2023考研英語閱讀北極海域
The Arctic
北極海域
Tequila sunset
龍舌蘭日落
Global warming may make the northernmost oceanless productive, not more so
全球變暖對北極海域生產(chǎn)力的負(fù)面影響
ON SEPTEMBER 16th 2023, at the height of the summer melt, the Arctic Ocean s ice sheethad shrunk to an area of 3.41m square kilometres, half what it was in 1979.
2023年9月16日，隨著夏日的深入，北冰洋的冰原面積縮減到341萬平方公里，該數(shù)字僅為1979年同期面積的二分之一。
And its volume had shrunk faster still,to a quarter of what it was in 1979, for the sheet is getting thinner as well as smaller.
同時，就冰原體積而言，目前北極冰原的體積僅為1979年的四分之一，其融化速度之快可想而知。如今的北極地區(qū)，不僅冰原的面積在減少，其體積也在縮小。
One culprit is global warming, which is fiercer at the poles than elsewhere.
而這一現(xiàn)象的罪魁禍?zhǔn)妆闶侨蜃兣Ｍ瑫r，相比于其他海域而言，全球變暖對兩極地區(qū)的沖擊尤為明顯。
The world s average temperature in 2023 was nearly 0.5C above the average for 1951-80.
與1951-1980年相比，2023年全球均溫上漲了0.5，
In the Arctic, it was up almost 2C.
其中僅北極地區(qū)便上漲了2。
This sudden warming is like the peeling back of a lid to reveal a new ocean underneath.
就如同是掀開了某個鍋蓋后發(fā)現(xiàn)了一片沸騰的海洋一般，全球溫度驟然上升。
That prospect is spreading alarm and excitement.
全球變暖加劇的前景不僅使人深感擔(dān)憂，也使人倍覺振奮。
Though most of the excitement has been about oil and gas, and the opening of sea routesbetween the Atlantic and the Pacific, some people hope for a fishing bonanza, too, as warmthand light bring ecological renewal to what is now an icy desert.
盡管大多數(shù)的掌聲來自油氣開發(fā)商與大西洋-太平洋新航道擁護(hù)者，然而由于全球變暖給這片冰雪荒原帶來了溫暖與陽光，為其生態(tài)環(huán)境注入了新的元素，不少人也夢想著在這里靠捕魚發(fā)一筆橫財，
But they may be disappointed.
只是后者很可能會抱憾而歸。
At the moment, the waters around the Arctic account for a fifth of the world s catch.
目前，北極地區(qū)占有全球總水量的五分之一。
There are few fish, however, under the ice itself.
然而在這厚厚的冰層下，卻鮮有魚類問津。
A fishing bonanza would require big ecological change.
在北極生態(tài)系統(tǒng)完全改變之前，捕魚或許不是當(dāng)?shù)氐淖罴阎赂恢馈?/p>
Arctic Frontiers, a conference organised at the University of Tromso in January, looked athow warming will change the ecology, to estimate whether it will bring one about.
1月，挪威特羅姆瑟大學(xué)召開北極邊境會議，專門研究全球變暖對已有生態(tài)環(huán)境的影響，以及預(yù)估該現(xiàn)象是否會促進(jìn)生成一個新的生態(tài)環(huán)境。
The consensus was that it won tnot because the Arctic will change too little, but because itwill change too much.
會上，與會代表達(dá)成共識：北極海域?qū)⒉粫纬尚碌纳鷳B(tài)環(huán)境，這并不是因為北極的改變不足掛齒，恰恰相反，而是因為這里將會發(fā)生翻天覆地的變化。
Change and decay
變化與衰退
At first sight, this is counterintuitive.
乍讀此言，不免覺得有些互相矛盾。
As the ice melts, more light can reach the water, and that means more photosynthesis bymarine algae.
然而隨著冰層進(jìn)一步融化，大量陽光直射海面，海水中藻類植物的光合作用將會大大增強。
In the past, algae began to grow under the ice sheet in May and continued to do so until lateSeptember.
