Sloths! The strange life of the world's slowest mammal | Lucy Cooke

翻译人员: jacks peng 校对人员: Hanlin Wang

Hello.

大家好。

Well, I'm here to talk to you about my animal muse:

我今天想和大家讲讲 我的动物界缪斯：

the sloth.

树懒。

(Laughter)

（笑声）

I've been documenting the strange lives of the world's slowest mammal

我一直在记录这个世界上 最慢的哺乳动物的奇特生活，

for the last 10 years.

并持续了十年之久。

I still remember the first time I saw one.

我仍然记得第一次见到树懒时的情景。

I was fascinated by their freaky biology.

我被它们怪异的生物特点迷住了。

换句话说，有什么理由不去喜爱一种

I mean, what's not to love about an animal that's born

with a fixed grin on its face?

天生会咧嘴笑的动物呢？

(Laughter)

（笑声）

And the need to hug.

而且它们生来就想去拥抱。

Audience: Awww.

观众：噢。

But sloths are massively misunderstood.

但是树懒被深深地误解了。

They've been saddled with a name that speaks of sin

它们背负着罪恶的名声，

and damned for their languorous lifestyle,

并因懒散的生活方式而受到谴责，

which people seem to think has no place amongst the fittest

在快节奏的生存竞争中， 人们似乎认为

in the fast-paced race for survival.

这种动物不可能生存下去。

Well, I'm here to tell you that we've got this animal all wrong --

我想要告诉大家的是， 我们完完全全误解了它，

and how understanding the truth about the sloth

理解关于树懒的事实

may help save us and this planet we both call home.

也许会帮助我们拯救 这个家一般的星球。

I traced sloth-based slander

对树懒的诽谤可以追溯到

back to a Spanish conquistador called Valdés,

一位名叫瓦尔德斯的 西班牙征服者那里，

who gave the first description of a sloth in his encyclopedia of the New World.

他在自己的《新世界百科全书》中 首次对树懒进行了描述。

He said the sloth was

他说树懒是

"the stupidest animal that can be found in the world ...

“世界上已知的最愚蠢的动物…

I have never seen such an ugly animal or one that is more useless."

我从没见过如此丑陋 或更一无是处的动物。”

(Laughter)

（笑声）

Tell us what you really think, Valdés.

瓦尔德斯，请告诉我们你的真实想法。

(Laughter)

（笑声）

I'd like to have a word about Valdés's drawing skills.

我想对瓦尔德斯的绘画技术评论几句。

(Laughter)

（笑声）

I mean, what is that?

更直白点说，这画的是什么啊？

(Laughter)

（笑声）

I've never seen an illustration of a sloth that's more useless.

我从未见过比这更没价值的树懒画像了。

(Laughter)

(笑声)

But I mean, on the plus side,

但往好处想，

he has given the sloth a remarkably humanlike face,

他给了树懒一张和人类相似的脸，

and sloths do have remarkably humanlike faces.

而树懒的脸的确非常像人脸。

This sloth I photographed in Costa Rica, I think looks a lot like Ringo Starr.

我在哥斯达黎加拍摄的这只树懒， 长得很像林戈·斯塔尔。

（笑声）

(Laughter)

But then, sloths do bear an uncanny resemblance to the The Beatles.

但树懒和披头士乐队之间 确实有着不可思议的相似之处。

(Laughter)

（笑声）

Particularly pleased with Paul, actually, on there.

尤其是这只像保罗的树懒。

But like The Beatles, sloths are also extremely successful.

但就像披头士乐队那样， 树懒同样非常成功。

They come from an ancient line of mammals, and there were once dozens of species

它们起源于一种古老的哺乳动物系， 其中曾包含多个物种，

including the giant ground sloth, which was the size of a small elephant

包括大地懒，它有一头小象那么大，

and one of the only animals big enough to eat avocado pits whole

是为数不多的大到能吃下整个牛油果

and disperse them.

并传播其种子的动物之一。

So ... (Laughter)

所以… （笑声）

Some of you have worked it out already.

