houses over 600,000 bird specimens

收藏了超過600,000件鳥類標本

from the last 200 years.

從過去200年的情況來看。

And new specimens are added each month,

而且每個月都有新的標本加入。

thanks to the detailed work of specialists who preserve,

由於專家們的詳細工作，他們保存。

skin, and maintain every bird in the collection.

剝皮，並維護收藏中的每一隻鳥。

But most of these birds never see the museum floor.

但這些鳥類中的大多數從未見過博物館的地板。

So why do they need to be perfectly preserved?

那麼，為什麼它們需要被完美地保存下來呢？

The answer: research,

答案是：研究。

whether it's identifying birds killed by airplanes

無論是識別被飛機殺死的鳥類

or discovering evolutionary changes in duck bills.

或發現鴨子嘴裡的進化變化。

We're not just preparing this bird for use tomorrow.

我們不僅僅是在為明天使用這隻鳥做準備。

We're preparing this bird for use

我們正在準備使用這隻鳥

for hundreds of years from now.

為幾百年後的今天。

Narrator: We went to the Smithsonian

敘述者。我們去了史密森尼博物館

to see how one specimen in the skins collection

來看看皮張收藏中的一個標本是如何被發現的。

is added, prepared, and used for generations to come.

被添加、準備和使用，以備後世之需。

It starts with acquisition.

它從收購開始。

Chris: It says here on the label that this ostrich was sent

克里斯：標籤上寫著，這隻鴕鳥被送到了

by King Menelik as a present to President Roosevelt.

由梅內利克國王作為禮物送給羅斯福總統。

Narrator: Specimens are usually donated

敘述者。標本通常是捐贈的

by people or organizations.

由人或組織。

This California condor was donated

這隻加利福尼亞禿鷹被捐贈給了

by the US Fish and Wildlife Service.

由美國魚類和野生動物管理局負責。

This bird came from President Theodore Roosevelt's

這隻鳥來自於西奧多-羅斯福總統的

personal collection.

個人收藏。

And this Cooper's hawk

還有這隻庫珀鷹

died while crashing into a building window.

在撞向一棟大樓窗戶時死亡。

It was donated back in 2017

它早在2017年就被捐贈了

and is about to get its spotlight in an upcoming exhibit,

並即將在一個即將舉行的展覽中得到它的關注。

but it was initially stored in this freezer.

但它最初是存放在這個冰櫃裡。

Christina: So, it's on a left shelf. ♪ Da-ta-dah. ♪

那麼，它就在左邊的架子上。

Narrator: From there, our hawk

敘述者。從那裡，我們的鷹

is taken up to the prep lab

被帶至準備實驗室

into the skilled hands of museum specialists

到博物館專家的熟練手中

like Christina and her husband, Brian.

像克里斯蒂娜和她的丈夫布萊恩。

Christina: Brian, did you do that?

布萊恩，是你乾的嗎？

Brian: Yes, I did put the cotton in the mouth.

布萊恩：是的，我確實把棉花放在嘴裡了。

Married couple's spat.

已婚夫婦的口水。

Brian: This specimen is 9,926.

布萊恩：這個標本是9,926。

So I've prepared at least that many birds and mammals.

所以我至少準備了這麼多鳥類和哺乳動物。

When you're at about 10,000,

當你在大約10,000的時候。

it shows that you've been doing it

說明你一直在做這件事

for at least probably 20 years or so.

至少可能有20年左右的時間。

It was a fun exercise, and it actually worked.

這是一個有趣的練習，而且它實際上是有效的。

Narrator: Blindfolded or not,

敘述者。蒙著眼睛還是不蒙。

the specialists first thaw, weigh, and measure the hawk.

專家們首先對鷹進行解凍、稱重和測量。

And then they pick up a scalpel

然後他們拿起一把手術刀

to start separating the skin from the muscles and fat.

以開始將皮膚與肌肉和脂肪分開。

Brian: Since these are going to be stored

布萊恩：由於這些將被儲存在

as dried specimens, we want to remove

作為乾燥的標本，我們要去除

as much of the muscle from the specimen that we can.

