Jonathan Drori: The beautiful tricks of flowers

譯者: Chien-Ping 洪健彬 Hung 審譯者: Hokila Jan

Do you know

你們知道嗎~~

how many species of flowering plants there are?

這世上到底有多少種類的開花植樹呢？

There are a quarter of a million -- at least those are the ones we know about --

光是我們已知的，就有大約25萬種!!

a quarter of a million species of flowering plants.

25萬種的開花植物....

And flowers are a real bugger.

而花朵真的是個大麻煩,

They're really difficult for plants to produce.

對植物來說，花朵是非常難長出來的，

They take an enormous amount of energy and a lot of resources.

那要耗費極大量的能量和許多的的資源

Why would they go to that bother?

這麼麻煩為什麼還是要做呢？

And the answer of course, like so many things in the world,

這答案正是像世界上許多其它的事情都一樣的，

is sex.

為了"性"

I know what's on your mind when you're looking at these pictures.

嘿嘿~ 我知道當你們在看這些圖片的時候，心裡在想些什麼 :P

And the reason that sexual reproduction is so important --

而有性生殖之所以這麼重要.....

there are lots of other things that plants can do to reproduce.

植物有許多其它(除了有性生殖之外)的方法可以繁殖

You can take cuttings;

你可以用切枝繁殖

they can sort of have sex with themselves;

植物可以和它們自己性愛...

they can pollinate themselves.

自己對自己傳播花粉

But they really need to spread their genes

但其實它們真正需要的，是傳播它們的基因。

to mix with other genes

並和其它的基因混合，

so that they can adapt to environmental niches.

藉此得到生態上的利基，

Evolution works that way.

演化，就是這麼進行的。

Now the way that plants transmit that information

植物用以傳播這個生命訊息的方法

is through pollen.

就是透過授粉

Some of you may have seen some of these pictures before.

也許你們有人曾看過這些照片

As I say, every home should have a scanning electron microscope

就像我說的，每個人家裡都應該放台電子顯微鏡

to be able to see these.

來看這些東西。

And there is as many different kinds of pollen

花粉的種類，

as there are flowering plants.

正如開花植物那樣的多。

And that's actually rather useful for forensics and so on.

而且其實那只對愛好辯論的人有用。

Most pollen that causes hay fever for us

大多數會引起花粉症的花粉

is from plants that use the wind

是從用風力授粉的植物而來

to disseminate the pollen,

傳播花粉

and that's a very inefficient process,

(風力授粉) 是一種非常沒有效益的過程，

which is why it gets up our noses so much.

這也是為什麼它傳這麼多到我們鼻子裡的原因，

Because you have to chuck out masses and masses of it,

因為這植物必需要發出非常非常大量的花粉，

hoping that your sex cells, your male sex cells,

來使性胞子, 這邊特指雄性胞子,

which are held within the pollen,

也就是花粉所攜帶著的，

will somehow reach another flower just by chance.

可以最終有希望到達別的花朵上，

So all the grasses, which means all of the cereal crops,

所以所有的草, 這邊"草"指的是所有的穀類植物，

and most of the trees

和大多數的樹木，

have wind-borne pollen.

有著隨風而散佈的花粉，

But most species

但事實上大多數的種類，

actually use insects to do their bidding,

是靠昆蟲來達到它們的目地，

and that's more intelligent in a way,

從某個角度來說，這是相較之下較聰明的，

because the pollen, they don't need so much of it.

因為它們不需要用這麼多的花粉，

The insects

昆蟲

and other species

和其它的生物，

can take the pollen,

可以帶著花粉，

transfer it directly to where it's required.

把它傳到目的地，

So we're aware, obviously, of the relationship

所以我們可以很明白的發現

between insects and plants.

昆蟲和植物之間的關係

There's a symbiotic relationship there,

那是一種共生的關係，

whether it's flies or birds or bees,

不論是蟲子或是鳥類，

they're getting something in return,

它們都可以從中獲得某些回饋,

and that something in return is generally nectar.