你们有些人已经意识到了。

(Laughter)

（笑声）

That means that without sloths,

这意味着若没有树懒，

there might be no avocado on toast today,

如今的吐司上可能就没有牛油果，

leaving hipsters everywhere totally bereft at breakfast.

这会让各地的嬉皮士在 吃早餐时顿失乐趣。

(Laughter)

（笑声）

(Applause)

（掌声）

Today, there are six surviving species, and they fall into two groups.

如今，有六种存活的树懒物种， 它们可以被分为两类。

You've got your Bradypus three-toed sloths,

其中有三趾树懒，

they're the ones with the Beatles haircuts and the Mona Lisa smiles.

它们拥有披头士的发型 和蒙娜丽莎的微笑。

Then, there are the two-toed sloths.

另外还有两趾树懒。

They look a little bit more like a cross between a Wookiee and a pig.

它们看起来更像是 伍基人和猪的杂交品种。

They live in the jungles of Central and South America,

它们生活在中美洲和南美洲的丛林里，

and they're extremely prolific.

并且数量众多。

There was a survey that was done in the 1970s

曾经有项针对1970年代

in a Panamanian tropical forest

巴拿马热带森林的研究，

that found that sloths were the most numerically abundant large animal.

发现树懒是数量最多的大型动物。

They took up one quarter of the mammalian biomass.

它们占据了哺乳动物生物量的四分之一。

树懒的数量实在惊人，

Now, that's an awful lot of sloths

and suggests they're doing something very right indeed.

这意味着它们确实有正确的生存之道。

So what if, rather than deriding the sloth for being different,

所以，与其嘲笑树懒的与众不同，

我们向它们取点经也许会更好？

we tried to learn from it instead?

We humans are obsessed with speed.

我们人类痴迷于速度。

Busyness is a badge of honor,

忙碌是荣誉的勋章，

and convenience trumps quality in our quest for quick.

当我们追求快捷时， 便利胜过质量。

Our addiction to the express life is choking us and the planet.

我们对快节奏生活的沉迷 正在使我们和这个星球窒息。

We idolize animals like the cheetah, the "Ferrari of the animal kingdom,"

我们崇拜像猎豹这样的动物， “动物王国的法拉利”

capable of doing naught to 60 in three seconds flat.

能在三秒内完成从0到60的加速动作。

Well, so what?

但这又怎样？

(Laughter)

（笑声）

（掌声）

(Applause)

So what?

又能怎样？

The sloth, on the other hand,

树懒却截然不同，

can reach a leisurely 17 feet a minute

在风的助推下，它可以达到

with the wind behind it.

每分钟17英尺的速度。

(Laughter)

（笑声）

But being fast is costly.

但高速需要付出高昂的代价。

The cheetah is speedy, but at the expense of strength.

猎豹速度很快，但需要牺牲力量。

They can't risk getting in a fight,

它们不能冒险打架，

so they lose one in nine kills to tougher predators like hyenas.

因此，它们九次捕猎中会有一次 输给鬣狗等更优秀的掠食者。

No wonder they're laughing.

难怪它们在发笑。

(Laughter)

（笑声）

The sloth, on the other hand,

树懒则完全相反，

has taken a more stealthy approach to dinner.

采取了一种更隐秘的方式去进食。

They survive by capturing and consuming

它们通过捕获和食用

static leaves.

静态的叶子来生存。

(Laughter)

（笑声）

But you see, leaves don't want to be eaten any more than antelope do,

但是想想看， 树叶不愿意像羚羊那样被吃掉，

so they're loaded full of toxins and very hard to digest.

所以叶子中富含毒素，很难被消化。

So in order to consume them,

为了消化树叶，

the sloth has also had to become an athlete --

树懒也不得不成为一名运动员——

a digesting athlete.

一名消化运动员。

(Laughter)

（笑声）

The sloth's secret weapon is a four-chambered stomach

树懒的秘密武器是一个四腔胃

and plenty of time.

和大量的时间。

They have the slowest digestion rate of any mammal.

