海蓮娜-來(lái)自澳洲的當(dāng)代生物學(xué)家

  方舟的生物學(xué)家——Helena的孤島筆記

  Helena是一個(gè)來(lái)自澳洲的當(dāng)代生物學(xué)家。她的筆記講述了她在孤島的經(jīng)歷。

  I’ve lost count of how many sunrises I’ve seen since I arrived on this island. Hundreds, I’d imagine, yet each one seems more beautiful than the last. Sometimes, I like to take Athena out just before dawn and watch it while flying through the morning sky. It’s in these simple moments that I realize just how lucky I am.

  Not that I was unhappy exploring the reefs and rainforests back, in Oz, but I wasn’t ever going to spot a Bronto stomping about the outback, was I? Since I got here, I’ve had the opportunity to study creatures that no other biologist has even witnessed. I’ll always be grateful for that.

  從我來(lái)到這個(gè)島上以來(lái)，我已數(shù)不清經(jīng)歷了多少次日出了。我猜想，總該以百計(jì)了吧，然而每一次見(jiàn)到日出，總覺(jué)得比上一天的更為美麗。我喜歡在黎明前帶著Athena(一只阿根廷巨鷹的名字)外出，看著它飛越清晨的天空。正如這樣簡(jiǎn)單的生活片刻，讓我感到無(wú)比幸運(yùn)。

  在澳洲，我并不喜歡在雨林和礁石中探索，可我還未曾在內(nèi)陸見(jiàn)到過(guò)一頭雷龍?zhí)?dòng)著大地，不是么?自從我來(lái)到這里，我有機(jī)會(huì)學(xué)習(xí)一些其他生物學(xué)家從未目睹的生物。我對(duì)此永懷感激。

  I’d been holding out for a change in weather before studying the wildlife of this island’s peculiar tundra region, but I think it’s safe to say that it’s not forthcoming. Clearly this planet has no axial tilt, and therefore, no seasons. That ice and snow isn’t melting anytime soon.

  Can’t say I’m happy about it. The cold and I are not the best of mates, I can tell you that, but I’ll just have to suck it up. The climate during the Jurassic and cretaceous periods that many of this island’s creatures hail from was fairly uniform, so an arctic region is quite the oddity. It’d be plain stubborn of me not to have a Captain Cook.

  在研究島上冰原地帶的野生生物前，我一直在等待天氣變好?？墒俏彝淄椎挠X(jué)得那不會(huì)實(shí)現(xiàn)。顯然，這個(gè)行星沒(méi)有軸傾角，此外，也沒(méi)有四季。這里的冰雪從不融化。

  我可不敢說(shuō)我很高興，我不喜歡與寒冷為伴。然而我卻不得不適應(yīng)這樣的氣候。許多島上生物來(lái)自于侏羅紀(jì)到白堊紀(jì)，這之間的氣候完全一致。所以，這片寒帶特別古怪。沒(méi)有Cook船長(zhǎng)相伴，我的獨(dú)自探索也將執(zhí)著。

  The tribe that calls themselves The Howling Wolves has really made this northern adventure a lot easier. Well, them and Athena. She’s right at home here. I don’t think I’ll ever be able to repay Rockwell for just up and giving me, an Argentavis. He’s said our conversations are payment enough, but I still feel guilty. I should remember to collect some floral samples for him while I’m here.

  Anyway, tagging along with the wolves has been a good introduction to the region, but I think I’m ready to making my own way. To make real scientific conclusions, I need to observe these animals undisturbed in their natural habitat for long periods of time.

  這邊有一個(gè)自稱是嚎狼的部落。他們和此刻在我身邊的Athena讓我在北方的探險(xiǎn)變得簡(jiǎn)單許多。Athena是Rockwell贈(zèng)我的一只阿根廷巨鷹，我覺(jué)得對(duì)此我可無(wú)法報(bào)答Rockwell。雖然他說(shuō)我們之間的談話就足以慰藉了，可我還是覺(jué)得虧欠他。我可要記得在這里采集一些稀有藍(lán)花的樣本給他。

  What a day! There I am, putting the finishing touches on the mammoth dossier, when all of a sudden, a Tyrannosaurus starts attacking the herd. Strewth! A Tyrannosaurus wading through the bloody snow!

  I asked The Howling Wolves at the nearest camp, and apparently, this is a common thing. They’re not new to the region. It just doesn’t make sense. How can a Tyrannosaurus survive in this climate? And how can the introduction of an apex predator not shift the entire ecosystem?

  今天太特別了!當(dāng)我在整理編撰完的猛犸象圖鑒時(shí)，突然!一頭暴龍開(kāi)始沖進(jìn)了象群。太驚訝了!一頭暴龍讓這片雪地血染!

  嚎狼部落已經(jīng)在這片區(qū)域里待了很久了。我在附近的營(yíng)地就此事問(wèn)訊他們，顯然，對(duì)他們而言這很平常。暴龍?jiān)趺茨茉谶@樣的氣候下生存? 一個(gè)頂級(jí)捕食者的到來(lái)又如何不會(huì)改變整個(gè)生態(tài)系統(tǒng)?這可沒(méi)有任何道理啊!

  Well, I've combed through more carnivore droppings, than I care to calculate, and I can't say they provided many answers. All the predators in this region have very similar diets. With so many different predators hunting the same prey, the populations of all these species shouldn't be sustainable. Yet I've found nothing to indicate that any population shift is actually happening.

