在非洲荒野的 一处狭小封闭区域 In a tiny pocket of Africa's wilds
有七种行踪隐密的动物 Seven elusive animals
在隐密的低层社会生活 Make a living in the hidden underworld
以便能够生存下去 并逃离最冷酷的掠食动物 To survive and escape the most ruthless of predators
在二十四小时之中 During this 24 hour period these secretive animals
这些神秘动物会遭遇可怕对手 Confront some terrifying opponents
也会不断觅食好继续活下去 All the time looking for food to stay alive
我们会在接下来的二十四小时 揭露一个隐蔽的世界 The next 24 hours reveal a secluded world
那就是非洲七种神秘客的世界 The world of Africa's Secret Seven
非洲神秘客
字幕校队：myname69
接近黄昏的寂静时刻 In the quiet hours of the late afternoon
南非荆棘丛 动物保护区的平原上 The plains of the Thornybush Game Reserve
洒满非洲的阳光 In South Africa lie peacefully in the glow of the African sun
影子的颜色加深了 The shadows deepen
住在树梢的动物安静下来睡觉 The animals of the treetops settle in for the night
但在它们的下方 But, below them in the gloomy
阴暗纠结的草与根茎之间 tangles of grass and roots
低层社会的动物开始活动 The creatures of the underworld begin to stir
这些动物总共有七种 Seven of them
其中有些还是 非洲行踪最隐密的动物 are some of the most elusive of Africa
野猫 The Wildcat
拥有闪电般反应能力的狡猾猫科动物 cunning feline with lightning reflexes
麝猫 是众神秘客中最害羞的 The Civet-the shyest of the lot
它们披着可与阴影融合的毛皮 Clad in an appropriate coat to blend in with the shadows
穿山甲 The Pangolin
为了弥补跑不快的缺陷 who makes up for his lack of speed
它拥有刀枪不入的角质甲片 With an impenetrable armour plating
土豚 The Aardvark
是丛林中的建筑师 architect of the bush
它挖掘的巢穴 许多其它动物也会使用 Builder of dens used by many other creatures
豪猪 The Porcupine
是擅长以尖刺自保的高手 Master of defence with sharp quills
可令攻击它的动物受重伤而死 That can mortally wound his attacker
薮猫 The Serval
最优雅成功的猎人 the most graceful and successful hunter
在七位神秘客中 Of the secret seven
还有獛 And the genet
它是敏捷的肉食性动物 同时也是爬树高手 a quick and agile carnivore and expert climber
这七种动物形成一个精英团体 They all form an elite group
这些夜行性动物 会利用特殊天赋保住性命 Fugitives of the night that use special gifts
躲避它们最害怕的掠食动物 To stay alive and to elude their most feared predators
有两种无情猎人会毫不犹豫地 Leopard and lion, two ruthless hunters That wouldn't think twice to put
吃掉任何一位神秘客 Any of the Secret Seven on their menu
花豹是夜晚悄然无声的 追踪高手 The leopard-silent stalker of the night
以爱吃不同种类的肉出名 Known for his diverse taste in meat
还有定居在此的狮群 And the resident pride of lions
由于幼狮不断长大变重 因而制造出更多麻烦 Double the trouble now that The cubs' increasing weight and size
严重威胁到较小型动物 Pose a serious threat to smaller animals
比方说，这七位神秘客 Such as the Secret Seven
这个历时二十四小时的故事 是自午夜展开 This 24 hour story begins at midnight
短时间内不会有 大型猫科动物早访此地 None of the big cats prowl the immediate vicinity
灌木丛里十分热闹忙碌 And the undergrowth bustles with activity
没有危险敌人的迹象 No sign of any dangerous enemy
土豚宛如兔子般的耳朵 And the aardvark's rabbit-like ears
可侦测到它们听力范围内 具威胁性的声音 Detect no threatening noises within their hearing radius
于是它利用这段时间觅食 So he pursues the time-consuming pastime of looking for food
它的视力 和人类在夜晚时一样差 His eyesight may be as bad as a human's at night
但它的嗅觉绝对不会出错 But his sense of smell never fails him
彷佛探嗅犬似地 Just like a sniffer-dog
土豚循着白蚁发出的 微弱气味和震动 The aardvark smells a termite nest buried 30 centimetres underground
嗅出地下30公分深处有一座白蚁窝 By following the faint scent trails And slight vibrations made by the insects
它的成功是必然的 Inevitable success
它立即开始用前爪进行挖掘 And the front paws go to work immediately
只有几下 便捉到多达二十只白蚁 A few slurps catch as many as 20 termites
愤怒的白蚁 开始咬土豚柔软的鼻子 When the irate insects start to bite the aardvark's soft nose
它的第一道菜就这么突然没了 First course abruptly ends
该继续去找第二道菜了 Time to move on to find the second sitting
在未受打扰的幸运夜晚 On a good night, with no interruptions
土豚可以挖到 多达三十座白蚁窝 The aardvark can dig into as many as 30 termite mounds
它这项行为造成 诸多白蚁窝破损而门户大开 In his wake he leaves behind exposed nests of mound vulnerable termites
白蚁没有离开毁坏的家园 They do not leave their ruined home
工蚁用自己的排泄物 将沙粒黏合起来 The workers repair the damage by building up the walls of the mound
筑墙修补蚁窝的毁损处 With sand grains cemented together with their own excrement
只有一个诱因 Only one reason
能让一些白蚁离开密闭堡垒 forces some of the termites to leave This sealed fortress
那就是飞出去进行交配 their wedding flight
这时专门负责进行繁殖的白蚁 And then, only the termites specialized for
会飞出去 The job of reproduction take to the air
但它们对飞行不是很在行 But they're not great fliers
所以会降落在 距离它们出生地数公尺外 So they land only a few metres away from their birthplace
在它们最容易 遭受攻击的这段期间 Now at their most vulnerable
它们必须交配 建立自己的群落 They must mate and start their own colony
直到有只饥饿的野猫 坏了它们的大事 Until a hungry African wild cat thwarts their ambition
对这只小猫科动物来说 For this small feline
毫无防备能力的白蚁 是美味多汁的主菜 The defenceless termites make a juicy entree
其实光靠吃这类昆虫 它就能活下去 In fact he could survive all his life on meals of such insects
但野猫也吃有骨有肉的动物 Although he can eat anything off the bone as well
一把虫子可让野猫 至少饱足好几小时 A handful of bugs will keep the wildcat satisfied
For at least the next few hours fat digests slowly
因为丰富的脂肪消化很慢
此时还有其它百只白蚁 也极易遭受攻击 Meanwhile hundreds more lie vulnerable and exposed to
Any other member of the Secret Seven Society
就是爱吃这类餐点的 另一名神秘客
That would care for such a meal
穿山甲通常会高兴地大啖白蚁 Normally the pangolin would gladly feast
可惜今晚爬出巢穴后 Unfortunately, tonight, after emerging from his burrow
它敏感的鼻子清楚闻到 一股大猫的气味 His sensitive nose caught the distinct whiff of large-cat scent
这可能意味着有麻烦了
This could mean trouble!
