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A Voyage to the Bottom of the World 航向世界之最

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课文讲解

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On most maps of the world, it looks like a thin white strip. In fact, with an area of over 14 million square kilometers, the continent of Antarctica is twice the size of Australia. It is the coldest, windiest, and the most desolate place on Earth, and it is also the most pristine – one of the reasons why it is an increasing popular tourist destination.

南极洲在大多数的地图上看起来像是白色的长条状，事实上这块状区域的面积超过一千四百万平方公里，有澳洲的两倍大。这地方是地球上最冷、风最强、又最荒凉的区域，也是最原始的地方──这也是为什么如今它愈来愈成为热门旅游景点的原因。

Over the past decade, the number of people visiting Antarctica has doubled every three to four years. This southern-hemisphere summer, roughly 22,000 tourists are expected to visit the rugged continent, mostly on icebreaker ships which have been reinforced to allow them to negotiate the ice floes surrounding Antarctica’s shores.

过去十年，到访南极洲的游客人数每三或四年就成长一倍。南半球今年夏天预计有二万二千人将走访南极大陆，大多数人都乘坐加固的破冰船，可以航经围绕在南极洲四周的飘浮冰山而无虞。

The Antarctica Peninsula is actually a geological extension of the Andes Mountains. Unsurprisingly, the nearest landmass to Antarctica is South America, some 990 km away. Most cruises depart from the Argentine port city of Ushuaia, and last two to three weeks. Though the cruises have a price tag of US$5,000 and up, there is no Love Boat-style entertainment or razzmatazz onboard to help passengers pass the time as they head toward the bottom of the Earth. Instead, passengers can look forward to plenty of lectures on Antarctica’s natural history from well-informed and experienced cruise guides.

地理上南极大陆半岛其实是美洲安地斯山延伸出来的一部份。所以无须讶异，最接近南极大陆的地块是南美洲，约有990公里之遥。大多数船只由阿根廷乌苏埃亚港起程，行程约二或三周。虽然行程要价从美金五千起跳，船上可没有爱之船式的娱乐或华丽噱头，帮游客打发这一趟航向世界最下端的旅途。反而是游客能得到见闻广博、经验丰富的船只导游，讲述许多有关南极洲的自然历史。

Vocabulary

单词发音

Antarctica [ænˋtɑrktɪkə] n. 南极洲

desolate [ˋdɛs!ɪt] adj. 荒芜的，无人烟的

pristine [ˋprɪstin] adj. 原始的; 崭新的; 完好无损的

rugged [ˋrʌgɪd] adj.（气候）严酷的; 不平的﹐ 崎岖的﹐起伏的

icebreaker [ˋaɪs͵brekɚ] n. 破冰船

negotiate [nɪˋgoʃɪ͵et] v.【口】顺利通过，成功地越过

floe [flo] n. 浮冰（块）

peninsula [pəˋnɪnsələ] n. 半岛

cruise [kruz] n. 乘船游览; 航游

razzmatazz [ˋræzmə͵tæz] n.【非正式】〔为了吸引人的〕令人眼花缭乱的活动

lecture [ˋlɛktʃɚ] n. 授课；演讲

well-informed [ˋwɛl ɪnˋfɔrmd] adj. 见多识广的；消息灵通的

Sentence of the Day

Antarctica cuts no ice with those who dislike the cold.

讨厌寒冷的人对南极洲没兴趣。

cut no ice 不起作用

课文讲解

Most of the ships and crews which carry tourists to the Antarctica Peninsula are Russian. Itineraries often include stops at the windy and damp Falkland or South Georgia Islands on the way. Closer to the Antarctica Peninsula, ships may drop anchor off Deception Island, a collapsed volcano with thermal pools that was once the site of an old whaling station, or Elephant Island, home to a thriving penguin colony. Landings on these islands, as on the Antarctica continent, are made by Zodiac dinghy, or sometimes by helicopter.

大多数载客前往南极大陆半岛的船只与水手都是俄罗斯人。行程途中大半也包括风大且潮湿的福克兰群岛或南乔治亚岛。靠近南极大陆半岛时，船只也许在迷幻岛或象岛下锚。迷幻岛是一座具地热泉的倒塌火山，过去曾经是捕鲸业的据点；而象岛则是企鹅热闹群居的所在。要登上这些小岛和登上南极大陆一样，需要靠做为交通船的小艇接驳行驶，或有时候改用直升机。

Weather conditions dictate Antarctica’s tourist season, which lasts from November to March. Mid-December to the end of January is Antarctica’s warmest period and the best time to visit, as temperatures can reach a balmy 15⁰ C and there is over 20 hours of daylight. This creates extraordinary light conditions and, consequently, terrific photo opportunities: deep blue glaciers comprised of 20,000-year-old water, mountains rising up over 4,000 meters, and icebergs breaking off into the sea.

气候因素控制着南极洲的旅游旺季，一般是从11月到来年3月，而12月中到来年1月底是南极洲最温暖的季节，也是最适宜到访的季节，因为白天气温可望达到和煦的摄氏15度，并且有长达20小时的日照时间。这可以创造出绝佳的光线条件，也就是说，无与伦比的摄影机会：二万年之久的水产生出深蓝色的冰河，超过4,000公尺的山脊，和破碎浮入海面的冰山。

Penguins, other seabirds and seals constitute Antarctica’s on-land wildlife. Offshore, various species of whales have been known to delight tourists with their presence. However, those considering a trip should beware: Antarctica’s mercurial weather has the potential to limit where one can go and what one can see.

企鹅、其他种类的海鸟和海豹，共同组成了南极洲的陆地生物。在近海，有多种不同的鲸鱼供游客观赏。不过，想去南极旅行的人必须要注意：南极洲的骇人气候千变万化，将有可能限制游客们能够去的地方或可以看的东西。

－by Colin Gread

Vocabulary

单词发音

itinerary [aɪˋtɪnə͵rɛrɪ] n. 旅程；路线

damp [dæmp] adj. 有湿气的；潮湿的

dinghy [ˋdɪŋi] / [ˋdɪŋgɪ] n.〔娱乐用的〕小游艇; 〔载人往返于大船与岸边的〕小艇

dictate [ˋdɪktet] v. 命令，支配

balmy [ˋbɑmɪ] adj. 温和的，柔和的；宜人的

terrific [təˋrɪfɪk] adj.【非正式】极好的﹐极棒的; 非常愉快的

offshore [ˋɔfˋʃor] adv. 离岸；向海面

mercurial [mɝˋkjʊrɪəl] adj.【文】〔情绪〕变化无常的﹐ 多变的

Sentence of the Day

Experienced travelers give it a seal of approval.

有经验的旅客都支持它。

seal of approval 正式认可

seal [sil] n. 保证；批准；誓约

Discovery.Channel.Ultimate.Journeys.Antarctica