your preconceived fears and thoughts about reptiles.

我希望大家能放下成見，

Because that is the only way I'm going to get my story across to you.

放下那些對爬行動物先入為主的恐懼和想法。

And by the way, if I come across as a sort of

因為只有這樣我才能讓你們相信我要講的內容。

rabid, hippie conservationist,

另外，如果我讓大家以為我是某類

it's purely a figment of your imagination.

狂熱的，嬉皮環保份子，

(Laughter)

那完全是你們想像出來的。

Okay. We are actually the first species on Earth

（觀眾笑聲）

to be so prolific to actually threaten our own survival.

好。我們事實上是地球上的第一個物種

And I know we've all seen images enough to make us numb,

其繁育程度確實在威脅到我們自己的生存。

of the tragedies that we're perpetrating on the planet.

我也知道我們已經看到麻木了，

We're kind of like greedy kids, using it all up, aren't we?

那些我們正在這個星球上造成的種種悲劇的圖片。

And today is a time for me to talk to you about water.

我們就像貪婪的小孩，什麽都要用光光，是不是？

It's not only because we like to drink lots of it,

今天我想跟大家聊聊水。

and its marvelous derivatives, beer, wine, etc.

這不僅因為我們喜歡喝水，

And, of course, watch it fall from the sky

以及水的大量衍生物，啤酒，葡萄酒等等。

and flow in our wonderful rivers,

當然，還有看著水從天空降下

but for several other reasons as well.

流進我們那些美麗的河流，

When I was a kid, growing up in New York,

但除此以外還有其他一些原因。

I was smitten by snakes, the same way most kids are

我小時候在紐約長大，

smitten by tops, marbles, cars, trains, cricket balls.

我深深迷上了蛇這種動物，就像很多孩子

And my mother, brave lady,

迷戀陀螺，彈子，汽車，火車，板球一樣。

was partly to blame,

而我母親，一位大膽的女士

taking me to the New York Natural History Museum,

也要為此負點責任，

buying me books on snakes,

她帶我去紐約自然歷史博物館，

and then starting this infamous career of mine,

給我買了一堆關於蛇的書，

which has culminated in

開啟了我這個不甚光彩的事業。

of course, arriving in India 60 years ago,

也因此促成

brought by my mother, Doris Norden,

60年前

and my stepfather, Rama Chattopadhyaya.

我被我媽Doris Norden

It's been a roller coaster ride.

和我的繼父Rama Chattopadhyaya帶到了印度。

Two animals, two iconic reptiles

這簡直就像是坐雲霄飛車。

really captivated me very early on.

這兩種動物，這兩種典型的爬行動物

One of them was the remarkable gharial.

確實從一開始就把我吸引住了。

This crocodile, which grows to almost 20 feet long

一個是不同尋常的印度鱷。

in the northern rivers,

這種鱷魚可以長至20英尺長，

and this charismatic snake, the king cobra.

棲息在北部流域，

What my purpose of the talk today really is,

而另一種是富有魅力的是：眼鏡王蛇。

is to sort of indelibly scar your minds

今天我的講座的目的就是

with these charismatic and majestic creatures.

要永久性地在你們的腦子里留下

Because this is what you will take away from here,

關於這些神秘而又威嚴的動物的印記。

a reconnection with nature, I hope.

因為這就是我希望你們將從講座中得到的，

The king cobra is quite remarkable for several reasons.

與大自然重新建立聯繫，我希望。

What you're seeing here is very recently shot images

眼鏡王蛇之所以這麼不平凡有幾個原因。

in a forest nearby here,

你在這裡看到的是最近拍攝的影像

of a female king cobra making her nest.

就在這附近的叢林里，

Here is a limbless animal, capable of gathering a huge mound of leaves,

一條雌眼鏡王蛇正在做窩。

and then laying her eggs inside,

這種完全沒有四肢的動物，能夠聚攏起一個巨大的葉子小山，

to withstand 5 to 10 [meters of rainfall],

然後把卵產在裏面，

in order that the eggs can incubate over the next 90 days,

它能承受5到10米的降雨量，

and hatch into little baby king cobras.

從而這些卵能夠在接下來的90天里孵化，

So, she protects her eggs,

生出小眼鏡王蛇。

and after three months,

於是，她就這樣保護自己的卵，

the babies finally do hatch out.

3個月以後，

A majority of them will die, of course. There is very high mortality

小蛇終於破殼而出。

in little baby reptiles who are just 10 to 12 inches long.

當然，它們中的大部份都會死掉。年幼爬行動物的死亡率很高

My first experience with king cobras was in '72

這時它們僅有10到12英寸長。

at a magical place called Agumbe,

我第一次接觸到眼鏡王蛇是在1972年，

in Karnataka, this state.

