HUNTING ELEPHANTS WITH A CAMERA
MARTIN JOHNSON
Perhaps you have thought that the only way to hunt animals is with a gun, but Martin Johnson and his wife, Osa, spent many years hunting them with a camera. In this story he tells you why camera- hunting is far more dangerous and thrilling than hunting to kill. He also tells some most surprising things about elephants.
摄像机猎象记
马丁·约翰逊
也许你认为捕猎野生动物的方式是带上枪，但是马丁. 约翰逊和他的妻子奥萨常年以来却一直在使用一台摄像机捕猎大象。在这个故事里，他会告诉你为什么用摄像机捕猎动物比猎杀更加危险，更加刺激。同时，他也介绍了关于大象的一些不为人知的事情。
A CLOSE CALL
My wife, Osa, and I were “camera hunting” in Africa. Boculy, the native whom we had engaged to find elephants for us, came running into camp greatly excited. He was out of breath and raised and lowered his hands exclaiming jerkily in Swahili, his native language: “Big elephants-big elephants-all together-very quiet-come quickly!”
In a few moments we had our gun bearers and camera boys with their heavy loads under way. Shortly after, we came up with the herd. There were seven animals quietly feeding on the edge of the forest. Three were cows, and two were bulls-big fellows. Two “totos,” or babies, wandered about in the tall grass.
The elephant herd was ideally placed for still pictures, but we wanted action; so leaving Osa at the camera, I walked forward to stir things up a bit. As I approached, the big bull, sensing danger, goose-stepped forward a few paces. Then he saw me. Instantly his trunk went up and his ears spread. For the space of five seconds we gazed at each other silently. Then his feet stamped angrily, and he snorted with rage. I knew what was coming and prepared myself as, with a furious grunt, the big tusker lowered his trunk and charged. I turned and ran for my life while Osa cranked away with a will.
It was by the use of such methods that we sometimes obtained our best pictures, but this time I had gone too close, and this old bull seemed particularly revengeful. The other six elephants came tearing after him, and then to my surprise and dismay a dozen more burst out from the woods behind and joined the stampede. The world seemed suddenly filled with elephants, and they were all headed in my direction.
I ran toward the camera, while Osa continued turning the crank. Not that she was enjoying it, but she knew she was getting a wonderful bit of film, and there was nothing she could do for me yet. As I tore up to the camera, she snatched her rifle from her gun boy and fired. The big bull stumbled, nearly knocking over the camera as he crashed by, and fell with a mighty thud. Fortunately for us, the balance of the herd split and passed on.
When it was all over, Osa sat down. And I must confess that my own knees felt a trifle wobbly. It had been a close call, and I would probably not have taken such foolish chances had it not been for my confidence in Osa’s marksmanship. She is a better shot than I am and seldom misses her mark even under conditions that would shake the nerves of an experienced hunter. She shoots only when the need is desperate, or when we collect an unusual specimen for the museum; and of course for food when necessary.
