One challenge faces almost all animals on Earth - 地球上几乎所有的动物都面临着一个挑战-
the need to find a partner. 寻找伴侣的需要
It's a drama that is played out in every corner of the planet. 这是一部在地球每个角落上演的戏剧
For some,it's conducted on an immense scale. 对一些人来说 这是在一个巨大的规模上进行的
Others need to put on a show. 其他人需要表演
And for many,it involves 对许多人来说 这包括
intense,even lethal,battles. 激烈甚至致命的战斗
This series will reveal the extraordinary strategies 本系列将揭示非凡的策略
that animals employ to succeed in the mating game. 动物用来在交配游戏中取得成功的方法
Those that win will have a stake in the greatest competition of all - 胜利者将在最激烈的竞争中占有一席之地-
the creation of a new generation. 创造新一代
Namibia,in the South West Africa. 纳米比亚 在非洲西南部
An ancient landscape that has shaped the mating game of its residents. 一种古老的景观 它塑造了当地居民的交配游戏
Ostriches. 鸵鸟
The rules of their mating game 它们交配游戏的规则
have been refined and elaborated 都经过了提炼和阐述
over some 60 million years 超过6000万年
and are now very well established. 现在已经非常成熟了
During their breeding season,each flock is dominated by a single male. 在繁殖季节 每只鸡群都由一只雄性主导
His territory,and the females that come with it,is a hard one asset. 他的领地 以及随之而来的女性 都是一项硬资产
So his leadership is only challenged 所以他的领导能力只会受到挑战
by the brave or the foolhardy. 是勇敢的还是鲁莽的
This young male is low in the flock's pecking order. 这只年轻的雄鸟在群中的啄食顺序较低
He's spent five years preparing for this moment, 他花了五年时间为这一刻做准备
and now he needs to breed. 现在他需要繁殖
The resident females seem interested. 常驻的女性似乎很感兴趣
He starts to show off. 他开始炫耀
And their attention encourages him. 他们的关注鼓励了他
But the current leader does not tolerate competition. 但现任领导人不容忍竞争
The kick of an ostrich is powerful enough to kill a lion. 鸵鸟的一脚足以杀死狮子
And the young male is risking an end to his breeding season 而这只年轻的雄性正冒着繁殖季节结束的风险
before it's even started. 还没开始呢
In a matter of moments, 片刻之间
the young challenger has been cast out of his flock. 那个年轻的挑战者被赶出了他的羊群
It's a disastrous start to his campaign. 这是他竞选活动的一个灾难性的开始
But it comes with a valuable lesson. 但它也带来了宝贵的教训
Out here,in the open,the mating game is exposed for all to see. 在这里 在公开场合 交配游戏是公开的 所有人都可以看到
The young male now faces a major challenge. 年轻男性现在面临着一个重大挑战
There are not many ostriches on these dry plains 在这些干燥的平原上鸵鸟并不多
and females are hard to come by. 而且很难找到女性
It could take him several months to find one. 他可能需要几个月才能找到一个
He does,however,have a way of bringing them to him. 然而 他确实有办法把它们带给他
He inflates a sack in his throat 他在喉咙里给袋子充气
and produces a boom that carries for miles. 并产生一个可以承载数英里的吊杆
And it attracts unaccompanied females. 而且它吸引了无人陪伴的女性
But that is the easy bit. 但这是容易的一点
Female ostriches are very choosy. 雌性鸵鸟非常挑剔
With the largest eyes of any land-living animal, 拥有陆地动物中最大的眼睛
they assess his every detail. 他们评估了他的每一个细节
The pinkness of his shins. 他小腿的粉红色
The shininess of his black feathers. 他黑色羽毛的光泽
Both indicate his sexual quality. 两者都表明了他的性品质
But he has yet to pass a crucial test. 但他还没有通过一个关键的考验
The females lead him on a chase,testing his stamina. 雌鸟带领他追逐 测试他的耐力
And they can run at speeds of 40mph. 它们可以以每小时40英里的速度运行
All he has to do is to keep up. 他所要做的就是跟上
One of the females slows. 其中一只雌性放慢了速度
And once again,he tries to win her over. 他又一次试图说服她
But,again,she seems indifferent. 但是 她又一次显得漠不关心
Now,he has only one trick left. 现在 他只剩下一个把戏了
At last,he seems to be getting some attention. 最后 他似乎得到了一些关注
She flicks her wings - a sign that she is impressed. 她轻轻地拍打着翅膀 这表明她被打动了
So,with little to lose, 所以 没有什么损失
cautiously,he performs his final trick. 他小心翼翼地表演了最后的把戏
It's not perfect . 这并不完美
but he gives the performance of his life. 但他展示了他的人生
