1、The last hidden world 最後一個隱秘的世界China中國For centuries, travellers to China have told tales of magical landscapes幾世紀以來，到過中國的遊客一直描述著中國迷人的山水風景and surprising creatures及令人驚歎的珍禽異獸Chinese civilization is the worlds oldest 中國文明是世界上最古老的and today its largest其人口是現代最龐大的with well over a billion people 總數超過十億Its ho
2、me to more than 50 distinct ethnic groups 是 50 多種特殊民族賴以為生的家and a wide range of traditional life styles各形各色的傳統生活方式often in close partnership with nature通常與周遭的自然生態息息相關We know that China faces immense social and environmental problems 雖然中國面臨著巨大的社會及環境保護問題but there is great beauty here too但還是有它最美的一面China
3、 is home to the worlds highest mountains, 中國有世界上最高的山脈vast deserts ranging from from searing hot 最寬廣的沙漠，其溫差可從灼熱高溫to mind numbing cold降到令人麻痹的寒冷steaming forests有雲霧彌漫的森林庇護著稀有動物harboring rare creaturesgrassy plains beneath vast horizons 一望無際的曠野草原and rich tropical seas 及豐饒的熱帶海洋Now, for the first time ever
4、 現在有史以來第一次we can explore the whole of this great country 能夠完整地探索這個美好國度meet some of the surprising and exotic creatures that live here 接觸當地一些令人驚奇的稀有生物and consider the relationship of the people and wildlife of China 進而探討中國人民及野生動植物to the remarkable landscaping which they live 與所住的非凡山水之間的互動關係This is wi
5、ld China 這是野性中國29 Our exploration of China begins in the warm subtropical south 我們探索中國之旅始於溫暖的熱帶南方30.On the Li River, fishermen and birds perch on bamboo rafts 在灕江上，棲息於竹筏之上的漁民及鸕鷀31.a partnership that goes back more than a thousand years 已經延續了千年以上的共存關係32.This scenery is known throughout the world 這世界著
6、名的景色33.a recurring motif in Chinese paintings 不斷地出現在中國山水畫的主題中34.and a major tourist attraction 也是主要的觀光勝地35.The south of China is a vast area 中國南方面積很廣36.eight times larger than the UK 幾乎是英國的 8 倍大37.Its a landscape of hills 到處都是山丘、水域的勝景38.but also of water39.It rains here for up to 250 days a year 一年大
7、約 250 天都在下雨40.and standing water is everywhere 到處是積水41.In a floodplain of the Yangtse River 長江流域一帶42.black-tailed godwits probe the mud in search of worms 黑尾鷗在泥漿裡尋覓著蟲子43.But it isnt just wildlife that thrive in this environment 但不止是野生動物在這種環境下茁壯成長44.the swampy ground provides ideal conditions for the
8、 remarkable member of the grass family 這沼澤地更提供了一種重要的草科植物最佳生長的環境46.rice 稻米！47.The Chinese have been cultivating rice for at least 8 thousand years 中國人 8 千年栽種稻米的歷史48.It has transformed a landscape 促使景觀全然轉變49.Late winter in southern Yunnan, its a busy time for local farmers 在南方的雲南晚冬是當地農夫最忙的季節50.as they
9、 prepare the age-old paddy field ready for the coming spring 他們忙著在春天來臨前為古老的稻田整地51.These hill slopes of Yuanyang county 元陽縣的丘陵坡度都很陡驟降海拔 2000 米52.plunge nearly 2 thousand meters to the floor of the Red River Valley 至下麵的紅河谷底54.each contains literally thousands of stack terraces carved out by hand using
10、 basic digging tools 每一個山坡都佈滿了上千個梯田是人們以簡陋的工具用手開拓出來的56.Yunnans rice terraces are among the oldest human structures in China 雲南的稻米梯田是中國最古老的人類遺跡之一57.still ploughed as they always have been 至今仍然沿用58.by domesticated water buffaloes 家畜水牛來耕犁稻田59.whose ancestors originated in these very valleys 就像原先在這些山谷內居住