近距离接触
在非洲，我的妻子奥萨和我是“摄像机猎手”。我们邀请的帮我们寻找大象的当地人鲍可利激动地冲进营地。他气喘吁吁地挥舞着手臂，用他的母语斯瓦希里语，激动地大声喊道：“大象——大象——全在一起——非常安静——快跟我来！”
几分钟后，我们叫上帮我们保管枪支和摄像设备的男孩，带着重重的行囊上路了。不久，我们便追上了象群。在森林的边缘，我们一共发现七头大象在安静地进食。三头母象，两头公象，这都是些大家伙。旁边，还有两头“图图”，也就是小象，徜徉在高大的热带草丛中。
要是拍静态照片的话，那么象群现在的状态就十分理想，但我们需要它们动起来。我把奥萨安排在摄像机跟前拍摄，而我自己走上前，想让大象们稍稍动起来一点儿。当我靠近它们的时候，大公象嗅到了危险，它昂首挺胸，向前迈了几步。接着，它看到了我。它的象鼻子立刻扬了起来，大耳朵也舒展开了。我们默默地注视着对方，大约停滞了五秒。忽然，它生气地跺跺脚并且愤怒地喷起鼻息。我知道等待我们的将是什么，我做好了准备。这只长牙兽愤怒地哼了一声，把象鼻降下来，然后向我猛冲过来。我转过身，拼命地跑。就在这时，奥萨努力转动摄像机拍摄。
通过这种方法，我们有时才能得到好的图像。但是这一次，我走得太近了，这只老象看起来报复心特别重。其他六头大象也跟在它的后面奔跑。接下来更令人惊讶和沮丧的是，又有一打多大象从树林里冲出来，加入到了奔袭的队伍中。这里一下子变成了大象的世界，而且它们全都朝我冲过来。
我朝着摄像机跑去，而奥萨仍然转动着摄像机不断地拍摄，并不是她喜欢这样，她只知道自己正在拍摄非常棒的影像，而且此时她并不能为我做什么。当我狂奔到摄像机旁，她从拿枪的男孩那里抓过步枪，开了一枪。猛冲在前面的大公象踉跄了一下，差点儿撞翻摄像机，接着轰然倒地。幸运的是，整个象群的协调一致也随之瓦解了。
当一切都结束的时候，奥萨坐了下来。我必须承认，现在我有些站立不稳。这是一次距离非常近的接触，要不是对奥萨的枪法有信心，我不会这么鲁莽的。她的射击能力比我强，在这种情况下，尽管是经验丰富的猎人也会气馁，而她很少失手。不过，只有在非常需要或者在我们要为博物馆搜集一种新物种时，当然还有我们急需食物的时候，她才会出手。
ELEPHANT CITIZENS OF THE JUNGLE
I like elephants. They are fine citizens of the jungle. They mind their own business, fight little among themselves, are intelligent in bringing up their young, and have a real sense of loyalty to the tribe. They lead a quiet family life, and never prey on other animals.
Years of work in Africa have given me a close understanding of elephant character. As a rule, I don’t think they live much longer than a century. Age and size give them a great dignity. I think the old legend that elephants are blind must come from the fact that they plod along much of the time as though half asleep, paying little attention to other animals. They are so powerful that they are secure from attack and have grown careless through the years.
One day Osa asked Boculy how long elephants live. He could only say, “Many years.” He couldn’t count far enough. And of course he did not know. I think one hundred years is a very old age for them.
With most game, the larger the herd the less chance there is of getting a good picture, for they stampede too easily. But with elephants the opposite is true; a single elephant is always on the alert, but a herd is usually more careless.
I once had to shoot a charging elephant to save my life. He was mortally wounded, and I prepared to shoot again to save him from suffering; but before I could raise my gun, two of his companions came on either side of him as if to support him, and he tottered away into the forest. This incident shows how loyal elephants are to members of their tribe. I have seen a mother elephant punish her toto with her trunk, push it into line when it was staggering with weariness, and squirt mud over it when it was crying from the heat. Generally they are very patient with their totos, but when punishment is needed, it is given.
