The family structure of elephants - Caitlin O'Connell-Rodwell

譯者: Ming Gui Tan 審譯者: Wink Wong

If I were to distill the 20 years of elephant research

如果要我把研究大象二十年的心得，

that I've done

濃縮成

into one sentence,

一句話

what would it be?

那會是什麼呢？

What could I tell you?

我可以告訴你什麼？

I would say that elephants are just like us!

我會說： 「大象就跟我們一樣!」

And what do I mean by that?

這句話是什麼意思呢？

It takes a lot of patience

研究大象需要很有耐性，

to be out there in the field

去實地考察

and trying to figure out patterns

和嘗試找出

of these very slow and intelligent animals.

這些行動緩慢卻又聰明的大象 的生活模式。

But over time, it is true they are very similar to us.

但長年研究以來， 牠們的確跟我們很相似。

And you think, "Well, how can I say that?

你會想『我怎麼能這樣說呢?』

Look, they have huge ears,

你看，牠們耳朵大大的，

they have really long noses.

鼻子長長的，

What do you mean they're like us?"

牠們跟我們很相像到底怎麼解釋啊？

Well, in fact, their families are very similar to ours.

事實上，牠們的家庭跟我們非常相似。

And family is extremely important to elephants.

而家庭對於大象來說極為重要，

They grow up in very tight-knit families

牠們在關係很緊密的家庭中長大，

and they have extended families.

家庭也很龐大。

And it's just like our family reunions

跟我們的家​​庭聚會一樣，

where you have all the aunts gathering around

阿姨們圍聚在一起啦，

with all the food they're going to bring and plan,

計劃帶什麼食物，

and all the boys are thinking,

而且男孩們都在想著

"Are we going to play our video games together?

“我們會一起打電動嗎？

Are we going to spar?"

又或者來一場拳擊？“

It's very, very similar,

真的非常非常相似。

and it's jubilant, and screaming, yelling, it's really amazing to see.

那種喜氣洋洋，喧鬧的氣氛真叫人高興。

But, as soon as you get that family gathering,

但當你有這種家庭聚會，

it's just like a wedding or anything else,

跟婚禮等等的活動一樣，

all of the sudden the family politics come out,

突然之間， 家庭階級觀念冒了出來，

and the lower-ranking individuals in this scene,

在畫面中階級較低的大象，

you see the arrow off to the back,

你可以看到指著最尾端的箭頭，

the lower-ranking individuals already know their station,

牠們自知自己的身份地位，

they're going to drink at the muddiest part of the pan

自動會到最混濁水池喝水

because the whole family's here and we can't drink at the best water

因為整個家庭都在這， 牠們不能在最好的水池喝水

because that's reserved for the top-ranking family.

正因為 那些是保留給高階的家庭成員。

What's also very similar

還有跟人類非常相似的

is that you have elders in the group

就是象群裡

that everyone reveres.

有大家都敬畏的長老。

This is the matriarch,

這個是女族長，

and the other female is reaching over

其他的雌象伸出象鼻在

and doing what's called a trunk to mouth

- “象鼻對嘴” -

placing her trunk in the mouth,

就是把象鼻放在嘴裡。

and it's a sign of respect,

是尊敬的表現

it's kind of like a handshake,

有點像握手

but it's also like a salute.

也有點像敬禮。

And this salute is learned at a very young age.

牠們很小就開始學著這樣敬禮。

Now, ritual and bonding within the family

家庭中的禮儀和親密的關係

also facilitates coordinated activities.

促進了牠們的合作。

So, here's a young female whose calf has fallen into the trough

這是一頭年輕母象，牠的小象掉進了坑裡。

and she doesn't know what to do and she panics.

牠不知道要怎麼辦 很慌張。

Well, the older female, that's the matriarch,

比較年長的雌象， 牠們的女族長，

she says, "No problem here," she just scoops the baby out.

就說『沒事的』 一手就把小象救出來。

Now, that's not true for a lot of different families,

但並非每個家庭都是這樣，

they can't coordinate very well,

不能好好配合

the younger females don't really know what to do,

年輕母象完全不知道該怎麼辦，

but the older ones will just get down,

年長的雌象就會

kneel down together and pick the baby out.

一起跪下救出小象。

Another thing that's very similar

還有一點很相似，

is the coming of age of teenage boys.