11、的祖先一樣60.This man-made landscape is one of the most amazing engineering feats of preindustrial China 這人造景色是中國在工業化前62.一項最令人驚訝的工程63.It seems as if every square inch of land 似乎每一寸的土地64.has been pressed into cultivation 都被利用來耕種65.As evening approaches 傍晚時分，古老的儀式開始了66.an age-old ritual unfolds67.Its the m
12、ating season 現在是交配季節68.and male paddy frogs are competing for the attention of females 公的尖舌浮蛙互相爭著母蛙的愛慕69.But it dosent always pay to draw too much attention to youself 但是引來太多的注意力並不是一件好事70.The Chinese Pond Heron is a crapulous predator 中國池鷺是冷酷的掠奪者71.Even in the middle of a ploughed paddy field 即使是在農耕
13、過的稻田裡72.inature is red in beacon claw/i 在鳥的嘴爪下，自然就是暴力血腥73.This may look like a slaughter這看來也許像是殺戮屠殺74.but as each heron can swallow only one frog at a time 但每只池鷺一次只能吞一隻浮蛙75.the vast majority will escape to croak another day 大部分的浮蛙會逃脫隔天又生龍活虎地呱呱叫76.Terrace paddies like those of Yunyang county are foun
14、d across much of southern China 像雲南省境內的那些稻米梯田77.在中國南方比比皆是78.This whole vast landscape is dominated by rice cultivation 稻米耕作占滿著整個廣闊的景觀79.In here in Guizhou province, the Miao minority have developed a remarkable rice culture 在崎嶇不平的貴州省80.少數民族苗族發展了卓越的稻米栽種81.With every inch of fertile land given over to
15、 rice cultivation 把每一寸肥沃的土地拿來耕作稻米82.the Miao build their wooden houses on the steepest and least productive hillsides 苗族將他們的木屋蓋在最陡的山坡瘠土上84.In Chinese rural life, everything has a use 在中國的農村生活中，凡事物盡其用85.dried in the sun, manure from the cowsheds would be used as cooking fuel 牛的糞便在太陽底下曬乾後86.是燒飯的好燃料87.
16、Its midday and the Song family aretucking into a lunch of rice and vegetables 中午時間，宋家一家人正在狼吞虎嚥地吃著飯菜89.Oblivious to the domestic chitchat 宋谷勇老爺爺完全沒注意到餐桌上的閒話家常90.granddad Guyong Song has serious maters on his mind 而在思考著令人擔心的問題91.Spring is a start of the rice growing season 春天是開始種稻的季節92.the success of
17、the crop will determin how well the family will eat next year 成功與否會影響到一家子明年的生計93.so planting at the right time is critical 所以種稻對時是個關鍵94.The ideal date depends on what the weather will do this year 理想的日子取決於今年的天氣95.never easy to predict 那是件非常不易預測之事96.But there is some surprising help at hand 但他們有個出人意外
18、的幫手97.On the ceiling of the Songs living rooma pair of red-rumped swallows newly arrive from their winter migration在宋家客廳的天花板上來了一對剛剛冬遷的金腰燕99.is busy fixing up last years nest 正忙著修補去年的巢100.In China, animals have value does much for their symbolic meaning as for many good they may do在中國，動物的象徵意義及用處是極度被重
19、視的102.Miao people believe that swallow pairs remain faithful for life 苗族人相信金腰燕是終身配對103.so their presence is a favor and a blessing 所以它們的出現是種贈予及祝福104 bringing happiness to a marriage and good luck to a home 會為婚姻帶來幸福，為家庭帶來好運105.Like most Miao dwellings, the Songs living room windows look out over the
20、paddy fields 像大部分苗人的家，宋家客廳的窗戶是面向著稻田107.From early spring, one of these windows is always left open to let the swallows come and go freely 從早春起，其中一扇窗是一直開著的好讓金腰燕自由進出109.Each year, granddad Gu knows the exat day the swallows return 每年老爺爺都會記著燕子歸巢的正確日期110.Miao people believe the birds arrival predicts th