這裡所謂的回饋在大多數的情況下是花蜜，

Sometimes that symbiosis

有時候這種共生關系

has led to wonderful adaptations --

會因著適應生存環境而產生美妙的變化

the hummingbird hawk-moth

蜂鳥鷹一般的長喙,

is beautiful in its adaptation.

就是一種美麗的適應作用

The plant gets something,

植物也得到一些好處

and the hawk-moth spreads the pollen somewhere else.

這鷹一般的長喙把花粉散佈到其它地方時

Plants have evolved

植物已逐步成型

to create little landing strips here and there

用小的降落用的帶狀記號在這個部位和那個部位

for bees that might have lost their way.

讓錯失方向的蜜蜂可以找到

There are markings on many plants

許多植物都有特別的記號

that look like other insects.

看起來就像是其它的昆蟲

These are the anthers of a lily,

這些是百合花的花藥

cleverly done

聰明的構造

so that when the unsuspecting insect

讓不疑有它的昆蟲

lands on it,

停留在上面

the anther flips up and whops it on the back

花藥翻開並拍打在昆蟲的背上

with a great load of pollen that it then goes to another plant with.

讓大量的花粉可以在昆蟲身上並帶去另一棵植物

And there's an orchid

這是一棵蘭花

that might look to you as if it's got jaws,

也許對你們來說，它看起來就像長了下巴一樣

and in a way, it has; it forces the insect to crawl out,

而就某方面而言，它的確是。它迫使昆蟲從裡面爬出來，

getting covered in pollen that it takes somewhere else.

因而覆蓋著花粉並帶到別處。

Orchids: there are 20,000, at least,

蘭花有著，至少...

species of orchids --

2萬以上的種類

amazingly, amazingly diverse.

非常非常神奇的多樣性

And they get up to all sorts of tricks.

並擁有著各式各樣的花招

They have to try and attract pollinators

它們必需試著去吸引播粉者

to do their bidding.

來達到它們的目的

This orchid, known as Darwin's orchid,

這棵蘭花，也就是所知的"達爾文的蘭花" (中文學名:慧星蘭)

because it's one that he studied

因為這就是達爾文所研究

and made a wonderful prediction when he saw it --

並在看到它時做出驚人的預測

you can see that there's a very long nectar tube

你可以看出那有著很長的花蜜管 (學名:花距)

that descends down

往下生長

from the orchid.

從蘭花本身開始。

And basically what the insect has to do --

而且基本上，昆蟲所必需做的是

we're in the middle of the flower --

從花的中間

it has to stick its little proboscis

要把它細細的取食器

right into the middle of that

伸進這中間

and all the way down that nectar tube

一直順著花距下去，

to get to the nectar.

來取得花蜜。

And Darwin said, looking at this flower,

看著這花，達爾文說：

"I guess something has coevolved with this."

"我猜有某個物種和這個一同進化了"

And sure enough,

而正是如此

there's the insect.

這就是那昆蟲的樣子，

And I mean, normally it kind of rolls it away,

我的意思是，雖然通常它都是卷著的

but in its erect form,

但在伸直之後

that's what it looks like.

它看起來就是這樣

Now you can imagine

現在，你可想像

that if nectar

如果花蜜

is such a valuable thing

是如此寶貴的東西

and expensive for the plant to produce

而且對植物來說生產的代價又高

and it attracts lots of pollinators,

又吸引這麼多的播種者

then, just as in human sex,

那麼，若將此觀念轉移到人類的性愛裡，

people might start to deceive.

人類也許會開始去欺騙，

They might say, "I've got a bit of nectar. Do you want to come and get it?"

也許他們會說，"我這裡有一點花蜜唷！你們想過來弄一些嗎？"

Now this is a plant.