在一個叫做Agumbe的神秘地方，

And it is a marvelous rain forest.

在Karnataka邦（印度地名）。

This first encounter

那裡是一個令人驚異的雨林。

was kind of like the

第一次相遇

Maasai boy who kills the lion to become a warrior.

有些類似

It really changed my life totally.

馬賽族（非洲部族）的男孩要殺死一頭獅子才能成為戰士。

And it brought me straight into the conservation fray.

它的確徹底改變了我的一生。

I ended up starting this research

它一下就把我帶入環境保護的衝突中。

and education station in Agumbe,

最後我在Agumbe建立了這個

which you are all of course invited to visit.

研究和教育工作站，

This is basically a base wherein

歡迎你們大家都來參觀。

we are trying to gather and learn

基本上這就是一個基地

virtually everything about the biodiversity

在這裡我們試圖聚在一起並學習

of this incredibly complex forest system,

差不多關於這個極為複雜的雨林系統的

and try to hang on to what's there,

生物多樣性的一切

make sure the water sources are protected and kept clean,

並試圖維持這一切，

and of course, having a good time too.

保證水源受到保護，保持清潔，

You can almost hear the drums

當然，我們自己也玩得很開心。

throbbing back in that little cottage where we stay when we're there.

你幾乎能聽到鼓聲

It was very important for us to get through to the people.

在這個小窩棚里迴蕩。我們就待在裡頭。

And through the children is usually the way to go.

讓當地人理解我們是非常重要的。

They are fascinated with snakes. They haven't got

最常見的辦法是通過小孩子。

that steely thing that you end up

他們也對蛇很著迷。他們還沒有

either fearing or hating or despising or loathing them in some way.

那種你們現在持有的雷打不動的看法

They are interested.

不是害怕就是仇恨，不是鄙夷就是厭惡。

And it really works to start with them.

他們覺得有趣。

This gives you an idea of the size of some of these snakes.

而且從他們開始這個方法確實有效。

This is an average size king cobra, about 12 feet long.

這能讓你知道一些蛇有多大。

And it actually crawled into somebody's bathroom,

這是一條一般大小的眼鏡王蛇：大約12英尺長。

and was hanging around there for two or three days.

它真的爬進某人家的浴室，

The people of this part of India

還在那裡小住了兩三天。

worship the king cobra.

印度這一地區的人們

And they didn't kill it. They called us to catch it.

崇拜眼鏡王蛇。

Now we've caught more than 100 king cobras

他們不會殺死它，而是打電話叫我們來抓它。

over the last three years,

在過去的三年裡，

and relocated them in nearby forests.

我們已經抓了一百多條眼鏡蛇

But in order to find out the real secrets of these creatures

並把它們放生在周圍的叢林中。

[it was necessary] for us to actually insert

但是爲了找到這些生物的真正的秘密，

a small radio transmitter inside [each] snake.

我們有必要殖入

Now we are able to follow them and find out their secrets,

一個微型的無線電發射器在每條蛇裡。

where the babies go after they hatch,

現在我們可以追蹤它們，並發現它們的秘密，

and remarkable things like this you're about to see.

孵化出來的小蛇們去了哪裡，

This was just a few days ago in Agumbe.

以及很多類似的你將看到的神奇的事。

I had the pleasure of being close to this large king cobra

這是幾天前，在Agumbe，

who had caught a venomous pit viper.

我很高興能如此靠近這條大眼鏡王蛇，

And it does it in such a way that it doesn't get bitten itself.

它抓到一條劇毒的毒蛇。

And king cobras feed only on snakes.

它的捕食方式很巧妙令它不會被咬到。

This [little snake] was kind of a tid-bit for it,

而且眼鏡王蛇只吃蛇。

what we'd call a "vadai" or a donut or something like that.

這條小蛇對它來說還不夠塞牙縫，

(Laughter)

只能算一塊小點心。

Usually they eat something a bit larger.

（觀眾笑聲）

In this case a rather strange and inexplicable

通常它們吃的蛇更大一些。

activity happened over the last breeding season,

這裡發生的是一件更為奇特和無法解釋的行為

wherein a large male king cobra actually grabbed a female king cobra,

它發生在上一個交配季節

didn't mate with it, actually killed it and swallowed it.

一條很大的雄性眼鏡王蛇抓住了一條雌蛇，

We're still trying to explain and come to terms with

它非但沒有進行交配，反而竟然殺死了它，吞了下去。

what is the evolutionary advantage of this.

我們還在試圖解釋和理解

But they do also a lot of other remarkable things.