任何不属于自己狮群的生物 Lions would play with and eventually kill
都会被狮子玩弄，再加以杀害 Any living not belonging to their own pride
为了保命，穿山甲必须使出 它最厉害的求生计谋 To stay alive the pangolin needs to employ his best survival strategy
穿山甲跑不赢狮子 He cannot outrun the cats
它甚至连试都不试 He doesn't even try
反而把身体紧紧卷成球状 Instead he curls up into a tight ball
母狮见识过这般阵仗 The lioness has seen all this before
但这件会动的物体令幼狮困惑 But the movable object confuses the cubs
现在任何事物 都无法让穿山甲伸直身躯 Nothing can unravel him now not even a soccer game
即便是被当成球来踢也一样
角质甲片保护着穿山甲 Inside his armour plating
穿山甲柔软的脸部和腹部 都藏在甲片里 The pangolin's soft face and belly remain protected
避免这些部位 遭狮子尖锐爪子抓伤 From the razor-sharp cat claws
它坚硬的鳞甲可弹开任何物体 The tough scales deflect anything even a rifle bullet
甚至可以挡住来福枪的子弹
年长的母狮会决定 何时该结束游戏 The older lioness decides when the game must end
今晚母狮十分焦躁不安 Tonight the lionesses are restless
它们已有两天没有进食 They haven't eaten in two days
还在成长的幼狮需要填饱肚子 And the growing cubs need to be fed to sustain
才能继续增长力气
Their increasing bouts of energy
有这么多只嗷嗷待哺的小狮子 And with so many mouths to feed
母狮必须尽快找到大量食物 The lionesses must find a large meal soon
穿山甲要等数分钟甚至数小时 It could take anything from a few minutes to several hours
才会察觉危险已经远离 For the pangolin to realize that the danger has passed
凌晨一点五分 01:05, and by now the lions walked at least two kilometres
现在狮群至少已走到 两公里外的地方
穿山甲放开它的尾巴 The Pangolin unhinges his tail
此时，它的神秘客同志麝猫 At the same time his secret seven associate
The civet prowls the vicinity for food
也在附近潜行觅食
它会捉起任何能吃的东西 He'll pick up anything edible from carrion to rodents
腐肉，啮齿动物
昆虫和蜘蛛它都吃 Insects and spiders
它甚至还会吃 对多数动物有毒的生物 He'll even eat things poisonous to most animals
如千足虫和几种野果 Like millipedes and some wild fruits
必要时，它会整晚觅食 He'll forage all night if he needs to going about in complete silence
悄然无声地到处行走
行动鬼崇是它的头号优点 Stealth constitutes his number one advantage
但能够听见远处 具威胁性的声音 Although being able to hear a threat from a distance
也是它的生存策略之一 Forms part of his survival strategy
这只麝猫的外耳 被寄生虫吃掉了 And even if this civet's external ears have been chewed by parasites
所以不像一般麝猫 有抛物线型的外耳 And they lack the parabolic appearance of normal ones
但它的内部听觉器官 没有遭受伤害 Nothing weakens his internal hearing organs
它的听力和其它神秘客 一样灵敏 He hears just as well as any other Secret Seven
到了一点四十三分 And by 01:43
麝猫知道 附近有豪猪家族在觅食 That's exactly how the civet knows that
The local porcupine family forages nearby
豪猪吃东西时 会发出淅沥呼噜的满足声音 Their satisfied feeding grunts and mouth-smacking gnaws
公告它们在宁静夜晚中的位置
Advertise their position in the quiet of the night
响亮的吸鼻声 泄漏了豪猪爸爸的位置 A loud snuffle compromises the position of the porcupine father
花豹若能避开豪猪那一身刺 Porcupines make good eating
就能享用美味的豪猪大餐 If a cat gets past the interaction with porcupine prickly covering
对豪猪和花豹来说 Luckily, for both the porcupine and the cat, no one gets hurt tonight
今晚双方都很幸运没有受伤
豪猪只稍微让花豹分心一下 For the leopard the porcupine offered a mere distraction
花豹继续进行一项迫切的任务 寻找母花豹 He returns to the more pressing business of finding
The female that left an inviting trail of hormone-filled scent
母花豹已留下 诱人的荷尔蒙气味
今晚如果一切J顺利 If all goes well tonight he'll locate her soon
那它很快就能找到母花豹
豪猪继续找寻多汁的根茎 The porcupine returns to the job of finding thatjuicy
被花豹打扰前 它正拼命嗅闻哪里有食物 Root he was sniffing out before the cat disturbed him
同一家族的豪猪会居住在一起 Porcupines live in family groups
但它们在夜晚时 喜欢独自去觅食 But they do prefer to forage alone during the night
就在豪猪爸爸击退花豹 然后找寻最大野生根茎的同时 While dad fends off the leopard and searches for the biggest wild roots
豪猪妈妈和 四个月大的豪猪宝宝 Mother and four-month-old baby follow another trail
循着另一条小径 进入荆棘丛保护区的草原地带
