第一集：生命的挑战我们的星球Our planet may be home大约是3千多万种动植物的家to 30 million different kinds of animals and plants.每个物种都会为生存而奋斗一生Each individual locked in its own life-long fight for survival. 无论你将目光投向何方，陆地还是海洋Everywhere you look总会看到为生存而战的壮观事例examples of the lengths living things go to to stay alive.这里是弗罗里达海岸This is the coast of Florida.海床上奇怪的图案Here暗示着某种动物独特的战术hint at one animal's remarkable strategy.它们是宽吻海豚These are bottlenose dolphins地球上最聪明的动物之一one of the most intelligent animals on Earth.它们的猎物是迅速、灵巧的鱼Their prey is very elusive但是海豚们进化出了一种全新的捕猎技巧But the dolphins have invented a completely new way of hunting.通过用力向下拍尾巴，将淤泥搅动起来By beating its tail down hard再通过绕圈游动And by swimming in a tight circle用浑浊的泥水将一大群鱼包围起来it creates a ring of mushrooming mud around a shoal of fish.再像收网一样缩小包围圈The contracting ring traps the fish just like a net.由于恐慌，小鱼们四下乱跳Panicked海豚们张嘴以待，很多鱼落入口中Right into the open mouths of the waiting dolphins.通过默契的组织、协作Again and again海豚们造出一个接一个的包围圈before they all line up with perfect timing.这群海豚这种优势在这个适者生存的世界里This sort of advantage may mean the difference between life and death也许就决定着生或死in the survival of the fittest.这些事例能显示出动植物This series reveals the most spectacular and extraordinary一些奇特而又壮观的生存策略strategies that animals and plants have developed to stay alive. 对任何物种来说必须克服，然后生存下来all of which must be overcome肯尼亚顶级猎手The supreme hunters.猎豹专靠速度捕猎Cheetahs specialise in hunting at speed.尽管很快它们天生只能捕捉小型猎物built to sprint after small prey.它们不具备像狮子那样的力量和体重They don't have the strength or weight of a lion来扑倒大型猎物to bring down larger animals.这只公豹是不同的This male is different.并不单独捕猎，它明白“豹多力量大”的道理He doesn't hunt alone. He's learnt that there is strength in numbers.而且不只两头，而是三头But here there are not just two兄弟连A band of brothers.它们改变战术They have changed their tactics and对猎物发动偷袭have taken their prey by surprise.它们学会了只要团结合作They have learnt that working together就能捕捉大的猎物they can bring down large prey.鸵鸟An ostrich.一种远比猎豹高大而且几乎比它们重两倍的鸟A bird that towers over a cheetah and is more than twice as heavy.虽然逃跑时不能飞，但拥有致命的“弹腿一踢”It can't fly to escape danger一只雌鸵鸟没有留意到任何危险A female即便三头豹子，也要冒较高的风险Even with three of them this is still highly risky.如果有一头受伤，另两头是搞不定这么大的猎物的If one gets injured the other two couldn't hope to tackle such large prey.反之，如果这笔买卖成了On the other hand回报是相当丰厚的are huge.雄鸵鸟已经发现了一头豹子，只是一头The male has spotted one of the brothers它并没有怎么担心It's not too worried.忽然变成三头！Then suddenly there are three!雌鸵鸟意识到危险时，已经有点晚了The female is slower to realise the danger猎豹也改变了目标and the cheetahs switch targets.必须将三头豹子的力量全部联合起来才能制服这种大鸟It takes the combined effort and weight of all three brothers to bring down this powerful bird.即便此时，鸵鸟也会发出最后一击Even now the ostrich could land a fatal kick.现在，豹子们赢了So far鸵鸟们则必须学会应付这种攻击策略Ostriches have yet to find a way to foil such tactics.其它动物也进化出了类似的集体战术Other animals have also evolved surprising tactics to outmanoeuvre它们的对手，不但有惊人的力量，还有特殊的武器the enemy马达加斯加Madagascar.一个捉摸不透的奇怪地方A strange world where nothing is quite as it seems.