all the time.

一直以來

Travel times between the Earth's continents have never been shorter

洲與洲之間的往來時間愈來愈短

then they are today.

與以往比起來

But one thing you still can't do is drive around the entire world.

但開車環繞地球仍然是你無法做的事

Sure, you could always just fly,

當然，你還是可以搭飛機

but wouldn't it be great if instead if you could go on a road trip

但如果可以來趟兜風之旅不是很棒嗎?

between Europe and North America.

從歐洲與北美洲間

Or North America to Asia.

或從北美洲到亞洲間

Is it actually possible to build a global highway system

搭建一個全球性的高速公路系統是否真的可行呢?

that would connect all of the world's continents?

一個連接七大洲的高速公路系統

And if it is,

如果可行

then should we actually do it?

我們該如何搭建？

To begin exploring the answers to these two questions,

為了解決這兩個問題

Here's Sam from the brand new channel,

這是Sam的全新頻道：

Half as Interesting

Half as Interesting

To discuss the current problems that would face a

討論面對建造全球性高速公路

global highway sytem.

的問題

SAM: So, how connected is the current road system?

SAM: 所以，我該怎麼連接現存的道路系統呢？

So there are basically four distinct major road systems on Earth.

基本上，我們有四大區的主要道路系統

The biggest one being this one:

最大的是這個：

The Eur...

歐...

Euraf...

歐非...

Eurafrasian one?

歐亞非大陸？

The one spanning Europe, Asia, and Africa.

橫跨歐洲、亞洲、非洲的道路系統

These three continents are all connected by land.

這三大洲有陸地連接著

So, it makes sense that they're all connected by road.

所以他們皆有道路連接著

Right?

對吧？

Wrong.

錯！

Because I lied.

因為我說謊了

It's impossible to cross from Africa to Asia fully on land

從非洲到亞洲的旅途只靠陸地的話是不可能的

because of this:

因為這個：

The Suez Canal.

蘇伊士運河

This is the canal that make the trip from Europe to Asia

這個海峽讓歐洲到亞洲的旅途

by boat,

藉由船

This:

從這裡：

Instead of this:

而不是從這裡：

The only physical connect between the two continents is

實質上連接這兩大洲的是

therefore; the three bridges spanning the canal.

橫跨海峽的三座橋

But the road system is still contiguous,

這道路是連接的

so it still counts as one big road system.

所以這仍然算是一個大的道路系統

Speaking of big things,

說到「大」這件事情

the 6th largest country in the world,

世界上第六大的國家，

and the first smallest continent,

而且又是最小的洲，

Australia,

澳洲，

has its own major road system.

有屬於自己的道路系統

But there's not much more to say about it,

但這沒有什麼好討論的

other than if you go a little bit this way,

但如果你往這個方向

You get to America

你到了美洲

Both of them.

包含北美洲和南美洲

Much like Africa and Asia,

就好像非洲跟亞洲一樣

The Americas are technically not connected because of

南北美洲實際上不太算有連接

a man-made canal.

因為這個人造的運河

The Panama Canal.

巴拿馬運河

But that's not a problem because of multiple bridges spanning the narrow waterway.

但那不成問題，因為有數座橋梁橫跨這運河

The problem is this:

真正的問題是：

The Darién Gap.

達連隘口

Not a single road crosses this desolate swamp land spanning over the Panama-Colombia border.

沒有任何一條道路通過這橫跨巴拿馬及哥倫比亞邊界的荒蕪沼澤地

The area is overrun with paramilitary forces and drug lords.

這個區域充斥著軍事部隊及毒蟲

There's just not enough demand to make braving the

實在不值得在這多沼澤及危險的區域

marshy and dangerous area to build a road worth it.

搭建橋樑

So, that's why North America and South America have

這就是為什麼北美洲和南美洲

two completely separate unconnected road systems.

有完全分離的道路系統

REALLIFELORE: So, to recap, these 4 areas all have preexisting

REALLIFELORE：我們來複習一遍，這四個大洲都有道路系統

road networks but none of them connect with one another.

但這些道路皆無互相連結著

So, how can we fix that and live in a world where you

所以我們該如何解決與住在一個

can drive from New York to London and back again?

你可以從紐約開車開到倫敦而且可以返程的世界？

Let's imagine that this global highway would originate in

讓我們想像這全球性的道路起於

Cape Town, South Africa,

開普敦，南非

and end in Punta Arenas in Chile:

然後在智利的城市：蓬塔阿雷納斯 結束

the southern most city in the world with a population over 100,000 people.

