The Luminous Mystery of Fireflies | Wan Faridah Akmal Jusoh | TED

翻译人员: Tianyun Liu 校对人员: Bruce Wang

I was born in Terengganu,

我出生在登嘉楼，

a beautiful coastal state in Peninsular Malaysia.

这是在马来西亚半岛的一个美丽的沿海州。

Growing up in a superstitious, conservative community,

在一个迷信、 保守的社区长大，

my siblings and I always had to follow the strangest rules

我和兄弟姐妹总是要遵循最奇怪的规则，

that usually didn't make sense to me.

而这些规则通常对我来说是没有意义的。

Things like: don't whistle in the house,

比如：不要在屋里吹口哨，

no nail clipping at night.

晚上不要剪指甲。

And whenever we went out to play,

每当我们出去玩时，

we had to return home before sunset

我们都必须在日落之前

or before it got dark.

或天黑之前回家。

This particular rule made the night seem mysterious to me.

这个特殊的规则 使夜晚对我来说显得神秘。

I spent my school year admiring the dark,

我整个学年都在欣赏黑暗，

but never got around to really exploring it.

但从来没有真正 去探索黑暗。

As I got older, I was really drawn to beautiful nature.

随着年龄的增长，我真的被美丽的大自然 所吸引。

While in mangrove forests,

在红树林里，

a forestry officer told me about kelip-kelip.

一位林业官员 向我介绍了kelip-kelip。

A group of insects that can produce light

一组能产生夜间最容易

that are easiest to see at night.

看到的光的昆虫。

Given my limited experience with darkness --

鉴于我在黑暗中的经历 有限——

(Laughter)

（笑声）

I decided to take a boat ride across the mangrove estuary one night

有一天晚上我决定乘船 穿越红树林河口，

just to see what they look like.

只是为了看看它们长什么样。

Well, the first 15 minutes of the journey was frightening.

好吧，旅程的前15分钟太可怕了。

It was pitch-black out there, and the river was choppy.

那里一片漆黑， 河水波涛汹涌。

All I could hear was a faint breeze.

我所能听到的只是一阵微风。

As the river began to narrow,

当河流开始变窄时，

it was then that I noticed a mesmerizing sight.

我注意到了 一个迷人的景象。

Countless tiny flashes of light started to flicker on the trees,

无数的微小闪光芒开始在树上闪烁，

all flashing in almost perfect unison.

全部闪烁得几乎完美无缺。

It was as if they were dancing to their own beat.

好像他们在按照自己的节拍跳舞一样。

That is the moment I will never forget.

那是我永远不会忘记的时刻。

The moment I officially fell in love with kelip-kelip,

当我正式 爱上kelip-kelip的那一刻，英语中

known as fireflies in English.

被称为萤火虫。

(Laughter)

（笑声）

The rest is history.

剩下的就是历史了。

Now, I have been researching fireflies for more than 17 years,

现在，我研究萤火虫已经超过17年了，

and I plan to spend my life

我计划花一生的时间来

uncovering and supporting the worlds of these creatures.

发现和支持 这些生物的世界。

(Applause)

（掌声）

There are more than 2,000 firefly species that we know of,

我们知道的 萤火虫有2,000多种物种，

and they live all over the world.

它们生活在世界各地。

They are found in every continent except for Antarctica.

它们存在于 除南极洲以外的所有大陆。

Most of them have wings, and most species can emit light.

它们中的大多数都有翅膀， 大多数物种可以发光。

The light is produced by special organs under their abdomens,

而光是由腹部下方的 特殊器官产生的，

and each species has its own unique light pattern.

每个物种 都有自己独特的光线图案。

Some glow continuously,

有些会持续发光，

while others emit discreet flashing patterns,

而另一些则会发出 隐蔽的闪光图案，

almost like a secret code.

几乎就像密码一样。

Fireflies are so much more than just pretty lights.

萤火虫 不仅仅是漂亮的灯光。

They are an essential part of a healthy ecosystem.

它们是健康的生态系统的 重要组成部分。

The life cycle of fireflies

萤火虫的生命周期使生态系统

keeps the ecosystem balanced.

保持平衡。

Each firefly species in its [respective] life stage

每种处于 [相应] 生命阶段的萤火虫物种

has specific needs for a habitat to thrive.

