阿塔卡马沙漠是地球上最干燥的地方之一，但它的生物多样性同样是最高的 The Atacama Desert is one of the driest places on Earth, and yet its biodiversity is similarly superlative
它的许多居民是只在这里发现，在世界上其它地方没有 with many of its inhabitants found here and nowhere else in the world.
野性美洲
阿塔卡马
太平洋猛烈而无情地撞击着崎岖、干燥、破碎的海岸线 The Pacific Ocean crashes furiously and relentlessly on the rugged, dry, broken coastline.
海浪拍打着悬崖，就像一个世界的先锋猛烈抨击另一个世界， These waves batter the cliffs like the vanguard of one world violently lashing out against another,
两个世界在一个巨大的矛盾中相互对立 two universes opposed in a gigantic contradiction.
在这里，太平洋寒冷但多产的 Here, the Pacific is cold, but fertile.
阿塔卡马海峡一端涌动的洋流蕴藏着丰富的生命 The currents that surge along one extreme of the Atacama are immensely rich in life.
大量的鱼类靠这些洋流携带的营养物质为生， Massive banks of fish are fed by the nutrients these currents carry,
反过来，这些巨大的鱼团吸引了无数的海洋猎人， and in turn, these huge glomerations of fish attract numerous marine hunters,
各种各样的鲨鱼、金枪鱼和海豚，追逐它们较小的水生邻居 various species of shark, tuna, and dolphin in pursuit of their smaller aquatic neighbours.
从附近的沿海定居点，海鸟和海豹加入了捕猎， From nearby coastal settlements, seabirds and seals join in the hunt,
而就在这两个战斗的世界之间，在一条狭窄的、被海浪拍打的、充满泡沫的狭长陆地和海洋上， and right between these two battling worlds on a narrow, frothy wave-beaten strip of land and sea,
南美洲海狮利用了这两者，享受着相对舒适的生活 South American sea lions take advantage of both to enjoy a relatively comfortable life.
但有些出乎意料的是，这个两栖动物世界继续向内陆延伸 But somewhat unexpectedly, this amphibian world continues further inland.
阿塔卡马沙漠， The Atacama Desert,
它的一个边缘沿着这条狂野的海岸线，最宽处只有180公里宽， with one of its edges lying along this wild coastline, is barely 180 kilometres across at its widest point,
甚至在那里，在离大海最远的海拔3500米的地方，也有咸水 and even there, at its furthest from the sea at an altitude of 3,500 metres, there's also salt water.
高原上的泻湖是由冬雪融化的，但实际上它们充满了盐份 Lagoons on the high plains are fed by the winter snows, but they are in fact filled with salt water
这是数百万年前安第斯山脉形成时古代海洋沉积物抬升的结果 as a result of ancient marine deposits lifted up millions of years ago when the Andes Mountains were formed.
这些咸水泻湖实际上是非常原始的海洋遗迹， These saltwater lagoons are in fact the remains of very primitive seas,
其中的一些居民几乎和这些海洋一样古老。比如苍蝇 and some of their inhabitants are almost as old as those seas. Flies, for example.
滨蝇或盐水蝇在高盐的生境中出生、生活并繁衍生息 Shore or brine flies are born, live, and indeed flourish in a hypersaline habitat.
苍蝇是一种财富，每一只都是在这样一个充满敌意和孤独的环境中宝贵的营养食物来源 Flies are a treasure, each one a valuable nutritious food source in such a hostile and lonely environment.
这里的食物远远不够丰富，除了生气勃勃的、腌好的卤蝇 Food is far from abundant here, except in the form of crispy, ready salted brine flies.
苍蝇的生物量加起来可达几吨 The biomass of the flies adds up to several tonnes
所以它们是阿塔卡马沙漠脆弱的食物链中不可或缺的一环 and so they are an essential link in the delicate food chain of the Atacama Desert.
沙漠是一种极端地形，考验着所有生物的适应或灭亡能力 The desert is an extreme terrain that tests all living beings' ability to adapt or perish.
只有最强壮，最坚韧的生物才能在这里生存， Only the strongest, the most resilient can survive here,
少数能够抵御极端干旱和温度的生物 the rare few capable of withstanding the extremes of drought and temperature.
