How we found the giant squid | Edith Widder

Translator: Joseph Geni Reviewer: Morton Bast

翻译人员: Jiewei Zhang 校对人员: Wei Wu

The Kraken, a beast so terrifying

北海巨妖，一只恐怖的野兽，

it was said to devour men and ships and whales,

据说它吞食活人、船只和鲸鱼，

and so enormous it could be mistaken for an island.

并且它是如此巨大以至于会被误认为是一座小岛。

In assessing the merits of such tales,

在评估这样的故事的真实性时，

it's probably wise to keep in mind that old sailor's saw

聪明的做法也许是谨记着老水手

that the only difference between a fairytale and a sea story

对童话和海洋传说的区别的看法

is a fairytale begins, "Once upon a time,"

是童话往往这样开始：“很久以前……”

and a sea story begins, "This ain't no shit." (Laughter)

而一个海洋传说会这样开始：“这不是胡扯。”（笑）

Every fish that gets away

每次讲一个关于跑掉的鱼的故事时，

grows with every telling of the tale.

这条鱼都会随着故事讲的次数而变大。

Nevertheless, there are giants in the ocean,

然而大海中也有巨人，

and we now have video proof,

并且现在我们有了视频为证，

as those of you that saw the Discovery Channel documentary are no doubt aware.

如果你们看过探索频道的纪录片，那肯定知道这个。

I was one of the three scientists on this expedition

我是参与探索旅程的三位科学家之一，

that took place last summer off Japan.

这次旅程于去年夏天在日本开展。

I'm the short one.

我是照片里最矮的那个。

The other two are Dr. Tsunemi Kubodera and Dr. Steve O'Shea.

其他两位是窪寺恒己博士和史蒂夫·欧谢伊博士。

I owe my participation in this now-historic event

我能参与到这个历史性的事件中来

to TED.

这还要感谢 TED。

In 2010, there was a TED event called Mission Blue

2010年有一场TED活动叫做“蓝色使命”

held aboard the Lindblad Explorer in the Galapagos

这场活动在停靠于加拉帕戈斯群岛的林德布拉德探险者号上进行

as part of the fulfillment of Sylvia Earle's TED wish.

作为西尔维亚·厄尔的“TED愿望”的一部分。

I spoke about a new way of exploring the ocean,

我讲了探索海洋的新途径，

one that focuses on attracting animals instead of scaring them away.

其中一个重点是要吸引动物而不是将它们吓跑。

Mike deGruy was also invited,

麦克· 德葛鲁也被邀请了，

and he spoke with great passion about his love of the ocean,

他很有激情的讲了他对大海的热爱

and he also talked to me about applying my approach

并且他还讲到了应用我的方法

to something he's been involved with for a very long time,

到一些他参与很久的项目中来，

which is the hunt for the giant squid.

那就是寻找巨型乌贼。

It was Mike that got me invited to the squid summit,

是迈克让我能受邀参加乌贼研讨峰会，

a gathering of squid experts at the Discovery Channel

那是在那个夏天的鲨鱼周中

that summer during Shark Week. (Laughter)

在探索频道开展的一次乌贼专家聚会。（笑声）

I gave a talk on unobtrusive viewing

我发表了一个关于非介入观察

and optical luring of deep sea squid

和使用光诱饵吸引深海乌贼的演讲。

in which I emphasized the importance

我强调了探索应采用

of using quiet, unobtrusive platforms for exploration.

无声、非介入的平台。

This came out of hundreds of dives I have made,

这个结论源自我几百次的潜水活动，

farting around in the dark

使用这些平台

using these platforms,

在黑暗中四处观察

and my impression that I saw more animals

给我的印象是从潜水器中观察

working from the submersible

比我使用远程遥控潜艇

than I did with either of the remote-operated vehicles.

能够看到更多的动物。

But that could just be because the submersible has a wider field of view.

但这可能只是因为潜水器具有更广阔的视角。

But I also felt like I saw more animals

另外我还发觉使用蒂伯龙潜艇比温塔娜潜艇

working with the Tiburon than the Ventana,

我观察到了更多的动物，

two vehicles with the same field of view

两种潜艇的视野相同

but different propulsion systems.

但采用了不同的推进系统。

So my suspicion was that it might have something to do with the amount of noise they make.

所以我怀疑这可能跟他们产生的噪音大小有关。

So I set up a hydrophone on the bottom of the ocean,

因此我在海底安置了一个水听器，

and I had each of these fly by at the same speed and distance

然后我让每一个潜艇以同样的速度和距离经过

and recorded the sound they made.

