纪录片《我们的地球》 第316期 极端沙漠(7)（在线收听）

Some deserts are so arid, they appear totally devoid of all vegetation.

有的荒漠十分贫瘠，看似寸草不生。

Yet even these landscapes can be transformed in a matter of days.

但即使是这种地方也能在几天之内焕然新生。

The deserts of Peru are amongst the driest in the world,

秘鲁荒漠是世界上最干燥的地方之一，

but just add a little water and plants that have lain dormant for months will burst into life.

休眠了几个月的植被，只要遇到一点点水便可立即恢复生机。

And when a desert suddenly turns green,

当沙漠突然变为绿洲，

even the most seemingly desolate can become a land of opportunity.

即使看似最荒凉的地方也能变得生机勃勃。

No creature exploits the greening of a desert more quickly or more dramatically than a locust.

没有什么生物能比蝗虫更早或更轰动地发现这抹绿意。

Madagascar's arid south-west has received its highest rainfall in years.

马达加斯加干旱的西南部迎来了近几年最大的降雨。

Now, an army is on the march, attracted by the smell of newly sprouting grass.

蝗虫大军正大步行进，追寻着新生嫩芽的香气。

Locusts are normally solitary creatures, but when food becomes suddenly plentiful,

蝗虫通常独居，但当食物突然充足之时，

they come together into an unstoppable force that devours everything in its path.

它们便聚集成群，以势不可挡的气势吞噬沿途所有的植物。

But this devastation is about to get a lot worse.

而这巨大的灾难正愈演愈烈。