TED2017
Mei Lin Neo: The fascinating secret lives of giant clams
梅·琳·尼奥: 巨蚌生命的神奇秘密
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当你想到深深的蓝色海洋的时候，你也许会立马想到鲸鱼或者是珊瑚礁。但是想象一下巨蚌，世上存活的最大的贝壳类。这些令人难以置信的生物可以存活多达100年，生长到4.5英尺长，重达3个婴儿象加在一起。在这个精彩的演说中，海洋生物学家梅·琳·尼奥给我们分享了她沉迷于尝试着将这些传奇性的海洋生物变成海洋英雄的原因。
Mei Lin Neo - Marine biologist
TED Fellow Mei Lin Neo is helping giant clams step out of their shells and show the world that they can be the heroes of the oceans, too. Full bio
TED Fellow Mei Lin Neo is helping giant clams step out of their shells and show the world that they can be the heroes of the oceans, too. Full bio
Double-click the English transcript below to play the video.
00:12
Back home, my friends call me nicknames,
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在我的家乡，朋友们叫我的绰号
00:15
such as "The Giant Clam Girl,"
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比如 “ 巨蚌女孩”
00:18
"Clam Queen,"
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“ 巨蚌皇后”
00:19
or, "The Mother of Clams."
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或者，“ 巨蚌之母”
（笑声）
00:21
(Laughter)
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这是因为每次
当我和他们在一起的时候
当我和他们在一起的时候
00:23
This is because every time I see them,
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我总是整天
喋喋不休地谈论巨蚌
喋喋不休地谈论巨蚌
00:25
I talk nonstop about giant clams all day,
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每一天
00:28
every day.
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00:30
Giant clams are these massive
and colorful shelled marine animals,
and colorful shelled marine animals,
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巨蚌是这些巨大的
色彩斑斓的有壳海洋生物
色彩斑斓的有壳海洋生物
00:34
the largest of its kind.
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最大的那种
00:36
Just look at this shell.
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看看这个贝壳
00:40
The biggest recorded individual
was four-and-a-half-feet long
was four-and-a-half-feet long
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有记载的最大的巨蚌个体
有4英尺半那么长
有4英尺半那么长
重量大概550磅
00:43
and weighed about 550 pounds.
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那基本上相当于3个婴儿大象那么重
00:45
That is almost as heavy
as three baby elephants.
as three baby elephants.
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00:50
South Pacific legends once described
giant clams as man-eaters
giant clams as man-eaters
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南太平洋传说曾经将巨蚌
描述成食人动物
描述成食人动物
这些食人动物会潜伏于海床
从而捕捉毫无戒心的潜水者
从而捕捉毫无戒心的潜水者
00:54
that would lie in wait on the seabed
to trap unsuspecting divers.
to trap unsuspecting divers.
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00:59
A story goes that a diver
had lost his legs
had lost his legs
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一个故事广为流传
一名潜水者失去了双腿
一名潜水者失去了双腿
01:02
while trying to retrieve a pearl
from a giant clam.
from a giant clam.
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当他尝试着将一个珍珠
从一个巨蚌里取出的时候
从一个巨蚌里取出的时候
01:06
I thought, "Really?"
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我想，“真的吗？”
01:08
So out of curiosity,
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于是出于好奇
我用自己做诱饵
做了一个实验
做了一个实验
01:10
I did an experiment using myself as bait.
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01:13
(Laughter)
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（笑声）
01:15
I carefully placed my hand
into the clam's mouth and waited.
into the clam's mouth and waited.
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我小心地将我的手放在
巨蚌的嘴里然后等待着
巨蚌的嘴里然后等待着
01:19
Hmm ...
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嗯...
01:20
I still have my hand.
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我的手还在
01:22
It seems that these gentle giants
would rather retreat
would rather retreat
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这些温和的巨蚌
似乎更倾向于撤退
似乎更倾向于撤退
从而保护它们的肉体
01:25
and protect their fleshy bodies
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而不是将我作为食料
01:27
than feed on me.
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01:28
So much for those killer clam myths!
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食人巨蚌真是太过神话了！
01:31
Unfortunately, the reality is,
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不幸的是，现实中
01:34
we are the giant clams' biggest threat.
