变形金刚：基础课
The year was 1995, and Transformers was at a turning point. 在1995年 变形金刚来到了一个转折点
Transformers: Generation 2 had failed to breathe new life into the franchise, 变形金刚G2没能给这个品牌带来新的生机
and Hasbro knew a drastic reinvention was required 孩之宝也知道 如果他们不想让这些变形机器人彻底退休
if they wanted to avoid retiring the robots in disguise entirely. 就必须要有一次重大变革
A few years earlier, in 1991, Hasbro had acquired the toy company Kenner, 几年前 在1991年 孩之宝已经收购了玩具公司肯纳
responsible for such mega-hits in the 70s and 80s as the original Star Wars toyline 肯纳曾负责过70到80年代的那些超级热门系列 比如最早的星球大战玩具线
and DC’s Super Powers Collection, 和 DC 的“超级英雄战队”收藏系列
and it was to this subdivision that Transformers was handed, 变形金刚正是被交给了这个分公司
to be hopefully revitalized with new ideas for 1996. 希望他们能在1996年为此品牌赋予新的创意以重振雄风
These are The Basics on the new era of Transformers that they ushered in… The Beast Era! 这集基础课就来讲讲他们开创的变形金刚新纪元——野兽纪元！
"The Beast Era" is how we collectively refer to the two Transformers series 我们用“野兽纪元”来统称了两代变形金刚
that ran from 1996 to 2001: Beast Wars and Beast Machines. 从1996年持续到2001的：野兽之战(超能勇士) 和 兽械争霸(猛兽侠)
The big change that Beast Wars ushered in? 野兽之战引领了什么巨大变化？
Like the name suggests, all the figures turned into animals. 顾名思义 所有人物都变形成动物
Now animal alternate modes weren't an inherently new idea, of course, 当然了 变形为动物并不是什么的新想法
but rather than the mechanical beasts of Generation 1, 但并不像G1里的机器动物
the Beast Warriors transformed into organic-looking ones, 这些野兽战士们是变形成有机外貌的动物
bringing a whole new aesthetic to the franchise. 这给这个系列带来了一种全新的美学风格
From ball-joint construction that made the figures 从启用了球形关节结构
significantly more articulated than their forebears, 让这些人偶可动性远超它们的祖先
to unique individual action features, 到每个玩具独特的联动机关
to integrated weaponry that stored away in Beast Mode, 再到武器能收纳于野兽形态之中
the series featured many new innovations as standard. 这个系列把很多创新定立为常规标准
It also instituted a new sense of order; 它还建立起了一种新的秩序感
while past Transformers toy assortments had never adhered to any set sizes, 以前的变形金刚玩具从没根据任何固定的尺寸级别分类
Beast Wars introduced the system of ascending "size classes" – 而野兽之战引入了一个递增的“尺寸级别”系统
Basic, Deluxe, Mega, Ultra, etc – that’s still used today. 基础级 加强级 巨大级 强者级 等等——这个分级系统沿用至今
Further distinguishing Beast Wars as a cleanbreak from what had come before, 为了进一步将野兽之战一刀两断地与前身区分开来
the competing factions were not the Autobots and Decepticons, 对战的派系并不是博派和狂派
but the heroic Maximals, largely comprising mammals, birds, and marine life, 而是正义的巨无霸 大多由哺乳动物 禽类和海洋生物组成
led by Optimus Primal, 由擎天圣(猩猩队长)领导
and Megatron’s Predacons, 而威震天(无敌龙)领导的原始兽
who took their name from the animal-themed Decepticon team from Generation 1, 派别名字取自G1里的那个动物主题的狂派小队 译注：英文与 巨狰狞 同名
and consisted of reptiles, insects, and arachnids. 则主要由爬行动物 昆虫 和 蛛形纲动物组成
The original intent for the line, as laid out in a mini-comic included with the first 该系列最初的意图 展现在擎天圣和威震天的玩具所附带的迷你漫画上
Optimus and Megatron toys and reflected in the character bios of the first-year toys, 还有所有第一年玩具的角色简介里
was that the Beast Wars would be waged on modern day Earth, 这场野兽之战原本设定在现代地球上展开
with Optimus and Megatron being the same characters as in Generation 1 而这两位正是G1的 擎天柱和威震天 的本尊
but that soon changed with the advent of the Beast Wars animated series. 但是很快这就随着《野兽之战》动画的到来而改变
Produced in Canada by Mainframe Entertainment, 制作公司是加拿大 Mainframe 娱乐公司
creators of ReBoot, the world's first half-hour CGI cartoon, 曾创作过世界上第一部每集30分钟的全3D动画连续剧《ReBoot》
the Beast Wars animated series ignored the toyline’s set-up 《野兽之战》动画无视了玩具线的设定
