0ur planet's continents are fringed by shallow seas.|我们陆地的边缘都是浅海域

Rarely more than 200 metres deep, they lie on the continental shelves|它们挨着大陆架，很少地超过200米深

which may stretch sometimes for hundreds of miles|大陆架有时可能延伸达几百英里

before the sea floor drops into deeper, darker waters.|再往下就是漆黑的深渊

Altogether, they constitute a mere 8% of the world's oceans,|尽管浅水域仅仅占据了8%的海洋

but they contain the vast majority of its marine life.|不过大多数的海洋生物都生活在这里

行星地球9----浅海

解说:大卫 艾登博格

(WHALE CALLING)

A male humpback whale sings to attract a mate.|一只雄性座头鲸正在用歌声吸引雌鲸来交配

The whales have just returned to their breeding grounds|座头鲸刚刚回到它的热带地区的

in the shallow seas of the tropics.|浅海繁殖地

The calf is no more than a few weeks old.|幼鲸才刚刚几周大

Despite being three metres long and weighing nearly a ton|虽然已经三米长, 一吨重

he is nonetheless vulnerable.|还是比较虚弱, 也容易受攻击

But his mother watches over him and, as he begins to tire|不过幸好有妈妈照料，疲劳的幼鲸

she supports him close to the surface so that he can breathe more easily.|被妈妈托上浮上水面，好让它呼吸空气

These shallows around the equator are excellent nurseries.|赤道附近的浅海是个非常理想的托儿所

They're warm, calm and contain very few predators.|温暖,平静,很少有掠食者

The playful calf is now drinking 500 litres of milk a day.|顽皮的小座头鲸每天要喝500公升奶

But his mother must starve.|但是它的妈妈却饿的要死

There is nothing for her to eat here.|在这里母鲸没有东西可以吃

Like many tropical shallow seas|和多数热带浅海域一样

these crystal-clear waters are virtually lifeless.|这片明净的水域实际上没有什么生机

They receive year-round sunlight|虽然充满阳光

but they lack the nutrients essential for the growth of plankton.|但是这里主要缺少浮游生物生长所需的养分

The mother will be trapped here for the next five months|母座头鲸接下来要困在这里大约5个月

until her calf is strong enough to make the journey to the feeding grounds near the poles.|等到小鲸足够强壮了,才开始到极地进食点的旅行

Coral reefs are oases in a watery desert.|珊瑚礁是荒凉海洋中的绿洲

Most tropical shallows are barren,|多数热带浅海比较荒凉

but these coral havens contain one quarter of all the marine life on our planet.|不过珊瑚礁汇聚着地球上四分之一的海洋生物

Reefs are the work of polyps|珊瑚礁是珊瑚虫的产物

tiny colonial animals like minute sea anemones.|一种象小海葵的有机生命群体

Yet the Great Barrier Reef is so big it can be seen from the moon.|可是它们生成的大堡礁甚至可以在月球上看到

It's actually 2,000 separate reefs that together form a barrier|大堡礁由超过2000个的独立珊瑚礁组成

stretching for over 1,000 miles along Australia's northeastern coast.|绵延在澳大利亚东北部海岸, 长度超过1000公里

Despite its vast size|不管有多大

this reef does not contain|这里珊瑚礁也不可能容纳

the greatest variety of marine life on the planet.|地球上全部的海洋生物

For that, one must travel north to Indonesia.|让我们去印度尼西亚的北部看看

There are individual reefs in Indonesia that contain almost as many kinds of fish|印度尼西亚的这些珊瑚礁 所容纳的各种鱼类

as live in the whole of the Caribbean.|几乎跟全加勒比海一样多

There are also 1 0 times the number of coral species.|而且珊瑚物种也要多十倍

Corals thrive in these waters with the help of microscopic plants, algae,|珊瑚在一种微生植物的帮助下生长-海藻

that grow within the tissues of the polyps.|是居住在珊瑚虫里的一种共生藻

And the polyps feed by snaring passing morsels with their tentacles.|珊瑚虫利用触手抓食经过它身边的食物

At night, the algae are inactive, but then the polyps put out even more tentacles.|到了晚上, 共生藻停止工作.珊瑚开始释放更多的触手