儘可能多地從標本上取下肌肉，我們可以。

Narrator: Brian removes the skin

敘述者。布賴恩除去了皮膚

from the body of the bird,

從鳥的身體上。

discarding the soft tissues and oil glands,

拋棄軟組織和油腺。

which would cause the specimen to rot.

這將導致標本腐爛。

And it's crucial to get every piece of fat out

而且至關重要的是，要把每一塊脂肪都弄出來

without damaging the skin,

而不損害皮膚。

since these specimens are meant to last for years to come.

因為這些標本是為了在未來幾年內持續使用。

That's where gentler tools like his hands become useful.

這就是像他的手這樣溫和的工具變得有用的地方。

Brian: You have to go very slow, methodical

布萊恩：你必須非常緩慢，有條不紊地進行。

to get the skin off without ripping it.

以便在不撕裂皮膚的情況下將其弄掉。

I'm pushing the skin rather than pulling it,

我在推動皮膚，而不是拉動它。

so I'm not stretching it.

所以我沒有拉長它。

Narrator: Brian also uses corncob dust

敘述者。布萊恩也使用玉米芯粉

throughout the process to absorb any body fluids

在整個過程中，吸收任何體液

so the specimen is kept clean.

所以標本要保持清潔。

New people use a lot less dust,

新人使用的灰塵要少得多。

and more experienced people just cover it with dust.

而更多有經驗的人只是用灰塵覆蓋它。

Narrator: When removing the smaller parts of the bird,

敘述者。當除去鳥的小部分時。

like the head or the eyes ...

像頭部或眼睛...

Brian: The angle of the scalpel also makes a big difference.

布萊恩：手術刀的角度也有很大區別。

You notice I'm cutting away from the skin.

你注意到我正在從皮膚上切割。

There's been times where when you grab the eye

有的時候，當你抓住別人的眼球時

it squirts at you.

它向你噴出。

Narrator: Sometimes birds that have more fat on their skin

敘述者。有時，皮膚上有較多脂肪的鳥類

need to go through additional cleaning.

需要經過額外的清洗。

Christina: All this white goopy stuff, this is all fat.

所有這些白色粘稠的東西，這都是脂肪。

That needs to come off. Otherwise,

這需要脫掉。否則。

it will get rancid,

它將變得酸敗。

and then it will acidify,

然後它就會酸化。

and it will literally just ooze out of the skin.

它將真正從皮膚中滲出。

Narrator: They use this fat wheel machine

敘述者。他們用這個胖子輪子機

to remove all the fat until you can see the feather tracts.

以去除所有的脂肪，直到你能看到羽毛道。

This takes a little bit of practice,

這需要一點點的練習。

because if you press too hard, you will rip the skin.

因為如果你按得太用力，你會撕裂皮膚。

Narrator: Once the fat is cleared,

敘述者。一旦脂肪被清除了。

more corncob dust is used to absorb the moisture,

使用更多的玉米芯粉來吸收水分。

and then the specimen is washed and dried.

然後將標本洗淨並烘乾。

You want to see me blow the sawdust off?

你想看我把鋸末吹掉嗎？

Producer: Yes, I do. Christina: OK.

製片人。是的，我願意。克里斯蒂娜：好的。

[chuckling]

[笑著說]

All right.

好的。

So, with this, we do it in the fume hood,

是以，對於這個，我們在通風櫥裡做。

because, as you'd imagine,

因為，正如你所想象的那樣。

I'm going to blow a lot of dust everywhere.

我將會把大量的灰塵吹得到處都是。

Narrator: Christina uses a forced-air dryer

敘述者。克里斯蒂娜使用強制風乾機

to blow off the sawdust

以吹掉鋸末

and a hair dryer to fluff up the feathers,

並用吹風機將羽毛吹得蓬鬆。

adding a nice sheen to them.

為它們增加了一個漂亮的光澤。

To get the bird presentation-ready,

要讓鳥兒做好演示準備。

Brian will first tie the wings together

布萊恩將首先把機翼綁在一起

to create a limited range of motion.

以創造一個有限的運動範圍。

He approximates how far a Cooper's hawk

他近似地計算出庫珀鷹的飛行距離

would've naturally spread their wings.