With that achieved,he will now go on and mate 实现了这一点 他现在将继续下去并交配
with several more females before the season is over. 在这个季节结束之前还有几只雌性
Provided,that is,he can maintain their interest. 只要他能维持他们的利益
He now has a final task. 他现在有一个最后的任务
He must take every female with whom he mates this season 他必须带走这个季节与他交配的每一只雌性
to his chosen nest site. 去他选择的巢穴
And there,incubate all their eggs for the next two months. 在那里 在接下来的两个月里孵化它们所有的卵
Only if they hatch will he know 只有它们孵化出来 他才会知道
that he has truly succeeded in his mating game. 他真的成功了他的交配游戏
Where grass grows abundantly, 草长得很茂盛
mating,for many,is rather more competitive. 对许多人来说 交配更具竞争力
This zebra stallion has spent several years 这匹斑马种马已经活了好几年了
assembling a group of females - his harem. 集合一群雌性——他的后宫
And he'll do anything he can to retain them all. 他会尽一切努力留住他们
Some of his mares are already pregnant, 他的一些母马已经怀孕了
and he leads them on the never-ending search for food. 他带领他们不断寻找食物
Every March,they come here,to the Serengeti. 每年三月 他们都会来到这里 来到塞伦盖蒂
One of the most extensive natural grasslands left on Earth. 地球上现存的最广阔的天然草原之一
Such rich grazing attracts herds 30,000 strong. 如此丰富的放牧吸引了30000多只牧群
His family has good reason to join this huge assembly. 他的家人有充分的理由参加这个大型集会
There is safety in numbers, 数量是安全的
and predators here are awaiting them. 这里的捕食者正在等待它们
Hyenas. 鬣狗
Small harems are the most at risk. 小后宫是最危险的
The herds will provide the safety that the stallion needs. 牧群将提供种马所需的安全
And right now,his family is particularly vulnerable. 而现在 他的家庭尤其脆弱
Here,his newborn foals can get a good start in life. 在这里 他的新生小马驹可以在生活中有一个良好的开端
Soon after birth,their mothers become ready to mate again. 出生后不久 他们的母亲就做好了再次交配的准备
But being in a big herd causes a problem for the stallion. 但是 在一个大群体中会给种马带来一个问题
Bachelor males are quick to detect 单身男性很容易察觉
the scent of a newly-receptive mare. 新接受的母马的气味
And they will try to separate one from the rest of its harem, 他们会试图把一只和它的后宫分开
whether she is willing or not. 不管她愿不愿意
If a stallion doesn't drive off the bachelors, 如果一匹种马没有赶走单身汉
his group will be broken up in a matter of minutes. 他的小组将在几分钟内解散
But if he's going to keep his family together,he will have to fight. 但如果他想让家人团聚 他就必须战斗
A well-placed bite to the bottom is enough to see off weaker rivals. 一个位置好的咬到底足以击退较弱的对手
But with challenges coming from all sides, 但面对来自各方的挑战
he's in danger of losing control. 他有失去控制的危险
Pushed to his very limits,he must now use greater violence. 他被逼到了极限 现在必须使用更大的暴力
Victory. 胜利
His family is still together,for now. 他的家人现在还在一起
But his right to breed isn't guaranteed. 但他的繁殖权并没有得到保证
His females will still have the deciding say on that matter. 他的女性在这件事上仍有决定权
Competition between males for a mate 雄性之间争夺配偶的竞争
is common throughout the natural world. 这在自然界中很普遍
But females may also play a deciding part in the mating game. 但雌性也可能在交配游戏中扮演决定性的角色
One such is so efficient at doing that 其中一个在这方面非常有效
that her species has become one of the most successful 她的物种已经成为最成功的物种之一
of any on the planet. 在这个星球上任何一个
Here,on the grasslands of Africa, 在这里 在非洲的草原上
their castles of clay are a familiar sight. 他们的粘土城堡是人们熟悉的景象
Each one is ruled by an extraordinary,all-powerful queen. 每个人都由一位非凡的、全能的女王统治
Her domain can stretch for many miles underground 她的领地可以延伸到地下数英里
and is maintained by armies of her subjects, 由她臣民的军队维持
most of whom implicitly obey her instructions 他们中的大多数人都默默地服从她的指示
but never even meet her. 但从没见过她
Everything in this community is under her control. 这个社区的一切都在她的控制之下
She can live for 50 years,longer than any other insect in the world. 她能活50年 比世界上任何其他昆虫都长
Meet the termite queen. 见见白蚁女王
