昆蟲王國 Insectia
時光旅行者 Time Traveler
想不想見見奇妙的東西？ Do you want to see something fantastic?
來看一眼 Just take a look.
這個三維圖像 This three dimensional image
從史前時代直接存留至今 has come to us straight from the prehistoric age.
對這只昆蟲來說，在幾百萬年前 Time stopped for this insect
時間就已不再流逝 millions of years ago.
我們的攝像機也算非常精密 Our camera may be very sophisticated,
但卻沒法帶我們回到過去 but it cannot take us back to the past.
這是我們真正的時光旅行機器 This is our real time-travel machine -
一塊琥珀 a piece of amber.
被這種奇異的物質保存的每個標本 Every specimen preserved in this remarkable substance
都有自己的故事 has its own story to tell,
述說著氣候 about the climate,
植被 the vegetation
和自己的生活 and its own life
而那個世界如今已經永遠消失了 from a world that has disappeared for ever.
我們要出發去多米尼加共和國 We are off to the Dominican Republic
在那裡有更多這樣的時光旅行者 where more of these fascinating time travelers
在等著我們 are waiting for us.
我們的旅程開始 We began our journey
要在一個城市短暫停留 with a quick stop-over in a city
那就是聖多明各 that was founded 500 years ago -
建於五百年前 Santo Domingo,
它是美洲最古老的城市之一 one of the oldest cities in the Americas.
克裡斯托弗·哥倫布1492年到達 Christopher Columbus arrived on the Island of Hispaniola
伊斯帕尼奧拉島 in 1492.
從最一開始 From the first day,
他就知道會找到無價的寶藏 he knew he would find invaluable treasure
因為當地居民送給了他一雙鞋 because the inhabitants gave him a pair of shoes
上面用琥珀做裝飾 inlaid with pieces of amber.
情景也很合適 And appropriately enough,
雕像所指的好像就是 the statue seems to be pointing in the direction
琥珀博物館的方向 of the Museum of Amber.
這個博物館是聖多明各最有名的 This museum is one of the most famous tourist attractions
旅遊景點之一 in Santo Domingo.
人們從古時候就開始用琥珀 People have been making ornaments out of amber
進行裝飾 since ancient times.
它曾被看做 It was always considered
是准寶石 a semiprecious stone.
其實它是聚合物 It's actually a polymer,
一種自然形成的塑料 a kind of natural plastic
摸上去較軟 that is soft to the touch
富有金色光澤 with a rich golden sheen.
在二樓 On the second floor
有博物館的主人卡利戴德先生 is the magnificent collection of Senor Caridad,
出色的收藏 the owner of this museum.
他的所有琥珀 All of his amber pieces
有含有奇妙的化石 contain amazing fossils,
其中很多是昆蟲 many of which are insects.
在十九世紀中期 In the middle of the 19th century,
科學家們開始研究 scientists began to investigate
琥珀令人驚異的屬性 the surprising properties of amber.
他們想到的第一個問題就是 The first question that comes to mind is
這些植物和昆蟲 how did plants and insects
是怎樣進入這個漂亮的包裹裡的 get inside such beautiful packages.
我正在馬德里自治大學的校園裡 I'm here on the campus of the Universidad Autonoma
來解開謎團 to solve the mystery,
找到多米尼加共和國 了不起的琥珀製造者 to find the descendent of the greatest amber producer
如今的後代 in the Dominican Republic.
這是一棵角豆樹 This is an Algarrobo.
兩千萬年前 20 million years ago,
這些樹木的祖先佔據著 this tree's ancestors dominated
原始的森林 the primeval forest
那時的森林覆蓋全島 that covered the whole island.
我們如今發現的所有琥珀 All the amber we find today
都是這些古樹樹脂 is the byproduct of the raisin
帶來的副產品 of these ancient trees.
把你的表往回調 So set your watches back
兩千萬年 20 million years.
這個場景在數千萬年前的 巨大角豆樹森林裡面 This scene took place everyday millions of years ago
每天都在上演 in the great Algarrobo forest.
一隻住在樹皮縫隙裡面的甲蟲 A beetle living inside a crack in the bark of a tree
從藏身處爬出來 walks out of its hiding place
巡視自己的地盤 to patrol its territory.