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我们是巨蚌最大的威胁
01:38
Considered a delicacy throughout
the Western Pacific and Indian Oceans,
the Western Pacific and Indian Oceans,
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想象一下跨越
西太平洋和印度洋的美食
西太平洋和印度洋的美食
巨蚌一直以来都是
被作为海鲜来捕捉的
被作为海鲜来捕捉的
01:42
giant clams have been traditionally
fished as seafood.
fished as seafood.
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01:45
Fishermen are particularly interested
in their adductor muscles,
in their adductor muscles,
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捕鱼人尤其对它们的
内收肌很感兴趣
内收肌很感兴趣
01:49
which are organs that hold
the two shells together like a hinge.
the two shells together like a hinge.
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内收肌是将它们的两个贝壳
绑在一起的器官，就好像一个铰链
绑在一起的器官，就好像一个铰链
01:53
Just for their muscles,
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仅仅是它们的肌肉
巨蚌几乎因为捕捉而灭绝
01:55
giant clams were almost
hunted to extinction
hunted to extinction
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在二十世纪60到80年代之间
01:57
between the 1960s and 1980s.
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02:01
Clamshells are also popular
in the ornamental trade
in the ornamental trade
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蚌的壳
在装饰品贸易市场也很流行
在装饰品贸易市场也很流行
作为首饰以及展品
02:04
as jewelry and for display.
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02:07
In the South China Sea,
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在中国南海
捕鱼人出去收集
变成化石的蚌贝壳
变成化石的蚌贝壳
02:09
fishermen went out of their way
to collect fossilized clamshells
to collect fossilized clamshells
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02:12
by digging through large areas
of coral reefs.
of coral reefs.
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他们深入挖掘
巨大的珊瑚礁区域
巨大的珊瑚礁区域
02:15
These were later carved and sold
as so-called "ivory handicrafts" in China.
as so-called "ivory handicrafts" in China.
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然后将它们雕刻再售卖到
中国所谓的象牙手工品市场
中国所谓的象牙手工品市场
02:21
Giant clams, dead or alive,
are not safe from us.
are not safe from us.
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巨蚌，不论是死是活
都逃不出我们的手掌
都逃不出我们的手掌
02:25
It's a "clamity!"
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这是一个“蚌灾难！”
02:27
(Laughter)
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（笑声）
02:32
(Applause)
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（掌声）
02:37
With the spotlight on more
charismatic marine animals
charismatic marine animals
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随着对那些更吸引人的
海洋生物的关注
海洋生物的关注
02:41
such as the whales and coral reefs,
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比如鲸鱼和珊瑚礁
02:43
it is easy to forget that other
marine life needs our help, too.
marine life needs our help, too.
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人们很容易忘记其它
海洋生物也需要帮助
海洋生物也需要帮助
02:47
My fascination with giant clams
got me started on conservation research
got me started on conservation research
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我对巨蚌的着迷
让我开始研究如何保护它们
让我开始研究如何保护它们
02:52
to fill in the knowledge gaps
on their ecology and behavior.
on their ecology and behavior.
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以此来填补它们的
生态学和行为学之间的空白
生态学和行为学之间的空白
02:56
One of the discoveries that we made
was that giant clams could walk
was that giant clams could walk
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其中的一个发现是
这些巨蚌可以行走
这些巨蚌可以行走
02:59
across the seafloor.
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横穿于海底
03:02
Yes, you heard me right:
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是的，你们没听错
03:03
they can walk.
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它们可以行走！
03:05
To find out,
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为了这个发现
03:06
we placed numerous baby clams on a grid.
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我们将很多婴儿蚌放在一个网格上
03:09
Now watch what happens over 24 hours.
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来看看24小时内发生了什么
03:17
We think that walking is important
for getting away from predators
for getting away from predators
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我们认为行走
对于逃离捕猎者的追捕
对于逃离捕猎者的追捕
03:20
and finding mates for breeding.
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以及寻找繁衍下一代的伴侣
都是很重要的
都是很重要的
03:22
While it can hard to imagine
any movement in these enormous animals,
any movement in these enormous animals,
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尽管很难想象
这些巨大的生物可以移动
这些巨大的生物可以移动
03:26
giant clams up to 400 pounds
can still walk,
can still walk,
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重达400磅的巨蚌
仍然是可以行走的
仍然是可以行走的
03:30
they just move slower.
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它们仅仅是移动得慢一些罢了
03:33
During my PhD, I discovered
more secrets about the giant clams.
more secrets about the giant clams.
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在我读博士的时候
我发现了更多关于巨蚌的秘密
我发现了更多关于巨蚌的秘密
03:37
But there was something
missing in my work.
missing in my work.