過去，冰原下的海藻于每年五月開始生長，至九月末結(jié)束，
Now, such growth starts in mid-March and continues until October.
但現(xiàn)在海藻的生長期已延長為每年三月中旬至十月。
These ice algae, attached to the sheet itself, account for half the mass of living things inArctic waters.
在所有北極海洋生物中，約半數(shù)生物為此類附著在冰原下方的冰藻，
Much of the rest is unattached algae, known as phytoplankton, and tiny animals, known aszooplankton.
另外還有部分浮游植物及浮游動物，
Both sorts of plankton support, directly or indirectly, the fish and mammals that live in theArctic Ocean.
而這兩類浮游生物便是北極地區(qū)魚類及哺乳動物直接或間接的養(yǎng)料來源。
And the plankton, too, are flourishing thanks to global warming.
此外，全球變暖也使得此類浮游生物的數(shù)量激增：
The Arctic phytoplankton bloom, which used to run from June to September, now runs fromApril to September.
北極浮游植物生長期已經(jīng)由過去的六至九月延長到了四至九月。
The upshot is more plankton, farther north.
于是，隨著浮游生物進(jìn)一步向北部蔓延，
That attracts more fish.
更多魚類被吸引至此。
In 2000 Atlantic cod were caught throughout the Barents Sea.
2000年，巴倫支海南北遍布大西洋鱈魚;
By 2023 their distribution was skewed towards the northern part of that sea.
2023年，大西洋鱈魚活動范圍北移至巴倫支海北部。
Stocks of capelin used to be concentrated south of Svalbard, at latitude 75N.
同時，曾主要分布于北緯75斯瓦爾巴群島海域的capelin，
In 2023 this had moved to 78N.
于2023年被發(fā)現(xiàn)已遷移至北緯78附近，
Some found their way as far up as 80N.
部分甚至已遷徙到北緯80附近海域。
The Arctic
北極海域
Tequila sunset
龍舌蘭日落
Global warming may make the northernmost oceanless productive, not more so
全球變暖對北極海域生產(chǎn)力的負(fù)面影響
ON SEPTEMBER 16th 2023, at the height of the summer melt, the Arctic Ocean s ice sheethad shrunk to an area of 3.41m square kilometres, half what it was in 1979.
2023年9月16日，隨著夏日的深入，北冰洋的冰原面積縮減到341萬平方公里，該數(shù)字僅為1979年同期面積的二分之一。
And its volume had shrunk faster still,to a quarter of what it was in 1979, for the sheet is getting thinner as well as smaller.
同時，就冰原體積而言，目前北極冰原的體積僅為1979年的四分之一，其融化速度之快可想而知。如今的北極地區(qū)，不僅冰原的面積在減少，其體積也在縮小。
One culprit is global warming, which is fiercer at the poles than elsewhere.
而這一現(xiàn)象的罪魁禍?zhǔn)妆闶侨蜃兣Ｍ瑫r，相比于其他海域而言，全球變暖對兩極地區(qū)的沖擊尤為明顯。
The world s average temperature in 2023 was nearly 0.5C above the average for 1951-80.
與1951-1980年相比，2023年全球均溫上漲了0.5，
In the Arctic, it was up almost 2C.
其中僅北極地區(qū)便上漲了2。
This sudden warming is like the peeling back of a lid to reveal a new ocean underneath.
就如同是掀開了某個鍋蓋后發(fā)現(xiàn)了一片沸騰的海洋一般，全球溫度驟然上升。
That prospect is spreading alarm and excitement.
全球變暖加劇的前景不僅使人深感擔(dān)憂，也使人倍覺振奮。
Though most of the excitement has been about oil and gas, and the opening of sea routesbetween the Atlantic and the Pacific, some people hope for a fishing bonanza, too, as warmthand light bring ecological renewal to what is now an icy desert.