在樹幹上方不遠處 A little further up the trunk,
有一根樹枝被風折斷 a branch has been broken by the wind.
樹木產生大股樹脂流 The tree produces a flood of raisin
來堵住傷口 to plug up the wound
防止昆蟲進入到裡面 and to prevent insects from penetrating it.
粘稠的樹脂滴流 The trickle of thick liquid
很快變成洪流 soon becomes a flood
帶走了它的第一個受害者 carrying away its first victim.
一群螞蟻 A troop of ants,
把樹幹當成公路 using this tree trunk as a highway,
遭到了這股樹脂的突然襲擊 are completely surprised by this torrent of raisin.
它們被淹沒 They are submerged
這些工蟻形成了靜止的畫面 forming a still life of workers
以行進隊形被永遠困住 trapped forever in marching formation.
一隻黃蜂 A wasp,
被樹脂的糖味吸引而來 attracted by the sugary smell of the raisin,
離這股粘稠的陷阱 approaches the sticky trap
靠得太近了 a little too closely.
樹脂一遇到空氣 The raisin immediately starts to harden
就立刻開始硬化 as it comes into contact with the air.
然後真正的奇跡發生了 Then a real miracle takes place.
樹脂裡奇妙的防腐物質 The raisin's amazing preservative substances
穿透進入到昆蟲體內 penetrate the insect bodies
破壞了所有微生物和細菌 and destroy all germs and bacteria.
每一絲水分都不會留下 Every trace of water or humidity is removed.
標本被完全脫水 The specimen is completely dehydrated
它的組織不再會腐敗 and its tissue will no longer deteriorate.
這就是為什麼有些昆蟲 This is why we find insects
像這只蜉蝣一樣纖弱 as delicate as this mayfly
卻在數千萬年後仍然完整 still intact after millions of years.
現代樹木 Modern trees
不再像古代角豆樹那樣 don't produce as much raisin
產生那麼多樹脂 as the ancient Algarrobos.
不過琥珀的形成 But the amber is created
仍是一模一樣 exactly the same way.
這塊琥珀裡的分子 The molecules in this chunk of raisin
已經開始融合 have started to fuse.
不過還需要幾千萬年的時間 But it will take a few million years more
才會變得像琥珀那麼堅硬 before it becomes as hard as amber.
漸漸地 Gradually,
樹脂會被灰塵和植物碎片覆蓋 dust and plant debris will cover the raisin.
有些樹脂塊會被沖走 Some pieces will be washed away
帶到河流的底部 and carried to the river bottom
甚至進入大海 or even off to sea.
時光飛逝 Over time,
它們會被蓋上成噸的沉積物 they will be covered by tons of sediment.
琥珀被埋藏得比從前海盜 Amber is buried deeper than the treasures
在伊斯帕尼奧拉島海岸 once hidden by pirates
埋藏的寶藏還要深 along the coast of Hispaniola.
我們將會旅行到這個國家的北部 We will have to travel to the north of the country to find it,
去環繞聖地亞哥市的群山 to the mountains surrounding the city of Santiago.
儘管琥珀被埋在深處 Even if the amber is buried,
我們卻可能得向上爬一段 才能找到它們 we may have to do some climbing to get to it.
這些山脈由地質力量形成 These mountains were formed by geological forces
它們從海底升起 that raised the seabed
含琥珀礦脈的沉積層 and layers of sediment
也隨之一起升起 that trapped the amber veins.
有時候 Sometimes,
能從開放的礦坑 amber can be extracted
找到琥珀 from open pit mines.
不過在這裡 But here,
礦層從山中穿過 the seam runs straight through this mountain.
通常礦工們要挖一百多米的隧道 才能到達 Often, the miners must tunnel more than 100 meters to reach it.
這是非常累人的工作 It's backbreaking work
通常伴隨著令人窒息的潮熱 often performed in stifling heat and humidity.
隧道越深 As the tunnel goes deeper,
氧氣就越少 oxygen becomes scarce.
不過琥珀的誘惑非常大 But the lure of amber is very powerful.
如你所見 As you can see,
這裡的一切都要手工完成 everything here is done by hand
因為機器的振動 because machine vibrations
能夠打碎琥珀 could smash the amber.
