BBC美丽中国第一集.docx

BBC美丽中国第一集.docx

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BBC美丽中国第一集

1 NARRATOR:

Thelasthiddenworld,China.Forcenturies,travellerstoChinahavetoldtalesofmagicallandscapesandsurprisingcreatures.Chinesecivilisation 文明,文化istheworld'soldestandtoday,itslargest,withwelloverabillionpeople.

It'shometomorethan50distinct   1 截然不同的,完全分开的2 清晰的,明白的,明显的   ethnicgroup    同种同文化的民族andawiderange   宽波段;大量程rangeoftraditionallifestyles,ofteninclosepartnershipwithnature.

WeknowthatChinafacesimmensesocialandenvironmentalproblems.Butthereisgreatbeautyhere,too.Chinaishometotheworld'shighestmountains,vastdesertsrangingfromsearinghottomind-numbingcold.Steamingforestsharbouringrarecreatures.

Grassyplainsbeneathvasthorizons.Andrichtropicalseas.

Nowforthefirsttimeever,wecanexplorethewholeofthisgreatcountry,meetsomeofthesurprisingandexoticcreaturesthatlivehereandconsidertherelationshipofthepeopleandwildlifeofChinatotheremarkablelandscapeinwhichtheylive.  

ThisisOurexplorationofChinabeginsinthewarm,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,asthey

alwayshavebeen,bydomesticatedwaterbuffaloes,whoseancestorsoriginatedintheseveryvalleys.

Thisman-madelandscapeisoneofthemostamazingengineeringfeatsofpre-industrialChina.

Itseemsasifeverysquareinchoflandhasbeenpressedintocultivation.

Aseveningapproaches,anage-oldritualunfolds.

It'sthematingseasonandmalepaddyfrogsarecompetingfortheattentionofthefemales.

Butitdoesn'talwayspaytodrawtoomuchattentiontoyourself.

TheChinesepondheronisapitilesspredator.

Eveninthemiddleofaploughedpaddyfield,natureisredinbeakandclaw.

Thismaylooklikeaslaughterbutaseachheroncanswallowonlyonefrogatatime,thevast

majoritywillescapetocroakanotherday.

TerracedpaddieslikethoseoftheYuanyangCountyarefoundacrossmuchofsouthernChina.

Thiswholevastlandscapeisdominatedbyricecultivation.

InhillyGuizhouProvince,theMiaominorityhavedevelopedaremarkablericeculture.

Witheveryinchoffertilelandgivenovertoricecultivation,theMiaobuildtheirwoodenhouses

onthesteepestandleastproductivehillsides.

InChineserurallife,everythinghasause.Driedinthesun,manurefromthecowsheds

willbeusedascookingfuel.

It'smidday,andtheSongfamilyaretuckingintoalunchofriceandvegetables.

Oblivioustothedomesticchit-chat,GranddadGuYongXiuhasseriousmattersonhismind.

Springisthestartofthericegrowingseason.Thesuccessofthecropwilldeterminehowwellthe

familywilleatnextyear,soplantingattherighttimeiscritical.

Theidealdatedependsonwhattheweatherwilldothisyear,nevereasytopredict.

Butthereissomesurprisinghelpathand.OntheceilingoftheSongs'livingroom,apairof

red-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,theSongswillreturnthe

favour.Whilethefarmersarebusyinthefields,theswallowsflybackandforthwithmaterialfor

theirnest.

Manyhandsmakelightwork.Plantingthenewpaddytakeslittlemorethananhour.

Jobdone,thevillagerscanrelax,atleastuntiltomorrow.Butforthenestingswallows,theworkof

raisingafamilyhasonlyjustbegun.Inthenewlyplantedfields,littleegretshuntforfood.

Thericepaddiesharbourtadpoles,fishandinsectsandtheegretshavechickstofeed.

ThiscolonyinChongqingProvincewasestablishedin1996,whenafewdozenbirdsbuiltnestsin

thebamboogrovebehindYangGuangvillage.

Believingtheywereasignofluck,localpeopleinitiallyprotectedtheegretsandthecolonygrew.

Buttheirattitudechangedwhentheheadofthevillagefellill.Theyblamedthebirdsandwereall

settodestroytheirnests,whenthelocalgovernmentsteppedintoprotectthem.

Bendybamboomaynotbethesafestnestingplace,butatleastthisyoungsterwon'tendupassomeone'sdinner.

Thesechickshavejusthadaneeldeliveredbytheirmum,quiteachallengeforlittlebeaks.

Providingtheircoloniesareprotected,wadingbirdslikeegretsareamongthefewwildcreatures

whichbenefitdirectlyfromintensivericecultivation.

Growingriceneedslotsofwater.

Butevenintherainysouth,therearelandscapeswherewaterissurprisinglyscarce.

ThisvastareaofsouthwestChina,thesizeofFranceandSpaincombined,isfamousforitsclustersofconicalhills,likegiantupturnedeggcartons,separatedbydryemptyvalleys.

Thisisthekarst,alimestoneterrainwhichhasbecomethedefiningimageofsouthernChina.

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'scourseischannelledbythebedsoflimestone.

Aweaknessintherockcanallowtherivertoincreaseitsgradientandflow-rate,providingarealchallengeforthecaveexplorers.Thedownwardrushishaltedwhenthewatertableisreached.

Heretheslow-flowingrivercarvestunnelswithamoreroundedprofile.

Thistranquilworldishometospecialisedcavefishes,liketheeyelessgoldenbarb.

Chinamayhavemoreuniquekindsofcave-evolvedfishesthananywhereelseonearth.

Abovethewatertable,ancientcavernsabandonedbytheriverslowlyfillupwithstalactitesandstalagmites.

Stalactitesformastricklingwaterdepositstinyquantitiesofrockoverhundredsorthousandsofyears.Stalagmitesgrowupwherelime-ladendripshitthecavefloor.

Sofar,onlyafractionofChina'scaveshavebeenthoroughlyprospectedandcaversareconstantlydiscoveringnewsubterraneanmarvels,manyofwhicharesubsequentlydevelopedintocommercialshowcaves.

Finallyescapingthedarkness,thecaveriveranditshumanexplorersemergeinavalley

farfromwheretheirjourneybegan.

Fornow,theadventureisover.Riverswhichissuefromcavesarethekeytosurvivalinthekarstcountry.

ThisverticalgorgeinGuizhouProvinceisafocalpointfortheregion'swildlife.

Thisisoneoftheworld'srarestprimates,Fran鏾is'langu