Her devoted partner,the king, 她忠诚的伙伴 国王
has been at her side throughout her life. 她一生都在她身边
He mates with her frequently,but his role is limited to that. 他经常和她交配 但他的角色仅限于此
It is his gigantic queen who dominates the colony. 统治殖民地的是他的巨大女王
Her bloated body contains huge ovaries which produce eggs nonstop. 她臃肿的身体里有巨大的卵巢 卵巢不停地产卵
She lays one every three seconds, 她每三秒钟下一次
24 hours a day,for 25 years. 一天24小时 持续25年
A productivity unmatched in the natural world. 自然界无与伦比的生产力
All in the colony are her offspring, 殖民地里的所有人都是她的后代
and all are dependent on her success. 一切都取决于她的成功
They clean her tirelessly and keep her well fed. 他们不知疲倦地清洁她 让她吃得饱饱的
Some remove the eggs and store them. 有些人把鸡蛋取出存放起来
A seemingly never-ending job. 似乎永无止境的工作
In her lifetime,she will produce 在她有生之年 她将生产
over a quarter of a billion offspring. 超过25亿后代
As each egg emerges,it's taken away to another chamber. 当每个卵出现时 它被带到另一个房间
Here,the workers toil to create the perfect conditions 在这里 工人们努力创造完美的条件
for their development. 为了他们的发展
Some chambers serve as gardens. 有些房间用作花园
Here,the workers cultivate balls of white fungus 在这里 工人们培育银耳球
with which to feed the queen. 用它来喂女王
But not all young termites remain equal. 但并非所有的小白蚁都是平等的
Their future will be determined by the queen. 他们的未来将由女王决定
In response to the needs of the moment, 根据当前的需要,
she will produce chemical instructions that determine 她将制作化学说明书 以确定
the role each of her offspring will play in the community. 她的每个后代将在社区中扮演的角色
And once a year,she changes the behaviour of the entire colony. 每年她都会改变整个殖民地的行为
As the rainy season approaches, 随着雨季的临近,
she orders her workers to open new gateways 她命令她的工人打开新的大门
in the outside walls of their castle. 在他们城堡的外墙上
They are preparing the most important and dramatic happening 他们正在为最重要、最戏剧性的事件做准备
in their year. 在他们的年代
Exactly why the rains trigger this event is still unknown, 降雨引发这一事件的确切原因尚不清楚
but it will not begin without them. 但没有它们 它就不会开始
What happens next occurs on only a few days in a year. 接下来发生的事情发生在一年中只有几天
But the future of her entire kingdom depends on it. 但她整个王国的未来取决于此
As a consequence of a chemical signal from her, 由于她发出的化学信号
some of her subjects have developed wings. 她的一些研究对象长出了翅膀
Each of these winged termites is a potential queen or king. 这些有翼白蚁中的每一只都可能成为女王或国王
And one morning,at first light, 一天早晨 天刚亮
they emerge in millions. 它们以百万计出现
Attempting to get as far away as possible 试图离得越远越好
and start their own community. 建立自己的社区
But their journey is beset by danger. 但他们的旅程充满了危险
Such a multitude of edible insects does not go unnoticed. 如此众多的可食用昆虫并非不被注意
Emerging in these vast numbers is part of termite strategy. 大量白蚁的出现是白蚁策略的一部分
The loss of a few thousand individuals amongst millions 数百万人中几千人的损失
is insignificant. 这是无关紧要的
Eventually,even the greediest predators 最终 即使是最贪婪的捕食者
will have had as much as they can eat. 他们会尽可能多地吃
The surviving termites,males and females,find partners, 幸存的白蚁 雄性和雌性 寻找伴侣
shed their wings 展翅
and each partnership then digs a new colony together. 然后 每一个合作伙伴共同挖掘出一个新的殖民地
So if things go well, 如果一切顺利
more clay castles will appear on the African plains. 更多的粘土城堡将出现在非洲平原上
A lifelong partnership between male and female 男女之间的终身伙伴关系
can certainly lead to great rewards. 当然可以带来巨大的回报
But,in fact,such a simple strategy is rare. 但事实上 如此简单的策略是罕见的
Delaying finding a mate until one reaches one's physical prime 推迟寻找配偶直到身体达到最佳状态
is a more common tactic, 是一种更常见的战术
but it does have its problems. 但它也有它的问题
These are the meadows of southern Australia. 这些是澳大利亚南部的草地
Here,sheer physical size can make a significant difference. 在这里 纯粹的物理尺寸可以产生显著的差异
