纪录片《美丽中国》 第6期 锦绣华南（6）（在线收听）

Providing their colonies are protected,

介于他们的栖息地是受保护的

wading birds like egrets are among the few wild creatures, which benefit directly from intensive rice cultivation.

像白鹭这样的候鸟是少数直接从发达的水稻种植中获益的鸟类

Growing rice needs lots of water,

水稻生长需要大量的水

but even in the rainy south,

但即便是在多雨的南方

there are landscapes where water is surprisingly scarce,

有些土地也面临缺水的危机

This vast area ofsouthwest China,

相当于法国和西班牙国土加起来那么大

the size of France and Spain combined

的中国西南的广阔土地

is famous forits clusters of conical hills

因为宛如被干燥中空的谷地隔离开来的巨大蛋盒般

like giant upturned egg carton

连绵的锥形山脉

seperated by dry empty valleys.

而闻名于世

This is the karst

这就是喀斯特地貌

a limestone terrain which has becomethe defining image ofsouthern China.

石灰石地貌俨然成为南部中国的标志性特征

Karst landscapes are often studded with rocky outcrops,

喀斯特地貌通常以突起的裸岩状态分布

forcing local farmers to cultivate tiny fields.

这迫使当地农民只得在破碎的小块土地上耕作

The people who live here are among the poorest in China.

当地人是中国最贫穷的居民之一

In neighboring Yunnan province limestone rocks have taken over entirely.

在毗邻的云南省遍布着石灰石