Curiously, it's personal hygiene. |
原因说来奇怪是为了个人卫生 |
When the tide is low they swim into the shallows |
退潮时它们便游入浅水 |
and flail around with great enthusiasm. |
激烈地扭动翻滚 |
They're after a body scrub. |
这么做是为了刷洗身体 |
The gravel acts as a loofah |
沙砾相当于丝瓜络 |
and thrashing their bodies across it |
在其间辗转反侧 |
helps to get rid of their old skin. |
有助于褪掉旧皮 |
Presumably the treatment keeps them clean and streamlined, |
想必这不仅会使它们身体洁净线条优美 |
but it also appears to feel good. |
还会带来快感 |
Bliss! |
好福气啊 |
The water in the estuary is warmer and less salty |
相比之下河口的水温度高盐分少 |
and that seems to soften the skin |
这似乎有助于软化皮肤 |
making the scrub more effective. |
提高清洁效率 |
This secluded estuary |
这处隐秘的河口 |
is only a temporary whale spa, |
只是白鲸临时的温泉疗养地 |
the ocean will soon freeze again |
海洋会很快再次冻结 |
forcing the whales to travel south. |
迫使鲸鱼们南迁 |
Vast seabird colonies are the jewels of the Arctic. |
庞大的海鸟群是北极的瑰宝 |
Brunnich's guillemots have spent the summer months |
夏季的几个月里海鸠 |
packed together on vertical cliffs |
聚集在陡峭的悬崖之上 |
beyond the reach of predators. |
远离捕食者的魔爪 |
They are among the most |
它们是北半球 |
numerous seabirds in the Northern hemisphere. |
数量最多的海鸟之一 |
This colony alone contains 100,000 birds |
单是这个鸟群就有十万只 |
and there are many more like it all along the Arctic coastline. |
而沿北极海岸类似的鸟群更是不计其数 |
In just a few weeks these cliffs will empty. |
再过几周这几片悬崖将空空如也 |
But before the guillemots can leave, |
但在幼雏羽翼丰满之前 |
their chicks must fledge. |
海鸠还不能动身 |
Their feathers are now fully formed, |
它们的羽毛已经长成 |
but their stubby wings are still too short for them |
但翅膀还过于粗短 |
to fly properly - |
无法自在飞翔 |
this will be a challenge. |
这是个挑战 |
It's a 150 metre drop and |
这一跳就是一百五十米 |
they need to make it all the way to the sea. |
还得一路跳到海里 |
Here goes. |
起跳 |
He falls short and survives the crash landing. |
他没跳到终点不过也活着着陆了 |
The chicks are manna from heaven for an Arctic fox. |
对北极狐来说雏鸟可是天赐的佳肴 |
The next chick is accompanied by a parent. |
后面一只雏鸟有父母陪伴 |
Failed again. |
又失败了 |
This looks better! |
这跳得好多了 |
Success! |
成功 |
Aquatic landings are certainly gentler |
水上着陆看起来轻盈多了 |
and foxes can't reach you out here. |
狐狸也抓不到你 |
The chicks will stay in their parents' care for another month. |
雏鸟还得跟着父母一个月 |
The guillemots are not the only ones preparing to leave, |
海鸠不是唯一准备离开的旅行者 |
完整版请点击 |
|
all across the Arctic millions of summer visitors |
整个北极区上百万的夏日游客 |
are beginning to return south. |
都准备启程回南方 |
The guillemot chicks can't fly yet, |
海鸠的雏鸟还不会飞 |
so they and their families |
所以它们和家人 |
must swim to their winter feeding grounds. |
游去过冬的地方 |
It's a journey that will take them a thousand miles south |
一路向南跨越上千公里 |
to the open ocean and away from the approaching ice. |
去寻找开阔的海洋远离逼近的寒冰 |
The breeding season is over and silence returns to the Arctic. |
繁殖的季节已经结束北极又重归宁静 |
But as the first storms of autumn |
但当秋季的第一波风暴 |