Male grey kangaroos battle for access to the females. 雄性灰袋鼠争着接近雌性
The biggest nearly always wins. 最大的几乎总是赢
As a result,the males have become very big indeed. 结果 雄性确实变大了
At 2.5 metres tall, 身高2.5米
they are more than twice the size of the females. 它们的体型是雌性的两倍多
These battles are nearly always won by the biggest male. 这些战斗几乎总是由体型最大的男性获胜
But it will be the female who will decide 但将由女性来决定
exactly when he will be allowed to claim his reward. 确切地说 他什么时候可以得到报酬
A female can conceive at any time, 女性可以随时怀孕
so there is no rush as far as she is concerned. 因此 就她而言 并不着急
But a male kangaroo has to fight whenever he's challenged, 但雄性袋鼠在受到挑战时必须战斗
so he is keen to mate just as soon as he can. 所以他渴望尽快交配
The longer the delay,the greater the chance 拖延的时间越长 机会就越大
that another male will displace him. 另一个男性将取代他
Rival males show off to make clear how very big they are. 雄性竞争对手炫耀自己 以表明自己有多大
So the victor keeps her close by him 所以胜利者把她留在身边
while he still has the upper hand. 当他仍然占上风的时候
She,however,continues to explore her options. 然而 她继续探索自己的选择
No matter what the victor does to impress her . 不管胜利者做了什么让她印象深刻
she is still reluctant to commit. 她仍然不愿承诺
Things are taking a little longer than he might like. 事情比他希望的要长一点
After days of unsuccessful courting, 经过几天不成功的求爱
she leads him to the edge of the meadow. 她把他带到草地的边缘
And here,there are others 这里还有其他的
who keep an eye on what is happening. 他们密切关注正在发生的事情
Less physically-impressive males lurk out of view, 身体状况不太好的雄性潜伏在视线之外
waiting for a female to lose her suitor. 等待女性失去追求者
They just need a distraction. 他们只需要分散注意力
Another large male enters the competition. 另一个大个子男子参加了比赛
He's just as big as the first one, 他和第一个一样大
so if he is to win the female,he'll have to fight. 因此 如果他想赢得女子冠军 他就必须战斗
And while both of them are preoccupied by battle . 当他们两人都忙于战斗的时候
she looks elsewhere. 她找别的地方
This smaller male,out in the open, 这只体型较小的雄性 在户外
would stand little chance of winning a mate. 赢得配偶的机会很小
But while the big boys battle,she's willing to accept him. 但是当大男孩们战斗时 她愿意接受他
Sneak mating,like this, 偷偷交配 像这样
accounts for only a small proportion of kangaroo pregnancies. 只占袋鼠怀孕的一小部分
But in a grassland dominated by a few particularly large males, 但是在一个由一些特别大的雄性主宰的草原上
sneaky strategies ensure 狡猾的策略确保
the genetic diversity of the next generation. 下一代的遗传多样性
Hiding your intentions out in the open plains is often difficult. 在开阔的平原上隐藏你的意图通常是困难的
But if you live in the tangle of vegetation on the grassland floor . 但是如果你生活在草地上草木丛生的地方
it's possible to use rather different tactics. 有可能使用完全不同的策略
A male nursery web spider. 雄性育婴网蜘蛛
He's hunting. 他在打猎
He actively stalks his prey. 他主动跟踪猎物
And the grass provides him with excellent cover. 草为他提供了极好的掩护
But he's not going to eat this catch himself. 但他自己不会吃这个
Instead,he's going to give it to someone he has not yet met. 相反 他会把它送给一个他还没见过的人
First,he carefully gift-wraps his capture. 首先 他小心翼翼地用礼物包装他的俘虏
Presentation is going to be very important. 演讲将非常重要
Once satisfied with the appearance of his parcel, 一旦对包裹的外观感到满意
he starts searching for someone to give it to. 他开始找人把它给他
Lines of silk amongst the grass stems are a promising lead. 草茎间的丝线是一条很有前途的线索
And there are signals coming from the other end. 从另一端传来信号
A female nursery web spider. 雌性育婴网蜘蛛
It seems promising. 这似乎很有希望
But he must be careful. 但他必须小心
She is,after all,a killer,just as he is. 毕竟 她是一个杀手 就像他一样
And she seems quite hungry. 她看起来很饿
She accepts his gift . 她接受了他的礼物
and begins to eat it. 然后开始吃它
For a first meeting,things seem to be going very well. 第一次见面 事情似乎进展得很顺利
Well enough,anyway,to make his hair stand on end. 无论如何 这足以让他毛骨悚然
