【旁白】 South Pacific--脆弱的天堂

本尼为BBC2台纪录片《南太平洋》担任旁白。 从表面上判断南太平洋仍是 一个健康的海洋 The South Pacific is, on the face of it, still a healthy ocean. 我们靠它维生 We depend on it. 世界60%的捕鱼量 Over 60% of the world's fish catch 来自太平洋 comes from the Pacific. 就像所有的海洋 But like all oceans, 它几乎没有受到保护 it has little or no protection, 因此它的健康可能持续不久 so it may not stay healthy much longer. 人们采取了什么措施来保护它的天然宝藏 So what's being done to preserve its natural treasures? 这个脆弱的天堂又会有一个怎样的未来呢 And what does the future hold for this fragile paradise? 脆弱的天堂 对于南太平洋来说这是生死关头的时期 For the South Pacific, this is a critical time. 要是不改变现状 不遏制下去 It's changing in ways that, if left unchecked, 可能会发展成全球危机 could develop into a global crisis. 有些定居者从前就经历过危机 Some of its residents have been through crisis before. 在上个世纪里大翅鲸被大肆捕猎 Humpback whales were hunted so relentlessly during the last century 它们的数量锐减了90% that their numbers crashed by 90%. 但是最近 它们的数量开始恢复 But recently, they've made a comeback, 从5,000只激增至60,000只 surging from 5,000 to 60,000 animals. 它们的鲸脂不再被熬作油 Their blubber is no longer boiled down for oil. 今天 迎接这些鲸鱼的船上装载的不是鱼叉 Today, these whales are greeted by boats loaded not with harpoons, 而是游客 but with tourists. 汤加的海域是世界上少数能够合法地 The waters of Tonga are one of the few places in the world 与这些大鱼直接面对面的地方之一 where it's legal to get in and meet the giants face to face. 有人称与鲸鱼对视是一种 Some claim that to look into the eye of a whale 人生改变的体验 is a life-changing experience. 1970年代 一场"拯救鲸鱼"运动 In the 1970s, a campaign to "Save the Whale" 成为全球的重大新闻 made the headlines around the world, 并达成了一项前所未有的协议 and led to an unprecedented agreement 来保护世界上仅存的鲸鱼 to protect what remained of the world's whales. 它证明全球的压力能解救处于 威胁之下的野生物种 It proved that global pressure CAN save wildlife that's under threat. 那么太平洋里的野生动物 现在面临什么样的威胁呢? So what are the current threats to wildlife in the Pacific? 全球暖化已经不是一个秘密 It's no secret that the world is getting warmer. 而当全球暖化导致海平面上升时 And the low-lying islands of the South Pacific are on the front line, 地势低的南太平洋岛屿首当其冲 as global warming causes sea levels to rise. 在太平洋岛国图瓦卢 On the Pacific island nation of Tuvalu, 没有一个地方高出海平面五米 nowhere is higher than five metres above sea level. 图瓦卢的九个环礁和岛屿是 12,000人的家园 Tuvalu's nine atolls and islands are home to 12,000 people. 他们对全球暖化影响极小 Their contribution to global warming is tiny, 但全球暖化对他们影响极大 but its impact on them is massive. 防波堤是这个国家的唯一防线 Sea walls are the nation's only defence, 但建筑更高的防波堤也可能是徒劳的 but building higher walls is likely to prove futile. 在大潮期间 During big spring tides, 海水直接透过地面冒上来 seawater simply bubbles up through the ground. 2006年 岛民经历了最高的大潮 In 2006, the islanders experienced their highest tides ever. 这些岛很快会变成无法居住 These islands could soon become uninhabitable. 海水正在破坏土壤和地下水 The seawater is poisoning the soil and groundwater. 最后 人们可能被迫从这些岛上撤走 Eventually, the islands may have to be evacuated. 这会是一次史无前例的迁移－ This would be an unprecedented move... 整个国家被重新安置 an entire nation relocated. 因此拜全球暖化所赐 So the ocean is threatening its islands, 大海正在威胁着它的岛屿 thanks to global warming. 即便如此 太平洋仍在减缓气候改变上 And yet, the Pacific is playing a massive part 扮演着重要角色 in slowing down climate change. 全世界的海洋吸收了工业排放到大气层中几乎一半的二氧化碳 The world's oceans have absorbed about half of all the carbon dioxide 全世界的海洋吸收了工业排放到大气层中几乎一半的二氧化碳 released so far into the atmosphere by industry, 显著地减少了温室效应 significantly reducing the greenhouse effect. 但这有个隐情... But there's a catch... 对于鱼类而言 水中额外的二氧化碳 for the fish, all that extra carbon dioxide in the water 会产生它们不希望的副作用 can have some unwanted side effects. 太平洋里所有的生命都依赖于 最微小的生物 All life in the Pacific is dependent on the tiniest of creatures... 在洋流里自由地飘浮的浮游生物 the plankton that floats freely in the currents. 其中最丰富的一种是海蝴蝶 One of the most plentiful is the sea butterfly, 一种极小的海洋蜗牛 用它增大的足 a tiny marine snail, which uses its enlarged foot 在水里"飞行" to "fly" through the water. 海蝴蝶是众多海洋生物非常重要的食物 Sea butterflies are such important food for so many marine animals 以至被称为"海里的薯条" （未贴完）