Nature’s Most Famous Voice for ‘A Perfect Planet’

 

When it comes to English-language nature programs, perhaps the world's most well-known voice is David Attenborough.

Sir David Attenborough - as he is known in his native Britain - is a major television star. But he is also a tireless explorer and world traveler. Attenborough has visited many countries and has presented many animals from across the planet. He has been explaining the natural world to TV audiences since the 1950s.

Enjoying local nature

Like many of us, Attenborough has been in his house for much of 2020 because of the coronavirus pandemic. He has only left his home twice -- to have his teeth worked on.

But that does not mean this lifelong lover of the outdoors has been cut off from nature. He told the Associated Press that he has been able to enjoy the natural world in his garden in a new way.

"I've seen the world go by in the natural world in my garden with a continuity¹ and intensity² that I haven't been able to give it for, almost forever, really."

Making a nature show during a pandemic

Attenborough has also found ways to keep working. He is the voice of a new BBC and Discovery series called "A Perfect Planet." It will air in early January. Even at age 94, the famous TV presenter's voice has not lost its most well-known qualities - warmth, calm, and curiosity.

Making the documentary³ series during the pandemic, however, required a high level of creativity, technology, and a lot of blankets. With blankets hanging off his walls, Attenborough was able to record from his home in West London. Blanketing the walls helps to deaden unwanted sounds.

A technical setup permitted Attenborough to watch the video while his producer Alastair Fothergill advised him, from over 160 kilometers away in Bristol.

A microphone wire went out the window. This way, his voice could be recorded by a crew member in the garden. A small outdoor building was built to make recordings⁴ in the winter.

But in the summer, Attenborough said, the crew member "was sitting out in the rain and he was listening to what I was saying and recording⁵ it."

This was not the only remote-controlled success on the series. The music used for the program was also recorded at great distance.

The head of music production is Ilan Ishkeri. He was able to stay in Britain, while directing an orchestra⁶ in Iceland. That orchestra was used, Fothergill said, because Iceland was not under heavy anti-virus restrictions⁷.

"It's been challenging," Fothergill admits. "But I think that the final product is absolutely up to the really high standards we set ourselves."

An environmental activist⁸

The series is a celebration of why Earth is such the ideal environment for many different kinds of animals to live and co-exist.

The show was shot in 31 countries over four years. The video includes river turtles laying eggs in the Amazon's sand bars, brown bears fishing for salmon⁹ in Russia and gibbons swinging from the trees in Southeast Asia's tropical forests.

Different parts of the series look at important parts of nature. These include the sun, the ocean, volcanoes, weather events, and, of course, humans.

From Associated Press YouTube page: Sir David Attenborough talks about "A Perfect Planet" - his new show he voiced from home - as well as life in lockdown and the secret to his long life.

Everything Attenborough does looks at how current climate change is greatly affecting our world. He also gives suggestions for what people can do, as well as what they should stop doing, to help save the planet.

As for nature being healing during the pandemic, Attenborough knows it comes at a high cost.

He told the Associated Press, "People are dying by the thousands. Let's not minimize¹⁰ it. It should cause the rest of us, the survivors¹¹ as it were to pull ourselves together and see that we can act together."

He added that we all can think of solutions and find ways to use them. It is a message he says he believes people are listening to.

"If the human race is to survive without major catastrophes," he warns, "now is the time to do so."

Words in This Story

garden – n. an area of ground where plants (such as flowers or vegetables) are grown

continuity – n. the quality of something that does not stop or change as time passes : a continuous quality

curiosity – n. the desire to learn or know more about something or someone

blanket – n. a covering made of cloth that is used especially on a bed to keep you warm

remote-controlled – adj. controlled (as by a radio signal) from a distance : operated by means of remote control

challenging – adj. difficult in a way that is usually interesting or enjoyable

standard – n. a level of quality, achievement, etc., that is considered acceptable¹³ or desirable

minimize – v. to make (something bad or not wanted) as small as possible

catastrophe¹² – n. a terrible disaster

1 continuity   

n.连贯性，连续性，持续性

参考例句：

• There is no continuity between the three parts of the book.这本书的三个部分之间没有连贯性。
• Unfortunately,no questions from the audience broke the continuity of his harangue.令人遗憾的是，没有听众提出问题来打断他的高谈阔论。

2 intensity   

n.强烈，剧烈；强度；烈度

参考例句：

• I didn't realize the intensity of people's feelings on this issue.我没有意识到这一问题能引起群情激奋。
• The strike is growing in intensity.罢工日益加剧。

3 documentary   

adj.文献的；n.纪录片

参考例句：

• This case lacked documentary proof.本案缺少书面证据。
• I watched a documentary on the Civil War.我看了一部关于内战的纪录片。

4 recordings   

n.记录( recording的名词复数 )；录音；录像；唱片

参考例句：

• a boxed set of original recordings 一套盒装原声录音带
• old jazz recordings reissued on CD 以激光唱片重新发行的老爵士乐

5 recording   

n.录音，记录

参考例句：

• How long will the recording of the song take?录下这首歌得花多少时间？
• I want to play you a recording of the rehearsal.我想给你放一下彩排的录像。

6 orchestra   

n.管弦乐队；vt.命令，定购

参考例句：

• He plays the violin in an orchestra.他在管弦乐队中演奏小提琴。
• I was tempted to stay and hear this superb orchestra rehearse.我真想留下来听这支高超的管弦乐队排练。

7 restrictions   

约束( restriction的名词复数 )； 管制； 制约因素； 带限制性的条件（或规则）

参考例句：

• I found the restrictions irksome. 我对那些限制感到很烦。
• a snaggle of restrictions 杂乱无章的种种限制

8 activist   

n.活动分子，积极分子

参考例句：

• He's been a trade union activist for many years.多年来他一直是工会的积极分子。
• He is a social activist in our factory.他是我厂的社会活动积极分子。

9 salmon   

n.鲑，大马哈鱼，橙红色的

参考例句：

• We saw a salmon jumping in the waterfall there.我们看见一条大马哈鱼在那边瀑布中跳跃。
• Do you have any fresh salmon in at the moment?现在有新鲜大马哈鱼卖吗？

10 minimize   

vt.使减（缩）小到最低，极力贬低，最低估计

参考例句：

• To minimize the risk of burglary,install a good alarm system.安装可靠的报警设备以减低被盗的风险。
• To minimize the public expenditure of this country.把该国的财政支出减少到最低限度。

11 survivors   

幸存者，残存者，生还者( survivor的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The survivors were adrift in a lifeboat for six days. 幸存者在救生艇上漂流了六天。
• survivors clinging to a raft 紧紧抓住救生筏的幸存者

12 catastrophe   

n.大灾难，大祸

参考例句：

• I owe it to you that I survived the catastrophe.亏得你我才大难不死。
• This is a catastrophe beyond human control.这是一场人类无法控制的灾难。

13 acceptable   

adj.可接受的，合意的，受欢迎的

参考例句：

• The terms of the contract are acceptable to us.我们认为这个合同的条件可以接受。
• Air pollution in the city had reached four times the acceptable levels.这座城市的空气污染程度曾高达可接受标准的四倍。