它们的消化速度 是所有哺乳动物中最慢的。

And it can take up to a month to process a single leaf,

它们会花上一个月的时间 去消化一片树叶，

which gives their liver plenty of time to process those toxins.

这让它们的肝脏有足够的时间 来处理这些毒素。

So, sloths aren't lazy.

所以树懒并不懒。

No, they're busy.

相反，它们很忙碌。

Digesting.

忙着消化。

(Laughter)

（笑声）

Yeah, really busy.

是的，非常忙。

(Laughter)

（笑声）

Hard at work, that sloth, very hard at work.

努力工作，这只树懒， 它正在非常努力地工作。

And of course, leaves have little calorific value,

当然，树叶没有多少热量，

so sloths have evolved to spend as little energy as possible.

所以树懒已经进化到 在消化时消耗尽可能少的能量。

They do about 10 percent of the work of a similar-sized mammal

它们所消耗的能量只相当于 类似大小的哺乳动物的10%，

and survive on as little as 100 calories a day,

并且每天只摄入100卡路里，

这都要归功于其独特的适应力。

thanks to some ingenious adaptations.

The Bradypus, three-toed sloths,

慢性子的三趾树懒，

they've got more neck bones than any other mammal,

它们的颈骨比任何哺乳动物都要多，

even a giraffe.

甚至比长颈鹿还多。

Which means they can turn their head through 270 degrees

这意味着它们可以270度地转头，

and graze all around them,

观察周围的情况，

without having to actually bother with the effort of moving their body.

无需费力去移动身体。

(Laughter)

（笑声）

It also means that they are surprisingly good swimmers.

这也意味着它们是惊人的游泳好手。

Sloths can bob along in water

树懒能在水中快速移动，

three times faster than they can move on land,

其速度比陆地移动速度快三倍，

kept afloat by ...

因胃胀气

trapped wind.

而浮动。

(Laughter)

（笑声）

So --

所以…

(Laughter)

（笑声）

sloths are the only mammal that we know of that don't do flatulence.

树懒是我们已知的唯一一种 不会肠胃胀气的哺乳动物。

When they need to expel gas,

当它们需要排出气体时，

it's actually reabsorbed into their bloodstream

气体实际上会被重新吸收到血液中，

and expelled orally as a sort of mouth fart.

然后作为一种“口腔屁”从口排出。

(Laughter)

（笑声）

Turning their lives upside down saves further energy.

它们倒挂的生活方式 可以节省更多的能量。

They have about half the skeletal muscle of a terrestrial mammal.

它们的骨骼肌大约为 陆地哺乳动物的一半。

They don't really have so many of the extensor muscles

它们并没有那么多的伸肌，

that are the weight-bearing muscles;

也就是负重肌；

instead, they rely on retractor muscles to pull themselves along.

取而代之的， 它们依靠牵缩肌来拉动自己。

They have long, hooked claws and a high fatigue resistance,

它们有长长的、钩状的爪子 和很强的抗疲劳能力，

so they can literally hook on and hang like a happy, hairy hammock

所以它们可以像快乐的毛茸茸吊床一样，

for hours on end.

一挂就是好几个小时。

And sloths can do almost anything in this inverted position.

树懒在倒挂时 几乎可以做任何事情。

They sleep, eat and even give birth.

它们可以睡觉，吃饭，甚至生育。

Their throat and blood vessels are uniquely adapted

它们独特的喉咙和血管，

to pump blood and to swallow food against the force of gravity.

能够克服重力地 输送血液和吞咽食物。

They have sticky bits on their ribs

它们的肋骨上有粘性物质，

可以防止巨大的胃挤压肺部。

that prevent their enormous stomach from crushing their lungs.

And their fur grows the opposite direction,

它们的皮毛逆向生长，

so they can drip dry after a tropical drenching.

所以在热带地区淋湿后水可以滴干。

The only problem is, if you turn a sloth the other way up,

唯一的问题是，如果你把树懒倒过来，

gravity removes its dignity.

重力会剥夺它们的尊严。

Audience: Awww.

观众：噢。

They can't hold themselves upright.

它们站不直。

And so they drag their bodies along as if mountaineering on a flat surface.