我要前往聖地亞哥 I'm off to Santiago
去把這些石頭擦亮 to get these stones polished.
這是魔法時刻 This is the magic moment.
久遠以前就已消失的昆蟲 Insects which have long ago disappeared
在我們眼前重見天日 are reborn before our very eyes.
我們在這裡發現了樹皮和食菌小蠹 What we find here are bark and ambrosia beetles
這個結果並不意外 and that should come as no surprise.
角豆樹產生的很多樹脂 Much of the raisin produced by the Algarrobo trees
就是為了控制這些小鑽機 was to keep these tiny drilling machines under control.
如今這些甲蟲的後代 Today, the descendants of these beetles
仍然終生在樹皮下 still spend their lives digging tunnels
和樹幹裡挖隧道 under bark or inside tree trunks.
小□蟲甚至會爬到它的背上 Small mites might even grab onto their backs
在樹木間搭順風車旅行 for a free ride from one tree to another.
每塊新的琥珀 Every new amber piece
裡面都有不同昆蟲 reveals different insects
它們都曾經在角豆樹附近生活 that were once living around the Algarrobo tree.
這裡是一隻等待伏擊的螳螂 Here's a mantis waiting in ambush.
靠近樹木的根部 Lower down near the root,
一隻蜈蚣正在追蹤獵物 a centipede is tracking its prey.
一隻蜘蛛把網布在小樹枝上 A spider has put on its web among a small branch.
稍遠處，一隻飛蟲正要起飛 Further along, a fly is taking off.
掠食者感到了空氣中的振動 The predator senses vibrations in the air.
這是飛蟲在靠近並落到網上 It's the fly approaching and it lands in the web.
蜘蛛突然抓住了獵物 In a flash, the spider grabs it prey.
一束陽光灑在一群螞蟻身上 A sun beam falls on a cloud of ants
它們被永久定格在交配場景之中 caught in the fever of their mating dances.
雌性和雄性相互追逐 Males and females chase
求偶並進行交配 and court each other and mate
直到永世 for all eternity.
在研究琥珀裡的昆蟲時 When we study insects in amber,
我們意識到它們中 we realize that many of them
很多在當時都很先進 were pretty advanced for their time.
就說這些無刺蜂 Take these stingless bees.
它們兩千萬年前 Well, they were building cities
就在建造城市 20 million years ago.
它們仍然用樹脂 They still use raisin to build
構建巢穴的內部結構 the internal structures of their nests.
非常有可能的是 In all likelihood,
它們的祖先就使用角豆樹的樹脂 their ancestors used Algarrobo raisin
因為發現了很多困在琥珀裡的工蜂 since many worker bees have been found trapped in it.
收集樹脂是個危險的活兒 Gathering raisin was a dangerous business
因為掠食者會在樹脂池旁 等待捕捉獵物 because predators would prowl around these raisin pools.
其中最可怕的 Perhaps the nastiest of them all
是一種獵□ was an assassin bug.
這種昆蟲會把前腿裹上樹脂 This insect would coat its front legs with raisin.
它只需要 All it had to do then
用粘粘的腿抓住可憐的蜜蜂就行 was grab a poor bee with these sticky legs
然後再用尖嘴扎死獵物 and stab it with this pointed beak.
最讓人稱奇的是 What the most surprising is
有些特定的獵□ that certain assassin bugs
現在還在使用這一戰術 still use this tactic today.
它們有時候會待在 Sometimes they position themselves
無刺蜂蜂巢的入口處 at the entrance to a stingless bees' hive.
它們確實能夠消滅整個蜂群 They can literally wipe out an entire colony
因為這些蜜蜂在起飛 because the bees are vulnerable
和降落時防禦最弱 when they take off and land.
不過獵□還有另外一個花招 But assassin bugs have another trick up their sleeves.
這些困在網裡的蜜蜂很慌亂 The bees trapped in my net are panicking.
所以它們會釋放一種化學物質 So they emit a chemical substance
警告其它蜜蜂 that alerts the other bees.
不過獵□ But the assassin bugs
也認識這種氣味 also recognize this smell.