在这里捕猎需要诡秘和花招To hunt here requires stealth and subterfuge.在这些树林里生存的一定是伪装大师And living within the trees is a master of ambush.螳螂A preying mantis.良好的伪装、轻巧的身手Well camouflaged and lightning quick这种昆虫是高效的猎手these insects are highly efficient predators.但即便它全副武装But even they are outgunned.变色龙A chameleon.它的伪装极其出色，因为它能够改变皮肤颜色与环境一致Its camouflage is exceptional because it can change its skin colour to match its surroundings.它的两眼能独立转动，侦测猎物Its eyes move independently to spot prey.悄悄地向目标爬行，直到进入攻击范围It creeps towards to its victim然后使出超级武器Then it unleashes a super weapon.它的舌头能以15米/秒的速度弹射而出Its tongue shoots out at 15 metres per second.击中目标同时能将其牢牢黏住And not only hits不过很少的猎手能做到百战百胜But few hunters are always successful.它们捕猎只为果腹For them a hunt is just one meal.但对被捕者而言就惨了For prey非生即死It's life...or death.南极洲由春入夏时，那些一度冰封的海湾得以解冻As Antarctica moves from spring into summer动物们开始觅食And animals move in to feed.南极食蟹海豹These are crabeater seals.它们并非真的吃螃蟹，而是捕食这片水域里以数十亿集群的小虾They don't actually eat crabs 这些海豹躺在大的浮冰上是比较安全的Resting on a large ice floe一旦下水，就得十分警惕But as soon as they enter the water事出有因for good reason.虎鲸（逆戟鲸）Killer whales.在南极许多虎鲸只吃鱼Here in Antarctica但这一群不同，它们专猎食海豹But these whales are different这只海豹下水后，没意识到危险正迎头袭来This seal swimming to open water is unaware of the danger heading his way.直到现在Until now.这次真的麻烦了，无法逃脱除非躲在这块小浮冰后面He's in real trouble. There is no escape unless he can hide behind this small piece of floating ice.但它已经被发现，并被包围But he's been spotted and surrounded.就看够不够敏捷了Now agility is his only chance.拼命地闪躲，不肯离开冰块半步He dodges for his life它已累坏了He's tiring.虎鲸们缩小包围圈，准备吃掉它And the whales tighten the circle但捕食者们并不是每次都能如愿But hunters don't always get their own way.最后，海豹的决心和技巧In the end利用冰块作掩护，保住了性命the ice for protection虎鲸们则继续远征And the whales move on.最近的观察得知Recently it's been observed that killer whales虎鲸们在捕食其它种类的海豹时成功率更高are much more successful when hunting other types of seal.像这只食蟹海豹，备战太充分了Crabeaters like this put up too much of a fight.生活在开放水域的生物则没地方躲避For creatures living in the open ocean there is nowhere to hide from predators.群体生活则相对安全But there is safety in numbers.有一种鱼进化出了独特的逃跑方法One fish完全离开水面经过一番努力的空中飞行After a huge effort to get airborne飞鱼可以滑翔200米，来逃脱捕食者的追逐can glide 200 metres or so并非所有生物都是猎手，有些食素Not all animals are hunters但即便是动植物之间，关系也会相当紧张But the battle between animals and plants can also be intense.Boa Vista这个山谷布满了奇形怪状的石头This valley is peppered with strangely pitted rocks.这些并非自然形成的，而是动植物长期斗争的产物These are not natural formations but thelegacy of a long struggle between one animal and one plant.棕毛僧猴晚上它们在安全的洞里过夜They spend their nights in the safety of caves早晨则出来觅食emerging each morning to find food.特别喜欢下到山谷里Down in the valley is a particular favourite.椰果A nut palm.果实里种子很大很多防止饥饿的动物们取食that protect them against attack from hungry animals.对猴子来说这是一场消耗战For the capuchins this is a war of attrition.它们挑出成熟的果子第一步是撕开果子表面的粗纤维The first job is to tear the tough fibrous husk from the nut.