your weight would be eight times greater.

你的體重就會多八倍

That's the trouble with growing tall.

這就是長高的麻煩

Gravity's pull is keeping us all down,

地心引力將我們每個人向下牽引

but there are a few earthly giants

但有幾個地球上的巨物

that have fought gravity and won.

擊敗戰勝了地心引力

(gentle instrumental music)

(輕柔的樂器聲)

The key to growing tall is how you use your energy.

長得高的秘訣在於你如何使用你的能量

That's why the tallest trees outrank any animal on Earth,

這就是為什麼最高的樹超越了地球上的任何動物

because trees spend all their energy on one thing;

因為樹將他們所有的能量花在一件事上

growing taller than their fellow neighbors.

那就是長得比他們的鄰居還高

And there are two trees that are the best growers

其中有兩種樹是最擅長長高的：

of them all: giant redwoods and mountain ashes.

巨型紅木和花楸樹

Redwoods are renowned as the tallest lifeforms on Earth,

紅木著稱是地球上最高的生命體

but some experts think that mountain ashes could grow

但有些學者認為花楸樹能夠長得甚至更高

even taller if humans would stop cutting them down.

前提是人類不要將他們砍下

In fact, the tallest mountain ash was just

事實上，最高的花楸樹

one meter shorter than the tallest redwood.

只比最高的紅木要低一公尺

Unlike plants, animals spend energy on all sorts of tasks,

不同於植物，動物耗費能量在各種事情上

like eating, walking, and staying warm,

像是進食、走路，還有保持溫暖

so they can't grow as tall.

所以牠們沒辦法長得那麼高

But it doesn't mean they're small, either.

但那也不代表牠們很矮小

If you measured this African elephant

若是你測量這隻非洲象

from shoulder to ground,

肩膀至地表的距離

it would actually be taller than a giraffe,

牠其實就會比長頸鹿還高

but thanks to their long, strong necks,

但多虧於牠們又長又壯的脖子

giraffes are the tallest animals alive.

長頸鹿是現存最高的動物

And if we look at animals throughout Earth's history,

而若是我們綜觀地球動物歷史

dinosaurs eclipsed them all.

恐龍會使得牠們黯然失色

These towering sauropods were the biggest of the bunch.

這些高聳的蜥腳類動物是其中最高的一群

In fact, the top ten lists of tallest

事實上，歷史上最高的前十種動物呢？

animals in history? All dinosaurs.

全都是恐龍

But what if we looked at the longest lifeforms, too?

但若是我們也看看最長的生物體呢？

If you balance the longest saltwater crocodile on its nose,

如果你將最長的淡水鱷魚以鼻尖立起

it would tie the giraffe.

牠會和長頸鹿勢均力敵

And if we ignore legs it gets even better.

而若是我們撇開有腿的，事情就更好玩了

Tip-to-tail, the green anaconda nearly doubles

從頭頂到尾，綠巨蟒幾乎是

the height of the tallest giraffe.

最高的長頸鹿的兩倍身高長

But these land-dwellers have nothing on animals of the deep.

但這些陸上居民比起海底的動物就沒什麼了

Supported by water, sea life can practically ignore gravity,

因為被水支撐著，海生動物幾乎可以忽略地心引力

which means they can grow much larger.

意味著牠們可以長得更大

Take the blue whale, for example.

以藍鯨為例

It's the most massive animal of all time.

牠是有史以來最大型的動物

For example, the entire cast of Broadway's

打個比方，牠的舌頭可以容納下

The Lion King can fit on its tongue.

百老匯《獅子王》的所有演員

But it should be careful not to get tangled up

但牠應該當心

in the tentacles of a lion's mane jellyfish,

別被獅鬃水母的觸手纏繞了

which makes the giant squid look small by comparison.

這些觸手使得大王烏賊顯得相較渺小

Now, the biggest fish alive is the whale shark,

現今，現存最大的魚是鯨鯊

and if we look into the past things get even bigger.

若是我們回顧過去，東西甚至顯得更大

So where do humans fit into all this?

所以人類在其中位於哪裡呢？

Somewhere near the top, actually.

其實位於接近頂端

Humans are bigger than 87.6% of mammals on Earth

人類比地球上百分之 87.6 的哺乳動物都要大

and the average Dutchman is the tallest of them all.

平均而言荷蘭人則是其中最高的

So there's no reason to ever feel small again,

所以其實沒理由覺得自己渺小

especially if you're from the Netherlands.

尤其是如果你來自荷蘭

(gentle instrumental music)

(輕柔的樂器聲)

Fun fact, the longest life-form of all time

有趣事實，有史以來最長的生命體

isn't a plant or animal at all.

既非植物也非動物

It's a honey fungus and the biggest one goes on

它是蜜環菌，最大型的長 3.8 公里

for 3.8 kilometers underneath a forest in Oregon.

就位於奧勒岡州的一片森林底下