The monsoon. 季风
The greatest weather system on Earth. 地球上最宏伟的天气系统
The giver of life... 生命的赠与者
..and the destroyer. 与破坏者
Shaping magical lands 塑造着神奇的景观
from the Himalayas 从喜马拉雅山脉
to Australia. 直到澳大利亚
Its impact felt by giants, 他们的巨大
the exquisite 精致
and the bizarre, 和奇异
where spectacular nature 展示着壮丽的大自然与
meets the planet's most vibrant cultures. 这颗星球上最充满生机的文明之间的碰撞
It all happens in one of the most crowded parts of the planet. 所有的这些都发生在地球上人口最密集的地方
This is the story of people and nature 这是人与自然
living side by side. 相互融合的故事
A story of the struggles they face 一个关于他们生活中的斗争
and of powerful beliefs 和一个连接着古与今的
which link the ancient to the present day. 强大信仰的故事
A Hindu temple, Mangalore, southern India. 印度南部芒格洛尔市的一个印度寺庙
It's the height of the monsoon, 在季风的最中心
and today is Nag Panchami - 今天是蛇节
the day Hindus worship snakes. 是印度教徒供奉蛇的日子
Venomous snakes. 那些毒蛇
During the Indian monsoon, 在印度季风期间
rains flush them into the paths of people. 大雨将他们冲刷到了人走的道路上
Until recently, live cobras were widely worshipped in temples. 知道最近，活的眼镜蛇还是在寺庙中最受崇敬的
It's just one example of the close and complex relationship 这只是一个体现
between nature 人与自然在季风中
and the people of the monsoon. 亲近而又复杂的关系的例子
Our story traces back to when humans first spread 我们的故事将追溯至人们第一次遇到
across the lands of the monsoon. 席卷整个大陆的季风
The Philippine island of Palawan, near Borneo. 菲律宾的巴拉望岛，靠近婆罗洲
Here lives a community whose lives and beliefs 这里有个族群对洞察
are an insight into how people have lived with nature 在自然中如何生活
for thousands of years. 已有数千年的历史
Rolito and his sister Maria. 对Rolito和他的姐姐Maria来说
To them, the natural world is full of spirits, 自然世界中充满则神灵
and nature provides almost everything they need. 并且大自然为他们提供了生活所需的一切
Monsoon storms are approaching 季风风暴正在逼近
and Tata is getting prepared. Tata正在为此做准备
To him, even the clouds have spirits 对他来说，甚至天上的云也有着灵性
and they can be vengeful. 他们是会报仇的
He must keep his family safe from harm. 他必须保证他的家庭免受伤害
Their wooden shack isn't designed to survive the malevolent storms. 他们木头搭建的小屋并不是为躲避凶猛的暴风搭建的
For the months of the monsoon, 为了应对几个月的季风
they will live as their ancestors did - 他们将像他们祖先那样生活
as hunter-gatherers in a cave, 住在山洞里靠打猎采集生活
relying on what the forest provides. 依赖于雨林为他们提供一切
PELTING RAIN, ROLLING THUNDER 倾盆大雨，电闪雷鸣
BIRDSONG 鸟鸣声
When hunting, Tata wears a loincloth, 在狩猎是，Tata会裹上一条腰布
as clothes get wet and rub 如果是衣服的话会被弄湿并一直摩擦身体
and can snare on thorns. 还会被倒刺勾住
Joined by his father-in-law and brother, 跟他的祖祖辈辈一样
they use rattan vine to make a hunting weapon. 他们都用藤条来做狩猎的武器
The rattan has hooked spines that pierce flesh 这些藤条的倒刺会勾住肌肉
and are hard to dislodge. 并且很难拔出来
The Palawan hunters believe their very survival 巴拉望的猎人们相信他们必定会幸存
is in the hands of the spirits all around them - 因为狩猎之神保佑着他们
in the rocks, 在石头中
the water, 水里
the trees. 树上
The spirits are their guardians, 神灵就是他们的指引者
but can also inflict great hardship. 却也会造成巨大的灾难
If the hunt is to be successful, 如果狩猎成功
they need the spirits' blessing. 他们需要向神灵祈祷
First, they must flush out their prey... 首先，他们要将他们的猎物赶出来
Bats. 蝙蝠
As they try to escape, 当他们逃跑时
Tata is waiting. Tata正等候着
Bat kebab. 考蝙蝠
Together with a few tubers, 加一些块茎
it's a nourishing meal for the whole family. 对整个家庭来说都是丰盛的一餐
And there's nothing like a family meal 并没有什么能像家庭烤肉一样
for elders to hand down their wisdom. 能将长辈的智慧传递下去
Worship of natural spirits is considered to be 对自然神灵的敬畏被认为是
the world's oldest belief system. 世界上最古老的信仰体系
Perhaps this is how everyone once lived 也许这就是人们当年在季风肆虐的土地上
across the lands of the monsoon. 幸存下来的方法
But around 10,000 years ago, everything changed. 但是一万年之前，一切都变了
People discovered a new way to survive the extremes of the monsoon, 人们找到了在超级季风中幸存下来的方法
all thanks to a wild marshland grass... 全靠一种野生的沼泽植物
Rice. 水稻
The perfect monsoon crop. 一种完美的季风作物