So coral, in effect, feeds around the clock.|这样,珊瑚虫可以昼夜不断地有效进食

This well-balanced alliance|这种完美平衡

brings benefits to both polyps and algae|不仅有益于给珊瑚虫和藻类

and between them, they turn the barren seas into rich gardens.|同时也把荒凉的海洋变成了绚丽的花园

The Indonesian reefs contain such a variety of life|印度尼西亚的珊瑚礁之所以容纳了如此多的海洋生物

because they lie at a giant crossroads.|因为它处在一个巨大的十字路口

This is the meeting place for different seas, the Indian 0cean and the Pacific.|这里是两个大洋的交汇处 印度洋和太平洋

Here, everything demands a closer look.|在这里,每样物种都要仔细观察

0n the surface of this sea fan, there are two polyps that are not polyps.|在这株海扇上,有2只"珊瑚虫"不像珊瑚虫

They're pygmy seahorses, the world's smallest|豆丁海马--全世界最小的海马

less than two centimetres high.|身长不到两公分

They are males, settling a territorial dispute|这2只雄性豆丁海马正在为争夺领地

by head-butting.|相互撞头攻击

An electric flash?|电光灯?

No, the display of a file clam.|当然不是,这是火蛤蜊在表演

Perhaps this extraordinary pulsation of the clam's fleshy mantle|蛤的肉质外壳的这种非常特别的规律性闪电

is a warning to frighten away nibbling fish|是在警告咬它的小鱼?

but no one really knows.|不过真正原因无从知晓

And there are snakes here, too. Lots of them.|这里也有蛇 许多的蛇

These are banded sea kraits.|这是巨环海蛇

They lay their eggs on land but they hunt here in the water.|它们在陆地上产卵,在水里捕食

They're too slow to catch fish in a straight chase,|它们直接捕食鱼速度跟不上

so they seek prey that is hiding in the nooks and crannies of the coral.|因此就在珊瑚礁的裂缝和暗处寻找猎物

Their bite is highly venomous and paralyses their victims.|它的剧毒能立刻让受害者全身麻痹,动弹不得

And on this reef, the snakes do not hunt alone.|在这个珊瑚礁里,海蛇并不是单独行动

Shoals of yellow goatfish and trevally are seeking similar prey,|许多的黄色绯鲵鲣和它的同伴们 也在寻找同样的猎物

and they attract the snakes' attention.|它们引起了海蛇的注意

As one group of hunters searches the reef, they are joined by the other.|它们也加入进来,开始扫荡珊瑚礁

At least 30 snakes have now joined the caravan.|至少有30条海蛇加入到了这个队伍

The big fish scare the prey into cracks|大鱼将猎物吓到裂缝里

and there the snakes can catch them.|那里,海蛇就能抓住它们了

And anything fleeing from the kraits|这样从海蛇嘴里逃跑的猎物

will swim straight into the mouths of the waiting trevally.|也将直接送到这些大鱼嘴里

There's nowhere to hide.|猎物们没有地方可以躲藏

As the raiders scour the reef, more and more snakes join the hunt.|有更多的海蛇加入进来一起扫荡珊瑚礁

This cooperation between snakes and fish, spectacular though it is|这种鱼蛇之间的合作，引人入胜.

has only recently been observed|只是最近才被发现

for it only happens on the most remote reefs in Indonesia.|因为，它只发生在偏僻的印尼珊瑚礁

Perhaps such hunting alliances were once a common sight,|或许这种事情曾经发生在印尼的大多数珊瑚礁中.

but today no more than 6% of Indonesia's reefs are in their pristine state.|但是到现在,只有不到6%的珊瑚礁还还保持着原始状态

Beyond the coral stretches a world of shifting sand.|在珊瑚礁上,是流砂的世界

0ut there, with nowhere to hide, survival is not easy|这里无处可藏,要生存是很困难的事情

and camouflage can be crucial.|所以伪装变得至关重要

If this wasn't moving, you might think it was a shell or a rock.|如果这个家伙不动的话,你说不定会以为这是块贝壳或者石头.