就會自然地展開翅膀。

Brian: So, in the future, if somebody grabs the bird

布萊恩：所以，在未來，如果有人抓住了這隻鳥

and opens up the wings to see the underside of the wing,

並打開機翼，看到機翼的底面。

by tying it, it'll make the specimen stronger.

通過捆綁，它將使標本更加堅固。

Narrator: Now the specimen is ready to be

敘述者。現在標本已經準備好了

stuffed with cotton, recreating its original shape.

用棉花填塞，重現其原始形狀。

Brian: We're trying to make a specimen

我們正試圖製作一個標本

that lasts forever and is strong.

永遠持續且堅固的。

So I'm not a tailor or a seamstress,

所以我不是一個裁縫，也不是一個女裁縫。

but I can sew up a bird pretty good.

但我可以很好地縫合一隻鳥。

We get the feathers,

我們得到了羽毛。

make sure that they're arranged properly,

確保它們被妥善安排。

in the right order.

以正確的順序。

So that'll assist researchers later.

是以，這將有助於以後的研究人員。

Narrator: The last step is pinning the bird

敘述者。最後一步是釘住鳥

onto a board to dry into its permanent position.

把它放在一塊木板上，使其乾燥到永久位置。

Brian: However I end up pinning it,

布萊恩：不管我最終如何釘死它。

that's the way it's going to look

這就是它的模樣

the rest of its career at the Smithsonian.

其餘的職業生涯都在史密森尼博物館進行。

It takes probably close to 100 birds

可能需要近100只鳥

before somebody can go at it alone.

在有人可以單獨行動之前。

Once they reach 1,000 birds,

一旦他們達到1000只鳥。

then we say that that person

那麼我們就說這個人

is generally an experienced preparator

一般是有經驗的準備者

and they can teach other people very well.

而且他們可以很好地教導其他人。

Narrator: After 10 or so days,

敘述者。經過10天左右的時間。

this Cooper's hawk will be completely dried

這隻庫珀鷹將被完全風乾

and ready to debut on the exhibit floor.

並準備在展區內首次亮相。

The hawk will be just one of 20 specimens on display

這隻鷹將只是展出的20個標本之一。

for the "Lights Out" exhibit,

為 "熄燈 "展覽。

all birds who have died from flying into skyscraper windows.

所有因飛入摩天大樓窗戶而死亡的鳥類。

And they'll eventually join the larger skins collection,

而且它們最終會加入更大的皮膚集合。

with over 470,000 specimens,

擁有超過470,000件標本。

helping researchers from all around the world.

幫助來自世界各地的研究人員。

Like Lauren and Joshua,

像勞倫和約書亞。

researching how mating between domestic and wild ducks

研究家鴨和野鴨的交配方式

has changed the size and structure of their bills,

已經改變了他們賬單的規模和結構。

or Jim with the Feather Identification Lab team.

或吉姆與羽毛鑑定實驗室團隊。

He works with government agencies

他與政府機構合作

to identify birds killed during air strikes.

以識別在空襲中死亡的鳥類。

We get about 10,000 strikes a year.

我們每年約有10,000次罷工。

The busiest times are in the fall and the spring.

最繁忙的時候是在秋季和春季。

And this place, the division of birds,

而這個地方，是鳥類的分部。

is the perfect place for us to be,

是我們的完美之地。

because we have 80% of the world's bird species

因為我們擁有世界上80%的鳥類物種

represented in this collection.

這套書中有代表作。

So if there's a bird strike that happens in the world,

是以，如果世界上發生了鳥擊事件。

we likely have a specimen to match it up to.

我們可能有一個標本可以與之匹配。

This is a bird-strike sample,

這是一個鳥擊樣本。

the remnants of a bird-aircraft collision

鳥與飛機碰撞的殘骸

that has been sent to us for us to identify.

已經發送給我們，供我們識別。

So I can see that we've got a couple wing feathers here.

所以我可以看到，我們這裡有幾根翅膀的羽毛。

We've got a tail feather, we've got some body feathers.

我們有一根尾巴的羽毛，我們有一些身體的羽毛。

So we can actually take this feather out

所以我們實際上可以把這根羽毛拿出來

and match up these tail feathers

並配上這些尾巴的羽毛

quite well to the barn swallow.