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但我的研究里也缺失了一些东西
03:42
I found myself asking,
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我开始思考
“人们为什么应该去关注保护巨蚌？“
03:43
"Why should people care
about conserving giant clams?" --
about conserving giant clams?" --
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除我之外，当然
03:47
other than myself, of course.
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03:50
(Laughter)
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（笑声）
03:55
It turns out that giant clams
have a giant impact on coral reefs.
have a giant impact on coral reefs.
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结果我发现这些巨蚌对
海洋珊瑚礁有着巨大的影响
海洋珊瑚礁有着巨大的影响
04:00
These multitasking clams
are reef builders,
are reef builders,
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这些巨蚌同时做着很多工作
它们是珊瑚礁建造者
它们是珊瑚礁建造者
食品工厂
04:03
food factories,
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04:05
shelters for shrimps and crabs
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虾和蟹的临时保护所
以及水过滤器
04:08
and water filters,
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集于一身
04:09
all rolled into one.
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04:11
In a nutshell,
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简而言之
巨蚌起到了主要作用
04:12
giant clams play a major contributing role
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作为它们所在珊瑚礁的居民
04:14
as residents of their own reef home,
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04:17
and just having them around
keeps the reef healthy.
keeps the reef healthy.
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巨蚌的存在
使珊瑚礁健康生长
使珊瑚礁健康生长
04:21
And because they can live
up to 100 years old,
up to 100 years old,
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因为它们可以活长达100年
巨蚌是珊瑚礁
健康状况的重要信号
健康状况的重要信号
04:24
giant clams make vital indicators
of coral reef health.
of coral reef health.
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04:28
So when giant clams
start to disappear from coral reefs,
start to disappear from coral reefs,
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当巨蚌开始从珊瑚礁
消失的时候
消失的时候
04:31
their absence can serve as an alarm bell
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它们的缺失
可以被看作一个警铃
可以被看作一个警铃
04:33
for scientists to start paying attention,
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从而引起科学家们的关注
04:36
similar to the canary in a coal mine.
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就像在煤矿里的金丝雀
04:39
But giant clams are endangered.
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但是巨蚌濒临灭绝
04:41
The largest clam in the world
is facing the threat of extinction,
is facing the threat of extinction,
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世上最大的蚌
正在面临灭绝的威胁
正在面临灭绝的威胁
04:45
with more than 50 percent
of the wild population severely depleted.
of the wild population severely depleted.
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野生数量下降
超过百分之五十
超过百分之五十
由于巨蚌在珊瑚礁的存在
而带来的生态利益
而带来的生态利益
04:50
And the ecological benefits
of having giant clams on coral reefs
of having giant clams on coral reefs
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04:54
are likely to continue
only if populations are healthy,
only if populations are healthy,
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只有在巨蚌数量健康的情况下
才能得以延续
才能得以延续
04:58
making their conservation paramount.
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这使得对巨蚌的保护显得至关重要
05:01
So I stand here today to give a voice
to the giant clams,
to the giant clams,
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所以今天我站在这里
为巨蚌发声
为巨蚌发声
05:05
because I care a whole lot
for these amazing animals,
for these amazing animals,
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因为我很关心这些神奇的生物
05:08
and they deserve to be cared for.
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并且它们值得被关注
05:11
It is time for the giant clams
to step out of their shells,
to step out of their shells,
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是时候让那些巨蚌从
它们的贝壳里钻出来
它们的贝壳里钻出来
05:15
and show the world that they, too,
can be the heroes of the oceans.
can be the heroes of the oceans.
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向全世界展示
它们也可以成为海洋英雄
它们也可以成为海洋英雄
05:19
Thank you very much.
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非常感谢
05:20
(Applause)
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（掌声）
ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Mei Lin Neo - Marine biologistTED Fellow Mei Lin Neo is helping giant clams step out of their shells and show the world that they can be the heroes of the oceans, too.
Why you should listen
Dr. Mei Lin Neo is a research fellow at the St. John's Island National Marine Laboratory , having started her research work on the giant clams since 2006. Her current research expertise lies in the mariculture of giant clams, experimental marine ecology and marine conservation. Neo is also a TED Fellow and an advocate for science communication as a voice for the conservation of giant clams. Outside of research, she actively volunteers in local conservation groups to promote marine conservation messages and educate fellow volunteers.
Mei Lin Neo | Speaker | TED.com