Ted英语演讲:Underwater Astonishment水下惊艳——David Gallo

David Gallo在Ted英语演讲:Underwater Astonishment水下惊艳。


We’re going to go on a dive to the deep sea, and anyone that’s had that lovely opportunity knows that for about two and half hours on the way down, it’s a perfectly positively pitch-black world. And we used to see the most mysterious animals out the window that you couldn’t describe: these blinking lights — a world of bioluminescence, like fireflies. Dr. Edith Widder — she’s now at the Ocean Research and Conservation Association — was able to come up with a camera that could capture some of these incredible animals, and that’s what you’re seeing here on the screen.


好了,我们即将潜入海底深处。 任何一个有过这种美妙机会的人都知道 在这两个半小时的下降过程中, 是一个完全漆黑的世界。 我们透过窗户会看见世界上各种最神秘的动物, 各种无法形容的动物。这些闪亮着的光, 完美地构成了如萤火虫般发光的世界。 研究保护协会的Edith Witter博士 发明了一种照相机, 这种照相机可以拍下这些令人难以置信的生物。 这就是你现在在屏幕上看到的。


That’s all bioluminescence. So, like I said: just like fireflies. There’s a flying turkey under a tree. (Laughter) I’m a geologist by training. But I love that. And you see, some of the bioluminescence they use to avoid being eaten, some they use to attract prey, but all of it, from an artistic point of view, is positively amazing. And a lot of what goes on inside … there’s a fish with glowing eyes, pulsating eyes. Some of the colors are designed to hypnotize, these lovely patterns. And then this last one, one of my favorites, this pinwheel design. Just absolutely amazing, every single dive.


他们全部都是生物发光体。像我说的,就像萤火虫一样。 这是个会飞的火鸡,在树下。(笑声) 我知道我现在像是个实习期的地质学家,不过我就是喜欢。 你可以看到这些生物发出的光, 有些是为了避免被吃掉。 有些又是为引诱食物上钩。 尽管如此,用艺术的角度来看,这些都如此神奇。 再来看看这里发生了些什么—— 这条鱼有着会发光,闪烁的眼睛。 有些颜色则可以催眠。 多么有趣的图案。这是最后一个: 也是我的最爱,像转轮一样的设计。 每一次潜水都充满着惊喜。


That’s the unknown world, and today we’ve only explored about 3 percent of what’s out there in the ocean. Already we’ve found the world’s highest mountains, the world’s deepest valleys, underwater lakes, underwater waterfalls — a lot of that we shared with you from the stage. And in a place where we thought no life at all, we find more life, we think, and diversity and density than the tropical rainforest, which tells us that we don’t know much about this planet at all. There’s still 97 percent, and either that 97 percent is empty or just full of surprises.


这正是一个未知的世界。到今天为止,我们只探索了其中的极小部分, 大约只占了所有海洋的3%。 到现在,我们已经发现了世界上最高的山峰, 最深的峡谷, 水下湖,水下瀑布, 还有我们刚才看到的。 然而,恰是我们曾经以为根本不可能有生命的地方, 我们发现了众多的生物,还有它们的密度和多样性, 都超过了热带雨林。这告诉我们 我们实际上对自己的星球还不甚了解。 还有剩下的97%,那里要不就是一片荒芜,要不就是充满惊喜。


But I want to jump up to shallow water now and look at some creatures that are positively amazing. Cephalopods — head-foots. As a kid I knew them as calamari, mostly. (Laughter) This is an octopus — this is the work of Dr. Roger Hanlon at the Marine Biological Lab — and it’s just fascinating how cephalopods can, with their incredible eyes, sense their surroundings, look at light, look at patterns. Here’s an octopus moving across the reef, finds a spot to settle down, curls up and then disappears into the background. Tough thing to do.


不过我现在还是想说说浅水里的世界, 来看看那些神奇的生物。 头足类动物,有头有角。小时候我把他们当作是枪乌贼。 这是一条章鱼。 这是来自Roger Hanlon博士,海洋生物实验室的成果。 这些头足类动物真令人着迷, 它用它们的眼睛,它们那难以置信的眼睛来观察周围的环境, 看光,看图案。 这有只章鱼正在穿过礁石。 找到一个位置,停下来,卷起,然后马上消失在背景之中。 这很难做到。


In the next bit, we’re going to see a couple squid. These are squid. Now males, when they fight, if they’re really aggressive, they turn white. And these two males are fighting, they do it by bouncing their butts together, which is an interesting concept. Now, here’s a male on the left and a female on the right, and the male has managed to split his coloration so the female only always sees the kinder gentler squid in him. And the male … (Laughter) We’re going to see it again. Let’s take a look at it again. Watch the coloration: white on the right, brown on the left. He takes a step back — so he’s keeping off the other males by splitting his body — and comes up on the other side … Bingo! Now I’m told that’s not just a squid phenomenon with males, but I don’t know. (Laughter)


