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Antarctica: A Frozen Hotbed of Research 南极洲：冰封的研究温床

 

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Antarctica’s scientists arrive looking not for fame, but for answers  科学家到南极洲不是想博取名声，而是为了寻求答案

 

Anvers Island, Antarctica – Roald Amundsen attacked this frozen nowhere-land as a racing explorer, determined to be fastest, to be first, to be remembered. His determination and savvy got him to the South Pole before any other, and made him a hero in an age when Antarctica existed in the human imagination as a final conquest. Mostly for show, he brought along a scientist.

南极洲昂韦尔岛──罗德．阿曼森抢着要闯入这片冰天冻地的蛮荒之地进行探索，决心成为速度最快也是最早来到这里的探险家，以此永垂后世。他凭着决心与精明才智而比别人更早抵达南极。在那个时代，南极洲在世人心目中是世界上最后一片尚未征服的地区，于是阿曼森也因此成就了英雄之名。他当时还带着一名科学家，但主要只是做做样子而已。

 

A different motivation  不同的动机

 

Just shy of a century later, the conquerors have given way to the curious. Now scientists such as geologist David Barbeau and ornithologist Kristen Gorman, rugged individuals of another age, shuttle in rubber Zodiac boats from remote research stations and ice-breaking research ships. They bump aside small floes, bend against brutal polar winds and scramble up cliffs in search of their own discoveries.

将近一个世纪之后，征服已由充满好奇的学者所取代。如今像地质学家戴维．巴尔博与鸟类学家克里斯廷．高尔曼这类吃苦耐劳的科学家，已是属于另一个时代的人物。他们从偏远的研究站与破冰研究船搭乘佐狄亚克公司生产的橡皮艇来到这里，把小片的浮冰撞到一旁，在狂暴的极地强风之下俯身前进，努力攀上悬崖，找寻属于自己的发现。

 

They search not for fame, but for answers about the same climate that once tortured and killed their polar adventuring forebears. Around this continent, the weather has mellowed alarmingly. Giant glaciers and tiny creatures are threatened as this tip of our global iceberg warms faster than anywhere else on Earth.

他们并非为了求名，而是想找到答案，因为这里的气候曾经残害许多昔日的极地探险家前辈，而他们就是想要对这种气候获得更多的了解。在这座大陆周遭，天气已经变得温和许多，而且变化幅度大得令人忧心。这个全球冰山的一角比地球上其他任何地方的暖化速度都来得快，已对巨型冰河与微小生物造成了威胁。

 

These modern-day researchers come not to conquer, but to understand. Barbeau leads Antarctic expeditions hatched and financed entirely on the strength of theories about how the continent broke off from South America and iced over.

这些现代研究者到这里不是为了征服，而是要理解。巴尔博率领的南极洲探险队，从组队乃至募集资金都完全仰赖一套理论的说服力，亦即南极洲乃是从南美洲断裂之后冰封形成的。

 

Gorman, meanwhile, tracks how dwindling Adelie penguin colonies connect to the retreat of sea ice. She teams with researchers to measure how the birds fare as Antarctica’s glacial edges crumble into the sea.

另一方面，高尔曼则是追踪研究阿德利企鹅群减少的现象与海冰消融有何相关。她与研究人员合作测量这些企鹅的命运随着南极洲冰河边缘崩落入海而出现何种变化。

 

“We’re asking simple questions about food ecology in this larger framework,” she said of fish and shrimp-like krill and their feathered hunters. “How do you better predict how climate will affect predators?”

「我们在这个大架构底下针对食物生态提出简单的问题，」她指的是企鹅及牠们所猎食的鱼类与形似虾子的磷虾（译注：或称南极虾），「那就是如何才能更准确预测气候对掠食动物的影响？」

 

Barbeau and Gorman are just two among scores buildingcareers in modern-day Antarctica, where climate studies promise academic status and grant money.