它并不是直接将果实掰开He doesn't try to crack the nut straight away而是将它放在地上but drops it to the ground.它知道一周后果实就会被太阳晒干He's learnt that a nut should be given a week or so drying in the sun.这些是它先前准备好的These are ones he prepared earlier.敲打，看是否已经好了He taps them to see if they're ready.这个大石块就是它的工具This huge flat rock is his anvil.锤子And this is a hammer.这种石头比锤子还要坚硬It's made of a different and much harder rock than the anvil.奇迹就要发生了Now something extraordinary happens.棕毛僧猴利用石块The capuchins' use of these stone tools requires an exceptional level需要极高的技巧、智商和计划of intelligence果壳最终破裂，露出含油丰富的种子The nut finally cracks and exposes a rich小猴子观察并模仿如果它们想要自立If they are to become independent就得学会如何打开这些硬果they must learn to crack their own nuts.但是学习的过程相当漫长，充满沮丧But the learning process is long它们很早就知道想要成功They learn early on that to do a job properly就得有合适的工具you need the right tool.一般要花上八年时间才能练成这精湛的技艺It can take eight years for a capuchin to master this art攻破椰果坚不可摧的防线and overcome the palm's formidable defences.但有些植物反败为胜，专吃动物But some plants have turned the tables and feed on animals. 这是一个极度精巧的陷阱This is a highly sophisticated trap. The bait盘子的周围布满了香甜的蜜汁sugary nectar around the rim of the disc.一旦碰到了这些小刺中的两根，就发动了机关The triggers一只苍蝇受不了这颜色和香味儿的诱惑The victim一根One.两根Two.一旦触发，笼子迅速合拢，苍蝇无法逃脱When triggered维纳斯捕蝇草现在慢慢地消化食物The Venus flytrap now slowly digests its victim.生存的挑战不仅仅在于觅食Life's challenges are more than just finding food.每种动物都会有繁育期In every animal's life there comes a time when its mind turns tobreeding.有种生物的表现令人惊异One creature's approach is mind-boggling.马来群岛Malaysia.这种奇怪的昆虫一直蛰伏在森林的地表This strange insect has been lying dormant on the forest floor.一旦树上安全了，这些雄虫就躲进树叶中，开始奇特的变形Once safe in the trees有个特征显示出祖先和后代的差别One that will make the difference between fathering offspring or not.它开始大口地空气进入头部He begins by gulping in air bubbles然后把气泡挤到“眼棒”里去He then pumps the bubbles into the stalks supporting his eyes就像吹气球一样just like blowing up a balloon.这也使它得到了这个名字：And this is what earns these creatures their name棒眼蝇the stalk-eyed fly.最后只需将褶皱稍稍抹平A few final adjustments to straighten out any remaining creases它已经准备好了and he's ready for action.看起来好像有些笨重，但这种“棒眼”不但可以更有利于发现天敌They may look unwieldy 也是赢得异性青睐的关键to spot predators夜间雌雄聚集，雄虫们开始逐对逐对比较眼睛的尺寸In the evening both males and females gather and the males begin to size one another up眼距最宽的得到最高的优先权Having the widest eye span puts you at the top of the pecking order.棒眼不是武器，而是标尺The eye stalks are not weapons衡量雄虫的强壮程度used to gauge how big如果两只头号雄虫拥有同样的眼宽But there's trouble if two top males have exactly the same eye width.打架就不可避免Then the contest descends into a brawl.失败Defeated.胜者，将有权和附近所有的雌性交配The winner. He now has the right to mate with all the females nearby.像棒眼蝇这样绅士的举动并非争夺雌性的唯一方式The rather gentlemanly way stalk-eyed flies settle their differences over females is not the only way.许多动物更为暴力Some animals are much more violent.赞比亚的旱季It's the dry season in Zambia.河湾要么被烤干，要么过于泥泞而给动物们带来致命的危险The lagoons are either baked dry 这只公河马一直生活在此。