and instead presented the Maximals and Predacons as the descendants 反而把巨无霸和原始兽设定成
of the Autobots and Decepticons from three hundred years in the future, 来自未来三百年以后博派和狂派的后代
who became stranded via time-travel on prehistoric Earth. 他们因为穿越时间而滞留在史前地球上了
The planet proved rich in energon, the Transformers' primary fuel source 他们发现这个星球有大量的能量体——变形金刚的主要燃料来源
so rich, in fact, that its radiation threatened 实在太大量了 以至于能量体的辐射有着
to overload the Maximals' and Predacons' systems, 使巨无霸和原始兽系统过载的威胁
forcing them to adopt alternate modes based on the local animals 迫使他们选用当地动物作为变形形态
that shielded their robotic bodies with organic "skins." 这种形态的有机“皮肤”可以保护他们的机器人身体
When it launched, Beast Wars was NOT warmly received by Transformers fans. 《野兽之战》在发行初期 并没有受变形金刚粉丝热烈欢迎
Such a radical departure from everything they knew caused consternation, 他们惊愕于这样一个与他们的认知彻底背离的系列
leading to infamous anti-beast, pro-vehicle rallying cries like "TRUKK NOT MUNKY" 催生了臭名昭著的反野兽、挺载具的舌战口号 比如“要卡车不要猴子”
but the Beast Wars cartoon would change all that. 但是《野兽之战》的动画将会改变这一切
CGI made the notion of 昂贵的3D动画
including the entire cast of the toyline an impossibly expensive prospect, 使得让玩具线所有角色都加入动画的做法不现实
so the series instead starred only small five-man teams on each side, 所以剧集只在每一方各安排了五人小队
adding a handful of additional characters as it progressed. 随着剧情发展又加入了少量其他角色
This tighter focus led to more layered characterisation that, 这种小班底 利于更加集中地刻画更多层次的人物性格
added to serialized plotting with complex story arcs and sub-plots, 再加上以系列剧形式 有着复杂的主线和支线情节
was unlike anything fans had seen from Transformers on American television before. 这和粉丝以往在美国电视上看到的任何变形金刚系列都完全不一样
As key elements of Transformers lore like protoforms and sparks 逐渐地 首创出了一些变形金刚的关键设定要素
were introduced for the first time, 诸如“原生体”和“火种”之类
and the series grew to build a deep connection with what had come before it, 以及这部剧逐渐和它的前作发展出紧密的联系
referencing both the Generation 1 cartoon and Marvel comic, 提及了G1动画和漫威漫画 的情节
and featuring guest appearances by several Generation 1 characters, 并且还有几个G1角色的友情客串
fandom was quickly won over. 这个系列很快就赢得了粉丝们的心
Reflecting the cartoon's success, 受动画成功的影响
the toyline discarded its original "present day" scenario 玩具线抛弃了它最初的“现代”方案
and adjusted to reflect the show’s setting. 并且将其调整为反映动画的设定
But of course, 但是当然
soon the cartoon was changing to accommodate the new additions to the toyline. 很快动画就要考虑到玩具线的新情况而做出改变了
1998 brought "Fuzors", toys with beast modes that were a hybrid of two animals, 1998年诞生了“融合变体” 野兽形态混合了两种动物的玩具
and Transmetals, which inverted the toys' defining aesthetic 还有金属变体 它把整条玩具线的造型风格大反转
to organically-styled robots that transformed into mechanical animals, 改为有机风格的机器人 变形为 机械风格的动物
with vacuum-metalized chrome and tertiary "transport" modes. 并且还有电镀覆盖 和 第三种“运输”形态
In 1999, these evolved into "Transmetals 2" 在1999年 则演变成了“金属变体2”
toys that blended organic and robotic aesthetics to monstrous effect in both modes. 这个系列的玩具在两种形态下 都把有机和机械的造型风格 融合成一种怪异畸形的效果
This steady merging of the organic and the technological 这种持续融合有机和机械的主题
was taken to its ultimate extreme 在《野兽之战（超能勇士）》饱受争议的续作
in Beast Wars' controversial sequel series Beast Machines. 《兽械争霸（猛兽侠）》当中达到了顶峰
It ran from 1999 and 2000 它从1999年持续到2000年
and returned the action to a Cybertron 并且让故事舞台搬回塞伯坦
successfully conquered by Megatron and his Vehicon army. 但这里早已被威震天（无敌龙）和他的Vehicon大军成功统治
Upgraded by the Oracle supercomputer to become truly techno-organic – 巨无霸们被圣贤超级电脑升级成了真正的有机机械身体
metal and flesh merged at the cellular level 获得了金属和肉体在分子水平上的融合