Into the grasslands of Thornybush
幸好它们选择走这条路 A lucky choice of paths
因为豪猪爸爸 走的那条路上有危险 Considering the danger that stalked the trail the father took
豪猪妈妈沿路挖掘浅洞穴 Along the way the female digs shallow hollows
以便拉出球茎，块茎 和多汁的根 To pull out bulbs, tubers and juicy roots
但在这个时候 At the same time baby finds many things to distract him
许多事物让豪猪宝宝分了心
这年纪的它几乎可以独立了 At this age he is almost independent
再过一个月 One more month and he'll be foraging on his own
它就能独自去觅食
但是今晚 But tonight he spends most of his energy on entertainment
它会将大半精力用来玩乐
令人惊讶的是 Surprisingly
即使豪猪玩乐时 会用力吸鼻，发出咕哝声 In between all this playing loud snuffling
Grunting and quill rustling
把身上的刺弄得簌簌作响
它们的听力仍是最敏锐的官能 Their hearing is the most acute of their senses
豪猪和其它所有神秘客一样 Like all other members of the Secret Seven
可轻易听见陌生的声音 They easily make out foreign sounds
一有不寻常的声音 豪猪妈妈就不动了 An unusual noise and mom freezes
但豪猪宝宝很惊慌 But baby panics
豪猪妈妈也急忙冲入灌木丛里 And the female rustles into the undergrowth as well
狮群浑然不知 它们造成豪猪惊恐 Oblivious to the alarm they caused the lions shuffle by
只是拖着脚步继续前行
走到了另一位神秘客 薮猫身边几公尺处 A few metres from one of the Secret Seven elite-the serval
薮猫过大的耳朵 Disproportionately huge ears for impeccable hearing
让它拥有无可挑剔的听力
它宛如枢轴般的耳朵 像雷达一样可追踪骚乱的源头 Pivot like radars following the source of the disturbance
它绷紧所有肌肉
All muscles tense not even a whisker twitches
连一根须也没有抽动
狮群的脚步声 逐渐消失在黑夜中 The lions' footsteps fade into the night
小薮猫放松姿势 And the small cat relaxes his pose
但它的耳朵依然保持警觉 But his ears remain on constant alert
它能听见最细微的声音 They pick up the most imperceptible of sounds
然后立即分辨 发出声音的是母薮猫 Immediately discerning between serval queen, male opponent
竞争的同类公薮猫 危险的掠食动物
Dangerous foe or in this case-food
或者是在此时出现的. . .食物
它以猫科动物特有的 鬼崇及耐心悄悄靠近猎物 He stalks with typical feline stealth and patience
它一次只走一步 One foot at a time ears tuned, eyes focused
它竖起耳朵
目光专注
尾巴抽动 Tail twitching
然后毅然出击 Determined strike
但它的猎物逃走了 But his quarry manages to elude him
薮猫的猎捕行动 成功机率只有一半 Only half of the serval's chases end with a kill
但它依旧是七种神秘客中 最成功的猎人 Nevertheless this makes him
One of the most successful of the Secret Seven hunters
相较之下 By comparison he succeeds more often than the master predators
它也比主要掠食动物 更常猎捕到食物
不过，狮子的目标 是更大型的猎物 Although the lions aim for much larger prey
而这样的猎杀行动 要靠团体合作和坚持才能成功 Which and giraffe requires teamwork and tenacity to bring down
今晚它们设定的目标 是一头长颈鹿 Tonight they set their sights on a giraffe
这个目标的体型很大 A large target
但却又老又弱 But an old and weak one
长颈鹿闻得到掠食动物的味道 The giraffe can smell the predators but he cannot see them
但却看不见它们
狮群猎杀成功后发出的吼声 响彻整个荆棘丛保护区 The growls of a successful kill echo through Thornybush
神秘客个个俯伏在地 The Secret Seven lie low.
凌晨两点三十八分 By 02:38 the resident lion pride feeds on the abundant meal
狮群在大啖丰盛的餐点
这个狮子家族所有成员 皆可分一杯羹 Every member of this cat family is accounted for
但花豹呢？ But what of the local leopard?
花豹擅长在夜晚悄然活动 Silent master of the night
可隐身于最黑暗的阴影之中 A shadow amongst the deepest of shadows
鲜少有动物知道它的下落 Not many animals would know his whereabouts
连獛也不知道 Not even the genet the seventh member of this Society
獛是低层社会隐密团体的 第七位成员
of elusive creatures of the underworld
虽然它的听力 与其它成员不相上下 Although her hearing compares to any others'
但此刻它却没听到 豹爪轻踩地面 In this instance she cannot hear
The imperceptible sound of paws padding through the undergrowth
穿过灌木丛的细微声音
獛没察觉到有危险逼近 将全身的官能和肌肉 Unaware of the pending danger
She poises all her senses and muscles for the kill
用来捕捉猎物
獛不断张口咬
She bites over and over until the snake stops thrashing
直到蛇停止扭动
蛇不再挣扎 No more struggles, no movement no noise
不再扭动，也不再发出声音
太安静了吗？ 或许吧 Too quiet? Perhaps?