sweep through the deserted nesting grounds, |
席卷这片荒芜的筑巢区时 |
they bring an unexpected bonanza for the few that remain. |
给为数不多的留守者带来意想不到的好运 |
The discovery doesn't remain secret for long. |
这个秘密很快就传播开来 |
It's a huge fin whale carcass. |
这是一头巨大的长须鲸的尸体 |
The polar bears have been drawn from several miles away, |
北极熊的鼻子特别灵敏 |
guided by their extraordinary sense of smell. |
从几公里外追寻而至 |
Bears are arriving all the time, |
北极熊不断涌来 |
but there's plenty of room at this 18 metre long dining table. |
但这头十八米长的食物有足够的空间 |
They're surprisingly relaxed, |
它们很少这么轻松和谐 |
but with enough for everyone there's no need to argue. |
因为食物充足所以无须争斗 |
The tastiest morsels are often underwater. |
最美味的肉是泡在水下的部分 |
Others prefer some greens with their dinner. |
有些吃货喜欢加点海草做配菜 |
After a well-balanced meal, |
一顿平衡膳食后 |
there's nothing better than some good company. |
最享受的莫过于跟同伴玩一玩了 |
Despite their reputation as loners, |
北极熊向来是独来独往的 |
it's surprising just how sociable polar bears can be. |
如此和睦的一幕让人甚是惊喜 |
All across the Arctic the temperature is now dropping |
整个北极地区气温骤降 |
and the sea is beginning to freeze. |
海水开始结冰 |
Every day over 20,000 square miles of ocean |
每天随着寒气也逐渐向南方蔓延 |
turn to ice as the cold spreads south. |
超过五万平方公里的海洋为之冻结 |
At first, a thin, greasy film appears on the surface |
一开始水面形成薄薄脆脆的冰膜 |
Next, pancakes of ice start to appear. |
然后出现众多蛋饼一样的冰块 |
The pancakes lock together and form a continuous sheet. |
一块块蛋饼接在一起形成大片冰层 |
The Arctic Ocean is freezing again. |
北冰洋再次冻结 |
At last the bear family |
最后北极熊一家 |
can return to the sea ice where they belong. |
终于回到了它们的冰海之家 |
It's been six months since the cubs first emerged from the den. |
熊崽在洞里出生到现在已六个月了 |
They've survived the hazards of melting sea ice in spring |
它们熬过了冰雪融化险象丛生的春天 |
and lack of food in summer |
以及食物贫乏的夏天 |
and now, at last, they are in their element again. |
现在它们终于可以自在生活了 |
As the north of our planet turns away from the sun, |
地球的北极远离了太阳 |
the big chill travels south. |
冰寒向南部扩散 |
Temperatures on the tundra start to fall. |
冻原的气温开始下降 |
The shorter days and colder nights trigger a dramatic change |
越来越短的白昼和越来越冷的黑夜 |
in the willows and blueberry bushes. |
让柳叶和蓝莓丛发生了奇妙的变化 |
They stop producing green pigment that harnesses the sun's energy |
它们停止分泌吸收太阳能量的绿色素 |
and red and yellow pigments build up in their leaves. |
红色素和黄色素染上了他们的叶子 |
The tundra blazes with colour |
火红的颜色烧遍了冻原 |
and the whole landscape is transformed. |
整个景色都改头换面 |
A bull muskox marks his territory |
一头雄性麝牛用脸上腺体的味道 |
with scent from glands on his face. |
划定了自己的领土 |
He's preparing for the breeding season. |
他在为繁殖的季节做准备 |
He shadows his harem of females as they graze |
他圈起了他的母牛们 |
the last of the summer grasses. |
她们在吃最后一批夏草 |
He must be on his guard. |
他必须警觉 |
An outsider is arriving, |
外敌来临 |
a large male whose intentions soon become clear. |
这个强敌的意图很快表露无疑 |