In many people’s eyes, plants are quiet and passive. They can’t talk. They can’t walk. And they can’t think like us.
在许多人眼里，植物悄无声息，处于被动状态。植物不能说话、行走，不能像人类一样思考。
Or can they? A new BBC documentary series, The Green Planet, gives us a new look at plants. Released on Jan 10 on Bilibili, it uncovers the wonderful and dramatic ways that plants behave.
又或许，植物可以吗？英国广播公司（BBC）推出全新系列纪录片《绿色星球》，让我们得以重新审视植物。该片于1月10日在哔哩哔哩上线，揭示了植物奇妙而戏剧性的行为方式。
“The Green Planet reveals the secret lives of plants in the same way The Blue Planet opened our eyes to the oceans,” editor Elle Hunt wrote in New Scientist.
编辑艾尔·亨特在《新科学家》杂志发文称:“《绿色星球》揭示了植物的秘密生活，就像《蓝色星球》让我们看到海洋的奥秘一样。”
Plants compete against each other to live. Each species has its own ways of defense. In tropical rainforests, different kinds of plants race for sunlight. The forest floor is described as a “battlefield” in the series as only two percent of the sunlight filters through it. Some plants like Monstera spread their big leaves to reach light. But they are caught up in a vine that tries to hitch a ride. Finally, they are both overtaken by a fast-growing balsa tree. As the balsa has slippery hairs on its leaves, the vine can’t get a hold. Similarly, some trees make poisonous sap to protect themselves.
植物会为了生存而相互竞争，而且每个物种都有自己的防御方式。在热带雨林，不同种类的植物竞相争夺阳光。《绿色星球》将森林的地面描述为一个“战场”，因为只有2%的阳光能照射到地上。一些诸如龟背竹的植物，展开大大的叶片迎接阳光。但这些植物又会让一根想搭便车的藤蔓缠住。但最终，它们都会为一棵飞速生长的巴尔沙树所取代。由于巴尔沙树的叶子上长有光滑的绒毛，藤蔓抓不住这种树。同样，有些树还会分泌有毒的汁液来保护自己。
Plants also help each other and even communicate. In deserts, the roots of Euphrates poplar are connected. If a tree finds water, it will share it with others through the roots. Studies also show that plants use fungus in the soil as a way to “talk” to each other. It’s kind of like how Wi-Fi works. If a tomato plant gets a leaf disease, it can tell nearby plants about it.
植物还会互相帮助，甚至是交流。在沙漠里，胡杨的根是连在一起的。一棵树如果找到了水，会通过根与其他树分享。研究还表明，植物利用土壤中的真菌作为一种相互“交谈”的方式，其工作原理和无线网络相像。番茄植株如果发生叶病，可以告诉附近的植株。
The series not only lets us marvel at the plant world but pushes us to understand that plants are important. “Plants are the basis of all life, including ourselves. We depend upon them for every mouth of food that we eat and every lungful of air that we breathe,” said David Attenborough, presenter of the series. It’s time to look after wild plants just as carefully as our houseplants.
《绿色星球》不仅让我们惊叹于植物的世界，也让我们认识到植物的重要性。该片的解说大卫·爱登堡说：“植物是包括我们在内的一切生命的基础。我们吃的每一口食物、呼吸的每一口空气都依赖于植物。”是时候像照顾室内盆栽那样照顾野生植物了。