In fact, it's an octopus.|实际上,它是条章鱼

A gurnard. Its huge pectoral fins disguise its shape.|这条鲂鱼,它的巨大的胸鳍给它提供了很好的伪装

And they can also help in clearing away sand when searching for food.|并且它的胸鳍还可以在找寻食物的时候清理砂子

The jawfish hides underground.|大颚鱼藏在地下.

The wonderpus octopus, on the other hand, has such a powerful bite|拟态章鱼用强有力的触手

that it has a special warning display to tell others to keep out of its way.|摆出特别的姿势警告其他动物远离此地

Here and there, plants manage to take root|植物设法到处生根

and they are cropped by green turtles.|它们成了绿海龟的食物

Seagrasses are the only flowering plants that have managed to grow in the sea.|海草是唯一在海里生长的有花植物

Although they put out a few ribbon-like leaves|海草长出叶子状的带状物

they produce very extensive networks of fleshy stems, rhizomes|以此延伸它们埋在沙子里的

that are buried in the sand.|肉质根茎.

At their lushest, they can transform the seabed into an underwater meadow.|这种蓬勃的长势可以把海床覆盖在下面

The largest expanse grows in the shallow waters of Shark Bay in Western Australia.|世界上最大的草海在澳大利亚西部的鲨鱼湾

These vast aquatic grasslands stretch for 1,500 square miles.|这片广大的海洋牧场 面积可达1500平方英里

And like terrestrial prairies,|像陆地上的大草原一样

they support herds of grazers, dugongs.|这里也养育了大量的食草动物--儒艮

Dugongs are the largest herbivores in the sea.|儒艮是海洋里最大的食草动物

They can be three metres long and weigh half a ton,|可以长到3米长,半吨重

and they eat nothing but seagrass, mostly the fleshy rhizomes,|它们除了海草什么都不吃,他们不停移动嘴唇

which they excavate with their mobile lips.|把海草的肉质根茎送到口中

A herd can clear a patch of seagrass the size of a football pitch in a single day.|这群儒艮可以在一天内吃掉足球场般大小的海草

Food is not evenly distributed in the tropical shallow seas and it can take a lot of finding.|食物在热带海域的分布并不平均 所以要找到食物也不容易

But bottlenose dolphins are inquisitive, energetic and very intelligent|象宽吻海豚这种又好奇又聪明伶俐又精神充沛的动物

and they have discovered a shoal of bait fish.|发明了一种利用浅滩钓鱼的方法

Together they ride a wave, using it to carry them into the shallows|它们一起赶着海浪, 好让海浪把它们带到浅水域

and there it will be easier to make the catch.|这样,捕鱼就轻松多了

In Western Australia|在澳大利亚西部

these dolphins have taken on an even tougher challenge.|这些海豚面临着一个巨大挑战

The fish have taken refuge close to the beach where the water is only a few centimetres deep.|鱼儿们太靠近沙滩,而那里的水才几厘米深

Tail-slapping is a method dolphins often use to stun their prey,|用有力的尾巴击晕猎物是海豚们常用的方法

but it doesn't seem to work here.|不过在这里好像没有什么用处

The fish are tantalisingly close, but they're still out of reach.|虽然已经很接近鱼儿了 急人的是还是差那么一点

So the dolphins try another technique.|海豚于是开始用另一种技巧

Vigorously pumping their tails, they work up some speed|用他们有力的尾巴加速

and then they hydroplane.|如同水上飞机般

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Their momentum carries them right through the shallowest waters and onto the fish.|这种速度让它们穿越最浅的水域, 来到了鱼儿那里

Now they're in real danger of being stranded.|现在它们有搁浅的危险

But fortune favours the brave.|但幸运来自勇气

Younger dolphins lie alongside, watching.|年轻的海豚在远处观看

But, so far, only eight individuals here have mastered this daring technique.|不远处有8只海豚在展示这种高超的技术

Although most life in tropical waters is concentrated around the coral reefs|虽然多数热带海洋生物 聚集在珊瑚礁里

and the seagrass meadows|和海洋牧场里

there are some spectacular exceptions.|不过还有些例外引人入胜.