就是男孩們進入青春期的時候。

Male elephants at the age of about 12 to 15.

大約12到15歲的雄象。

The biggest elephant in this photograph here

照片裡最大的大象，

is an elephant who's about the leave the family.

是即將離開家庭的大象。

He gets too big, he gets a little fresh,

牠變得太龐大，太活躍

the adult females had enough of him,

成年的雌象已經受夠了，

but he also is independent,

但牠蠻獨立的，

he wants to go out and play with the guys.

牠想出去跟其他男孩一起玩耍。

So what happens then is that you have this all male society,

這樣就會產生一個全男幫，

very ritual male society.

充滿規矩的全男幫。

Greg is our main dominant bull here,

格雷格是當中的主導，

you can see him in the middle.

牠就在正中間那裡。

He's got a huge posse, his following reveres him.

很是霸氣，跟隨者都很崇拜牠。

And it's very interesting how very good leaders,

有趣的是， 好的領導者，

very good dominant individuals

優秀的主導者

know how to titrate the carrot and the stick.

懷柔和高壓之間拿捏適當。

This guy's a master at it,

這傢伙簡直是高手，

and there's other bullies out there

有其他的惡霸

that want to kind of want to create their own little following,

也想要有自己的一班隨從，

but they can't do it because they're too agressive.

但因為太霸道而失敗了。

And so when he's not around

所以牠們趁格拉格不在的時候，

they try and sweet talk the underlings to come into their fold,

嘗試遊說和誘使其部下加入，

and they actually become less agressive.

它們也會變得比較不霸道。

So it's very interesting to see how politics play out

看著牠們雄性跟雌性的政治角力，

in these male and female societies.

其實很有趣。

Now back to the ladies here.

讓我們回頭來看這群母象。

In a core family group you'll have a mother,

在一個核心家庭裡 會有一個媽媽，

maybe even a grandmother,

甚至會有祖母，

her daughters and all of their offspring,

牠的女兒們和後代，

the male and female calves.

小雄象和小雌象。

And what's very interesting here

有趣的是

is that how character makes a difference.

個性決定差別。

So each matriarch has a very different character.

每一個女族長都有不同的個性。

These two characters are kind of curious,

這兩個有點好奇，

they're uncertain,

牠們很猶豫，

whereas these other two characters are really agressive.

相反地這兩個就很凶悍。

"We're going to charge first, ask questions later."

『先衝了再說』

But then there are also matriarchs that say,

但有些女族長會說

"Forget it! I'm going to run first

『算了，先跑掉

and then figure it out when we're in the bush

然後躲在樹叢裡再策劃

and it's safe."

裡面還很安全呢』

But the wisest matriarch,

但最有智慧的女族長，

the matriarchs that succeed best

也就是在所有研究裡

in all of the studies that have been done,

最成功的女族長，

is the one that assesses the danger

都會先評估險境

and decides is this worth running away from

再決定要逃跑

or is this not a big deal at all.

或者根本就是小事。

Now being social is super important for elephants

那社交能力對於大象 極為重要

and of course right at the beginning,

當然，從一開始，

just like early childhood development,

跟其他的早期的兒童發展一樣，

socialization is very important.

社交活動非常重要。

Bathing together, eating together, playing together,

一起洗澡，一起用餐，一起玩耍，

rough housing, this is all very important

一起喧鬧，這些都對於

for social development.

社會發展非常重要。

And who hasn't tried to beat their sibling

誰沒有嘗試過跟同輩比賽

to the head of the line coming into the water hole?

衝到隊伍前面 來到水池那裡？

And these relationships from the beginning

這些早年的友誼

is just like best friends forever for real.

會持續一輩子。

These females are going to live together for life.

這些雌象會一輩子生活在一起。

Now if it's a male, female they might know each other for life,

如果是一雌一雄， 牠們會相識一輩子，

but it's really important to develop those bonds early on.

提早建立這些感情非常的重要。

Those are the relationships that are going to save you later.

這種友誼日後會救你一命。

I'll show you a little schoolyard scenario here.

我來給你們看看 這小校園的一幕，

Where, I think if you just focus on what's happening here

如果你有注意到的話

you can see that we have the bully,

你會看到這裡有個惡霸，

he's pulling on the trunk of this baby calf,

牠在捉弄這隻小象的鼻子，

and then we have the diplomat

這是外交官

who's reaching over and saying,

伸出鼻子說，

"No, don't do that! Stop doing that!"