對穀倉裡的燕子來說是相當好的。

And we've got even these nice little peachy feathers

我們甚至還有這些漂亮的小桃子的羽毛

that were doing this.

在做這件事的人。

Narrator: His findings are sent to airfield biologists

敘述者。他的發現被送到了機場生物學家那裡

and engine manufacturers to adjust aircrafts

和發動機製造商來調整飛機

and reduce accidents.

並減少事故。

This bird was collected back in 1878.

這隻鳥早在1878年就被採集了。

And so this bird was collected

於是，這隻鳥被收集起來

before airplanes were even imagined

在飛機還沒有被想象出來的時候

and put into this collection.

並將其放入這套書中。

And now we're using it

而現在我們正在使用它

to identify a bird-aircraft collision.

以確定鳥類與飛機的碰撞。

So we never know what these specimens

所以我們永遠不知道這些標本是什麼

are going to get used for,

將會被用於。

but that's really why it's important to keep them forever.

但這確實是永遠保留它們的重要原因。

Narrator: A separate wings collection also helps

敘述者。單獨的翅膀收集也有助於

for deeper analysis of feathers.

以便對羽毛進行更深入的分析。

Jim: Back in the old days they didn't make too many

吉姆：在過去的日子裡，他們並沒有製造太多的

spread wings or flat skins.

展翅或平皮。

And us in the Feather Lab really like that,

而我們羽毛實驗室的人非常喜歡這一點。

because it allows us access to feathers

因為它使我們能夠接觸到羽毛

that occur under the wing

翼下發生的

and access in different areas of the bird

和在不同地區的鳥類的訪問

where we might get a feather to, but it's very difficult

我們可能會得到一根羽毛，但這是非常困難的。

to get into a traditional museum skin.

以進入一個傳統的博物館的皮膚。

Narrator: Other researchers might be exploring

敘述者。其他研究人員可能正在探索

the microbiomes found in the wings, like Gary.

在翅膀中發現的微生物組，如加里。

He discovered that vulture wings

他發現，禿鷲的翅膀

have a bacterial group called Deinococcus,

有一個叫做Deinococcus的細菌群。

one of the toughest organisms

最堅韌的生物體之一

that can withstand high radiation.

能夠承受高輻射的。

So, when I've exposed this wing into full sun,

所以，當我把這個翅膀暴露在全日照下時。

the temperature on a day like today

今天的溫度

would be 90 degrees outside.

外面會有90度。

In about three minutes, the temperature on the surface

在大約三分鐘內，表面的溫度

of this wing heats up to over 160.

該機翼的溫度上升到160多度。

And that probably explains why Deinococcus

而這可能解釋了為什麼Deinococcus

is so dominant,

是如此占主導地位。

because it's one of the few bacterial groups

因為它是少數幾個細菌群之一

that can actually reproduce.

能夠實際繁殖的。

Narrator: At the Smithsonian, these are just two

敘述者。在史密森尼博物館，這只是兩個

of the collections within the bird division.

在鳥類部門內的收藏。

There's also the organ collection,

還有風琴的收藏。

soaked in ethanol for preservation;

在乙醇中浸泡以保存。

the skeletons, with each bone meticulously numbered;

骸骨，每塊骨頭都有細緻的編號。

and mounted birds

和騎馬的鳥

that retired from being on the exhibit floor.

那是在展覽場地上退休的人。

All of these are timestamps

所有這些都是時間戳

of the present bird population,

目前鳥類的數量。

creating a record for future generations of researchers.

為未來的研究人員創造一個記錄。

Brian: When the first bird preparators prepared birds,

布萊恩：當第一批鳥類準備者準備鳥類時。

they had no idea what DNA was.

他們不知道DNA是什麼。

Even though they didn't know that,

儘管他們不知道。

by doing a consistent bird prep,

通過做持續的鳥類準備工作。

it has enabled future researchers

它使未來的研究人員能夠

to conduct research on birds.

來進行鳥類的研究。

And I wish I had a time capsule

我希望我有一個時間膠囊

to go into the future to see what our birds

進入未來，看看我們的鳥兒會怎樣？

are going to be used for 100 years from now.

將在100年後被使用。