21、e timing of a season ahead 苗人相信鳥兒的到來預測了季節的開始111.This year, they were late 今年，它們來晚了112.so Gu and the other community elders have agreed that rice planting should be delayed accordingly 所以老爺爺和其他村裡的長老決定延後種稻的時間114.As the Miao prepare their fields for planting 當苗人在整地時115.the swallows collect mud to repai
22、r their nests 燕子會收集泥巴修巢116.and chase after insects across the newly ploughed paddies 在剛犁過的田裡尾追昆蟲117.Finally, after weeks of preparation終於在幾個星期的準備後118.the ordained time for planting has arrived 制定的插秧時間到了119.but first the seedlings must be uproot from the nursery beds 但是育苗必須先從苗圃連根拔起捆紮好後120.and bundled
23、 up ready to be transported to their new paddy 再移植到高坡上121.higher up the hillside 新的稻田裡122.All the Songs neighbors have turnedto help with the transplanting所有宋家的鄰居通通跑來幫忙插秧123.Its how the community has always worked 村落裡一直是這樣運作的124.when the time comes, the Songs will return the favor 時機一到，宋家會回報恩惠125.Wh
24、ile the farmers are busy in the fields 當農民忙著耕作時126.the swallows fly back and forth with material for their nest 金腰燕會來回飛翔，收集築巢的材料127.Many hands make light work 眾擎易舉128.planting the new paddy takes a little more than an hour 插秧只花了 1 個多小時129.Job done, the villagers can relax 收工後，村民就可以休息130.at least unt
25、il tomorrow 直到明天131.But for the nesting swallows, the work of raising a family 但對築巢的燕子來說養育家庭的工作132.has only just begun 才正要開始133.In the newly planted fields 在剛插秧完後的田裡小白鷺正在覓食134.little egrets hunt for foods135.The rice paddy harbor tadpoles, fish and insects 稻田庇護了蝌蚪、魚跟昆蟲136.and egrets have chicks to f
26、eed 而小白鷺有稚鳥要哺育137.This colony in Chongqing province is established in 1996 這個在重慶省的聚居地始於 1996 年138.when a few dozen birds build nests in the bamboo grove behind Yanguang village 幾十隻鳥築巢棲息于陽光村後的139.竹林裡140.Believing they were assigned of luck 深信小白鷺是好運的徵兆141.local people initially protected the egrets an
27、d the colony grove 當地居民最初保護它們進而慢慢繁衍成群142.But their attitude change when the head of the village fell ill 但村長生病後，他們的態度變了143.They blame the birds and were all set to destroy their nests 當地方政府介入保護時144.when the local government stepped in to protect them 他們歸昝於這些鳥並開始認真要消滅鳥巢145.Bedny bamboo may not be the
28、 safest nesting place 易彎的竹林也許不是最安全的築巢之地146.but at least these youngsters wont end up at someones dinner 但至少稚鳥不會變成某人的晚餐147.These chicks have just had a meal delivered by their mom 這些稚鳥剛剛吃了媽媽來的鰻魚148.quite a chance for litter beaks 對小小的鳥嘴，是個蠻大的挑戰149.Providing their colonies are protected 假使它們的聚居地受到保護15
29、0.wading birds like egrets are among the few wild creatures which benefit directly from intensive rice cultivation 小白鷺這種涉禽是極少數能直接受惠於密集的稻米耕作的野生動物152.Growing rice needs lots of water 種稻需要大量的水153.but even in the rainy south, there are landscapes where water is surprisingly scarce 即使是多雨的南部154.也有些區域缺水嚴重1
30、55.This vast area of southwest China 中國廣大的西南邊156.the size of France and Spain combined 有法國與西班牙加起來那麼大157.is famous for its clusters of conical hills以峰林環布出名158.like giant upturned egg carton seperated by dry empty valleys 就像倒放的巨大蛋盒被乾枯的溪穀風分開159.This is the karst 這是水蝕石灰岩地形，石灰岩地域160.a limestone terrain w
