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As the hours of sunlight continue to lengthen across the Arctic Circle, seals are holing out onto the icecap to give birth. It's the pupping season.
隨著北極圈內光照時間不斷增加，海豹們紛紛從冰面下鉆出洞來進行分娩。這是小海豹的季節。
Harp seal pups are born covered in white woolly fur. This helps insulate them until they built up enough blubber to keep warm and it's a perfect camouflage against the snow.
鞍紋海豹剛出生時裹著毛茸茸的白色皮毛。這在它們形成脂肪層前有助于保暖而且在雪地上也是種極好的偽裝。
Seals are the main source of food for polar bears and whilst on the ice, the pups are very vulnerable.
海豹是北極熊的主要食物來源，而小海豹在冰面上時極易遭到襲擊。
The seals wean their pups within just two weeks, so they can take to the sea as quickly as possible.
海豹會在幼崽出生后僅兩周就斷奶以使它們能夠盡快地進入大海。
Their mother's milk is extremely rich, nearly half fat, so pups grow very quickly, gaining over two kilograms of weight each day.
海豹的母乳極富營養幾乎有一半是脂肪，所以小海豹成長得很快每天可以增加超過兩公斤的體重。
Of all the seals that live in Arctic, the hooded seal spends the shortest time out on the ice. After just four days, this pup will be weaned and ready to escape to the ocean.
在北極地區的所有海豹當中冠海豹在冰面上停留的時間是最短的。僅僅四天之后小海豹就將斷奶，準備撤往海中。
This is the shortest weaning period than any mammal on earth.
這是地球上所有哺乳動物里哺乳期最短的。
The adult seals will mate soon after the female gives birth. So the males wait near by, biding their time.
成年海豹會在母海豹分娩后不久就再次進行交配。所以公海豹們就在附近徘徊等待著時機。
Male hooded seals have a unique way of intimidating their rivals when competing for territory and females.
雄性冠海豹在爭奪領地和配偶時會用一種獨特方式來威脅競爭對手。
The scarlet balloon is an elastic membrane blown out of one nostril.
這種紅色氣囊是具有彈性的薄膜，通過一個鼻孔進行膨脹。
It holds around six liters of air and can inflate to the size of a football. But when this display fails to settle a contest it gets physical.
它里面含有六升的空氣可以膨脹到一只足球的大小。不過當這種炫耀無法解決爭端時就得訴諸武力了。
Male hooded seals can weigh up to four hundred kilos and are known for been aggressive and antisocial.
雄性冠海豹體重可達四百公斤，以強烈的攻擊性以及不合群的性格而著稱。
The pushing and shoving can end in bloodshed.
相互的推搡碰撞最終可能成為流血沖突。
The life of all the seals in the Arctic is dominated by the threat of polar bears.
北極地區所有海豹的命運都會被北極熊的威脅所左右。
The ringed seal has a population of up to seven million, making it the most common seal in the Arctic Circle.
環斑海豹的數量高達七百萬，這使它們成為北極地區最普通的海豹。
Ringed seals are the main prey of polar bears.
而環斑海豹也是北極熊的主要獵物。
Like all marine mammals, the seals need to surface to breathe.
與其它海洋哺乳動物一樣海豹也需要探出水面呼吸。
They are maintaining a number of breathing holes in the ice.
它們在冰面上維持一些用來呼吸的小洞。
When out on the ice, they are wary of the attack and stay close to these holes.
當它們處于冰面上時就呆在這些洞附近，謹防遭到襲擊。
This is their quick escape route back to the ocean.
這是能快速逃回海里的捷徑。
Catching them is not easy.
想捉住它們并不容易。
Ringed seal pups are not weaned for several weeks and so their mothers hide them in dens beneath the ice. If this pup is to survive, it must remain hidden.
小環斑海豹幾周內不會斷奶，所以海豹媽媽把它們藏在冰面下的洞穴里。如果小海豹想活下來，就必須藏好。
But polar bears have an extremely powerful sense of smell. They can smell a pup from over kilometer away even under the snow.
但北極熊有很強大的嗅覺功能。它們可以從一公里外嗅到小海豹的氣味即使躲在雪下也嗅得到。
The pups are on the alert. Any signs of the bear above will send the pups in the escape hole to the ocean below.
小海豹們非常警惕。冰面上稍有任何北極熊的動靜，它們就會從洞中向下逃入海里。
Almost all polar bear hunts end in failure.
北極熊幾乎所有的捕獵行動都以失敗告終。