当今有许许多多的科学家在南极洲奠定自己的事业，巴尔博与高尔曼只不过是其中的两位而已。在这里从事气候研究不但能提升自己的学术地位，也比较容易取得补助金。

 

单词发音

 

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attack [əˋtæk] v. 进攻 set to work upon

nowhere [ˋno͵hwɛr] n. 不知名的地方 an unknown, remote, or nonexistent place or region

racing [`resɪŋ] adj. 专为比赛而设计的 the sport of engaging in contests of speed

savvy [ˋsævɪ] n. 理解能力；悟性

conquest [ˋkɑŋkwɛst] n. 占领地

conqueror [ˋkɑŋkərɚ] n. 征服者，胜利者

give way to 让位于, 为…所代替 to be replaced by something or someone

ornithologist [͵ɔrnəˋθɑlədʒɪst] n. 鸟类学家

rugged [ˋrʌgɪd] adj. 粗壮的，强健的；能吃苦耐劳的 requiring great endurance, determination, etc; demanding great effort, ability, or endurance

shuttle [ˋʃʌt!] v.  使穿梭般来回移动

bump [bʌmp] v. 碰，撞

floe [flo] n. 浮冰（块）

bend [bɛnd] v. 弯曲; 俯

scramble [ˋskræmb!] v. 爬行，攀爬

mellow [ˋmɛlo] v. 变柔和

alarmingly [əˋlɑrmɪŋlɪ] adv. 令人挂虑地；惊人地；告急地

tip [tɪp] n. 顶端 the small or thin end, point or top of something

expedition [͵ɛkspɪˋdɪʃən] n. 远征队；探险队

hatch [hætʃ] v. 策划 to plan (something, usually bad) in secret

break off 折断, 使脱落 to separate or become separated

ice over 结冰, 由冰层覆盖 become covered with a layer of ice

career [kəˋrɪr] n. 職業; 事業 a chosen pursuit; a profession or occupation

track [træk] v. 跟踪；追踪

dwindle [ˋdwɪnd!] v. 渐渐减少

retreat [rɪˋtrit] v. 使后退；使往后移

fare [fɛr] v. 过活；遭遇；进展

crumble [ˋkrʌmb!] v. 破碎，碎裂

framework [ˋfrem͵wɝk] n. 架构，骨架

krill [krɪl] n. 磷虾

 

 

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The world’s best laboratory  世界上最棒的实验室

 

At the South Pole, researchers take core samples of ice, measuring the gases trapped in them to see what Earth’s atmosphere was like thousands of years ago. In the Drake Passage, measurements taken by ship and satellite reveal how much carbon dioxide is absorbed by sea life.

在南极，研究人员抽取冰层核心处的样本，测量其中封存的气体，以了解地球的大气在数千年前的模样。在德瑞克海峡中，船只与卫星进行的测量显示出海中生物吸收了多少二氧化碳。

 

Antarctica is a hotbed of new climate patterns that serve as a nifty laboratory for understanding what’s happening to the Earth as a whole. Its long, dark winters make it the best place on Earth for observing the heavens. Its air is the cleanest on the planet, giving researchers a baseline to compare with other regions. Some 70 percent of the world’s fresh water is locked into 30 million cubic kilometers of Antarctic ice.

南极洲是新气候型态的温床。若要了解全球究竟出现了什么变化，这里堪称是一座绝佳的实验室。这里的冬季漫长而黑暗，因此也是全世界观察苍穹的最佳地点。这里的空气是全球最干净的，因此研究人员也就能够以这里为基准，对世界上的其他地方进行比较。全球约百分之七十的淡水都封存在三千万立方公里的南极冰层里。

 

The United States alone spends more than $300 million a year on research here. All the modern work feeds, and is driven by, findings like those of the Nobel-decorative Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, that carbon dioxide levels are at a high and climbing. Such buildup of gas in the atmosphere – the IPCC attributes the steep rise chiefly to industrialization – could explain why nine out of every 10 glaciers in the world are shrinking.