While she is busy eating, 当她忙着吃饭的时候
he gets ready for action. 他准备采取行动
He starts to transfer his sperm to her 他开始把他的精子转移给她
using a specialised sack on his foreleg. 在他的前腿上使用一个专门的麻袋
Both sides seem content. 双方似乎都很满意
She gets a meal,he gets to mate. 她吃饭 他交配
But the exchange amongst spiders isn't always so equal. 但蜘蛛之间的交流并不总是如此平等
A male nursery web spider 雄蜘蛛
will attempt to mate with as many females as he can. 他会尝试与尽可能多的雌性交配
His biggest problem is finding enough food to satisfy them all. 他最大的问题是找到足够的食物来满足他们所有人
Most spider hunts,like the hunts of most predators, 大多数蜘蛛捕猎 就像大多数捕食者的捕猎一样
end in failure. 以失败告终
So this male spider cheats. 所以这只雄蜘蛛会作弊
He starts by picking up someone else's leftovers, 他从捡起别人的剩菜开始
a dead fly. 死苍蝇
Providing it's well wrapped,she might never know. 如果包装好 她可能永远不会知道
There's only one way to find out if it's acceptable. 只有一种方法可以确定它是否可以接受
Amazingly,it works. 令人惊讶的是 它起作用了
Encouraged by this success,he does something exceptionally devious. 在这一成功的鼓舞下 他做了一件异常狡猾的事
He wraps up a flower. 他把一朵花包起来
It's not even food. 甚至不是食物
Such extreme deception is rare. 这种极端的欺骗是罕见的
And it doesn't always work. 而且它并不总是有效的
This male,however,seems to have mastered the trick. 然而 这只雄性似乎已经掌握了这个技巧
And now his success is limited 现在他的成功是有限的
only by the number of gifts that he can collect. 只看他能收集到多少礼物
With a strategy that is clearly effective, 有了一个明显有效的战略
he tries almost anything that looks remotely suitable. 他几乎尝试任何看起来稍微合适的东西
Not all nursery web spiders can pull off this trick. 并不是所有的育儿蜘蛛都能做到这一点
But for those that can,the prize is worth the effort. 但对于那些有能力的人来说 这个奖是值得努力的
Or in this case,the lack of it. 或者 在这种情况下 缺乏它
Deception is a risky strategy, 欺骗是一种危险的策略
especially out in the open,where it can more easily be detected. 尤其是在户外 更容易被发现
So some males work together to put on a show. 所以有些男性会一起表演
In northern Finland,groups of male ruffs 在芬兰北部 成群的雄性皱褶
gather on communal display grounds known as leks. 聚集在被称为列克的公共展示场地上
They rely on their spectacular neck feathers to impress a partner. 它们依靠自己壮观的颈部羽毛给伴侣留下深刻印象
But fine feathers by themselves are not enough. 但光靠漂亮的羽毛是不够的
Empty leks,like empty dance floors, 空荡荡的列克 就像空荡荡的舞池
rarely entice the opposite sex. 很少引诱异性
The more males there are,the more attractive they will be. 男性越多 他们就越有吸引力
So the locals accept visiting males. 因此当地人接受来访的男性
The visitors have a distinct white ruff, 游客们有一个明显的白色头饰
and they travel between leks looking for the best mating opportunities. 它们在狮子座之间旅行 寻找最好的交配机会
So with both visitors and locals here, 因此 无论是游客还是当地人
this lek has become very conspicuous. 这个沥道变得非常显眼
The males advertise the richness of the choice on offer 男性宣传提供的选择的丰富性
by leaping into the air. 跳到空中
It gives them a good chance of being seen by females flying overhead. 这给了它们一个很好的机会被头顶飞行的雌性看到
A flock of females descends for a closer look. 一群雌鸟下来仔细观察
The males' strategy is clearly working. 男性的策略显然奏效了
And now they start to show off their extravagant ruffs. 现在他们开始炫耀他们奢侈的褶边
The females now have plenty of males to choose from. 雌性现在有很多雄性可供选择
But any attempt by the white-necked visitors 但白颈游客的任何企图
to do more than display 不仅仅是展示
is quickly dealt with by the lek owners. 很快就被沥沥道的主人处理掉了
With only a few females on the lek, 只有几只雌性在沥道上
the locals soon squabble amongst themselves. 当地人很快就互相争吵起来
Some do find a mate . 有些人确实找到了伴侣
as do some of the visitors. 一些游客也是
But many do nothing but fight. 但许多人除了战斗什么也不做
Unobtrusively,however,something else is going on. 然而 悄悄地 还有别的事情正在发生
Meet a faeder. 遇到一个费德
A male ruff wearing the plumage of a female. 带有女性羽毛的男性头饰