It's planted at the time of the flood. 在洪水中播种他们
The grains can then be stored and eaten throughout the dry season. 他们的种子可以在整个干燥季节中储存和食用
Agriculture spread rapidly from southern China, 农业以极快的速度遍布了
across the whole region. 整个中国南部
On its riches were built the region's first towns and cities. 他们带来的财富为这片地区带来了第一座城市
But this progress came at a cost. 但是这个过程也是要付出代价的
For the first time, wildlife was expelled from the land... 这是第一次，野生生命被驱逐出了这片土地
..profoundly changing the relationship 深刻的改变了
between humans and nature. 人与自然的关系
In northeast India, the monsoon rains have been and gone. 在印度的东北部，季风来了又去
These elephants are hungry - 这里的大象都十分饥饿
each needs over 100 kilos of food a day. 每一只大象每天都要吃超过一百公斤的食物
Asian elephants are forest creatures, 亚洲象是林居动物
but the best food now lies beyond the forest's edge. 但是最美味的食物现在在森林的边缘
The crop must be guarded right through the night. 谷物一定要在夜晚中守护好
But the fields are extensive 但是稻田太宽广了
and the elephants could be anywhere. 大象还有可能在任何地方出现
A group of farmers on an all-night vigil. 一组农民将会彻夜守护
The elephants have seen it all before. 大象们已经熟悉了这些
And besides, they haven't finished their dinner. 另外，他们的晚餐还没有结束
This night alone, the herd could devour enough rice 单单这一晚，这群大象就吃掉了
to feed over 1,000 people. 足够一千人吃的谷物了
So the villagers can't afford to stand by 所以村民们不能再承受这样的损失了
and just watch their livelihood being destroyed. 眼睁睁的看着自己的营生被摧毁
But these are unpredictable beasts. 但是他们面对的是不可预知的野兽
Every year across India, 每年整个印度
elephants kill up to 400 people 大象在像这样的冲突中
in conflicts like this. 会杀掉超过400人
The same scene will play out every night, 这相同的一幕每晚都会发生
until the harvest is in. 直至稻谷收货
It's a battle as old as agriculture itself. 这样的战争从农业开始就有
You might think that, with the rise of agriculture, 你也许认为随着农业的发展
respect for nature would have been lost entirely. 人们对自然的敬畏会消失殆尽
But it didn't quite turn out that way. 不过事实并非如此
Along with rice and civilisation came something new - 伴随着谷物和文明出现了
organised religion. 一些新的宗教
By the River Tak in Thailand, 在泰国的达克市
Kewalin her friends Kewalin的朋友
are preparing for an annual Buddhist festival - 正在准备每年一度的佛教节日
Loi Krathong. 水灯节
But they are making offerings to a goddess of nature - 但他们供奉的事自然之神
the goddess of the river. 河流之神
Their prayers are to give thanks 他们感谢神灵给他们
for all that the monsoon waters have provided. 带来季风雨水
In the northern city of Chiang Mai, 在北部的清迈市
the festival is celebrated with tens of thousands of sky lanterns. 人们释放成千上万的孔明灯来庆祝节日
Loi Krathong has its origins in the Hindu Festival of Lights. 水灯节是起源于印度教的光明节6
Hinduism and Buddhism - 印度教和佛教
two religions that flourished in the monsoon lands. 在季风大陆繁荣昌盛的两种宗教
Both with great reverence for water 都对水当然还有整个自然
and, indeed, for all of nature. 充满着敬畏
And in some places, 并且在一些地方
religion would have a profound effect 宗教对人与野生动物的冲突
on the conflict between people and wildlife. 有着深刻的影响
The Thar desert of Rajasthan in northwest India 在印度北部的拉贾斯坦邦的塔尔沙漠
is a tough place to survive. 这里的生活十分艰难
It is only made habitable by a brief monsoon season. 这里只有在短暂的季风时节适合居住
Now, with the rains long gone, 现在，随着雨水经常的短缺
heat and drought are intensifying. 高温和干燥更加加剧
A small group of Indian gazelles - 一小群印度羚羊
chinkara. 印度蹬羚
They can stay alive without water for up to three weeks - 他们可以在不喝水的情况下存活超过三个星期
they get by on the sap inside the plants they browse. 他们可以通过吃草来获取水分
Over 68 million people also live in Rajasthan. 更有超过六千八百万人生活在拉贾斯坦邦
Food is scarce and the water sources are shrinking. 食物短缺并且水资源还在减少中
But even a chinkara has to drink eventually. 但是就算是印度蹬羚最后还是要喝水的
Stealing is a dangerous act. 偷盗行为是一个危险的举动
Luckily for this gazelle, 不过这只蹬羚是幸运的
she lives among the Bishnoi people. 他的邻居是毕斯诺依人
Bishnoi is a religion founded around 300 years ago. 毕斯诺依是一种有三百多年历史的宗教
To Bishnoi followers, all living things are sacred. 对毕斯诺依的追随者来说所有的生命都是神圣的