現在，這裡有棵植物，

This is a plant here

這裡的這棵植物

that insects in South Africa just love,

是南非的昆蟲所衷愛的，

and they've evolved with a long proboscis

而且他們演化出長的口器，

to get the nectar at the bottom.

來取得底部的花蜜，

And this is the mimic.

這個則是所謂的"擬態"

So this is a plant that is mimicking the first plant.

而這棵植物則是做出了擬態來模擬前棵植物的樣子

And here is the long-probosced fly

這是一隻有著長吸食器的蒼蠅

that has not gotten any nectar from the mimic,

它從做出擬態的花得不到任何的花蜜

because the mimic doesn't give it any nectar. It thought it would get some.

因為這個擬態者並不提供任何花蜜，蒼蠅卻覺得它應該可得到一些

So not only has the fly

所以不光是這個蒼蠅

not got the nectar from the mimic plant,

沒辦法從擬態的植物得到花蜜，

it's also -- if you look very closely

它也是...假如你很靠近的觀察

just at the head end, you can see that it's got a bit of pollen

在頭的項端，你可以看到那兒有一點花粉，

that it would be transmitting to another plant,

可以被傳播到另一株植物

if only some botanist hadn't come along

不過這也是如果植物學家沒有過來

and stuck it to a blue piece of card.

把它黏到藍色的卡片上面的話啦...(被拿去做實驗了)

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

Now deceit carries on through the plant kingdom.

這種欺詐的手段遍佈著植物界

This flower with its black dots:

這種花上有黑點:

they might look like black dots to us,

對我們來說它們也許看起來就像黑點，

but if I tell you, to a male insect of the right species,

但如果我告訴你們~ 對於適當種類的雄性昆蟲來說，

that looks like two females

那看起來像是

who are really, really hot to trot.

兩隻非常非常的讓它欲火焚身的雌性昆蟲

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

And when the insect gets there and lands on it,

而當昆蟲落在它上面的時候，

dousing itself in pollen, of course, that it's going to take to another plant,

把它自己浸在花粉中，當然，那是它要帶到別株植物去的，

if you look at the every-home-should-have-one scanning electron microscope picture,

如果你看每戶人家都該有的電子顯微鏡照片

you can see that there are actually some patterning there,

你可以看到實際那上面有一些紋路，

which is three-dimensional.

是三維立體的，

So it probably even feels good for the insect,

所以它說不定會讓昆蟲感覺很舒服，

as well as looking good.

不單只是很好看。

And these electron microscope pictures --

接下來這些電子顯微鏡的相片--

here's one of an orchid mimicking an insect --

這是一棵蘭花擬態成昆蟲，

you can see that different parts of the structure

你看可看到構造上不同的部份

have different colors and different textures to our eye,

有著看來不一樣的顏色和不同的紋理

have very, very different textures

有著非常非常特別的質地

to what an insect might perceive.

尤其是對於會被吸引的昆蟲而言

And this one is evolved to mimic

接著這個演化出模仿

a glossy metallic surface

一個發亮的金屬般的表面，

you see on some beetles.

就像你可以在一些甲蟲身上看到的一樣

And under the scanning electron microscope,

而在電子顯微鏡下面來看

you can see the surface there --

你可以看到那邊的表面

really quite different from the other surfaces we looked at.

和我們所看到的其它的表面非常的不同

Sometimes the whole plant

有時候這整棵植物

mimics an insect, even to us.

看起來像一隻昆蟲，甚至對我們人類來說也是

I mean, I think that looks like some sort of flying animal or beast.

我的意思是，我覺得那看起來像是某種飛行中的動物或野獸

It's a wonderful, amazing thing.

這是一個美妙的、驚人的東西

This one's clever. It's called obsidian.

這個非常的聰明，它叫做黑曜石

I think of it as insidium sometimes.