The only known example of crossdressing in the bird world. 鸟类世界中唯一已知的变装例子
The faeder avoids competition 费德尔避免竞争
since all the other males think he's a female. 因为所有其他男性都认为他是女性
So while the other males continue to fight it out, 所以当其他雄性继续战斗的时候
the faeder moves in. 费德尔进来了
Only 1% of the male population are faeders. 男性人口中只有1%是同性恋
But it proves that in gatherings where male display is important, 但这证明在男性展示很重要的聚会上
there is still room for a different approach. 仍然有采取不同方法的余地
Assembling in really large herds, 成群结队地聚集在一起
like those that appear on the open savannahs of Kenya, 就像那些出现在肯尼亚开阔的大草原上
can seriously complicate the mating game. 这会使交配游戏变得非常复杂
They attract the greatest concentration of predators in the world. 它们吸引了世界上最集中的捕食者
Here,you have to keep your eyes peeled. 在这里 你得睁大眼睛
And this young male topi is doing just that. 而这个年轻的男性托皮正是这样做的
His excellent eyesight enables him to spot approaching predators. 他出色的视力使他能够发现接近的捕食者
And his alarm calls warn others of the dangers lurking in the grass. 他的警报声警告其他人草丛中潜伏着危险
But a sentry also wants to mate. 但是哨兵也想要交配
So eventually,he abandons his post 因此 他最终放弃了自己的职位
and follows the other males to the traditional display grounds. 跟着其他雄性来到传统的展示场地
Now,with no-one to give warning of predators, 现在 由于没有人警告捕食者
the journey is becoming dangerous. 旅途变得越来越危险
On arrival,the young male's problems become evident. 到达后 年轻男性的问题变得明显
The females tend to look for males in the centre of the display ground, 女性倾向于在展示场地的中心寻找男性
so that is the place to be. 这就是我们要去的地方
But he has to battle with rivals even before he gets there. 但他甚至在到达那里之前就必须与对手作战
The stakes in the mating game now get even higher. 交配游戏的赌注现在更高了
Females arrive in a group. 雌鸟成群到达
A female topi is fertile for only one single day in the whole year. 雌性托皮在一年中只有一天是可育的
So it's vital that he makes a good impression right now. 所以他现在给人留下好印象是至关重要的
He tries a ritualised trot 他试着按惯例小跑
that demonstrates his physical fitness. 这表明他的身体健康
But the females seem to take no notice. 但是雌性似乎没有注意到
He needs to do something else. 他需要做些别的事情
He tries driving his horns into the ground as others are doing. 他试着像其他人一样把喇叭按到地上
The effect is certainly eye-catching. 其效果当然引人注目
But will it make any difference? 但这会有什么不同吗？
Still no takers. 仍然没有接受者
But now,he's attracting the wrong sort of attention. 但现在 他吸引了错误的注意力
His final tactic is less obvious. 他的最后策略不那么明显
He actually exploits the presence of predators. 他实际上利用了捕食者的存在
As a female comes into view,he snorts a predator alarm call. 当一只雌性进入视野时 它发出捕食者的警报声
It stops the female in her tracks. 它阻止了女性的踪迹
It's a false alarm,but it delays her just long enough 这是虚惊一场 但只是耽误了她足够长的时间
to give him a chance. 给他一个机会
And that is all he needs. 这就是他所需要的
His success .gives him a fresh swagger. 他的成功 给了他一种新的狂妄自大
But in mating with so many females, 但在与这么多雌性交配时
he exposes himself to danger. 他使自己暴露于危险之中
Since arriving a few weeks earlier, 由于几周前到达
he has barely stopped to eat or drink. 他几乎没有停下来吃喝
His mating exertions have left him exhausted. 他的交配劳累使他精疲力竭
With few males acting as sentries, 很少有男性充当哨兵
this is neither the time nor the place to drop your guard. 现在既不是放松警惕的时候 也不是放松警惕的地方
Even an exhausted topi is more than a match for a single adult cheetah. 即使是一只精疲力竭的猎豹也不只是一只成年猎豹的对手
But there are two. 但是有两个
And now three. 现在是三个
Such is the desire to breed 这就是繁殖的欲望
that some on this grassland 这片草地上有一些
pay for the chance to do so with their lives. 用他们的生命为这样做的机会付出代价
But those who manage to complete the act of mating 但是那些成功完成交配行为的人
will have left a legacy within the herd. 将在牧群中留下一笔遗产
The mating game begins with finding a partner. 交配游戏从寻找伴侣开始
