Name: 生活在南极洲的物流（The Logistics of Living in Antarctica）
Uploaded: 2021-06-10T12:54:07.000Z
Duration: 12 min 2 s

基礎被動語態

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Antarctica is earth's coldest, most desolate, most isolated, windiest, driest, and southernmost

南極洲是地球上最冷，最荒蕪，最孤寂，最多風，最乾，又最靠南

All but 2% of the land-mass is covered in ice thousands of feet thick.

除了2％以外的大陸面積都被幾千英尺的冰給覆蓋

Human eyes did not gaze upon the continent until 1820.

直到在1820年人類才第一次目睹其樣貌

Human feet did not touch Antarctica until 1895.

直到1895年的時候人類才第一次踏上南極洲

It is not a place built for humans but still, thousands of people live there for up to years

他不是一個給人類居住的地方，但是有數以千計的人要連續數年住在那裡

on end, but how do they get there, how do they live there, and how does Antarctica work?

但他們是怎麼到那裡的？他們在那怎麼生活？南極洲到底怎麼運作？

Antarctica has thousands of residents, significant infrastructure, and a large transport network

南極洲有幾千個居民、重要的交通建設、跟一套大規模的運輸網絡

and yet it's one of the very few areas of land on earth not part of any country.

然而它還是地球上極少數不隸屬任何國家範圍內的陸地區域

Seven countries have made Antarctic claims—Chile, Argentina, the United Kingdom, Norway, Australia,

有七個國家對南極宣稱有主權—智利、阿根廷、英國、挪威、澳洲

France, and New Zealand—but they are exactly that, claims.

法國和紐西蘭—但也僅僅是，宣稱而已

The only real gauge of whether a country's territorial claim is real is if other countries

實際上，一國對某土地的所有權是否成立的唯一標準是其他國家是否承認

recognize it and, overwhelmingly, these claims are not recognized.

然後，以壓倒性之姿，這些宣稱都沒有被承認

Australia's claim, for example, is only recognized by the United Kingdom, Norway,

像澳洲宣稱的領地，就只有被英國、挪威、法國和紐西蘭承認

France, and New Zealand—countries which clearly have a vested interest in the recognition

都是一些很明顯想要在認同南極領地這件事上分一杯羹的

For the most part, these claims are ignored.

大部分來說，這些宣稱都是被忽略的

One doesn't go through customs upon arrival in the claims and certain of them overlap

任何人到這些領地時都不用過海關，而且某部分國家的領地還跟其他

The more universally recognized interpretation is that Antarctica is an international zone.

比較被普世所接受的解讀是南極洲為一個國際共有的區域

Just like outer space and the ocean, Antarctica is considered part of the common heritage

跟太空以及海洋一樣，南極大陸被視為人類共同遺產，意味著它

of mankind meaning that it should be preserved immaculately for all future generations, forever,

應該為將來的世世代代永遠地被保存，乾淨無瑕的那種

The seminal piece of legislation regulating the continent is the Antarctic Treaty.

管制這塊大陸最有效的法律條文為《南極條約》

Just as the cold war was heating up in the late 1950's, the United States, the Soviet

正當50年代的冷戰加溫的時候，美國、蘇聯

Union, and all other countries with an interest in Antarctica gathered together to decide

還有其他覬覦南極大陸的國家們聚在一塊來決定

They emerged with a future-facing treaty that solved most political disputes and issues

他們就制定一份條約來顧及未來，以及解決這大陸大部分政治爭議和糾紛

In its text, the treaty specifically says, “Nothing contained in the present treaty

條約在文字中明確指出：「本條約的任何規定不得解釋為：

shall be interpreted as a renunciation by any Contracting Party of previously asserted

締約任何一方放棄在南極原來所主張的

rights of or claims to territorial sovereignty in Antarctica.”

領土主權權利或領土的要求。」

Essentially, they didn't solve the sovereignty issue because it was too difficult to solve,

本質上來說，他們跟本沒有解決主權問題，因為真的太難解決了

but they did ban military presence, mining, and nuclear explosions which has helped enormously

不過他們是有禁止軍事活動、採礦以及核子試爆以確保

以保持最後一塊大陸的純樸無瑕

There are no large scale commercial operations in Antarctica thanks to that treaty.

多虧於此條約，南極洲沒有任何大規模的商業活動

The vast majority of individuals are there for research.

在那裡的絕大多數人都是科研人員

Of course, living and maintaining a base on the world's most desolate continent is hugely

想當然爾，要在最荒涼的大陸上生活跟維護基地會貴得要命

expensive, but it's worth it for the research that can only be conducted in Antarctica.

但是為了只能在南極進行的研究這些都值得

Some individuals are there to study the continent itself—it's wildlife, its geology, and

部分的人到那邊為了研究大陸的本體—野生生物、地質還有氣候

its climate—but others use the area to study the entire world.

Ice cores can be used to track historic atmospheric carbon levels, underground ponds can be tapped

冰芯可以用來研究各時期大氣中碳含量的變化，取地底湖水可以

to find ancient microbial life unique to the area, and ice thickness can be monitored to

發掘古代當地特有的微生物，而觀察冰層的厚度可以理解

Scientists even use Antarctica to look at space.

