Strange islands
Remote and isolated，
遥远并与世隔绝
the islands of the South Pacific have a life of their own.
南太平洋岛屿都有自己的生命Animals have been living in seclusion for so long,
动物们与世隔绝地生活了很久
they've evolved in the most curious and surprising ways.
它们以最奇妙且神奇的方式演化
But island living can carry a high price.
但岛上的生存代价很高Recently, some dramatic changes have been sweeping through these strange islands.
如今一些显著的变化正迅速席卷这片奇异的岛屿
At the western limits of the Pacific ocean,
地处太平洋西面边界
this is New Guinea, the world's largest tropical island
这就是新几内亚岛，世界上最大的热带岛屿
In these isolated jungles,
在这些与世隔绝的丛林里
there are creatures only recently discovered by westerners and mountains that they have never visited.
既有最近才被西方人发现的生物也有他们从未去过的山脉
This is the home of a mammal first seen by scientists as recently as 1994.
这里是哺乳类动物的家，但直到1994年才被科学家首次发现
Even the locals rarely see it, and it has never been filmed until now.
即使是当地人也很少见到，它从未被拍摄过
It lives in trees, but it's not a monkey.
它生活在树上 但却不是猴子
Primates never made the jump across the water to this island.
灵长类从未跨过海域来到这个岛上
This is a rare glimpse of an almost unknown island oddity - the dingiso.
这稀有的一瞥，就是那几乎无人知晓的岛怪 - 白腹树袋熊。
About the size of a Labrador，
相当于拉布拉多犬的大小
and with bear-like features，
并有类似于熊的特征
it is amazingly a type of kangaroo, a tree kangaroo，
然而令人惊讶是,它其实属于袋鼠品种，一种树袋鼠
It lives at a higher altitude than any other kangaroo，
相较其它袋鼠来说，它生活在更高的海拔
hence the woolly coat.
因此它们拥有羊毛般的外皮
Kangaroos usually feed on grass，
袋鼠通常以草为食
but here on New Guinea,
但在这新几内亚
they've climbed into the trees where the greenery is more abundant，
它们进入了绿叶更为丰盛的树林中
，So the dingiso is a kangaroo which lives high in the mountains and climbs trees，
所以白腹树袋熊其实是一种生活在高山上且能爬树的袋鼠
But then islands do have a habit of producing rather unusual animals，
然而岛屿的确有产生特有动物的特性
Why?
为什么？
Because islands offer fresh opportunities to the creatures that find their way there
.因为岛屿为那些能抵达此处的动物提供新的生机With no monkeys in New Guinea，
由于新几内亚没有猴子
the freedom to browse in the trees has gone to the kangaroos，
袋鼠们可以自由地在丛林间采食
New Guinea is a vast island nestled close to the continental landmass of Australia.
新几内亚是大岛 紧靠着澳大利亚洲大陆
As we move south and east, to smaller, more distant islands,
当我们迁到南方和东方更小更远的岛屿时
the wildlife becomes even more unusual.
野生动物变得更加独特
The little-known island of New Caledonia is a small sliver of Australia，
鲜为人知又狭小的新喀里多尼亚岛，
that was cast adrift over 60 million years ago.
6千万年前从澳大利亚海岸漂移出去，
It's home to a creature that seems to have evolved quite strangely.
似乎成了演化奇怪的动物们的发源地，
It has wings, but it can't fly.
有翅膀却不会飞，
It is the kagu.
这是鹭鹤，
Kagu families stick together,
鹭鹤的家庭成员彼此忠诚，
with young from previous years helping to declare the family territory.
从前年怀胎起就宣布了家族的领地，
All intruders are chased away.
任何擅入者都被赶走，
It's the breeding season,
又到了繁殖的季节，
when males rekindle the flame with their life-long partners.
当雄性再次燃起终身配偶的热情，
It's hard to know what the kagu is related to,
很难理解鹭鹤与什么是近亲，
a heron, a rail, or maybe a pigeon.
鹭 秧鸡 或者是鸽子，
Its closest relative may actually be the sunbittern of South America,
实际上它是七千英哩以东，
7,000 miles to the east.
南美日鳽的近亲。
待续……
——选自纪录片《南太平洋》
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