For many,the act of mating brings it to an end. 对许多人来说 交配的行为结束了它
But for some,that isn't the whole story. 但对一些人来说 这并不是全部
After 40 days of incubation, 经过40天的孵化
ostrich parents have to take on their final responsibilities. 鸵鸟父母必须承担最后的责任
Chicks,just a few days old. 小鸡 才几天大
The timing of their parents' mating couldn't have been better. 他们父母交配的时机再好不过了
Rain has brought plenty of food to the arid grasslands, 雨水给干旱的草原带来了充足的食物
and that is what the chicks must have 这就是小鸡们必须拥有的
if they are to survive and grow. 如果他们想要生存和成长
So the responsibilities of these adults 那么这些成年人的责任是什么呢
are still,by no means,over. 我们还没有结束
Winning the mating game can have its consequences. 赢得交配游戏会有其后果
And for some,they can be the greatest challenge of all. 对一些人来说 它们可能是最大的挑战
To film The Mating Game, 拍摄交配游戏
crews travelled across the world 船员们周游世界
to gain an intimate understanding of animals and their habitats. 深入了解动物及其栖息地
Oh,my God,there's a baby cayman in its mouth! 哦 天哪 它嘴里有个小开曼！
Over two and half years,teams worked alongside wildlife experts, 在两年半的时间里 团队与野生动物专家一起工作
often going to extreme lengths to capture the behaviours on camera. 为了在摄像机上捕捉到行为 通常会走极端
It's unbelievable what's happening here in this forest! 这片森林里发生的事情真是难以置信！
What they uncovered was beautiful and surprising, 他们所发现的是美丽和令人惊讶的
and revealed the true complexity 揭示了真正的复杂性
of the strategies that animals employ to win the mating game. 动物用来赢得交配游戏的策略
One of their greatest challenges 他们最大的挑战之一
involved predicting when ostriches will begin their breeding 包括预测鸵鸟何时开始繁殖
in the desert grasslands of Namibia. 在纳米比亚的沙漠草原上
It's a behaviour that cameraman Martyn Colbeck 这是摄影师Martyn Colbeck的行为
has spent years trying to understand. 他花了多年时间试图理解
I'm pretty excited. 我很兴奋
I just want them to get on with their mating game. 我只想让他们继续他们的交配游戏
Martyn's experiences tell him in this part of the world, Martyn的经历告诉他在这个地方
ostriches have to time their breeding to perfection. 鸵鸟必须把繁殖的时间安排得恰到好处
We think that the breeding is just about to kick off, 我们认为繁殖即将开始
but what hasn't happened yet is that the ostriches 但还没有发生的是鸵鸟
haven't split up and dispersed to look for nest sites. 没有分裂和分散去寻找巢穴
And that's when the males start to do their territorial chasing 这就是雄性开始进行领土追逐的时候
and displaying to each other. 并相互展示
The birds must begin their breeding in advance of the annual rain. 鸟类必须在每年下雨之前开始繁殖
It's a gamble that ensures that there will be enough food 这是一场确保有足够食物的赌博
for their chicks when they eventually hatch. 当它们最终孵化的时候
It means that the film team must also second-guess 这意味着电影团队也必须进行二次猜测
the timing of their trip. 他们旅行的时间安排
As with many places in the world these days, 与当今世界许多地方一样
the weather patterns here in Namibia are so unpredictable. 纳米比亚的天气模式是如此不可预测
It's had drought for five years. 五年来一直干旱
And you can look around and it's really,really dry 你可以四处看看 那里非常非常干燥
and really,really barren. 而且非常非常贫瘠
And there's a slight worry within the camp that, 营地里有点担心
you know,with this drought and with this unpredictable weather, 你知道 干旱和不可预测的天气
that there's just no real trigger,as it were, 事实上没有真正的触发器
for the ostriches to do their thing. 让鸵鸟做他们的事
The more they search,the greater the sense of unease 他们搜寻得越多 不安感就越大
at the lack of activity. 在缺乏活动的情况下
Aerial reconnaissance by the team 空中侦察队
uncovers further evidence that this landscape is under duress. 揭示了进一步的证据表明这一景观是受到胁迫的
Quiver trees have evolved to cope with long periods without rain, 箭袋树已经进化到可以适应长时间不下雨的环境
but even they have succumbed to the drought. 但即使是他们也在干旱中屈服了
I can imagine what this place must have looked like 15,20 years ago. 我能想象15、20年前这个地方的样子