我想它有時被稱為insidium。

To the right species of bee,

對於某些蜂類而言，

this looks like another very aggressive bee,

這看起來像是非常有侵略性的蜂，

and it goes and bonks it on the head lots and lots of times to try and drive it away,

所以用頭去撞這個花好多次以試著去驅逐它，

and, of course, covers itself with pollen.

而當然的，它也就被覆蓋著花粉了。

The other thing it does

其它模仿的例子中

is that this plant mimics another orchid

也有植物擬態成

that has a wonderful store

那種蘊藏著很好的

of food for insects.

昆蟲食物的蘭花。

And this one doesn't have anything for them.

而這棵裡面卻沒有任何東西可以提供給昆蟲。

So it's deceiving on two levels --

所以它的欺騙有兩個層次上

fabulous.

實在難以置信。

(Laughter)

(眾人笑)

Here we see ylang ylang,

這邊我們可看到"依蘭依蘭"(香水樹)

the component of many perfumes.

是許多香水的原料

I actually smelt someone with some on earlier.

我剛剛其實有聞到有人有噴一些在身上。

And the flowers don't really have to be that gaudy.

這花並不需要那樣的艷麗

They're sending out a fantastic array of scent

它們大量散發出迷人的香氣

to any insect that'll have it.

讓任何昆蟲都沾上。

This one doesn't smell so good.

這個植物聞起來不那麼好

This is a flower

這是一朵

that really, really smells pretty nasty

聞起來非常非常惡心的花

and is designed, again, evolved,

是經設計，也就是演化

to look like carrion.

聞起來像是腐肉

So flies love this.

所以蒼蠅很喜歡

They fly in and they pollinate.

會飛來幫它授粉

This, which is helicodiceros,

白星海芋

is also known as dead horse arum.

也就是所知的死馬海芋

I don't know what a dead horse actually smells like,

我不知道一頭死馬實際上聞起來怎樣，

but this one probably smells pretty much like it.

但這個大概聞起來就像那樣，

It's really horrible.

真的很糟

And blowflies just can't help themselves.

緣頭蒼蠅會禁不起誘惑的

They fly into this thing,

飛進這個東西

and they fly all the way down it.

而且飛到最裡面

They lay their eggs in it,

在那產卵

thinking it's a nice bit of carrion,

並以為這是一塊很合適的腐肉

and not realizing that there's no food for the eggs, that the eggs are going to die,

卻不知道那裡並沒有可供給那些蛋的食物，那些蛋會死掉

but the plant, meanwhile, has benefited,

但這種植物卻同時得到好處

because the bristles release

因為

and the flies disappear

而這些蒼蠅會走掉

to pollinate the next flower -- fantastic.

去將下一朵花授粉 -- 太美妙了。

Here's arum, arum maculatum,

這是一棵斑葉疆南星

"lords and ladies," or "cuckoo-pint" in this country.

叫做君子與淑女，我國稱之為水芋百合

I photographed this thing last week in Dorset.

我上週在多實郡(英國英格蘭西南部的郡)照了這張相

This thing heats up

這種植物可以升溫到

by about 15 degrees above ambient temperature --

比週圍高15度

amazing.

真厲害~

And if you look down into it,

如果你往下看進去

there's this sort of dam past the spadix,

有點像是堤壩的東西穿過這個肉穗花序，

flies get attracted by the heat --

蒼蠅會被熱所吸引

which is boiling off volatile chemicals, little midges --

熱將化學物質蒸散, 而小蚊子

and they get trapped underneath in this container.

和蒼蠅被困在這個容器中。

They drink this fabulous nectar

他們喝這個極佳的花蜜，

and then they're all a bit sticky.

然後他們也都變的有點黏黏的

At night they get covered in pollen,

到了晚上，他們披覆著

which showers down over them,

灑在他們身上的花粉，

and then the bristles that we saw above,

我們剛剛看到的短硬毛

they sort of wilt and allow all these midges out, covered in pollen --

會變得有些枯萎並讓這些小蚊蟲覆蓋著花粉離開，

fabulous thing.