总有人能通过所有的测试 Someone always passes all the tests.
法比安蜥蜴是阿塔卡马圣佩德罗的唯一居民，这是这片广阔沙漠中的一小块区域 Fabian's lizard is an exclusive inhabitant of San Pedro de Atacama, a small region of this vast desert.
法比安蜥蜴是一种神奇的爬行动物 Fabian's lizard is a miraculous reptile.
它能忍受高温、干旱和灼热的阳光， It can tolerate the heat, aridity, and blistering sun,
并且比任何人都知道如何利用稀缺的食物资源 and knows better than anyone how to exploit the scarce food resources.
这些蜥蜴在泻湖岸边徘徊，成群的苍蝇聚集在那里 These lizards prowl the banks of the lagoons where flies gather in their thousands.
虽然捕捉苍蝇，不是一件容易的事， And although fly catching is no easy task,
法比安蜥蜴凭借速度和敏捷性取得了优异的成绩 Fabian's lizards achieve excellent results thanks to their speed and agility.
它们会跳跃、追逐，如果有必要，还会在水面上行走以获取一顿饭 They will jump, chase, and if necessary, walk on water to get a meal.
它们的存在直接依赖于这些苍蝇 Their very existence depends directly on these flies.
法比安蜥蜴栖息在泻湖附近的狭长地带，雄性会满腔热情地捍卫它们的小领地 Fabian's lizards inhabit the narrow strips of land near the lagoons and males enthusiastically defend their small territories.
土地所有者之间的二元关系是恒定的 Duals between land owners are constant.
它们互相靠近，在炫耀支配力的过程中膨胀自己 They approach each other, inflating themselves in a display of dominance.
如果它们对自己的武力感到安全，同时又认为对手同样强大， If they feel secure in their forces whilst considering their rival equally powerful,
它们会满足于一场姿势大战，一场凝视比赛，一场影子大战 they will settle for a battle of poses, a staring match, a bout of shadow fighting.
但在紧张了这么久之后，最后，一只可能的大餐飞过，就足以促成停战 But after so much tension, in the end, a fly past of a potential meal is enough to induce a truce.
每只雄性都会回到自己的领地，直到一只大胆、挑衅的雌性的到来再次激起它们的兴趣 Each male returns to his respective territory until the arrival of a daring, provocative female piques their interest again.
雌性法比安蜥蜴对雄性的所谓领土边界没有概念，它们是一个被永久渴望的对象 Female Fabian's lizards have no concept of the male's supposed territorial borders and they are an object of permanent desire.
当雌性在接受时，她们暗示性的弯曲舞蹈会让雄性兴奋不已 When the females are receptive, their suggestive sinuous dance excites the males.
然而，尽管求爱的强度很大，但似乎现在还不是交配的时候， And yet, despite the intensity of the wooing, it seems that it is not yet the time for copulation,
再一次，一个空中的零食就足以结束这场遭遇战 and once again, an airborne snack is enough to end the encounter.
毕竟，食物就是食物。在这片咸平原上，法比安蜥蜴并不是唯一的猎手 After all, food is food. Fabian's lizards are not the only hunters on these salty plains.
还有其它对飞行营养感兴趣的捕食者 There are other predators interested in flying nutrition.
最近从海洋环境来到这里的一些鸟类，已经适应了这个无情的地狱 Recently arrived from marine environments, some birds acclimatised to this unforgiving hell.
安第斯反嘴鹬在水面附近过滤水，以它们弯曲的喙捕捉昆虫 Andean avocets sieve the water near the surface in order to capture insects with their curved bills.
尽管如此，鹬鸟还是到处啄食，寻找几乎看不见的动物 Still, sandpipers peck here and there in search for almost invisible animals
快速的冷高原鸻鸟在岸边奔跑，就像许多急用的发条玩具 and rapid puna plovers run along the shore like so many urgent wind-up toys.
从婴儿期开始，这些小鸻鸟就能移动得非常快 From infancy, the little plovers could move very quickly.
