成了肉质的容器 a fleshy container forms around all of the seeds.
多数人并不知道 Most people don't realize
他们吃的是一朵黄色小花 that what they eat is a yellow flower
长成的番茄 that turns into a tomato.
在世界各地 Around the world,
人们数千年来都依靠 people depend on farming for their sustenance
种植来获得生存物质 as they have for thousands of years.
通过种植自己的食物 By growing their own food,
人们得以发展出文明 people were able to develop civilizations
并获得统治地位 and rise to dominance.
人类认为农业 Humans consider agriculture
是他们最大的先进之处 one of their great advances.
但这其实对我们有利 But it was actually to our benefit.
人们现在来照顾我们 People now take care of us
为我们散播种子 and spread our seeds.
到底是谁在此过程中 Who is in control of whom,
控制着谁？ really?
如今的农业已经是一门科学 Today,farming is a science.
这是一个巨大的高科技温室 This is an immense high-tech greenhouse.
在屋顶之下 Ten acres of tomatoes
有六十亩番茄 under one roof.
我也在这里 I'm here as well
人类打理我所需的一切 and the humans cater to my every need.
人们已经研究出来不用泥土 People have engineered ways to grow tomatoes
来种植番茄的办法 without even using soil.
富含养分的水不停地循环 Nutrient-rich water recycles constantly.
没有污染 No pollution,
没有废水 no wasted water.
在这个过程中 This operation produces
能产出全美国超级市场中 one in six of all the supermarket tomatoes
所有番茄的六分之一 in the United States.
然而 Yet,
尽管人类不断尝试 despite many tries,
还是无法设计出跟自然的手段 humans have been unable to come up with a pollination method
一样高效的授粉办法 as effective as the one engineered by nature.
整个机构 The entire operation
以及每年成百上千万美元 and millions of dollars a year
都要依赖可靠的大黄蜂 depend on ever-reliable bumblebees.
这种重要的人类食物 An important food of humanity
如果没有蜂和花自古以来的联系 would not be grown and distributed worldwide
就无法在全世界范围 but for an ancient partnership
被种植和散布 between a bee and a flower.
对我来说 To me,
所有授粉者都很重要 all pollinators are important,
但是对于人类 but to people,
有一种比其它的更加关键 one is more critical than any other.
人类因此 So critical
把它们当做珍贵货物带往各地 that they carry them around as precious cargo.
在世界的很多地方 In many parts of the world,
蜜蜂至关重要 honeybees are so vital
其蜂巢会被从一个农场运送到 that hives are shipped thousands of miles
数千公里外的另一个农场 from one kind of farm to another.
旅行会给蜜蜂们带来压力 Travel can subject them to stress
糟糕的饮食和新的寄生虫 poor diets,new parasites,
还有害虫和疾病 pesticides and diseases.
不过如果没有蜜蜂 But many kinds of farms
很多种农场都会垮掉 would fail without honeybees,
比如加利福尼亚的这个杏仁果园 such as this almond orchard in California.
蜜蜂会攻击入侵蜂房者 Honeybees tend to harass an invader who opens their hive.
不过烟有镇静效果 But smoke has a calming effect.
所有授粉者之王准备好开工了 The champion of all pollinators is ready to go to work.
近两亿只蜜蜂在万亩杏仁果园里 Nearly 200 million bees reaching every flower
飞到每一朵花上 in 1,700 acres of almond trees.
它们带回了大量杏花花粉 They return with loads of almond pollen
都装在后腿上 packed on their hind legs.
觅食蜂与其它蜜蜂分享杏花花粉 The foragers share almond nectar with the other bees.
富含蛋白质的花粉 This protein-rich pollen
也用于喂养发育中的幼蜂 will feed their developing youngsters.
一只探路蜂用复杂的交流方式 A returning scout directs her companions
引导自己的同伴 to flowers she's discovered
来到它发现的花朵 using a complex way of communicating.
它一边走一边摆动身体 As she walks and shakes her body
这被称为“摇摆舞” in what's called a "waggle dance,"
这样能说明到花朵的距离 she indicates the distance to the flowers
还有所处的方向 and the direction to take
就是花朵与太阳形成的角度 according to the angle of the sun.
对全球的人类 Across Earth,
有一千四百多种生存所需的作物 pollination by honeybees is essential
都离不开蜜蜂的授粉 to more than 1,400 crops people depend on.
没有了蜜蜂 Without bees,
这些食物就不会存在 none of these foods could exist.
人类忘记了生命始于植物 People forget that life begins with plants.
我们不仅给了人类遮风避雨之所 We not only provide shelter
还有医药 and medicine,
我们还是活的太阳能采集者 but we're living solar collectors -
是能将太阳能转化成 the only life forms
拥有可储能源的燃料和食物的 that can convert sunlight into stored energy
唯一一种生命形式 producing fuel and food,
这也支持了整个的生命网络 and supporting the entire web of life.
果园里过去了几周时间 Weeks have passed in the orchard.
授粉带来了青杏的生长 Pollination has led to the growth of young almonds.
