万物简史 第622期:冰河时代(19)

On the other hand, the next phase of our history could see us melting a lot of ice rather than making it. If all the ice sheets melted, sea levels would rise by two hundred feet—the height of a twenty-story building—and every coastal¹ city in the world would be inundated². More likely, at least in the short term, is the collapse³ of the West Antarctic ice sheet. In the past fifty years the waters around it have warmed by 2.5 degrees centigrade, and collapses⁴ have increased dramatically. Because of the underlying⁵ geology of the area, a large-scale collapse is all the more possible. If so, sea levels globally would rise—and pretty quickly—by between fifteen and twenty feet on average.

另一方面，在我们历史的下一阶段，将会看到大量冰盖融化而不是大量冰盖形成。如果所有的冰盖都融化，海平面将上升60米——有20层楼那么高，全世界所有沿海城市都会被淹没。更加可能的是，至少在短期内，南极洲西部的冰盖会塌陷。在过去50年的时间内，南极洲周围水域的温度增加了2.5摄氏度，冰盏塌陷已经大大加剧。这一地区的地质构造特点使得大规模的塌陷更有可能发生。一旦这种情况出现，全球海平面将平均上升——而且速度很快——4.5—6米。

The extraordinary fact is that we don't know which is more likely, a future offering us eons of perishing frigidity⁶ or one giving us equal expanses of steamy heat. Only one thing is certain: we live on a knife edge.

一个明显的事实是，我们不知道未来的年代是一个严寒气候，还是一个酷热的气候。只有一点是肯定的，我们生活在刀刃上。

In the long run, incidentally, ice ages are by no means bad news for the planet. They grind up rocks and leave behind new soils of sumptuous⁷ richness, and gouge⁸ out fresh water lakes that provide abundant nutritive possibilities for hundreds of species of being. They act as a spur to migration⁹ and keep the planet dynamic. As Tim Flannery has remarked: "There is only one question you need ask of a continent in order to determine the fate of its people: ‘Did you have a good ice age?' " And with that in mind, it's time to look at a species of ape that truly did.

顺便提一句，从长远来看，冰川期对于地球绝不是一件坏事。冰川磨碎岩石，留下新的肥沃的土壤；它们开凿出淡水湖泊，为数以百计的生物种类提供丰富的养分；它们推动了动植物的迁移，使得地球充满生机。正如提姆·弗兰纳里所说：“要想确定某一块陆地上的人类的命运，你只需问问那块大陆这样一个问题：‘有过一个像样的冰川期吗？'”记住这一点，我们接着该看一看有一种类人猿是怎样应对这种变化的。

1 coastal   

adj.海岸的，沿海的，沿岸的

参考例句：

• The ocean waves are slowly eating away the coastal rocks.大海的波浪慢慢地侵蚀着岸边的岩石。
• This country will fortify the coastal areas.该国将加强沿海地区的防御。

2 inundated   

v.淹没( inundate的过去式和过去分词 )；（洪水般地）涌来；充满；给予或交予（太多事物）使难以应付

参考例句：

• We have been inundated with offers of help. 主动援助多得使我们应接不暇。
• We have been inundated with every bit of information imaginable. 凡是想得到的各种各样的信息潮水般地向我们涌来。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 collapse   

vi.累倒；昏倒；倒塌；塌陷

参考例句：

• The country's economy is on the verge of collapse.国家的经济已到了崩溃的边缘。
• The engineer made a complete diagnosis of the bridge's collapse.工程师对桥的倒塌做了一次彻底的调查分析。

4 collapses   

折叠( collapse的第三人称单数 )； 倒塌； 崩溃； （尤指工作劳累后）坐下

参考例句：

• This bridge table collapses. 这张桥牌桌子能折叠。
• Once Russia collapses, the last chance to stop Hitler will be gone. 一旦俄国垮台，抑止希特勒的最后机会就没有了。

5 underlying   

adj.在下面的，含蓄的，潜在的

参考例句：

• The underlying theme of the novel is very serious.小说隐含的主题是十分严肃的。
• This word has its underlying meaning.这个单词有它潜在的含义。

6 frigidity   

n.寒冷；冷淡；索然无味；（尤指妇女的）性感缺失

参考例句：

• Doctor Simpson believes that Suzie's frigidity is due to some hang-up about men. 辛普森大夫认为苏西的性冷淡是由于她对男人有着异常的精神反应。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Frigidity and horror have attacked that crying baby ! 那位哭闹的孩子又冷又害怕。 来自辞典例句

7 sumptuous   

adj.豪华的，奢侈的，华丽的

参考例句：

• The guests turned up dressed in sumptuous evening gowns.客人们身着华丽的夜礼服出现了。
• We were ushered into a sumptuous dining hall.我们被领进一个豪华的餐厅。

8 gouge   

v.凿；挖出；n.半圆凿；凿孔；欺诈

参考例句：

• To make a Halloween lantern,you first have to gouge out the inside of the pumpkin.要做一个万圣节灯笼，你先得挖空这个南瓜。
• In the Middle Ages,a favourite punishment was to gouge out a prisoner's eyes.在中世纪，惩罚犯人最常用的办法是剜眼睛。

9 migration   

n.迁移，移居，（鸟类等的）迁徙

参考例句：

• Swallows begin their migration south in autumn.燕子在秋季开始向南方迁移。
• He described the vernal migration of birds in detail.他详细地描述了鸟的春季移居。