Why animals help each other - Ashley Ward

翻译人员: Cici Yan 校对人员: Rana Al kilaney

These humpback whales have already covered thousands of kilometers

这些座头鲸从热带繁殖地 迁移到较冷的觅食地

on their migration from tropical breeding grounds to colder feeding grounds.

已经行驶了数千公里。

But one of these whales is about to take a detour.

但是其中一只鲸鱼 即将绕道而行。

From several kilometers away, it hears a group of orcas harassing a seal,

在几公里外，它听到 一群逆戟鲸在骚扰海豹，

and— as if answering a distress signal— it races off.

然后——好像在回答求救信号一样—— 它跑开了。

The humpback charges the 8-meter-long orcas,

座头鲸为8米长的逆戟鲸充电，

driving them away with its massive pectoral flukes.

用胸部巨大的吸力赶走。

Then, when the threat is gone, it swiftly returns to its journey.

然后，当威胁消失时， 它会迅速返回其旅程。

Humpbacks are known to mount these kinds of impromptu rescue missions.

众所周知， 座头鲸会执行此类即兴救援任务。

But why would they expend time and energy risking their lives for a stray seal?

但是他们为什么要花时间和精力 冒着生命危险寻找流浪海豹呢？

Isn’t nature a cruel and vicious place, without room for generosity?

大自然不是一个残酷而恶毒的地方， 没有慷慨的余地吗？

Well, sort of.

好吧，可能是这样。

The publication of Charles Darwin’s “On the Origin of Species”

查尔斯·达尔文的 《论物种起源》的出版

introduced the notion of survival of the fittest,

引入了适者生存 的概念，

creating a lasting vision of Earth’s strongest animals dominating

创造了地球上 最强壮的动物统治自然世界

the natural world.

的持久愿景。

But this isn’t what Darwin meant by fitness,

但这不是达尔文 所说的健身，

nor is it how modern biologists define it.

也不是现代生物学家对它的定义。

Rather than describing an animal’s physical strength,

健康不是描述动物的外在力量

fitness refers to how likely an organism is to pass on its genes

to the next generation.

传给下一代的可能性。

This means the fittest animals are those who can survive long enough

这意味着最适合生存的动物是 那些能够存活足够长的时间

to produce healthy offspring.

以产生健康后代的动物。

And while that might occasionally describe a powerful predator,

尽管这可能偶尔会 描述强大的捕食者，

the fittest animal can also be the most stealthy, resourceful,

最合适的动物也可以是 最隐身，最足智多谋，

or even the most cooperative.

甚至是最有合作能力的动物

So what exactly does cooperation look like in the animal kingdom?

那么，动物界的合作到底是什么样 子呢？

Sometimes it's fairly straightforward.

这有时候很直接了当。

In the sun-dappled waters of the Great Barrier Reef,

在大堡礁阳光普照 的水域中，

cleaner wrasse diligently inspect other fish for parasites,

更清洁的濑鱼勤奋地检查 其他鱼类是否有寄生虫，用精确的

eating up any blood suckers with a precise nibble.

吞食吞噬所有吸血鬼。

This kind of arrangement, in which both sides benefit, is known as mutualism.

这种 双方都受益的安排被称为共同主义。

But this particular relationship can also be parasitic.

但是这种特殊的关系也 可能是寄生的。

If a wrasse thinks it can get away with it,

如果一只濑鱼认为自己能逃 脱，

it will try to take a bite of the fish it’s cleaning.

它就会试图咬一口 正在清洗的鱼。

This parasitic turn is only temporary, of course,

当然，这种寄生转变只是暂时 的，

and the wrasse will quickly return to its usual gourmet grooming.

濑鱼很快就会恢复 到通常的美味状态。

Meanwhile, in the Kalahari Desert, meerkat mobs dig for buried prey.

同时，在卡拉哈里沙漠， 猫鼬暴徒在挖掘埋藏的猎物。

This technique leaves the foragers vulnerable,

这种技巧使 觅食者变得脆弱，

but when an eagle swoops down for a snack,

但是当一只老鹰俯冲下来吃零食时，暴徒指定的哨

the mob’s appointed sentry cries out.

兵就会大喊大叫。

With lightning speed, the meerkats retreat to the safety of their burrows,

猫鼬以闪电般的速度 撤退到安全的洞穴中，将鸟

leaving the bird in their dust.

留在尘土中。

While this arrangement is essential for the foragers,

虽然这种安排 对觅食者至关重要，

the sentries can't eat while on duty,

但哨兵在值班时不能进食，

and sounding a warning puts them directly in the eagles’ line of fire.

而发出警告会使他们直接进入老鹰队 的射线。

But despite this roll’s dangers, it might actually increase their fitness.

但是，尽管这个卷很危险，但 它实际上可能会提高他们的健康水平。

Many evolutionary biologists believe animals improve their odds

许多进化生物学家认为，

of passing their genes to the next generation in one of two ways.

动物通过以下两种方式之一， 提高自己传递基因的概率

Either directly by having their own offspring,

要么直接拥有 自己的后代，

or indirectly by helping genetic relatives have offspring.

要么间接地通过帮助 遗传亲属生育后代。

Meerkat sentries may gain this indirect fitness benefit

猫鼬哨兵可能会获得 这种间接优势

since groups tend to be comprised of closely related individuals.

因为群体往往 由密切相关的个人组成

Of course, animals don't have to be family to protect each other.

当然，对于动物来说， 不是家人也能互相保护。

For Costa Rican vampire bats, just a few unsuccessful hunts can mean starvation.

对于哥斯达黎加的吸血蝙蝠来说， 仅仅几次失败的狩猎就意味着饥饿。

So it's fortunate that when a bat is dying of hunger,

因此，幸运的是，当 一只蝙蝠死于饥饿时，

another bat might regurgitate some of its own meal to help its roost mate

另一只蝙蝠可能会反流一些 食物来帮助栖息伙伴度

through this lean period.

过这段艰难的时期。

This is a considerable cost for the gifting bat.

对于赠送球棒 来说，这是一笔可观的费用。

But this practice develops a “you scratch my back

但是这种做法形成了一种

and I’ll scratch yours” arrangement,

“二人同心，其力断金” 的相处模式

more formally known as reciprocal altruism.

更正式地说是互惠利他主义。

This isn’t altruism in its purest sense

从最纯粹的意义上讲，这并不是利他主义，

because when the donor gives away its hard-won food,

因为当捐 赠者捐出来之不易的食物时，

it does so expecting to receive similar help in the future.

它确实期望将来能得到 类似的帮助。

But while it’s true that we usually see animals help one another

但是，尽管我们经常看到 动物互

in exchange for food, fitness, or favors,

相帮助以换取食物、健身或恩惠， 这是事实，但这并不

that doesn’t mean the animal kingdom is devoid of truly selfless altruism.

意味着动物界没有真正无私的利他主义。

Researchers still don't know why humpbacks protect unrelated whales

研究人员仍然不知道为什么座头鲸可以 保护无关的鲸鱼，

and the occasional seal from powerful predators.

偶尔还会保护海豹 免受强大捕食者的侵害。

And while it might seem hard to believe this heroic feat is an act of generosity,

尽管似乎很难相信 这一英雄壮举是一种慷慨的举动，但

who knows what kinds of kindness we may discover

谁知道在我们继续研究地球上 无数合作生物的过程中，

as we continue investigating Earth’s countless cooperative creatures.