『別這樣！住手！』

And then, of course, we have the bystander.

然後呢， 當然還有旁觀者，

And how do you get these three different characters

你要怎麼在家庭裡

within the family?

找到這三種不同的個性？

It's kind of fascinating to think that elephants

當我們想到大象

really are just like us.

跟我們很相似 其實很微妙。

And so I got curious about this

所以我很好奇

and I thought, "Well, what if you measure

我想說 『要不我們去比較

the difference in character of a dominant female's calf

強勢雌象的小象

versus a lower-ranking female's calf,

跟低階雌象的小象 在個性上的差別，

and see what happens in their growing up."

探討牠們個別的成長

And so we started doing this.

所以我們就做了這件事

And you can see this little guy with his ears out,

你看這個小象敞開雙耳，

really charging at you.

向著你衝來。

The difference between that character

這種個性

and the character who holds back,

和這個拘泥的，

wants to touch mom,

想要粘著媽媽的個性，

isn't so certain about what's going on here.

牠不太清楚是什麼狀況，

But the other one's charging ahead all confident.

但這頭向前衝的 是充滿自信。

Well, we started measuring how far away

我們開始測量

a calf will stray from mom,

小象的活動範圍 離媽媽多遠，

how often do they touch others,

有多常觸碰其他象，

how often do they initiate play,

有多常主動跟其他大象嬉戲，

and then look at the dominance of the females, of their mothers.

然後再觀察牠們媽媽的主導性

And what we found is that socializing with the dominant calves

而我們發現強勢母象的小象

actually socialize more significantly more than the lower-ranking calves.

比低位階母象的小象 更善於跟人家互動

And what it looks like is

看起來

it's not that the lower-ranking calves don't want to play,

好像低位階小象不想要玩耍

they're actually not allowed to interact

其實它們是不被允許

with the higher-ranking calves.

跟高位階的小象互動。

They get swatted away from the dominant females.

牠們會被強勢母象推到一邊去，

and so this is kind of the downside of,

這大概就是缺點，

okay we are very much like elephants,

好吧我們其實跟大像很相似，

elephants are as much like us,

大像也跟我們很類似，

but it's kind of for better or for worse

不管是好是壞

because I can also see this happening in humans

在人類群體中也會發生這樣的事

and maybe we should take a lesson from that.

我們或許可以從中學到什麼。

One last thing that we found

我們也發現到最後一樣東西

is that the males will be the risk-takers,

就是雄象常常會冒險，

they're more independent

比較獨立

and they're more likely to spend more time away from mom.

似乎離開媽媽的身邊時間較長。

And that's very true in human societies

這在我們的社會中也很真實，

and with other social animals.

其他的社會性動物也一樣。

So I hope I've convinced you

所以我希望我成功說服你們

that we have very similar lives to elephants

我們的生活 類似大象的

and that elephants have very individual, durable

還有多年以來的研究發現

characters that we've measured across years.

大像是很獨立跟能耐的。

The bully always tends to be the bully

惡霸往往是惡霸

unless there's some kind of social upset,

除非有一些動亂發生，

and he decides he better be a softy

牠可能會選擇比較溫和一點

or else he's not going to gain favor at all.

不然牠不會得到任何好處。

And then you have the gentle giants

然後那些溫和的巨象

that are always going to be gentle.

往往一直都是溫和的。

The young males really need mentoring from the elders,

年輕的雄象需要年長大象的輔導，

and those gentle giants are very good at doing that,

而溫和的巨象很擅長這點，

soliciting them.

對牠們循循善誘。

Leaving family is a really hard things for the males,

對雄象而言 離開家庭去生活很困難，

but they survive and they figure out who to hang out with.

但牠們還是活過來了 也找到同伴。

So, just to end here, I just wanted to say that

總而言之，我想說的是

since they are so similar to us,

既然大象跟我們那麼的相似，

and have these characters,

又有著這些個性，

I hope when you see them on TV

我希望你在電視上看到牠們時

or you go out and you're lucky enough to see them in the wild,

或者你夠幸運 能在野外目睹牠們，

that maybe you'll think of them

你或許就會認為牠們

as individual characters deserving of our attention,

是值得我們關注

and also deserving of our protection. Thank you.

也需要我們的保護。謝謝！