接下来,再来一起看一对鱿鱼。 这就是鱿鱼。当雄性鱿鱼搏斗时, 如果它们想要显示出自己的侵略性,它们就变为白色了。 这有两条雄鱿鱼在搏斗。 它们用撞屁股的方式来搏斗, 真是挺有意思的方法。这里有一条雄性在左边, 雌性在右边。 看,这条雄性能有办法利用颜色把自己分为两半, 所以雌性只能看到它温顺,优雅的一边, 雄性– (笑声)再来看一次。 让我们再看一次。注意它的颜色: 白色在右边,棕色在左边。 它后退一步,让其它的雄性无法靠近 来到另外一边,并且马上转换颜色。 瞧!以前有人告诉我 这个雄性特征不仅仅是在鱿鱼身上,不过我也不太确定。 (掌声)


Cuttlefish. I love cuttlefish. This is a Giant Australian Cuttlefish. And there he is, his droopy little eyes up here. But they can do pretty amazing things, too. Here we’re going to see one backing into a crevice, and watch his tentacles — he just pulls them in, makes them look just like algae. Disappears right into the background. Positively amazing. Here’s two males fighting. Once again, they’re smart enough, these cephalopods; they know not to hurt each other. But look at the patterns that they can do with their skin. That’s an amazing thing)


墨鱼,我很喜欢墨鱼。这是一只巨型澳大利亚墨鱼。 看它,看它那双无精打采的眼睛。 不过它们能做很神奇的事。 我们马上就能看到它退入到礁石的夹缝中去, 注意它的触角。 它就这样把触角拉进来,使自己看起来像海藻一样。 刹那就消失在背景中。 多神奇!这又是两只雄性在搏斗。 当然,这些头足类非常聪明, 他们知道如何不会伤害到对方。 不过看下它们能够利用皮肤来变换图案。怎么样? 很神奇吧!


Here’s an octopus. Sometimes they don’t want to be seen when they move because predators can see them. Here, this guy actually can make himself look like a rock, and, looking at his environment, can actually slide across the bottom, using the waves and the shadows so he can’t be seen. His motion blends right into the background — the moving rock trick. So, we’re learning lots new from the shallow water. Still exploring the deep, but learning lots from the shallow water. There’s a good reason why: the shallow water’s full of predators — here’s a barracuda — and if you’re an octopus or a cephalopod, you need to really understand how to use your surroundings to hide.


这是个章鱼。有时候,它们不想被别人发现它们在移动, 因为那些食肉动物会发现它们。 看,这个家伙把自己弄的像石头一样, 观察着它周围的环境, 然后滑过水底, 利用波纹和阴影来隐藏自己,从而不被发现。 就是这样,无声无息地融入环境之中。 这就是移动石头的手法。我们从浅海中学到了很多新东西。 继续来探索下深海领域, 同时从浅海中学到很多新东西。 这有个原因来解释:在浅海里, 到处都是捕猎者。这是条梭鱼。 如果你是条章鱼或是头足类动物的话, 你确实需要知道怎么利用周围的环境来隐藏自己。


In the next scene, you’re going to see a nice coral bottom. And you see that an octopus would stand out very easily there if you couldn’t use your camouflage, use your skin to change color and texture. Here’s some algae in the foreground … and an octopus. Ain’t that amazing? Now, Roger spooked him so he took off in a cloud of ink, and when he lands the octopus says, “Oh, I’ve been seen. The best thing to do is to get as big as I can get.” That big brown makes his eyespot very big. So, he’s bluffing. Let’s do it backwards — I thought he was joking when he first showed it to me. I thought it was all graphics — so here it is in reverse. Watch the skin color; watch the skin texture. Just an amazing animal, it can change color and texture to match the surroundings. Watch him blend right into this algae. One, two, three. (Applause) And now he’s gone, and so am I. Thank you very much.


下个画面里,你可以看到一个美丽的珊瑚。 你会发现,一条章鱼 如果不进行伪装,极易被发现。 伪装是改变你皮肤的颜色和纹理。 前面这里有些海藻, 还有一条章鱼。难道不神奇么?不过现在,显然Roger(摄影师)吓到了它, 它马上释放烟雾弹——墨水来掩护逃脱。 当它停下来,会想,“啊,我被发现了, 那我最好变到最大来保护下自己。 那片棕色让它的眼睛看起来十分大。 它在唬人。让我们看一次倒放。 我第一次看到的时候还以为他在开玩笑呢。 我以为是电脑特效。让我们看看倒放。 注意看它皮肤的颜色,以及皮肤的纹理。 多么神奇的动物,可以改变自己的颜色和质地 来变得和背景一样。看它消失在海藻中。 一,二,三。 它不见了,我也该下去了。谢谢大家!

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