在父母的保护下，它们在泻湖岸边巡逻 Under the protective watch of their parents, they patrol the banks of the lagoons.
多亏了它们异常敏锐的视力，鸻鸟可以察觉到最微小的动静 Thanks to their extraordinarily keen eyesight, the plovers can detect the smallest movement
这可能会揭示一些可食用的东西的下落 that may reveal the whereabouts of something edible.
而且几乎一孵化，它们就知道如何捕捉难以捉摸的、有营养的苍蝇 And almost as soon as they hatch, they know how to catch the elusive, nutritive flies.
阿塔卡马沙漠的盐滩，是一个非常极端的生态系统，富含盐分 The salt flats of the Atacama Desert, a very extreme ecosystem with an abundance of salt
温度变化很大，却意外地充满了生命 and widely varying temperatures, are unexpectedly thronging with life.
安第斯火烈鸟生活在这里，也只生活在这里 Andean flamingos live here and only here.
这些是它们喜欢的泻湖，位于海拔2000米的地方 These are their preferred lagoons, located at an altitude of 2,000 metres.
这个极其荒凉的地方是这种火烈鸟的甜蜜而独特的家。一待就是几个小时， This extremely inhospitable place is home sweet and unique home to this flamingo species. For hours at a time,
在无情的阳光下机械地重复着这个过程，火烈鸟用脚搅动着泥泞的泻湖河床 mechanically repeating the process under the unforgiving sun, the flamingos stir up the muddy lagoon bed with their feet
并用它们专门的喙从浑浊的水中过滤藻类和甲壳类动物 and filter algae and crustaceans out of the turbid water with their specialised bills.
但突然之间，一切都变了 But suddenly, everything changes.
食物不再是问题。大气和它们自己身体里的某些东西优先于食物 Food is no longer of any concern. Something in the atmosphere and in their own bodies takes precedence over food.
荷尔蒙和繁殖的需要控制了局面 Hormones and the need to reproduce take control of the situation.
当它们互相瞥了一眼时，火烈鸟们开始及时地摆动脖子 As they glance at each other, the flamingos start to move their necks in time.
无论火烈鸟做什么，都是在它们的群体中。它们旅行，发情，一起繁殖， Whatever flamingos do, it's always in their community. They travel, come into heat, reproduce together,
同时作为一个完整的聚居地 as a whole colony at the same time.
在对第二个的追求中，一种异常同步的集体编舞正在进行中 In a quest of seconds, an extraordinarily synchronised communal choreography is underway.
在短短的几分钟内，阿塔卡马沙漠的咸咸的泻湖变成了令人惊叹的美丽舞蹈的闪闪发光的舞台 For a few brief minutes, the salty lagoons of the Atacama Desert become the shimmering stage for an amazingly beautiful dance.
然后，就像突然开始一样，突然结束了 And then, just as suddenly as it began, it's over.
激情的爆发几乎没有过渡就被遗忘， The outburst of passion is forgotten almost without transition,
然后它们平静地回去吃东西，好像什么都没发生过 and they calmly go back to eating as if nothing has happened.
位于阿塔卡马中心的咸水泻湖，安第斯火烈鸟在山中跳舞，这就是它们的名字， The salty lagoons in the heart of Atacama where Andean flamingos dance in the middle of the mountains that give them their name,
都是早已消失的海洋的古老痕迹 are the ancient traces of long gone seas.
阿塔卡马是地球上最干燥的沙漠，只有180公里宽， The Atacama, the driest desert on Earth, is barely 180 kilometres wide,
但它从北向南延伸超过1600公里，表面积相当于冰岛的大小 but it extends from north to south over 1,600 kilometres and has a surface area the size of Iceland.
在阿塔卡马广袤的沙漠中，还有海拔近4000米的更高的泻湖 In the vast desert of Atacama, there are even loftier lagoons at almost 4,000 metres.
黑鸭就是在那里筑巢的 It is there that horned coots build their floating nests.
这是一项艰苦的工作，但黑鸭很勤奋，而且有些进攻性的防御 It's hard work, but the coots are industrious and somewhat aggressively defensive.