丛林中的大象公民
我喜欢大象。它们是丛林中的模范公民。它们只关心自己的事，相互之间很少发生争斗。它们在养育下一代方面很有智慧，而且对于自己的部族，它们忠诚。它们过着一种安静的家庭生活，从不捕食其他动物。
多年在非洲工作的经验让我对大象的性格有颇深的了解。一般来说，我认为它们的寿命不会长于一个世纪。年龄和体形赋予它们很高的尊严，我觉得那个说大象是瞎子的古老传说一定是因为它们大多时候都是拖着沉重的脚步缓慢行走，就好像睡着了似的，从不注意周遭其他动物。它们孔武有力，使得自身可以免遭其他动物的袭击，长年自由生长，从不担心周遭的威胁。
一天，奥萨问鲍可利大象能活多久。他只是说：“很多年。”他不会数数，当然他也不知道。对它们来说，我觉得100岁是一个相当大的年龄了。
对于大多数动物而言，群体越庞大，获得好图像的概率就越小，因为它们很容易因受惊而集体奔逃。但是对于象群来说却正好相反：一头象永远处于保持警惕的状态，而象群却非常随意。
有一次，为了保命，我不得不开枪射击一头狂奔而来的大象。它受了致命伤，随后我准备再开一枪，结束它的痛苦。但当我举起枪的时候，它的两个同伴从两侧跑了出来，似乎是来救援的，然后我看到这头大象踉跄着进了森林。这充分体现了大象对它的族群成员的忠诚。我亲眼看到过一头幼象因为困倦蹒跚而行的时候，一头母象用鼻子惩罚它，迫使它走直线；我也见过幼象因为温度太高而哭泣时母象把泥巴浇在它身上的情形。一般来说，母象对自己的孩子很有耐心，但该惩罚的时候，它们也会照做不误。
BOCULY, THE ELEPHANT GUIDE
We were fortunate to have employed Boculy for our elephant guide. I believe he knows more about elephants than anyone in the world.
Boculy is a very important person in his own land. Somewhere in the wilds he has a thousand cattle and two hundred fifty camels which some of his wandering tribe tend for him when he is on safari with the white men. He knows all the languages of the plains and the desert, and in some curious way he can get aid from any of these people when we need it. There is a mystery in his wise old face, and his knowledge of wild animals is indeed remarkable. Elephants are his strong point. We call Boculy “little half-brother of the elephants.” If he told me I’d find elephants in front of the New York Public Library, I’d believe him, for Boculy knows. He could find “tembo,” the elephant, when every other hunter, white or native, would say that no beast could be found. He could see things that are invisible to the rest of us. A bit of mud dropped from a passing hoof was full of meaning to him. He could
tell what animal had dropped it. The bending of grass told him the kind of game that had passed, what direction it had taken, and even, at times, how long ago it had left its mark.
Many of the plainer signs can be learned by anyone who spends much time in the wilds. But the slight differences in the ways trodden grass falls to the ground, the different kinds of mud, and other seemingly unimportant traces left by passing jungle folk were full of meaning to Boculy, when to us they were almost invisible. It fascinated me to keep up with him in the field whenever I could, for his knowledge was so amazing and interesting. And the way the old boy had of telling me things made it even more so. He would point out to me the different footprints—the sharp cut of the buffalo’s hoof, which kills the grass it touches; the huge, soft print of tembo, the elephant, which simply bruises the
blades; the four-leafed clover print of the hyena; the water-lily mark of the leopard. As for “simba,” the lion, he leaves little trace of his weight. One rarely finds his footprints. Swiftly and silently he slips through the grass, and it rises again, concealing his passage.
No other African I have ever known approached Boculy in knowledge and skill. Boculy, with his naked eye, would pick out an animal that I could barely find with field glasses. The “little half-brother of the elephants,” like the tembo for whom we named him, would shuffle along muttering to himself. Then when you thought he was half asleep, he would stoop, pick up a bit of mud or a leaf, sniff the trail, and say, “Over by the Old Lady Waterhole you find five bull tembo, four cows, and three totos.” And we would. That was the amazing part of it. Boculy was always right.
Once when I had finished a lot of good elephant film, I gave a picture show for Boculy and the boys. With Boculy on a box next to us, we ran off several thousand feet of film. It was a joy to watch his wrinkled old face. He had never seen a movie, and I doubt if he had understood what we had been doing with our camera in all our crazy wanderings through the jungle. All he could say when he saw the pictures-in many of which he appeared-was “Ah-h-h, Ah-h-h!” He was overcome with feeling.
I enjoyed myself greatly that night. At last I was even with Boculy, for my magic of the camera was even more of a mystery to him than his magic knowledge of the jungle and its ways was to me.