在这寂静的时刻 In the stillness of the moment
花豹犯了一项错误 The leopard makes a mistake he moves some grass and disturbs an owl
它拨动了几株草而惊动了鸮
这样的声响就足以警告獛 Sufficient warning for the genet
獛用最快的速度 奔向最近的一棵树 She sprints for the closest tree
这棵树可以承受两公斤重的獛 A tree that can support a two kilogram genet
但对六十公斤的公豹来说 就稍嫌太过细弱 But too flimsy for a 60 kilogram male leopard
花豹是有实力的爬树高手 An expert tree climber in his own right but not a foolish one
但却不愚蠢
獛不值得它花力气追逐 And a genet hardly merits the pursuit
因为有更值得花豹进行的事 分散了它的注意力 When a worthier cause draws his attention
那就是一只发情的母花豹 That female in oestrus his future mate
花豹未来的交配对象
它闻到了母花豹遗留下的气味 He's picked up a fresh trail
来看看几点了 Time check-three a.m.
凌晨三点
只有一个神秘客已经安歇 Only one of the secret seven has retired for the night-The pangolin
那便是穿山甲
其它六个都还醒着 The other six remain wide-awake
野猫在找寻适当地方休息 The wild cat looks for a suitable place to rest
薮猫在高大草丛间觅食 The serval stalks through the tall grasses for food
豪猪在吃无限量供应的根茎 The porcupines snack on an infinite supply of roots
獛依然躲在树上 The genet remains well hidden in the tree
有只母麝猫走入公麝猫的地盘 A female civet enters into the male's territory
土豚则在建造伟大的建筑作品 And the aardvark creates one of his architectural masterpieces
它在非洲是仅次于白蚁的 地底建筑大师 After the termites he earns the title of master builder
Of the African underground
它来回地在灌木丛之间走动 During his wanderings through the bush
除了摧毁白蚁窝 Between destroying termite colonies
土豚还不断注意 有没有任何危险迹象 And being on constant alert for the slightest sign of danger
而且会挖掘摄食用的深穴 He excavates deep feeding burrows up to 5 in a night!
土豚一晚可以完成五个洞穴
土豚只需花几分钟的时间 It takes the aardvark a few minutes to hollow out a perfect tunnel
就可挖好一个三公尺深的坑道
Three metres deep
这是它的危机处理策略之一 This forms part of his danger management strategy
密布于草原上的新旧洞穴 可通往安全藏身处 Old and new holes pepper the grasslands with safehouses
万一遇上麻烦 它便可轻易躲起来 Easily accessible in case of trouble
土豚算是产品众多的 房地产开发商 He's a prolific realty developer and a generous one at that
而且十分慷慨
土豚空出的地洞 The burrows he vacates get snatched up or used temporarily
会被许多其它非洲丛林动物
By many of the other dwellers of the African
强夺或暂时使用
也包括神秘客团体的多数成员 Including most of the Secret Seven
其实除了薮猫 所有神秘客都会来它的地洞 AII, in fact, except for the serval
凌晨四点十五分 土豚完成了第四个地洞 By 04:15 he completes hole number four
该去执行破坏工程了 Time to move onto some demolition work
将鼻子贴着地面 土豚嗅到了它的下一顿餐点 Nose to the ground he smells out his next meal
土豚挖开了一个白蚁窝 And tears open another termite mound
微风将空气中的一股气味 A faint breeze brings airborne smells to the open field
吹向开阔的旷野
土豚闻到了狮子的气味 He identifies lion scent and then his ears pick up
接着它听见狮子走动的声音
The unmistakable sounds of lion on the move
土豚赶快逃命 它跑得比人类还快 He bolts, running faster than a man
它没有运动员般的体格 居然还跑出这等速度 An impressive speed considering his unathletic physique
狮子走几步的距离 是土豚跑步的两倍 A few strides and the lion covers twice the distance
土豚安全地钻入它挖的地洞内 The aardvark makes it safely into the bowels of one of his constructions
这个藏身处太小了 容不下狮子的身躯 A hideout too small to fit the bulk of a lion
极度饥饿的狮子 会尝试挖出地洞中的土豚 A desperately starving lion could try
To dig out the trapped aardvark
这比悄悄跟踪水牛 然后捕杀水牛容易多了 Easier than stalking and running down a buffalo, lets say
但这头公狮肚子很饱 But this male is well fed.
既然都已经醒了 公狮干脆散步走回狮群 And now that he's awake he ambles back to the pride
公狮在途中问候它的兄弟 On the way he greets his brother
对猫科动物来说 和手足与狮群成员 In feline terms it's good to keep up the friendly relations
保持良好关系是有好处的 With siblings and pride members
狮群会继续去吃那份超大餐点 Then moves onto the colossal meal for the second sitting
这头长颈鹿 至少能让狮群饱餐一星期 This giraffe will keep the lions well fed for at least a week
狮子会不断回来吃它 直到啃光骨头上所有的肉 They'll come back to eat
Until they chew the flesh down to the bone
公狮在大快朵颐时 While the males indulge
母狮和幼狮则去休息 The lionesses and the cubs take a break
梳理毛发 Time for some grooming lick off all that dry, sticky blood
并舔干净干掉的黏稠血液
再来就是去距离最近的水坑 Then off to the nearest water hole to wash down
喝水以助消化 刚吃下的七公斤蛋白质
The seven or so kilograms of protein
野猫躲在草丛里清理爪子和毛 Hidden in the tall grasses near the lions' path to water
狮子正好要前往水坑 而经过草丛 The wild cat gives his paws and coat a thorough wash
当然狮群的脚步声 Predictably the lions' footfalls resonate clearly
清楚地在野猫的 预警系统里回响着
In his early warning system
野猫快速评估状况 A quick calculation of the situation
像这样的情况 它的最佳保命策略 And in this case
His best survival strategy run into the thickets
便是奔入灌木丛中
狮群继续前进，依然没有察觉 Moving on, once again oblivious to the stir they caused
它们在阴暗低层社会 引起的骚动
In the shadows of the underworld
母狮和幼狮放松心情 在水池边喝水 The lionesses and their cubs relax at the waterside with a good drink
再来看看时间 Time check: 5.30 a.m almost sunrise
清晨五点三十分
太阳快要升起了
多数神秘客已悄悄回到阴暗处 And most of the Secret Seven slink back into the shadows
它们安然活到现在 They've made it this far
但它们在白天 是否能继续不被察觉？ But will they be able to lie undetected through the day?