They willingly share their water 他们愿意分享他们的水源
and their harvest with wildlife. 和收获的食物给野生动物
Here, where the monsoon climate is harshest, 在这里，当季风吹的最凶的时候
compassion and generosity to all living things is most pronounced. 对生命的同情与慷慨是最值得称道的
Bishnoi texts forbid the harming of any living thing. 毕斯诺依的教规中是严谨伤害任何生命的
Only fallen branches may be used for firewood, 只有堕落的分支才会使用柴火
for even the trees are sacred. 因为即使是树木也是神圣的
The strength of Bishnoi devotion is revealed by an event 这一件事揭露出的毕斯诺依人的奉献的真相
that occurred a long time ago, in this very grove. 这已经在这片小树林里持续很久了
Sukramji understands the importance
of this defining moment in Bishnoi history,
when their extraordinary devotion to nature
was put to the ultimate test.
When news of the slaughter reached the ruler of Jodhpur,
he felt ashamed.
So he decreed that all trees growing on Bishnoi land
be protected.
A law which stands to this day.
And so, Bishnoi land remains bountiful,
supporting more humans and animals
than any other desert region in the world.
But Bishnoi is a religion
still centred in the Thar desert of northwest India.
So what about the rest of the country?
The dominant religion in India has long been Hinduism.
And Hinduism has had a profound effect on the relationship
between people and nature,
right across the country.
Sometimes in nature, the smallest of creatures
have the biggest stories to tell.
In southern India, the monsoon rains have brought relief
and streams are flowing again.
On the rocks in the middle,
you can find tiny frogs -
no bigger than a paper clip.
His calls have to compete with the noise of the stream...
..so to claim a rock as his own,
he uses semaphore.
He's a foot-flagging frog.
It's a signal to rivals to keep away.
But what's so extraordinary
is that while this little frog may never see a human,
it almost certainly owes its survival
to their religious beliefs.
And this is how.
It's Nag Panchami,
the holy day when Hindus worship snakes.
In the countryside,
Savita is helping her uncles make their offering.
Because of this shrine,
the entire woodland is sacred.
The snakes, and everything within it,
are protected.
In India, foot-flagging frogs mostly live and breed in sacred groves,
which is why they owe their continued existence
to Hindu devotion.
Traditionally, every Indian village had its own sacred grove.
And there's scientific evidence
that this vast network has been crucial
for protecting much of India's biodiversity.
So religion seems to have been central to the relationship
between people and nature for thousands of years.
But a few hundred years ago,
that relationship was threatened like never before.
European traders were drawn to the bounty of the monsoon lands,
from India to Australia...
..culminating in the biggest empire the world has ever seen.
A mighty, powerful, impressive structure -
such was Victoria's empire.
Millions upon millions,
all together under the flag upon which "the sun never sets".
The newcomers didn't regard the wildlife as sacred.
They were more likely to treat it as vermin.
In just a few decades,
80,000 Indian tigers were killed.
But what the newcomers were really after
was the land.
Forests were cleared,
the timber harvested to build ships and railways
and the land planted with cash crops -
tea and cotton.
Now, for the first time,
the lands of the monsoon were supplying produce worldwide
on an industrial scale.
Millions of people were sucked into this massive new enterprise.
It was part of the transition
that led to the world we know today.
Less than 2,000 Indian tigers now survive in isolated reserves.
And a fraction of India's native forests remain.
Across the whole monsoon region,
global trade and travel have transformed the landscape...