這樣做能帶來什麽進化上的優勢。

This is again, something [we were able to see] by virtue of the fact

但是還有另外一些奇異的事。

that we had a radio transmitter in one of the snakes.

這個，是我們真真切切看到的，

This male snake, 12 feet long, met another male king cobra.

我們在其中一條蛇身上植入了發射器，

And they did this incredible ritual combat dance.

這條雄蛇，有12英尺長，遇到了另一條雄蛇。

It's very much like the rutting of mammals, including humans,

然後它們就開始了這場令人難以置信的儀式性的戰鬥舞蹈。

you know, sorting out our differences, but gentler, no biting allowed.

這非常類似包括人類在內的哺乳動物的發情表現，

It's just a wresting match,

就是展示自己的獨特之處，但是更為溫和，禁止撕咬。

but a remarkable activity.

這就是一場角力，

Now, what are we doing with all this information?

卻是非比尋常的行為。

What's the point of all this?

那麼，我們收集這些信息來幹什麼呢？

Well, the king cobra is literally

這樣做有什麽意義？

a keystone species in these rainforests.

眼鏡王蛇根本就是

And our job is to convince the authorities

這些雨林中的關鍵物種。

that these forests have to be protected.

我們的工作就是讓有關當局相信

And this is one of the ways we do it,

這些雨林必須受到保護。

by learning as much as we can

我們採取的方法之一

about something so remarkable and so iconic in the rainforests there,

就是儘量多的瞭解

in order to help protect trees, animals

雨林中最不同尋常最有代表性的事物，

and of course the water sources.

從而有助於保護其他植物和動物

You've all heard, perhaps, of Project Tiger

當然還有水資源。

which started back in the early '70s,

可能你們都聽說過老虎計劃

which was, in fact, a very dynamic time for conservation.

它始於70年代早期，

We were piloted, I could say,

事實上那是自然保護事業最動盪的時期。

by a highly autocratic stateswoman,

可以這麼說，我們被

but who also had an incredible passion for environment.

一位相當獨裁的女政治家所掌控，

And this is the time when Project Tiger emerged.

但她同時對自然環境也有著驚人的熱情。

And, just like Project Tiger,

而這就是老虎計劃出現的時機。

our activities with the king cobra

正如老虎計劃一樣，

is to look at a species of animal

我們針對眼鏡王蛇的行動

so that we protect its habitat and everything within it.

也是要針對一種動物，

So, the tiger is the icon.

從而可以保護它的棲息地以及裡頭的一切。

And now the king cobra is a new one.

因此，老虎就是一個象徵。

All the major rivers in south India

而現在眼鏡王蛇是一個新的象徵。

are sourced in the Western Ghats,

南印度的所有主要河流

the chain of hills running along the west coast of India.

都發源於西高止山脈，

It pours out millions of gallons every hour,

這一山脈綿延在印度西海岸。

and supplies drinking water to at least 300 million people,

它的流量達每小時數百萬加侖，

and washes many, many babies,

為至少3億人提供飲用水，

and of course feeds many, many animals,

讓很多很多小寶貝在裏面洗澡，

both domestic and wild,

當然也養育了很多很多動物，

produces thousands of tons of rice.

既有家養的，也有野生的，

And what do we do? How do we respond to this?

種植出數千噸的稻米。

Well, basically, we dam it, we pollute it,

而我們在做什麽？我們如何回報這一切呢？

we pour in pesticides, weedicides, fungicides.

嗯，基本上，我們築水壩，污染水源，

You drink it in peril of your life.

傾倒殺蟲劑，除草劑和殺菌劑。

And the thing is, it's not just big industry.

喝了它你就有生命危險。

It's not misguided river engineers

而問題在於做破壞的並不是大型企業，

who are doing all this; it's us.

也不是不明智的水利工程師，

It seems that our citizens find the best way to dispose of garbage

而是我們大家都在破壞。

are in water sources.

看起來我們這些市民發現丟垃圾的最佳方式，

Okay. Now we're going north, very far north.

就是扔進水裡。

North central India, the Chambal River

好吧。現在我們向北走，走到很北的地方。

is where we have our base.

印度的中北部，Chambal河

This is the home of the gharial, this incredible crocodile.

就是我們的基地所在地。

It is an animal which has been on the Earth

這裡是印度鱷的故鄉，這是一種不可思議的鱷魚。

for just about 100 million years.

這種動物已經在地球上

It survived even during the time that the dinosaurs died off.

生活了上億年。

It has remarkable features.

即便恐龍都滅絕了但是它都生存了下來。

Even though it grows to 20 feet long,

它有很多獨特之處。

since it eats only fish it's not dangerous to human beings.

