North of the tundra lies the Arctic Ocean, surrounded by three continents -- Europe, North America and Asia.
苔原以北是北冰洋,被三大洲包围--欧洲、北美洲和亚洲。
In winter, it remains almost entirely frozen.
冬天,它几乎完全冻结。
But as the spring sunshine finally reaches the northernmost part of the planet, the sea ice begins to break up.
但随着春天的阳光终于到达地球上的最北端,海冰开始破裂。
This marks the start of the breeding season for male hooded seals.
对于雄性冠海豹而言,这标志着繁殖季节的开始。
When they're six years old, the males develop an inflatable nose.
当它们六岁时,雄性会长出一个可充气鼻子。
They're ready to breed -- and the bigger their nose, the more attractive they will be to a female.
它们已经准备好繁殖--鼻子越大,对雌性越有吸引力。
And now this one is eager to prove it.
而现在这只冠海豹急于证明这一点。
A female has just given birth.
一只雌性刚生完孩子。
A mother spends a mere four days feeding milk to her pup, and then, and only then, will she be ready to mate again.
一位母亲只花了四天时间给她的幼崽喂奶,然后到那时,也只有到那时,她才能准备好再次交配。
That is too long for an impatient youngster to wait around.
对于一个没有耐心的年轻人来说,等待的时间太长了。
These females seem to have been claimed by a larger male.
这些雌性似乎正被一个更大的雄性占据。
But if this youngster is to breed this year, it's worth a try.
但如果这位年轻海豹今年就繁殖,值得一试。
An inflatable nose can also be used to intimidate a rival.
也可以使用充气鼻子恐吓对手。
His bravado pays off. He must now woo the receptive female.
它的虚张声势得到了回报。现在必须向善于倾听的雌性求爱。
She seems unimpressed. But he has another trick.
她似乎不为所动。但它还有另一个技巧。
He has an expandable sac within his left nostril.
它的左鼻孔内有一个可扩张的囊。
What is her verdict?
她的最终决定是什么?
A sharp nip on the tail, and that means no.
雄海豹的尾巴上被狠狠咬了一口,这意味着不行。
With only one day in the year in which to mate, the female is understandably choosy.
一年中只有一天可以交配,可以理解雌性的挑剔。
And until the youngster has grown a more impressive balloon, he's unlikely to be chosen.
除非这个年轻人长出一个更令人印象深刻的冠状鼻,否则,它不太可能被选中。
No wonder he's deflated.
难怪它泄气了。