多美妙的事啊！

Now if you think that's fabulous, this is one of my great favorites.

若你覺得剛剛的是很棒的，現在的這個是我最愛的之一

This is the philodendron selloum.

這是"裂葉蔓綠絨" (或稱"春羽蔓綠絨"，或"天使蔓綠絨")

For anyone here from Brazil, you'll know about this plant.

對於這裡任何一位來自巴西的人來說，你們其實知道這個植物

This is the most amazing thing.

這是最神奇的東西

That sort of phallic bit there

那個有點像陽具的東西

is about a foot long.

大約一呎長

And it does something

據我所知

that no other plant that I know of does,

沒有任何其他植物會進行像它那樣的行為，

and that is that when it flowers --

那就是當它開花時

that's the spadix in the middle there --

這中間的這個是肉穗花序

for a period of about two days,

為期兩天

it metabolizes in a way

它會某方面的變形

which is rather similar to mammals.

變得有點像是哺乳類動物一般

So instead of having starch,

所以它與其像植物般的使用澱粉

which is the food of plants,

也就是植物的食物

it takes something rather similar to brown fat

它反而使用像是棕脂肪這類的東西

and burns it at such a rate

以某種速率燃燒它

that it's burning fat, metabolizing,

它燃燒脂肪, 新陳代謝

about the rate of a small cat.

用像是一隻小貓的速度

And that's twice the energy output, weight for weight,

若和一隻相等重量的蜂鳥相比

than a hummingbird --

相當於是兩倍的能量輸出

absolutely astonishing.

絕對是另人震驚的

This thing does something else which is unusual.

這個東西還有另一個非比尋常的事情

Not only will it raise itself to 115 Fahrenheit,

它不但將它提升到華氏115度的溫度

43 or 44 degrees Centigrade, for two days,

或攝氏43或44度, 兩天

but it keeps constant temperature.

還保持恆定的溫度

There's a thermoregulation mechanism in there

那是一種自體溫度調結的機制

that keeps constant temperature.

並且保持固定的溫度

"Now why does it do this," I hear you ask.

為什麼它要這樣做呢？我聽你這樣問

Now wouldn't you know it,

其實你有所不知

there's some beetles that just love to make love at that temperature.

有某種的金龜子就喜歡在那種溫度作愛，

And they get inside, and they get it all on.

它們到那裡面，全力以赴~

(Laughter)

(眾人笑~)

And the plant showers them with pollen,

而這植物在它們身上灑上花粉

and off they go and pollinate.

當它們走之後也順便授粉

And what a wonderful thing it is.

這是多麼奇妙的事啊!!

Now most pollinators

大多數的授粉者

that we think about are insects,

我們覺得是昆蟲

but actually in the tropics,

但其實在熱帶地區

many birds and butterflies pollinate.

很多是鳥類或蝴蝶

And many of the tropical flowers are red,

很多的熱帶花朵是紅色的，

and that's because butterflies and birds

那是因為蝴蝶和鳥類

see similarly to us, we think,

我們認為和人類一樣有類似的視覺，

and can see the color red very well.

可以很容易的看到紅色

But if you look at the spectrum,

但如果你就光譜來看

birds and us, we see red, green and blue

鳥類和我們可以看到紅色、綠色和藍色，

and see that spectrum.

並看到這個光譜

Insects see green, blue and ultraviolet,

昆蟲看到綠色、藍色和紫外線，

and they see various shades of ultraviolet.

並且是各種不同色調的紫外線，

So there's something that goes on off the end there.

因此，在這光譜以外的範圍，可看見一些不同情形

"And wouldn't it be great if we could somehow see what that is," I hear you ask.

我聽到你問說"如果我們也可以看到不是很好嗎？"

Well yes we can.

嗯... 是的，我們可以。

So what is an insect seeing?