“象导”鲍可利
我们很幸运能找到鲍可利做我们的“象导”。我相信他比世界上任何一个人都了解大象。
在这片大陆上，鲍可利是一个非常重要的人。在大草原的某个地方，他养了1000头牛和250只骆驼，当他与白人外出旅行的时候，他便让他所在的游牧部落的族人为他放养。他通晓平原和沙漠上的所有语言，并且当我们需要帮助的时候，他总能以某种奇妙的方式向这些部落中的任何一个寻求帮助。他苍老而智慧的脸上始终带着一丝神秘，他对野生动物的语言也十分了解。这一点在大象身上表现得尤为明显。我们称鲍可利为“大象的兄弟”。就算他说纽约市的公立图书馆前有大象，我也深信不疑，因为他太清楚大象的一举一动了。当其他的猎手，不论是白人还是当地人，都说找不到这种巨兽的时候，他仍然能发现“腾扑”，即大象【作者对非洲大象的称呼，Tembo（腾扑）是非洲刚果的地名，因此称生活在非洲大陆、带有非洲特色的象为“腾扑”。——译者注】。他总能看到其他人看不到的东西。即使是从路过的野兽的蹄子上掉下来的一块泥土上，他也能发现很多东西。他能够辨别出这
是从什么动物身上掉下来的。通过草的弯曲程度，他能够知道什么样的野兽刚刚从此经过以及要去往何处。他有时甚至可以判断出某些痕迹是多久之前留下来的。
长期生活在原野上的人对许多动物留下的痕迹非常熟悉。但是动物踩踏野草的轻微差异，泥土的些微差异以及其他一些看起来不是很显著的痕迹都能为鲍可利提供充足的信息，但对我们而言，这些痕迹完全是不可见的。他这方面的知识实在是让我觉得太有趣甚至不可思议，因此我也非常努力地想要达到他的水平。这个老伙计向我传授这些知识时，他的说话方式更是让我着迷。他能够给我指出各种不同的动物的脚印：水牛蹄的边缘十分锋利，被它所踩过的野草像被刀削过一般；大象脚印巨
大而柔软，会在叶子上留下淤痕；土狼脚印犹如长了四片叶子的苜蓿草；豹子的脚印则像睡莲一般。至于“辛巴”，也就是狮子，它留下的痕迹根本看不出它的实际重量，因此很少能够找到它们的足迹。狮子总是快速而安静地滑过草地，然后再一跃而起，完全隐匿了它的行踪。
在知识和技能方面，我遇到的非洲人没有人能比得上鲍可利。鲍可利单凭他的肉眼就能发现我用双筒望远镜都发现不了的动物。这位“大象的兄弟”就和大象一样，走起路来总是拖着脚步，走得又平又缓，而且一边走，一边嘴里还咕哝着什么，因此私下里我们就叫他“腾扑”——当地土话中“大象”的意思。当你觉得他快要睡着的时候，他会弯下腰，捡起一块泥土或者一片叶子，闻闻地上的足迹，然后说道：“走过去，到老婆婆水洼，你就会发现五头公象、四头母象和三头小象。”然后，我们果真遇到了。这才是神奇的地方。鲍可利总是对的。
有一次，当我完成了一部关于大象的电影的一大半拍摄时，我特意给他和那些男孩们留了个镜头。鲍可利坐在我们旁边的一个箱子上，我们给他放了一下这部胶片有几千英尺长的电影，然后观察他的反应。事实上，看着他那张布满皱纹的脸是一件很美妙的事情。他从来没看过电影，我甚至怀疑他是否能够理解我们用摄影机拍下我们疯狂的丛林之行的意义。看到那些有自己的镜头，他说的的话就是 “啊……啊……啊……啊……”看来，他也乐在其中了。
那一晚我很开心。我和鲍可利的账终也两清了，因为他告诉我说，他对充满魔力的摄像机的兴趣比我对他神奇的丛林知识的兴趣还要浓。
t-grid-align: none;text-autospace:none'>A Backward Look
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GLOSSARY
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