土豚 Aardvark
穿山甲 Pangolin
豪猪 Porcupines
还有麝猫 And Civet found good places to hide in underground lairs.
已在地底找到藏身的好地方
野猫蜷着身子 在地面上睡觉 The wildcat curls up to sleep above ground
它睡觉的地方 不像其它神秘客那么安全 His bed is not as secure as the others'
薮猫和獛仍醒着 And the serval and genet remain awake
清晨六点的非洲荒野 缓缓迎向崭新温暖的一天 By 6 o'clock the African wilds ease into a new warm day
七种神秘客皆是夜行性动物 All seven animals are nocturnal creatures
但有时会有特殊状况 But sometimes, unusual circumstances force them to be out after dawn
迫使它们在破晓后出来活动
这天早晨 And this morning, the serval and the genet cannot rest yet
薮猫和獛还不能歇息
獛仍躲在树上 The genet still hides in the tree
花豹早在数小时前离去 The leopard left a few hours ago
但它仍一直在等待 离开避难所的时机 But she waited all this time before leaving her refuge
这是保命的绝佳策略 An excellent strategy to keep alive
它先紧张地到一处小水坑喝水 Nervously she takes a drink from a small puddle
再出发去找寻更多食物 Before setting out to find more food
獛昨晚吃下的那条蛇 The snake eaten in the night was not enough to fill her stomach
还不足以填饱肚子
况且，现在那条蛇也快消化了 And anyway it's almost fully digested by now
獛要先找一份合胃口的点心 然后再去睡觉 To find a snack would suit her well before retiring for the day
任何小型生物都好 And anything small, from insects to spiders
从昆虫
蜘蛛
到啮齿动物 and rodents would be a perfect treat
都会是完美的餐点
獛像猫那样悄悄跟踪猎物 She stalks like a cat
它像猫那样出击 Strikes like a cat
它也像猫有扑杀猎物的决心 Kills with the determination of a cat
獛吃饱后 And after the meal, even washes like a cat
甚至也像猫那样清理自己的毛
但獛不是猫科动物 But the genet is not a cat
体内也完全不带 猫科动物的遗传基因 Nor does it belong to any feline genetic line
但有些科学家认为 Although some scientists believe that
它可能是猫科动物的先祖 It could be the forerunner of the cat species
獛和麝猫一样 Like the civet, the genet belongs to a lineage called the civet viverrids
是属于灵猫科
或是獴科家族 Or the mongoose family
八点二十三分 08:23 and the serval patrols his home range
薮猫在巡逻家园
它和纯种猫科动物一样 Like a true feline species he possesses typically poised eye
拥有竖起的耳朵
And wide of serval leaping ears retractile claws
能伸缩的爪子
敏锐的视力 Keen eyesight and a muscular lithe body
和一身柔软的肌肉
它也和所有猫科动物一样 And like all cats he also maintains a territory
会维护自己的地盘
定时用自己的气味作记号 Which he marks regularly with his own personalised odour
但这道由气味标示的分界线 But this scent boundary works as a warning
只能警告同类不得进入 To keep out only those of his own kind
这位入侵者才懒得理会 This intruder couldn't be bothered if he overstepped the mark
自己有没有跨越薮猫地盘界线
花豹和薮猫一旦对峙 In a stand off between leopard and serval
薮猫的下场绝对是死亡 甚至还可能被吃掉 The small cat would certainly land up dead or even eaten
面对这种情况，它必须逃 The situation calls for an evasive manoeuvre
这只小猫绝对打不过 The small cat is no match for its spotted cousin
它这位一身斑点的远亲
薮猫一声不响地 Don't make a sound and blend in with the dappled shadows
与斑驳的阴影融合在一起
花豹看不到薮猫 The leopard can't see the serval
但它灵敏的鼻子 可能闻到了薮猫的气味 But his keen nose probably picks up this scent
薮猫很幸运 Lucky for the serval, the leopard has no interest in
花豹目前没兴趣追捕猎物
Pursuing the killing game right now
它循着一股 更吸引它的气味前进 He follows a more interesting scent
这个气味是它找了一晚的 那头母花豹所留下的 The elusive female that he has not been able to find all night
花豹一离开 As soon as the leopard leaves the serval comes out again
薮猫就跑了出来
以前的人认为 薮猫属于夜行性的猫科动物 It was believed that servals were purely nocturnal felines
但现代科学家经观察后发现 But modern observations have revealed that
优雅的薮猫会在清晨和黄昏 These elegant cats comfortably stalk the grass plains and thickets
自在地潜行于草原和灌木丛中 During early morning and late afternoon
它拥有猫科动物的 完美视力及敏锐听力 With impeccable vision and the sharpest hearing in the feline world
薮猫的猎物无处可逃 The target finds no escape
Not even into the air
就算飞上天空也逃不掉
来看看几点了 Time check: Noon
正午时分
这七种神秘动物仍躲得好好的 All seven members of the secretive group remain well hidden
它们有的躲在地洞内 Either in their burrows or deep in the undergrowth
有的躲在灌木丛深处
正午的非洲阳光会引发睡意 Mid-day under the African sun induces sleep
在忙了一整夜后 Having indulged all night the lions sleep it off
狮群累得睡着了
Only the leopard is hard at work
唯有花豹还在努力办事
它终于找到 那头一直躲着它的年轻母花豹 He finally found the young female that was eluding him
At last ready to accept him
母花豹终于准备好要接受它
花豹一生中唯有在交配时 Mating is the only time in a leopard's life
When two adults tolerate being so close to each other
才会容忍另一头花豹 如此靠近
母花豹求偶的举动 不带一丝爱意 Her amorous moves do not demonstrate affection
它只是想刺激公豹 再次与它进行交配 She means to stimulate him into another short session
求偶并不存在于花豹文化中 Courtship does not exist in leopard culture
交配仅是用来达成 延续花豹生命的目的 Mating serves a purpose only survival of the species