It's upsetting.I'm actually really upset. 真让人心烦 我真的很难过
You know,you come here thinking, 你知道吗 你来这里想
"Oh,wow,amazing quiver tree forest", “哦 哇 神奇的箭袋树森林”
and you get here and you just see this devastation. 你到了这里 就看到了这场灾难
I'm upset. 我很难过
I'm really,really,like,as in truly upset. 我真的 真的 像是真的很沮丧
Like you said,these trees are older than us. 就像你说的 这些树比我们老
You know,trees are older than you, 你知道 树比你老
myself and Gert combined, 我和格特加起来
and they're just lying here,dead. 他们就躺在这里 死了
Just done for. 刚刚做完
It's a bad situation to be in. 处境很糟糕
As the weeks pass,there's still no sign of the rain 几周过去了 仍然没有下雨的迹象
the ostriches so desperately need. 鸵鸟如此迫切需要
They should be establishing their territories. 他们应该建立自己的领土
They should be digging their nests. 他们应该挖他们的窝
The males should be fighting. 雄性应该在战斗
But they're not. 但事实并非如此
In the year that Martyn was here, Martyn在这里的那一年
Namibia experienced the worst drought in 90 years. 纳米比亚经历了90年来最严重的干旱
In these conditions,the ostriches seemed to sense 在这种情况下 鸵鸟似乎感觉到了
that any attempt at breeding would end in failure. 任何繁殖的尝试都会以失败告终
The team left empty-handed. 该队空手而归
The following year,The Mating Game returned with a new team 第二年 交配游戏又有了新的团队
and renewed hope that the rains might eventually arrive. 再次燃起了下雨的希望
And what they encountered from the start 他们从一开始就遇到了什么
took them by complete surprise. 让他们大吃一惊
With this much foreplay on display, 展示了这么多前戏
it's clear that the ostriches are in a very different mood. 很明显 鸵鸟的心情非常不同
In the far distance,we just saw a male 在远处 我们刚刚看到一只雄性
definitely doing what we want it to do. 绝对做我们想让它做的事
So we're just now going as fast as we can over here, 所以我们现在正以最快的速度过来
hoping they're going to keep going. 希望他们能继续前进
He's twisting,he's twisting,he's twisting! 他在扭动 他在扭动 他在扭动！
Oh,my gosh,she's twisting! 哦 天哪 她在扭动！
Yeah,that's a good angle.He's running. 是的 这是一个很好的角度 他在跑步
OK,let's go ahead with this one. 好的 让我们继续这个
With the males now violently competing for females, 现在雄性在激烈地争夺雌性
their mating game has literally kick-started. 他们的交配游戏已经开始了
Oh,God,amazing to see! Just incredible! 哦 天哪 真是太棒了！简直难以置信！
I know.Is a round of high fives appropriate? 我知道 一轮击掌合适吗？
Jeez! Yeah. 天哪！是 啊
Well done.Nice job. 做得好 干得好
Jeez! Thank goodness for that! 天哪！谢天谢地！
How long was that? 那是多久？
Anyway,it's not that long,it's just the intensity of it,isn't it? 不管怎么说 它没有那么长 只是它的强度 不是吗？
More surprising,with still no rain 更令人惊讶的是 仍然没有下雨
but clouds building on the horizon, 但是地平线上的云层正在形成
the ostriches begin to launch into their finale. 鸵鸟队开始进入决赛
Ooh,y-yes! Yes! 哦 是的！对
Nope,she's . 不 她
Yes! 对
Well done,Steve! 干得好 史蒂夫！
So it's all going ahead 所以一切都在进行中
and we were trying to work out why that is,what's the difference? 我们试图找出原因 有什么区别？
Because there's still been no rain at all.Been a few clouds. 因为还是没有下雨 有几片云彩
But we've just seen that the forecast for next Monday, 但我们刚刚看到下周一的天气预报
that's a week away,there's rain forecast. 还有一个星期 预报说会下雨
So,you know,maybe they somehow know that. 所以 你知道 也许他们知道这一点
I don't know how they do that,but maybe they know 我不知道他们是怎么做到的 但也许他们知道
that it's going to be a good rain year. 这将是一个多雨的年份
In the coming weeks,after five years of waiting, 在接下来的几周里 经过五年的等待
something remarkable happened. 出人意料的事情发生了
The desert plains received a much-needed downpour. 沙漠平原下了一场急需的倾盆大雨
It seems the ostriches got their timing right after all. 看来鸵鸟的时机毕竟是对的
Next time,the largest of all habitats - oceans. 下一次 所有栖息地中最大的——海洋
Where life first invented the mating game. 生命最早发明交配游戏的地方
And where the challenge of simply finding a mate 简单地找一个伴侣的挑战在哪里
sparks some of the greatest battles on Earth. 引发了地球上最伟大的战斗