光是美国一国在这里投注的研究资金就高达每年三亿美元以上。诺贝尔奖得主的跨政府气候变迁小组发现目前的二氧化碳浓度已达到高峰，而且还不断上升──这类研究结果与所有现代研究工作之间相辅相成（译注：直译为像这样的研究结果是促成所有现代研究工作的推动力，而现代研究工作也为这些研究结果提供相关信息）。跨政府气候变迁小组（简称IPCC）把二氧化碳浓度的急遽上升主要归因于工业化的发展；而这种气体在大气中的大量累积，也许就是全球九成的冰河都出现缩减现象的原因。

 

Differing opinions  不同意见

 

Global warming remains a controversial concept, made more so when the hacking of e-mails from researchers at East Anglia’s Climate Research Unit last year revealed they toyed with data to make for more dramatic results. Skeptics also like to point out how most of Antarctica has not warmed appreciably.

全球暖化仍是一项备受争议的概念，尤其去年黑客公开东安格利大学气候研究小组研究人员的电子邮件，而揭露了该小组操弄数据以捏造出较为惊人的结果后，更让争议性增大。怀疑人士往往喜欢指出，南极洲大部分地区的暖化幅度并未达到明显可测知的程度。

 

Scientists in Antarctica, though, say the climate here has changed quickly and profoundly. Shifting atmospherics mean more ice is piling up in the Ross Sea and around the South Pole – evidence of an extraordinarily dry place seeing slightly more snow.

不过，身在南极洲的科学家指称这里的气候已出现了迅速而重大的变化。大气型态的变迁导致南极周围及罗斯海出现更多冰块，证明这个极度干燥的地区已经出现雪量微幅增加的情形。

 

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hotbed [ˋhɑt͵bɛd] n. 是…的温床﹐有利于〔..事〕滋长的地方

feed [fid] v. 供给；提供 to support or promote; encourage

buildup [ˋbɪld͵ʌp] n. 累积

attribute [əˋtrɪbjʊt] v. 把……归因于；把……归咎于[（+to）]

hacking [ˋhækɪŋ] n. 【非正式】侵入〔他人的電腦系統〕computer hacking

appreciably [əˋpriʃɪəb!ɪ] adv. 可察觉地，明显地

atmospherics [͵ætməsˋfɛrɪks] n. 大气干扰 electrical disturbances produced in the atmosphere by natural causes such as lightning

 

 

 

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The Antarctic Peninsula, the northernmost spit of land jutting up toward South America, is rapidly thawing. Since 1950, average midwinter temperatures there have climbed almost 11 degrees Fahrenheit and now range around 14 degrees.

南极半岛──也就是南极洲最北部一块朝着南美洲突出的土地──正迅速融化中。自从一九五０年以来，那里的仲冬均温已爬升了将近华氏十一度，目前达到华氏十四度左右。

 

Such data, goes the mainstream consensus, suggest the planet’s climate is changing faster than ever before.

主流共识认为，这样的数据显示地球的气候变化速度之快已达到了前所未有的程度。

 

The warming here is the fastest on the planet, five times that of the rest of the globe.

南极的暖化速度居于全球之冠，是世界其他地区的五倍。

 

Antarctica holds 91 percent of the Earth’s ice. So scientists have a whole lot ofmeasuring to do.

地球上百分之九十一的冰都位于南极洲，因此科学家仍有许多测量工作要做。

 

New lessons to learn  尚未解开的谜题

 

Even at 35, the geologist Barbeau possesses the persona of a brainy hippie backpacking between hostels rather than that of a professor leading polar expeditions.

地质学家巴尔博虽然已经三十五岁却仍然像是个头脑发达、成天旅宿于旅舍（译注：往往指廉价旅舍，而且通常指青年旅舍）的嬉皮背包客，而不像是率领极地探险行动的教授。

 

His work in the slow-moving field of geology plays into the rush to understand climate change by looking at a critical question: Did glaciers take over Antarctica after it split free from South America, or before?

他在进展缓慢的地质学领域里所从事的研究工作，正符合目前当红的气候变迁探究活动，而他所研究的乃是一项关键问题：南极洲被冰河覆盖，是从南美洲断裂之后还是之前的事情？

 

“It’s a matter of stumbling on the right problem,” Barbeau said, recognizing that by feeding the chic niche of climate science, his work stands much more likely to draw grants and prestige.

