美丽中国第一集.docx

美丽中国第一集.docx

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美丽中国第一集

第一集龙之心

第一部分

PartI

Thelasthiddenworld,China.

Forcenturies,travellerstoChinahavetoldtalesofmagicallandscapesandsurprisingcreatures.Chinesecivilizationistheworld'soldestandtoday;it’sthelargest,withwelloverabillionpeople.

It'shometomorethan50distinctethnicgroupsandawiderangeoftraditionallifestyles,ofteninclosepartnershipwithnature.WeknowthatChinafacesimmensesocialandenvironmentalproblems.Butthereisgreatbeautyhere,too.Chinaishometotheworld'shighestmountains,vastdesertsrangingfromsearinghottomind-numbingcold.Steamingforestsharbouringrarecreatures.Grassyplainsbeneathvasthorizons.Andrichtropicalseas.Nowforthefirsttimeever,wecanexplorethewholeofthisgreatcountry,meetsomeofthesurprisingandexoticcreaturesthatlivehereandconsidertherelationshipofthepeopleandwildlifeofChinatotheremarkablelandscapeinwhichtheylive.

ThisisWildChina.

OurexplorationofChinabeginsinthewarm,subtropicalsouth.OntheLiRiver,fishermenandbirdsperchonbamboorafts,apartnershipthatgoesbackmorethanathousandyears.Thissceneryisknownthroughouttheworld,arecurringmotifinChinesepaintings.Andamajortouristattraction.

ThesouthofChinaisavastarea,eighttimeslargerthantheUK.It'salandscapeofhillsbutalsoofwater.Itrainshereforupto250daysayear,andstandingwateriseverywhere.InthefloodplainoftheYangtzeRiver,black-tailedgodwitsprobethemudinsearchofworms.Butisn'tjustwildlifethatthrivesinthisenvironment.Theswampygroundprovidesidealconditionsforaremarkablememberofthegrassfamily.Rice.

TheChinesehavebeencultivatingriceforatleast8,000years.Ithastransformedthelandscape.LatewinterinsouthernYunnanisabusytimeforlocalfarmersastheypreparetheage-oldpaddyfieldsreadyforthecomingspring.ThesehillslopesoftheYuanyangCountyplungenearly2,000metrestotheflooroftheRedRivervalley.Eachcontainsliterallythousandsofstackedterracescarvedoutbyhandusingbasicdiggingtools.Yunnan'sriceterracesareamongtheoldesthumanstructuresinChina.Stillploughed,astheyalwayshavebeen,bydomesticatedwaterbuffaloes,whoseancestorsoriginatedintheseveryvalleys.Thisman-madelandscapeisoneofthemostamazingengineeringfeatsofpre-industrialChina.Itseemsasifeverysquareinchoflandhasbeenpressedintocultivation.

Aseveningapproaches,anage-oldritualunfolds.It'sthematingseasonandmalepaddyfrogsarecompetingfortheattentionofthefemales.Butitdoesn'talwayspaytodrawtoomuchattentiontoyourself.TheChinesepondheronisapitilesspredator.Eveninthemiddleofaploughedpaddyfield,natureisredinbeakandclaw.Thismaylooklikeaslaughterbutaseachheroncanswallowonlyonefrogatatime,thevastmajoritywillescapetocroakanotherday.

TerracedpaddieslikethoseoftheYuanyangCountyarefoundacrossmuchofsouthernChina.Thiswholevastlandscapeisdominatedbyricecultivation.InhillyGuizhouProvince,theMiaominorityhavedevelopedaremarkablericeculture.Witheveryinchoffertilelandgivenovertoricecultivation,theMiaobuildtheirwoodenhousesonthesteepestandleastproductivehillsides.InChineserurallife,everythinghasause.Driedinthesun,manurefromthecowshedswillbeusedascookingfuel.

It'smidday,andtheSongfamilyaretuckingintoalunchofriceandvegetables.Oblivioustothedomesticchit-chat,GranddadGuYongXiuhasseriousmattersonhismind.Springisthestartofthericegrowingseason.Thesuccessofthecropwilldeterminehowwellthefamilywilleatnextyear,soplantingattherighttimeiscritical.Theidealdatedependsonwhattheweatherwilldothisyear,nevereasytopredict.Butthereissomesurprisinghelpathand.OntheceilingoftheSongs'livingroom,apairofred-rumpedswallows,newlyarrivedfromtheirwintermigration,isbusyfixinguplastyear'snest.InChina,animalsarevaluedasmuchfortheirsymbolicmeaningasforanygoodtheymaydo.Miaopeoplebelievethatswallowpairsremainfaithfulforlife,sotheirpresenceisafavourandablessing,bringinghappinesstoamarriageandgoodlucktoahome.LikemostMiaodwellings,theSongs'livingroomwindowslookoutoverthepaddyfields.Fromearlyspring,oneofthesewindowsisalwaysleftopentolettheswallowscomeandgofreely.Eachyear,granddadGunotestheexactdaytheswallowsreturn.Miaopeoplebelievethebirds'arrivalpredictsthetimingoftheseasonahead.Thisyear,theywerelate.SoGuandtheothercommunityeldershaveagreedthatriceplantingshouldbedelayedaccordingly.AstheMiaopreparetheirfieldsforplanting,theswallowscollectmudtorepairtheirnestsandchaseafterinsectsacrossthenewlyploughedpaddies.