– the Maximals were charged with restoring an organic balance to the metal world. 他们被赋予了让这个金属世界恢复有机平衡的职责
Exploring the spiritual side of transformation, the left-field approach of the series 这个系列探索着“变形”的精神层面 剧里各种不常规的路子
led to the introduction of previously-unthinkable concepts 导致产生一些之前不敢想象的概念
like Transformers who could turn into plants, 比如变成植物的变形金刚
or wholly-organic Transformers who had no robot modes, but changed from beast to beast. 或者没有机器人形态 而是兽变兽的完全有机变形金刚
Unfortunately, Beast Machines did not find the success its predecessor had. 很不幸 《兽械争霸》没能取得和前作一样的成功
Its reinterpretation of many of the now-beloved characters' personalities 它对很多已经广受喜爱的（前作）角色 作了性格的重释
sat ill with many fans, 很难被粉丝们接受
as did its over-arcing “organic-versus-technological” theme. 它那非常重要的“有机vs机械”的主题亦如此
Ambitious and intelligent, 此作富有野心和智慧
hindsight has led it to be re-evaluated more favourably today, 今天已经被很多事后重温的人重新审视并喜爱
but it still remains a divisive series 但它仍然是一个容易引起意见分歧的系列
and back in the day, with sales falling off, 而当年 因为它的销量大暴死
that was enough to see the last batch of toys 导致最后一批玩具要么被取消
either cancelled or shuffled into the next toyline, 要么被拖到了下一条玩具线里
and plans for a third series named “TransTech” to be shelved, 并且名为“超变体”的第三个系列的计划被搁置了
bringing the era of the Beasts to an end in 2001. 导致野兽纪元在2001年步入了终结
But the story doesn't end there! 但是故事还没有结束
Just as there had been exclusive toys and cartoons made in Japan during Generation 1, 正如日本在G1时期有过独占玩具和动画一样
so too did the same apply to the Beast Era, 野兽纪元亦是如此
with new material being created as a means of filling for time 为了等待更多美版动画剧集引进
until more episodes of the American shows were available to import. 为了填补节目空档期 他们创作了全新的作品 ###################################################################################
These Japanese-exclusive series charted the adventures 这些日版独占的系列记录了
of different Maximal and Predacon teams in the far future: 遥远未来的不同的巨无霸和原始兽小队的冒险：
1998’s Beast Wars II pitted Lio Convoy’s Maximals against Galvatron’s Predacons 1998年的野兽之战2让白狮擎天柱的巨无霸和惊破天的原始兽
在后末世地球上展开对抗
on post-apocalyptic Earth,
而1999年的新野兽之战讲述了猛犸擎天柱的巨无霸部队与炎冲天（帝释天）
while 1999’s Beast Was Neo followed Big Convoy’s Maximal unit as they raced across space
的原始兽横跨宇宙的作战 目的是找回宇宙大帝散落的生命力
against Magmatron’s Predacons to recover the scattered lifeforce of Unicron.
紧接而来的是2000年的 《Car Robots》
These were followed in the year 2000 by Car Robots –
这部动画和野兽纪元时间线的其他部分关系模糊
a show that was vague on its relation to the rest of the Beast Era timeline
——其中惊劫天的原始兽们与火焰擎天柱的汽车人们在现代地球展开冲突
– which brought Gigatron’s Predacons into conflict with Fire Convoy’s Autobots on present-day Earth.
在兽械争霸之后 它成为了仅有三部有过英语译制版的动画之一
After Beast Machines, it would become the only one of the three to be dubbed into English
译注：这里应该有错误，应该有4部译制成了英文的日版动画
被译成了《汽车人战记》
as “Robots in Disguise.”
不像G1里动画和漫画讲述了自己的不同故事
Unlike Generation 1, which had both a cartoon and a comic telling different versions of its story,
动画是野兽纪元里唯一的主要媒介
the cartoons were the only major piece of media for the Beast Era.
同期唯一的漫画是 3H 公司为官方的变形金刚年会 BotCon
The only contemporary comics were exclusives made by 3H Productions for BotCon,
创作的独家漫画 而且这些漫画都发生在动画的世界观下
the official Transformers convention, and they all took place within the cartoon’s continuity,
穿插在动画的事件当中 并且为了和2003年的
occurring during its events, and briefly continuing the story after Beast Machines
变形金刚U版玩具线紧密结合 还简要地续写了兽械争霸之后的故事
as part of a tie in with the 2003 Transformers: Universe toyline.