它们不允许任何人靠近一个新巢，即使是热衷于蹲着的大胆海鸥也不行 They will not allow anyone to get close to a new nest, not even an audacious seagull keen on squatting.
生活在如此高的海拔，水很少， Living at such high altitude with very little water,
夜间零下25度到白天30度的温度，不适合胆小的人 the temperatures ranging from -25 below zero at night to 30 above during the day, is not for the faint-hearted.
在如此极端的环境下，只有极少数生物的生存是可行的 In such an extreme environment, life is feasible for very few creatures.
小羊驼就是这样一种生物 Vicunas are one such creature.
作为骆驼，它知道抗旱、抗寒、抗热是什么意思 As a camel, it knows what it means to be resilient to drought, cold, and heat.
小羊驼是地球上最小的骆驼，有着轻盈优雅的仪态 Vicunas are the smallest camels on Earth and have a light, elegant bearing
它们的脖子很长，腿很细，它们身上的某些东西甚至可能让人想起它们的粉色长腿邻居 with their long necks and slim legs, something about them perhaps even reminiscent of their long-legged pink neighbours.
它们在极端情况下的生存装备包括衣服 Their survival kit for extreme situations includes their clothing.
小羊驼的驼毛是专为生活在海拔3500米到4500米的冷高原地区而设计的 The wool of vicunas is especially designed for life in the Puna region at between 3,500 and 4,500 metres of altitude.
它们的外套是用世界上最好的纤维制成的驼毛。这使得它很密，不透水 Their coat is made of wool with the finest fibres in the world. This makes it dense and impermeable
而且它能使它们免受寒风和雨水的侵袭 and it insulates them from freezing winds and rain.
然而，尽管小羊驼适应了这种恶劣的环境，但与其它骆驼不同的是， And yet, despite their adaptations to this harsh environment, vicunas, unlike other camels,
必须每天喝水，所以它们一般住在冷高原的小溪或池塘附近 must drink every day, so they generally live near the streams or ponds of Puna.
冷高原是阿塔卡马高原半沙漠地区 The Puna is a high semi-desert region of the Atacama
小羊驼与其它稀有的大型动物，如美洲鸵或达尔文美洲鸵鸟生活在一起 which vicunas inhabit with other rare large animals such as the nandu or Darwin's rhea.
美洲鸵和小羊驼共享各种食物来源，通常是和平的 Nandu and vicunas share various food sources, usually peacefully.
但小羊驼是一种好奇的生物，也许比美洲鸵所关心的还要多一点 But vicunas are curious creatures and perhaps a little more so than the nandu care for.
小羊驼的好奇心让美洲鸵一家提高了警惕 The young vicunas' curiosity puts the nandu family on its guard
它们别无选择，只能退到父亲羽翼下的安全地带 and they have no other choice but to retreat to safety under their father's wings.
只有在危险过去之后，这个家庭才会继续进行一天中最紧迫的活动， Only after the danger has passed does the family continue with the most pressing activity of the day,
在沙漠稀疏的植被中寻找食物 looking for sustenance among the sparse vegetation of the desert.
广阔的阿塔卡马沙漠， The wide expanse of the Atacama Desert,
从一端的海岸到另一端的安第斯山脉中心，有着许多不同的面貌 from the coast on one extreme to the heart of the Andes on the other, has many different faces.
雪峰、火山、沙区、沙丘、光秃秃的岩石 Snowy peaks, volcanoes, sandy regions, dunes, and bare rocks.
这些环境中的每一个都为被聚居提供了不同的可能性和挑战 Each of these environments offers different possibilities and challenges to be colonised.
即使是色彩鲜艳、吵闹的穴居鹦鹉群，也能在这些干旱的社区找到一个称之为家的地方 Even colourful, noisy flocks of burrowing parrots can find a place to call home in these arid neighbourhoods.
穴居鹦鹉知道如何从恶劣的环境中榨取最大的好处 Burrowing parrots know how to squeeze the most out of a hostile environment
所以可以生活在半沙漠地区，在那里它们吃种子和小水果 and so can live in semi-desert regions where they consume seeds and small fruit.
