VOA时事新闻2023 南极海冰融化严重危及帝企鹅幼崽

Researchers, using information gathered by satellites, say the loss of ice in Antarctica hurts the survival¹ chances of rare seabirds.

研究人员利用卫星收集的信息得出，南极洲冰层融化损害了稀有海鸟的生存机会。

The large flightless birds are called emperor penguins³.

这种不会飞的大鸟叫帝企鹅。

They raise their young in groups, or colonies, on ice that forms around the continent.

它们在大陆周围形成的冰上成群地养育后代。

The ice partly melts during the summer months.

部分冰会在夏季融化。

The British and French researchers studied satellite images to look at five breeding colonies of the birds in the area of the Bellingshausen Sea in 2022.

英国和法国的研究人员研究了卫星图像，以观察2022年在别林斯高晋海地区的五个帝企鹅繁殖地。

They said the images showed no sea ice was left in December during the Southern Hemisphere's summer.

他们说，这些图像显示，在南半球的夏季，12月份没有留下海冰。

This also happened in 2021, the researchers noted⁴.

研究人员指出，2021年也发生了这种情况。

The scientists said four of the five colonies they studied had been affected⁵ by early sea ice loss.

科学家表示，他们研究的五个栖息地中有四个受到了海冰提早融化的影响。

Emperor penguin² chicks are born on the ice in Antarctica that forms during the winter there.

帝企鹅幼崽出生在南极洲冬季形成的冰上。

The ice is important because penguin chicks do not develop waterproof⁶ feathers for one to two months after they are born.

冰很重要，因为帝企鹅幼崽在出生后一到两个月内不会长出防水的羽毛。

Peter Fretwell is a researcher with the British Antarctic Survey who helped write the study.

彼得·弗雷特威尔是英国南极调查局的一名研究员，他帮助撰写了这篇研究论文。

He said, "If the sea ice breaks up under them, the young chicks will drown."

他说：“如果它们下面的海冰破裂，帝企鹅幼崽就会被淹死。”

The scientists published their research in the journal Communications Earth & Environment.

科学家在《通讯-地球与环境》杂志上发表了他们的研究成果。

Fretwell's team also started a study of places where the penguins make their nests across Antarctica.

弗雷特威尔的团队还开始研究企鹅在南极洲筑巢的地方。

They were able to identify the nesting places in satellite images because the birds' waste is darker than the surrounding snow.

他们能够在卫星图像中识别出它们筑巢的地方，因为这些鸟的排泄物比周围的雪更暗。

The scientists estimate that there are 300,000 breeding pairs of emperor penguins in Antarctica.

科学家估计，南极洲有30万对繁殖的帝企鹅。

The birds are the world's largest penguin.

这种鸟是世界上最大的企鹅。

Fretwell told the Associated Press that 30 percent of the 62 known penguin colonies were hurt by low levels of sea ice.

弗雷特威尔告诉美联社，在已知的62个企鹅栖息地中，有30%受到了海冰减少的影响。

He said 13 colonies likely failed.

他说，可能有13个栖息地丧失。

Daniel Zitterbart studies Antarctica at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution in the state of Massachusetts.

丹尼尔·齐特巴特在马萨诸塞州伍兹霍尔海洋研究所研究南极洲。

He was not involved in the study.

他没有参与这项研究。

But Zitterbart said he was not surprised by the results of the penguin study.

但齐特巴特表示，他对帝企鹅研究的结果并不感到惊讶。

He said that, if penguins are not successful breeding in one place, they might look for another place next year.

他说，如果企鹅不能在一个地方成功繁殖，它们可能会在明年寻找另一个地方。

The population could recover.

帝企鹅的数量可能会恢复。

But Zitterbart noted, "If you look further out down the line, how many suitable places will be left?"

但齐特巴特指出，“如果你再往前看，还会剩下多少合适的地方呢？”

I'm Dr. Gena Bennett.

吉纳·班尼特博士为您播报。

1 survival   

n.留住生命，生存，残存，幸存者

参考例句：

• The doctor told my wife I had a fifty-fifty chance of survival.医生告诉我的妻子，说我活下去的可能性只有50%。
• The old man was a survival of a past age.这位老人是上一代的遗老。

2 penguin   

n.企鹅

参考例句：

• The penguin is a flightless bird.企鹅是一种不会飞的鸟。
• He walked with an awkward gait like a penguin.他走路的步子难看得就像企鹅。

3 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》

4 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

5 affected   

adj.不自然的，假装的

参考例句：

• She showed an affected interest in our subject.她假装对我们的课题感到兴趣。
• His manners are affected.他的态度不自然。

6 waterproof   

n.防水材料；adj.防水的；v.使...能防水

参考例句：

• My mother bought me a waterproof watch.我妈妈给我买了一块防水手表。
• All the electronics are housed in a waterproof box.所有电子设备都储放在一个防水盒中。