光影在神秘客的 故乡土地上拉长了 The shadows of the day lengthen over Secret Seven country
下午四点二十五分 16:25 less than two hours to sun set
再过一个多小时 太阳就会西沉
到目前为止 野猫整个白天都在睡觉 And, so far, the wild cat spent the whole day resting
它将身体摆成它最喜爱的姿势 His body relaxed into his favourite position
Eyes tightly shut to keep out the day's glare
野猫紧闭双目 不让强烈日光照入眼帘
但它的双耳仍在注意着 周遭的声音 But the ears tuned into the surrounding
一阵轻微的沙沙声 A slight rustle a twitch of the ears
令它双耳抽动
野猫迅速从 快乐的睡梦中醒来 And the cat snaps out of "happy slumber" and into "tense fighter"
进入全身紧绷的战斗状态
是朋友，是敌人 Friend or foe. Or maybe food
还是猎物？
野猫的举动从防御转变成攻击 His demeanour changes from defence to attack
这位猎人以猫科动物 特有的方式逐步狩猎 Typically feline, the hunter goes through each phase
偷偷跟踪猎物，猛然扑向猎物 Stalk
Pounce
然后狠咬猎物 Bite
猎杀过程十分安静 Wild cat eating bird A silent kill And a good meal for the cat
野猫捕猎了丰盛的一餐
Suddenly he hears a rasping noise
它突然听见一阵刺耳的声音
是花豹听到了 它狩猎的声音吗？ Could the leopards have heard the kill?
The cat takes his meal deeper into the undergrowth
野猫将食物拖入灌木丛深处
小心一点总是好的 He can never be too careful
但花豹不会笨拙到 发出这等嘈杂声 But this clamour is too clumsy for a leopard
只有非洲最大的啮齿动物 Only the largest rodent in Africa
才会在吃东西时 发出这么大的声音 Could produce such a shots racket while eating
下午四点五十五分了 16:55 and this afternoon
豪猪妈妈和宝宝这天下午 很早就出来觅食 Mother and baby porcupine start to forage early
Their first stop a young acacia tree
它们第一站来到 一株包覆着美味树皮的刺槐
Clad in a palatable covering
它们用强大有力的门齿 撕下树皮 Using powerful incisors they strip off the bark
树皮是刺槐最营养的部位之一 营养价值仅次荚果 One of the most nutritious parts of the tree
The pods, containing fibre, protein and plenty of moisture
含有纤维 、 蛋白质和大量水分
成年豪猪会摧毁年幼树木 挖掘块茎 Between damaging tender trees and digging up tubers
一个晚上可吃下 将近一公斤的植物 An adult porcupine eats almost
A kilogram of vegetable matter each night
今晚的筵席从现在起 将越来越美味 The evening's feasting gets even better from now on!
下午五点二十八分 17:28, almost sunset
太阳快下山了
接着又有两位神秘客出现 The next two Secret Seven to emerge
麝猫和薮猫醒来后觉得很饿 The civet and the serval wake up hungry
薮猫先发现目标 The serval detects a target first
是它最喜欢吃的啮齿动物 It's his favourite, a rodent a prey which he's quite partial to
它相当偏爱这种猎物
薮猫以相同的模式 熟练地执行狩猎 The well-practiced ritual follows the same pattern
它本身就是个 几乎不曾失手的捕鼠器 A mousetrap that almost never fails
下午五点四十分 17:40
在这条小径的更远处 Further down the path the civet's meanderings
四处徘徊的麝猫 在进行一项仪式
Take on a bit of a ritual as well
它检查这个区域 Check out the area just in case something happened
以防它睡着时 曾经有什么事发生
while he was asleep
有一股熟悉的味道 A familiar smell
有另一只麝猫经过这条小径 Another civet crossed this path a female
是一只母麝猫
它只需闻一下就能立刻确定 He can actually tell all this with a sniff
麝猫记下这份资料 然后继续前进 Information stored to memory he moves on
但它却遇上了可能的危险状况 And straight into a potentially dangerous situation
幸好入侵者 只是一条无害的褐屋蛇 Fortunately the intruder proves to be only a harmless brown house snake
但是被它咬上一口 多少还是会不舒服 Nevertheless its bite could cause some discomfort
麝猫是杀蛇高手 Civets are master snake killers
它毫不迟疑地解决问题 He gets rid of the problem with no hesitation
麝猫用力地甩蛇 以便弄断蛇的脊椎 By violently shaking the snake to break its vertebrae
蛇是美味点心 Snakes make good snacking
来看看几点了，下午六点整 Time check: 18 hundred
白天结束了 The end of the day
但对荆棘丛保护区 低层社会的神秘客来说 But for the Secret Seven of the Thornybush underworld
新的一天才正要开始 Their day begins now
豪猪爸爸和配偶一起觅食 The porcupine fatherjoins his mate to forage
它虽然比较喜欢独自找寻食物 Although he prefers to look for food alone
但它偶尔也会和家人待在一起 He does occasionally stay with his family
但公豪猪会这么决定 有个隐讳的理由 But an underlying reason determines the male's decision
母豪猪愿意与它交配 Willingly the female presents herself to him
于是高高抬起满是刺的尾巴
With prickly tail lifted and out of the way
以免在快速交配时 刺伤了公豪猪 So as not to impale him during the quick mating act
母豪猪尚未发情 She is not in oestrus
它才刚生下豪猪宝宝没多久 It's still too early after the birth of their baby
公豪猪会和它交配 However, he mates with her to ensure the next oestrus cycle
是为了确保女方还会发情
毕竟它可是公豪猪的终生伴侣 After all, this is his lifelong partner
再过几个月 In a few months' time
它们的豪猪宝宝正式断奶 可以离开它们自立 When their weaned youngster leaves to fend for himself
它们就会真正进行交配 The mating act will be performed for real
这个精英团体的其它六个成员 The other six members of the elite society
和配偶的关系没有这么紧密 Do not have such close bonds with their mates
麝猫会和任何一只 进入地盘的母麝猫交配 The civet covers any female that enters into his territory
它昨晚闻到的 母麝猫气味依然缭绕 That female smell he detected the night before lingers
母麝猫距离它有多近呢？ How close could she be?