31、hich has become the defining image of southern China161.成為中國南方的特色景觀162.Karst landscapes are often studed with rocky outcrops163.水蝕石灰岩地形通常點綴著露出的岩石164.forcing local farmers to cultivate tiny fields 迫使當地農民在狹小的土地上耕種165.The people who live hereare among the poorest in China 住在這裡的是中國最窮的人民166.In neighborin
32、g Yunnan province 在隔壁的雲南省167.limestone rocks have taken over entirely 滿是石灰岩168.This is the famous Stone Forest 這是有名的石林169.the product of countless years of erosion 多少年侵蝕後的結果170.producing a maze of deep gullets and sharp-edged pinnacles 形成迷宮般的深谷沖溝及尖頂山峰171.Limestone has a strange property that is diss
33、olves in rain water 石灰岩有個奇怪特性就是容易被雨水溶解172.Over many thousands of years, water has corrode its way deep into the heart of the bedrock itself 幾千年來，水已經侵蝕到173.床岩的核心174.This natural wonder has a famous tourist spot 這自然景觀是有名的觀光景點175.receiving close to 2m visitors each year 每年有將近 2 百萬的遊客來訪176.The Chinese a
34、re fond of curiously shaped rocks 中國人喜歡奇峰怪石177.and many have been given fanciful names 很多被賦予富於幻想的名稱178.No prices for guessing what this one is called 不難猜出這個叫什麼吧！179.But there is more to this landscapethan meets the eye 但這景色比眼前看到的還要有趣180.China has literally thousands of mysterious caverns 中國實際上有上千個神秘
35、洞穴181.concealed beneath the visible landscape of the karst 隱藏在現有的水蝕石灰岩景觀之下182.Much of this hidden world has never been seen by human eyes 這大片被隱藏的世界從未展現在世人眼前183.And its only just now being explored 現在才剛剛被探勘184.For a growing band of intrepid young Chinese explorers 對愈來愈多的一群年輕大膽的中國探險家而言185.caves repres
36、ent the ultimate adventure 洞穴象徵終極冒險186.Exploring a cave is like taking the journey through time探勘洞穴就像時光之旅187.a journey which endless raindrops would have followed over countless centuries 無盡的雨滴穿越了數不清的世紀188.Fed by countless drips and trickles 無數水滴及細流189.the subterranean river carves ever deeper into
37、the rock 讓地下河流侵蝕石床更深190.The cave rivers course is channeled by the beds of limestone 洞穴地下河川的流向是以石灰岩為導向191.A witness in the rock can not allow the river to increase its gradient to flow in 岩石的薄弱可讓河水192.增加傾斜度及流速193.providing a real challenge for the cave explorers 提供洞穴探險家真正的挑戰194.The downward rushes h
38、alted when the water table is reached 當到達地下水位時水會暫時停止向下奔瀉195.Here the slow flowing river carves tunnels with a more rounded profile 在這裡流速減緩的河水將洞穴磨得更為圓滑196.This tranquil world is home to specialized cave fishes 這寧靜的世界是特有的洞穴魚之家197.like the eye-less Golden Barb 像無眼金線鮁198.China may have unique kinds of c
39、ave evolved fishes 中國比世界上其他地區199.than anywhere else on Earth有更多特殊進化的洞穴魚200.Above the water table 在地下水位之上201.ancient caverns abandoned by the river slowly fill up with stalactites and stalagmites 被河川遺棄的古老洞穴202.慢慢地被鐘乳石及石筍填滿203.Stalactites form as trickling water deposites tiny quantities of rock 鐘乳石是由
40、上方不斷滴落的水經過幾百、幾千年204.over hundreds or thousands of years 沉澱累積微量的方解石而形成的205.Stalagmites grow up where lime laid and drips hit the cave floor 石筍則是石灰水滴不斷滴落在地上沉積于洞底向上生長而形成206.So far, only a fraction of Chinas caves have been thoroughly prospected 到目前為止，在中國只有一小部分的洞穴被徹底勘察過207.and caves are constantly disco