并记录它们发出的声音。

The Johnson Sea-Link -- (whirring noise) --

约翰逊深海链接潜艇 ---（呼呼声噪音）

which you can probably just barely hear here,

的声音可能只能被勉强听到，

uses electric thrusters -- very, very quiet.

它使用的是电动推进器 --- 非常、 非常安静。

The Tiburon also uses electric powered thrusters.

蒂伯龙潜艇使用的也是电动推进器。

It's also pretty quiet, but a bit noisier. (Louder whirring noise)

它也相当安静，但是噪音要稍大一点。（稍大的呼呼声噪音）

But most deep-diving ROVs these days use hydraulics

但目前能潜到最深的那些远程遥控潜艇大多使用的是液压驱动系统

and they sound like the Ventana. (Loud beeping noise)

它们的声音与温塔娜潜艇的一样。（大声蜂鸣音噪音）

I think that's got to be scaring a lot of animals away.

我认为它的声音会吓跑很多的动物。

So for the deep sea squid hunt,

所以对于深海乌贼的探索，

I proposed using an optical lure

我建议使用光诱饵，

attached to a camera platform

将光源安装到一个没有推进器、没有发动机

with no thrusters, no motors,

的相机平台上，

just a battery-powered camera,

只有一个电池驱动的相机，

and the only illumination coming from red light

并且唯一的光源来自红光

that's invisible to most deep-sea animals

红光是大部分的深海生物无法看到的

that are adapted to see primarily blue.

它们适应了只能主要看到蓝色光。

That's visible to our eye,

这对我们是可见的，

but it's the equivalent of infrared in the deep sea.

但它相当于深海中的红外线。

So this camera platform, which we called the Medusa,

所以这个我们称之为美杜沙的相机平台

could just be thrown off the back of the ship,

可以直接从船后方扔到水中，

attached to a float at the surface with over 2,000 feet of line,

平台用长于610米的绳索连在船上，

it would just float around passively carried by the currents,

它会被动地由洋流驱使在周围漂流，

and the only light visible to the animals in the deep

深海中动物们唯一可看见的光

would be the blue light of the optical lure,

是光诱饵所发出的蓝色光，

which we called the electronic jellyfish, or e-jelly,

我们将其称之为电子水母，

because it was designed to imitate

因为它的设计是模仿

the bioluminescent display

常见的深海棕色水母

of the common deep sea jellyfish Atolla.

所发出的生物光。

Now, this pinwheel of light that the Atolla produces

棕色水母所发出的这种旋转光

is known as a bioluminescent burglar alarm

被认为是一种生物光报警

and is a form of defense.

和一种防御形式。

The reason that the electronic jellyfish worked as a lure

电子水母能成为诱饵的原因

is not because giant squid eat jellyfish,

不是因为巨型乌贼捕食水母，

but it's because this jellyfish only resorts to producing this light

而是因为这种水母只会在它被捕食者咀嚼的时候

when it's being chewed on by a predator

发出这种光，

and its only hope for escape

水母唯一可以逃生的希望

may be to attract the attention of a larger predator

是吸引到更大型捕食者的注意，

that will attack its attacker

这样它就会攻击水母的捕食者

and thereby afford it an opportunity for escape.

从而让水母有机会逃跑。

It's a scream for help, a last-ditch attempt for escape,

这是呼唤帮助的尖叫，逃跑的最后希望，

and a common form of defense in the deep sea.

也是深海中一种常见的防御形式。

The approach worked.

这个方法是有效的。

Whereas all previous expeditions had failed to garner

之前所有的探索活动都没能成功获得

a single video glimpse of the giant,

巨型乌贼的影像资料，

we managed six, and the first triggered wild excitement.

而我们成功录了六段视频，第一次拍到巨型乌贼的视频时我们兴奋极了。

Edith Widder (on video): Oh my God. Oh my God! Are you kidding me?Other scientists: Oh ho ho! That's just hanging there.

（视频中） 伊迪丝 · 维达： 哦，我的上帝。哦，我的上帝！你在跟我开玩笑吗？其他科学家： 哦呵呵！就在那里。

EW: It was like it was teasing us, doing a kind of fan dance --

就像它在戏弄我们，跳着一种有趣的舞蹈 ---

now you see me, now you don't --

现在你看到我，现在你又看不到我了 ---

and we had four such teasing appearances,

我们先看到了四次这样的“戏弄”，

and then on the fifth, it came in and totally wowed us.