它突然闻到另一股气味 Suddenly he sniffs out another scent
它尖锐的耳朵听到了 入侵者发出的微弱声音 And his acute hearing picks up the faint sounds of an intruder
可能是友善的伙伴 像它闻到的那只母麝猫 It could be a friendly associate, like the female civets
也可能是讨人厌的访客 例如花豹 Or someone unpleasant-a leopard
也或者更糟，是狮子 Or even worse, the lions which do not take kindly to
狮子对待地盘内 其它肉食性动物很不友善
Other carnivores on their home ground whatever their size
不管体型大小都一样
麝猫不等看清楚来者是谁 The civet doesn't wait to find out he dashes for cover
便冲去找掩护
保持隐密是它的第一道防线 Secrecy is his first line of defence
再来它完全不动 Then he freezes, relying on his blotchy coat for camouflage
利用斑点毛皮进行伪装
最后麝猫终于看见入侵者 Finally the intruder comes into view
是那只闯入它地盘的母麝猫 It's the female that entered his territory
但麝猫还没来得及 从藏身处出去与女方会见 But, before he can come out of hiding to meet her
母麝猫就被 另一位更危险的跟踪高手发现 She is spotted by a more dangerous stalker
母麝猫试图逃跑 She tries to run but she doesn't stand a chance against the cunning predator
但面对这种狡猾的掠食动物 它毫无脱逃的机会
花豹在完成繁殖任务后 感到十分饥饿 The leopard, hungry after his reproductive duties, stashes his prize
它将猎物藏起来
公麝猫失去交配的机会 The civet male loses his chance to mate
于是悄悄钻入更加阴暗之处 And slinks even further into the shadows of the night
以免自己也断送生命 Before he loses his life as well
晚间八点三十七分 20:37 Tonight the land of the Secret Seven
今晚神秘客的国度 似乎有不受欢迎的动物入侵
Seems to be invaded by unwanted trespassers
薮猫的地盘 也遭到了掠食动物入侵 The serval's territory has also been invaded by a predator
闯入者是它的同类 But in this case it's one of his own kind yet no more welcome
却也同样不受欢迎
那是一只 正在找寻地盘的年轻薮猫 It's a young male looking for a territory
But this home range is taken
但这块地方已有薮猫占据
The banter is ritualistic
双方的挑衅仅属仪式性
它们相互用爪子袭击对方 A few clawed swipes just to prove the point
只为证明这块地盘属于谁
Of ownership and the cowed intruder leaves
最后受到威吓的入侵者离去
在成功驱逐敌手后 After the successful expulsion of his rival
地盘主人必须到分界线去 重新留下气味作记号 The turfowner needs to refresh the scent markings along his boundary
来看看现在是几点，九点了 Time check: 9 o'clock
有关神秘客的报导 已历时二十一小时 21 hours into the Secret Seven's story
麝猫钻入了最阴暗的地方 The civet slinks into the deepest shadows
薮猫确认了地盘归属权 The serval validates his ground
豪猪分头去继续觅食 The porcupines split up and keep foraging
野猫去捕食了 The wild cat hunts for food
獛小心翼翼地从藏身处走出来 Carefully the genet emerges from hiding
The pangolin starts the night with a drink
穿山甲以喝水 揭开今晚活动的序幕
土豚在出发前 先仔细勘查周遭状况 And the aardvark carefully surveys the neighbourhood before setting off
它开始进行夜间任务 尽可能地去找寻更多白蚁窝 He embarks on his nightly mission
To find as many ant and termite nests as possible
土豚一个晚上可以走上五公里 In a night he can cover a distance of up to five kilometres
土豚的牙齿缺乏牙根与珐琅质 The ardvark's teeth lack roots and enamel
因此只能啃食最柔软的食物 So they can only deal with the softest of foods
但我们至今仍不清楚 土豚为何会有牙齿 But it remains unclear why he has teeth at all
它不咀嚼食物，而是直接吞咽 Food bypasses them all together and his stomach fulfils
土豚的胃会负责磨碎
The job of grinding the 50000 or so insects
每晚吃下的五万只昆虫
Which he eats each night
土豚会利用吸尘器般的鼻孔 Using his nostrils like a vacuum cleaner
将小昆虫吸起 He sucks up the little insects
在这群会咬敌人的蚂蚁 准备开始作战之前 Before the soldiers of this army can put up a fight
土豚就已离开 去挖另一个蚂蚁窝
He moves on to expose another colony
附近一处蚂蚁窝内的蚂蚁 At a nearby colony the ants battle against another anteater
正在对抗另一种食蚁动物
但这种动物的体格 有如铜墙铁壁
But this one is built like a fortress
穿山甲有角质甲片护身 几乎不可能被蚂蚁咬伤 The pangolin's armour plating makes biting almost impossible
不过，蚂蚁是勇敢执着的战士 None the less ants are brave and persistent warriors
它们爬到穿山甲身体各处 去找寻它的弱点 They crawl all over his body
Looking for a weakness in his defence
此时，工蚁赶忙将幼虫 带离危险的地方 Meanwhile the workers rush to get the larvae out of harm's way
最后兵蚁找到了穿山甲的弱点 Eventually the soldiers do find a soft spot
也就是它的鼻子 The pangolin's snout
被蚂蚁咬会有刺痛感 这只食蚁动物只好撤退 Their pin-like bites force the anteater to retreat
但它并没有放弃 But he doesn't quit
穿山甲很快就找到另一群蚂蚁 Soon he finds another colony