这样的地方给了它们很大的优势。在这里，它们几乎没有竞争对手 Such places give them a great advantage. Here, they have hardly any competitors.
每年的这个时候，南半球的夏天，它们正处于炎热之中，紧张程度很高 At this time of year, summer in the Southern Hemisphere, they're in heat and tensions are high.
对抗比平时更加频繁 Confrontation is more frequent than usual.
然而，尽管偶尔会有摩擦， Yet despite the occasional friction,
这些沙漠居民总是生活在社会群体中 these desert dwellers always live in social groups
推而广之，在社区内繁殖 and by extension, breed within the community.
穴居鹦鹉寻找沟壑和河岸，在那里它们用喙挖出一个巨大的洞穴城市 Burrowing parrots look for ravines and banks of Earth where they dig out a great city of caves with their beaks.
每对鹦鹉挖自己的洞穴都非常靠近邻居的洞穴， Each pair of parrots excavates its own burrow very close to that of its neighbours, and together,
它们从事一种邻里守望的工作 they engage in a kind of neighbourhood watch over their homes.
沙漠中几乎没有可以躲藏的地方 There are few places to hide in the desert.
这里没有树木或好客的空心圆木可以筑巢，也没有地方可以躲避无情的阳光， There are no trees or hospitably hollow logs where you can build a nest, and there is nowhere to hide from the relentless sun,
还是有? or is there?
穴居鹦鹉的这种操作方式在许多其它物种中或多或少都有重复 The modus operandi of the burrowing parrots is more or less repeated in numerous other species.
阿塔卡马的居民只有一种方法来逃离炎热和捕食者 The inhabitants of Atacama really only have one way to escape from the heat and from predators.
在沙漠中，一切似乎都发生在眼前 In the desert, everything seems to happen in plain sight.
安全和隐私只有在黑暗的地下洞穴中才能找到 Security and privacy can only be found in the darkness of an underground den.
在黄褐色栉鼠的废弃洞穴中的一个小峡谷里，一群caupolicana蜜蜂有着某些共同的特征 In a tiny ravine in the abandoned burrow of a tawny tuco-tuco, a colony of caupolicana bees share certain characteristics
和穴居鹦鹉一起 with the burrowing parrots.
caupolicana蜜蜂有多毛、五颜六色的身体，不断在它们的小蜂巢周围嗡嗡作响 The caupolicana bees have hairy, colourful bodies, and constantly buzz around their tiny colony.
这些蜜蜂生活在一起，但不是随意的。-每只蜜蜂都有自己的地下生态位，它们必须为自己挖掘 These bees live together but not - haphazardly. - Each has its own subterranean niche which it must dig for itself.
一天中的大部分时间都花在了准备场地上 A large portion of the day is spent preparing the ground
并呆在雌性为下一代准备巢穴的地方 and staying inside where the females prepare the nest for the generation to come.
雌蜂不知疲倦地工作，移走了与它们体型相关的大量泥土 The female bees work tirelessly, removing a huge amount of earth in relation to their size.
蜂群的活动只在一天中最热的时候暂停 Activity in the colony only pauses during the hottest hours of the day.
雄性，颜色越来越苍白，越来越灰白，不停地在洞周围开火 The males, paler and greyer in colour, ceaselessly fire around the holes.
它们似乎在潜行，的确如此 They seem to be prowling, and indeed they are.
它们在寻找一名雌性 They're on the lookout for a female.
雌性的数量要少得多，所以它们很受欢迎 There are far fewer females and so they're in demand.
如果一只雌蜂敢离开她的单室，几只雄性就会扑上来，渴望繁殖 Should one dare to leave her cell, several males will pounce, eager to reproduce.
与其说这是一种爱的行为，不如说这是一个战场，越来越多热情的竞争者加入战斗 Less an act of love, more a battlefield in which more and more ardent contenders join in the combat.
雌性是短暂的战利品，竞争对手会为之战斗至死 The female is a fleeting prize for which rivals will fight to the death.
一些挑战者因努力而疲惫不堪，死在阿塔卡马炽热的阳光下 Some challengers, exhausted from their efforts, die under the blazing Atacama sun.
