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The Northwest Passage: Continuing Legend of Shipping Reality? 西北航道：只闻楼梯响或是美梦已成真？

课文朗读

课文讲解

繁體中文譯本

For centuries, the legendary Northwest Passage, object of countless expeditions seeking a faster route between Europe and the Far East, has proven a treacherous, nigh indomitable route. The effects of global warming, however, may soon present a new window of opportunity for global shipping.

几世纪以来，无数远征队都企图寻找由欧洲与远东之间更快的航线，也就是传说中的「西北航道」，但这条路线已被证明是一条不可靠、几乎无法克服的艰难航路。不过，如今全球暖化的结果很可能提供一个崭新会让全球航运行得通。

Research has demonstrated increasingly long ice-free summers in the waterways north of Canada; this has already permitted the safe passage of a handful of container ship. If global warming continues, studies suggest accelerating Arctic thaw will eventually melt the passage completely.

研究显示加拿大北部水面，夏天无冰的日子已经愈来愈长，这种状况让一些货柜船已经能够安全地通过这条航道。如果全球暖化持续进行下去，研究显示北极的冰块融解加速，终将打通整条航道。

If true, the advantages for shippers would be enormous. Compared with the traditional Panama Canal route through Central America, the northern route shaves over eight thousand kilometers off the journey. Carriers would also be able to avoid the canal’s all-too-frequent delays and its expensive passage fees. Furthermore, the ninety-year old canal is too narrow to fit today’s gargantuan supertankers and container ships, which must alternatively take dangerous southern routes.

如果上述成为事实，船公司将获益匪浅。与传统上经由中美洲巴拿马运河的路线相较之下，北美航线的路程减少八千公里以上。船公司也将能避免巴拿马运河那样司空见惯的时间延误和高昂的通行费。再者，高龄已经九十的巴拿马运河太窄，往往不适合于如今的超级邮轮和货柜船，这些船只都必须绕道走比较危险的南方航道。

Routine use of the Northwest Passage also presents many anticipated drawbacks. Environmentalists fear that shipping through the passage would threaten the survival of already-endangered Arctic wildlife. Further, the effects of such shipping on isolated native communities are unknown. Whether this legendary route becomes a reality or not remains to be seen.

若要让西北航道成为定期航线也会产生许多预期中的缺点。环保人士担心航道上的船只来来往往，会危害已经濒临绝种的极地生物。再说，像这样频繁的航运是否会对原来遗世独立的原住民聚落产生怎样的影响，还未可知。这条传说中的航道是否能真的成为事实，仍有待观察。

Vocabulary

单词发音

passage [ˋpæsɪdʒ] n. 通路；水路

object [ˋɑbdʒɪkt] n. 目的，宗旨

expedition [͵ɛkspɪˋdɪʃən] n. 远征；探险；考察

treacherous [ˋtrɛtʃərəs] adj. 不牢靠的；危险的；变化莫测的

nigh [naɪ] adv. 几乎

indomitable [ɪnˋdɑmətəb!] adj. 不可战胜的

waterway [ˋwɑtɚ͵we] n. 水路；航道

thaw [θɔ] v. （冰，雪等）融化

shipper [ˋʃɪpɚ] n. 承办货运的轮船公司﹐航运商

canal [kəˋnæl] n. 运河

shave [ʃev] v.【口】削减；略减[（+off/from）]

gargantuan [gɑrˋgæntʃʊən] adj. 庞大的，巨大的

supertanker [ˋsupɚ͵tæŋkɚ] n. 超大型油轮

container [kənˋtenɚ] n. 集装箱﹐货柜

drawback [ˋdrɔ͵bæk] n. 缺点，短处，不利条件

Sentence of the Day

Compared with the Panama Canal, using the Northwest Passage would feel like a hop, skip, and a jump!

与巴拿马运河相较之下，使用西北航线就像三级跳，航程短的多。

hop, skip, and a jump  三级跳

课文讲解

Steve, general manager of a manufacturing company, is having a cocktail with Joanna, his shipping agent:  一家制造公司的总经理史提夫正与他的航运代理商裘安娜喝鸡尾酒：

S: This shipping business sure makes the world seem big. Nearly a month to send a shipment from China to Germany!

这个船运业真的让世界看起来很大，从中国经由船运送一批货到德国几乎要一个月。

J: It might take longer, Steve. The Panama Canal’s a busy place! Expect delays.

可能会更久，史提夫。巴拿马运河是个忙碌的地方呢！延误送达可说是家常便饭。

S: Delays!? Great. Kind of makes me hope this Arctic thaw prediction comes true. If the Northwest Passage melted, it would cut our shipping distances in half.

延误送达！？太棒了！这有点让我希望北极融冰的预言能成真。如果西北航路上的冰融化了，我们的航程就能缩短一半。

J: Well, even melted, northern waterways would still be a maze of icebergs. Remember the Exxon Valdez?

嗯，即使融化了，北方航道仍像一座充满冰山的迷宫。还记得艾克森瓦尔迪兹号吗？

S: Sure. Big environmental disaster – spilled over 250 thousand barrels of oil.

当然记得。这个环保大灾难漏出了二十五万多桶的原油。

J: Collisions are only one potential problem. They say the sound of icebreakers alone would drive wildlife out of its natural habitat. Similarly, I imagine that Inuit people might strongly protest something that would threaten their traditional lifestyle.

撞上冰山只是其中一个可能发生的问题，人们说光是破冰船的声音就会迫使野生动物离开牠们的自然栖息地。同样地，我想伊努族原住民可能也会强烈抗议破冰船会威胁到他们的传统生活方式。

S: Probably. On the other hand, a lively shipping business in the north would certainly improve the region’s economy.

也许吧！不过另一方面，北方的船运业荣景铁定会改善这地方的经济。

J: Fair point, but there’s another problem. Although Canada’s border extends to the North Pole, the U.S. insists that the Northwest Passage is international waters. That could lead to some sticky diplomatic wrangling.

这点说得好，但还有另一个问题。虽然加拿大的边界延伸至北极，美国却强调西北航路是属于国际公海。这样可能会导致一些棘手的外交争执问题。

S: True. Hey, this beer’s making me feel like the captain of the Valdez. Ready to go?

没错。嘿，这杯啤酒让我感觉自己好像是出事的那艘瓦尔迪兹号的船长。准备要闪人了吗？

J: Sounds good.

这个主意听起来不错。

－by Joel Finnestad

Vocabulary

单词发音

shipment [ˋʃɪpmənt] n.〔经海路﹑陆路或航空运送的〕货物

kind of 有点儿

maze [mez] n. 迷宫

barrel [ˋbærəl] n.（中间粗两端细的）大桶

collision [kəˋlɪʒən] n. 碰撞；相撞

icebreaker [ˋaɪs͵brekɚ] n. 破冰船

habitat [ˋhæbə͵tæt] n.（动物的）栖息地；（植物的）产地

Inuit [`ɪnjʋɪt] n. 伊努伊特人〔居住在北美北部严寒地区〕

lively [ˋlaɪvlɪ] adj.（事件、讨论等）热闹的，热烈的

sticky [ˋstɪkɪ] adj.【口】棘手的，麻烦的

diplomatic [͵dɪpləˋmætɪk] adj. 外交的

wrangling [ˋræŋglɪŋ] n. 争吵；争辩

Sentence of the Day

Steve is tired of playing the waiting game when it comes to shipping transit times.

谈到船舶货物转运，史帝夫最受不了的就是只能观望。