所以它們立即衝到我的網上 So they rush immediately to my net
想要不費力就吃到美餐 in order to find an easy meal.
有人懷疑獵□經過了數千萬年 One suspects it took the assassin bug millions of years
才能辨識這種氣味 to recognize that odor.
多虧了琥珀 Thanks to the amber,
我們才能夠證明 we can prove it.
琥珀裡的昆蟲 也帶給我們寶貴的信息 Insects in amber also give us valuable information
能瞭解到它們生活的古代熱帶森林 about the ancient tropical forest where they live.
比如這個漂亮的網狀物 This magnificent lacework, for example.
這是一種大豆娘的翅膀 It's the wing of a large damselfly.
這就說明當時伊斯帕尼奧拉島上 This is evidence that must have been bromeliads
肯定有鳳梨 on Hispaniola
因為這種豆娘的現代後代 because their modern descendents
產卵只選在這種植物 only lay their eggs in the water
葉子形成的水庫裡面 of the leaf reservoir of these plants.
反過來，植物碎片也能證明 Inversely, plant fragments can also prove
某種昆蟲的存在 the existence of certain insects.
琥珀裡保存的相思樹花 Acacia flowers preserved in amber
表明那時也有相思樹蟻 show that Pseudomyrmex ants existed then
因為它們總是住在相思樹裡 because they always live inside Acacia trees.
我們能說白蟻的社會生活 We can say that the social life of termites began
在兩千多萬年前就開始了 more than 20 million years ago
這名光榮捐軀的勇敢兵蟻 as shown by this brave soldier
就是很好的說明 died on the field with honor.
這隻小小的半翅目昆蟲 This tiny Homopteran
為它的後代留下了實在的遺產 has left a solid heritage for its descendents -
蠟質扇子 A wax fan
經歷了千萬年光陰 that has crossed thousands of millennia
都沒少一片扇羽 without losing a feather.
我們在琥珀裡找到的昆蟲 The insects we find in amber
揭示了它們在進化史上 了不起的成功 reveal both the great successors and resounding defeats
和巨大的失敗 that have marked their evolution.
就算我們費盡全力 Despite all our efforts,
也無法再次重建 we will never be able to recreate
壯麗的原始森林 the majestic primal forest.
幾乎所有我們在琥珀中 Almost all the species of plants
發現的植物和昆蟲物種 and insects we find in amber
如今都已經消失 have disappeared today,
它們是一場大滅絕的犧牲品 the victims of mass extinction.
災難也許是隨著氣候的變化而開始 Perhaps the catastrophe began with a climate change
或是因為大陸過來的 or with the invasion of competing species
競爭物種 from the continent.
昆蟲對最細微的變化都很敏感 Insects, sensitive to even the slightest change,
很可能最先受到影響 were probably the first to be effected.
隨著它們的消亡 With their demise,
引發了多米諾骨牌效應 a domino effect was set in motion.
授粉者的消失 The disappearance of pollinators
導致了很多植物物種的迅速衰落 led to the swift decline of many plant species
而整個生態系統 and the entire ecosystem
也很快崩塌 soon crumbled.
就連角豆樹也會不見 Even the Algarrobos would disappear
只留下成千上萬的微小殘骸 leaving behind thousands of tiny relics
凍結在琥珀之中 frozen in amber
這是它們留給未來的遺產 as their legacy for future generations.
彷彿一夜之間 Almost from one day to the next,
獵□這樣的特化掠食者 specialized predator like assassin bugs
因為僅僅進食無刺蜂 that focus just on stingless bees
而發現沒有了獵物 found they had no prey.
這些昆蟲的消失 The disappearance of all these insects
帶來的悲慘命運波及到 also had terrible consequences
島上的爬行動物 for reptiles, bird
鳥類和以昆蟲為食的哺乳動物 and other insect-eating mammals on the island.
如今，人類行為正在導致 另一次大規模滅絕 Today, human activities are causing another massive extinction
甚至比過去的一些自然災難 還要嚴重 even more damaging than some past natural disaster.
每次我在注視琥珀裡的昆蟲時 Every time I see an insect in amber,
我都問自己： I ask myself:
「我們還會有多久 "How much time do we have
「才變成為過去的殘骸？」 "before we become a relic of the past?"