世界上最南端且有著超過10萬人口的城市

The current highway system from Cape Town to Kinshasa,

從開普敦(南非)到金夏沙(剛果)的現存道路

is fine and would take 51 hours to complete the whole drive.

需要開車時間51個小時來完成旅途

But once in Kinshasa, our first problem arises:

一旦我們在金夏沙(剛果)，一個問題出現了

There is currently no bridge over the Congo River

在金夏沙(剛果)和布拉薩市(剛果)的剛果河間

between Kinshasa and Brazzaville.

沒有橋梁

So, the only current way across is by a ferry.

唯一的方法是靠船

In order for our global highway to work,

為了讓我們的全球性高速公路成真

we need to build a bridge across which would cost around

我們需要建造一座橋

$444 million.

價值444百萬美金

Assuming that it's built,

我們先假設這座橋已建造完畢

the drive from Brazzaville to Eddalya in Morrocco

從布拉薩市(剛果)到Eddalya(摩洛哥)的旅途

can continue just fine with existing highways.

可以靠現存的高速公路來連結

The total driving time all of Africa so far stands at 7 days and 6 hours.

整個非洲的旅途耗時約7天又6小時

But here we encounter one of the largest problems to our global highway:

但在這裡我們遇到了其中之一的大問題：

The Mediterranean Sea.

地中海

Luckily, at this point though, the sea separates Morrocco from Spain

幸運地，在摩洛哥及西班牙間海的距離

by only 14km [8.7 miles].

只有14公里 [8.7英里]

But it's not the length that's the problem,

但距離不是問題

it's the depth of the water.

問題是海的深度

Which is up to 900 meters [2952.76 feet] deep at some parts.

在某些部分有高達900公尺 [2952.76呎]的深度

It would be a gigantic engineering challenge to construct.

這會是個難度極高的工程

And the estimated cost is somewhere around $24 billion.

建造費用大概是260億美金

But let's assume that it's built and you're now across from Africa,

但先讓我們假設已建造完成且我們已離開了非洲

in the town of Alegciras in Spain.

在西班牙的城市：阿爾赫西拉斯 裡

You can now drive all the way from this town to the other side of Eurasia

你可以從這座城市開車開到另一端的歐亞大陸：

in Magadan, Russia on currently existing highways.

馬加丹(俄羅斯)，藉由現存的高速公路

And that drive alone would take 7 days and 11 hours.

而這旅途將耗時7天又11個小時

When combined with your trip from Cape Town,

當我們加上從開普敦(南非)的路途

the total drive form there to Magadan would take 14 days and 17 hours to complete.

整個旅途耗時14天又17個小時

In order to connect more people on the global highway,

為了讓跟多人能夠利用這全球性的道路系統

UK citizens could transport their vehicles through the Chunnel

英國人可以藉英法海底隧道來運送他們的交通工具

and begin their journey on French highways on the way to Magadan.

並開始他們在法國高速公路上開往馬加丹(俄羅斯)的旅遊

If you live on Australia, New Zealand, or Indoneasia,

如果你住在澳洲、紐西蘭或印度尼西亞(印尼)

then i'm sorry, but it's probably not possible to build a bridge

我很抱歉，在那裡建造一座橋連結到全球性的道路系統

connecting you guys to the system with our current technology.

以我們現今的技術，根本不可能

the distances that Australia and New Zealand are from everything else

澳洲、紐西蘭 ，這兩者與其他國家的距離都很遠

means that any bridge build would have to be at least

這意味著任何一座橫跨海洋橋梁都最短至少要

165 km [103 mi] over open ocean.

超過165公里 [103英里]

Which is not very feasible.

這是難以達成的

So basically if the rest of the system is built,

所以基本上，如果剩下的道路皆建構完畢

if you're living just about anywhere in Eurasia

如果你住在歐亞大陸的某一處

you would be able to drive to Magadan.

你可以開車開到馬加丹(俄羅斯)

But getting from there to North America is perhaps the greatest

但從那裡到北美洲可能是我們目前遇到

challenge that the system faces.

最大的挑戰

This is a map of the Russian highway system.

這是一幅俄羅斯的高速公路系統

And as you can notice, this entire area here is full of nothing.