The desert of Bahrain|巴林的戈壁沙漠

seems a very unlikely place|看上去不象是

to find a crowded, bustling colony of seabirds.|能有大量海鸟筑巢的地方

But every year, 1 00,000 Socotra Cormorants gather here to breed.|可每年大约有10万只黑喉鸬鹚在这里繁殖

It's swelteringly hot and|这里相当酷热

only vigorous panting can prevent the birds from fatal overheating.|黑喉鸬鹚只好加速呼吸避免中暑

This hardly seems a good place to rear young.|看上去这里不是抚育后代的好地方

But at least there are no land-based predators here.|不过至少没有陆基的捕食者

The only source of trouble is likely to be the neighbours.|麻烦的唯一来源可能就是邻居了

So each nest is built just beyond pecking reach.|所以每一个鸟窝都筑在邻居啄不到的地方

But what about food?|食物从哪里来呢?

There's only bare sand and the warm shallow sea beyond.|这个荒凉沙漠远离温暖的浅海

Neither seem likely to produce enough nourishment to support birdlife on this scale.|而且看上去也不能提供给鸬鹚足够的食物

The answer is blowing in the wind.|答案是刮起的大风

Sand whipped up by shamals, offshore winds, blows into the seas of the Arabian Gulf.|夏马风卷起沙尘 吹向波斯湾

With the grains come nutrients, which act as fertiliser|风把带着养分的沙尘, 像肥料一样撒进大海

and they transform the shallow sea into a rich fishing ground.|把这片浅海变成了富饶的渔场.

So, paradoxically, it's the roasted sands of Arabia|矛盾的是，热浪朝天的的阿拉伯半岛

that prevent the Gulf from being another desert in the sea.|阻止海湾变成另一个海中沙漠

The whale calf is now five months old.|小座头鲸现在有五个月大了

He's almost doubled in size and his days in his tropical nursery are coming to an end.|它的身材也大了一倍,在热带托儿所的日子也到头了

It has been a warm and safe place in which to grow up,|在这个地方长大温暖而安全

but there's nothing to eat here for his mother.|但在这里他的母亲无法吃到任何东西

She has been living off her fat reserves for the last eight months|她在过去的八个月里一直靠储存的脂肪存活

and she's close to starving.|现在她临近饿死的边缘

She must leave now while she still has enough energy|她现在必须离开，趁她还有足够的能量

to guide and protect her calf on the long voyage ahead.|在漫漫征途之中来指导和保护她的幼子

All across the tropics, humpbacks are heading away from the equator|横越热带，座头鲸调头离开赤道

towards the rich temperate seas of both the southern and the northern hemispheres.|走向富饶而气候温和的南半球和北半球海域

These are colder, rougher and more dangerous waters.|这些是更冷、更狂暴、更多危险的水域

Mother and calf must stay close.|母鲸和小鲸鱼必须靠得很近

They can send sound signals to one another above the roar of the ocean|他们可以通过拍打海面,制造超越海洋轰鸣的的声音

by slapping fins on the surface.|以此相互传送声音信号

In winter, the temperate seas are lashed by violent storms.|在冬季，气候温和的海域被风暴肆虐着

The turbulence stirs the water and draws nutrients up from the depths.|湍流激起海水，将深处的养分搅上来

But nutrients alone cannot support life.|但只有养分并不能维持生命

There must also be sunlight.|还必须有阳光

In the spring, as the sun daily climbs higher in the sky, the algae start to grow.|春天，太阳高悬空中

藻类开始生长

Blooms the size of the Amazon rainforest turn the seas green.|旺盛的藻类占据着亚马逊雨林般大小的面积 它们将大海染绿

Individually, the algae are tiny|单体藻类虽然很细小

but together they produce three quarters of all the oxygen in our atmosphere.|但它们共同产生了我们大气中四分之三的氧气

They're eaten by an array of bewildering creatures.|藻类被一群让人困惑的生物吃掉

Salps appear in the plankton soup.|樽海鞘出现在浮游生物汤中

Individuals link together to form chains which can stretch for 15 metres.|这些一个个单体组成的链条可长达15米

Pumping water through their bodies, they strain out algae and other edible particles.|他们用汲取海水, 在身体里过滤 分离出藻类及其他可食用微粒

Comb jellies cruise through the water.|栉水母在水中游弋

They, too, flourish in this seasonal soup|它们也在这个季节性美汤里蓬勃生长

and for short periods they appear in astounding numbers.|在很短的时间内,它们就能达到惊人的数量.

