世界之巔的幸福生活

2)Strewn across the 3)plateau are boiling thermal springs， the evidence of mighty natural forces which have been at work over millions of years. Deep below the surface， the vast continental plates of Asia and India are crashing into each other. The turmoil below erupts in clouds of 4)sulphurous steam.

It seems unlikely that 5)scalding mineral springs should support life. But one unlikely creature thrives here precisely because of them. The hot spring snake is unique to Tibet and is believed to have survived the inhospitable conditions up on the plateau principally thanks to this natural central heating. These cold-blooded snakes hang out in streams and rivers which are fed by the hot springs， where

they enjoy a surprisingly productive lifestyle. Slipping into the warm water， they wait patiently， 6)bobbing their heads on the lookout for fish. Thanks to its unlikely relationship with the volcanic forces which built the Himalayas， the hot spring snake is able to survive at altitudes up to 4，500 metres， making it the highest-living snake in the world.

青藏高原上散布著許多沸騰的溫泉，這是千百萬年來大自然的強大威力一直在發揮著作用的見證。在地球深處，巨大的亞洲板塊和印度板塊在互相擠壓。地底的騷動令一團團硫磺氣噴涌而出。

滾燙的礦泉中似乎不可能有生命存在，然而有一種看似不可能的動物卻恰能因此而在這里安居樂業。溫泉蛇是西藏特有物種，它之所以能夠在如此嚴酷的高原環境下生存，多半得歸功于這個天然“供熱系統”。這些冷血的蛇時常出沒在溫泉匯集的小溪與河流中，過著讓人意想不到的富足生活。它們滑進溫水，探出腦袋，耐心地等候魚兒自投羅網。有了與塑造喜馬拉雅山脈的火山力量之間這種不尋常的關系，溫泉蛇得以在海拔4500米的高原上生存，它們也成了世界上生活海拔最高的蛇。

但這里還有一種住得更高、體型更小的食肉動物，它都快把家安到世界之巔了。在8848米這個令人膽戰心驚的高度，珠穆朗瑪峰是地球上最危險的生命禁區。為了征服它，已有幾百人喪命。但當首批登山者完成四分之三的行程到達冰雪帶的邊緣時，卻發現別的動物早已捷足先登了。

這種跳蛛是地球上住得最高的永駐居民。它們非常適合生活在珠穆朗瑪峰的冰川地帶，在山坡上四處搜捕隨風而來的獵物，比如跳蟲。世界各地都有跳蛛的身影。它們有八只眼，中間的一對特別大，如同高倍雙筒望遠鏡一般，搜尋著潛在的目標。運用水壓原理，它們的腿能像活塞一樣運動，可以躍出相當于30倍體長的距離。……