在这个特别地狱的另一个角落，阿塔卡马沙漠，其它洞穴居民在这里安家 In another corner of this particular hell that is the Atacama Desert, other cave-dwellers make their homes.
藏身和降温的唯一地方是地下，但普通的八齿鼠degu经常冒险到露天 The only place to hide and cool down is underground, but common degum frequently venture out into the open.
这些小啮齿类动物在沙漠灌木丛附近挖掘它们的通道 These small rodents excavate their galleries near desert thickets.
当它们冒险外出时，灌木丛既提供食物又提供保护 When they venture outside, the brush provides both food and protection.
八齿鼠是永不满足的 Degum are insatiable.
它们在吃东西的时候优先考虑的是数量而不是质量，它们以高速啃食各种植物 Their priority when eating is quantity over quality, and they gnaw away at all kinds of vegetables at high speed.
但水果是它们最喜欢的盛宴 But fruit is their favourite feast.
在它们头上，罗马合欢的种子成熟了。每当一颗落在地上，就会有八齿鼠扑上来 Above their heads, seeds of the roman cassie ripen. Each time one falls to the ground, a degum pounces.
有时候，最好是在地下阴凉处，远离猎人的视线，享受一顿美味佳肴 Sometimes, it's better to enjoy a delicious delicacyin the cool of the shade underground, out of sight of hunters.
在一片看起来像雷区的干燥、稀疏的区域，另一种生活在地面上的啮齿动物探出头来 In a drier, sparser territory that looks like a minefield, another ground-dwelling rodent peeks out.
黄昏时分，当那同样炙烤万物的太阳失去了一些强度时，鼢足鼠就出现了 At dusk, when the same sun that scorches everything loses some of its intensity, coruro appear.
鼢足鼠是极度活跃的动物，在下午晚些时候从黑暗的洞廊里出来，享受一剂温和的、有营养的阳光 Coruro are hyperactive animals that emerge from their dark galleries late in the afternoon to enjoy a dose of gentle, nutritious sun.
是时候休息一下，享受一下沙漠的空气和阳光了 It's time for a rest and to enjoy the air and light of the desert for a while.
它们花了一整天的时间挖球茎和根，把它们挖出来，用巨大的门牙吃 They've spent all day digging for bulbs and roots which they extract and eat with their giant incisors.
休息时间结束了 Break time is over.
在太阳完全落山之前，有一些家务活要完成， Before the sun sets completely, there are certain household chores to finish,
翻修入口，寻找另一种美味的块茎，把房间做得更深一点，可以睡觉 renovating the entrance, looking for another tasty tuber, making a chamber a little deeper to sleep in.
夜幕很快降临 Night soon comes.
在多岩石的阿塔卡马地区，即使在最偏远、最孤独的地方，也能看到栗鼠 In the rocky Atacama territories, even in the remotest, loneliest places, chinchillas can still be seen.
短尾龙猫（毛丝鼠）是一种难以捉摸的啮齿类动物，由于其备受追捧的皮毛，它们几乎被逼至灭绝 Short-tailed chinchillas are elusive rodents that were driven almost to extinction for their highly sought-after fur.
这些毛茸茸的啮齿动物在黑暗中移动，寻找沙漠中坚韧的植被 These fluffy rodents move in the dark in search of the tough vegetation of the desert.
它们的外套是抵御寒冷沙漠之夜的强大屏障 Their coats are a formidable defence against the cold desert nights.
而吃完之后，没有什么比泡个舒心的沙浴更好的了 And after eating, nothing is better than a nice relaxing sand bath.
龙猫（毛丝鼠）的毛是所有哺乳动物中最厚的，每平方厘米有2万根毛 Chinchillas' fur is the thickest of all mammals with 20,000 individual hairs per square centimetre.
没有比那件更好的外套了 There is no better coat than that.
为了保持皮毛光滑、有光泽、防寒， To keep their fur smooth, glossy, and cold-proof,
它们每晚都在沙子里洗澡，这样沙子就能保持干净、蓬松、不起球 they bathe every night in sand, this way it stays clean, fluffy, and free of tangles.