那麼昆蟲看到的是什麼樣子呢？

Last week I took these pictures of rock rose,

上週我照了這些岩玫瑰的照片

helianthemum, in Dorset.

半日花, 在多實郡 (英國)

These are little yellow flowers like we all see,

正如我們所見的這些小黃花

little yellow flowers all over the place.

小黃花開滿了那個地方

And this is what it looks like with visible light.

這是在可見光下它看起來的樣子

This is what it looks like if you take out the red.

這是拿掉紅色之後它看起來的樣子

Most bees don't perceive red.

大部份的蜂類不能看到紅色

And then I put some ultraviolet filters on my camera

然後我在我的相機放上幾片紫外線濾鏡

and took a very, very long exposure

然後讓它非常非常長時間的曝光

with the particular frequencies of ultraviolet light

在某些特別的紫外光下

and this is what I got.

這是我所照到的

And that's a real fantastic bull's eye.

那是一個真的絕佳的靶心

Now we don't know

我們不知道

exactly what a bee sees,

蜜蜂真正看到了什麼

any more than you know what I'm seeing

正如你對我所能看到的東西也是有限的

when I call this red.

當我叫這個是紅的

We can't know what's going on in -- let alone an insect's --

我們並不能知道...先撇除昆蟲不說

another human being's mind.

另一個人的心境

But the contrast will look something like that,

但對比之下就像是那樣

so standing out a lot from the background.

從背景中如此的突出

Here's another little flower --

這是另一種小的花

different range of ultraviolet frequencies,

不同的紫外光頻率範圍

different filters

不同的濾鏡

to match the pollinators.

來對應授粉者

And that's the sort of thing that it would be seeing.

那就像是它可能看到的樣子

Just in case you think

就為了你你也許會想

that all yellow flowers have this property --

所有的黃花都有這種特性

no flower was damaged in the process of this shot;

沒有一朵花在這個拍攝過程中被傷害

it was just attached to the tripod,

它只是被安裝到三角架上了

not killed --

而不是被殺了

then under ultraviolet light,

在紫外光下面

look at that.

看那個

And that could be the basis of a sunscreen

那可以是防曬乳的基礎

because sunscreens work by absorbing ultraviolet light.

因為防曬乳借由吸收紫外線來作用

So maybe the chemical in that would be useful.

也許那裡面所含的化學物質會有用

Finally, there's one of evening primrose

最後那是月見草的一種

that Bjorn Rorslett from Norway sent me --

挪威的 Bjorn Rorslett 送給我的

fantastic hidden pattern.

絕妙的隱藏圖案

And I love the idea of something hidden.

我喜歡"隱藏"的這個概念

I think there's something poetic here,

我想那有某種的詩意

that these pictures taken with ultraviolet filter,

這些照片是用紫外光濾鏡所照

the main use of that filter

而這個濾鏡主要的用途

is for astronomers to take pictures of Venus --

是讓太空人照金星的

actually the clouds of Venus.

實際上是金星的雲

That's the main use of that filter.

那是這個濾鏡主要的用途

Venus, of course, is the god of love and fertility,

維納斯女神 (金星在英文中的另一個意思), 當然, 是愛與繁殖之神

which is the flower story.

是花一般的故事

And just as flowers spend a lot of effort

而正如花朵用盡了許多的努力

trying to get pollinators to do their bidding,

讓授粉者完成他們的使命

they've also somehow managed to persuade us to plant great fields full of them

某方面而言他們也說服了我們種植了滿滿是花朵的大園地

and give them to each other

將它們贈與對方

at times of birth and death,

無論是在誕生或是死亡的時候

and particularly at marriage,

特別是在婚禮

which, when you think of it,

也就是 － 當你細細的想著

is the moment that encapsulates

是一個特別的時刻，它包含了

the transfer of genetic material

遺傳物質的轉換

from one organism to another.

從一個生命體到另一個

Thank you very much.

十分的感謝

(Applause)

(掌聲)