科學家甚至還用南極洲觀察外太空

As such as isolated place, Antarctica has very low background radiation and virtually

南極這種偏僻的地方有著低程度的背景幅射又幾乎沒有

no light pollution which allows astronomers to use various techniques to peer into deep

光害，天文學家就可以用各種方法窺探

Scientists are performing groundbreaking research in Antarctica, but how do they even get there?

科學家在南極洲做開創性的研究，他們又是怎麼到那裡的呢？

The difficulty in getting to Antarctica all stems from its weather.

到達南極洲的難處起源於它的氣候

The all-time record high at the south pole is 9.9 degrees Fahrenheit.

南極點的史上最高溫是華氏九點九度

The coasts are significantly warmer where the average summer high is about 30 degrees

沿海地區明顯溫暖許多，夏季高溫大約為華氏三十度

Fahrenheit but still, weather above freezing anywhere in Antarctica is an anomaly.

不過在南極洲任何地方，高於冰點的天氣都算異象

As mentioned, this means that there is virtually no bare ground—nearly the entire continent

有如前面提到的，這代表這裡幾乎沒有裸露的陸地—幾乎整塊大陸

Therefore, the only real choice when building an Antarctic airstrip is whether to make it

因此，當要建造一個南極飛機跑道時唯一實際的選擇是要蓋在冰上

One thing to remember is that Antarctica is a desert.

The coastal regions, where most of the research bases are, do experience the most snow but

多數研究基地所在的沿海地區能得到最多的降雪

still then, that's a maximum of eight inches per year.

The south pole, meanwhile, only sees about 2-3 inches of snowfall per year.

另一方面，南極點只會見到一年2~3英吋的降雪

It doesn't snow much, but when it does, it sticks around for centuries.

不常下雪，但一下就保留好幾百年

Therefore, a runway built on ice or snow is fairly permanent.

於是乎，把跑道建造於冰或雪地之上還算是長久之計

It doesn't get buried as one might in Canada or Russia.

不像在俄羅斯或加拿大一樣會被雪蓋掉

McMurdo Station's Pegasus Field, for example, was used for more than 40 years before it

像是麥克默多站的 Pegasus 機場在2016被新的

closed in 2016 to be replaced by the new Phoenix Airfield.

Phoenix機場取代之前已經使用了40年

Phoenix Airfield is a compacted snow runway.

Machines are used to pack the snow until it's dense enough to support a fully loaded, half-million

機器把雪壓緊實，直到能夠支撐一台滿載貨物，重達

But compacted-snow runways have a disadvantage—they can melt.

但硬雪跑道有一個劣勢—它們會融化

During the warmest months of the summer, the snow can warm and soften enough that it is

在夏天最溫暖的幾個月，雪地可能會加溫和軟化到

no longer safe to land wheeled aircraft so that's why there's the other type of runway—blue

讓一台有輪子的飛機降落是不再安全的，這就是為什麼有另一種跑道—

These ice runways are built on areas of glacial ice where's there's no snow accumulation.

這些藍冰跑道建造於沒有積雪的冰河地區

Ice is much more resilient to warmer temperatures so these runways can be used year-round.

冰的難熱程度強得多所以這些跑道可以全年被使用

Runways on the sea-ice are also used typically at the beginning of the summer research season

在十一到十二月當南半球的夏天來臨而且冰層

in early November until December when the southern hemisphere's summer begins and

開始破裂的研究季節初期也會使用在海面

Once the coasts are ice-free, cargo ships can also bring supplies in to the major coastal

一當沿海地區的結冰消去，貨櫃船就可以運送補給給大多數

stations, and from there the internal logistics network gets to work.

靠海邊的研究站，這時在內部的物流網就可以上工了

Large planes are used to get as much cargo and as many passengers to the continent as

大型飛機被用來以最經濟實惠的方式運送最多的貨櫃還有乘客到

There are certain airports on other continents that serve as gateways to the Antarctic.

有幾個在其他大洲的機場作為前往南極洲的門戶

Christchurch, New Zealand Airport, for example, sends about 100 flights per year and 5,500

比如紐西蘭的基督城機場每年送100個航班和5500個乘客到南極洲

passengers to Antarctica and serves as the staging area for the New Zealand, American,

而且還作為紐西蘭、美國、義大利南極

and Italian Antarctic logistics operations.

From there, it's only a five hour flight to McMurdo Station—the largest Antarctic

從那裡只需要飛五個小時就可以到南極最大的研究站

While Christchurch is the major Antarctic gateway, flight do also leave from Cape Town,

雖然基督城是前往南極洲的大門戶，也有從南非開普敦和

These larger intercontinental planes typically land at the major blue-ice and compacted snow

大型的跨洲飛機一般都將落於靠近沿海的藍冰跑到和硬雪跑道

runways near the coast, but then many of these passengers and much of this cargo needs to

The inland research bases tend to be smaller and there are fewer of them, but they are

內陸的研究基地大多偏少又偏小，但他們的重要性

The American Amundsen–Scott South Pole Station, for example, has a population of 150 people

像是美國的阿蒙森-斯科特南極站在夏季時，人口數量就多達150人

in the summer and there are also smaller Italian, French, Russian, Japanese, and German stations

而且還有其他比較小的義大利、法國、俄羅斯、日本和德國研究站