Krill, shrimp-like creatures.|磷虾,一种小型虾类

By weight, they're the most abundant animals on the planet.|如按重量计算 他们是地球上最多量的动物

A single swarm can contain two million tons of them.|一群就可达200万吨

And that is a lot of fish food.|磷虾也为鱼提供了大量的食物

The shallow temperate seas support the greatest concentrations of fish on our planet.|这片温和的浅海是地球上鱼类最密集的地区

Huge shoals migrate from their overwintering grounds in the depths|大量鱼群从海洋深处的冬歇地赶来

to feed in these rich waters.|在这片富饶海域进食

It's these shoals that support most of the world's sea mammals.|鱼群也养育了世界上大多数海洋哺乳动物

Sea lions have all the agility and speed needed to collect what they want|海狮拥有捕鱼所需的敏捷和速度

and seemingly delight in doing so.|看起来他们也喜欢这样做

Dusky dolphin, often in pods 200 strong|200条暗色斑纹海豚聚集在一起

work together to reap the harvest.|紧密合作, 尽情收获

They break up the shoals into smaller, more manageable balls|它们将鱼群分成许多小群

and all the hunters benefit.|让猎人们更加易于处理.

(D0LPHINS CLICKING)

By midsummer, the surface nutrients have all been absorbed.|直到夏至，海洋表面的养分全部被摄取

The algae die and the food chain collapses.|藻类死亡，食物链因此崩溃

In a few special places, however,|然而在少数特别的地方

the temperate seas sustain these levels of life throughout the summer.|气候温和的海域维持这个生命水平贯穿整个夏季

Along the coast of California, ocean currents carry a constant supply of nutrients|在加利福尼亚沿海, 洋流持续不断的把养分从海底

up from the depths to the surface layers.|带到海平面上来

These upwellings fertilise forests of giant kelp that thrive in the summer sunshine.|这种上升洋流给巨藻带来了大量养分 在夏日阳光照射下它们飞速生长

The algal towers are as high as a three-storey house|这片巨藻林有足有三层楼那么高

and they can grow by half a metre a day.|它们每天还能长半米

Life in the kelp is as full of drama as in any other forest,|海藻中的生命充满戏剧性，跟其他森林一样

but the cast is less familiar.|但演员们仍不太为人知.

An army of sea urchins is mounting an attack.|一大群紫海胆正在发动进攻

The urchin plague strikes at the kelps' holdfasts, their crucial attachments to the rock.|海胆们正在吃巨藻的固着器-把巨藻固定在石头上的重要装置

Holdfasts are extremely tough|固着器非常坚硬

but each urchin has five teeth|但是每只海胆有5个锋利的牙齿

which are self-sharpening and are replaced every few months.|而且每隔几个月就换牙

Urchins fell vast areas of kelp forest|海胆吃掉了大片的海藻森林

creating clearings known as urchin barrens.|把它们变成了不毛之地.

Yet ''barrens'' is a poor description.|无法形容的荒凉.

Millions of invertebrates invade the seabed.|百万只无脊椎动物侵袭了海床

The most fearsome predator here is a giant.|这里有可怕的大型掠食动物

The sunflower starfish is a metre across|向日葵海星长达1米

with an appetite for brittle stars.|它喜欢吃蛇尾海星

It uses its feet to taste for prey.|向日葵海星用触角来试探猎物

When its actions are speeded up, it becomes clear|在快速镜头下，可以清楚看到

that the predator's fondness for the brittle stars|向日葵海星喜欢吃蛇尾海星

is almost matched by the brittle stars' ability to get out of the way.|这与蛇尾海星快速逃离现场也是相吻合的

Sand dollars, flat sea urchins, cluster together as a defence.|成群的饼海胆叠加起来组成防御阵线

But it doesn't seem to work against the sunflower starfish.|不过好像在向日葵海星面前没有作用

The predator extrudes its stomach and wraps it around its victims|向日葵海星挤出它的胃,包住饼海胆直接

liquefying their soft parts.|消化其软组织

Nothing is left of them except their white skeletons.|最后只剩下饼海胆的白色骨架.