即便它長到20英尺長，

It does have big teeth, however,

它也對人無害，因為它只吃魚。

and it's kind of hard to convince people

但是它的確長著一嘴大牙，

if an animal has big teeth, that it's a harmless creature.

而且似乎很難讓人相信

But we, actually, back in the early '70s,

一個長著這麼大牙齒的動物能夠對人無害。

did surveys,

但是，回到70年代早期，我們確實

and found that gharial were extremely rare.

做過調查，

In fact, if you see the map,

發現印度鱷十分稀少。

the range of their original habitat

事實上，如果從地圖上看，

was all the way from the Indus in Pakistan

它們最開始的棲息範圍

to the Irrawaddy in Burma.

從巴基斯坦的印第安座（印度西北部河流）

And now it's just limited to a couple of spots

一直到緬甸的伊洛瓦底江。

in Nepal and India.

而現在，它只剩下幾個點

So, in fact at this point

分佈在尼泊爾和印度。

there are only 200 breeding gharial left in the wild.

事實上，目前

So, starting in the mid-'70s

在野生環境下只剩下200條還在繁殖的印度鱷。

when conservation was at the fore,

因此，從70年代中期開始，

we were actually able to start projects which were

當時環境保護運動正方興未艾，

basically government supported

我們所啟動的計劃基本上能夠

to collect eggs from the wild from the few remaining nests

獲得政府的支持

and release 5,000 baby gharial

可以從野外幾個僅存的巢穴里收集蛋，

back to the wild.

並將5000條印度鱷寶寶放歸

And pretty soon we were seeing sights like this.

回到野外。

I mean, just incredible to see bunches of gharial

很快我們就能看到這樣的景象。

basking on the river again.

我覺得這是令人驚訝的，能看到一群印度鱷

But complacency does have a tendency to breed contempt.

再次出現在河裡曬著太陽。

And, sure enough, with all the other pressures on the river,

但是滿足以後難免衍生出大意。

like sand mining, for example,

可以肯定的是，河流還承受著很多其他壓力，

very, very heavy cultivation all the way down to the river's edge,

例如挖沙子，

not allowing the animals to breed anymore,

沿河區域一路而下的密集種植業，

we're looking at

不能允許動物再有更多的繁衍，

even more problems building up for the gharial,

我們現在看到

despite the early good intentions.

有更多的問題正威脅著印度鱷

Their nests hatching along the riverside

儘管一開始都帶著良善的意圖。

producing hundreds of hatchlings. It's just an amazing sight.

它們沿著河岸建築巢穴

This was actually just taken last year.

孵化出上百條小鱷魚。這真令人大開眼界。

But then the monsoon arrives,

這些都是去年拍攝的。

and unfortunately downriver there is always a dam or

但是，當雨季來臨，

there is always a barrage,

很不幸的是在河的下游，總是有一個水壩

and, shoop, they get washed down to their doom.

或是一個河堰，

Luckily there is still a lot of interest.

然後，它們就都被沖下去完蛋了。

My pals in the Crocodile Specialist Group of the IUCN,

所幸還有很多人對它們有興趣。

the [Madras Crocodile Bank], an NGO,

我的同事來自IUCN（國際自然與自然資源保護聯合會）鱷魚專家小組

the World Wildlife Fund,

馬德拉斯鱷魚銀行，一個非政府組織，

the Wildlife Institute of India, State Forest Departments,

世界野生動物基金會，

and the Ministry of Environment, we all work together on stuff.

印度野生動物學會，國家林業部，

But it's possibly, and definitely not enough.

以及政府的環境部，我們都在共同努力合作。

For example, in the winter of 2007 and 2008,

但是可能這還是遠遠不夠。

there was this incredible die-off of gharial, in the Chambal River.

例如在2007和2008年冬天，

Suddenly dozens of gharial appearing on the river, dead.

在Chambal河里的印度鱷相繼死亡。

Why? How could it happen?

幾十隻印度鱷突然出現在河上，死的。

This is a relatively clean river.

爲什麽？這是怎麼發生的？

The Chambal, if you look at it, has clear water.

這是一條相對來說還算清潔的河。

People scoop water out of the Chambal and drink it,

如果你去過，就知道Chambal的水還很清澈。

something you wouldn't do in most north Indian rivers.

人們從Chambal河裡取水飲用，

So, in order to try to find out the answer to this,

在大多數的印度北部河流你可不敢這麼做。

we got veterinarians from all over the world

因此，爲了找到這個問題的答案，

working with Indian vets to try to figure out what was happening.

我們從世界各地請來獸醫

I was there for a lot of the necropsies on the riverside.