只要保持良好的状态 Only if they are kept in good condition
栗鼠毛的效力就能保持 is the effectiveness of the chinchilla's coats maintained.
在阿塔卡马的高内陆地区，寒冷是恒定的 In Atacama's high inland areas, cold is a constant.
地势低洼地区的气候惩罚稍轻，既湿润又温暖 Low-lying regions have a slightly less punishing climate, both wetter and warmer.
从海上来的云，轻抚着山峰和山脊，留下露珠般的残余物 Clouds arriving from the sea caress peaks and ridges, leaving a dewy residue.
这种天赋使仙人掌和灌木开花，使其它植物发芽，即使它们只能存活几天 This gift enables cacti and shrubs to flower and other plants to sprout, even if they survive just a few days.
阿塔卡马的绿洲蜂鸟充分利用每一朵新花…… The oasis hummingbird of Atacama takes full advantage of each new flower...
…吮吸着仙人掌的花蜜，知道这种美味很快就会消失 ...sucking up the nectar of the cacti in the knowledge that the delicacy will soon fade away.
然而，尽管如此简短，这些都是阿塔卡马中最丰富的时刻 Yet despite this brevity, these are moments of maximum abundance in Atacama.
巨型蜂鸟现在会为了繁殖而迅速行动 The giant hummingbird will now act quickly in order to reproduce.
它在一座坚不可摧的塔顶，一棵多刺的仙人掌上安营扎寨 It has installed its nest on top of an impregnable tower, a spiny cactus.
从这个受保护的有利位置，勉强能挤进窝里的雌性， From this protected vantage point, the female, who can barely fit in the nest,
平静地看着，让她的小鸟蛋保持温暖 watches calmly, and keeps her tiny eggs warm.
巨型蜂鸟是体长超过20厘米的最大蜂鸟种类 The giant hummingbird is the largest hummingbird species exceeding 20 centimetres in length.
体型如此庞大意味着它的新陈代谢速度比其它蜂鸟要慢 Being so large means that its metabolism is slower than that of other hummingbirds
所以它每秒只扇动翅膀10次 and so it only flaps its wings a mere ten times per second.
这片温暖的低洼地带，仙人掌和多刺的灌木丛比比皆是，并不是巨型蜂鸟的专属蜜园 This warmer, lower lying territory where cacti and thorny bushes abound is not the exclusive honey garden of the giant hummingbird.
事实上，另一个巨人也住在这里。准确地说，是另一只骆驼 In fact, another giant also lives here. Another camel, to be precise.
靠近大海的地方，仙人掌和灌木丛构成了干燥、荒凉的风景的一部分 Near the sea, cacti and bushes form part of a dry, desolate landscape.
这里是羊驼的家园，它是在接近海岸的蛮荒之地生存的真正专家 This is the home to the guanaco, a true expert in surviving in the imperious wilderness approaching the coast.
阿塔卡马有些地区已经四年没下雨了， There are areas of Atacama where it has not rained in four years,
但羊驼会寻找最温和的环境，更重要的是，它们会照顾好自己的沙漠 but guanacos seek out the most benign environments, and what's more, they take care of their desert.
它们的蹄子足够柔软，不会破坏它们所行走的地面和植被 Their hooves are soft enough not to damage the ground and vegetation they walk on.
而到了吃饭的时候，它们也会小心翼翼地行动 And when it's time to eat, they also act with care.
它们以坚韧多刺的植物为食，但随着它们不断地移动， They consume tough and thorny plants, but as they're continuously on the move,
它们从不过度开发一个地区的植被，它有时间恢复 they never overexploit the vegetation in one area and it has time to recover.
沙漠和羊驼之间的平衡是最佳的，但这并不能阻止生命足够热 The balance between desert and guanaco is optimal, but that does not stop life being hot enough
意味着一些人的死亡 to mean the death of some individuals.
然而，它们的死亡对山狐或安第斯狐狸来说是个好消息 However, their death is good news for the culpeo, or Andean fox.
这种狐狸会到海岸及其周边地区寻找食物 This fox species visits the coast and its surrounding areas in search of food.
