looking out over the ocean,

面向整片海洋

waves crashing against the shore,

白浪拍打著海岸

blue as far as your eyes can see.

眼前是無盡的藍

Let it really sink in,

讓我們

the sheer scope and size of it all.

沉浸在這無邊遼闊

Now, ask yourself,

現在，想想看

"How big is it?

這到底有多大?

How big is the ocean?"

海洋究竟有多大?

First thing, we need to understand

首先，我們必須了解

that there really is only one ocean,

實際上，海洋只有一個

consisting of five component basins that we call

是由五個大洋盆地所組成

the Pacific,

分別為：太平洋

the Atlantic,

大西洋

the Indian,

印度洋

the Arctic,

北極海

and the Southern.

南冰洋

Each of these five,

這五大洋中

while generally referred to as oceans

通常我們就通稱為海洋

in and of themselves,

五大洋本身

are really and truly a part of

其實是屬於

a single, massive body of water,

一個巨大的水體

one ocean,

一個海洋

which defines the very face of planet Earth.

就是地球表面的特徵

The ocean covers roughly 71% of our planet's surface,

地球表面約 71% 由海洋所覆蓋

some 360 million square kilometers,

相當於 3 億 6 千萬平方公里

an area in excess of the size of 36 U.S.A.'s.

也就是 36 個美國的大小

It's such a vast spread,

海洋相當地廣闊

when viewed from space,

若從太空中俯視

the ocean is, by far, the dominant feature of our planet.

目前為止，海洋是地球的主要特徵

Speaking of space,

講到這裡

the ocean currently holds over 1.3 billion,

海洋中，水的體積超過 13 億

that's billion with a "b",

就是後面要加 9 個零的億

cubic kilometers of water.

立方公尺

Put another way,

也就是說

that's enough water to immerse

這些水可以將

the entire United States

整個美國浸泡在

under a body of salt water

超過 132 公里高

over 132 kilometers tall,

的鹽水裡頭

a height well beyond the reach of the highest clouds

這個高度可以穿破雲層

and extending deep into the upper atmosphere.

直達大氣層的最外層

With all that volume,

從體積而論

the ocean represents 97%

地球上的水

of Earth's total water content.

有 97% 是海水

On top of all that,

除此之外

the ocean contains upwards of 99%

海洋還佔有世界上高達 99%

of the world's biosphere,

若看生物圈

that is, the spaces and places where life exists.

生物圈就是物種能夠生存的空間

Now let that sink in for a second.

大部份也是浸在海洋裡

The immediate world as we know it,

我們所知的世界

indeed the totality of all the living space

物種生存環境的總和

encompassed by the continents themselves,

包含七大洲的陸地

all of that represents only 1% of the biosphere.

只佔了生物圈的 1%

1%!

1%！

The ocean is everything else.

其他全都是海洋

So, the ocean is physically massive.

所以海洋不但在體積上很巨大

It's importance to life is practically unparalleled.

對於生命的重要性也無法比擬

It also happens to hold

此外，它也佔有了

the greatest geological features of our planet.

我們星球上最壯觀的地理景象

Quickly, here are four of the most notable.

其中四個最值得關注的景象

The ocean contains the world's largest mountain range,

世界最大的山脈位於海洋中

the mid-ocean ridge.

中洋脊

At roughly 65,000 kilometers long,

大約 6 萬 5 千公里長

this underwater range is some 10 times

這水底下的山脈約是

longer than the longest mountain chain

水平面上最大的山脈

found purely on dry land, the Andes.

安地斯山脈的 10 倍

Beneath the Denmark Strait exists

丹麥海峽之下存在著

the world's largest waterfall.

世界上最大的瀑布

This massive cataract carries roughly 116 times

這個巨大的瀑布每秒鐘

more water per second over its edge

通過崖邊的水流量

than the Congo River's Inga Falls,

約是剛果的英加瀑布的 116 倍

the largest waterfall by volume on land.

英加瀑布的水流量是陸地上大的

The world's tallest mountain is actually found in the ocean,

世界上最高的山也在海洋裡

hiding in plain sight.

藏於海平面之下

While 4200 meters of Hawaii's Mauna Kea

夏威夷的冒納凱阿火山

sit above sea level,

海平面上是4200公尺高

its sides plummet beneath the waves

海平面之下

for another 5800 meters.

還有另外的 5800 公尺

From its snow-covered top

從積滿雪的山頂

to it's silt-covered bottom, then,

到淤泥覆蓋的山腳

this Hawaiian mountain is roughly 10,000 meters in height,

這座位於夏威夷的山高約 1 萬公尺

dwarfing tiny Everest's paltry peak

足足高過珠穆朗瑪峰

by well over a kilometer.

1000 公尺之多

Then, since we're picking on poor Everest,

既然提到了可憐的珠穆朗瑪峰

let's consider the world's deepest canyon,

我們再來看看世界上最深的峽谷

the Challenger Deep,

挑戰者深淵

existing 11 kilometers below the ocean's surface,

深達海平面下 11 公里

some six times deeper than the Grand Canyon.

比起大峽谷還要深 6 倍

That's deep enough to sink Mount Everest into

足以在容納整座珠穆朗瑪峰後

and still have over 2.1 kilometers of water

在其山峰上再裝

sitting atop its newly submerged peak.

2.1 公里深的水

Put another way, the depth of the Challenger Deep

這樣說好了 挑戰者深淵的深度

is roughly the same height

相當於

that commercial airliners travel.

商用飛機飛行的高度

So, pretty much however you choose to slice it,

因此，你差不多可以這樣說

the ocean is capital B

海洋就是：超

capital I,

級

capital G,

大

BIG!

超級大！

It defines our planet,

海洋是地球的特色

home to the greatest geological features,

也藏有壯麗的地質景觀

comprises the largest living space,

以及最大的生存空間

and accordingly, is home to the greatest numbers

因此，它是地球上生物數量最多

and forms of life on Earth.

也是最多種生物的家

It is practically incomprehensible in scope.

在規模上難以比擬

But it is not so big,

但它也不是這麼大

so vast,

這麼廣闊

so extraordinary

那麼特別

as to be untouchable.

那麼遙不可及

In fact, with roughly 50% of the world's population

事實上，世界上約 50% 的人口

living within 100 kilometers of the coastline

居住於海岸線 100 公里之內

and with most of the remainder

另外 50% 中的多數人

living close enough to lakes, rivers, or swamps,

居住在最終都與海洋相連的

all of which ultimately lead to the ocean,

湖泊、河流、或沼澤處附近

virtually every single person on the planet

事實上，在地球上每一個人

has the opportunity to influence the general health

都有機會去影響

and nature of the world ocean.

海洋的狀況

Evidence of human influence is seen

人類對海洋影響的證據

in every part of the ocean,

在海洋的每個角落都可見到

no matter how deep,

無論多深

no matter how distant.

或者距離多遠

The ocean defines our planet,

海洋形塑我們的星球

but, in a very real sense,

但實際上

we define the ocean.

我們的所為，也影響著海洋