然后第五次时，它靠近了并完全震撼了我们。”

(Music) Narrator: (Speaking in Japanese)

（音乐）讲述人：（日语）

Scientists: Ooh. Bang! Oh my God! Whoa!

科学家们： “哦，砰 ！哦，我的上帝！哇噻 ！”

(Applause)

（掌声）

EW: The full monty.

完全的震撼。

What really wowed me about that

让我真正震撼的是

was the way it came in up over the e-jelly

它来到电子水母上来的方式

and then attacked the enormous thing next to it,

然后攻击电子水母旁边的巨大东西，

which I think it mistook for the predator on the e-jelly.

我认为它误认为电子水母上面的是水母的捕食者。

But even more incredible was the footage shot

但更令人难以置信的是

from the Triton submersible.

从特里顿潜水器里拍摄的镜头。

What was not mentioned in the Discovery documentary

探索频道纪录片里没有提到的是

was that the bait squid that Dr. Kubodera used,

窪寺恒己博士使用的诱饵乌贼：

a one-meter long diamondback squid

一只一米长的菱鳍乌贼

had a light attached to it, a squid jig

用延绳捕鱼的渔夫使用的乌贼挂钩

of the type that longline fishermen use,

将光源附到它身上，

and I think it was this light

我认为正是这个光

that brought the giant in.

吸引到了巨型乌贼。

Now, what you're seeing

现在你们看到的是

is the intensified camera's view under red light,

高敏感相机使用红色光录下的影像，

and that's all Dr. Kubodera could see when the giant comes in here.

这是窪寺恒己博士在巨型乌贼出现在这里时所看到的全部。

And then he got so excited,

然后他变得如此兴奋

he turned on his flashlight because he wanted to see better,

他打开了他的手电想看的更清楚些，

and the giant didn't run away,

并且巨型乌贼没有逃跑，

so he risked turning on the white lights on the submersible,

因此他冒着风险打开了潜水器上的所有白色光，

bringing a creature of legend

把一种传说中的生物

from the misty history into high-resolution video.

从朦胧的历史变成了高清晰视频。

It was absolutely breathtaking,

它是如此的惊人，

and had this animal had its feeding tentacles intact

如果这个生物将它的捕食触手

and fully extended,

完全伸展开的话，

it would have been as tall as a two-story house.

它会有两层楼那样高。

How could something that big

为什么如此巨大的东西

live in our ocean and yet remain unfilmed until now?

生活在我们的海洋但直到现在才被拍摄到呢？

We've only explored about five percent of our ocean.

我们目前只探索了海洋的大约5%。

There are great discoveries yet to be made down there,

很多伟大的发现将会出现在水下，

fantastic creatures representing millions of years of evolution

代表数百万年的进化过程的伟大生物们

and possibly bioactive compounds

和很可能发现的生物活性化合物

that could benefit us in ways that we can't even yet imagine.

这些发现可能会带给我们无法想象的好处。

Yet we have spent only a tiny fraction

然而相较于宇宙探索

of the money on ocean exploration

我们只花了一小部分钱

that we've spent on space exploration.

用于海洋探索。

We need a NASA-like organization for ocean exploration,

我们需要一个类似美国国家航空航天局的组织来探索海洋，

because we need to be exploring and protecting

因为我们需要探索和保护

our life support systems here on Earth.

地球上的我们的生命支持系统。

We need — thank you. (Applause)

我们需要 --- 谢谢。（掌声）

Exploration is the engine that drives innovation.

探索是推动创新的引擎。

Innovation drives economic growth.

创新驱动着经济增长。

So let's all go exploring,

所以让我们一起去探索吧，

but let's do it in a way that doesn't scare the animals away,

但是让我们要用一种不会吓跑动物们的方式，

or, as Mike deGruy once said,

或者如麦克· 德葛鲁曾经说过的：

"If you want to get away from it all

“如果你想要摆脱一切

and see something you've never seen,

并且看到一些你从未见过的东西，

or have an excellent chance of seeing something that no one's ever seen,

或有绝佳的机会看到一些前所未见的东西，

get in a sub."

那么下到潜水艇里吧。“

He should have been with us for this adventure.

他本应和我们一起进行这次冒险。

We miss him.

我们缅怀他。

(Applause)

（掌声）