安第斯狐是沙漠中普遍存在的掠食者 The Andean fox is a widespread predator in the desert.
它可以捕猎小羊驼，但这种获取食物的方式很累人 It is capable of hunting baby guanaco, but this is a tiring way of getting a meal.
更重要的是，保护欲极强的母羊驼一踢，很容易让狐狸失去行动能力 What's more, the kick of a protective mother guanaco would easily leave the fox out of action.
所以现在，几只昆虫还得吃 So for now, a few insects will have to do.
作为一个很好的机会主义者，狐狸知道尸体的刺鼻气味可能意味着填饱肚子的机会 As a good opportunist, the fox knows that the pungent odour of a cadaver might mean a chance at filling its stomach.
有几只狐狸也有同样的想法，聚集在羊驼的尸体周围 Several foxes have had the same idea and have gathered around the guanaco's body.
死去的羊驼已经喂了它们好几天了，肉消失的速度和它干涸的速度一样快 The dead guanaco has been feeding them for several days and the meat is disappearing as fast as it is drying out.
尸体最后的残羹剩饭导致了权力和等级制度的冲突 The last scraps of the corpse lead to a conflict of power and hierarchy.
这是自然规律，有利于最强的一方 It is resolved as is usual in nature, in favour of the strongest.
饭桌上必须有某种程度的秩序，而执行这种秩序是领导者的工作 There must be some degree of order at the dinner table and it is the leader's job to enforce it.
吃完饭，结完帐，再没有比在阴凉处睡个午觉更好的事了 After the meal and the settling of accounts, there is nothing better than a siesta in the shade.
再加上一点新鲜空气，海风吹皱了狐狸的皮毛， Add a little fresh air, the sea breeze ruffling the fox's fur,
而这几乎是一派田园诗般的景象。不远处就是一切的开始 and it is an almost idyllic scene. Not far away is the beginning of everything.
冰冷的海水，沙漠永恒的伴侣，给熟睡的狐狸吹来清新的空气 The cold waters of the ocean, the desert's eternal companion that blows fresh air over the sleeping foxes.
同样的风支撑着， Supported by that same wind,
红头美洲鹫在冲击沙漠干裂边缘的海浪上翱翔和攀爬 turkey vultures soar and climb above the waves that crash against the parched extremity of the desert.
秃鹫又发现了一具尸体 The vultures have found another cadaver.
又一个为权力、地位和生育欲望而斗争的受害者 Another victim of the struggle for power, status, and the urge to reproduce.
这是一只体型较大的雄性海狮，在与对手和海浪的战斗中失败了 It's a large male sea lion who lost his battle against his rivals and the waves.
它残破的尸体被海浪随意地抛到岩石上。现在，这是送给秃鹫的礼物 His broken body was unceremoniously dumped on the rocks by the waves. Now, it's a gift for the vultures.
在海浪下，生活照常进行，好像什么都没发生过，年轻的海狮一如既往地互相考验 Down in the surf, life goes on as if nothing has happened, young sea lions as ever testing each other out.
它们进攻，它们撕咬，它们咆哮，它们为了保护后宫而战斗 They charge, they bite, they bellow, and they fight to protect their harems.
雄性海狮的攻击性每天都在增加，与此同时，聚居地的紧张局势也在加剧 The aggression of the male sea lions grows daily, and with it, tension in the colony.
然而，它的日常生活在一边是干燥的沙漠，另一边是富饶的海洋之间保持平衡， Nevertheless, it goes about its daily life balanced between the parched desert on one side and the abundance of the ocean on the other,
在两个截然相反又互为补充的世界之间 between two worlds that are as diametrically opposed as they are complementary.
从安第斯山脉的峰顶一直到海岸，阿塔卡马是一个风景对比鲜明的地方， From the peaks of the Andes down to the coast, Atacama is a place of contrasting landscapes,
不同颜色，不同质地的沙漠，居住着各种久经沙场的生物， of deserts of different colours, of different textures, inhabited by a variety of battle-hardened creatures,
每一个都在自己独特的沙漠世界里勉强维持着生命 each out eking out a life in its own particular desert world.
时间轴调整 校对 chenym