  It's just bizarre! The longer I'm here, the more I realize that this region shouldn't exist. Its climate is out of sync with the rest of the island, many of the creatures here are millions of years ahead of the dinosaurs and the ecosystem is almost static!

  Something's off. I need to review my notes.

  我檢視了更多的食肉動(dòng)物的糞便并仔細(xì)的計(jì)算了下，我不能說(shuō)這結(jié)果能提供多少答案：這里的所有捕食者都有著幾乎相同的食譜。對(duì)于一種獵物而言，有那么多不同種類(lèi)的捕食者，它們的物種數(shù)量應(yīng)當(dāng)難以維系?？晌抑两裎窗l(fā)現(xiàn)它們有明顯的數(shù)量改變。

  這不科學(xué)!我在這兒越久，就越發(fā)覺(jué)得這里不該存在。這里的氣候和島上其他地方不同步;這里的生物是幾百萬(wàn)年的古生物;這里的生態(tài)系統(tǒng)幾乎靜滯不變!

  總有些不對(duì)經(jīng)，我得重新看下我的筆記。

  Helena, you're a dipstick.

  Going through my notes, I've realised that there are more predators than prey across this entire island by almost double. That's the opposite of how any ecosystem is supposed to work. I can't believe it took a Tyrannosaurus frolicking through the snow for me to see this. It's plain as day.

  What to make of it? Add in the human factor, and it's impossible for this island to continue as it is by natural means. So, what, is this island's wildlife being monitored and curated somehow?

  I should speak with Rockwell. Maybe he's come to a similar conclusion.

  Helena,你自己真是個(gè)傻瓜。

  通過(guò)復(fù)習(xí)了我的筆記，我意識(shí)到這個(gè)島上的捕食者的數(shù)量幾乎是被捕獵者的2倍之多。這和任何生態(tài)系統(tǒng)的運(yùn)作都相反。我無(wú)法相信是看到暴龍?jiān)谘┑劓覒虿抛屛颐靼走@些，那一幕如白天一般清晰。

  這是為什么呢?如果加入人為因素考慮，這個(gè)島要維持如天然一般也是不可能的。除非，這些島上的生物也是被某種方法制造出來(lái)的?

  我也許該和Rockwell談?wù)劻?，或許他的發(fā)現(xiàn)也得出了類(lèi)似的結(jié)論。

  I never thought this island was normal, exactly. I mean, there are giant obelisks floating in the sky, for Pete's sake. Not to mention that cave I found, which hid a platform similar to those found at the base of said obelisks. Well, similar except for those oddly shaped holes that were carved into its podium.

  I guess I just didn't care about all that. So long as I had my beautiful, unique and untainted ecosystem to study, I was happy. But now...

  No, I shouldn't write it off just yet. Not before I arrive at Rockwell's. There's still a chance that my data is off or, that I missed something obvious. I won't give up on my paradise just yet.

  我從沒(méi)考慮過(guò)這個(gè)島是正常的。特別是在天空中飄浮著巨大的方舟，更不用說(shuō)我發(fā)現(xiàn)的那個(gè)山洞。他隱藏在一個(gè)平臺(tái)后。在這些巨大的方舟基座上也有這樣的平臺(tái)，他們都有著相同的奇異外觀的控制臺(tái)、雕刻古怪花紋的鑰匙孔。

  我想我只是不在乎這些奇怪的東西，只要我有那獨(dú)特、美麗、無(wú)濁的生態(tài)系統(tǒng)等著我去研究，我就很樂(lè)意，可現(xiàn)在……

  不!在我遇到羅克韋爾前，我還不應(yīng)該把這些寫(xiě)下來(lái)。我或許還遺漏了一些明顯的東西，我的資料還是有機(jī)會(huì)更完整的。目前我可還不會(huì)放棄這個(gè)天堂。

  I really need to visit Rockwell more. It's so energizing to be around someone of his experience that still has so much excitement for his work, and talking to him always helps me gain perspective.

  As for the Island's ecological abnormalities, Rockwell reassured me that I was jumping to conclusions. He made a great point: Just because this place doesn't follow the scientific laws we're used to, doesn't mean it follows no scientific laws at all. After all, science is about discovery, and new discoveries can invalidate old principles.

  So before I latch onto my theory, I need to gather more empirical evidence. Otherwise, I'm no scientist.

  我真該多拜訪幾次Rockwell。與他這樣經(jīng)驗(yàn)豐富的人相處讓我充滿活力，見(jiàn)識(shí)到他的工作成果讓我興奮不已，和他的交談也讓我有了新的認(rèn)識(shí)。

  對(duì)于島上的異常生態(tài)，Rockwell提醒我過(guò)于武斷：缺乏論證直接得出結(jié)論。他提出一個(gè)重要的觀點(diǎn)：如果僅僅因?yàn)檫@個(gè)地方不遵循我們以往的科學(xué)規(guī)律，并不意味著它不遵循任何規(guī)律。畢竟，科學(xué)是不斷的探索發(fā)現(xiàn)，新的發(fā)現(xiàn)總會(huì)改寫(xiě)舊的理論。

  因此，在我構(gòu)建起我的理論前，我需要收集更多的實(shí)驗(yàn)證據(jù)，不然，我不配成為一名科學(xué)家。