The Californian upwellings are seasonal and relatively small.|加利福尼亚寒流是季节性洋流,相对较小.

But in southern Africa, they're so big they create seas rich enough|不过在南部非洲的大洋流带来的充足食物

to support colonies of over a million seals.|能满足百万只海豹的需要

The Benguela Current sweeps along the western coastline of southern Africa,|本格拉寒流--沿南部非洲西岸流动

driving nutrient-rich waters up to the surface.|给海洋表面带来充足养分

And then, at the southern tip of Africa|然后,在非洲南端(好望角)

it meets the Agulhas Current arriving from the east.|与沿非洲大陆以南海域流动的厄加勒斯暖流汇合

The result? Even richer waters.|结果是, 海洋养分更加丰富.

(SEALS BARKING)

The seals here thrive on a diet of fish and squid.|海豹在吃这里大量的鱼和枪乌贼(即鱿鱼)

In temperate seas, there may actually be more squid than fish.|在这块海洋里,鱿鱼实际上要比鱼类多.

These are chokka squid|这是宽褶鱿鱼

and they lay their egg capsules in sandy shallows bathed by the warmer Agulhas Current.|它们在厄加勒斯暖流经过的砂质浅海处产卵

Each capsule contains a hundred tiny squid.|每个卵囊都有100多条小鱿鱼

Within a few days, they develop spots of pigment|几天后它们长出一些色斑

which, when they're adult, they will use to communicate with one another.|等到成熟后, 就可以用这些色斑来互相联系

With females continuing to lay eggs|雌鱿鱼继续产卵

and males still preoccupied with repelling rivals|雄鱿鱼则忙于击退竞争对手

the squid drop their guard.|而放松了警惕

Stingray.|黄貂鱼(即魟)

Short-tail stingray can be up to two metres across.|短尾魟身长可达2米

They're the largest of all the stingrays and they have appetites to match.|它是世界上最大的一种魟 与之相称的还有它的胃口

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Another predator is on the prowl.|还有掠食者在游弋

The aptly named ragged-tooth shark.|南非虎头鲨

Raggies grow to three metres long|虎头鲨可以长到3米长

but they share these waters with a shark twice their size.|不过还有2倍于它的鲨鱼在和它们一起分享这片水域

The great white.|大白鲨

The largest predatory fish on the planet.|地球上最大的掠食性鱼类

Each dawn, Cape fur seals leave their colony to go fishing.|黎明时分,南非海狗离开聚居地去捕鱼

To reach the open sea|要到达远海

they must cross a narrow strip of water|它们必须穿越一片狭窄的水域

and that is patrolled by great whites.|大白鲨就在那里逡巡

Each seal is indeed swimming for its life.|每只海豹必须拼命游泳

The shark relies on surprise.|可大白鲨让人惊奇

The great white's turn-of-speed is powered by a high metabolism.|大白鲨的速度和力量来自体内高速的新陈代谢

They only thrive in cold temperate seas|它们只呆在冰冷的海里

for only these waters contain sufficient food necessary to fuel such a ravenous predator.|也只有大海才有充足的食物 供这种贪婪的掠食者享用

As you travel towards the poles, North or South|当你朝南北两极旅行

the colder, stormier seas can become even richer.|更冷,更多风暴的海域才是更加富饶的

Midway between South Africa and the South Pole|在南非和南极之间

lies the isolated island of Marion.|有一个与世隔绝的岛屿--马里恩岛

The island sits in the infamous Roaring Forties|岛屿位于气候恶劣的"咆哮西风带"

where incessant gale-force winds draw nutrients up from the depths|不间断的大风把海底的养分送上来

ensuring plenty of food for King penguins.|从而给帝企鹅提供了丰富的食物

The Kings are returning from a three-day fishing trip|帝企鹅刚刚完成了3天的捕捞航行

with food for their chicks.|并给孩子们带来了食物

But first they must cross a crowded beach|不过首先它们要通过拥挤的海滩

threading their way between gigantic and bad-tempered elephant seals.|从巨大的,暴躁的海象间开出一条路来