它用弯曲的前爪挖掘蚂蚁窝 His curved fore claws excavate it
接着它使出具有黏性的 三十公分长舌头 Then his sticky, 30 centimetre-Iong tongue goes to work
相较于其它神秘客 穿山甲的视力不佳 Because he has poor eye sight
In comparison to his Secret Seven associates
它完全仰赖敏锐的嗅觉 作为警示机制 He relies entirely on his acute sense of smell
As a warning mechanism
经过昨晚千钧一发的状况 And after last night's close escape he can never be too careful
穿山甲还是小心为妙
狮群可能还在附近 The lions might still be around
十点三十四分 22:34. Only a few hours of darkness have passed
黑夜才降临几个小时
Many more dangerous ones remain
这七种隐密动物
还要面对更多的危险时刻 For all secretive members of this group of seven
温暖的夜晚 很适合昆虫出来活动 The warm night favours the activity of insects
獛因而有了额外的点心 A bonus snack for the genet
獛今晚似乎特别谨慎 She seems particularly careful tonight
或许是因为听到了奇怪的声音 Perhaps she can hear some strange sounds
獛悄悄走回安全的灌木丛中 So she creeps back into the safety of the undergrowth
夜晚空气中的湿气 会扩大任何声响的音量 The humidity of the night air amplifies sounds
当一切皆笼罩在黑暗中时 And when everything is shrouded in darkness
能够辨别不同的声音 The ability to distinguish between different noises
是神秘客找寻食物的重要技巧 Becomes an important trick of food detection for the Secret Seven
关于这点 野猫就是典型的例子 For this the wild cat represents a typical example
野猫拥有极为发达的听觉器官 He possesses extremely well developed hearing organs
在看见制造出声响的动物前 Able to detect the most imperceptible movements
便能侦测到最难以察觉的动静 Before the source appears into view
接着，野猫如果想玩游戏 And then, if the cat feels like a little game
就会先玩弄食物 然后再结束它的痛苦 It plays with the food before putting it out of its misery
小野猫这么做是有充分理由的 Kittens do it for a good reason
它们的狩猎技能 可因此变得熟练 This way they perfect the art of killing
但成年的猫也会玩游戏 But adult cats can have a good game as well
狮子会自娱 Lions amuse themselves
薮猫有时在吃下老鼠前 会先拍击它 Servals sometimes smack a mouse about before eating it
花豹会把玩食物 Leopards play with their food
野猫也会这么做 And wild cats play too
这是一场致命的游戏 It's a lethal game
晚间十一点三十一分 23:31. Almost midnight
快接近午夜了
今晚猫科动物的捕猎游戏 非常精采 Certainly a good night of sports for the cats!
这儿接连上演 一场又一场的猫捉老鼠游戏 From one game of cat and mouse to another
这回的差别在于 参与者的体型大小 The only difference here is the size of the contestants
譬如说 这只啮齿动物也会反击 And this rodent can fight back
但母狮自有对策 But the lionesses have a strategy
它们包围愤怒的豪猪 Encircle the irate porcupine keep out of quill contact
并远离它的刺
当豪猪将全身的刺往后时 And while he lunges to the rear
母狮便攻击它未受保护的头部 Attack the unprotected head
豪猪战败了 The porcupine is defeated
但勇敢咬死它的母狮 也付出惨痛代价 But at great cost to the lioness that braved the killing bite
有根刺穿过了它的颚部 A quill pierced herjaw
母狮可能永远无法把它拔出来 And she might never be able to pull it out
这处伤口会化脓溃烂 The wound could fester and she won't be able to hunt or feed
到时它会无法狩猎或摄食
最后母狮甚至可能会死亡 Eventually she might even die
依这情况来看 好奇心真的会杀死猫 In this case curiosity may indeed kill the cat!
来看看几点，午夜了 Time check: Midnight-the closing hour
故事要结束了
过去这二十四小时 The past 24 hours have been very trying
对有些行踪隐密的 神秘客来说十分难熬
For some of the elusive Secret Seven
但它们全都存活下来 But they all survived
薮猫保住了地盘 The serval asserted his home ground
麝猫继续孤单度日 The civet moves on alone having lost his chance
因为狡猾的花豹 害它失去了交配的机会
To mate to the cunning of the leopard
土豚为自己打造了 更多安全避难所 The aardvark has constructed more safe-havens for himself
同时也摧毁了其它生物的住处 And destroyed those of others
穿山甲在千钧一发中逃过一劫 The pangolin had a narrow escape but he came out unharmed
而且它毫发无伤
獛成功避开花豹 The genet eluded the leopard
野猫结束了这一夜的游戏 The wild cat ends his game for the night
开始正经地找寻食物 And gets down to the serious business of looking for more food
豪猪爸爸则成功击退花豹 And father porcupine successfully fended off the leopard
它的家庭依旧幸福美满 His family group remains intact
这些戏剧性的事件 These dramas unfolded
发生在非洲一处 封闭的狭小区域 In a minute pocket of Africa
历时只有短短二十四小时 In a mere 24 hours
请各位发挥想像力 Imagine
还有什么事件正在上演呢？ What could be happening
每一刻 All the time
Throughout Africa's wilds
在非洲的荒野