Finally,afterweeksofpreparation,theordainedtimeforplantinghasarrived.Butfirsttheseedlingsmustbeuprootedfromthenurserybedsandbundledupreadytobetransportedtotheirnewpaddyhigherupthehillside.AlltheSongs'neighbourshaveturnedouttohelpwiththetransplanting.It'showthecommunityhasalwaysworked.Whenthetimecomes,theSongswillreturnthefavour.Whilethefarmersarebusyinthefields,theswallowsflybackandforthwithmaterialfortheirnest.Manyhandsmakelightwork.Plantingthenewpaddytakeslittlemorethananhour.Jobdone,thevillagerscanrelax,atleastuntiltomorrow.Butforthenestingswallows,theworkofraisingafamilyhasonlyjustbegun.

Inthenewlyplantedfields,littleegretshuntforfood.Thericepaddiesharbourtadpoles,fishandinsectsandtheegretshavechickstofeed.ThiscolonyinChongqingProvincewasestablishedin1996,whenafewdozenbirdsbuiltnestsinthebamboogrovebehindYangGuangvillage.Believingtheywereasignofluck,localpeopleinitiallyprotectedtheegretsandthecolonygrew.Buttheirattitudechangedwhentheheadofthevillagefellill.Theyblamedthebirdsandwereallsettodestroytheirnests,whenthelocalgovernmentsteppedintoprotectthem.Bendybamboomaynotbethesafestnestingplace,butatleastthisyoungsterwon'tendupassomeone'sdinner.Thesechickshavejusthadaneeldeliveredbytheirmum,quiteachallengeforlittlebeaks.Providingtheircoloniesareprotected,wadingbirdslikeegretsareamongthefewwildcreatureswhichbenefitdirectlyfromintensivericecultivation.

Growingriceneedslotsofwater.Butevenintherainysouth,therearelandscapeswherewaterissurprisinglyscarce.ThisvastareaofsouthwestChina,thesizeofFranceandSpaincombined,isfamousforitsclustersofconicalhills,likegiantupturnedeggcartons,separatedbydryemptyvalleys.Thisisthekarst,alimestoneterrain,whichhasbecomethedefiningimageofsouthernChina.Karstlandscapesareoftenstuddedwithrockyoutcrops,forcinglocalfarmerstocultivatetinyfields.ThepeoplewholivehereareamongthepoorestinChina.

InneighbouringYunnanProvince,limestonerockshavetakenoverentirely.ThisisthefamousStoneForest,theproductofcountlessyearsoferosion,producingamazeofdeepgulliesandsharp-edgedpinnacles.Limestonehasthestrangepropertythatitdissolvesinrainwater.Overmanythousandsofyearswaterhascorrodeditswaydeepintotheheartofthebedrockitself.Thisnaturalwonderisafamoustouristspot,receivingclosetotwomillionvisitorseachyear.TheChinesearefondofcuriously-shapedrocksandmanyhavebeengivenfancifulnames.Noprizesforguessingwhatthisoneiscalled!

Butthere'smoretothislandscapethanmeetstheeye.Chinahasliterallythousandsofmysteriouscavernsconcealedbeneaththevisiblelandscapeofthekarst.Muchofthishiddenworldhasneverbeenseenbyhumaneyesandisonlyjustnowbeingexplored.ForagrowingbandofintrepidyoungChineseexplorers,cavesrepresenttheultimateadventure.Exploringacaveisliketakingajourneythroughtime.Ajourneywhichendlessraindropswillhavefollowedovercountlesscenturies.Fedbycountlessdripsandtrickles,thesubterraneanrivercarveseverdeeperintotherock.Thecaveriver'scourseischanneledbythebedsoflimestone.Aweaknessintherockcanallowtherivertoincreaseitsgradientandflow-rate,providingarealchallengeforthecaveexplorers.Thedownwardrushishaltedwhenthewatertableisreached.Heretheslow-flowingrivercarvestunnelswithamoreroundedprofile.Thistranquilworldishometospecialisedcavefishes,liketheeyelessgoldenbarb.Chinamayhavemoreuniquekindsofcave-evolvedfishesthananywhereelseonearth.Abovethewatertable,ancientcavernsabandonedbytheriverslowlyfillupwithstalactitesandstalagmites.Stalactitesformastricklingwaterdepositstinyquantitiesofrockoverhundredsorthousandsofyears.Stalagmitesgrowupwherelime-ladendripshitthecavefloor.Sofar,onlyafractionofChina'scaveshavebeenthoroughlyprospectedandcaversareconstantlydiscoveringnewsubterraneanmarvels,manyofwhicharesubsequentlydevelopedintocommercialshowcaves.Finallyescapingthedarkness,thecaveriveranditshumanexplorersemergeinavalleyfarfromwheretheirjourneybegan.Fornow,theadventureisover.Riverswhichissuefromcavesarethekeytosurvivalinthekarstcountry.

最后的隐世净土，中国。

数世纪来，去过中国的旅人传诵着关于这片神奇土地，以及那些神奇生物的传说。

中国文明是世界最古老的文明，而如今是最大的，拥有超过十亿的人口。

它不仅是超过五十个民族在此生活，以及各式各样贴近自然的传统生活方式我们都知道中国面对着着众多社会、环境问题。

但这里也存在着令人窒息的美丽：

中国有着世界最高峰从无垠的炙热沙漠到麻木大脑的寒冷地带，以及那蒸笼般的森林中隐匿的各种珍稀生物，天际下广阔无垠的草原以及富饶的热带海洋。

现在，我们第一次有机会深入探索这片伟大的土，接触栖息于此的珍奇生物，目睹中国这片神奇土地上人与野生世界的关系。

这就是美丽中国。

我们的中国探索之旅始于亚热带中国南方。

漓江的渔夫和鸬鹚栖坐在竹筏上，而这种组合已延续千年之久。

这景致已