但是有个不祥的征兆 But there is an ominous sign.
蜂房里的多数蜜蜂不见了 Most of the honeybees in the hive have disappeared.
近些年来 In recent years,
有些蜜蜂的数量急剧下降 some honeybee populations have plummeted.
其原因可能从疾病和寄生虫 The causes could range from diseases and parasites
到一种蜂房貌似正常的奇特现象 to a phenomenon in which hives seem normal
里面满是蜂蜜和发育中的幼虫 filled with honey and developing young,
但是成年蜜蜂却再也不回来了 but the adult bees never return.
消失的蜜蜂是在警示 Are the missing bees a warning
会有更大的灾难降临吗？ of a greater collapse to come?
有些人类行为会威胁到授粉者 Some human activities threaten pollinators.
农场作业会对它们产生毒害 Farming practices can poison them
并杀死诸如牛奶草一样的花草 and kill flowers such as milkweed.
授粉者通常需要的野地往往被清理 Wild areas needed by pollinators are often cleared.
或是被房屋所覆盖 Or they're covered by houses,
还有道路 ..or roads.
在世界各地 And across the Earth,
授粉者在日益减少 pollinators are diminishing.
人类食物的三分之一要靠授粉者 Every third bite humans take is dependent on pollinators.
如果它们继续衰减 And if they continue to decline,
生命或许会到达转折点 life may reach a tipping point.
由授粉所编制成的生命体系可能会 The pollination scheme that knits together the fabric of life
就此崩塌 could unravel.
不过还有解决之道 But there are solutions.
其中最重要的就包括恢复 One of the most important is to restore
花朵的栖息地 lost flower habitats.
在人类建筑消灭了野花之处 Where human construction eliminates wildflowers,
人类的才智还能恢复它们 human ingenuity can replace them.
我在屋顶上 I can flourish
也可以欣欣向荣 even on a rooftop.
授粉所引起的爱情故事 The love stories of pollination can unfold
也可以在千万亩公路边 in the millions of unused acres
未被使用的土地上上演 bordering the world's highways.
未被耕种的农田 In the past,farmland left bare
过去被种上草皮 has been planted with grasses.
但农民们越来越愿意种上野花 But farmers increasingly turn it into wild flower fields
来帮助授粉者 to help pollinators.
人们可以把后院 People can turn a backyard
变成多产的花朵栖息地 into a productive flower habitat.
人们在空地上种上很多花朵 Neighbors are planting vacant lots with flowers
教会孩子们来自己种植蔬菜 and teaching their children to grow their own vegetables.
甚至连六层楼房都能帮助授粉者 Even a six-story building can support pollinators.
孩子们了解了授粉的价值后 Children who learn the value of pollination
就代表着未来的希望 represent hope for the future.
过去的草地 The lawn of the past
可以变成满是鲜花蔬菜的花园 can become a yard filled with flowers and vegetables.
人类只需要记住 Humans simply need to remember
他们的生活对于花朵有多么 how intimately their lives are connected with
紧密的联系 and dependent upon
和依赖 flowers.
人们用我们来表达爱情 People use us to express love,
向所爱之人表示敬意 to honor loved ones,
来为生活丰富重大的动情时刻 to enrich the great emotional moments of their lives.
他们用花朵来进行祝贺 They give flowers to congratulate,
来标记生命中的每个里程碑 to mark every milestone in life.
他们在周围布置上鲜花 They surround themselves with flowers
为生活带来色彩 to bring color to their lives.
数以亿记的花朵被培育和出售 We flowers are grown and sold by the billions.
在此过程中 In the process,
人类成了我们最为重要的授粉者 people have become one of our most important pollinators.
和其它授粉者相似 Like other pollinators,
他们以我们的馈赠为食 they feed on our rewards
甚至用我们来做香水 and they even use our perfumes
来点燃自己的浪漫 to kindle their own romance.
对于人们 To people,
花朵是爱情的通用标志 flowers are the universal symbol of love.
毕竟我们体现了终极的爱情故事 After all,we embody the ultimate love story.
爱的故事滋养着地球 A love story that feeds the Earth.
日复一日地 Day after day,
花朵在提升人们精神的同时 as flowers lift the human spirit,
在人们看不到的 in hidden corners of the world
隐秘角落里 beyond the view of people,
蜜蜂在帮助植物生产食物 bees are helping plants produce the world's food.
蜂鸟在帮助 Hummingbirds are helping
把明天的花朵播散到森林各处 to spread tomorrow's flowers through the forest.
蝙蝠在广袤的沙漠播撒生命 Bats are dispersing life through the vast desert.
蝴蝶在倾尽全力地飞舞 And butterflies are making exhausting flights
帝王蝶也不例外 including the monarchs
它们开始了回墨西哥的三千多公里 now setting out on a marathon journey of 2,000 miles
马拉松旅程 back to Mexico.
授粉者在各处不知疲倦的工作着 Everywhere,pollinators are working tirelessly
保持这巨大生命机器的运转 to keep the vast machinery of life running.