如你所見，這整個區域是荒蕪的

Over 2,000 km [1242.742 mi] of brand new highways

超過2000公里 [1242.742英里] 的全新高速公路

would have to be built through this vast and freezing land

會建於這寬廣寒冷的土地

to connect to the small village of Uelen near the Bering Strait.

連結靠近白令海峽的小村莊：Uelen

From here mainland Alaska is only 82 km [51 mi] away.

從這裡到阿拉斯加只有82公里 [51英里]

But a bridge that long alone because of these:

但這座橋不會是完整的一條，因為有：

The Diomede Islands,

迪奧米德群島

luckily in the center between Alaska and Russia.

幸運地在俄羅斯與阿拉斯加間

Because of them, you only need three separate smaller bridges

因為這個緣故，我們只需要三條分開的較小橋梁

instead of one long one.

而不是完整的一條

And the water depth is actually quite shallow

這裡的水深事實上還蠻淺的

at only 55 meters [180.446 feet] deep.

只有55公尺 [180.446英呎] 深

But still due to the freezing temperatures here,

但由於極為寒冷的天氣

the challenge of building it would be enormous

建造的挑戰也隨之增長

and the bridge would likely cost an insane $105 billion to complete.

而且造價將會是極高的1,050億美元

And then there's the problem that the closest town in Alaska

再來另一個問題是：在阿拉斯加最近的城市

is 160 km [99 mi] away from where the bridge would be constructed at.

離橋梁的端點約160公里 [99英里]

So, another highway would have to be built out to there.

所以，我們還必須再建造一座高速公路

But this town is even further separated from the rest of the road system in Alaska.

但這座小鎮和其他在阿拉斯加的道路系統極為遙遠

Which means even more highways would have to be built

這意味著我們還得建造更多的高速公路

entirely from scratch to connect all the way to Fairbanks.

從小鎮原點開始連接到費爾班克斯(阿拉斯加州)

From here, finally, you can take existing roadways all the way down

從這裡，你終於可以由現存的道路開到亞維薩(巴拿馬)

on a 129 hour drive to Yaviza, Panama.

路途約耗時129個小時

The existing road system ends here at the aforementioned,

現存的道路系統在前面提及的地方結束：

Darién Gap.

達連隘口

So if the area could become a little more safe, and a highway was built across it in the future,

所以如果這個地方在將來可以變得更安全點，且有高速公路建於此地

you could drive even further all the way down to Punta Arenas in Chile.

我們就可以開得更遠，開到 蓬塔阿雷納斯(智利)

The southern most major city in the world.

世界上最南端的城市

To recap all of this one more time,

我們再複習一次

These area would have to see some major construction projects to build the global highway system.

這些區域必須精打細算建造計畫來建造全球性的高速公路系統

The longest route would from Cape Town to Punta Arenas,

最長的路線會是：從開普敦(南非)到蓬塔阿雷納斯(智利)

and it would be over 52,000 km [32,311 mi] long.

而這路途將超過52,000公里 [32,311英里]

Take you over 28 days of driving time.

花費28天的開車時間

And the entire system would likely cost at least $233 billion to build.

而整個道路系統將耗費至少2,330億美金建造

That's a little over 1% of the United States's GDP.

這只超過美國GDP的1%一點點

Or about 38% of what the United States military spends in one full year.

或著說，大約為美國軍隊一整年花費的38%

That may not seem like very much until you remember,

用聽的感覺不會很貴、很久，但一旦你將下面的話想過一遍，你便會改觀了

you could always just fly from Cape Town to Punta Arenas

你總是可以從開普敦(南非)坐飛機到蓬塔阿雷納斯(智利)

for about $2,000.

以約2,000美元的花費

And it would only take you about 27 hours instead of 675 hours.

而這只將花你27小時，而不是675小時

So this video was done in a collaboration with new channel,

這支是與新頻道的合作影片

"Half As Interesting"

"Half As Interesting"

So if you'd like to learn more about the longest possible drivable route in the world today,

如果你還想要學習更多關於世界上最長且可以開行的路線

then please go ahead and check out his video next.

那請按下滑鼠觀看這支影片

If you enjoyed what you just watched, then I hope that you'll subscibe to my channel by clicking here:

如果你喜歡這支影片的話，希望你訂閱我的頻道 按這裡:

If you would like to directly support my channel, you can visit my patreon by clicking here:

如果你想直接贊助我的頻道，你可以按這裡贊助：

And I hope to see you again next friday for another brand new video then.

我們在下一支影片見