所以它们拖着身体走， 就像在平地上登山一样。

And I think this is why the early explorers like Valdés

我想这就是为什么像瓦尔德斯 这样的早期的探险家

thought so poorly of them,

对它们误解很深的原因，

because they were observing sloths the wrong way up and out of context.

因为他们观察树懒的方式是错误的， 并且脱离了实际场景。

I've spent many happy hours mesmerized by moving sloths.

在观察树懒移动时， 我度过了很多快乐时光。

Their lack of muscle hasn't impeded their strength or agility.

它们肌肉的匮乏 并没有妨碍力量和灵活性。

Nature's zen masters of mellow move like "Swan Lake" in slow mo --

大自然的禅师们老练的动作 就像慢动作中的“天鹅湖”——

(Laughter)

（笑声）

with the core control of a tai chi master.

并有太极大师一般的核心控制。

This one has fallen asleep mid-move, which is not uncommon.

这只树懒在移动时睡着了， 这并不罕见。

(Laughter)

（笑声）

But you're probably wondering:

但你可能会好奇：

How does a dangling bag of digesting leaves avoid being eaten?

正在消化树叶的倒垂着的树懒 如何避免被吃掉？

Good question.

这是个好问题。

Well, this is one of the sloth's main predators.

这是树懒的主要捕食者之一。

It's the harpy eagle.

美洲角雕。

It can fly at speeds of up to 50 miles per hour,

它能以50英里每小时的速度飞行，

has talons the size of a grizzly bear's,

爪子有灰熊那么大，

razor-sharp eyesight,

视力敏锐，

and that ring of feathers focuses sound

那圈羽毛会使声音汇集，

so that it can hear the slightest leaf rustle.

所以它能听到最细微的树叶沙沙声。

The sloth, on the other hand, has poor hearing, bad eyesight,

树懒却完全相反， 听力糟糕，视力不好，

and running from danger is clearly not an option.

逃离危险显然不是一项可行选择。

No, they survive by wearing an invisibility cloak

不，它们靠穿一件

worthy of Harry Potter.

哈利波特那样的隐形衣生存。

Their fur has grooves that attract moisture

它们的皮毛有吸引水分的凹槽，

and act as tiny hydroponic gardens for algae,

就像海藻的微型水培园，

and they also attract a host of invertebrates.

因此也吸引了大量的无脊椎动物。

So they are their own slow-moving, miniature ecosystem.

所以它们本身便是 缓慢移动的微型生态系统。

They become one with the trees.

它们与树木融为一体。

And we think that their movements are so slow,

我们认为它们的动作非常缓慢，

they slip under the radar of the monstrous harpy

所以能逃过巨大的美洲角雕

as it's flying about the canopy, scanning for action.

在树荫上方盘旋时搜索猎物的雷达。

Sloths are stealth ninjas,

树懒是隐秘的忍者，

and they rarely leave the safety of the canopy --

它们很少离开安全的树荫——

except to defecate,

除了排便时，

which they do about once a week at the base of a tree.

它们每周在树下进行一次排便。

Now, this risky and energetic behavior has long been a mystery,

长期以来，这种冒险而又 充满活力的行为一直是个谜，

and there are lots of theories as to why they do it.

为了研究它们为何如此行动 诞生了很多理论。

But I think they're leaving surreptitious scented messages for potential mates.

但我认为它们是在给潜在的伴侣 留下隐秘的气味信息。

Because, you see, sloths are generally silent, solitary creatures,

因为，试想一下，树懒通常是 沉默又孤独的生物，

except for when the female is in heat.

只有在雌性发情的时候才是例外。

She will climb to the top of a tree and scream for sex.

它们会爬到树顶为交配尖叫。

In D-sharp.

用升D调。

(Laughter)

（笑声）

Don't believe me?

不相信我？

(Sound of sloth scream)

（树懒的尖叫声）

D-sharp.

升D调。

This and only this note will get the male's attention.

只有这个信号才能引起雄性的注意。

It mimics the sound of the kiskadee flycatcher.