盡管大多數(shù)的掌聲來自油氣開發(fā)商與大西洋-太平洋新航道擁護(hù)者，然而由于全球變暖給這片冰雪荒原帶來了溫暖與陽光，為其生態(tài)環(huán)境注入了新的元素，不少人也夢想著在這里靠捕魚發(fā)一筆橫財，
But they may be disappointed.
只是后者很可能會抱憾而歸。
At the moment, the waters around the Arctic account for a fifth of the world s catch.
目前，北極地區(qū)占有全球總水量的五分之一。
There are few fish, however, under the ice itself.
然而在這厚厚的冰層下，卻鮮有魚類問津。
A fishing bonanza would require big ecological change.
在北極生態(tài)系統(tǒng)完全改變之前，捕魚或許不是當(dāng)?shù)氐淖罴阎赂恢馈?/p>
Arctic Frontiers, a conference organised at the University of Tromso in January, looked athow warming will change the ecology, to estimate whether it will bring one about.
1月，挪威特羅姆瑟大學(xué)召開北極邊境會議，專門研究全球變暖對已有生態(tài)環(huán)境的影響，以及預(yù)估該現(xiàn)象是否會促進(jìn)生成一個新的生態(tài)環(huán)境。
The consensus was that it won tnot because the Arctic will change too little, but because itwill change too much.
會上，與會代表達(dá)成共識：北極海域?qū)⒉粫纬尚碌纳鷳B(tài)環(huán)境，這并不是因為北極的改變不足掛齒，恰恰相反，而是因為這里將會發(fā)生翻天覆地的變化。
Change and decay
變化與衰退
At first sight, this is counterintuitive.
乍讀此言，不免覺得有些互相矛盾。
As the ice melts, more light can reach the water, and that means more photosynthesis bymarine algae.
然而隨著冰層進(jìn)一步融化，大量陽光直射海面，海水中藻類植物的光合作用將會大大增強。
In the past, algae began to grow under the ice sheet in May and continued to do so until lateSeptember.
過去，冰原下的海藻于每年五月開始生長，至九月末結(jié)束，
Now, such growth starts in mid-March and continues until October.
但現(xiàn)在海藻的生長期已延長為每年三月中旬至十月。
These ice algae, attached to the sheet itself, account for half the mass of living things inArctic waters.
在所有北極海洋生物中，約半數(shù)生物為此類附著在冰原下方的冰藻，
Much of the rest is unattached algae, known as phytoplankton, and tiny animals, known aszooplankton.
另外還有部分浮游植物及浮游動物，
Both sorts of plankton support, directly or indirectly, the fish and mammals that live in theArctic Ocean.
而這兩類浮游生物便是北極地區(qū)魚類及哺乳動物直接或間接的養(yǎng)料來源。
And the plankton, too, are flourishing thanks to global warming.
此外，全球變暖也使得此類浮游生物的數(shù)量激增：
The Arctic phytoplankton bloom, which used to run from June to September, now runs fromApril to September.
北極浮游植物生長期已經(jīng)由過去的六至九月延長到了四至九月。
The upshot is more plankton, farther north.
于是，隨著浮游生物進(jìn)一步向北部蔓延，
That attracts more fish.
更多魚類被吸引至此。
In 2000 Atlantic cod were caught throughout the Barents Sea.
2000年，巴倫支海南北遍布大西洋鱈魚;
By 2023 their distribution was skewed towards the northern part of that sea.
2023年，大西洋鱈魚活動范圍北移至巴倫支海北部。
Stocks of capelin used to be concentrated south of Svalbard, at latitude 75N.
同時，曾主要分布于北緯75斯瓦爾巴群島海域的capelin，
In 2023 this had moved to 78N.
于2023年被發(fā)現(xiàn)已遷移至北緯78附近，
Some found their way as far up as 80N.
部分甚至已遷徙到北緯80附近海域。