都有特定的栖息地才能茁壮成长。

They act as bioindicator

它们充当生物指标，

to ascertain whether a particular habitat is healthy or not.

以确定 特定栖息地是否健康。

For example, in a mangrove forest,

例如，在红树林中，

when you see a population of fireflies decreasing,

当你看到萤火虫 数量减少时，

that could be due to water quality degradation,

这可能是由于 水质退化所致，

which can be a sign of a collapsing food chain.

这可能是食物链崩溃的标志。

Why? Because firefly larvae eat snails,

为什么？因为萤火虫幼虫吃蜗牛，

and snails need good water quality to thrive.

而蜗牛需要良好的水质才能茁壮成长。

In terrestrial habitats,

在陆地栖息地中，

firefly population declines can be attributed to light pollution.

萤火虫种群的减少 可以归因于光污染。

They are extremely sensitive to artificial light

它们对人造光极其敏感，

because this type of light

因为这种类型的光

can disorient, repel

会使它们迷失方向、排斥

or blind them.

或失明。

So most of the time when you see a decline in firefly population,

因此，在大多数情况下， 当你看到萤火虫数量减少时，

you can bet other species that live in the same habitat

你可以打赌生活在发现和萤火虫生活在

in which fireflies are found are also declining.

同一栖息地的其他物种也在减少。

This is indicative of an unhealthy ecosystem.

这表明生态系统的不健康。

This is bad for us, humans, too.

这对我们，人类也同样不宜。

It is a sign of overdevelopment

这是过度开发的标志，

that can induce climate effects such as flood and drought.

可能引发洪水和干旱等气候影响。

As I delve deeper into the world of fireflies,

当我深入探索萤火虫的世界时，

I can't help but wonder

我不禁想知道摆在

the fascinating mysteries that unfolded before me.

我面前的迷人奥秘。

It amazed me to learn that some firefly species

令我惊讶的是， 有些萤火虫物种

prefer to fly solo in forests,

更喜欢在森林中独自飞行，

searching for light signals from their nonwinged mates,

从没有翅膀的伙伴那里

while others choose to gather amongst trees

寻找光信号，

where the ocean meets the land.

而另一些则选择聚集在海洋 与陆地交汇的树木中。

Equally intriguing is the fact that some firefly species have larvae

同样有趣的是 ， 一些萤火虫物种的幼虫生活在

that dwell in slow-moving rivers and ponds,

缓慢移动的河流和池塘中，

while others have larvae that stay on land.

而另一些物种的幼虫则停留在陆地上。

I find it inspiring.

我觉得它鼓舞人心。

I find it inspiring to know

得知有这么多未被发现的

that there are so many undiscovered species hiding within them.

物种藏在里面，我感到鼓舞。

Imagine how many more remarkable firefly species

想象一下，还有多少非凡的萤火虫

are waiting to be found.

物种在等着被发现。

And I have always wanted to find them.

而且我一直想找到他们。

(Laughter)

（笑声）

But it can be hard.

但可能很难。

There are other dangerous animals, too, at night.

晚上还有其他危险的动物。

(Laughter)

（笑声）

On one occasion, when I was in a place called Linggi,

有一次，当我在 一个叫Linggi的地方时，

I stopped at a tree with firefly colonies to collect a few specimens.

我在一棵有萤火虫群落的 树前停下来收集一些标本。

When we turned on our headlamps,

当我们打开前照灯时，

we saw a row of red eyes.

我们看到一排红色的眼睛。

And soon we realized

很快我们

that we were surrounded by crocodiles.

意识到我们被鳄鱼包围了。

Audience: Oh!

观众：哦！

Sometimes the discovery of new species

有时，

can be prompted by examining collections

可以通过检查自然历史博物馆的藏品

in the Natural History Museum.

来提示新物种的发现。

In 2016, I went to Singapore

2016年，我去了新加坡，

and studied a firefly collection from Southeast Asia

在李光谦自然历史博物馆研究了东南亚的

at Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum.

萤火虫藏品。

I saw a firefly specimen lying in the collection

我看到藏品里有一个萤火虫标本，

that did not match any of the descriptions that I knew of.

它与我所知道 的任何描述都不符。

There’s no name attached to it, and nobody knew what it was.