这就奠定了之后媒介的趋势：21世纪有数个新的野兽纪元故事
This set the trend for future media: the 21st century has seen several new Beast Era stories
它们出自于 IDW 公司和 Fun Publications 公司 其中有前传、续集和分支故事
from both IDW Publishing and Fun Publications, prequels, sequels, and side-stories,
有漫画、散文和甚至动画的形式
in the form of comics, prose, and even animation,
但是它们几乎全部也是派生自动画里的事件（尽管互相不同且矛盾）
but they almost all also spin off from the cartoon’s events (albeit in different, contradictory ways).
唯一一个重要的不是设定在动画时间线的野兽纪元作品
The only significant Beast Era fiction to not be set in the cartoon timeline
是 Fun Publication 的《野兽之战：起义》 一部受饥饿游戏启发的设定在塞伯坦上的长篇小说
is Fun Publication’s Beast Wars Uprising, a Hunger Games-inspired saga set on Cybertron,
在2014年到2016年通过变形金刚收藏者俱乐部发布
told through the Transformers Collectors Club between 2014 and 2016.
我们将在即将上线的一集中进一步讲讲那个宇宙的基础课 很快哟！
We’ll be taking a closer look at The Basics on THAT universe in an upcoming episode, very soon!
我们在今天这个时间点
And that brings us to today:
回首望去 会对野兽纪元投以崇高敬意
a point in time from which the Beast Era is looked back on with great regard.
可以毫不夸张地说 正因它没有墨守成规
It’s no exaggeration at all to say that, with its willingness to throw out the rulebook,
它才将变形金刚从流行文化的边缘中拯救出来
it saved Transformers from being lost to pop culture irrelevance.
尤其 野兽之战动画强大的编剧比它过时的电脑动画做得更好
In particular, the Beast Wars cartoon’s strong writing has outshone its dated computer animation
这保证了它被认为是变形金刚有史以来最好、最受喜爱的动画之一
to ensure it is remembered as one of the best, most-loved Transformers cartoons of all time,
而且留下来广泛的遗产 它的很多角色永垂不朽
with a far-reaching legacy. Many of its cast have been immortalized with new toys
并且在变形金刚U版、G系列和大师级玩具线中都有新玩具
as part of the Transformers: Universe, Generations, and Masterpiece toylines,
并且它的两个最受欢迎最突出的角色
and two of its most popular breakout characters,
荣誉至上的由原始兽转变为巨无霸的恐龙和不幸的黄蜂
the honour-bound Predacon-turned-Maximal Dinobot and the luckless Waspinator,
是最早被粉丝们投票进入变形金刚名人堂的成员
were the first entrants voted by fans into the Transformers Hall of Fame.
在2017年 粉丝们甚至在一次官方民意调查中将擎天圣选为冠军
In 2017, fans even chose Optimus Primal as the winner of an official poll
这使得他在天元神力玩具线中得到一个新玩具
that determined he would receive a new toy as part of the Power of the Primes toyline.
这些角色也出现在了其他世界观中
The cast have also appeared in other continuities,
他们被重新设定成那些经典角色同时代的人 而不是未来的后代
reimagined as contemporaries of the classic characters instead of future descendants,
既出现在了电视动画《变形金刚：机甲英雄》当中 也出现在了漫画当中
showing up on both television in Transformers: Animated, and in comic form,
比如IDW公司的 G1 漫画书 和日本的变形金刚 LG 漫画
in IDW Publishing’s Generation 1 comic books, and in the Japanese Transformers Legends manga,
这是一部把他们重新设定成竞争对手办公室里的销售人员的喜剧！
a comedy that reimagines them as salespeople at rival offices!
擎天圣即将在在天元神力中的登场看起来确保了
Optimus Primal’s impending Power of the Primes appearance seems to ensure
他不仅仅会出现在IDW当中 还会出现在即将到来的天元神力动画中
he will also be turning up, not just in IDW, but in the upcoming Power of the Primes cartoon,
而且已经宣布了演员朗·普尔曼会为他配音
with actor Ron Perlman having already been announced as providing his voice.
虽然在2018年有机野兽看起来不像1996年那般得到孩之宝的青睐
Though organic beasts don’t seem to fit into Hasbro’s vision for Transformers in 2018 like they did in 1996,
但是可以确定的是对于野兽纪元的爱如今依然照旧在粉丝和创作者当中存在
it’s clear love for the Beast Era is still as alive among fans and creators as ever.
正如黄豹曾经讲过：
As Cheetor once said:
“不管是野兽还是机器人 我们都是最屌的！耶！”
"Beast or ‘bot, we’re still the baddest! Yeah!"
喜爱本视频的网友可以去Youtube和 众筹网站Patreon支持原视频作者 链接在视频下方的简介当中
原视频作者：Chris McFeely
翻译：红龙火种 校对：红龙火种 后期：红龙火种