The 200,000 penguins breeding here are testament to the richness of the fishing.|在这块富饶的捕鱼圣地上 大约有20万只企鹅在这里繁殖

King chicks are dependent on their mothers for over a year|小帝企鹅必须依靠它们的母亲至少一年

and this puts a great deal of pressure on the parents.|这给它们父母带来巨大的压力

Being flightless, the returning penguins must cross the open beach on foot.|由于不能飞，企鹅必须步行穿越空旷的海滩

Fur seals that have come to the beach to breed are waiting for them.|海狗,来到海滩繁殖并等待企鹅的到来

Fur seals normally live on krill|通常海狗以磷虾为生

but these have now acquired an unexpected taste for blubber-rich penguins.|不过现在.它们可以从富含鲸脂的企鹅身上获得意想不到的美味

Penguins may be featherweights by comparison,|企鹅在海狗面前可能是轻量级选手

but they have razor-sharp bills and a feisty character.|但是企鹅有尖利的喙和易怒的性格

The seal could easily lose an eye.|海狗可能会被啄瞎眼睛

The only safe way to grab a penguin is from behind|唯一的方法就是从背后抓住企鹅

and the birds are well aware of that.|不过企鹅也很清楚这一点.

Both animals are clumsy on this terrain but the penguin has the more to lose.|两种动物在这地形下都显得笨拙 不过企鹅更容易失败

Made it.|成功了!

Two out of three penguins survive the seal attacks and succeed in reaching their ever-hungry chicks.|有三分之二的企鹅能在海狗的攻击下逃生 顺利到达永远吃不饱的小企鹅身边

The humpbacks are nearing the end of their epic journeys.|座头鲸接近它们史诗般旅程的终点

After two months and thousands of miles,|历时2个月, 数千英里的跋涉

they're entering the polar seas, both in the north and the south.|它们进入了两极的极地海洋

In the far north, winter is over at last|在遥远的北方 寒冬终于过去

and the ice is starting to melt.|冰雪开始消融

The Aleutian Island chain, running west from Alaska|阿拉斯加(美国)西部的阿留申群岛

is the gateway to the Bering Sea.|是通向白令海的大门

With the retreating ice, rough weather and ferocious currents stir up these shallow seas.|随着冰雪的消退,暴烈的天气和汹涌的洋流把这片浅海搅得天翻地覆

Add sunshine and the mix is spectacularly productive.|再加上阳光,这种组合的产生了大量的养分

Five million shearwaters have flown almost 1 0,000 miles from Australia to get here.|500万只水雉鸟 从澳大利亚飞行了近万英里来到这里

In all, 80 million seabirds come here for the summer|总计约有8000万只海鸟到这里度夏

the greatest concentration to be found anywhere on Earth.|到处都是世界上最伟大的聚集

The humpbacks have finally arrived.|座头鲸终于抵达

The giant shearwater flocks hunt the krill swarms,|庞大的水雉鸟群大量捕食磷虾

sometimes diving to depths of 40 metres to reach them.|有时它们潜到40米深

A large humpback eats three tons of krill a day.|一头成年座头鲸每天能吃掉3吨磷虾

The polar seas in summer are the most productive on the planet|夏季的极地海域是地球上最多产的

and the whales gorge themselves round the clock.|鲸鱼昼夜不停地在此进食

The fat reserves they lay down now|它们现在积累的脂肪

will keep them alive during the year to come.|可以支持到明年再来

But it may not always be this way.|不过也可能不会再来了

Fish and krill stocks are declining so rapidly|鱼和磷虾的产量正在迅速减少

that spectacles like this may soon be part of history.|象这样的景象可能很快将成为历史

0nce the mother and calf have reached their feeding grounds, they will separate.|一旦母鲸和小鲸到达他们的给养地，它们就要分开

With luck, the calf will make the epic journey across the oceans|如果幸运的话,小座头鲸还要把

from equator to pole another 70 times|从赤道到极地的史诗般旅程，重复70次

cruising back and forth between the shallow seas|让我们在浅海之间来回巡游

where life proliferates so abundantly on our planet.|赞叹于地球生命的丰富多彩.