纪录片美丽中国6英语字幕文稿

From the eastern end of the Great Wall, China’s coast spans 14500 kilometresand more than 5000 years of history. This is the area which shows the greatest contrast between China's past and its future. Today China's eastern seaboards home to 700 million people, packed into some of the most dazzling hi-tech cities on earth. Yet these crowded shores remain hugely important for a wealth of wildlife. Now, as ancient traditions mingle with new aspirations, is there any room at all for wildlife on China's crowded shores?

In northern China's Haling Nature Reserve, a pair of red-crowned cranes have staked out their nesting territory in the stubble of a commercially managed reed bed. For centuries, cranes have been revered in Chinas symbols of longevity. Their statues were placed next to the Emperor's throne. The cranes have cause to celebrate. This chick is a sign of hope in difficult times. Red-crowned cranes are one of the world's most endangered species. Over the last century, China has lost nearly half of its coastal wetlands and most of what remains is managed for the benefit of people, not wildlife. A few months from now, this chick and its parents will face a long migration south to escape the harsh northern winter. Their route will take them along a coast which has been greatly affected by human activity. Along their journey, the cranes will be joined by many thousands of other migrating birds. All heading south across the Bahia Gulfand along the shores of the Yellow and East China Seas, some even reaching as far as the South China Seain search of a safe winter haven. The annual bird migration has been going on for thousands of years. Here at Mount Jinping on China's northeast coast, there is surprising evidence that people have lived here almost as long. Seven thousand years ago, members of the Shao Hao tribe carved magical symbols representing significant elements of their daily lives. The petro glyphs show wheat sheaves connected by lines to human figures, the first known recordings of cultivation in China. Familiar with the spectacle of yearly bird migrations, the Shao Hao people chose a symbol of a bird as their totem. Mount Jinping lies near the Shandong peninsula, an important wintering site for migrant

birds, and even today there are still communities along this coastline who retain a special affinity with their local birdlife.Yandun Jiao village, on the north-eastern shore of the peninsula, is famous for its traditional seaweed-thatched cottages. On a chilly morning in early spring,Mr and Mrs Qu venture out at first lightarmed with the traditional seaside accessories of bucket and spade.As the Qus head down into the harbour,a flock of whooper swans,known affectionately here as "winter angels",are waking out in the bay.The Qus and their neighbours search for tube holesin the mud at low tide,the sign of cockles and razor shells hidden deep below.While gathering shellfish is a popular pastime,the main business of Yandun Jiao happens further out at sea.As the boats set out, with Mr Qu on board,the swans set a parallel course.The whole of the bay is a gigantic seaweed farm.The men work all day cleaning and tending the kelp frondsthat are grown on ropes linked to a vast armada of buoys.The swans eat native seaweeds growing on the surface ropesrather than the valuable crop of kelp,so they do no harm to the commercial operation. In the afternoon, as the wind picks up out at sea,the workers and swans return to shore.While the culture of seeking balance with nature goes back a long way in China,it is rare to see such harmonious relationships on China's crowded coast.As evening draws on,the Qu family prepare their evening meal of cockles,steamed bread and seaweed.Leftovers are given to the village children to feed the swans.It's fun for the kids and providesan extra energy boost for the birds as they face another cold night.The swans have been using this sheltered beat as a winter refuge for many generations.

As long as the tradition of respect for nature persists, this remarkable association between the Yandun Jiao community and their winter angels looks set to continue. Out in the Bahia Gulf, northeast of the swan village, a small rocky island provides a quiet resting spot for migrating birds. But Shihao Island has hidden dangers.Pallas' pit vipers trapped here , years ago by rising sea levels have evolved a sinister lifestyle. For months of the year there is nothing substantial