「这可以说是误打误撞而碰巧发现了正确的问题，」巴尔博说。他坦承自己的研究工作因为正好迎合当前流行的气候科学特定领域，所以更有机会获得资助与声望。

 

At work, he is a wiry prospector wielding a small pickax and an undersized sledgehammer and toting as much as 80 pounds of rocks over miles of snow. Where Amundsen used a compass and a sextant, Barbeau marks his finds with a Garmin satellite navigator.

在工作的时候，他是个瘦削结实的探勘者，挥舞着一把小十字镐和一根迷你铁锤，还必须搬运重达八十磅的岩石横越数哩的雪地。当年阿曼森使用的是指南针与六分仪，巴尔博则是利用台湾国际航电公司的卫星导航仪来标示自己的发现。

 

And where Amundsen learned the value of dogs and fur garments, Barbeau has come to appreciate less is more. Just enough clothing to keep an active man from shivering, just enough gear to pry rocks loose from a mountainside.

此外，当初阿曼森学到狗儿与毛皮衣物在南极洲有多么珍贵，巴尔博则是领悟了少即是多的道理。穿戴的衣物不必多，只要足够让人在活动之际不至于发抖即可；携带的装备也不必多，只要足够撬起山坡上的石头即可。

 

“Every minute on the ground is precious,” he said. “Fewer trips back and forth from the boat mean more time at work, more energy and more focus.”

「待在陆地上的每一分钟都非常宝贵，」他说：「搭船往返的次数愈少，就能够把更多的时间、精力与专注力投注在工作上。」

 

－by Scott Canon

 

单词发音

 

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spit [spɪt] n. 海峡; 岬 a narrow point of land extending into a body of water

jut [dʒʌt] up 耸立, 矗立 to stick out over someone or something

midwinter [ˋmɪdˋwɪntɚ] n. 仲冬

Fahrenheit [ˋfærən͵haɪt] adj. 华氏温度计的

brainy [ˋbrenɪ] adj.【美】【口】脑筋好的

backpack [ˋbæk͵pæk] v. 背负简便行李旅行 to hike while carrying a backpack

play into 扮演成 to act or behave

rush [rʌʃ] n. 蜂拥前往 an anxious and eager movement

stumble on 偶然发现[碰见] discover, find, come across

stand [stænd] v. 位在 to be in a position of possible gain or loss

grant [grænt] n. 补助金 a giving of funds for a specific purpose

undersized [͵ʌndɚˋsaɪzd] adj. 比普通小的，小尺寸的

sledgehammer [ˋslɛdʒ͵hæmɚ] n. 大锤

compass [ˋkʌmpəs] n. 罗盘，指南针

sextant [ˋsɛkstənt] n. 六分仪

 

 

 

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Vocabulary Focus

shy of (idiom) 比预期的尚缺一小段的 having less of something than is needed or expected

forebear [ˋfor͵bɛr] n.【正式】祖先﹐祖宗 a relation who lived in the past; an ancestor

nifty [ˋnɪftɪ] adj.【非正式】极好的; 极快的; 极有效的 good, pleasing or effective

baseline [ˋbeslaɪn] n. 基线; 准线 an imaginary line used as a starting point for making comparison

toy [tɔɪ] v. 玩弄，戏耍 to control or change something to one’s advantage

thaw [θɔ] v.（冰，雪等）融化 to change from a solid, frozen state to a liquid or soft one because of an increase in temperature

persona [pɚˋsonə] n. 小说（或戏剧）中的人物；角色 the particular type of character that a person seems to have, which is often different from their real or private character

chic [ˋʃik] adj. 时髦的 stylish and fashionable; currently popular

niche [nɪtʃ] n. 利基; 合适的工作[活动] an area or position which is exactly suitable for a small group of the same type

wiry [ˋwaɪrɪ] adj.（人等）瘦而结实的，筋骨强壮的 thin but strong, and often able to bend easily

tote [tot] v.〔尤指经常性地〕随身携带 to carry something, especially something heavy or awkward

 

 

Living & Working in Antarctica