41、vering new subterranean marvels 穴窟探險家不斷地發現新的令人驚奇的地下事物208.many of which are subsequently developed into commercial show caves很多後來被開發成商業觀光洞穴209.Finally escaping the darkness 地下河川和穴窟探險家210.the cave river and its human explorers emerge in a valley far from where their journey began 最後終於逃離黑暗出現在離旅程起點很遠的一個
42、溪穀212.or now the adventure is over 冒險現在暫時結束213.Rivers which issue from caves 從洞穴出來的河川214.are the key to survival in the karst country 是水蝕石灰岩地區生存的重要因素215.This vertical gorge in Guizhou province 貴州省內垂直的峽谷216.is a focal point for the regions wildlife 是這地區野生動物的棲息地217.This is one of the worlds rarest pri
43、mates 這是世界上最稀有的靈長類218.Francois langur 黑葉猴219.In China, they survive in just two southern provinces 在中國只有兩個南方省區有它們的足跡220.Guizhou and Guangxi 貴州省與廣西省一直有崎嶇不平的石灰岩層221.always in ragged limestone terrains222.Like most monkeys, theyre social creatures 它們像一般猴子，也是群居動物223.and spend a great deal of time groomi
44、ng each other 花很多時間互相打理224.Langurs are essentially vegetarian with a diet of buds, fruits, and tender young leaves 黑葉猴實質上是素食者225.只吃花蕾、果子及嫩葉226.Babies are born with jinger fur 小猴子出生時褐紅色的毛227.which gradually turns black from the tail end會慢慢地從尾端變黑228.Young infants have a vise-like grip 嬰幼猴會像虎鉗似的緊緊地抓住媽媽
45、229.used for cling on to mom for deer life230.As they get older 等它們長大一點會比較大膽些、敢冒險些231.they get bolder and take more risks232.Those are the survive spend a lot of time travelling 那些存活下來的，會很常遷移233.Yet experienced adults know exactly where to find seasonal food 有經驗的成年猴懂得在它們勢力範圍內不同的區域234.in different pa
46、rts of their range 去找季節性的食物235.In such steep terrain 在這麼陡峭的地域遷移需要很高的攀登技術236.travel involves a high level of climbing skill237.These monkeys are spectacularly good rock climbers from the time they learnt to walk 這些猴子從它們會走的那刻起238.就是引人注目很棒的攀岩者239.In langur society 在黑葉猴的社會裡，母猴當家240.females rule the roos
47、t241.and take the lead when the family is on the move 當家族遷移時負責帶頭242.One section of cliff 峭壁的一部分滴流出充滿礦物質的水243.woops is a trickle of mineral-rich water244.which the monkeys seem to find irresistible 讓猴子們難以抗拒245.These days there are few predators in the Mayanghe Reserve which might pose a risk to baby
48、monkey 現在在麻陽河自然保護區內很少會有食肉動物構成小猴的危險247.but in past centuries, this area of south China 但在過去幾世紀裡，中國南方這區域248.was home to leopards, pythons, and even tigers 居住著花豹、黃金蟒甚至東北虎249.To survive dangerous night prowlers 為了從夜間動物的爪下逃生黑葉猴躲入地下250.the langurs went underground251.using their rock climbing skills to se
49、ek shelter in inaccessible caverns 用它們攀岩的技術在難以進入的洞穴尋求庇護252.Filmed in near darkness using a night vision camera 用夜視攝影機在幾乎黑暗中拍攝253.the troop clmbers along familiar ledges 成群結隊的攀岩者爬在熟悉的254.worn smooth by generations before them 被前幾代的猴子磨平的岩架上255.During cold winter weather 在寒冬季節，猴子會冒險深入地底256.the monkeys venture deeper underground257.where the air stays comparatively warm那裡的空氣比較暖和258.At last, journeys end,終於，旅途結束259.a coated niche beyond the reach of even the most enterprising predator 來到一個讓最強勢的掠奪者也遙不可及的舒適壁翕260.But its not just monkeys that find shelter in caves 但不只是猴子用