..and the relationship between humans and nature.
Perhaps the changes that have swept through the region
can be symbolised by the fate of one animal,
that once ranged from Burma to Indonesia.
Siamese crocodiles inspired legends of dragons.
But their habitat was destroyed
and they were hunted for their hides
to near extinction.
A few survived in captivity.
But these youngsters are special.
They are of wild blood.
Recently, a new population was discovered,
breeding in a remote forest in Cambodia.
This conservation team brought some eggs to the safety of a sanctuary.
In the wild, few crocs survive to adulthood,
but these are now big enough to make a go of it.
So they are being returned to the rivers of their native forest.
They have an arduous journey ahead.
Bikes are the only vehicles capable of the bone-shaking journey.
Once, this was all Siamese crocodile habitat -
they lived in rain-fed rivers and lakes
and migrated out through flooded forests during the monsoon.
The team that has nurtured these crocodiles
hope that the species will once again rule the wetlands.
They are taking the youngsters into the heart
of the largest remaining forest in mainland southeast Asia -
the Cardamom Mountains of southern Cambodia.
Siamese crocodiles survived in these remote valleys
because the local people regard them as sacred.
They believe that if one dies,
misfortune will befall the village -
so they will guard the crocodiles closely.
Crocodiles can live for more than 70 years,
and each year, a female can lay up to 50 eggs,
so these crocs could found a new dynasty.
But being sacred may no longer be enough,
for the needs of crocodiles don't easily align
with the needs of modern Cambodia.
Cambodians need electricity.
Developments like these introduce a risk -
they open up access for illegal logging.
To some, it's the price of progress.
But lose the trees
and the monsoon itself may take revenge.
Towns and temples were destroyed by landslides.
Northern India, during the monsoon of 2013.
Similar scenes have become increasingly common
across the monsoon region.
REPORTER: Illegal loggers have scarred the Philippines
in recent years,
their removal of trees making the soil unstable,
worsening the floods by adding tonnes of logs and rocks
to the torrent.
Healthy forests bind the soil together and prevent floods.
They also remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.
Based on scientific calculations, the forests of southeast Asia
provide services worth over 1 trillion every year.
And all for free.
But the global demand for hardwood timber just keeps growing.
And the forests of southeast Asia
contain some of the best-quality timber on Earth.
Teak, ebony and rosewood
are wanted for furniture and building materials,
from doorframes to plywood.
Wood from these forests ends up in homes all over the world.
So is this the end of the special relationship
between nature and the people of the monsoon?
Here in Deramakot Forest Reserve in Malaysian Borneo,
all is not as it seems.
Foresters are trialling a technique
called Reduced Impact Logging.
They are very selective -
they don't cut trees that are too young or old.
And fruiting trees - valuable for wildlife -
are marked for protection.
They don't flatten the whole forest,
but extract individual logs
so the forest can quickly recover.
Even access trails will be engulfed by new growth.
Once harvested, each forest sector
will be left alone for 40 years.
Ditches are cut across the bare trails
to prevent the soils being washed away
by the monsoon rains.
Deramakot turns a profit,
while also protecting the forest for the future.
But can wildlife really thrive alongside the bulldozers?
Scientists are keen to find out.
It's at night that many forest animals should be active.
A porcupine.
So there is life in these forests.
But what about the top predators?
Cats would be a good sign of a healthy forest,
because they sit at the top of the food chain -
if there isn't enough prey for them,
cats won't be here.
Borneo's cats are notoriously elusive,
but there's no denying the evidence of a camera trap.
Snapshots reveal a rich population,
and among them, leopard cats,
and even Borneo's largest cat -
the clouded leopard.
In fact, the scientists recorded all 21
of Borneo's lowland carnivore species.
So a commercial forest can also be prime wildlife habitat.
It's all down to HOW it's harvested.
But now, there is a new conflict in the tropics
that may be a greater challenge than anything that's gone before.
Where they're still intact,
the forests of tropical southeast Asia are luxuriant jungles,
among the oldest in the world,
and home to one of our closest relatives.
A Sumatran orang-utan, with her two-week-old baby.
It will take up to ten years for her to teach him all he needs to know
to survive in this jungle.
They will spend their lives up in the canopy -
their kind has evolved never to travel on the ground,
for tigers also inhabit these forests.
But around them, the forest is being cleared.
The land is wanted for a new monsoon wonder-crop...
Oil palms.
Global demand for vegetable oil
has more than doubled in the past 20 years.
And oil palms produce at least five times more oil per hectare
than other major oil crops.