它上面没有名字， 也没人知道它是什么。

In fact, the first specimen of this unknown species

实际上，这种未知物种的 第一个标本

was collected in 1989.

是在1989年采集的。

That is akin to a human adult living up to 30 years

这类似于一个 活到30岁的人类成年人，

without a name

没有姓名，

and without a proper description of this person.

也没有 对这个人的正确描述。

(Laughter)

（笑声）

So my colleagues and I in 2018 went on a mission.

所以我和我的同事 在 2018 年执行了一项任务。

We coordinated the first night survey to the habitat of this unknown firefly,

我们协调了对这只未知萤火虫栖息地的首次夜间调查，

which happens to be the last remaining freshwater swamp in Singapore.

它恰好是新加坡最后剩下的 淡水沼泽。

We spent three hours exploring

我们花了三个小时探索，

only to be greeted by the empty darkness.

却被空旷的黑暗所迎接。

We went home disappointed and tired.

我们回家时既失望又疲倦。

Not to mention dirty and smelly from the mud.

更不用说泥里又脏又臭的了。

We went in again three months later.

三个月后我们又进去了。

Still nothing.

还是什么都没有。

At this point we thought, this is it.

此时我们想，就是这样。

The species is gone for good.

这个物种已经一去不复返了。

However,

但是，

the third time's the charm.

第三次是魅力。

During the third time visit to this swamp,

在第三次参观这片沼泽时，

we saw a few tiny flashes

我们看到一些微小的闪光

start to show up and perch on ferns.

开始出现并栖息在蕨类植物上。

It was such an amazing feeling

那是一种奇妙的感受

despite having to wade through the muddy, swampy waters

尽管不得不在泥泞的沼泽水域中涉水

and being feasted on by mosquitoes.

并被蚊子吸食，但这种感觉还是很神奇的。

The itchiness was still worth it.

这种瘙痒还是值得的。

(Laughter)

（笑声）

After two years of additional data collection and analysis,

经过两年的额外 数据收集和分析，

we confirmed that this unknown firefly species was new to science.

我们证实了这种未知的 萤火虫物种是科学界的新物种。

(Applause)

（掌声）

It was also the first time since over a century

这也是一个多世纪 以来首次发现

that a new species of firefly,

一种新的萤火虫，

a luminous firefly from Singapore, was found.

一种来自新加坡的发光萤火虫。

And so we named it Luciola singapura.

所以我们把它命名为 Luciola singapura。

There is a Malay saying.

有一句马来谚语。

(Speaks Malay)

（说马来语）

"If you are going to reach into the pickle jar,

“如果你要把手伸进泡菜罐，

might as well put your whole arm in."

不妨把整只手臂伸进去。”

(Laughter)

（笑声）

The further I have gone into this work as researcher and educator

我作为马来西亚莫纳什大学生物 多样性和保护领域的

in the field of biodiversity and conservation

研究员和教育家，

at Monash University Malaysia,

在这项工作中走得越远，

the more passionate I have become.

我的热情就越强。

I have transformed from a girl, a curious girl,

我已经从一个女孩，一个好奇的女孩，

wanting to know what kelip-kelip is,

想知道 kelip-kelip 是什么，变成了一个

to a driven scientist

致力于

committed to safeguarding the fireflies of the world.

保护世界萤火虫的积极科学家。

The problem is that firefly habitats are disappearing fast.

但问题在于：萤火虫的栖息地正在迅速消失。

We are now in a race against time to name species before they disappear.

我们现在正在与时间赛跑， 在物种消失之前为其命名。

I am a cochair of the IUCN Firefly Specialist Group,

我是世界自然保护联盟 萤火虫专家组的共同主席，

but it is also my personal mission

但我个人的使命

to collaborate, to work together with firefly lovers and stakeholders

是合作，与萤火虫爱好者和利益相关者合作，

to identify and conserve threatened firefly species everywhere.

识别和保护世界各地受威胁的萤火虫物种。

Here's a flash of hope.

这是一线希望。

Join me on this journey if you are keen.

如果你热衷的话，可以和我一起踏上这段旅程。

Fireflies need your help

萤火虫在最后一次闪烁

before they flash that one last time.

之前需要你的帮助。

Thank you.

谢谢。

(Applause)

（掌声）