纪录片《冰冻星球》 第83期 履于薄冰（15）

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The bright orange beaks¹ of Gentoo penguins²

有着亮橙色嘴巴的金图企鹅

are a much more common sight on the Peninsula these days.

近些年来 在半岛上愈发常见了

I always used to know them as residents

我过去一直以为它们是南极大陆北端

of the slightly warmer islands north of the Antarctic.

更温暖的地方的居民

But they've moved south in numbers.

可是它们却已大量南下

There are thought to be ten times

据说 现在半岛上

more Gentoos on the Peninsula now

金图企鹅的数量

than just 30 years ago.

是三十年前的十倍

The Peninsula has warmed a great deal,

半岛气温上升了许多

but the same is not true further south.

可是更南端的地方却并非如此

The Antarctic continent

南极大陆

is smothered³ by the world's greatest ice sheet.

蕴藏着世界上最大的冰原地带

One and half times the size of Australia

有一个半澳大利亚那么大

and up to three miles thick.

并且有三英里厚

A staggering⁴ 75% of the Earth's fresh water

令人震惊的是 地球上75%的淡水

is locked up in this ice.

都储藏在这里

Global sea levels would rise

假如这些冰全都融化

by some 60 metres if all this was to melt.

海平面将会上升六十米

But what chance is there of that happening here in the coldest,

但在地球上最寒冷最危险的地方

most hostile place on Earth?

上述现象发生的概率有多大呢

The ice beneath me, up here on top of the ice cap,

伫立冰原之巅 厚厚的冰雪在我足下

is so thick that I am short of breath,

海拔如此之高

simply because of the altitude.

使我有些呼吸不畅

This is midsummer

现在是盛夏时节

and the average temperature is some 20 degrees below freezing.

平均温度却在零下二十度左右

And I can tell you it feels much lower than that.

而感觉上却远远低于这个温度

And even the worst predictions don't suggest

就算是作最坏的猜测

that the air is going to warm enough to melt the ice.

气温也不会暖到足以融化这些冰雪

But now, scientists are asking a different question.

而现在 科学家们提出了新的疑问

Could the speed at which the Antarctic ice

更暖的海洋水温

flows off the land be increased by a warmer ocean?

会不会造成南极冰加速流出冰原呢 -  

1 beaks   

n.鸟嘴( beak的名词复数 )；鹰钩嘴；尖鼻子；掌权者

参考例句：

• Baby cockatoos will have black eyes and soft, almost flexible beaks. 雏鸟凤头鹦鹉黑色的眼睛是柔和的，嘴几乎是灵活的。 来自互联网
• Squid beaks are often found in the stomachs of sperm whales. 经常能在抹香鲸的胃里发现鱿鱼的嘴。 来自互联网

2 penguins   

n.企鹅( penguin的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Why can penguins live in cold environment? 为什么企鹅能生活在寒冷的环境中？ 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Whales, seals, penguins, and turtles have flippers. 鲸、海豹，企鹅和海龟均有鳍形肢。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

3 smothered   

（使）窒息， （使）透不过气( smother的过去式和过去分词 )； 覆盖； 忍住； 抑制

参考例句：

• He smothered the baby with a pillow. 他用枕头把婴儿闷死了。
• The fire is smothered by ashes. 火被灰闷熄了。

4 staggering   

a.惊人的

参考例句：

• Why is that man staggering about the room like that? 那人为什么那样摇摇晃晃地在屋里走来走去？
• Profits have shot up by a staggering 25%. 利润惊人地攀升了25%。