BBC | 《南太平洋》-奇妙岛屿 24
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Rich volcanic soils nourished a forest of giant palms that was home to many unique species,
肥沃的火山灰滋养了一片巨大的棕榈树林，那也曾是许多珍稀物种的栖息地，
including Easter Island versions of herons, parrots, rails and owls.
包括苍鹭、复活岛版本的鹦鹉、秧鸡和猫头鹰。
Today, they are all gone.
如今，岛上的这些动物已经灭绝。
The people, ultimately, didn't do much better.
岛民最终的遭遇也没好到哪里去。
The rise and tragic demise of the Easter Islanders, the Rapa Nui, is now legendary.
经历了复活节岛的兴盛和悲惨的灭亡后，拉帕努伊人如今只成为传奇。
This quarry once occupied the majority of the island's workforce, thousands of people,
这个采石场曾经占领了岛上大部分的劳动力，数以千计，
with each clan trying to carve and raise a bigger, grander figure than those of their neighbours.
每个宗族都想把塑像雕得比邻族的更大更宏伟。
Vast amounts of timber would have been required to transport and erect the giant moai, and slowly but surely, the forests vanished.
运输和竖立巨型石像需要大量的木材，缓慢地但毫无疑问地森林最后消失了。
Eventually, there was no wood left even to build boats.
最后，甚至没有给造船留下木材。
without fishing boats, they would have been denied their main source of food, and their one means of escape.
没有了鱼船，他们就没有了食物的主要来源，以及失去了他们的一种逃生方法。
As resources dwindled, Easter Island society descended into chaos and warfare.
随着资源逐渐匮乏，复活岛社会陷入混乱和战争。
The giant statues were pulled to the ground, possibly acts of sabotage between rival clans.
这些巨型雕像被推倒在地，可能是敌对氏族之间的蓄意破坏行为。
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