它模仿了蝇霸鹟的声音。

So the female remains covert,

所以雌性仍然很隐蔽，

even when yodeling for sex at the top of her lungs.

即便当它们为寻找配偶 放声大叫时也是如此。

Her clandestine booty calls will carry for miles across the canopy,

她隐秘的交配信号将会传至 几英里外的树冠上，

and males will beat a slow path towards her.

雄性便会慢慢靠近。

(Laughter)

（笑声）

I think scented messages in her dung will help send Romeo up the right tree

我想她粪便里的气味信息会 帮助罗密欧爬上正确的树，

这样他就不会浪费宝贵的精力 去攀登错误的树。

so that he doesn't waste precious energy scaling the wrong one.

Sex, by the way, is the only thing that sloths do swiftly.

顺便说一句，交配是树懒唯一 能迅速完成的事情。

I've seen them do it in the wild,

我曾经在野外见过它们交配，

and it's over and done with in a matter of seconds.

几秒钟内就结束了。

But then, why waste precious energy on it,

但，为什么要浪费 这么宝贵的精力在交配上呢，

particularly after that journey?

毕竟花了这么长的旅途？

(Laughter)

（笑声）

Unlike other mammals,

跟其他哺乳动物不同的是，

sloths don't also waste time maintaining a constant warm body temperature.

树懒也不会浪费时间来保持恒温。

Energy from the sun is free,

来自太阳的能量是免费的，

所以它们像蜥蜴一样晒太阳，

so they bask in the sun like lizards

and wear an unusually thick coat for the tropics to keep that heat in.

在热带地区穿一件厚得不寻常 的外套以保持热量。

Sloths have a freakishly low metabolism.

树懒的新陈代谢非常慢。

And we think that this might be one of the reasons

我们认为这可能是

that they can sometimes recover from injuries

它们会从可能会杀死其他动物的伤害中

that would kill most animals.

恢复过来的原因。

This sloth recovered from a double amputation,

这只树懒从截肢中恢复过来，

and I've known sloths that have managed to survive

我还知道有些树懒甚至能在

电源线触电中存活下来。

even power line electrocutions.

And we now think that a low metabolism may well be key to surviving extinction.

我们现在认为，低代谢水平很可能 是物种避免灭绝的关键。

Researchers at Kansas University who were studying mollusks

堪萨斯大学的研究人员 在研究软体动物时发现，

found that a high metabolism predicted which species of mollusk

可通过高新陈代谢预测 哪些种类的软体动物

had gone extinct.

已经灭绝。

Sloths have been around on this planet in one shape or another

树懒在这个星球上以各种形态

for over 40 million years.

存在了4000万年。

The secret to their success is their slothful nature.

它们成功的秘诀在于其懒惰的天性。

They are energy-saving icons.

它们是节能的象征。

And I founded the Sloth Appreciation Society

我成立了树懒欣赏协会，

to both promote and protect their slow, steady, sustainable lives.

以提倡和保护它们缓慢、稳定、 可持续的生活。

I'm a pretty speedy character.

我是个急性子。

I'm sure you've guessed.

我相信你们都猜到了。

And the sloths have taught me a lot about slowing down.

树懒使我明白了很多放慢节奏的好处。

And I think that the planet would benefit

我们认为地球将会因此受益，

if we all took a slowly digested leaf out of their book.

假如我们都从它们的书中 慢慢地消化一片叶的话。

How about we all embrace our inner sloth

我们为何不放慢脚步，

by slowing down,

拥抱内心的懒惰呢？

being more mindful,

更加用心，

reducing wasteful convenience,

减少不必要的便利，

being economical with our energy,

节约能源，

recycling creatively

创造性地回收利用，

and reconnecting with nature.

与自然重新建立联系。

Otherwise, I fear,

否则，我担心，

it will be us humans that turn out to be

我们人类最终才是

"the stupidest animals that can be found in the world."

“地球上已知的最愚蠢的动物。”

Thank you very much.

谢谢！

May the sloth be with you!

愿树懒与你同在！

(Applause)

（掌声）