Their oil is so versatile,
it's found in a high proportion of the products in any supermarket -
everything from biscuits to washing powder.
It's perhaps the biggest agricultural revolution since rice,
this time supplying the whole world.
But it's been responsible for the destruction of rainforests
throughout tropical southeast Asia.
This mother orang-utan and her five-year-old infant
are living in a remaining fragment of jungle.
The oil palms that now surround them
have no branches to support their weight,
so they're stranded, with no means of reaching fruiting trees
or other orang-utans.
If they stay here, they will probably die.
So a rescue mission is launched.
The team carry guns loaded with tranquiliser.
She's been hit.
The drug will take effect within 10 minutes.
The aim is not to hurt her,
but she's going to fall from the tree.
Rico is a vet.
He checks the orang-utan hasn't been injured by the fall.
She's in good health.
While the mother sleeps,
her infant is also darted and caught.
She may not feel it when she wakes,
but she's a lucky orang-utan.
The plan is to release her and her infant
in a national park where they will be safe.
It's a long drive through a landscape
dominated by the palm industry.
But there could just be a glimmer of hope
for orang-utans and their forests.
Global concern from consumers has prompted some producers
to commit to sustainable palm oil production,
planting on land already claimed for agriculture,
without clearing any more forests.
So perhaps the people of the monsoon can find ways
to meet the world's demand for palm oil and timber
that minimise conflict with wildlife.
The special relationship
between nature and the people of the monsoon
lives on.
Thanks to the monsoon's bounty,
a richness of cultures and wildlife still flourishes here.
There have been huge challenges,
especially in modern times.
But the future of the region, and all that live here,
no longer depends only on the humanity and compassion
of local people.
Now, through global trade, we are all connected
to this wonderful, exotic world,
and have a part to play in its future.
For producer and cameraman Jon Clay,
filming an orang-utan rescue
was to be his most challenging shoot.
He's joining an experienced team
who have rescued more than 50 of these great apes.
It was a real baptism of fire.
The moment I was there, they were ready.
They were out there, catching orang-utan.
This forest will soon be chopped down to make way for palm oil.
The rescue team need to move the orang-utan before it's too late.
These guys are amazing.
They are so good at what they do.
Number one priority - the orang-utan.
I'm just there to film what I can.
To get the orang-utan into a safe position,
they bang the trees.
On the ground,
it's tough for Jon and the crew to keep up.
And it's fast! The rescue team are following the orang-utan -
and they're better at it than I was.
And we were trying to follow them.
It takes two hours to get the orang-utan into a safe position -
ready for the tranquiliser.
The team get ready to catch.
Suddenly, the orang-utan fell out of the tree.
At that point, my heart went out to that orang-utan -
I guess because there is something about an orang-utan that is so human.
It brought it home to me,
what an important job the team are doing.
Because if these guys weren't doing this,
this orang-utan would have no future.
But the most difficult rescue the team had ever faced
was still to come.
They receive an urgent call.
We filmed in a scene of devastation.
Just one after another,
trees were coming down in front of our very eyes.
And then, on the other side,
was all the freshly planted palm oil.
A short distance away, in a tiny patch of remaining forest,
the team find a mother and her baby.
With the chain saws approaching,
time is running out.
Throwing branches is a sign that she's scared.
The team need to act fast.
The guys are trying to get a clear line of sight, to get a shot,
but they are also worried if it falls...
That's a pretty deep river right beneath there.
Vet Rico's loaded the dart with the smallest adult dose.
This could be his best chance.
It's a hit
Jon tries to keep up.
They must get a net precisely into position,
before they fall.
Suddenly,
there's an almighty splash,
and commotion.
A guide rushes down the bank beside me
and splashes into the river.
It's chaos.
And what had happened
is the dart had not hit the mother orang-utan -
it had hit the baby.
It was a real medical emergency situation.
Yeah, I guess it is touch and go.
The guys are doing everything they can.
I didn't think that orang-utan was going to live.
I didn't think it had a chance.
And at that point, I really didn't know if I should keep filming.
Because it felt...
..it was...
It was too tragic.
And yet, amazingly, they brought it round.
If the best opportunity that orang-utan had
was to go through that,
then...something's got to be wrong.
That was the toughest thing for me to see.
Such a close call.
Erm...
But at the same time, it really brought it home
just how critical the situation is for orang-utans.
With her baby out of danger,
the team turned their attention back to the mother.
They work into the night to reunite mum and baby.
You know, I was there to film,
but, actually, when it comes to it,
and you meet the guys on the ground
who are dedicating their lives to saving an animal,
it was inspiring and humbling to see that.
Good luck.